AOPA Pilot Magazine - June 2018 - 66

avoid damage to other people, property,
or the equipment.
The first training exercise was in a
"simulator," where the motor hangs from
a contraption that looks like a giant swing
set, attached by the same hang points it
would use in flight. The instructors use
radio communications to guide students
through the first flight, allowing them to
learn the response of the throttle and the
feeling and sound of the running motor.
Next, we did thrust/posture exercises, where we strapped on the motor

and walked around with it running.
Once the motor starts producing thrust,
the pilot can lean back against that
thrust. The empty weight of the motor
and harness is a little more than 40
pounds, and we were typically operating with the three-gallon fuel tank half
full. Even though these are some of
the lightest motor units available, the
weight was noticeable, and these exercises helped us get used to the weight
and vibration without the distraction of
a wing overhead.

CHUTES AND GLIDERS
A sampling of open-air flying
Powered parachute. A powered
parachute comprises a flexible or
semi-rigid wing connected to a cart
so that the wing is not in position for
flight until the aircraft is in motion.
The fuselage of a powered parachute
contains the aircraft engine and a
seat for each occupant, and is attached to the aircraft's landing gear.
Powered parachutes may be ultralights or Light Sport aircraft.
Powered paraglider. Like a powered
parachute, a powered paraglider has
an inflatable wing. Paragliders generally are foot-launched and have no
rigid structure. The pilot is clipped
into a harness and wears the motor

66 | AOPA PILOT June 2018

as a backpack unit. Powered paragliders may not be operated as Light
Sport aircraft-but what about those
with a frame and wheels? "When
wheels are added, it isn't black and
white, it's shades of gray where black
is 'Powered Parachute' and white is
'Powered Paraglider,'" explains the
U.S. Powered Paragliding Association.
Paraglider. No motor here. Paragliders launch from hillsides by foot
power alone.
Parasail. Don't confuse any of these
aircraft with a parasail-a large,
round parachute pulled
behind a boat.

Much of the second day's ground
school was spent briefing the upcoming
flights. Since the first flight is solo, the
instructor issues directions by radio. As
training progresses in subsequent flights,
instructors provide less and less input.
Day three would have been the
beginning of our towing training, but
the weather was not cooperative. In an
airplane landing at 50 mph, a 10-mph
wind may not even be obvious. In a powered paraglider that cruises at 20 mph,
a 10-mph wind is extremely serious. As

beginning students, we would look for
5 mph or less of steady wind. Calm conditions are best for maneuvering once
airborne, but since our speed for launch
is provided by our legs, zero-wind conditions require the fastest run. Ideal
beginner conditions were steady winds
of 3 to 4 mph, giving us half of our liftoff speed before we even started running.
The fourth day dawned with perfect calm conditions for towing, which
allowed us to assemble the skills of getting
the wing overhead, controlling it while it
is overhead, and running into the sky-
without needing to worry about motor
operation. The towing machine attaches
to a vehicle, in this case a pickup truck. Its
gasoline engine reels in the tow line, which
is routed through a turnaround pulley
AOPA Pilot Magazine - June 2018

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