A Weird Question...

[jkjoshuatree]

Has anyone seen those flying thingys over the past few summers by the Weirs? They look kind of like hang gliders but with a parachute in place of the wings.

I've actually seen a phone number on them saying they can be rented.

Anyway, is there a place you can rent them? Does anyone know the proper name of them? I'd love to buy one but don't know what to punch into Google.

Thanks. And sorry for the eloquant language.

[TiltonBB]

You can try powered parachute. While you are searching try gyrocopter and ultralight aircraft.

There are plenty of ways to get up in the air for short money.

[Gilligan]

You might want to get or rent one of those with a clear parachute so that you can look up. I hear that, if they get approval, some jumpers may be falling out of airplanes over the airport. You probably do not want them landing on your ultra-light parachute :laugh:

Those things do look like fun. I've seen small groups of them take off and land over by the airport in an unused area. I do not think you need any kind of license to use them. Not even a safe flying certificate! Is that correct?

[C_Duff]

You might want to get or rent one of those with a clear parachute so that you can look up. I hear that, if they get approval, some jumpers may be falling out of airplanes over the airport. You probably do not want them landing on your ultra-light parachute :laugh:

Those things do look like fun. I've seen small groups of them take off and land over by the airport in an unused area. I do not think you need any kind of license to use them. Not even a safe flying certificate! Is that correct?

I'd avoid those things. Ultralights are (barely) flying death traps. They are usually homebuilt kits.

Those "aircrafts" usually need only a Sports Pilots (http://www.faa.gov/licenses_certificates/airmen_certification/sport_pilot/)certificate which is less stringent to obtain and more restrictive on where and when you can operate.

[fatlazyless]

Didn't one of the Wal-Mart Waltons, son of Sam Walton, age about 55, crashed and dieded in an ultralight plane that cost 9-thousand dollars in Wyoming, a few years ago. He lived free & died with about 9-billion dollars in his wallet at the time. He won't be spending too much of that, anymore.

Got to be an easier way to curtail the spending....


Would have been better off buying a 188-dollar kayak at the Gilford Wal-Mart:rolleye1:

[tis]

One of the Marriots fly an ultra light.

[fatlazyless]

How about one of the little Laker Amphibians which seem to have a niche market around here. Any chance me finding one on craigslist for $9000. They look like they barely go faster than 100mph and can always be landed on the water if you run out of fuel

What's going on with the propeller......it is backwards?

[Nadia]

Are you talking about the thingy that the boat pulls, and as the boat accelerates it eventually flies up into the air? Kinda like sitting on a bench with a little parachute above it? Talk about your eloquent language! LOL, listen to mine!

[jkjoshuatree]

...I think.

I know they used to to that in Paugus Bay years ago.

I'm talking about a three wheel contraption that you sit in, the engine is in the back and there's a parachute above you.

Does that make any sense? Thank God I can't show you in a drawing...that would make it even more confusing since I draw like a two year old (no offense to any two year olds reading this).

[jkjoshuatree]

Thanks for spelling it correctly Nadia. And I'm supposedly an English major...wow, how embarassing!

[jkjoshuatree]

There...finally! Now I think I'm losing my mind. I'm going to bed before I sit up all night talking to myself on Winni.com.

Night all!

[ApS]

One of the Marriots fly an ultra light.
Similar to this, but in dark red color?

http://www.ultralighthomepage.com/PICS/eagle02.jpg

"...How about one of the little Laker Amphibians...What's going on with the propeller...it is backwards...?

http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x36/kirbynbu/blog2/image002.jpg

The Lake amphibian has a "pusher-prop": really noisy, really slow, but the prop is high and away from splash that can damage the prop's surface. (And quiet inside).

I'd avoid those things. Ultralights are (barely) flying death traps. They are usually homebuilt kits.
Like pediatricians and healthcare in general, General Aviation was "put on its ear" by tort trial lawyers. Every instrument manufacturer involved in a airplane incident was sued out of profitability, if not business.

Ultralights are all that is left for the Joe Public guy who wants to fly. The really good news is that the Austrian-designed "Rotax" engines selected for ultralight power, have a very good reputation for reliability.

Has anyone seen those flying thingys over the past few summers by the Weirs? They look kind of like hang gliders but with a parachute in place of the wings.
Haven't seen them here, but are they like this one—which has a pusher-prop engine?

http://www.sas.org/E-Bulletin/2004-02-20/mimsci/art/DSCN6174.JPG

[C_Duff]

One of the Marriots fly an ultra light.

Yes they do....and they had an accident near Wolfeboro Neck/Tuftonboro Neck back in the late 80's (89 I think). They were "dog fighting" and clipped each other's wings. The fire dept actually flagged us down by the boat launch in front of the Libby to bring firefighters out to the scene.

Careless, poorly (if at all) trained "pilots" flying what is basically a hang glider with a lawnmower engine.

and if Acers per Second wants to comment on my opinons on ultralights, that's fine. I'm a former pilot myself and a current air traffic controller. That and those I've met who fly these things have made up my mind for me.

Yes it is sad that the General Aviation community has been hit hard by all the lawsuits, but that does not excuse the pure stupidity of those who fly these things recklessly. They are the same types of people as the countless "Capt boneheads" mentioned on these forums.

[tis]

I remember when that happened, C.

[jkjoshuatree]

Do you know what they're called?

[ApS]

"...I'm a former pilot myself and a current air traffic controller. That and those I've met who fly these things have made up my mind for me..."
We wouldn't have left the ground at all, if it weren't for those earliest "high-risk" aviators with their homemade "flying machines". ;)

"...and if Acres per Second wants to comment on my opinions on ultralights, that's fine..."
Except for the homebuilt (http://www.eaa.org/homebuilders/faq.asp) aspect, I don't think we have a dispute here. :coolsm:

Flying an ultralight is a high-risk activity; however, as long as these pilots endanger only themselves, there's no problem with ultralights for me. Few in this demographic abandon high-risk activities even after their buddies fail to "arrive alive".

For example, the U.S. Army—distressed to lose so many expensively-trained men on leave from Iraq, and in the age 25-34 (http://www.winnipesaukee.com/forums/showpost.php?p=93883&postcount=526) demographic already known for risk—lists the following activities as "high-risk" :

ALL TERRAIN VEHICLES (ATV)
AUTO RACING
BUNGEE JUMPING
CIVILIAN LIGHT AIRCRAFT FLIGHT
CIVIL HELICOPTER FLYING
DIRT BIKING
EXPERIMENTAL AIRCRAFT
HOT AIR BALLOONING
HUNTING
MOTORCYCLE RIDING
MOUNTAIN CLIMBING/RAPPELLING
RODEO/BULL RIDING
SCUBA DIVING
SKI JUMPING (SNOW)
SKYDIVING
SNOWMOBILING
SOARING
WHITE WATER RAFTING

(I would add base-jumping, free-diving, free-basing, shark-petting, snowmobile skimming, snake charming, lion taming, box-comb jellyfish collecting, venomous snake photography, mountain climbing, and bullfighting, as I did a few years ago, here (http://www.winnipesaukee.com/forums/showpost.php?p=5704&postcount=47)). Ten-fifteen years ago, the list probably would have included PWCs!

The irony is that the Army list (http://74.125.47.132/search?q=cache:AS59NeMi09kJ:www.cmtc.7atc.army.mil/Support/Recreational%2520Safety/Extreme_Sports2.pdf+%22high-risk-activities%22&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us) exists so that "personnel can come back from the U.S. alive".

(Now, I have my own "high-risk" activity, but instructing (http://www.theautochannel.com/news/2002/09/19/147719.html) race-car drivers from the passenger side of the driver's own cars is done on a closed course after many hours of classroom and the precautions in mechanical preparedness. Or, "Do not try this at home". :emb:

Where we might have a dispute is when high-risk personalities choose to not avail themselves of available training (http://www.performanceboatschool.com/), yet choose to spread their risk with hundreds of family boaters on protected inland waters.

Sorry to be so long-winded, but it's raining and—oh yeah—you're new here! :emb:

One of the Marriots flies one.
All I ever see is red or yellow ultralights. (Mostly red ones).

Do you know what they're called?
"Powered-parasails", "Powerchutes", "Powered-parachutes", or just "PPC (http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&safe=off&rls=GGLD%2CGGLD%3A2005-04%2CGGLD%3Aen&q=%22powered-parachutes-or%22&aq=f&oq=&aqi=)".

[SIKSUKR]

Here's a line of paraplanes:http://www.sunflightcraft.com/en/paraplanes.php

My bad.That photo is indeed a powered parachute.The paraplanes have fixed wings.

[Smith Cove 1]

Hi All
I would like to take the opportunity to explain briefly about the flying objects you may have seen.

First I would like to correct C Duff on his explanation of the so called pilots.
We are a very responsible group of people, who have been trained and are certified FAA pilots. We take safety very seriously. In the past you may have encountered some cowboys, but I would doubt very much if that is the case anymore.

OK, these aircraft are called powered parachutes, made by a few different companies. If the are single seat and with a weight of 254 pounds or less they do not need to be registered, and if you are not smart enough to get trained by an instructor then you WILL run into problems.

The other models are 2 seat which need to be registered like any other aircraft by the FAA along with a safety inspection.

Here is a link to our local club, take a look around and feel free to come and check out one of our fly In's.

I hope this helps with some of your questions, if there is anything else I can help you with please ask.

http://www.nhskyriders.com/

[fatlazyless]

Picture #10 in the summer '08 batch must be high over Big Squam Lake what with all its' islands, and Lake Winnipesaukee can be seen at the top of the photo. That is similar, but seen from a higher altitude, to the view from the cliff-top summit on East Rattlesnake mountain in Holderness.

Just think, you get the big Squam view without having to hike up the trail for 45 minutes and no rattlesnake worries.

[Gearhead]

I know that some owners of ultralights are former pilots who've failed their medicals but still want to fly. I can't say I blame them; what an exhilarating feeling leaving the ground. Keep the nitro readily accessible though.

That being said, I've heard that a powered parachute will just slowly descend to the ground if there's a loss of power. Nice feature. I've seen them down at the bay and I'd LOVE to take one of them for a whirl!

If you hear someone soaring over your head this Summer screaming like a nine-year-old girl, that'd probably be me. ;)

[jkjoshuatree]

Now I just have to take the course. The event in July by the SkyRiders sounds like just the place to start.

[C_Duff]

First I would like to correct C Duff on his explanation of the so called pilots.
We are a very responsible group of people, who have been trained and are certified FAA pilots. We take safety very seriously. In the past you may have encountered some cowboys, but I would doubt very much if that is the case anymore.

As I said, there are those who take it seriously, but there are still those who as you put it "cowboys" about it. Those are the ones I have an issue with.

I know of one who I went to college with, let's call him "Andrew." Andrew's parents bought I'm an ultralight. He like to call it his lawnmower because he would go around to fields and try to cut the tall grass with his prop.

once I actually watched Andrew try to hand-prop start his plane by himeself...now any pilot will tell you that is just about the biggest NO-NO you can do on the ground.

People like that are the ones who ruin it for everyone.

[Happy Gourmand]

That's how we started them before they came with starters....

[Island Life]

Smith Cove, I've seen these in the air; they are so fun to watch. But how do you get up there? Can you explain the take-off process?

[Smith Cove 1]

They are really cool to watch.

Take offs and landings are the same as any other aircraft, except you have to carefully lay out your chute (or wing).

We take off from airports or a nice grass field.
After preforming a complete preflight of the craft, you taxi to your location and lay out the chute, then buckle your self in and proceed to start the engine, when your ready you send radio communication out on the local frequency and throttle up. The momentum mostly, along with some of the thrust from the prop will start to kite the chute as you roll, when your chute is above you and fully open (when the front air cells are full) you give full throttle and take off.
Landing is also the same, you need to take in all the weather factors etc.

Hope that gives you a little idea of how it works.


PS C Duff
you actually didn't say anything about the pilots taking safety seriously, you only had negative things to say about the crafts themselves and someone you knew evidently a long time ago. With that said, I would ask you to keep your negativity to your self until you really know what your talking about.