you can buy them for about 8-10 grand fully functional (no altimeter though). don't need a license to fly one either.. unless you get a two seater, from what i have read.



they go up to about 13,000 feet and fly between 65-100 mph.. depending on the make and model. they look like a lotta fun to me.



im thinking about getting one this summer to fly to work. i might have a job for an aeronautical firm, so i can take off in my backyard (i have a big field) and land at the airport. i have had my student pilots license since high school, so all i have to do is recertify and finish training for my private pilots license if i wanna move up to bigger aircraft.



cheaper than a car. don't know about insurance for something like that and gas consumption, but most of them only have a 5 gallon fuel tank.

 

Its called an ultralite and they have been around for like 20 years. Basically a hang glider with a motor

 

Its not an ultralight. They are called "trikes" or "wings" or something like that.. not too sure.. but for an ultralight, you need a certification or some sort of license for one of those.



but these are considered gliders by the FAA. so you don't need any training or license.



if i bought one, i would probably take a crash course on these things, but nothing extensive because i already have a ton of experience with flying.



i think these things look like a great idea.. and yeah, they may have been around for a while, but im just now starting to do research on them

 

Do they still have parachute cannons on them??



Those things are cool - Just pray you never hit a stong headwind. You'll experience flying standing still.

 

I know you can pay extra for a parachute in case of emergencies. you can deploy it at your own will..



i know there is another model that is all parachute and no wing on top.



yeah, you could either make record time to work, or be a record late to work. lol

 

LOL, you'd never go to work if you had that thing, who the hell are you kidding.



Like me and Amy living on a sailboat, I'd do it, but I'm afraid we'd spend more time away from land than on it LOL Jim would wonder what the hell happened to me when a postcard from south of the equator with 50 stamps on it hits his desk LOL

 

powered parachute

 

hahaha.. if i worked at the airport, and had the option.. you bet ur *** i'd do it..



the field behind my house is easily large enough for a runway, and the airport prolly won't care as long as i have ATC clearance.



oh please let me get this job.. please

 

Depends on the airport, some require clearance, a lot require you to at least be able to contact other pilots to let them know you are landing and then there's also a ton that have special areas for landing lw ac's, you don't need that much space. One of my A&P instructors flew a homebuilt helicopter to work everyday, he got their quick, took me up in it once, didn't like it, ******* whirly-gigs, it's a wonder they don't convert from helicopter to rock more often.



When I had full access at paine field, before 10PM I had to request clearance to cross any runway, after 10PM you had to announce, clearly your intentions, ie "I am crossing RW 16 going east to west and I will pause between runways and proceed accross 24" Something like that, then you had to say "Crossing 16, hold, crossing 24 clear."



I have no idea what my point was **** it.

 

i know what you are saying. i think most of the hassle can be avoided by filing a flight plan.



also, most ultralights don't even have a radio, so i would have to find out the requirements to land in the different types of airspace.