Powered Parachute Ultralights

Those Magnificent Men And Their Flying Machines

by Chad Ison

Publication Date: July 1998

Numerous times I've been walking in a field or hiking in the woods and looked up to see a bird flying in the sky or a hawk souring effortlessly in the air currents. Watching in amazement I've often wondered what it would feel like to be a bird soaring high in the blue skies and looking down on the land below. Several times I've tried to capture that feeling.

Flying in an airplane, you are definitely soaring. However, you are completely surrounded by metal and have only a small window to look out. You can't feel the wind whipping past you or the mist of the clouds as you pass through them. Helicopters can't quite capture that feeling either. The closest experience I had tried, or so I thought, was skydiving. However, when you're free-falling through the sky at 120 mph, it's hard to savor the feeling. Your parachute finally opens and things slow down a bit, but your ride ends too soon as you touch ground.

So what is there a person can try to experience that feeling of souring like a bird?

Unknown to myself, I found the answer at the annual Sport Boat and RV show this past January when I met Joe Denny and the crew of Harrison County Sport Aviation Limited. I came upon the most unusual machine that I had seen in a long time - the Buckeye Powered Parachute. I had seen ultralite airplanes before, but this one was different. It didn't have a fixed wing or look like a miniature airplane, as was the case with most ultralites. The body looked like a three-wheel go-kart with an engine and propeller attached to the back. I was amazed and intrigued by this unusual ultralite and wanted to know more.

Joe explained the workings of the powered parachute: The Buckeye has only three flight controls and flies at a constant speed all the time. Once you're buckled in, the engine is started, the throttle stick is pulled back about halfway, and the ultralite starts to roll forward. As you roll forward, the parachute begins to inflate and rotates above you. Once the parachute is completely inflated, you pull back all the way on the throttle to full power and lift off. To make the Buckeye turn in flight, you simply push the footbar - left to turn left and right to turn right. To climb, add power by pulling back on the throttle. To descend, decrease power by pushing forward on the throttle. Holding the stick at about three-quarters full power will allow you to fly the powered parachute at level flight.

Setup time for a powered parachute once you've arrived at the airport or flying field is about ten minutes. You simply roll the machine off the trailer, lay the parachute out behind it and ensure none of the lines are tangled, pre-flight your machine, and away you go. Powered parachutes fly at a constant speed of 30 mph with the engine on or off. The engine has nothing to do with forward speed; all it does is add power for climbing or reduces power to descend. Once you're airborne...sit back and relax.

Powered parachutes have been flown as high as 6,000 feet. Most have either a five or eight-gallon fuel tank and can fly for two hours to two and one-half hours. If the engine quits for any reason, you simply parachute to the ground. You have all the turning capability to help guide you to a safe landing location. Because of the speed of travel and the lightness of the plane, most pilots prefer to fly in wind conditions not exceeding 12-15 mph.

Joe further explained that with three to four hours of professional instruction almost anyone can fly a powered parachute. I was more than eager when Joe suggested that we should get together in the summer and he would take me on an instructional flight.

Time passed and I had forgotten Joe's generous offer until one sunny, calm day in June when I received his call. Joe suggested that the weather was perfect for flying and wanted to know if we would like to take an instructional flight. I jumped at the chance to soar like a bird. We hopped into the Wrangler and headed up the road to Harrison County Sport Aviation in Lanesville, Indiana.

Upon our arrival, we were greeted by Warren Moses and Al Kimball, fellow powered parachute owners. We then met Joe and walked to the long, grassy airstrip behind his house. On the field were two Buckeye Powered Parachutes. Joe and Al went to their aircrafts, unpacked their chutes from their carrying bags, and carefully stretched them out on the ground. After conducting their pre-flight checks to ensure everything was OK, they started the engines that sounded like two very loud go-karts. The chutes billowed out as they revved up their engines, but never fully lifted upward. They shut down the engines while Jenny and I boarded. Once strapped in, I checked my camera equipment, and we were ready to go. I flew with Joe and Jenny flew with Al.

Again they started their engines. Once the chute inflated, we started to roll down the field. The parachute quickly went overhead and we lifted up into the sky. As we ascended higher and higher, the scenery of the rural community was spectacular to behold. I was awestruck and had to remind myself to take pictures. Occasionally I watched the altimeter on the console of Joe's machine and the numbers grew higher. The view was spectacular - there were no metal walls surrounding us, no small windows to peer out of, nothing but my pilot, myself and the wide open sky. One slight gliche if you're bothered by heights, there was no floor below you either. Just an unobstructed view of the ground. The wind was whipping across my face and I was in heaven...at last, a true sensation of soaring like a bird.

Joe and I climbed to about 1,200 feet and leveled out. Jenny and Al would fly around us as I snapped picture after picture. Joe then banked to the left and headed south, flying approximately eight to ten miles following the interstate. Joe then pointed ahead - off on the horizon I saw the skyline of Louisville as I had never seen it before. Unfortunately by then I had taken every picture on the roll of film.

We did a 360 and headed back toward the air strip. On the way back, Joe would swoop down within 15 to 20 feet of a field and soar back up into the sky. It was great! I then asked Joe if we could go higher. We climbed higher and higher. The altimeter read 2,200 feet before we leveled off into the clouds. The mist lightly sprayed across my face and the cool breeze was just what the doctor ordered on this hot and sweaty day. We came upon Jenny and Al at about 2,000 feet and spent a few minutes passing each other as we made several quick turns.

Joe then pushed hard on the footbar as he slowed down the engine. We made several downward spirals to the right as we descended. He then pushed the bar the opposite direction, and we spiraled to the left on our way to the ground. Later Joe told me that this is the fastest way to descend. We then leveled out and prepared for our approach to land. We glided in slowly toward the air strip and I was surprised by how smooth the landing was as we touched ground. Jenny and Al soon followed suit and came in a couple of minutes later.

Our son Josh, who had been on the ground taking pictures during our time in the air, was anxiously awaiting his turn to fly. After Joe and Al took a few other people on instructional flights, his turn finally came. He and Joe lifted upward into the sky and flew off. After about fifteen minutes, they reappeared and Josh was grinning from ear-to-ear as they touched ground. Barely taking time to remove his helmet and unstrap his safety harness, Josh excitedly told us of a group of deer they had seen and swooped down upon unsuspectingly. The spooked deer scattered into the woods from what they probably thought was an unusual giant bird. Of course, Josh now wants an ultralite of his own.

Afterwards we took a few minutes to speak with Joe, Al and Warren about their powered parachutes. Veteran of the three, Warren has been flying his single-passenger powered parachute for six years. "He was always talking about how great it was," said Denny. "I just had to find out what it was like...after I flew the Buckeye, I knew that I had to have one."

Powered parachutes are reasonably affordable to own. Depending on options ordered, a single-seater can run from $8,000 to $10,000, and two-seater models can run from $13,000 to $16,000. Storage is simple; since there are no fixed wings, one can store a powered parachute in the garage. The aircraft is lightweight and can easily be loaded on and off a trailer by a single person.

There are no licenses required to fly the single-seater models. However, a (BFI) Basic Flight Instructor rating is required to fly and take passengers on the two-seat models. Training to fly a powered parachute is very easy. After a couple of instructional flights, an instructor will prepare you for a solo flight where he will relay various training exercises through a two-way radio. You then must log a minimum of 25 hours of solo time before the instructor will give you a required oral and written exam. If successful, you will then receive your BFI rating.

If you've ever wondered what it would be like to soar like an eagle in the clouds, then I highly recommend you check out these magnificent men and their flying machines.