Frequently Asked Questions
What Makes The Powered Parachute So Stable?
The pendulum effect (pilot and airframe suspended by an airfoil) provides self-compensating stability.
How Fast Does It Fly?
The Powered Parachute flies at between 26 & 32mph through the air. This is determined by the type of wing, (rectangular or elliptical) & wing loading. The heavier your payload, the faster you will fly. The ground speed is determined by the speed of the wind relative to the flight direction.
How Does The Parachute Deploy?
Simply lay the parachute out behind the airframe and start the engine. As the pilot and aircraft start rolling forward for takeoff, the parachute will kite overhead. Upon reaching flying speed, the parachute will lift the pilot and aircraft up into the sky.
What if the engine quits?
It gets very quiet. In the unlikely event that the engine should fail, the pilot can safely steer the unpowered gliding Powered Parachute back to a landing site. You will have a glide ratio of anywhere between 3:1 to 5 or 6:1, depending on the type of wing you’re flying. (rectangular or elliptical)
How Is The Powered Parachute Transported?
All that is required is a small trailer. Of course, there are many trailer options available, including fully enclosed models that will sleep 6, has full kitchen and bathroom facilities, and can carry a PPC easily.
Why a Powered Parachute?
Why a powered parachute? Boy is this a broad question – you sure you want to go with this question? OK, OK, well, because:
- It is probably the most fun you can have with your clothes on.
- It is the easiest flying vehicle we know about – only two airborn controls. One to control your rise and decent through the skies, and the other to make turns (via your feet and the foot rudder bars).
- Besides keeping the unit sturdy, clean & dry, you only need to change the oil and the plugs to maintain it.
- It takes very little room to store it – a single car garage can hold three units. And hence it is also very easy to transport – a common utility trailer can easily carry your PPC to any fly-in. Heck, some people just add an extended shelf to the rear of their pick-up trucks and put the PPC there.
- You can complete your basic training in 3 days.
- You can fly year round.
- It requires no ground crew, you can easily unpack, take-off, land, and re-load your PPC all by yourself.
- It has an incredible safety record (despite the fact that mere humans are allowed to fly it).
- If you fly a true 103 ultralight – it requires no medical; there is no age limit, and no bureaucratic paperwork (i.e., no license or registration).
PPC READY FOR TAKE-OFF