Monday Afternoon
Monday on the cliffs above Manzanita, alone, as Karen stayed in Seattle through the weekend, helping out with kid duties. Alex bought a truck for $400, a price that would explain the problems he was already having this morning. The battery was dead after he went for a spin, then he noticed the cooling fan wasn’t connected. Ah, youth. He was in such a hurry to get it and rather trusting of the seller. I’ve been there, and not that long ago!
Today’s ramblings…..
Should I pursue powered parachutes as a hobby, and if so, should I go for the sport pilot license or the part 103 ultralight licensing? This may seem way off topic, but I think the fundamental question applies to boats as well as to powered parachutes in that the answer is based, for me at least, on intent.
As you can see in an earlier post, I am thinking of pursuing powered parachutes or paragliders. To start off, let’s lay out some of the groundwork, for example what’s the difference in those two types of craft? A powered parachute is a tricycle with a motor and propeller on the back, hanging from a square parachute. The directional controls are most often foot bars which, in turn, are connected to the back edges of the chute, allowing the pilot to warp the wings to turn. Paragliders are basically a parachute with a motor strapped to your back, where instead of jumping out of a plane, you run like heck until you are going fast enough, with the assitance of the motor on your back, to fly. The parachute is much more agile, and therefore less inherently stable, then the one used on a powered parachute, and the wing is most often warped via hand controls, just as is done in parachutes worn when you jump from planes.
powered paraglider
There is no doubt that I am too old to be running at break neck speed with a motor strapped to my back, as I would clearly fulfill the promise and break my neck.
But there is now a class of paraglider that is clearly a combination of the two kinds of craft, offering a cart, greatly simplified and downsized, but with all the other features of it’s type, such as hand controls and elliptical chute.
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From that description the hybrid paraglider would seem the obvious choice, but not so fast, as there are some regulatory issues to consider. A paraglider requires no license, no inspections, no training. You can get inspections and training, but they aren’t required. As a result, if you are flying under the part 103 guidelines of a paraglider you are not allowed to take up passengers. In order to do that you must get a Sport Pilot license from the FAA, and once you get it you must be updated every other year with two hours of instruction, and have done three take offs and landings within the last 90 days. There’s an initial flight test, written test, and an oral quiz from the flight examiner, and those bi-yearly check rides will set you back about $300. With the part 103 flying you can, either in small single seat powered parachutes, known as PPCs, or in the foot or wheel launched single seat paragliders, fly within a handful of hours of instruction. Any future training is up to you, your sense of safety, and your pocketbook.
So the answer could seem clear, go part 103. If you want to be extra safe, go with part 103, but get as much training as you consider appropriate. It’s safer, it’s faster, and the single seat aircraft cost 30 to 50% less than the two seat PPCs.
Here’s where the connection with boating comes in, one I’ll address with a question: Why do we build boats? It’s not to save money, as in most cases it is cheaper to buy used than to build, especially these days. For me there are two reasons. First, I can’t buy the kind of boat I’d like to own! My Escargot is, for the time being, the only one in the state, perhaps only one of 6 or fewer in the country. If I want a boat like Escargot, I have to build it. But there is another reason, and this is where the connection to aircraft comes in. It’s the thrill of learning, and doing, the unknown and the uncommon. Every time I have tackled building a boat I have tackled far more than I really knew how to do. Throughout the project I made mistakes, and then found solutions. I’d get discouraged, and then make progress. It was a journey, a challenge… and ultimately it was discovery and adventure.
It was also something I shared, with my wife, my daughter, my son, my neighbors, even other builders seeking inspiration. I’ve enjoyed going out in the boat myself, in fact lately I’ve done it more alone, as my family is so busy. But part of the thrill was in sharing.
In flying part of the thrill would be in sharing, not just with others in their own machines, but also with my family and friends, those who wouldn’t fly otherwise.
And all the extra work required to take someone up, all the work, time and hassle? I say it’s all one of the most valued parts of the journey.
I was going to work on my boat while down here, and did do some of it, but I forgot a saw, and when I asked Alex and Karen to bring it down today, they forgot. That means I’m stuck on boat building. In it’s place I have been reading study materials for my Sport Pilot test, certainly putting in well over 12 hours so far. And it’s been fun.
The mistake I’ve made in some of my past “adventures” is that the itch was scratched and fulfilled too quickly. When I bought a three wheeled car I enjoyed the search, the learning and the driving, but after a handful of miles there was nothing left. It’s the same with many purchases… a flash of fun, then this exciting new adventure quickly becomes a boring old toy of the past. With the right attitude I am sure one could make the single seat, part 103 flying, a lot of fun, but why not go with the full meal deal, the brass ring of adventure? There is a cost difference, but if you have the money the cost could be worth it.
