PILOT GOALS AND CERTIFICATIONS

 


There are multiple approaches to learning to fly a Powered Parachute. Most paths to becoming a PPC Pilot will depend on your goal, the level of certification you seek:

• For an Introductory / Discovery Flight
• For piloting an Ultralight Powered Parachute
• To get your Student Certificate (to begin formal training for a Sport or Private Pilot)
• To test for a Sport Pilot
• To achieve Private Pilot status
• To be rated as a CFI (FAA Certified Flight Instructor)


The Begginning - Testing the Experience of Flight – usually called an INTRODUCTORY or Discovery Flight. These flights – piloted by a veteran CFI (Certified Flight Instructor) - give you a true feel for the experience of flying in a Powered Parachute. Normally these flights are structured around a 20-minute to a 1-hour flight. You will be able to easily converse with your instructor via helmet/headset microphone. The instructor will be happy to demonstrate the use of the simple, intuitive controls used in powered parachute flight while you are flowing over some of the most scenic countryside in the area. From the ritual “laying-out” of the wing (as our Ram-Air wing starts its ‘life’ as a bed-sheet lying on the ground before the forward momentum inflates it into a flying airfoil) to the joys of floating down in a quiet ‘engine-out’ environment! These flights encompass all of the excitement & freedom of being airborne, along with the thrills of soaring with the birds. Camera & videos are allowed; and you only need to bring sunglasses and wear closed-toed shoes! During this flight you will be comfortably seated in the 2nd or rear seat of the Powered Parachute. Caution however is advised, as this sport is known to be very addicting - so be forewarned! This will be a flight that you will never forget. Definitely something that should be included in your ‘Bucket List’. Introductory Flights are usually geared for someone who has never flown in a powered parachute before, and would like first hand knowledge as to whether the sport may be suited for them.

Ultralight Pilot - U/L (UltraLight) pilots may fly a single-seat Powered Parachute that weights less than 254-lbs and is equipped to carry no more than 5-gallons of fuel. You will not be able to share the joy of your ‘magic-carpet’ flight with a passenger, but then again, you will not have to deal with the paperwork of FAA certification either. You can train to the level of our Ultralight pilot classification within 4-(flyable)-days. .

Sport Pilot - SP's (Sport Pilots) are certified pilots (via FAA standards) that can take a passenger and are allowed to fly in 'E' & 'G' airspace without any additional endorsements. These pilots can fly from sunrise to sunset in 90% of the areas in the USA, as long as they maintain a visual reference to the ground. And if their aircraft is equipped for night flights, a Sport Pilot can stay aloft through the civil twilight hours as well.

Private Pilot - A PPC (Powered ParaChute) Private pilot gains privileges over a powered parachute Sport Pilot – a PPC Private pilot adds opportunities for Night Flights & for flights into Towered Airport airspaces.

CFI(Certified Flight Instructor) - Flight Instructors obtain a FAA certification to allow them to teach, and hence, to charge for their skills and services. CFI privileges start with the sanction to charge for Introductory Flights <> to endorsing Students to Solo & Cross-Country <> to giving biennial Flight Reviews to keep Pilots current with their ratings.