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HEY...What's it really like to fly my own PPG?FIRST FLIGHT STORY.... Picture yourself in the not too distant future, ready to take your first flight at home with your new powered paraglider from Northeast Skycruisers, LLC... You've completed your training with Northeast SkyCruisers, LLC and now you are back home with your new motor and wing. Maybe there have been a few days when you could have flown, but you found yourself just a little nervous at the prospect of flying without the reassuring radio contact and helpful guidance of your BFI (Basic Flight Instructor). Can you REALLY take to the sky and soar as effortlessly as you did in the beautiful hills of Vermont when you were taking your training? In your heart, you know you are up to the challenge. What you are feeling is just a case of "Newbie Nerves" and is quite normal and actually a sign of the safety conscious pilot you know you have become. Besides, it was so EASY during flight school and you are the same, level -headed person you were then...time to step into the sky in your own neighborhood! You have found a farm field , athletic field, or maybe a local airport with good, unobstructed orientation to the prevailing wind. Although you know the powerful motor will lift you gently off the ground in just a few easy steps, you realize the importance of having a good clear take off corridor and alternate LZ's (landing zones). This is the conservative, safety conscious approach your instructor has insisted you adopt. Powered paragliding is one of the safest forms of aviation in the world and you intend to do your part to keep it that way by always making sound piloting decisions! You have already warmed up and pre-flighted your motor (maybe it's the light weight Walkerjet Spider or perhaps the Simonini based FLY Products Power Gold 130 or Walkerjet RR with their massive amount of thrust) and now it's time to hook up your wing and take to the sky. You lay your wing out on the grass behind you, double check your harness connections and re-start the motor just like your instructor showed you. Of course, if you have decided to use the trike attachment today, you will simply sit down in the harness, put your feet on the steerable nose wheel pegs and roll into your take off! You take one final check of the wind direction and begin to power up in a forward inflation. You are amazed again at how EASILY the wing comes up! Within a few seconds it is parked obediently over your head and the weight of the motor (not very great to begin with) has completely disappeared as the wing lofts skyward. A quick glance to make sure the wing is up and well centered, and you squeeze the throttle and begin to run. Almost before you know it, you are lifted skyward, but you keep the running motion going, just like you practiced in Vermont. You know that pedaling your feet in the air may look a bit comical, but you couldn't care less...YOU ARE FLYING AGAIN!! When you are sure you will commit to the flight, you ease yourself back into the comfortable harness and get ready to be awe struck by the simplicity and profound beauty of POWERED PARAGLIDING! Maybe you fly for 20 minutes on this flight... maybe 2 hours! All you know is that the world is a completely different place when viewed by eyes in flight. This will be just the first of many, many joyous flights to come. Your landing is a little faster than you wanted (maybe 5 mph rather than the picture perfect 2 mph runout that you did once for your instructor) but who cares? It was still completely controllable and, after all, it's only your 6th flight...you will continue to improve with practice! Your biggest problem is going to be answering all of the questions from the small crowd that has gathered to see this modern marvel. BE WARNED...PPG PILOTS USUALLY DRAW A CROWD AND WHEN THEY LAND, THEY ARE ALREADY PLANNING THEIR NEXT TRIP SKYWARD!! ARE YOU READY TO TAKE TO THE SKY??!! |
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Tele: (802) 276-3082 OR, TOLL FREE, 1-866-I FLY PPG Copyright 2004 Northeast Skycruisers, LLC All Rights Reserved |
