The crap you need to go through to do flight training as a foreigner in the states is terrible. Plus, a two week PPL seems sketchy at best. I know it can be done, but do you really want to rush training like that? If I'm going to hurdle myself through the air in a tin can, I'd like to know I was trained to the appropriate standards, not to a point that came when 14 days were up. If you're dedicated and have the ability to learn quickly you can get a PPL done up here in 2-3 months for about the same price.
Ultralight Flying
- Thread starter VifferFun
- Start date
The crap you need to go through to do flight training as a foreigner in the states is terrible. Plus, a two week PPL seems sketchy at best. I know it can be done, but do you really want to rush training like that? If I'm going to hurdle myself through the air in a tin can, I'd like to know I was trained to the appropriate standards, not to a point that came when 14 days were up. If you're dedicated and have the ability to learn quickly you can get a PPL done up here in 2-3 months for about the same price.
ItIsWhatItIs
Banned
They send you the study guide 5 weeks before. When you arrive you write the written exam. If you fail, you can stay an extra week for a 1000 and get instructor training to pass. 3 weeks and you are flying.
I believe that an experimental/homebuilt plane has more strict maintenance/inspection requirements compared to a registered Ultralight.
rmemedic
Well-known member
I think that's backwards.
As the builder of the experimental/homebuilt you are the "expert" on that aircraft, so you are the one that does the inspections/maintenance on it.
I could very likely be wrong, but when looking at some planes with my instructor I thought he mentioned that homebuilt planes had to be inspected at least once a year (or something like that)? On the other hand, an Ultralight built to the manufacturer's specs (without modification) doesn't have an annual inspection requirement.
rmemedic
Well-known member
There are inspections during the build process, typically before you enclose it (put on your wing coverings etc.) but as far as I know, that's the only inspection required on the home builds.
ItIsWhatItIs
Banned
http://www.copanational.org/HomebuiltGettingStarted.cfm
This pretty much says it all. Sounds like two inspections and you do your own maintenance.
ItIsWhatItIs
Banned
I saw a guy flying around this morning with a powered paraglider. Looked slow but fun.
http://paratoys.com/
It is total BS you require an ultralight license to fly one of these. In the US you don't.
http://paratoys.com/
It is total BS you require an ultralight license to fly one of these. In the US you don't.
Motorcycle Mike
Well-known member
They are very cool to fly, I miss it.
The downside is that they are slow, but that is also an upside as very little can go wrong. I actually ran out of gas the first time I was up... just landed in the nearest field, picked up my parawing and walked to my car.
The biggest downside around here is limited scenery and they fly slow... whatever the windspeed is plus or minus 15kph or so, and you are very limited as to when you can fly -- low winds (less than 20kph) and you don't want a lot of crazy thermal activity so you usually fly around dawn or dusk.
This was my machine:
And this is how I transported it everywhere:
The downside is that they are slow, but that is also an upside as very little can go wrong. I actually ran out of gas the first time I was up... just landed in the nearest field, picked up my parawing and walked to my car.
The biggest downside around here is limited scenery and they fly slow... whatever the windspeed is plus or minus 15kph or so, and you are very limited as to when you can fly -- low winds (less than 20kph) and you don't want a lot of crazy thermal activity so you usually fly around dawn or dusk.
This was my machine:
And this is how I transported it everywhere:
dkolbasovsky
Member
Here is my dad's Zenair (Original Zenith airplane) the CH200. I'm currently getting checked out in it. It is a Homebuilt.
rmemedic
Well-known member
Cool little planes. I was considering a 601, but wing issues related to certain spar designs drew me away from it. If I went for that price range with a home built I would go with the Sonex. However, the 650 seems nice... But at that point I would just go build my RV-4 and have my dream plane... Ok well, the closest thing I'll get to having a Harmond Rocket.
