Buy and self taught flying an ultralight a bad idea?

[VeryBumpy 272]

USA has no legal requirement for training or licenses for smaller single seat ultralights.Any flight enthusiast ever just buy one and learn to fly it on their own? They are no more expensive than a motorcycle and just need permission to use a farmers large flat field.Thoughts?

[jeroen79 0]

How confident are you that you can do it safely?Spending some money on a second opinion from a professional instructor can't hurt IMO.

[Chock 17,769]

Technically, you can do that with a glider in the UK, although in practical terms you would never get a launch from an airfield in the UK without flashing your license, since they are all governed by the FAI and the BGA, so it is a moot point.But obviously with a powered aircraft, and an ultralight at that, any reasonably big meadow would do to take off from, so people can feel free to kill themselves, although the real problem is not so much that, since Darwin Awards await, but rather who you might also kill when you crash. I could foresee one or two over enthusiastic and optimistic flight simmers trying it, although I just hope that the sim they learn to fly on is not MS Flight, since that one is very forgiving where stalls and spins are concerned. Standby for some futile precedent-setting court case from a bereaved spouse, against MS.Al

[briansommers 74]

My uncle and cousin did just that and they are now both old and no they don't fly anymore but they didn't have any problems.. could you do it if you are really comfortable flying FS9/X -- without a doubt, I believe you could.. HOWEVER YOU WILL HAVE LOTS OF NERVOUS FEELINGS THAT YOU WON'T GET IN THE FLIGHTSIM PROGRAMS! do this insteadhire an instructor or just another well seasoned ultralight pilot, get into a two seater and fly it yourself, that way if you really get into trouble you have him there to save your life.

[VeryBumpy 272]

Well after watching a few of the MANY 'ultralight trike crash' videos on youtube. Not so interested any more.

[NoahBryant 26]

I always remember seeing that video of the guy whose "safety" parachute deployed right as he was taking off and basically jerked him backwards right into the ground. I've done a lot of dangerous stuff in my time but I don't think I would do one of those, instructor or no. It does seem fun, but not for me.

[VeryBumpy 272]

http://www.barnstorm...++Aircraft.htmlorhttp://www.barnstormers.com/classified_498962_B1RD+ULTRALIGHT+.htmlStill looks like lots of fun though.

[VeryBumpy 272]

Wow, what a terrible place to take off and land. They must be nuts using a runway between a row of trees.

[z06z33 781]

Wow, what a terrible place to take off and land. They must be nuts using a runway between a row of trees.

 

Id never get in one of those flying lawn mowers. I want sheet metal and plexi glass around me

[monpol 0]

Definetly at the level of performance that the new generation of ultralights it is a real substitute for ppl now.

 

I know more than one guy who made +-700km trips with ultralights.

 

However if you ask me can you self train with an ultralight? The answer is no. Even after 28 hours of initial training it is too risky to make a solo flight. I think that the insurance companies ask at least 45 flight hour for solo flights.

 

Also, a brand new fligthdynamic ultralight cost +- 90.000 eur and I will never land an unprepared runway If one day I buy one of this birds

 

 

 

GT-I9300 cihazımdan Tapatalk 2 ile gönderildi

 

 

[E6BAV8R 88]

Wow, what a terrible place to take off and land. They must be nuts using a runway between a row of trees.

 

I've done it into a grass field.. and I was in an airplane.  Fun stuff.

Id never get in one of those flying lawn mowers. I want sheet metal and plexi glass around me

 

Why?  You could even argue that being in an ultralight would give you much better ability to glide and therefore time to make a more informed decision as to where to go if the engine does fail.  Also, your landing distance is much shorter in an ultralight and that will give you 10x more options of where to put it down.  Heck, there is many more things to go wrong in an airplane versus an ultralight.  I'd go fly an ultralight all day long.  If you're talking about crashing than nothing is going to save your hide regardless of what you're in.

[TOGA-saurus 330]

Wow, what a terrible place to take off and land. They must be nuts using a runway between a row of trees.

 

On the upside there would be little or no cross-wind  :biggrin:

[E6BAV8R 88]

On the upside there would be little or no cross-wind  :biggrin:

 

Except the windshear coming off the top of the trees as you descend below the tree line for the landing!