A powered paraglider is one of the only aircraft that can safely fly just a few feet off the ground. This allows us to see wildlife, birds, local scenery and treetops up close and with a 3D view not possible when cruising at 1000ft. It is also capable of flying 3000ft or higher, if that perspective is desired.
For takeoff, the paraglider wing is laid out on the grass behind the trike. We throttle up; the wing comes up; we taxi and then take off.
This aircraft only flies 25 mph relative to the wind, so if we have a 5 mph headwind, we'll only be going 20mph groundspeed when the aircraft gently lifts off the ground.
We are outfitted with helmet-to-helmet communication for the duration of the flight. If the student is comfortable and time and weather allows, we will ascend to 2000ft and glide down in perfect silence. The only sound during this descent is the wind in the lines and the sound of your own breathing. Students often comment on this as being the highlight of the flight.
