My Ultra-Cool Sport,  Powered Parachutes!

Some time ago I was introduced to the sport of Powered Parachuting, and enthusiastically fell in love with it.  I love flying my chute, just don't get to go fly as often as I would like.  Powered Parachutes are just plain cool.  Below you will find links to PPC resources; another picture of me and my very own Powered Parachute; some pictures of NASA's Test of the X-38 Space Station Escape Module.  Enjoy investigating below.   

What is a Powered Parachute?  It is an ultralight aircraft with a open cockpit airframe mated to a Parawing airfoil, (a type of Parachute).

Powered by light, powerful and reliable engines,  Powered Parachuting, in my opinion, is the safest, funniest, coolest, neatest, most awesome form of recreational flying devised by man. 

Flying a "Chute" is as close to being on a "Magic Carpet" as it gets.  And safe!  Add throttle, the aircraft rises from the ground.  Reduce throttle, it floats to the ground.

The following links are posted here so you can find out more.  If you ever get a chance to take an introductory lesson in one, or see one do maneuvers up close, do it.  You will be amazed. 

It only takes 3 to 6 hours to learn the basic basics.  But, Powered Parachutes are "Flying Machines."  Please, if you like these machines and want to learn to fly them, please, get enough instruction from a qualified and good instructor when you do.  It's what you don't know that can kill you. 

Before you hyperspace off this site on one of our links, don't forget to make a bookmark in your favorites and come back to read the little book.   Because when Jesus comes, His people will all fly to glory, no parachutes needed.

Baugh Flight Inc. --- Great people.  Extremely helpful and knowledgeable.  The club Show-Me Chute Flyers are very active in the Powered Parachute Community.  Did I mention they were a really fun bunch.  If you talk to them directly, tell them Ken sent ya.

North American Powered Parachute Federation  and their Links

Aero Sports Connection --- These folks are more than Great.  They do important work for all the ultralight community.  If you fly ultralights of any type, SUPPORT THEM, they work for YOU!  Keep up the good work.

Powerchutes.com ---  An Excellent Powerchute Website.  They have an excellent picture archive.  This site can help you find lots of good info on Chutes.

River Rat Ranch Ultralight Documents --- The location for finding the rules and regulations pertaining to all ultralights.

Six Chuter, Inc. --- This is the aircraft make I fly.  I love my Skye Ryder I.  Six Chuter is one of the original PPC manufacturers.

Harmening High Flyers---Another one of the original manufacturers.  They make several excellent machines.   

NASA and the countries building the International Space Station determined that the Space Station should have some sort of "Life Boat"  in its engineering.  So they designed the X-38 program.  The X-38 is a re-entry vehicle to use in case of the need to exit the space station in emergencies. 

After deployment it re-enters the Earth's atmosphere.   As the X-38 re-enters and slows down, a series of parachutes deploy to slow it down more.  The final parachute deployed is a Parafoil Parawing,   (just like on a Powered Parachute).  This allows them to steer & land the re-entry vehicle safely.   

See the pictures below.  During testing the X-38 was dropped from a large bomber.  During the test the vehicle rolled into the canopy, slicing a large rip in the top of the wing.  (visible below left)   It still flew fine and landed safely.  I'm glad my canopy is open before I leave the ground and takes off without a bomber boost. 

I understand the testing was a complete success, in spite of the launch from the airplane.  On the left is the full scale prototype tested.  On the right is a picture of the X-38 mockup model landing.   Since then, NASA has re-tested the X-38 without a glitch