Have you ever looked into the sky and witnessed what appeared to
be a go-kart flying through the air with a parachute attached to the back?
Growing up I would often see this myself several times throughout the summer. I
never knew what the “flying go-kart” contraption moving through the air really
was, and never thought much of it either. Why I wasn’t more concerned with this
strange device flying not far from my home, I do not know, so that is why I
decided to learn more about the “flying go-kart” in one of my aviation stories.
Hopefully you will find learning about this puzzling aircraft interesting as
well!
These aircrafts can be called several names; some common
names including powered parachutes and PPC. They actually are similar to a go-kart
in that they have a metal bar frame and a motor, but they differ in that they
have only three wheels and a circular piece in the back that helps with flying.
These powered parachutes have only been around for a few decades, but they seem
to have become one of the most user-friendly methods of flying on the market.
Not only are they somewhat inexpensive, but they are also relatively safe (with
proper training that apparently is not too intense). The powered parachutes
usually fly at altitudes of 600 feet or less and on days where wind speed is
very low. As long as the machine is properly maintained and thoroughly prepared
before takeoff, almost anyone with training can fly a powered parachute.
These flying go-karts from my childhood memories are now
not so much a mystery. These aircrafts must be regulated in flight zones where
they cannot interfere with other airplanes. Being that I lived less than a mile
from the private and locally owned Andy Barnhart Memorial Airport, this must
have been one of the areas the powered parachutes were able to fly, and why I
had witnessed them flying across the skies growing up.
References:
[1] Kennedy, Carolyn. “An
Unusual Flying Machine.” SW Aviator Online Edition. Southwest Regional Publishing,
Inc. 2001. Web. 1 Feb 2014. <http://www.swaviator.com/html/issueND04/Parachutes.html>
Wow, interesting. They must fly pretty low for you to be able to spot the go-kart structure from your observer's post on the ground. In your opinion, could this become a viable form of personal transport? I wouldn't mind parasailing to school in a go-kart. But I'm not sure how to calculate the gas mileage. Do you know what fuel type it runs on or what kind of engine it has?
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