# Ultralights. Opinions



## Velius (Oct 5, 2007)

I've always been interested in buying an ultralight (or as my friends call them, "Flying Wheelchairs"  ). I've been looking at one in particular; the Aerolite 103 AEROLITE103 HOMEPAGE 2006. 

I need some opinions. What do ya'll think? Worth it or not?
Thanks 8)


----------



## Wurger (Oct 5, 2007)

There are many guys who have their own ultralights in The flying club in my city and not only.If you dont have enough money to buy a plane this is a good solution.To be honest if I could affort this I bought it for sure.Besides,the guys ( some of them are my friends) say that its running costs aren't expensive.And ultralights don't take a lot of space mostly.It is possible to keep them in a garage for instance.


----------



## lesofprimus (Oct 5, 2007)

Alot of people die in ultra-light crashes....


----------



## Lucky13 (Oct 5, 2007)

I wouldn't fly in anything lighter than your parashute....


----------



## comiso90 (Oct 5, 2007)

Google "Ultralight Clubs" a ton will come up... I'm sure you'll find helpful info.

.. I'd love to give it a try.


----------



## Velius (Oct 5, 2007)

lesofprimus said:


> Alot of people die in ultra-light crashes....


On the contrary, I hear you have a higher chance of surviving in an ultralight crash compared to other planes that don't fall under FAR 103 due to lower speeds and (usually) lower altitudes. Some can even be equipped with emergency parachutes.


----------



## lesofprimus (Oct 5, 2007)

This is true, but injuries happen with great frequency...


----------



## DOUGRD (Oct 6, 2007)

lesofprimus said:


> This is true, but injuries happen with great frequency...



You're right Les, but I think some of the reasons are 1) No flight training involved. 2) No emergency procedures practice 3) No test for pilot competency. 4) Dumb **** trying to build something when he has no mechanical ability. 5) flying behind the power curve or outside the envelope. 6) Running out of Altitude, Airspeed and Ideas all at the same time.


----------



## FLYBOYJ (Oct 6, 2007)

Velius said:


> On the contrary, I hear you have a higher chance of surviving in an ultralight crash compared to other planes that don't fall under FAR 103 due to lower speeds and (usually) lower altitudes. Some can even be equipped with emergency parachutes.


Not really true - many ultralight crashes go unreported and its because of some problems mentioned here is why the feds have tightened up on ultralights, kicking some of them into light sport.

Low speed and low altitude will kill you just as quick as high speed and high altitudes - the only differance between two is the last reading on the altimeter and airspeed indicator!


----------



## DerAdlerIstGelandet (Oct 6, 2007)

FLYBOYJ said:


> Low speed and low altitude will kill you just as quick as high speed and high altitudes - the only differance between two is the last reading on the altimeter and airspeed indicator!



Also remember that higher altitude gives you more time to react to an emergency or situation.


----------



## FLYBOYJ (Oct 6, 2007)

Yep - In a light GA airplane a rule of thumb is 3 minutes for every 1000 feet.


----------



## DerAdlerIstGelandet (Oct 6, 2007)

Exactly in my opinion altitude is your friend. Thats kind of obvious though!


----------



## Velius (Oct 6, 2007)

DOUGRD said:


> You're right Les, but I think some of the reasons are 1) No flight training involved. 2) No emergency procedures practice 3) No test for pilot competency. 4) Dumb **** trying to build something when he has no mechanical ability. 5) flying behind the power curve or outside the envelope. 6) Running out of Altitude, Airspeed and Ideas all at the same time.



his is very true. Although ultralights CAN be flown without a licence or much training, by doing so your just asking to become a lawn dart. Even businesses that sell them HIGHLY recommend taking a basic flying course. Anyone who thinks they can just take the plane out of the box, tighten a few nuts and start acrobatic flying is just asking for trouble.


As for more altitude=more recation time...I never thought about it that way


----------



## DerAdlerIstGelandet (Oct 6, 2007)

Velius said:


> As for more altitude=more recation time...I never thought about it that way



It is more than just reaction time.

At higher altitudes you have more time to pick a suitable landing place, make radio calls, and conduct emergency procedures.


----------



## Lucky13 (Oct 6, 2007)

Like saying your prayers you mean?


----------



## FLYBOYJ (Oct 6, 2007)

I friend of mine is an ultralight instructor. He also owned a Quicksilver. We went up one day and after about a half hour of instruction I soloed in it. It was fun and easy to fly but I prefer to have some structure around me along with a little more airspeed. I could see how a non-rated pilot jumping into one of these things could die very quickly....


----------



## Velius (Oct 6, 2007)

Can ultralights have radios? Don't you need an FCC licence for such a thing?


----------



## FLYBOYJ (Oct 6, 2007)

Velius said:


> Can ultralights have radios? Don't you need an FCC licence for such a thing?


Most ultralight drivers I seen use a hand-held and you don't need an FCC license as long as the radio is being operated in conjunction with the flight.


----------



## DerAdlerIstGelandet (Oct 6, 2007)

I am not sure, I have never flown an ultralight. My examples including the time to make radio calls was based off of GA Aviation and Helicopters.


----------



## Velius (Oct 6, 2007)

Oh 

Also as far as flying somthing with structure, I'd rather fly in an unltralight than a power parachute. I keep thinking that the paracghute will collapse above your head. At least in an ultralight you have a fixed wing to fly on


----------



## DerAdlerIstGelandet (Oct 6, 2007)

A wing built like a kite...

Im with Joe. Ill stick to something with structure.


----------



## Velius (Oct 6, 2007)

Me too, but I don't have the money nor space for one.


----------



## Civettone (Oct 6, 2007)

Interesting it's my dream for years to build myself a Benson gyrocopter. Perhaps not a ULV but close enough, no? 







I'm not a pilot so I don't have prior experience which would keep me from having heaps of fun with such a slow moving and open construction. 

Kris


----------



## Parmigiano (Oct 7, 2007)

I flew ultralight for seven years, before painfully deciding to sell my kite 2 years ago.

I don't think they are unsafe, if you use just a bit of common sense in maintenance and flying behavior.

The structure is less sturdy than a 'normal' airplane, but the speed and the forces involved are much lower: you cruise at 50-70 mph depending on the type and whatever you do is in that range of speed.
Besides, the safety factor of a decently designed ULM is fairly high.

All the accidents I saw were 'human error' : landing on water with the gear down (Bucaneer), taking off with bad weather, flying low and slow to play smartass etc.

The 90% of problems you may have in a ULM is engine cut-off, not a pleasant thing but if you follow the basic rule 'always keep an emergency landing option in gliding distance' you don't get hurt and in most cases you don't even damage the aircraft. You glide like a butterfly in this things...

Most dangerous things to do : climb too high (the wings can take you to as high as 4000 mt, but your carbs don't have heating and you'll surely have ice), fly in strong winds (you are a butterfly in every meaning), disregard basic maintenance and pre-flight checks, dive too fast to find 'how much can I push it'

On the good side, it is almost impossible to stall (I mean, you really have to work hard if you want to stall it...) and if it happens you recover almost immediately losing very little height (with some exception, like the Quicksilver 500 that is a bit nasty), if you get lost all you need is to find a village and read the road signs or worst case a grass strip with a house nearby: you land and ask for directions... 

btw, my crate was a Canadian built Beaver Rx550 with 65Hp Rotax 582 engine. Here is a pic I took in the hangar of the new owner (he contacted me to balance the CG and ailerons after he modified a couple of things)


----------



## Velius (Oct 8, 2007)

I don't think they are unsafe said:


> Very true. A lot of ultralights are sold with specifications and flying limits. If you fly within these limits and under the right weather conditions, they are very safe (and fun!)
> 
> I looked up the FAR's part 103 to ultalights and read:
> 
> ...


----------



## Parmigiano (Oct 9, 2007)

Don't know in the US, in Italy you cannot fly a ULM over a urban area. That makes a lot of sense, because if you fly within the height restrictions (1000ft from ground) and you have an emergency it is unlikely that you can glide to a safe landing option if you are above a city.
As always, the laws cannot contemplate all possible situations and define rules that may be too rough (see speed limits on motorways), but the driver is always 'common sense': nobody will fine you if you fly over a village, but if you fly over Milan or Rome without flight plan and no ATC rules to comply with (ULM are not required to do so) it is likely that you put in danger yourself and all the business air traffic above the city.

But commuting is not the spirit of ULM: the fun is to fly in total freedom at a leisure pace, land when you see an opportunity (i.e. near a pub or a restaurant for an apero or lunch, or a little island in the middle of a river), cross a hill and glide down in the valley following the torrent and so on...

A classic flight in my area was in the spring, for the Pavia-Venice boat race along the Po river: take off in the early afternoon and follow the faster boats along their race staying on the other shore of the TV helicopters.


----------

