Have you ever been asked which you would pick from a list of fantasy super powers? When I’ve been posed such a momentous question, invariably, before the asker can even finish the query, I belt out “FLYING!!!” I’ve always wanted to fly. I started taking small craft aviation lessons a few years back, but had to quit thanks to high maintenance employees at work who demanded the bulk of my attention. I’ve considered taking it up again, but my real desire is not to take to the skies in a metal machine decked out with all the latest high-tech gadgetry, but to soar on my own, as unencumbered as possible, the wind in my hair, the sun in my face. Thanks to the diverse world of ultralight aircraft, that dream can finally come true. Below are the classifications of options currently available. While ultralight-type planes date back to the early 1900s, three generations
are recognized when it comes to modern, fixed-wing ultralight aircraft designs. These are generally classed according to their type of structure. There are several types of aircraft which qualify as ultralights, but which do not have fixed-wing designs. These include: •Weight-shift control trike: while the first generation ultralights were also controlled by weight shift, most of the current weight shift ultralights use a hang glider-style wing, below which is suspended a three-wheeled carriage which carries the engine and aviators. These aircraft are controlled by pushing against a horizontal control bar in roughly the same way as a hang glider pilot flies. Trikes generally have impressive climb rates and are ideal for rough field operation, but are slower than other types of fixed-wing ultralights. •Powered parachutes: cart mounted engines with parafoil wings, which are wheeled aircraft.
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