Powered Parachutes
Skydiving is a popular extreme sport. However for some jumping out
of a plane with only a parachute to save your life can be too risky.
Although parachutes today are more stable and safer than they were decades
before, fear of heights and faulty parachutes always haunt the mind and
nerves of any first timer.
Wrong timing and faulty equipment can
cause you falling to your death from thousands of feet in the air.
Fortunately there are other options for those with faint of
heart.
Fortunately powered parachutes were created. They provide a
better and more controlled landing. This is a good alternative for those
who are afraid of heights and don't want to jump off a plane. Compared to
skydiving they are far safer and very easy to learn.
Powered
Parachutes
It's a parachute equipped with motor and wheels. It can
carry one or two passengers. It's also considered as the most inexpensive
motorized air vehicle. A new one person powered parachute costs about ten
thousand dollars. A top notch two-seater on the other hand costs about
fifteen to twenty thousand. A motor scooter can also be converted which
costs around six thousand.
Its airspeed is twenty five to thirty
five miles per hour (that's forty to sixty kilometers per hour) and can
fly of up to one thousand five hundred feet. It can also go as high as
eighteen thousand feet. The world record for the lowest flight is 10
inches. It can support up to five hundred pounds. One person variants
don't need a license to operate. They can be learned in five to seven days
by an average student. They only need one hundred feet (thirty kilometers)
of land to be able to take off and land.
They are safer than
conventional fixed wing aircrafts because they are more stable, few
control inputs and less stall resistance. They can be controlled by engine
or moving its steering bars. The engine controls the rate of vertical
climb while the steering bars cause deflection which initiates horizontal
turns.
Landings are relatively safe as long as the pilot as has a
suitable landing site. They often have square wings which are more stable,
resistant to stalls and chute collapse. Other designs have elliptical
wings which have more air cells than the square winged variant. Most
collapses are due to pilot and error.
The only setback is weather
conditions. They cannot be used when wind speeds are ten to fifteen miles
pre hour. Other hazards include rotors and wake turbulence crated when
other aircrafts are passing by. The pilot must also avoid obstacles such
as power lines, trees, and other things that can be found in low
terrains.
Powered parachutes fly near the ground so it's much safer
to fly upwind of obstacles. They cannot be forced to land on water because
the pilot gets tangled with the parachute.
They can be used for
photography and great for sightseeing. They are also used by flight
organizations such as ELLASS (Emergency Low Level Aerial Search and
Surveillance). It's a search and rescue organization. They only need small
airports, yard strips and mown hay fields for take off and
landing.
Powered parachutes are good alternatives for those who
prefer to stay close to the ground. They can be easily learned and safe
for anyone.
Get expert advice about parachuting at http://www.articlefog.com/category-parachuting.htm.
Here you can find all information about parachutes,
powered parachutes,
parachuting,
parachure courses and many more.
Article Source: www.ArticleFog.com.
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