New member question on where to start with flying from own land

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foxpapa

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foxpapa
I have been reading and searching getting into flying and most interested in learning to do something I could eventually do from my own land (not an airport). I don't have the land yet but I have been looking. I found this website by searching for land to fly from and ran across a pilot searching for how much acreage is needed.

My dreams right now are to get into PPG, ultralights (quicksilver especially) or trikes. I'm leaning towards PPG and the quicksilver as they seem to be safer options for what i want to do... slow cross-country kind of flying to take in the sights. I'd like to keep my flying life safe, simple and fun. For now I'm learning through reading and watching videos and getting ready to go to training.

I'd love to hear any recommendations especially about the quicksilver ultralights or PPG options. Trikes are still an idea but seems to be a little more than I would want for slow flight travel. PPG training schools seem to be available but what kind of training would you recommend to get to the level to fly a quicksilver?

thanks for reading :)
 
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If it were me, I'd get at least a light sport license. It's not required, but if safety is your goal then training is your best bet.

There are lots of slow certified aircraft available that can land in a small field, so don't discount a full private pilots license either.
 
You only need about 30ft of land...

 
deonb said:
You only need about 30ft of land...

Click to expand...
And 30,000 hours of experience. I exaggerate, but that takes a very good feel that comes from a lot of experience.
 
As you say, PPG instruction is available in a lot of places. PPG is about the most fun you can have in the air, though it's limited. Fixed wing ultralight instruction is more problematic nowadays, since the FAA screwed the ultralight industry by eliminating the 2 seat training exemptions when they created the Sport Pilot rule. Now you have to get instruction in a certified aircraft... preferably an "ultralight like" plane, but there are very few instructors with such planes.
 
The ultralight industry screwed themselves by roundly abusing the training exemption for several decades.
 
deonb said:
You only need about 30ft of land...

Click to expand...

:rolleyes::D
And no obstructions on the land on your approach and departure helps in that case along with understanding neighbors. I'd opt for more land so I can put in a little more of a runway.
 
I've thought about this in the past, too.
But more from a certified (or possibly experimental) STOL standpoint, not ultralight.
I also considered typical trainers, like C172.

At any rate, most land in the US has been divided into sections (1 sq mile, 640 acres), which is of course 5,280 ft square.
That would be sufficient to put a runway in just about any direction on that land.

Then, these sections are typically subdivided into 320, 160, 80, and 40 acres, and so on.
But, they are not always subdivided to be evenly square.
Often times they are rectangles, being twice as long on one side.

If we jump all the way down to the 40 acre case, that's roughly 1,320ft x 1,320 ft, which is too short for any aircraft I'd be looking at.
However, if it were rectangular (2,640ft x 660ft), it's starting to get in the realm of possibility.
But, you'd need to consider what abuts this land, obstacle clearance, etc.
I'm sure your neighbors won't want a plane buzzing 50 feet over their house every weekend.
There's a lot of open land out West, where you wouldn't have to worry too much about that.
I came to the conclusion that 80 acres is a good bet.

Then I came to the realization that 80 acres in the middle of nowhere is not something I or my wife would actually enjoy.
So, if I were ever to live with my plane, I'd look at an airpark.
There are lots of these around the country...small private runways with a housing community built with taxiway access from your house to the runway.
This seems like a good fit for me.
You can still live in town, so the wife would like it.

At the end of the day, as long as I'm within 15 minutes of the airport, I'm OK.
But every time I move, I always look to see if there is an airpark in the area.

Hope this helps!
 
Adam Weiss said:
I've thought about this in the past, too.
But more from a certified (or possibly experimental) STOL standpoint, not ultralight.
I also considered typical trainers, like C172.

At any rate, most land in the US has been divided into sections (1 sq mile, 640 acres), which is of course 5,280 ft square.
That would be sufficient to put a runway in just about any direction on that land.

Then, these sections are typically subdivided into 320, 160, 80, and 40 acres, and so on.
But, they are not always subdivided to be evenly square.
Often times they are rectangles, being twice as long on one side.

If we jump all the way down to the 40 acre case, that's roughly 1,320ft x 1,320 ft, which is too short for any aircraft I'd be looking at.
However, if it were rectangular (2,640ft x 660ft), it's starting to get in the realm of possibility.
But, you'd need to consider what abuts this land, obstacle clearance, etc.
I'm sure your neighbors won't want a plane buzzing 50 feet over their house every weekend.
There's a lot of open land out West, where you wouldn't have to worry too much about that.
I came to the conclusion that 80 acres is a good bet.

Then I came to the realization that 80 acres in the middle of nowhere is not something I or my wife would actually enjoy.
So, if I were ever to live with my plane, I'd look at an airpark.
There are lots of these around the country...small private runways with a housing community built with taxiway access from your house to the runway.
This seems like a good fit for me.
You can still live in town, so the wife would like it.

At the end of the day, as long as I'm within 15 minutes of the airport, I'm OK.
But every time I move, I always look to see if there is an airpark in the area.

Hope this helps!
Click to expand...

Pretty much the thought process I've gone through. While I'd love my own place out in the middle of nowhere, the wife wouldn't. She enjoys the amenities of the city a lot more than I do. Plus I don't think that I would have the time and energy to build and maintain a runway unless it was just a real rough one for a backcountry STOL type aircraft. So an airpark closer to a decent town is our best bet. Just need one that isn't too far of a commute to work for either me or the wife.
 
Adam Weiss said:
I've thought about this in the past, too.
But more from a certified (or possibly experimental) STOL standpoint, not ultralight.
I also considered typical trainers, like C172.

At any rate, most land in the US has been divided into sections (1 sq mile, 640 acres), which is of course 5,280 ft square.
That would be sufficient to put a runway in just about any direction on that land.

Then, these sections are typically subdivided into 320, 160, 80, and 40 acres, and so on.
But, they are not always subdivided to be evenly square.
Often times they are rectangles, being twice as long on one side.

If we jump all the way down to the 40 acre case, that's roughly 1,320ft x 1,320 ft, which is too short for any aircraft I'd be looking at.
However, if it were rectangular (2,640ft x 660ft), it's starting to get in the realm of possibility.
But, you'd need to consider what abuts this land, obstacle clearance, etc.
I'm sure your neighbors won't want a plane buzzing 50 feet over their house every weekend.
There's a lot of open land out West, where you wouldn't have to worry too much about that.
I came to the conclusion that 80 acres is a good bet.

Then I came to the realization that 80 acres in the middle of nowhere is not something I or my wife would actually enjoy.
So, if I were ever to live with my plane, I'd look at an airpark.
There are lots of these around the country...small private runways with a housing community built with taxiway access from your house to the runway.
This seems like a good fit for me.
You can still live in town, so the wife would like it.

At the end of the day, as long as I'm within 15 minutes of the airport, I'm OK.
But every time I move, I always look to see if there is an airpark in the area.

Hope this helps!
Click to expand...

I found a gem of a property last week that's only 36 acres but is rectangular with one side being 3000ft. Oh, and the neighbors on both sides are grass farmers (as in lawn sod), so there's maybe 10'000ft of emergency landing space with no fences or wires in between.

Got there and it was sold. Did a lot of drinking that night.
 
Thanks for the input. I found a youtube video of a guy launching his quicksilver sport 2s with his dog in the passenger seat. He takes off from his lakehouse's large grass backyard and flies around the lake. It is a Quicksilver Sport 2S but I can't tell if is the SLSA or Kit build version as the GoPro is attached from the back. I would think the SLSA would have an N number but the experimental might not or does it just have to say experimental? I need to learn more about the advantages and disadvantages of each. I remember talking to a trike builder at Sun n' fun that would sell his trikes as experimental or LSA. He said choosing the experimental route allows you to make modifications more easily as you don't need to go to the manufacturer for permission bu that the LSA models may be easier to sell later on.

And yes... training. The quicksilver website shows that a sport pilot license is required to pilot a two-place Quicksilver which is my end goal so getting that and lots of time would be a start. I guess a regular pilots license works too. More time in what I want to fly is probably best and I really have no desire to fly something bigger like a Cesna as that would likely lead me to fly from an airport. I'm too lazy for that lol.
 
Thanks a lot on the input about land and how the slope/grassy condition plus being a good shape, not necessarily square, is more important than total acreage. This will help me in future land searches for certain! For now I'll put more attention into the PPG training and equipment research as that is something I can get into without owning land.

That Super STOL aircraft looks so cool but probably beyond my reach or needs plus I want a more open cockpit to fly in warm weather :)
 
My info is from reading what others have done. So, no direct knowledge.
Basically, the FAA will not care. There is even a process to get the runway listed as a private airport on sectionals, and what to pay to have an instrument approach. If you want to go that far.
The rest has focused on local land use, zoning, neighbors....
This is where most of the issues come about. So look to local laws.

Tim
 
tspear said:
My info is from reading what others have done. So, no direct knowledge.
Basically, the FAA will not care. There is even a process to get the runway listed as a private airport on sectionals, and what to pay to have an instrument approach. If you want to go that far.
Click to expand...
If you want to go that far, the FAA does care. They'll require standard VFR or IFR obstruction clearances if you're going to make it a charted or registered airport.
 
Just get a helicopter....build a landing pad on top of the house.....:rofl::rofl:
 
Yea I kind of think getting it registered is beyond what I want. I simply want a field that I could fly a PPG or small 2 person ultralight off my own grass. Off the grid and of course unrestricted lot with not many neighbors is key. The places I'm looking are on the outskirts of the Blue Ridge mountains (GA, SC, NC, TN).

Helicopters scare me and gyrocopters look cool but they seem expensive and also scary. Plus I think you need a license to fly a helicopter and I bet that is expensive!!!

SkyDog... thanks I'll check those out!

One thing I have right now is a lot of time so I might as well learn all I can!
 
I don't plan on needing instrument approaches as nothing I would fly would have instruments... we'll maybe a gyro if it comes with that and engine indications I suppose.
 
This is the video with the guy launching with his dog. Doesn't seem like an airstrip. If this is a doable dream it just looks amazing. I like how this Quicksilver flys nice and slow and has an open cockpit feel like a PPG.

I found their brocure http://www.quicksilveraircraft.com/images/SPORT 2S/BROCHURE_SPORT-2S-A.pdf for those that were talking about takoff & landing needs it appears a minimum of 600 ft would be necessary. It'll be a while until I jump to buy one of these. I remember looking at them at Sun N' Fun... I will be spending a lot more time talking to them next year!
 
foxpapa said:
Yea I kind of think getting it registered is beyond what I want. I simply want a field that I could fly a PPG or small 2 person ultralight off my own grass. Off the grid and of course unrestricted lot with not many neighbors is key. The places I'm looking are on the outskirts of the Blue Ridge mountains (GA, SC, NC, TN).

Helicopters scare me and gyrocopters look cool but they seem expensive and also scary. Plus I think you need a license to fly a helicopter and I bet that is expensive!!!

SkyDog... thanks I'll check those out!

One thing I have right now is a lot of time so I might as well learn all I can!
Click to expand...

Remember, 2 person is not an ultralight...

I had my own strip for awhile...I got tired of the neighbors and the township officials showing up with torches like I was Frankenstein...if I was to do it over, I'd stick with real ultralights...the locals have much less say / control if you stick with ultralights. You could probably fool them with that quicksilver 2 place into thinking it was an ultralight.
 
tawood... thanks for the info. I need to better understand the definitions of ultralight, LSA and experimental. I understand ultralights are not as well received at airports but have less operational restrictions. What I am trying to grasp is why would a 2 place experimental be more challenging to fly from your own backyard than a PPG. Maybe I just need to get my wife to fly a PPG and I could launch solo and if she wants to come with she could. The 2 place just looks like so much fun plus I think my dog would really like it. He hates it when I go driving in my car and I don't take him. It's like he wants to be my copilot all the time lol.

tawood... was your grass strip a registered field with lots of traffic or just a once in a while launch? I do realize that flying too much or too early/late would make neighbors upset. I would plan on throwing a nice brew haha and fly my neighbors so they don't light the torches. Having enough buffer of land is important too I suppose.
 
foxpapa said:
tawood... thanks for the info. I need to better understand the definitions of ultralight, LSA and experimental. I understand ultralights are not as well received at airports but have less operational restrictions. What I am trying to grasp is why would a 2 place experimental be more challenging to fly from your own backyard than a PPG. Maybe I just need to get my wife to fly a PPG and I could launch solo and if she wants to come with she could. The 2 place just looks like so much fun plus I think my dog would really like it. He hates it when I go driving in my car and I don't take him. It's like he wants to be my copilot all the time lol.

tawood... was your grass strip a registered field with lots of traffic or just a once in a while launch? I do realize that flying too much or too early/late would make neighbors upset. I would plan on throwing a nice brew haha and fly my neighbors so they don't light the torches. Having enough buffer of land is important too I suppose.
Click to expand...
Mine was registered as a private strip. I flew out about twice a month, always daylight. A friend landed at my strip once, and only once. The neighbors called the township every time I flew...keep in mind, my NEAREST neighbor was about 1/2 mile away. Some people are just a$$ holes. I actually asked my main detractor what her problem was with my airfield...she responded, "I don't like rich people". I said, "Ok, but I'm not rich." I pointed out how she and her husband made more than me. She didn't care. Unfortunately, she was a local with a bunch of the in-bread locals backing her, and she always got the township board to listen...so then they would try to pass restrictive ordinances on me, and I'd have to repeatedly get my lawyer involved...it got to be too much trouble.
 
What in hell are PPG?

I've landed on hayfields, dirt and grass strips all over the US with no legal problems. If you have enough room to take off safely there should be enough for landings. Neighbors are another possible issue. If they don't mind you should be fine.

Frank
 
tawood... thank you. this is exactly the kind of information I want to learn about. As I've been shopping land I have run across some that are adjacent to state/federal land. Yes, I can't land or fly over some of it but it does make neighbors less of a problem. I think a neighbor like you had just sucks. They have nothing better to do than to get in your business but they probably have their own **** going on that others would not like. People suck sometimes.
 
BiffJ said:
What in hell are PPG?

I've landed on hayfields, dirt and grass strips all over the US with no legal problems. If you have enough room to take off safely there should be enough for landings. Neighbors are another possible issue. If they don't mind you should be fine.

Frank
Click to expand...

PPG = powered paraglider
 
Frank... exactly! I want to live where I can be free and enjoy my America!
 
Plane.JPG IMG_0964.JPG

Here's my plane (Challenger II EAB - Experimental Amateur Built) and grass strip. Not registered, just a grass field 50' x 425' that we took out of the corn field. Next year it's going to get bigger because it's too short. Since the plane is registered experimental, it takes at least a sport license to fly. I have my PPL so I'm not sure what the sport license allows.

Nothing like having a plane and runway 100 yards from the house. Every chance I get I'm out boring holes in the sky. My nearest neighbor is 1/2 mile away and he can't wait until I get a longer runway so I can take passengers. He even told me I was welcome to land in his alfalfa fields.
 
foxpapa said:
Helicopters scare me and gyrocopters look cool but they seem expensive and also scary. Plus I think you need a license to fly a helicopter and I bet that is expensive!!!
Click to expand...

I don't blame ya there..!!!
 
foxpapa said:
tawood... thanks for the info. I need to better understand the definitions of ultralight, LSA and experimental. I understand ultralights are not as well received at airports but have less operational restrictions. What I am trying to grasp is why would a 2 place experimental be more challenging to fly from your own backyard than a PPG. Maybe I just need to get my wife to fly a PPG and I could launch solo and if she wants to come with she could. The 2 place just looks like so much fun plus I think my dog would really like it. He hates it when I go driving in my car and I don't take him. It's like he wants to be my copilot all the time lol.

tawood... was your grass strip a registered field with lots of traffic or just a once in a while launch? I do realize that flying too much or too early/late would make neighbors upset. I would plan on throwing a nice brew haha and fly my neighbors so they don't light the torches. Having enough buffer of land is important too I suppose.
Click to expand...

I just completed PPG training and they are a freaking blast, but with an inflatable wing the conditions you can fly in are much more restrictive and limited then something with a fixed or rigid wing.

If you just wanna buzz around in the AM and evenings saying locally, sounds like a PPG or PPG Trike would be the place to start out for you. If you wanna fly all day and possibly go somewhere, a fixed wing ultralight or small light sport experimental would be the way to go.

The benefits of ultralight and PPG is that you do not need a pilot's certificate or sport pilots license to operate and you takeoff and landing options are infinitely greater. Cheapest way to get in the air.

There is a PPG boom going on in the US right now. 7-10 day training class will run ya about $2500 and all the good guys and schools are getting booked into early next year for openings.
 
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Adam Weiss said:
I've thought about this in the past, too.
But more from a certified (or possibly experimental) STOL standpoint, not ultralight.
I also considered typical trainers, like C172.

At any rate, most land in the US has been divided into sections (1 sq mile, 640 acres), which is of course 5,280 ft square.
That would be sufficient to put a runway in just about any direction on that land.

Then, these sections are typically subdivided into 320, 160, 80, and 40 acres, and so on.
But, they are not always subdivided to be evenly square.
Often times they are rectangles, being twice as long on one side.

If we jump all the way down to the 40 acre case, that's roughly 1,320ft x 1,320 ft, which is too short for any aircraft I'd be looking at.
However, if it were rectangular (2,640ft x 660ft), it's starting to get in the realm of possibility.
But, you'd need to consider what abuts this land, obstacle clearance, etc.
I'm sure your neighbors won't want a plane buzzing 50 feet over their house every weekend.
There's a lot of open land out West, where you wouldn't have to worry too much about that.
I came to the conclusion that 80 acres is a good bet.

Then I came to the realization that 80 acres in the middle of nowhere is not something I or my wife would actually enjoy.
So, if I were ever to live with my plane, I'd look at an airpark.
There are lots of these around the country...small private runways with a housing community built with taxiway access from your house to the runway.
This seems like a good fit for me.
You can still live in town, so the wife would like it.

At the end of the day, as long as I'm within 15 minutes of the airport, I'm OK.
But every time I move, I always look to see if there is an airpark in the area.

Hope this helps!
Click to expand...


Being the newbie it took me a while to figure out how to just reply vs adding more. Thank you. I re-read your post and your points about the acreage dimensions was very helpful. I have a lot to learn about land use for something larger than an ultralight if that is the way I eventually go. Having good neighbors and being a good neighbor helps but also being in a freedom loving state is also nice. You have made me rethink the airpark idea and even a small airport with a hanger. My wife wants to be near lots of things so just learning about the possibilities is fun for me as it'll hopefully prevent me from starting down the wrong, expensive path. Thanks again for your reply!!
 
lancie00 said:
View attachment 55920 View attachment 55921

Here's my plane (Challenger II EAB - Experimental Amateur Built) and grass strip. Not registered, just a grass field 50' x 425' that we took out of the corn field. Next year it's going to get bigger because it's too short. Since the plane is registered experimental, it takes at least a sport license to fly. I have my PPL so I'm not sure what the sport license allows.

Nothing like having a plane and runway 100 yards from the house. Every chance I get I'm out boring holes in the sky. My nearest neighbor is 1/2 mile away and he can't wait until I get a longer runway so I can take passengers. He even told me I was welcome to land in his alfalfa fields.
Click to expand...

Love this! This is what i envisioned before and maybe the future dream continues. You have it sir!! I'll keep researching the sport pilot/ppl abilities with your own land and also airpark ideas. For the short term (next 18 mos) I think I'll continue looking at PPGs.
 
Shawn said:
I just completed PPG training and they are a freaking blast, but with an inflatable wing the conditions you can fly in are much more restrictive and limited then something with a fixed or rigid wing.

If you just wanna buzz around in the AM and evenings saying locally, sounds like a PPG or PPG Trike would be the place to start out for you. If you wanna fly all day and possibly go somewhere, a fixed wing ultralight or small light sport experimental would be the way to go.

The benefits of ultralight and PPG is that you do not need a pilot's certificate or sport pilots license to operate and you takeoff and landing options are infinitely greater. Cheapest way to get in the air.

There is a PPG boom going on in the US right now. 7-10 day training class will run ya about $2500 and all the good guys and schools are getting booked into early next year for openings.
Click to expand...

Glad you hear you are loving it. I bet it is cool flying those in California. Where did you train?? I was thinking of training in California.
 
foxpapa said:
Glad you hear you are loving it. I bet it is cool flying those in California. Where did you train?? I was thinking of training in California.
Click to expand...

I wound up at Midwest Powered Paragliding out in Indiana...was supposed to train down in Morro Bay, CA but got jerked over twice by the instructor I scheduled with and some folks pulled some strings to squeeze me in out in the Midwest with one of the best outfits out there.

Here is a writeup on my training:

https://www.pilotsofamerica.com/com...d-training-course-ceiling-fan-edition.105148/

Eagerly awaiting my wing and motor to arrive on my doorstep so I have not even had an opportunity to fly back home in CA yet!
 
Shawn said:
I wound up at Midwest Powered Paragliding out in Indiana...was supposed to train down in Morro Bay, CA but got jerked over twice by the instructor I scheduled with and some folks pulled some strings to squeeze me in out in the Midwest with one of the best outfits out there.

Here is a writeup on my training:

https://www.pilotsofamerica.com/com...d-training-course-ceiling-fan-edition.105148/

Eagerly awaiting my wing and motor to arrive on my doorstep so I have not even had an opportunity to fly back home in CA yet!
Click to expand...

Shawn... congrats!!! I just read through your other thread... very cool. I have read the PPG bible and talked with several of the schools. As you know aviator is backed up. I''m looking at an aviatior alliance partner along with schools in California and Arizona. I'm having to consider weather for the time of year... that is a moving target right now :)

Being from Cali did you consider Blackhawk? What engine and glider did you buy? Was it the same equipment you trained on?
 
foxpapa said:
Shawn... congrats!!! I just read through your other thread... very cool. I have read the PPG bible and talked with several of the schools. As you know aviator is backed up. I''m looking at an aviatior alliance partner along with schools in California and Arizona. I'm having to consider weather for the time of year... that is a moving target right now :)

Being from Cali did you consider Blackhawk? What engine and glider did you buy? Was it the same equipment you trained on?
Click to expand...


So Eric at Aviator PPG has been instrumental in hooking me up even though they are booked solid in Florida...if you can get in with any of the Alliance Partners...DO IT!...with one exception...Fly High Paramotors...that is the jackwaggon who cancelled on me twice literally days before starting and I would avoid him as much as Captain Kurt and Super Dell. The Costa Rica school has a sweet program and deal and I was about to head down there before Eric got me plugged in at Midwest PPG. Start with Aviator and they will point ya in the right direction with availability with their partners.

I did investigate Blackhawk and honestly was not impressed with what I was seeing in other's videos with their training and reading gear reviews from others, so I knew I wanted to look elsewhere but others have had success. I had done accelerated training for both my private pilot's license and IFR training so I knew what to look for in good instructors and I was not seeing it there. I don't think they are bad for training, just didn't feel right for me and what I was looking for. In choosing gear best advice my instructor had was to look at all the sites out there and see what is being offered on the used market...if you see a lot of a specific brand for sale there is a reason for that...there are a lot of people unloading Blackhawk gear. Flat Top and Fresh Breeze are other brands that you see a lot of for sale.

My top two motors going in were Air Conception and Scout but I went in with an open mind and wanted to learn what I didn't know before buying. I started training first on a MiniPlane Top 80 which was impressive to get my 215lb arse in the air, then transitioned to the AC Nitro 200 for most of my flights. Ultimately had a few dislikes with the AC, some superficial and some mechanical so I bit the bullet and pulled the trigger on the Scout Carbon which had solutions for some of my AC reservations. I ordered the Ozone Spyder wing after some discussion with Aviator PPG even though I trained on MacPara.

I was super impressed with the MiniPlane which was not even on my radar and just recommended the MiniPlane 180 to a buddy that is starting out but didn't want to break the bank. Another student in my class canceled his AC order in exchange for the MiniPlane after flying it....plus they are available to ship immediately in the US vs Scout and AC being backordered for 8-10 weeks...then there is the tons of the other brands that are available on the used market. The market kinda speaks volumes as to what is good and what is crap.
 
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Shawn said:
So Eric at Aviator PPG has been instrumental in hooking me up even though they are booked solid in Florida...if you can get in with any of the Alliance Partners...DO IT!...with one exception...Fly High Paramotors...that is the jackwaggon who cancelled on me twice literally days before starting and I would avoid him as much as Captain Kurt and Super Dell. The Costa Rica school has a sweet program and deal and I was about to head down there before Eric got me plugged in at Midwest PPG. Start with Aviator and they will point ya in the right direction with availability with their partners.

I did investigate Blackhawk and honestly was not impressed with what I was seeing in other's videos with their training and reading gear reviews from others, so I knew I wanted to look elsewhere but others have had success. I had done accelerated training for both my private pilot's license and IFR training so I knew what to look for in good instructors and I was not seeing it there. I don't think they are bad for training, just didn't feel right for me and what I was looking for. In choosing gear best advice my instructor had was to look at all the sites out there and see what is being offered on the used market...if you see a lot of a specific brand for sale there is a reason for that...there are a lot of people unloading Blackhawk gear. Flat Top and Fresh Breeze are other brands that you see a lot of for sale.

My top two motors going in were Air Conception and Scout but I went in with an open mind and wanted to learn what I didn't know before buying. I started training first on a MiniPlane Top 80 which was impressive to get my 215lb arse in the air, then transitioned to the AC Nitro 200 for most of my flights. Ultimately had a few dislikes with the AC, some superficial and some mechanical so I bit the bullet and pulled the trigger on the Scout Carbon which had solutions for some of my AC reservations. I ordered the Ozone Spyder wing after some discussion with Aviator PPG even though I trained on MacPara.

I was super impressed with the MiniPlane which was not even on my radar and just recommended the MiniPlane 180 to a buddy that is starting out but didn't want to break the bank. Another student in my class canceled his AC order in exchange for the MiniPlane after flying it....plus they are available to ship immediately in the US vs Scout and AC being backordered for 8-10 weeks...then there is the tons of the other brands that are available on the used market. The market kinda speaks volumes as to what is good and what is crap.
Click to expand...


Thanks for the details!! That helps a lot about Fly High. He is relocating and I was thinking about it but the location really is just a pain for me to get to. I may train with a friends so that will influence things too. Were you able to try the Scout during training or did you have some experience with it before purchase??
 
Another option is a flex wing trike. These are available in both single seat, which meet part 103 requirements as an ultralight, and two place, which would be an SLSA and would require a Sport Pilot ticket.In terms of the conditions you can fly them in, but they are controlled by weight shift and the wing folds up for storage.

For either a trike or a fixed wing or a flex wing ultralight, you're going to need probably 1000 feet minimum of runway if there are obstacles at the end. All of the aircraft mentioned here are powered by two cycle engines, which means you need to have a safe landing spot within easy gliding distance at all times. The part of the country you mentioned is mostly hills and trees, and that may limit where you'd want to fly.
 
FormerHangie said:
Another option is a flex wing trike. These are available in both single seat, which meet part 103 requirements as an ultralight, and two place, which would be an SLSA and would require a Sport Pilot ticket.In terms of the conditions you can fly them in, but they are controlled by weight shift and the wing folds up for storage.

For either a trike or a fixed wing or a flex wing ultralight, you're going to need probably 1000 feet minimum of runway if there are obstacles at the end. All of the aircraft mentioned here are powered by two cycle engines, which means you need to have a safe landing spot within easy gliding distance at all times. The part of the country you mentioned is mostly hills and trees, and that may limit where you'd want to fly.
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Good points about terrain and emergency options. I got a ride in a trike and I liked it but didn't love it. It was very fast and agile. Of course I could have tried a slower one. I'm thinking more conventional ultralight if I decide to venture down that road. I'll be a more serious shopper at Sun n' Fun next year.
 
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