Ultralight Flying Schools
Ultralight, sometimes called microlight, aircrafts began with the invention of the handglider. Adding an engine and landing gear led to modern day ultralight aircraft. These aircraft are much cheaper to fly and to purchase than regular airplanes, making the goal of flying obtainable to just about anyone with the will. Some variations of ultralight aircrafts include the gyrocopter, powered parachute and powered paragliding and weight shift. There are schools throughout the United States that have ultralight training and instruction courses.
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Schools
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The USUA website lists over 50 schools throughout the U.S. that offer ultralight aviation instruction. Decide where you would like to attend school to begin narrowing your choices. You may want to choose schools that have training vehicles available and make sure that they teach the type of ultralight you like. For instance, some schools may only offer weightshift, while others may offer a variety of ultralight aviation. You may also want to consider how many instructors are available and if they offer private instruction or only group instruction. Make sure that your flight instructor is certified before receiving any instruction on how to handle an aircraft.
License
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A license is not required to fly a part 103 legal ultralight. However, training is needed in order to fly them safely. Certification is required for a two-seat ultralight as well as aircraft registration with the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration). There are also regulations that you should be aware of before flying any ultralight aircraft. These include, but are not limited to, daylight operations only, no operations over congested areas, used by a single occupant and a maximum of five gallons of fuel.
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USUA Training Rrogram
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Finding instructors through the USUA is a good idea because they meet all of the standards and regulations of the FAA. They also maintain registrations and listings for basic and advanced ultralight Instructors as well as host seminars and safety clinics all over the United States. The USUA also produces several of the training manuals used by instructors.
Cost
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When looking at cost it is important to look at the amount of ground instruction in addition to flight instruction. You can expect to pay between $1,000 and $2,250 depending on hours of instruction and which school you choose. It is possible to complete training courses within a couple of months.
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit ultralight aircraft image by Stanislav Pepeliaev from Fotolia.com
