My experience is that most used PPC's and S-LSA have done the recommended maintenance and are very often out of annual condition inspection. If you find one that has been maintained well, it's a gem.
C/G, L/D, AOA being rewritten to accommodate a new form of "flight". Something to consider. "Aircraft" and "Airplane" has always meant a solid fuselage with solid "Wings" attached, with or without a power source as part of the rigid airframe. Now they are rewriting history, and refer to "parachutes" as a "Wing" and a "glider", but you can't deny that a parachute is still just something you pull out of a bag that is nylon with a bunch of "strings" attached, not to the center of gravity by the way, and you lay it on the dirty and sharp ground, untangle the strings, which you have to do very carefully or you will die, or at the very least change your skivees when your main parachute collapses and you have to hope and pray that you have some altitude and can get your reserve parachute out and thrown properly to save your life (which is exactly why it was invented in the first place). Added to the fact that you have a noisy and smelly explosive gasoline engine to deal with, which isn't easy unless you are a qualified mechanic too. A "powered parachute" gets it's power from running legs or a gasoline propeller, either way the so-called wing feels the same forces. Thing is when you add propeller power, which is many feet below the foil, you instantly introduce a high angle of attack which must be overcome or you stall and the incredible weight of the "trike and humans" pendulums or oscillates backward. A true airplane wing actually "carves" a turn using it's lift characteristics, but a "parachute flyer" has to initiate a turn by "breaking" one side or the other which can easily stall the "lift" if not done very carefully, and in turbulence the oscillation makes for a "not fun" experience. Also a parachute flyer can not "penetrate" in level flight and sometimes you have to push the stick forward when you're looking at the ground, which you can't do with a parachute. I was at Torrance Beach Calif. in 1969 when Dick Eipper modified a chainsaw engine with a propeller, strapped it to his back, got under his perfectly good flex wing "Hang Glider" and launched down the hill, only to almost kill himself and get a mouth full of sand. The flex wing ultralight aircraft industry was born on that day because the South Bay was the Airplane capital of the world. As an old pilot myself, I can't imagine "flying a parachute" that has no structure that you can see unless it is in the air. How do you do a pre-flight walk around when your "wing" is lying limp on the ground? Just saying.
When I hear: "I found this great deal! It is ten years old but its been sitting inside a garage/hanger/trailer for the whole time, looks new and only has 25 hours flight time on the engine," I see big red flashing lights! I'm speaking about machines with 2-stroke engines, the Rotax 582 "Blue Head" being the most common. Due to design the air comes into the carb, is then mixed with fuel which then goes into the crankcase and from there into the cylinders. The 2-stroke air/oil mixture is what lubricates the bearings in the crankcase, there is no oil pan with oil being sprayed unto the bearings like in a four stroke engine. The problem for the 2-strokes is that the air/oil mixture drains off the crankcase bearings when they sit and then the bearings have no oil protection. Then while they are sitting, air with moisture enters the carb and then the crankcase. then we have bearings with no protection and moisture = corrosion. The piston crank needle bearings seem to be the most vulnerable. Rotax does say overhaul at 300 hours or 7 years but personally I would not trust one after it has been sitting for over 2 years. One of my students had found such a great deal. Right after our second take off the engine froze. We were still over the airport and were able to land without further damage or injury but he had to pay for a complete engine overhaul. I have been told that the parachute threads are not as hardy as the cloth so if its been in a bag for10 years it may look new but not be safe. I replace my chute when it reaches 10 years. If you're buying an old chute please replace it or at least have it tested. Finally, if the machine has 2 seats but is not licensed/N numbered, do not buy it, you probably will not be able to legally fly it. Marty
I'm actively looking on Barnstormers, etc for PPC; therefore enjoying your videos. I live in the DFW, TX area. Where would I find info on recommended units as well as the "stinkers". Most units for sale are highly touted by the salesperson?
My experience is that most used PPC's and S-LSA have done the recommended maintenance and are very often out of annual condition inspection. If you find one that has been maintained well, it's a gem.
Extremely well put together. You set the bar.
Thanks so much! Now I have to live up to that!
C/G, L/D, AOA being rewritten to accommodate a new form of "flight".
Something to consider. "Aircraft" and "Airplane" has always meant a solid fuselage with solid "Wings" attached, with or without a power source as part of the rigid airframe. Now they are rewriting history, and refer to "parachutes" as a "Wing" and a "glider", but you can't deny that a parachute is still just something you pull out of a bag that is nylon with a bunch of "strings" attached, not to the center of gravity by the way, and you lay it on the dirty and sharp ground, untangle the strings, which you have to do very carefully or you will die, or at the very least change your skivees when your main parachute collapses and you have to hope and pray that you have some altitude and can get your reserve parachute out and thrown properly to save your life (which is exactly why it was invented in the first place). Added to the fact that you have a noisy and smelly explosive gasoline engine to deal with, which isn't easy unless you are a qualified mechanic too. A "powered parachute" gets it's power from running legs or a gasoline propeller, either way the so-called wing feels the same forces. Thing is when you add propeller power, which is many feet below the foil, you instantly introduce a high angle of attack which must be overcome or you stall and the incredible weight of the "trike and humans" pendulums or oscillates backward. A true airplane wing actually "carves" a turn using it's lift characteristics, but a "parachute flyer" has to initiate a turn by "breaking" one side or the other which can easily stall the "lift" if not done very carefully, and in turbulence the oscillation makes for a "not fun" experience. Also a parachute flyer can not "penetrate" in level flight and sometimes you have to push the stick forward when you're looking at the ground, which you can't do with a parachute. I was at Torrance Beach Calif. in 1969 when Dick Eipper modified a chainsaw engine with a propeller, strapped it to his back, got under his perfectly good flex wing "Hang Glider" and launched down the hill, only to almost kill himself and get a mouth full of sand. The flex wing ultralight aircraft industry was born on that day because the South Bay was the Airplane capital of the world. As an old pilot myself, I can't imagine "flying a parachute" that has no structure that you can see unless it is in the air. How do you do a pre-flight walk around when your "wing" is lying limp on the ground? Just saying.
When I hear: "I found this great deal! It is ten years old but its been sitting inside a garage/hanger/trailer for the whole time, looks new and only has 25 hours flight time on the engine," I see big red flashing lights! I'm speaking about machines with 2-stroke engines, the Rotax 582 "Blue Head" being the most common. Due to design the air comes into the carb, is then mixed with fuel which then goes into the crankcase and from there into the cylinders. The 2-stroke air/oil mixture is what lubricates the bearings in the crankcase, there is no oil pan with oil being sprayed unto the bearings like in a four stroke engine. The problem for the 2-strokes is that the air/oil mixture drains off the crankcase bearings when they sit and then the bearings have no oil protection. Then while they are sitting, air with moisture enters the carb and then the crankcase. then we have bearings with no protection and moisture = corrosion. The piston crank needle bearings seem to be the most vulnerable. Rotax does say overhaul at 300 hours or 7 years but personally I would not trust one after it has been sitting for over 2 years.
One of my students had found such a great deal. Right after our second take off the engine froze. We were still over the airport and were able to land without further damage or injury but he had to pay for a complete engine overhaul.
I have been told that the parachute threads are not as hardy as the cloth so if its been in a bag for10 years it may look new but not be safe. I replace my chute when it reaches 10 years. If you're buying an old chute please replace it or at least have it tested.
Finally, if the machine has 2 seats but is not licensed/N numbered, do not buy it, you probably will not be able to legally fly it.
Marty
Red flags, indeed! Great point!
Great content! Glad I found this channel!
Welcome aboard! Thanks a lot!
Thank you so much for your invaluable information, highly appreciate it, have a great day, keep it up the outstanding job.
So nice of you
Very good, as always.
I appreciate that, Butch!
Good video.
Thank you!
Really great information. Thanks.
Glad it was helpful!
I'm actively looking on Barnstormers, etc for PPC; therefore enjoying your videos. I live in the DFW, TX area. Where would I find info on recommended units as well as the "stinkers". Most units for sale are highly touted by the salesperson?
I really expected this video to have some serious informational flaws. This was very well done. 👏👏👏
Pros/cons described clearly. For me, buying new appears better option.
Since unfortunately in this sport, old is REALLY old, that is the better option for a lot of people.
T erriffic. You did good...thanks
Thanks so much for watching and commenting!
Where do you go and trust to buy a new PPC?
Learn more about powered parachutes at www.easyflight.com!
Thanks again for watching!
I want to make a whole paramoter at home can help me with it?
That isn't exactly my specialty. Good luck with it, though!
New subscriber for you I do some paramotor flying here in Ireland 🇮🇪 🍀 🪂
I bet the flying is absolutely gorgeous there!
Roy give me a call. Don
OK.