Parachute flyers

McPherson, Kan. —   The colors in the sky were a bit more vibrant as the sun set in McPherson Thursday evening.

Peppered in the air were a handful of powered parachutes, utilizing the calm evening to float above McPherson Airport in every color of the rainbow. It was the start of a weekend fly-in for local pilots, scheduled to run through May 28.

This is the first year for McPherson to host the unofficial event, which previously took place in Herington.

About two-dozen pilots from central Kansas and surrounding states were expected to park their mobile homes at the airport and fly throughout the weekend, but strong winds chased many away, with gusts climbing to 27 miles per hour on Wednesday. Thursday evening's gusts, however, were just under the 10-mile per hour safety limit, allowing the local few to join the birds in flight.

Eye for the sky

Steve Mann of McPherson, a pilot for about seven years, was one who brought his powered parachute. Flying his machine satisfies the thirst for adventure he’s had his entire life.

“I’ve wanted to fly since I was a little kid,” he said.

At first, he thought that investing in radio-controlled airplanes would do the trick, but his feet were still on the ground.

He then put 100,000 miles on two Harley motorcycles. But he soon grew tired of that past time and traded one for a powered parachute.

“I really didn’t want to go some place, that wasn’t my goal,” he said. “I just wanted something so I could go up in the air and have fun.”

Investing in the machine not only gave him the thrill he was looking for, but was a way he could explore the sky independently without having to buy an airplane and store it in a warehouse.

“This was the most economical way to satisfy that urge to fly,” he said.

His love for the hobby has grown ever since.

Flying family

He began attending fly-ins in various parts of the county and building friendships with the other pilots.

“A lot of it’s the camaraderie and the friendship, and flying is a bonus,” he said. “When we come together, the boundaries between business and social status really dissolve. We’re out there and we’re flying and we’re having fun. It’s just people helping out people.”

Machine

Mann began with a smaller powered parachute but has bought, sold and traded until he obtained his fifth machine. It has a 100 horse power engine, which, if bought new, would cost $35,000.

There are two types of powered parachutes, a special light sport aircraft and an experimental light sport aircraft. They typically fly at around 35 miles per hour, but Mann has gotten his up to 62 miles per hour with the wind.

“It’s a great way to fly,” he said.

His altitude is often between 500 and 1,000 feet, but they can legally fly up to 10,000 feet, Mann said.

One of his favorite ways to fly is low to the ground so he can see the wildlife on the prairie and farmers in their fields. Individuals will often stop on the road to watch him hover in a five- to 10-mile radius.

“They’re a great magnet for people,” he said.

Safety

But although they like to observe, many are hesitant to be pilots.

“I have people tell me I’m crazy,” he said, adding many of them are motorcycle riders. “It’s a lot safer than being up there than driving a motorcycle down the highway.”

The machine has a parachute to land in case the engine should malfunction, and pilots and passengers are strapped in with a four-point harness.

“Statistically they say its one of the safest ways to fly,” he said. “Safety’s always first and foremost on everybody’s mind.”

Source:   http://www.mcphersonsentinel.com