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"From Closet to Clouds?" Is there another powered flying machine that can actually
fit in your closet and get you to cloud base? If so, I want to
hear about it. Yes, 007 doesn't even have one of these sweet
flying dream machines. So eat your heart out, James! If you haven't
gotten into powered paragliding (PPG) yet, just what the heck
are you waiting for? Men, women, kids from age 13 to a gent who
is 74 have all been flying PPG's. Guess it's time for you to
take flight.
There I was using Winded to clean my Xplorer PPG's shiny tuned
pipe the other night while a local flying buddy and I were laughing
as I told him I've never been a fan of chrome on motorcycles
or cars. Too much junk to clean up. However, I'm now like a Harley
motorcycle lover, and I would have my tuned pipe no other way! That baby sparkles. Hopefully, enough to reflect the sun should
a general aviation fixed wing jobber come heading my general
direction at altitude while I'm too busy enjoying the view.
Speaking of views, I wish you all could have been with a local
pilot and me at the Paratour's Annual PPG Fly-in outside of Quebec
City, Canada. The view of Canadian and US pilots taking to the
sky was great. It is incredible to see so many PPG enthusiasts
at one location. The three biggest meets this year are spread
out and have been the Paratour's Canadian Meet in July, our USA
PPG BOOGIE august 12-16 and the New Mexico balloon festival in
October.
The Paratour Canadian Meet was great! It started every morning
early for myself. Seemed like O'dark thirty and man were we tired.
You can imagine what happens when you get over 50 PPG nuts together,
and many of us were meeting for the first time. In fact, one
interesting part was that many of us had spoken on the phone
or at least emailed each other on the Pilot's PPG email Club,
but had never connected the face with the funny email address
that sometimes resembles a squirrel running across the keyboard. I met some great folks at the event, saw some great flying, and
bumped up myself for my fix a few times.
In flying the new Silex motor wing, I MUST say it's the best
motor wing I have flown. It is not a free-flight paragliding
wing. Thus, do not buy it if you plan to free-fly paraglide;
but if you plan to only motor, then go for it! It's SRP $2800
is worth every penny. Nice speed, VERY stable and a double timer
system gives you flexibility. It comes with adjustable PPG trim
tabs that do half the work, then still takes a speed bar system. I'm diggin' this amount of control and tuning in the air. The
one I was flying had the breaks shorter for good feel.
Flying in windy conditions with some thermal activity, I experienced
a little bumpiness. Buy the time I corrected or provided input
the wing had already stabilized or centered above me. I was over
inputting! so in other words, The Silex wing likes to fly and
it is a nice motor wing. The makers of Fresh Breeze are responsible
for designing and sales, with the wing actually made by Swing
of Germany. Thus, quality and innovation are sewn up to give
you a great PPG wing. |
