Ultralight

The aim The aim of the Eco-marathon Ulm is to inspire young designers and engineers from around the world to develop new approaches of sustainable mobility in microlight aircraft activity. It is a major educational project, in which students work together to explore potential solutions to both current and future transport and energy challenges. It...
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CHASSAHOWITZKA — There’s been a baby boom in the whooping crane population as a record number of the re-established birds have hatched in the wild in Wisconsin this spring. Seven whooping crane chicks have hatched in the area of the Necedah National Wildlife Refuge in recent weeks. That is more than the total number of...
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A man who crashed his ultralight plane into a Sherburne County lake was arrested on suspicion of flying while intoxicated. Neither the pilot nor his passenger was injured after crashing Monday into Elk Lake. The pilot and his adult passenger were pulled from the water by a boater on the lake, said Sheriff Joel Brott. As...
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The Transportation Safety Board has conducted a cursory investigation of Sunday night’s ultralight aircraft crash and will not visit the crash site. Don Enns, regional manager of the board’s Ontario office, said an investigator gathered information from the pilot by phone. “Essentially there isn’t going to be anything more in-depth,” now that the pilot has been...
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Update: A pilot received spinal injuries and had to be extricated from his ultralight airplane after it struck a tree in a field he was using as a runway Thursday night in Aquasco, officials said. The pilot, a man in his 50s, was repeatedly taxiing up and down a field when he lost control and his...
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The WoopyFly, a sort of paraglider/trike/ultralight hybrid shown on the world stage at AERO Friedrichshafen this April 2010 in Germany, has a wing that folds for storage like a paraglider — because it’s inflatable. Currently, it appears the wing itself is only available from distributors in Switzerland, Russia, and Japan. Those wishing to buy...
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Weedhopper. (77). 2-Axis control with tricycle landing gear. Constructed of aluminum tubes bolted together and strut braced wings of pre-sewn sailcloth envelopes. Empty weight 250 lbs. Length 18.25′, height 6.9′, wing span 28′, wing area 168 sq/ft. Weedhopper Inc., P.O. Box 1377, Clinton, MS 39056, 601-924-0806. http://groups.yahoo.com/group/weedhopper/?yguid=75609453. First winter flight of 2009 of my Weedhopper...
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Neighbors say shortly after 5:00 p.m., they saw the pilot flying very low and they knew something was wrong.  Mary Evans says the light blue plane was only barely clearing nearby trees before she began to hear the engine stall out. “When he turned and banked…boy, she began to cut out,” Evans said of the...
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What is SUN ‘n FUN”? Here’s a video with highlights, focusing on ultralights. “Most people refer to us as a “fly-in” and that’s certainly an important component, as Lakeland Linder Regional Airport becomes the busiest airport in the world during our event, with over 40,000 recorded aircraft movements! That’s busier than Atlanta or Chicago! We...
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Two men were hospitalized after their small aircraft struck power lines in rural Potter County on Sunday evening. The sheriff’s office said the two unidentified men were in an ultralight craft that struck the lines in the 8500 block of Webb Road, just north of El Rancho Road, shortly after 7 p.m. The condition of the...
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The 2010 SUN ‘n FUN International Fly-In & Expo in Lakeland Florida attracts over 150,000 pilots and aviation enthusiasts from all over the USA and more than 80 other countries. This year, the expo has named the Belite Superlite Aircraft as the 2010 Grand Champion Ultralight. Boasting a aqua-blue and black...
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UPDATE:  MERCER — Veteran small-engine pilot Alton Carter said knew he was in trouble when his aircraft’s engine quit in the sky over Mercer Tuesday morning. Carter, 75, of Industry, said he quickly radioed his friend Donald Carr of Skowhegan, who also was flying Tuesday morning, telling him he was looking for an open field...
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More than a dozen people from across the United States say a man from the Ozarks ripped them off. They all did business with Doug Hart. He’s the man behind the company, Hart Aero. It’s a small company in Pomona, Missouri that consists of a shop behind his house where he builds ultralight and experimental aircraft. Since 2007...
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Enjoy the wonderful scenery of Lake Powell, Vermillion Cliffs, Glen Canyon and more in this video.
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OCONEE COUNTY — Wednesday’s search and rescue operation on Hartwell Lake demonstrates how much can hinge on a single 9-1-1 call, according to an Oconee County Emergency Services official. A motorist traveling along I-85 near the South Carolina-Georgia border late Wednesday evening called 9-1-1 to say she had seen an aircraft, presumably an ultralight, buzz...
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James Wiebe, CEO of Belite Aircraft, has another new venture. Wiebe has started Belite Electronics, offering avionics suited for experimental and homebuilt aircraft. The individual instruments weigh half an ounce and are designed to fit into the instrument panels of the planes. The line is called the Patch Flyer. Many of the instruments can be carried...
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Johns Island — A kit-built, ultralight plane crashed into the marsh along the Stono River on Thursday, killing the pilot. Rescue workers work in the marsh along the Stono River Thursday, after an ultralight airplane crashed killing one person just a short distance from the Johns Island Executive Airport. John A. Ratcliffe, 70, of Johns Island,...
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OCONEE COUNTY — Emergency workers searched an area of Hartwell Lake after reports Wednesday night that an ultralight plane might have crashed. But the search was stopped just after 10 p.m. No evidence was found that a crash actually occurred, said Steven Adams, assistant rescue coordinator for Oconee County. Adams said there were no plans to resume...
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RABAT — Rescuers on Tuesday found the body of a brother of the United Arab Emirates president, four days after his ultralight aircraft crashed into a Moroccan lake, investigators said. Sheikh Ahmed bin Zayed al-Nahayan was the managing director of the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA), considered the world’s largest sovereign wealth fund with assets...
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While the MachNoneFlying.com team heads out on vacation for three days, we offer you some “classic:” stories from our past. Enjoy! This is the 1980’s vintage UL, the Le Pelican. This one is powered by a Honda 4-stroke industrial engine, direct-drive. The Le Pelican is no longer produced. Originally it was powered by a...
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While the MachNoneFlying.com team heads out on vacation for three days, we offer you some “classic:” stories from our past. Enjoy! Banty. (June, 1985). High wing parasol type aircraft with taildragger landing gear. Wood and fabric construction. Estimated 500 hr. build time. Strut braced folding wings. Length 18.8′, Height 6′, Wing span 32′, Wing area...
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Min speed: 24 kt 27 mph 44 kmh Cruise speed: 59 kt 68 mph 110 kmh Vne: 70 kt 81 mph 130 kmh Climb ratio: 700 ft/min | 3.5 m/s Max. take off weight: 90 kg | 198 lbs Empty weight: 35 kg | 77 lbs Engine: F200 / 26 PS (22hp) Fuel consumption: - Other aircraft information: The ZJ has four renditions: Mono wheel Tri wheel Part 103 Light Sport Aircraft (LSA) Extremely light airplane which...
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From the Ulf-1 website: The ULF-1 single seat foot-launched sailplane was designed by Dieter Reich and constructed by Heiner Neumann of Germany. Designed for ridge soaring and marginal thermal currents (microlift), it has full three-axis aerodynamic control. Its first flight was in November 1977; since that time more than 40 aircraft have been...
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CGS Aviation grew out of “Chuck’s Glider Supplies.” In the early 1970’s, Chuck Slusarczyk designed, built, and sold hang gliders and various associated supplies. Shortly thereafter, he began experimenting with the powered hang glider, propelled at the time by small direct-drive go-kart engines. The propeller was bolted directly to the crankshaft...
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Challenger 2 ultralight Dead stick flying/landing Belite Aircraft Announces Expansion to Product Line at SAE 2010 At the 2010 U.S. Sport Aviation Expo, Belite Aircraft unveiled the successors to their existing Belite ‘254′ FAR Part 103 compliant ultralight aircraft. Belite Aircraft hopes the two new models, deemed the “Trike” and the “Superlite,” will provide higher...
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As MachNoneFlying.com correspondent Dan said, “How does this even work”. Another said, it’s amazing what people will trust their lives to! Pretty cool trike with what appears to be an inflatable wing.
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BUENA, Wash. — A pilot was injured when his ultralight aircraft nose-dived late this afternoon at the Buena Airport on the Yakima Valley Highway, authorities said. “The gentleman was doing some touch and gos,” said Capt. J.J. Ihnen of Yakima Fire District 5. “I believe he had just lifted back off and was climbing and...
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The year was 1993, a new owner, pink hat and all, describes his Pterodactyl. The Pterodactyl Ascender is a family of U.S. designed and built ultralight aircraft that were sold in kit form between 1979 and 1984 under Pterodactyl Limited and is currently being sold by DFE Ultralights. With a total production of 1396 aircraft between...
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A 55-year-old Turlock man died Sunday after his ultralight plane folded in half and fell from the sky while he did stunts 800 feet above the New Jerusalem Airport southeast of Tracy. The pilot was doing flips in the small plane shortly after 2:30 p.m. when one of its wings snapped, Mike Jefferson, a hang...
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Dr. Steve Morris is President of MLB Co., an enterprise specializing in low-cost, compact, remotely piloted and autonomous aerial surveillance, mapping and monitoring systems. On December 23, 2009, he and his associates test flew their first man-carrying, directly-piloted craft – an electric one. Pilot Brian Porter made two flights totalling about 20 minutes in...
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Shows the certified light boxwing called “Sunny” with 65 hp 7 m span, 17 sqm wingarea. 150 built from 1990 to 1999 with my former company Tandem Aircraft. More about this craft and new ideas is found on sunny-boxwing.de Video: It was a hot day with a thunderstorm nearby and the pilot usually had fun...
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Two old videos, including a minor crash video: The Skycraft scout was one of the first ( if not THE first ) ultralight available in australia. It was developed from the Tweety hang glider. I had the Mark III Scout and flew it from 1994 to about 1997. The Mark III used the Rotax 337...
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Dave, the man behind the video series from Ultralight News, shares his thoughts on Sport Pilot and the SLSA aircraft requirements. He thinks the FAA made some incorrect assumptions, especially when applied to those who fly ultralight aircraft. He thinks we are at a crisis point.
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To be legal an ultralight cannot exceed 254 pounds so I’m trying to start by jet engine with a small Lithium Polymer battery that weighs less than 2 pounds and can ouput 187 amps to my cool sounding Global warmer.
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Vintage ultralight aircraft filmed at Sun N Fun in Lakeland, Florida in 1980 – 1984. This historic aviation film will be released in mid April and will feature over seventy different ultralights in flight with discussions about each one. This trailer highlights these aircraft.If you have intrest in this film, please email me for...
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Doing acrobatics in a Super Phantom ultralight. You sure have to trust your aircraft.. and yourself. Info from the Virtual Ultralight Museum on Phantom Aircraft: Phantom X1. The Phantom was designed by John Dempsey and was originally available from Ultralight Flight Sales and Distribution of North Carolina. Length 16′9″, height 7′3″, wing span 28′6″, wing area 142...
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“I have established a new group for Belite. Not much there yet, but it will grow. Please consider joining. The Belite is a redesign of the old Kitfox Lite, using lots of carbon fiber which allows it to qualify as a true ultralight, but may also be optioned up to exceed the ultralight weight...
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Scenic flight courtesy of the Angeles City Flying Club located in Pampanga Philippines. Flight around Mount Arayat and province of Magalang.
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“Flying Runabout, Experimental Design” or FRED is an inexpensive homebuilt aircraft designed, built and flown in 1963 by Eric Clutton. Eric and FRED are still going strong today and have have inspired many around the world to pursue the dream of building and flying their own airplane. Please explore this site created...
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Bill Pickens saw a pickup truck on the lake and believed it would support the 250-pound weight of his Ultra Lite plane — but he broke through the ice upon landing and be.. View TV Report
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A Mitchell Wing with a small, well large for an ultralight, turbojet engine. The video quality isn’t high, but the subject is unique!
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Update: Childress says doctors removed Evans’ spleen and he has other internal injuries and will have a second surgery. But the biggest concern Wednesday night was Evans’ brain. “Evidently his head injury is not that bad. That’s what we were worried about more than anything. I believe his right leg was broke in a couple places, his...
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Low flying in a CGS Hawk Arrow II homebuilt over Great Sacandaga Lake Upstate NY in Jan. 2010. First 30 seconds is about 6′ above the ice with a climb to 1000 AGL. Aaron took the video from the back seat. The CGS Hawk is a family of high wing, strut-braced, pusher configuration, single and...
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“First flight of 2010 in my ski equipped Weedhopper.” And Winter flying in Phoenix. The Weedhopper ultralight is a single seat ultralight aircraft originally developed by John Chotia during the height of the 1970s ultralight boom. It came as a kit and, according to the manufacturer, could be easily assembled in less than a week. Many of...
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A man shares the story of his Ultralight crash. He believes the hand of god was there to save him. Whether you believe or not, it’s an interesting video: “In the summer of 1982, Marty Cox experienced an unbelievable airplane crash that in 99.9% of similar mishaps would have resulted...
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The Ultralight plane Belite definitely is that–light. In this AVweb Product Minute, check out the company’s new product.
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Update 2: New video link Update: When fire units arrived, they saw smoke plumes and found Keith dead at the scene. Witnesses said the 2002 Challenger left the airport and crashed a short time later in a nearby tomato field. “It appears to be accidental,” said spokesperson Dave Bristow of the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office. Keith was interested...
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Flyingdino71 Drifter Ultralight, cloud surfing on the Gold Coast, 2500 feet. Certainly not Sport Pilot legal, but it certainly looks as though they are having fun.
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“I love waterskiing my carrera ultralight. Do it all the time. This short filming session really attracted attention from passing cars, and soon a local Mr. Policeman stopped by and wasn’t happy about my waterskiing session. He let me off with an apology and a promise not to do it again here at Nehalem Bay in...
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We’ve been told this person is teaching himself to fly, but we are awaiting confirmation. Here are some videos showing his ongoing efforts. The first one we share is called “Eek! Don’t land like this”.  We believe the aircraft is a Fisher Flying Products 202, aka Koala. from Jack Carrozzo on Vimeo. First...
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The brother of a man who died in the wreck of an experimental airplane in McMinn County has filed suit in Hamilton County Circuit Court. James Cornelison filed the suit against Vicki Stump, widow of pilot and plane owner Bradley Stump. Mr. Stump and Charles Cornelison died in the crash last Aug. 8. The suit, filed by...
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Dan just recently fininshed his Challenger 2 and will soon have it on floats. This is a 5 year project of love and sometimes frustration. Beautiful airplane Dan. Dan Lance’s new Challenger 2 from Leslie Stokes on Vimeo.
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Nice Video: Ian Coristine has been photographing the 1000 Islands for years from a very unique perspective, low from above in his Challenger ultralight floatplane. This video produced by Louis Pouliot, camera plane flown by Bruce Brown, shows how he does it.
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Pretty cute little plane, this Fisher Flying Products 303.  It’s an ultralight, looking for all the world like a giant model airplane. Youtube: One of my early flights in my little guy. Fun, fun barnstorming, bare bones basic flight. Part 103 legal ultralight too. (It has a Rotax 277, and actually meets the requirements for Part...
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A collection of the lastest Ultralight videos from Youtube. You’ll find a Quicksilver, Weedhopper, Cuby, and more. My boss took me up for a ride in his Quiksilver II ultralight aircraft. This is a video shot from about 1300 feet above the ground. flying our friends Cuby II ultralight aircraft Topsail Beach,...
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Blog Post:  I decided a few weeks back to start building an ultralight closely modeled after the Goat 4 by Mike Sandlin. His Basic Ultralight Glider series are meant to be home-built using hand-tools such as a drill and hacksaw. He also publishes well-drawn plans online, which is a major part of...
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A migrating flock of the world’s rarest cranes has been grounded again in Alabama. The 20 birds took to the skies in Russellville but turbulence kept them from reaching the necessary altitude Tuesday, The Times Daily in Florence reports. Operation Migration is a nonprofit organization that’s taking the juvenile cranes on their first 1,200-mile migration from Wisconsin...
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Ultralight Trike engine out video. Good tunes. Answers the most common question we get… what happens when the engine quits. In this case… nothing! Engine Off from Diego Sagrera on Vimeo.
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On the Rotary Forum Red Baron says: My ultralight I just recently sold called a “skypup” was bought by a company out of california! They will be using the plane as a chase vehicle for their space balloon projects. His wife wants him to put a ballistic chute on it Heres a little video of...
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No one was reported injured when an ultralight plane crashed into a field on Sunday afternoon. According to the Brown County Sheriff’s Department, the plane went down near Apple Creek Road, just west of the Canadian National railroad tracks. The area is north of Wrightstown… Read more
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More than two months after leaving Wisconsin en route to Florida, a flock of migrating whooping cranes being led by volunteers on ultralight aircraft has finally made it to Alabama. The 20 juvenile whooping cranes flew from a private wildlife refuge in Hardin County, Tenn., to a secluded area near the Russellivlle Airport today. Gusty winds...
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PORT PERRY — A silver lining has appeared in the dark clouds that recently found their way over a Port Perry-based company whose goal is to re-establish the whooping crane population. A small team with Operation Migration were in the midst of herding a small flock of whooping cranes to the southern United States in...
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Update 2 Mark Raymond Gibson is recovering from a head injury and multiple fractures at Memorial Hermann Hospital in Houston’s Texas Medical Center, a Texas Department of Public Safety dispatcher said. His leg and ribs also are broken, Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Lynn Lunsford said. As Gibson flew his experimental aircraft, a Manta 503, south at...
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An assisted migration of juvenile whopping cranes remains grounded at a private wildlife refuge in Hardin County, Tenn. Early morning fog and strong winds aloft prevented migration from continuing this morning. The whooping cranes, which are being led from Wisconsin to Florida by volunteers in ultralight aircraft, were scheduled to fly to Russellville today. Officials with...
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Goldwing. Designed by Craig Catto and Brian Glenn. Pusher engine with canard wing that is pitch sensitive. Partially enclosed cockpit. Aluminum tube and sailcloth construction. 3-Axis control with tricycle landing gear and steerable nosewheel. Double surface cantilever wing. Length 12′, height 5.5′, wing span 30′, wing area 140 sq. ft. Empty weight 240 lbs....
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Would you love to fly high in the sky? This might be cheaper than you think with an ultra light air craft. Ultralight aviation offers the opportunity for people who are not super rich to own their own airplane and take to the skies. There are lots of different meanings for ultralight aircrafts. Generally, they...
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Community groups and individuals in Juneau County are offering a $3,000 reward for tips leading to the conviction of whoever burglarized an airplane hangar in Necedah used by Operation Migration, the group dedicated to re-establishing the whooping crane in the eastern U.S. Several ultralight plane wings were slashed, and a whooping crane sculpture made by...
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The matriarch of the First Family of whooping cranes has been shot and killed. The so-called First Family includes the only two whooping cranes taught to migrate from Wisconsin to Florida behind ultralight aircraft that have successfully hatched and raised a wild whooping crane chick in the nine years of the program. Read more.
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It is hard to believe that anybody trying to save whooping cranes from extinction could have enemies. “It’s not like we’re trying to reintroduce wolves or bobcats or rattlesnakes,” Joe Duff of Port Perry, Ont., said of the vandalism that has struck his group’s Wisconsin hangar. “It’s not like anything we do might have a...
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Highway 11 became an air landing strip Tuesday. The Ontario Provincial Police report a small plane was forced to make an emergency landing on the highway, 20 kilometres north of North Bay. Repairs were made and the plane resumed its flight. OPP received a call at about 1:30 p. m. requesting assistance in allowing a plane to...
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AN injured pilot spent a night out in the open after crash landing his ultralight plane on a Scott River property. The 53-year-old Busselton man took off from Narrogin at about 2pm on Sunday, bound for Bunbury on a training flight. He reportedly became disorientated and ran low on fuel before attempting to land the Tecnam...
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Twenty juvenile whooping cranes reached Carroll County, Tennessee on December 5, 2009, on their ultralight-guided migration from Necedah National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) in central Wisconsin to Chassahowitzka and St. Marks National Wildlife Refuges along Florida’s Gulf Coast. To date, weather conditions have kept the migration from moving to the next stop in Hardin County,...
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RECKAGE of the missing ultralight plane with two men aboard in northern Victoria has been found. Police have confirmed the sighting, around five kilometres north-west of Yarrawonga, and said there were no signs of survivors. The aircraft, with two brothers in their 50s aboard, took off from the airport at Yarrawonga, on the Murray River, 280km...
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A MAN has died in a light plane which is believed to have struck powerlines before plummeting to the ground in southern NSW. Police say they discovered the ultralight plane in a paddock near Brial Road, about 10km north of Boorowa, shortly before 7pm (AEDT) yesterday. It is believed the plane struck power lines before crashing. The...
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A guy jumps out of his father’s craft over Lake Chelan in Eastern Washington. Trike.
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Belite offers an FAA Part 103 aircraft unlike any other single place airplane. Many pilots and aircraft owners have appreciated the latitude of the Federal Aviation Regulation (FAR) Part 103 which has opened up many legal options for flying enthusiasts. However, FAR 103 airplanes have traditionally had great difficulty meeting legal weight requirements while...
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TWO microlights found themselves in the flight-path of 26 military planes en route to the Queen’s birthday celebrations, a report has revealed. Six RAF Typhoons, four Tornados and various other RAF aircraft had to break formation and descend after spotting the two ultralight aircraft above Stanton St John, near Oxford, on June 13. The Civil Aviation...
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