When go-carts fly.......

[Trojansoc]

A few mornings ago, I went to the tennis courts next to the local airport early in the morning, knowing I'd have 30-45 minutes for shooting some of the birds that inhabit the grass along the runways, before the kids arrived for practice. But, I got a surprise when I looked up and saw what I could best describe as a "flying go-cart."

[Trojansoc]

Shooting conditions weren't great....early morning haze....and he pretty well stayed over on the airport property...flying just above the pines that separate the airport from the tennis courts. I was shooting Pentax K10D with a Tamron 70-300 lens. The contraption actually seemed to be constructed more like an fan boat used in the swamps with wheels added and the air off the fan used to fill the parachute to provide initial lift, although I didn't get to see a takeoff or landing.

It did, however, look like fun.

[d_oshea]

Looks like fun alright. Well done with the photos in the conditions. I thought it was funny when I saw the title, I have a series of a buggy taking flight, take off and landing in a split second. Sorry for putting them in your thread.






[align=center][/align]

[align=center][/align]

[align=center][/align]

[align=center][/align]

[align=center][/align]

[DRGSin]

Man that thing is crazy Troj! I cant see me up in a homebuilt plane of any sort, it just doesnt seem right!

[ac.smith]

Your flying gocarts are officially called powered parachutes. Thanks for posting.

[Trojansoc]

ac, was I correct in my assumption of how they get airborne? and, how do they steer?

[ac.smith]

The parachute acts as a wing. The engine/propeller push the aircraft along the ground until they have sufficient airspeed to lift it off the ground. The chute has semi-flexible supports rather than fully flexible lines of a traditional parachute.

Control in pitch is via weight shift and roll control is by wing warping.

[airbrushjohn]

hi troj,

great shots, thanks for sharing!