By John Wyman, EAA 462533, Chapter 266 Montreal
I’ve been grappling with a theory for years about ultralights and their role within the flying community — that a lot of people think of them as a stepping stone into aviation. I will attempt to argue that this isn’t necessarily true and that their category could further enhance the community if it wasn’t so independent from general aviation. It’s not to be snobbish and say that they are outside the ranks. Quite the contrary — their numbers have increased over the years and anyone who’s paying rent on any field these days is more than welcome to help with the bills. It is more the “idea” that “most” ultralight pilots (at least from my observations) don’t make the next step into private or homebuilt aircraft that require a bit more support in terms of airport infrastructure over and above a remote grass airstrip. I have seen some pilots make the transition (which, as I said, a lot of people seem to think is their raison d’etre), but most seem to stick with where they start. That’s okay, but let’s look at how their role could be expanded if more pilots passed along the message that there’s a bigger world out there waiting to be discovered.
Beginnings
I was fortunate enough to be raised by a father who already had a private flying license and who was a licensed aircraft mechanic. That’s a big helping hand when you need it. Mom and Dad gave me loads of encouragement and support. The older I get, the more I realize how lucky I am and how lucky I was to have a head start like that. I was also awarded glider and power scholarships from the Royal Canadian Air Cadets that started me on the path toward all the other ratings which allowed me to become a commercial pilot. Time was on my side because I started at such an early age, exposed literally every day to one thing or another to do with airplanes, big and small. At one point though, I was interested in buying a used Beaver RX-550 ultralight on floats that was powered by an economical Rotax two-stroke engine to fly tourists from a beachhead “somewhere” just to be airborne and have someone else paying for it! I think that was a millisecond after I got my float rating and got my first taste of float flying.
After shelling out some more dough for that rating, that ultralight seemed like a cheaper option to enjoy the water and flying at the same time. Nonetheless, it was still a fleeting thought that I never seriously considered — but when you’re desperate to keep flying, anything’s on the table.
Instead of going this route, I chose to build more flying time in a homebuilt that a dear friend recommended that I buy for this purpose. It was a tailwheel wood-and-fabric low-wing airplane called a GY-20 MiniCab that required a lot of fixing up — my first true barn find! It had a CF- designated registration which allowed me to continue to log credible time toward future licenses. I went everywhere with this bird and learned basic aerobatics in it as well. This meant that although costs were a tad higher flying the homebuilt, at least every dime was well spent. Besides, the knowledge learned from flying a more challenging aircraft than I could otherwise rent was simply a chance I could not miss. This priceless secret was imparted on me from an Air Canada pilot who said that a pilot hired there was once asked during his job interview what the 200-plus hours in a VP-1 (a homebuilt Volksplane with a CF- designation) was in his logbook? With a straight face the candidate replied that this was a “high performance” single-place aircraft. Much to his joy, nothing more was asked about that and the interviewers moved onto the next question. I’ve never had the story verified by another source, but I like to think that it was true. Trust me, there is more energy management (dexterity) required to fly a Volks-powered airplane over any Cessna spam can!
Charting a course
My “choice” (and that’s the important word here) not to buy the Beaver ultralight was also oddly inspired from a well-known ultralight promoter (Ian Coristine, now deceased), who, knowing how important it was to build time, suggested that I continue to tow gliders at a local gliding field toward the end goal of a commercial license. Other people along the way suggested the same thing. Forming a path or course is often influenced by others. Today’s available options to keep flying are more a source of confusion than an aid to decide which route to follow. Perhaps this is why a lot of would-be private pilots choose to start with ultralights because they have the notion that they are cheaper to maintain and fly and that the requirements to get airborne are not as demanding? I personally think that this isn’t true. To fly is to fly no matter what the craft is. Each has its merits, but the required knowledge to initially get airborne is about the same across the board, give or take a few lessons and hours. After all, the basics of getting in the air are strapping yourself in and having at ‘er. A lot of early barnstormers did it that way because there weren’t many laws that prevented them to try it! Are they less expensive to fly? Maybe some of them — although the trend seems to be leaning towards bigger engines that burn more fuel and more gadgets on bigger panels that sometimes add up to more than the engine! My view of this is that although “less flying training requirements” may be true in the short term, it isn’t necessarily so later on down the road, if and when said pilot chooses to learn more. Maybe it’s not in the cards for ultralight pilots? A lot of them are just happy to be airborne, allowing them that “break” from their daily routines. I see this for what it is and recognize the smiles on their faces. It can also be the perfect medium to stay flying while searching for that barn find. I know one commercial pilot who flew an ultralight for years until ultimately buying his own glider and returning to a gliding club this past season.
Choices, choices…
In the end, it’s all about choice and we are certainly fortunate to have that. My view is that if you’re considering furthering your flying experience (be it for pleasure or building time), you may want to look at homebuilts or certified aircraft first before ultralights. I think a selling point of the former is that you have the option of frequenting more airports and flying in more adverse weather conditions. I say this only from observing that I haven’t seen too many ultralights fly to larger airports (thus, not supporting their services) or venture too far from their home bases on long cross-countries. Again, there are exceptions. Some groups of ultralights have logged some very long flights — so it’s still each owner that decides what they’d like to do and I suppose it’s better to be a part of something than to just sit on the sidelines.
A final thought
It’d be incorrect of me to say that ultralights are a one-way street. Many airports in Canada would be worse off without them. I am only taking the position that the “I” in the C-I of an ultralight’s registration has them “independently” thinking from the rest of the crowd. To be tongue in cheek, it seems that this is part and parcel to the I-generation (iPhone, iPad) that embraces everything around their universe. This, I believe, doesn’t benefit anyone. I do see them at the local fly-ins but I don’t see them venturing too far from the nest and spending money at the airport pumps and restaurants, even if the airport offers automotive fuel. Maybe it’s this perspective of the ultralight owner (higher aircraft gas prices) which is the main selling point that attracts them to this type of aircraft in the first place? It’s likely this and the exemption from some rules and recurring annual fees (see Ruffled Feathers, Sept/Oct Bits and Pieces) which adds to their selling points if you only want to get up in the air.
Ultimately, as airplane enthusiasts, we shouldn’t pit one category against another — that isn’t my purpose here. What I do advocate, is that before you go with one airplane over another, ask yourself what type of craft best suits your mission and will the investment be worth your time and effort in the long run?
John Wyman, EAA 462533, Chapter 266 Montreal, is a self-proclaimed airport bum. When he isn’t in the saddle at the airline, he can be found out at the airfield doing any number of things. He likes to fly gliders, practice aerobatics, work on airplanes and fix stuff.