This piece originally ran in the December 2024 issue of EAA Sport Aviation magazine.
By George Karamitis, EAA 144192
Not a day goes by that someone doesn’t ask, “George, how can I fly like that?” And most of the people asking already own an aircraft! That question is also heard by many in the ultralight business. One must ask, why the growing interest in ultralights? I have some ideas I’d like to share as these questions become more prevalent.
This is where age has an advantage. I’m 83 and have lived a full life of aviation — including a 32-year career with TWA and ownership of several general aviation aircraft and ultralight aircraft. Now is the time for this 83-year-old to share some observations.
Let me state from the beginning that what I am going to say is positive. I want to be a voice that promotes aviation and the various organizations that offer support and provide a platform to display it. And one does not have to look far to see it. Just look what EAA has done. It cannot be beaten.
Still, I want to challenge EAA and its members to give the ultralight movement more support. There is a definite movement toward flying ultralight aircraft. What is causing this movement? Let’s face it, aviation has become expensive, but the cost factor is not the main reason. Rather, it’s a change in pilot attitudes in how they want to fly. One must ask, “Do I want to use my aircraft to travel across the country or do I simply want to go up?” I get several calls and responses to my many posted videos on YouTube and Facebook. Of these inquires, some already have airplanes. Some are just men and women who want to get into flying.
A good example of what I am saying is a close friend with a nice twin-engine Beechcraft Baron who would just like to experience the pure and simple “wind in your face” flying. Most people who are interested in ultralight flying do not ask how fast it will go but rather how slow a particular model will go. This group of certificated pilots are looking for a less complicated aircraft to fly; just something that allows them to walk their ultralight out of the hangar and take advantage of the early morning calmness or the relaxation that an evening flight will yield. There is no ADS-B In or Out. Just you and the wind in your face. A most simple way to fly.
For this type of flyer, money is not the problem. But there are some aircraft owners who never move their airplanes. Many of the general aviation airports have full hangars but little movement. Some of these hangar doors never open. And, in some cases, the pilots of these particular aircraft never show up at the airport. Folks, my whole life in aviation meant hanging around airports. I know what I am talking about.
Why the little movement at airports? Is it a cost factor or a lack of interest in flying the particular aircraft they own? I have many of these pilots asking me how to make aviation more complete. Yes, there were days when, as a first officer on a Boeing 747, I would land at JFK and be up in my 40-year-old Quicksilver ultralight less than 24 hours after commuting home.
I think we all have to help spur the interest in flight, and a legal ultralight is one way to accomplish this. Someday when I go to the airport, I would love to hear some of the squeaky hangar doors opening. I would also like to see more friendly conversations taking place. And, I can see an ultralight as a stimulant to accomplish this.
Now, let’s turn our attention to the nonpilot population who are interested in flying. Most ultralight aircraft today are in the $25,000 price range. Some come in an easy bolt-together kit, while others can be purchased already built. This is why the major air shows — like EAA AirVenture Oshkosh and the SUN ’n FUN Aerospace Expo — show what the ultralight is capable of doing. People want to see and hear them fly.
Also, there are various ultralight companies that are physically present to answer questions. The ultralight aircraft might just turn out to be the stimulant to start a person’s interest in later purchasing a regular aircraft. But for now, just concentrate on the ultralight. I know several folks who became certificated pilots that used the ultralight as a stimulus to continue their training to become pilots.
We have to help those who are curious. When we see folks walking down to the ultralight area at these various shows, we need to embrace them. Help them with their questions. This is where some of the future pilot population may be coming from.
Over the years, I have made several observations. Many of these beginning folks who started out in ultralights ended up becoming certificated pilots. Many of them, after flying as a regular private or commercial pilot, have returned to the more-wind-in-your-face flying the ultralight can deliver.
So, as I see it, there are definitely new avenues that present-day pilots are moving toward. Don’t sell this short, folks. Pilots don’t lie. After a rated pilot comes back from an introductory flight in a two-place ultralight, they are all smiles. After engine shutdown, the first word uttered is “WOW.” I have personally witnessed this scenario many times.
Now, this is where we need EAA’s help to continue providing a platform where we can display what a true ultralight is capable of. We must remember that the increased interest in ultralight flying is coming from both the established pilots and the curious wannabe pilots. The interest turns into the dreaming of each individual pilot. And the dreams, over time, turn into a reality. I know this from my own experience. I never quit dreaming, and in most cases, these dreams came into being — from that 5-year-old looking skyward to today’s 83-year-old.
I have been unable to make the trip to AirVenture the last two years. But nobody beats EAA for the air show that opens its arms to 600,000-plus people. Surely, among hundreds of thousands of people there are some who want to get a closer look at the ultralight way of flight. The sound of the engines and the color combinations of the various aircraft in the Ultralights area are fantastic. A trip down to the Ultralights area shows it has its own atmosphere.
During the times I was able to attend AirVenture and spend time down by the Ultralights area, I never felt that the people were just passing by. Rather, there were some serious observations. People would say, “Wow, look at that.” Or, “I didn’t realize how maneuverable these aircraft are.” We have to thank EAA for giving ultralights a platform to demonstrate what they can do. Many dreams were stimulated, and some of the folks culminated in placing orders for their choice of aircraft. Never sell someone short. They could turn out to be a serious prospect.
Where do I stand on this? Well, I want to keep coming to the big show, and I want to spend my time in the Ultralights area. The Veterans Affairs protocol will help this 83-year-old get a powered scooter. That would provide me with complete mobility. I could sit on that scooter all day helping folks with their questions.
I don’t want to make this article about me. But, it is a fact. And how and when I take that final flight west all depends on that higher power and when He wants me. I hope that the angels’ wings are clear coated so they won’t melt.
I admit, I have been through a lot in the last four months. But this is where the ultralight has no restrictions. No certificate required, no training, and no physical exam. Folks, don’t give up on your dreams.
George Karamitis, EAA 144192, is a retired TWA captain, holds an ATP with B-727 and B-747 type ratings, and has been a CFI for more than 50 years. In 2013, George received the Wright Brothers Master Pilot Award for more than 50 years of accident-, incident-, and citation-free flight.