So I've always been into aviation. Been working on and off for about a year to get my Private Pilot's certification but had to stop at the beginning of the year. Decided I wanted to pick up an Ultralight so I could fly on my own when I wanted and for the most part where I wanted with some restrictions. Not to mention it lets you fly without the constant oversight and permission of "Big Brother". Anyone here fly ultralights? Picked up the Hy-Tec Hurricane over the weekend. Here's some vids and pics. Video compilation of the first day I had it doing familiarization flights on a dry lake bed (El Mirage Dry Lake). http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zrTvoycq-dI After first few landings About 1500 feet AGL looking down on the landing area. You can barely make out the truck and another ultralight on the lake bed. On the truck ready to come back to San Diego After getting the wings back on and putting it in it's new hangar The day after getting the wings on a buddy of mine and I went up and he got some arieal video of me. It was a flight with a member of the SDUA to get familiar with the area around the field. Saw a few dual sports on some dirt roads around otay lakes road. https://www.facebook.com/#!/photo.php?v=10202116162291692&set=vb.1416956060&type=3&theater https://www.facebook.com/#!/photo.php?v=10202116190852406&set=vb.1416956060&type=3&theater Then a little video from last night doing a late evening sunset flight. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yQGGiSygPgs
Very nice! I stopped flying about 6 months after my first child was born (1981) due to conflicts of income vs outlay. I have missed flying terribly, and have had fantasies of buying / building an UL. The videos you have made have got me to thinking again lol. Thanks man.
You do know you can monitize that in a way right? Round here, if one has an ultralight, and a couple good cameras or doesn't mind the film industry putting cameras on them, they can make some serious dough. Up to 1500 a day flying round and shooting video...and NO you can't use POS consumer cameras.
Sounds illegal in the states. I can't legally fly for hire unless I have a commercial certificate. Sent from my iPhone
The only kind. Pilot certificates go Private (no monetary gain) Commercial ( can fly for money) Airline Transport Pilot Then you can get different ratings such as Insturment Multi engine land Multi engine sea Single engine sea Stuff like that. As a private pilot or not a pilot (ultralights) then you can't get monetary compensation for your flying. If you haul a passenger you can split the cost evenly but you can't legally haul a passenger in a Part 103 ultralight. Once you add a second seat it becomes an Experimental Light Sport. Now I may be missing something in the FARs since its all legalieze anyway and since flying an ultralight doesn't require any kind of certificate you may be able to avoid that stuff. I'd have to check the part 103. But usually web you fly and make money from it, you operate under a different part of the FARs that require you have a commercial certificate. Sent from my iPhone
Seems like a big grey area or a robust screwing by the FAA to me for making someone get an additional ticket to have a camera on their Ultralight. I know for a fact here no one who uses their Ultralight as a camera platform has any special licensing.
Dad had a Lazair. Sold it to a guy next town over. He was procrastinating cashing the guys check for a week or so. Drove to the city and saw it wadded up in a field by the highway. Turned around, ran back and got to the bank as fast as he could. Waited until the funds cleared before he cried. The guy didn't have a license or any experience and no insurance. Ministry of Transport had a great time with him. Up here there is a thriving market for camera mounted RC's to fly over farm crops. Not too many ultralights around. The last one I saw flying a lot was an unmarked Chinook who enjoyed buzzing cars on the highway. Pretty ballsy for a guy near a fighter base (Cold Lake Ab.) Haven't seen him around for a long time so they either found him or he has the bird locked up in the back barn.
This seems to be the biggest cause of Ultralight crashes. In the US zero training is required period. But I strongly suggest to people getting some kind of training before hand. I had 20 hours of Private Pilot before getting in this and untold hours on a Flight Simulator practicing landings and radio navigation. Granted flying Ultralights is quite different than GA aircraft as far as mass and drag go but similar enough that you can figure it out. Flying isn't hard. It's the landing part that gets most people haha.
Your right about the law.If you took some pictures or video and then sold them you would be ok.But taking someone else's camera up for hire is illegal.In the US you can not make money with an ultralight or Light Sport.A true ultralight is no more than 254#,no more than 5 gallons,no more than 63MPH straight and level and no more than one person.Even though its legal to fly an ultralight without training,its really dumb. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZSJJmtSoPlk Been flying thirty years and thousands of hours.Most of it in trikes but I started in C150s. The Hurricane has a good record.Never heard anything bad about them.Looks like your running a 503 B box with DCDI.
My wife and I both flew...medical reasons made me sell our plane years ago. One of the guys here has a powered parachute...two place. He took us for a ride and it was great fun. While at their little airport I saw a itty bitty taylorcraft....got me thinking....I wonder if that is a real plane or not. I also miss flying...it was great fun.
If you were never denied a medical you can get a Sport Pilot license if you have a drivers license. Most people are better off going up with an instructor.A lot less headache.And you can still log the time.Try new types and see new places.Did it for years.Always learned something new.
I toyed with the idea of getting a sport pilot license, but the next step up to private pilot was small (and I can pass the medical no problem) so I'm starting training next week. I am very interested in the experimental class of aircraft, though. The idea of saving a lot of money by doing basic maintenance myself is a big draw. From what I've read, that in order to make a modification to a non-experimental aircraft you need to buy the rights to the STC, then pay someone with the right training to do the work... seems a little excessive to me. I can completely see getting trained professionals to do more complicated things, but basic maintenance?
Nope never denied, just never got the BFR and new medical....just not current. One of the pills I have to take is suppose to make you all depressed...guess they don't want that while you fly.
Correct on both counts :). I was kind of iffy about the 2 smoker. But it's extremely smooth and powerful. You just have to change the way you fly it compared to a 4 stroke as far as unloading it and operating at smaller throttle openings with the prop windmilling. Takes some getting used to. It is a bit of a fuel hog too but I expected that with the 2 stroke motor. Do you have any operating tips on the 503? I've been trying my best to follow the recommended operations I've been reading. Not letting the prop windmill too much and keeping the throttle open to keep lubrication flowing. Sent from my iPhone
Some people would tell you that the 503 is the best motor Rotax makes.Lot of them out there with over one thousand hours and never been opened up.The 503 is a piston port air cooled so you don't have the cross shaft seal problems of the 582.And some of those problems on the 582 were caused by the wrong antifreeze.NEVER use the green.Always the red extended life with no silica. People will tell you to pull the head and decarbon the top of the piston at 300 hours.I have mixed feelings.You may screw up something when there's nothing wrong.Same with Seafoam.That can't be good for the crank seals.People pull the exhaust and look for stuck rings by poking them with a small flat blade screwdriver.All these things are better left to someone who has done it before.Watch and learn. If I had only had one gauge it would be EGT.You want to see about 1100.Much lower and the rings stick and it melts a hole in the piston around 1300.The Rotax manual is a little on the rich side for jetting.But better safe than sorry.The needle jet is a pain untill you learn how to screw the spring back on.Most people raise {richen } it one notch in the winter and drop it in the spring.Get a couple of cork float bowl gaskets and a K&N filter cleaning kit.DON"T over oil the filter.Keep an eye on the carb sockets.Change the fuel pump,filter,and lines every spring.Rebuilding the pump is not worth the money you save. Safety wire the exhaust springs and run a bead of silicone down them.They break all the time.Keep some spares.Use high temp lube on the ball sockets on the 90 elbow so it don't gall. You will see the front cylinder run a little hotter cause it gets all the air first.DO NOT try to run different jets.Keep all jets the same in both carbs. A few words on oil.Yea right! Iám not dumb enough to go there.Just try to stay away from ethanol.Get the big MR Funnel if you can still find one.Could save your ass one day. Change your plugs ever 50 hours.Reminder,the gap is half of anything your used to..018.Very important.Only NGK solid tops.In a few hours the screw tops will mess up the threads and become loose.B8ES or BR8ES if you use a radio.And I think everyone should.The best handheld is the the old Icon A22 or A3.Fleabay or Barnstormers for a radio and headset. Two EGT and two CHT.And one Tinytach that also keeps the hours.That covers the motor.An ASI and altimeter is also a good idea.You should see about 6200 RPM static { tied down } on the ground and 6500 RPM on take off full throttle.If you can keep it under 4800 RPM on cruse it will be on the needle jet and use a lot less gas.I dump the gas after one month. That should get you started.
Excellent advice all around thanks I do run all the gauges you suggested as well as a Yaesu Nav/Com unit. They require radio on the field I fly off of.
