A guy I know who's interested in flying was talking about maybe buying an ultralight,
"you don't need any flight training with one of those".
I told him that while he didn't need a license,
he'd definitely need some training if he didn't want to end up busted up or dead.
Unfortunately that "no training required" line of thought isn't uncommon.
Some guy who'd had a couple hours of dual in a C150 managed to auger in and kill himself
at my airport a few years ago in a Skyrader UL (or similar).
I'm just glad I wasn't there to see it.

Mountain Doctor wrote:

mtv wrote:Ouch.....just really OUCH!

I'll bet that left a mark. He keeps saying "I'm done", which I presume means he's done flying. Too bad....if you survive something like this, use it as a learning experience, and get back to flying.

MTV

Flying is not for everyone...

I was married and got a divorce. I'm done. I'm not going to use it as a learning experience and get remarried.

No more than this schlump is going to fly a different paraglider up a canyon again...

Well, but that's the point..... Did you give up on women, or just the marriage thing? He doesn't need to give up flying, just learn from his mistakes and don't fly up canyons again.

Now, if he jumped back in one of those rigs and flew up a canyon again.....well......They're out there.

And, folks, don't believe for a moment that the possession of a pilot certificate prevents many people from jumping in an airplane type they've never flown and go for the gold. Often with a Go Pro attached.

No exclusive on stupid in the Ultralight world.

MTV

mtv wrote:No exclusive on stupid in the Ultralight world.

Indeed. But the culture and perception of not needing training is attractive to certain people.

Zzz wrote:

mtv wrote:No exclusive on stupid in the Ultralight world.

Indeed. But the culture and perception of not needing training is attractive to certain people.

Same with those whose highest goal is Sport Pilot--because it needs less training. Yet the things it leaves out are those omissions that will kill--like the one we discussed recently, where the couple took off in the dark destination OSH and apparently hit a cloud before auguring in. Would the 3 hours of instrument training and the 3 hours of night flight made any difference? Would having had even the minimum weather training required of private pilots made any difference? Clearly the pilot had good stick & rudder skills, to do the water-skiing that we all marveled at.

But there's so much more to being a pilot than good stick & rudder skills. Part of that is judgment, which most instructors find difficult to teach, but part of it is the training itself. It's hard to know what you don't know, if you've never even been exposed to it.

Cary