In Part 2 of this story on ultralight flying and an instructor’s
aspiration to conduct it in Hollister, pilot Pete Marsh explains
the physics of these experimental aircraft and why he believes they
are safer than traditional planes.
For Part 1 of this story, go here.
HOLLISTER
Pete Marsh offers instruction on a trike, which is much like a hanglider with a carriage attached where the rider and engine sit that have a flexible wing design. While he’s hoping to bring his instruction skills to Hollister, Marsh explained on a recent flight how the physics of the aircraft work and he also made a case for their high level of safety.
A flexible wing means that, unlike commercial jet, the wings can move more while in flight, making it much safer, he said. His plane is rated three times less likely to stall than most comparable-sized airplanes with a rigid design, he also noted. And because there is much less equipment with a trike, it is significantly lighter and agile than other aircraft.
Sport piloting included many types of aircraft. Pete Marsh said the list includes powered parachutes; gyrocopters, a rare machine with a bad reputation of instability; trikes; three-axis controlled airplanes; and balloons, both hot air and gas powered. All of these aircraft can be outfitted with skis for snow and floats for water take-offs and landings.
Marsh took a Free Lance reporter on a flight to illustrate the ease of flying his machine and allowed the reporter to fly about half of the trip from San Martin to San Juan Bautista and back, to show how responsive the controlling bar was to movement.
Marsh operates his business at South County Airport in San Martin and his trike shares other the same hangar space with experimental aircraft. Marsh said he plans to get a hangar of his own at the Hollister airport in the next six months.
Marsh’s trike was built in the Ukraine, the government of which invested in and built the design.
“It’s an extremely robust and well-built plane,” he said.
Not only was it designed by the military there, but police also use these planes for surveillance operations because they are cheaper to own and operate than helicopters.
Trikes can easily carry two full-sized adults weighing 250 pounds each and around 50 pounds of gear, he said, but they are usually limited to two persons. Trikes, however, operate on regular gasoline, not airplane fuel used at a rate of about 2.5 gallons per hour. Also thanks to the simple engine design, you can do your own repairs. For a normal airplane, you would have to hire an federally-approved mechanic but with this sport plane, they are built with parts you can find at a motorcycle or auto parts store, Marsh said.
The carriage is a bit different than a normal plane, too. The first major difference is steering controls, which on a trike is a bar that comes down from the wing above. The main objective while steering a trike is to keep it level with the horizon and to keep a very slight grip on the bar, almost as if to allow the plane to fly by itself. To make a turn, all the pilot needs to do is push the bar’s left or right side down.
With their design and look, Marsh said questions about the integrity of the planes often comes up.
“People think they look kind of scary, but these airplanes are the latest in airplane technology.”
For more information on sport piloting, you can visit the Experimental Aircraft Association’s sport piloting Web-site at www.sportpilot.org. If you are interested in becoming involved with sport piloting in this area, visit Alaskan Airborne Adventures at www.alaskanairborneadventures.com. You can also contact Pete Marsh at (831) 425-9765.
