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Powered Parachutes Catching On Fast
"After reading in your last issue (Vol. 15, No. 3) about the way powered parachutes are catching on with farmers in Australia and England, I wanted to let you know that I've been selling them in the U.S. since 1984. In the past couple years they've been catching on fast with farmers both as a farm tool and as an exciti
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Powered parachutes catching on fast FARM HOME Miscellaneous 15-4-36 "After reading in your last issue (Vol. 15, No. 3) about the way powered parachutes are catching on with farmers in Australia and England, I wanted to let you know that I've been selling them in the U.S. since 1984. In the past couple years they've been catching on fast with farmers both as a farm tool and as an exciting new hobby," says Wyman Hochstetler, farmer and powered parachute dealer near Walkerton, Ind.
Hochstetler sells two models of power parachutes - the "Paraplane", manufactured by ParaPlane Corp., in Pennsauken, N.J., and the "Buckeye", made by Coldfire Systems, Inc., in Simi Valley, Calif. Although the two have some slightly different features, they both have essentially the same design consisting of a propeller-equipped go-cart type buggy that hangs from a conventional parachute. To take off, the buggy drags the chute behind it until it fills with air. If there's ever a mechanical problem in the air, the buggy and pilot simply float safely back down to earth.
"Unlike conventional ultralight planes, there's never been a fatality in a powered parachute due to an equipment failure," says Hochstetler, who stopped selling ultralight planes due to safety concerns. He's had a lot of interest in powered chutes from farmers all over the country who use them to check crops, livestock, fencing as well as for pleasure rides. "Because of its usefulness, the IRS allows farmers to write it off as a tax deductible business expense."
No pilot's license is required to fly a powered chute. Takes about an hour to learn to fly. They steer with simple foot levers. To go higher, you just increase the throttle. To take off, you spread the chute out behind you on the ground. It'll lift off in as little as 25 ft. of travel.
Once in the air, they travel at a constant airspeed of about 26 mph. A 5-gal. tank keeps the chutes aloft for about 2 hrs. Maximum pilot weight on heavy-duty models is 250 lbs.
Paraplane comes completely assembled and folds up to fit in the trunk of a car. Buckeye requires about 20 hrs. to assemble. Both units weigh less than 200 lbs.
They sell for under $7,000.
Contact FARM SHOW Followup, Hop's Powered Parachutes, Inc., 20451 N. County Line Rd./Tyler, Walkerton, Ind. 46574 (ph 219 586-3580).
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