Running Into The Sky - Softcover

Wolf, Chris; Maikowski, Michael

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0967891701 ISBN 13: 9780967891705

Publisher: Jefferson Technology Press, 2003

Synopsis

What's it like to fly a powered paraglider? What's it like to fly like a bird? What's it like to strap an engine and wing to your back and run into the sky? Now you can find out! RUNNING INTO THE SKY follows the adventures of ultralight pilot Chris Wolf as he learns to fly a powered paraglider - the world's smallest powered aircraft! Even if you're not a pilot, you'll enjoy reading this book!

Wolf shares with his readers the incredible exhilarations--and pitfalls--experienced with powered paragliding. Especially valuable for novices, "Running Into The Sky!" provides an honest appraisal of what one can expect to experience in this emerging sport. Told by one who's been there, this book contains many useful tips and provides a wealth of information not found elsewhere.

About this title

From the Publisher:

Why You Should Buy This Book: This is not just another "how to" book. This book is for anyone who wants to know what it’s really like to get into the sport, acquire the equipment, get trained, and fly a powered paraglider before spending a lot of time and money. Without proper training, many people have become discouraged, and dropped out of the sport. But armed with a little knowledge, you can make informed decisions that will let you avoid the pitfalls, and achieve the goal of flying like a bird.

What is a powered paraglider? It’s the world’s smallest and simplest powered aircraft. It’s an aircraft that you can literally put in the trunk of your car. A standard paraglider canopy serves as the wing, and the engine permits the pilot to go up, as well as down. In other words, you can simply lay out the wing on a flat stretch of ground, strap the engine to your back, start it up, run forward a few steps to inflate the wing, and launch yourself into the sky, just like a bird.

And that’s why people love to fly powered paragliders. It lets you fly just like a bird.

Powered paraglider manufacturers and dealers are in the business to make money. They’ll tell you all the good stuff about the sport, but frequently fail to mention the problems and the drawbacks. And there ARE drawbacks.

When I decided to get into this sport, there was a real dearth of information. I ended up making a lot of mistakes due to simple ignorance. I decided to write this book so that YOU can profit from my hard-won experience. Far too many people get into this sport, are poorly trained by fast-buck operators, and end up spending thousands of dollars on equipment that ends up gathering dust in their garages, or gets sold for ten cents on the dollar. I don’t want that to happen to you.

I will take you, step by step, through my firsthand experience in learning to fly a powered paraglider. Nothing will be left out. Every incident will be told exactly as it actually happened. I want to make you aware of the options that are available, and hopefully keep you from repeating my errors. I also want to show you all the useful tips and tricks that I’ve learned and invented during my first year of flying that will make your flying experience much more comfortable, easy, and fun. Powered paragliding is a very new sport, and it’s still under development. There's lots of room for improvement.

Then you can decide if you want to follow in my footsteps. I hope that you do, because powered paragliding is the most fantastic flying there is.

So why should you buy this book? Because if you’ve never flown a PPG, I’ll show you what it’s like to fly one. And if you’re already flying a PPG, I can show you ways to make your flying easier and more fun. Even if you have no plans to fly a PPG, I think you’ll greatly enjoy reading about my experiences (like the ping-pong balls that I dropped at a company picnic, and how the ostrich ate ‘em).

But why should you buy a book written by a novice? After all, I’ve only been flying for about a year. I’m still pretty green myself.

In this case, that's a benefit. Unlike a more experienced pilot, I still remember what it’s like the first time you sling that heavy motor on your back, clip that wing to your harness, and try to fly. I still remember the fear and the anxieties. I know what’s going through your mind, because it’s still going through mine! Most important of all, I still remember all the little things that are so important to a beginning pilot, but that have long since been forgotten by an experienced pilot.

An experienced pilot tends to rewrite history to conform to the way he would LIKE the sport to be. I’m still new enough to the sport to tell you the way it really IS.

And that's why you should buy this book!

About the Author:

Chris Wolf is a 52 year old ultralight pilot. Born and raised on a farm in Indiana, he graduated from Purdue University in 1973. He then worked for the General Foods Corporation for a couple of years before deciding that he didn’t like the corporate world any better than the academic world. He has been self-employed ever since. At various times in his life, Chris has been a scuba diver, skydiver, and spelunker. He loves all sorts of adventures, but considers flying a powered paraglider to be the greatest adventure of all. He currently lives in Seattle, Washington, where he writes full time.

About this edition

• Publisher: Jefferson Technology Press
• Publication date: 2003
• ISBN 10: 0967891701
• ISBN 13: 9780967891705
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 322