Ultralight Flying In USA

The sport ultralight flying in USA is probably as popular as sports like paragliding and sky diving. The low costs, the large choice of aircrafts and the great infrastructure have helped the ultralight aviation in USA to grow a lot in the last years.

Additionally it is just very easy to buy and fly an ultralight aircraft or helicopter in America. There are so many USA based manufacturers of ready ultralight airplanes, kits and plans so you can find good choice in any US state.

The Specifics Of Ultralight Aviation in USA

The definition of an ultralight is different in USA than it is in the other countries. But the newly introduced "Light Sport Aircraft" category is very close to the ultralight categories in the rest of the world. This article - and the entire site - is about both Ultralight Airplane and Light Sport Aircraft categories.

The Light Sport Aircraft is similar to the New Zealand and UK "Microlight" category in terms of licensing and definition. Its maximum gross takeoff weight should be less than 600 kg or 1320 pounds and the maximum airspeed is 120 knots (222 km/h).

In USA the Ultralight airplanes can be operated only in the daylight hours.

Ultralight Aircrafts And Helicopters In USA

Some of the most popular ultralight aircraft manufacturers are located in USA:

Quicksilver Ultralight is located in Iowa.

Quad City Ultralight - the producer of the famous Challenger Aircraft is located in Illinois.

The exciting Toucan ultralight trainer can be found in Florida.

Fantasy Air USA from North Carolina produces the beautiful Allegro Light Sport Aircraft.

Just Aircraft is produced in South Carolina.

The producer of my favorite RANS S6 Coyote light sport aircraft is located in Kansas, USA.

And so on... You see some of the greatest ultralight airplanes and helicopters are produced in USA or delivered by dealers there. There is huge list of offers and the prices are as good as you can imagine. This gives the USA pilots and enthusiasts the ability to fly easier and to buy the airplane they like most without paying overseas delivery.

USA Ultralight Fly Training & Schools

USA is the place where you can get all kind of flight training and education at reasonable prices. Whether you are a beginner pilot working on your Private education or experienced pilot looking for a professional career, you'll find tons of instructors offering teaching at reasonable prices.

Sites like AviationSchoolsOnline will help you locate the the most appropriate fly training school near you. There are helicopter training schools, mechanics schools, dispatcher schools, air traffic controller schools and more.

If you wish to learn flying ultralights under Part 103 you can receive Ultralight Instruction for about $1,800 - $2,500.

If you are more interested to fly an Light Sport Aircraft, you can apply Sport Pilot Training course for slightly more than that.

There are a lot of Sport Pilot Test Courses sold online for about $300. They are good, but they are only for test preparation. Only practice can teach you to fly.

The pilots of ultralight aircrafts and helicopters in USA are favored with a lot of affordable options to learn and fly. If you ar an US citizen, you won't need to search too much. You can check our airplane resource center for links to classified sites, magazines, books, stores and forums where to find more information.

It's also a good idea to check for used ultralight aircrafts or used ultralight trikes, because there are many US based sellers in this business too.

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Post Your Comment

User comments:

Mark at Oct, 20 '08 19:12
I'm very interested in finding out which type of ultralight would be best for me. I've looked into trikes, powered parachutes, gyrocopters, etc. They all have appeal. I would like to stay within Part 103. I don't have a field at my home, so trailering is a must. Minimal time preparing for transport (removing wings, gathering chute, etc.) and a minimum of moving parts (avoiding 3 axis controls, etc.) is of concern. Low and slow is my goal for fun flying, and of course, a low budget. It's a relatively broad range of aircraft, but at least you know that I'm not looking at a Lear.. Thanks for your help. Mark
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James Stancliffe at Dec, 07 '08 09:11
I have surfed this out extensively, and I will be going with either a CGS Hawk Ultra, a Challenger ultralight or a Challenger II special clipped wing with a speed regulator.

The engine will not be a rotax, I have decided on a simonini.

Both the Challenger II and the CGS Hawk will have weight to spare (come in at under 254 pounds) with a simonini victor 1 plus engine which, with some effort will allow for the additional weight of an in-flight adjustable prop, which should allow you to cruise at 60 while burning less than a gallon an hour with that engine. Simonini makes some even lighter decent engines that would push fuel economy even higher and allow you to add more extras - at an expense of horsepower. They have a 20 KG engine that prouduces 33 HP and sips gas; the Victor 1 plus weighs only 32 KG and has 48 HP and a very good torque curve.

They are made in Italy and cost twice what an equal rotax does, but they have a longer rebuild interval and vastly superior performance.
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Francesco at Mar, 28 '09 19:24
Thank you for your comments.
For further information about Simonini engines please visit our www.simoniniusa.com
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