P51 Mustang

[John Rayner]

If the motor stalls on one of those things do you fall or drift? Would the landing be gentle or rough?

[Zemo]

Hey John. Actually this isn't a parachute in a strict sense. Its a inflatable wing that provides lift, just like a regular airplane wing. The lift is just generated at much lower speeds.
So if the motor stops you just drift down. (But you still have forward speed.)
They have contests where they climb to 500' and turn the engine off and see who can come closest to a target, like a skydiver.
And like a skydiver you'll get a certain distace away from the ground and then "flare" the chute at the last moment to slow even further. I have seen Butch Mood do it with a passenger onboard and didn't even have a bounce!
Also the great thing about these is that even people who don't like heights can fly in them. (When you can start out flying them 5' off the ground, they can get used to it.) And my buddies wife is so terrified of heights I couldn't go over 2' with her, so we just flew to the end of the runway at the airport and landed!
Then turned the machine around and flew back. (She says she's ready to try going over the corn next time.) LoL

[John Rayner]

They play around with those in this neck of the woods all the time. Was thinking about getting one. My bride suffers from epilesy, and I would get scared of her falling from one, or causing a crash...

[Zemo]

Originally posted by John Rayner:
They play around with those in this neck of the woods all the time. Was thinking about getting one. My bride suffers from epilesy, and I would get scared of her falling from one, or causing a crash...

Well the reason I bought one was its the safest way to fly. My machine only has a lap belt, but some have a fourpoint harness.
But I'm not sure if she would unbuckle the belt in an episode or not. Or grab the steering lines. It takes some arm pressure to pull the steering lines. Most of the time steering is done with leg pressure.
If you like to fly, this is probably the best way (and cheapest) way to do it.

Ed

[John Rayner]

I might have to look into this. It would most likely be safer than having her on the back of a bike. She is too pretty for road rash...

[Zemo]

Yeah this is about as safe as you can get, but still need to use the old noggin once in a while.
Don't want to take the word of the weatherman that the fog is going to burn off in an hour.....you want to wait that hour and make sure....Humph.