page_title: Powered parachute
section_title: Safety
hierarchical_section_title: Powered parachute / Safety
caption_attribution_description: English: Eagle-PoweredPC
context_page_description: A powered parachute, often abbreviated PPC, and also called a motorized parachute or paraplane, is a type of aircraft that consists of a parafoil with a motor and wheels. The aircraft's airspeed is typically about 25–35 mph. PPCs operate safely at heights ranging from a few feet off the ground to altitudes as high as 10,000+ ft, but typical operating heights are between 500 and 1500 feet above ground level. Equipped with a 5-15 gallon fuel tank, PPCs can typically be flown for about three hours before requiring refueling. They have very short take-off and landing rolls, sometimes less than 100 ft.
  PPCs are among the least expensive aerial vehicles, and are considered a cost-effective way to become an aviator. A new single-seat PPC may cost as little as $10,000, while a two-seat PPC starts around $20,000. Top end two-seat PPCs usually cost $35,000, depending on options. The empty weight of a PPC can range from 200–500 lb and payload can be upwards of 500 lb.
context_section_description: PPCs are often considered to be safer than normal fixed-wing aircraft because of their inherent stability, limited response to control inputs, and stall resistance.  There are two primary means to control a PPC: increasing or decreasing engine power (which controls vertical rate of climb) and deflecting the right or left trailing edge of the parafoil—typically by moving the steering bars with the feet—which turns the aircraft right or left.  If the trailing edge of the wing is pulled in on both sides at the same time, the aircraft "flares", i.e., slows and temporarily gains additional lift. The flare is generally used to make fine adjustments in altitude when flying close to the ground and, in particular, when landing.
  The power-off glide ratio of a PPC ranges from 3:1 to 6:1. Glide ratio varies depending on the chute size and shape. Engine-off landings are generally safe, provided that the aircraft is within glide range of a suitable landing zone and the pilot is properly trained in the use of proper "flaring" technique. "Flaring", in terms of powered parachuting, refers to the usage of the steering bars pushed out simultaneously, causing the aircraft to rock forward. This is caused by the reshaping of the rear of the parafoil, which is pulled downwards. This results in the entire aircraft rocking on the transverse axis, thus slowing the aircraft momentarily, allowing an engine-out landing to become less brutal within the last few feet off the ground. Done properly, flaring will allow an engine-out landing to be much smoother than simply relying on the lift of the ram-air canopy to cushion the landing.
  Although possible, it is difficult to cause the aircraft to get into a dangerous attitude, stall, or chute collapse by means of pilot control inputs. Chute collapse is considered by many pilots to be virtually impossible with square wings. The wing is more likely to collapse with the more maneuverable, but inherently less stable, elliptical wing, but such collapses are normally followed by an immediate reflation and often go unnoticed by the pilot. In the rare circumstances where an elliptical wing collapses, the collapse is caused either by some extreme adverse meteorological condition or by pilot error. The Federal Aviation Administration reports that over 80 percent of all aviation accidents are due to pilot error. Inflatable ram-air elliptical wings can have upward of 30 individual cells whereas square wings typically have fewer than 13 cells.
  The main hazards one faces while flying a PPC are associated with wind and obstacles. Flight should not be attempted in winds exceeding 10–15 mph or in gusty conditions. Wind hazards include terrain-induced air disturbances called rotors (it is advisable to stay upwind of trees, mountains, and other obstacles that disturb the flow of the wind). Wake turbulence created by the passage of other aircraft (referred to as "wingtip vortices"), especially aircraft that are heavy, aerodynamically "dirty", and slow, pose another significant hazard. Also, since the slow-moving PPC, like a helicopter, is particularly well equipped to fly safely near the ground, special care must be taken to avoid power lines, trees, and other low-level terrain obstacles.
caption: Two-person powered parachute trike
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