the wing bag, and one line sleeve up and around the
cart to follow the bag; those lines should run straight
from the attach points on the cart to the wing bag after
the bag is in position behind the cart. Tilt the wing bag
toward the cart to spill the folded wing out of the bag
and onto the ground. [Figure 5-13]
With the wing folded behind the cart, you are ready
to spread it out and in doing so begin to visually in -
spect the uninflated wing. Unfold the right side of the
wing toward the right and repeat on the left side. As
you unfold the wing, it should remain centered di -
rectly behind the cart. After the wing is completely
unfolded, stand directly behind the cart and hold the
leading edge of the wing up in front of you as you
face the backside of the cart. You will see an “x” in the
lines; this “x” should be positioned directly behind
the centerline of the prop on the cart. [Figure 5-14] If
it is not, physically pick up the center and drag it into
the center position. Then go to the end of the side that
will be bunched up and pull out the slack.
Remove the protective sleeves that cover the sus -
pension lines and their components. The protective
sleeves are referred to as line sleeves and there is a
line sleeve on each set of lines (or two— the right and
the left). [Figure 5-15]
While laying out the wing, check for tears in the fab-
ric, torn or loose stitching, abrasions, and deteriora -
tion of the fabric from ultraviolet rays. The sun is one
of the powered parachute wing’s worst enemies, next
to the prop! Certain colors deteriorate faster than oth-
ers, like red and orange, when exposed to ultraviolet
rays from the sun. When the wing is not being used,
you should always return it to its wing bag. Take this
opportunity to check the wing cells for debris, such as
stones, sticks, and bugs; lifting the wing by the trail -
ing edge and gently shaking it will allow most cap -
tured debris to fall out of the ram-air openings on the
leading edge of the wing.
With the wing centered behind the cart, it is time to
start checking the suspension lines. At first glance
it may look difficult to sort out all of the lines from
the cart to the wing. Most of the time, the lines will
straighten out with just a light flick of the wrist. Make
sure you have no twists or line-overs and your lines
are straight. As long as the wing has not been physi -
cally removed, or disconnected from the cart, there
should not be any permanent knots in the lines. In
the event that you detect pressure knots during the
line inspection they are easily removed with minimal
manipulation.
Small twigs, stems from weeds, and other debris can
get caught in the lines to form pressure knots. Pres -
sure knots are a concern because they are only “knots”
when there is tension on the lines. That means they are
only a problem when your wing is inflated. As soon
as you land, the foreign object often shakes free and
there is no knot. However, while you are flying, that
Figure 5-13. Wing removed from wing bag and folded
behind the cart.
Figure 5-15. Removal of the line sleeve is an important
step in the wing layout and inspection.
Figure 5-14. “X” in the suspension lines marks the exact
center of the uninflated wing.
pressure knot can cause the powered parachute to go
into a steep turn. Make sure there is nothing around to
catch into your line sets. The more organized the sus-
pension lines are laid out during this preflight check,
the more likely that the wing will kite evenly and
without mishap. It may take a great deal of space to
get all the cells open during the inflation of the wing.
Aborting the takeoff to re-kite the wing is always an
option, but it is not desirable. Preflight the wing cor -
rectly the first time.
If you put your wing away correctly and took it out
as described, it should not have any twists in it. How-
ever, you still need to check. Start where the risers at-
tach to the cart. Make sure they are not twisted around
anything and trace each one back to the point where
the wing risers are attached to the cart.
Check the steering lines on both sides of the cart;
make sure the anchor point knots are secure and the
lines flow freely through all guides and pulleys. Make
sure the links on both sides of the aircraft are secure;
it is recommended that the links are finger tight plus
one-quarter turn. Continue by checking that the riser
cables are not twisted or damaged and they are free
from tangles. At this time pull slack from the steering
lines so the steering bars are fully retracted. Physi -
cally separating the steering lines from the suspension
lines, pulling them out and away to the outer edge of
the wingtips, enables you to visually see the steering
lines are free from being tangled with the rest of the
lines. [Figure 5-16]
Continue to check the suspension lines for tangles,
knots and wear and the attachment points for security
and lack of fraying. [Figure 5-17] The A lines should
be visually and physically separated from the B lines
at the point where the lines are connected to the ris -
ers. Most newer wing lines are color-coded to make
this process visually easier; the older wing styles will
still be separated and configured the same way as the
newer wings, however all the lines will be the same
color. The A lines will travel toward the leading edge
of the wing and subdivide into the C lines. The B lines
will travel toward the trailing edge of the wing and
subdivide into the D lines. Make sure that the lines
are all separated and not tangled. The A/C lines will
be on top of the B/D lines when the lines are returned
to the ground after the preflight of each section. Make
sure there is no debris around to catch in the line sets
during wing inflation; when the length of the line is
altered it changes how the line holds the wing. The
length of the lines are clearly defined by the manufac-
turers and should not be changed. The more organized
Figure 5-16. The pilot will physically pull the steering
lines out and away from the bundle of suspension lines to
ensure they are tangle free.
Figure 5-17. Check the suspension lines for tangles, knots,
and wear.
the suspension lines are laid out during this preflight
check, the more likely that the wing will kite evenly
and without mishap; a lot of runway can be used up
trying to get all the cells open during inflation of the
wing. Aborting the takeoff to re-kite the wing is al -
ways an option, but it is not desirable. Preflight the
wing correctly the first time; taking your time will pay
off in the end.
Line Tangles, Twists, and Line-Overs
Line tangles and twists can be frustrating if you do
not understand how to solve them. The good news
is that wing line problems are simple to understand,
few in type, and easy to solve. They break down into
line twists and line-overs. A definite advantage for the
pilot is that both ends of the suspension lines are at -
tached to either the risers or the wing. That means
there are no loose ends to get twisted in and around
each other. Any loops in the lines readily pull out if
shaken a little; gently shaking all of the lines loose is
an important step to get the wing laid out properly in
preparation for flight.
Line Twists
A line twist is when all of the lines on both sides of
the wing are spiraled together. Sometimes it will seem
that all of the lines on one side are twisted around
the steering line. That is actually the case. [Figure
5-18] Trying to fly the powered parachute with the
suspension lines twisted is unsafe and the pilot should
consider the wing unairworthy until the line twist is
removed. Line twists most often occur because the
pilot inadvertently flips, or turns, the wing over while
moving it from the stowed position. This is why it is
so important to put your wing away and take it out the
same way each time. The suspension lines can also
get twisted if the wing flies over the cart accidentally,
or if the wing is incorrectly repositioned behind the
cart when the wing settles to one side of the cart dur-
ing an aborted takeoff or during landing.
Figure 5-19. Undoing a line twist—beginning of the
process.
center of the two sets of lines (or through the center of
the circle created by the cart/wing configuration) and
under the twisted group of lines you are holding. A
counterclockwise twist will require just the opposite
movement. The wing edge will need to travel clock -
wise under the line set and then up and over the twist
via the center of the circle. Remember to maintain the
clockwise motion for the counterclockwise twist, and
the counterclockwise motion for the clockwise twist.
Disconnecting the wing from the risers or the wing
from the cart is not a safe practice; the flight instructor
needs to explain this to the PPC student in detail. The
risers are specific to each cart. Refer to the PPC manu-
facturer and the operating manual for information.
Starting at the riser cables, gather all the lines in the
group and walk toward the wing keeping the lines
gathered as you go. Once close to the wing, you can
easily manipulate the edge of the wing and not tangle
the lines any further. The key is to remember that the
lines are twisted as a group—not tangled individu -
ally—therefore they must be untwisted as a group to
prevent them from becoming tangled. [Figures 5-19
and 5-20]
Figure 5-18. Line twist.
Unless someone has mistakenly twisted a single set
of suspension lines while rigging the PPC wing to the
cart at the attachment points, a line twist will happen
to both sets of lines on both sides of the powered para-
chute at the same time. This stands to reason if you
think of the entire configuration of cart and attached
wing as a continuous structure or a complete circle.
To get rid of a line twist, you do not have to pack the
wing back into the wing bag and flip the whole bag in
reverse, although this is an option. You can actually
flip the wing while it is out of the bag.
With the wing laid out behind the cart, determine if
the twist is clockwise or counterclockwise in configu-
ration. If the twist in the line is traveling clockwise as
you face the chute, the wing edge you are working with
will have to travel counterclockwise back through the
Figure 5-20. Pilot throwing the wing edge through to undo
a line twist.
Lay out the half of the wing you just worked on. If that
side looks good, it means you can do the same thing
to the other side of the chute. The same sequence of
checking for twist direction, gathering the lines and
then twisting the wing edge in the opposite direction
of the twisted lines is completed on the second set of
lines. It stands to reason that the twist will be in the
opposite direction than the twist on the other set of
lines you just cleared.
There is a possibility that the side you are working
on still doesn’t look right when you re-check it. If the
lines still look twisted, then you probably flipped the
wing the wrong way. The good news is that there are
only the two types of line twists, clockwise and coun-
terclockwise—with a little practice you will be able
to recognize the twist well before you start handling
the wing.
Line-Overs
The line-over is one of the most dangerous things that
can happen to the powered parachute wing. A line-
over is exactly what it sounds like. Instead of the wing
line going straight from the wing to the riser system, it
takes a trip over the top of the wing first. This means
that when the wing inflates, the suspension line that is
over the top of the wing will pinch the wing together
and prevent the proper inflation of the wing to pro -
duce the airfoil necessary to achieve flight. If a line is
over the top surface of the wing, the pilot risks serious
injury or death if takeoff is attempted. To recognize
a line-over before you take off, look for a line that is
twisted with other lines on one or both sides of the
wing. If you see that, your next step should be to in -
spect the leading edge and top of the wing closely. If
you see a line wrapped over the top, you have found
your problem.
Sometimes using the “stacked” method of laying out
the wing during the final wing staging before flight
versus the “inverted” method can inadvertently pro -
duce a line-over on the top side of the wing as it in -
flates. Also, “stuffing” the wing into the wing bag
versus methodically folding the wing for storage can
cause a line to become wrapped around the top of the
wing mistakenly. [Figure 5-21]
To correct a line-over, pull the fabric of the wing
through the loop made by the line-over. To know
which side to pull the noncompliant suspension line
to, trace the line to its home line group (left or right
riser) before you start pulling things around. Some -
times the side will be easy to determine because the
line-over is either close to the left or right edge of the
Figure 5-21. A simulated line-over.
wing. When it is not, tracing it is the best way to save
time and to determine the correct way to pull the wing
fabric.
Preparing for Takeoff
Wing inflation and kiting procedures are critical to a
successful takeoff. Refer to Chapter 7 for informa -
tion on how to lay out the wing, wing inflation, and
kiting.
After Landing
It is imperative to evaluate the field in which you in -
tend to land, particularly because of the unique nature
of the powered parachute wing, and what happens to
it prior to landing. If the field is being used by other
aircraft, taxi the powered parachute off the “active”
area or runway surface while the wing remains kited.
Ground taxiing with the wing kited takes a little prac-
tice, but the flight instructor will make sure the stu -
dent pilot has adequately mastered this skill prior to
takeoff instruction.
After the powered parachute has touched down, re-
lease the flare on the wing; this is done to prevent the
aircraft from becoming airborne again. Not releasing
the flare on landing is a critical and common mistake
made by both new and seasoned PPC pilots. With the
throttle at idle, the powered parachute begins to slow
down to the point where the stream of air is not suf -
ficient to maintain the wing’s pressurization. At this
time, the engine must be shut down immediately; the
consequences of not turning off the magnetos dur -
ing the after-landing roll are detrimental to the well-
being of the wing because the propeller will most
likely chop the PPC lines. A turning propeller and the
wing and its components do not mix. Once you turn
off the magnetos, you will physically grab the steering
lines from overhead and pull the wing to the ground
to finish the deflation process. If the wing is allowed
to “float” down on its own, a small gust of wind can
force the suspension lines onto hot exhaust surfaces
which can melt the lines, or even pick up the cart and
instigate a landing roll.
Clearing the Runway
If a powered parachute lands on the center of a run -
way, it is considered good practice to taxi to the edge
of or even off of the runway before collapsing the
wing and stowing equipment. When doing that, it is
important to keep the powered parachute moving af -
ter landing to keep the wing inflated. The safest and
easiest method is to keep taxiing straight into the wind
until you clear the runway or landing area and can
collapse the parachute out of the way of other aircraft.
If you determine that winds are too strong or gusty to
taxi off of an active runway, an alternate landing area
should be chosen.
Parking
Unless parking in a designated, supervised area, you
should select a location which will prevent the propel-
ler blast of other airplanes from striking the powered
parachute broadside. The powered parachute engine is
not enclosed in a cowling and engine surfaces will be
extremely hot. Never assume a bystander will know
this; even though the engine is not operating, it can
still be dangerous.
Once out of the powered parachute, you should im -
mediately pull the trailing edge of the wing forward
toward the cart and roll the leading edge and cell
openings under the wing surface; this will prevent
gusts of air from grabbing the wing and pulling the
cart backward. After the wing is totally disabled from
becoming airborne, you can assist your passenger in
disembarking from the cart.
Postflight
A flight is never complete until the engine is shut down
and the aircraft is secure. A pilot should consider this
an essential part of any flight.
After engine shutdown and the passenger exits the
cart, the pilot should accomplish a postflight inspec -
tion. This includes checking the general condition of
the aircraft. For additional departures, the oil should
be rechecked and fuel added if required. If the PPC is
going to be inactive for a period of time, put the wing
properly back in the bag to keep it out of the sun.
Packing the Wing
As discussed earlier in this chapter, packing the wing
back into the wing bag at the end of the flight is a nec-
essary task. The care and method the pilot employs
for this critical task directly affects whether or not the
wing is easy to unpack for the next flight. The process
of folding the wing and returning it safely to its wing
bag takes little time and the powered parachute pas -
senger can lend a hand to the pilot in the process. If
the pilot is flying solo the process will take a little
longer, but the overall results will be the same and
this gives the pilot an opportunity to do a thorough
postflight inspection of both the wing itself and the
suspension lines.
After disembarking from the cart, the wing should be
repositioned in the inverted layout with the exception
that the cart/prop hoop will be positioned very close
to the trailing edge of the wing. At that time the line
sleeves should both be replaced on each set of sus -
pension lines. When the line sleeves are in place, the
two bundles and any suspension lines left showing
are placed on the exposed lower surface of the wing
where they will be neatly packaged for storage during
the folding process of the wing.
Starting with one outer trailing edge of the wing, draw
the wing surface up and over the surface of the wing
fabric to the very center of the wing. The same action
will then be completed on the leading edge of the wing
on the same side. The process is then completed two
more times on the same side. Then the wing is folded
from the other side three times in the same manner,
resulting in a long rectangle of wing lying directly
behind the prop line of the cart. This is one example;
it is important for you to follow the manufacturer’s
recommendations for your PPC.
The pilot then starts at the edge closest to the cart and
folds the sides of the folded wing alternately in on
each other, depressing the trapped air out of the fabric,
all the way to the farthest area away from the cart.
[Figure 5-22] Once this is complete, the wing pack -
age size is established by taking the farthest edge and
folding it toward the cart over and over until a neat
square is obtained on the last fold.
After the wing is folded and lying on the ground be -
hind the cart, the wing bag is placed on the ground
next to the wing (on the side away from the cart).
[Figure 5-23] It is advised to have a “marked” side
of the bag and always keep the marked side facing up
or in the same direction every time you load the wing
into the bag and onto the cart. The wing is then neatly
pulled into the bag. The pilot then picks the bag up on
end and gathers the line sleeves on top of the wing.
[Figure 5-24] Refer to the manufacturer’s recommen-
dations for loading the wing in its bag on the cart for
taxi and storage.
Figure 5-23. With the wing folded, you pull it into the bag.
Figure 5-24. The line sleeve on the side of the cart where
the bag will be stored can be placed on top of the folded
wing, inside the bag; the other line sleeve will be used to
store the bag on the cart.
Figure 5-22. Squeeze out the air as you fold the wing for
packing.