a go-around is recognized, the safer the go-around/
rejected landing will be. The go-around maneuver is not
inherently dangerous in itself. It becomes dangerous
only when delayed unduly or executed improperly.
Delay in initiating the go-around normally stems from
two sources: (1) landing expectancy, or set—the an -
ticipatory belief that conditions are not as threatening
as they are and that the approach will surely be termi-
nated with a safe landing, and (2) pride—the mistaken
belief that the act of going around is an admission of
failure—failure to execute the approach properly. The
improper execution of the go-around maneuver stems
from a lack of familiarity with the three cardinal prin-
ciples of the procedure: power, power, and power.
Power is your first concern. The instant you decide to
go around, full power must be applied smoothly and
without hesitation, and held until the powered para -
chute climbs back to pattern altitude. Applying only
partial power in a go-around is never appropriate. You
must be aware of the degree of inertia that must be
overcome, before a powered parachute that is settling
towards the ground can become capable of turning
safely or climbing. The application of power should
be smooth as well as positive. Abrupt movements of
the throttle in some powered parachutes will cause the
engine to falter.
Common errors in the performance of go-arounds (re-
jected landings) are:
• Failure to recognize a condition that warrants a
rejected landing.
• Indecision.
• Delay in initiating a go-around.
• Failure to apply maximum allowable power in a
timely manner.
• Abrupt power application.
• Failure to adequately compensate for torque/
P-factor.
Turbulent Air Approach and Landing
Powered parachute flying is a low-wind sport. It is im-
portant PPC pilots evaluate the upper-air winds to en-
sure the wind is within the limitations for that aircraft,
accounting for wind shear and wind gust possibilities
at pattern altitude.
For flying in more turbulent air on final approach,
maintain power throughout the approach to reduce
your descent rate in case you do experience a down
gust. This will alleviate the possibility of an excessive
descent rate.
Emergency Approaches and
Landings (Simulated)
From time to time on dual flights, the instructor should
give simulated emergency landings by retarding the
throttle and calling “simulated emergency landing.”
The objective of these simulated emergency landings
is to develop the pilot’s accuracy, judgment, planning,
procedures, and confidence when little or no power is
available.
A simulated emergency landing may be given at any
time. When the instructor calls “simulated emergency
landing,” the pilot should consider the many variables,
such as altitude, obstruction, wind direction, landing
direction, landing surface and gradient, and landing
distance requirements. Risk management must be ex-
ercised to determine the best outcome for the given
set of circumstances. The higher the altitude, the more
time the pilot has to make the decision of where to
land.
Using any combination of normal gliding maneuvers,
from wing level to turns, the pilot should eventually
arrive at the normal key position at a normal traffic
pattern altitude for the selected landing area. From
this point on, the approach will be as nearly as pos -
sible a normal power-off approach. [Figure 11-9]
All pilots should learn to determine the wind direction
and estimate its speed. This can be done by observing
the windsock at the airport, smoke from factories or
houses, dust, brush fires, and windmills.
Once a field has been selected, the student pilot should
always be required to indicate it to the instructor. Nor-
mally, the student should be required to plan and fly
a pattern for landing on the field elected until the in -
structor terminates the simulated emergency landing.
This will give the instructor an opportunity to explain
and correct any errors; it will also give the student an
opportunity to see the results of the errors.
However, if the student realizes during the approach
that a poor field has been selected—one that would
obviously result in disaster if a landing were to be
made—and there is a more advantageous field within
gliding distance, a change to the better field should
be permitted. The hazards involved in these last-min-
ute decisions, such as excessive maneuvering at very
low altitudes, should be thoroughly explained by the
instructor.
During all simulated emergency landings, the engine
should be kept warm and cleared. During a simulated
emergency landing, either the instructor or the student
should have complete control of the throttle. There
should be no doubt as to who has control since many
near accidents have occurred from such misunder -
standings.
Every simulated emergency landing approach should
be terminated as soon as it can be determined whether
a safe landing could have been made. In no circum -
stances should you violate the altitude restrictions
detailed in 14 CFR part 91 or any local nonaviation
regulations in force. It is also important to be courte -
ous to anyone on the ground. In no case should it be
continued to a point where it creates a hazard or an
annoyance to persons or property on the ground.
In addition to flying the powered parachute from the
point of simulated engine failure to where a reason -
able safe landing could be made, the pilot should also
learn certain emergency cockpit procedures. The habit
of performing these cockpit procedures should be de-
veloped to such an extent that, when an engine failure
actually occurs, the pilot will check the critical items
that would be necessary to get the engine operating
again after selecting a field and planning an approach.
Accomplishing emergency procedures and executing
the approach may be difficult for the pilot during the
early training in emergency landings.
There are definite steps and procedures to follow in a
simulated emergency landing. They should be learned
thoroughly by the student, and each step called out
to the instructor. The use of a checklist is strongly
recommended. Most powered parachute manufac -
turers provide a checklist of the appropriate items.
[Figure 11-10]
Critical items to be checked should include the quan-
tity of fuel in the tank and the position of the ignition
switches. Many actual emergency landings could have
been prevented if the pilots had developed the habit of
checking these critical items during flight training to
the extent that it carried over into later flying.
Instruction in emergency procedures should not be
limited to simulated emergency landings caused by
power failures. Other emergencies associated with
the operation of the powered parachute should be ex-
Figure 11-9. Remain over intended landing area; once selected, never have the landing zone behind the pilot/aircraft.
that the descent does not result in an excessively high
sink rate. If a high sink rate is continued close to the
surface, it may be difficult to slow to a proper rate
prior to ground contact. Any sink rate in excess of
800 –1,000 feet per minute is considered excessive. A
go-around should be initiated if the sink rate becomes
excessive.
Use of Power
Power can be used effectively during the approach
and roundout to compensate for errors in judgment.
Power can be added to slow the descent rate to an ac-
ceptable rate. Some pilots use power rather than wing
flare to land smoothly. After the powered parachute
has touched down, it will be necessary to close the
throttle so the additional thrust and lift will be re -
moved and the powered parachute will stay on the
ground.
High Roundout
It is possible to flare for landing too high above the
ground. [Figure 11-13] If this happens, efforts need to
be made to prevent the wing from surging forward. The
power should not be reduced and the flare should only
be reduced slightly or the wing could surge forward
as the pendulum starts swinging back. Some pilots try
to correct this situation by reducing the throttle too
much and letting off the flare completely in order to
land closer to their chosen landing point. This invari-
ably results in the cart rotating back under the forward
surging wing and diving towards the ground because
lift has been dramatically reduced. Any surging for -
ward of the wing above the cart should be slowed by
increased flare. If the flare is performed too high off
the ground, a go-around can be accomplished.
It is recommended that a go-around be executed any
time it appears that there may not be enough runway
to safely land the powered parachute or if the landing
is in any other way uncertain.
Bouncing During Touchdown
When the powered parachute contacts the ground
with a sharp impact as the result of an excessive sink
rate, the cart tends to bounce back into the air.
The corrective action for a bounce when it is very
slight is to make a follow-up landing by applying suf-
ficient power to cushion the subsequent touchdown
and by adding flare as needed.
When a bounce is severe, the safest procedure is to
EXECUTE A GO-AROUND IMMEDIATELY . No
attempt to salvage the landing should be made. Ap -
Figure 11-10. Sample emergency checklist.
Partial or complete power loss during flight
enroute—determination of best suitable landing
area:
o Look for a suitable landing area
considering terrain/obstacles/wind.
o Maintain control of the aircraft.
o Only after the aircraft is under control
and a suitable landing area is established
should you try to restart the engine if you
have enough altitude and time. Again,
always maintain control of the aircraft.
o Check fuel and position of ignition
switches.
o Determine best approach considering
wind/obstacles/terrain.
plained, demonstrated, and practiced if practicable.
Among these emergencies are such occurrences as fire
in flight, electrical system malfunctions, unexpected
severe weather conditions, engine overheating, immi-
nent fuel exhaustion, and the emergency operation of
powered parachute systems and equipment.
Faulty Approaches and Landings
Low Final Approach
When the base leg is too low, insufficient power is
used or the velocity of the wind is misjudged, suf -
ficient altitude may be lost, which will cause the
powered parachute to be well below the proper final
approach path. In such a situation, you would have
to apply considerable power to fly the powered para -
chute (at an excessively low altitude) up to the run -
way threshold.
When it is realized the runway will not be reached
unless appropriate action is taken, power must be
applied immediately to stop the descent. When the
proper approach path has been intercepted, the cor -
rect approach attitude should be re-established and
the power reduced and a stabilized approach main -
tained. [Figure 11-11] If there is any doubt about the
approach being safely completed, it is advisable to
EXECUTE AN IMMEDIATE GO-AROUND.
High Final Approach
When the final approach is too high, reduce power as
required. [Figure 11-12] When the proper approach
path has been intercepted, adjust the power as re -
quired to maintain a stabilized approach. When steep-
ening the approach path, however, care must be taken
Figure 11-11. Right and wrong methods to correct a low final approach.
Figure 11-12. Change in glidepath and increase in descent for high final approach.
Figure 11-13. Rounding out too high.
ply full power and check the wing is LOC (lines free,
cells open, wing centered) since a hard landing can
collapse a ram-air wing. It would be extremely fool -
ish to attempt a landing from a bad bounce since the
skill set that would allow a student to make a severe
bounce would not be up to the task of salvaging a bad
landing.
Hard Landing
When the powered parachute contacts the ground dur-
ing landings, its vertical speed is instantly reduced to
zero. Unless provisions are made to slow this vertical
speed and cushion the impact of touchdown, the force
of contact with the ground may be so great it could
cause structural damage to the powered parachute.
Reductions in rapid descent rates are made through
throttle increases. Closer to the ground, additional
flare is applied before touchdown.
The purpose of pneumatic tires, shock absorbing land-
ing gears, and other devices is to cushion the impact
and to increase the time in which the powered para -
chute’s vertical descent is stopped. Within a fraction
of a second, the powered parachute must be slowed
from a high rate of vertical descent to zero, without
damage.
During this time, the landing gear together with
some aid from the lift of the ram-air wing must sup -
ply whatever force is needed to counteract the force
of the powered parachute’s inertia and weight. The
lift decreases rapidly as the powered parachute’s for-
ward speed is decreased, and the force on the landing
gear increases by the impact of touchdown. When the
descent stops, the lift will be zero, leaving the land -
ing gear alone to carry both the powered parachute’s
weight and inertia force. Any time you have a hard
landing, inspect your landing gear, tires, and structure
to make sure there is no structural damage.
Wing Blowing Over After Touchdown
When landing in a crosswind, there is a concern that
the wing will blow downwind during the after-land -
ing roll. This is due to the fact that the wing is flexibly
attached to the cart.
Anytime a powered parachute is rolling on the ground
in a crosswind condition, the upwind side of the para-
chute is receiving a force that wants to push it down-
wind.
If no correction is applied, it is possible that the upwind
side of the parachute will rise sufficiently to cause the
downwind side of the parachute to strike the ground.
If the wind and/or the forward motion of the powered
parachute is great enough, a rollover may result. It is
important for a pilot to remember that the parachute
should be flown or pulled to the ground right after
landing the cart. The cart and the parachute’s move -
ments should be controlled together on the ground.
Night Operations and the
Powered Parachute
Flying a powered parachute after sunset requires a
private pilot powered parachute certificate. In addi -
tion, the powered parachute needs to be equipped for
night operations by adding position lights for taxi and
flight. Position lights are green on the right, red on
the left, and white in the back. Anti-collision strobe
lights can also be used in addition to position lights.
[Figure 12-1]
the lines are not tangled (LOC). The takeoff area needs
adequate illumination to ensure hazards are avoided.
Typically, lights on poles can present a hazard at an
airfield.
A powered parachute flight where the preflight in -
spection was completed during daylight, just prior to
sunset, and then the final landing made after sunset
may be a more feasible endeavor. If a powered para -
chute pilot holding a private pilot certificate or higher
were to venture into night flight, Chapter 15 of the
Pilot’s Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge should
be carefully reviewed to understand the parameters
that need to be considered prior to conducting a flight
in the dark.
Emergency Situations
This section contains information on dealing with un-
expected situations that may occur in flight. The key
to successful management of an emergency situation,
and/or preventing a problem from progressing into a
true emergency, is a thorough familiarity with, and ad-
herence to, the procedures developed by the powered
parachute (PPC) manufacturer. Hence, the following
guidelines are generic and are not meant to replace
the manufacturer’s recommended procedures. Rather,
they are meant to enhance your general knowledge
in the area of emergency operations. If any of the
guidance in this chapter conflicts in any way with the
manufacturer’s recommended procedures, the manu -
facturer’s recommended procedures take precedence.
Review the lost procedures and flight diversion tech-
niques in Chapter 14 of the Pilot’ s Handbook of Aero-
nautical Knowledge. You must be able to select an
appropriate alternate airport or landing area and route,
determine there is sufficient fuel to fly to the alternate
airport or landing area, turn to and establish a course
to the select alternate destination, and maintain the
appropriate altitude and heading while doing so. As
a PPC pilot you must be able to select an appropriate
course of action if you become lost, including main -
taining an appropriate heading and climb if necessary,
Figure 12-1. Powered parachutes must be specifically
equipped for night flight.
The use of lighted runways for night flight imposes
several problems for the powered parachute pilot.
Setting up on a runway and conducting a preflight on
a powered parachute cart and wing in the dark could
tie up a designated runway area for a considerable
amount of time, not to mention raise issues about be-
ing able to see the aircraft and wing components for
proper preflight inspection.
A pilot planning to fly a powered parachute at night
should ensure adequate illumination is provided for
takeoff. The wing needs to be illuminated to ensure
the wing cells are all open, the wing is centered, and
identify prominent landmarks, and use your naviga -
tion system (GPS) or contact an ATC facility for as -
sistance, as appropriate.
Review the POH for the aircraft you fly to be familiar
with the necessary pilot actions required for system
and equipment malfunctions. You must be prepared
to analyze the situation and take action if you experi-
ence any of the following system and equipment mal-
functions: engine/oil and fuel, electrical, carburetor or
induction icing, smoke and/or fire, flight control/trim,
pitot static/vacuum and associated flight instruments,
propeller, ballistic recovery system malfunction (if
applicable), or any other emergency unique to the
powered parachute you are flying.
Accidents
It is estimated that 85 percent of accidents occur dur-
ing the takeoff process, 10 percent transpire during
landings, and 5 percent happen in flight. The vast
majority of these accidents are the direct result of
complacency. The cause of this complacency is that
the PPC is relatively easy to fly. Hence, if you find
complacency setting in, you need to turn from outside
distractions, and direct your attention to the immedi -
ate situational awareness of the aircraft.
The following are some reasons for PPC complacency
during flight:
• The PPC does not require quick reactions.
• When compared to other light-sport aircraft
(LSA), the PPC flies very slowly.
• The PPC has only two axes around which you
can directly control (lateral-pitch and vertical-
yaw). Note: As there are no ailerons on a PPC,
roll or movement around the longitudinal axis
cannot be directly controlled. However, there
is longitudinal roll invoked during a steep turn
as the centrifugal force of the cart directs the
cart to the outside of the suspension point of the
wing.
• The controls are very intuitive (push right to go
right, left to go left, more throttle to go up, and
less to go down).
It is possible the outside environment can become a
distraction to the necessary situational awareness of
flying (i.e., situational complacency). Hence, in-flight
accidents can be due to the pilot’s failure to see ob -
structions (power lines and tower cables) and to an -
ticipate weather-related turbulence and its resultant
negative effects on a PPC’s light wing (i.e., wind
rotors or mechanical turbulence). Landing accidents
are usually the result of porpoising (too rapid throttle
movements), thermals, or unsafe field terrain. Takeoff
problems can be caused by: (1) failure to get a wing
LOC before adding airborne power; and (2) failure to
take off into the wind.
Potential Hazards of the
Standing PPC
Even while parked on the ground, high winds can pick
up the wing of an unsecured powered parachute and
begin carrying it away. To regain control of a free-
standing PPC with a semi-inflated, dragging wing,
rescuers need to grasp the steering lines —not the
cart! Then with a steering line in hand, pull the line
back toward the front of the cart (into the wind) and
tie it off to any structured part of the PPC. This will
keep the wing from gathering air and re-inflating. If
you are by yourself, you do not have to do both lines
simultaneously. It would be best to get both lines, but
with a PPC that is dragging down the field, grab any
steering line and get at least one line secured; then
secure the second line. When you pull a steering line,
the canopy will be pulled down on that side and the
air in the wing will literally be pulled out, as the wing
is hauled back and down.
The best safety procedure is prevention. To safeguard
a PPC from high winds, immediately after landing,
secure the wing. Even if you only intend to refuel, it is
highly recommended to condense the exposure of the
wing to the elements: the harmful ultraviolet rays of
the sun and those unexpected wind gusts. As soon as
possible after landing, condense the wing by folding it
on top of itself and put something on top of it to secure
it. It is best to pack the canopy to keep it out of the sun
and make sure the wind cannot inflate the wing and
if possible, lean the nose wheel up, then place the fan
guard of the cart back and down on the folded wing.
Securing it this way will usually be adequate for short
breaks when the make and model allows for this static
positioning. [Figure 12-2]
Figure 12-2. Secure the PPC wing when on the ground.