Apple Valley, California (760) 242-3FLY (242-3359)

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Sport Pilot Training: Getting Started

Discovery Flights

First Flight Course

Sport Pilot Training

Private Pilot adding Sport Pilot

CFI Training

Flight Reviews

Practical Test

Part 103 Training

Powered parachute sport pilot and ultralight flight training

Flying, Pure & Simple

 

Would you like to fly? Check out our powered parachute Inflight Video.

We highly recommend that you go for a discovery flight prior to making any decision on powered parachute aircraft to purchase, and once you decide to purchase to start your training. This will make you a better informed buyer as to what you want in a Powered Parachute, whether it is a Light Sport powered parachute Aircraft or an Ultralight single seat powered parachute vehicle that meets the Part 103 rule requirements.

Discovery Flights top

There are many ways to get started on your adventure of flying Powered Parachutes. The easiest way to find out if you will like powered parachutes (most people are usually hooked on their first flight) is to sign up for a discovery flight. First you will receive the required FAA safety briefing, covering seat belt use, communications helmet, the positive exchange of the controls (so we both know who is flying the aircraft) and emergency procedures. (just in case.) You will then be taken aloft in our Powrachute Pegasus 2 place light sport powered parachute aircraft that is equipped with full dual controls with your CFI at the controls. Once we reach cruising altitude you will be able to take the controls if you desire and fly the Powrachute Pegasus powered parachute. You will see how it steers, learn how to climb, descend and make nice smooth turns as we fly off into the early morning sky of the high desert. When we return to the field, your CFI will demonstrate landing approaches by doing some touch and go landings, setting down and then powering up again and taking off. Finally all the fun comes to an end; (sadly) as we set up for a full stop landing that will have us back at our trailer.

The First Flight Course top

The First Flight Course is the start of your flight training. Whether you intend to fly single seat PPC's that qualify as an Ultralight or go on to an FAA Sport Pilot Certificate, you start out the same way.

Before the flight begins, you will observe the CFI performing the pre-flight inspection, required prior to each flight aided by the use of appropriate checklists. Next is engine starting and warm up, once again aided by the appropriate checklist.  Following that the aircraft is removed from the trailer, and then the required FAA safety briefing as stated above. Next we have you get in the front seat with your CFI in the back seat and we taxi the PPC aircraft around the field. This is to insure that you get a feel for how it steers on the ground and will know which way to turn the steering when you want to go left or right, and how much you need to turn it.

We then taxi to our planned takeoff position, based on any wind and the direction it is coming from. All take offs and landings are into the wind. We then start to set up the wing (or parachute, which is the wing) with the CFI explaining what each step is. After the wing is properly laid out your CFI has you get into the front seat, and covers engine start up and shut down procedures, then straps you in with the 4 point lap and shoulder harness, secures your helmet making sure the ear cups seat well and that the microphone is properly adjusted and plugs you into the intercom system. He then gets into the back seat and secures his helmet, straps in, does a comm. check and has you start the plane. After the engine is warmed up again your CFI does the 1^st take off and gets into the flight pattern we will be following over the field. The CFI explains what is happening during take off and gets up to our pattern altitude. At this time he will demonstrate and explain how to fly the pattern maintaining a straight track on each side (leg) of the pattern.

After several passes around the field, the CFI turns the controls over to you and you are now flying the pattern while maintaining a straight track over the ground and maintaining a consistent altitude and making smooth turns. (yes, we know it won't be perfect, but that's why we call it training, and practice makes perfect)

After you have done this & have the feel of the powered parachute aircraft, the CFI will then take the controls and demonstrate how to do touch & go's where you set up for a landing approach, and upon a smooth touch down, smoothly add power, taxi, making sure the wing is centered using the mirror & take off again, flying around the established pattern repeating this maneuver. This maneuver is the key to learning to fly a PPC, because take offs and landings are the most critical areas of operation to master. As you will see, flying around at altitude is very simple, because of the self stabilizing pendulum affect, which self corrects, so the pilot is not required to add in any control input. This will be explained in more detail while you are doing your 1^st flight course.

When scheduling the 1^st flight course, we now only schedule 1 student per day, and we fly from sunrise, all morning, as long as the weather permits. This allows us to give you the most time in the front seat, and is almost like a solo flight, except you have your CFI on board with you.

All of the flight training time we do is logged in the log book we supply, and is time that counts toward the minimum time required to attain your FAA Sport Pilot certificate, which is required to fly any 2 place light sport aircraft, (Powered Parachute). If you want to solo, more training time is required, as we would issue you an FAA student pilot certificate, and follow the FAA regulations for solo flight under that pilot certificate. We are one of the few dealer/training centers that will allow you to solo in our aircraft, because we are confident in the training we offer. (Many dealers & training facilities will take you up for an intro flight, and train you dual in their plane, but if you want to solo, you must buy your own plane). You will find this to be a fun experience.

Our goal is for you to have a great flight, while learning to master flight of the powered parachute in a safe & enjoyable manner.

We also offer a concentrated 14 day training package that allows you to learn all you need in order to earn your FAA sport pilot license. The 1^st flight course is the start of that program, and if you elect to go on to that within 30 days, the costs of the 1^st flight course will be applied to the total sport pilot package price.

Sport Pilot Powered Parachute Training in 14 days top

Sport Pilot training can be accomplished in several ways. The best way is to sign up for our 14 day concentrated Sport Pilot training program, or Powered Parachute Boot Camp. This course is designed to take you from having no flight experience to your earning your FAA Powered Parachute Sport Pilot license. This is scheduled so that in the event of less favorable weather we would still have the time to complete the training.

The course includes;

·        Training materials & books

·        Pilot log book

·        Plotter

·        Equipment

·        Aircraft

·        Fuel

·        Ground School Training, 15 to 20 hours using PowerPoint

·        Flight Training

·        Issuance of Student Pilot Certificate

·        All Required Tests and Their Costs

We also provide you an instructor on a one-to-one student/CFI ratio. Your instructor will be as dedicated to your success as you are.

The FAA is interested in making sure that anyone wanting to become any kind of pilot has three things. Those are:

• Flying knowledge.
• Flying experience.
• Proficiency in flying an aircraft.

We make sure that each of those critical areas are covered in the training process.

Aeronautical Flying Knowledge Ground School top

At Inland Paraflite we provide you with a complete ground school that covers all the requirements you'll need to know to pass the written knowledge test with a through understanding of the material, and we focus on areas that the FAA wants you to know from the Federal Aviation Regulations part 61.311.

• Weather
• Radio protocol
• Airworthiness & LSA maintenance
• Basic aerodynamics
• Airport operations
• National Airspace System
• Preflight procedures
• Cross country navigation & use of aeronautical sectional charts for VFR navigation using pilotage, dead reckoning, and navigation systems as appropriate
• FAA publications & applicable regulations
• Flight physiology 
• Aeronautical Decision Making & risk management
• Ground reference maneuvers (covering what you're expected to do when actually performing these during flight training)
• Minimum safe altitudes & VFR minimums
• Responsibility of the Pilot In Command
• Effects of density altitude on takeoff and climb performance
• NTSB accident reporting requirements
• SP certificates, privileges & limitations

These are areas that many instructors have you read up on yourself, doing self study that may leave you not as confident in your knowledge of the material as you will be after completing our comprehensive ground school.

Aeronautical Flying Experience

Federal Aviation Regulations for the minimum requirements for Sport Pilot for Powered Parachutes:

• You must log at least 12 hours of flight time in a powered parachute, including 10 hours flight training (dual) and at least two hours solo flight training in the areas of operation listed in FAA Regulations, Part 61.313(g).

• Including:

1. One hour cross country dual flight training with a flight that is more than 15 nautical miles straight line from takeoff to landing locations..
2. 20 takeoffs and landings to a full stop in a PPC
3. 10 of those 20 take offs and landings must be solo to a full stop in a PPC
4. One solo flight with a landing at a different airport and one segment of the flight consisting of a straight-line distance of at least 10 nautical miles between takeoff and landing locations, and
5. One hour of flight training on those areas of operation specified in part 61.311 preparing for the practical test within two calendar months before the date of the test.

While doing this flying we aren't just flying the same time over & over again, we are preparing you and covering the critical information that you will need to know and be able to demonstrate during your practical test, more commonly referred to as the 'check ride'. All of this comes straight from the Federal Aviation regulations part 61.311, and from the PTS. (Practical test Standards) They are;

• Preflight preparation.
• Preflight procedures.
• Airport operations.
• Takeoffs, landings, and go-arounds.
• Performance maneuvers.
• Ground reference maneuvers.
• Navigation.
• Emergency operations.
• Post-flight procedures.

Testing and License Issue

We all love taking tests, don't we? Well, the FAA provides the information you will be tested on, they publish most of the questions used on the written knowledge test along with the answers, and they provide a standardized structure for the Practical Test/ Check Ride with the PTS. (Practical Test Standards)  With the tpowered parachute flight raining provided at Inland Paraflite you will be prepared for the testing and you find that you will be confident with the knowledge you have attained during your flight training with us, and you will reach your goal of earning your Sport Pilot Certificate for Powered Parachute Land.

Please feel free to Contact Us or call us directly at 760-242-3359 for current training rates, packages, scheduling or questions.

What if I am unable to devote 14 days straight to getting my sport pilot license?

We offer the same powered parachute instruction as the concentrated course spread out to your scheduling needs. The training materials and ground school are not included in the pricing as it is in the concentrated course, but are available to you. You are able to select what you want to get and pay for what you select. In our experience with training this way we have found that because of the lag time between lessons that the student will take more time to complete their training than by doing the concentrated program. As you self study on your own you may find areas that you feel weak in and we are able to do ground school to cover those areas so that you will have the confidence of knowing the material and being able to pass the required FAA tests.

Inland Paraflite, Inc. can tailor a powered parachute flight training program to suit your needs as well as your budget.

Private Pilot adding Sport Pilot privileges for a PPC top

Adding the PPCL category/class endorsement is simple. All you need to do is to train with a PPCL rated CFI to proficiency. Once you are trained, your training CFI endorses or recommends you to take a proficiency check with another CFI, or a DPE who would act as a CFI. Since you already hold a higher certificate rating you do not need to take another written test, and you do not have to complete any minimum amount of powered parachute flight training. The proficiency check is the same as a practical test administered by a DPE for a new powered parachute sport pilot applicant, covering the same material that is in the PTS (practical Test Standards) for PPC.     

Once you have completed the powered parachute proficiency check, you will be able to take passengers along for the ride IF you are also current. If you haven't been flying for awhile, you will need to also have a flight review. The good news is that the flight review can be done in a powered parachute and you don't have to have a medical.

Powered Parachute CFI Training top

We offer Powered Parachute CFI training for Sport Pilots that want to add CFI privileges to their credentials. For requirements, click here FAA Requirements to see what you need to do and what aeronautical and flight experience you must have. You will need to take and pass 2 FAA written knowledge tests.

1.      FOI (Fundamentals of Instructing)

2.      Flight Instructor Sport Powered Parachute

If you're already a Sub Part H CFI and want to add Powered Parachute CFI privileges, you 1^st must get the endorsement for Sport Pilot Powered Parachute, which is done as a proficiency check that can be done by another CFI rated in PPCL. Then all you need to do is to have your training CFI recommend you for another proficiency check for powered parachute CFI privileges, which is the same material that would be covered in a practical test administered by a DPE, only this is once again able to be administered by a CFI.

Flight Reviews top 

We also offer flight reviews (BFR's) which are required every 2 years to keep your Sport Pilot Powered Parachute license current. This is covered in detail in the Federal Aviation Rules, (FAR's) Part 61.56. To sum it up, you need 1 hour of flight training and 1 hour of ground training, covering the general operating and flight rules of Part 91, and a review of those maneuvers and procedures that, at the discretion of the person giving the review (CFI) are necessary for the pilot to demonstrate the safe exercise of the privileges of the pilot certificate.

The Practical Test or Check Ride top

You have completed your powered parachute training, your training CFI has recommended you for your Practical Test or as it is commonly referred to, the Check Ride. By this time you have gone over the PTS (Practical Test Standards) and have reviewed all the areas of operations covered in it as well as practiced all of the flying tasks you will be asked to do by the DPE. (Designated Pilot Examiner)

The Practical Test is divided into 2 parts.

1. The oral exam:             This is a one on one question and answer interview with an FAA DPE. This is designed so that you are able to demonstrate your knowledge of the material to your examiner. The questions will be in depth to test your knowledge and will require more than a yes or no answer. Remember though that you have the PTS. This is where all of the questions will come from, making this a standardized test, and while the actual questions that the examiner will ask are not in the PTS, the material that makes up those questions are. It is also an open book test so you are permitted to bring all of your books, notes & study materials and use them in answering the examiners questions. (Don't you wish that your tests in school were open book?) You are not expected to memorize all of the material, (even DPE's don't do that) but you will need to be able to locate the information in your books as well as have a good working knowledge of the material.
2. The Flight Test:            This is the fun part, because you get to fly and that's always fun. This is where you and the examiner are at the field. The exam starts upon arrival when the examiner will announce -The Test Has Begun. This is where you will be asked to demonstrate your knowledge of all the flight tasks you have been training to perform, as outlined in the PTS, from Checklist Usage, Preflight of the aircraft being used for the test, any required briefings, including making sure the examiner is secured in the back seat with his seat belts & helmet secure (yes, you must treat the examiner as if it is his 1^st time up in a powered parachute & he does not know anything about being a passenger in a PPC), and then once ready, you take off. Once airborne the examiner will ask you to perform the tasks you have been diligently practicing.

Once the flight test is complete, you'll be waiting to hear the words "Congratulations, you've passed and are now a newly minted Sport Pilot"

If you're doing a practical test for CFI privileges, the test is similar except;

1. We will expect you to know the material to a higher and more precise level.
2. We will expect your flight skills to be more refined.
3. You will be asked to demonstrate your teaching skills by teaching the material covered to the SFIE who will be acting as a CFI applicant, both in the oral area and the flight portion.

You can expect a CFI practical test to take about twice as long as an initial Sport Pilot certification.

Be sure to bring with you in addition to your study materials your pilot's log book with all the required signatures on the flight time entries and the appropriate endorsements, your written knowledge test results with the testing center's embossing on the page, not a photo copy, a valid drivers license, and your signed 8710-11 form with your CFI's signature recommending you for the practical test. If you have any questions concerning the practical test please be sure to call us at 760-242-3359 so that you will show up with all you need and be prepared. Our goal is for you to be able to successfully complete the last step in the process.

There is a complete check list in the PTS that spells out all that you should bring to the test with you.

If you're doing a proficiency check because you already have a pilot certificate for a different category/class and are just adding on Powered Parachute, the process is the same, except that the test is administered by a CFI, or a DPE acting as a CFI. (Don't forget, all DPE's are required to be CFI's as well).

Part 103 Powered Parachute Ultralight Training top

All you want to do is to fly a single seat powered parachute that meets the Part 103 rule.

We have a concentrated program for that as well, or we can do that on a pay as you go basis also. Learning to fly a single seat takes the same flight training discipline as flying a 2 place PPC. We conduct the same dual flight training that we would do for sport pilot, and as soon as you are ready to solo (your CFI will decide when you're ready) you can solo in your own plane if you have one, or you can solo in our aircraft.

Soloing in our powered parachute Aircraft will require the issuance of a student pilot certificate as well as the prescribed pre-solo test. This is NOT an FAA test, but a test developed by your CFI, and covers areas that you will have been prepared for with some basic ground school training. Any missed questions are reviewed with yout CFI so that you have an understanding of the correct information and answer. You then receive all of the prescribed endorsements and you're ready to solo.

One other benefit of doing powered parachute ultralight training with Inland Paraflite is that since you are doing dual training in an N numbered aircraft with a CFI, all of the time is logged and signed by your CFI, and should you ever desire to pursue your sport pilot certificate, all of the time you have logged counts toward that certificate, and if you did your solo in our aircraft, that also counts.

Please feel free to Contact Us or call us directly at 760-242-3359 for current training rates, packages, scheduling or questions.

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