April 2010

This is a regular informational bulletin published by the Western Powered Parachute Association, LLC, devoted to promoting the sport of powered parachuting through education, communications and participation.  If you would like to be removed from the mailing list go directly to the distribution site email maas0755@comcast.net   

“The mission of the Western Powered Parachute Association is to promote the sport of powered parachuting in the Western United States through Education, Participation and Resources.”

 In This Issue:

• ·          The Best is in the West
• ·          The Season is Here
• ·          Places to Fly
• ·          Training & Event Schedule
• ·          Resources

Published by Western Powered Parachute Association LLC westernppa@comcast.net Doug Maas 360 771-4047Maas0755@comcast.net

Website: http://westernppa.org Newsletter Distribution Group Site: http://sixchuterwest.com 

Sign up to receive this monthly bulletin at www.sixchuterwest.com Just fill out the news request form on the front page. While you are on the Six Chuter West website, explore the many other “articles” in several categories.  These articles are published weekly and are archived in the various categories.

 THE BEST IS IN THE WEST!

 If you are looking for a place to become involved in the sport of powered parachuting, or already involved, there really isn’t any better place than in the Pacific Northwest.  A common discussion on aviation forums is how sport pilot has “killed” powered parachuting, and how many folks either don’t get involved now, or flat give up because of lack of resources in other areas of the country.  The Pacific Northwest seems to be a total contrast to most other areas of the United States when it comes to powered parachuting.

 Fact:  We have the largest EAA Powered Parachute Chapter in the U.S. with over 130 active members now.

Fact:  The Western Powered Parachute Association has over sixty folks “in the queue” waiting for some level of training.

Fact:  There is an average of six powered parachute rallies now each year just in Oregon and Washington alone.

I have had a discussion numerous times with other powered parachute leaders and folks in “hot spots” in the U.S. to try to understand why the sport flourishes in some areas and is virtually non existent in others.  The formula for success seems to match what has happened in our region:

1.  Training Resources:  The Western Powered Parachute Association now has seven FAA certified flight instructors and three FAA pilot and instructor examiners.  And this is barely enough to keep up with the demand.
2. Other Professional Resources:  Other affiliates and support in the Pacific Northwest include a Designated Airworthiness Examiner and two FAA certified Repairman with Maintenance and Inspection ratings.
3. Other Business Support:  The Pacific Northwest seems to have attracted the entrepreneur crowd to the Sport.  We have numerous small businesses that take care of powered parachute sales, services, accessories, maintenance and repairs. This includes four primary training and maintenance centers (Portland, Vancouver, Arlington, and Quincy)
4. Social Network:  As mentioned above we have the largest EAA powered parachute chapter in the U.S.  Under the leadership of Art Smith, President of EAA UL Chapter 127 “Northwest Powered Parachute Coalition”, the club has grown from five members in 2002 to 130 members in 2010.
5. Places to Fly:  The Pacific Northwest has some of the most beautiful and diverse areas friendly to powered parachuting in the world.  These range from the oceans, mountains and valleys in Western Oregon and Washington, to the open farm lands and even desert like terrain of Central and Eastern Oregon and Washington.
6. Communications: Keeping this all knit together is a network of communications including owner forums, club forums, websites with articles and news and even a dedicated magazine “The Powered Parachuter”.
7. Leadership:  Last, or first and not least is that we have been blessed with dozens of folks who have stepped up to leadership.  This includes club leaders, instructors, business owners and scores of others.  The leadership of the sport in the Pacific Northwest helps maintain the energy, enthusiasm and resources required to keep the sport more than alive and well!

 THE SEASON IS HERE

 We have had a relatively mild winter and that has helped us to make some progress early in the season with our training “back log”.  We have already had two training sessions at our Quincy, Washington Flight Training Center.  And flying and training are active early at Arlington, Lenhardt and Camas Grove Field. 

So far March has been wetter and colder than the winter, but things will moderate soon.  We have new students signed up out of our Arlington, Portland-Vancouver, and Quincy Flight Training Centers.

I will be supervising an accelerated UL pilot course at Twin Firs Farm, April 15-18^th and Mike and I will be co-supervising accelerated solo courses at Twin Firs Farm May 13^th-16^th.  Contact Doug at maas0755@comcast.net if you would like to join either of those sessions.

We are just weeks away from the 20^th Anniversary Memorial Day Powered Parachute Rally that will again be held at Twin Firs Turf Farm, Quincy, Washington. Read about the background of this event at http://sixchuterwest.com/?p=1337 If you are thinking of attending, learn more and “pre-register” (no fee necessary) at http://sixchuterwest.com/?page_id=547 We expect at least 60 powered parachute pilots a dozen “trike pilots” and families.  This will be one of the best opportunities of the season to learn about the sport, meet others and fly with us.

 SPEAKING OF THE BEST IS IN THE WEST (Places to Fly)

 We have certainly been blessed with discovering one of the best places to train and fly in the entire U.S.  That is twin firs turf farm located in Quincy, Washington.  Thanks to Tim Vedder, owner of Central Washington Powered Parachutes and Kim and Kent Bacon, owners of the farm, we have been allowed to routinely train at this location and have now been invited back for Memorial Day.

The field(s) we fly from here are like a groomed golf course.  The surrounding areas is predominantly open farm fields, but with plenty of interesting spots to see such as the Columbia River, and foothills of the Cascade Mountains.

 To Learn more about the location go to http://www.partiesonthegreen.com If you want to train and fly from this location you must coordinate with Tim Vedder sixchuterwest@genext.net 509 885-8444. Daily use fee $5. Field and pilot waivers required.

THE TRAINING SCHEDULE

 The following is our most up to date data on students, instructors and pending tests.  Please coordinate directly with your assigned instructor to schedule your training sessions. If you are having difficulty scheduling or require a reassignment of location or instructor, please email me at maas0755@comcast.net Instructors please forward me updates as necessary.

  EVENT CALENDAR

GETTING AND STAYING CONNECTED

•  THE POWERED PARACHUTER This is a new print or digital magazine created by Mike Lersbak of Sport Pilot Academy. The digital download version of the “ppcer” is about $2 a month!  Just go to https://1spa.infusionsoft.com/cart/store.jsp?view=1&i=13&navicat=13 to subscribe.
•  SPORT PILOT ACADEMY is the most unique on line training site for powered parachutes anywhere.  Another creation of Mike Lersbak, this site provides everything from full supervised or non supervised ground school to an ongoing pilot proficiency program. Go to http://www.sportpilotu.com/ to sign up!
•  WPPA BULLETIN If you want to receive regular information about the sport, events, training and news on the West Coast, you will receive this bulletin.  If you have someone who would like to join this bulletin list steer him or her directly to http://sixchuterwest.com/?page_id=259.  You will find a page to download the most current training catalogue and a “news” form on the lower right hand side of the page.  Fill that out to automatically receive the monthly news.
•  EAA ULTRALIGHT CHAPTER 127 If you want to network directly with other PPC enthusiasts in the Northwest, check out the N.W. Powered Parachute Coalition at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/nwpoweredparachutecoalition/
•  SIX CHUTER OWNERS If you own a Six Chuter powered parachute join the Six Chuter Owner’s Website at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/sixchuterowners/ Just go to the site and “request to join”.  This site provides an exclusive site where Six Chuter owners can access resources specific to their powered parachutes, and exchange ideas among other owners.
•  If you want to receive free regular information on Six Chuter Inc. powered parachutes you may receive a monthly free E-bulletin from Six Chuter.  If you are not receiving this bulletin already go to this site and sign the “news” form on lower right hand side of the page. http://sixchuterwest.com/  
•  PPC SALES If you are in the market for a new or used powered parachute and would like to review monthly classifieds and other information about aircraft and support services check out http://sixchuterwest.com/?page_id=8 
•  PPC ACCESSORIES If you are shopping for powered parachute accessories up to and including canopies, go to https://1spa.infusionsoft.com/cart/store.jsp  
•  MAINTENANCE If you need service on your Rotax engine there are three authorized Rotax service stations in the region:
• • Portland-Vancouver Vancouver Ultralight Services, Rolando Santiago 360 904 8766 http://sixchuterwest.com/?page_id=294
  • Eastern Washington-Oregon Freedom Aerosports LLC, Steve Camp, sbcamp@wildblue.net 5095493321 www.freedomaerosports.com
  • Puget Sound- http://www.rainierultralightengines.com/ Clyde Poser Phone: 253-447-4398 Tech support: tech@rainierultralightengines.com Information: info@rainierultralightengines.com
  • Portland-Vancouver Perry Robertson, CFI, Repairman, Troutdale, OR 503 913-8536 perrobertson@comcast.net HTTP://www.p3-sports.com

SPORT PILOT TRAINING AND TESTING

If you are not receiving the monthly Student-Testing supplement from WPPA and would like to, email Doug Maas at westernppa@comcast.net  this report tracks our students, our testing schedule and instructor assignments. If you would like to receive a copy of “Sport Pilot Maneuvers” you can request a copy from the same email address or download from the “files” section of the club website.  Go to the WPPA website www.westernppa.org to download the current year training catalogue and find other resources.

Joe Charlton Pilot and Buzz Kleemeyer after first solo flights, Lenhardt Field, Hubbard Oregon