July 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:

• ·          Monsoon Season Over?
• ·          Places to Fly-2010 Calendar
• ·          The Training Roster
• ·          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.

 MONSOON SEASON OVER?!

 This has been an unusually wet Spring for sure, but it looks like summer may be arriving in the Pacific N.W….as early as next week!  While we managed to get some early season training accomplished even in January and February, March through June has been a near washout in Western Washington. That is not to say that there hasn’t been some great flying going on.  The Memorial Day club rally at Twin Firs allowed us to fly every day.  And we have managed several successful accelerated classes out of Arlington and Twin Firs already this year. And we want to congratulate Don Oliver and Mark Martin for successful completion of their sport pilot flight instructor practical tests.  This brings us to a total of nine powered parachute instructors in the Pacific Northwest!

 But the challenge of weather, equipment and instructor availability, matched with a longer list of active students and potential new students has continued to stress our capacity. So if you are currently on the training list or trying to get our attention we just ask you to hang in there. We are doing our best.

 Be sure to check out the 2010 calendar below for opportunities to fly and to train.  And if you are on the training list, please stay in direct contact with your assigned instructor to schedule time and equipment.

EAA UL Chapter 127 has continued to expand, boosted recently by the inclusion of a number of weight shift pilots in the Pacific Northwest.  We will be working closely with the club to help continued expansion and you can look forward to more events and expanded training opportunities that include other categories of aircraft. If you are not a member of the chapter, go to http://groups.yahoo.com/group/eaaulchapter127/ and sign in to request membership.

SPEAKING OF THE BEST IS IN THE WEST (Places to Fly) 2010 Calendar

 We have certainly been blessed with discovering some of the best places to train and fly in the entire U.S.  And we still have a lot of activity planned for 2010.  The following table lists various events and training activities remaining in 2010 (Not all of them).  Be sure and check out the EAA UL Chapter 127 forum at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/eaaulchapter127/ for routine discussion and posting of all Pacific N.W. events.

 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.

 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 Light Sport enthusiasts in the Northwest, check out the N.W. Powered Parachute Coalition and N.W. Trike Coalition at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/nwpoweredparachutecoalition/
•  EASTERN WASHINGTON PPC FORUM If you fly powered parachutes in Central or Eastern Washington, Michael Clouse has opened a great new free forum.  Find this at http://pnwpoweredparachute.forumotion.com/index.htm
•  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.

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!