Runner were all derived or evolved from the first Avid
Flyer introduced in 1983.
The plans-built Sky Pup was my favorite of that time because of its low cost. Around 500 were completed and
flown, and there is still an active builder community at
groups.Yahoo.com/group/Skypup-club. If you've never
seen a Sky Pup in flight, watch this YouTube video of my
own Sky Pup flying at Oshkosh a few years later. It's a
real hoot to fly.
The diminutive Paraplane powered parachute by
inventor Steve Snyder created a sensation when it
was flown at Lakeland and Oshkosh in 1983. Reaction
from the aviation community was mixed as spectators
marveled at the novel sight of parachute climbing under power, and experts openly doubted the claim that
it could not stall. The critics could not have imagined
that eventually 10,000 or more powered parachutes
would be built including the latest 100-hp special lightsport aircraft (S-LSA) factory-built versions. The sport
of powered parachuting was born 30 years ago. A few
of the original Paraplanes are still flying, and we invite
enthusiasts to bring them and any of the other designs
turning 30 years old this year to our birthday party at
AirVenture 2013.
The Great Ultralight Weigh-In
June 9, 1983 – The FAA sent a letter to field officials
outlining increased enforcement procedures for the ultralight regulations established just 10 months earlier. It
recommended the establishment of technical standards
committees that could verify compliance with FAR 103
using charts and tables, and to clarify the details about
the parachute allowance, wide seats, and other details.
This information was later published as Advisory Circular 103.17. However, the letter also included guidance
to FAA inspectors as to when and where to inspect
ultralights. The document recommended the inspectors
conduct such investigations in conjunction with other
activities, such as monitoring air shows and fly-ins.
Within three weeks, then EAA Ultralight Association
President Bob Ring announced that all ultralights would
be weighed at Oshkosh '83 before they could be flown.
It was an unusual move and sure to be unpopular, but
the threat of FAA enforcement at the convention may
have been a factor. Tents were set up and teams of
volunteers established. I worked on one of those teams
and can confirm that more than 100 ultralights did indeed weigh less than the 254-pound weight limit (though
some did so with help of a chute allowance). Weigh-
Te original Challenger ultralight on display at Oshkosh '83 was powered by a 25-hp KFM engine.
Photography by Dan Grunloh
EAA Experimenter
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