Getting Started in
Powered Parachutes

Powered Parachutes Flying by the St. Louis Gateway Arch

The best way to get introduced to the sport of powered parachuting is to meet with a local powered parachute instructor and go for an introductory tandem flight. That flight will help you to determine if the sport is what you want to do. During the flight there is no pressure to fly the machine and you can have confidence in the skill of a rated instructor.

The next step is to learn to fly a machine yourself. You do this by finding a qualified flight instructor to begin your journey to becoming a pilot. Being in control of the machine with the wind in your face is a feeling that is hard to match any other way. For more about training, go to Learning to Fly.

After that you have three choices: Buy a new or used machine. Rent a machine (unfortunately difficult to do). Or make a friend with someone that already owns a machine (may be hard to do since everybody wants to be their friend!). A fourth choice might be to go in with 1-3 people and share the purchase price and the rights to fly a machine. Actually not a bad way to go.

There are some inexpensive products that can give you a good feeling of what powered parachuting is all about. Magazines, videos, and books can tell you other peoples' experiences and teach you about the sport.