Fryeburg Airport Hosts Maine Powerchute Association's 3rd Annual Fly-In

Up close view of the hi-tech powerplant

By Mike Corthell

FRYEBURG, Maine - The Eastern Slope Regional Airport hosted the Maine Powerchute Association's fly-in this past weekend. At about 7:00 a.m. under blue skies and a light wind the multihued, and hi-tech machines quickly rolled down the runway. Up they went!


 
The Fryeburg Airport, as it is commonly called, is well managed by David Cullinan who takes great pride in the facility. He's worked there for 20 years and has been its manager since 2007. Below he tells us about himself and the powerchute fly-in this weekend, as well as the airport's summer schedule.


Eastern Slope Regional Airport (IZG), also known as Fryeburg Airport, is located three miles southeast of the Town of Fryeburg, Maine, and is the closest airport serving the Mount Washington Valley area. It  is surrounded by beautiful rivers, ponds, and mountains, yet it’s only fifteen miles to the destination city North Conway, New Hampshire.

Fryeburg airport is a vital transportation infrastructure link to the area, especially for critical services such as life flights, search and rescue, forest fire control, and potentially even military (National Guard) operations in times of disaster.

It also serves as a place for student pilots and private pilots to train and maintain current flight status. Scenic flights and other recreational aviation activities are enjoyed by locals and visitors alike. The Eastern Slope Regional Airport is public, not private, and is open year-round for business and charter flights.

A powered parachute often abbreviated PPC and also called a motorized parachute or paraplane is a type of ultralight aircraft that consists of a parachute with a motor and wheels. The aircraft's airspeed is typically about 25–35 mph (40–60 km/h).

PPCs operate safely at heights ranging from a few feet off the ground (while ground skimming, a popular use of the aircraft) to altitudes as high as 10,000+ feet (5.5 km). But typical operating heights are between 500 and 1500 feet (150–500 meters). Equipped with the standard 5 or 10 gallon fuel tank, PPCs can typically be flown for about three hours. They have very short take-off and landing rolls, sometimes less than 100 ft (30 m).

PPCs are among the least expensive aerial vehicles. A new one-person powered parachute may cost as little as $5,000, though double-seaters more typically cost about $10,000. Top end two-seater PPCs usually cost $15,000–$25,000. Empty weight is typically around 200–300 lb (90–135 kg) and payload can be upwards of 500 lb (225 kg). In the United States, most single place PPCs are flown under part 103 of the Federal Aviation Regulations and, therefore, may be flown without a license or flight instruction. Flight instruction is, however, highly recommended, and an average student can learn to fly a PPC safely with 5 to 10 hours of flight instruction.

Two-seat PPCs are light sport aircraft in the United States. The pilot must have at least a sport pilot certificate issued by the FAA to fly them. A minimum of 10 hours of flight instruction, and 2 hours of solo as a student pilot, is required to obtain this certificate. Powered parachuting is not to be confused with powered paragliding.