Ultralight aviation is the flying of lightweight, 1- or 2-seat fixed-wing aircraft. Some countries differentiate between weight-shift control and conventional three-axis control aircraft with ailerons, elevator and rudder, calling the former "microlight" and the latter "ultralight".
The Fédération aéronautique internationale is the world governing body for air sports, and also stewards definitions regarding human spaceflight. It was founded on 14 October 1905, and is headquartered in Lausanne, Switzerland. It maintains world records for aeronautical activities, including ballooning, aeromodeling, and unmanned aerial vehicles (drones), as well as flights into space.
The Sikorsky CH-54 Tarhe is an American twin-engine heavy-lift helicopter designed by Sikorsky Aircraft for the United States Army. It is named after Tarhe, an 18th-century chief of the Wyandot Indian tribe whose nickname was "The Crane". The civil version is the S-64 Skycrane.
Powered paragliding, also known as paramotoring or PPG, is a form of ultralight aviation where the pilot wears a back-pack motor which provides enough thrust to take off using a paraglider. It can be launched in still air, and on level ground, by the pilot alone — no assistance is required.
The National Aeronautic Association of the United States (NAA) is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization and a founding member of the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI). Founded in 1905, it is the oldest national aviation club in the United States and one of the oldest in the world, it serves as the “Aeroclub of the United States” and, by its Mission Statement it is "…dedicated to the advancement of the art, sport and science of aviation in the United States.” The NAA is headquartered at the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, in Washington, D.C.
A parafoil is a nonrigid (textile) airfoil with an aerodynamic cell structure which is inflated by the wind. Ram-air inflation forces the parafoil into a classic wing cross-section. Parafoils are most commonly constructed out of ripstop nylon.
The term "air sports" covers a range of aerial activities, including air racing, aerobatics, aeromodelling, hang gliding, human powered aircraft, parachuting, paragliding and skydiving.
The United States Powered Paragliding Association (USPPA) is a non-profit organization based in the United States that endeavors to support a segment of ultralight aviation known as powered paragliding.
The flight endurance record is the longest amount of time an aircraft of a particular category spent in flight without landing. It can be a solo event, or multiple people can take turns piloting the aircraft, as long as all pilots remain in the aircraft. The limit initially was the amount of fuel that could be stored for the flight, but aerial refueling extended that parameter. Due to safety concerns, the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI) no longer recognizes new records for the duration of crewed airplane or glider flights and has never recognized any duration records for helicopters.
Turkish Aeronautical Association is a non-profit organization with an aim of increasing public awareness and participation in aviation related activities and the national body governing air sports in Turkey. The association was founded with the name Türk Tayyare Cemiyeti by the directive of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk on February 16, 1925.
The United States Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association (USHPA) is a non-profit organization supporting foot-launched soaring flight in the United States. It began in 1971 as the Southern California Hang Gliding Association and became national in scope by the mid-1970s. When paragliding became popular in the U.S., the American Paragliding Association was formed. That eventually merged into the USHPA. In 2006, paragliding was added to the organization name to reflect its growing contingent of paraglider pilot members.
A glider is a fixed-wing aircraft that is supported in flight by the dynamic reaction of the air against its lifting surfaces, and whose free flight does not depend on an engine. Most gliders do not have an engine, although motor-gliders have small engines for extending their flight when necessary by sustaining the altitude with some being powerful enough to take off by self-launch.
Gliding is a recreational activity and competitive air sport in which pilots fly unpowered aircraft known as gliders or sailplanes using naturally occurring currents of rising air in the atmosphere to remain airborne. The word soaring is also used for the sport.
The Little Wing Autogyro is a series of conventional one and two place autogyros with a tractor engine layout using modern engines and produced by Little Wing Autogyros, Inc. of Mayflower, Arkansas.
World Paragliding Championships is the main competitive paragliding championships in the World, organized by the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale.
The Fly Castelluccio Diavolo is an Italian powered parachute that was designed and produced by Fly Castelluccio Paramotor Paragliding and Trike srl of Ascoli Piceno. Now out of production, when it was available the aircraft was supplied as a complete ready-to-fly-aircraft.
Fly Castelluccio Paramotor Paragliding and Trike srl was an Italian aircraft manufacturer based in Ascoli Piceno. The company specialized in the design and manufacture of paragliders, paramotors, ultralight trikes and powered parachutes in the form of ready-to-fly aircraft for the US FAR 103 Ultralight Vehicles rules, and the European Fédération Aéronautique Internationale microlight category.
Paraavis Company is a Russian aircraft manufacturer based in Moscow and founded in 1992. The company specializes in the design and manufacture of paramotors, paragliders, parachutes, powered parachutes and parafoil kites for kitesurfing, in the form of ready-to-fly aircraft for the US FAR 103 Ultralight Vehicles rules and the European Fédération Aéronautique Internationale microlight category.
Paramotor Napedy Paralotniowe is a Polish aircraft manufacturer based in Warsaw. Founded by Polish champion pilot Ryszrd Zygadio, the company specializes in the design and manufacture of paramotors and powered parachutes in the form of kits for amateur construction and ready-to-fly aircraft for the US FAR 103 Ultralight Vehicles rules and the European Fédération Aéronautique Internationale microlight category.
Phoenix Gleitschirmantriebe was a German aircraft manufacturer based in Würselen. The company specialized in the design and manufacture of paramotors in the form of ready-to-fly aircraft for the US FAR 103 Ultralight Vehicles rules and for the European Fédération Aéronautique Internationale microlight category.
