How To Buy An Ultralight

The first thing you have to do is to specifically outline exactly what YOUR requirement is. Some people merely want a basic ANO 95. 10 type aircraft that is mechanically simple and is best suited to short hops in your local area. Others require a more powerful machine, less intimidated by weather and capable of making viable hops of as much as fifty or sixty kilometres between farms or whatever. Do you require the ultralight to be able to operate on floats? How heavy are you? If you are a six foot five inch sixteen stone footballer then you obviously need something with an above average power to weight ratio!

Ultralights come in basically what are termed two generations of design. The first generation encompasses all those types that are generally referred to by our GA friends as ‘rag and wire’ models. The second-generation machines are distinguished by their enclosed and semi-enclosed cockpits, fairly extensive instrumentation, generally more powerful engines and far better cruise profiles than their early-generation cousins. You only get what you pay for though, and obviously an equipped Supa Pup, Hawk or Chinook is going to cost more than a bare-bones Pterodactyl, Scout or Robertson. Again, the similarity to car buying is clear.

Having decided exactly what your specific requirement is, it is then time to consider the more salient features of ultralight ownership. For starters, will you be housing your new purchase in a garage, and have you investigated the cost of its trailer? This is most important, as most owners require a trailer of some type in order to get to an approved flying area, while if the craft is not garaged it will in time deteriorate from the weather and at worst, vandalism or even theft. These are not insurmountable problems though, as suburban garages can generally be rented for between ten and fifteen dollars a week while a good quality trailer can be built for under a thousand dollars. Again though, I stress good quality. From experience, ultralights need a semi-enclosed trailer to avoid the damage that occurs from flying stones, and insects plus the effect of the wind against such relatively fragile sections as the wings and movable control surfaces. At 100 kph on the freeway, your ultralight needs all the protection it can get.

So far so good. Now for the cruncher, do I assemble it myself or have it assembled for me or buy a kit that is basically ready to fly? Obviously the least expensive option is to build it yourself, as most kits are initially priced on the basis of a varying degree of home assembly. There is a good trap here though. Check how long it takes to assemble and then double it, because that is how long it will take in reality for you to assemble your first of type. This is not to say that the manufacturers are misleading their potential market, just that, like rigging a sailboat, it takes much longer to do it the first time and as you only perform this function once, then that first time should be looked at in realistic terms. Here again, obviously, a born handyman will perform faster than somebody whose only claim to mechanical fame is the ability to change a tap washer. On this basis, some people will get a great degree of personal satisfaction out of assembling their own kit, while others will simply consider it boring, preferring to get into the flying routine with a minimum of delay. Again, horses for courses, so if you are amongst the latter then it would be sensible to steer clear of a design that had ‘200 hours of assembly time’ stamped on the box!

The cost of having a kit built for you to flying standard varies, but is generally in the $800 to $1500 range. Similarly, ultralights vary from a stated 40 hours assembly time to as much as 400 hours, while the norm is in the 60 to 100 hours region. You also want to estimate exactly how much time is involved in taking the aircraft from stowed configuration to preflight; again this varies considerably and sometimes requires more than one person. Always participate in this procedure with your dealer prior to actually buying the ultralight of your choice so that you know exactly what is required.

So you know what you want, you have a trailer, a car suitable for towing and you have the time to dedicate to assembly. The next important step – and again this influences the time it takes to assemble – is to find an adequate area in which to commence assembly. Most single-car garages are too confined, so a full-sized double-car (sans cars) garage is what is required. This can be a problem but not one that is insurmountable, as a look through your local classifieds usually will turn up what you are after. The positive aspect of your assembling your own craft is that it allows you to become intimately involved with the finer points of its design. You learn precisely how everything works, and why. Most dealers actively recommend that owners perform their own assembly for this very reason.

The final question that has to be asked now that you have established your requirement revolves around ongoing maintenance. Things will break, parts will get bent and fabric will tear. The engine will require a fair degree of Tender Loving Care; have you ever dealt with two-stroke engines before? These engines are generally easy to maintain providing you know a little of what is required in the way of preventative maintenance. Ideally your new found flight buddies, with the help of the dealer, will steer you in the right direction in terms of overall maintenance. The point to remember though is this is no sailboat, preparation is everything and your new delight could just ai;”°easily turn to tragedy if common is traded for neglect of proper maintenance.

Maintenance of course, in terms of safety, only comes second to flying training. This is where your dealer comes in, which in itself could represent a separate chapter of advice on its own! There are people you wouldn’t buy a used car from, and no doubt there are people you wouldn’t buy a plane from; choose your dealer as carefully as the type you wish to buy. Do you get on with him (or her), does he answer your questions honestly a rid specifically, can he put you in contact with a number of satisfied customers, does he run an active training programme and what is the all-important after sales service like? All of these questions must be satisfied. Flying training, unfortunately, is only in its infancy thanks to the ongoing delays with ANO 95. 22 and its provision for proper two-place trainers, though most dealers now have some form of training programme underway.

So much for new aircraft, but what about the used market?

At present there are not a lot of used ultralights on the market for the simple reason that the sport is in its infancy. As with any purchase of used equipment it is imperative to know exactly what you are getting – remember caveat emptor! Ideally you will want to know the full history of the ultralight on offer. If it is a one-off beware, in all probability it barely flies and at best will have little resale. Stick to the known makes, indeed preferably the best sellers, as these will in time retain their relative dollar value better than like condition marginal sellers. Engines deserve some consideration also, some are more reliable as a whole than others, so check around to see which make and model offers the best longevity. Again, to be on the safe side you can realistically assume that the engines in all used ultralights will require a strip down in the near future so this needs to be costed into the first few months of your operating the aircraft. In terms of adequately defining market value little is known at present due to the small number of machines to have been traded to date. One would imagine though, that providing the craft is in excellent condition then it would perhaps be similar to depreciation on a new car.

So there we have it. Buying an ultralight requires the same planning and logical thought that is required when buying any sort of aircraft. What you want and what you are prepared to give it in return is only known to yourself so ensure that essential points are fully understood before taking your first step into what could be a whole new world of aviation enjoyment.