I’ve been getting more questions about flying recently so I’m going to make this one public to refer to in the future.

A) It’s basically turning yourself into a human kite with a 2stroke engine + propeller on your back. Mine is 80ccs since I’m smol but most folks have 185cc engines. Here’s a breakdown/voiceover of what goes into a flight:

B) I got into it because I’d heard about it a decade ago and was fascinated by the idea but never thought I could afford it. Now that I live in CO, have a good job, and live within an hour of one of the best trainers around, I saved up for a year and got started.

C) If you’re interested in getting into it, I’m happy to talk to you about it offline—but I’d look for a trainer or school in your area and spend time with them first. Maybe do a tandem. They’ll coach you through both the skills and gear necessary to get you in the air. Fair warning, you’ll spend quite a bit of time on the ground first, and you’ll need to take some written (online) tests as well. (But yes, it’s SO fun. Please come fly with me). 

D) You didn’t ask this, but other folks have. Start up costs are hella expensive and you want to invest in good equipment since poor equipment means death. You’ll need $3-5k for training and then your motor, wing, reserve, and helmet will be anywhere from $8k to $15k depending on if you can find them second-hand or not. Maintenance costs are basically nothing aside from gas/oil unless you need to repair gear, though, which is nice. My startup cost was just over $11k all in with training.

So. Like I said. Not cheap. But if you’re in a DINK situation like me, willing to sacrifice some things, (and have a supportive partner who said “hey, we’re down to one car and your thrifting probably saved us more than that last year”) it’s doable. And so worth it. I literally can’t describe the euphoria of flying. I mean. It’s flying