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Show B8 Wednesday, July 28,2004 It's a bird, it's a plane, it's. ..a By Michael J. Bjornson, Ph.D. Express Sports Writer Okay, it's not really a UFO in the alien sense of the word, but can you identify just what these flying objects really are? Undoubtedly, many local residents may have noticed a low flying type of aircraft sailing over parts of the Basin lately. They have large rectangular parachutes, para-chutes, with a rear propeller. From the ground looking up, they may look like a buffed go-cart on steroids, ste-roids, held aloft by a giant parachute. At close inspection, however, these Ultralight aircrafts are precision-crafted precision-crafted flight machines, made of aircraft grade aluminum and alloys, that are becoming a national rave. On July 24th, I had the good fortune of attending the first-ever gathering gather-ing and cook-out for all of the local "Ultralight" pilots and family members. mem-bers. The pilots, at various stages of experience, include flight instructor T.R. Houghton, Nick Hoyt, Darryl Knop, Ricky Spurlock (agricultural fixed wing pilot), Kerry Croft. Brett Reynolds, Rhett C(X)k, and Donny Knop, known as the gifted pilot who flies just about anything. Not able to attend were pilots John and Shane Busch. As owner of Ultimate Air, T.R. Houghton gave me an introductory introduc-tory flight to experience firsthand, the joys of soaring with the local winged habitat. What a rush! I can . . - ;... A -- t1-.. ........... . , . . , , . ...A ...... . f.. .. .U ... ,ii....J, . 'HMni ...i. I 111! II IMI Ml I II MMIII Powered parachute pilots and family members, T.R. Houghton, Jana Sky Knop, Nick Hoyt, Heather Hoyt, Men's softball comes to an By Michael J. Bjornson, Ph.D. Express Sports Writer : In a season marked by great fun and good competition, Men's soft-ball soft-ball culminated in an exciting tournament tour-nament recently. In the Men's A League, Big C Trucking captured first place by defeating second place finisher, Cochrane Resources. Third place honors went to Wicked. Other teams that participated in the A League included UELS, Cameron, J-West, RW Jones Trucking, Sinu-Crew Sinu-Crew and UBTA-UBET. In the Men's B Red League, first place honors went to Questar, who had to compete hard to earn their victory by playing MRI three times in one night in a double elimination tournament. MRI came home with second place honors, while Quality Storage captured third place honors. Other teams that participated in this league were Well Head Inc. (Red Necks), The Pro Shop, Blackhair Roustabout, Head Hunters and JK Land Surveying. In the Men's B Blue League, Jubilee had to compete and win twice against Hank's Electric to carve out their first place standing. stand-ing. Hank's Electric came out as the second place finisher, while third place honors went to Western LivingCoca Cola. Other teams participating par-ticipating in this league included Triple J Services, RM, Da Fuzz, 8 Ball Trucking, Club XS and Midway SupplyChirocenter. Bruce Anderson of Questar stated that they had never played as a team before, and they had a great time throughout the season. He was very complimentary of Uintah Recreation, stating that they ran a terrific soft-ball soft-ball program. Anderson encourages other oil and eas companies to eet see why people are flocking (no pun intended) to this newer form of flight. You see the Basin or wherever wher-ever you are flying from a perspective perspec-tive that you may have never seen before. There is a sensation of peace and tranquility gliding effortlessly through the air in the early morning hours. 1 highly recommend this for stress reduction purposes as well. Technically, an Ultralight could be any one of three types of aircraft, which include a fixed wing, a flexed wing, or a powered parachute. Most of the local pilots captain a powered parachute, which is the fastest growing grow-ing segment of Ultralight industry. The powered parachute is typically powered by a 65 horse power Rotax engine, which was originally used in Ski-Doo snowmobiles. They have a durable, flexible three blade composite propeller. The aircrafts come as one or two seaters, ranging in price from approximately $9,500 to $2 1, 000. Although these type of aircraft could reach the elevation where class A airspace begins (at 18,000 feet), they are really designed for lower elevations to allow for ultimate ulti-mate enjoyment. Most of the pilots agreed that 500 to 800 feet above ground is perfect for flying. Most of the powered parachutes have a 10 gallon fuel tank, which allows you to stay in the air for two hours easily. The typical distance needed to take off is between 100 Buzzard (Golden Lab) and Brett Jubilee took first place in the Men's y ' IV LP , , -4 .... - ! 5 m i If J jkmi & 1 P?v A- v Jubilee took first place in the Men's B Blue League involved, even if they have never their teams for making it a success-done success-done it before. Congratulations go ful season, to all of the individual players and Sports and 150 feet according to Houghton, and once airborne, the flight speed averages from 28 to 32 miles per hour. Other fixed wing aircraft pilots have commented that you can't go very far or fast in these aircraft. That however, is a big part of the allure. Think of it as the Zen approach to flying. It is not the destination per se, but the journey getting there that makes it so much fun. Pilots must abide by the same air space regulations that commercial airline pilots do. The local group of Ultralight pilots have been working with the county commission to get a separate runway. Ideally, these type of aircraft do best in a hay field, since the parachute has to be dragged behind while taking off, causing wear and tear. The group is looking for someone in the community commu-nity to let them borrow a field. Powered parachutes are very maneuverable, using the same type of rectangular parachutes that skydivers use. On a national level, there are competitions where pilots perform such maneuvers as aerial ballet choreographed to music with smoke grenades leaving a trail, simulated aircraft carrier landings, bomb drops (using balloons filled with flour) to hit targets, and precision preci-sion landing, to name a few. These can also be used year round, as Houghton indicates, you just need to dress properly. In the win- Houghton, Ricky 'Spurlock, Donny Reynolds, hold their first annual get - B Blue League VR. It Mi y u " X , r"- ' . h . Vernal resident, Nick Hoyt, appreciates a bird's perspective while gliding above it all. ter time, he just switches his front wheel for a ski and he's set to go. Mornings, before the sun begins to heat the earth's surface and create cre-ate ground thermals, as well as Knop, Kerry Crofts, Daryl Knop, together exciting II . ITr I 1-11 - '' Questar took first place in the Men's B Red League lS r4 Big C Trucking captured first place evenings, are typically the smoothest smooth-est and best flight times. More so than any other form of flight, the powered parachute allows you to get close to mother nature, observing observ-ing animals in their natural habitat. Jana Houghton, T.R.'s wife, spotted spot-ted wild horses south of Vernal. It is common to see deer, elk, coyote, and wild turkeys. Aside from just being used for pleasure, they can have a functional purpose as well. Houghton recently helped search and rescue in the recent drowning accident on the Green River. You do need a license to operate an Ultralight. Instruction includes ground school training, flight instruction, and 25 hours of solo flying fly-ing to then qualify for a basic flight instructor exam. Among the many things pilots learn, understanding Itty Bitty Ball lays foundation for future Having fun while learning sports skills was the emphasis with Uintah Recreation's Itty Bitty Ball, which just concluded its summer session with 17 kids registered. Sports skills that young participants practiced included baseball, taught by Rick Reynolds; tennis, taught by JoJo finish in the Men's A League. V wind currents and performing emer gency maneuvers are important Powered parachutes light weight and easy ability to glide minimize the chances of anything dangerous happening, should one ever expe rience a rare mechanical problem Safety is a priority, and most pilots also wear radio equipped helmets to communicate. As the owner of Ultimate Air T.R. Houghton offers a learn to fly program, equipment leasing, new and used sales and service. He also offers surprisingly affordable gift certificates for instructional or intro ductory flight training, perfect for those "hard to buy for" people on your list. If you are ready to let your spirit soar, or if you are just curious and have questions, you can contact T.R. Houghton at (435) 789-7097. Gale; basketball, taught by Kristy Putnam; and soccer, taught by Al Stone. This is an ideal age to introduce children to various sporting activi ties to both spark their interest and learn sports in a fun noncompeti tive setting. It is a interactive parent child program, whereby parents of these young athletes served as their partners. Kids also learned stretch ing skills. Participation at young ages also lays the foundation for health promoting activities. Youth Flag Football The Uintah Recreation District is currently taking registration for flag football for youth in grades 2nd -6th. This program is a way to intro duce youth to the basics of football Registration is $25 if you register before Aug. 20. After Aug. 20 the fee is $30. The registration deadline is Sept. 3. The season will begin Sept 15. Space is limited, so register at Uintah Recreation District at 134 West Main Suite 101. For more information call the Uintah Recreation District at 781 0982 or come by our office. Seven Peaks Teen Trip set in August Get one more day of swimming in before summer ends at Seven Peaks Water Park. Participants leave Vemal Middle School at 7 a.m. on a Wilkins Bus and return at approxi mately 7 p.m. Open to participants ages 12 and up. Deadline to register is Aug. 6 Remember, space is limited for the trip. For more information call the Uintah Recreation District 781 0982 or come by our office at 134 West Main, suite 101. |