The story of my first flight... by Frank H. Weeden http://www.eagles-wing.com/ I had my first flight in a PPC last Thursday! It was WONDERFUL!!! I got a call from Larry Breece of Eagles-Wing. He builds and services the "Scout," less than a half hour from my home. He said that the weather looked good, and asked if I wanted to go for a ride. Boy, did I ever! My wife and I drove down to his place, and from there, we followed him to the Tullahoma airport. The wind was variable, but fairly calm, as we pulled the Scout off of the trailer and Larry set up the windsock. We pulled it away from the cars and a good distance into the field, and Larry went over the setup and layout of the wing with me. Larry got started the engine and then put his helmet on and buckled himself in. With a blast of power, the chute was up and overhead, and it looked magnificent! With another burst of power, he was rolling and then lifted off. After a few circles, I was getting antsy to try it! My wife was videotaping everything, and at last, Larry landed. We set the Scout up again and Larry gave me some final instructions. He was also in constant contact with me via radio. I got strapped in, put on my helmet, started the engine, and then waited for the wind to die down. With Larry's O.K., I rolled the throttle forward all the way and my chute came up. I backed off the throttle just a little, to give the chute time to inflate fully, and then, I gradually gave more and more until I started to roll and pick up speed. Almost unexpectedly, I left the ground smoothly, and voila: I was flying! It was great.... I kept the throttle all the way forward and continued climbing until I was at about a thousand feet. Larry guided me around and around, calling out different altitudes and different directions. With his constant, patient coaching, I did a few touch-and-go's. I flew around for about 25 minutes, freezing my butt off in the process, and my quadriceps on both legs were killing me from the steering. On the ground, the winds had been calm, but a thousand feet up, they shoved me around pretty good. Finally, it was time to land, and I backed off the throttle until I was only about three feet off the ground, then kicked both of my feet forward, stalling the wing, and as soon as I touched down, I killed the engine. I couldnt' believe how soft and smooth the landing was! I didn't even feel it! I was supposed to land into the head-wind, but the winds kept on shifting, and when everything was shut down, the chute came drifting forward and covered my head! Larry called out cheerfully, that I was "covered in glory." Laughing, eyes shining, (and slightly shivering!) I unharnessed and dismounted the plane. By then, it was time to retrieve the chute bag and line-socks, and get the craft on the trailer. Within the next three weeks, I will be a proud owner of a Scout, and Larry Breece is one of the most fabulous, sincere, honest, and most generous people I have ever met in my entire life. Larry, if you are reading this: THANK YOU! Frank H. Weeden Shelbyville, TN, USA