Going up: Powered parachutes still best kept secret after 20 years

Dave English finds inspiration in the story of a 90-year-old man who died while riding in a powered parachute. Apparently, English said, he was having so much fun he had a heart attack.

"That's the way I want to go, I don't want to die in some hospital bed," English said. "I want to head off into the sunset and see where I end up."

Being one of only three powered parachute instructors in the state, English's love for flight has touched the lives of more than 10,000 people worldwide. That being said, he feels his business is still one of the best kept secrets in North Texas.

"I've done a good job keeping it secret, I've been marketing this thing for how many years?" English mused. "About 99 percent of people don't know I'm here or what I am. They come out here and they say, 'wow, I've never heard of this before.'"

English started his career in Daytona Beach, FL, where he attended an aeronautical university. While the schooling proved beneficial, the area's all-too-predictable thunderstorms and swampland were not very conducive to motorized parachute travel, English said.

In 1984, English and his family moved to Denton for the favorable weather and vast terrain. Today his company - Future Flight - can be found in Princeton housed in the office, runways and hangers that were once home to of Sky Dive Dallas.

In a county where hot air balloons and sky diving dominate the air, English stands behind his passion and hopes to turn more people on to what he calls the safest way to fly.

"They're not fool proof, I call them fool resistant," English said. "With a lot of people, this is the highlight of their life. They tell me, 'this is the best thing I've ever done in my life.' If not, it definitely puts a smile on their face."

Powered parachutes, or paraplanes, are easy to spot when they're in motion, as they resemble a go-cart-like airboat suspended by a long, square parachute. Like a hot air balloon, the contraption operates using pendulum stability that keeps it from being tossed about. However, instead of a small basket, the paraplane's 400-pound car is what keeps it unwavering.

"If a gust of wind comes by and blows the parachute, the car swings right back to where it was automatically," English said. "No matter which way the 'chute's blown, the car swings back into the position which correct the wing all by itself."

Because of this, powered parachutes can fly in winds up to 15 mph, versus hot air balloons that can only fly when wind speeds are less than 5 mph, English said. Unlike planes and helicopters, it also maintains a constant speed of 30 mph, creating less operator error and safer impact, he said. Even then, the car is equipped with fat tires and spring shock absorbers versus the hot air balloon's suspension system, which consists of about an inch of wicker basket, English said.

Seatbelts, combined with the car's frame that forms a roll cage of steel, also prevents rocky landings from ejecting passengers, he said.

"We've had 10-year-old girls solo one of these things, we've had grandmas solo these machines," English said. "There's very, very little you can do in this thing, almost nothing, to get it to go out of control in the air."

Thanks to these safety features, English said he has actually been able to help people with vertigo. Most of the time they are having so much fun they don't want to land, he said. People don't have a fear of heights, he said, they have a fear of falling to their deaths. With skydiving, for example, such appears imminent until a cord is pulled. This is why many thrill seekers find sky diving exciting, said English, who also called the hobby "somewhat suicidal."

Overcoming one's fear of heights should not include being thrown out of an airplane, but should consist of putting him or her in a controlled environment in which death is not part of the equation, he said.

"It's something about sitting down and being strapped in," English said. "You've got a big parachute over your head and your brain says, 'this is cool, you're not going to die. This is safe.'"

Years ago, the powered parachute industry grew quickly due to its lack of government oversight. Cars came as kits complete with tubes, wires and parachutes that had to be put together by the owner. In 2008, the FAA stepped in and, while it led to factory-built quality, it kind of took away from some of the glory and freedom, English said.

"It's good for me to some point, I lost all my competition," English said. "But I liked an industry that had more people involved. I think when the economy comes back it's going to be a lot stronger industry, but the economy has to come back first."

Those who become hooked on powered parachuting can buy one new for roughly $20,000, said English, who also sells refurbished models. Pilots with one-seaters may fly without a license, but those who plan on operating two-seaters must complete a minimum of 12 hours flying to get a sport pilot's license, he said.

English offers introductory and solo flights seven days a week, scheduling them in the morning and evenings when the air is the smoothest. For information on Future Flight visit flyppc.com.

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