The North American Powered Parachute Federation (NAPPF) and The Aero Sports Connection

The NAPPF:

In1990 the United States Powered Parachute Association (USPPA) was formed for the purpose of creating an open forum for everyone with an interest in Powered Parachutes and promoting safety in the sport. In April 1996 the USPPA was reorganized as The North American Powered Parachute Federation (NAPPF). The object of NAPPF is to promote safety; quality of instruction; enhancement of competency in pilot skills; dissemination and exchange of information regarding powered parachute aviation to its membership, to other aviation associations, to the public, and appropriate governmental agencies. Technological advances and safety concerns in training, operation and in the manufacture of powered parachutes are of major interest of this organization. NAPPF is dedicated to serving powered parachuting by fostering and encouraging individual participation, high standards and access to the world of flight. The Federation exists to serve its membership and is open to all who wish to participate. The NAPPF is governed by a Board of Directors and is in the process of being charted as a 501(c)3 non-profit organization in the State of Delaware. As a respected leader within the sport aviation community, NAPPF is recognized by government agencies and individuals alike as a highly informed organization, knowledgeable in all aspects of the powered parachuting sport. NAPPF educates and supports powered parachute enthusiasts at all levels of experience.

The name "North American Powered Parachute Federation" was selected since it defines our membership and because FAA rules and regulations are not valid in other countries like they are in the United States and Canada. If NAPPF can get the approvals being worked for, other countries can then use these same rules under the ICAO bilateral agreements.

One purpose of the NAPPF is to work with the Federal Aviation Administration for rules and regulations that will considerably expand the allowed use of powered parachutes. In order to accomplish this effort, standards needed to be developed which would allow the FAA to produce regulations that would be approved for use by powered parachutes.

In 1996 NAPPF members developed the "Recreational Pilot Practical Test Standard for Powered Parachutes" which was accepted and published by the FAA in June of 1997 and is available from the government printing office. ( pub # FAA-S-8081-19)

NAPPF members have been working closely with the FAA for several years now to produce the Powered Parachutes Airworthiness Standards.

The manufacturing members of the NAPPF have made considerable safety and operational improvements as a result of the standards for manufacture that NAPPF is working on with the FAA.

Since 1993 when the FAA formed the ARAC part 103 working group to look into possible changes to part 103 and how to handle two place and fat ultralight operations, NAPPF has been there to protect the privileges that part 103 has given us ( virtually unrestricted flying of 103 legal vehicles ). NAPPF has been working for reasonable changes to the ultralight rules and to avoid any adverse changes.

Currently, NAPPF is involved in developing standards with the FAA which would allow the unrestricted usage of powered parachutes up to four seats and a maximum of 2700 pounds empty weight with a standard FAA pilot certificate specifically for powered parachutes. These changes would allow the use of powered parachutes for commercial purposes as well as unrestricted passenger carriage. In order to accomplish this NAPPF must prove to the FAA that these standards are as safe as FAR Part 23 standards for general aviation aircraft. As an update - the standards for powered parachute pilots have been prepared by the FAA and are ready for release as soon as the standards for the vehicle are approved. The current schedule from the FAA is that the vehicle standards will be published for public comment in July of this year.

ARAC part 103 Working Group Report

By Dan Thompson to the NAPPF membership on 09/05/98

ARAC = Aviation Rule-making Advisory Committee

For the past five years the ARAC part 103 Working Group whose members represent virtually all of the Ultralight and Light Plane manufactures, all of the national organizations such as NAPPF, EAA, AOPA, USUA, ASC, many others and the FAA have been trying to find a way to legally fly Two Place and Fat Ultralights for sport and recreation. In the first three years not much was accomplished as each group wanted to modify FAR part 103 differently and as a group we could not agree. It also became clear that the FAA was NOT willing to modify part 103 and IF we did, we would lose part 103 as we know it today and probably need a pilot’s license.

About two years ago the group decided to look into other ways of attaining our goal and decided to propose new rule making. The FAA was very open to this idea. After many trips to Washington and many long hard hours of working things out with all the members, we started to draft our first NPRM ( Notice of Proposed Rule Making ). There have been many changes to the document through the course of time and we are up to draft number eleven which has been sent to the FAA for its preliminary examination. We should hear back from the FAA soon and we will likely need to make some small changes.

This new rule would create an umbrella under which the FAA can administratively establish new pilot ratings for various types of small light flying machines that exist now or in the future, without the need for new rule making, which can take years to accomplish.

The highlights for these new Sport Pilot ratings are:

One advantage of registering your two place as an experimental home built is that it opens airports for your use. Another is you can give rides and fly it legally.

The exemption will be around for a long time to come but the FAA will be looking at those operations much more closely in the future.

Recommend reading, April 1998 Ultraflight magazine article by Jim Stephenson on page 53.

NAPPF members have been briefed on the standards that are being worked on at each BFI seminar and Refresher clinic ( both ASC and EAA ) that has been held for the past three years. Comments and suggestions have been received and have been incorporated into the proposed standards. In most cases, the length of time involved in working with the FAA on any project is such that to publish regular updates on a web site would be confusing and unacceptable. NAPPF is involved with the EAA exemption also, not just ASC. Any possible avenue of relief for powered parachute pilots is seriously considered by NAPPF.

NAPPF has the goal of working for approvals which "will NOT" affect any of the options that we now have, but, will provide additional paths of operation by powered parachutes.

Another project that is just getting started is to receive approval from the FAA to allow agricultural operations with powered parachutes under certain conditions.

Membership is open to individuals, companies and corporations who affirm the objects and established standards of the Federation.

Membership is on an annual basis.

A Board of Directors is elected by the membership.

The Board of Directors consists of fourteen (14) elected Directors, nine (9) of which are regional Directors and five (5) of which are elected at-large, as well as one (1) Director appointed by each eligible manufacturer. A maximum of 5 (five) votes will be apportioned among the eligible manufacturers appointees.

The Board of Directors elect a President, Vice-President, Secretary and Treasurer from the members of the Board of Directors who will then serve as the Board and Federation officers. These officers will perform their duties prescribed by the bylaw, operating procedures and policies adopted by NAPPF.

Officers serve for one year or until their successors are elected. Their term of office begins at the close of the annual meeting at which they are elected.

Funding and Disbursements:

NAPPF receives $7.50 per member from the ASC. After modest expenses are covered and a small amount is set aside for continued operations the bulk of the Federations income is turned back to the membership in the form of competition awards ( $4500.00 in 1998 )

NAPPF’s relationship to ASC:

The agreement between NAPPF and ASC establishes the basis for the NAPPF and the ASC to develop and maintain joint activities and programs by which the two organizations and the ultralight community may mutually benefit through the use and sharing of capabilities and for the provision of services which contributes to both organization’s goals and missions. NAPPF and ASC work jointly to improve ultralight training and safety.

Also, ASC provides membership and operating services to NAPPF.

Some history:

In February of 1994 Mel Blaise who had started the USPPA attended the USUA annual meeting and had been lead to believe that his request to operate two place Powered Parachutes under the USUA exemption would be received favorably and that Powered Parachute instructors could join USUA and operate under their exemption. However when it came up on the floor it was denied with the explanation that USUA was a fixed wing organization and had no knowledge concerning Powered Parachutes.

Until a year or so ago the EAA would only allow their CFI's to train in a fixed wing ultra light. Due to the efforts of a PPC manufacturer and some great EAA members, EAA now has a Powered Parachute program. They also use the Unified Practical Test Standards as published by ASC. As of this date both ASC and EAA have the same requirements of 25 hours of instruction and logged flight time before starting on the 10-hour instruction for the instructor rating. ( Yes EAA did increase the requirements for fixed wing instructors and have UFI and

UFIE ratings.) Please note, the total of 35 hours is more than is needed to produce a competent and safe Powered Parachute instructor, as those of you who teach on a regular basis know.

In October of 1994 a three-day meeting was finally arranged in Chicago with the major manufacturers and industry leaders. At this meeting various ways were discussed for operating two place units. There were two good possibilities, 1- draft a NPRM and send it to the FAA, which was agreed to and carried out, and 2- Jim Stephenson had just formed the ASC and was actively petitioning the FAA for an exemption to FAR part 103 for two place trainers.

In May on 1995 the FAA issued exemption # 6080 to the ASC. All exemptions are for a two-year period and then must be renewed by the FAA. The exemption holder is responsible for enforcement of the conditions and terms under which the exemption was issued and for reporting to the FAA every six months. ( please note that USUA recommended that the FAA grant an exemption to ASC, [per John Ballentine])

MOST OF THE RULES AND REGULATIONS THAT GOVERN US ARE FROM PART 103 AND ALL ARE MANDATED BY THE FAA, WE ARE OPERATING UNDER AN EXEMPTION TO PART 103 AND WITHIN A VERY NARROW SCOPE.

The enforcement of the exemption rules is solely the responsibility of the ASC as the holder of the exemption, and if they do not enforce the rules they will lose the exemption and we all lose a way to fly two place machines! NAPPF members may be requested to serve on the peer review committee based on their being members of ASC. All powered parachute members of ASC are also considered members of NAPPF.

The ASC:

The Aero Sports Connection (ASC) was founded in 1994 as a 501(c)4 Michigan corporation. ASC is dedicated to serving ultralight enthusiasts of all types by fostering and encouraging participation, training and safe access to the world of ultralight aviation. ASC support office is located in Marshall, MI. Membership to ASC is open to all who wish to join and participate. ASC is led by a Board of Directors which is elected by the membership. The ASC has developed materials and resources which helps it in attaining its mission to educate ultralight pilots and enthusiasts at all levels of experience by offering numerous seminars and training programs.

Membership dues: $40.00 annually. Distribution, $7.50 to NAPPF, $20.00 magazine subscription and $12.50 for organizational and operational expenses.

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To answer a few questions from the web.

>If NAPPF is so concerned about PPC flight safety how come they

>never bothered to:

1 - have a voice in our newsgroup;

2 - contributed to the Powerchutes.com web site.

3 - institute a PPC incident data base.

We are too few and we are all volunteers holding down a regular job and more.

To those of you out there who have taken an active and responsible roll in our sport to help in the ways indicated above, we all thank you.

Someone on the web said that those inclined to devote their time and talents toward management and legal affairs should create a section of the site that is entirely given to what rules are necessary and keeping us informed of such things and make it interactive, that we may all participate.

Well... I have wondered how someone gets to be a UFI or BFI without knowing the rules. First, we operate under part 103 so we all should know those rules, if we are just pilots our instructor should have taught us or we could have read them in any one of a dozen publications. Second, if we are talking about two place operations then we would have to have learned all the rules to become an instructor so we could operate under one of the two exemptions!

That same someone also said:

If there are those, who wish to organize competitions, let them develop a section

(with web pages) that is devoted to this activity and broaden it's fairness to include all parts of the globe.

A very good idea but it seems as thought no one wants to organize competitions. Only NAPPF and a hand full of others have done so, so far. Why hasn’t someone organized events in every state? It would be a good thing to do and fun for everyone. (It is a lot of work and you don’t get to do any of the flying, but you do feel good about it.)

One thing though, we should all operate the same events with the same rules so everyone is judged the same, the winner could compete in the Nationals. NAPPF would be happy to supply a copy of our events to anyone interested.

Consider forming a local ASC or EAA club. A lot of the concerns we all have about training and safety can be addressed locally and it’s a good way to improve everyone’s flying.

Another question was:

What influence did the NAPPF exert on Joe Albanese to insure, further, or promote

manufacturing excellence? Maybe some one could tell us what he’s talking about but remember that we are not an enforcement organization and have no legal power over a manufacturer in the USA and certainly not over a Canadian manufacturer.

In closing let me introduce my self, my name is Dan Thompson and I am the current President of the NAPPF. Many of you know me but for those who do not I am one of the originators of the Powered Parachute and have been designing and building them since 1981 ( We introduced the ParaPlane in 1983 ) I do not consider my self to be the best pilot, just good. I do not pretend to know all the answers but have helped a lot of people with their questions. I DO FEEL A RESPONSIBILITY TO THE SPORT AND THE INDUSTRY! And I do try to give something back. I very much enjoy going to PPC fly-in’s and just being another pilot and seeing all the ways they help each other no matter what brand of machine they fly. I like to see the many ways people have personalized their Powered Parachutes and the pride they take in them. I have trained many dealers and instructors over the years and get a great deal of personal satisfaction from it and maybe even more in knowing how dam good many of them have become.

My workday and life do not leave me with the time to enjoy the List myself but a few friends do forward items of greater interest to me.

Thank you all for you time in this matter.