Yep. That scares me if I think about it. We have quite a few people flying ultralights ( essentially a parachute, a rotor, and an ICE engine) around here, and the slightest weather issue seems to ground them all. What if they had to qet to work or an appointment?
They would be falling from the skies, probably in my yard or something ...
Ultralights are very, very interesting. I've had a closer look recently doing research for another science fiction story.
I was seriously considering taking some lessons-- expensive, but not that insane. It does not take long to learn to fly them and you don't need to pass a medical. The problem-- for me, anyway-- is the single-stroke engine and reliability. Theoretically, sure-- they can be as reliable as any other aircraft engine... but that presupposes that you know your engine REALLY well, are keeping close track of the service life of all components, and that you mix your own gas (and start with very good gas to begin with.) That's a steep learning curve for someone my age (who is old enough to know how much he doesn't know, and how long it takes to learn it, and learn it absolutely cold.) And how much do I trust my partners if I split a plane with a few friends? How much do I trust a rental?
There are a few electric ultralights that are reasonably priced and already tested, such as the Merlin Lite at about 50 grand or the Aerolite 103. I think the electric power plant is probably MORE reliable, and safer overall-- okay, the max flying time is around 45 minutes to an hour, but Ultralight flying is for sport, not transportation (generally, though there are people who fly them cross country, though it's tricky, you have to fly over areas that are pretty much unpopulated.) And even with gas powered engine, they say most recreational flights are about 45 minutes long anyway.
That may not seem like much, but a typical surf session or eBike ride is about the same total duration. Even skiing, if you count time that you are actually in motion, a half day and 10 runs works out to about 50 minutes, at least at my age!
If I knew three people who were seriously interested in this who lived nearby, I'd consider splitting one (if I took lessons, liked it, and felt safe.) I think Art's point about weather is well taken, but again, I'm thinking of a sport aircraft. And the weather part of it is something I've started to learn already for body boarding and skiing-- you kind of have to be an amateur meteorologist if you want to do either of those sports and actually be able to get on the snow or in the water. So the learning curve on weather would not be as steep.
