Trike Sport Pilot

Fulfill Your Dream to Fly a Trike

Flying Trike is the closest you will come to flying like a bird.  Comparing a Trike to a 3-axis airplane is like comparing a motorcycle to a car.

A trike is a weight shift controlled aircraft with a flex wing.

The trike actually hangs below the wing on a swivel block. On the ground the pilot moves the wing to the left, right, nose up and nose down by moving the control bar. In flight everything changes as the wing is controlled by the movement of the trike. This is called Weight Shift Control.

In flight the pilot shifts the trike's weight left, right, fore and aft of the center point and the wing responds to the trikes movement.

The training required to fly a trike is 15 hours of dual instruction and 5 hours of solo flight before the student pilot can take the Sport Pilot exam.

If a student holds a Sport Pilot rating in a different category of Light Sport Aircraft the student is required to log 5 hours of dual flight instruction in the Weight Shift Control category. After completion a log book entry will be added by the CFI. At that point the student will also hold a WSC Sport Pilot rating.

Get the feel of what it is like to fly like a bird with an introductory flight. Only then will you know if flying a Light Sport Aircraft called a Trike is for you. A typical introductory flight will have you airborne for about 20 minutes. During this time you will experience the complete freedom that our feathered friends have known for millions of years. You will experience the thrill of lift-off and the amazing ability of the Trike's rate of climb. Your instructor, Dale Kerner, will then do a low pass over the airfield to give you a chance to wave at your friends that are bound to the earth's surface. Next you will climb to a more normal flight altitude to a location suitable for low level maneuvers. Once there, Dale will descend to about 20 feet above the ground where you will experience what it is like to go 4-wheeling without the bumps. After a few S-turns Dale will begin to climb to a higher altitude where you will  have the  viewpoint of an eagle. At that point Dale will ask if you want to soar like an eagle. If you answer "Yes", Dale will shut off the engine and you will begin to  soar. You will be amazed at how quiet flight can be and the slow rate the Trike descends. In fact, as you approach the airfield Dale will enter into a series of S-turns to burn off altitude for your final approach to the runway with no power from the engine. The Trike will float down to the runway and all you will hear is the rush of air passing the surface of the wing. Then you will feel a gentle touch down and Dale will let the Trike's remaining energy roll to a stop at the point where your adventure started.  Your introductory flight will be a tremendously exhilarating experience, one you will want to do again and again until you can do it all by yourself.