Power hang glider kauai license#

The micro-light ‘trike’ (as this type of aircraft is known) provides the experience of hang gliding while also being capable of flying in a wider range of weather conditions. This micro-light aircraft features a hang gliding wing and weight shift operation, very much like a traditional hang glider, but powered by a reliable 912cc 4-cycle Rotax aircraft engine. We do this by offering interactive flight lessons using an Airborne XT 912. The National Transportation Safety Board is currently investigating the crash.At Hang Gliding Maui, we are dedicated to the preservation of the sport of Hang Gliding by offering powered hang gliding flights for the first time pilot as well as those with experience.

Charlebois was found to have committed violations including “careless or reckless operation,” lacking a flight plan, and failing to check if there was enough fuel on board for that 2010 flight. The FAA warning came in the wake of several fatalities during the previous few years.Īnother FAA safety meeting was held with Charlebois and the other operators in 2013.Īccording to the Birds In Paradise website, the company offers flying lessons of varying lengths that range from introductory to advanced along with “breathtaking” views of the island.Īccording to the FAA, Charlebois had his pilot’s licence suspended for 90 days following a minor crash on Kauai in April 2010 involving the same type of power glider he was flying with McKenzie before Tuesday’s fatal crash. According to information from the FAA, commercial operators of these aircraft may use them for flight instruction but not for sightseeing purposes, and in 2011 operators on the island - including Charlebois - were given a warning after it was found some operators were “trying to get around the air tour prohibition by offering scenic flights under the guise of ‘introductory flight instruction’.” Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) as a Light Sport Aircraft (LSA) consisting of an open metal frame, hang glider-type wings and an engine, has been the subject of some controversy on the island. The commercial use of the aircraft, described by the U.S.

Power hang glider kauai license#

The McKenzie family were not ready to speak about the incident at the Pickering home Friday.Ĭharlebios, the founder of Birds In Paradise, a Kauai-based company offering introductory flying lessons, once had his flying license suspended following a minor crash in 2011. “I can’t talk to anybody right now - I’m sorry,” she said. “(She) said, ‘I’m so glad the kids didn’t see what happened to their father.” “He was a family man, (and) there was nothing more important than his wife and his children.,” said the neighbour, adding that she and McKenzie’s wife, Donna, had spoken Friday about what happened. Mark McKenzie, 53, was killed on Tuesday along with flight instructor Gerry Charlebois after the two-man power glider they were riding in crashed into a mountainside on the island of Kauai.Ī neighbour said McKenzie had been vacationing in Hawaii with his wife and two daughters when the crash happened. Manage Print Subscription / Tax ReceiptĪ Pickering man visiting Hawaii has been identified as one of two men killed in a power-glider crash.