SUMMIT

a preview

The SUMMIT has landed in Australia!

Congratulations to Rob De Groot, on his obtaining the Australian dealership of Summit. Summit offers a whole new perspective on powered parachuting.

Ian Oldman offers his views of this new aircraft...

Australian Powered Parachutes

The SUMMIT is likely the newest aircraft in Australia. Australian dealer Rob De Groot, from Australian Powered Parachutes, says this aircraft will take powered parachuting to a whole new level.

The aircraft is soon to be certified in Australia, so as yet can not take passengers, but my name is first on the list for a ride in the sky in the Summit.

The first thing you notice, sitting in the passenger seat, is comfort. Individual seating in custom upholstered seats provides Cadillac style luxury. The second thing is low noise level. Communications between pilot and passenger are extremely clear, with very little engine noise being transmitted through the headsets.

Visibility is another big plus with the Summit. When you look down, left or right, you see ... the ground! From the Pilots seat visibility is ... well... excellent all round, and Rob says the instrument pod is an optional extra which, if removed would afford even more forward visibility! What a bonus for the photograhic quotient!

The passenger seat offers a feeling of enclosure and safety whilst the pilot chair is right up there at the pinnacle! Steering with foot controls is going to be interesting to come to terms with, and the throttle is controlled by hand. A steering yoke allows taxiing on the ground.

Wide wheels and rear suspension offer a very comfortable ground roll. The canopy is HUGE and allows the carriage of a payload of around 300 kilograms.

Check back for a full report of a Summit flight and more photos after it's certification in June 2007. Meanwhile, check out the AustralianPPC and the Summit (Canada) websites for more information.
I somehow think I will be agreeing with Rob when he says "flight in the Summit is just AWESOME!"

Keep watch for the SUMMIT Release date to be announced soon.