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Western Sport Pilot Association LLC "Its all About the Flying"
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Who Are We?
Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.
The Western Sport Pilot Association LLC was formed originally as the Western Powered Parachute Association in 2004 primarily to create an organization to manage the Western Regional Powered Parachute Championships. This event was the first formal powered parachute competition in the Pacific Northwest and drew 25 final participants.
As the sport of powered parachuting continued to grow we recognized the need for an organization focused on supporting the ever-increasing number of participants. The mission of the WPPA was therefore expanded beyond the single championship of 2004. That same year the FAA Sport Pilot rule was adopted. And our organization grew to respond to the needs of well over a hundred pilots who required support in their transition to sport pilot.
In 2010 the WPPA recognized the value of connecting with other organizations, pilots and instructors who are flying other category and classes of light sport aircraft. The structure and organizational philosophy of the WPPA was already proven successful and a decision was made to “do business as” the Western Sport Pilot Association.
The Western Sport Flying Association now has affiliate staff members that include:
- FAA Certified Flight Instructors, Sport Pilot Powered Parachute, Weight Shift and Airplane
- FAA Designated Pilot and Instructor Examiners
- An FAA Designated Airworthiness Representative
- FAA Repairmen with Maintenance Ratings for Light Sport Aircraft
We provide training from introductory lessons through the FAA Certified Instructor course and private pilot ratings in all categories. Our flying is year-round in some of the most beautiful areas in the Western United States.
The Western Sport Pilot Association is affiliated with EAA Ultralight Chapter #127. This EAA chapter was formed, partly with the leadership of the WPPA, to provide social support to over two hundred powered parachute pilots who fly predominantly in the Pacific Northwest.
Where Are We Located?
Flying in the Most Beautiful Areas of the Pacific Northwest
Our primary training facilities include Arlington, Chelan, Quincy, Spokane and Vancouver Washington. We have affiliates and training locations in California, Utah, Arizona, Idaho and Montana. The Seattle Flight Training Center where we conduct our accelerated training courses is located at the Arlington Airport, Arlington, Washington. The airport is located at the foot of the Pacific Cascade Mountains and situated just east of the shores of Puget Sound.
Arlington is conveniently located about ½ Hour north of Seattle Washington. The airport has a dedicated ultralight area that provides wide open areas in which to safely train. The surrounding area provides incredible territory to fly over and you will certainly enjoy your cross-country training with flights to Puget Sound and back.
The Seattle Powerchutes Flight Center is situated directly in front of the ultralight field. This makes managing our training even more convenient for everyone. There is no need to haul equipment anywhere. We just open the hangar doors each morning and begin your training experience.
If you want to camp out at the airport, please let us know ahead of time so we can reserve you a space. Check out the following pages of information and explore the active links for lodging and other information about the airport and surrounding areas.
The Central Washington Powered Parachutes LLC manages the training facility at Twin Firs Turf Farm in Quincy, Washington. This farm is the location of the annual Memorial Day Powered Parachute Rally and offers flying from groomed turf circles. Quincy is conveniently located for Central and Eastern Washington students.The facility is just thirty minutes east of Wenatchee, Washington. Dry RV camping is available on the site, during the course of your instruction.
Western Sport Pilot Association LLC also offers the accelerated class out of two locations in the Portland-Vancouver area. One is Camas Grove Airport, located about fifteen minutes east of Vancouver. The second is Lendhardt field located about thirty minutes southeast of the city of Portland, Oregon.
This location serves students in the local area and on site camping is not available at either of these airfields.
Weight Shift training is available at any of these locations, but is primarily conducted by Clyde Poser from his home airfield in Buckley, Washington or by Rob Lyons out of the Chelan, Washington Airport
Our light sport airplane category training is offered through Seattle Powerchutes LLC in Arlington, Washington or Bonneville Skybase in Granatsville, Utah.
Much of our training is “mobile”. Our instructors are present at events throughout the Pacific Northwest and beyond. And they coordinate with our EAA UL Chapter 127 to insure that training is available at nearly all of our events.
Check out our Photos, Videos and Calendar on Shutterfly
Listen to an update on the sport in the Pacific Northwest
Doug Maas, Six Chuter West
WPPA On Powered Sport Flying Radio
The Great Northwest has been a hotbed of powered parachute activity for almost 20 years. Doug Maas from Six Chuter shares some of the news with us from that part of the world. There are changing challenges, new aircraft models, and more to talk about. Six Chuter West (11/16/10)
Stephen Brandon, California Powered Parachute
Finally a flight instructor has a LODA (Letter of Deviation Authority) so that he can provide flight training in an Experimental Light Sport Aircraft (E-LSA) Powered Parachute. We talk with Stephen Brandon who flies and trains in Northern California about how he worked with the Oakland FSDO so that he could continue flying and training. California Powered Parachute (11/30/10)
Watch a cool video of actual first solo experience with wppa