Flying. The way it's supposed to be done.

When I was 21, I learned how to fly fixed-wing craft, starting with a Cessna 150 and then graduating - to Howard Harding's chagrin - to a PA-28 140. It was expensive, but fun. And I thought I enjoyed flying.

This morning, Val Larson - may the hair on his toes never fall out! - took me for a jaunt in his powered parachute.

What a hoot! To be able to skim over the ground a mere 2 feet above the cornstalks, or soar up to 900 feet of altitude at will, came close to what it must feel like to fly without mechanical assistance. Better than the "soaring" exhibit at Epcot...

This little craft is amazingly maneuverable, and much safer than a fixed-wing craft. Engine failure? Just pick a spot and glide down at a leisurely rate of descent.

Me want...