Rich guys and small airplanes.. I don't get it?

[trumad]

John Jr.... Walton... You're multi-millionaires, Billionaires... why not be safe and let the experts fly. I guess they thought they were invincible.

[mopaul]

1. ultra lights are little more than kites

moron, he could've afforded a good one with his 18 billion

[bloom]

2. Probably makes life more exiting...eom

[Rick Myers]

3. Especially ultralights!!!

MoPaul is right, they are just big kites with a weedwhacker engine. If I was worth 18 billion, I'd find some safer pursuits.

[Ready4Change]

19. I've flown ultralights, 4 seat single engine aircraft.

Taken many trips in jetliners too, of course.

All 3 are completely different worlds.

Jetliners are, statistically, the safest means of human travel ever created. Bar none. Hmmm. Maybe not compared to walking, but I'm not 100% sure even about that. Boring.

Private aircraft (Cessnas, for example) are statistically more dangerous than driving cars. Personally, I feel safer when I'm flying that driving, simply because there isn't some unknown, possibly drunk, possibly stoned, possibly cell phone distraction moron next to me/tailgating me/slamming on his brakes ahead of me for no reason whatsoever. Lot of fun flying these things.

Ultralights are one of the purest forms of human flight there is. About the closest a human can get to being a bird. That said, statistically, they are more dangerous (to their pilots) than private aircraft. Due to their lightweight construction they pose must less of a risk to people/property on the ground, which is why they are less regulated than other aircraft types. I've met airline pilots who, when they retired, took up flying ultralights.

From the articles, sounds like Walton was an pretty experienced pilot. Like to know what caused this. The pictures look like it struck the ground nearly vertically, which could be structural failure or maybe a stall/spin accident.

Hate to see that.

[uppityperson]

4. Ultralights are cool toys.

More money, more expensive toys. Still toys. Actually I think ultralights are really cool, way dangerous but would be fun.

[havocmom]

12. Way dangerous under normal conditions.

Near the Tetons can have some strange winds come up. Maybe the Four Grandmothers swatted him outta the sky like an irritating gnat.

[Ready4Change]

18. Mountain winds not to be messed with.

Someday I'd like to fly across the USA. Part of that would include mountain flying instruction, and a couple extra weeks incase the weather wasn't just right.

Gotta know your limitations.

[napi21]

5. I don't think it has anything to do with $$.

This guy could have had almost any plane he wanted. It's different than that. Some people just want to do something themselves. Something that defies reality. I'm not exactly sure why, but it sure isn't only this guy.

Some die. I guess it's just the ability to say I did it!

[ComerPerro]

6. Thrillseekers?

[DS1]

7. Don't forget rich guys driving themselves

[quiet.american]

8. Boys and their toys.

If they can afford it, they probably figure, why not?

[Ready4Change]

9. Ultralight?

Who died in an ultralight recently?

[lectrobyte]

16. John Walton, of the WalMart Waltons. nt

[Coyote_Bandit]

10. John Walton used to be a crop duster

Not exactly the safest or dullest of professions. That was after he returned from a voluntary tour of 'Nam as an Army medic. Yes, WallyWorld is a dangerous and immoral conglomerate. But give this guy a break. He is after all an heir not a founder and until recently he was the least involved of all the Walton kids in the family business. And the most involved in philanthropic work.

[Kraklen]

11. I'd build an ultralight if I could afford it.

Or maybe a gyrocopter or something similar.

They look like a lot of fun.

[jasop]

13. Its called being "accidented" similar to "suicided"...

[mahatmakanejeeves]

14. "I guess they thought they were invincible."

I disagree. I drive a motorcycle. I don't drive one because I think I'm invincible, but because I want to drive a motorcycle. I can think of a lot of things I like about motorcycles, but the best thing is that a motorcycle is not anything like a car.

[trumad]

17. I'd rather crash on a motorcycle than a plane.

[OldLeftieLawyer]

15. Donald Davenport Engen

He and his buddy died when their glider broke apart.

He was one of the nicest men in the world, and made the Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC the incredible place it is today.

He was the father of my best friend in college.

http://tinyurl.com/7a74o

[mahatmakanejeeves]

22. I recall that now.

Speaking (in another post) of crashing a bike vs. crashing an ultralight:

My first motorcycle helmet was a Bell. At the time, Bell included a $5,000 insurance payoff in the event that you died of a head injury while wearing a Bell helmet. The policy specifically excluded use while flying an ultralight. So, to Bell's way of thinking, driving a bike is OK, but flying an ultralight is too much of a risk.

Nonetheless, I still wouldn't mind flying one. Where I lived and where I worked at the time, I figured that commuting by ultralight would be the best commute of all time. I never put that belief into practice.

[Obamarama]

20. In the case of Walton, I'd like to think of it as a Darwinism.

At least John Jr. was flying a REAL bonafide airplane, not something powered by a lawnmower engine. It's too bad he died, but anyone who trusts their lives to ultra-light aircraft can't be the brightest bulb on the string.

[Ezlivin]

21. As a pilot...

Many commercial airline pilots fly ultralights.

Flying a big heavy is similar to driving a bus and about as much fun.

Flying an ultralight is true flying and is as fun as hell.

The size or complexity of the aircraft is no indication of the pilot's skill or IQ.

[Obamarama]

23. As an aviation enthusiast (non-pilot)....

I would say you are correct on all points. :-) I agree that an ultralight in the hands of a commercial pilot, or a well-trained private pilot, is probably pretty safe.

I just think there are likely a lot of unqualified people out there flying around in ultralights. They are the ones that I think get snatched up by "survival of the fittest." I have no idea whether Walton was a licensed pilot or not, but I thought my initial post just sounded like a better approach than saying "no use in crying over spilled milk" re: the demise of a major shareholder of the Evil Retail Empire. :-)

[Ezlivin]

24. In the hands of a skilled pilot

When I was getting my ticket punched (earning my Pilot's license), I found out that many would-be pilots simply purchased aircraft and flew them anyway. As long as they weren't involved in any incidents, the FAA wouldn't know what they were doing.

Ultralight aircraft were a magnet to non-pilots because you could take a few hours of training and then purchase a single-seater ultralight. It is legal to fly an ultralight that is 300 pounds or lighter without having a pilot's license.

When I was looking into building my own light aircraft, one of my requirements was that it had the ability to have a ballistic parachute rescue system (http://www.brsparachutes.com/). They can save your life when things go wrong.