Rob Henrekin flying in his powered parachute the morning of July 12. Being a resident of Kozy Korner since 1985, he loves the opportunity to experience the country he loves from the air. He said nearly every time he flies near the Blackfoot-Clearwater Game Range, he sees an elk cow and calf nursery herd. "They don't care," said Henrekin. "Stuff like that is so cool to see."
Rob Henrekin smiles as he carefully packs up his parachute following the demonstration flight for the Pathfinder that lasted around five minutes. "I don't need much of an excuse to get out and fly," said Henrekin.
Henrekin meticulously checking his parachute lines to ensure there are no tangles or twists that would prevent his parachute from opening properly. He takes off and lands into the wind. The powered parachute fits in his enclosed trailer so he can take it anywhere.
Rob Henrekin's photos of his view flying over Upsata Lake last fall. While he said he doesn't need any instruments to fly, he uses an altimeter, temperature gauges, hour/RPM tachometer and a GPS mounted to tell him his ground speed. He also carries a DeLorme inReach that allows a message to be sent in case of emergency where he doesn't have cell service.
The view flying around Upsata Lake last winter. Henrekin flies year round and has built a pair of aluminum skis that fit over the wheels of his cart. He thinks flying in the winter is actually safer because "I've got all kinds of landing spots."
bWOODWORTH – "Clear prop," said Rob Henrekin as he pulled his Kawasaki 440 engine to life on his powered parachute. The morning was cool July 12 as the sun rose above the mountains. Henrekin put on his helmet, strapped himself in and in less than 15 seconds was air borne.
"This country is just fascinating to me. The part that is the most fun is flying over this country during a beautiful morning like this," said Henrekin who has lived on Woodworth Road since 1985. "Even though it is a motor, it is so peaceful to be up there by yourself floating around. I just love it."
Henrekin said ever since he was a child he has always wanted to fly something. He could not afford an airplane and never pursued flight lessons.
Last summer he was introduced to a powered parachute while attending a taxidermist gathering in Libby, Mont.
"For whatever reason I was just enthralled with it," said Henrekin.
After doing online research and contacting Doug Mass, owner of Six Chuter International Powered Parachutes in Wenachee, Wash., Henrekin decided to make the purchase even though he had never ridden in one. He was originally going to have Six Chuter build it for him but decided to purchase the kit and build it himself because it was significantly cheaper.
"As it turned out I was really glad I did because I know every bolt on it now and I'm very, very familiar with how it is put together," said Henrekin.
In June 2017 he picked up the airframe and assembled it in about a week. He purchased the rest of the powered parachute in parts to make it more affordable. Henrekin estimated it took him less than two months to have it flyable.
"It was pretty easy to put together but I was having so much fun putting it together, every spare minute I had I was working on it," said Henrekin.
It cost Henrekin $12,000 which included training. He met with Mark Martin, Certified Flight Instructor out of Arlington, Wash. in Sandpoint, Idaho for around 10 hours of instruction. Instruction included information on take off, landing, layout of the wing, preflight checks, weather and everything in between.
"Part of the purchase price goes towards training and instruction to try to prompt you to do that," said Henrekin who added that because the powered parachute is considered an ultralight under the Federal Aviation Administration parameters, formal training or a license is not required to fly. "I ended up paying him extra to train me more. That was probably the best money I spent."
While Henrekin said it is very simple to fly, "but as soon as you leave the ground, there is an inherent risk of flying. Mark says you can take off anytime but landing is mandatory."
After his first flight Henrekin knew he had found a new passion.
"The uniqueness of this machine and simplicity of it [is what hooked me]," said Henrekin. "I just like poking around in it and flying locally."
The machine weighs 250 pounds including fuel. Henrekin said it usually takes less than 200 feet to take off and land but he like to have about 500 feet of airstrip as a buffer.
Henrekin said the average speed is around 30 miles per hour flying between 500-1200 feet. He has flown as slow as 16 miles per hour and as fast as 40 miles per hour depending on the wind.
Henrekin explained the throttle doesn't make the machine fly faster because of the way the wing is designed. When the pilot gives it throttle, it creates thrust pushing the cart forward under the parachute and increases the angle on the pitch of the parachute causing it to climb. When the pilot lets off the gas it changes the pitch on the chute making it go down.
"It's very responsive, but it is far from as responsive as an airplane. That is all part of the learning curve, when to give it throttle, how much drift you have until you are going to get to the spot you are going to land at but it is so much fun figuring that stuff out."
Henrekin said the weather and the range are the two biggest limitations for the powered parachute.
He flies in early morning and late evening because the wind is calm. While he can fly in ground winds 8-10 miles per hour anything higher gets "dicey."
"If it is too windy you just don't go. I'm very, very conservative with when and where I'm flying," said Henrekin. "I don't take any chances."
The air density is another component of the atmosphere that affects the performance of the powered parachute. When there is a high-density altitude and the air is thin, there is less horsepower and less lift.
"It is a double whammy. I could hit a point where I can't climb anymore," said Henrekin. "I've never hit that but if I flew in the middle of the day I would."
The powered parachute is also limited in its range and how high it can fly. With only five gallons of fuel, Henrekin has an hour and half of flight time.
Henrekin said the powered parachute's safety record was appealing versus the powered paragliders. Because the pilot sits in a cart with wheels, he is not depending on his legs as landing gear and the airframe creates a roll cage. Even if the motor quits, Henrekin maintains all steering control. He just can't go up. His rule of thumb, "Don't fly [over] anything you don't want to land on and if you do, make sure you are high enough that you can glide to somewhere that you can land."
Henrekin called fences, powerlines and trees his "biggest enemies" because there is nothing in front of him. However, after logging nearly 40 hours of flight time, he has never once been scared.
Henrekin is starting the process to get his sports pilot license. This would allow him to fly a two-seater so he could share the experience with others since right now it is a solo activity.
"It is so cool being open and exposed," said Henrekin. "It really is flying by the seat of your pants. There is nothing like it."
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