Go ultralight for an ultra flight experience
As cheeky as it might sound, I always wanted to soar in the sky and embrace the blue yonder with my arms wide open. My dramatic fancy may not have literally come true but my ultralight experience was probably the closest that I could have come to realizing my dream.
Ultralight, an exhilarating flight ranging from 15 to 90 minutes, yields an extra-ordinary7 flying experience as you hover around the sky in a two-seater mini-personalized aircraft. It was brought to Nepal in 1997 by Avia Club Nepal, the pioneer of various sports in the country, and ever since, the vogue for this invigorating flight has only elevated. One of the major attraction in Pokhara, ultralight has garnered a lot of attention from the local and international tourists in recent years.
Barun Gyawali, the manger of Avia Club shares, “If people can afford the time to trek for several days to unravel the beautiful villages around Pokhara, the n ultralight is the ultimate flight to try, sa it provides unpararelled views of mountains, lakes, trails and gives an ideal picture of natural beauty that our country beckons.”
The thrill of the cold breeze as the aircraft leaves the ground or the ecstasy of floating in the air while overlooking the divine Phewa Lake, exquisite village of Sarangkot, vibrant city of Pokhara or the holy World Peace Pagoda is just ineffable. As a novice passenger of ultralight, I was left awe-struck by the stunning landscapes as the aircraft took some height and marveled every second of it. But the ‘flight for fun’ of 15 minutes only left me craving for more.
Even gyawali agrees and says, “A 15-minute flight falls a little short, so at least a 30-minute ride is the must to experience the avain flight at its best.” Still, the adrenaline rush of flying high and witnessing the bustling world underneath was paramount, making those the most surreal 15 minutes of my life. So, if you are planning to indulge in a flight of fantasy, ultralight could be your perfect answer, given that you believe ‘sky is the limit’ and are not afraid of conquering heights. This one is sure to give you a lifetime experience of flying in the fanciest way, leaving you with a burning desire to re-visit the sky.
Safety Vows:
Ultralight takes the safety of its passengers very seriously and every aircraft consists of specialy designed glider to facilitate smooth landing, in case anything goes wrong with the engine. There is also an in-built ballistic parachutes system (BPS) to ensure extra safety if both the engine and glider are unable to operate. Thus, the risks are minimal.
Fact file
Best seasons: From October to December or From March to May
Operating time: From 6:00am to 10:00am in the morning and 3:00pm to sunset in the evening. The timings may vary subtly during the winter.
Flight Restriction: People having respiration illness are advised not to try the flight. Also, children under eight years of age and people weighing over 100kgs are not allowed to fly.
Picture facility: There is a recorder attached to the glider that shoots the entire video of the flight whereas another photo camera takes frequent snaps during the ride. The picture facility comes complimentary to locals for the time being whereas the tourists are required to pay an extra fee of Rs.2,000.
Money Talks
>15-minutes flight (goes upto 5,000 ft): 70 euros
> 30-minutes flight(goes upto 8,000 ft): 125 euros
> 60-minutes flight(goes upto 10,000 ft): 198 euros
> 90-minutes flight(goes upto 12,000 ft): 290 euros
*The prices are exclusive of the government aviationtax of Rs.200. Also, Nepalis are provided a 20 per cent discount of each flight price.
Avia club also has a training school for ultralight pilots. USD 17,000 is minimal compared to foreign centres and ensures an international level training.
Source: The Himalayan Times,Travel & Lifestyle, May-9-2013
As cheeky as it might sound, I always wanted to soar in the sky and embrace the blue yonder with my arms wide open. My dramatic fancy may not have literally come true but my ultralight experience was probably the closest that I could have come to realizing my dream.
Ultralight, an exhilarating flight ranging from 15 to 90 minutes, yields an extra-ordinary7 flying experience as you hover around the sky in a two-seater mini-personalized aircraft. It was brought to Nepal in 1997 by Avia Club Nepal, the pioneer of various sports in the country, and ever since, the vogue for this invigorating flight has only elevated. One of the major attraction in Pokhara, ultralight has garnered a lot of attention from the local and international tourists in recent years.
Barun Gyawali, the manger of Avia Club shares, “If people can afford the time to trek for several days to unravel the beautiful villages around Pokhara, the n ultralight is the ultimate flight to try, sa it provides unpararelled views of mountains, lakes, trails and gives an ideal picture of natural beauty that our country beckons.”
The thrill of the cold breeze as the aircraft leaves the ground or the ecstasy of floating in the air while overlooking the divine Phewa Lake, exquisite village of Sarangkot, vibrant city of Pokhara or the holy World Peace Pagoda is just ineffable. As a novice passenger of ultralight, I was left awe-struck by the stunning landscapes as the aircraft took some height and marveled every second of it. But the ‘flight for fun’ of 15 minutes only left me craving for more.
Even gyawali agrees and says, “A 15-minute flight falls a little short, so at least a 30-minute ride is the must to experience the avain flight at its best.” Still, the adrenaline rush of flying high and witnessing the bustling world underneath was paramount, making those the most surreal 15 minutes of my life. So, if you are planning to indulge in a flight of fantasy, ultralight could be your perfect answer, given that you believe ‘sky is the limit’ and are not afraid of conquering heights. This one is sure to give you a lifetime experience of flying in the fanciest way, leaving you with a burning desire to re-visit the sky.
Safety Vows:
Ultralight takes the safety of its passengers very seriously and every aircraft consists of specialy designed glider to facilitate smooth landing, in case anything goes wrong with the engine. There is also an in-built ballistic parachutes system (BPS) to ensure extra safety if both the engine and glider are unable to operate. Thus, the risks are minimal.
Fact file
Best seasons: From October to December or From March to May
Operating time: From 6:00am to 10:00am in the morning and 3:00pm to sunset in the evening. The timings may vary subtly during the winter.
Flight Restriction: People having respiration illness are advised not to try the flight. Also, children under eight years of age and people weighing over 100kgs are not allowed to fly.
Picture facility: There is a recorder attached to the glider that shoots the entire video of the flight whereas another photo camera takes frequent snaps during the ride. The picture facility comes complimentary to locals for the time being whereas the tourists are required to pay an extra fee of Rs.2,000.
Money Talks
>15-minutes flight (goes upto 5,000 ft): 70 euros
> 30-minutes flight(goes upto 8,000 ft): 125 euros
> 60-minutes flight(goes upto 10,000 ft): 198 euros
> 90-minutes flight(goes upto 12,000 ft): 290 euros
*The prices are exclusive of the government aviationtax of Rs.200. Also, Nepalis are provided a 20 per cent discount of each flight price.
Avia club also has a training school for ultralight pilots. USD 17,000 is minimal compared to foreign centres and ensures an international level training.
Source: The Himalayan Times,Travel & Lifestyle, May-9-2013
