The lack of portability ( hi hangar costs ) killed ULs imop

[Gregory Perkins]

In all the urban area concentrations of the population, a year of hangar costs began to exceed the market value of most ultralights and folding wings allowing storage in portable hangars (trailers) could have solved the problem but not enough UL mfgrs stepped up to provide the solution. That I think is what really opened the door to Trikes.

 

[stevel]

I think the lack of legal dual training options in planes that even remotely resemble ultralights had a much bigger role in the demise of ULs.

 

[TFF]

I think there is a whole bunch of additive reasons, one I think is novelty.

When Pt103 first was legal, a lot of the crowd would be base jumpers today. I think there was a special lure of being dangerous. Danger has moved on. Kind of like the most interesting man in the world commercials. I have a friend that loves to hash 70s tales, multi ratings, scuba, photo dark room, travel, dating. If I knew it wouldn’t blow his ego, I would be cracking those jokes.

I think some is just pining for the old days of adventure.

I think the little UL airport here tuned into a semi private RC field because of insurance. That was well over ten years ago. There were two hangars and about two dozen ULs in there. The last flying UL not at Oshkosh was 8-10 years ago, a Weedhopper. I helped a friend build a Legal Eagle, but he sold it right before cover. Only thing it needed that he did not have was a prop. He got rid of airplane stuff except his RV.

 

[Victor Bravo]

Kolb Firefly meets all UL rules, folds up within the width of the tires, has very good performance. A few small upgrades makes it a real airplane.

 

[Turd Ferguson]

1982-3 there were ~20,000 ultralights in the US and ~60 ultralight manufacturers. ABC News program 20/20 does an expose called "Ultralights: Flying or Dying" shows graphic video of occupant being ejected from a Pterodactyl Ascender followed by a wing folding up and the industry was decimated.
It was a good time to get a deal on a used ultralight. Or an ultralight company.

 

[Protech Racing]

My plane will fold to 8 ft wide and have a tow bar on the rudder post.