Illinois Man Proves that Just About Anyone Can Fly – Kind Of

A flight by an Illinois man proves you're closer to being a pilot than you realized. His flight in an ultralight shows what's possible for a normal person with the right equipment and training.

According to the guy who shared the video, this flyer is Bob Karpinski. He's taken flight near or I should say over Valmeyer, Illinois. Watch him cruise along like a bird.

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Before you decide to go hook some wings and a lawnmower engine up to your go-cart, there are some things you need to know. First of all, this is freaking dangerous. Thanks to gravity, you could die. Now that I have that out of the way, there are some very doable steps provided by the EAA:

• There are no age requirements
• You need to find an EAA chapter near you
• Decide what kind of ultralight you want to fly (there are several variations)
• There are scholarships available to help you get the finances you need to get one
• You'll need to take training and register with the EAA

That's pretty much it. There is a very helpful sourcebook you can use as a resource, too.

Now, back to that YOU COULD DIE part. Watching Bob who is an experienced ultralight pilot, you can see the wind variations and thermals affecting him. If you're not trained and studied, one little gust here or there could result in tragedy.

My wife thinks this is a great idea. As for me, I'm embracing gravity and the ground I was born on. I will admit that videos like this make me wish I didn't have a fear of heights and was more adventurous though. What about you?