What is one danger to watch out for in a weight shift controlled ultralight aircraft in which either an intentional dive or turbulence causes the nose to pitch suddenly downward?
A) In most ultralight aircraft, the engines cannot be restarted in flight, so engine shutdowns should only be done over a safe landing area.
B) The resulting downward pitch can be too sudden and severe to allow for a proper flare if a power reduction is made below a certain altitude, which can be well over 20 feet above the ground.
C) The downward pitch can be sudden enough to lift the pilot out of his or her harness, and by definition, it is impossible to shift your center of gravity when you no longer “have” any…making it impossible for the pilot to recover from the resulting dive. (Some high thrust line ultralights could be prone to the same problem, but the dive could become even more steep, worsened by the presence of added thrust.)
D) both A and B
Answer: The correct answer is ‘C’.
