Up and away

You're too chicken to jump out of a plane, but wouldn't mind experiencing the sensation of being suspended in mid-air by parachute. So why not try powered parachuting?

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Having staved off skydiving during your gap year, you've even skirted around plans for your best mate's stag-do upon one mention of the word ‘jump'. So far, asking the question'‘Why should I throw myself out of a perfectly good plane?'' has served you well.

But the curiousity that burns every time you watch slow motion videos of your girlfriend's skydive will soon cripple your small wimpish mind unless something's done. Powered parachuting will go some way to restoring a little respect.

The azure shores of Ras Al Khaimah, with its giant turtles, leaping stingrays, desert sands and the mountains of Oman as backdrop are all beauties best seen from above. But you won't fully appreciate them, with the wind in your hair and the sun on your back, on your bog-standard red-eye back to Blighty or wherever it is you woosies are from.

Your legs won't dangle in the same Fred Flintstone way and the panoramic views, all similarly experienced after the nasty part of a parachute jump, aren't otherwise matched.
With your iPod on and your head in the clouds this is the most liberating thing you could do without soiling a jumpsuit.

Sure, once you see the go-kart-like contraption, which looks like it's been put together by a group of young offenders forced into physics because sewing postbags was over-subscribed, you'll go through motions similar to that of someone about to board a Cessna with no intention of staying strapped in. Put it this way, toilets will suddenly become the most popular spot on the airfield.

You sit in a cage with wheels, with a giant fan strapped to the back. This, in turn inflates a parachute and within 100 feet you're flying. You hang from the chute like a pendulum, accelerating to go up, decelerating to go down. Pull the left chord to go left, right to go right. It's all very smooth and if the engine stalls, you glide down. So what could go wrong? Well apparently, pylons…

Cruising at 500 feet at 45km/h you're unlikely to get anywhere fast – or far, the tank can only carry three hours of fuel. But you can chase camels, skim dunes and have fun.

Apparently, these science-experiment creations have been taken up to 15,000 feet. You won't go that high though, unless of course you want to buy one, learn to fly it and take it up there yourself.

If you're that brave, then this craft is a wise choice. One of the cheapest and easiest means of learning to fly, a kid could effectively and in some states legally, put this together from scratch. At Dhs400 per one hour lesson it's cheap and lasts longer than any skydive, but if you're just doing it to reclaim an ounce of masculinity then it's still only Dhs250 for forty minutes.

The lowdown

Where to go: Jazirah Aviation Club (JAC) on the borderline of Umm Al Quwain and Ras Al Khaimah. Pass Dreamland Aqua Park on your left, continue for ten minutes. Head over a bridge, after this look out for a sign with a yellow plane on it, turn right. Forty minute flight experiences can be organised through Dreamdays on www.dreamdays.ae at Dhs250. Ring JAC on 07-2446416 for information.

The equipment & safety: For the experience through Dreamdays (04-8002080) everything is provided in terms of the parachute and the supermarket-trolley-like chassis. All they ask is that you wear clothes that won't flap into the propeller blades because apparently that causes chaos. Cameras must be on a strap and you must not weigh over 100kg. All flights are subject to weather conditions.

Taking it up: A complete unit with cage and chute will set you back Dhs95-100,000. A thoroughly recommended 15-hour training course costs Dhs400 an hour. You must also be a member of the JAC to start lessons. This costs Dhs1000 for the first year and Dhs500 thereafter.

History: Patent was first applied for this creation in 1964, however it was not until 1983 that the concept was put into commercial circles by three aviation enthusiasts from the US. Kevin Donaldson brought it to the UAE in 2005 and has since put over ten pilots through their test.