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Willard VanWormer, a well known local pilot, passed away May 9, 2011 at age 87.

Willard was a great friend of BSFC. He will long be remembered for

aerial displays in his Stearman and keeping the grass strip perfectly maintained.

High Quality 100% cotton embroidered short sleeved polo shirt

BENNINGTON -- It's a bird, it's a plane ... no, it's Matthew Warren, of Bennington, floating in the sky as he power parachutes over Vermont.

"I like making things with my hands," said Warren, as he worked on a door for the new home he is building. "But my favorite hobby is powered parachuting."

Warren, a pilot for more than 20 years and president of the Bennington Sport Flying Club, also likes to fly his sporty airplane-like vehicle - a single seater aerobatic racer that can streak through the sky at 200 miles an hour.

"I come from an adventurous family," said Warren. "We ski, scale mountains, explore caves, and camp in winter."

One of Warren's five siblings, Gary, introduced him to powered parachuting.

"Gary started in 1990 and when I came home from the Gulf War in l992, I tried it," said Warren. "I found it interesting and more fun than ballooning. Since then we upgraded to better designs, and built and sold some to friends."

Powered parachutes are like three-wheel go-carts, with a seat in front, an engine and propeller in back, and a parachute for a wing. They carry enough fuel for a two- hour flight. New powered parachutes cost from $10,000 to $12,000.

In previous years, the Warrens displayed their powered parachutes at the Bennington Car Show.

"Now we fly a six 'chuter manufactured in Yakima, Wash.," said Warren. "Last summer we made our longest flight to date, going from Bennington Airport to the top of Mount Equinox and back. You can launch from a space the size of a soccer field and sometimes we go in and out of Willow Park in Bennington."

The powered parachute is a weather-related craft; as with an airplane, you take off and land into the wind, said Warren.

In paragliding, the wind provides the power, but a powered parachute is equipped with an engine that has a pusher configuration of about 65 horsepower.

"When you push the throttle forward, the craft climbs higher," said Warren, "and when you pull it back the craft descends."

So, a stiff wind keeps a paraglider aloft, but it is best to use a powered parachute when the air is calm.

Warren said that he only goes up when the wind is no more than 10 miles an hour.

"If the wind facing you comes up to 20 miles an hour, the craft's normal speed of 25 miles an hour is reduced to 5 miles and it can take a long time to move ahead," Warren added. "On the other hand, a tail wind can double your speed."

In previous years at the Bennington Car Show, the Warrens displayed powered parachutes they had made.

The Warrens use their two- seater when instructing novices. "You don't need a license to operate a powered parachute, but instructors must earn certificates," Warren said.

"I especially enjoy going up in our single seater. It's like a sports car compared to a sedan."

Warren said that he has never been petrified while in a powered parachute. But once when the engine failed, he was forced to come down in a horse pasture. "It was a 30-second descent and I spiraled into the wind. The horse was shocked when I landed," Warren added.

"At 500 feet, you can see deer and other wildlife. You get a lot of attention, too. People wave and I wave back, and kids chase on bicycles, trying to keep up. I circle to amuse them."

"One day, my brother took off from Bennington and landed in a field at our father's farm in Dorset. I was his ground crew and pulled the trailer, following Route 7A to Dorset. I stopped along the way, taking pictures. It was a beautiful ride, whether you were flying or driving."

Although the average person would be hesitant to embrace the sport of powered parachuting, Warren is eager to float in the sky whenever possible.

"Everything is a calculated risk in life," he said. "I'm not about to give up skiing because I might break a leg. Driving a car is also a risk. You have to know your limits. And when you climb into a plane, you must have confidence in it."


	Bennington Sport Flying Club \| home Calendar \| Mission \| Events \| Links \| Location \| Members \| Photos & Videos \| Club Sponsored Fly-Ins \| News \| Projects \| Contact Us News Updated 08/28/15 Willard VanWormer, a well known local pilot, passed away May 9, 2011 at age 87. Willard was a great friend of BSFC. He will long be remembered for aerial displays in his Stearman and keeping the grass strip perfectly maintained. A handsome brown leather jacket was raffled off at our 2/11/06 meeting. Roland Smith was the lucky winner! After the drawing we watched a video about a 27,000 mile trike adventure. = = = Bennington Sport Flying Club Clothing Locker Heavy duty pre-faded cotton baseball caps One size fits all Available in Navy Blue or Khaki...$18.00 Contact Leik to purchase yours! = = = High Quality 100% cotton embroidered short sleeved polo shirt Available in Navy Blue or Dark Gray...$25.00 = = = BSFC classic style t-shirt Available in Sky Blue...$15.00 = = = LET'S GO FLYING! Check out the sweet Microsoft Flight Simulator setup in our new Flight Sim Room! Many "freeware" aircraft have been added to the livery. In addition, a tiny USB keyboard "nightlight" has been added for easy "night flying". = = = LOCAL NEWSPAPER ARTICLE Article Published: Friday, May 27, 2005 Chuuuuuute: Bennington man takes off over town By PHYLLIS McGUIRE Special to the Bennington Banner BENNINGTON -- It's a bird, it's a plane ... no, it's Matthew Warren, of Bennington, floating in the sky as he power parachutes over Vermont. "I like making things with my hands," said Warren, as he worked on a door for the new home he is building. "But my favorite hobby is powered parachuting." Warren, a pilot for more than 20 years and president of the Bennington Sport Flying Club, also likes to fly his sporty airplane-like vehicle - a single seater aerobatic racer that can streak through the sky at 200 miles an hour. "I come from an adventurous family," said Warren. "We ski, scale mountains, explore caves, and camp in winter." One of Warren's five siblings, Gary, introduced him to powered parachuting. "Gary started in 1990 and when I came home from the Gulf War in l992, I tried it," said Warren. "I found it interesting and more fun than ballooning. Since then we upgraded to better designs, and built and sold some to friends." Powered parachutes are like three-wheel go-carts, with a seat in front, an engine and propeller in back, and a parachute for a wing. They carry enough fuel for a two- hour flight. New powered parachutes cost from $10,000 to $12,000. In previous years, the Warrens displayed their powered parachutes at the Bennington Car Show. "Now we fly a six 'chuter manufactured in Yakima, Wash.," said Warren. "Last summer we made our longest flight to date, going from Bennington Airport to the top of Mount Equinox and back. You can launch from a space the size of a soccer field and sometimes we go in and out of Willow Park in Bennington." The powered parachute is a weather-related craft; as with an airplane, you take off and land into the wind, said Warren. In paragliding, the wind provides the power, but a powered parachute is equipped with an engine that has a pusher configuration of about 65 horsepower. "When you push the throttle forward, the craft climbs higher," said Warren, "and when you pull it back the craft descends." So, a stiff wind keeps a paraglider aloft, but it is best to use a powered parachute when the air is calm. Warren said that he only goes up when the wind is no more than 10 miles an hour. "If the wind facing you comes up to 20 miles an hour, the craft's normal speed of 25 miles an hour is reduced to 5 miles and it can take a long time to move ahead," Warren added. "On the other hand, a tail wind can double your speed." In previous years at the Bennington Car Show, the Warrens displayed powered parachutes they had made. The Warrens use their two- seater when instructing novices. "You don't need a license to operate a powered parachute, but instructors must earn certificates," Warren said. "I especially enjoy going up in our single seater. It's like a sports car compared to a sedan." Warren said that he has never been petrified while in a powered parachute. But once when the engine failed, he was forced to come down in a horse pasture. "It was a 30-second descent and I spiraled into the wind. The horse was shocked when I landed," Warren added. "At 500 feet, you can see deer and other wildlife. You get a lot of attention, too. People wave and I wave back, and kids chase on bicycles, trying to keep up. I circle to amuse them." "One day, my brother took off from Bennington and landed in a field at our father's farm in Dorset. I was his ground crew and pulled the trailer, following Route 7A to Dorset. I stopped along the way, taking pictures. It was a beautiful ride, whether you were flying or driving." Although the average person would be hesitant to embrace the sport of powered parachuting, Warren is eager to float in the sky whenever possible. "Everything is a calculated risk in life," he said. "I'm not about to give up skiing because I might break a leg. Driving a car is also a risk. You have to know your limits. And when you climb into a plane, you must have confidence in it." = = = Back to Top home Calendar \| Mission \| Events \| Links \| Location \| Members \| Photos & Videos \| Club Sponsored Fly-Ins \| News \| Projects \| Contact Us