By Reggie Paulk

Mention the word trike, and the first thing that comes to mind is a pedaled vehicle captained by a child who isn’t yet able to ride a bicycle. Flying trikes, on the other hand, are three-wheeled Rogallo-winged vehicles with propellers. They generally have two tandem seats and either a two-stroke or four-stroke engine driving a pusher propeller.

Because of their unconventional design and small size, most people think of trikes as ultralight aircraft, but this is a misconception. With two seats and gross weight approaching 1,000 pounds, trikes actually qualify as Light Sport Aircraft, and fall under Federal Aviation Administration guidelines for their manufacture and operation.

As a former three-axis pilot who transitioned to trikes, I can attest to their allure. I was searching for a lightweight airplane that could carry two large adults and full fuel out of short grass runways in the thin air of Colorado. I wanted an aircraft with performance to spare, and I didn’t want it to break the bank. After months of searching three-axis aircraft, trikes continued to come up on my radar.

At first, I dismissed trikes due to their unconventional nature and the misconception that they would be difficult to learn to fly. Not only that, but I assigned a certain stigma to the fact that there were no rudder pedals, ailerons or elevator controls. How could a ‘real’ pilot be seen perched atop such a contraption? But I couldn’t ignore all of their other qualities. Whenever I looked at my criteria, I was always led back to trikes. That’s when I decided to take a closer look and began researching these magnificent flying machines.

Easy to Learn

There are two trike flight instructors in my area who had aircraft available for demonstration flights. One of those gentlemen was Steve Moore, of Moore Airtime. Based a stone’s throw from Denver International, at Front Range Airport, Moore’s trike is a Rotax 503-powered machine called the Tukan. He built his trike from scratch using a set of plans, aircraft grade aluminum and a lot of time. After building the carriage, Moore purchased a wing from Northwing Design, based in Wenatchee, Wash.

The Tukan is to trikes what the J-3 Cub is to airplanes. It’s a bare-boned, no-frills two-seat trainer with everything necessary to make pilots out of students. Sporting a fiberglass spring main gear, the Tukan will take a lot of abuse from students who make hard landings.

The first thing you’ll notice about a Tukan (or any trike) is that it’s wide open. Climbing into the front seat, you place your feet on the pedals and buckle the seatbelt. Other than the compression strut rising vertically in front of you and the fuselage tube below, you have a commanding view of the surrounding area. The instructor climbs in the seat above and behind the student, placing his feet on pedals near the student’s hips. It’s an intimate arrangement, kind of like aerial motorcycling.

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