do it yourself

July 19, 1999

Fan DangleHere's a whirlybird you can fly without a license—a motorized paraglider called the Whisper GTO, last seen whizzing through the Florida skies over Kissimmee. Basically a big fan attached to a harness and a parachute, the gas-powered gizmo gives fliers 70 to 90 minutes of flight time at altitudes up to 18,000 feet. Kissimmee's Paraborne Aviation has sold 3,000 of the contraptions, which cost $7,500 each and can be converted into flying three-wheelers called Sky Trikes. Is the Whisper as quiet as its name? "My neighbors don't even complain about me flying out of my yard at seven in the morning," says one satisfied skyrider.