Local gyrocopter pilot killed

[WaffenVW]

Regardless of what you think, it is classified as an ultralight.

http://www.sea-avio.com/

[Serenity]

Regardless of what you think, it is classified as an ultralight.

http://www.sea-avio.com/

And THIS can be classified as a Glider:

[MiloMorai]

Regardless of what you think, it is classified as an ultralight.

http://www.sea-avio.com/

Not by the FAA, it is.

103.1   Applicability.

This part prescribes rules governing the operation of ultralight vehicles in the United States. For the purposes of this part, an ultralight vehicle is a vehicle that:

(a) Is used or intended to be used for manned operation in the air by a single occupant;
(b) Is used or intended to be used for recreation or sport purposes only;
(c) Does not have any U.S. or foreign airworthiness certificate; and
(d) If unpowered, weighs less than 155 pounds; or
(e) If powered:

(1) Weighs less than 254 pounds empty weight, excluding floats and safety devices which are intended for deployment in a potentially catastrophic situation;
(2) Has a fuel capacity not exceeding 5 U.S. gallons;
(3) Is not capable of more than 55 knots calibrated airspeed at full power in level flight; and
(4) Has a power-off stall speed which does not exceed 24 knots calibrated airspeed.

https://www.eaa.org/en/eaa/aviation-communities-and-interests/ultralights-and-ultralight-aircraft/getting-started-in-ultralight-flying/about-faa-part-103-for-ultralights

[WaffenVW]

Ok, my knowledge on the subject is obviously lacking.

[pembquist]

Unfortunately it is is easy to confuse ultralights with microlights with experimentals with light sport. A U.S. ultralight can be built out of lawn accessories (Lawn chairs and mowers,) and be perfectly legal, they are the model airplanes of general aviation, in fact I don't know if they are considered general aviation at all. The big draw back with ultralights, as far as I can see, is that it costs a lot to make a safe-ish one, (the dacron sails aint cheap nor is AN hardware and ballistic chutes,) while the performance is so abysmal that i can't imagine them being that much fun after the novelty wears off. A lot of birds that look like ultralights, (sail wings, open tube frames, guy wires,) are actually light sport or experimentals, if I had the coin I'd love to have one of these beauties: http://www.aircam.com/ which seems like the ultimate in fixed wing low slow safe flying.

There are ultralight versions of a few venerable experimentals but I don't really understand why it would be better to build them as ultralights than experimentals. I guess because you don't have to do ANY paperwork.

[Meatwad]

So far nothing has come about other then it shows he was in good health. Here is a link to the PDF for the incident, it is still under investigation

http://www.ntsb.gov/_layouts/ntsb.aviation/Results.aspx?queryId=336d4a39-70d2-4857-ab0f-58449ad84848