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It's A Bird? It's A Plane? Well, Sort Of
Eat your hearts out bungie jumpers!
The latest "craze" to hit New Zealand is this swing-style aircraft that shoots through the air at speeds of up to 75 mph.
The "Fly By Wire", created by Neil Harrap, Wellington, is a plane equipped with a motor and steering wheel that runs across a big suspension cable stretched between two hills on either side of the Paikakariki Valley.
The ride begins by winching the plane up the hillside. Then the rider, lying stomach down and face first, releases the plane from the winch cable. The right steering handle is the throttle for the engine which helps the rider gather speed in his or her "swinging" airplane ride.
Rides last 7 1/2 minutes and are avail-able only to those over age 15. Costs $99 and includes a video tape of the "flight".


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1998 - Volume #22, Issue #6