Throughout the summer, a rainbow parachute can be seen floating the skies of Clay County. For a decade, farmer Bob Wietharn has taken to the air via powered parachute not only for a hobby, but for a more efficient way to put eyes on his crops. 

Though he’s always be interested in aviation, Wietharn said he got his first taste of a powered parachute flight in 2001 when attending Husker Harvest Days. A vendor was selling 20-minute rides for $75, and he booked a spot. 

“I fell in love with it,” he said. “I’ve always been kind of a flying nut.” 

Though at the time he was raising teenagers and it wasn’t financially an option. During that time, and post-9/11, regulations changed. Vendors could not longer sell rides, and the paperwork to fly a powered parachute had become much more strict, Wietharn said. 

“After my last child went to college I decided I was going to do something for myself,” he said, and began looking into the steps it would take, which include an experimental aircraft pilot license. 

Wietharn ordered a computer program and passed the test for his basic pilot license, then found a teacher to help with his 20 hours of training, (10 hours in the air and 10 on the ground). Then he took a check ride with an FAA-authorized instructor and passed to get his experimental pilot’s license.

Because his license is experimental, Wietharn said he’s able to do his own maintenance. However, because his powered parachute is registered to his corporation’s name (it is used for farm work), he hires the inspection each year. 

Taking about 300 feet to take off, he said there is a 10-15 minute process of warming up the aluminum engine, laying out the chute, and checking string connections. 

“Those are your lifelines so you check those every time,” he said of the pre-flight process. 

And while he initially purchased the power parachute for recreation, Wietharn said it’s been instrumental for managing his farm. 

“I use it for almost anything, checking pivots, checking crops and stands. Anything you want to see from the air you can see 10-times more from the air than you can from the ground,” he said. “I can do in an hour-and-a-half in the air what would take me a day-and-a-half to drive.” 

In addition, he can spot insect damage and weeds from the air that can’t be seen from the ground. 

“You’d have to walk every square foot to see it from the ground but I could see it instantly, “he said. “Plus it’s a lot of fun while you’re doing it. The sunsets never get old.” 

During the summer months, he tries to get in the air at least once a week, but can depend on harvest as well as the weather. He averages 50-100 hours of flight time per year, and a total of more than 1,000 landings.

Wietharn prefers to fly in the evenings, which is when the wind is the calmest, he said. Adding that the temperature in the air will vary, either warmer or cooler, and it can also be windy once getting up into the air. However, with smart planning, he can try and avoid extreme weather, such as flying after a front when the wind is at its calmest. 

“50% of a pilot license is learning the weather and I’m a farmer so I thought I knew the weather until I took my test. But there’s nothing like experience.”

He’s flown backward due to wind, found sudden pockets of temperature changes, and found himself in precarious situations.

“There’s a saying, ‘It’s better to be on the ground wishing you were in the air than in the air wishing you were on the ground’ and I’ve had two of those moments. You just hope you survive it and it makes you a better pilot.” 

He added that the older he gets, the warmer the temperature needs to be before he will get out and fly. 

Now on his second powered parachute, Wietharn likes to share the experience with family and friends, and he’s donated rides to various fundraisers. Though he can’t charge for rides or display a company logo, as per FAA rules, the donations are allowed. 

“When you’re 6,000 feet in the air, sitting in a chair, it’s a different feeling. You don’t have anything around you. You just look over and can hardly see cars on the road when you’re that high up,” he said. “Everybody I’ve taken up just absolutely loves it.”

He has flown with passengers from Russia, Germany and Australia, usually customers of his ag business, Riverscreen, who gain interest in his powered parachute during a visit. 

However, when checking crops, for efficiency, he said it’s easier to fly solo for both maneuvering and speed. 

“When I’m by myself and the sun is halfway set, I speed it up so I can keep climbing so I can keep seeing the sunset. I’ve seen one last for nine minutes,” he said. Adding that this is only possible on cooler days, when the air is heavier, therefore allowing him more thrust into the atmosphere. “The sunsets are just the most awesome from up there.”