wing and its components do not mix. Once you turn off the magnetos, you will physically grab the steering lines from overhead and pull the wing to the ground to finish the deflation process. If the wing is allowed to “float” down on its own, a small gust of wind can force the suspension lines onto hot exhaust surfaces which can melt the lines, or even pick up the cart and instigate a landing roll. 

## Clearing the Runway 

If a powered parachute lands on the center of a run- way, it is considered good practice to taxi to the edge of or even off of the runway before collapsing the wing and stowing equipment. When doing that, it is important to keep the powered parachute moving af- ter landing to keep the wing inflated. The safest and easiest method is to keep taxiing straight into the wind until you clear the runway or landing area and can collapse the parachute out of the way of other aircraft. If you determine that winds are too strong or gusty to taxi off of an active runway, an alternate landing area should be chosen. 

## Parking 

Unless parking in a designated, supervised area, you should select a location which will prevent the propel- ler blast of other airplanes from striking the powered parachute broadside. The powered parachute engine is not enclosed in a cowling and engine surfaces will be extremely hot. Never assume a bystander will know this; even though the engine is not operating, it can still be dangerous. 

Once out of the powered parachute, you should im- mediately pull the trailing edge of the wing forward toward the cart and roll the leading edge and cell openings under the wing surface; this will prevent gusts of air from grabbing the wing and pulling the cart backward. After the wing is totally disabled from becoming airborne, you can assist your passenger in disembarking from the cart. 

## Postflight 

Aflight is never complete until the engine is shut down and the aircraft is secure. A pilot should consider this an essential part of any flight. 

After engine shutdown and the passenger exits the cart, the pilot should accomplish a postflight inspec- tion. This includes checking the general condition of the aircraft. For additional departures, the oil should be rechecked and fuel added if required. If the PPC is 

going to be inactive for a period of time, put the wing properly back in the bag to keep it out of the sun. 

## Packing the Wing 

As discussed earlier in this chapter, packing the wing back into the wing bag at the end of the flight is a nec- essary task. The care and method the pilot employs for this critical task directly affects whether or not the wing is easy to unpack for the next flight. The process of folding the wing and returning it safely to its wing bag takes little time and the powered parachute pas- senger can lend a hand to the pilot in the process. If the pilot is flying solo the process will take a little longer, but the overall results will be the same and this gives the pilot an opportunity to do a thorough postflight inspection of both the wing itself and the suspension lines. 

After disembarking from the cart, the wing should be repositioned in the inverted layout with the exception that the cart/prop hoop will be positioned very close to the trailing edge of the wing. At that time the line sleeves should both be replaced on each set of sus- pension lines. When the line sleeves are in place, the two bundles and any suspension lines left showing are placed on the exposed lower surface of the wing where they will be neatly packaged for storage during the folding process of the wing. 

Starting with one outer trailing edge of the wing, draw the wing surface up and over the surface of the wing fabric to the very center of the wing. The same action will then be completed on the leading edge of the wing on the same side. The process is then completed two more times on the same side. Then the wing is folded from the other side three times in the same manner, resulting in a long rectangle of wing lying directly behind the prop line of the cart. This is one example; it is important for you to follow the manufacturer’s recommendations for your PPC. 

The pilot then starts at the edge closest to the cart and folds the sides of the folded wing alternately in on each other, depressing the trapped air out of the fabric, all the way to the farthest area away from the cart. [Figure 5-22] Once this is complete, the wing pack- age size is established by taking the farthest edge and folding it toward the cart over and over until a neat square is obtained on the last fold. 

After the wing is folded and lying on the ground be- hind the cart, the wing bag is placed on the ground next to the wing (on the side away from the cart). [Figure 5-23] It is advised to have a “marked” side 

