"Dan, U.S. Air Force, retired" wrote:
What is the altitude record for an ultralight?
Dan, U.S. Air Force, retired
In 1989, Eric Scott Winton flew his Facet Opal (an ultralight as
defined by Australian regs) to an altitude of 9,189 m (approx 30,150
ft) over Tyagarah Aerodrome, NSW Australia. The powerplant was a 40
hp Rotax 447.
Unfortunately, Mr. Winton later died when the wing of his Facet Opal
folded (allegedly while buzzing his grandmother's house).
It should be noted that Australian regulations allow more weight for
ultralight aircraft than USA regulations.
Mr. Winton's record is recognized by the Fédération Aéronautique
Internationale under two classes,
1) Class C (Airplanes) Sub-class C-1a/0 (Landplanes: take off weight
less than 300 kg) Group 1 : piston engine
2) Class R (Microlights) Sub-class RAL1 (Microlights : Movable
Aerodynamic Control / Landplane / Flown with one person)
Here is a picture of Mr. Winton's Facet Opal
http://airplanezone.com/NewsgroupPix/Facet_Opal.php
Here is a link to the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale website
http://www.fai.org
David O