Meet the air traffic controller who flies to work via powered paragliding and has to call the control tower to let his colleagues know he’s coming
Meet the air traffic controller who flies to work via powered paragliding and has to call the control tower to let his colleagues know he’s coming
Jake Hutzler spends his workdays directing planes from an airport tower. Once a week, he gets there by strapping a propeller to his back and taking to the skies of Colorado.
Before his commute, the 28-year-old air traffic controller lays out a large wing on the road outside his apartment complex, fires up the motor and starts running. Within seconds, his feet leave the ground.
For the next 20 minutes, Hutzler flies at a leisurely 35 mph (56 kph) above the expansive fields around Pueblo, a city near the Front Range mountains. He soars over a highway, a water tower and finally the airport while listening to his favorite music.
Before taking off, Hutzler calls the tower where he works and lets his colleagues know he’s coming. Once airborne, he keeps them updated on where he’s at and how high he’s flying.
“I’m very small and I don’t show up on radar,” Hutzler said, “so they’ll want to kind of keep track of my location and get updates on my progress.”
As the airport comes into view, he waits for the OK to land on the airport’s ramp. Pulling........
