The Maritime Service Patrol located in the maritime zone of Puerto Rico-Amadores, a hybrid flying device, consisting of a pneumatic boat of about 3 meters to which a hang-glider was attached and a rear engine that propelled it.
The Civil Guard has located an inflatable boat attached to a hang glider equipped with an engine flying over the coast of the southern area of Gran Canaria.
As a result of the surveillance carried out by the Provincial Maritime Service, they observed how it flew off the coast towards Puerto de Mogán, returning again towards Arguineguín, and returning to the mouth of Puerto Escala in Puerto Rico, where it landed 100 metres from the same mouth.
The device was flying at an approximate altitude of between 50 and 100 metres and at an estimated speed of around 30 knots, as confirmed by the patrol boat's radar. Once the device landed on the water, the patrol boat, which was located just 100 metres away, was notified to go to the location and identify the two occupants.
The two people on board the craft were wearing helmets, safety belts and life jackets, and were seated one behind the other in seats arranged longitudinally along the boat's pneumatic base.
The aircraft was immediately intercepted by the Civil Guard, who confirmed that at the time of the inspection of the aircraft there was a client on board, as he was carrying out a nautical activity for a company to which they offer to provide this type of service. The documentation provided states that the aircraft is a hang-glider with an engine, intended for rental without a driver, which is not the activity that was carried out at the time of the inspection and which does not correspond to the resolution of the Communication on Maritime Transport for Tourist Purposes.
As regards safety, it should be noted that this device used a surface for take-off and landing as an occasional flight field not authorised by those responsible for said surface.
It so happens that at the time of the inspection the person responsible presented various documents regarding the Ultra Light Motorized Vehicle in the Aeronautical field, as well as the vessel in the maritime field, not being valid on its own since the approval as a whole (vessel and aircraft) and the certificate of the device are required in order to be able to carry out the activity.
All the irregularities detected were brought to the attention of the State Agency for Air Safety (AESA), the Maritime Captaincy of Las Palmas and the Government of the Canary Islands, so that these bodies and in view of the data provided, proceed to carry out the relevant steps and actions to clarify the administrative responsibilities, with the Maritime Captaincy of Las Palmas adopting as a precautionary measure the sealing of the aforementioned device, which was carried out by members of this Provincial Maritime Service.
