Watch Powered Paraglider Pilot's Aerial Acrobatics Over Duluth

You definitely don't see this every day!

I was out for a walk on Tuesday evening, enjoying a gorgeous Duluth summer night in Canal Park. With temperatures even by the lake in the upper 70s and calm wind conditions, it was a nice evening for a stroll.

As I was walking back from the end of the North Pier, I happened to catch out of the corner of my eye something flying along the Park Point beach.

The flying object was a propeller-powered parachute, also known as a paramotor or powered paraglider. It basically looks like someone wearing a parachute with a gas-powered barn fan strapped to their back.

It's obviously a little more involved than that. While you don't need a license to fly one of these craft, you do need the right equipment and training to fly safely (and as impressively as this pilot did). According to Paramotor Planet, most pilots fly at low altitudes (under 10,000 feet - like this pilot), but some pilots have flown as high as the world record of 25,590 feet with one of these things!

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I won't lie, I've seen people flying around with these before, and it looks kind of fun!

As the pilot of the paracraft made its way toward Canal Park, I noticed them start to loop around the Aerial Lift Bridge, looking like they were going to get pretty close to the top of it.

They managed to clear the bridge by a safe distance, but it was pretty cool to see the pilot twirl around in the sky over Canal Park before making their way down the Lakewalk toward Downtown Duluth, getting very close to the water just offshore from Sister Cities Park before gaining altitude again and coming back toward the lift bridge.

Nick Cooper - TSM Duluth

Call me impressed! Besides enjoying a nice evening perfect for flying, I'm sure this pilot was out to show off for people along Minnesota Point and in Canal Park. They succeeded. It was pretty cool to watch! Check out the video of the pilot's acrobatics below.

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Gallery Credit: Nick Cooper - TSM Duluth