Narrative:

I departed a private runway in my ultralight into a very light east wind. I then flew to brooks field at an altitude of about 500 ft AGL. (Non altimeter equipped). I approached from the south, scanning for traffic in the pattern. No traffic was in the pattern so I continued starting my descent at this time. The ultralight landing strip is north of the runway and taxiway requiring me to fly over the runway to enter the ultralight pattern. I noticed an aircraft just entering the pattern and an aircraft taxiing at this time. I had planned to land to the east, but the windsock was showing a light wind from the west. At this point I passed behind the taxiing plane and started a circling turn to the left to change to the downwind for the west runway. I never crossed over the runway or taxiing plane. I put my ultralight into a descent to gain airspeed to put me well ahead of the plane on the taxiway so as to not be too close when I turned base. I then landed and taxied to the hangar area, and deplaned. Several mins later the plane that had been entering the traffic pattern taxied in (C182). The pilot called me over to his plane. He was very upset, he stated that he had witnessed me flying very unsafely and cross over the plane on the taxiway twice, then land on the taxiway in front of him. He informed me he was going to file a report with the FAA that said I was flying recklessly and had endangered the plane on the ground taxiing out. I assured him I had not endangered anyone and had not flew over the taxiing plane. He was upset to the point that he did not want to hear anything I had to say. I advised him to do what felt was right and returned to the hangar. I later talked to the pilot and passenger in the plane that was taxiing out. They had seen me pass behind them and then to their right. They said at no time did they feel there was a conflict or unsafe as I went by. From the landing aircraft's pilot's perspective (approximately 1000 ft AGL downwind) I am sure looked like I flew over the other plane. (See enclosed diagram.) pilots of GA aircraft sometimes do not fully understand the limitations of flying an ultralight at 35 mph.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ULTRALIGHT ACFT FLIES OVER RMY, MI, TO GET WIND AND LNDG DIRECTION. ANOTHER ACFT OBSERVES THE ULTRALIGHT FLYING CLOSE TO THE GND AND TELLS THE PLT THAT THE ACFT IS BEING FLOWN IMPROPERLY, TOO CLOSE TO THE GND OVER OTHER ACFT.

Narrative: I DEPARTED A PVT RWY IN MY ULTRALIGHT INTO A VERY LIGHT E WIND. I THEN FLEW TO BROOKS FIELD AT AN ALT OF ABOUT 500 FT AGL. (NON ALTIMETER EQUIPPED). I APCHED FROM THE S, SCANNING FOR TFC IN THE PATTERN. NO TFC WAS IN THE PATTERN SO I CONTINUED STARTING MY DSCNT AT THIS TIME. THE ULTRALIGHT LNDG STRIP IS N OF THE RWY AND TXWY REQUIRING ME TO FLY OVER THE RWY TO ENTER THE ULTRALIGHT PATTERN. I NOTICED AN ACFT JUST ENTERING THE PATTERN AND AN ACFT TAXIING AT THIS TIME. I HAD PLANNED TO LAND TO THE E, BUT THE WINDSOCK WAS SHOWING A LIGHT WIND FROM THE W. AT THIS POINT I PASSED BEHIND THE TAXIING PLANE AND STARTED A CIRCLING TURN TO THE L TO CHANGE TO THE DOWNWIND FOR THE W RWY. I NEVER CROSSED OVER THE RWY OR TAXIING PLANE. I PUT MY ULTRALIGHT INTO A DSCNT TO GAIN AIRSPD TO PUT ME WELL AHEAD OF THE PLANE ON THE TXWY SO AS TO NOT BE TOO CLOSE WHEN I TURNED BASE. I THEN LANDED AND TAXIED TO THE HANGAR AREA, AND DEPLANED. SEVERAL MINS LATER THE PLANE THAT HAD BEEN ENTERING THE TFC PATTERN TAXIED IN (C182). THE PLT CALLED ME OVER TO HIS PLANE. HE WAS VERY UPSET, HE STATED THAT HE HAD WITNESSED ME FLYING VERY UNSAFELY AND CROSS OVER THE PLANE ON THE TXWY TWICE, THEN LAND ON THE TXWY IN FRONT OF HIM. HE INFORMED ME HE WAS GOING TO FILE A RPT WITH THE FAA THAT SAID I WAS FLYING RECKLESSLY AND HAD ENDANGERED THE PLANE ON THE GND TAXIING OUT. I ASSURED HIM I HAD NOT ENDANGERED ANYONE AND HAD NOT FLEW OVER THE TAXIING PLANE. HE WAS UPSET TO THE POINT THAT HE DID NOT WANT TO HEAR ANYTHING I HAD TO SAY. I ADVISED HIM TO DO WHAT FELT WAS RIGHT AND RETURNED TO THE HANGAR. I LATER TALKED TO THE PLT AND PAX IN THE PLANE THAT WAS TAXIING OUT. THEY HAD SEEN ME PASS BEHIND THEM AND THEN TO THEIR R. THEY SAID AT NO TIME DID THEY FEEL THERE WAS A CONFLICT OR UNSAFE AS I WENT BY. FROM THE LNDG ACFT'S PLT'S PERSPECTIVE (APPROX 1000 FT AGL DOWNWIND) I AM SURE LOOKED LIKE I FLEW OVER THE OTHER PLANE. (SEE ENCLOSED DIAGRAM.) PLTS OF GA ACFT SOMETIMES DO NOT FULLY UNDERSTAND THE LIMITATIONS OF FLYING AN ULTRALIGHT AT 35 MPH.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.