Extra Pedestrian Mobility - Airborne!
Since the dawn of time, man has always wanted to be able to fly. Through experimentation, the aircraft was invented, the helicopter followed, and these have allowed travel through the sky in safety, speed and style. However, man has always wanted to fly himself through the skies, without having to resort to mechanical steeds to do the job for him. Unfortunately, this is a dream that without some serious bio-engineering, is unlikely to happen anytime soon. But fortunately, man's ingenuity has always taught him to have a stab at anything, and through the ages, he's attempted to fly. With balloons strapped to his back, to wings strapped to his arms, he's always tried. And generally, pretty much failed. Technology though, was to provide an answer. The motor allowed rotors to be strapped to a body, parachutes and hang gliders allowed lift. The result was that man was flying through the air without his steeds.

In today's society, nothing beats a decently armed and armoured plane. They are fast, sleek and can carry some serious firepower. But there are times when you don't want aircraft. A commando team, for example, may want the flight without the aircraft, or when travelling to the shops, you'll just want to get over the traffic and still land without requiring a runway.

For those aspirating aeroduellist enthusiasts, the modern world has the ability to help.

Aeroduel is highly recommended for use with this article.

New Equipment:

    ItemCostWeightMax WeightPower FactorsSkill
    Heliofly$8,00080 lbs.350 lbs.-Heliopack
    Twin Rotor Pack$15,000275 lbs.800 lbs.375Heliopack
    Hover Platform$10,000180 lbs.1,000 lbs.225Heliopack
    Powered Parachute$2,00040 lbs.325 lbs.-Glider

Maximum Weight:
This is the maximum allowed weight that the item may carry. This load must include the pilot, the item itself and any cargo.
This load may not be increased.

Heliofly:
The Heliofly is, essentially, a strap-on helicopter in almost every sense. The equipment consists of a backpack motor, from which two rotor blades are attached at the top. The Pilot controls the contraption from a control rod swinging over the shoulder from the pack. The result is a person able to function as a helicopter. When not in use, the rotor blades will fold up and slip onto the back of the pilot, meaning that they can move around and perform ground actions with the equipment on their back.
Originally designed back in 1941 by the Austrian scientist Paul Baumgartl as a sporting tool, the current Heliofly is named after his invention. Made with modern materials and techniques, the Heliofly 2051 is smaller than the 1941 original and far surpasses it in performance.

The Heliofly may not be armed or armoured in any way. The equipment itself takes the place of a back pack, so items like parachutes may not be worn.

For an additional $1,000, the Heliofly may become an auto-fold up version. While the normal version folds up when not in use, the auto-fold version does it all at the flick of a switch. Taking one firing action, the sequence will start. It takes 5 seconds for the rotors to automatically unfold from the back and lock into the flight position, during which the pilot may function normally. On the sixth second, the pilot is free is start the engine.

The Heliofly takes 1 space as cargo.
Pictures: [ 1 | 2 ]

Twin Rotor Pack:
The twin rotor pack is a brand new design on the personal aviation tool. Not as portable as the Heliofly, the pilot actually steps into the TRP device and flies it from the standing position. The device is too heavy to carry normally, but it comes with twin ducted fan rotors just above the pilots head, and these provide thrust for lift and speed. Faster, more manoeuvrable and able to carry heavier payloads than the Heliofly, the TRP is designed for the more seasoned professional, or those wishing to mount some serious weaponry. The TRP has provision for being able to carry weaponry - up to 4 GE of weaponry may be installed (taking up weight and cost). There is an additional cost and weight of $100, 5 lbs. per weapon carried. The other thing is that weapons may not be reloaded while the vehicle is in flight.

The vehicle may be armoured at $10, 3 lbs. per point, a total of five points may be added. Normal options may be used (although if radar proof armour is used, unless the pilot is wearing a radar proof suit, it will not be effective). The TRP comes with a built in parachute.

The Twin Rotor Pack takes 3 spaces when stored as cargo.
Pictures: [ 1 ]

Hover Platform:
The hover platform is another idea from the middle of the 20th Century. This uses a normal ducted cowling propeller, and then sticks a platform on top of that for which a pilot and passenger may stand. The end result is a relatively stable platform, able to lift a reasonable amount of weight.

Indeed, the platform may contain up to additional 2 spaces of either passengers (taking up 1 space), cargo or weapons. Weapons may only be mounted forward, and 1 space (or 6 GE of hand weapons) worth may be mounted. All taking up weight.
The platform may also be armoured at $10, 3 lbs. per point (for a total of 5 points). In addition, a standard tripod gun shield may be mounted, which may provide protection for the occupants for which it is installed (one per shield), or else a cycle windshell may be installed which will protect the whole open topped vehicle occupants. No additional benefits for the windshell are applied to the hoverplatform, and obviously if installed, no occupant can shoot out with hand weapons. It may be armoured at normal cost and weight.

The hover platform takes up 5 spaces as cargo.
Pictures: [ 1 | 2 ]

Powered Parachute:
A bit of a misnomer, the parachute isn't powered at all. Instead, the parachutist straps a small prop motor to their back, and then they take off. Nothing extraordinary this, however it does mean that parachutists don't just have to come down to earth anymore, but instead can soar with the birds for the time of their life. If they take some bombs up there with them, then it can be for the time of someone else's life too!

Essentially, this is treated like a hang glider with a motor. The stats listed above do not include the hang glider which must be bought separately. As cargo, the prop motor will take 2 spaces, along with an additional space for the hang glider.
Pictures: [ 1 | 2 ]

Performance:
The Heliofly and Powered Parachutes have their performance set, which doesn't change. This is due to the characteristics of the equipment. The Twin Rotor Pack and the Hover Platform, however, have varying degrees of performance based on the amount of equipment crammed into them. These devices use power factors as normal vehicles to determine their top speeds - note that acceleration is never effected by this.

The formula is:

    Top Speed = (250 x PF) / (PF + weight)

Vehicles which use power factors may use PC and SC as normal, their price being based on the whole vehicle's price (before additions).

New skills:

Unlike most ground types of ground movement, ariel equipment doesn't actually require many new skills. Indeed, one new skill pretty much covers the lot - Heliopack. This is the ability to be able to use helicopter style personal flying machines.

For actual helicopter pilots, the skill isn't even needed as they can use their Helicopter skill (with a -1 reduction, to a minimum of Heliopack -0), as it covers all the theory of travel, and the controls on a heliopack are much simpler as well. The reverse is, obviously, not true!

Powered Parachutes require the Glider skill to operate.

Movement:

    ItemCounterHCMax CeilingMax Speed
    Heliofly0.25"x0.25"*A112,000'65 mph
    Twin Rotor Pack0.50"x0.50"28,000'80 mph*B
    Hover Platform0.50"x0.50"110,000'40 mph*B
    Powered Parachute1.00"x1.00"212,000'50 mph

*A Technically, the Heliofly is the same size as a person, however, when the rotors are moving, the craft actually has a counter size of 1"x1".
*B These items have a variable top speed depending on the equipment carried and the performance of their engines. The listed speed is simply a non tuned engine with a maximum load.

Altitude:
Some of these devices allow a pedestrian to get high in the world, however, remember that the higher you go, the colder it gets, and more importantly, the less oxygen you have. This starts to be a problem at around 10,000+ feet, with trips of roughly half an hour only being made at 12,000'. Not a problem for the average duel, but I thought I'd mention it anyway.

Heliofly, Twin Rotor Pack, Hover Platform:
These vehicles function like helicopters in all respects. They are VTOL, may hover, and manoeuvre as such, and have an acceleration of 5 mph. However, they may not fly backwards. In addition, they may only climb 1/4" per turn. They may not dive, nor may they safely auto-rotate.

In all respects, they are like helicopters. They use the helicopter crash table and the rotor check table.

The power cell in these vehicles is good for 200 miles of travel.

Powered Parachutes:
The powered parachute is essentially a guy with a parachute and a rotor strapped to his back. As such, when airborne, the vessel is treated as a hang glider (even though the craft is not a hang glider), with just a couple of differences. As the pilot now has a motor, they are not dependant on updrafts for their lift, nor are they dependant on diving for their acceleration. They can accelerate as normal, and do not lose 1/4" when not accelerating.
To take off, the pilot simply has to have the engine running, and then run for a full 1" (and that's running at 12.5 mph) after which they may start to gain lift from the wings.

With the rotors turned off, the whole apparatus becomes a normal hang glider. The power cell in the engine is usually very efficient, and can generally last for around 500 miles of travel.

Combat:

In combat, these vehicles are treated just like any other small vehicle.

In most cases, these pieces of personal aviation function like normal in that when they are shot at, they take damage, and when destroyed leave the pilot plummeting. Rotors function exactly like normal helicopter rotors.

    ItemTo-HitOtherDPOther
    Heliofly-5Rotors -62Rotors 2 DP
    Rotor Pack-3Rotors -44Rotors 2 DP each
    Hover Platform-3Rotors -34Rotors 3 DP
    Powered Parachute-32

The Powered parachute stats are for the rotors, not the hand glider.

Heliofly:
The Heliofly offers no protection to the pilot, and can only be shot at from the side or rear. If the wearer is hit, then there is a chance the Heliofly will be hit (much like a Rocket pack). Attacks from the side will hit the pack on a 1-2 on 1d6, while shots from the rear will hit the pack on a 1-4 on 1d6.
The Heliofly requires one hand to pilot the machine, and thus only one handed weapons may be used to attack with.

Twin Rotor Pack:
This pretty much functions as normal, however from the front, the pilot has no protection from incoming shots, and this will be hit first. The TRP armour will not protect the pilot, so body armour is recommended. The TRP may be shot at from any angle except the front. The pilot though, may only be shot at from the front or side.

With one rotor destroyed, the craft loses the ability to gain altitude. It must drop at 1/4" per turn, and also top speed is reduced by one quarter. Any manoeuvres require a roll on the crash table.

The TRP does have one safety feature - that of a built in parachute. This will support the weight of the pack and the pilot, so if the device is destroyed, then the parachute will be able to safely carry the pilot and wreckage back to earth as normal.

Both hands are needed to pilot the TRP so standard hand weapons may not be used when airborne. However, if the device has any built in weaponry, they may be used as normal. Any weapons will have a forward arc of fire.

Hover platform:
When shooting at the underneath of the platform, roll 1d6. On a 1-4 the rotors will be hit. Unfortunately, this is due to the construction of the platform. If there is any excess damage from such a shot, it may strike the platform. Again, roll 1d6, and on a further 1-4, the platform has been hit. All remaining damage is applied to it. Further damage will then be applied to the pilot. A 5,6 means that the remaining damage goes through and misses everything else.

When shooting down at the top of the platform, roll 1d6. On a 1-2, the platform has been hit, 3-4 any occupants have been hit, and on a 5-6 the rotors have been damage. Excess damage to the rotors will pass through and be lost. Excess damage to the occupants or the platform requires another roll. On a 1-4, the damage is lost, but on a 5-6, the rotors have been damaged.

Of course, any occupants may simply be targeted as they are exposed. In this case, a tripod gun shield will protect individual occupants as normal, or else a windshell will protect the whole thing.

Powered Parachute:
Powered parachutes are attacked like normal hang gliders, and take damage as such. The pilot may be attacked as normal, or the rotors may be attacked as well. The rotors are -4 to be hit, and may only be attacked from the rear. They give out after 2 DP damage, after which the vessel becomes a hang glider proper.

Uses and Ideas:

Personal flying has been a favourite hobby of some people for many years, and just because flying has become a little bit more dangerous, why should that mean that you have to give up your favourite hobby? Indeed most of these items will be available at most sporting shops that deal with flying, so it's not as if you'll even have too tough a job finding them. As such, where there are air duellists, you'll find these.

These items lend themselves to various activities, ranging from sneak attacks and commando raids, to variant forms of Ob-Racing, racing and the like. Special events at arenas can lend themselves to using these items, after all, while you may have to have large areas for full sized helicopters and aircraft, no such additional space is required for personal heliopacks.

Alternately, with ground travel hazardous these days, why walk across town when you can fly? Most buildings have access to their roof, and all you really need is a flat surface to land on, so why risk unnecessary injury?!

Other Sources:

The following sources were used in the building of this article:

Pedestrians