A rental property leader who owns Eagle Auctions in Chesapeake, Virginia, Michael Hockett develops real estate in Virginia, South Carolina, and Florida. He also has a history of success in the automotive auction sector. Outside the professional arena, Michael Hockett is a recreational pilot who is adept at flying multiple aircraft including powered parachutes.

The roots of the modern powered parachute date back to 12th century China, where citizens used an umbrella-shaped parachute device for fun. After the second World War, recreational sport jumping became quite popular, and people began developing a range of gliding wings to steer parachutes during descent.

In the mid-1960s, Domina C. Jalbert applied and received a U.S. patent for his “Multi-Cell Wing,” a new parachute that he designed for steerable flight. By the time government officials granted this patent, Lowell Farrand had already completed the first modern powered parachute flight on a vehicle built by Dr. John D. Nicolaides that was called “The Irish Flyer.” This vehicle gave way to the powered parachute canopies of today, including rectangular wings, elliptical and semi-elliptical wings, and various hybrids.