The flying machine is a paraglider with a paramotor. That combo had only been invented in 1980 and started gaining popularity in Europe in 1986. At the time of this episode, most North Americans had never seen such a machine.
Filming in British Columbia to make an episode about American southwest aquafer depletion created problems. They were obviously filming in a mountainous area with so much rain that rivers, lakes, or reservoirs would provide more than enough water. But this subject was a hot topic at the time. By around 1990 the general public was finally admitting that the entire southwest, which is thoroughly dependent on aquafer water, was running dry.
After this guest appearance, Mitzi Kapture went on to make the pilot for Silk Stockings, the show that would make her a star.