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It's taken a little while to get this pic for one reason or another but recently Colin and I were given the pleasure of handing over all of your donations to the MD for the Felix Fund Charity that many of you donated to at the September fly-in As I hope most of you can remember, our last event at Eckington (which I personally felt was the best one yet ! ) was not only an excuse to get together, do some flying, and drink and eat too much. We managed to balance that out in the Ying Yang sense by raising a massive £1700 for the Felix Fund! Almost everyday bomb disposal and search personnel deal with highly pressured situations. This continued exposure to intense stress can have lasting effects, both physical and mental. Felix Fund aims to assist with the well-being of individuals within the Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) and Search Community across all British military. This (short year) with only two events, the Paramotor Club has raised £2360 for charity!! A Special thanks to all the VIP members that attended those events and the event set up crew, and the people from Eckington that came to the fireworks display and donated!!. You are all awesome and have the right to take some pride away with you I look forward to more event's and more fundraising for charities with an amazing group of people! SW

Welcome to the skies Steve, an old timer here. Sounds like you have a had a really great introduction to the joys of paramotoring, keep up the blog as it's always interesting to read of others experiences. Sorry to hear of your fathers rapid demise but take it in good heart that something good has followed.

25mph trimmed in // Efficient and safe 35mph trimmed out // more fuel burn, more dynamic recovery 40mph trimms + bar // poring fuel away, hard to hold for long periods The Qubik seems like a reasonably quick wing. I am going to assume you only have "efficiency" to gain in the most part on a hotter wing unless you are cool with spending hours on full bar (very uncommon) I imagine the Kougar 3 will be more efficient trimmed out than your Qubik and you get +7mph Boring XC's for me are anything above 500ft but low and slow has its own set of problems

Hi. I'm Steve, I'm autistic, and I am learning to fly! I have always wanted to fly since i was a boy, I have a keen interest in aviation and even won a scholarship with the RAF when i was younger. They were going to pay for me to go to university, and in return i would sign up for minimum 10 years to fly tornados... sounded like a good deal to me. Unfortunately, genetics got in the way and I failed the eye tests, and so my dream of flying was never realised... until now! Figured I would document my training so far. It might help me solidify ideas, and, it might help someone else learn from my mistakes... so here we go.

Day 2 Day 2 was a half day session. And Paul told me it would be more of the same. He had offered me a book during my first session ("The complete paramotors pilots book of knowledge" by Darell Smith) but, I gleefully told him I had already purchased it and read it cover to cover. Twice. (This please Paul greatly, as he realised I was dead serious about learning this stuff) Day two was, indeed, more of the same. alternating Theory over a brew, with practicing Ground Handling. I was told, this would be the regime until he was satisfied that i had a firm grasp of the wing on the ground. By the end of the session, I was Forward and reverse launching, turning, and kiting the wing successfully, with minimal input from Paul. I left feeling confident and pleased with myself, after Paul complimented me on how quickly I was picking it up. what I didn't tell him, is that i was living and breathing Paramotoring. when I wasn't working, or training with him, i was devouring paramotoring content on forums and YouTube. Ground handling tutorials, theory talks, equipment tutorials, the lot. when I do something, I go all in!

I have family up in the Durham area, might be an option at some point if I come for a visit

There are 4 of us near Middlesbrough in the North East, but don't often fly together.

I love the toughness of the Parajet throttle, it's what I'm currently using and keep coming back to - It's the throttle I've used most in the past ten years as it just reliably works and takes the knocks. It can feel a bit cold in sub-zero temperatures. Good recessed and reliable buttons and the cruise control is consistent. I used the Polini for about three years and trimmed the lever not long after getting it as it is definitely too long. Found it okay to use but too often I accidentally rubbed the kill switch on the risers, especially during a nil wind launch. I've known people have issues with the wiring failing although I didn't have that problem. I thought the Vitto throttle was surprisingly comfortable but felt like it was going to fall to bits at any minute (it didn't). If it withstands abuse it would be worth looking at. But I have little time using that throttle. For about three years I used a Chamelion Finger Throttle which I really liked - take a look at it as it's quite a different approach. It was great for keeping your hands usable and I thought it was very ergonomic. I didn't like that you could knock the off switch accidentally but in reality that rarely happened. Mine was the v1 and I think the latest are v3. That company also makes another 'outside the box' throttle which looks interesting. I'd go back to a Chamelion without protest. Don't be scared of experimenting with different throttles or even going from right to left handed, it's actually really easy and your brain adapts quickly. Good luck with your quest.

I add my own cruise control using a small loop of bungee cord and a clip over the throttle lever. Pushes off in a second if need to take it off. The key to a throttle working well on 3rd/4th finger is that it needs a really good adjustable, elasticated strap around your hand. Thus, once adjusted it stays where you want it. I have use Polini, Parajet and Air Conception throttles, although they well have other names. I find the AC one the best so far.

The best? Aspen 2 though that isn't an oil but rather alkylate petrol premixed at 50:1 with a premium quality biodegradable 2-stroke oil. Alkylate petrol is significantly purer than traditional petrol. Harmful aromatic hydrocarbons are close to zero and it burns significantly cleaner, leaving no residue.

You can also get Insurance via the Paramotor Club, if you have had PMC, BHPA, or APPI training Our policy costs less than AXA by a fair chunk, offers tandem and also covers Paragliding. Long gone are the days of needing to be in the BHPA just for the insurance. SW

Darbyall, I would like to make a similar trip to the Somme next October. Where were the best spots? Did you fly from airfields and if so which ones? Any tips for getting the best out of one of these trips? Thanks, Christian

Hallo, I started flying last year in Spain and more recently have been training in the Warminster area. I live near Uckfield in East Sussex and have my own Parajet V3 with a Roadster 2 wing. I am looking for some local flyers to connect with. Darby Allen

Hi all I'm in search of a club or group to get involved with I'm in East Sussex and Wiltshire areas. Can anyone advise please. I have my own gear and have completed a course at Mear. Looking for all week and weekend flying. Don. donleighbain@aol.com

Hi Tony, sorry for the delay in getting back to you. I have recently spent a week in France flying over the WW1 cemeteries and trenches around the Somme. Awesome trip. Now that winter is on its way I am keen to get in the air but haven't yet found any local sites. How are you getting on with your search for a wing? Darby

Hi Darbyall I live in Hailsham East Sussex and I am currently training with Simon in Wiltshire and have had my first flight and should get a few more flights in over the next few weeks, I have a paramotor but just need to get a wing. Would be good to have someone to fly with. I'm trying to find some good launch sites locally to us. Cheers Tony

Hi Darbyall, I am based in East Grinstead and am looking to start Paramotoring very soon. I have been getting closer and closer to taking the plunge, but just had to make sure I had everything ready. I have done some Paragliding before on the South Downs (only to Elementary pilot level) and am also a qualified PPL. I have been trying to locate suitable places to fly that are not far from me but havn't yet. Where do you fly from? Is there anywhere suitable in Ashdown Forest (most of which is obviously not a forest)? Another decision that needs making is which equipment to buy. Having researched quite a bit I was leaning towards the Parajet/Ozone combination (similar to what you have. How do you find it? It would be great to have local flying to liaise with. It seems that PPG flyers are fairly sparse in our area. Cheers Mike