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Hi Paul Revo2 and Pap PA125

Brilliant! I really enjoyed watching that Alistair. Very well thought out and timed. Just out of interest, how long did that take to edit (timing etc). Thanks! Dan

I'm a little confused about when to let go of the A's during a nil/low wind launch. Until now I've understood that as soon as the wing arrives overhead, you let go of the A's to prevent the wing overflying you. However, I've just been reading a 10 point nil wind launch guide by Paul Williams, which as a relative newbie, I found really helpful and well written (if you're reading, thanks Paul ). A 10 point zero / low wind speed launch technique check list Paul Williams During a lot of conversions with a lot of different paramotor pilots, it quickly became obvious that the launching phase was the one part that many had trouble with and still do. I think a lot of this has to do with paraglider pilots using paragliding launch techniques. Paragliding and paramotoring really are very different sports done in very different ways. What I've written below is a ten-point list of does and don'ts when it comes to getting a foot launched microlight off the ground in light to zero wind conditions. This is also the system that we use in our paramotoring school and certainly seems to work well. Note; if there is even the slightest amount of wind, it is imperative that the glider is laid out as close to the wind line as possible. It is easier to get off in a true zero wind than a constantly switching light breeze. 1. Lay out the wing flat and clear ALL lines and tangles; you will not get another chance to do this. Pay special attention to the brake lines, cascades and wing tips. 2. Keep a tent peg in your harness pocket and push this through the attachment loops of your risers into the ground. Angling the peg will prevent it from being pulled out. Use this peg as an anchor to lay the wing out; pull the wing against the peg starting from the centre cells. This will ensure all lines are tensioned equally and inflation is near perfect. Don’t worry about the risers being pegged together at this stage; when the motor is attached, the risers will be around 42cm further apart and will let the centre of the wing inflate fractionally earlier than the tips which is exactly what you want. If you haven’t got a peg, the motor itself can be used as an anchor. 3. Put on the motor unit and start up. Walk over to the wing and attach yourself to the karabiners without pulling on the lines. Walking back a metre first will help here. Hold the risers at 10 to 2 position with the lines tensioned equally in each hand and walk forward to take up the slack. Moving from side to side will alter the forward position of your hands. Find the centre of the wing this way; your hands should be equal as should the riser pressure. Launching with the risers already tight does work for a lot of pilots; others like to step back a metre first and go from there. 4. Hold the quick links in your hands with the lines poking out of the top of your closed fists. This will help to stop the risers slipping out of your hands and the lines can be inserted neatly up the side of the throttle thus avoiding snags. 5. Now you’re ready to go. With the engine ticking over and your best foot forward, apply about 50% power, wait a second or two for the unit to settle and start moving forward. From this point on, it’s all about using some of the thrust to help with the launch, like a giant hand gently pushing you forward. To get the wing above your head you can lean into the pull as with a normal paragliding launch as long as you use no more than 50% power. It is very important that no extra power is applied until the wing is above your head and moving forward. Applying excess power at this phase will create a strong torque reaction that will pull down hard on one riser and push the other side up ensuring that the pilot gets spun around, dumped on their butt and break a propeller. Or you get forced into the ground and face planted instead! 6. Keep the same amount of power applied and keep forward pressure on the risers at all times. This is a balancing act; too much power may pull the risers out of your hands. Prevent this happening as the launch sequence will be ruined. Repeating on point 5, it is vital that no extra power is applied at this point. 7. As the wing arrives over head, the pressure in the risers drops almost to zero. This is the transition phase between the inflation and when the wing arrives overhead and begins to fly. Be aware of this and expect it. You must keep moving forward! This is the point at which paraglider pilots slow down to look up to see what's gone wrong. The tension will return to the risers within a few metres. Keep hold of the risers and keep moving forward. Hesitation here is what you are trying to avoid; you must commit fully to the launch. 8. You are not running off a mountain that could finish you if you happen to get it wrong. You are on a flat field. The worst that can happen is the wing inflates unevenly and veers off to one side. Even this can be corrected within reason by stepping back under the wing. Do not use just the brakes for this, it will ruin the launch; using as little brake input as possible seems to work best. It is now time to straighten your back, let the motor do the work and get the thrust line down. 9. DO NOT check the wing during the inflation and transition phase; it will cause you to hesitate. Also never, ever look over your shoulder or turn to look at the wing. If you want to check it, do this once you are on your final take off run but only ever look STRAIGHT UP. All phases of the paramotor launch are done looking ahead and moving in a straight line. You CANNOT turn to look at the wing at any time with the propeller spinning; this is how you get your lines caught in your propeller and/or end up on your back. 10. Smoothly apply full power and run with long strides. Only at the point of lift off release the risers and feel with the brakes for the lift off point. Once off the ground, gently release the brakes to attain good airspeed and climb out. The rest is up to you! Main points to recap are: a) Layout glider correctly b) Use the same amount of power throughout the inflation stage and keep moving c) Stay on the risers longer than for a hill launch d) Never, ever look behind or over your shoulder e) Lean back and let the motor do the work. I hope this article saves few litres of sweat in the future! The only part that confused me was As I said I thought this was a nice guide. The only part that confused me was point 10 where he says to keep hold of the A's until the point of take off. Personally, I like the sound of that and think I'd find it easier. Any opinions? Dan

Sounds good in the review. The only problem I could find for PPG pilots was that an external power source would be needed as the internal rechargeable battery only lasts for an hour. http://www.pocketgpsworld.com/Reviewed-Aware-GPS--Controlled-Airspace-Warning-Device--5558.php Dan

Hi Eddie Amazingly he did. As a kite surfer he understands and accepts the risks involved in these pursuits. It would be great if he takes it up, because based on my progress so far, it could be handy to have a qualified doctor around Dan

Over specified? Don't think so. Remember your trip to the moon? It's probably why you didn't get there on your first attempt. Cable not up to the job. Should be no problem now Bon Voyage Dan

The doctor that patched me up last week has expressed an interest in Paramotoring, so I put together a short video of my training flights. http://vimeo.com/13568640 Dan

Just makes you want to go out and fly. Nice clip Alan. Dan

Simon. Thanks for your pointers. I tend to agree with them all, although I get the impression that you think it's me in the video. I cannot speak Italian, especially with an American accent, and I have a little more hair on top This is just a vid I found on YouTube and sort of liked the idea, although as you say, the throttle would need to be already on the floor. Cheers Dan

Surely a call to Paramania with the serial number would clear this up. +33 970466449. Whilst deciding whether or not to get Revo2, I was on the phone to them almost every week picking their brains. Most of the time it was either Mike or Pascal that answered. They were really helpful and patient. Dan

I've been looking for a safe way to start my engine, and came up with this.... [youtubevideo]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nweYjr9SMl4[/youtubevideo] I know that this can only work on clutched motors and that messing around on the prop side of a running engine makes you realise that you are sub-consciously grimacing and shaking your head. But, the engine is in a stabilized idle with the throttle on the floor...... Opinions from the wisened? Left shoulder giving me a glimmer of hope that it might forgive me enough, at some point in the future, to once again allow me to hang half of 30 odd kilos off it. However, the injury inflicted upon the wife's confidence became infected yesterday when she saw a photo of the shoulder without dressing. Retail Antibiotics, in the form of a shopping trip may need to be administered ASAP if I want to stop this situation spiraling out of control and becoming terminal Dan

Hi Jon Thanks for the post. I think I know what you mean, but If you get a chance, is there anyway you could take a photo of how you are holding the throttle. Don't worry if you can't. Cheers Dan

Thanks for the support guys, it's really appreciated. More or less resigned now to the fact that I won't be leaving the ground any time soon, apart from when friends that don't know what happened greet me with a friendly slap on the shoulder Docs are happy with progress, but it still looks the same to me 4 days on, a bit like salami (sorry). I'm probably expecting too much. Been told to sit down, not move and definitely not to sweat....For f**ks sake it's 42 degrees! So, finding different ways to play with my new Go Pro toy. Time-lapse feeding the cat, 60fpm slow motion taking a piss, secret time-lapse video having an argument with wife over not giving up paramotoring (not pleasant, but at least it was over in 18 seconds) I think it ended with me saying something like 'over my dead body!' Probabaly wrong choice of phrase. Can you tell how bored I am. Is this parawaiting? If I start any arguments on the forum, just ignore me, I'm probably taking high speed video of my keyboard so it looks like I can type really fast. Cheers Dan

Hi Ed Sounds like the Womens Mental Institute to me Shoulder is doing ok. Almost no pain, but I'm told it's because there are no nerves left, and to brace myself in a few days. We'll see Bummer that my GoPro and altimeter watch arrived today. Would love to get over to UK to do some flying and maybe meet some of your Shabbington WI members Cheers Dan

Rob, that's an awesome video, but your reaction shows clearly that you really didn't get my point. It's human nature for young males to need to take risk (caveman hunting thing), some more than others (hence extreme sports) and I have absolutely nothing but respect for these brave guys (maybe a little envy). I only draw the line when other innocents are put at risk as a result of this need to take extreme risk, or we risk the freedom that we have with our sport. Somehow, I think you won't understand until it's too late. What's this Womens institute thing about? The very fact that this...debate or whatever it is, is occurring on a paramotoring forum should tell you that the guys here are not averse to a bit of risk. Now, enough, I've got my cabbages to attend to, and you've probably got a cliff to base jump off Cheers Dan

I came from 14 years of GA flying where everything is very serious. Serious people flying serious aircraft, with a serious amount regulation... and serious air traffic controllers who expect you to be every bit as serious as they are. Serious money is involved...all the time and serious consequenses can be expected if you are caught breaking the CAA's (campaign against aviation) serious rules. A serious runway is required and if your donkey stops...well, chances are you are in serious do do! So why have I got into paramotor flying? See above (he says having just ripped off half his shoulder with a wooden propellor ) Dan

I'm interested to know if you would feel the same way if a case was put forward and passed to remove our deregulated status and make us have to register our aircraft (with all the administrative costs involved) based on video related evidence of irresponsibility like this. Don't get me wrong, I think this is a cool, fun to watch video, displaying excellent piloting skills, but, surely they must know that, for instance, forcing a car to stop on a highway by travelling in the opposite direction at ground level, might be amplifying there thrill factor, but is a seriously uncool and selfish act not only for the poor guy in the car, but more importantly the paramotoring community. The stuff in the fields and over the water, in fact all of the stuff away from people was absolutely breathtaking stuff. Do you really not get the difference Rob? If you have been involved in GA you will understand what a royal pain in the arse regulated aviation is. GA pilots know that the CAA stands for 'Campaign Against Aviation'. We really do not want their attention.

Thanks Dave. Unfortunately, the engine will not start from cold without some intervention from the throttle and it's impossible to start it over your shoulder, too much compression.

It would be very easy not to write this post, because I feel really really stupid and embarrassed. But, I feel that if my horrible experience prevents just one other pilot from a similar fate then my ego can take the hit. I'm getting set up on my own (mistake 1) in a big field near to my home, I've laid out my wing had a couple of nice practice forward launches and feel a little more confident. The wind is almost non-existant, but the best it's been for a while. I get my motor out of the car and run through the safety checks, before I attempt to start it. This is a clutched, pull start engine which requires me to firmly hold it in place with throttle in hand (I believe mistake 2) whilst I pull with the other hand. I had primed the engine and slowly pulled through once as I had been shown. Then I went to start the engine. It caught first time. In hindsight, the problem for me was that with my left hand. the one holding the throttle, which needs an extremely delicate touch, this hand also needs to strongly hold the frame because otherwise the pulling action pulls the paramotor round. Delicate and firm with the same hand. As the engine started I was unaware that I was inadvertantly squeezing the throttle. It took me completely unaware as the engine reved so quickly. The ground under the paramotor (mistake 3) was not completely flat although not uneven enough for me to notice before starting the engine. I was knocked off balance slightly enough for me to not be able to hold back the 35kg of thrust that it kicked out at that point and the paramotor came round on me from the left. This was all happening in a split second, but my instict was to grip the frame even more firmly to try and stop the paramotor moving but at the same time whilst trying to grip I was obviously gripping the throttle as well. Fortunately I figured out what was happening and just let go of the throttle just as the top of my shoulder met the propellor through the cage. Unfortunately the throttle hit the ground lever first and re-reved the engine just at the point of contact. This all happened in about half a second. I felt a tremendous bang to my shoulder and instictively pushed back and moved away. The paramotor fell over, cage down smashing the prop. I killed the engine and forced myself to look down at my shoulder. It wasn't pretty. My tshirt was completely shredded and there was blood gushing out of a deep wound. I was almost fascinated at how fast your situation can change. One minute I'm having a really pleasant time in a very nice, peaceful spot, then suddenly in a second everything has turned around. A million thoughts are running through my head. First and foremost I knew that I had to stabilise my injury and stem the bleeding. I did this with kitchen roll and pressure. Then I had to figure out whether or not I was going to loose consciousness anytime soon, which I decided I wasn't. Then I decided that I would need help, quickly. Lots and lots of pain now. There was no way I was going to call Nikki, my wife, I just couldn't. So I called my friend and very briefly explained my predicament. He shot out of the house and went to completely the wrong place (he's Spanish). In the meantime I'm trying to multi-task. There was no way I was going to leave my gear in that field, so whilst desperately trying not to loose too much blood, I somehow managed to gather up my wing and get it in the stuff bag, without covering it in blood, which was gushing. This really took it out of me, so I sat down and concentrated on the wound. I couldn't remove the pressure to have a look, so didn't really know the extent of the injury, but to be honest, at that moment I didn't want to. So I just sat there and drank water. The next task was to calm my friend when he eventually turned up and saw me. I guess I was not a pretty sight with my shredded t-shirt and covered in blood. He was pretty shuck up. Anyway, when we got to the hospital I saw what I had done. Basically the propellor, THROUGH THE NETTING had removed all the skin and flesh down to the bone from the top of my shoulder. Although the injury is pretty severe, I think I was really lucky that it wasn't a few inches higher up my neck. Damage to the paramotor was minimal. 2 netting cable ties and a prop. What have I learned? The netting doesn't offer much protection as it's flexible. Starting technique: I have been back to Pap assuming my starting technique was incorrect, but amazingly it was pretty spot on and works fine providing the engine doesn't suddenly rev up. As the starter pulley is on the lower right you tend to support the machine more on the right, so when it unexpectedly reved, it span round anti clockwise, meeting my left shoulder. Unfortunately this type of injury takes a long time to heal and might require some skin graft surgery. The position of it, just where the harness sits on my shoulder, is also unfortunate because it's going to stop me getting back in the saddle for the summer I know I've had a bad start and my confidence has taken a battering, but I am still excited about getting airbourne and will not accept these couple of incidents as 'a warning' that this is not for me, as some (especially loved ones) are suggesting. I just wish I had some support here to help me with my learning curve. Sorry about the long post, but I guarentee it was harder to write it than it was for you to read it Cheers Dan

This video makes me so angry. I would like to see these pilots prosecuted to the full extent of the law. Seriously We have a truly unique, unbelievable, but delicate freedom that no other form of aviation can enjoy. As a result of this freedom, we are able to avoid almost all of the (sometimes ridiculous) rules and costs that blights ALL other forms of aviation. The rules that do effect us are the common sense rules, the ones that these pilots blatently ignored. I truly believe that the freedom of our sport lives on borrowed time, and that pilots and their stupid, solid evidence videos like this one just make it very easy for the beaurocrats to intervene at any time they fancy. I would love to know the honest general consensus about this video. Maybe an anonymous poll? Dan

Thanks Alan, I guess I'll try not to dissapoint them then

Hi Clive. I'm not sure what you mean. I did not recieve any type of certificate or documentation with the wing. Just a beautiful piece of soft technology Sorry I cannot be anymore help. Maybe Vince knows more about this Dan

Does anyone know whether I could use my Revo2 as a paraglider? I don't want to ridge soar, because we have no ridges near by, but Algodonales is only a short drive from where I live and would like to learn paraglide as I truly believe this would put me more in touch with my wing, be a lot of fun and hopefully make me a better/safer paramotor pilot. What I cannot do is afford to buy a seperate paragliding wing. So, if I use my Revo 2, am I going to be able to thermal with the rest of the crowd, or am I just going to have a pleasant glide down to the bottom? Thanks Dan

Oh yes, I know that feeling. It happens in a split second, and as soon as it does, you know immediately that you're gonna be out of action for weeks It's sooo depressing Remember, it's didn't really happen in a split second. It's the end result of an inflamatory process that has been building up for a few days or more. Slowly expanding closer and closer to the nerve, until one day you do something such as a slight reach to get a book, or a sneeze or cough, something completely innocent, but just enough for the inflamed area to get too close to the nerve to invoke a spasm, which then tears the muscle tissue leading to much bigger inflamation and subsequent pain (understatement!). So what starts the inflamatory process in the first place? It can be one or a combination of a number of things. Things you wouldn't even think of, such as: A type of food that your body has intolerance to, creating a reaction on the inside instead of the outside. MSG (monosodium glutamate) is a common one, as is citric acid. An internal virus that you are not aware of, but can lead to internal tissue inflamation. Constipation crowds the space, compressing the area. It's all about tolerances. The bigger the space between the disk and the nerve, the less likely you are to have a problem. Age and gravity squash the disks. They have to go somewhere, so thet travel out toward the spinal nerves, reducing the tolerance between the tissue and the nerve. Sitting at a computer for long periods of time puts more pressure on one side of the disk than the other, slowly squeezing it towards the nerve. Hence the advice, get up every 15 minutes inorder to relieve that pressure..... I could go on and on, but I'm sure that eyes are glazing over already It really isn't rocket science. It's just the realisation that are bodies are designed to work as we did when we lived in caves ie low levels of activity for long periods of time. Common sense really. Cheers Dan

Hi Stu That's really neat. Sorry to be a bit dumb, but can you explain how you did this. ie which gps are you using? How d'you get it from gps to pc etc Cheers Dan