Dave24

Right then lets see if we can get you sorted

What weight are you

How much do you have to spend on

wing (you will need a reserve also)

motor

do you know what type of flying you will be doing

Can you afford a wing to fly for now then upgrade when you know which type of flying you prefer

what motor are you learning on

what wing are you learning on

What wing does your instructor recommend, and why

what motor does your instructor recommend, and why

Thanks for giving this a go.

Answers to your questions are:

Weight 11 stone (70 kg)

Money not an obstacle to buying best kit

Reserve essential so will need one

Type of flying - XC important; but also some pootling and soaring above various locations (hills, fields, beaches)

I can afford to go for the best beginner set-up and then go to the best intermediate set-up when I have more experience

Kit used & recommended - instructor's own (they only do one of each) - hence my reluctance to name them because I don't think they come out well in my threads. The wing I used, I'm happy with and would probably buy one; the motor was too heavy and cumbersome, so would like to explore a variety of options.

As a novice, safety and stability are important, as are motor weight and efficiency (for XC). I have read the threads on hang-points safety issues which gets me worried. Since safety is important to me, this worry makes it seem more important that I get a good motor.

Thanks for any advice.

Dave

Thanks Alan,

This is very helpful.

Dave

What do you like/dislike about your paramotor? Are you happy with its weight, power, strength, reliability, fuel consumption, cost, etc?

How does it compare to other paramotors (if any) that you've used?

Hi Dave,

Every wing producer has a page on there site which will tell you which wings are designed for a new pilot.

Good point. I have a list of 31 wings and 45 paramotor producers - should I read them all or can you recommend a short-list of 4/5 of each?

The best advice I can give is to listen to your friends, instructor and do your own research.

I've listened to my instructor - he suggests his brand. I'm too new to PPG to have any friends sho know anything about PPG. Thats why I (and other novices) need the help of your forum.

I really appreciate the ratings and comments you gave on your Rad & parajet. I wish others would follow your lead

Stick with the main brands and the newer kit and you will be just fine.

What are the main brands?

SW

All well and good Dave but pilots do not usually have experience of many motors and wings.

If you've used one motor, you can say what you liked and didn't like about it. If you've used two thenyou can say which you preferred and why

You will gain a lot more information by asking and looking on the forums then making your own mind up as it will depend on your size,weight, strength, age(to some extent) and what type of flying you wish to do ie quick blatt about, low fast stuff, long cross country's

I've spent three months following this forum and "doing research" and I have no idea which wing or motor I should buy. In the absence of any valuable advice, my only option is to buy the wing and motor which my instructor sells at whatever price he sells it for. I trust him to teach me. Do I trust him to sell me the best wing and motor for me when he sells only one make of each - i doubt it.

Can I buy second-hand. No - in the absence of any valuable advice I don't have a clue what I'm buying.

We need reviews, ratings and opinions - not cop-out answers

almost everybody using this site will probably have a different opinion of whats good and whats bad.....what suits them and what doesn,t..........whats safe in somebodys hands could be a killer in another persons....everybody is different....even the experts will argue about it all day long

Thats the problem as I see it there is no easy answer to your question

Gary - I don't buy it. It's a cop out.

You could say the same about cars, motorbikes, etc. yet I can give helpful advice on which cars are better than others and which bikes are more suitable for most novices.

If you've flown a motor, you can give your point of view on it - what you liked and what you didn't. If you've flown more than one you can say what you liked best and why.

As a newcomer to PPG I'm very concerned that there appears to be very little information on which paramotors and which wings are best. I see no/few reviews/ratings and few opinions given by experts. Novices have to rely on instructors who tend to stock one or (at most) two brands of motor or wing - often the ones that he/she distributes or makes.

When we buy a car, TV, fridge, movie, etc we can read loads of reviews, ratings and opinions. Experts are not scared to give their opinion. With PPG we're at the mercy of biased instrutors. As a novice, what kit you fly seems to depend mainly on what instructor you get.

THIS IS WRONG!

We're not just talking about a hobby we're talking about something with inherent dangers and with meaningful costs if you get the choice of equipment wrong. We need more clear-cut information about what kit works well, in what areas; and which just doesn't.

And specific to this thread, we don't need any clever remarks about how difficult it is to define what "best" means. Best is simple - you all define it very well in other threads - it means lighter, stronger, better fuel consumption, better reliability, more power/control, safer, better value for money, usability, etc - in the same way that we have an idea which TVs, fridges, washing machines, cars are better, faster, more reliable, etc than others - because the information is available - and expert and user reviews and ratings spell it out better than simply going into a shop and asking the dealer which one he/she recommends (the one for which he/she gets highest commission).

So I'm asking all of you out there who have at least a few years of experience to stop sitting on the fence and actually give some valid opinions, ratings, criticism, etc of motors and wings that will help novices avoid making expensive mistakes and runing their PPG experiences. If you've used two different motors, say which was better and why. If you've used more, say why ones were better for you than the others. Over time, we'll get the picture.

Until you do this, PPG development will run at a snails pace, confused newbies will buy inappropriate and overpriced gear, and the sport will take a long time to grow and mature.

Dave

Simon,

What did you find good about the Parajet (to give it 8/10)? What was not so good about the RADs that mean only 5/10?

Anyone else able to comment these or on other motors (rating and reasons)?

Darkwing, what's a shackle pin and how might it fail?

Dave

Simon,

Which Paramotors have you used and how would you rate them (marks out of ten)?

Dave

Thanks for the link.

I've read the articles but don't see any safety issues. I see the point that low hang points cause you to "wobble" under power more, but gives you a better ability to weight-shift. The opposite is true for high hang-points.

I also see the comment that you get used to either way and notice that many people/motors use low and many use high hang-points.

Is there something I'm missing, because I've heard about the "dangers" of low hang points, but don't actually see what the safety issue is.

Thanks for any advice on this.

Dave

So if you're flying XC and it starts to rain, is it best to land immediately?

Can anyone explain the safety issue thing with low or high attachment points?

I wasn't aware of safety problems and as a newbie would like to avoid getting caught up in any problems.

I tried to follow the recent link discussing it, but came away feeling lost since there wasn't a basic explanation of what the problems are.

Thx

Any more opinions on the kit you have, have had or have seen - what do you like, dislike, prefer about the kit you have experience of?

Dave

I flew yesterday. Didn't pull start my engine until stood up all clipped in and ready to go, exactly the same as when I had electric start machines except I don't have a battery to go flat or lug around. Didn't have to start on one leg or do anything tricky as my set up is good. I shut my engine down three times in flight and each time I restarted easily from in my seat and climbed away. I consider the weight reduction to be the safety factor I am after and there is no loss of convenience.

Fanman,

I didn't know you could do this (start from ready position and re-start in the air). Is this normal for your type of motor or have you done something to yours to make it easier to start from your seat?

Dave

Thanks Bignos,

This is exactly what I need to hear, real-world advice, what's good and what's crap, plus things to watch out for.

Good idea about going to a field/fly-in and seeing what people have got.

Dave

I see the electric start as a safety feature - I have had a motor cut out on me in flight (my fault) and had to land - no option of re-starting - could have been tricky. I also see it as a convenience thing - I have had the problem of starting a motor, putting the motor on; the motor stopping; having to take it off again, re-start; then put it on again - I was knackered before I even started. I see others get ready, press a button and off they go.

Everything else I need relates to weight and safety.

I understand that there are many different motors, but like any industry where there are many competitors (cars, bikes, TVs, Banks, etc), some will be good, some very good and others pretty much rubbish. When we have no ways of comparing them then - e.g. people don't say what they like and dislike about the one/s they've used, then the crap ones hang around and people pay over the odds for mediocre ones.

So I'm hoping that people will let us know what they think about their own paramotors and wings (and ones that they;ve used/seen).

Dave

Dave (Flat-Top),

Perhaps you could just let me know if you found your paramotor:

1. Was reliable

2. Had an electric start

3. Was light or heavy (compared to other people's motors)

4. Was fuel efficient (typically how many hours?)

5. Had a strong cage

It's yours and other people's opinions I'm interested in.

Dave

Nice idea SW.

Before I do that it would help if I could narrow the field down to a few of the better paramotors and wings - based on my own light weight and my need for reliability, light weight, electric start and fuel economy in a motor - and stability and ease of use in a wing - cost being less of an issue.

Any ideas from anyone would help.

I've completed my PPG training and would like to buy my own equipment.

I have been advised to get some unbiased recommendations on the best wing and paramotor for me. I'm told that this can be difficult for many instructors and experts since they tend to be connected to (e.g. distributers for) one or two brands.

Can anyone offer independent recommendations on which wings and paramotors would be best for me? Important information is:

Level - beginner

Weight - 11 stone (71kg)

Paramotor needs:

1. Reliable (engine works well and doesn't cut out)

2. Electric start

3. Lightest possible

4. Fuel efficient (2-3 hours for cross country)

5. Strong cage (to prevent novice damage)

Wing needs:

1. Safety more important than performance

At the moment, cost is less of an issue, as long as the paramotor is reliable, light & efficient and the wing is stable and easy to use.

Thanks for any advice.

Dave

Has anyone seen (or put together) a list of top Paramotor brands & models and then listed for each their:

Weight

Power

Fuel efficiency (hours/litre)

Price

Anything else important

I understand that when you do your training, you get to see the brand/model that the instructor likes/sells. Is there a way to see and review other top brands & models.

And also any idea what I should expect to pay for training? Per day? Per course?

Don't want to go for any overpriced companies with high overheads and over-engineered courses.

Thanks.

Dave

Thanks guys.

UK it is.

Any idea where I can find a list of instructors/courses in the North of England?

Dave

This autumn, is it best to go abroad (e.g. Europe, US) to do Paramotor training - for more reliable weather - or to train in the UK - where the weather is less reliable, but it's not as far to travel.

I understand that, if I was to train in the UK, the nearest place for me would be Doncaster (thanks SW).

However, the real question is: this autumn, is it better to go abroad for more reliable weather or to train in the UK (less reliable weather but not as far to travel).

Thanks SW