aquatix

About right - it is certified 90-140kg

Personally I think the Synthesis has superior handling and 'feel', with much more effective tip steering ..... but you would probably find equal numbers of supporters for either wing.

The Silex is a safe enough wing but a bit outdated and lower performance than the Revo or Synth. It should really get an inspection if you wanted to train on it, or just use it for ground handling practice.

Ah - in England people like to moan .... they are very good at it and it only takes one ..... Then there is the petty army of Health & Safety officialdom with their rules and regulations barricades to overcome !

Of course there is always some element of risk, but the smiles on the faces of the public in that video show the majority of people love to see flying like this.

Right, I'm off to go skimming tower blocks with my camera now .........

Amazing video ...........

........... but just imagine the outcry if he did the same thing with a paramotor !

Airways have top instructors and a very professional set-up. Make sure you come along to their demo weekend 24-25 March where you will see loads of kit - hopefully in action if weather gods are kind - and many of your questions will probably find answers there.

Sent you a PM of where we are flying tomorrow. Short notice I know, but you could probably meet Paul Kilburn, one of the NW instructors.

You won't go wrong with Deano or the other UK school's abroad, so really it is just what is more convenient to you.

The motor still depends on your stats and requirements - same as a car, there is no single best choice for everyone - but I know of a couple of good paramotors that will be up for sale soon ....

Hi Stu - it currently does not matter, as anyone is legally allowed to teach you how to fly a paramotor ....

I am biased towards the BHPA as I believe all training should be standardised, and their Pilot training syllabus is comprehensive and provides full insurance. This is a PMC forum however and their instructors follow a similar syllabus and equally good training - as do some other freelance instructors.

So basically it doesn't matter what letters the school operates under, providing the quality of equipment and training is good - and more importantly, safe. The main criteria for learning is the attitude and ability of the student.

Why not post your location and people on here will be able to recommend a good instructor ?

There are various types of propeller induced torque, and most machines can make this minimal, but something to be aware of : http://paraglidershop.co.uk/paramotorparaglidingproptorque.htm

Take off is always into wind. At our take off speed even a few mph wind has a strong effect. Landings can be a few degrees off without problem. Once flying, downwind is not an issue.

Stall speed varies with loading and other factors, generally around 23km/h airspeed. They are almost impossible to stall without excessive pilot input.

Wings are tested and certified to a particular weight range and generally load tested to at least 8x maximum load.

Modern wings are extremely safe and need a lot to upset them. They will continue to fly even with a large rip or snapped lines. Very few PPG pilots have ever needed to use their reserve.

Yes, it is that easy in principle, but in practice, no.

Most normal people have to assemble their motor after transport, mix and fuel it up, preflight check the moor and wing, have a coffee, chat and discuss flight plan with other pilots, don flying suit, boots, helmet and gloves (in the UK) plus cameras, GPS and other equipment. All this time spent watching the weather conditions for any changes.

Similar amount of time spent after a good flight - its all part of the enjoyment as it is more of a hobby than a quick fix like basejumping. Why rush it and make mistakes ?

Also most of us have invested a significant amount of money in our equipment and treat it with care so it will last - not just chuck it about like on that video - but given the right conditions you could be up and away in 10 minutes or so.

Wing and motor questions are impossible to answer as they are only subjective opinions. There is no single "best" combination to suit everyone - same as there is no "best" make of car to suit every purpose .... If you do some basic training first then look at the options you will have a better idea of what will best meet your requirements.

All motors are slightly different in terms of weight, power, fuel economy, noise, comfort, handling and looks. Wings you can probably narrow down to Paramania or Dudek, plus a few others. Your size, weight, physical fitness etc are all points to consider in the selection process.

If you train in Spain you might get a better deal on wing / motor - especially from some of the good Spanish makes like PXP, PAP and Kobra. The saving may even cover most of the training costs.

The 3 schools listed previously are probably the best abroad. This being a PMC forum there are plenty of club instructors to choose from, unless you plan to do any free flying in future (well worth it IMO) in which case you may be better going the BHPA route.

There are some excellent used wings and motors available ... and a few horror stories on ebay for the unwary - so don't rush in until you know a bit more.

3rd party insurance is not compulsory except for certain organised events, but highly recommended in all cases. Included with BHPA membership but available elsewhere if you train along a different route. (Joint Aviation Services provide cover).

Wings should generally be serviced after a couple of years (100 - 200 hours flying) depending on usage or other factors - costs around £80

Motors each have their own service schedule - anything from 20 - 50 hours for small items such as plugs, belts and rubber mounts, to 200 hours or more for piston rings and other parts. Regular and often is best ....

Warranties range from 1 - 3 years depending on manufacturer of motor / wing .... but tend to exclude wear & tear or accidental damage.

Should all be worth it - Anglesey and N Wales is a fantastic area to fly !

It would be worth you contacting Steve Griffiths at http://www.mwpgc.co.uk/index.php as a great starting point for your nearest BHPA registered school.

Spain would be your best option with a much greater chance of completing a straight through course, and you won't get a more experienced instructor than Dean Eldridge : http://www.paraviation.com/course#Beginner or Kester Haynes, who also works with Alex Ledger at http://www.skyschooluk.com/

Seems to be a lot of 'QFI's on this forum who have either absconded from the RAF or are just making up an imaginary qualification ?

After your training just contact Slapper or any of the North Wales pilots as you will pick up more experience flying with others than trying to go it alone. I'm sure your previous aviation experience will have made you aware of the midweek activity from Valley in your area ........

Damn - the good weather clashes with the NW reserve repack course ......

Might be finished by 2pm - are you there all day ?

Nice one - well up for this and nice to have something closer to home. Reposted the info on the Lancashire HotProps forum.

Paul Kilburn's training field is only 20 miles N up the low level corridor so maybe a little XC convoy could be arranged for one of the days ?

BTW the Synth is a C rated wing (with trims out & on bar)

The Synthesis is actually C rated with closed trimmers only. With trimmers out and on speed-bar it is uncertified, like the majority of reflex wing designs. At least Dudek takes the step of selling wings with trimmers buckled closed, so the owner must physically remove a tab if they choose to fly it in uncertified mode.

There seems to be an undercurrent of opinion that a wing which scores mostly A's (with a few B's and occasional C) can somehow be regarded as an A/B wing - when in fact it is rated C without question. This makes a mockery of the testing procedure, which is a shame as when studied (beyond just a letter) the test reports can give a valuable insight into how a wing is likely to behave in flight.

Of course there are no paramotor specific tests as they were designed for paragliders to show recovery characteristics back to stable flight - not the actual stability or resistance to collapses that would be of great interest but difficult to measure with accuracy.

In calm air and with gentle inputs a beginner 'might' be OK flying a high rated or even uncertified glider - but is this a situation we should be encouraging ? How would a risk averse insurance company view this after an incident if they could show there were safer rated wing options available to beginners ?

Of course nearly all modern wings are relatively safe, and reflex does offer some advantages to the more experienced pilot who understands the changes in wing profile (ie, releasing a few cm of trimmer does not magically make the wing safe and stable, even if it does increase speed and resistance to collapses by a certain amount).

Forum opinions are useful, but just that - opinion (although better to trust a large number of real pilots than one persons rants on YouTube) Manufacturers (and designers) also offer useful guidance notes on what type of pilot / experience level their wings are targeted at - although even this information can be distorted by sales pitch when they produce a number of different models. Of course they would like people to buy a beginner wing then purchase different models as they progress .....

Anyway, just some points to consider when making an expensive purchasing decision .....

Thanks for the reminder Slapper - I need to get my cheque sent off for the repack !

PS - we've been invited to fly up at Clitheroe when the weather allows. A couple of nice fields courtesy of Pennine Soaring Club !

PS - if you haven't already started rebuilding it, alloy wheel cleaner and a toothbrush will have the carb body looking all sparkly and new again.

The gasket mating surfaces can be cleaned with a nylon scouring pad and some carb cleaner (or petrol) - but not wire wool or anything that cold scratch it - followed by a final rinse and blow through.

OK, under the semi circular metering plate there should be a rubber diaphragm and a gasket ..... is it possible they are stuck together ?

You want the middle gasket from your kit photo, plus the thin diaphragm.

I have read a tuning tip somewhere that you can cut out the flap on the rubber diaphragm, but I would advise building it to standard spec before any further tinkering - it may be that this is a cause of your problems if someone omitted it previously - did you purchase the motor new or secondhand ?

This is a handy schematic / parts list: http://www.planetppg.com/content/WBseries.pdf

and some further info here: http://www.planetppg.com/Bing.html#WB37c

plus some tuning tips (although a different Walbro carb) here: http://www.geistware.com/rcmodeling/glowpower/gas_engine_tune_1.htm

Maybe Simon could edit the info and links together into a sticky section for Walbro carbs, since they are standard on many motors ?

Mark, on a public forum most people are going to advise following the manufacturers guidelines, which are important - but the most crucial safety aspect is choosing the right conditions to fly in.

I started with an Apco Thrust which was incredibly safe, but a bit boring so I traded it in fairly quickly. I don't think the HP version would be dangerous - just a bit more lively for a beginner.

You will be well into the lower half of the weight range which is fine (anywhere within the certified range is OK) and probably the best part of the range for you to be in as the performance will all be slightly 'softer' and less dynamic than flying at the top of the range.

This might be of interest: http://www.footflyer.com/Equipment/Wings/ApcoHP/paraglider_review_ApcoHP.htm

No such problems with the Contour cameras - but the battery life is only half as good as normal in this freezing weather .....

That's the one - at that price there is no excuse for regular carb maintenance ... not sure why I thought you were in Canada though ....

Only other thing to note is you may need to set the fulcrum height by bending the metering lever a little bit after fitting the new needle. You can also adjust this by setting the 'pop-off' pressure, but this gets a little more technical and is not usually necessary.

Just let me know if you get stuck or need any further info, but these articles should have all you need for perfect, trouble free carburettor setting (Walbro WB series carbs are all pretty similar, regardless of model no.) :

https://www.pegasusautoracing.com/document.asp?DocID=TECH00038

http://tech.flygsw.org/walbro_tuneup.htm

http://www.footflyer.com/fix/motor/carburetor/walbro.htm

http://webspace.webring.com/people/bf/flphg/idle_adaptation.html

http://www.aerocorsair.com/id28.htm

As above ^^

The standard Apco Thrust is perfect for a beginner. The HP version (High Performance) is aimed at experienced pilots).

Most people learn to drive in a Fiesta, not a Ferrari !

Stuart - I am 99% certain it IS the carb ..... the Walbro 37 is notorious for these symptoms (I've had similar) and particularly for a rough or 'dead' spot in the revs at the point where the high jet takes over from the low jet. A perforated diaghram, leaking gasket or worn needle tip on your inlet valve could all cause your symptoms.

It is very simple to strip and rebuild - just remove it to a clean area and take your time. No special tools required. Make sure you buy a full repair kit (about £11) that has all the gaskets, membranes, needle, spring, fulcrum pin etc to repair.

Also buy a tin of carburettor cleaner from any motor factor, to clean it thoroughly - especially the internal gauze filter which gets clogged. If you have an airline to blow it through then even better, but not essential.

Also, before you strip it down, count the turns on your high and low screws so you can set them the same after rebuild (initially) before making small adjustments to fine tune. It shouldn't take more than an hour to rebuild.

There are plenty of diagrams and guides to follow on the internet.

http://blueskyppg.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=123

http://tech.flygsw.org/walbro_tuneup.htm

http://www.aerocorsair.com/id27.htm

http://www.parajet.com/images/pdfs/Volution2Manual.pdf

Alan

Amazing ! I won't be challenging that record .............

Did the wing touch the ground between each flight or just engine off and restart with wing still in the air ?

Agree with above regarding battery - the heat and vibration isn't kind to the internal plates of the standard lead-acid battery, and the rectifiers fitted to many paramotors aren't the best quality. I shorted one battery when the rectifier failed, allowing AC to come through from the charging stator.

My Evo motor spins very fast on the starter and always fires within a second or two - but I've also got a fancy lithium-iron battery waiting to be fitted just in case (and it is 1.5kg's lighter).

Neil, I had similar starting problems with the Walbro WB37 carbs (not just on Simonini engines) and it was nearly always a symptom of mixture adjustment - either on the high & low screws, pop-off pressure or 'fluff' build up on the internal gauze filter. Also, Alex Varve's modification of the throttle butterfly plate works well (a small half moon filed off in line with the fuel intake holes).

Been keeping an eye on Friday all week - looks good for a run to the coast in the morning, and maybe Winter Hill in the afternoon.

Already had 2 days free flying this year so need to blow the cobwebs off the motor now ....

All the above is perfectly true, but would seem to make it a common issue for all owners of inverted engines. Never had the problem with my F200 or Simonini mini2+, just the Evo motor. Perhaps this motor is best suited to installations with spark plug on top ?

Engine temps certainly aren't cold and it isn't jetted too rich (manufacturers spec). There is never any exhaust smoke or oily residue on prop after a long flight, which might suggest a surplus % of oil that could be reduced.

It takes a good few days for this residual oil to work down to the plug so not sure that 20 seconds of running the carb dry would make much difference. Might try a different brand of oil, or maybe just accept it as the price for having a well oiled engine......