norman

Bummer, sorry you won't be there Alan. Will have one for you...

I contacted Lloyd Bailey and asked him for a Nepal airspace file. The man responded like a trojan and here it is for those that fancy having a look.

Download the file, execute it, this will bring up GE. Then just go to Nepal and have a look.

nepal.kmz

Hi Folks,

I have spent the last couple of days with Karan listening to his plans and doing a little navigation ground-school. He is in good health and sends his best wishes to all. He had a great time in Pune flying and has now completed what we would regard as being 2/3 of a PPG1.

It wouldn't be fair of me to expose his thoughts to public scrutiny but I can tell you that he looks likely to be placing all his chips on the table and taking a leap of faith. He wants to earn his living in the air in Nepal and be with his family and is working out a way to do that. I left him in little doubt as to what his path might mean and the level of commitment that he would need. He just grinned and with a twinkle in his eye said, "I will do what I must, this river must be crossed and I will do it. I know what risk and reward are and how they live together."

Whilst drinking far too much coffee we hatched a plan that I had previously discussed with Simon. With a fair wind and a little help from our friends we might be seeing a little of Karan here in the UK when the sun comes out and the temperatures rise a little.

More to come soon. Boeing 777 simulator ride is in hand and planned now for January.

At first glance it looks in many ways ideal. It performs the task that NATS have invested effort into, helping you remain clear of controlled airspace.

What it does seem a little short on is navigation information, but that is after a quick look at the website as I am about to vanish out of the door and across the horizon.

It looks like a bargain and I suspect it has been designed to be so.

Had a quickie last Christmas day, just to mark the occasion. Wouldn't blame you atall.

Hope you had another since then Dave, a long year without ...

I don't normally cut and paste posts from other places but here is a little missive that I am sure the author wouldn't mind being passed on as it is safety related.

Yahoo PPG Pilots Forum

I do not normally share embarrassing incidents but a few weeks ago i had

> a serious crash that could have been very nasty. The reason i am sharing

> this is i do not want any other pilots to make the same mistake i did.

> I am okay but my paramotor chassis was mangled.

>

> I have frequently flown in rain and until recently believed that

> reflexed wings were safe in wet weather. I am a comp pilot and have

> flown in some rather extreme conditions both in the UK, Czech Republic,

> Poland and Chile.

>

> After getting very frustrated with the typically crap UK weather, I took

> off in marginal weather and after 15 minutes flew right into a very

> heavy downpour . The rain was so heavy i decided to return to my

> airfield - on final approach i applied full slow landing trim and some

> moderate brake pressure - and promptly entered into a full parachutal

> stall from about 40 ft. I instantly released brakes and hit the bar

> hard in an attempt to get the wing flying - this action may have saved

> my bacon. With insufficient height to enable a full recovery i impacted

> pretty hard. After doing some research i have noted the following which

> might offer an explanation behind my stall:

>

> In heavy rain a thin water film forms on the upper canopy surface. This

> water comes from the residue of the raindrop that is not splashed back.

> The raindrops form small impact craters and surface waves in the water

> film, which roughens the aerofoil surface. This creates additional

> surface friction and disruption of the boundary layer.

>

> In addition the mass of the wing increases as they absorb water. If we

> assume the wieght of the wing plus the mass of air inside at 12kg in dry

> conditions, then cover it with water you massively increase its mass and

> increase your rate of descent (assuming constant RPM/Thrust). The wing

> also becomes heavy and sluggish.

>

> The net effect is a loss of lift, an increase in drag and a premature

> separation of the boundary layer, all of which have negative effects on

> a wings performance - stall territory.

>

> These are most pronounced in slow high-lift wings such as paramotor

> wings - and high lift set ups which we use when landing e.g with

> trimmers on slow and with the brakes applied. The effects are most

> severe at higher angles of attack, which is the paramotor pilots normal

> configuration while landing.

>

> Our wings can experience a decrease in maximum lift of up to 20

> percent, an increase in drag of up to 40 percent, and perhaps most

> importantly, a huge decrease in the stall angle of attack.

>

> An "average" aerofoil typically stalls around 17 degrees, thus one with

> a wet surface could stall at just nine degrees angle of attack.

>

> Be warned!

>

These are the observations and experience of an experienced parafoil wing flyer. The precise AOA numbers probably don't mean a lot when you are flying your wing, the message is clear though. If your wing gets wet be very aware that it may not fly at all like the one you are used to. It may be intolerant of brake application - stall easily/earlier than you expect and set up high rates of descent such as described. I will leave it to others to comment about technique. Observe - Anticipate - - Survive.

Hi whataname,

Your best bet would be to g to USPPA as this site tends to cover the UK mostly. Good Luck friend.

Hi Guys,

I am meeting up with Karan in Hyderabad on the 6th. If anyone has any kit they would like to donate please let me know as you will need to post it tomorrow for it to reach me in time as I leave home on Friday.

Dan was saying that launching in zero wind in a foot of snow took.... a bit of a run. After 100m or so he eventually got off; ten minutes into the flight his hands almost gave up with the cold.

Just been chatting to Dan in Lapland about operating in the snow herding reindeer. He seems to be having a ball with his pal Olaf who herds them from the air. More pictures to come a little later when the sun goes down up there and they return to the keyboard to warm up.

Ahh, Pete, I thought you did leave the ground momentarily, if you did, your return must have been a landing.

This is rather an old definition, but it does seem particularly applicable to paramotoring.

"A good landing is one you can walk away from, an excellent landing is one where you can use the aircraft for its next planned activity."

Anon

Makes you think eh Pete?

It is an eternal problem with technical books of many sorts, if I am unable to sleep I just pick one up. It's the thud as it falls from my hands that cues me to turn out the light.

Bringing met alive isn't easy which is strange because it is potentially one of the more interesting areas to study. Wandering around the globe looking at weather from above has been a source of fascination and wonder for a few years now.

Here is a troubled sky over Cuba some months back...

Kelvin Helmholtz cloud caused by wind velocity shear, this one at low level. This is a comparatively rare phenomena, I had only seen it at high level previously.

Tank leaks.... that one has had me thinking but FB say they have had no instances. It is a really solid piece of kit. It gets inspected though, very closely. LOL

Dave,

Can't soar a trike that well, I think for the moment my legs will do, then I will look at other things.

Hmmm, for me it isn't all about thrust though 80kgs worth does me nicely, a large portion is about certification and build quality. That and scalability up to Flyke. The Hirth is a great motor, really reliable and quiet.... Particularly in my garage.... It will get noisier around December/January though.

Do you... 'errr, know of any other motor that gets close then Dave?

kbelcar,

It isn't much of a welcome to jump down your throat after your first post, please forgive me.

We have a big problem here with the acceptance of paramotors and a bigger one brewing if engage in illegal low flying. I am pleased to hear that you guys don't and that they love to hear you buzz across their rooftops. Sounds like hooligan heaven.

Alan,

It (the halo) is carefully camouflaged under a poncho of Klutzery.

I am assuredly no saint but one of the benefits of living through a few close calls and attending a couple of funerals puts a sharp edge on ones perceptions. I am sure we must all agree that unless we look after and steer this sport by responsible actions we will see it reduced by ridicule and righteous assault from those who tend their Parish meetings and peep through twitching curtains.

Try this...

[youtubevideo]

kbelcar,

I don't want to 'beat up on you' friend but we are seeing lots of videos like these as the sport matures. Yes, low flying like this is a buzz but... it is illegal.

By posting this here and particularly by posting your name on it you are providing all the evidence that the police would need to prosecute you.

The Rules of the air may be different in Croatia but you can bet they have rules that are broadly similar to the rest of Europe.

Some day someone you know is going to eviscerate or decapitate themselves on the unseen wire or seriously injure or kill an innocent bystander. That is not smart, it is reckless and criminal activity which will attract little mercy and howls of opposition from an already noise sensitive public.

Please don't wave your willie at the crowd here guys, it transmits the wrong message. Why not be a responsible aviator - do something imaginative and..... LEGAL.

'Saint' takes his halo off and climbs back in his box.

Bugger, doh! Thanks Fanman,

I shot myself in the foot there by focusing on direct drive, I will delete the rubbish.

On those figures Fanman is close - (M0.97 at ISA/SL +15ºc), keep the wretched thing in the desert somewhere!, 'awful racket.

Error correction service!

Blog updated.

After a slow start due wind and minor motor problems Karan is now flying through the latter part of his initial training. He has even taken his camera into the air with him to start snapping....