alan_k

Get proper training. Don't buy any kit until you are at least part way through your training and you know this sport is for you. You should have an idea of what sort of flying you want to do by then, this can influence your future purchases. Don't rush things. If you have any doubt about a flight, don't fly.

Yes once the velcro is opened on the ground you can re-do/tuck it away so the tip steer toggles are just held on the magnets. They are plenty strong enough. Your thinking on the speedbar is correct, depends how you want to fly the glider. If you have trimmers and speedbar active then you should only use the tip steer

Great progress! I fly a Solo and I would say get up to a decent height then try 1/2 then full trimmer out, you'll feel the extra speed. Get used to the trimmers before going for the speed bar, I don't use speedbar as the Solo flies fast enough for my needs. The tip steering is fantastic, once you are above 500 feet you can park the brakes and just use the tip steer.

This is the recommendation from the Simonini manual: We recommend using a semi-synthetic oil (for example, BARDAHL with API TC specification) that, although inferior to a pure synthetic, remains mixed with gasoline in the tank for a longer period. It grants good lubrication and longer life to engine components. During the running-in stage, use an oil percentage of 3,5% and then move to 3% once the stage has been completed. The gasoline must have an octane number not lower than 95, in order to avoid preignition phenomena. Carefully mix the fuel oil in a tank is appropriate and it is better, once mixed, to use it within one week. Do not use vegetable or animal oil. DO NOT MIX DIFFERENT TYPES OF OIL. We do never recommend using Castrol TTS Oil. None guarantees by using this oil will be applied. So looks like 33-1 after break in.

Check for any splits in the fuel line and primer bulb. Any air bubbles in the fuel line?

I have had a good result asking at local club/establishments, in my case a golf club. The lady on the enquiry desk was a local and knew of a possible field and also recommended getting in touch with a local stable owner. It seemed counter intuitive to be speaking with someone that provides services for horses, that are a problem to avoid normally, but it turned out he had a suitable field. You need to ask anyone you can think of that that could have local knowledge of land and land owners. Good luck.

Unfortunately yesterday I lost permission on the field I had been using for the past 3 1/2 years. In hindsight I couldn't have expected it to last forever, the original landowner who gave me permission died 12 months ago and the remaining family are not now in the area. There was a frontage of houses across the busy road some distance away and I have been flying a lot recently. Complaints came in.. However the crushing realisation that I had nowhere to fly from (permission being sort for a shared site elsewhere) redoubled my efforts this morning to search for another. With some concentrated digging, even approaching one of the golf clubs in the area (that was a no, unless MI6 can assist as they did for a Boris landing), the information gleaned led to singular permission on a new field that is closer to home. Yippee!

I can only apologise from afar for the noise disturbance. I am not one of the pilots in your area but do take noise disturbance into account when flying, as I think all pilots should. The recommended approach is to take off and leave the area and also not to fly the same routes over and over. The disadvantage of flying a powered paraglider is that the acceptable weather window for flying is limited, generally to early mornings and evenings, hence the activity at this time.

I'm guessing it is either aluminium or polycarbonate sheeting of some kind.

Microavionics LED stobe. Brightest on the market, needs 12V supply/battery. In stock at CM Paramotors https://cmparamotors.com/

Unfortunately a couple of the biggest dickheads on the paramotor scene also have rather large exposure on YouTube. Most PPG pilots will quietly get on with helping others with the same passion for PPG flight.

The modern wing such as the Kougar 2 (2014) and the Dudek Solo (2019?) have specifications that include an extended weight range for trike use, whereas other modern wings don't. I have never understood this, can anyone enlighten me? I was always amazed at the very wide weight range that Paramania wings were specified over also.

Wing now SOLD

Greenpeace activist, they'll do anything..

Whatever suits Simon, have voted will be coming no matter what.

Difficult decision to make Simon, we will already be in Cornwall the week before. I think 1 month would probably be better.

Can't really advise on the V2 but with the V5 the graph in the manual showing suspension position for pilot weight seems way out in my experience. Try it in the 90kg + position and see what happens.

Hi Andrew, welcome and I think you are already hooked. Reasonably unfit will change, reasonably apprehensive is good it will keep your wits sharp. Don't forget fields with lack of horses as well, they can be the worst. Enjoy your training with the PMC crew, I am sure you will.

Pictures showing the arrangement on the Solo: First pic shows the toggle with the line running through an extra ring attached to the B riser. 2nd pic shows the bungee attache to the bottom of the risers.

I actually bought the red balls (ooh err missus) and the line from Dudek. You just need a thin suspension line, as there is no weight on the line, plus a small toggle. I used a thin elastic bungee tied to the top of the risers to stop them floating away/getting tangled in anything. The Solo wing has the same arrangement though I can't get a clear picture to show it. Toggles like this would be suitable https://glidersports.com/shop/ozone-tip-steering-replacement-mini-toggle/

I did the very same to a Dudek ReAction quite some time ago. It was a very good modification though not approved by Dudek. They subsequently brought out tip steering on the Nucleon under the guise ALC with a red ball instead of a toggle.

Sorry Max I don't. Good luck in your search.

I reality I think you are going to have to up your budget a little.

Wing still available, now reduced to £1150, grab it now.