ptwizz

As a starting point, my budget was originally £5000.

This consisted of £2000 for a used motor and £3000 for the rest of the kit and training as a package deal at Airways Airsports.

I ended up paying £2300 for a motor, although cheaper options are plentiful. I have yet to decide on a wing and other kit, I am training on Airwys kit.

Pete.

Yesterday I needed some parts, today I got those parts.

I can't see how that service could be any better.

SW

I can....

Yesterday I needed some parts, yesterday I got those parts.

Or....

Yesterday I didn't need any parts because everything works perfectly and is indestructible

Bernoulli - I am in Norfolk - it's written under my name on the left

The Bailey is residing at Airways until I've got my CP. It makes no sense for me to cram it into my Spitfire every time.

Running about is required to get used to the weight, thrust and torque effects of the motor on my back.

Ground handling also involves a lot of effort until you get reasonably good at it.

The winch makes the flying exercises straightforward, but there's more to it than that. The vast majority of problems encountered by pilots involve the ground, so it's a good idea to get good at all the stuff that happens there before I think about trying to manage a wing and a motor together.

One might consider the process to be similar to learning to ride a motorcycle. Much better to learn to ride a bicycle first, then deal with the engine and gears without falling off.

Pete.

Enzo - no probs, just don't darken my blog with any more of those shameful 2 strokes

Bernoulli - I had originally intended to do the whole lot in one or two blocks, but I was warned off the idea by a few pilots who said I'd soon be too knackered to learn properly.

With hindsight, I'd add my voice to theirs and recommend that if you're not a picture of youthful vitality, you shouldn't expect to do it all at one go.

I don't feel like I'm losing anything in the spaces in between. Every weekend picks up where the last one left off and I've had a chance to review what I've learnt and re-read some of the literature in the light of my new experience.

As for the Bailey, I can honestly say it's the best paramotor I've had. (100% of a sample of 1 paramotors featured in this survey)

I don't have any basis for comparison, but I'm happy with the characteristics I've observed so far, i.e. easy starting, smooth running right from cold start, smooth build up of thrust in response to throttle, acceptable vibration, comfortable harness, easy rigging, dismantling and access to evrything that needs checking.

If you're going to book a weekend taster day, let me know when and I'll try to co-ordinate. It would be good to meet up and you could get a good look around the Bailey and the school motors.

Cheers,

Pete.

Dragging this thread back to the training blog....

My third weekend at Airways begins with a gusty Saturday morning. Too much wind for flying, so I had a small wing out for some much needed ground handling practise, then back inside for for some instruction on meteorology and rules of the air.

Again, I cannot emphasise enough the value of good teachers. I have previously read all the information, but the meteorology only really came together in the interaction with the instructor.

The unflyable weather allowed the opportunity to sit the EP exam, which was duly passed. I can now proudly boast of being a slightly qualified pilot

I took my Bailey with me and spent some time dangling in the hang test rig. A bit of adjustment was needed to get the thrust line correct. The harness feels very comfortable and I have no problem reaching the master switch, pockets, adjusters etc.

Under the supervision of an instructor, I went through the paramotor checks, got the motor on my back and started the engine. I had done this when I bought the motor, but under circumstances which limited me to a brief run at low RPM. This time, in a clear field, I was able to give it some beans and get a feel for the thrust and torque.

A few exercises running around with power on showed how powerful the torque effect is. With a bit of thrust on (as much as I felt stable running with) the torque was enough to make a left turn virtually impossible. My feet were pointing left, but everything else just kept on going forward

A little more practise and I learnt two things:

1) How to counter the torque effect and maintain control of my direction on the ground.

2) I need to be fitter.

Sunday brought more reasonable wind speed, but shifting around. After some shuffling, the tow was set up across the width of the airfield. With a short tow in little wind, there wasn't enough height for any new exercises. On releasing, I had to turn back into the airfield and with little height, I was unable to get back into wind before landing. I mostly coped with this OK, except for one full frontal slide along the ground

Back to ground handling with the full size wing and a lot more running about. See (2) above.

Not much flying this weekend, but a lot of catching up with stuff I'd missed on previous weekends with constant good weather.

Pete.

I'm under no illusions as to the reliability of modern 2 strokes.

It's just the sound that is evocative of all the wrong emotions.

I don't mind tiny 2 strokes (model aircraft engines). That sound reminds me of happy days and accidental inhalation of more than enough ether!

Pete.

Too much of my youth was mis-spent repairing other peoples 2 strokes. If I ever see another twisted LC crank it'll be too soon

Pete.

Kevin,

I travel to Derbyshire on Friday evening, book into a B&B for 2 nights, get in 2 days training and travel back on Sunday evening. The journey takes about 3 hours each way. I have tried 3 different routes, best is via M1, worst via A17 and A52.

Morgy,

I bought the Bailey from Ben Clowes. I assume he is Tom's brother, as he mentioned his brother also flies.

Bernoulli,

I don't think the Bailey wins any prizes for power / weight ratio.

Build quality, sophistication and sound are the qualities that did it for me.

It may be just me, but tuned 2 strokes remind me of the RD250s and GT250s which used to screech around when I had my first bike, a Triumph Tiger Cub. They make my teeth hurt.

Pete.

Hi Bernoulli,

The Bailey was advertised in the classifieds on this site. It's a 2007 Bailey 175 and I paid £2300 for it.

Pete.

I am now the proud owner of a Bailey 175

Everything about the machine appears well put together. It's had the crankshaft upgrade, new camchain, oil pump chain, oil pump, seals and gaskets, since when it's done 0 hours.

The engine is considerably quieter than any of the 2 strokes I've heard, but of course the prop noise is still there.

The cage has a dent where the previous owner had a stumble and the prop contacted metal. The prop has since been replaced, and the cage still fits together properly.

Despite the weight, it feels quite comfortable on my back. A lot more so than the 30kg of workshop detritus I tried in my rucksack!

I will take it with me on my next trip to Airways and ask the experts to check it over.

I've not been flying again since my last post, due to a combination of poor weather and domestic commitments, but the shelf is up now, and I'll be keeping an eye on the forecasts for next weekend.

I can't help feeling a device similar to those used in domestic heating oil tanks would be a simpler solution. They're available from about £60, but would need to be adapted for battery power.

Pete.

As a pilot in training, I would thoroughly recommend you get some proper tuition.

I was amazed at the rate I learned from my instructors. There is a world of difference between being told or shown something and being taught.

While your local club in all probability has some excellent pilots, they may not neccesarily be good teachers.

A proper school will offer structured training and get you through you club pilot qualification. They will also have insurance and procedures for dealing with accidents.

Pete.

My experince of flow meters is that they are designed to present minimal resistance to flow.

Mechanical types usually consist of either a turbine or a gear motor, which spins freely and has a magnetic sensor to provide a signal.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flow_measurement#Turbine_flow_meter

It should be noted that the flow meter measures volume, not mass flow. If you fill up from the can in your warm comfy car at 20°, then fly in air at 0°, the last of your fuel will occupy less volume than it did when you filled up, and will be consumed more quickly.

Pete.

Update - I won't be going to see the Bailey this weekend - postponed.

On the plus side, that leaves the weekend free for flying. Now all I need is appropriate weather.

Pete.

Are you trying to do this with the piston still attached to the rod?

My personal preferance is to fit the top part of the piston into the barrel on the bench, where I can see what I'm doing and get my fingers to all sides of the piston. Once all the rings are in the bore, the assembly can be offered up to fit the gudgeon pin and the retaining clip or button replaced.

Good luck.

Pete.

P.S. reading through all the answers to Mark's question, I have a mental picture of Mark struggling in his shed while half a dozen of us stand around, pointing and offering advice.

May I extend this metaphor by offering Mark a virtual cuppa?

Congratulations Poz.

Watch out for those milestones - a friend of mine broke his pelvis when he hit one on his bike .

I'm going to look at a Bailey next weekend. It's a 175, going for £2300.

I'll let you know my impressions of the machine when I've seen it.

I'll also let you know what Airways have to say.

Pete.

Waiting for bones to heal gives one a lot of free time.

I had 2 months on crutches in the early 80's. I bought a modelmaking lathe and a high comfy stool. I've never looked back since.

Get well soon Steve, and use the time to do something other than confirm your suspicions about daytime TV.

Pete.

I am training with Airways now, see my training blog for details.

Pete.

Nice bit of shed bodging! A man after me own heart.

I may be wrong, but I think my first release was at 60ft. Wind was light and I was instucted not to release until the tow operator let off tension and I was in stable flight. On previous flights at lower altitudes, the tow operator was gently letting off tension, but still winding to take up slack as I descended. The only difference on my first release was actually releasing the line. Other than that, it was a straight and level flight.

I'm at the bottom end of the school wing's weight range and my descents were slow enough that I felt comfortable I had plenty of time before I had to get straight again for landing.

I appreciate that the tow operator has a degree of control while there is tension in the line.

All the above is, of course, the opinion of a novice pilot (me).

I have every confidence that the staff at Airways are competent and have no interst in putting their pupils at unneccesary risk.

Pete.

Right on cue, as soon as I have a relatively uncommitted weekend, perfect flying weather!

Saturday morning was another frosty start, but a cuppa and some PLF practise soon had me warmed up.

Starting where I had left off 2 weeks ago, I did a couple of 80ft tows with gentle turns.

I fluffed the first launch with tangled lines - Note to self - check lines again if I've moved!

Moving on to 150ft tows gave me enough height to make some more aggressive turns. At this height I also had to start thinking about staying in the airfield and where I was going to land. My first taste of navigation!

On that subject, another student misjudged his turn into approach and landed in the next field - his first cross country.

By the end of Saturday, I had several more flights under my belt and I was beginning to relax into the routine of checks, keeping off the brakes and letting the wing fly.

Sunday saw me progress rapidly on to high launches (500ft +) and circuits. There had been very little wind on Saturday, and there was virtually nil on Sunday. This gave me freedom to explore some aspects of flying without having to worry about running out of airfield. The very stable school wing responded well to weight shift and the combination of brake and weight shift gave me some more manouverability. I got 8 circuits in during the course of the day, some playing with turns to and fro, and some with spot landings within a few yards of the launch gate. No more long walks with a bundle of wing over my shoulder!

4 days training so far and I find it hard to believe how far I've come. If the weather hadn't been so good, I'd have sat the Elementary Pilot exam, but why waste good flying weather - there'll be plenty of non flyable days for the paperwork.

At the end of the day, one of the instructors (Rick) had a short flight with his paramotor. This was the first time I'd been close to one running in anger. I've never liked 2-strokes that much and the racket from Rick's motor has me set on a Bailey 4 stroke. It will mean a slight budget adjustment, but I'm not planning on replacing my motor regularly, so may as well start with what I want.

The staff at Airways again provided a friendly welcome, all ready to share their expertise without making the novice student feel like an idiot.

If my luck with the weather holds out, I could have my CP by the end of next month. Fortunately, I'm old enough and cynical enough to accept that it won't be that quick.

I'm surprised the program didn't put her off.

The microlighting fraternity were portrayed as a bunch of total nutters!

Is it kosher to carry extra fuel in cans and refill your tank in flight? Anyone tried this with a paramotor?

Pete.

Hi Kevin and welcome to the group.

I am also just starting out. I've had 2 days training so far - see 'Pete's Progess' in training blogs.

I'm travelling some way to train at a school which was personally recommended by my brother.

In the absence of a compelling reason to pick a distant school, use one within easy range. If you can be available at short notice, you can take advantage of suitable weather and avoid long gaps in your training.

Happy flying,

Pete.

Blood flow into the hands is via the arteries, which are buried deep between the tendons. A hand warmer on the wrist will mainly heat blood returning to the heart.

I came across a commercial product last year which was a wrist warmer (not specifically for flying) and was marketed as warming the blood entering the hands, obviously just marketing bullshit then.

Yep.

The body is quite good at keeping whatever heat it has within the important bits (core temperature). This is achieved by restricting blood flow close to the skin, reducing heat loss to the surroundings. You may have noticed (depending on your age etc.) that the blood vessels you can see just under the skin are all blue. These are viens, returning de-oxygenated blood to the heart and lungs. Arteries are located deeper in the tissue, giving support against internal pressure, protection from damage and insulation from cold.

The wrist warmers probably have more effect due to filling the gap between glove and sleeve than due to actual thermal transfer.

Pete.