bingreed

This is slowly becoming a "don't make the same mistakes as me" blog... The forecast for last Sunday morning looked promising, so I set my alarm for 06:00. After what felt like a matter of moments it went off - I leapt out of bed and, within an hour or so, I was in my favourite stubble field going through my pre-flight checks. The weather was indeed favourable, if you call brilliant blue skies, -2 degrees and a very light breeze ideal. Forty-five minutes and two failed forward launches later the adrenalin was starting to fade; but the conditions look so good, I've got to keep trying! After an inquisitive visit from my father-in-law (“You don’t want me standing here watching, do you…?” before standing there and watching…) I noticed the breeze has stiffened slightly; a quick session ground-handling established a reverse launch was just about possible… By the time I was back in the harness (tight squeeze), balaclava, helmet & gloves on and clipped in, it was definitely stronger than before. Newly buoyed, I switched the GoPro on and went for it: [youtubevideo] [/youtubevideo](Apologies for the Adobe watermark… and poor quality) I guess the wing came up well enough, I turned & moved forward well enough and squeezed some power on. The only problem was a slight oscillation… Fortunately (?) the stubble lines clearly show the changing trajectory. After a minor deviation left & right & left again, it’s clear that the ground-handling practice is paying off; just light brake inputs and I was staying central to the wing. But the trees to the left were getting uncomfortably close, plus there are some boggy bits where the combine left deep ruts. Even though the harness was getting nice & light, I took the decision to abort. Which was fine and correct. I was happy to let the wing float down in front – however, as it did so it caught the breeze and blew back into wannabe pilot and his still spinning prop. DISASTER!!! As I stood there newly gift-wrapped I feared the very worst; even having extracted myself (and after a great deal of swearing) I still knew it was going to be bad… I noticed Father-in-Law had disappeared sharpish too. After unwrapping & dismantling & packing away and sulking and cursing a while I bit the bullet and laid the wing out in the shed. A minor miracle followed; the wing itself was undamaged – no loose stitching, no tears or strains, not even a mark. The prop was untouched too. The only damage was a single brake line, the stitching neatly pulled away from the wing, a quick and easy fix. I’ve checked every inch of that brake line, from handle to wing – it feels and looks undamaged. I’ve even measured and compared it to the other one; identical in every respect. LUCKY BOY As always there are lessons to be learnt: switch the motor OFF at the earliest opportunity, pick your take-off spot carefully and USE 100% THROTTLE!!! As before, this mini-adventure has taught me a great deal – sometimes lessons are best learnt the hard way. I still enjoyed every moment of Sunday morning (well, until I tried to feed the wing to the prop) and will try to avoid these schoolboy errors next time. Speaking of which, this next Sunday morning looks promising…. Fly SAFE xx (NB – please understand Alex & Mike at SaberAce remain blissfully unaware of this tomfoolery. Stay safe in the knowledge that, should I post my next missive from a hospital bed, IT’S NOT THEIR FAULT!!!)

Anyone looking at the forecast this weekend and planning to have a go?

I've got so much to learn...

I can resist everything except temptation... After a few glasses of wine on Friday evening my head again hit the pillow swimming with thoughts of pre-flight checks, new wings & freshly serviced machines... and increasingly my first flight. I allowed myself a cheeky thought: what if I could go for my first flight tomorrow? What if Mike or Alex at SaberAce are available? What if I'm ready...? What if, what if, what ifzzzzzzzzzzzz...... Luckily Saturday started misty & damp - thank goodness for that, sigh of relief, it'll have to wait until another day. I haven't even attached my new wing to my freshly serviced machine yet, never mind run across a field with it. What was I thinking about, silly boy, just be patient. And then the mist started to clear, and the sun started to make an appearance, and the leaves in the trees were momentarily stirred by the slightest breeze. I knew what I had to do. Unfortunately neither Mike or Alex were available. However, my itch was getting worse and needed scratching; I can't just sit here, I gotta do something! At around 2pm I packed the kit in the car (I'll just try a bit of ground handling), I spoke with my Uncle the farmer (I can't do much harm if it's just ticking over?), I drove the car to my favourite stubble field (maybe just a few forward runs under power), I unpacked my kit & assembled the cage (I could just see what it feels like when the wing lifts the weight of the motor...) and finally moved everything into position, setup the wing and in one final act of defiance strapped my helmet on (Well, I've gone to all this trouble, I'll regret it if I don't... and I'm sure Mike & Alex won't be tooooo cross with me...). Unfortunately, there was one rather significant issue: zero wind. Not zero as in "ooh, it's a bit lighter than I expected" but zero as in, well, zero. Nil. Nothing. Not even the faintest whiff, not so much as a suggestion of air movement. Bugger. In 5-8mph last weekend the wing had handled like a dream, with reverse launches stable & repeatable. What to do, what to do??? I had to give it a go. And I did give it a go and, while I didn't get off the ground on Saturday, I did learn a great deal. With a perfectly arranged wing facing slightly down hill (and into the direction any breeze should come from), trimmers pulled mostly in (position 2/5), carefully centred on the wing, A's in hand with slight, even pressure, motor happily ticking over I picked my spot on the horizon, took a deep breath and went for it. Information overload! Remember, forward movement is your friend; keep striving forwards. The wing is up and central - good so far. A quick look up, excellent, now squeeeeeze the power and build momentum. Look at the horizon, don't worry about puddles in tramlines, more power, more speed, keep your hands UP stoopid, God I'm knackered but we're still going..... bloody hell this is getting fast, don't fall, it'll hurt if you fall, going left a bit, I can feel the harness getting lighter, KEEP YOUR LEGS RUNNING...... MUST.... KEEP.... GOING..... DON'T GIVE UP NOW, YOU'RE NEARLY THERE..... Hells teeth this is uncomfortably fast, not sure I can do it.... I'm losing confidence, still going a little leftish, you need to abort NOW but stay upright...... slowing down now, KILL THE MOTOR, stay upright, GOD THIS IS HEAVY! Stopping now, mind that puddle, where's the wing? Floating down in front, that's ok, I'm still upright, we're all in one piece..... BREATHE!!!! You can breathe now, it's all over and everything is going to be ok.... I don't think I've laughed so hard in my life; just me, on my own in the middle of a field, accompanied only by the tink tink tink of a cooling engine. A combination of knowing how ridiculous I must've looked, how knackered & out of breath I had become but mostly how relieved I was to still own four straight cage quarters, one unsplintered prop and one unmashed wing! Oh, and no broken bones or face-plants. I was not yet a pilot, but I was now something I hadn't been 10 minutes ago: I was a survivor. With hindsight it was probably (no, not probably, definitely) a tall order to successfully get my first flight in those conditions. Sure, it would've been lovely up there, but getting up there was beyond me, in practice if not in theory. If there had been a light breeze, maybe even 3-5mph.... who knows? But there wasn't and I didn't. I learnt that to succeed in those conditions required 110% commitment; in all honesty I suspect my throttle was perhaps 80% open. I also learnt the importance of running upright, pushing back against the thrust of the motor; I'm sure I was leaning forwards too much, too intent on avoiding falling over. And there's no doubt I would've maximized my chances by pulling a little brake at maximum velocity! While in some ways this little adventure was a complete failure, in that I didn't get airborne, I have no regrets and learnt a great deal. Maybe I was lucky not to fall flat on my face or trash my cage/prop/wing. Maybe I would've panicked at the reality of my first flight, or crashed heavily on landing. Maybe a thousand different things........ But despite all this, there is no "maybe I should've given it a go". I did give it a go, and I enjoyed every single minute of it. (Maybe this should be a learning blog, not a training blog! )

Lee, just read yesterdays post; you should see the smile on my face! Really pleased it's all come together for you, hope to be joining you up there shortly... Well done, your persistance is paying off - you deserve it!

As a fellow newbie (but progressing through training) I can only reiterate what Stuart says; I know how hard it is to resist the temptation but you will waste your money buying either a motor or your primary wing before you know what is right for you. I was in the exact same position a mere six months ago, and went through a period of bidding on a variety of second-hand "bargain"wings. I now realise how lucky I was not to buy any of them, because none of them would have been right for me (and some of them would have been dangerously unsuitable....) I've been training through spring/summer, and I now own the perfect wing that will safely and reliably get me up into the air. And I look back now and wouldn't change a single thing. Quality training and sound advice from experienced pilots are the quickest, safest, easiest and cheapest way of getting airborne. Sure, we all have the choice to buy the first "bargain"we see, strap it on, squeeze the throttle and take off into the wild blue yonder... we might even get airborne, and if we're really lucky we might get back on terra firma in one piece too. Personally, I'm not interested in "mights"; I'm interested in becoming a pilot, and I understand there is a cost involved and a right way of doing it. Don't buy it. In fact, stop looking. If you really really need to start spending money now buy The Paramotoring Bible 3, read it and learn it. Or a altimeter. Or a flying suit, or gloves, or a firkin windsock..... anything but a wing or a motor until you know what you're buying is suitable and safe for you.

Cheers Dave - it's a nearly new wing I bought from a chap called Tom on here, so there weren't many colour options! Having said that, it would probably have been my first choice; wanted to minimise the black from a UV absorbtion point of view. Not sure whether this is an issue in the real world, but the standard Revo2 colour scheme has more black, particularly at the leading edge where I guess any wing is taking a bit of a battering. Just strikes me as not the ideal choice - plus bright orange maximises my visibility in profile... who knows, one day it might make the difference between being seen or not... I arranged with Tom to send it to Aerofix for a service report before committing, and it came back with a clean "as new" report. (Aerofix were brilliant btw, no hesitation in heartily recommending them; excellent service & communication). Having cut my teeth on an old £100 ground handling wing, the Revo2 was a breath of fresh air! It did take a few minutes at first to get used to, not helped by the fact that the brakes are setup for high hang-points, whereas on my ground handling harness they are low; lots of brake travel! Taking a simple wrap helped, but my Bailey has the high hang-points so I won't be adjusting them for now. It wasn't too gusty on Saturday, so once it was overhead it generally stayed there. I was slightly surprised how important it proved to get the initial set-up correct; on a couple of occasions the wing-tips failed to inflate and the wing soon slid sideways (again, not helped by the long brake travel). It paid to fully lay the wing out, or at least take the time to build the wall. I guess in my excitement I just wanted to get it up! Lots of support from my "Ground Crew"... In my book this is what learning is all about; I play and fail and faff about and cut corners and struggle and then work it out and do it properly and everything comes together. I know the right way to do it, but can still learn a lot (and learn the hard way) by doing it wrong... So an hour of reverse launches & kiting, turning & walking forwards down the slope then reversing back up it. And the smile never left my face... The forward runs really highlighted the shortfalls of my old ground handling wing. For the first time (and, literally, from the first time...) I could walk forwards and feeeeel what was happening above and behind me. No oscillations, no panic, not even trying to look up, just steady forward progress with minimal and increasingly anticipatory brake input. The wing, my wing, was planted and sure; I just wanted to hit the start button and run until I was freeeeeee........ God I love this sport - and my feet haven't left the ground yet! If you're a newbie reading this and you're still undecided, do yourself a favour & go for it! I might just be the most rewarding decision of your life... I'll be back to Alex & Mike at SaberAce as soon as the weather allows. Fly Safe, Bob

New toy (and the final piece of the jigsaw...) LOVE it; 10 minutes of "Woah, this is different!" followed by 50 minutes of happy happy HAPPY! Now I need to get back to Rayne...

Time for an update... Having decided upon the Thule EasyBase, I have fiddled & fudged & sworn & skinned knuckles, but have created the following: As you can see, it can be used with or without the cage - depending on whether it's a 5 minute drive to my take-off field or a five hour drive up the A1. I carefully considered which way around to mount the engine unit, and while I was tempted to copy Gordon I found removing the harness and butting the chassis onto the EasyBase upright more secure. Sure, this means removing the seat/harness and storing it in the car, but that way I'll avoid a wet bum too! There is easily enough spare space on the platform to store the cage quarters, and potentially even the wing & a jerry can if desired. Nice to keep the petrol fumes on the outside of the car... I cut some holes in the upright so that the hangpoint pins can be used to secure the chassis. On reflection I'm not convinced this is such a good idea - sure, it's pretty neat, and I have no doubt the pins are up to the job, but regular long journeys might introduce stresses that damage either the pins themselves or even the chassis. Perhaps a simple strap securing the chassis to the upright might be a safer, more durable option. The last thing to do is mount a lockable stay, indicated here by a broom handle: This will offer some security against opportunist theft while I enjoy my Olympic breakfast, while reducing further the chance of losing the whole lot on the A14... The final step will then be a bespoke waterproof cover for the chassis/engine unit, plus small touches like Gordons "No Step" sign and a reminder of the torque settings for the EasyBase. It's not the perfect transport solution, but the Thule EasyBase sits ROCK solid on the towbar, and because I drive an estate the profile sits comfortably out of the wind when the cage is removed. With a little thought to security and weatherproofing there's now no excuse to leave my kit at home!

Hi Rob, you've already taken the first major step: finding this forum! What the guys on here don't know ain't worth knowing - sure, you'll occasionally find contrasting opinions, but they're all worthy and will all help you learn. Sometimes there ain't just one simple answer... I too live in Suffolk, started my training at SaberAce near Braintree this year and cannot emphasise enough the value of good training! See my training Blog "Bob Bites The Bullet" for details. (Also, read "Pete's Progress" - motivational stuff!) I decided to buy a £100 ground-handling wing from eBay, and for me it was the right decision as it allowed me to practice what I learnt in my lessons. I agree it doesn't handle the same as a new wing, but the basic mechanism is the same, and the flight principles are the same. In my very limited experience I find ground-handling a modern wing instinctive having first cut my teeth on my tired old one. There's no short-cut to good ground-handling; it's practice practice practice, and if you can do that in your own time you'll soon progress through your formal training. Just playing with a wing won't teach you anything though, unless it's backed up with training; learn on the training field, then go and put what you've been taught into practice on your own. Personally I was much happier dragging my old ground-handling wing around the ground than a new one. A new one probably wouldn't have come to any harm, but I sure treat a wing gentler now than when I was first learning! Also, you won't necessarily know what is the right wing for you to fly yet; I now know that some of the wings I was first tempted by would've been wholly unsuitable, even dangerous. My instructor advised me to leave this decision as long as possible before committing, and he was right. Also, I completely agree with craigs, and would heartily recommend The Paramotor Bible - I believe Edition 3 has just been released. £30 for "just a book" is quite an investment, but it'll help you learn what's what, and you'll refer back to it again and again; I know I do. Please contact me if you want to chat or meet up. Good luck with these first steps into a hobby that will shortly dominate your every waking and sleeping moment! Bob

A quick search on eBay will yield a variety of suitable mounts - a bar mount will set you back £25ish, but they're well made & rock solid. But if the surface/bar you're mounting it on vibrates it doesn't matter how solid the union - you may be in for some seriously unwatchable footage

No Sir, it wasn't me. My time at Rayne tends to be restricted to Saturday mornings, and I can honestly say I haven't seen anyone fly into the field while I've been there on a lesson. Just a few of us newbies falling over in the field & getting all hot & bothered. I look forward to catching up with other like-minded folk though - even having read the Lemmings forum from begining to end! Thank you for your kind & encouraging words - when I was deciding whether to really commit to paramotoring I read several training blogs, including "Pete's Progress" which I found hugely motivational. I figure if my blog can, in turn, encourage someone else to follow their dream, then it's time well spent. Plus, it gives me a very stark reminder of the progress I've made (and the mistakes that happened along the way!) Regarding the Revo2, your comment is particularly relevant. Mike and I were discussing the size issue on Saturday; I'm (ahem) 95kgs, so plus my kit, Bailey 175, reserve, sandwiches etc etc I'll be pushing 140kg. The nearly-new wing I've found is the 29m - Mike has promised to come back to me to confirm which size would be optimal in his opinion. Look forward to meeting soon, Bob

After a breezy, blustery week the forecast looked promising for Saturday. A quick text to Alex to check his availability, and within 30 mins it was Mike who called back and invited me back to Rayne for my fourth 3 hour session. I arrived at the field having first collected six paramotor magazines from an eBayer in Braintree: £6.50 well spent! Especially as three of them had dedicated articles on photography from paramotors, one of the main reasons I want to get up in the air. I've played with kite photography for years, and always appreciated the major difference a small change in perspective can make. But kite photography is, by its very nature, rather a hit or miss affair - what I needed was a platform to get the photographer up where the action is.... After a quick chat to bring Mike up to speed with progress made to date, we grabbed a wing and wandered off across the field. A few minutes reverse handling quickly illustrated how changeable the wind actually was, switching from a stiff breeze to nothing in the blink of an eye. Although it was only 9.30am the sun was out and clearly the mass of air moving over the field was very variable. But that's what I really wanted; perfect active air, comfortably within safe boundaries but hugely changeable and requiring a lot of input Next up came some forward runs - we stuck with reverse launching, then turned & walked the width of the field. I'm really trying to focus on feeling what the wing is doing behind/above me, rather than looking up at the wing or down at its shadow. Hopefully this will pay dividends in the future. I have developed a tendency to brake the wing a little too much, so that it's hanging back a touch. Not much, not enough to hinder forward movement, just a little further back than perhaps it should be. Thinking about this, perhaps by doing this I'm subconsciously giving myself a little more time in the event of a surge forward; I have just that split-second longer to recognise when everything goes light. However, it's something that I know will improve with practice, especially now that I'm aware of it. Again, something that became apparent because of the variable conditions. The closest analogy I can think of is pulling wheelies on a motorbike. I was never very good at them because I had a terminal fear of going over backwards. So rather than reach equilibrium with the front wheel, say, two feet off the ground, I fought hard with the wheel only one foot up; never truly in control and always short-lived. Of course, on a bike the cost of going over backwards was huge, both financially and painfully. At least a wing just flops down in front! Next Mike strapped a (non-running) motor onto my back, and I attempted exactly the same ground handling process that had become second nature a mere 15 minutes before.... what a difference 30kgs on your back makes! I got the wing up, tried to turn.... and couldn't! Then, once I did turn, couldn't stop!! I was completely surprised by the inertia followed by momentum the weight of a motor introduced, and how immediately ground handling a wing was rendered nigh on impossible. After untangling the resultant mess, and seriously recalibrating my capability, we soon got going again. Before long (and in an ever-strengthening wind) I was back in control and retrieving that all-important feel. What became apparent was the vital foundation of ground-handling the wing; once I'd overcome the shock and allowed for the inertia the motor introduces, the wing handling was still there. Huge credit to Mike & Alex, always building feel, building knowledge, building confidence... evolving towards capability and safety. This was the big lesson of the session: adding the weight of a paramotor and distraction of a throttle, even with the motor not running, completely changes the dynamic of ground-handling. And this without any torque or gyroscopic effect! I vowed to get back into the stubble field, strap on my motor and practice! As the gusts were getting a little too strong & frequent we finished with a good long chat about wings - I've got my eye on a nearly new Revo2, which subject to a satisfactory service report has my name on it. Mike was (as always) very encouraging, and for the first time I realised the progress I've made and how there is genuine first flight light at the end of the tunnel. I'm not there yet, but with more focussed practice on the stubble, and more expert tuition from Mike & Alex at SaberAce, it should just be a matter of time Enjoy your flying, Bob

If you haven't already done so, I suggest you read "Pete's Progress" in the Training Blogs section. If that doesn't whet your appetite nothing will! I work to these Golden Rules: 1. Pete is right: training, while not currently legally required, should be seen as an essential. A good trainer makes ALL the difference and will save you money over time 2. (hard one this) Resist the urge to spend your hard-earned on eBay just yet... 3. Buy and read The Powered Paragliding Bible 2 by Jeff Goin - but don't ever forget Golden Rule number 1! 4. Ignore anything and everything posted by self-styled paramotor god Dell "awesome" Schanze (aka SuperDell, imasuper0308)... the man speaketh with forked tongue Oh, and lean on the vast experience of the people on this site. They're a helpful and friendly bunch; what they don't know about paramotors ain't worth knowing. Good Luck Bob

This is probably irrelevant, but... I had reason to call Simon today for a bit of helpful advice. Though we've never even spoken before, he was more than willing to discuss my particular concerns and readily put my mind at rest with clear, unbiased and friendly advice. This advice and his time were given freely and with courtesy. What a nice chap. A perfect example of paramotorists working for paramotorists - I hope to return the favour one day, but until then just wanted to say a genuine Thank You

Wise words, thank you Christian. I think removal of the full cage for all journeys is the priority. Ahead of this weekends building project, I've just been pricing up marine ply... to coin a popular phrase at the moment: OMG!!! Why is ply so expensive? A single sheet (twice as much as I need btw...) is £60+VAT at our local builders merchant... I can see a rethink coming

Slight bump... For what it's worth I definitely recommend Alex & Mike at SaberAce too. I live in mid-Suffolk and have been training with them this year. Right now I feel I'm making sound progress under clear, concise instruction. See "Bob Bites the Bullet" in the Training Blogs section: http://www.paramotorclub.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=15&t=7596 Hopefully it will help to inspire you to go for it as soon as possible; I guarantee you won't regret it! Gizza shout if you want to chat about it or meet up. Bob

I'll drink to that! I'm planning a weeks holiday in Northumberland later this year - the place we're staying is very close to wide expanses of deserted beach, and if the weather is right....... I can't stand the thought of being in the right place at the right time, and having gone through all this training & practice to not have any kit with me! Of course, popping over to the flying field or for a lesson at Rayne is a different matter, but a six & a half hour journey up the A1 demands a little preparation & protection... I guess this time around I'll just wrap it up in sheets and a tarp and bungees, but it would be nice to buy/make something a little more bespoke going forwards. If I find a sensible and affordable solution I'll post it on here. Thanks for your input Gordon, 'tis much appreciated. Bob

Nice one - EasyBase ordered Thanks Gordon, saved me a lot of shopping around. Looking forward to a weekend of shopping, jigsawing, faffing, swearing, redesigning, sweating, drilling, screwing, painting, testing and finally (hopefully) celebrating! Either that, or I'll be picking-up pieces of pulvarised prop off the A14.............. Next, can anyone recommend a sensible watherproof cover? I too plan to remove the cage, but don't want the elements and road grime attacking my unprotected motor. Does anyone know or can anyone recommend a company that already makes such a thing, or is it going to be a taup & bungee job???

Well done Gordon, that's hugely impressive and very neat. I've been undecided whether to go for the Thule, a Bak-Rak or even tow a box trailer - you've made the decision very easy! One thing I don't understand though - how does the Easybase clamp so securely onto a standard towbar? Having used trailers all my life I've become used to the free range of movement, so how does it clamp and lock onto a simple 50mm ball? I have no doubt it does, and my concerns won't stop me buying one, just want to understand how!! Thank you for posting the photos on flickr, I shall share mine too once it's complete. Cheers, Bob

“Summertime, and the weather is...” ....too bloody hot, truth be told. A three hour session with the infinitely patient Alex at SaberAce, Rayne on Saturday morning; within half an hour I could’ve wrung my tee-shirt out, it was relentlessly hot and humid. BUT, we’re not complaining about the weather are we? S’just an observation, you understand... We started with a brief chat to bring him up to speed with my progress, practice & problems, and to settle me into the training frame of mind. Within ten minutes it was out with the trusty old Apco, on with my harness & a helmet and away we went. The reverse handling was relatively straightforward, in that the breeze was steady (and just about strong enough) and the gusts were few & far between. So we jumped straight on to my next learning curve: “I’m running forwards, what the chuff is my wing doing!?!?” I don’t know whether it was the quality of Alex’s training, or whether I’ve been blessed with an inordinate amount of natural talent (ok, it’s Alex, I know it’s Alex...) – but again, something clicked. It’s the holistic approach; everything I do has an effect on my wing, so I’m only ever going to master that wing if I control those inputs, however caused. But perhaps more than that; rather than identify a list of separate actions that affect the wing, I’m thinking in terms of maintaining pressure, and what can happen when that pressure isn’t maintained. I’m searching for, and increasingly recognising, equilibrium; every action has an equal and opposite reaction and I can increasingly predict what will happen when I do something (or, perhaps more importantly, when I don’t do something...) So I’m learning how to fail, so that in the future I might not. We had perhaps a dozen forward launches and half a dozen reverse launches, and by the end I was sensing the wing movement (sliding left or right, falling back or pushing too far forward) and generally getting it back under control & straight. Equally importantly Alex was using these repetitions to introduce a pre-flight checklist, starting to build a script, the all important routine. So far, so good... Next up, after taking on another gallon or two of orange squash, we repeated the exercise with a cage on my back; just getting a feel for the bulk without the weight. Rather than the “back to the beginning” I once feared, it felt like the natural progression. Until Alex pulled the cage, caused the wing to slide off to the right and gleefully declared I’d just lost £200 for a new prop cos I turned the wrong way! Learning how to fail, so that in the future I might not... I was, without putting too fine a point on it, knackered. At least this sport was already fulfilling one objective: losing weight! In the last half hour I tried on a paramotor again and took it for a walk around the field, getting used to the weight but also the thrust. Learning to squeeze on the power, to brace myself against it and also to squeeze off the power afterwards; again, maintaining equilibrium. It was an entertaining, encouraging and exhausting morning – HUGE thanks again to Alex at SaberAce for all his hard work. Now comes more stubble-field practice, more reading and more dreams of flying..... a dream that is slowly inching towards reality! Enjoy your flying, Bob (PS – birthday update: flying goggles, a windsock and the Flights for Hero’s DVD! Oh, and a watering can and bird-box for the garden... )

Pete, I can just imagine the conversation on my local rec: "Sorry officer, I was just testing the wind strength..." Pleased to confirm another training session has been booked for this Saturday - I look forward to reporting tales of daring, masterly skill and heroic bravery... or frustration, desperation and hospitalisation! Hope you get a chance to fly this weekend - thank you for recent updates to Petes Progress, it's an inspiring and motivating read. Please keep it going!

Well it’s been a while, time to update the training blog. It goes without saying that the weather has been less than kind since my last post; in fact – let’s face it – the weather this summer has been pretty crumby! Add a two week holiday (no room for wing & harness, apparently...) plus family time – there’s always something isn’t there? However, I have snatched an odd hour here & there getting to grips with the all-important ground handling. So glad I invested in an old wing; the tired old Apco I play with has turned distinctly dirt coloured – a combination of less than ideal conditions underfoot and slightly over-enthusiastic input from yours truly! Fellow-newbies take note – it’ll be the best £100 you ever spend on eBay. The focus for now is reverse launching; get it up and keep it up. Long gone is the back-to-front confusion – that has become second nature – the main issue now is keeping it up once I’m turned around. I’m still relying on looking at the wing rather than feeling what it’s doing; easy enough when I’m reversed and looking up into the sky, rather more of an issue when I turn around and it’s all happening behind me! Even though it’s still mainly visual I’m definitely anticipating what it’s going to do much more, so it stays up much longer and is much more stable. Really focussed on minor inputs, on pressure through the brakes, and it’s amazing how quickly one climbs up the learning curve. Anyway, the planets aligned this weekend and I had a couple of two hour sessions; just me, my long-suffering wing and a 50 acre stubble field. Saturday was breezy but pretty steady, and I soon got back into the swing of things. Sunday was a little more gusty at times; I got picked-up and swung around a couple of times, but not enough to wipe the smile off my face... loved every minute! Maybe I should’ve worn long sleeves & trousers instead of shorts & t-shirt though – all limbs scratched to hell on the stubble So it’ll be more of the same for now, before another trip to Rayne for more invaluable advice from Alex at Sabreace. In other news, there’s a birthday coming up soon – the wishlist includes an anemometer, some lightweight gloves and a Gin Flightdeck..... beats more new pants! Fly safe x

FINALLY, a break in the weather... Second session at Rayne on Saturday, this time with Alex. Tea first, then strapped into the training wing for reverse ground handling. It was variable breezy, ideal conditions for lots of positive input. And something clicked. At first it was all too conscious and deliberate; I was thinking waaaay too much, and the wing swung and flipped and spat around as a result. But after a while, and some more encouraging advice from Alex, the feel developed and the wing started to behave. I stopped thinking and started to rely on instinct, on feel - and it worked. Until I started thinking again, when it all came apart in an instant! Really encouraged - ok, I know it's just the first step of a long journey, but I left Saturday brimming with confidence and eager to unpack my recently acquired ground handling wing and start playing. Biggest thanks to Alex - I reckon his attitude & approach are spot on. It's quite a holistic approach; not too much information, just gently nudging in the right direction and always encouraging - building layers of understanding. (He & Mike also sorted the harness on my Bailey too - thank you gentlemen). Now it's practice practice practice at home. Oh look, Monday morning and it's pissing down again...

Why do I feel my waters have just been muddied further....? That in no way reflects your valued input s1buell_wl, just illustrates what a minefield this whole subject is.... so much conflicting information Maybe it's my newbie ignorance, but these weight ranges cannot make sense, can they? Anything from 28 to nearly 34 square meters has the same weight range; anywhere from 100 to 165kg, excluding the paramotor itself...? Yet as "paraglider-only" the weight ranges increase as the surface area increases - as logic would dictate. Am happy that the wing, in principle, is suitable: relatively easy to launch, relatively stable, relatively slow.... and a relatively cheap secondhand option too. But the question of the right/optimum size remains baffling, and a clear answer remains just as elusive. I gotta lot to learn.