Hann__

This is a snapshot of the area i hope to fly from - about 10m north west of Southampton. Does this look a bit `busy` or fairly typical? To be fair, most of the restricted airspace has a 2000ft base nearest my intended flying location:

Is that because the wind becomes more `linear`and predictable, ie: not so much turbulence caused by stuff on the ground, or....? Also, what effect does turning into/out of/through/across the higher-strength winds have when flying? Do you get pushed and pulled about a bit more or is it more likely to have adverse effects on the wing? (been reading a couple of the accident reports!!) ps i guess you meant 1000 to 1500ft!

Take the advise from the experts on this forum, not from a maverick like me....... Oh and BTW, i wasn`t alone, the wife was with me - she took the pic (and the p**s)!

I bought a cheap old Edel Atlas and a `contractors` safety harness for ground handling only and to get a `feel` for this Paramotoring malarkey before i commit to training probably in the new year. After the battering that a wing gets from a novice i sure wouldn`t want to fly it afterwards! I hope that a more modern wing is a little bit more friendly than this Edel, because it can be a right recalcitrant bugger at times - or maybe it`s just me, but when it does go right it`s a really good feeling to just give it a gentle tug and it swings up easily and cleanly above your head, but there never seems to be just the right amount of breeze!; Anyone ever had an Atlas? I`m probably developing some bad habits early on which i`ll have to correct later, but i`m learning all the time, for instance when pulling on the A`s the wing tips seemed to rise first, so what i do now is separate the two innermost lines on the A riser and give them a little more of a tug which makes it come up in the middle first in a much more controlled manner - i suppose this is the reason for `split A`s` on the modern designs? All good fun though, ain`t it? BTW, what do you guys feel about having your new, expensive wings being used in stubble fields and the like - thats not a good environment for them surely?

The desciption says he landed on the island with plenty of sand/beach, then the tide came in! Still atempted a take-off though... Epic FAIL!

I`ve been browsing though ebay and Gumtree to gauge what price stuff goes for and also saw that Bailey and became suspicious. How can a near-5K paramotor with 4 hours on it be offered for 2.2? SCAM! Here`s another dodgy one. This Pap sold on fleabay (buy-it-now) for 1500 quid; http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/170917670823? ... _cvip=true ....a day or two later it surfaced on Gumtree for £850 - same pics and desciption. http://www.gumtree.com/p/for-sale/pap-t ... 1001490675 SCAM. Don`t worry, i aint ever going to buy anything from Gumtree...

Hi, are reflex wings novice-friendly or are they considered only suitable for the more experienced? ie: can they be flown trimmed to a more `conventional` profile with no ill effects - although obviously not flying to their full efficiency/performance - until someone has gained some experience/confidence - or is that not really necessary or indeed recommended? As i understand it they`re more stable the faster you fly, but a novice shouldn`t really be interested in going `fast` too soon, should they! As for any speed system fitted that obviously would`nt be used until sufficient experience has been gained.. What i`m trying to say is, are the reflex wings a logical progression/design improvement in wings (like fuel injection maybe, or `sports` suspension on a car) that`s there if you want to use it but won`t interfere if you don`t? I`ve read for example that a Synthesis is considered suitable for learners through to the more experienced pilot. What proportion of modern wings designed for PPG are now reflex, are they mostly going over to that design or is it still personal choice? Thanks, Hann.

Is it considered bad form to use a wing (modern) for ground handling/practise that you`re intending to fly with later on? Just how much damage is it likely to do? No more than using it for regualr flying over a period of time, surely?

The notes on that Youtube video say; "Park |anywhere", "All in a flying machine that fits in the back of a car, and allows me to park up and take off and fly from any flat field in about 5 minutes!" ..but is the reality really as simple as that? Most folk on here seem to fly from a designated field that has been acquired especially for the purpose or that`s shared & rented by a group from a landowner, requiring quite a bit of planning/forethought/travelling to do some flying. Kinda` removes some of the potential spontaneity of PPg`s doesn`t it, especially when a window of opportunty (weather) becomes available at short notice? Not knocking anyone here, just trying to get a feel for what`s possible....

I`d also like to know whether a Synthesis is a beginner-friendly choice?

The OP mentioned clutched props. What are the pros & cons on Paramotors with those? As someone with zero experience a clutch to me seems like a useful refinement.

No - my flight was at 5:00pm. Do you do Paramotoring and are now learning to fly microlights too?

Well, i did manage to get a flight in the microlight despite the onimous looking weather on the way up there in the car, and thoroughly enjoyable it was too! I actually felt more comfortable and relaxed in that little `flying moped` than i did coming back from the Canaries in a jet last week with all the white-knuckle turbulance over Spain.. Just after we touched down at Redlands my wife said `one of those things you want to fly just landed a minute ago`! (another good omen?) On my way out the car park i saw the owner packing it away and stopped to have a quick chat and yes indeed - it was Clive, and what a decent chap he is - a complete Paramotorholic! BTW, on my flight around Wiltshire i espyed a field with a few Paramotor wings laid out on the grass - i think the microlight pilot said it was Draycot Farm - anybody on here there yesterday? It`s surprising how many airfields you see tucked away from up there.... Cheers, Hann

Is that the Hambrook near Chichester? Does he still instruct there (when he`s taking people on again)?

Newbie alert... I`ve had this itch for a while now - and it won`t go away! Always dreamt of flying just above the countryside at an easy,leisurely pace, and whenever i see a Paramotor i think `i`d love to be doing that`! In fact, i was out walking the dog the other day thinking about PPG`n`all when i heard something over the music in my headphones, pulled them off, turned about and there was one (PPG) flying overhead, and considering how (relatively) rare a sight they are that`s got to be an omen, right? I`m in the Winchester/Salisbury/Andover triangle in Hampshire, but before i pull the trigger and find an instructor in this area what i`d ideally like to do is see some Paramotorists (Paramotoristi?) `doing their thing` taking off etc, to get a feel for it and maybe have a chat to see what it`s all about? If there`s anyone in my location that flies in this area and won`t mind a spectator maybe i could visit one time? An avid motorcyclist so i don`t mind travelling (went to Norway ealier this year) - i go out most weekends to get my two-wheeled `fix` so a ride out to see some PPG action would be a good day out.. The bike thing is a little bit of a concern for me though - i have to be realistic about how much time i could share between two powered `hobbies` - maybe i could build a bike trailer to carry the PPG to my take-off field and combine the two... I will (hopefully) be doing some flying this weekend though - my wife bought me one of those trial flight gift vouchers last Xmas so i`m off to Redlands near Swindon for an hour in a weightshift microlight, if that whets my appetite my PPG career may start sooner rather than later.. Cheers, Hann.