richjones

I’m happy to accept the bad with the good but the good feels so much better Flight number 6 looks like it’s going to be a cross country on Sunday. Planning 22 miles each way as the xc and navigation part of my training. Exciting times

Flight number 5 done tonight. clive went up with a tandem as I was happy launching now I know to run like Forrest Gump ! Anyway, forward launch no issues and off for a flight of about 40 mins around the field. I didn’t log it but I guess about 3-3500 feet again. I must feel safer up high. I’m still a bit tense turning so tonight i made myself do a couple of tighter turns to get used to it. Need to relax more. I’m loving the flying and the scenery is amazing. Came in for land and there was a slight wind, gently in, engine off, slowed the wing down the flared last moment and for the first time landed on my feet so easy and felt so natural after all that fuss! Just dropped on my feet without even a step forward, turned and brought the wing down. Makes smiles when you do it right

Thanks all it’s good to have different feedback. I’m definitely flairing too late, or too slow, but I’m working on it. I think my distance perception from the ground is misleading me.

I’m a bit slow updating this but... got in flights 2,3&4 after waiting forever for good weather. Went to the bore chasers fly-in and on and on the Saturday evening managed to get my second flight. I’d waited for the right time all afternoon when there were not dozens of pilots on the field. Also needed to make sure Clive was available as he had a busy weekend. Finally at 8.30 ish we went for it. But he wind had dropped and I had to forward launch. I’ve not had chance to practice forward much and I’m much more comfortable with reverse. Anyhow I had s couple of failed attempts where I was slightly across what little breeze there was and I wasn’t moving fast enough or handling the ring right to keep it over my head. We moved around the field for a better launch direction, by which time almost everyone else had landed and I had a big audience. No pressure then! forward launch, wing up, run. All ok until I jumped in the seat as soon as I felt a bit of lift. Big mistake - a was going across the field with my arse dragging along the grass. By some amazing bit of flying by me I managed to save it and get airborne. Lesson learned and luckily no damage. I git a chilly but lovely 35 min flight up to 3000ft over the river Severn. Fantastic! Then landed on my arse on Sunday morning I got my third flight. Forward launch again, run, run, run, fly the launch felt great and the skies were clearer than the previous night. My seat board was folded under my seat and I couldn’t free it so I had to manage without. Up to 3500 and more relaxed getting used to stowing the brakes and enjoying the flight. After one aborted landing as I didn’t feel right, I came round over the corner of the camp and...landed on my arse So, last night the wind was good and I drove down to Clive’s field after work for flight number 4. Forward launch again, run, run, run, fly. Easy, don’t know what all the fuss was about The plan was for Clive to follow me up and give a bit of tuition while we flew over Kettering and surrounding areas. The flight was great, had to put my gloves on (nobody tells you how to do that do they!), and off I went waiting for Clive to catch up. Seat board stuck again, must sort that out! After maybe half hour of searching Clive found me. Turns out my estimated 2500ft where I told Clive to look was 3600ft but he eventually found me. It was ok, I enjoyed flying around the A14, and I was happy I could find the landing field. Had a good 55 minute flight with a bit of emergency landing planning and had a fly about before coming in to land. I was still a bit high so lost some altitude and approached the field ok, and.... landed on my arse. Bloody hell! the grass was slippy but it was my own fault, I keep lifting my legs last minute, and not flaring soon/hard enough proven on a couple of videos. I’m loving the progress, not rushing my learning but dead keen to get up again. I’d be happier if I could land on my feet but it’ll come The bore fly-in was great. I’ve never seen so much variation of techniques and skills. Great to watch and learn.

I got my first flight today Down at Marston from about 12 for ground handling with a view to getting my first flight in between 3 & 4. I didn’t do too much work today I just wanted to be relaxed and ready. At about 3 I got to go, reverse launch in gentle but gusty wind. The handling of the wing was good, I turned and ran and it felt fine. As I started to feel lift under power I think I lifted my feet too early and possibly didn’t have full throttle. I was about a foot off the floor for a few yards but Clive was instructing me over the radio and I was soon up and away I have half hour getting into it and trying to relax myself but I was a bit more tense than I expected. It was pretty bumpy so I was a bit nervous. I did manage to stow my brakes and get my seat board up and even managed a selfie or two. Im guessing maybe 1500ft in height and a couple of goes around the field and local farms and Clive talked me in to land. Landing wasn’t as too bad, the approach felt better than I expected then I landed on my arse! Feet slipped under me and I just went down with a bump. No damage to me or my kit. Looking forward to the next one

Yes I would be one, gary was the other. He managed to get his first flight in as I was leaving.

Ouch! hope it heals well and doesn’t affect future flying.

I got another training day in at last! After my holiday the weather has been bad for another two weeks. Seems hardly anyone in the UK has got a flight in for about 4 weeks - lots of people having withdrawal symptoms On holiday I had purchased a used Parajet Maverick from Lee Moss. He’d been in touch with Clive to buy a newer model and left mine at Clive’s house I’d had a message from Clive to say it was sitting in his garage waiting for me. So on 16th March I went down to Clive’s to collect it, impatient to get my new toy even though I knew I couldn’t do anything with it! Clive showed me how it all worked and hung me up in his garage to get me all set up in the harness. I dismantled it and set off home with a big grin on my face i dropped the motor at home, went about the rest of my day before heading off to my partners house for the evening. She’s been with me to Clive’s and she knew I was itching to mess with my motor, a bit of cleaning and familiarising so she suggested I take it with us That evening was spent assembling my motor in her kitchen, cleaning it up, trying it on and generally dreaming about flying Next morning I got the engine running in her back garden to see what it felt like on my back. I got myself a good lady there anyway enough waffling on .... So on Saturday 23rd March the forecast was decent at last and I went training at Clive’s other field, Jimmy’s. it was a busy day with about 6 or 7 people ground handling at a time and others waiting for the gusts to drop off before disappearing into the skies. Plenty people got in the air as it turned into a lovely spring day. I continued practicing which took a little time to get back into as I’d had. Month off, but I was soon into it. I like to train hard and feel it’s been worth the 2.5 hour round trip to get there too, and I only stopped for a few drinks and food so got in total about 4.5 hours practice. At about 3pm Clive took up a tandem flight and he told me to start ground handling with my motor on. Potentially I would get my first flight after the tandem. While they were up I was ground handling with my motor on which wasn’t too bad but got heavier as time passed! But the wind dropped to almost nothing and my reverse launch practice turned into forward launch practice. It was hot work, for most of the next 2 hours I had my motor on my back. Anyhow after a bit of rest I had the potential opportunity for my first flight but almost no wind. Clive said I was ready if I wanted to do it, but advised against it as for first flight the lack of wind would mean it would be a really fast landing. With potential to mess up my first landing and cause damage to my kit I was unsure whether to go for it. As it turned out it was decided for me as I should have left at 5.45 and the afternoon had gone far too quick, meaning I had 15 minutes to pack away, no time for a flight. I was late leaving and had a hurried journey home to a lovely meal with my ever supportive partner at a local Thai restaurant. Waiting...watching the weather foracast for next Saturday..... is this my life from now on??!

I’m doing this for anyone who cares and for myself so I can look back on it later In April 2012 a nice nutter by the name of Bobby Frankham got me hooked on wanting to paramotor. I know a lot of you know him too. We were going from John O’Groats to Lands End on mopeds for charity. Anyway he went off around Loch Ness on his paramotor and the idea of doing it got me bad. Even better when Bobby explained how accessible the sport is. Sometime around 2012 or 2013 I had a day’s training in Nottingham while it was ok I wanted a more thorough training package including laws and weather etc and I didn’t get to go back. My life took a different turn and after many life changing events I got to 2018 still obsessed with getting up there. I had researched training a bit and decided where I wanted to go - Clive Mason has a great reputation and he’s accessible to me about an hours ride from home. So in October last year I contacted Clive and after impatiently waiting for an opening and weather I got to meet him and a few others at Marston airfield on 20th January this year. It wasn’t the right day to start but I chatted with people and had a go at a handful of forward launches to get a feel for the wing and harness. Next lesson Sunday 3rd Feb. Plenty of wind a little gusty meant I spent 5 hours or so reversing and kiting all over the field. Well by then did the day I was, at the start I was just wearing myself out I think! Good progress though and plenty of tuition from Clive with help from the others on the field too. I’d got a holiday booked 25 feb and I was keen to get some more training in before I went. (Sitting in Thailand writing this) But before that Clive found me a good used Ozone Spyder which I collected on 8th Feb I got to go and train on 23rd and 24th Feb with Clive and it was great. Using my own wing was different to handle than Clive’s training wing. Plenty of wind Saturday at the other field, then calmer and more technical on Sunday at Marston. Loads of time reversing and turning, kiting and falling over a fair bit too! That’s my lot so far, to be continued when I return from Thailand in a week or so. oh and looks like I just bought myself a motor too turned into an expensive holiday !

Got rid of the wife. Now I can afford this

No putting me off now I’ve already started spending money !

Wow! first log in since 2012!!! 6 1/2 years later and the obsession never left me. Having been through some major life changes I find myself finally in training with Clive Mason. I have myself a wing, and I’m as keen as I ever was. Shame I’m older than I ever was too and gutted I didn’t do it earlier but very happy I’m actually going to get off the ground

How high do you think that was, say at 3 mins in over the houses? I'm not airborne yet so difficult to judge, but I'd guess 150 - 200 ft? aside from safety I'd say at that height the noise alone is enough to about people into complaining? Not sure i agree that pilot reporting pilot will help the cause - once those with the power get a grip with something they'll spoil it for everyone regardless of who reported it.

The thing with chat boxes is that you might be asking questions that lots of people would be interested in reading. Keeping it in forums makes a plentiful resource.

Thanks Pete, I was just thinking aloud, building my knowledge bit by bit

Does everyone fill in log books then ? Seems basically you have to go beyond club pilot exams in order to get any insurance for flying XC? At least with bhpa. I guess there aren't many 3rd party incidents? In which case, as it's supposed to be about as safe as recreational flying gets, that it shouldn't be this difficult to get insurance?

Yes it was.

Was it a funky moped You might be too young to appreciate Sounds like an adventure Cheers, Alan Not too young It was good, and I'd never seen the Scottish highlands before, so I was suitably impressed.

What fantastic scenery! I did JOG-LE on a moped in April this year and went across Glencoe on the A82. I was stunned then by the landscape even in the dire weather we had. That area is definitely on my list of places when I eventually get airborne.

I know it's a while since any updates but this blog is inspiring

Hi, I just joined with exactly the same problem - including the credit card and marriage one

Hello all I'm not even qualified to be a newbie yet! I'm at the stage of becoming obsessed with getting into paramotoring after watching and chatting to someone about it. I was watching him in April at Loch Ness, and then last weekend in Northampton area and got chatting about the rules, requirements etc. I think the interest really got me when I found I didn't need loads of training & license as such, hence keeping the formalities and cost down. Having said that I can see the benefit of some training as I know little (nothing) about controlling the wings never mind the weather etc I'm not in a rush to buy kit or anything just yet, probably not til next year but I'm keeping my eye open whats going about and prices. Still have a fair bit of saving to do! I'm in Walsall, West Mids so I'll probably be looking into training somewhere like Derbyshire, Shropshire or other Midlands surrounding areas. Oh, I also still have to convince the wife I'm going to do it but she'll come around to the idea I'm interested to know what type of kit I'll be looking for. I'm 90kg fully clothed. Also read a little about high/low mount points - whats good for beginners? What size engine? what size prop? I know training will answer lots of questions but I gotta know if I'm going to be really doing it before I even spend the training costs. cheers Rich