rsquared

Many thanks for your feedback GR002.....I guess there aren't that many Polini owners out there.....Cheers.

Ok....after all the research I have done, I was confident that I could narrow down to what machine I would end up with. After 4 years of waiting until I could have enough "bugs bunny" to pursue my dreams....I knew that 2 stroke engines were not my expertise or favourite hobby at all. I really leaned towards the 4 stroke...reliable, economical,...and heavy. So now I have finally completed my PPG course, I have arranged to purchase my kit through my instructor....who I respect and actually like the guy. He suggested the Polini 130 because he uses the Polini 100 as his school machine and has had no trouble at all with it. His theory is that if a machine can withstand the abuse as a school machine....then it can withstand the use of a caring owner. Plus he can provide all parts and labour once it needs service.....hard to argue that. So my question to my fellow enthusiasts...(to put my mind at ease)...is, who else has experience with the Polini 130?....good points, bad points.....anything I need to be careful with. Much appreciation in advance for any replies....Cheers. Rsquared

Justin is correct......there is another manufacturer that advertises their wing as "semi reflex".......Air Design Rama Flex. I too was a bit muffed as to what that means.....but I do like the analogy of being "half pregnant"...cheers to GD.

I really need to share this.....during my training, I had a fellow student who was well versed in flying fixed winged aircraft, but not our floppy pillow cases. Due to my previous experience with paragliders, I advanced faster than my fellow student, and subsequently was airborne while he was still getting his brain to re-adjust to a more "hands-on" feeling of a wing with strings attached as opposed to pedals and levers. He had hit a brick wall with his ground handling and was not progressing at all. Two weeks after I got back home I contacted my fellow student, to see how he was going. Due to many complications, he had to suspend his training and go back home.....some 10 hours drive from the training site. Our wonderful instructor "David" insisted he take home one of the school gliders and harness so he could practice until he returns to continue his training. How good is that???....in this day and age, to find trustworthy people like this is such a breath of fresh air. Once again....I can highly recommend David if you intend to learn to fly in Thailand. Cheers.

Well I am happy to report that I have completed my training with David from Paramotorthailand, and I can confirm that he is fully competent in all aspects of training including air laws, weather. aerodynamics, safety.....and most important, he has great interpersonal skills. Meaning he has patience and tolerance for all types of students. He is Spanish, but speaks English fluently. He has his PPL (Private Pilots License) and his own plane. He has designed his own paramotor cage...Cameleon, and when I told him I am happy to support him by purchasing one of his own frames, he told me no, because he is not happy with their weight. How honest is that??? So I am getting a Polini 130 on a much lighter but strong frame.....the same as I trained on. I can sincerely recommend him, he is straight forward and keeps things simple and easy to understand with a happy temperament Cheers.

I contacted George from Cobra Paramotors just recently and he said he is too busy with other stuff at the moment to do any training.....so he also highly recommended David from Paramotorthailand. I am now booked in with them next Monday 17th October......can't wait. Cheers.

This is a must watch on a big screen. So sad that our sport claimed one so young, yet this tribute contains some amazing cinematography that can take your breath away. Sit back and be inspired. Cheers.

Ok, will do.....Cheers.

http://paramotorthailand.com/ I am going to start training with these guys in a couple of weeks time. So stay tuned and I will let you know how it goes.

Happy wife.......Happy life! You like me have been trained well and understand the orders of the universe.....good luck with your other (flying) training. Cheers

That would have to be the best "stuff" I have seen for many decades.....wouldn't mind some shares in the company.

Brilliant! Any chance of a small summary as to how you achieved this Morgy? What engine did you use (guessing Macfly 250) and how much thermalling and /or engine off time compared to using the engine.....or are you keeping that a trade secret. Once again, congratulations. Cheers.

Nice video RJ......just sitting here with my feet up, nice glass of red in my hand...totally relaxed...and coming to the conclusion of where I would rather be....a no brainer! Flying of course!! Cheers.

Firstly......hope you all are having a great time at the fly-in....wish I was there. Simon, I have done a bit of homework and I must admit that Runway HD does look good, only from the outside, I have not downloaded it as such. If you don't mind, I have a few questions that I hope you don't mind helping me out with as I have lived in a cave for the last 20 years and am not that savvy with all the new smart phone & app stuff. So Runway HD is an annual subscription, is that correct? Looking at iPads....how easy are they to see in direct sunlight (when flying)? I have been looking at the iPad Mini 4, is that a reasonable size for flying with as I imagine the iPad Air 2 would be just a little bit too big?....and what size GB do you recommend....16, 64 or 128 Am I correct that you do not need internet coverage when using Runway HD, but you do need an iPad that has WiFi + cellular model (these have built-in GPS) also you do not need to be connected to a mobile phone provider? As I mentioned before....I also was leaning towards the Naviter Oudie 4, but after some homework, your idea of having a dedicated iPad with Runway HD installed is starting to look really good......so is there anything else you can share with this dummy? Just a note....I live in Thailand and intend to do lots of cross country flying. Thanks for your time. Cheers.

Interesting....so hard to keep-up with Ozone. I thought they were going down the road of "Lightweight is best" with their adaptions of the Roadster2 and Speedster aka...Spyder and Sirocco. Now they go back to conventional materials (not "lightweight") and come out with Speedster2.....what a thrill it must be, to be a part of that team. It boggles the mind as to how far paragliders have advanced in the last 20 years (when I first started) and now.....so what else can they possibly improve on? Exciting times.

Thanks for that Simon, I still have my trusted Flytec vario....now looking at cross country and what"s available for maps and airspace. I have noticed you have recommended Runway HD on many occasions.....I may need to update my brain. Cheers.

G'day Simon.......how would you compare Runway HD to the new Naviter Oudie 4 ? I'm a bit of a dinosaur and prefer dedicated instruments as I am not all that into smart phones. Cheers

I think the most basic feature to consider......is the availability of spare parts for whatever machine you choose. Too many times I have read of pilots waiting for months for a simple part to be supplied, simple because of the type of motor they chose. Sometimes the motor you end up with may not be your most favoured choice, but in the long run, the convenience of readily available spare parts will far outweigh a more favoured "brand name" with inconvenience of spare parts. Just my two bobs worth. Cheers

What a great description.....thanks for sharing. Yes everything is a compromise, but I do think that the pros outweigh the cons for PPG v PG. Cheers.

Admittedly this is an advance wing, but around the 2 minute mark Ryan shows you what releasing one trim at a time does....as a novice I think it would be good to develop "good habits" early on.....so my advice would be get into the habit of releasing your trims together.....just my two bobs worth. Cheers.

Not trying to be smart....but surely the instructor that is trying to sell you this motor would be the best person to ask regarding spare parts and maintenance etc. If they can't supply the spare parts, find a dealer who can, or ask the instructors where they get their spare parts. Cheers.

Looks great on my 27" iMac.......I have a reasonable internet connection, but this seemed a bit slow downloading. Apart from that....all good. Love the new layout Simon...Cheers.

According to Ryan Shaw it is nothing like the WRC.....it is even better than the old Hadron. Looks a great wing.

Here is an example of what I think you are talking about. Cheers.

That would be interesting to see..."strings and sticks" making some of these intricate designs.... https://youtu.be/9eh9q8gadas Thanks for that Ben. Now I can understand how the farmers would be really pissed-off. In reality, another form of graffiti, albeit pleasing to the eye from above. Cheers.