gordon_dunn

I always be weary when someone comes to me with a budget- especially such an optimistic one-- without any consideration for training. What value do you put on your life? The car comparison is a good one.... but if a motor stops in the air, and you havent trained for engine outs... then you are in serious trouble..... In order of importance- Get a training plan organised Try out your schools gear- get familiar Then buy your own Buy a new wing if possible- don't trust peoples word- (genuine one careful owner, etc....) Only buy from a trusted reputable source. Note- wings have a finite life..... the better they are cared for, the longer they will last.... but even a good wing 400 to 500 hours in total, if it has been regulary checked.

Ok here's my best 2008 picture- Taken during a flight with another paramotor and a Hot Air Balloon during September.

Unbelieveable....

Sounds like you'll need Uri Geller out.... to give it a rub..

Is that a Powerscreen Commander 1400 in the bacground? Is it damaged?

First thing to check is the wiring to the switch. Disassemble the hand unit, or unscrew out the switch and run a multi meter between the switch connections and the other ends of the wire. If there is no exposed parts to run the multimeter off, then stick a small pin through the wire insulation to make contact with the conducting core. If the wires are OK, then check the switch itself..... Should be a 'push to make' switch on the Adventure units i think. Replace as necessary. If it's not these, then it's a bigger issue- but 90% of the time the connection to the throttle handle is responsible. GD

Fuel tank and some sort of perforation caused by long term abrasion... either harness or frame....

Come on now- some capital letters at the start of a sentence and proper nouns too would be nice! Let's make it a New Years Resolution! Otherwise it does get a bit tiresome to read. GD

Eddie will probably take a look at that 'Caps Shift' button on your keyboard too.

Best photos from Ireland PPG 2008- http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=lSSw-w9GBLs GD

Phil- yes indeed a very moving piece of work indeed. As a lighter response, someone has penned what the CAA/FAA response would likely to be- 1. Pilots must insure that all surly bonds have been slipped entirely before aircraft taxi or flight is attempted. 2. During periods of severe sky dancing, crew and passengers must keep seatbelts fastened. Crew should wear shoulderbelts as provided. 3. Sunward climbs must not exceed the maximum permitted aircraft ceiling. 4. Passenger aircraft are prohibited from joining the tumbling mirth. 5. Pilots flying through sun-split clouds under VFR conditions must comply with all applicable minimum clearances. 6. Do not perform these hundred things in front of Federal Aviation Administration inspectors. 7. Wheeling, soaring, and swinging will not be attempted except in aircraft rated for such activities and within utility class weight limits. 8. Be advised that sunlit silence will occur only when a major engine malfunction has occurred. 9. "Hov'ring there" will constitute a highly reliable signal that a flight emergency is imminent. 10. Forecasts of shouting winds are available from the local FSS. Encounters with unexpected shouting winds should be reported by pilots. 11. Pilots flinging eager craft through footless halls of air are reminded that they alone are responsible for maintaining separation from other eager craft. 12. Should any crewmember or passenger experience delirium while in the burning blue, submit an irregularity report upon flight termination. 13. Windswept heights will be topped by a minimum of 1,000 feet to maintain VFR minimum separations. 14. Aircraft engine ingestion of, or impact with, larks or eagles should be reported to the FAA and the appropriate aircraft maintenance facility. 15. Aircraft operating in the high untresspassed sanctity of space must remain in IFR flight regardless of meteorological conditions and visibility. 16. Pilots and passengers are reminded that opening doors or windows in order to touch the face of God may result in loss of cabin pressure

Also, check the metering valve- sometimes during the priming procedure these can get stuck in, and need to be released/cleaned. Sometimes a bit of dirt or debris can effect these. GD

Also thinking too... instead of a bottom end sensor, perhaps a header tank would be a better option- these are always mounted in a very prominent visible position- when you see it starting to drain, you'll know exactly how long you've got to land safely. I remember running out of fuel in my 5th or 6th flight- I was at 3000ft or so, and to be honest i'd a lot of time to get back down- landed back at the field easily.

The H&E R120/99 will fit into the back of a kangoo easily- The 'Trekka' version is 4x4 also, so even better for access to fields. Only thing is- unless you're under 70kgs, don't buy a H&E R120/99

Phatboy, Similar method, but replacing the marker pen with a vinyl cut decal Position the 1 litre mark 80mm from the bottom of a standard H&E 10l tank and you've got a 500ml reserve too. The numbers are reversed so that you can read easily with the mirror. 'Negative cutouts' of the numbers have been used so that the surface area of the decal has been maximised, to minimise the risk of petrol dissolving the adhesive. First version i did had individual marks and numbers... gradually they all came off. This new version has been on my tank over a year now.

The Stuart Highway is one of the main routes north/south though central Australia- i belive it was the route that was first used to cross Australia- rather symbolic. I've had a look on Google Earth, the road is visible with high resolution. The highway is named for John McDouall Stuart (A Scottish guy), the first European to cross Australia from South to North, and it generally follows his route. The route is apprx 1761miles! Read more at- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stuart_Highway http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_McDouall_Stuart

Simon, There was an excellent episode of Ray Mear's show on Dave on Monday- he followed the Stuart Highway through central Australia. GD

Dan, one thing to watch on the H&E carb (R80 Type). When you change your carb gasket, make sure that the pressure feedback hole is not obstructed. Sometimes the small holes on the gaskets don't line up right, and partially block the feedback hole. This causes the metering valve in the carb to malfunction, and will cause erratic running issues.

Ps... my last post should have read 4000ft, not 400ft

I don't want to get drawn into the fuel sensor debate again because i belive it's a waste of time- you can't beat a mirror- either attached to the harness on a lanyard, or on the cuff of your flightsuit sleeve. Anyway i've been thinking about the problem/solution- i really don't like the solutions being proposed, as they mainly tell me when the fuel level passes pre-defined levels.... they don't actually tell me how much fuel is in the tank at any given point. Perfect for your home heating oil tanks, but not for paramotors . None of the solutions aired have any regard for splashing either- rendering them quite useless. Perhaps the solution would be to not measure how much fuel is in the tank, but how much air has been drawn into the tank via the vent during the flight- this would be immune to the effects of splashing, would work in almost any flying orientation, and would provided a potentially infinite range of readings between 0 and 10 litres. The volatility of the fuel could trigger a slight level of incuracy, but it would be better than float switches, LDRs or reed switches. The problem would be accurate measurement of the air though the vent...... perhaps a mechanical solution, as opposed to electronic. Whatever the solution is, it must be easy used (easier than a mirror), cheap, reasonably accurate, infinitely calibrated, and easily installed. GD

Reliability with the H&E equipment is fine, as long as you keep and eye on everything- like all 2 stroke engines. You need to clean the carb out regularly- every 15 to 20 hrs, and fuel pipes every 2 years, mebrane every year, etc..... and you'll have no problems. I've not had any issues with the gearbox on the R80 or R120- i know there were some issues with the early production gearboxes, but these have been sorted. Only problem i've had really was deformation of the upper engine mounts on the R120- planned solution is in progress. I keep both machines active- fly one for a few weeks, then onto the other- keeps both machines in a 'ready' state. If any technical issues arise then atleast im not grounded. The characteristics of both machines are quite different- the R120/99 is compact high thrust machine- with a really high climbrate, whereas the R80/115 has a more gentle approach, and is more economical on fuel. The R120/99 is certainly a handier machine when it comes to heading off flying- the complete unit with assembled cage can fit into the back compartment of a Renault Kangoo!- without folding the rear seats. The smaller cage/prop is also better for a 'vertically challenged' chap.

Despite claims of it being a bad year, i managed my 100th flight for this year today- maintaining an average of 59mins for the last 100 flights- thats 98.5 hours this year- and there are still a few days left! Just checked through the flightlog, and the GPS software. Of the 100 flights in 2008, I only failed to track 3 of them with the GPS- printed a report off Trackmaker to Excel and did a sum of the total..... had to sit down and do it again.... just to check... 1815 miles in total !!!!! unbelievable!!! - (averaging at around 18m per flight) Or in a more graphic form... GD

Back when i was 'new' to PPG, i almost got caught out... admiring the scenery at 400ft close to sunset- took me 20mins to get down.

Two things that catch people out most- 1. When you're at altitude the sun appears to set later than on the ground. So if you're at 3,000ft and the sun is setting, then it has already had a head-start on the ground. 2. People often underestimate the time it takes to descend safely with a paramotor. Accomplished pilots can use 'bigears' and 'spirals' perhaps, but a novice pilot could be in diffs if the leaves it too late. If you get a combination of both factors- you're almost certainly landing in the dark.

Absolutely crazy! these guys were lucky to get back safely. I'd rather see people land out safely than trying to push home in conditions like this. You can't be lucky everytime.