gordon_dunn

Very impressive! That's going to be a real long, but enjoyable flight. Do you have a Paypal site set up for charitable donations? One thing i noticed on my computer as i tried to download the kml file, was that my PC renamed the file to an xml file. After renaming it, it worked perfectly. GD

Very good Dan, Hope you get the clutch soon. Lukily it's not the height of the flying season yet, and you're not missing too many days flying. Just another item- what do you use for fuel tank calibration? On many paramotors its weird seeing such hi-tech design, then nail varnish or permanant marker to calibrate the tanks.... I decided that i'd do it right on my H&E..... see link- http://www.gordondunn.co.uk/R80/fuelguage.pdf The characters are 'mirrored', as i use a mirror to read the level in flight. GD

Dan, let me know how you get on with the spares. Do you go through a dealer or direct to H&E? Certainly while Pete Searle was dealing for H&E i've had great response times- I've had no experience with MWPGC. Generally i've found that the service from H&E is much better than Adventure. Gd

My H&E R80 uses 3 litres per hour at constant altitude- approx 7200rpm. The R120 will use more but it depends on your weight, and wing type/size. GD

Dean, I've mentioned the material that H&E use in my last post, however they do offer aluminium on their cages for the 99cm prop. The theory is you are less likely to 'ground' the cage if the prop is smaller, therefore the aluminium should be oK. I didn't like the aluminium cage on the Adventure machine, so I will be sticking to the stainless steel. A stonger cage is also an advantage when you are power launching- you will get some flexing on any cage, but this should be minimal. GD

Helimed, Also had a collegue who had issues with the gearbox on the R120, but H&E have resolved these issues now. Apparenlty this only effected early production runs on this engine only. I'm not sure why you can't prime the engine in the air- I' fly an R80, and can do this. I might not be able to see the bulb, but i can reach it. Incidentally, its worth knowing that you can reach it, because if you have a throttle cable/kill switch failure you can flood the engine and kill the engine with the primer bulb. Any paramotor that hits a cage will suffer badly- stainless steel ones will stand more abuse than aluminium though. The stainless steel grade on the H&E is heavier than the PAP. H&E use 1mm wall, 8mm diameter wheras PAP use 8mm diameter 0.8mm wall. The H&E will be slightly heavier for this, but will have a stiffer frame. I have a 3 part cage on my R80 at present, but my new machine will have a 5 part. Transportation is easier with more parts, but the cage will be weaker. Generally I think 3 part is best (main frame, +left +right). Regards GD quote="helimed01"]Hi Dean. Ive done 130 hours on my H&E R120. Good Points Basic machine which requires less maintenance than others. Cheaper to buy than most. Very reliable. (see below about gearbox). Engine has been fantastic, starts easily. Ive got every confidence in it and would gladly jump the English Channel. (And will do). Can re-start in the air but don't let the engine get too cold or it won't start without priming which is impossible in the air. Due to the light construction and good hang-point system the pilot gets good feedback from the wing. Might take a bit of getting used to in bumpy conditions, free flyers will love it. Weight shift steers well. Little torque steer. Clutch driven which is good for landing engine running, and good for thermalling or soaring cliffs on tickover. They now have a better exhaust system than the one I have. They now have a better harness than the one I have. Uses 4 1/3 Ltr of fuel hour 35-1 mix Bad Points On the fourth reduction gearbox, sprung leaks, think they might have fixed this problem. Ive done 75 hours on this 4th box by topping up every few flights so its not too bad. If you crash, the frame bends easily and the prop destroys the fuel tank which isn't ideal!! Fuel tanks are expensive. (mine is large tank type). (Done that three times ) I have a 2 part cage which is huge and fills the car, they do 3 and 4 part cages now I think. Needs 35-1 mix which is a bit more expensive to run than 50-1. Harness is not as good / as comfy as Parajet (Although the Parajet is probably the most comfy machine I have flown). In saying that I had to throw my reserve in 2006 when my wing collapsed and the H&E harness with a Y shaped bridle worked very well, pain free deployment and landing! I weigh 105 kg naked and could do with a bit more power. All machines seem to have good and bad points. I think they are all getting better and more reliable which provides us an exciting future in this amazing sport. Im planning on buying a new machine and will need a new wing maybe this year perhaps next year (Don't tell the wife tho ). Im not sure what machine I will go for next time. Hope this helps. Whitters.

Most of the NI guys actually got stuck on the left hand throttle because they all started with Adventure gear. It does make sense though, in the fact that most cameras and camcorders are ergonomically designed for right hand use. H&E and PAP will build the machine to suit whichever hand you specify at time of order. If you need to convert a machine over, this can be done, but there may be a difference in cable length, and the cruise control wingnut will be on the wrong side. Throttle hand will also influence which side you turn when reverse launching. A collegue went out to train in Spain last year, but he used the school equipment out there... when he came back to try and fly, he insticnivly turned right after pulling the wing round, but as his throttle was on the left, then this was awkward. Is the turn direction in reverse launches also governed by the torque direction- this is different on gear and belt drive machines.... and if you're machine has a clutch, then in theory the torque will have no influence.... but as i said, if you learn on an Adventure, then old habits stick. GD

As you already know Dean, I just ordered my second H&E. I'd swear by them. The first machine- R80/115 was powerful enough for me, but I'm keen on having a smaller cage/prop so that's why i've opted for the R120/99 combination. This will have equivlalent thrust, similar weight, and general characteristics, but most importantly it can fit into the backof a Renault Kangoo without removing the cage..! H&E machines are also a pleasure to work at for servicing- compared to my old Adventure. GD

Yes Dan- First excercise is - Where is Basra? GD

T'internet? I remember when this wer all fields...

Shackelton Barracks Ballykelly? or Shackelton Bomber?....Gallar's got me confusted...

Certainly for anyone setting up in Ireland- or wishing to serve the growing Irish market, they must be BMAA or BHPA in order to sign off students for the exemption. I'd have thought if anything the situation in the UK would get tougher rather than easier... I can say i'm rather surprised that independent instructors exist. GD

Apart from being a flying-ace.... what are the pre-requisites for being a BMAA instructor? Seems to be a real shortage- especially in this neck of the woods.... GD

Norman, I thought the C172 shadow was the Guards chasing him?....

Dean, I used a Fuji Z1 digital for these pictures. Only 5MP resolution on the original images, but still large enough to print A3 size on photographic paper- I actually mounted and framed the one of Benone Beach and gave them to some family members at Christmas- they were amazed......The fact that it had the 'personal' touch was even better. I used the Z1 because it is light, compact, fast startup time, good big display on back, and i can store 500+ images on a 2Gig card. There is also a very clever zoom lens on this camera- instead of protruding outwards as it zooms- there is a refractive prism behind the objective lens, and the zoom operates internally up and down. This also helps reduce the risk of dirt and other foriegn objects getting in through the weakest point of a camera, which has traditionally been the zoom actuation assembly. I belive the Z1 is no longer in production, but Fuji have realeased the Z10FD, which you can get in Argos now for only £99. This features 7MP resolution, and has a few more features than the Z1. The start-up time for the Z10 is fractionally slower, but i wouldn't worry too much about that. These cameras are real useful, as they can be operated in one hand.... typically most of the Northern Irish pilots fly with left hand throttle, leaving the right hand free for camcorder or camera. It's easier to order a paramotor with left hand throttle, than find a camcorder manufacturer that makes a left hand camcorder. While some may be ambidextrous, these are equally uncomfortable in either hand. One other major issue when using a camera on a paramotor- make sure you are high/safe before taking it out.... and always use a securing lanyard. Hope this helps. GD

I would have expected the BMAA route to be more popular than BHPA. GD

The words 'Preaching' and 'Converted' spring to my mind, but i'm going to post this anyway- one of the best videos i've ever seen on You-Tube, just happens to be about Ireland. GD

Norman, You good point with the FIR argument.... but this could also work against us, so that's why we've never used it with the IAA. See map below- As you can see, the FIR boundary is a straight line, the border is the meandering one. If the IAA define their jurisdiction using the FIR boundary, we gain a bit of ground to the west certainly- unfortunately not enough to cover Letterkenny (Site of Aug Fly-in). Almost half of County Monaghan (Republic) is within Scottish FIR also.... but on the counter side, almost half of Fermanagh (NI) is within Shannon FIR. Even the way that P436/2.5 prohibition zone has been defined in South Armagh, seems to point that the land border is the defining factor. By the way, P436/2.5 (South Armagh) , Omagh, Dungannon, L/Derry, Cookstown, Enniskillen, Ballykinler and Armagh city prohibition zones have been withdrawn from August 2007, so most of the province has virtually unresticted airspace... just 2 small airports to watch out for at Eglinton, and Enniskillen. GD

Fantastic images there Norman- i've some similar ones on my website that i took last summer in Mayo. For web album- http://www.gordondunn.co.uk/photogallery/2007_0909-Mayo Also in the north of Ireland- not far from Ballykelly is Benone beach, Downhill, Castlerock, Portstewart and Portrush. 7-9miles approx of 'Blue flag' http://www.gordondunn.co.uk/photogaller ... e-30_07_07 On the east coast, near Drogheda, Even though this is the 'notoriously polluted' Irish Sea.... you can still see Seals as you fly over the beaches. There was a 'bloom' of jellyfish lastyear, this appeared as a large orange 'slick'- quite interesting. Unfortuntely it also wiped out a salmon farm further north. http://www.gordondunn.co.uk/photogaller ... d_09-06-07 Heres another interesting weather shot-

Francis- Just one question that stemmed from your last post, regarding the Class 2 Medical. There was a bit of discussion on the Irish Forum about this aswell concerning the cost. It would be good to get an indication of what you'd pay for one of these in the UK Mainland. In Northern Ireland (UK), I approached a CAA listed doctor and he quoted me £180stg for the first test- follow up tests are a bit cheaper. In the Republic of Ireland, there isn't a set figure- but prices range between E180 and E150. Taking the Euro/Pound conversion rate into account this is £112-£135. Bearing in mind the certificates are of equal status (European JAR), the tests are the same, this is a significant difference. Some people are confusing the Class2 medical with the 'Doctors consent to fly' letter issued by UK doctors for microlight pilots- the Irish Aviation Authority won't accept this. The Class2 does seem like a complete overkill, but unfortunately that's what they insist on at present. GD