allrightscud

I was on holiday with some APPI trained pilots, they crossed over to the BHPA whilst on holiday by completing the task book and the CP exam which you'll already have done. If you wanted to get BHPA CP Motor then you'd just need to join and have the task book signed off by an instructor. Edit Sorry if your already a CP paraglider then you'll already be a member so all you'd need to do is have your task book signed off by an instructor. Once you'd completed the syllabus with Simon then I'm sure you'll be more than capable of completing the BHPA tasks

I've heard of this happen a lot before. I have velcro on my frame and on my handle, this holds the handle in place for both finding it when starting on my back and helps it stay in place if it were to come loose. Its the weight of the handle pulling against the return spring which allows it to extend in flight.

Yeah never thought of that either.

I’ve recently noticed quite a bit of extension to my take off length. Although there is a few factors which have will have affected this. I’m flying longer so fuel up with 13 liters of fuels these days rather than 6 or 7, I use 5l/h. I’ve added a reserve which is another 2.6 kg and I’ve put weight on, 7 kg. With a Thor 130 at 65KG of thrust how much should this extra 15 or so kgs affect my take offs? Or could it be an engine or human error problem on take off? I fly a 26 speedster 2 wing. So I am at the top end of its weight limit. Tom

I'd also like to clarify what sort of radio is best. Or most commonly used. I have a selection currently and have made my own head sets to suit both. I have a set of Motorola T80 extreme and I have a set of Baofeng UV-5R. It depends who I'm flying with as to what I'm using but I was hoping to fly in and out of a local micro light and light aircraft runway. They use the safetycom frequency for airfield coms 135.475 which I thought I'd be able to get on my Baofeng to listen in on any coms and traffic but the baofeng won't accept this frequency. Is there an other radio I would need for this? I don't understand all the frequency's and types of radio available. I know that you can't transmit from air to ground legally but its tolerated. I'd just like to try and stay safe and be able to monitor other air traffic in the area.

Wow, lucky escape for you and anyone around. It certainly serves as a lesson for ground starting your machine or offline throttle checks. I do, do it but never rev it and never leave it without the stop button in my hand. Its a tick-over to make sure it'll start and to test the stop prior to putting it on the wing and my back. I was recently on a paramotor holiday and there was a couple of guys on the trip who were obsessed with "warming up" the engine on the ground and on their back and revving it and shutting it down and revving it some more. All a bit needlessly in my opinion. It seems to have been part of their training and this is what you should do. Anyway, on our last flight of the holiday one of the chaps was starting the engine and revving it up, the throttle return spring failed the revs stayed on he slipped and somehow he ended up punching the prop through the back of the paramotor harness. I think he was lucky it was on full revs as the prop "knocked" his knuckles back and away. If it was going slower he might have got in between the prop frequency and lost something. I don't think anyone who saw it expected him to have a hand when he got back up. Anyway the machine fell over the prop shattered and engine stalled. He was shaken up had bruised knuckles and he lost his last flight of the holiday but otherwise OK. I have to admit I don't like engines running off your back and revving and especially with no stop in hand. I don't think its necessary and certainly not aggressive revving as I witnessed. I hope your not worse the wear for your incident now Grassy and you get your gear repaired soon.

My set up is home made after seeing the horrendous prices of custom off the shelf set ups. I used a set of pelter optime II ear defenders. These can be used over the head as is or fitted to existing helmet mounted ear defender mounts. It gives me great blue tooth for phone calls and music in flight as well as 2 way radio comunication with the Motorola or a duel band Baofeng. It was so easy to make up, the ear defenders cushions come off allowing you access to dermal a cable size hole to the case of the defenders. Each ear cup has 2 speakers in it 1 for the blue tooth set up and 1 for the radio set up. The radio cable can have the either adaptor fitted for 2 way or duel band depending on who I’m flying with. The push to talk and the blue tooth receiver is mounted on my helmet with Velcro. The holes are sealed with sugru but any glue or sealant would do. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/BT-Interphone-800M-Motorcycle-Motorbike-Bluetooth-Helmet-Intercom-FM-Headset-UK-/252028632201?hash=item3aae13bc89:g:o8IAAOSwal5YM7~a http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/322229454702?_trksid=p2060353.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/252060061018?_trksid=p2060353.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/131522858193?_trksid=p2060353.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2-x-Motorola-TLKR-T80-Extreme-10km-with-Charger-Lanyard-/162378286890?hash=item25ce80072a:g:JeQAAOSw44BYkL8q

http://southwestairsports.com/ppgtechinfo/top80/hrservicenotes/Starting/starting.htm found the 1 pull start article

I found a good flash starter and Polini 130 engine resource on an American site. http://southwestairsports.com/ppgtechinfo/thor130/thor130.htm I can't find the exact article on the site but troll around it, they claim to have a sure fire 1 pull start method I remember reading.

I'd jump at the chance but I'm offshore so next time if there is one. Hope you all enjoy it. Looks fantastic.

As they say better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it! Checks and attention to detail are fundamental to any kind of flying so adding reserve checks isn't an issue and on a practical level it may even help as a flight deck if you get a front mounted one.

Having converted to paramotoring in Spain after a few years parawaiting in the UK I would advise you to go for a 7 day a week school in a climate where theres is more chance of every day flying. You may have to do EP for a week then CP motor for a week. Go abroad if you can afford it. It will save time and money in the long run and have you in the sky far sooner. I converted from EP to CPmotor in the summer and never looked back. If I had tried to do that in the UK especially Scotland I'd still be trying to catch a weekend here or there and spend all my time traveling to a school. I also spent/wasted 2 years doing a parachute RAPs course in the UK years ago and watched numerous students go abroad and get qualified in a week with AFF and come back exceeding my progression. I truly regret not doing that also. Get qualified abroad and enjoy the sport at home and far sooner if you can afford it.

Again never thought about a chest mount digital camera, That might be the way to go without a left handed throttle. Cheers

I have a right hand throttle and it is a pain but wary of changing as its what I'm used to. I never considered Caspers point about a palm grip being easier anyway than a compact in the air. Maybe I'm going down the wrong road with a compact camera. I like the idea of the Velcro hanger for hands free but again not sure how comfortable I'll be taking the throttle off my hand. I'd need to think on that one. Guess it would make it easier putting heavier gloves on after take off this time of year to.

Gents As like most of you I have an action cam for video and grabbing screens shots but would like to take good high quality stills also. I've been taking my SLR up with me and taking pics in full auto which have turned out great but its bulky and cumbersome and difficult to operate with a right hand throttle and gloves etc. Does anyone have a recommendation for a good high optical zoom, easy to use in the air compact camera?

Thanks. I've heard others using it. I'll give it a go.

Yes I'll definatley keep an eye out for fly ins and meets. I'm guessing they'll be no more until spring now.

I need to get south to one of these events. It would be great to go flying with others.

What apps that your using Simon?