slim

I'd just like to say a big thank you to Colin, Colin and Simon for their help and encouragement today. It has been three years since my last proper flight and I was very rusty! I'm glad to say I'm back and loving it. Now to save up for a more powerful motor. Suggestions anyone? See you all in the sky soon. S.

I couldn't watch it all. The point where I realised she didn't know how to kill the engine was the point where it became too painful. Taking a risk with your own life is one thing - imposing that choice on someone else (especially a child) is just evil.

I so want one of these for Christmas! [youtubevideo] [/youtubevideo]S.

and Ebay have removed the item so they're clearly not happy.

3 perfectly good motors for sale at excellent prices and I can't afford any of them at the moment. Ah well, Just have to keep saving up S.

I can't see how he's then going to pour that into his fuel tank without risking getting covered in fuel but it does give me an idea for a way to make it work by hooking a parallel fuel line down into the secondary tank. Hmmm. S.

We're at least 4 and possibly 7.

Hi Simon, I'm the three plus. Sorry it's taken me a while to spot the question. Been busy getting married Looks like it doesn't matter though if there isn't enough interest S

The date is in the diary. I hear it was a fantastic bash last time.

That's why we fly

So chaps, it is very clear that it has been a bit windy recently given that everyone seems to be spending time in front of their laptops posting in a flame war instead of flying. I chose to learn to fly a paramotor because it was relatively inexpensive and unregulated (and therefore inexpensive). I chose an instructor through personal recommendation and after conversations with a number of instructors. Had there been a central register of instructors I would have chosen from that list but I would still have wanted recommendations and spoken to instructors to find someone I got on with. It is clear that the "accident" in Manchester was largely (if not completely) due to pilot error. It is also clear that the pilot involved was insufficiently trained as he was breaking basic flying rules by flying too low over a built up area. He broke the law as it stands. There is no need for extra regulation to punish foolishness like this. In my opinion: New pilots need instruction There should be a syllabus to that instruction There is no need for there to be "only one" syllabus just as there are different awarding organisations and syllabi for A levels Instructors should have insurance pilots should have insurance (who is going to pay to repair that wall in Manchester?) If we do these things voluntarily then the authorities will let us remain unregulated. For as long as the foolish minority remain small and the damage they cause is minimal we won't be forced to increase costs by having to comply with extra legal requirements. And finally... I joined, and remain, a member of the Paramotor Club rather than one of the other organisations because I feel it has a less "political" environment. For the most part these fora are fill of people discussing flying rather than slagging each other off. There isn't a power game being played and there aren't big factions fighting for control. Please folks, let's concentrate on keeping each other in the air safely and having fun rather than point scoring and arguing on the ground.

The best advice I can give you is keep active on these forums. There are lots of very experienced pilots and instructors who are usually very willing to answer questions and give advice. I don't know about instructors in Bedfordshire but it is probably worth driving down to Membury at some point just to join in the atmosphere and speak to a few people. Welcome to the club and good luck getting in to the air. S

Henry, No problem, now you even have an extra bonus: Your radio will tell you when you need to replace the spark plug S.

Fab to see you both in the air again

It does sound like the ICOM A6 is particularly prone to picking up the ignition noise generated by your motor. I have a couple of questions that might help diagnose the problem... 1) If you remove the antenna from the radio does it make a significant difference to the noise? 2) Is the radio plugged in to anything else in your setup like an external battery or is it completely stand alone apart from your headset? As an initial suggestion make sure that the HT cable to the spark plug isn't corroded and is really properly seated at both ends. Also, how old is the spark plug? Ignition interference is often worse on old spark plugs.

We've done lots of testing but we're also adding new features every day at the moment so if you have any problems using the PPG100 club site please email or PM me. S.

So, my motor is all re-built and working. (yay) I've adjusted the carburettor and it all starts beautifully. (double yay) I've let the engine warm up and run it to full power. It accelerates without hesitation but isn't quite getting up to full speed. (Hmmm) I've read and re-read the manual. It says to adjust the main needle until you get to peak revs and then adjust it back a little to make the mixture slightly richer so you don't seize the engine. Well that seems simple enough... except... I've adjusted the main needle from one end of its travel to the other and it makes not a single jot of difference. The motor seems to be running too rich whatever I change. It even has a cheeky little back fire when I turn it off. (not so happy now) Have any of you two stroke experts out there got any ideas? The engine is a Radne Raket 120 ES with a Walbro WG10 carb. I've spent all weekend tweaking and fettling. I did get a small flight (20 yards in length and 15 feet off the ground) but it just isn't developing enough thrust to climb out. Thanks. S.

Hi Eddie et al, Nope, I'm not back in the air yet. I've got my motor all rebuilt and spent yesterday morning tweaking the carburetor. Life is otherwise ok. Could do with some more work but then lots of us are in that situation. See you all soon. S

Good morning everyone and what a glorious day it looks like being Is anyone heading over to Membury? S.

Or in my case, a field without a fence post in the middle of it. But that's a video that isn't going up on YouTube

It isn't the flying in high winds that is the problem. It's the taking off and landing. Also, high winds tend to be gusty which makes for a very uncomfortable ride not to say anything about the increased risk of a collapse in gusty conditions. The main problem in taking off in any wind at all is controlling the wing as it comes off the ground. As it comes up you've got a huge sail which will simply pull you over if the wind is too strong. A way of getting around that is to use the Cobra launch as demonstrated in this video: [youtubevideo] [/youtubevideo]Notice that he's starting with the wing upside down. My rule of thumb? If it feels a bit too windy then it is MUCH too windy S.

The lower limit is half your age plus seven ... or so I'm told.

Proof that pilots get more girls

Hey all, We're working hard on the booking system at the moment to get it all up and running for March. There are a couple of things that I'd like to add to the discussion... If you book a motor and a wing then that is 4 points per hour Just a motor or just a wing is 2 points per hour At present we do only have one site (Membury) but the booking system is designed to cope with multiple sites so, as the club grows, we can add other locations very simply. For logistical reasons bookings have to be made at least 24 hours in advance. We're hoping that this can be reduced to allow last minute bookings to be made if the weather suddenly turns out to be peachy but it will depend on demand and availability of staff and equipment. Each booking is for 2 hours with a 30 minute buffer between bookings to allow for the kit to be checked over and serviced by club staff if necessary. If you book 2 consecutive slots then you get 4.5 hours not just 4. The booking system allows you to book in two ways. You can either pick a particular combination of equipment and see what times that combination is free or you can pick a time and see what kit is free. This gives a really nice booking experience as you can pick and choose to suit you. And finally, for now, I'll be turning on the booking system for beta-testing very soon. It is, I think, the nicest interface I've ever seen for this kind of thing. Really easy to use and very, very slick. S.

You will be very welcome