Guy

Hi Bill and welcome. I've done a little powered parachuting but am not aware of many who have. What were your experiences and how did you get on with it? Guy

Couldn't have put better Diyan........you've covered all bases, and yes I too can see this area growing rapidly while perhaps the conventional flexwing may well stagnate. I get quite a feeling of vibrancy from the paramotor community.

Only limited experience as I got as far as 2 x solo on a flexwing but never got my licence. I tried conventional paramotor but now settle for a paramotor trike...... best of both worlds for me. Flexwing in my opinion is better if you want to fly distance, as they are generally faster, and if you are happy to fly from conventional airstrips. However, I found the wing very heavy to use and as I'm only 10 stone or so, I pretty much got thrown around by it. My feeling overall was that it was the machine that was in charge and I was simply trying to control it. Add to that the considerable costs of hangarage, the expense the extended training schedule and the annual running costs, and I would go for a floppy wing every time. You are however much more limited on the weather/wind conditions in which you can fly. Having said that, there are a lot of flexwing pilots who would only fly in the weather that we do anyway because its simply not a lot of fun getting thrown around on rough days. Additionally, the flexwing trikes are really quite unstable on the ground (a lot of weight in the wing very high up) and can tip over quite easily. My type of flying is one where I am happy to have an aerial platform and enjoy the physical sensation of flying. Some pilots want to fly from A to B, but I am quite happy leave home, drive to where I want to fly, have a fly around and then drive home. A conventional paramotor will easily pack into the car whilst my trike means using a trailer - not really a lot of hassle and it means that my unit is already set up when I get to the field...........just needs a pre-flight check. All the above is no more than a personal opinion and I would be really interested in hearing others.

I must admit that having started this discussion I couldn't resist taking the bowls off on my rotax and having a quick look around. To be honest, everything looked just as it should .

Thanks Casper, what a concise video. Apparently it is ethanol that is the problem as it absorbs water.

Just picking up on an old thread here. Not directly related but....................had my old Yamaha XT600 serviced yesterday and talking to the service guy (older chap 65+) he was talking to me about the corrosion caused by modern fuels. He has experienced tanks, fuel lines, carb bowls etc. all being rotted away by fuel sitting in the system and unused for several months. He has been told that it is the additives in modern fuels which are responsible, and recommends draining down as much as possible on any engine not being used for more than 10 weeks. If I don't use my trike for a month or so I chock it on all 3 wheels and run it on a fast tickover for 5 minutes in the garage just to keep everything lubricated. I wondered if anyone has suffered internals rotting away at all?

Wouldn't fly anywhere near it! Where there's an updraft there is likely to be a downdraft somewhere else. A good day to stay on the ground and let others do the flying

I'm impressed by the lack of any damage to the machine of prop........very robust as it was quite a thump, bum down.

Would anyone be able to calculate how much thrust something like this is capable of producing?

Faaaaantastic

It has been clear that quite a number of people have been using trikes long before the recent change in the legislation. Is anyone aware of any prosecutions at all for this? Do the CAA have sufficient resources to adequately police it? I am not aware of any, but would be interested to hear from others who would be better informed.

And as PS. I don't even have to manhandle it around the field. Tickover is set a little higher and it walks itself at a nice steady pace until it gets to where I need it .

Hi Tony. I've just replied on your falco thread.

Hi Squaddie. I've been quite interested in the variety of trikes around and couldn't help but notice the differences taken between the UK and the continent. Looking at you tube and some of the flying festivals in mainland Europe trikes seem to be much more popular than in the UK. Perhaps because they are more mainstream, their trikes appear to have a different focus on their construction. The Falco for instance seems to have been built around a suspended paramotor harness (or 2) whereas those such as Fresh Breeze have more fully formed seating. You tube 'rotax paratrike' and you find some quite substantial looking pieces of machinery. I'm starting to think that this type of unit could well replace a number of flexwings in the future, as not everyone needs or wants to fly 80 - 100 miles, and with a decent trailer rigging time is only 15 minutes..........quicker than getting a flexwing out of the hangar and cheaper too as you can keep it in the garage at home. Very different type of flying of course to a conventional paramotor, but if all you you want (like me) is an aerial platform and have physical infirmity (I burst a disc on a failed paramotor launch) a set of wheels opens up great opportunities. You could even take a small tent for camping out if so inclined.

There's a guy on you tube called Gerry, who posts under the name of Oil Burner who made a trike out of an old wheelchair and the handlebars of a bicycle for the front end. It all seemed to work pretty well until he had an engine out and the subsequent landing was a little hard........only bent a wheel though so probably cost less than a fiver to replace. I've adapted a Powered Parachute trike (very heavy duty and built like the proverbial out house) to take an ozone tandem paraglider wing. The best of both worlds for me.

Other than getting up at 2.45 in the morning (well done Lee...........great video) the weather seems pretty naff at the moment. I have very little experience of these things, but I have been told that on the whole, there is more flyable weather in the winter than the summer. I would appreciate views from more seasoned aviators (if only to have something to look forward to).

Me too.

I don't think I would have believed it without the video..........brilliant. SSDR I suppose

Hi Jock. I've gone with the offset riser 10mm. Like you my rotax turns to the left under power so I have moved the left riser forward by the 10mm (heads up to Savage for his help on this).

Glad to hear it's all sorted. What was the difference in the motors that changed the handling so much?

That was absolutely beautiful and I envy you where you live and fly, but I know if it was me I would always think...........what if my engine cut out, where would I go? So I would climb back out to gain height and miss the experience . Sometimes being cautious can be a real pain in the *rse.

Great..........keep them coming. That must be cleanest garage I've ever seen .

Just the job........thanks.

Does anyone have a contact for the netting? I would like to have something bespoke made up for a trike..........it has never happened yet, but I do worry about the lines dropping onto the hot exhaust when landing in flat calm conditions. Guy

Spot on Magmen! Many thanks. Guy