Shorehambeach

Where are you based ?

Amazing ??? What a brilliant group of people ? Well done folks.

Thanks Pat - I'll ring ATC.

Karl The PPG weight rating is recommended manufacturer upper and lower limit - aim for the middle of that range and you won't go far wrong. Your weight is you naked PLUS paramotor / cage / harness / reserve / petrol / clothes / auxiliary equipment /helmet / comms basically all the weight that will be hanging underneath the wing. If you overload a wing (more weight than recommended) then it will not react in the way it was manufactured which is not something you want and, among other things like the sink (drop) rate being higher and taking longer to get airborne, it may be harder to control / recover in an emergency. Being over the limit may invalidate insurance..... Don't buy kit until you've been trained ?

Don't buy gear until you have been trained.

Play silly games win silly prizes.

Hi Stuart, 1. How safe do you consider paramotoring to be? Do you think it's more or less dangerous than motorcycling? A lot less dangerous than a motorbike. There are far more high risk air sports than paramotoring. 2. What would be a sensible budget to get in the air, safely? (I'm 82 KG's) About £6/7k for nearly new kit motor/wing/helmet/comms 3. Do you usually fly solo, or in a group? Solo and with another person ..... Good luck !

Skywards - Why don't you simply travel and take a course like most of us folks do ? Theres plenty of overseas courses. It looks like you've been waiting for a long time for a local solution - even I couldn't find one and i'm on the South Coast. Once you've taken the course you will have a better idea of the equipment you'd like to buy and whether the 16m trip over water would be a good idea..... Have you looked at what restrictions to flying a paramotor there are considering you're on a small island and you've a busy airport ?

Jesus thats bad. RIP.

Cant read it - where was this ?

Was taught max 10mph with gust no more than +/- 4mph

Mind those rotors from the trees ? the spyder is an ultra thin skin so it won't wear too well on asphalt.

You have just won a lot of friends on here

Hi Steve Calm down mate. I never said the BHPA wanted people to ground handle for a year - that was the OP wanting to do that ? I was being flippant ! But it does not encourage paramotoring as it wants paragilder pilots hence my comment..... (All my calls and visits to BHPA affiliates to learn paramotoring were met with the "learn and become a paraglider pilot first (10 days) then transition using a 2 day course.Even after I had achieved my licence in the UK/Italy I my local BHPA centre ( that offer paramotoring) basically told me they can't stand paramotors and weren't really interested ? In the sport ......) Ok. Take a breath. Thanks for your post.

In an emergency situation - when your life is depending on it - having as much fabric above your head (whether fully deployed or just partial) can save your life. A partially deployed reserve may slow down your descent enough for your cage to take the impact and save you from death or life changing injuries. The next time you fly imagine one of your risers failing due to missing stitches during manufacture. Its happened on new wings in other sports. What would you do ?

Hi Flyhound Have You'd be foolish not to. My reserve wing loading is less than the wing I fly - when the shit hits the fan you'll be glad you've got one. Have a reserve. Know how to fit it and how and when to use it. I just bumble about - I ain't no acro pilot

Amazing picture its clearly a commercial airliner. It can't be the shadow created from the plane flying much higher but projected onto the cloud as you can see the landing gear .....

Flat Cap - Its better to get your training in first then look at buying equipment. You own opinion of what you need will change once you've got 15 flights under your belt. Although others will be able to advise - a lot of it depends on personal choice. I think the only people who'd think it's good idea to spend a year ground handling are the BHPA who hate paramotoring and just want paragliders or people who like the idea of paramotoring but only get as far as flying the wing as that is inside their comfort zone. Imagine getting flying lessons (basically which is what we do) and spending a year running up and down the airfield taxiing in the plane. The bit about the wing is not about being logical - its actually that "student wings" are completely different in their manufacture and performance from one you will actually buy. Student wings are larger and more docile in their behaviour (good) but are harder to launch than a more advance wing that you will use once you are competent. Spend a year struggling with a huge student wing and you wont ever fly as you you will be pissed off at getting thrown about by a huge wing that control you rather than the other way around. Get some good ground handling skills from a good instructor and it will all make sense. (Of the 20 + people i have watched being taught this sport in the last 6 month only 3 actually do it actively. The rest either knew everything /had their own kit but were clueless /gave up/didn't listen/didn't realise that it would take a bit of effort/flew once and we so scared packed it in/had mad skills from paragliding but could make the transition to power - none of these now paramotor.)

Hi Mark. I think the simple truth is that hobbies are only affordable if you have the money/can scrape the money together. I am not sure i'd fly some old £1000.00 lump and wing as I don't think i'd want to put myself/family in the situation of using old/outdated kit/heavy /impossible kit. I have bought the best kit for me second hand. £3200 Paramotor (One hour) £700 reserve (new) 2000 wing (second hand - five hours ) - I don't have the paragliding background that you've had and I wanted to make sure I had reliable useable serviceable kit and a wing that would launch and fly without me having mad skills or the mechanical brains of an F1 mechanic to get the motor started. I've seen both extremes in my short time in the sport - people spending 12.5K and not being able to ground handle....... and people who turn up with £1500 worth of motor wanting to fly...(it was 45/50kgs with electric and pull start etc etc ) Many of the Ebay motors just get recycled between people looking to get into the sport - ( Ebay...."Ahh theres a paramotor"...... CLICK BUY) then they turn up with the heavy out of date trying to get it started then try and carry it....then give up and put it on Ebay going "this sport is not for me" I don't think you need to spend a huge amount but i think you need to realistically need 4/5k IMHO for good airworthy modern kit. The good news is there are people who have bought new stuff - and then need to sell it at a big loss as they don't like the sport - if it the right kit for you then thats when you can get a bargain. As Hamish said - once you've got good kit you will use it - i've done 5 hours in the past month despite the weather ! Good luck

Hi FlatCap Quick question - Why would it take a year ? It takes a 3/5 days with a qualified instructor to get the basics .... the rest of the skills can be picked up/honed over time. Once your proficient you should be able to get up in the air under the guidance of an instructor. Training/ school wings are (IMHO) much harder than the wing you will buy and fly with ...... The wing I fly with launches amazingly - the school training wings were always a struggle for me.

As an update on this topic....i've now flown 5 times from this field in the past 4 weeks and twice its been uphill (with the same direction landing) Its fun ! As you climb the ground climbs with you but you have a higher climb rate as long as you keep on full power . What i've discovered as, at about 80/100 ft, i hit the breeze coming over the ridge of the hill so it makes it even more fun. Landing is fine on the up slope. Things happen quicker so I flare a little higher.

Thanks Hamish ! I Adjusted it so the frame / cage is exposed but the motor and harness are protected so its keep it dry but allow air to flow through !

Not yet but they are my next option - at £130 they better be pretty good. Thanks for all the replies !