ablokedownthepub

Let me begin by saying I am posting here as a concerned fellow aviator and I’m not looking for an argument. Please take what follows it in the spirit it is intended. It is my hope that posting here prompts some constructive discussion in the paramotor community and you can work together to educate and enlighten those among you that may need educating and enlightening. This last Wednesday evening, 31st May, while at Brimpton airfield, West Berkshire, I witnessed 3 paramotors fly in to the airfield circuit and proceed the wrong way downwind at approximately circuit height, before crossing the upwind leg heading towards a restricted area. I understand this sort of incident is not all that uncommon at other airfields. I can’t emphasise enough how dangerous this was. Consider an inbound aircraft descending in to the high workload environment of the airfield circuit at potentially over 100mph meeting a paramotor coming the opposite (wrong) way. It doesn’t take much imagination to see how that could end badly for both parties. Of course we keep a lookout but an aircraft can cover quite some ground while glancing inside the cockpit at, for example, an airspeed indicator or flap position indicator, and, as I’m sure anyone that flies will be aware, it can be very difficult to see other aircraft low in the sky at the best of times. We do have air/ground radio (many small strips don’t) so would have been able to warn any incoming traffic as to the potential conflict but our radio isn’t always manned and, in any case, it is not uncommon (nor is it a legal requirement) for aircraft to be non-radio. I don’t imagine any right-minded person would knowingly endanger their lives and the lives of others in this way, or (if they didn’t change track) would deliberately fly in to the restricted area of a nuclear facility, so can only assume they were unaware of the potential consequence of their actions. I’m sure that it is only a small minority of the paramotor community that are unaware of the dangers of flying in and around airfields but it only takes one person to cause an incident. Another consideration if that if the CAA keep receiving reports of paramotors acting dangerously or being where they shouldn’t be, before you know it your sport could become as regulated as GA flying, and I’m sure that wouldn’t be well received. For those of you that aren’t familiar with it already, www.skydemonlight.com is a free web based flight planning app. It could be a useful tool to familiarise with hazards and obstacles in the area you intend to fly. Take care out there! P.S. I do not intend to contribute further to this thread so if anyone has any questions please PM me