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I was so inspired by the training blogs that I decided to start one of my own. Not to get too far off topic I feel it might be worth giving a little of the history that led me here. I went on a 5 day glider course when I was 21 and loved it. Sadly I didn't have the financial ability to keep up with it and so let it go. Fast forward 25 years and my son is an air cadet, flying every weekend and well on the way to his solo flight. After one year is is ready to go on the solo course but its too late in the season. Year two the cadets decide he cant go solo because they have increased the minimum age. Year three he is booked on a course and less than a week before he goes cadets suspend all flying indefinitely! My son was destroyed! So upset! It was horrific to see as a dad. I promised him I would make it right. It took over a year but I got us into the only club in Cornwall and off we went together. What fun! Weather and other commitments meant we struggled to get as much flying in as we wanted to but I was learning fast and my son was just great. We decided to go on a course for a week to push us on. Amazing both go solo and its all on. Back home the club we belong to is really struggling to get us in the air and over time my son goes off to Uni and joins another club and I just drift away from gliding again. It was a combination of things but mostly the need for a team to get you in the air on top of every other constraint. I discovered solo hot air balloons and the idea of being able to fly on my own was fabulous. Sadly learning to fly balloons while living in Cornwall is really hard and it turns out solo balloons are for very experienced pilots so once again Im unable to get up in the air. I am still going to do training flights but its a long term project now. Once again it was my son to the rescue "Im thinking about paramotoring dad" he says "check this out" HOLD THE FRONT DOOR! I can take off from home, explore the beauty of Cornwall and land right back at home without the need for another living soul. Better than that I can fly with my son as soon as he learns and get home from his year in New Zealand! This is it. Better even than all of that after I speak to a few people it turns out you lot are pretty cool. There seems to be a lot less bullshit in the paramotor world than in other forms of flying. I have found and booked what I believe you cal a "Zero to Hero" course in Spain with Steve from Wales. He has been great in the run up to the course (end of this month) with loads of advice on what I will and won't need to buy. No pressure to buy kit from him but the opportunity to if that suits. I am lucky enough to have a decent (not limitless) budget so the world is sort of my oyster. So far I have committed to buying a nearly new parajet Maverick and decided that the wing for me is a dudek universal 1.1 if I cant find a nearly new one today!!!! I will order a new one tomorrow along with a reserve a helmet and a box full of much needed widgets and gadgets! All of my new toys are going to Spain so that I can get using the kit I intend to develop my flying with ASAP. I want to avoid coming home to either no kit and a massive confidence sapping delay as well as coming home to a big box of kit that is all new and unknown to me. My plan so far is to get to Spain, learn as much as I can, get in the sky a bit, learn a lot more and then come home so I can use every little weather window to slowly develop my skills. Did I mention that I am lucky enough to be almost retired and live on a small holding with a decent launch field 1 minutes walk from my front door? I am grown up enough to know that the course is very much a tiny step and that I won't come back a pilot. I am very much looking forward to the Cornwall fly in and hope to be good enough to fly in from home and maybe fly here with a few new friends for a tea and cake pitstop! I hope you lot will be totally honest with me and feel free to point out flaws in my plan and to suggest anything you feel might be useful I will try and do blog updates as I put my kit together and while I am in Spain.
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Hello people. Im about to get training and will be flying from my home near Redruth. It would be good to hear from other Cornish pilots.
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training Training KETTERING area.
Darren Hibbert posted a topic in Newbies ( want to fly a paramotor? )
Hi. I live in Kettering and looking to get some training to get in the sky. A trial lesson or something similar would be good. Don't want to travel far so someone local if possible. Look forward to hearing from someone. -
Hello I am new to the sport and am very interested. I have been looking around at different brands and I stumbled across the Parajet Maverick EOS 150. I was wondering if this motor would suit me as I am only 135 lbs. I do plan on keeping this motor for a while as possibly doing tandem flights in the future. Originally I was looking at the Top 80 motor but the EOS 150 is cheaper on Parajet's website. I only have about 10k to get into the sport including trading costs. I was planning on getting the Mojo Per wing as it looks like a good starter wing and there are a couple training spots around me (I live in Iowa). If there is a different motor you would suggest under 5k, I would be very interested in hearing about it. One more thing, while I was looking for training, I found Flightjunkies trading with Kurt. I'm not sure if the Fresh Breeze motors are a good choice either. Please let me know if you have an opinion about this idea. Thanks for any help!
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Hi everyone. I've been fascinated by the sport for many years but was never in a position to get into it. My circumstances have recently changed and I would love to start to persue this amazing sport before I'm too old. Any ideas of where best to start? Kind regards, Chap77 -
Just popping in to say a quick hello to everyone. I've been lurking on the forums for a while but I guess I should have said hello sooner! Been hooked on paramotoring for the past year but have only just started my official training on 5th Jan 2019. I'm rebuilding a Solo 210 and i'm documenting the lot. If you want to follow along my YouTube channel is here: https://bit.ly/2RSpRNb See you up in the air! Dan
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My name is Ian, I live in the Santa Cruz Mountains, and I have been looking into this sport for some time now and I am ready to get started. I would like to meet some people who are involved with it and starting learning what to look for and where to go, etc. Very happy to hove found this site and see that there are some people close by that are on here already. Looking forward to getting up there. -
Hello there! I live in Ontario, Canada, and am looking into getting a Paramotor. I am about 150lb and 5'7. There is someone who lives not far who teaches for between $3,000-$5,000. He is a Kangook/RsUltra dealer. I have recently found Scout Paramotors though and am in love with their design and have heard nothing but excellent things from them. Money is an issue, but I also do not want to spend a few grand less and then want to upgrade to something better in a few years. Any advice is appreciated! I am looking for recreation flying, would love to find myself somewhere between acro flying and tight turns and going fast. But would also love to start a business up and offer tandem rides and one day become an instructor, so that is also something I want to consider in engine size, and if people offering lessons own land or rent space or just find public land to use?
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Hi folks, Since learning about pramotoring it's fast becoming an obsession. Keen to get myself some very good kit and find a tutor mentor as I can see that safety is king and there are some lessons I'll need to learn. I'm ultimately interested simply in gaining altitude and cross country distance covering (admittedly that's likely to be the UK as the Isle of man is tiny! (Is it safe to fly the 16 miles to Scotland in appropriate weather with enough experience and good altitude so you don't end up getting wet! - needless to say wearing a lifejacket!). The only school I've tracked down on the Isle of Man nolonger seems to offer PPG lessons only offering traditional paragliding (which interests me a lot less as I could only do it near mountains rather than on flat terrain and using it to commute or travel when weather permits is out. I would also be keen to purchase kit imminently and at the very reasonable prices would be going for new stuff (given how cheap it is better not to have something that's already got some wear and tear on it). I weigh about 60-70kg and am a little shorter than average. Would want to be able to climb but super fast climb rate isn't essential - covering greater distance on the fuel tank is preferred. Wing wise I'm looking for something noob friendly that won't collapse easily - from what I've read that means something without quite as good handling and potentially slower max speed (although this likely impacts on tank range?). One other thing I'd consider in the future is tandem launching with my partner (although from what I read this may very well require a separate motor given the increase in weight). All advice re which brands/models are most appropriate and would be comfortable during longer flights and also someone to point me in the direction of all important safety training preferably without having to fly off the isle of man! Should say Im not seeking formal qualifications! Just the joy of flying and a way of fair-weather commuting that will be the envy of everyone I meet! Thanks all! -
Evening. ive seen a few guys buzzing round near Eastry often in the summer eves and always thought wow I’d love to try that. Having just sold a motorbike and have some savings Iam just looking into the possibility of actually giving it a go. watching lots of you tube vids and doo g some research online. I plan on a taster day locally soon. Anyone else from nearby? Ben
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Hi All! My question might seem silly and I know I will get the answer the more and more I fly, yet I wanted your expert opinions first! so I am on my 10th training flight and the wind is a bit strong today (compared to my first flights), a 6 to 9 kts. What I was wondering was, would continuing to fly upwind cause increased climb rate/ a faster climb? similarly, with stronger and stronger winds, would flying downwind cause me to burn more fuel/ add throttle to keep flying level compared to flying upwind? Thanks in advance! Joe -
Hi, i'm new to the sport but would really like to get stuck in. I'm trying to find a place where i could get paramotor training nearby to York and some advice on getting started. I haven't really done any "para" related sports other than a tandem paragliding session with active edge but i would really appreciate some pointer. -
Hi! I've just joined the site, mainly as a lurker to find out more about paramotoring! Having just moved to Kent, I'll need to wait until I have some more money for training and equipment before I take the plunge. Just wondered if anyone has any experience learning abroad? It seems to be a lot cheaper than learning in the UK and I guess the weather is more reliable, i.e. in Spain. Also, is there anyone in the South East who's agreeable to meeting up for a chat / observe you fly please? Thanks in advance!
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Hi everyone from a new member and old fart. All I know about paramotoring so far is from the web & YouTube vids - I am a total newbie to this sport. I am a reasonably fit & healthy 72kg 62 year old who started flying at the age of 14, first sailplanes, then power single & twin light aircraft, and then rotary (helicopters). I have had a PPL for 30 years but not flown for the past 5 years because it has become too expensive to justify. So I am now looking seriously at trying paramotors as a fix for my addiction to flight - besides, it seems to be a far more pure & free way to fly, even better than sailplanes. I will of course have a far better idea after taking an introductory lesson (cannot do that till end of July due to other commitments), but maybe I could ask for some preliminary advice ... My ultimate aim is to take paramotoring holidays. e.g. I might take a ferry across the channel or a commercial flight to somewhere more distant, then paramotor all over Europe, Asia or elsewhere for a couple of weeks, using other forms of transport as little as possible (in some places it would be faster than by road!) The weight of the equipment would appear to fit into a commercial airline standard luggage allowance with enough left over for a laptop, toothbrush and a few shirts, though size may be an issue. How realistic is that dream? Would it be feasible to carry circa 10-15kg of luggage on a paramotor? Also, my total budget for the purchase of all the necessary equipment would be around £10k. Will that be enough?
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I have a question for anyone who knows the laws in the US better than I do. I live in a small country town in Minnesota in the US. All the fields here are covered with crops which makes finding a place to take off difficult. I rediscovered a city park that is basically just a large field with a small pavilion in the corner. There is never anyone there doing anything so I wouldn't be getting in the way. It would be absolutely perfect for foot launching a paraglider, but I'm not sure if this is legal and don't want to break any laws, or tarnish the name of paramotoring. Can anyone help me with this? If it isn't legal, does anyone in my area have any other suggestions for places I could take off? Thanks!
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Hi all i am very interested in trying paramotoring but have as yet never seen it up close just from a great distance or on youtube. I am in Newcastle upon Tyne and was wondering if anyone flies nearby and if they dont mind maybe allow me to see up close and talk about what its like. Thanks Max
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Please, would a total newbie (or two) be welcome at the Kings Lynn fly-in? I'm in Walton on the Naze. North Essex.
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The Harness. Day 2 or should I say morning 2. Money has now changed hands, which is not an easy thing, I think I must have both Scottish and Yorkshire blood in me, it's now time to get down to it and crack this bugger. Today I arrived at Membury in my van - it seams you either have to have a van or posh car to Paramotor, l'm lucky enough to have an old van so could already be mistaken as a pro. Now I'm an expert at flying the mini wing it's onto the bigger boy and the harness. Simon gives me a wing and harness and onto the wet field (yup it has been raining). Trudging out onto the field I head up wind and layout the wing confident in my new found skills. It's then that Colin strides over and points out my rookie mistake - I should be down wind! Doh! Pack up and its across the field again. With the wing laying out I'm introduced to the harness and wing. Risers, A lines, b lines, c lines, d lines, brakes, trim, the dot or graphic in the middle of the wing, the tips of the wing and the luvres! What the hell! I'm a teacher and I never set that many lines! I'm reassured it's actually quite simple and I only need to focus on the A lines and the brakes. My first big wing flying is the reverse launch method. With the risers together (risers are the bits the strings attach to - I'm using the term strings as it annoys the pros) turn them over and clip into the carabiners on the harness. If you've managed that correctly when you let the risers dangle the brakes should be at the top. Grab the brakes, slowly walk back (into wind) and the wind should build a wall and the all important A lines present themselves! To my surprise this worked! Yey. Next arms outstretched, wrist together and slowly bring your arms up to eye level while stepping back, then BOOM the wing was up!! Bloody hell, now what! So, easy, if the wing dips to the left pull on the left brake and vise versa. Hmmm easier said than done - pull the wrong brake and the world falls down around you (which happens a lot if you are like me!). Now it's just practice, practice, practice. - until the rain came in the afternoon
