training routes?

[davemacdon]

Hello to everyone,

As a wannabe (not a newbie yet), I have been pondering over the 1st main question:

Paragliding EP and CP course then paramotoring conversion course or Paramotoring course straight off?

I realise that I will not be jumping off hills and worrying about where the next area of lift will be, but is there anything greatly extra that I will gain from doing the PG course first?

Second question:

I would love to be able to use the motor to get me to a comfortable height and then turn off and thermal. Should I be looking to be at the lower weight range of a wing(motor weight included) to enable me to thermal? I have heard that the wing is more responsive if you are nearer the top of the weight range.

Third and final question:

I joined on the weekend that you were to be demonstrating to newbies and had I realised earlier, would not have booked up boring things to do instead. Are you likely to have any more dates where I could attend and learn what I can similar to this weekend?

Hope you are all flying safely and that the weather improves greatly.

Dave.

[admin (Simon W)]

Hi Dave and welcome

OK Training,

three methods, no particular order.

Indipendant Instruction, (the likes of Paul Haxby 'being the most well known' and myself) Advantages. In my opinion, better training due to the fact I take the best of the BHPA and the best of the BMAA and add some of my own stuff, as is the same with Paul H. Insurance £65 per year.

BHPA.

Large organisaton, lots of members. VERY good at hill and tow Para'gliding' training. My PERSONAL feeling is that they have only just started to get to grips with the Paramotoring training and more work is needed, the good thing is they know it and are trying to change it. Membership fee, £60 a year I think. Isurance is as a part of the membership fee.

BMAA

Again large organisation, lots of members, VERY good at Microlights, getting better with Paramotors, and all of the above again.

As I type there is a bit of stuff going on with both the BHPA and the BMAA. I will not slag off either as I was taught to Paraglide by the BHPA and I think them for that!

Your question is next to impossible to answer without upsetting someone, My advice......

Its the instructor not the Association.

The instructor you choose could be BHPA BMAA or indipendent, just ensure that you gel with him / her.

I hope this HAS helped although I cant help feel I have just woffled a bit

Happy to chat on the phone.

[Guest]

Dave, I had planned to do the EP and CP thing with the BHPA before heading off with the motoring side of life. I did one day of EP instruction with a very highly respected BHPA school and ended up totally frustrated. I didn't train with Simon (it was before he set up shop) but trained with another less well known independent. The benefit of going this way is that they are free from the rigidity of a system and much more able to instruct you based on your own merits and abilities. I started this sport with 7000+ flying hours so had a reasonable understanding of how much of it works (still loads to learn though) and my independent instructor was free to tailor to my actual needs rather than going through a standard process. At the BHPA school I was piled in with a cross-section of abilities but was forced to proceed at the rate of the slowest. I was told that I would need to get reasonable experience after CP before I could even consider wearing a motor but due to the considerable weather restrictions involved many people were taking a year just to get the 10 or so days training required to reach CP level. Instead with a run of good weather I went from I days EP training to 'happy for my instructor to let me operate as an independent' in 3 evenings. I owe Simon nothing, in fact he owes me a Dudek T shirt but I would definitely recommend the fact that he will be more able to see you as an individual than some other places.

Regards

Ian

[davemacdon]

Simon, Ian

Thanks for your inputs, I was not initially aware that you(Simon) carried out training as well, and from this point, I shall contact you soon with a view to coming to observe at some time if allowed. I have every intention of getting my feet in the air sometime soon, before another 10 years pass and I'm thinking the same thoughts, but am more worried about how much older I am.

I have a friend who flies for BMI, who is nearing his paragliding CP. I understand the reasons for his want to be able to fly a wing before strapping a motor on, and am also aware that you will not be saying there's a wing, there's a motor, have fun!!!

Hopefully I will be able to get some ground handling in with an old wing that my friend is trying to source. This should help accelerate any training I do.

Ian, I managed to get an hour in a A330 simulator the other day, but have nowhere near your 7000 hours.

Thanks again for your info, and I hope the weather improves more over the remainder of the summer.

Please let me know if when and where you are flying so that I can hopefully(wife and iminnent birth pending) come and join you - on the ground at least!!

Dave.

[admin (Simon W)]

Hi Dave,

As far as when we are flying, please keen an eye on the Lambourn Paramotor Club thread which is normaly where the (are you flying this weekend posts)

I have a school wing for ground work until you get good enough to use the School Synth

From there on in we have a nice new Titanium Parajet for you to learn on.

Any time you like you are more than welcome to call , visit, whatever.... its a full time thing for me.

Also Ian, Thanks very much indeed for your comments.

[slim]

Hi David,

I looked at a number of different training options around the area before deciding to go with Simon (he isn't paying me to say this - honest ) Here are the primary reasons I chose him...

• He does this full time which means that when I can do it he's (almost) always ready and willing. Sometimes I can get a day off work, other times I can make weekends
  He has a great balance of approach - he won't let you do something you're not ready to do but he understands the need to put some fun bits in between the practice
  Training is personal - he doesn't skip anything but neither does he labour through things that you are already familiar with
  Safety is everything - I have a wife and three children who want me to come home at the end of a flying trip preferably in one piece (yesterday's bruises not withstanding)

I hope that helps you. I've been writing a training blog on this site (this link will take you straight there) so you can see how I've been making progress.

Yours,

Stuart

Edited July 10, 2007 by Guest

[admin (Simon W)]

"He does this full time which means that when I can do it he's (almost) always ready and willing. "

Stuart, I dont know how many times I have to tell you mate, you can not fly in the dark.!! LOL

Cheers

[slim]

And there I was thinking of ordering a night vision sight for my helmet

[martinbg]

No need. Just leave your car/van with it's headlights on (Pointing into wind of course). Main beam is best so that you can see the windsock.

Only Joking. Birds don't fly in the dark..

[slim]

I'm feeling that we're drifting from the topic but it does make a wonderful point - the Lambourn Paramotor Club is full of fun loving people who don't take themselves too seriously.

On the other hand I can't help wondering what it would take to rig enough kit on my motor to fly the equivalent of an instrument rating

[admin (Simon W)]

Dave,

I will be flying today for much of the day.

Please feel free to pop over if you would like to come and watch.