andre_74 Posted June 1, 2017 Share Posted June 1, 2017 (edited) Last year, about August time, I landed in a field, disconnected my wing and knelt down to take my paramotor off my shoulders. As I did this, I knelt on a stone which went right under my kneecap and caused excrutiating pain. To cut a long story short, what followed was months of physio an physical training to recover from a stupid injury from kneeling on a stone! It is obviously highly possible to kneel on something a lot worse, or bash your knee quite hard on any landing if it goes wrong. I have many fiends who BASE jump and they always jump with knee pads because they are usually landing in hazzardous areas. I decided to get some knee pads to fly with, so I tried all the usual options: DIY store, decking knee pads, skate knee pads, etc, and all were either uncomfortable or they slipped down whilst running. After reading several reviews online, I came across the 'Fox Launch Pro knee guards' and everyone raved about them. Designed for downhill mountain biking, they are designed to be comfortable for cycling all day and to never slip down. So I ordered a pair. They fit on underneath a pair of trousers no problems and they are SUPER comfortable. I have been flying with them for about six months now and I usually put them on just before take off. Yes - some people on here have witnessed me taking my trousers off to put them on just before take-off, and although they thought WTF initially, most then thought 'what a good idea' once they had a look at the knee pads! Once they are on, I usually leave them on and even drive home with them on. I even wore them all day at the Bore Chasers' Fly-In and totally forgot they were there. If you have injured a knee, you will know how long they take to heal. If you haven't, trust me - it is the most annoying injury and will cause you a lot of pain. And something as simple as kneeling on a stone whislt taking your gear off will do it. Anyway, if you are interested, here is a link to the Fox Launch Pro 'knee guards'. I thoroughly recommend them and £55 is a good investment for one of the most complicated joints in your body. https://www.evanscycles.com/fox-clothing-launch-pro-knee-guards-EV143611 Size Small/Medium is the best fit for most people. If you are a 'big unit' though, probably best to go with the Large/XLarge size. Edited June 1, 2017 by andre_74 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nur5ey Posted June 4, 2017 Share Posted June 4, 2017 Hi Andre, thanks for the info could I ask if these act a little supportive and also do they make you sweat at all?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Posted June 4, 2017 Share Posted June 4, 2017 I've had a pair of these for years for mountain biking, they are really easy to wear and comfortable. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Casper Posted June 4, 2017 Share Posted June 4, 2017 I've seen lots of pilots who use knee protection. And also some who fly in lighter working pants with knee pads. Most hiking pants have extra condura or similar and I guess the perfect pants would be something in between. Not as bulky as working pants, but with reinforcement like the hiking pants. High hopes for the upcoming ppg pants from Flycandy next year. Maybe they could add a padding pocket to the knees? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andre_74 Posted June 4, 2017 Author Share Posted June 4, 2017 9 hours ago, Nur5ey said: Hi Andre, thanks for the info could I ask if these act a little supportive and also do they make you sweat at all?? @Nur5ey They don't really give support like a knee brace does (the kind you get from the pharmacy) as they are designed to be comfortable with the knee bent (for cycling). This is why I bought them - I tried LOADS on and all were either uncomfortable with the knee bent or slipped when running. However, whilst my knee was recovering, I wore a knee support underneath these knee guards and that worked just fine. They are a nice, snug fit though. You do get a little sweaty behind the knees when the weather is hot, but only if you keep them on after flying. If you have a flying suit, they are super quick to take off when you take the suit off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bobbyf Posted June 5, 2017 Share Posted June 5, 2017 Not something I'd thought of until now. I landed on hard standing for the first time last week. It was nil wind with a bit of a swoop to avoid the farmhouse and I came in fast! I managed to rip the sole off my boot and could've done some serious damage if I'd tripped. Knee pads seem to make sense now. I'm looking forward to see the flykandy trousers too. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyB Posted June 5, 2017 Share Posted June 5, 2017 Brill idea and wish had elbow equivalents last year. I've had one bad landing (apart from usual learning stuff) that involved me landing on my left elbow. I could just have easily been on my knees!!!!! It took a general anaesthetic to get all the bits out of the elbow. It is the only time I have ever flown from a gravel car park! Grass and sand are nice. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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