buying Buying a paramotor

[boxboy5]

 

Hello,

I'm going to keep this to a minimum as it is better explained on the link below, but I am 14 nearly and have been obsessed with paramotors for years. I have always wanted to own my own aircraft but until I found out about paramotors, I thought it was impossible without being rich and over 18. I'm asking for help as a paramotor is a hefty price to someone of my age. I would appreciate it if you at least check out the link below as it is more in depth and gives you a better idea: gofundme.com/buying-a-paramotor

 

 

 

[Casper]

Sucks to say it, but most of the time you are really dependent on a car to make paramotor flying a possibility. It's never cheap, only cheaper than other forms of aviation. And without money to keep on flying, it just gets depressing to own the stuff.
I think flying a sailplane in a club is much cheaper to be honest, you rent the glider and also get a more solid education to aviation in general.
https://www.gliding.co.uk/about-gliding#whatdoesitcost
https://www.gliding.co.uk/juniorgliding

Anyway, I wish you good luck, but if you should fail with your goal this time, take a look at the alternatives.

[OldFart]

I started flying sailplanes when I was 14 - that was 48 years ago (though not in England), and went solo in just a couple of months.  I got lots of help from the club members, often helping with the various jobs in the club in return for a flight, and also being taken up by members who owned 2-seat sailplanes to get unofficial practice.  Unless things have changed a lot, club members are very welcoming of youngsters who have a passion for flying.  Later in life I took up skydiving briefly, and there was a 16 year old who was equally welcomed and had many "sponsored" jumps in return for doing catering and cleaning jobs in the clubhouse, and joined us on many "away" events.

I've since done many different flying activities, and will soon be starting to train on paramotors, but have yet to visit a club.  I am slightly surprised by Casper's response, as I would have thought that paragliding clubs would be equally welcoming of someone your age, and you wouldn't have a great deal of difficulty in finding someone who would give you lifts when necessary and assist getting you flying.  But I am also aware that the World has become far more paranoid and protective, and while in my youth teenagers would routinely "do their own thing," hitch-hike far and wide for weekend unsupervised camping trips and partake in all sorts of "dangerous" activities with no thought of needing parental permission, these days it is frowned upon for a teenager to be too independent, so unless you can get a parent involved to provide the necessary cotton-wool, you may not have that option.

So maybe you could get your Mum or Dad interested?  Or another close relative?  Even if you tell them it is just for a one-off visit to a club.  You never know, they may get "bitten" by the flying bug.

[Eddie]

^^^^For someone who has been on this Earth for 62 years, you still can't spot a Chisler?!^^^^

[AndyB]

I thought Crowdfunding was created so that teenagers could do all the things they want to, using other people's money.

I don't know if it is the same everywhere, but there is a craze where I am for teenagers to go on walking or cycling holidays for 2 weeks and they are sponsored on said activity such that a % of the crowdfunding goes to a Charity. Many of these trips are actually organised by a charity. One last week was £2650 to be raised.....of which £600 goes to the charity.

 

 

[OldFart]

18 hours ago, Eddie said:

^^^^For someone who has been on this Earth for 62 years, you still can't spot a Chisler?!^^^^

Some people get bitter as they grow old, others become more benevolent.  I've seen the best in people and the worst in people.  I always assume the best unless proven otherwise.  I've been right more often than I've been wrong.  Besides, I'd far rather get conned than refuse help to someone who genuinely needs it.

Edited June 14, 2017 by OldFart

[aljken]

Boxyboy - The cheaper option is to get into free flying using a paraglider (not paramotor). Cheaper mostly as there's more of a club mentality generally and lift sharing is really easy to the local hills. You'll get more club support from joining a paragliding club and won't need a car either necessarily. You could then later graduate onto paramotoring if need be but at least you'll be airborne this way and also know how to fly without a motor.

In terms of costs you basically will need to spend £1000-1500 on tuition I'd have thought, plus paraglider & harness & kit  £1500 for something reasonable to get flying.

Good luck.

[adamjedgar]

On 6/21/2017 at 07:50, aljken said:

Boxyboy - The cheaper option is to get into free flying using a paraglider (not paramotor). Cheaper mostly as there's more of a club mentality generally and lift sharing is really easy to the local hills. You'll get more club support from joining a paragliding club and won't need a car either necessarily. You could then later graduate onto paramotoring if need be but at least you'll be airborne this way and also know how to fly without a motor.

In terms of costs you basically will need to spend £1000-1500 on tuition I'd have thought, plus paraglider & harness & kit  £1500 for something reasonable to get flying.

Good luck.

Yep i agree this is the way to go. Most low end free flying gliders can handle a motor, so you can learn to fly, save your pennies for a motor, and use tour free flyong wing initially until you can afford to upgrade to a decent motor glider. 

 

As aexample....i weigh 70kg. I purchased a 25mtr ozone buzz pwr z4 (which is the same wing as a standard buzz z4 with the exception of different risers...ie has speed trimmers). That wing was the perfect size dor me to both free fly and motor with. The wing was 1 year old when i purchased it and i got it for half new price with 20 hours on it.