Is Paramotoring REALLY suitable for the UK?

[francois]

i live in mid devon send me an email at fsracoon@yahoo.com so we can chat .

 

i have a new pilot training hear where i live and i have tuns of experience and a lot of arias to take off and land .

 

f

[Mark Pugh]

Now it's early June 2019, just like to add to my own experiences. Since taking my rating, buying my second hand kit and gaining experience with the local Worcester Group; I'm now more likely to fly locally in Warwickshire. It did take a long time to find suitable fields. My three local grass strips were totally against it, I sent letters to the committees, saw them in person; but they mostly claimed they already had noise pollution problems and did not want another form of aviation there, especially one that was more likely to fly in the evenings when people were relaxing at home. I knew  a lot of local farmers (20 years of metal detecting their fields and sharing finds, bottles at Xmas, etc.) but it's surprising how many fields are too small, have huge hedges and trees, or power lines in just the wrong places! 

Finally I managed to get a couple of great fields in different locations. The big help was having my motor on display to show them (on back of my car), taking photographs along of me flying (they look silent!), promising photos from the air of their fields, farmhouses, etc; but biggest single decision help was saying "Instead of buying you a nice bottle for Xmas, how about I donate £5 each day I fly from your field". Don't arrange to actually pay for the flight, this could involve insurance, paperwork, hassle. Just make a donation towards cost of parking car, cutting grass etc. This has encouraged farmers to say yes, and let's face it, I used to spend more than £5 in fuel to get to launch sites!

The two fields I now have, are so large I can take off in any direction. This has greatly increased my chances to fly. Even though I worked through May, I had 5 evening flights, that's more than 1 a week!!! It's still taking forever to build my PPG hours, I have 400 paragliding and only 24 PPG. But that was in my first full year and with my local fields and more confidence, I'm sure I will get more of those flights in this year. Just remember, the first time people see a paramotor, they are interested and point and wave. The third time you go over their garden, they find you noisy and obnoxious. So take off, get high and vary your route. If you do find yourself going over the same point frequently, take a few A4 photos around and give them to the owner. They are more likely to continue waving at you ! In reality, once airborne we are supposed to cruise at 500 feet and 1000 feet over towns and villages. At that height we are much quieter, get a better view and are high enough to throw a few wing overs, spiral dive and if the worst happens, throw the reserve!!!!