collymac Posted October 2, 2008 Share Posted October 2, 2008 hi, i have started my training and wold like to know, what kit i will need and what is safe to buy second hand? thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
outkast Posted October 2, 2008 Share Posted October 2, 2008 hi, i have started my training and wold like to know, what kit i will need and what is safe to buy second hand? thanks. have you started your training with an school? they should be able to supply everything you need to get you started, buying secondhand equipment is no different than buying anything else secondhand, if you are in any doubt you should talk to your instructor or maybe take an experience person along with you to look at kit. do some research on the net for reviews of equipment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Malcs Posted October 2, 2008 Share Posted October 2, 2008 Can't agree with you there Dave, I'd drive a second hand car or motorbike no probs but never in a million years will I buy a second hand wing nor probably a motor, i want to know that whatever history it has it is only my history and I know it all. There's a lot like me. If you do buy second hand then make sure you get it serviced properly by an expert first! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
collymac Posted October 2, 2008 Author Share Posted October 2, 2008 i have completed six days of a twelve day course with skyschool in spain. i am heading out again but until then i was trying to build up some info. what would be a good beginner setup top to bottom? im no rich kid so im on a budget, this is why i was looking into the idea of second hand equipment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted October 2, 2008 Share Posted October 2, 2008 the second hand market is full of paramotors but it aint always the cheapest specially if you dont know what you are looking for so be carefull there is some junk out there, were you from? i think axb sports might be worth a call as he sells a machine which is fairly cheap but its new and strong , as for wings again be carefull even more so , speak to plenty of instructors maybe one will have a demo wing or used but you will know the history of it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farmer_Dave Posted October 2, 2008 Share Posted October 2, 2008 Make your budget bigger by saving hard and sacrificing other things like food. Buy something decent that wont break or let you down too frequently. You'll enjoy it more. And it might be safer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
collymac Posted October 2, 2008 Author Share Posted October 2, 2008 ok, if i go and buy new equipment what kind of package should i be looking to put together, also what are the projected costs? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted October 2, 2008 Share Posted October 2, 2008 well if you buy new then the instructor will give you or should give you somethin for your weight which will be right Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dantheman Posted October 2, 2008 Share Posted October 2, 2008 Do Flyschool train on H&E's in Spain ? since you are learning to fly those motors then why not buy one since you will have good knowledge of flying that machine, hangpoints, PFC's etc etc. I bought mine second hand through my school for a couple of grand as I did not want to buy new. Nowt wrong with second hand expecially if it can be serviced and has flying hours logged etc. Second hand wings can be serviced too which I would suggest you do if you go down that route, between 2-4K would get you top notch kit under from the "almost new" adverts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted October 2, 2008 Share Posted October 2, 2008 As I understand it, Skyschool is no longer selling HE units. Your best bet is to hook up with a local Paramotor Club, (look in the regional clubs for your closest one) this way you will be able to talk about the good and bad points with the owners about the motors they fly with. My advice...... Think more about the support than the motor and spend your money on a decent wing. SW Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
collymac Posted October 2, 2008 Author Share Posted October 2, 2008 i was thinking of going for a Paramania GoFly wing, any thoughts? what about trikes, can i use the same wing? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
outkast Posted October 2, 2008 Share Posted October 2, 2008 its a bit of a double edge sword, new equipment while good for the reasons stated above are not always within the reach of some people, I would love to have gone out and bought a new motor and wing but my reconing was that I would stand more chance of causing some damage to both while as a rookie, so I did my research and found what wing/motor combo would be right for me and then looked for the best I could find that was within my budget and fit for purpose, I figure that once I get some reall time in the air and am much more confident of my skill level I will treat myself to a nice new parajet volution and posibly a go fly wing Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted October 2, 2008 Share Posted October 2, 2008 i was thinking of going for a Paramania GoFly wing, any thoughts?what about trikes, can i use the same wing? gofly an excellent wing and a good resale market and dual purpose hill wing. trike depends on weight but willl fly well with a light unit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farmer_Dave Posted October 2, 2008 Share Posted October 2, 2008 Good point dave on using a cheap wing whilst a rookie. Early launches and taxi-ing can leave it all a bit vulnerable to damage. I did second hand wing first. What I said on motors still stands though. Get a good strong safe one with good power to weight ratio for easier launches. Even more important when learning. Inflight stability and easy to get into the seat when airborn. Dont gain much confidence when you're hanging out of the seat and cant get into it. And if you do something silly with the brakes or have a bit of bad luck with the air, why not have a bit of crash protection under your butt. We all wear a crash helmet afterall. 16 inch crumple zone could just save your back. I know what I'd rather crash with. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted October 3, 2008 Share Posted October 3, 2008 The Paramania Go Fly is a great wing but not a great trike wing, for trikes the Revolution is way better and reccomended by the manufacture as a perfect trike wing. Not an ideal vid but hey.... SW Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gallar Posted October 6, 2008 Share Posted October 6, 2008 Not an ideal vid but hey.... Q: Which 1970s porn movie was the music taken from? A: All of 'em! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted October 6, 2008 Share Posted October 6, 2008 I have never seen one? SW Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
norman Posted October 7, 2008 Share Posted October 7, 2008 Collymac, You have had some great advice here and just by asking these questions you do seem to be on the right track. Do bags of research, making the wrong decision about your kit can be really expensive. When the right stuff appears on your radar, it stands out and is seldom cheap. The easy/cheap option can be a test for the unwary.... Good luck. PS: Debbie is still doing Dallas - she is 64 now... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bathboy Posted October 7, 2008 Share Posted October 7, 2008 hi, i have started my training and wold like to know, what kit i will need and what is safe to buy second hand? thanks. This is what I did a few years ago. I found someone who would train me on their kit, not expect to sell me 6-7k of kit before my first flight. Bought new helmet and cheap boots without hooks. While training - Looked out for a second hand wing, factoring in the cost of a full check/service AND DOING IT BEFORE FLYING. The one I found was designed as paragliding not a reflex wing, so my many early/poor landings were still slow. I think this lucky choice stopped me giving up when some others who started with reflex wings have. While training - Looked out a second hand motor, again lots of checking, not from a gun-to-head eBay. This was hardest as I didn't want a Solo engine (personal opinion then, nothing against them now) I found a nice early Parajet (pre Volution) from a guy and it was his third motor. Also a good sign, most people get the idea of buying anything by the third time! Bought a new reserve. Mainly as I wanted a large size and I could show the family! I've nothing against second a hand reserve if only a few years old, the CORRECT SIZE AND you get it CHECKED AND REPACKED. Total cost on the above was less than 4k saving 2-3k on new. About a year after my first solo, I started looking for a reflex wing. I found a low hours reflex wing Action wing relatively easy as I knew what to look for and who to ask for advice. Again I had it checked/tested. Making the total cost of £770. I have ending up with two wings checked as 'good to very good' for less than the cost of one new one. Along the way, I bought second hand paragliding harness to improve my (and Malc's) ground skills. I think if you follow the common sense rule about not rushing to buy, getting things checked/tested before you FLY them, buying second hand makes most sense. IMHO - find someone to teach you - then start by buying a second hand paragliding design wing and a new helmet. If you love the sport, you don't have to keep it forever, if this sport isn't for you, you'll have saved enough cash to allow you to try another sport or keep the wing for another go next year? Cheers Paul Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
collymac Posted October 9, 2008 Author Share Posted October 9, 2008 Thanks lads you have give a lot of great advice. my list so far looks a bit like this: Paramania Revolution wing.........................................................hopefuly second hand Bailey aviation Sup’Air ‘LIGHT’ Reserve Large (100-140Kg)................new A bit of work to do yet but its a start. Trying to decide on the motor, im considering H&E any thoughts? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dantheman Posted October 9, 2008 Share Posted October 9, 2008 Collymac - what kit are you training with ? the H&E is a bit lighter and slightly more affordable than most motors out there so if price is a major factor you are looking in the right direction. Saying that, electric start is a nice feature not found on the H&E. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
collymac Posted October 9, 2008 Author Share Posted October 9, 2008 I started training with skyschool and they use H&E and it seemed a good bit of kit, im also looking at second hand stuff like fresh breeze. Im looking to buy the right kit now so i dont need to upgrade after a short time, and im also considering a trike so the motor will need to be compatible. Was looking at this: http://www.fresh-breeze.de/en/en_trikes_flyke.htm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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