Jump to content

take off / landing sites


Recommended Posts

Hello,

I am a skydiver who may be interested in learning to paramotor, I have couple of questions which I hope someone may be able to help with.

The thing which attracts me to your sport is the freedom to take off / land / fly around local to my house rather than having to drive to an airfield several miles away. I would like to know what restrictions if any exist regarding take off / landing sites, I know that permission from the landowner is required (this is not a problem) but are there any other restrictions? What size does the area need to be? How likely is it that I can use the 1 acre field next to my house?

The second question regards the areas where I could fly unrestriced, I live in a relatively rural area of Nottinghamshire and occasionally see paramotor pilots over my house. Where can I find information on whether I need permission to fly around in a particular vicinty or not?

Any information will help, I am just trying to ascertain if your sport is something I want to persue before I comitt to training / equipment etc..

Thanks - Martin

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Eyup Martin, where abouts are you in Notts, as we stand a good chance of pointing you in the direction of someone in your area to chat to. I'm in Newark, and starting to develop some good flying site resources that may be open to others.

Depending on the shape of your acre, it might well be flyable with the caveat that wind strength and direction will make a big difference.

You can pretty much use any land that you have permission to use for landing and take off, as the famous 500 foot rule part of the Air Navigation Order (ANO) under the control of which we fly, is suspended during these phases of flight. Just be aware that if you solidly used one particular plot and got unpopular with neighbours, it's conceivable that planning authorities could get involved.

Regards, Phil

Link to comment
Share on other sites

A rough rule of thumb for take off area is 200m in front of you for newbies, reducing to 100m when you're experienced. Having space to land safely in case of engine out when your 10 feet off the deck is always welcome.

Some space to the sides is required in case the wind direction changes, it's surprising how a little breeze can change direction on an open site, particularly when the sun starts heating surrounding areas.

No large trees in the vicinity of your take off path either.

Cheers,

Alan

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've found the reality of finding good fields is much harder than I'd expected.

When I set out I had visions of just popping down to a local field and taking off, but that's not been the reality for me.

Fields with crops in are no good. Horses nearby are a problem. Farmers are reluctant to let you use fields with cattle/sheep in. Sloping fields are difficult if wind in wrong direction, then if you add airspace restrictions, trees, buildings, busy roads, pilons, rivers, houses, you're not left with much. And then you've got to convince the owner to let you use it.

I'm on the edge of EM airspace, so perhaps more restrictions in my area.

Is anyone else finding it hard to find sites?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've found the reality of finding good fields is much harder than I'd expected.

When I set out I had visions of just popping down to a local field and taking off, but that's not been the reality for me.

Fields with crops in are no good. Horses nearby are a problem. Farmers are reluctant to let you use fields with cattle/sheep in. Sloping fields are difficult if wind in wrong direction, then if you add airspace restrictions, trees, buildings, busy roads, pilons, rivers, houses, you're not left with much. And then you've got to convince the owner to let you use it.

I'm on the edge of EM airspace, so perhaps more restrictions in my area.

Is anyone else finding it hard to find sites?

The short answer to the above is "YES" but still trying.

Dave

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.



  • Upcoming Events

    No upcoming events found
×
×
  • Create New...