Dave24 Posted January 22, 2010 Share Posted January 22, 2010 Thanks for the Paramotor investigation reports. From Simon's list there were four Paramotor reports; conclusions appear to be: Buxton (2004) - Equipment failure (damaged U-bar used when it shouldn't have been used) Bexhill (2007) - Equipment failure (modified H&E lift arms failure) Tetbury (2007) - Pilot error (wing collapse too close to the ground) Cheriton (2009) - Pilot error (wing collapse too close to the ground) As a novice, this does appear worrying; equipment failure in two; experinced pilots flying too close to the ground (the first trying to land in windy conditions) the second doing advanced techniques. I've done my training but haven't much flying time under my belt - can anyone give useful advice to the less experienced pilots on how to avoid injuries and fatalies in paramotoring? Dave Reports in full can be read here viewtopic.php?f=16&t=4301 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pete_b Posted January 22, 2010 Share Posted January 22, 2010 Thanks for the Paramotor investigation reports. From Simon's list there were four Paramotor reports; conclusions appear to be: Buxton (2004) - Equipment failure (damaged U-bar used when it shouldn't have been used) Bexhill (2007) - Equipment failure (modified H&E lift arms failure) Tetbury (2007) - Pilot error (wing collapse too close to the ground) Cheriton (2009) - Pilot error (wing collapse too close to the ground) As a novice, this does appear worrying; equipment failure in two; experinced pilots flying too close to the ground (the first trying to land in windy conditions) the second doing advanced techniques. I've done my training but haven't much flying time under my belt - can anyone give useful advice to the less experienced pilots on how to avoid injuries and fatalies in paramotoring? Dave check your equipment before each flight. Height is your friend. If you do your preflight correctly then you will find any thing that needs attention (do not fly untill you have put it right) If you fly in the right conditions and don't do advanced manoeuvres low down then you will be as safe as possible. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farmer_Dave Posted January 22, 2010 Share Posted January 22, 2010 All that Pete said and another thing we do here in the Devon squadron is look at the graphs of a nearby weather station which is based on Dartmoor. It tells us what the met wind is likely to be like higher up. The graph readout is good too as you can see the trend ie. wether the wind is strengthening or weakening. And it clearly displays gusts (very important) Dont takeoff in valleys, behind trees etc unless it is flat calm. And make sure it is flat calm too, and not just calm behind the trees ! Dont push your luck too much when you get more confident. If you cant help yourself then just make sure you're bloody high first. It's not that big a deal when an untidy exit from a wing over collapse 35 % of your wing when you're high up. Gets the heart going nicely ! If you must do higher than normal "G" make sure your gear is strong enough. I dont recommend it but I know some will. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farmer_Dave Posted January 22, 2010 Share Posted January 22, 2010 Here's a link to the weather station on Dartmoor. See if you can find one near you. It's a bit discrete but the actual current wind speed is displayed just below the highest gust readout http://www.dartcom.co.uk/weather/index.php Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alan_k Posted January 23, 2010 Share Posted January 23, 2010 can anyone give useful advice to the less experienced pilots on how to avoid injuries and fatalies in paramotoring?Dave Excellent advice from the chaps above, it certainly works for me. Also if something doesn't 'feel' right, i.e. if you have a doubt in your mind then don't fly. Cheers, Alan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bathboy Posted January 23, 2010 Share Posted January 23, 2010 can anyone give useful advice to the less experienced pilots on how to avoid injuries and fatalies in paramotoring?Dave I agree with all the above, and would add a few more to further improve the odds: * doing the same level of research you are doing now, even when you become very experienced. Keep sharing it. * YOU - buy best safety boots, helmet, clothing you can. Always wear them. NO buts... * never forget that we are flying an experimental aircraft. YOU could be the first to find that a combination of circumstances has an unexpected consequence. If you do and 'get away with it' tell everyone. Even if it is 'your' mistake you'll be respected for it. * attend loads of flyins, ideally with different geography/people, buy beer and listen to the tales that don't get reported. Read http://www.bhpa.co.uk/members/safety/in ... filter=PPG for those that do. * EQUIPMENT - what risks can be reduced by design and method of use. e.g. Starting your engine only on your back. Size of netting. Know two methods of stopping the engine. * tell your mates what are your limits and you preferred method of use. Use peer pressure to help keep you all safe. Share ideas for a checklist. Cheers Paul Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tigger_2 Posted January 23, 2010 Share Posted January 23, 2010 I heartily concur with the comments above. Some say simple common sense should be applied at all times. The problem with that is, if you haven't flown for a while and want to get airborne, it is tempting to fly in less than ideal conditions or with equipment that isn't 100%. Remember, it's better to be on the ground wishing you were flying than being in the air wishing you were on the ground. Experience is a great thing but must be built up over time. Know your limits and steadily increase them as your experience increases. Assess the risks of what you plan to do and, if in doubt, don't do it! We all make mistakes but if you are not outside of your comfort zone and you keep in practice with your basic techniques, your errors may result in financial loss but little else except hurt pride. My most enjoyable flights are those where the conditions were smooth as silk and I could sit back, relax and really enjoy the whole experience. Being chucked around by turbulence while fighting to make a landing or distance goal is not a lot of fun! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
learner_driver Posted January 23, 2010 Share Posted January 23, 2010 All the above is good advice. I can only restate. The weather is the biggest unknown in this Game. As Simon and Pete have said in other threads. understand where you are flying on a hill / in a gentle dip, makes all the difference to your immediate perception of the wind. if unsure fly with others and ask their opinion before takeoff. if going on your own judgement for the first time. fly up 2 hours after dawn and two hours before dusk. I still don't like to fly in the middle of a thermic day. Ironic as that's all you look for as an XC Paraglider pilot. make it your mission to understand weather more. best of luck. Simon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alanhinsaudi Posted January 24, 2010 Share Posted January 24, 2010 This level of debate is great to see. The two points I would add to all the above is *get good training* and having invested in the training ensure you remain current. The more flying you can do the better. Skills fade is an issue when the weather limits your flying so if you have been grounded for a month or two get checked out by an instructor. You would be surprised by how much you forget! Alan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tommcb6016 Posted January 24, 2010 Share Posted January 24, 2010 also don't get complacent, I read somewhere that the most dangerous time is around 30 hours flight time. Not that i'm anywhere near that yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
helimed01 Posted January 25, 2010 Share Posted January 25, 2010 Also: We are rapidly approaching spring thermal season. Air temp still cold from the winter and the Sun becoming more efficient at heating the ground as it is getting higher in the sky creating more lively conditions. Combine the above with Low pressure unstable conditions and the winter reduced flying hours (competancy) and the pilots lack of patients (desperate to get into the air) and you realise that we are possibly more vulnerable this time of year. Safe flying. Whitters. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tj Posted January 25, 2010 Share Posted January 25, 2010 Hi, Something we do in the paramedic world is reflect on jobs that may not have gone as well as we would like. I personally use a template called IFEAR which is an adaptation by Gary Smart of a bloke called Gibbs. It makes it easier for me to think about how I can improve my performance. I - Incident: A very quick description of what happened. F - Feelings: How I felt about the incident. E - External: External factors that affected the outcome of the incident. A - Analysis: Any training needs the pilot has. R - Reaction Plan: What can be done to improve performance as a result of the reflection. I use this for other stuff now and it really helps me sort out improvements in all areas of my performance Hope htis is useful for your flying improvement. If you do use this, please post them on here for us to share! Toodle pip, Tj Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 28, 2010 Share Posted January 28, 2010 The reports have been downloaded 236 times now!! I would be interested to know how many of those people had not read them before? SW Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 28, 2010 Share Posted February 28, 2010 Up to 473 downloads now. SW Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Radical Posted February 28, 2010 Share Posted February 28, 2010 Hi there I'd like to add:- Fly with a reserve, repacked annually. Know how to use it when needed. Be prepared to use it when needed. One of those guys might still be alive today if he'd done just that. Regards Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndrewD Posted August 25, 2010 Share Posted August 25, 2010 I don't really want to resurrect this thread, but as a stone cold newbie I have just read the accident reports and they are sobering.... Watching videos on places like Youtube I've seen a few crashes, but these have all been 'whoops' not something life threatening. It has also made me double sure that there is no way I'm going to self train (I had ZERO plans to) as the knowledge I need to save me just would not be there. I'm also glad I'm taking my time with it as I had thought (until I talked to Simon) that a trip to Spain was an excellent way to mix a bike road trip with learning. However I'm concerned that by the end of my trip I 'had flown', there is a massive void to 'can fly'. Certainly focused my attention, squarely on safety! On balance, can you imagine if the same reports were made for bikes or boats etc, I doubt you could read and digest each before the next arrived. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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