dede2008 Posted May 4, 2012 Share Posted May 4, 2012 When things start going tits up you can have as many safety devices as you like, but in the heat of the moment nobody will use them. What’s needed is something you don’t have to think about. A simple cheap as chips TILT SWITCH connected to ground out the coil. Can be set at any angle and only cost a couple of quid. Sounds a good idea, but how is a tilt switch set up on a paramotor so that it will only function on the ground and not when you are flying? I can easily see a lot of times when your paramotor is at steep angles in flight. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poz Posted May 5, 2012 Share Posted May 5, 2012 The first thing I do when I get a new motor for the School is to disable the highly unnecessary cruise control 'feature' Or you could fit a Cameleon throttle ..... which has various safety features, such as automatically disengaging the cruise control when starter button is pressed ! Even with cruise engaged you can fine adjust rpm or operate throttle normaly with one finger. Cruise control may be unnecessary for students but is highly useful on longer flights - especially on cold days. I wouldn't be without it now. +1 Love it, wouldn't go back. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
outkast Posted May 5, 2012 Share Posted May 5, 2012 There was something a while back in one of the paramotor mags, I think it was Geff goin who proposed the fitting of a switch wich had two settings, one for warm up and the other for run, when the switch was set to warm up it would only tick over, once the motor was warm you stopped it, put the switch to run, put it on your back and then restarted it, of course the motor could still go to full throttle on your back but that situation may be more manageble than having flailling around on the ground. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
haze Posted May 5, 2012 Author Share Posted May 5, 2012 But no safety gadget is going to be as effective as visually checking that the throttle is returning (and i mean looking at the carb where the cable connects) before you press that ignition button or pull that starter. If you are too lazy to do that check, then we might end up reading about you in the Darwin Awards. Forget all the gadgets.... DON'T SKIP THIS CHECK - EVER - NO MATTER HOW NICE IT IS IN THE AIR ABOVE YOU AND HOW EAGER TO FLY YOU ARE. Nothing else need be said. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bendmeroundthehedge Posted May 6, 2012 Share Posted May 6, 2012 When things start going tits up you can have as many safety devices as you like, but in the heat of the moment nobody will use them. What’s needed is something you don’t have to think about. A simple cheap as chips TILT SWITCH connected to ground out the coil. Can be set at any angle and only cost a couple of quid. Sounds a good idea, but how is a tilt switch set up on a paramotor so that it will only function on the ground and not when you are flying? I can easily see a lot of times when your paramotor is at steep angles in flight. It was just an idea. Would work well in a school environment. In flight, when centrifugal force comes into play, a mercury switch might work ok. I personally would not want anything attached to one finger. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
enzo200500 Posted May 6, 2012 Share Posted May 6, 2012 There was something a while back in one of the paramotor mags, I think it was Geff goin who proposed the fitting of a switch wich had two settings, one for warm up and the other for run, when the switch was set to warm up it would only tick over, once the motor was warm you stopped it, put the switch to run, put it on your back and then restarted it, of course the motor could still go to full throttle on your back but that situation may be more manageble than having flailling around on the ground. I think this is the one? http://footflyer.com/Articles/ABetterPa ... eStart.pdf Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
outkast Posted May 6, 2012 Share Posted May 6, 2012 There was something a while back in one of the paramotor mags, I think it was Geff goin who proposed the fitting of a switch wich had two settings, one for warm up and the other for run, when the switch was set to warm up it would only tick over, once the motor was warm you stopped it, put the switch to run, put it on your back and then restarted it, of course the motor could still go to full throttle on your back but that situation may be more manageble than having flailling around on the ground. I think this is the one? http://footflyer.com/Articles/ABetterPa ... eStart.pdf The one in the mag was a bit more simple than that but roughly the same idea. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
helimed01 Posted May 6, 2012 Share Posted May 6, 2012 That is a massive life changing injury. A few seconds / lack of concentration and the rest of your life changes. Starting Motor on your back: A great safety idea in theory but some of the pull start motors are near impossible to start from cold on your back therefore a good ground pre start procedure is essential. Throttle operation check and good hold of frame and body positioning etc etc Ask an instructor. Pete B has a good technique. I think being so short helps! Remember those of you with electric start, if the start button switch is faulty the engine may turn over / start by simply turning on the power switch. Therefore good control and grip of the motor even when switching the power switch on is a good idea. Its not just on the ground that the prop can cause injury. I lost the tip of my dominant index finger trying to fix loose broken netting in the air. Slow climbing turn whist reaching back tying loose ends of the netting, when I flew through my own turbulence, the swinging motion caused my hand to strike the prop removing the tip of my finger. It was the last 60 mile leg of the USSR competition, I was leading and just needed to get back to goal to win and was short of time. Three failed take offs, first light and wet grass = wet and heavy wing, 21 litres fuel very weak and tired, poor take off technique allowing risers to press hard against the frame instead of pulling the wing up and the prop broke the netting on take off. didn't want to land to fix it as takeoff was so hard and time was ticking. Human factors. Swiss cheese effect. Take care out there. Regards. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poz Posted May 7, 2012 Share Posted May 7, 2012 When I removed the top of my shoulder during a meeting with the prop, due to me being unprepared for a revving engine on startup, my complacency and netting that was held on by cable ties cut right back, Pierre from PAP came up with a simple safety solution, which involved stitching a strap to the end of one of the prop covers which straps to the frame. Once the paramotor is started and I have secured the throttle in a safe place I take off the prop covers. I know that many would say you shouldn't go near the prop when the motor is running, however it's extremely unlikely the engine will suddenly rev for no reason. Obviously this is only a solution to those who have clutched PPG's. Dan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rigger Posted May 9, 2012 Share Posted May 9, 2012 On my Macro, I've fitted a LED in the top of the air box, it tells me the Motor is Live, it works great, thankfully I've never needed it, has I always check it's switched off after a flight... its one extra safety feature that works well even in bright daylight, Note its only meant as a aid and not to replace physical checks. Cheers Rigger Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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