rob999 Posted March 20, 2013 Share Posted March 20, 2013 I normally do my ground handling practice on the hills above Ringstead Bay, Weymouth. I only ever it out of the bag when the paragliders are not there. I'm not in their club and have received strong words of advice about lofting a wing on their club site blah blah blah.... Its a National Trust Car Park !!! To save any grief I back off. I was up there this afternoon and 4 paragliders were airborne, so I just hung back and watched for a few mins before noticing a black framed paramotor next to one of the cars there. I waited around a bit but nobody approached it, so I can only guess it was one of the paragliders machines.. I wonder who you are ? It wasn't the machine of Mark or Paul who are the two flyers I know of. Any suggestions or admissions from someone who has let a dirty paramotor touch such hallowed flying ground !! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nigel_d. Posted March 20, 2013 Share Posted March 20, 2013 Never mind, one day when it isn't "on" for Ringstead you'll be able to fly it as any other precious hill site - as long as of course you observe the 500ft rule. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blackbirdyxx Posted March 20, 2013 Share Posted March 20, 2013 a dirty paramotor touch such hallowed flying ground !! its a friggin National Trust Car Park Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
morgy Posted March 21, 2013 Share Posted March 21, 2013 Hi Rob If you wish to use some of the PG site to ground handle JOIN there club and get a hill conversion you won't regret it. It will also make you a much better pilot and will open up your Paramotoring flying 100%. Also it's prob best not to ground handle on a hill Cliff site!!! Go find a flat field/sports ground... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ladyb Posted March 21, 2013 Share Posted March 21, 2013 Wessex is the club that has ringstead as their site, they used to have a Power coach and were not all 'anti smelly machines' www.wessexhgpg.org.uk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rob999 Posted March 21, 2013 Author Share Posted March 21, 2013 Wessex is the club that has ringstead as their site, they used to have a Power coach and were not all 'anti smelly machines'http://www.wessexhgpg.org.uk I can only pass on my personal experience with one of the club officials. He did not like paramotors, they would never fly from this site (wouldn't fly from there as unsuitable, even if I could fly) and according to him paramotor pilots flout air law, thats even if they know it... To balance the exchange he did give me permission to ground handle on the site providing I never got airborne. When I suggested that at the end of the day he couldn't stop me that was red rag to a bull. He quoted all sorts of byelaws and almost threatened me with getting in touch with the CAA !!! So, no, he was not too paramotor friendly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nigel_d. Posted March 21, 2013 Share Posted March 21, 2013 They have a number of member photos on their site, see if you can see him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 21, 2013 Share Posted March 21, 2013 Ahhhhh the good old 'small man syndrome' often found at PG hills where he who has the most badges wins. SW Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
norbertflyer Posted March 21, 2013 Share Posted March 21, 2013 Why spoil a site like that with noisy paramotors, when you don't need one to fly several miles along the coast there?..... I've flown there quite a few times over the last 15 years and I've never needed a paramotor. Richard Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rob999 Posted March 21, 2013 Author Share Posted March 21, 2013 I think this is getting a bit out of hand. All I was asking was if anyone knew who the paramotor belonged to. To be honest, I don't think I want to know now. I wouldn't fly from here even if I could fly anything. As for noisy paramotors, if thats the attitude then what are you doing on here? I think the flying or paramotors is a choice to fly them rather than a paraglider. If I wanted a glider, thats what I'd be learning to fly. I already have enough land to fly from should the day ever arrive when I can fly, including the land next to the iron age fort of Maiden Castle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
morgy Posted March 22, 2013 Share Posted March 22, 2013 Norbert Flying along a ridge with a paramotor is one of the best things about Paramotoring. I love to fly from my field to a ridge fly along and then keep going. We often Do the Newhaven to Brighton marina and back then jump the Gap and fly along to beachy head then back again.. Try jumping the gaps both ways on a PG Rob i would strongly advice you doing some Paragliding as well Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skybluerob Posted March 23, 2013 Share Posted March 23, 2013 ''G= if thats the attitude then what are you doing on here? I think the flying or paramotors is a choice to fly them rather than a paraglider'' Rob999.....Well said.!! I have the same trouble flying in the Pennines...Where better to fly a paramotor...! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farmer_Dave Posted March 23, 2013 Share Posted March 23, 2013 I'm not surprised that one of the club members offered you some advice. That is how it all works. When you belong to the club, advice is freely given to help prevent accidents. If you open a paraglider and start to practice groundhandling in a zone of likely lift ie. other paragliders in the air, you might be likely to take off. The guy with the words of advice was most likely acting in your interest, firstly, and theirs, secondly, if you had taken off and didn't know what to do. You might've collided with one of them for example. There may be some assumptions made in the above paragraph, but I'm just trying to demonstrate why pilots at soaring sites tend to be seen as being arsey. They have few good sites and work very hard, each year, negotiating to keep them. They still loose the odd one, or have new restrictions enforced, and very often because of visiting pilots or none club activity. It's good advice to seek an instructor and do some hill flying. Lots to gain and nothing to loose. The very good news is, that if you decide to go PPG only, you will have the scope to reach great heights and places and practice thermalling in abundance, which will leave the free flyers envious of you. Good luck with your flying Rob. You'll get there soon. And I hope my essay has helped one and all to explain why there might seem to be some attitudes buzzing around. Simples......fear and jealousy Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rob999 Posted March 23, 2013 Author Share Posted March 23, 2013 Farmer Dave, thanks for putting a sensible and reasoned side to his actions and comments. I think you may well be right. I have to be careful what I say as I know members of his club are on here as well. However, I do steer clear of this site when the paragliders are flying. But, and I made a promise to my better half, Nicola, who was there at the time (and surprised he didn't get a few choice words, I was most restrained) when I'm flying I will be visiting this site and staying my required 500ft away as often as I possibly can. We have one nuisance paramotor pilot in the area and he stereotypes all PPG pilots as reckless and unlawful due to the actions of one individual. I am probably one of the most law abiding citizens he has ever met and I resent being thought of to the contrary by someone I have never met before... GRRRRR rant over... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rob999 Posted June 25, 2013 Author Share Posted June 25, 2013 An update..... I continued to use this site in times of low wind for ground handling only, never when any of the paragliders were there.... until today..... I'd just got the wing out in preparation for some ground handling only and along drove Mr Jovial....No other paragliders there. He parked his car immediately behind my wing on the grass and started a tirade about how I was not a member of his club and how I wasn't insured and I was flying on the modellers side of the car park. Oh dear. I didn't like to point out that I have £2m insurance for all forms of extreme sports. I did point out that I had been using the site for 2 years and only seem modellers there twice....that didn't go down well. I ended up by telling him to go away as I wasn't listening to him anymore... I continued to loft my wing in this National Trust car park.. I checked with the BHPA afterwards and was informed this was probably a club site and therefore required insurance. A...I didn't think insurance was a legal requirement. B...I have insurance, should anyone bothered to ask. I didn't mention that I have been paragliding and paramotoring I just let him rant on. At the end he did ask me join his club, to which I did reply that I wouldn't join his club if my life depended on it..... Oh happy days... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ptwizz Posted June 26, 2013 Share Posted June 26, 2013 First - I have no specific knowledge about this site or the club involved. That said, I suspesct that 'mr.Jovial' was referring to the agreement under which the club are given permission to use the site. If the club have negotiated permission (presumably with National Trust) to use the site, that permission may well be conditional upon club membership (and by implication the insurance that goes with it). It may be true that anyone can legally ground handle in any public space. However, if your actions are seen as a potential threat to existing agreements, it is not unreasonable that the club who depend on those agreements will seek to defend them. Just because it's not illegal, doesn't mean it's OK. By the sound of things, the club member who approached you might have been more diplomatic. A good start might have been to explain what agreements are in place with the landowner, model flying club etc. He might then have gone on to extol the virtues of club membership and invited you to come along and meet the members. It would be a shame to allow one individuals approach cause conflict between yourself and other local flyers. As things stand, we enjoy a good level of freedom from legislation. If we are seen as unable to keep ourselves in order, we are sure to be the target of increased regulation. Sometimes it is necessary to put ones natural responses aside and focus on the subject matter rather than the individuals. If the club member annoys you, find other members of the club with better interpersonal skills. Hope to see you in the skies some time... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PatPux Posted June 26, 2013 Share Posted June 26, 2013 Pete When Ban ki-moon steps down, the job is yours Patrick Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davidreckitt Posted June 26, 2013 Share Posted June 26, 2013 wow..what a depressing situation. Strikes me that both of you have perfectly valid points but one of you simply cannot communicate in a decent, reasoned and intelligent way. Some people are confrontational and seek such...they usually get nowhere. I am very happy to say that its not the case everywhere. I am a paraglider with South Devon (SDHGPGC). There are just a few of us who paramotor too and no one has any problems although we do agree not to fly at any PG sites which a. makes sense but even more b. most of the sites are miles from anywhere and I would never take a motor there. The main point I wanted to make was that recently we have had a couple of people come into paragliding from speedflying (including me but I got my CP) - initially without qualification and flying on club sites. The clubs response was not confrontational but arms around shoulder and gentle conversation and steering. Both those pilots are now fully qualified, members of the club and one recently made 1000 feet ato and soon to go XC. Attitude is hugely important in these situations. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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