Paul

    Fraser

So whats paramotoring all about.........

well although the sport has been round for a few years its only now that the sport has been appearing in the press and on the news, and I will advise that anyone wanting to try the sport please go and seek some advice before buying any equipment. 

The wing used in Paramotoring is very similar to a paraglider wing and in some instances it is the same type of wing, manufactures have now been developing wings suitable only for powered flight. I use a Ozone Mojo and Fraser has a Para Avis Acrobat which are classic paragliding wings.

There are two ways in which the wing can be launched into the air, the forward launch which is for wind speeds under 5 mph and the reverse launch which is for speeds over 5mph, when you are training you will find that this is one of the most important things you can learn in both paragliding and paramotoring and that is to keep your wing fully inflated and above you head. Ground Handling the wing is good fun even when you have finished your training.

The engines are either two stroke or four stroke, two stroke seem to be the most common due their weight and cost. An average engine will produce 50kg of thrust, and the weight of the unit including fuel is about 28kg including the harness.

The two stroke engine on my unit is the Radne Raket 135 and my Paramotor was built by Clemente Paramotors in Spain.

In your training you will be taught about air law and how to read and understand an air chart, and to understand unrestricted airspace.

Meteorology also takes a big part in the world of paramotring, although the subject is quite complex you only need to know the basics once you start you will find yourself getting up in a morning and the first you do when you step outside is look up, trying to figuire out whats going on.

So whats next when you have finished your training and waiting for that perfect night or morning and it feels like your wishing your life away as each day passes too much wind, cloud to low, Lancaster Bomber due over at 500' which happens quite often in Blackpool and at nights you find yourself watching the late night weather trying to understand the forecast charts, only to find out they got in all wrong and its raining.....again.

Then that perfect day arrives all the family have turned up camera's rolling, everyone wants to help you, you have a stream of people from the boot of your car to where you are setting up which looks like a conveyer belt. For those people who want to help Thank You but its a time when we have to know our sequence of setting up and sometimes upsetting that sequence could be life threatening if something is overlooked.

Well thats the main check done to both wing, harness and engine,and its time to start your engines and if you dont manage to flood it, it should start. Its funny that as soon as the engine starts everyone stops talking and your dad has a more serious look on his face.

So helmets on, intercom working fine and your fully strapped in to your harness I got taught legs first, connect your wing risers to the maillons on the harness.

As long as you are now facing away from the wing you can test your engine with care and its also worth telling people who do come to watch the dangers of the propellers.

You should be about done now and ready to launch, one quick look at the wing sock and launch the wing as its comes above your head which ever way you have lauched you should be moving either forward or walking backwards and ready to turn if you have done a reverse launch to make ready for your take off...........Then enjoy veiws

A thought for us all to remember is Safe Flying