Basic Air Law

Understanding Altitude

Probably the cheapest and safest method of powered flight

Paramotoring is fundamentally a basic but exhilarating form of aviation. The equipment can be packed up and carried in the back of a small car, it costs no more than a motorcycle to purchase and is considerably cheaper to run. There are no licencing or medical requirements but all pilots should undergo training.

‘Everyone who lives, dies. Yet not everyone who dies, has lived.
We take these risks not to escape life, but to prevent life from escaping us’ - Anon.

All forms of aviation come with a risk - the risk of serious injury or death - lets not beat around the bush here then again driving is not safe either - but proper equipment, proper training coupled with a pilot who is fit and aware reduces that risk to an acceptable level - you can never remove the risk - after all to do so almost defeats the point.That said - it is a great sport.

Cost - well to purchase new equipment together with training will cost about the same as a new motorcycle - thereafter insurance - 3rd party - and running costs are a lot less. I would not advise any beginner to purchase equipment from the internet or indeed anywhere else until at least first speaking to an experienced paramotorist - it is important to get equipment of the correct size and power for your build as well as to suit your needs - it can be cheaper in the long run.

Fitness - well I am no spring chicken - nor fit either - you do not need to be a super athlete and given time technique can overcome strength - the average age of a paramotor pilot is well into the 40s and several of us are older than that!! It is a foot launch sport and you do need to walk about with a heavy paramotor on your back but as soon as you are airborne there is no weight at all - an armchair in the sky.

Licensing - paramotor pilots do not need a licence nor medical. The equipment does not need airworthiness testing - but is not by any means an unregulated sport - we need to comply with the same rules of the air as most other pilots of aircraft - we are not allowed to fly in the controlled airspace occupied by the commercial airlines - nor would we want to - but to this end you need to be fully aware of the airspace you are flying in - navigation, chart reading as well as weather observation all form part of the training. In Lincolnshire in particular we need to very observant of the airspace given the volume of military flying which takes place around us.

Equipment

Everyone in the sport has their own ideas on what makes the perfect set up. It can come down to budget, ease of use, performance and a whole load of other factors. We would be happy to assist anyone in the buying process.

The basic necessities are :-

A Paramotor - the driving force - the most common being 2 stroke engines - these have a good power to weight ratio - this comes with harness, propellor and probably represents the greatest danger to you and others around you when on the ground - a propellor can easily cut off limbs if placed in their path.

A Wing - a paraglider wing suitable for powered flight - there is a large selection on the market - which suit different purposes.

A Reserve parachute - probably never need to use it but too late to wish for one if you ever do.

Helmet and good boots (without lace hooks which can get caught in the lines)

Radio - optional but a good safety item and makes it more fun to talk to fellow pilots

Flying Suit and gloves - it can get cold up there and we do a lot of flying in the winter - often this is the best time of year to fly with denser and less turbulent air.

Air chart - a legal requirement

Altimeter - or Vario - a vario or variometer depicts rate of climb or descent graphically and will normally also display current altitude

Optional equipment :-

A GPS - optional - there is lots of choice here

Other - some basic tools, a mobile phone and usually a good sense of humour.

Training

There are several organisations which look after the welfare of paramotor pilots -

The BMAA British Microlight Aircraft Association - they have (temporarily at least) suspended training schemes for internal reasons.

The BHPA - British Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association - they do provide training and a rating for pilots.

There is no requirement to receive training from these organisations and there are plenty of non-affiliated trainers around.

Experienced pilots within the club can often help individuals with training on an informal basis. Indeed as a club we all help each other. There are also tandem pilots within the club who may offer to help gain air experience.

There are several routes you can take - some pilots learn to free fly - paraglide - before taking up powered flight - others opt to go power from scratch. We can point you to all the different options available - pay us a visit.

Ground handling is paramount to ensure good consistent take-offs - a lot of work is required in this area and even experienced pilots will practice.

In addition to practical experience, take-offs, landings, general flight there are also other aspects of flying with which all pilots should be familiar - air law, meteorology, human performance and limitations, theory of flight etc. I have included some basic air law on this site to which all pilots should adhere.

Insurance

Insurance is not required by the CAA - Civil Aviation Authority - for paramotor pilots however as a club we require all pilots to have 3rd party insurance - this is readily available and fairly cheap.

BHPA - 3rd party insurance is included for SPHG rated pilots. http://www.bhpa.co.uk/

On-Risk - independant aviation insurers http://www.onrisk.co.uk/

If you want to learn - call in for a chat when we are on the field - call us before doing so to make sure we will be there - see our contacts page