How to get into Paramotoring
Paramotoring is a thrilling sport that you can get into at almost any age. It’s a wonderful way to experience the freedom of flight with a much lower cost to entry and training than conventional piloting. It's relatively easy to learn, and it doesn't require any overly special skill sets. You just need a helmet, hearing protection, eye wear, gloves (as applicable), and of course a paramotor and wing!
What is a Paramotor?
A paramotor is a “powered paraglider” that you can use to fly in the air. The wing is similar to standard Paragliders, in fact, many are intended for use as both a free gliding wing (no motor) and a Paramotor wing. The motors are used to create thrust to get the pilot into the air by pushing them forward of the Paraglider wing. This action changes the angle of the wing directing it upward which creates the lift.
Paramotors can be flown by anyone with some basic knowledge of how to fly a conventional paraglider and some training on the controls. Formal training is highly recommended (more on that in a bit).
Paramotoring vs Paragliding
As described, the big difference between Paramotoring and Paragliding is the motor. With Paragliding, the pilot is either towed up into the air with a mechanical tow system, or launches the flight from an elevated position such as a hill or mountain. Lift is achieved from catching updrafts off such surfaces, or by locating thermal columns from the earths surface.
A Paramotor uses the motor to create lift by pushing the pilot forward of the wing to change the angle of the wing. A Paramotor pilot can take off from flat surfaces such as open fields, and can stay in the air as long as they want or have fuel to support them.
Where can I fly a paramotor?
The best place to launch a paramotor is a flat, open area that is accessible to the public. This means there must be no security restrictions when it comes to access. Private land with permission is even better.
Paramotors are considered an ultralight aircraft and fall under FAA FAR part 103. They can fly in Class G and Class E airspace. This classification of airspace is Uncontrolled airspace from the ground up to 18,000 ft. (Most Paramotor flights stay between the surface and 2,000ft. Oxygen is required after 10,000ft.). This is the most common place for Paramotors to fly, however, additional airspaces may be accessible with proper permission and communication with air traffic control. It is illegal to enter these additional airspaces without authorization and as such is much more rare and typically for special circumstances.
What does Paramotoring Cost?
The initial cost to get into Paramotoring like anything can vary, but a fair estimate all in is about $15k. This estimate includes the Paramotor, Wing, a Reserve Chute, Helmet, and initial training (highly recommended). This is inline with and/ or relatively cheap In relation to other weather dependent or seasonal activities such as motorcycles, dirt bikes, side by sides, watercraft, snowmobiles, etc.
Paramotor Weather Conditions and Flying Times
In general, you want a clear day to fly a Paramotor. Rain and moisture are a no go, and can be pretty dangerous. Moisture build up on the wing can cause a parachutal stall where the wing is still fully inflated but without any forward progress and drops vertically.
The primary weather consideration is wind. Paramotors typically fly in 0-15mph winds, with around 5mph being the most common, and 10-12mph being the cutoff for most pilots This is sustained wind. Gusty winds are not favorable as they make the flight feel bumpy and unpleasant. Wind gusts with a speed variance of 5mph or greater are avoided.
There are a lot of wonderful tools available today for tracking weather and forecasting flyable conditions. The most popular of these is probably Windy. We use Windy a lot to forecast and track temperature, clouds, precipitation, wind, and gusts.
Time of day can also be a factor for flying a Paramotor. As the sun rises each day it heats up the surface of the earth. As the ground heats, thermals rise. These thermal shifts cause the air to be turbulent and make for a bumpy and unpleasant flight. These are the same thermals that Paragliders desire for lift and to maintain their flights. For an experienced pilot, they are not necessarily dangerous, but tend to limit Paramotor pilots to mornings and evenings. The general rule for the smoothest air is the first two hours after sunrise, and the two hours before sunset.
Additional Considerations
Committing to Paramotoring is a serious step so its good to evaluate as much information as possible. Countless prospective paramotor pilots purchase expensive equipment and training each year only to discover the sport is not a great fit for them. So here are a couple additional considerations:
Flexibility - Paramotoring is weather dependent as previously discussed. Therefore, it is not something you get to do all the time, or even when you want to. It’s something you do when you get to. If you don’t have a very flexible schedule that can allow you to break away and fly when the opportunities arise, then it unfortunately may not be a great fit and worth evaluating.
Location - Location is an often overlooked consideration. If you live in a congested area and don’t have quick access to flyable airspaces it is worth noting. How far will you have to go to be able to fly? As mentioned above, we are often chasing good weather, and it is not uncommon to plan a seemingly great flight opportunity only to have the weather change and have to head home disappointed. This is not a show stopper, but the further away your closest flight locations are, the more its worth considering.
Get a Tandem Flight - I recommend this before making any moves toward paragliding or paramotoring. A tandem flight will give you the full experience and feel of flying a paramotor but under the skill, experience, and direction of a reputable instructor. If your’'e not comfortable under canopy, this would be the best time to find out!
Paramotor Training
There are a couple different options available if you want to learn to paramotor. A third option would be self teaching but I absolutely do NOT recommend that so we won’t discuss that here.
Paramotor Specific Training - The first option is to find a Paramotor specific instructor or class. Many instructors offer both Paragliding and Paramotoring classes but tend to favor one specifically over the other. Paramotor schools being tailored for Paramotoring tend to offer more information specific to Paramotor flying. Though the jump from Paragliding to adding a motor and throttle isn’t unreasonable, the value of good instruction and tailored training can significantly lessen the burden. This route is often faster than other options as well. Training typically consists of ground handling/ Kiting, familiarization with the gear and equipment, training on weather, and hopefully some tows or free-glides to learn competency of launching and landing with a progression to motoring. The disadvantage of this route is that you typically get much less flights than other options. This can be an issue as conditions are always changing so the more training reps you get under instruction in variable conditions, the better prepared you will be for when you are on your own. Many students get signed off each year and head home feeling pretty good only to get their confidence crushed when faced with conditions they weren’t properly prepared for. Very careful selection of trainers/school is imperative. (more on that below)
Paragliding P2 Training, then add motor - P2 paragliding training is a certification program tailored toward conventional or unpowered paragliding. Because it is a certification program, it does have a standardized curriculum that somewhat ensures a more uniform instruction. P2 paragliding puts more emphasis on flying as it requires 35 free glides from 400ft in addition to the ground school which includes kiting, weather, etc. Over the course of the 35 glides spanning several days you will be subject to many different conditions both on takeoff and landing which is very valuable. Adding a motor after completing P2 isn’t a major jump with the right instructor. The disadvantage of this route is that it typically takes longer, and P2 instructors are often disinterested with Paramotoring so the transition isn’t always as smooth as it should be.
Recommendation - There are a couple very reputable paramotor schools out there. If you can go to one of them that is great. Make sure you very thoroughly vet any school or instructor before going. If your not able to find or attend a quality PPG course, I recommend P2 paragliding with a reputable school and adding motor later. P2 gives you a lot of experience in different conditions which is invaluable. This is the route I took. The jump to motor after P2 isn’t a huge leap but can still be a bit much under the wrong supervision so keep that in mind as you consider your options and instructors.
Things to consider
Bad instructors - Like all special interests, this community has its douchebags. I won’t help there seo by putting there names here, but am happy to point out some things to look for when vetting your instructor or school.
I/Me - If they talk about themselves a lot and publish content talking about how great they, there school, or there students are, then they are most likely one of the above mentioned douchebags and you are best to avoid them.
Negative - If they are constantly putting down other instructors or equipment (especially online), they are not for you. Winners focus on winning, and losers focus on winners. This such person is more interested in their competition than delivering you the highest quality training possible. You are best to avoid them.
They sell an excessive amount of used equipment with low hours - This may not be a show stopper, but is a red flag worth examining closer. If an instructor is selling a lot of used equipment with low hours it is highly possible that they are selling it new to their students (making the markup of course), providing unsatisfactory training, then buying the gear back at a discounted rate after the student quits (due to the poor training and experience), and reselling it again with a second markup.
Overconfidence - Obviously this is present and even common in everything, but in a sport like Paramotoring the stakes are much higher. Always maintain respect for the sport and check your confidence as much as possible. Do this for the people around you as well. “There are old pilots, and there are bold pilots, but you can’t be both.” I personally do not fly with overconfident pilots.
Hours requirements - Throughout your journey you will here different hours related check points that are general rules for the progression of learning. The purpose of the hours is intended to subject a pilot to many variables and conditions. Do not rush this. Enjoy the journey. You don’t need to be doing acro, speed flying, etc. today. People who enthusiastically rush the progression like to retort with, “well I learn fast”, which goes back to the above mentioned overconfidence, but I also find insulting as if I don’t learn fast. They are simply missing the point. Speed of learning and time based experience are not the same thing.
Inflating Numbers - Yes, for some reason this is very common. People like to round up their altitudes and flight times so they sound like they went higher or longer. Keep it accurate and just enjoy the journey and the sport. Its not suppose to be about your image.
Paramotor Gear & Equipment
The sport of Paramotoring doesn’t require a whole lot of gear and equipment. You essentially need a Helmet, Paramotor, and Wing. There are several popular companies in the market today. With any of the gear, its best to start by collecting some input from your instructor(s). Most are dealers and may enjoy some markup of course, but reputable instructors will have great recommendations on equipment and be able to explain why.
New vs Used - When it comes to flying sports, the stakes are a bit higher (pun intended!). I don’t recommend getting a used wing for flying. There are things to look for on a wing but for starting out, its best to relegate used wings for kiting practice, and invest in a new wing for your flying wing. The wing is after all, the component that keeps air underneath you! The motor and frame are a bit different in that regard. This component simply pushes you. If the motor shuts off, you simply paraglide back down. I still prefer to buy new if possible, but purchasing a used frame and motor is not likely harmful. In fact, there is usually a pretty generous market for preowned motors so finding one with low miles/hours in great condition is’nt typically too difficult.
Wings - As stated above, I recommend purchasing a new wing as apposed to a used one. The wing is a critical component and its imperative you start out on the right one. There are several categories of wings designed for different purposes. Starting out, you will want to be on a beginner wing. These are much more forgiving of errors so they are naturally safer for newer pilots. Your instructor should have some great recommendations for you. My first wing was the Gin Vantage 3.
Paramotor & Frame - When considering a motor & frame, you want to think about weight. The motor needs to be rated for the pilots weight plus its own and the frame. The Vittorazi Moster 185 is probably the most common motor among adults. Several mainstream companies use the Moster in there frames. The other consideration on weight is that you will be wearing the Paramotor on your back. The lighter it is, the happier you will be for takeoffs and landings! The most popular Paramotor on the market is the Parajet Maverick. This is the paramotor I currently use as well. The frame is a titanium construction making it lightweight, durable, and pretty forgiving in the event of an accident (Frame members can be bent back in position). The Paramotor can be disassembled and assembled pretty quickly for travel too which is a great feature if you plan to take it longer distances or even world traveling. The Parajet Maverick is available with two different motor options (depending on weight), one of which is the Moster 185.
Helmet - Helmets are a bit more of a wild card in the Paramotor community. There are some companies making “Paramotor Specific Helmets”, but they tend to be very highly priced. For that reason, most pilots tend to make there own from bicycle or skate boarding helmets. The use of helmets in Paramotoring is primarily for bump protection during ground handling, takeoffs, and/or landings as those are the times when pilots are at most risk. The helmet also provides mounting options for ear protection, eye protection, and/or communication equipment. If you are handy, assembling your own may be a great way to save some money. I made my Paramotor helmet from a tactical bump helmet.
Final Thoughts
Paramotoring is an exciting and unique sport that allows you to experience the freedom of flight with a very low barrier to entry. If you take the right steps and respect the sport, it can be a relatively inexpensive and amazing journey you can enjoy for many years!
