Crossing the Hawaiian Islands on a Paramotor
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- Опубліковано 3 жов 2024
- I'm honored and blessed to be able to add one more to the book of Paramotor firsts. On 25 March 2023 I successfully completed the first-ever PPG flight between two Hawaiian islands: 100 miles over water between Oahu and Maui (and then back again). It was the most difficult XC task I've ever accomplished, requiring a 30 mile ocean channel crossing at 11,000ft without a chase boat, navigation of complicated airspace with dense air traffic, and a battle with extreme weather conditions due to stiff Pacific trade winds and mountain rotor...all completely unsupported. Round trip flight time was 5 hours and 32 minutes.
I'm thankful for my previous XC experience to include the Wingman Challenge that gave me the tools I needed to make this adventure a reality, as well as for the Nirvana F-200XC/Dudek Warp 2 combo that gave me the range and speed to make this feat possible.
Thank you to all those who have supported me along the way!
You can access the GPS track data (recorded on the Garmin InReach) here: share.garmin.c...
Equipment:
Engine: Nirvana F-Light 200XC HHP
Wing: Dudek Warp 2 22m
XC Bag: Scout Front Pack
Navigation App: XCNav
Flight Recorder: Gaggle
GPS Tracker/Emergency Beacon: Garmin InReach 2
Music by Ikson: Horizon, Views - Спорт
First. Exactly what I was waiting for tonight, doing nothing.
Lol, you don't mess around!
I hold the record for most trips driving from my house to my workplace and back. Nobody seems to even notice.
Great flight. Next Hawaiin flight I can lend you my rare old still working West Marine 250 VHF capable of monitoring air band with monitoring and transmission on marine band. Also has AM, FM and family band so you can relax.
How hasn’t this blown up yet?!
This was an Absolutely Epic and Somewhat Complicated journey! It really should have been Featured on the Evening News in Honolulu its that Newsworthy! Especially since you were the First one to do it. Im impressed. Glad you made the journey safely!
I thought about it, but didn't want that kind of pressure if I biffed a launch or something went wrong 😬. Also, I don't have any contacts in the news business..
Before watching this video "this looks like so much fun" after watching the video "never in my life would I do this". I glad you did tho. Really beautiful. Glad it worked out for you.
awesome vlog of your awesome endeavor, glad you made it safe and sound.
What an adventure! Cheers from a fellow Swedish PPG-pilot
Amazing !! I love this kind of adventure flight!!👏👏
Inspirational!
Balls of solid brass.
Wow, I bet the pucker factor was high most of the flight.
What an adventure!
Man, talk about an adventure! Awesome flight and probably one of, if not the first to do it!
Thank you! As far as any publicly-available information indicates, I'm the first to do it by paramotor. It was really exciting!
Your amount of knowledge and courage are absolutely incredible to be able to pull this off. Thank you for sharing🤙
Super cool!
Awesome video!
AWESOME
Wow, what an amazing, well planned flight! I was in Maui a few months ago and drove past your LZ there several times. I didn't bring my PPG gear with me, but after seeing what the wind conditions I didn't think Maui looked like an ideal place to fly.
Yeah, the venturi at that LZ in particular can be pretty rough..I found out the hard way, lol. The windward side is much better. The winds are high most of the time, but when it does calm down it makes for some incredible flying
Very cool.
Crazy Awesome trip
Nice work! What an amazing flight!
Nice work Zach..............that was a lot of seat time!
The Nirvana F-Light is the only production paramotor to use a dc powered electronic ignition, most likely it uses a timing curve because they said that's "proprietary". All other paramotors use lawnmower ignition systems, although very reliable lawnmower ignition systems. I have several years experience calibrating, tuning, and building engines, some of those years in the professional capacity. Mark these words, why I won't shut up about it until proven wrong with empirical testing, paramotor ignition curves (what I'm talking about) will be more wide spread than fuel injection because it's cheaper and more effective at improving efficiency and performance of 2-stroke engines (bang for buck). Edit: spelling
DUDE!!!! That was sick!!! I’m from Canada, I flew pg on Oahu with Para Pete and Josh Cohen. I was afraid of blowing off the island lol. Huge congrats on doing this. Cheers Jerry
Thanks. PG is so good here that almost no one flies PPG. I wish I had taken more time to get into it.
Could you try just paraglide from Oahu to Maui next? Or a long trip with no Morse on Oahu 🤙🏼
Haha, I wish! Unfortunately there aren't any thermals that come off the ocean, so a motor is definitely necessary.
Absolutely incredible man thanks for the video.
Thank you for sharing!
🆒️❕⚠️‼️. APPRECIATE your concise explanation AND written description... NICE
insane, congrats bro!!!
insanely ballsy! congrats on the first confirmed island hop by an ultralight of any kind!
Wow! Incredible views! Congrats😀Looking to get certified in the near future and those islands are on my bucket list......
I grew up on Oahu and bodysurfed at Sandys beach where you took off from. The Molokai channel between Oahu and Molokai/Lanai is very dangerous. The extreme depth channels a huge volume of water through that channel causing strong currents and large waves. I don't know if you had a trailing support vessel although it doesn't appear you did. It's a good thing you did not have to ditch out there all alone. I was a bit anxious watching this.
Congratulations amazing. Super XC flight!’
Hell yeah!
Shine On☝️😃🪶
Epic 👍
My Mother is from Lahaina and loved to see that part of the island. Will be back to the big island October 2023. Love to see your trek.
Fantastic, absolutely above and beyond literally. Could you or did you file a flight plan?
Thanks! It was one hell of a flight. I didn't file a flight plan for this one and kept it entirely within VFR rules.
Absolutely awesome 👏
Epic flight. I recall living in Hawaii back in '88. Much different but just as beautiful. Tried skydiving from Dillingham field. Becuase the view was so awesome. Now I want to go back...
Truly amazing. What an accomplishment. Great planning and airmanship!
Thank you! It was an awesome flight!
This is what the human spirit is all about. What an amazing accomplishment. Congratulations!
Thank you!
Hey dude, this is super rad, if you're still flying i plan on getting my kit down to Oahu when i'm there for work end of year. lets get in the air if you're still on the islands
Dude, so good, well done!
dream flight! congratulations
Wow! most wont understand the Fortitude it takes to do something like this. Incredible
Absolutely amazing!! Great flight!!
Absolutely incredible! Congratulations!! Amazing accomplishment!!! 🙌🤙
Excellent! Congrats on this committing flight!
EPIC Zack. Super feat and something for the record books. Keep pushing mate!
Wow what an absolutely incredible adventure and some super impressive efficiency figures. Top skills too with that landing by the gas station, I can't imagine trying to land a Warp 2 fully trimmed out! 🙌 Some stunning views of the islands too. What a memorable flight.
Thank you! It was definitely challenging, but the incredible experience was well-worth it!
This is amazing. I'm going to have get a paramotor when I get done with my deployment.
OMG! Absolutely incredible man! Thanks for sharing this!
Epic adventure and thanks for sharing! You got some nackers!!!
That's impressive in many ways! well done!
Brah you one crazy bugga. Also my hero. Epic!
This was incredible!! I wish I would of started flying with you sooner so I could of made this trip with you!!
Congratulations 🎉 Was a beautiful sight and glad you are safe and sound 🙏😎
Congrats Zach. Sick mission. Thanks for sharing this.
Can I give you a shout out on my channel and link your video?
Super cool. I’ve always thought about how cool that trip would be. Glad you went for it!
Wow, amazing XC and views all the way. That's quite the water crossing, insane actually.
Congratulations! Those water crossings can be very nerve-racking, but you had absolutely breathtaking views, especially with the clouds. I’m very jealous of your F-light !!
I'm proud of it! This machine is incredible. It needs to be when you want to fly routes that require you to trust it. Thanks for the support!
That was a great adventure. Good going.
Very cool man! Congratulations on the historic flight!
Great video! What an amazing experience that must have been. Stay safe in the air. Aloha
Damn that looked amazing.... Well done!
Mate, incredible adventure, well done.
That was great! You are a good pilot.
im rewatching cus this is so fucking good
Excellent Adventure! What a beautiful flight. Thanks for sharing it with us!
It was one hell of an incredible journey ❤️
So awesome! I grew up bodysurfing Sandys and have always wanted to go back there to paramotor.
Awesome video buddy! Very good info! If you keep rolling the way you do, others will join in! Its an infectious way of flying and living! Dont ever stop
Thanks Eugene. This is the way I love to live out this sport of ours. Hope to see you in the sky sometime soon!
Well done!
Rock on
Pretty cool stuff. I lived on Oahu in the 1970s and went to Maui on a high school field trip. The only way I could do that and see the islands was by way of an airplane. Now there's a different way! BTW, this would be a pretty cool trip for Tucker and all the other flyers out there, and would also involve a Hawaiian vacation as a bonus.
I always enjoy it when other pilots make their way out here. Dan Moyal and I had a few great flights when he came and visited!
Very Cool Zack, thanks for sharing! The views were amazing!
Great XC Zach - well done! 👊👍🚀
This is awesome.
I've recently discovered this activity and am interested.
Curious to know your piloting experience prior to this flight.
Congratulations! And thanks for sharing 👍👍
Epic man! Just epic! What a dream flight!
Thats awesome. Well done. What a flight that must have been. hello from Australia
Your trip works out to about 32.3mpg! Impressive
Way to go!!!🎉 That’s super cool!!! Got my adrenaline up for flying Hawaii (I have family there) and for doing some XC adventure flights soon. Excellent fuel burn and flying!
When's the next time you're coming down? We should fly together!
@@ZDW4573 I'd love that! I don't have it scheduled yet. Hopefully this summer or fall.
As an ex-helicopter aircrewman, you are very lucky that your rotor and engine did not freeze up, because at 10k feet the air is so thin and the air so cold that helicopters have to be specially equipped for 10k and above altitude or else helicopters will fall from the sky for those reasons.
I’ve learned of helicopters not specially equipped flying at 10k feet and then falling from the sky not long after.
Also, be careful traveling at 10k feet because there’s less oxygen at 10k to where you will pass out before realizing you are.
In the US military, a helicopter that flies 10k or above is specially equipped and that includes having oxygen tanks for every person onboard. Or else they’ll pass out from lack of oxygen.
Be careful, 10k feet and above is very dangerous for reasons I’ve given you.
I would say 9k feet is safest to prevent passing out from low oxygen.
But you’re still in thinner and colder air which could freeze or shutdown your rotor or engine.
Best of luck! It looked like a blast!
sick views!
Bravo! What an achievement! 👏
Truly epic!
Thanks Jacques! I still think back to that first XC that you inspired in me back in the day! I'm still on the path!
A bit risky, but great flight. Congrats!
I minimized risk to the maximum extent possible, but yeah it was definitely not something I'd want to do every weekend.
@@ZDW4573 You handled the risk, wind & navigation well.
Congrats on this accomplishment, super interesting stuff!
Is there anywhere on the island that provides PPG instruction? I have been interested in getting into it for years but not sure where to start.
I believe Blackhawk Paramotor does instruction on Oahu, but I'm not sure if they're still in operation (blackhawkparamotor.com/powered-paragliding-paramotor-training-hawaii/). If not, you can definitely train first with the massive paragliding community here and then add the motor later, which will be really easy once you get kiting and flying down without one!
Phenomenal job. Is there a reason you don't fly with speedbar?
It depends on the mission. If I was doing a shorter, faster flight like the Speedrun Cup, I'd definitely use one, but 70% of the speed on the Warp 2 is in the trims anyway, so I opt to save myself the extra hassle on the ground.
Absolutely EPIC flight! I've been eyeballing large water crossings like this and it really seems like 30-35 miles is the limit without carrying oxygen or having a boat, at a 6.5-7 glide ratio. I suppose we shouldn't be surprised at this point to see you going straight out to the limits! Can't wait to fly together again. (And I'm still majorly jonesing for your fuel economy :D) Stay safe and keep crushing it!
Chuck! Brother it's been too long. Looking forward to getting back to the mainland and hope to fly together again soon.
Excellent trip mate! Great use of airspace. I'm guessing the temperatures at 8,000-11,000 feet were pretty chilly! Great accomplishment! Did you have any ADS-B monitors/apps to make sure you avoid any GA aircraft while up there? Any issues in the clouds? That always worries me!
It was definitely freezing up there! No ADSB monitor for this one, but I'm picking one up for the next one that integrates with XCNav (navigation app). No issues with clouds, they were pretty sparse the whole day and easily avoidable!
Dude, that was sick. Thanks for bringing us along. I figured a chase boat was impractical, but what other precautions did you take besides the inReach and the glide path? Flotation? Someone tracking you ready to call the Coast Guard?
Thanks Matt! I had some non-traditional flotation as well as a friend tracking through Gaggle (when it worked since cell service was sparse) and the InReach. My panic button was the SOS on the InReach which would have gotten a Coast Guard helicopter sent to my location.
Lol, after I commented I saw your comment. Sorry, great minds think alike? 😂✌️. This was sick tho.
@@ZDW4573Are you sure it would have been a USCG helicopter with a rescue swimmer? How about a small crew "fast boat" trying to find and pull you out of the chop? Your flight was awesome, although your "fail-safe" seems iffy. 😎✌️
@@gus473 It could have been a fast boat given my proximity to shore and the USCG stations out here, but given precedent I have seen them send helicopters to the scenes of downed aircraft in the past. Either way, I had flotation and would have been content to float and wait for rescue if it came to that.
Hey Zachary, What an epic adventure. You seem highly proficient with paramotor skills. May I ask: where did you train, or how did you learn?
Thx
What an awesome flight. That took some balls! Very impressed.
I used to live in Laie and have often dreamed of flying one day on the north shore and windward side.
I will be starting the sport/hobby this year in Australia.
Have you done any free flying at Kahana Bay? Would your dudek wing be okay for that?
This is amazing dude. What a seemingly easy and efficient way to get around. When you go up in the airlines it seems to take so long for a machine that can go so fast. How much does the engine assembly weigh, and does it ever worry you one of your cords would get tangled or your chute loose inflation? I wonder if you could fit like an ultralight in your garage.
It's pretty awesome. The biggest limitation with a paramotor is the weather. You can't (or shouldn't) fly through rain, and the wind can't be too strong. As long as you preflight your gear, there is almost no chance for a cord to get tangled, and you will only lose inflation on you wing if you fly in really bad weather conditions (or poorly execute acrobatic maneuvers) so it's not much of a worry for me. :) The engine assembly weighs about 50lbs empty, and easily fits in your garage. It's only the size of a large backpack, ha.
@@ZDW4573 Haha that's soo cool. You could fly to Molokai to go hang out and then fly back the next day and what only cost you $35 of gas? Have you flown over the entire island of Oahu yet? Does the government require you to have a radio or anything? There's definitely a concept here. Would you ever use a glider or ultralight?
@@curiousnomadic It certainly is possible to do that; the only downside is that paramotors are very dependent on the weather, so timing would be key. I've flown all of Oahu, but very little of the other islands. No radio required since a paramotor is an ultralight and falls under FAA Part 103.
Questions, Would ATC _ever_ permit you entry into the class B, perhaps with prior permission in a less-busy time, or is it against FARs for this category of aircraft? Do you, or other paramotor pilots ever use radios? My brother used to fly a hot air balloon & always had an aircraft radio to communicate with chase crew but also in case of intrusion into, or near, an airport's airspace. But a balloon is also a registered aircraft. What a magnificent way to fly & beautiful video!
Thank you! And yeah, the ATC can grant access to anyone who is on comms. It's pretty rare for Class B though given how busy it usually is and that we don't show up on radar or have ADSB-out. I use a radio whenever I know I'm going to want to go through airspace, but otherwise I rarely carry one.
You should submit an article on this to the USPPA magazine!
That may be in the works ;)
@@ZDW4573 awesome. I’m looking forward to it. Let us know if you have any questions. I’m the treasurer
@@fobio2101 Thanks Jeremy. I've been working with Liz. She has a draft that she's editing now along with some photos for the article. Hoping to support an article on the Wingman Challenge as well 🤙
Awesome video! I live on Oahu (west side) and was really thinking of getting into ppg. Is it pretty decent flying even with the constant gusty trades? Unfortunately there isnt any ppg schools on oahu. Any recommendations from your experience flying on Oahu?
Congrats!!!... So can I ask what the plan was if you had a motor out over that 30 mile stretch of water? Did you have a radio or gps tracker that you could call for help if you went in the water?
Disregard. Just found the commend below where someone else asked you about this. InReach emergency button. NICE!
@@PPGExplorer That was the backup to the backup. My primary plan was to have enough altitude to glide to the nearest island: ~11,000ft
What a flight man! Nice work on the video, enjoyed it!
Thank you!
Brother, what brand and model are you using for your paramotor wings? I also want to buy the same Wings😊
It's a Dudek Warp 2. It's awesome; hands down the best paramotor XC wing I've ever flown.