I just discovered what this is this morning and now it's all I can think about and it is officially my big goal in life now and it's all I want to do! I feel if I spend the time and money into being able to do this the first time I go in the air I will just come to complete peace with my self and the world and I want to experience it so bad
Same my friend. I feel enlightened now that I found out I know I can do this in the future, and actually idk LIVE LIFE a bit, and do something many others can't.
I've been obsessed with this for the last 3 days now. Hell I might even call in sick to work tomorrow just so I can watch more videos lol. Someday I'll make it happen
surprising to see a video mentioning dell and not seeing him going off the shits in the comments calling everyone suicidal for not using THE BEST PARAMOROT AND WING IN THE WORLD AND HIS MIGHTY SUPER TRAINING lol
had to put the dream on hold due to the a brain tumor I need to deal with first. I figure I'll make this my end-goal post recovery since the FAA suspended my PPL because of health concerns.
yeah, had a class B, but my doc is required to notify them if there's a serious medical issue. thankfully the tumor is non-cancerous, but it's going to make me deaf in one ear. I should be able to skid by with a class C for single engine VFR only, but even then paramotoring looks much more fun. keep in the skies till I can join you guys again!
Brett Stevens I did a bit of fixed wing flying before I switched to PPG. It really is way more fun! I'll fly fixed wing when I need to travel somewhere.
Brett, just read your message. My heart is with you guy. I have had friends with brain tumors and they are not fun at all. Anyway, I'm working on my fixed wing right now then instrument ratings as well as twin engine rating but these are all means to an end. See, I also fly hang gliders and there is no one really around here for advanced instruction for hg or basic instruction in paragliding. So, after I have got a hundred or so hours I am planning on purchasing a used Mooney and then flying from NV to either AZ or CA for lessons. Kinda crazy that in Southern Nevada where you can find all sorts of activities we don't have anyone that teaches hang gliding, paragliding, paramotoring, air triking, etc. But, I can get my pilot's license and helicopter license and then use those as a means to an end to shuttle myself to the training I seek. :) Hang in there. I was thankful to read that your tumor is non-cancerous. This is a good thing. We'll keep the skies open and blue for ya.
I don't get all the hating on the Flat Top paramotor and the Dominator wing. They look just as safe, more reliable and more comfortable compared to several of the other brands. While Dell is quite eccentric and "a little out there", and has done some deplorable things in the past, he does have great skill. No doubt he is very "passionate" about the sport and his training. I also like the fact that in areas where others bash his equipment, he'll back up his claims via actions and demonstration instead of just words. I wish this hobby would cool down with the bickering and bashing, but I know that's a lot to ask.
If anyone with an open mind is interested in the Flat Top, they can message me privately and I'll share my thoughts about it openly. I've flown all kinds of motors and don't prefer the Flat Top. More importantly, I don't believe in supporting the guy behind Flat Top as he causes damage to the sport. All these points I can elaborate with details privately.
I am surprised that people buy from a few sellers that try and use fear mongering to sell their equipment, and arrogance to try and convince others that their equipment is by far the best on the planet. Common sense goes along way and that's like saying one in particular car is the best car on the planet. The sad part is these couple of sellers don't see nothing wrong with themselves at all and continues to act like idiots to others, online, and on videos. Anyway great videos man keep making them and thx for sharing!
I'd suggest looking for someone to train you for free or at a low cost just to see if you like it. I've heard people back out do to fear of experiencing turbulence. It intimidates them but you'll have to overcome that. This is not as dangerous as you think. Driving is way more dangerous.
People can try it with a tandem first to see if they really like it. I reallllly suggest high quality training for people interested in getting into the sport. I think quality training and the student's drive is the highest contributor for long term success in this sport.
@@MarkZinkel 100% l would definitely get all the training that's available and if l ever get into the swing of this endeavor I'd treat every flight as my first.
The man behind the Flat Top has been the center of many controversies. He's shut down paragliding and paramotoring in spots in San Diego and the entire coast of Oregon for several years due to his antics. He gives tandems where his passengers do no wear helmets. There's a video of him chasing and kicking a migratory owl. Go down the list - he's detrimental to all ultralight pilots.
From what I have gathered thus far, many enthusiasts trash Flat Tops purely because of Dell. He has an over the top personality and a little of him goes a long way. At least this pilot explained that his bias against the Flat Tops is mostly because of Dell and not the equipment itself. The Flat Top uses the same motor the Scout does and IMO has many positives going for it. It does not compensate for torque so one has to use almost constant weight shifting to keep straight. The heavier the pilot, the easier that is. ;) The Scout has built in attributes to help compensate with torque. As this pilot explained, most of the equipment is good and each has their pros and cons. Choose the equipment that suits you best and enjoy.
Really enjoying these videos, man! As someone who has zero experience with wings/kites/flying, can I get started with paramotor training right away or do you think it'd be better to build up experience with the wing first? Keep up the great work!
The biggest and most important part of training is learning how to kite the wing. I think it's best to jump straight into it than to learn to kite by yourself. You'll learn faster with an instructor around and they will make sure you're learning good habits and routines as well.
Im thinking of getting into this sport. Im probably going to support Dell because a lot of people hate him for his sales tactics. Its not like he supports socialism or communism or the Chinese government it seems people just hate. Im open to a real reason not to use his gear but I have only seen opinions that have no real basis for why.
The main reason why I don’t support Dell is because he’s done many things that negatively impact the entire sport. I could give example after example, like getting the coast of Oregon shut down for PPG and PG, multiple FAA, but I get the feeling like your like a reason why you shouldn’t purchase his gear. Dell’s gear is perfectly functional, but I’d recommend trying it on and then trying on other manufactures PPG. It is indeed a strong cage, but the leg straps make your manhood cry when the glider is providing lift, there really isn’t decent torque compensation, and the weight shift setup that Dell sells is essentially just a wider carabiner clip-in setup. It works, but it’s not nearly effective as articulating weight shift arms that are on modern paramotor setups. Also, the gear hasn’t really been updated in the 12 years I’ve been around the sport. I’ve watched Blackhawk, Parajet, Scout, Miniplane, Power2Fly, and many more PPG companies improve their equipment many times over in this time and they are a lot different now. I could explain logically why the gear isn’t as good (in my opinion) as many modern setups, but if you’re able to get yourself to a fly-in and look at different people’s equipment, you’ll understand what I’m saying for yourself. The fit and finish on many of these modern setups are incredible and unlike anything that was around 12 years ago.
The FT flys very similar to other PPGs once in the air. On the ground it's horrible. It sits low on your body, the harness crushes your balls (if you're equipped) before you're in the seat, and the weight is awkward.
Super Dell does get Carried away with his training and equiptment but the Flattop Paramotor is One of the Most Rugged and Safe Paramotors on the Market....
I have been watching videos on paramotoring for a couple months now. I am very interested. I had actually contacted Dell Schanze's group. I am curious as to why you would not recommend him and his equipment?
So crazy, great vid. You could really get to some remote place's.... If you were to fly for say in Colorado, does starting from altitudes ranging 7,000 to 10,000 ft really limit your flying ability? Having to constantly clear cliffs already starting so high?
C P I could go to Colorado with the gear I currently have and be OK in Colorado. It's a little more challenging because the air is thinner, but possible. If I were to live in Colorado, I might opt for a slightly larger wing. Short story long, yes, it's possible and would be a beautiful place to fly.
Nice video blog. Enjoyed watching. I’ll be buying a Quad and package early next year. Do you Quad? I’m almost a Senior, so Quad would be best for me. I would consider free Paragliding, but instructors are hard to find. Keep them coming! José
Jose Montalvo Jose Are you still looking for a trainer? I know a company that sales guides and they can train you. I'm thinking of doing the same next year. I'll be calling Black Hawk, for my training and equipment. This company has been doing this tip of thing for years now.
I've been flying for over 5 years now. I trained in an unorthodox way. A friend who was currently working at BlackHawk Paramotor taught me how to kite. From there, he taught me the barebone basics of free flight. From there I had many mentors that taught me more. After that, Mike Robinson of BlackHawk gave me a very brief lesson and guidance for my first paramotor flight. From there, it was just practice, practice, practice.
lol that's funny that one who literally can't even do what my 12 year old can do then talks crap: ua-cam.com/video/SVddbJ2_UAQ/v-deo.html that's as foolish as the above guy pretending to give advice when he literally doesn't have even the most basic understanding of the sport.
Oh, and the video you included really isn't all that impressive. It's just some kid kiting a wing. I'll take the video poster's advice over yours, kiddo. ;) Go back to playing with the children.
Yes it's quite common for those lacking wisdom to follow the advice of those that don't have even the most basic skills. That's how so many like you get killed. For those with the wisdom to actually LOOK at the skills and learn from the one who has the best skills and teach others to have the best skills it's a completely different experience in the sport. For those lacking wisdom aviation truly isn't for them at all as the sky is a very unforgiving place for those lacking wisdom. So if one cannot see the huge difference between true and real skill and a lack there of or those that would follow the blind instead of the expert again this sport just isn't for them.
There is good and there is evil. Those who bash, trash, lie, mock and endlessly spew foulness trying to pretend their foulness somehow makes the sport great while the best pilot in the world teaching the best skills and preparing people with the best and safest gear is somehow bad.... this really shows the clear difference between good vs evil. Is someone interested in trying to help others build their skills and fly safe gear or is one only interested in calling names and spewing foul language. It's quite simple to see the huge skill difference between the good vs the evil as well. It makes perfect sense why God has blessed those that he has to have the best skills in the history of the sport.
Hey Shatz, how about instead of spending time figuring out how to write the next great self-fellating internet rant, spend time on figuring out how to improve your personal and professional image. And safety record.
I'm always baffled by the prices involved in any ariel sports but especially paramotoring. It's literally a cloth wing and a fan on your back, how does that cost as much as getting a private pilots license!? My car doesn't cost 10k and it's a whole lot more sophisticated than an aerodynamic quilt and a lawnmower engine. Am I missing something can anyone explain to me why its so expensive?
Truth is, paramotor equipment *IS* a bit of a ripoff... but perhaps not as massive a ripoff as it seems. The bottom line is this: if paramotors were manufactured in 10x to 100x higher quantity, a high quality paramotor rig with wing, harness, motor, frame and *ALL* the major gizmos would cost somewhere around $3000 to $4000. However, at the quantities currently sold, costs have to be higher in order to generate sufficient income for manufactures and dealers to actually make a living at their trade. And BTW, a high quality paramotor rig plus training plus set of common gizmos that you almost need costs closer to $20,000 than $10,000. To be sure, you can cut the cost of every one of the components by about 50%, but you are not getting the best quality. Another very unfortunate factoid. Look at the expected life (in hours) of paramotor components! You may be *shocked out of your mind* when you realize that every hour of paramotor flight costs you something like $50. That's right, *fifty bucks per hour.* Here again you can cut that in half (or even one quarter) by flying your wing and other components beyond their "high performance / high efficiency / high safety lifetimes" and/or buying older and/or lower-end equipment. Frankly, the many painful cost and inconvenience aspects of paramotor has made me tentatively decide to invest my savings into an airplane instead of paramotor. To be sure, the upfront cost is greater, especially in the case of the airplane I intend to buy. It is super-modern (carbon fiber, glass cockpit, autopilot, etc), super-efficient (75mpg), and can fly up to 6500km non-stop... which means California to Hawaii, or Chile to NZ/AU (with 1~2 refuel stops)). Fact is, the cost to fly is lower than paramotor!!! Well, when you factor in the initial cost that is 2x to 10x more than a paramotor, an airplane can be anywhere from similar cost per hour to fly... to several times cheaper. That just seems *WRONG* to me. The other reason I opt for an airplane is because I can fly any time of day and/or even in the middle of the night... which I've done dozens of times in fact. In contrast, when you listen to paramotor pilots discuss their flying, they're always saying "gotta fly around sunrise and sunset or turbulence is too high and flying is too dangerous". Personally, I want to fly whenever I want to fly... within reason of course. The number of drawbacks of paramotors is pretty astounding the more I carefully research the situation. Of course the tradeoffs are somewhat different for me, because I already have a private pilot license, and a couple hundred hours of flying experience. Which means "training" costs me zero for an airplane, and $3000 to $6000 (including lodging & expenses) for paramotor training. Which means the upfront cost tradeoff for someone with no training in either domain looks better for paramotor... especially if you decide to self-train. I know there are angry arguments raging against self-training, but I prefer to stay out of the argument and just note that it is reasonably possible and practical to self-train on a paramotor if you are a very thoughtful, careful, diligent, prudent, coordinated individual with naturally excellent situational awareness skills. I would say 95% of individuals should definitely get good training while the other 5% are usually better off getting training, but should do okay on their own if they invest the appropriate time, effort, research and care on their own... especially if they can fly with (and get informal tips from) other paramotor pilots in their area.
I pretty much agree, but have a few mostly minor corrections. I've been on the AviatorPPG waiting list for training for much of 2018. However, they do not ask for any money until your turn arrives (about one month before the training session). *THEN* they want their $750, which is indeed not refundable once you pay. But since that's less than one month in advance of training, I don't consider that policy to be unreasonable. If the $750 was due when you first put yourself on their list for training... especially something like 18 months before training... that would be absurd. Though motel rooms and VRBO rentals are not extreme in their area, they still add up to quite a bit for the two weeks of training they give you. While they let you take only 8 days as a minimum, they also let you take up to 15 days of training for the fixed price of $3500. But you'd have to be terminally insane to take less than a full 15 days of training. Even if you don't absolutely need the full 15 days, you will benefit from every extra day. But the *REAL* cost of training is that $3500... plus ~15 days of motel or equivalent (about $1000+)... plus 14 days of rental car... plus 15~30 restaurant meals... plus whatever you pay to fly to and from central Florida from your town. I would never consider buying "second hand" paramotor equipment. IMO, too risky. After I found the wing that best suited me and my chosen paramotor, I read as much as I could about it, including every scrap of manufacture literature I could get my hands on. When I got to the part that said the lifetime of the $4000 wing was 100 hours, I almost freaked! Hey, I can perform simple math, and $4000 divided by 100 == $40 per flying hour... just for the wing and nothing else! Since the airplane I plan to buy happens to be one of the very most efficient small airplanes fuel economy wise, the following comparison might blow your mind. At "economy speed", which is only 220kph to 240kph compared to the cruise speed of 280kph (and top speed of 302kph), the airplane gets about 75 miles per gallon. At 240kph == 150mph, one hour of flying takes me 150 miles distance and consumes 2 gallons of automobile gasoline, which at current prices costs well under $8. *!!!!! WTF !!!!!* This means my nominal cost to fly my airplane for one hour is *5 times less than the cost of the just paramotor wing* and nothing else. To be sure, the airplane has additional costs too, but not that much. Note that we're discussing *cost of consumables* here. In the case of the paramotor this includes the wing, since the paramotor wing is consumed in 100 hours while the airplane wing is never consumed. While this may seem insane at first, it is obvious that paramotor wings drag over grass, gravel and pavement, while the airplane wing never touches anything except air. We won't bother comparing consumption of the fuel, but the paramotor consumes more fuel per hour than my choice of airplanes, and vastly more fuel per mile than my choice of airplanes. And the paramotor fuel is a pain in the butt to prepare, being a mixture of gasoline and special oil made for high performance 2-stroke engines. In contrast, I can get lead-free gasoline for my airplane at any gas station (or low-lead aviation fuel at any airport if I ever had any interest in landing at an airport, which is unlikely). For the most part, the 2-stroke engines on paramotors are extremely unreliable, and have very short lifetimes compared to the 4-stroke engine in my airplane of choice (a computer controlled electronic fuel-injected Rotax 912iS 100hp engine). While a couple of the manufacturers of 2-stroke engines for paramotors seem to have done an admirable job of making their engines more reliable than most of their competitors, the expected life of most paramotor engines is probably no longer than the wing... namely 100 hours or so. Of course those 100 hours might be enough to last many paramotor pilots a year or three, while I can easily envision flying 100 hours on a single one-month expedition around the pacific rim in my airplane of choice. Admittedly small airplanes could not fly circuits like that before now, but even limiting myself to the western USA, I could easy burn up 100 hours in a few months. It is just so much fun flying low and slow down canyons... and landing on remote mountain ridges, mountain tops, and endless obscure places out in the middle of nowhere. You obviously don't realize what kind of flying I and other "bush pilots" love to do. Clearly it will surprise you to hear me say I never expect to land on any airport... *EVER.* Okay, that's probably an exaggeration... but not much of one. When fully loaded down my airplane can takeoff with only 80 meters of semi-straightaway (dirt, rock, grass, pavement, etc). That's worst case, and landing takes a small fraction of that distance. In most situations the takeoff requires only 10, 20, 30 meters. It lands and takes off at less than 40 mph. Those of us who fly low, slow and into tiny remote places learn how to fly and land super slow... safely. And touch down on exactly the spot we intend. I'll try to find a couple links to youtube videos to show you what I mean by "bush flying" so you understand. I won't be surprised if you change your mind and decide to become a regular airplane pilot. BTW, you can learn to fly LSA airplanes (LSA == light sport aircraft) with only half as much training as regular private pilot license, so the cost is now cheaper than before. And LSA airplanes can be quite capable too! Mine qualifies as LSA... except I'm getting a slightly different engine that makes it not qualify as LSA (since I already have a full private pilot license and don't need to limit myself to LSA). And if I remember correctly, there are a great many ultra-light aircraft that require zero or little training to fly. Wait until you watch the videos I link you too. When you see how similar low and slow "bush flying" is to paramotor... except way better... you might reconsider your choice of aircraft. About "airports". One thing that has shocked me is... how far many paramotor pilots go to fly their freaking paramotors! One reason my initial reaction to paramotors was so positive was... it appeared they could land and take-off in only 5, 10, 20 steps or less, and therefore should be fine to fly from the street in front of anyones home. Now I see many videos where paramotor pilots drive half an hour *to a freaking airport* to fly their paramotors! *This blew my mind, because I never intend to need an airport to fly.* Of course never did I imagine that I can takeoff or land in front of absolutely anyones home. I know I need at least 50 meters in practice. And it has to be a wide enough swath that the 30 foot wide span of my wings don't hit anything! They are 5 feet above the ground, and will thus safely pass above pretty much any bushes and the roof of cars (but not high pickup trucks), but still. The really sick thing is... "regular folks" who are not familiar with paramotors or tiny little airplanes like my choice seem to be bothered more by paramotor takeoffs and landings than tiny airplane takeoffs and landings! To me that's strange, but then again, regular people are indeed quite strange! What is even more wacko is this. From what I can tell, FAA regulations about where paramotors can fly and land are vastly more restrictive than airplanes! For example, it seems to be illegal to fly a paramotor over any "populated area"... where "populated" seems to be quite restrictive. While this is obviously not enforced in an anal way, I've seen more than one youtube video in which the pilot says they can't fly over houses or "developments", and they must always be within gliding distance of a landing spot that does not endanger any people or property on the ground. Now I don't want to pretend I know the actual rule (assuming the rule is actually clear and specific, which I doubt), but I can tell you for sure that I can fly tiny airplanes over populated areas. In fact, it is impossible to takeoff or land at almost 100% of the airports you imagine our airplanes fly into without flying over populated areas, housing developments, shopping malls, factories and endless people and property that would be harmed by an airplane falling out of the sky (or crash landing because the engine quit). And so, the bottom line is... tiny airplanes can fly *vastly* more places than paramotors can. The other side of this coin is even more important to me... namely awesome places that are far, far away from populated areas. To even get to these places with your paramotor involves an expensive flying trip (and who knows how much cash for the oversize and/or excess baggage that is the paramotor broken down into pieces) and a rental car... or a long trip in your own car. With a tiny airplane, you just roll your airplane out of your big garage (or big tent you erected to keep the elements off your little airplane), get in, take off, and fly to wherever you wish... at 150mph! And at 75mpg, flying your own plane to awesome locations costs a fraction of what driving your car costs. Plus, "getting there" becomes a joy in a "tiny airplane designed for low and slow flight", because you can fly down rivers, down valleys and canyons, past cliffs and mountains... wherever are interesting places along the way to your destination. The whole flight may become the destination in some cases. Or, if you "just want to get there", you can fly *straight* to the destination... no need to zig and zag and wind your way along whatever paths the highway designers chose. Which means, the distance to your destination is also reduced, so your effective miles-per-gallon is even better than it seems. BTW, the guy should have watched the 5-set paramotor DVDs about 20 times before his first try!
@@merchantsvillage : That's what I figured, but not what some experts and manufactures suggest. What is true is that wings are sometimes dragged against some pretty harsh surfaces, get wet in dew, and otherwise encounter rough conditions. So obviously there is a big gap between what some experts advise and what paramotor pilots "get away with".
sorry. i posted a question that u answered at the end. i would love guided tour of some bay area sites . maybe April-June before the fog rolls in? see that u posted your contact info-now i know how to get ahold of you. thanks! Great Vids btw
The only two guys who are really well known as guys to avoid is Dell and Captn' Kirk. That said, I'm sure there's others out there. It's just that Dell and Kirk are very vocal. You're so right about it being hard to sort truth from opinion. Generally if one instructor likes to trash talk , they're actually the one to avoid. Good luck Bob!
I'm planning on taking up Paramotoring next year, gotta wait because I want to go to one of the multi-day schools. Any suggestions on reading material or anything about the sport I can start into. I have zero flight experience, but I love how this sport looks.
What's your thoughts on the Air Conception brand? They've got a paramotor coming out I really, really want to get. The lightweight and push-button start is also what really appeals to me from them, plus I hear they have a great warranty. I've also heard Eric, one of the owners, is a really cool dude. Have you heard many reviews on their stuff or what it's like dealing with them? I was originally looking at the Scout but I'm sorta meh on that one. The Air Conception one has really, really piqued my interest. There's nothing else out there I'm really interested in or looking at besides these two.
I'm not the biggest fan of titanium frames because I've seen people bend the frame into the prop. With an experienced pilot, it will work great, but at the same time, an experienced pilot knows how to use the thrust to help with calm wind forwards - at which point, weight is less of a factor. Some people love them, some people hate them.
If a bird hits the canopy, there's a good chance they'll just bounce off. If that happens, the glider isn't going to deform that much. There's also a chance they might rip the glider a bit, but that shouldn't be the end of the world. A bird getting tangled in the lines could actually be a bigger issue. All situations are unlikely but possible.
Cody, this spot is about 30 minutes south of San Franciscio. If you're still interested, I'm sure I could connect you with someone over here to show you the spot and have a buddy to fly with as well. Hell, I may even join you.
Nice video. So what do you think of the blackhawk paramotor? I often hear they are the walmart of paramotors. I have been considering the Talon 190. Wondering if I should just spand more cash and get a Scout or Air Conception. Your thoughs. Thank
The BlackHawk has come a long way since it was Paratoys with Bob Armond. The quality is pretty dang nice now. I would actually prefer the 190 (or my 125) over the Air Conception. Scouts are nice, but less durable than both the Talon and the Air Conception, so I wouldn't suggest it to someone that new to the sport.
I'm currently flying a BlackHawk 125 Classic. They have a newer model thats lighter on a slightly different cage. That one seems to have a more linear throttle band and more thrust, however I haven't flown it more than 5 feet off the ground just yet.
Mark Zinkel For sure! Better make it quick though because I'm moving to Colorado in a week or so. I'll be back down eventually though. It would be a bad ass trip to get a group of fliers together for. Maybe island hop through the Bay Islands or something cool like that. Maybe some Moskitia flying would be cool too.
Kelly - if you are in the Denver area and fly paramotor- hit me up please! I am looking to get into this and would like to watch and observe some live flights and pick some brains. :)
Gregorio, you live close to one of the premier Paramotor schools in the country my friend. Look up Aviator PPG / Aviator Paramotor. I have seen tons of Paramotor pilots highly recommend them. It's expensive for training, but everyone says your life is worth it.
Mark, I rly would love to get into this sport but for some silly reason i'm scared of jumping out of an airplane. Yet, i'm not rly scared of paramotoring. ..... any suggestions? :) Should I put away the dream of freedom up there?
I think, it more or less, Depends on your Aptitude. There are lots of self trained, successful pilots all over the world. But they all have had experience in other fields of flight. As for your question of independent study, No, I don't think that it is enough. You're going to have to practice with the wing and practice with the motor. And always keep a sense of caution, Don't let your Excitement get the better of you. Getting Excited and getting hasty will get you injured, possibly killed. Keep your head on straight and I think you can do it!
He made it out to the Salton Sea paramotor gathering this year. I don't understand why he even wants to be around a bunch of people who really don't like him, but he does it anyways.
I wanna fly like you and I want to fly with someone but I can't fly with a friend... I can't do this with anyone I might like in case they get hurt... that sucks... It's a lonely hobby :)
Friends 0. Internet Acquaintances 3. I don't get close to people that have exceptionally bad judgement in the flying world because I don't want to experience the pain of a loss. Loosing well respected acquaintances is hard enough.
Hi one question can you train with instructor for paragliding and then switch on to paramotor by your self? I'am asking because there is no paramotor instructor in my country
Really? I know he's tried sending people fake cease and deist letters, but I've never heard of him actually suing people. My point is that if he's going to sue me for telling people to avoid his gear, he's going to have to sue a LOT of people. I'm not afraid. I have so much support behind me.
After thinking about it for a moment, I think it is the cheapest way to enjoy powered flight. At the same time, I personally enjoy it more than fixed wing aircraft and other kinds of ultralights.
Bigger guys require a larger wing and bigger engine. I've seen 260 lb guys foot launching a paramotor, but bigger guys tend to use the quad because training is physically intense.
Hmm yes, the ubiquitous windows startup sound. An artist going by the name 'Blank Banshee' took the Windows AND Mac startup sounds and made this track. Anyways, thanks for the video, keep them coming! :)
I paid 3500 for my gear and taught myself, never really considered myself stupid though. Kited for three months, probably two and a half months longer than you did during your training I suppose, I don't know for sure though. It's not rocket science. I guess all the stupid self taught people are not smart as you though, but then again, we figured it out without paying for it. Just saying. Posted your video in the paramotor self training group on Facebook.
Best is an objective term. I dissuade people from Flat Tops primarily because Dell Schanze, the owner of the Flat Top company has repeatedly done stupid things that has gotten the FAA involved and the paramotor community doesn't need threats to FAR 103.
That shit is WAY over priced!!!!!! I bet it cost them under $500 the build those units then they sell them for $10,000 and that’s no wing ,floatation devil, helmet ,radio, reserve chute or two and more!!!! I then $2,000 - $3,000 for training........not included a hotel and food for 10 days !!!!!!! Gonna need almost $20,000 to get started the correct/safe way !! To some guys that’s nothing but to me that’s MORE than a lot of money!! No wonder guys skip paying $5,000 for training
Mark Zinkel nope just honest and saying the facts! I called all over this summer and talked to ever school, manufacture, company that has anything to do with paramotoring and it’s unreal what it cost to paramotor and get good gear and all the smart practical safety gear the everyone should have! No wonder not every uses floatation device, reserves, radio equipment , and training ...... they mark the prices up so much that it’s ridiculous and sucks for people that don’t have a lot of money or have families that come before toys lol I’d love to paramotor but it’s a pipe dream for now!
Equipment is built on a small scale. There are 10+ companies fighting for the business of a few hundred paramotor pilots. In the end, you can buy an airplane for the cost of a jet ski.
I disagree with your assessment of the Flat Top. It is the safest and most durable paramotor out there. You may not like Dell's personality, but he knows paramotoring better than anyone out there. He has invested a lot to give the paramotoring community a robust cage, motor, and wing combination that is second to none in safety and performance. If you buy a cheaper machine, it will eventually cost you.
You know it amazes me when people refer to PPG as the cheapest way to fly it simply is not. FIXED WING ultralights cost a LOT less only because the companies producing the equipment are not trying to get rich overnight like PPG manufacturers are. This is the most overpriced motorsport in the world. If you buy a used engine and redrive suitable for an ultralight (Rotax 447 with B box or Kawasaki 440A with a magnum redrive), build your own cage and trike, weave your own net, do your own upholstery etc etc you could have a trike ready for a wing for $2000-$3000 and it would be tandem capable. Then you pay $3000 for about $200 worth of fabric and lines. If PPG and PG people were like AIRPLANE people there would be plans available so you could make your own wing for the cost of materials and your time. DON'T say that such a thing is beyond what a non pro can accomplish as it simply isn't. All we would need are patterns and a "how to" video. They are simply too focused on making profit to share any information in the way that ALL airplane designers do. You may guess that this is my plan. Not to make a wing but to make all the rest of my equipment using my Kawasaki 440. I will end up spending 1/6th (or less) of what a normal PPG set up will cost and will have a tandem capable trike that I can repair myself and that I know inside and out.. If patterns and information about wing making were not so jealously hidden from me I WOULD get an industrial sewing machine and make wing after wing after wing. That would be too dangerous as things are since this important safety information is considered to be "industrial secrets". Funny how airplane wing design is NEVER kept secret and the designer will answer ANY question and provide ANY information, pattern or measurements (FOR FREE) when asked as that is how older aeroplanes are repaired! Paraglider wing manufacturers are money grubbing, overcharging JERKS compared with experimental airplane makers. I am not suggesting they release information about their latest and greatest designs but how about a "how to cut and sew" video and a set of patters on Mylar for a good safe beginner wing? I have built high powered lasers from scratch, a lathe out of scrap, high power rockets out of cardboard and several airplanes. DON'T try to tell me that cutting out patterns and sewing them together is beyond my skills. Only the DESIGN of the wing is outside of my skill set.
This sport can't prove flat or round earth. An airliner flys slightly above 30,000 feet on a regular basis and we never get there. The U2 Spyplane goes to 60,000 feet and at that altitude you can juuuust start to barely notice a round earth.
Mark Zinkel ... maybe this wont show it.. but there is already enough proof its flat.. it just makes everything cooler and for me would make your sport cooler.. id love to do it.. not something you see in Ky
I just discovered what this is this morning and now it's all I can think about and it is officially my big goal in life now and it's all I want to do! I feel if I spend the time and money into being able to do this the first time I go in the air I will just come to complete peace with my self and the world and I want to experience it so bad
vibrationz 365 exact same here lol
Same my friend. I feel enlightened now that I found out I know I can do this in the future, and actually idk LIVE LIFE a bit, and do something many others can't.
So did anybody on here actually get into it lol? This time last year I was taking my first flights.
Same here though I can't do it for a few years
I've been obsessed with this for the last 3 days now. Hell I might even call in sick to work tomorrow just so I can watch more videos lol. Someday I'll make it happen
surprising to see a video mentioning dell and not seeing him going off the shits in the comments calling everyone suicidal for not using THE BEST PARAMOROT AND WING IN THE WORLD AND HIS MIGHTY SUPER TRAINING lol
Some of Dell's stuges have commented here. I think I actually have Dell's current account blocked which is why you don't see him posting ;)
had to put the dream on hold due to the a brain tumor I need to deal with first. I figure I'll make this my end-goal post recovery since the FAA suspended my PPL because of health concerns.
Brett Stevens I presume you lost your medical? Very tricky to get back from what I hear. I hope you have a quick recovery. Stay strong Brett.
yeah, had a class B, but my doc is required to notify them if there's a serious medical issue. thankfully the tumor is non-cancerous, but it's going to make me deaf in one ear. I should be able to skid by with a class C for single engine VFR only, but even then paramotoring looks much more fun. keep in the skies till I can join you guys again!
Brett Stevens I did a bit of fixed wing flying before I switched to PPG. It really is way more fun! I'll fly fixed wing when I need to travel somewhere.
Brett, just read your message. My heart is with you guy. I have had friends with brain tumors and they are not fun at all.
Anyway, I'm working on my fixed wing right now then instrument ratings as well as twin engine rating but these are all means to an end. See, I also fly hang gliders and there is no one really around here for advanced instruction for hg or basic instruction in paragliding. So, after I have got a hundred or so hours I am planning on purchasing a used Mooney and then flying from NV to either AZ or CA for lessons. Kinda crazy that in Southern Nevada where you can find all sorts of activities we don't have anyone that teaches hang gliding, paragliding, paramotoring, air triking, etc. But, I can get my pilot's license and helicopter license and then use those as a means to an end to shuttle myself to the training I seek. :)
Hang in there. I was thankful to read that your tumor is non-cancerous. This is a good thing. We'll keep the skies open and blue for ya.
prayers with you brett hope you are doing good.
I don't get all the hating on the Flat Top paramotor and the Dominator wing. They look just as safe, more reliable and more comfortable compared to several of the other brands. While Dell is quite eccentric and "a little out there", and has done some deplorable things in the past, he does have great skill. No doubt he is very "passionate" about the sport and his training. I also like the fact that in areas where others bash his equipment, he'll back up his claims via actions and demonstration instead of just words. I wish this hobby would cool down with the bickering and bashing, but I know that's a lot to ask.
If anyone with an open mind is interested in the Flat Top, they can message me privately and I'll share my thoughts about it openly. I've flown all kinds of motors and don't prefer the Flat Top. More importantly, I don't believe in supporting the guy behind Flat Top as he causes damage to the sport. All these points I can elaborate with details privately.
I am surprised that people buy from a few sellers that try and use fear mongering to sell their equipment, and arrogance to try and convince others that their equipment is by far the best on the planet. Common sense goes along way and that's like saying one in particular car is the best car on the planet. The sad part is these couple of sellers don't see nothing wrong with themselves at all and continues to act like idiots to others, online, and on videos. Anyway great videos man keep making them and thx for sharing!
Wonderful scenery...reminds me of around Victor Harbour in South Australia.
thanks for the info. im so ready to go, my bags are packed and everything all i need now is money to buy the parachute and for training, deng it!
Great job spelling out the info. What a beautiful flight, and good luck with the growth of the channel! 👍
Quality, quality, quality, right? Thanks for the kind words
I'd suggest looking for someone to train you for free or at a low cost just to see if you like it. I've heard people back out do to fear of experiencing turbulence. It intimidates them but you'll have to overcome that. This is not as dangerous as you think. Driving is way more dangerous.
People can try it with a tandem first to see if they really like it. I reallllly suggest high quality training for people interested in getting into the sport. I think quality training and the student's drive is the highest contributor for long term success in this sport.
@@MarkZinkel 100% l would definitely get all the training that's available and if l ever get into the swing of this endeavor I'd treat every flight as my first.
Great insight into the sport. Yes, the view was amazing.
I like the effort you put into your video. Keep it up.
Thanks Scott!
You never gave the information why the flat top powered para motor and instructor was something to be avoided. Would you care to elaborate on that?
The man behind the Flat Top has been the center of many controversies. He's shut down paragliding and paramotoring in spots in San Diego and the entire coast of Oregon for several years due to his antics. He gives tandems where his passengers do no wear helmets. There's a video of him chasing and kicking a migratory owl. Go down the list - he's detrimental to all ultralight pilots.
From what I have gathered thus far, many enthusiasts trash Flat Tops purely because of Dell. He has an over the top personality and a little of him goes a long way. At least this pilot explained that his bias against the Flat Tops is mostly because of Dell and not the equipment itself. The Flat Top uses the same motor the Scout does and IMO has many positives going for it. It does not compensate for torque so one has to use almost constant weight shifting to keep straight. The heavier the pilot, the easier that is. ;) The Scout has built in attributes to help compensate with torque. As this pilot explained, most of the equipment is good and each has their pros and cons. Choose the equipment that suits you best and enjoy.
Mark! I'm in the bay area and trying to get going, and have been talking with schools. Do you have training recommendations in the area?
Hey Mark . That exhibition was excellent .Best wishes from John& Susi in Chiang Mai
Hopefully I will see you again soon!
It's a shame that a great machine like the Ninja Flat Top is seen as "lesser than" because of Dell's personality.
Thats America for you. Its ALWAYS the fault of the machine. ALWAYS.
Wow such good scenery. Good tips.
Thanks Trey. I'm so fortunate to live in California with such a variety of scenery.
Great video for a newb like myself, bro, anyone ever tell you that you look just like Peter Noone from the 60’s band “Herman’s Hermits”
Really enjoying these videos, man!
As someone who has zero experience with wings/kites/flying, can I get started with paramotor training right away or do you think it'd be better to build up experience with the wing first? Keep up the great work!
The biggest and most important part of training is learning how to kite the wing. I think it's best to jump straight into it than to learn to kite by yourself. You'll learn faster with an instructor around and they will make sure you're learning good habits and routines as well.
Good vid! Waiting for the next bitcoin rally! Gonna get into this.
Im thinking of getting into this sport. Im probably going to support Dell because a lot of people hate him for his sales tactics. Its not like he supports socialism or communism or the Chinese government it seems people just hate. Im open to a real reason not to use his gear but I have only seen opinions that have no real basis for why.
The main reason why I don’t support Dell
is because he’s done many things that negatively impact the entire sport. I could give example after example, like getting the coast of Oregon shut down for PPG and PG, multiple FAA, but I get the feeling like your like a reason why you shouldn’t purchase his gear.
Dell’s gear is perfectly functional, but I’d recommend trying it on and then trying on other manufactures PPG. It is indeed a strong cage, but the leg straps make your manhood cry when the glider is providing lift, there really isn’t decent torque compensation, and the weight shift setup that Dell sells is essentially just a wider carabiner clip-in setup. It works, but it’s not nearly effective as articulating weight shift arms that are on modern paramotor setups. Also, the gear hasn’t really been updated in the 12 years I’ve been around the sport. I’ve watched Blackhawk, Parajet, Scout, Miniplane, Power2Fly, and many more PPG companies improve their equipment many times over in this time and they are a lot different now.
I could explain logically why the gear isn’t as good (in my opinion) as many modern setups, but if you’re able to get yourself to a fly-in and look at different people’s equipment, you’ll understand what I’m saying for yourself. The fit and finish on many of these modern setups are incredible and unlike anything that was around 12 years ago.
@@MarkZinkel Thank you for the response. Thats probably the best idea to compare the gear side by side. Thank you much.
I wanna do this soooo bad! Gotta wait until I get the funds to do it.
gshockley100 same. It hurts
You might want to try paragliding first. That's how I did it.
Just saw a Dell video and was shocked, and it made me not want to buy flat top, but also to wonder if it's as good as he says it is.
The FT flys very similar to other PPGs once in the air. On the ground it's horrible. It sits low on your body, the harness crushes your balls (if you're equipped) before you're in the seat, and the weight is awkward.
Wow... that looks fun...
If only I had the money...
No to Flat Tops? Now im totally confused!
reject flat tops because who selld them? sounds like the views of a little bitch.
Really beautiful video your so lucky.
You guys have me hooked X)
mdubin it's quite addictive. In fact, the first hit is free.
Can someone link me to a paramotor that is begginer level and around 3k
HBCgraphics parajet
Times and prices have definitely changed alot in 6 years
Super Dell does get Carried away with his training and equiptment but the Flattop Paramotor is One of the Most Rugged and Safe Paramotors on the Market....
blank banshee!
good taste!
Earned my sub, enjoy your vids
Thanks Dan.
I have been watching videos on paramotoring for a couple months now. I am very interested. I had actually contacted Dell Schanze's group. I am curious as to why you would not recommend him and his equipment?
So crazy, great vid. You could really get to some remote place's.... If you were to fly for say in Colorado, does starting from altitudes ranging 7,000 to 10,000 ft really limit your flying ability? Having to constantly clear cliffs already starting so high?
C P I could go to Colorado with the gear I currently have and be OK in Colorado. It's a little more challenging because the air is thinner, but possible. If I were to live in Colorado, I might opt for a slightly larger wing. Short story long, yes, it's possible and would be a beautiful place to fly.
Mark Zinkel good info for an aspiring Paramotorist in Colorado 😁
Cool the flight. Wanna get an equipament like this soon.
Liked and subscribed for Black Banshee. You have your head on straight.
This is all music that I'm just discovering. Love it!
Nice video blog. Enjoyed watching. I’ll be buying a Quad and package early next year. Do you Quad? I’m almost a Senior, so Quad would be best for me. I would consider free Paragliding, but instructors are hard to find. Keep them coming! José
Jose Montalvo
Jose
Are you still looking for a trainer?
I know a company that sales guides and they can train you. I'm thinking of doing the same next year. I'll be calling Black Hawk, for my training and equipment.
This company has been doing this tip of thing for years now.
Good stuff Mark! Flew with you last weekend!
Tandem? I'm so curious who you are.
Yup, my name is Monish. Best spontaneous thing I did in a long time .. I'm already planning on how to get into this. Thanks !
My current goal. Gonna be working my ass offfff.
Old windows login music
I never realized that until just now. You're so right!
i new to the sport thinking of buying paramotor i weight 185lbs 5' 7" whats your opinion Propulse Titan EOS 100 vs Miniplane Top 80 PSF or ABM
How long have you been flying, and where did you receive your training?
I've been flying for over 5 years now. I trained in an unorthodox way. A friend who was currently working at BlackHawk Paramotor taught me how to kite. From there, he taught me the barebone basics of free flight. From there I had many mentors that taught me more. After that, Mike Robinson of BlackHawk gave me a very brief lesson and guidance for my first paramotor flight. From there, it was just practice, practice, practice.
Mark Zinkel
Mark
I live in Fresno California.
I'm thinking of buying a guide.
From Blackhawk what do you think of that equipment?
where is this at?
O and I found that guy that makes the flattop and yeah, he's bat shit crazy
lol that's funny that one who literally can't even do what my 12 year old can do then talks crap: ua-cam.com/video/SVddbJ2_UAQ/v-deo.html that's as foolish as the above guy pretending to give advice when he literally doesn't have even the most basic understanding of the sport.
Oh, and the video you included really isn't all that impressive. It's just some kid kiting a wing.
I'll take the video poster's advice over yours, kiddo. ;) Go back to playing with the children.
Yes it's quite common for those lacking wisdom to follow the advice of those that don't have even the most basic skills. That's how so many like you get killed. For those with the wisdom to actually LOOK at the skills and learn from the one who has the best skills and teach others to have the best skills it's a completely different experience in the sport. For those lacking wisdom aviation truly isn't for them at all as the sky is a very unforgiving place for those lacking wisdom. So if one cannot see the huge difference between true and real skill and a lack there of or those that would follow the blind instead of the expert again this sport just isn't for them.
There is good and there is evil. Those who bash, trash, lie, mock and endlessly spew foulness trying to pretend their foulness somehow makes the sport great while the best pilot in the world teaching the best skills and preparing people with the best and safest gear is somehow bad.... this really shows the clear difference between good vs evil. Is someone interested in trying to help others build their skills and fly safe gear or is one only interested in calling names and spewing foul language. It's quite simple to see the huge skill difference between the good vs the evil as well. It makes perfect sense why God has blessed those that he has to have the best skills in the history of the sport.
Hey Shatz, how about instead of spending time figuring out how to write the next great self-fellating internet rant, spend time on figuring out how to improve your personal and professional image. And safety record.
I'm always baffled by the prices involved in any ariel sports but especially paramotoring. It's literally a cloth wing and a fan on your back, how does that cost as much as getting a private pilots license!? My car doesn't cost 10k and it's a whole lot more sophisticated than an aerodynamic quilt and a lawnmower engine. Am I missing something can anyone explain to me why its so expensive?
Truth is, paramotor equipment *IS* a bit of a ripoff... but perhaps not as massive a ripoff as it seems. The bottom line is this: if paramotors were manufactured in 10x to 100x higher quantity, a high quality paramotor rig with wing, harness, motor, frame and *ALL* the major gizmos would cost somewhere around $3000 to $4000. However, at the quantities currently sold, costs have to be higher in order to generate sufficient income for manufactures and dealers to actually make a living at their trade.
And BTW, a high quality paramotor rig plus training plus set of common gizmos that you almost need costs closer to $20,000 than $10,000. To be sure, you can cut the cost of every one of the components by about 50%, but you are not getting the best quality.
Another very unfortunate factoid. Look at the expected life (in hours) of paramotor components! You may be *shocked out of your mind* when you realize that every hour of paramotor flight costs you something like $50. That's right, *fifty bucks per hour.* Here again you can cut that in half (or even one quarter) by flying your wing and other components beyond their "high performance / high efficiency / high safety lifetimes" and/or buying older and/or lower-end equipment.
Frankly, the many painful cost and inconvenience aspects of paramotor has made me tentatively decide to invest my savings into an airplane instead of paramotor. To be sure, the upfront cost is greater, especially in the case of the airplane I intend to buy. It is super-modern (carbon fiber, glass cockpit, autopilot, etc), super-efficient (75mpg), and can fly up to 6500km non-stop... which means California to Hawaii, or Chile to NZ/AU (with 1~2 refuel stops)). Fact is, the cost to fly is lower than paramotor!!! Well, when you factor in the initial cost that is 2x to 10x more than a paramotor, an airplane can be anywhere from similar cost per hour to fly... to several times cheaper. That just seems *WRONG* to me. The other reason I opt for an airplane is because I can fly any time of day and/or even in the middle of the night... which I've done dozens of times in fact. In contrast, when you listen to paramotor pilots discuss their flying, they're always saying "gotta fly around sunrise and sunset or turbulence is too high and flying is too dangerous". Personally, I want to fly whenever I want to fly... within reason of course.
The number of drawbacks of paramotors is pretty astounding the more I carefully research the situation. Of course the tradeoffs are somewhat different for me, because I already have a private pilot license, and a couple hundred hours of flying experience. Which means "training" costs me zero for an airplane, and $3000 to $6000 (including lodging & expenses) for paramotor training. Which means the upfront cost tradeoff for someone with no training in either domain looks better for paramotor... especially if you decide to self-train. I know there are angry arguments raging against self-training, but I prefer to stay out of the argument and just note that it is reasonably possible and practical to self-train on a paramotor if you are a very thoughtful, careful, diligent, prudent, coordinated individual with naturally excellent situational awareness skills. I would say 95% of individuals should definitely get good training while the other 5% are usually better off getting training, but should do okay on their own if they invest the appropriate time, effort, research and care on their own... especially if they can fly with (and get informal tips from) other paramotor pilots in their area.
I pretty much agree, but have a few mostly minor corrections. I've been on the AviatorPPG waiting list for training for much of 2018. However, they do not ask for any money until your turn arrives (about one month before the training session). *THEN* they want their $750, which is indeed not refundable once you pay. But since that's less than one month in advance of training, I don't consider that policy to be unreasonable. If the $750 was due when you first put yourself on their list for training... especially something like 18 months before training... that would be absurd. Though motel rooms and VRBO rentals are not extreme in their area, they still add up to quite a bit for the two weeks of training they give you. While they let you take only 8 days as a minimum, they also let you take up to 15 days of training for the fixed price of $3500. But you'd have to be terminally insane to take less than a full 15 days of training. Even if you don't absolutely need the full 15 days, you will benefit from every extra day. But the *REAL* cost of training is that $3500... plus ~15 days of motel or equivalent (about $1000+)... plus 14 days of rental car... plus 15~30 restaurant meals... plus whatever you pay to fly to and from central Florida from your town.
I would never consider buying "second hand" paramotor equipment. IMO, too risky.
After I found the wing that best suited me and my chosen paramotor, I read as much as I could about it, including every scrap of manufacture literature I could get my hands on. When I got to the part that said the lifetime of the $4000 wing was 100 hours, I almost freaked! Hey, I can perform simple math, and $4000 divided by 100 == $40 per flying hour... just for the wing and nothing else! Since the airplane I plan to buy happens to be one of the very most efficient small airplanes fuel economy wise, the following comparison might blow your mind. At "economy speed", which is only 220kph to 240kph compared to the cruise speed of 280kph (and top speed of 302kph), the airplane gets about 75 miles per gallon. At 240kph == 150mph, one hour of flying takes me 150 miles distance and consumes 2 gallons of automobile gasoline, which at current prices costs well under $8.
*!!!!! WTF !!!!!* This means my nominal cost to fly my airplane for one hour is *5 times less than the cost of the just paramotor wing* and nothing else. To be sure, the airplane has additional costs too, but not that much. Note that we're discussing *cost of consumables* here. In the case of the paramotor this includes the wing, since the paramotor wing is consumed in 100 hours while the airplane wing is never consumed. While this may seem insane at first, it is obvious that paramotor wings drag over grass, gravel and pavement, while the airplane wing never touches anything except air. We won't bother comparing consumption of the fuel, but the paramotor consumes more fuel per hour than my choice of airplanes, and vastly more fuel per mile than my choice of airplanes. And the paramotor fuel is a pain in the butt to prepare, being a mixture of gasoline and special oil made for high performance 2-stroke engines. In contrast, I can get lead-free gasoline for my airplane at any gas station (or low-lead aviation fuel at any airport if I ever had any interest in landing at an airport, which is unlikely).
For the most part, the 2-stroke engines on paramotors are extremely unreliable, and have very short lifetimes compared to the 4-stroke engine in my airplane of choice (a computer controlled electronic fuel-injected Rotax 912iS 100hp engine). While a couple of the manufacturers of 2-stroke engines for paramotors seem to have done an admirable job of making their engines more reliable than most of their competitors, the expected life of most paramotor engines is probably no longer than the wing... namely 100 hours or so. Of course those 100 hours might be enough to last many paramotor pilots a year or three, while I can easily envision flying 100 hours on a single one-month expedition around the pacific rim in my airplane of choice. Admittedly small airplanes could not fly circuits like that before now, but even limiting myself to the western USA, I could easy burn up 100 hours in a few months. It is just so much fun flying low and slow down canyons... and landing on remote mountain ridges, mountain tops, and endless obscure places out in the middle of nowhere.
You obviously don't realize what kind of flying I and other "bush pilots" love to do. Clearly it will surprise you to hear me say I never expect to land on any airport... *EVER.* Okay, that's probably an exaggeration... but not much of one. When fully loaded down my airplane can takeoff with only 80 meters of semi-straightaway (dirt, rock, grass, pavement, etc). That's worst case, and landing takes a small fraction of that distance. In most situations the takeoff requires only 10, 20, 30 meters. It lands and takes off at less than 40 mph. Those of us who fly low, slow and into tiny remote places learn how to fly and land super slow... safely. And touch down on exactly the spot we intend. I'll try to find a couple links to youtube videos to show you what I mean by "bush flying" so you understand. I won't be surprised if you change your mind and decide to become a regular airplane pilot. BTW, you can learn to fly LSA airplanes (LSA == light sport aircraft) with only half as much training as regular private pilot license, so the cost is now cheaper than before. And LSA airplanes can be quite capable too! Mine qualifies as LSA... except I'm getting a slightly different engine that makes it not qualify as LSA (since I already have a full private pilot license and don't need to limit myself to LSA). And if I remember correctly, there are a great many ultra-light aircraft that require zero or little training to fly. Wait until you watch the videos I link you too. When you see how similar low and slow "bush flying" is to paramotor... except way better... you might reconsider your choice of aircraft.
About "airports". One thing that has shocked me is... how far many paramotor pilots go to fly their freaking paramotors! One reason my initial reaction to paramotors was so positive was... it appeared they could land and take-off in only 5, 10, 20 steps or less, and therefore should be fine to fly from the street in front of anyones home. Now I see many videos where paramotor pilots drive half an hour *to a freaking airport* to fly their paramotors! *This blew my mind, because I never intend to need an airport to fly.* Of course never did I imagine that I can takeoff or land in front of absolutely anyones home. I know I need at least 50 meters in practice. And it has to be a wide enough swath that the 30 foot wide span of my wings don't hit anything! They are 5 feet above the ground, and will thus safely pass above pretty much any bushes and the roof of cars (but not high pickup trucks), but still. The really sick thing is... "regular folks" who are not familiar with paramotors or tiny little airplanes like my choice seem to be bothered more by paramotor takeoffs and landings than tiny airplane takeoffs and landings! To me that's strange, but then again, regular people are indeed quite strange!
What is even more wacko is this. From what I can tell, FAA regulations about where paramotors can fly and land are vastly more restrictive than airplanes! For example, it seems to be illegal to fly a paramotor over any "populated area"... where "populated" seems to be quite restrictive. While this is obviously not enforced in an anal way, I've seen more than one youtube video in which the pilot says they can't fly over houses or "developments", and they must always be within gliding distance of a landing spot that does not endanger any people or property on the ground. Now I don't want to pretend I know the actual rule (assuming the rule is actually clear and specific, which I doubt), but I can tell you for sure that I can fly tiny airplanes over populated areas. In fact, it is impossible to takeoff or land at almost 100% of the airports you imagine our airplanes fly into without flying over populated areas, housing developments, shopping malls, factories and endless people and property that would be harmed by an airplane falling out of the sky (or crash landing because the engine quit). And so, the bottom line is... tiny airplanes can fly *vastly* more places than paramotors can. The other side of this coin is even more important to me... namely awesome places that are far, far away from populated areas. To even get to these places with your paramotor involves an expensive flying trip (and who knows how much cash for the oversize and/or excess baggage that is the paramotor broken down into pieces) and a rental car... or a long trip in your own car. With a tiny airplane, you just roll your airplane out of your big garage (or big tent you erected to keep the elements off your little airplane), get in, take off, and fly to wherever you wish... at 150mph! And at 75mpg, flying your own plane to awesome locations costs a fraction of what driving your car costs. Plus, "getting there" becomes a joy in a "tiny airplane designed for low and slow flight", because you can fly down rivers, down valleys and canyons, past cliffs and mountains... wherever are interesting places along the way to your destination. The whole flight may become the destination in some cases. Or, if you "just want to get there", you can fly *straight* to the destination... no need to zig and zag and wind your way along whatever paths the highway designers chose. Which means, the distance to your destination is also reduced, so your effective miles-per-gallon is even better than it seems.
BTW, the guy should have watched the 5-set paramotor DVDs about 20 times before his first try!
@@maxbootstrap7397 What wing lasts only 100hrs? You should get 400 hours from most wings, and 600+ from some.
@@merchantsvillage : That's what I figured, but not what some experts and manufactures suggest. What is true is that wings are sometimes dragged against some pretty harsh surfaces, get wet in dew, and otherwise encounter rough conditions. So obviously there is a big gap between what some experts advise and what paramotor pilots "get away with".
So the 750 pounds I can muster up is not enough
Thanks for the tips. What coastline was that btw?
California coastline south of San Francisco
sorry. i posted a question that u answered at the end. i would love guided tour of some bay area sites . maybe April-June before the fog rolls in? see that u posted your contact info-now i know how to get ahold of you. thanks! Great Vids btw
I'd love to share what we have up here.
Other than Dell & Flat Top, are there others to avoid? One problem I have is sorting truth from opinion, because some like to trash talk others.
The only two guys who are really well known as guys to avoid is Dell and Captn' Kirk. That said, I'm sure there's others out there. It's just that Dell and Kirk are very vocal. You're so right about it being hard to sort truth from opinion. Generally if one instructor likes to trash talk , they're actually the one to avoid. Good luck Bob!
I’m gonna be shunned sporting my brand new Flat Top. 😔😢
Nah! I'd still fly with you.
I'm planning on taking up Paramotoring next year, gotta wait because I want to go to one of the multi-day schools. Any suggestions on reading material or anything about the sport I can start into. I have zero flight experience, but I love how this sport looks.
Read the PPG Bible by Jeff Goin. It's perfect prep before you go to a school.
Do you ever fly at night
What's your thoughts on the Air Conception brand? They've got a paramotor coming out I really, really want to get. The lightweight and push-button start is also what really appeals to me from them, plus I hear they have a great warranty. I've also heard Eric, one of the owners, is a really cool dude. Have you heard many reviews on their stuff or what it's like dealing with them? I was originally looking at the Scout but I'm sorta meh on that one. The Air Conception one has really, really piqued my interest. There's nothing else out there I'm really interested in or looking at besides these two.
I'm not the biggest fan of titanium frames because I've seen people bend the frame into the prop. With an experienced pilot, it will work great, but at the same time, an experienced pilot knows how to use the thrust to help with calm wind forwards - at which point, weight is less of a factor. Some people love them, some people hate them.
does already having a PPL assist in becoming paramotor proficient?
Having a PPL helps with some of the ground school stuff, but it's an entirely different beast on the ground and in the air.
So what do you do if a big ass bird hits your canopy and causes it to collapse?
*Just Die?*
If a bird hits the canopy, there's a good chance they'll just bounce off. If that happens, the glider isn't going to deform that much. There's also a chance they might rip the glider a bit, but that shouldn't be the end of the world. A bird getting tangled in the lines could actually be a bigger issue. All situations are unlikely but possible.
Where exactly is the location you are flying? I know the description says Half Moon Bay. Is that near the Oregon dunes rec area? I want to fly there!
Cody, this spot is about 30 minutes south of San Franciscio. If you're still interested, I'm sure I could connect you with someone over here to show you the spot and have a buddy to fly with as well. Hell, I may even join you.
Oh. I was hoping it was in Oregon... There is another Half Moon Bay near the Oregon Dunes. Thanks for the reply. Great vid.
+Mark Zinkel I live pretty close. Could you recommend an instructor?
Nice video. So what do you think of the blackhawk paramotor? I often hear they are the walmart of paramotors. I have been considering the Talon 190. Wondering if I should just spand more cash and get a Scout or Air Conception. Your thoughs. Thank
The BlackHawk has come a long way since it was Paratoys with Bob Armond. The quality is pretty dang nice now. I would actually prefer the 190 (or my 125) over the Air Conception. Scouts are nice, but less durable than both the Talon and the Air Conception, so I wouldn't suggest it to someone that new to the sport.
Very beautiful landscape, where did you fly in the video and did you use Gopro? Thanks for a great video.
I was flying in Half Moon Bay, CA and I'm recording with a GoPro Hero 4 Black.
Nice seeing you again!
hi mark,
What kind of motor and do you use?
I'm currently flying a BlackHawk 125 Classic. They have a newer model thats lighter on a slightly different cage. That one seems to have a more linear throttle band and more thrust, however I haven't flown it more than 5 feet off the ground just yet.
Nice! I live right on the beach.... about 150 feet from the Caribbean 😆.
Kelly Ash Can I come over and vacation...or just stay there for the rest of my life?
Mark Zinkel For sure! Better make it quick though because I'm moving to Colorado in a week or so.
I'll be back down eventually though. It would be a bad ass trip to get a group of fliers together for. Maybe island hop through the Bay Islands or something cool like that. Maybe some Moskitia flying would be cool too.
Kelly - if you are in the Denver area and fly paramotor- hit me up please! I am looking to get into this and would like to watch and observe some live flights and pick some brains. :)
You should take to Mike Bennett. If you find me on Facebook, call or text me, I'll give you his number.
where do you find used equipment?
Look for "Paramotor Things For Sale" on Facebook.
Where to train ? I'm in SW Florida but I would go anywhere warm ...
Gregorio, you live close to one of the premier Paramotor schools in the country my friend. Look up Aviator PPG / Aviator Paramotor. I have seen tons of Paramotor pilots highly recommend them. It's expensive for training, but everyone says your life is worth it.
Mark, I rly would love to get into this sport but for some silly reason i'm scared of jumping out of an airplane. Yet, i'm not rly scared of paramotoring. ..... any suggestions? :) Should I put away the dream of freedom up there?
Airborne maybe you could take a lesson and then see how that goes?
man that music kept making me think the wing was ripping! D:
Ha! That never crossed my mind until you mentioned it.
Where are you?
I built my paramotor for about $2500 and never had training. Saved at least $5000, But I guess that makes me stupid.... :(
The Off-Grid Guru independent research is enough you think? I learn really fast and dont have time/ money for trainning
I think, it more or less, Depends on your Aptitude. There are lots of self trained, successful pilots all over the world. But they all have had experience in other fields of flight. As for your question of independent study, No, I don't think that it is enough. You're going to have to practice with the wing and practice with the motor. And always keep a sense of caution, Don't let your Excitement get the better of you. Getting Excited and getting hasty will get you injured, possibly killed. Keep your head on straight and I think you can do it!
Because when you're going to put your life on the line, saving a few grand is so important. Lol
Mark from Florida here,. Mark how the heck have you been ?
Mark, life is good! - Mark
when you throttle you will gain altitude when you down the throttle you will land on earth how you get into level flight?
R Raju with just a little bit of throttle applied you will fly level
🤪🥴😜del shanze best laugh of my day 🤪😂🤣thanks bloke love vid as watch him and how does he get away with it 🥴stay safe 👍🏻🙏🏻
He made it out to the Salton Sea paramotor gathering this year. I don't understand why he even wants to be around a bunch of people who really don't like him, but he does it anyways.
Don't wanna spoil the mood but just wondering, how many people do you know (friends) that died or had a major accident while doing this?
jirka merunka usually out if anyone that does this there are 1-5 casualties a year.
I wanna fly like you and I want to fly with someone but I can't fly with a friend... I can't do this with anyone I might like in case they get hurt... that sucks... It's a lonely hobby :)
Friends 0. Internet Acquaintances 3. I don't get close to people that have exceptionally bad judgement in the flying world because I don't want to experience the pain of a loss. Loosing well respected acquaintances is hard enough.
Hi
one question
can you train with instructor for paragliding and then switch on to paramotor by your self?
I'am asking because there is no paramotor instructor in my country
I'd like to know this as well
thanks!
anyone selling one here in the comments?
When I get back to America in March, I'll be selling mine - the same one I used to film this mission.
@@MarkZinkel message me on Instagram @superchuckcw
I smell a lawsuit...@ 4:27
That guy would have to sue a looooot of people. His antics are well known.
he's already sued one very deeply
Really? I know he's tried sending people fake cease and deist letters, but I've never heard of him actually suing people. My point is that if he's going to sue me for telling people to avoid his gear, he's going to have to sue a LOT of people. I'm not afraid. I have so much support behind me.
The guy is a crook. type his name into youtube. He's a parasite to the sport
Kae Pugna yep. Dell is training me this month
Holy shit I got ripped off I spent 17k for brand new trike.
In the past 24 hrs I've watched several paramotoring videos. So is this the cheapest way to enjoy powered flight?
After thinking about it for a moment, I think it is the cheapest way to enjoy powered flight. At the same time, I personally enjoy it more than fixed wing aircraft and other kinds of ultralights.
you should get a better camera
Red Epic coming soon!
What's the human body weight limit on these things?
Bigger guys require a larger wing and bigger engine. I've seen 260 lb guys foot launching a paramotor, but bigger guys tend to use the quad because training is physically intense.
Del saenz pulls up nothing bro.
It's Dell Schanze.. not the good way to look getting into paramotoring, more like the worst.
Did I just go back in time and watch Brad Pitt fly a paramotor?
HAHA! It's been a while that I've been compared to Brad Pitt.
You can't go wrong with a Flat Top paramotor and a Dominator wing. Safe and reliable.
There are far better motors on the market in my opinion. Additionally, we can support companies that are healthy to the sport.
The Flat Top Ninja is the safest most rugged paramotor available and that's a fact.
Is it necessary to take training?
Paramotoring is significantly more complex than you would think. Yes, you should be getting training.
Is that a printedwing ?
It's not. It's a stock APCO NRG Pro, but I can see why you'd say that.
B:/ Startup :D
I hadn't even realized that until someone else pointed it out. Now I understand why it's so familiar.
Hmm yes, the ubiquitous windows startup sound. An artist going by the name 'Blank Banshee' took the Windows AND Mac startup sounds and made this track. Anyways, thanks for the video, keep them coming! :)
Wow! Perhaps my admiration for the song was subliminal.
I paid 3500 for my gear and taught myself, never really considered myself stupid though. Kited for three months, probably two and a half months longer than you did during your training I suppose, I don't know for sure though. It's not rocket science. I guess all the stupid self taught people are not smart as you though, but then again, we figured it out without paying for it. Just saying. Posted your video in the paramotor self training group on Facebook.
imho flattop is the best
Best is an objective term. I dissuade people from Flat Tops primarily because Dell Schanze, the owner of the Flat Top company has repeatedly done stupid things that has gotten the FAA involved and the paramotor community doesn't need threats to FAR 103.
That shit is WAY over priced!!!!!! I bet it cost them under $500 the build those units then they sell them for $10,000 and that’s no wing ,floatation devil, helmet ,radio, reserve chute or two and more!!!! I then $2,000 - $3,000 for training........not included a hotel and food for 10 days !!!!!!! Gonna need almost $20,000 to get started the correct/safe way !! To some guys that’s nothing but to me that’s MORE than a lot of money!! No wonder guys skip paying $5,000 for training
I feel like you're a troll
Mark Zinkel nope just honest and saying the facts! I called all over this summer and talked to ever school, manufacture, company that has anything to do with paramotoring and it’s unreal what it cost to paramotor and get good gear and all the smart practical safety gear the everyone should have! No wonder not every uses floatation device, reserves, radio equipment , and training ...... they mark the prices up so much that it’s ridiculous and sucks for people that don’t have a lot of money or have families that come before toys lol I’d love to paramotor but it’s a pipe dream for now!
Equipment is built on a small scale. There are 10+ companies fighting for the business of a few hundred paramotor pilots. In the end, you can buy an airplane for the cost of a jet ski.
Are you by Pacifica?
I paraglide in Pacifica all the time, but this particular paramotor flight was in Half Moon Bay.
Mark Zinkel That was my first guess. that place is so nice.
Both places are total dreamlands.
Mark Zinkel It has some pretty cool rocks too.
Wash. state?
Half Moon Bay, CA
Mark Zinkel National Geographic scenery,,wow!
I disagree with your assessment of the Flat Top. It is the safest and most durable paramotor out there. You may not like Dell's personality, but he knows paramotoring better than anyone out there. He has invested a lot to give the paramotoring community a robust cage, motor, and wing combination that is second to none in safety and performance. If you buy a cheaper machine, it will eventually cost you.
You know it amazes me when people refer to PPG as the cheapest way to fly it simply is not. FIXED WING ultralights cost a LOT less only because the companies producing the equipment are not trying to get rich overnight like PPG manufacturers are. This is the most overpriced motorsport in the world. If you buy a used engine and redrive suitable for an ultralight (Rotax 447 with B box or Kawasaki 440A with a magnum redrive), build your own cage and trike, weave your own net, do your own upholstery etc etc you could have a trike ready for a wing for $2000-$3000 and it would be tandem capable. Then you pay $3000 for about $200 worth of fabric and lines. If PPG and PG people were like AIRPLANE people there would be plans available so you could make your own wing for the cost of materials and your time. DON'T say that such a thing is beyond what a non pro can accomplish as it simply isn't. All we would need are patterns and a "how to" video. They are simply too focused on making profit to share any information in the way that ALL airplane designers do. You may guess that this is my plan. Not to make a wing but to make all the rest of my equipment using my Kawasaki 440. I will end up spending 1/6th (or less) of what a normal PPG set up will cost and will have a tandem capable trike that I can repair myself and that I know inside and out.. If patterns and information about wing making were not so jealously hidden from me I WOULD get an industrial sewing machine and make wing after wing after wing. That would be too dangerous as things are since this important safety information is considered to be "industrial secrets". Funny how airplane wing design is NEVER kept secret and the designer will answer ANY question and provide ANY information, pattern or measurements (FOR FREE) when asked as that is how older aeroplanes are repaired!
Paraglider wing manufacturers are money grubbing, overcharging JERKS compared with experimental airplane makers. I am not suggesting they release information about their latest and greatest designs but how about a "how to cut and sew" video and a set of patters on Mylar for a good safe beginner wing? I have built high powered lasers from scratch, a lathe out of scrap, high power rockets out of cardboard and several airplanes. DON'T try to tell me that cutting out patterns and sewing them together is beyond my skills. Only the DESIGN of the wing is outside of my skill set.
check it out ua-cam.com/video/R6lcKad6FHg/v-deo.html
this one too ua-cam.com/video/R6lcKad6FHg/v-deo.html
o.0
Get rid of the fisheye lense camera.. do you notice your not seeing the curvature that your videos are portraying.. use your sport to prove flat earth
WTF is with this flat earth thing..?
This sport can't prove flat or round earth. An airliner flys slightly above 30,000 feet on a regular basis and we never get there. The U2 Spyplane goes to 60,000 feet and at that altitude you can juuuust start to barely notice a round earth.
Mark Zinkel ... maybe this wont show it.. but there is already enough proof its flat.. it just makes everything cooler and for me would make your sport cooler.. id love to do it.. not something you see in Ky
Jesus is the only savior you're delusional lady
dear god! the flat earthers are migrating from tuckers channel! also, you got hella subs in a day! -that matt dude from facebook lol