Backpack hang glider how to#

The two elements will then be put together to teach you powered flight. Your instructor will also explain torque and thrust effects, and discuss safety issues.

Backpack hang glider how to#

Once this is mastered your instructor will turn to the power unit, and you will learn how to assemble and disassemble it (this is for easy transport, not a major stripdown!), start the paramotor, control the throttle, and undertake basic routine maintenance. Paramotor competitions are usually held at a national level.įorthcoming national paramotor competitions are listed in our competitions & events calendar, and our competition structure page outlines the competitions structure within the BHPA, and provides links to dedicated websites for British paramotor competitions.īefore making your initial flights under power, you'll first need to learn to fly the wing. Running costs are minimal, making paramotoring perhaps the cheapest form of powered flying available. You'll also need a flying suit, flying boots and a helmet, and will need to consider purchasing other equipment as you progress. New power units cost around £3,500 - £4,000, to which you need to add the cost of a new or second hand paraglider. To reiterate: BHPA power qualified pilots are not authorised, trained or insured to fly with passengers. No BHPA dual power qualification is currently available. Many paramotor pilots are paraglider pilots looking for more flexibility in their flying many others are new to flying but become interested in paramotoring, and then in pure paragliding flight too.īHPA Power qualifications are for solo flight only.

The motor can be stopped and restarted in the air, with many having electric starters, enabling the pilot to adapt his or her flight to the prevailing conditions. Once airborne, the paramotor can be used to motor along and watch the world go by beneath you or, if conditions permit, soared in thermal lift to make long cross-country flights. This simplest of all powered aircraft consists of a small motor driving a propeller, worn like a backpack under a paraglider wing and providing thrust to take off, climb and maintain level flight. They are quickly and easily rigged and de-rigged, and once dismantled can be put in the boot of a car or taken to exotic locations as hand baggage. (Airfields are of course ideal) There is no need to find a hill site facing into wind, or even to wait for the wind to blow. Paramotors are relatively easy to learn to fly, and being foot launched, they can take-off from an open, flat field, provided you have permission, and as long as there no hazards such as trees, livestock or bystanders. Paramotors (also known as a Powered Paragliders) combine the easy flying characteristics of a paraglider with the autonomy and range of powered flight. Subscribe to Skywings the official magazine of the BHPA, or buy back issues Enter the first part of your postcode to find your nearest BHPA recreational clubĮg.