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| What Paraglider (Wing) is right for me" ? (The most IMPORTANT & asked Question !) |
Firstly knowing your actual Flight weight is very important as this allows you to select the correct size Glider, read this article as it explains this subject as well as the overloading of the glider in far more detail.
Our Flight Weight Calculator will assist you with this task. |
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| What is Powered Paragliding ? |
This is basically the same as Paragliding but with an Engine or Motor (electric) attached into a Cage with the cage mounted on your back similar to a carrying a rucksack, read this article to explain in far more detail. |
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| How does the paraglider inflate ? |
There are two methods to inflate the wing;
Forward launch: With the wing behind you in low wind conditions, where bye you run and pull the wing up using your speed to inflate.
Reverse launch: With pilot facing the wing we use light winds to inflate and pull up the paraglider & then turn to launch. |
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| How do you steer the paraglider ? |
Control is very easy;
Simply pull the right brake handle to turn right, the left brake handle to turn left and pull both at approximately two~three metres (five~ten feet) above the ground to stop with a gentle landing.
Squeeze the throttle to climb and release it to glide back down. |
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| How high can the paraglider fly ? |
In the Australia, CASA part 103 dictates we stay under 1'500 metres (15,000 feet)
oxygen above . The majority of flying is between 50 to 100 metres (150 and 300 feet) above the ground. |
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| How low can the paraglider fly ? |
The unique aspect of the powered paraglider is the fact the wing is some distance above the pilot. This allows flight at ground level from 30cm (10 inches) up. (This cannot be done safely with any other aircraft in the world.) |
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| How long can the flight last on one tank of Petrol ? |
This largely depends on the engine you use and the amount of Fuel carried, usually from two to five hours. |
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| Do I need a license ? |
No, in Australia there are some C.A.S.A, H.G.F.A. & RAA approvals & accreditation requirements, airspace regulations also apply to our type of flying. |
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| What type of Fuel do PPG's use ? |
Depending on the type of engine, usually the same Fuel you use in your car, if using Petrol always use 95 Octane (Ron) or greater fuel, most 2 stroke engine use a mixture of 50:1 with 2 stroke oil.
Besides petrol there is Liquid Petroleum Gas (LPG), our HellCat-360cc 4 stroke engines can use petrol or LPG, using either a Liquid Petrol injection or a Vapour LPG regulator system, using LPG from the start greatly extends the life of an engine as well as massively reducing air pollution ! |
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| How fast does the paraglider fly ? |
The speed varies with the type of paraglider, weight and weather conditions but generally between 20 and 80 kph per hour.
However, a Top speed of a powered paragliders has been recorded at 137kmph with a 30m2 Dudek plasma with the wing set at neutral, obviously there would have been a tail wind as a no Glider wing will fly at that speed alone. |
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| How far do you have to run to get airborne ? |
In light wind conditions from 0 to 6 kph (0 to 4 mph), you may have to run 2 to 6 metres.
With stronger winds 8 to 15 kph you have to only run 2 metres, this mainly depends on your flight weight & wing capabilities. |
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| How far can I fly ? |
The distance varies with the amount of fuel carried and weather conditions of the day, with our latest HellCat-360 with a 4 stroke engine carrying two fuel tanks you can fly for approx. 5 hours, so with a fast glider over 300 km is possible, many have even recorded longer flights in cross country flights. Longer distance flights have been recorded with Top speeds of over 137kmph with a tale wind.
NB: Most people land back at the same location they flew out of, so remember if you get caught or happen to fly with a strong wind and you use half your fuel flying in the same direction as the wind, on the return trip flying into the wind you may well run out of fuel, unless you plan to land at another location or fly only in one direction ! |
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| What happens if the engine stops ? (motor if electric) |
The engine is only used to gain altitude and/or maintain level flight. At any time you can shut off the engine and land safely because you are flying with an efficient wing that can glide approximately up to 8 metres forward with only 1 meter drop in altitude (using a 8 to 1 glide ratio Glider). |
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| What do the engines weigh and do I carry that weight ? |
All weight is initially carried by the pilot only until the wing is inflated and then the weight is burdened by the paraglider.
The dry weight of engines vary from 13 kg to 26kg for our wheeled launch 4 stroke HellCat engine. On a foot launch the total weight of the Engine, Cage & Fuel is from 25~30kg. |
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| What is the correct Glider/Wing size ? |
Choosing the right size wing is the important decision because it ensures proper glider performance and safety. A glider that is too big will be prone to collapses in turbulent air. A wing that is too small means your take off run will be too long and your landings will be too fast.
IMPORTANT: Read more detailed information on this subject and Use this Flight Weight Calculator ! |
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| Is it possible to take a Friend up with me ? |
YES, however as the pilot there safety is then in your hands and this leads to legal implications relation to jurisdictional laws where flying. It is far better to have your friend get there own powered paraglider and take this responsibility into there own hands.
However, the two governing bodies that over see Tandem PPG or WPPG in Australia, they are HGFA (Hang Gliding Federation of Australia) and RAA (Recreational Aviation Australia inc).
The HGFA Tandem accreditation currently required a pilot to have 200hrs and 500 logged flights. However there is a wording oversight that allows a RAA Tandem Microlight pilot Certificate to need approx. 25hrs flight +additional training or words to that affect ...the Wheelbase Certification is currently being rewritten to overcome this academic wording oversight !
The RAA Tandem accreditation required a pilot to have 25hrs of logged flights and then pass short Tandem Pilot Certificate. |
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| How long does it take to learn to fly ? |
Wheel launch flight training can get most students flying solo in 3~4 days Training via Recreational Aviation Australia (RAA) as there is way less to learn compared to foot launch flight.
Foot launch flight training takes from 10~14 days learning via the HGFA, the majority of training is done on the ground learning to control the wing.
The actual flying is so easy that any person can control the powered paraglider once in flight. |
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| Can you restart the Engine in flight ? |
Yes, new engines come with very high energy ignitions as well as automatic decompression, that make starting very easy with a small tug on the pull starter rope, many now offer electric start options, both enabling you stop the engine and soar and then restart anytime you like. |
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| How safe are paraglider wings ? |
The modern paraglider is built and tested with loads up to 15 times greater than can be exerted during flight. The type of paraglider used with an engine is a DHV 1 one or standard rated glider that will continue to fly without pilot input. |
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| Does equipment type differ for different size pilots ? |
Yes, the weight ratings of the wing and the engine thrust are very important to the size and weight of the pilot. Think about this before buying used equipment. Talk to your instructor before making equipment decisions. |
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| Where can I fly the powered paraglider ? |
Anywhere that is not populated with a lot of houses or people. They are also restrictions that may prohibited flight within 8~10 km from an airport without clearance. |
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| Is the powered paraglider safe ? |
As all air sports, it has it's risky aspect, but as the pilot hangs from an open Paraglider/Parachute, this makes it inherently safer than all other airplanes. |
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| Are there times and conditions when I cannot fly ? |
Yes, the fact that you are flying a very light airplane means that you are usually limited to light wind conditions up to 16 kph and morning and late afternoon flying. The mid-day skies are generally too rough for most pilots to enjoy this type of flying. The exception to this is beach flying where you can mostly fly all day long as the air is not disturbed by the ocean as much as it is by land.
Experienced pilots prefer to use a smaller sized glider that is recommended by weight by the manufacturers as this enables smoother flying in turbulent air as well as enabling a faster ground speed. |
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| How manoeuvrable are they ? |
This type of airplane can fly sideways, backwards, turn on it's own axis and fly close to the ground endlessly. You can take off in 30cm (1 foot) and land without taking a further step in certain wind conditions. There is no other aircraft in the world that can do this ! |
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| How do you transport a Foot launch powered paraglider (PPG) ? |
Most Foot launch PPG's and our WPPG's break down in very small sections, engine being the bulkiest and can fit in the average car trunk.
A foot launch PPG break down takes 5 minutes and can be reassembled in 5 minutes.
Our Quad WPPG can be basically dismantled in 10 minutes or can be totally dismantles to fit into a purpose built Cargo Crate (175 x 80 x 66cm) for transporting/freighting in 30 minutes ! |
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| How do you transport the Wheeled powered paraglider (WPPG) ? |
Most Wheeled launch Paragliders are NOT designed to break down !
However, with our LowBoy-II Quad it's simple with it's unique design can be totally dissembled into smaller size sections so it can fit in the average car trunk.
The quad break down is dependant on your requirement & usage, quad assembly takes from 1~30 minutes depending on what you want or it can be left assembled for no assembly other than attaching your Glider to the hang points.
A full wheeled based MZ-313 engine (WPPG kit) inc. Rhino Cage, Wing, spare Prop etc. can be fitter into a padded cargo cage measuring approximately 180cm x 80cm x 60cm deep, this allows you the ability to take it with you on Holiday !
NB: Obviously you would need to run the engine dry, empty the Fuel tank & remove the spark plug (covering the hole with tape to stop debris entering), so if needed Customs could easily inspect the equipment. |
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| How long from the time I get to my take off site does it take to set and launch ? |
Anywhere from 5 to 30 minutes, depending on your equipment & what you have to assemble. |
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| What other names are the powered paraglider called ? |
Powered paragliding, Paramotoring (common name in Europe), Paragliders, Motorised glider. |
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| How do I get started if I want to fly a powered paraglider ? |
It is vital that you have the right combination of Engine and Paraglider (wing) tailored to suit your flight weight. Safety is paramount and training is imperative.
Always ensure when buying a Paramotoring kit that you will receive professional training with qualified instructors. (read this important information) |
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| What does the equipment cost both new and used ? |
This largely depends on your budget.
First have a look at our package deal Prices as you will be pleasantly surprised that we are one of the cheapest priced start up kits around, we do not compromise quality when offering you our equipment.
If you choose to purchase our equipment you can rest assured that with our purchasing power that you may not need to spent your time searching or asking around in the endeavour to save a few dollars of pre-loved equipment.
Besides purchasing the correct Engine, just as much thought should be put into purchasing the correct wing for your usage, as a standard ParaToys-3 wing is the safest rated entry level wing, but if you eventually want to do a lot of Cross Country Flying, you should strongly consider initially spending the extra money & upgrade from a ParaToys-3I wing too our Velocity Recon Full Reflex wing, then you won't end up with a wing that is not really designed for cross country flying & the demanding situations that you may confronted with.
However, if you invest the time you should be able to purchase secondhand equipment from 30~60% below cost price, as some people for whatever reasons simply no longer or are unable to participate in this great sport. |
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| What are the correct Fuel & Oil Mixing Ratios to use ? |
In most modern 2 stroke engines they run 50:1 ratio.
This is one of the best reference & possibly all you will need.
Obviously if you are flying a 4 stroke engine you won't need premixed fuel ! |
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| How to Re-Balance a paraglider propeller ? |
In most cases propellers stored in a Vertical position will loose it's perfect balance over a long period of time, compared to one stored in a horizontal position.
Obviously, a prop that strikes an object or simply blasted by sand during beach/sand flying won't help !
This is one of the best re-balance reference you will possibly find. |
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