Paraglider-type wings, called ellipticals, make the handling much more nimble at the expense of requiring a more skill to launch. Most are controlled with the pilot’s feet since pressures are so high. A pilot can typically vary speed by about 5% from slowest to fastest. It has foot controls because forces are higher than a powered paraglider or powered paraglider trike. Wheel launched (not intended for foot launch)Ī powered parachute trades ease of launch with the need for a large motor and trailer to launch. It still requires skill to handle the wing but most instructors find that it’s easier to teach wheel-only students. That is helpful for no-wind or high altitude launches. Putting a wheeled cart on a PPG is frequently done with the more powerful units. We don’t sell any of this gear on FootFlyer except for PPG plans. Here.are reviews of Powered Paragliding equipment. Besides the flying, the paraglider is a kite that can provide hours of fun on a windy day in the sand. Notes: This is the most fun type of flying I’ve ever engaged in and I’ve flown everything here.

To be skilled enough to consistently get airborne, a student needs approximately 20 hours of practice handling the wing (kiting) on the ground. Expect 3 days to first flight and 8 days to be proficient enough to safely go out on your own. Coaxing that highly efficient wing overhead does require some technique. Training: This is probably the most demanding ultralight to learn. Heavy pilots need larger motors which are both heavier and must carry more gas to run for an hour. Weight for an hour’s flight: Lightest of them all-40 to 90 pounds (empty) depending on pilot weight. I fit one in a small helicopter and have squeezed two in a Beechcraft Bonanza. PPG are, by far, the word’s most easily transportable aircraft. Leg injuries are slightly more likely for foot launch due to the possibility of tripping during launch or having a hard landing. Drowning is the #1 cause of fatality overall but wearing flotation takes that risk to near zero. Another 20% of all fatalities occur during extreme maneuvers and most serious injuries occur during starting or runup of the motor through body contact with spinning propeller. Safety: Good due to the very slow speeds but get good training using the USPPA/USUA syllabus, 30% of all fatalities occur during training or in the pilot’s first 10 hours. Runway Requirement: 300′ x 600′ field with no significant obstructions out another 600′. Competition pilots, for example, can land on a Frisbee sized target 70% of time.Ĭost: $6k to $13k for new wing and motor. Reflex and small gliders are on the high end of the range. The wood strips help her get moving in soft sand. Elisabeth Guerin about to launch an SD paramotor mounted to a trike. Jeff Goin flying a Spice near the Salton Sea in Southern California. Powered Paraglider (PPG or Paramotor) Foot launched and Wheel launched powered paraglidersġ. This is a broad category since there relatively few soaring ultralights.

FAR 103 mandates a weight of less than 254 lbs for powered and 155 pounds for unpowered ultralights. Be aware that some manufacturers claim light weights because they do not include a propeller or harness or some other requisite component. Runway requirement is the smallest space that an instructor would normally allow a recently trained pilot to fly out of.Įmpty weight includes unusable fuel, oil (if required), wing, prop, harness and anything else required to fly. I take that into account by reducing the value of hardware sold by the average training cost for that type of aircraft. FAR 103 mandates a max speed of less than 55 kts (63 mph) and stall speed of no more than 24 kts (27 mph).Ĭost is an average US$ for new equipment bought from a dealer or instructor. Training costs are not included although sometimes they are given with the purchase. PPG’s are similar but have more range since they have speed systems. PPC’s for example, have very little speed range since more power just makes them go up. Speed range is another important characteristic and is shown in percent. Speed is the typical maximum speed of the average aircraft. Not that wouldn’t fly them but it’s a lot of work with little control and I’ve got other ways to get airtime without resorting to such limits. But, as it happens, I’ve flown everything listed here except the cluster balloons. OK, so it’s true, I’m sold on powered paragliding. It’s not easy and the sales people for each one knows, for a fact, that their form of flight is the best there is. Do I want convenience? Do I want to go places? How much will it cost? How hard is it to fly? These and many other questions usually come to those choosing an ultralight.

Hang glider vs paraglider