FAQ: Why can't you fly a paramotor in the middle of the day? | Avery Flies 

Yeah, all of that is in the USPPA syllabus, definitely need to learn it to be safe. You don't necessarily need to fly in it though!

Some people view it as a sport, something that requires skills that need to be practiced. They want progress to more challenging tasks and realize that understanding weather is an important part of that. Some think of it as a leisurely activity. They just want to spend a few hours per year flying a couple hundred feet up in warm buttery smooth air, see some sights, land, and go home. They see no need in understanding how much further rotor can travel in 15 mph wind vs. 8 mph, because they won't fly if the forcast suggests gusts over 5 mph at any point in the next 72 hours... or there were yesterday. Different strokes for different folks! For what it's worth, the PPG school that I went to spent a good deal of time teaching weather and rotor etc., but I spent a couple years sticking to the first 2, last 2 rule, and stayed below 1k agl for most of my flying, so even though my minimums where well above what other local pilots consider flyable, the knowledge really wasn't being applied to any meaningful degree. Then I went to school for PG, and holy cow do they talk about weather! Literally a 30 minute to hour long breifing every single morning that has any potential for flying or even just kiting, and the discussions about thermals and rotor are enough to make your head spin. I am surprised at how little I knew!

As a free flight paraglider pilot I agree, it seems like they just avoid it instead of learning and taking SIV.

Free flight PG here, never motored, lots of thermalling, XC, and ridge soaring. It's totally obvious to me that motoring is going to take the place of many hours in the thermalling, XC, and ridge soaring, and the action of simply attempting to dodge turbulence by flying early and late also will cost you valuable experience. I want to try motoring and build my own radial engine rig, and I know full well my unpowered experience will be an ace card compared to not having it.

not to mention powered flight in mid-day in thermals. extra weight, huge canopy,, hi pilot drag,,, its this scenario that causes most the problems eh.

@@clubsnapperuk comp pilots carry ballast so they can fly bigger wings because they are faster and have better glide ratios. Some of my friends free flight kits weight over 70 pounds

Glad you think so. I try to be informative without straying into instruction on topics like this. There's only so much you can learn from RU-vid.

Yeah, I mean, not possible in all climates, right? The video was a PSA about why we tend to fly near twilight, not encouraging mid day flying. I will not by flying mid day in Arizona, so you can keep your luck, since I won't be needing it.

Glad it was helpful!

I get motion sickness in planes, especially small one. However, I have over 50 freeflight paraglider and over 15 paramotor flights and have yet to get motion sickness. Maybe because I'm in control??

@@mikepaul6205 Maybe. I've been flying ppg for a few years and it still gets me ill. Its like clockwork. 1.25hrs in calm air, 30mins when rowdy. I've tried drugs and shock bracelets, to no avail. I changed wings a few times and found one that helps some.

As far as ending a flight at will goes, there certainly are situations where one can find themselves wishing to be on the ground, like A WHILE AGO would've been nice, but can't seem to find a way down. However, it's far more likely that your flights will be shorter than you wanted because you didn't find lift, rather than too long because you couldn't get away from it. Contrary to popular belief, free flight isn't all rodeo, all the time, and when the going gets rough, most PG pilots go kayaking or hiking or practicing their parawaiting skills. So, if you are selective about the weather and locations that you fly, you can easily avoid conditions that are too much for your taste and/or skillset, and enjoy relatively benign flights. Hour+ long silky smooth sunset soaring sessions are amazing, and even a buttery sled ride at sunrise can be a great way to start your day. If you are interested in PG, I would suggest going to a school that offers tandems as part of the course. You might find that you aren't affected in the same way as you are in other forms of aviation, (rigid wings vs. flexible, seating position, wind in your face, unobstructed view, etc.). You will learn about flyable conditions that aren't exciting enough to make RU-vid videos about, but are pure magic to experience in person and may be fine for you. Over time, you may even build a tolerance for rowdier conditions and become less bothered by them in other aircraft(?). Try it before you decide that you can't do it. Worst case scenario, you confirm that you can't and put your desires to rest once and for all, so it's a win-win either way! Cheers

Yes I did see that! Did you also build the frame? That's shockingly light, I would be interested in buying one when they come to market

@@AveryFlies yes i made the titanium frame as well. all still prototype. but i hope i can send you a unit over someday. the second one is like a ATOM80 on steroids. short bursts of moster185 power but only for less than 10 seconds. keep an eye out. you will know when its ready. happy to hear you saw the videos too.

Ground handling, takeoff, and landing are second to none. Comfort "out of the seat" is very good, and running is very easy. Weight shift suffers though, and sometimes the boys get a bit bunched in flight compared to a seat board. You'll never have trouble getting into or out of the "seat" though, it's already there every time. Trade offs!

@@AveryFlies deez ones? sorry i couldnt resist! 🤣

Not a big difference in turbulence, it's about the same as long as it's sunny. Just a lot colder wind in the face 🥶

Airband radios require no license as long as they are being used for flying. The FAA and FCC agree that pilots would have the training needed to use them correctly. If you want to see videos on the calls needed at an airport, I have a video on that as well As far as thermals go, the heavier loaded paramotor makes thermals less effective overall. I have yet to fly with a light enough motor under a large enough wing in strong enough conditions to reliably go up unpowered.

Yes I was! Earlier on the mojo in this video, then on the Apco F3 orange/blue wing you. might have seen on this channel

@@AveryFlies awesome! We were the family in the tan Raptor that kinda followed yall to a couple different spots for a little bit. My kids enjoyed watching yall as much as I did. Marshall actually messaged me through a FB post I had made too

Oh cool! We saw you parked. It's always a toss up on whether or not the car is stopped so the driver can watch or yell at us 😂

@AveryFlies lol I know that's the truth. I figured if yall saw the 4 of us it might make it a little clearer we didn't want to cause trouble 🤣

Common misconception, overcast helps dampen thermal activity but generally around here the winters are bumpier for longer than the summers are. I'm sure there's some science reason, but the summers can have 2-3 hours flyable before sunset compared to 1 hour generally in the winter. Thermals are all about the sun hitting the ground, not how warm it is outside!

@@AveryFlies that totally makes sense. is your airfield open to the public or is it private for mojos? You're about a 2 hour drive.

@@rule1dontgosplat It is a private field that we have permission to use, but Mojo's doesn't own it. If you are ppg2, you can send an email to Ryan to get the rundown on field ops and rules. Mojosflightschool.com

@@AveryFlies I always thought overcast helps prevent thermals since the sun isn't directly shining on the ground.

Yes, correct, overcast reduces thermals and around here generally indicate more favorable air (assuming all other weather aligns)

No time like the present! If you haven't already, I suggest the ppg bible to everyone who's getting into the sport: amzn.to/3RqQzKW better to learn from this book than from RU-vid And if you're looking for help, you can find instructors near you at USPPA.org

@@AveryFlies its the meteorology I struggle with. (Distance travelling and realise the wind gusts are improper for the venture). Many people who try and fly apply to rigid flight hierarchies and it puts them off trying.

@@LITTLEEXPERIMENTCHANNEL1 it can be tricky, and it depends on your location. I can't really offer any other advice because of that sadly. Consider meeting some local pilots and getting a feel for acceptable weather through them.

To a point, yes, going faster through turbulence gets you less thrown around. But accelerating may also increase your chance for a collapse, or the severity of the collapse, depending on wing and weather. When I'm in doubt on a faster wing, I always slow down so I can fly the wing.

Oh, and worth mentioning, other than weight the motor has no input on your airspeed. That's all wing design and wing loading.

My very first flight was about 1030 in the morning back in November. It was bumpy as hell! The whole time I was up there it was shaking me around. Not the the best conditions for a first solo... but I was used to it flying the helicopter. We would fly in mid day in the summer and the sensation was quite similar.

You can, but carrying the extra 70 lbs of motor and associated drag means you need really strong thermals to make that work.

Would electric be lighter than regular fuel?

Usually heavier for the equivalent flight time. There are some electric setups that are the bare minimum 10-15 minute duration to just launch the paraglider, but those are more specialized.

So if you know day flying is your goal, why not go for that specialized setup? I mean it just makes sense doesn't it? You could get a regular electric system for morning and evening flights and just swap it out for mid day flights.

You are welcome to go for that, it is not my goal however. I do have a smaller, lighter, shorter endurance gas paramotor that I plan to fly more mid-day, though. Look for my AliExpress paramotor videos.

wait really?

Yeah, one of the advantages of reflex wings is their stability in turbulence when trimmed out. They soak up and self-stabilize through turbulence while slicing through it faster. That works up to a point, but generally if a reflex wing takes a collapse while reflexed it is very violent, so that advice is not a catch all. When reflexed, you generally can't pull your brakes, so most reflex wing manuals say something along the lines of "fly trimmed out through mild to moderate turbulence, trim in and active pilot in severe turbulence".

Can't fit that in my 1 bedroom apartment, so not a solution for me

Not very common around me!

Maybe, but not fun, I know, I've tried it many times.

It is fun, I do it all the time

Most of us powered guys prefer stowing brakes and taking selfies 😜 we don't need the lift from mother nature, so we tend to shy away from the turbulence. As a P2, I got comfortable with the bumps and active piloting personally, but most ppg pilots I know do not also do paragliding

There is a big difference between flying with and without a motor in thermals. the thrust of the engine puts you a little in front of the wing. when entering a thermal, while on reasonable power, can lead to a stall very easily. It is a completely different experience.

I'm not European, so I'm not sure about their laws.

@@AveryFlies I think it’s possible, I’ve watched another video some guy flying thru Liverpool airspace

Yeah, I would believe that. Here in the US, if you get permission from Air traffic control you can enter control airspace. It's just very rare to get that permission.

@@AveryFlies same here in the UK , he was ringing and asking for permission first !