The dream of flying high above the ground and viewing the world as the birds do has finally become a reality thanks to paramotoring. While most people generally know the extremely high expense of owning your aircraft, many may be surprised at how affordable and exciting it can be to paramotor.
A paramotor is the least expensive, simplest, and safest type of private aircraft you can buy, and learning to operate the paramotor can be done very quickly.
One of the great things about owning a paramotor is that the entire aircraft’s minimal weight makes it easy to transport from one flying destination to another. Imagine the sights you could see from the air that other people could only dream of seeing, all thanks to your paramotor.
Being able to fly in your own personal aircraft allows you to look at the world from a whole new perspective. So how do you get a paramotor to these places? What about taking a paramotor on an airplane to travel around the world?
How Do You Transport a Paramotor?
When you need to travel internationally, most people will opt for air travel rather than crossing the high seas by boat. It is faster and more efficient.
However, traveling with a paramotor by plane can be a bit complex, especially with the FAA’s regulations concerning combustible engines and the presence of fuel.
The frame and all other non-engine parts of the paramotor can be easily packaged up (make sure you pack it thoroughly with lots of soft packing elements) and checked. The engine, however, is a different issue.
If there is any fuel left in the engine’s gas tank (even residual or fumes that can be smelled), the FAA rules state that it is hazardous and cannot be transported.
Your best chance of checking the paramotor’s engine is by making sure that all traces of the fuel are eliminated. This may require you to take it to a professional to purge the fuel and have that company craft a letter stating that they did the purging and free of any fuel.
Some airlines, though, are much stricter and will not allow an engine on an aircraft at all, even if it has never been flown or had fuel in it.
The safest way to transport your paramotor is by disassembling it and shipping the engine separately from you and the rest of the machine. Be sure that any parts you check to bring with you on a commercial airplane have no trace smell of fuel, even to a dog’s nose!
Do You Need a Licence for a Paramotor?
As far as the FAA is concerned, paramotors are considered ultralights, and, as such, you do not need a license to fly them. However, there are still strict rules to be followed when it comes to any aircraft flying in the skies at any given time. These regulations include:
- Know the airspace you are legally able to fly in. Areas such as airports and military bases carefully monitor their airspace and consider any paramotors crossing their airspace to invade their base. Airspaces are classified from Class A through Class G, and each has its own set of requirements to fly in that area. Class G is the airspace that any aircraft or flying machine may fly in, so it is Class G that you want to do your flying in.
- Get permission to fly, especially in more strictly monitored airspace. Without the right permissions, you may face large fines and prison time, depending on the circumstances.
- Check the Notices to Airmen (NOTAMS) for any events happening in a particular area that were not known far enough in advance to warn pilots by other means. This could be something like a plane having to be rerouted due to bad weather in their normal flight plans.
- Keep visual contact with the ground, as per FAA regulations. Ensuring you have a visual of the ground below, you will ensure that you can orientate yourself and not hit any obstacles hiding in the cover.
- Do not fly in densely populated areas. Landing in a field is one thing, but landing amongst a crowd at a sporting event and interrupting the game could be quite dangerous.
- When in doubt, you do not have the right of way. On a paramotor, you are more maneuverable than a big jet, paraglider, or hot air balloon, so be sure to yield to them if you are on a head-on crash course.
These rules are meant to keep you and others safe in the air, so you must follow the rules and understand your place in the skies.
Where Can I Find Paramotor Training Near Me?
At Texas Paramotor, we want to help you make your dream of flight a reality through professional training, equipment sales, and full service.
Our team of experienced pilots understand how exciting it is to decide to learn how to fly a paramotor by yourself, and we want to make sure that you have all of the information necessary to choose the best option for you.
We are a USPPA Certified Flight School, and we can teach you to fly your aircraft. Our complete course is $2500 and includes professional training from our certified flight school, use of gear, and lifetime support.
The PPG Full Foot Launch training lasts 8 to 12 days depending on weather and student skills, and we train full time, so we are happy to accommodate your schedule.
Contact us today to learn more about everything included in our flight packages, how you can become a paramotoring pilot quickly, and which paramotoring wing is right for you. We can’t wait to help you get in the air, flying solo and enjoying your aircraft!