Frequently Asked Questions
HOW SAFE IS PARAMOTORING TRULY?
The question really should be: How safe are you truly?
It's a bit like the gun control debate: Guns don't kill people. People kill people. So, how safe is a gun, really?
Like with Rottweilers, Pit Bulls, German Shepherds, Mastiffs, and all large dogs of potent bite, the breed does not just snap and shred people. It is what we make them into (actively) or neglect to gentle in them (by complacency).
These two sins -- Active effort to die or Complacency -- historically are the worst mass murderers in aviation. And yet, they are entirely controllable by the pilot. To a far lower degree are injuries and fatalities from weather, mechanical failure, and areas outside of pilot control.
Statistically, as of 2006, there were about 4,000 paramotor (PPG) pilots in the U.S. Of those, we lose a handful yearly mostly due to pilot error. In 2003, there were 9 fatalities or 2 lost per every 1,000 USPPA members. The average from then to 2018 is 1.33 per 1000, which shows signs of increasing safety despite the growth of pilots. Most of that has been due to increased training standards for pilots and instructors thanks to places like USPPA. Equipment also improves yearly.
The stats are about comparable to most General Aviation.
Do you ride a motorcycle? There are about 72 fatalities per 1,000 there. Pilots do have to deal with potential mid-air collisions and be vigilant as aircraft zoom by fast, but people on the road are usually trying to kill us daily more so than in aviation.
Do you drive a car and have a license? Now, most pilots will feed you crap while telling you that General Aviation is safer than driving cars. That is a common perception, but not reality. In 2009, fatalities were 1 per 6,200 licensed drivers.
In statistics, these are merely observations of records which cannot be used to imply causation. There are factors where the stats can be misleading. For example, the percentage of fatalities between unlicensed PPG pilots and unlicensed car drivers is not counted, and people also drive less with age while still licensed. So, car fatalities per number of active drivers is not counted. Car stats may be closer to 1 fatality per 1,000 active drivers. Stan does not know that figure at this time.
Generally, paramotoring seems to be about 54 times more safe than riding a Harley, and possibly more safe or out to 6.2 times less safe than driving your car. Having driven motorcycles, cars, and aircraft....Stan cautions not to buy too much into the statistics. Keep in mind that what is not counted among the fatalities are aviation's PREVENTABLE ones versus those by car which cannot be prevented. Almost all deaths in aviation were preventable, but, often on the road, crazy or careless people threaten your life very rapidly.
A pilot is subject to constant mortal threats to life which we respect and cautiously avoid. That same pilot can go fetch a burger down the road by car, and die of no fault by having some idiot fail to stop or run a red light at an intersection. If we were to wire up pilots and car drivers up to EKG machines as our lab mice for a one year period -- flying vs. driving the same number of hours -- what Stan believes you will find is that car drivers have greater incidents of adrenaline flow among near accidents, and more incidents of almost fatal accidents only luckily evaded. For the pilot? With age and experience, generally very little adrenaline flow. Flying is comparable to sailing little boats as a PPG pilot or skippering large ships as an airline captain -- mostly enjoyable, relaxing, sometimes a bit scary, other times stress levels comparable to driving in traffic or merging on the freeway, and usually hazards which can be avoided.
As a sailor, you can govern the risks where a driver has less control. A sailor can choose to pleasure boat among mild inland waters, or venture the open and rough seas. Oceangoing sailors in little yachts and who sail alone....now, that is bold! Those people should have egos, not PPG pilots.
According to USPPA data analysis, the ranking to PREVENTABLE fatalities is as follows:
Water impact & drowning
Steep maneuvering, especially near ground.
Turbulence, especially near ground and without reserve parachute or sufficient height to deploy.
Click here for a record of USPPA fatalities to learn from, but do not let them scare you away. Just learn from mistakes of our ghosts.
HOW DO I LEARN TO FLY? I'D BE INTERESTED IN AVIATION AS A CAREER!
Outside of military programs or selling your soul to the CIA as a young smuggler, there are traditionally a couple starting points in ultralight, Light Sport, and heavier aircraft:
1) You learn from another pilot, even teach yourself at times, and, under FAA's FAR 103 Ultralight category.....you can just go buzz around with no license.
Self-taught or amateur-taught is usually a bad idea, but people have done it. Especially in aviation's early days, people like Charles Lindbergh just hopped in and flew without any flight instruction. Lindebergh, however, had been fanatical on aviation study most his life as an early aeronautical engineer....so he was well steeped in at least theory before entering the cockpit.
Test pilots are also always teaching themselves to fly in pushing the unknown, but they usually have strong flight foundations first. Normal pilots do the same. Piloting is a constant self-teaching where flying alone, but the foundation is key.
Drone pilots often teach themselves, but they are radically different aircraft in thrust to weight ratio. Self-taught drone pilots get a great feel for things and learn what they need, but often miss out on other aviation learning. Meanwhile, every drone pilot has wrecked birds badly. For manned flight, you normally do not want even one crash. Droners can fly wild, but you don't have that crash, rebuild, and remote luxury in the cockpit.
All the same, any form of mentorship and learning in aviation -- flying with friends, family, starting out as kids with RC airplanes, studying, watching YouTube pilots, flight simulators, working as mechanics or engineers in industry, curiosity, and just overall immersion in flight helps. It develops pilot aptitude. It keeps pilots sharper and able to return to aviation from long breaks as if never left. It keeps your head always on airplanes.
Of it all, the singlemost thing you can do to learn is to concurrently teach and freely share what you know with others. A newbie asks you a question.....you don't know or forgot the answer...and so, now you have to find out again and provide the answer. The newbies depend upon you to lead by example, and so things take a martial arts dojo style of elder teachers, senior students, and junior students. Just that a junior pilot watches you closely forces you to know your art, and to also fly more responsibly; for the best mentors and teachers are not about showing off their skills or what they know, but rather in developing and transferring that to another in the hopes they will vastly exceed your own capacities.
Mentors and flight instructors in aviation are as vital to a pilot as your mother who birthed you. They have a direct impact upon your pilot character, confidence, and earliest foundation. The newbie who thinks they need no flight instructor or does not value them due to cost is a fool. Typically, at your first flight emergency, you will find your first instructor's voice and soul emerging through you like Obi Wan Kenobi talking to Luke Skywalker through his raid on the Death Star. The self-taught and self-mentored, though....they usually never get airborne much, or, where so, that Obi Wan voice within isn't present the first time aircraft and circumstance try to kill them. We do not hear much from self-taught pilots because they usually have nothing to brag about or die before able to convey their wisdom!
2) The FAA Part 61 Flying Club -- like what we do! That is where a group of pilots get together and form a less formal organization which teaches new pilots, rents aircraft, services aircraft, supports pilot-members, rents member aircraft to newbies and other pilots, acquires other aircraft for group use, engages in charity, etc. It is more of a social atmosphere mixed with educational -- similar to a yacht club, NRA shooting clubs, flying Rotarians, etc. Some are non-profit groups. Most in General Aviation are small businesses.
3) The Part 141 Flight School -- These are often lone schools or university affiliated and owned. Our club and members often belong to such schools, and can help with recommendation, scholarship, grants, and discounted tuition negotiations. Characteristics are usually a more formal curriculum, chief pilot, chief mechanic, and rigid structure under closer FAA review. These are also usually much higher cost, and sometimes a racket. They are, however, able to accept student loans, federal financial aid, and GI Bill students.
Both flying clubs and formal flight schools crank out good pilots. Quality of pilot education varies. You can have exceptional Part 61 club training and poor Part 141 flight school output, or vice versa. Generally, a formal curriculum, classroom setting, and structure are best, but pilots start out well under either format. Usually, the Part 141 schools and colleges (such as Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University) provide excellent formal education mixed with flight training, but you can also obtain the flight training at lower cost via just a private aircraft with a private instructor or through clubs.
A Part 61 flying club usually serves its pilot members primarily with student training a secondary issue, though students are the majority of revenue. A Part 141 flight school's primary business is teaching students. Likewise, clubs can also provide more one-on-one time with student pilots, more mentors, and more air time on less expense. Just about everyone can form a flying club, but it is much more process to develop a formal flight school. We exist in the hybrid realm of 61 structure with 141 options available, and private instructors operating by standard curriculum.
I HEARD YOU HAVE A YOUTH FLIGHT PROGRAM? WHAT'S THAT ABOUT?
What we know about aviation is that:
1) Where you give even a troubled, bad kid just an airplane ride and chance to steer for even 15 minutes discovery flight.....a permanent infection develops in them. The aviation bug usually sets. It may not overcome them right away. They may wander, might wind up in prison, who knows....but, generally, their eyes open to a whole new world and things seem possible for them to achieve. They start thinking about a profession in aviation, seeing it possible, understanding that the rules are no substance abuse and crime, and that is a good start. In some way, some how....they all return to aviation after that very first infection. For some kids the spark has no effect. Where the spark is present and stoked, though...that first flight alone tends to keep them out of much trouble.
2) Where they actually run the gauntlet to at least First Solo in anything, you develop a soul who knows they are capable of accomplishing anything. They learn to overcome their fears and anxieties most of all. As the martial arts are to self-confidence, the making of a pilot is thousands of times more potent. And so, keeping their arrogance in check is about all flight instructors need worry about. The greatest of students will usually learn despite any school or instructor weaknesses from their own drive. We try to spark that first fire if nothing else. Where the intelligence and foundations are present, they are constantly teaching themselves, digging into new things, and teaching us! They are exactly like Little Brian's story. Stan started out like that. Most of us in professional aviation for a lifetime all began like that. That is how you know which ones will run long and safe in aviation versus the more casual interests. Like in the martial arts, we pass these things on to younger generations as our duty and promise to those old-timers who once were good to us.
And so, that is fundamentally what our little, aero club allows. Whether by paraglider, powered parachute, paramotor, or Cessna....we help make it more affordable to develop new pilots to at least the First Solo level. We show youth and adults that aviation entry as a hobby or profession is not so mysterious nor out of their reach. Nearly anyone can achieve First Solo and some level of professional participation in aviation -- even just that kid starting out washing airplanes -- but longevity is the true happiness and reward.
There are few happier people in life than that little kid who once dreamed of taking to the sky, who accomplished it, and remained in the realm of flight for a lifetime. Every young and old pilot have that in common. We all start out the same. Whether admitting it or not, we all were terrified being pushed out of the nest by our mother instructor like baby eagles. We all have in common being lone sailors and skippers among the sky in our little air boats. Like a captain's love of the sea is the aviator's sky. Weather, terrain, and time alone filter out the bad ones and egos.
By whatever aircraft form, our club simply supports the creation of new eagles.
If you rent aircraft from us, a portion of your dues and fees go toward scholarship award and board vote for carrying at least one deserving local youth to First Solo....if academic performance, drive, and overall aptitude factors are present. We also can hold fundraisers and parties in building up that cookie jar.
When money in the club cookie jar tallies up enough and all operational costs are well covered, the scholarship board will identify candidates. Flight training to Solo will generally be by powered parachute (PPC), wheeled paramotor (PPG), or Cessna 150/152/172. In other cases or less in the cookie jar yearly, an aerobatics lesson or other awards as able.
Criteria
We don't solicit for applicants.
We don't discuss selection criteria.
We don't know how, when, nor how much we can support local youth flight training at this point...but we do have some things being worked upon beyond just our little club's input.
Where no funds exist to support student training to Solo, we open up other awards and mentorship opportunities on a very limited basis.
Parents and /or interested students need not apply at this point. We do not spend time reading hokey scholarship essays.
Candidates are reviewed by our selection board. Usually, we are looking for traits of prior, serious interest developed by the student. Prior knowledge of aviation. Prior written exams passed. Not just eagerness to fly, but demonstrated aptitude and drive.
There are also a few rules we keep in regard to youth members:
Club dues exist, but are discounted.
Parental permission is required.
Drinking, marijuana, and criminal history are not allowed. Bad kids will be reviewed on a case by case basis, but may not continue being bad.
We aggressively screen out, prevent, and will not have any perverts here (same as does Civil Air Patrol). All members and instructors potentially in significant contact with minors must be first background cleared or present similar credentials (law enforcement, CCW permits, etc). We background check anyone before allowing in our shop, club, or rental anyhow and that is covered in the one-time application fee.
In addition, any interactions with minors must never be or even appear inappropriate. That means presence of at least one other adult, parents, public settings, group settings, or within surveillance camera view are the only acceptable interactions. Both instructors and any minor students must complete daily logs -- similar to security logs -- describing what was done, learned, and times. The only excusable private times with a minor are when flying aircraft with date and time records upkept.
Lastly, unless rare exceptions are warranted, the rule is very simple: At least one parent, family member, or family friend must be present with the minor at all times.
Further information can be found in our Club Rules.
SHOULD I BUY OR RENT A PARAMOTOR? HOW DOES YOUR RENTAL PROGRAM GO?
We suggest rental for as little or long as you desire. Maybe buy from there.
On the Powered Parachute (PPC) and Paramotor (PPG) front, there are schools all over the nation and world in this booming field.
First issue for newbies is that most schools exist around two hours commute away.
Second issue is that most are set up to sell you a $5,000 to $25,000 aircraft, or -- by PPG -- usually require you to buy one in advance of foot-launch training. This is in addition to around $2,000 for basic flight training to solo (or USPPA's PPG2 standard).
Smart schools only rent you wheeled-PPG trikes because you will tend to cost them thousands of dollars in repair damages within your first 25 hours of rental -- usually from minor stumbles, prop strikes, lines and wings damaged, bent frames, etc. Damage to a $500 propeller often causes hundreds to thousands of dollars in engine overhaul. Then, there's damage to a $2000 to $5000 wing. Some damage is minor. Some is major. Most happens among foot-launch and landing operations. Trike and quad wheels greatly reduce that.
We see this issue as a big barrier to further boom in the PPG field and have generated some solutions to fix that -- making foot-launched PPG rental a viable business direction. Thus, we deliver our rental PPG units to existing schools under lease-back arrangements and maintain them here or contract with schools and their shops to upkeep to our standards.
Rental, rental, rental and upkeep of the dispersed PPG / PPC fleet is what we do. It is what we know from 31 years experience among Part 43, 61, 135, and 141 operations in larger aircraft.
We do not compete with instructors, maintenance shops, or aircraft sales. In fact, it is not in our business interest to help you buy any aircraft! Our bias honestly prefers you as renters.
People trying to sell you something are usually welcoming, polite, and less aloof. We only go so far here. Been around long enough to know that we do not want to deal with everyone, nor rent to all pilots, and there is a level of business we are comfortable with at any time in upkeeping high quality. But, you will find zero sales pressure here.
We advise that you do not buy anyone's PPG, PPC, or heavier aircraft until you have had a chance to explore flight with no sales pressure; To consider what you do and don't want in an aircraft and instructor. We can help you make an informed purchase on something, and we do have discount dealership relations with some vendors, but there is no push of particular products.
We prefer you forever renting from us if that works for you, but replacing you with one other renter is not that difficult. Demand exceeds our ability to supply at any time.
As far as purchase goes, there are often much more interesting and higher performance aircraft available from various dealers. Our PPG aircraft are customized as very safe trainers. As you mature in piloting, our birds will become more like riding a bike with training wheels. At that point, buy what you like or we can talk about helping you to build your own. Through our club, you can also lease your PPG to more advanced pilots. We operate like a typical flying club with a fleet of trainers as the bulk, and then you can checkout in more fancy or private lease-back aircraft available.
Or, you are perfectly welcome to buy anyone's PPG or PPC at any time. All your choice.
Where you are an experienced pilot with your own aircraft, our lease-back program can help you recover costs, or save for a new bird, or purchase that wing you've desired, or upgrade safety equipment. There should usually be someone wanting to rent your aircraft in our network -- usually a wait list.
HOW DOES THE FINANCIAL SITUATION GO ON RENTAL VS. OWNERSHIP OF PPG AIRCRAFT?
Your need we fill:
As a newbie pilot, would you like to spend say $50/ mos on club dues (typical gym membership costs) and $100/hour on rental for your first 100 hours in the air or cough up easily $12,000 on ownership from the start?
Let's do the math:
If you fly your first 100 hours in getting ready to test for Tandem Trainee ratings, normally you will spend about $2,000 for training to First Solo. Plus around another $1,000 on advanced training. Normally, you will spend about $7,000 to $15,000 on a PPG aircraft from there. Fuel and oil amount to about a trivial $500 at most. Your biggest financial risk comes among high probability of ground mishaps -- $500 destroyed propeller, easily $2000 or so in engine damages per prop strike, lines and fabric wing sometimes sucked into the propeller with $700 to $4000 in damages from there. So, you're looking at about $9,000 to $17,000 basic costs of entry, plus likely another $700 to $6000 or more in first year damages. Even where mechanically inclined, it is still costly and high risk.
Are you prepared to spend $9,700 to $23,000 in just learning to fly proficiently? Are you willing to spend over double that amount once at the tandem instructor level needing more wing and engine? Most PPG newbie pilots don't do the math. Others would love to try or get into PPG with no pressure and gradually but cannot afford it. This is the need we fill.
When you are ready to tandem instruct or fly as a Light Sport Pilot with a passenger, now you are normally looking at pretty much a whole new PPG. Stronger frame, bars, bigger wing, more engine. More cost than your first PPG, and even more risk of costly damage doing tandem foot launches. Truth is: You could have bought a used Cessna 150, 152, 172, Cub, or other aircraft on that total money spent.
Triked PPGs and PPC aircraft let you fly and with less risk of minor damages. Meanwhile, there is a need to make foot-launched PPG as low-damage as triked formats, and with even greater safety. And so, we are exploring and engineering some trade secret solutions there at the moment. Once provisional patents are filed, more will be visible here over time.
In contrast, if we charge our dues and rental rate (which may seem costly at first), for 100 hours of flight in one year, you'd have spent only $600 in dues and $10,000 in rental. $10,600 total. Plus, we can reduce our rental rates and dues as you approach instructor level and long-term membership to encourage your retention. Depending upon the aircraft, we can also set a reasonable price if you want to stop renting the aircraft and just own it....so that, in the end, it works out as if a financed purchase at reasonable interest rate. However, rather than rent-to-own on our trainers, you may want to cut the rental short at 20 to 30 hours or so, buy your own aircraft, and lease it back through our club. We just give you easier entry and more flexibility.
Best of all, let's say you just don't like the sport after 10 hours flying, or turbulence spooks you, or change of plans and finances need your cash, or you really only fly the average of 25 to 30 hours per year....now, you are not so invested in the aircraft. Normally, you'd damage the aircraft badly in that period, but we have added protections to thwart most of that.
At 30 hours flown in a year, you'd have spent $600 dues plus $3000 rental. $3600 total (not including about $2000 instruction). Total of about $5,600 with risk minimized is better than $12,000 to $15,000 with potentially hundreds to a couple more thousand in damages during the period. Plus, thousands more spent when desiring tandem upgrades. Maybe you'll want to start your flight instructor career renting our tandem aircraft until you can afford your own.
Maybe you want to fly awhile, check out the sport, see if you like it, and maybe you want to buy or build your own PPG over time?
Maybe you want to spend less while saving up for a tandem wing, frame, and engine?
Maybe you don't have much money, but want to at least foot-launch Solo under power and just fly a paraglider with no engine for awhile?
Maybe you're local police or fire, would be interested in trying these aircraft for your department, and have to justify a minimal budget? You'd like to explore utility to your department but need flight program, training, and maintenance support. So, you send a couple officers for flight training and our aircraft are available for their use, and you can branch off into any aircraft purchases as you like later. At $2000 training, $50/mos per pilot, and $100/hour per aircraft use -- with no maintenance or capital concerns -- that is much easier to tell the taxpayer than telling them you spent $14,000 to $30,000, did not use it much from there, and exceeded budget from your officers damaging the aircraft.
Maybe you're a high school or college student and just want to try PPG flight but not solo or buy anything? Please note: This scenario is still outside our box locally, as it requires a tandem PPG or PPC aircraft on the airfield, plus instructor. In that case, we presently refer you out on negotiated discount with associates. You'll have to drive 2 hours away, or instructors can come up here for group lessons. Or, you can fly there by Cessna, train, and come home.
Outside the area, you can train to solo by PPC for $1200 or wheeled PPG for $2000. Most schools will not let you fly solo by foot-launch with their rental PPGs, though. So, you either buy one or come back to us for rental and may use our aircraft under their training programs. In the meantime, you can pay per tandem flight ($100 or so) with schools out of area.
Where the club has a tandem PPC/PPG and Light Sport pilots locally, we can also send you up with those club members at share-of-cost. Or, we can route you to the Cessnas bouncing around with anywhere from private pilots, commercial, to flight instructors.
Bottom line: Aviation isn't cheap. It isn't free. We are not a charity. But, we are working to bridge the gap on entry-level affordability while improving safety for newbies. Our agenda is not to soak you. Our business history and manner is not as sharks.
Between our engineers and mechanics in consult with PPG flight instructors, FAA, and USPPA advisory....we are certainly capable of transforming foot-launched, solo PPG into a much less risky of damage and safer affair. Hardly anyone is yet doing that.
In time, as others copycat our model, our rental rates and dues may need to come down but, for now, Stan has determined these rough figures fair, capable of sustaining the business model, and making it worthwhile for us to even bother while also being good for the customer.
The dues and rental rates will vary per aircraft and member level (Student, Veteran, Instructors, Senior, etc.), and will be posted here.
We believe this club model is fair, reasonable, competitive, and capable of stimulating growth in industry. It is meant to be benchmarked by competitors, many things we will open-source for good of the emerging industry, and is also the research subject to some of Stan's academic work with Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.
The business & maintenance model is designed to be minimally damaging to existing PPG and PPC dealers. Existing dealers are are perfectly capable of providing lease, lease-to-own, and increased safety features based upon our model plus their own refinements to even exceed the quality of our first work here.
Our club is designed by Stan to be cost-offsetting to him personally on just 1 to 2 regular members flying 30 hours per year or more, slimly profitable on a handful of members, and even a very good small business on 10 or more members. We could even franchise it, but, to be honest, there are more lucrative business models. It is a business model capable of spreading the world over, but we have no plans on making a McDonald's of it.
I HEAR YOU HAVE SOME STRICT RULES AND EVEN A DRUG POLICY?
Yup!
Rules are discussed in other sections of this site, and the complete set is also being compiled into this working document: Club Rules
Current as of 1/11/18.
Ongoing revisions pending.