by Jeff Goin | Oct 14, 2020 | 19: Risk & Safety, Covid-19 Coronavirus, Parapinions, Recent
There’s a raging pandemic going on. I get it. Covid-19 is deadly and must be taken very seriously. Once you’re confirmed to have it, you have between a 1-in-50 and 1-in-1000 chance of dying depending on a bunch of things. Those are not great odds. But...
by Jeff Goin | May 2, 2020 | 19: Risk & Safety, Parapinions
Paramotor pilots talk about doing barrel rolls at low altitude as being stupid. Airplane pilots talk about how strapping a spinning prop to your back with 2 gallons of gasoline below a hot exhaust is nuts. Desk jocks talk about flying single-engine, single-pilot...
by Jeff Goin | May 17, 2019 | Parapinions
My brother asked this question, “If you could do anything you want regarding education, what would you do?” This is a subject on which I’m passionate about given how I spend copious amounts of time trying to make really effective training products....
by Jeff Goin | May 17, 2019 | Political
This sucks. Phil at Lite Touch Films reports that someone stole a wing through nefarious means. If you’re selling a wing, just because a credit card order goes through, it doesn’t mean all is well. Be careful. To make matters worse, it appears that the...
by Jeff Goin | May 12, 2019 | 01 Training, Parapinions
Click here for the reality of “Free” Powered Paraglider Training & Kurt Fister (or Pfister) Think about it for a moment. How much value will an instructor put on something they’re giving away? More likely you’ll be treated like...
by Jeff Goin | Apr 29, 2019 | Critical Thinking, Political
Well, it LOOKS flat. So how do we know it’s not? I know two people who really the earth is flat, so I was curious. Is there a way we could answer the question directly, using understandable logic and measurements possible with the naked eye and a protractor. I...
by Jeff Goin | Apr 29, 2019 | Political
From the department of “Ridiculous things people believe”. Jan 31, 2007 The next picture shows an SWA airplane leaving contrails. That reminded me of an interesting question I got a while back about contrails. The person pointed me to a web site that...
by Jeff Goin | Apr 20, 2019 | 35: Preserving the Sport, Paramotor Pariahs
It turns out that paramotors and skittish prey don’t mix. Given that hunters gravitate to the same times of day as we do and frequently at the same times, it might be good to learn where they’re likely to be. Bullets fly. We fly. We’d rather not meet...
by Jeff Goin | Apr 19, 2019 | Political
Humans have made their mark. How much, how bad will it get and how irreversible is it? It’s a bummer this has to be categorized under “Political” but that’s our reality. Evidence is clear that our planet is warming. It’s also pretty clear...
by Jeff Goin | Apr 19, 2019 | Political
Are there too many humans? Will there soon be? Overpopulation is a hot topic among many and it could have dire consequences. But is it possible that more humans may also be the only hope earthly life has? Human population has exploded, to be sure. Peace is one of our...
by Jeff Goin | Apr 19, 2019 | Critical Thinking, Political
The top 20 Logical Fallacies in Alphabetical order. Courtesy TheSkepticsGuide.com | See also Wikipedia 1. Ad hominem An ad hominem argument attempts to counter another’s claims or conclusions by attacking the person rather than addressing the argument itself....
by Jeff Goin | Apr 19, 2019 | Political
Article from the Wall Street Journal: June 23, 2007 by Sadanand Dhume Another Friday in Peshawar, Quetta and Karachi — and as if on cue, the hoarse, bearded and pyromaniacal pour out of mosques into the streets armed with Union Jacks and effigies of Queen Elizabeth...
by Jeff Goin | Apr 19, 2019 | Entertainment, Political
Critical look at paragliding vs smoking For the users, it’s fun. But it increases your risk of health problems, costs money, and there’s a small chance others can be affected. Of course I’m talking about powered paragliding. But I could also be...
by Jeff Goin | Apr 19, 2019 | 08: the Law, Political
Do we have too many regulations in aviation? It depends on your perspective. If you’re trying to pilot aircraft or profit from them, than you will think we do. If you’re a passenger or ground pounder wanting not to get killed by airplanes, you probably...
by Jeff Goin | Apr 19, 2019 | Political
The System Is Broke, What to do? Sorry for this digression from paramotoring—every now and then I feel the need to vent. Regardless of your health care leaning, there are some things that most people will probably agree on with a little thought. For starters, too...
by Jeff Goin | Apr 18, 2019 | Political
Originally published Feb 2004 in Powered Sport Flying Magazine Do you need to be rich to fly? Unfortunately, by most measures, yes. By world standards, just having a warm place to sleep, clean water, food and electricity qualifies for being rich, and car ownership is...
by Jeff Goin | Apr 18, 2019 | Political
Powered Paraglider Marketers throw ethics to the wind and appeal to the gullible. Beware! While looking for information on products that are getting reviewed I came across something that made me laugh. A sad laugh, though. It highlights why internet claims are so...
by Jeff Goin | Apr 18, 2019 | Critical Thinking, Political
Science-based medicine looks at Artificial Sweeteners Anybody who knows me knows that I drink copious amounts of diet soda (now caffeine free). I’ve had people give me grief about how bad it was so I did some quick research. Turns out that there is probably no...
by Jeff Goin | Apr 18, 2019 | Political
This topic gets so politicized that it’s hard to discuss intelligently with some people. Don’t be those people. Listen. Think. Consider. Good arguments can be made for the responsible carrying of firearms. If I was in a mall when some lunatic came in...
by Jeff Goin | Apr 17, 2019 | Critical Thinking, Political
Improving the world in thoughtful ways Here’s a simple test to see if you are indeed a critical thinker. Can you answer “yes” to the following questions: 1. First and foremost are you willing to change your mind if presented with better evidence? 2....
by Tim Kaiser | Apr 5, 2019 | Political
Political, Financial & Miscellaneous: Another view of the people and happenings on Earth We Americans are far from perfect. As individuals we have the same variety as people anywhere else on the globe. Some of us are incredibly arrogant and disrespectful while...
by Jeff Goin | Sep 25, 2014 | Paramotor Pariahs
It should come as no surprise that Dell Schanze has managed to define yet another low in the business ethics of powered paragliding. Nobody has even come close to being this clueless or classless. In an effort to dupe the gullible into thinking there is, in fact,...
by Jeff Goin | Apr 20, 2013 | Paramotor Pariahs, Ultralights
If you’ve encountered the term powered skydiving, we’d like to clear up what it is. When you add power to a wing it becomes powered (insert wing name). In the case of hang gliding, that’s powered hang gliding. We added power to a paragliding wing and...
by Jeff Goin | Apr 16, 2013 | Paramotor Pariahs
More on Powered Paragliding’s Loudest, Least Honest Mouth Last month the video below came out exposing a 2011 crash caused by Dell Schanze getting tangled in another pilot’s lines. Hooks on Dell’s boots causing the lead pilot’s wing to deform...
by Jeff Goin | Apr 10, 2012 | Paramotor Pariahs
Setting the Record Straight About Powered Paragliding’s Loudest, Most Dishonest Mouth | PPG Truth Discussion Group Dell Schanze strikes again. This isn’t hunting, it’s torture for the simple pleasure of it. Chasing a bird for a few seconds is one...
by Jeff Goin | Jan 1, 2012 | Paramotor Pariahs
Setting the Record Straight About Powered Paragliding’s Loudest, Lyingest Mouth He leaves an enormous wake in his path. I was told that Dell was in the San Diego area and local pilots were bracing for the worst. They got it. The particular area he flew, just...
by Jeff Goin | Sep 6, 2011 | Paramotor Pariahs
Sept 06, 2011 Complete Disregard For Others Closes the Entire Oregon Coast To Paramotoring We should not be surprised but we should all be mad as hell. I’ve flown this coast and it’s a beautiful place. Flown respectfully, as it has been for years by Brad...
by Jeff Goin | May 17, 2011 | Parapinions
On founding the US Powered Paragliding Association Be leery of any instructor railing against the USPPA. There’s a good chance they’re objecting to its training standards which were established to improve training safety and thoroughness. They require more...
by Jeff Goin | Sep 19, 2010 | Paramotor Pariahs, Parapinions
Feeling sorry for, but not falling for it I saw this headline and knew exactly who it was written for. Spot on. See also Dell’s many other travesties/dishonesties inflicted on our precious freedom. Unfortunately Dell does great harm to real efforts at improving...
by Jeff Goin | Aug 19, 2010 | Paramotor Pariahs, Parapinions
If you’ve searched for Powered Paragliding on the internet you have, no doubt, come across Dell Schanze, who has made it his mission to inundate YouTube with incessant videos making ridiculously grandiose claims and spewing complete fabrications. Even more...
by Jeff Goin | May 17, 2010 | Parapinions
The effect of copying designs in niche markets When a company expends great effort and expense to create something new, especially something we personally benefit from, it’s nice to see them profit from it. Partly because the developer deserves it, and selfishly...
by Jeff Goin | Mar 21, 2009 | Political
This article was interesting in how it shows the mechanism for what we now call “printing money.” Some people think that money comes from presses. It doesn’t, but sadly, the effect is still the same. From an article by Jon Hilsenrath, Wisetrader.com....
by Jeff Goin | Oct 3, 2008 | Paramotor Pariahs
Sorry, I just couldn’t take it any more and removed the review due to the extraordinarily unethical behavior of it’s maker. 2010 July 17 The sham that is Dell Schanze goes beyond anything I’ve seen, involving outright lies and jumps of pure fantasy....
by Jeff Goin | Sep 11, 2007 | Paramotor Pariahs
In September, 2007, this report aired in Salt Lake City about Dell Schanze buzzing a commercial tour boat. I’ve said for years that one of paramotoring’s greatest appeals is the lack of a 500 foot minimum distance rule—a requirement followed by nearly all...
