by Jeff Goin | Feb 3, 2011 | Reviews: Carts, Reviews: Paramotors
Paratoys has made its name on building decent quality machines at an affordable price. This new machine marks a departure from that succesful formula by virtue of being at the high end of its market in both price and quality. There are several decent 4-stroke...
by Jeff Goin | Feb 1, 2011 | Reviews: Paramotors
Canadian based RSUltra makes Kangook paramotors among other things. They’ve been building paramotors out of Canada for at least 4 years that I’m aware of and may be longer. I’ll leave you to check out the specifics and will give a cursery review of...
by Jeff Goin | Jan 12, 2011 | 15: Advanced Ground Handling, Reviews: Other
This is a compilation of the early reviews from when the video first came out. All the videos have been done to the same quality but we didn’t bother collecting comments from them. From Paramotor Magazine: Several years in the making, Jeff Goin’s latest...
by Jeff Goin | Jan 1, 2011 | Log: Enterprise
The Enterprise started 2011 in Pine Island, FL and served as home while I began the new year with a flight. Paul Czarnecki and I went up for a short, bumpy introduction to the new air. It was feisty air, too. This year I hope to finish taping for all three of the...
by Jeff Goin | Nov 30, 2010 | Accident Reports
It’s easier than you think | Updated 2010-Nov 30 to add EAA’s article. It’s easy to dismiss the risk of midair collisions because they’re so rare. But they’re also severe and, tragically, seem to happen to conscientious pilots with the...
by Jeff Goin | Nov 17, 2010 | 23: Motor & Propeller
Download the Prop Speed Spreadsheet to quicken your calculations. What’s the right prop for your paramotor? As you can imagine, it’s not a simple answer, but here are some criteria on which to choose. First some basics about props and engines to get you...
by Jeff Goin | Nov 10, 2010 | Reviews: Paragliders
The Power X is Pegas’ targeted entry into motoring wings, specifically the realm of small, fun wings. Like many in this class, they’re intended for experienced pilots. At 19.5 m² flat (16.9 m² projected) it’s a hotrod even for my 150 pounds. I flew...
by Jeff Goin | Oct 4, 2010 | Reviews: Paragliders
I’ve flown the Velvet before but never this size and boy what a difference size makes. in this case, great things come in small packages, I loved the handling. For anyone that likes carving about in 3-D, the Velvet is a good choice. Conditions were: Miniplane...
by Jeff Goin | Sep 24, 2010 | Entertainment
It’s gonna hurt, but this should reduce the pain a bit. OpenOffice v3.1.1 I help run a nonprofit and, up until it contracted out membership services, Tim and I printed membership cards and other documents that went out as members joined, renewed, and earned...
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 | Aug 10, 2010 | Reviews: Paragliders
The Gin Airflex is Gin’s entry into the Reflex realm, with full trimmers and an effective speed system. I’ve flown the wing twice, once at Glamis Dunes and again at Beach Blast but only one time with a Speedbar and I didn’t get to make GPS speed...
by Jeff Goin | Jul 10, 2010 | Reviews: Paragliders
The Force is Apco’s entry into the high-end Reflex category and they’ve done a good job. I’ll admit to having found previous Apco wings a bit more difficult to inflate and not terribly sporty handling, so I didn’t have high expectations. The...
by Jeff Goin | Jun 16, 2010 | Accident Reports
Thoughts on a Fatal Powered Paragliding Accident One of our own is gone. Even though I did not know Andrew personally, undoubtedly he would have been an instant friend–a lover of life and of flight. He died while launching his paramotor after being hit by a...
by Jeff Goin | May 30, 2010 | Reviews: Paramotors
Bruce Brown of FlyOhio.com has updated his Free Spirit and I got to fly it at Beach Blast 2010. This review comes from notes recorded after the flight. I made very few notes, probably because it flew and ground handled much like the 2007 model I reviewed in 2009. The...
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 | May 13, 2010 | 32: Photography, Entertainment
Video from ground and air. Making of Master Powered Paragliding I’m working on a series of four training videos to help pilots learn the finer points of powered paragliding. They’re what I wish I would have had to speed up the learning process. The script...
by Jeff Goin | May 12, 2010 | Mx: Paraglider
What to do if your paraglider goes in the water In May 2010 i recorded an interview with Elisabeth Guerin of Paratour’s glider shop about what happens when your wing gets dunked and what to do. She’s now had lots of experience dealing with wings that have...
by Jeff Goin | May 10, 2010 | Reviews: Paragliders
MacPara has a reputation for making gliders for motoring so it’s fitting that jumped into a more standard Reflex model with the MacJet. Unfortunately I didn’t have a GPS so I couldn’t do speed tests. I’ve ordered a Garmin Foretrex 401 that...
by Jeff Goin | May 10, 2010 | Reviews: Paragliders
At the time I flew this wing, first in Feb of this year then again in May at Beach Blast, I said it would be my next purchase if I bought another wing on those days. My only trepidation was how easily I could get myself in trouble with it, given the incredibly dynamic...
by Jeff Goin | May 9, 2010 | Reviews: Paragliders
I tried this glider in Florida and loved it. I liked it as much as the Katana but have a lot of experience on small Pluto’s larger sibling, the Pluto XS (20 m flat, 16.8 m projected), which is what I competed with at the 2009 World Air Games. It treated me...
by Jeff Goin | Apr 14, 2010 | 20: Competition, Log: Enterprise
I’ve proposed a slight change to the scoring method employed by the FAI. Their scoring is based on running lots of tasks many times. The winner of each task is awarded a huge benefit which can double his score. But in this event, where the task is one of only 4,...
by Jeff Goin | Apr 8, 2010 | Reviews
These are reviews from a pilot’s perspective. They are not certification tests since I don’t do any significant SIV-type maneuvers with them. I try hard to be unbiased and do NOT accept sponsorships or other remuneration for reviews or put advertisements...
by Jeff Goin | Mar 18, 2010 | Mx: Motor, Mx: Troubleshooting
The best thing to do if you suspect a carburetor problem is replace the carb with new. That way you can rule out the carb as a problem right away. Then, if you want to fix your carb, put it back on and start troubleshooting–at least now you know it’s the...
by Jeff Goin | Mar 7, 2010 | Reviews: Electric Paramotors
2019 Note: This unit is no longer under development at least by this name. They’re not allowed to fly paramotors in Switzerland. And now that I’ve been there, it’s almost (not quite, but almost) understandable. A noisy motor would reverberate through...
by Jeff Goin | Mar 6, 2010 | Reviews: Electric Paramotors
These guys have been quietly building an electric machine for the past four years–work that has paid off by creating a salable drive train that can be used by other makers. After seeing pictures, I inquired with the usual questions and the lead developer,...
by Jeff Goin | Mar 2, 2010 | 19: Risk & Safety
Not Ticking People Off with our paramotoring takes on a new Twist. Thanks to Ken Morrison I’ve had a guy walk out of his house with a shotgun once. He leaned against an out building and just stood there watching me fly (legally and with permission) from an...
by Jeff Goin | Feb 1, 2010 | Reviews: Paramotors
Photos by Nick Parajet continues to come up with new, innovative gear and the Rotron is a prime example. Their new flagship is easily the most powerful paramotor I’ve yet flown and also the first one I was unwilling to go full power on. They’ve done a...
by Jeff Goin | Jan 1, 2010 | 27: The Motor Unit, 29: Home Building, Reviews: Paramotors
As of 2019 the “Easy-up” paramotor appears to no longer be available (thankfully). This is the real deal. The world’s most affordable ultralight plans and, once built, a very nice flying machine. My goal in having this page up is to preclude pilots...
by Jeff Goin | Jan 1, 2010 | Log: Enterprise
The Enterprise again started 2010 in Phoenix, AZ, came back to Chicago and goes to Florida in the fall. We Illinois boys hope to do our first big cross country this year, something we’ve talked about for some time but, now that I’m gonna have the motorhome...
by Jeff Goin | Dec 30, 2009 | News
Famous Albuquerque Flying Site for Sale Yup, it’s true, Paramotor City is for sale. Thankfully, Michelle and Jerry Daniele, among our sport’s earliest adopters, will continue to play an important role, with Michelle doing glider repairs and Denzel...
by Jeff Goin | Dec 11, 2009 | Accident Reports
Analysis of fatal paramotor crash involving turbulence and its improper handling. A fellow lover of flight went out one day to pursue his passion. He did not return—an incredible tragedy for the loved ones he leaves behind. We can only hope to learn from this tragedy...
by Jeff Goin | Dec 5, 2009 | Airline Safety
Most days my day job is pretty unremarkable. But sometimes it rises to the level of recording as was the case last night. I still admit that, if you gotta work, this gig is sweet, especially for those of us lucky enough to still enjoy it. Thursday afternoon a call...
by Jeff Goin | Nov 5, 2009 | Reviews: Paragliders
Just a quick note about a solid Beginner wing that I tried last month. Jaro Krupa brought a Pegas Aile 24 for demo at our local haunt and I took it up for a few flights. There are sooo many choices of good wings now that it’s frequently hard to differentiate...
by Jeff Goin | Sep 17, 2009 | 19: Risk & Safety, Log: Enterprise, Log: Helicopter
Unwelcome invader on Paramotor retrieval of Helicopter I had paramotored up to retrieve the helicopter and was now thwapping home. On final approach to our ramp, about 300 feet high, something caught my attention. Just above me and to the left was an enormous venomous...
by Jeff Goin | Sep 9, 2009 | 31: Traveling with Gear
My poor motor used to travel unprotected on the Enterprise’s rear rack (see picture above right) but now she stays covered. There are better covers, especially custom versions that cover everything including the bottom then zip up to keep dust out. But for...
by Jeff Goin | Aug 29, 2009 | 27: The Motor Unit, Propeller Safety
Safer gear is an important element to reducing injuries. | A Better Paramotor | Safety Ring Retrofit | A Better Cart Another major improvement to safety can likely be realized with a simple throttle change. Most of the injuries happen while a pilot, facing his motor,...
by Jeff Goin | Aug 26, 2009 | 19: Risk & Safety, 27: The Motor Unit, Propeller Safety
Jeff Baumgartner Safety Ring Modification You can now buy a safety ring, suitable for many brands, from Skycruiser Manufacturing for $65. Thanks to Leon Wacker for working with me on this and making it available. Shipping adds approximately $15. It comes in 3 segments...
by Jeff Goin | Aug 21, 2009 | Reviews: Carts, Reviews: Paramotors
The Cheap Trike (Now called Falcon) is powered by a 4-stroke generator motor spinning a huge prop. inside of an appropriately sized cage. I’ve flown a number of wheeled craft including the Blackhawk Quad, Paracruiser Quad, Paratour PPCg, Fresh Breeze, Green...
by Jeff Goin | Aug 20, 2009 | 19: Risk & Safety, 20: Competition
Photos by Stan Kasica | See WAG 2009 Log Writeup What an adventure! Three pilots and two crew members represented U.S. paramotorists in international competition—a first. This was a big deal and felt like it, with extravagant ceremonies, paid hotels, meals and local...
