by Jeff Goin | Jan 1, 2008 | Log: Enterprise
Fall of 2008 will bring my first trip to Texas. Then it’s on to Phoenix and San Diego by January 2009. Summer in Chicago has been awesome and next summer I’ll miss it. She’ll be staying out west to let me explore the Pacific Northwest for the first...
by Jeff Goin | Dec 17, 2007 | News
Cold Weather Gear Dec 18, 2007 Jeff Shriner of Shri-Brova Productions lives and flies in the cold. He’s now making life better for cold weather fliers by selling Gerbing’s line of heated attire. For gloves, he has found that the Snow style works better...
by Jeff Goin | Dec 5, 2007 | Tributes
Longtime light flyer and supporter passes I was saddened to hear of Bob High’s passing. The last time I saw Bob was when I snapped these pictures as he took his quicksilver aloft. Bob High Quicksilver taxiing Bob High putting helmet on Bob High airborne in his...
by Jeff Goin | Nov 7, 2007 | Entertainment, Log: Life
I was rolling on the floor with Paul Anthem’s latest video creation (see below). If only warranties could be this permissive. Yes, a computer was harmed in the making of the video. And harmed is an understatement—you’ll see what I mean. Feb 27, 2007 Every...
by Jeff Goin | Sep 25, 2007 | 30: Other Uses
Ed Poccia and the Route 66 Flyers of Albuquerque gained lots of experience and acceptance at helping with search and rescue. By joining with authorities there, they added a lot of capability while fostering a valuable relationship with the community. Ed has offered to...
by Jeff Goin | Sep 14, 2007 | 26: The Wing
Here is some clarification on DULV paraglider testing. Thanks to Pons Lars of Swing and German pilot Stefan Obenauer. First, tests are flown using a paramotor as opposed to free flight without a motor. They are flown at the wing makers listed maximum take-off weight...
by Jeff Goin | Sep 12, 2007 | 02 Gearing Up
What does it really cost to fly a paramotor? When I first saw the advertisements for paramotors in Kit Planes Magazine, I couldn’t believe my eyes. “Something can actually get you off the ground for $7,500? It must be a scam.” At the time in 2002 I was a very active...
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...
by Jeff Goin | Aug 30, 2007 | Reviews: Other
Robin Rumbolt is an electronics engineer and paramotor pilot. He offers this information up to a sport that struggles to communicate effectively while airborne. First of all, I have to admit to you that I am an ICOM junkie. I own six of their radios, five handheld�s...
by Jeff Goin | Jul 5, 2007 | Advanced Launching, Entertainment, Log: Enterprise
Sometimes you just gotta go for it. My other favorite sport is in-line skating which I do a lot in the summertime, more often in fact, than paramotoring. I’ve PPG launched on skates once before but wanted to do it with light winds and a hard packed surface...
by Jeff Goin | Jul 2, 2007 | Tributes
I lost a friend. Its always sad to hear of a loss, especially when it happens doing what we all love, and to someone we’ve spent time with. I’m sorry mostly for his family and close friends, my pain pales in comparison with theirs. Mike leaves behind two...
by Jeff Goin | Jun 30, 2007 | 19: Risk & Safety, Log: Enterprise
How do you know if your paramotor is about to quit? It’s running. Elburn, IL Saturday was one busy day with paramotor flyin g early and late and a hang glider trike adventure in the middle. That became my very first engine out landing in corn. Well, touchdown...
by Jeff Goin | Jun 27, 2007 | 06: Adding Wheels, 28: Accessories
In 2007 I tripled my experience with trikes. The picture at right shows my first foray into high powered PPG trikes, flying Jim Doyle’s Hirth powered behemoth down the runway while keeping the nosewheel aloft. It was flown under a Sting 250 paraglider. What...
by Jeff Goin | May 30, 2007 | 18: Advanced Maneuvers, Accident Reports
Wires claim a paragliding pilot after a wind increase In May, 2007, a pilot died in a paragliding accident during a maneuvers clinic. She flew into high tension wires after increasing winds prevented a return to the planned LZ. This tragedy falls heaviest on the...
by Jeff Goin | May 18, 2007 | Propeller Safety
Passive and Active safety to help shut off the motor if necessary | Safestart Ken Morrison Emergency Shut Off Here is an idea for reducing the possibility of a motor leaping forward and into an unsuspecting pilot. It incorporates two frame-mounted switches. One for...
by Jeff Goin | May 16, 2007 | Reviews: Other
Helmets protect both brains and ears. They should be comfortable and provide good sound attenuation while allowing radio communications. The latter grieves the designers more than anything, it seems, since there are so many radios with equally varied connectors....
by Jeff Goin | May 16, 2007 | Reviews: Carts
The American Built Trike Buggy is being built by American Paragliding. It is based on the Flexifoil frame which gives it great strength and a very low center of gravity (CG). That adds stability. The unit tested had a Fresh Breeze Simonini but it also mounts a...
by Jeff Goin | May 15, 2007 | 18: Advanced Maneuvers
Powered Paragliding Pilots “throw down.” In February of this year, while synchro spiraling with Phil Russman, I flew through his wake—a wake strengthened by the 2 G’s we were pulling. My wing surged below me and took a minor collapse. Even though I...
by Jeff Goin | May 13, 2007 | 18: Advanced Maneuvers
I finally did it and took the MacPara Spice 22 (see Review) paraglider through a maneuvers clinic put on by Chris Santacroce. Probably the most important bit to know is how dangerous this stuff is outside of a well-run over water clinic. My guts were nearly handed to...
by Jeff Goin | May 5, 2007 | Entertainment, Log: Enterprise
Life is entertaining for those who don’t mind glancing at it askew. little challenges, once accepted, provide some of our most entertaining moments. As long as nobody gets hurt. Oshkosh Radio Station Interview May 28, 2009 WOSH Radio Interview conducted at OSH...
by Jeff Goin | Apr 23, 2007 | Reviews: Safety Gear
Don’t be fooled—ditching with a paramotor can be fatal. Success stories may lead some to think it’s trivial but it’s not—about 1 in 30 pilot’s have died after going in, including one who made it out his paramotor only to die while swimming to...
by Jeff Goin | Apr 18, 2007 | 15: Advanced Ground Handling
The PPG Bible describes how most pilots do reverse launches—throttle in one hand and A-risers in the other. For light winds, the cross-armed method is recommended and indeed it is probably the most effective. But another method works almost as well with less fuss. It...
by Jeff Goin | Apr 7, 2007 | Log: Enterprise
My phone beeped. The message “meeting at the polo field this afternoon” was from local pilot Gary Brown who was planning an outing at the polo field. I thought the weather was supposed to suck but obviously somebody else thought otherwise. Sure enough, a...
by Jeff Goin | Mar 28, 2007 | 13: Flying Cross Country
These tools are for someone who likes to go old-school just for the fun of it. They were shown in chapter 13 for cross country flying. WindVectorBlank PDF File, 4 Mb 2 pages. One blank Circular graph for calculating ground speed based on forecast winds aloft with...
by Jeff Goin | Mar 16, 2007 | Log: Enterprise
Let the testing begin. This Enterprise trip has several missions besides fun. One is getting pictures that illustrate a certain type of light wind reverse launch. Another mission is to quantify various aspects of handling. Naturally there are some wings that I really...
by Jeff Goin | Mar 13, 2007 | 12: Maintenance
Thanks to Brian Del Campo Welders own the world. But it’s a surprisingly steep learning curve that our contributor, Brian Del Campo, has climbed. And when it comes to aluminum, not all shops can handle it. Assuming that you want to fly the weld being considered,...
by Jeff Goin | Mar 13, 2007 | Mx: Motor
Thanks to Brian Del Campo | Walbro Carbs | troubleshooting carbs. A carburetor’s job is to feed the engine a perfect mix of fuel and air as commanded by the pilot. There are two basic types of carburetors: Float bowl and Membrane. About 70% of all paramotors use...
by Jeff Goin | Mar 12, 2007 | Advanced Launching, Entertainment, Log: Enterprise
Can you ever have too many wheels? 8 is enough. Photos by Kevin Kanarski I also got to try something I’ve wanted to do for years but was never willing: the roller blade launch. There’s plenty of video and Kevin’s still shots are featured below. The...
by Jeff Goin | Mar 3, 2007 | Log: Enterprise
The Enterprise started out in Phoenix this year and toured both big western fly-ins before heading back towards Chicago and with a romp at Bubba Peters 9000 foot high launch site. “Bubba” the Bonanza wintered in Phoenix and saw some action flying around...
by Jeff Goin | Feb 21, 2007 | 34: Cool Places to Fly
Location: North of Yuma, AZ, east of the southern Salton Sea, CA and about 200 miles west of Phoenix, AZ. Basic Description: Just like what you’d imagine the Sahara Desert except that bordering the main dunes is a large area where RV’s can drive and park....
by Jeff Goin | Feb 20, 2007 | Log: Airline
Bi-annual visit to the $16 Million Flight Simulator. Microsoft, eat your heart out! It’s never routine. Even the inevitable emergencies aren’t routine. Different instructor, different sim partner, slightly different sim behavior and older brain cells,...
by Jeff Goin | Feb 19, 2007 | Accident Reports
Freeflight Instructor Gabe Jeb seriously hurt at free-flight site Sunday afternoon, Feb 18, well known Torrey Pines instructor Gabe Jeb was injured while soaring at a popular hill near San Diego. He had brought a group of students to Otay Mesa in southern California....
by Jeff Goin | Feb 13, 2007 | 34: Cool Places to Fly
Columbus Millertime, OH, US Feb 21, 2007 | N39°47’20” W083°06’51” | Elevation 840′ above mean sea level (MSL) Location: Southwest of Columbus, OH at a private grass airstrip. Basic Description: Millertime is a private 2800 foot long, 120...
by Jeff Goin | Jan 15, 2007 | Log: Enterprise, Log: Paramotor-Ultralight
The valley of the sun is only a 6 hours drive south and down the big hill. You drop 4000 feet into what should be warmth and sunshine. So here we were on day 2 and it was raining. Cold, too. At least we had yesterday’s flying on the Rio Verde, brief though it...
by Jeff Goin | Jan 15, 2007 | 27: The Motor Unit, Mx: Harness Setup
What’s better, high or low hook-ins? A nearly religious fervor surrounds proponents of each system. But most pilots stick with what they learned on and enjoy it happily thereafter. 2019 Update: the vast majority of new machines are sold with low hookins using...
by Jeff Goin | Jan 15, 2007 | 25: Roots & Demographics
The article below is courtesy of the WashingtonPost.com. By Lisa Ulmer, Photos by Reginald A. Pearman Jr., Wednesday, July 1, 1998 As a child, Carlton Hoskins would look to the sky and dream of flying, planning to become a commercial aviator or a fighter jet pilot. As...
by Jeff Goin | Jan 13, 2007 | Log: Enterprise, Log: Paramotor-Ultralight
Is it me or is mother nature really annoyed? Maybe it’s just a bad spell of luck. Tim Kaiser and I arrived in Phoenix for their coldest weather in years. There’s a freeze warning for tonight. A freeze warning! That’s not as bad as the snowstorm in...
by Jeff Goin | Jan 4, 2007 | 06: Adding Wheels
Airgate trike made to accept their articulating hybrid hangpoint paramotor. Scarab PPG Wheeled Craft from Russia Chad Bastian inflating on a trike at the Salton Sea What flavors we have to choose from! I’ve flown most types of wheeled craft but not this one,...
by Jeff Goin | Jan 1, 2007 | Log: Enterprise
Snowstorm! Getting the plane from ABQ to Phoenix No paramotoring on this trip but at least I got some gorgeous airplane flying in. After my ordeal in ABQ, it was a relief to be sitting there, motor idling, heater running, wings clean, with a clearance and ready to...
by Jeff Goin | Dec 29, 2006 | Log: Enterprise, Log: Life
Freak snowstorm and getting stuck in ABQ | Escape From Albuquerque Log History has now shown that the day I chose to visit Albuquerque was the beginning of its worst snowstorm on record. The worst. My abortive trip still provided life experiences whose memory will, no...
