by Jeff Goin | Apr 30, 2019 | Accident Reports
Rapid wind change ensnares PPG Pilot. Thanks to the submitter for his willingness to share. The evening started with little wind and clear skies. A friend and I launched at 7:20pm from our favorite flying field just east of Colorado Springs. The first half hour of...
by Jeff Goin | Apr 30, 2019 | Mx: Troubleshooting
The motor continues to run even after activating the kill switch |Â Emergency Kill All gas paramotors that I’m aware of shut down the engine by preventing a spark. The preferred method is by shorting out the coil with a switch on the throttle stem. Anything that...
by Jeff Goin | Apr 30, 2019 | 27: The Motor Unit, Mx: Motor, Propeller Safety
Simple, effective alternative ways to shut off a motor Being able to quickly shut off a motor is critical for several reasons, yet kill switches are easily disabled at their multiple connection points. So it’s good to have a back up. Here are some ideas. Spark...
by Jeff Goin | Apr 30, 2019 | 18: Advanced Maneuvers, 19: Risk & Safety
Second only to water, doing steep maneuvering, especially low to the ground, is our sports most dangerous engagement. For many pilots, once they get some time under their belts, it’s fun to explore what’s possible with a powered paraglider. But the risk...
by Jeff Goin | Apr 30, 2019 | Propeller Safety
You wouldn’t think this could happen. During launch the pilot somehow got his calf muscle into the prop while making large strides. As of Sept, 2007, I know of two similar incidents. The only solution to this is make sure your machine doesn’t allow it. Is...
by Jeff Goin | Apr 30, 2019 | Accident Reports
by Phil Hyland, submitted by Jerry Starbuck. Thanks to USUA Club#1 It’s insidious. You look down for just a moment to take care of some problem and lose focus on your primary task: aviating. Jets crash due to it, too. Plus, focusing on distractions frequently...
by Jeff Goin | Apr 30, 2019 | 24: Weather in Depth
Invisible eddy that eats us for lunch Rotor and mechanical turbulence are close cousins. Rotor is the rotational swirl that forms downwind of certain shapes, usually a persistent, strong rotational flow. Mechanical turbulence is a more random stirring of the air...
by Jeff Goin | Apr 30, 2019 | 26: The Wing
See also: Paraglider Certification This may help understand what led up to creation of the short-lived DMSV. In 2008 Paramania wanted to get their gliders certified for sale in Germany. The main certification body said they must be certified as regular paragliders...
by Jeff Goin | Apr 30, 2019 | 01 Training, 19: Risk & Safety, 26: The Wing
Wanna Learn Powered Paragliding Safely? Get a wing that won’t kill you. After analyzing student accidents, including two fatalities, I’ve changed the way I look at beginner wings. This is important: the wrong wing can kill you (here are tips to the perfect...
by Jeff Goin | Apr 29, 2019 | 26: The Wing
See also DGAC | DMSV | Why Use Certified Wings For Paramotor We recommend new pilots fly certified gliders since they’re not equipped to be test pilots. Even though the motor may change a wing’s handling, and certification is not done with a motor,...
by Jeff Goin | Apr 29, 2019 | 26: The Wing
Condensed version of a DHV article by Michael Nesler | Click here for his detailed original Plastic rods in paragliders have become ubiquitous. Is it hype or do they help as much as they seem to? DHV pilot Michael Nesler sheds some light. There are different types of...
by Jeff Goin | Apr 29, 2019 | 01 Training, 26: The Wing
This question comes up frequently, especially when someone buys a wing that claims to be certified but later finds out it’s not. If there’s no label describing its certification, it’s almost certainly not certified in that size. Some wing sellers say...
by Jeff Goin | Apr 29, 2019 | 19: Risk & Safety, 22: Aerodynamics, 23: Motor & Propeller, 26: The Wing, Advanced Launching
Some wings, when combined with some motors, will oscillate. You swing back and forth in shallow little banks with no pilot input. It’s caused by a variation of Loaded Riser Twist where one riser has more load than the other–a fleeting condition that...
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 29, 2019 | Airline Safety
This accident hit home a bit since I’ve been working on improvements to airport diagrams and other areas. News reports tell of the horror that is always imbedded in such tragedies. And the human toll is indeed horrific when so many, so suddenly and so...
by Jeff Goin | Apr 29, 2019 | 19: Risk & Safety
Notes from users, observers and/or manufacturers about potentially unsafe conditions Paramotors, wings, harnesses, risers, helmets and other gear are subject to failure. This section is an effort to share knowledge of known maladies that could impair flight safety....
by Jeff Goin | Apr 28, 2019 | Airline Safety
In so many ways humans behave predictably. If you respond to a stimulus often enough, the response becomes automatic and the relationship very powerful. We’ve all heard of Pavlov’s famous dog which exemplifies the principle (actually, it goes a bit...
by Jeff Goin | Apr 28, 2019 | 27: The Motor Unit
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 | Apr 28, 2019 | 08: the Law
Sometimes our government lets us down | About Congested Areas see 2009 July 25 Confidence Restored in FAA see 2010 July 13: Problem moved Flight Service District Offices are where the day-to-day FAA operations are conducted. If you run afoul of aviation law,...
by Jeff Goin | Apr 28, 2019 | Mx: Motor
This is, unfortunately, a lot of work. You’ll need a drill, 1/8″ drill bit (for the rivets), a rivet gun, rivets, rubber bands (to hold the starter pawls) and nerves of steal. OK, copper nerves may work but you’ll still need that rivet gun. Thanks to...
by Jeff Goin | Apr 28, 2019 | Airline Safety
Enhanced Ground Proximity Warning System (EGPWS) typifies an expensive technology that cumulatively cost billions but dramatically improved safety. Several “saves” have already been scored that kept flesh and aluminum intact. That alone probably paid for...
by Jeff Goin | Apr 28, 2019 | Airline Safety
Greek airline accident involving the Boeing 737 Pressurization system. |Â See why this was predictable According to preliminary reports (Aviation Safety Network) a Helios Airways Boeing 737 crashed in Greece with an incapacitated crew. During the preflight...
by Jeff Goin | Apr 28, 2019 | Airline Safety
Airport diagrams let pilots understand their taxi route, runway, and limitations (hold shorts). At present there are many shortcomings. Go here to see design principles that were incorporated to make the charts below. We brief an expected route before landing but...
by Jeff Goin | Apr 28, 2019 | Airline Safety
Observations of a SWA Line Captain Airline safety is a continual defense against multiple threats: interruptions, weather, apathy, complacency, fatigue, mechanical failures, difficult personalities, stress, system design and more. We build armor in levels: pilot...
by Jeff Goin | Apr 28, 2019 | Airline Safety
Improving safety means improving the odds with an understanding of human behavior All humans make mistakes. Pilots are human. Pilots makes mistakes. And they do so at surprisingly predictable rates on aggregate. Managers and designers who fail to recognize this...
by Jeff Goin | Apr 28, 2019 | Airline Safety
Improvement potential for US civil aviation U.S. civil airlines move humans with less risk than any mode ever devised. But there’s still room for improvement. In pursuit of safety we must be careful not to price us out of reach which would lower overall...
by Jeff Goin | Apr 28, 2019 | Reviews: Other
Walk and roll! Adding wheels to a paramotor can make it a whole different craft and there are many flavors. My experience suggests that transitioning to wheels is easy provided the pilot heeds some simple advice as covered in the Powered Paragliding Bible and your...
by Jeff Goin | Apr 27, 2019 | 01 Training, 08: the Law
I sometimes get this question about paramotor ratings and thought it would be good to answer it here. Voluntary efforts at recognizing accomplishments have been around for many, many years, the best example being Red Cross’s, and other certification programs for...
by Jeff Goin | Apr 27, 2019 | 29: Home Building, Reviews: Paramotors
Note: this post is kept for historical reasons. As of 2019 the only Kit that I’m aware of is an electric machine at OpenPPG.com. As of 2010, if you were looking for Kit Paramotors, there were two that I’m familiar with. Neither of them is still around....
by Jeff Goin | Apr 27, 2019 | Reviews: Paramotors
This is the plans-built machine featured in the Powered Paragliding Bible. It is one of 3 viable paramotor kits that I’ve seen for someone wanting to start from scratch. It comes with excellent support and there are numerous machines flying out in the field....
by Jeff Goin | Apr 27, 2019 | 09: Airspace, First Flights: Launching
June 27, 2007 | Section III Mastering The Sport | Chapter 17 See also Airspace for Paramotor Pilots These instructions show how to overlay a sectional chart onto a Google Earth map. This allows you to pinpoint your launch site with Google Earth then overlay the...
by Jeff Goin | Apr 27, 2019 | 01 Training, 36: Instructors & Tandem
Any paramotor or paraglider school worth using should have a quality simulator that lets students learn the basics before going aloft on their first flight. Of course they must also become extremely competent with ground handling (kiting) the paraglider which is the...
by Jeff Goin | Apr 27, 2019 | 01 Training, 36: Instructors & Tandem
This valuable training tool has some dark corners of its own. There have been a number of serious injuries and at least one fatality during towing operations. As a training aid it is valuable and widely used to introduce new students to flight without the risk of...
by Jeff Goin | Apr 24, 2019 | Mx: Motor, Mx: Troubleshooting
Most paramotors use a manual pull starter due to its simplicity and light weight. They’re slightly more reliable than an electric start because no battery is required but they’re far from perfect. Problem Possible solution or link. Pull starter feels...
by Jeff Goin | Apr 24, 2019 | Mx: Motor, Mx: Troubleshooting
The ready supply of U.S. held parts for this machine is one of its draws. See also Specifics on the Top 80 There are at least three types of redrives for the Top 80 and several different gear ratios. The ratio is the number of teeth on the big gear divided by the...
by Jeff Goin | Apr 24, 2019 | Mx: Motor, Mx: Troubleshooting
Membrane carbs are sensitive to the pressure required to push the needle valve off its seat to allow fuel into the chamber: pop-off pressure. This tool makes it easy easy to do. There is a fairly wide pressure allowance and that the what you measure with the motor...
by Jeff Goin | Apr 24, 2019 | Mx: Motor, Mx: Troubleshooting
Ding the tip of your carbon prop? Is the prop in good shape otherwise? This may work to repair it if the damage is minor. It’s based on the same technique as covered in Chapter 12 of the PPG Bible. Flying a repaired prop could cause injure or kill a bystander if...
by Jeff Goin | Apr 23, 2019 | 12: Maintenance, 23: Motor & Propeller, Mx: Troubleshooting
It’s always good to support your local dealer to better ensure he/she stays in the business of providing support. But it’s also nice to know where parts are available can get you airborne when the dealer is unavailable or is not providing good service. As...
by Jeff Goin | Apr 23, 2019 | 22: Aerodynamics, 23: Motor & Propeller, Mx: Motor
Which prop you choose depends on which redrive you have. A high ratio means the prop spins at a slower speed and needs more pitch–a bigger bite. At some point of increasing pitch, efficiency suffers and/or the motor will bog down and won’t get up to its...
