Powered Paragliding Ontario - Paramotoring PPG course - May 7/03                   

May 7, 2003.       Ground school and ground handling.

Even though the next ground school was scheduled for May 24/03 I have taught one today. When there is a student that is willing to train during work week I do not mind doing so even though running ground school with only one person is not the most efficient thing. This takes some of the "load" from weekends that are busy as it is.

So here is Dave paying attention and taking notes. Good student Dave.

Dave in his new Simon XC plus. Soooo comfy...The front hole on the comfort bar is the proper attachment for Dave's weight.

At the field there were four of us: Captain and pilot in command Andre - AKA the General, Sam the killer dog, Dave and Randall who has taken the ground school while ago. The wind was dead! 

I usually I like to demonstrate proper take off, basic flight maneuvers such as turns, climbs, descents but every time there is no wind I sort of worry since one is never 100 % sure if every forward inflation will be a go...Therefore a proper take off in no wind is sometimes hard to demonstrate with perfection and confidence. Those of you who fly know what I am talking about. So anyway I have set up, preflight checked, and got ready. A's in my hands, riser over my shoulder I wait for bit of a wind...Here it is! I apply power and surge forward, the glider climbs but not quite to the point when it locks in so I abort. Kurva! Well I did not even stop the engine, grab the A's again, surge and this time I am off. There must have been slight amount of wind TO MY BACK as I gained fair amount of speed and was forced to "drop" the brakes below my ass for take off. So I fly again. I have completed the usual demo stuff including steep "spiral" and "big ears" few touch and go's and somewhat fast landing. Since wind was still dead we have decided to practice the dreaded forward inflations...

What the?...How the??....

Something does not feel right.... got to fix it..... Dave stop fiddling around and get to work! ;-)

Randall, ready for forward inflation. He is thinking "Man this is hard work, I hope Andre will allow me to use the paramotor soon so I can let the Paramotor Monkey Butler to do all the work. OK, nice try Randall - no Paramotor Monkey Butler for you...at least not yet.

I slaved my ass helping Dave with a tow rope to make the inflations bit easy for him no wonder he is laughing - I was his Paramotor Monkey Butler and he only had to do half of the work...

The "Yellow Lab Club" showed up again with cube van full of dogs so for a while the dogs had a "power play"...Dogs are not as bad as cows you know.. Once paragliding  in France this stupid cow started to eat my glider when I left it unattended. That has really pissed me off so at the end of the day I want to Mac Donald's and ordered cow... nice revenge stupid cow!

As you see the wind has picked up and we were able to start practicing reverse inflations. This is Dave having a hoot...wrestling his new Lift 30 by Sky Para.

We have put in good 2 hours of work in decent wind and since it was 4 pm and both Randal and Dave had to leave, that was it. It would have been perfect day for nice cross country flight. It was completely overcast - no thermals at all + perfect steady wind. Where were you Jim? Chris?

Since my forward inflation take off looked like tons of work I wanted to show Randall and Dave that take off with some wind using reverse inflation is no work at all. I have set my self up...

Inflated...

Two steps and I was off. Ahhhhh in the air again...

Again, it was perfect afternoon for flying. Too bad no one showed up since I would have loved to go for XC with someone... Oh well too bad.  Maybe next time.

I do not have many pics of my self taking off or landing so before I took off I have asked Randall to take some. Here is a pic of Andre landing....Randall realy likes Sam can't you tell...

Here is pic of Sam's ass...Randall, what the? You were supposed to take pictures of meeeee...not the dog's behind..

Anyway it was a good day. Two gentleman stopped by, each inquiring about PPG and training possibilities. They each got a card so there may be more customers soon - I think. Yupiiii.

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