So...

You saw a guy at the park strap his motorcycle to his back and take off into the sky. Now your wife is terrified, all your friends think you've gone and tossed what comon sense you did have and your boss is about to tell you that you don't have any insurance for this sort of thing.

You're about to venture into a world where people unlike any other breed spend their time shaking their fists at the sky in the rain and talking about things like varios, asyms and big ears... You'll live in your car alot, smell like 2-cycle mix most of the time, Spend ALL of your money and piss off everybody you know. But the rewards are SOOoooo worth it.

I've flown some crazy things. Not all of them started out aircraft. I've owned and flown most brands and have built several motor units from scratch. (Not worth it in the end, BTW.) I'm trained in PPG, paragliding aerobatics, towing, hang gliding, trikes, cross country flight and high alt. mountain flying. I spend my airtime flying in the untamed back country of the alaska mountain range and my equipment is often the only thing between me and a lousy way to die. In our sport quality is directly related to safety. (As is good ol' horse sense.) I've logged hundreds of hours in the air and I hold several indorsements as a P-3 USHPA licensed pilot. I'm not bragging, I just wanted to ensure you that i have some remote knowledge pertaining to what i'm trying to convey.

The first thing you need to do is find the BEST instructor in your area. Not the cheapest or the closest just to make it convenient, But the BEST. Do a little research and look into the instructor's classes and course corriculum. A three day course will probably get you hurt. A good course will teach you everything. We never really stop learning in this sport. Even the oldest pilot would never claim that he knows all there is to know about the sky.  A good instructor, once he's done teaching you how to assemble, launch, fly and land a PPG safely, will always be there for you for any questions and advise for years afterward.

You cannot teach yourself to fly a powered paraglider. (Read that again)  YOU CANNOT TEACH YOURSELF TO FLY!!!

Don't be stupid! Good lord, man. What are you thinking?!? You're not buying a Harley, It's an aircraft. It's able to pick you up off the ground and haul you and your butt as high as 12000 Ft. and more above the ground.

Okay, i'll stop preaching now... Just get good instruction. It's worth every penny and you'll meet some great folks in the process.

When you do go shopping for a motor unit, You'll obviously want the best gear. You should buy a new outfit, But we're not all Rockafellers. Therefore we end up finding a machine within our price range and trying not to buy a lemon. This rant is here to give you some idea what you're looking for when you make the descision to write that check.

Not all motors are created equally. But they all have their place in the sky. The larger, More powerfull systems are best left to the more experienced pilots and those trained on larg equipment for a reason. Though, Most instructors will start you out on a smaller rig like a Sky Cruiser or Black hawk to make it easier to wield the mighty beast. Cripes, You're gonna have a gas engine tied to you... How big does it have to be?

Well, that's a good place to start asking questions. It's directly related to how much you weigh. As the pilot you'll want to find a rig that suits your weight range when combined with the wing you'll be using.

A large motor with a large wing can be a pain to launch for obviouse reasons. Likewise, a smaller wing and motor will require a totally differant launch technique and might not have the climb out rate you require.

The closer you are to the top of the wing's weight range, The more stable it usually is in flight and the closer you get to the bottom of it's weight range the more susceptable it becomes to assymetric collapses and parachutal stall.  A larger wing will also take longer to recover from a collapse and may be hard to ground handle. Finding the right combination engine/wing for you is the whole secret to finding the rig you'll enjoy flying. Some guys who can't see toting a fifty or sixty Lb running motor with two whirling blades of death around on their back all day might be better suited to learning to fly a trike system. But others might have an irrational fear of tiny pnumatic tires...

Do some research and pick the right equipment combination for the pilot.

Okay, So we've gotten trained and found a setup we like in the acceptable price range:

The FIRST thing you'll want to do is make sure it's not a scam- There are, unfortunately, some rascles out there who will take advantage of us trusting types and put up ads for a once-in-a-lifetime deal on the sweetest looking motor in the world... The trouble is that that motor might just belong to someone else, and you're about to get ripped off.. Beware! These thieving butt-heads can usually be spotted by the zero feedback rating, usually domestic listing with bad english text, They usually only accept un-trackable payment options like postal money orders or transfers, they sometimes end the auction early and then send 'second-chance' offers to the highest bidders, They have no remorse and will rob you blind if you let 'em.

How do you verify a suspected scammer? There are several ways-

You can ask for specific information about the rig like the e-mail or phone number of the last owner and contact him. Most folks won't mind if you explain why. You can ask for specific photos of the rig, ask for part numbers and gear ratios etc. that a little Brazillian dude who's never actually seen one most likely wouldn't have the answers to. Be creative.

Never buy a rig from someone in Russia... But the rig's at his cousin's house in Denver and he'll arrange the whole thing to have it shipped to you right after you pay via Western-Union..., Yeah, That's the ticket... You might as well stuff a few grand into the nearest mailbox and walk away... Sucker. Better yet, Address it to me!

BUT! (A lone vioce rings out...) There are more honest pilots simply trying to sell a quality machine for a fair price than there are scammers! There is hope!

Lett's assume that you've found a killer deal on a verrified auction that you're thinking might just be the one... It's beautiful... Bright red and shiney. Comes with a wing and all the bells and whistles. Providing you've been listenning in class, It's the right rig/wing for you and for the right price, should we toss out a bid?? Not before asking a whole lotta questions.

Here they are:


Manufacturer and model? (Can you still get parts?)

Engine type? (RDM100, Rotax582, Simoninni, Top80 etc.?) and HP rating?

Static thrust in Lbs.?

Prop size and pitch? (All too often we see a rig with he wrong prop for it's power range.)

Engine total run time in hours? (Low is good... High is 100 HRS.+)

Has the engine or airframe ever been wrecked, broken or had any parts replaced or repaired? What parts and why? (If it siezed up and all he did was replace the spark plug... Hmm...)

Has it been inspected lately? (Not required by the USHPA or FAA, but just a good idea.)

Who was the owner? (Students are rough on gear. older pilots take pretty good care of their stuff, etc...)

Why are they selling the rig? (It might run fine but still have the beginnings of a connecting rod or rist-pin knock.)

How many hours has he put on it?  (If it's advertised as having fifty hrs and he's the second owner, but says he's put fifty hours on it... Hmm...)

Are you gonna eat that pickle? (Wow... Must be dinner time.)

Ask for photos of the rig, as many as you can get. Inspect the shots looking for repairs, welds, missing, broken or jury rigged parts, grease or oil leaks, is a good indication of how a pilot cares for his gear.

This sport has a way of hypnotizing it's victims into a sort of tunnel vision. We want to fly and will stop at nothing to achieve it. It's addictive and there is no known cure. But like any other non life threatening ailment, It can be kept under control with the proper combination of good sense and a little luck.

The urge to fly over your brother's house and spit on his car is a great one, More power to you and your plot. Just make sure you're gonna make it home and not end up hanging upside down from a pine tree or walking twenty miles after having to abandon your equipment because the prop fell off. Make good, well researched choices and don't hesitate to be cautious.

This is just the headwaters of a never ending river in the sky, my friend. You're going to see things that so few people on this planet ever will. A powered paraglider can change your life in ways you can't even imagine. It will take you to a whole new world and when you come back down you'll see earth around you in a whole new way. But it has to be the proper rig for you. If it's hard to control, it's no fun. It's a little like buying a car... You might be in the market for a new ride, But you're not going to go buy John Force's Castrol GTX funny car to go for a drive with your lady, get to work or pick up some groceries. When you should be looking for a nice Pinto.

Consider all the goods and bads about the machine you're looking at, Do due dillagence, Ask questions, research the rig on the 'net, Don't send your money until you're sure everything's on the up and up, Get the proper training from a reputable instructor and you'll enjoy your time with us in the sky as much as we'll enjoy having you there with us.

The PPG flying community is a close knit and family oriented band of friendly Gypsies who will help our own in what ever way is needed. We're happy to have you in our fold and hope that you'll have fun flying with us.

Fly safe and Welcome to the sky!


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Thanks for reading. (>