Paramotoring: Is It Right for You?

Paramotoring could be compared to Marmite – some people love it, others can’t stand it!

For me, the freedom, variety and simplicity of the sport make it a wonderfully enjoyable experience. Fortunately, many others feel the same way, and over the past 20 years I’ve built a business that has become Europe’s leading paramotor school and allowed me to fly all over the world. All of this is thanks to my skydiving background…

I was introduced to skydiving, aged 16 when I did a tandem jump with the Red Devils at Netheravon, UK. After that I was determined to learn to skydive. Three years later I completed my AFF course at Toogoolawah, Australia. On returning to the UK that winter, I met a fellow skydiver named Gilo Cardozo, who ran a company called Parajet, specialising in manufacturing paramotors. Gilo and I instantly bonded over our mutual love of skydiving. He was looking for someone to run a paramotor school to teach people how to fly his equipment, and I eagerly jumped at the chance – even though I ‘d never seen one of these machines in flight before!

My initial training involved ground handling and paragliding from a hill, sans [without] engine. My experience in skydiving certainly came in handy for controlling the canopy. I noticed the paraglider required less brake input and turned more slowly while losing less altitude than a parachute. However, my skydiving experience didn’t prepare me for strapping a heavy engine on my back and taking off from flat ground! 

Thankfully, we’ve developed much better training systems that help newcomers ease into this unique experience. The equipment has also significantly improved since those early days, with paramotors becoming lighter and more reliable. Advances in design and materials have contributed to this growth. For these reasons, paramotoring is experiencing a surge in popularity, particularly among skydivers seeking more time under canopy or a way to unwind after jumping.

In 2007, I relocated the school to a small airfield near Empuriabrava in Catalunya. This move allowed me to get back into skydiving and to train some of the world’s best skydivers, including members of the Babylon team and skydiving legend Bruno Brokken. They turned out to be some of our best students, as their skydiving skills transitioned seamlessly into paramotoring. It was a great lifestyle; paramotoring at our airfield in the morning, popping down to the DZ for jumps during the day, and then flying on the beach in the evening, before landing at a restaurant for supper!

Over the years, more and more skydivers have learned how to paramotor. We’ve observed that those with fewer jumps tend to be a bit more heavy-handed in their control than those who’ve been jumping longer and fly smaller, more sensitive canopies. As a result, we often need to “un-train” inexperienced skydivers to ensure they don’t rely on muscle memory when flying the more sensitive paraglider. Happily, this can be addressed in only a few ground handling sessions in favourable weather conditions.

In 2020 we moved our UK school to Hinton Airfield in Northamptonshire, an excellent location for learning both paramotoring and skydiving. The great thing is that the two sports complement each other. The ideal times for students to fly are early in the morning and later during the evening when the conditions are calm, which conveniently falls before and after skydiving activities. Many of our students enjoy a few jumps during a break before joining us for some flying later! It’s fantastic when two adventure airsports can coexist and be mutually beneficial, attracting people with similar passions and building canopy skills, airtime and weather awareness.

Comparing skydiving and paramotoring

Becoming a paramotor pilot is relatively affordable. You can qualify for between 2,000 and 4,000 USD/EUR, depending on your prior skydiving experience and where you take the course. Skydivers with over 500 jumps can opt for a shorter 6-day conversion course, while those with less experience would benefit from the full 12-day Pilot Training Course.

As for equipment, a new paramotoring setup, which includes a paramotor, paraglider, reserve parachute and helmet, costs around 13,000 USD/EUR, though you can find quality second-hand gear for about $8,500. Once trained and equipped, paramotoring is highly cost-effective. Running costs average around $6.50 an hour.

The sport requires no supporting infrastructure. This independence, along with the low operating costs, is what sets paramotoring apart from skydiving. In many countries, including the UK, USA, and Spain, paramotoring is deregulated, meaning pilots don’t need a license. However, attaining a license is highly recommended, as it ensures you gain the necessary skills and knowledge for safe flying, and it also allows you to get insurance. Legally, pilots need landowner permission for take-off and landing, must avoid restricted airspace, and adhere to air laws that vary from country to country. Follow those simple rules and the sky is your playground!

In terms of flight, the key difference is that paramotor pilots take off with a fully open canopy from flat ground, requiring a short run before using the engine to climb or maintain altitude. The elliptical design of the paraglider offers a superior glide ratio compared to a parachute, allowing for long-distance flights. For instance, experienced pilots can fly over 200 km on a single 14-litre tank of fuel during a 4-hour flight.

One of the main limitations of paramotoring is the weather. The best time to fly is early morning or late afternoon when the thermals are inactive, resulting in smoother air. Ideally, winds should be 10mph or less. While experienced pilots can fly in thermic conditions and stronger winds, this increases the risk of paraglider deflation. Because most pilots prefer to fly in optimal weather and can safely glide down if the engine fails, paramotoring is statistically one of the safest forms of powered aviation. The slower speeds compared to skydiving, especially on landing, contribute to its safety.

I hope paramotoring continues to attract more skydivers, as the shared passion for adventure and the freedom of flight, combined with the supportive community of like-minded individuals, is what makes these sports truly special. I hope to help even more skydivers discover and explore the world of paramotoring for many years to come.

The Four Step Process to Learning how to Paramotor