Paragliding experience in particular, helps, but all airsports will help considerably with spatial abilities and can help accelerate your training.

Nevertheless, paraglider handling requires a good deal of skill, and the first phase of canopy handling and inflation remains a mandatory requirement for everyone.

It is difficult with such a recently evolved sport to give an accurate life. We still have our original demonstration models, which are the oldest available, with several hundred hours of flying in good conditions, which show no signs of fatigue or wear.
The motors themselves originate with agricultural use, and are capable of working for thousands of hours. As far as other parts of the unit and sub-assemblies are concerned, there are no particular precautions to take, as long as the unit is properly maintained, and it is stored in good condition.

Yes, but the paramotor requires a specific combination of movements to control the canopy, the motor and your footwork at the same time...

Thanks to the new "ROLL BAR" system, Adventure found an easy way to take off tandem.
The Adventure tandem paramotor is available for footlaunching.

Yes, for the simple reason of safety. It is important to position the fuel tank as far as possible from the engine, with no risk of fuel leaking onto the hot engine; in all cases this means it is best situated beneath the motor. All Adventure fuel tanks are positioned beneath the motor.

To the maximum height at which the motor will function, that is to say several thousand metres. A 2-stroke combustion engine gives out less power at higher altitudes - when the motor gives out less power, the thrust from the unit is less, and the climb rate decreases. When the climb rate is nil, with the engine just allowing you to maintain level flight, you have reached your maximum height.

It is worth knowing that a paramotor has already passed over Mont Blanc at 5,100 metres. Currently the officially recognized height record is 3,050 metres, and many Adventure factory pilots have ascended to 3 or 4,000 metres. This kind of max. altitude question tends to be purely academic; Our recommendation for a pleasant cruise altitude is between 150 and 200 meters, so that you can enjoy the view below
This is a reasonable altitude to give a good safety margin and allow you to manoeuvre to choose an appropriate landing area.

Yes technically; no legally... it is effectively possible to take off from almost anywhere, as long as conditions are safe, you are taking off into the wind, and you are not set up in the turbulence area of a mountain, building or suchlike.
For the utmost safety, you must always fly in good weather conditions. A football pitch size field is an example of a suitable paramotor take-off area. Having said that, it is not legally permissible to take off <>, notably you must not be too close to towns, and of course near airfields or in restricted areas. You must check local rules and airspace restrictions around your chosen flying area.

Every country has different air laws, and while the general guidelines are the same world-wide, local details may differ.

This depends essentially on the weight of the pilot, the performance of the chosen wing, and of course on the quantity of fuel on board! A <> paramotor (one using a canopy of reasonable performance), with a flier whose weight is in a comparable range for the machine, will use between 3 and 4 litres of fuel per hour on average, giving around 2 and a half hours range with a 9,5-litre fuel tank.

Take-off can be achieved with no problem up to 10kph - any more than this, and you need to perform a reverse inflation and then turn round to take off.
The limit of wind speed for take-off is around 20 to 25 kph, but it must be understood that with 20 to 25 kph on the ground, the windspeed is likely to be 30 to 40 kph at altitude, and it may not then be possible to penetrate forwards, only to go backwards over the ground.

In these conditions, it is advisable not to fly, and it is often worth reminding yourself of the old aviation proverb: <>.

Any paraglider designed and constructed for footlaunching can be used, although there are sometimes small modifications which can be made when paramotoring.
The canopies sold by Adventure are adapted for paramotor use, and are also perfectly suitable for free flying.

Any petrol is suitable, preferably 4-star leaded, used in a mixture with synthetic 2-stroke oil at 2% mixture.It is very important to use synthetic oil at 2% or mineral oil at 4% in normal use to avoid problems.

There is almost no other maintenance required for these extremely robust motors.

Paraglider maintenance is next to nothing. You need to check the condition of the suspension lines from time to time, and be careful of exposure to ultra-violet light, except when flying, and make sure that the wing is stored safely and in good condition.
It is advisable to have an annual inspection carried out by a professional workshop. As for the motor, it is very sturdy, and maintenance is purely confined to the basics, such as changing the spark plug every 50 hours of flying time, and cleaning the carburettor. However, it is also advisable to make a thorough pre-flight check of all mechanical parts every time you fly.

For a complete novice, it takes around 5 days to achieve complete freedom on a paramotor. These 5 days typically consist of 2 or 3 days of paraglider flights from a winch (flights of between 20 and 100 metres give the student a good spatial appreciation). After this, you will move on to paramotor flights.
In 5 days, it is possible to finish a basic course and have had 5 to 10 paramotor flights.

Absolutely anyone over the age of 15 (the minimum required to achieve the microlight licence) - there is no upper age limit.
A reasonable physical fitness is enough, and the only requirement is to have a full range of body movement, and to be able to run a few metres with 20kg weight on your back.

Yes, and new ones devised all the time. The first people to realize the potential of paramotors professionally were photographers. They found it a very simple method of taking aerial photos for a very small cost (the total cost of a paramotor rig is equivalent to a few hours of helicopter rental).
It allows one to arrive by car at shooting locations, take off on the spot, and get the required shots.

Paramotors are also used as a filming platform, and a number of armies and special forces have contacted Adventure to investigate the possibilities of paramotoring for surveillance, reconnaissance, or the possibility of high-altitude observation with quick, discreet deployment.

Yes, there is a championship in France, a European championship, and World class in each category, currently held at the same time as traditional microlight championships.
In the French championships, there are 6 qualifying rounds, plus the actual championships. The European and World Championships are held on alternate years, over one week, with a dozen different tasks. The principle tasks are navigation, fuel management, and handling.

Adventure earned the titles of World champion in 1992 and French champion in 1992 and 1995. A paramotor (PM) is the smallest, simplest powered aircraft in the world, and the easiest to learn to fly. Using a paraglider wing ensures safety and inherent stability, while the engine adds autonomy and freedom.

Control is very easy : simply pull the right hand brake handle to turn right, the left hand to turn left, and pull both as you glide in for a gentle landing. Squeeze the throttle handle to climb, and release it to glide back to earth. Learning takes 3 to 5 days for a complete autonomy.

Legislation : In France, PM is considered as a microlight aircraft. A pilot licence requires passing an exam including both theory and practicel sections. Abroad, there are as many regulations as there are countries.