Just landed from france; looking for microlight instructor in QLD

[Herve]

Hi guys, I'm a french paraglider and paramotor pilot and really keen to learn flying and own a microlight. Leaving in Mackay for the moment but cannot find a microlight instructor around here. Does anyone know somebody that could teach me how to fly trikes?

 

Thanks in advance,

 

Hervé

 

 

[ianwells]

Hi Herve

 

I think the closest micolight intructor to mackay would be the guys at Montpelier airpark which is just south of townsville. Tel 0407 918 638 or 07 4729 0126, there is also a couple of places to learn 3 axis RAAUS style in Mackay at Palmyra racetrack and Marian. If you have youre paraglider there is a great site at Eungella.

 

Welcome to North Queensland

 

Ian

 

 

[farri]

G`Day Herve,Can`t help with instructor but if you get up to Cairns any time, come and see me and I`ll introduce you to a couple of local Trike owner/Pilots.

 

I`ve recently discovered that there is Paragliding instruction and activity in the Cairns area and I`ve been interested in Paragliding for quite a while now so I`m thinking of taking it up.

 

Is paramotor,where the motor is straped to the back of the pilot?

 

Cheers,

 

Frank.

 

 

[Guest Crezzi]

Hi HerveI think the closest micolight intructor to mackay would be the guys at Montpelier airpark which is just south of townsville. Tel 0407 918 638 or 07 4729 0126, there is also a couple of places to learn 3 axis RAAUS style in Mackay at Palmyra racetrack and Marian.

Is there still trike training at Montpelier - the website www.montpelier-microlights.com.au says it closed ?

 

The RAAus flight schools which do microlight training are listed (along with the fixed-wing & powered parachute) here http://www.raa.asn.au/docs/ops/ftf_list.pdf and the diminishing number of HGFA schools (along with the hang-glider & paraglider) are here HGFA - Hang Gliding Federation of Australia

 

Hope that helps

 

John

 

 

[Herve]

Hi Ian, Thanks for the info but it sounds like Montpelier airpark is now closed as the websites says. I'm actually leaving in Pleystowe which is 5 minutes away from Marian. Do you have the contact details of the people that run the 3 axis there?

 

Cheers. Hervé

 

 

[Herve]

Thanks al for the info and comments. I hope I will meet you guys in the air sometimes.

 

Frank, YES paramotor is with the motor straped to the pilot very easy to learn, take off, fly and land. However it still uses a paragliding wing so air speed is pretty slow (between 22km/h and 45km/h MAX).[ATTACH]12369.vB[/ATTACH]

 

Paragliding is also Awesome as you really have a free feeling of flying without noise and don't need any airstrip. I really recommend you to try it if you can. The only drawback is the meteorologic conditions have to be very good (wind direction for take off, not too much mind, thermals to go up...) but still, I love it!

 

Hervé

 

 

 

[winsor68]

P.M. on its way Herve...

 

Welcome to Mackay and Australian recreational flying.

 

 

[farri]

Herve,back in the mid eighties,two guys turned up here at my strip wanting to test fly their new idea, it was what you call a paramotor,I`d never seen one before.

 

The idea looked ok to me but I wasn`t sure about the equiptment,I suspected that what happened would happen.

 

To keep the weight down,they had a plastic mesh around the prop,the guy only took a few steps foward and as soon as he applied full power the mesh got sucked into the prop,never got off the ground,I`ve never seen them since and I don`t know of anyone doing paramotor,looks good though,if you can put up with the noise and vibration.

 

Thanks for the photo.

 

Cheers,

 

Frank.

 

 

[Guest ozzie]

there were a couple of HGFA guys at Proserpine.

 

 

[Herve]

Hi Frank,

 

One day I modified my first paramotor and modified a bit the propeller protection (aluminium frame with stings to protect paraglider lines) but I made the frame a bit too flexible so the same thing happened, never took off that day and cut all my wing lines on one side.I fixed all that and got it going again... leant the hard way.

 

For the noise and vibrations, it's not that bad, most of the most recent paramotors are equipped with small engines (80cc or 100cc) and they run pretty fast (9000rpm). But yes it's better when you switch the engine off and glide down without any noise at all.

 

Hervé

 

 

[farri]

Hi Frank, One day I modified my first paramotor and modified a bit the propeller protection (aluminium frame with stings to protect paraglider lines) but I made the frame a bit too flexible so the same thing happened, never took off that day and cut all my wing lines.Herve,it looks to me like it`s not the propeller that needs protection, it`s the wing lines that need the protection.

 

Cheers,

 

Frank.

[Herve]

Frank, do you need propeller protection in your drifter?

 

Same in PPG, the ptotections is only for take off and landing so the lines don't get tangled in the prop... It obviously help to protect the prop in case of a bad landing on youe knees!

 

Hervé