Powered Paragliding?

[tperraton]

After watching this video of PPG'ing through Dinosaur Park (2009) North of Brooks, I think I want to try powered paragliding.



Cheers
Trevor

[Cowtown]

Yes, me too...

But the requirement to have the glider registered, the noise are both bummers..

[motorhead]

Hey, that's my movie!! We where flying north-east of Brooks, taking off on the boundaries of Dinosaur Provincial Park. The paramotor pilots in the province usually meet up there in the fall for some flying.

Powered flight is alright, and not as bad as most PG pilots think. Earplugs solve the noise problem, and the motors are getting to be more and more reliable each year.

You don't need to register the glider, it's the motor that needs registration. It's like a $15 fee and you only need to do it once, passing the ultra exam with Transport Canada is also a one time thing. The biggest thing with PPG is that you need to renew your insurance every year, that cost about $100/year.

Any competent pilot can take a paramotor where he could take a paraglider or vice versa. The major difference is that with a paramotor you can still fly XC when conditions are not soarable. Several times this year I flew my paramotor at the Battle river ridge (near Camrose) when the other paraglider pilots where doing sled runs.

[tperraton]

Excellent job on the Video Motorhead! I love it! Do you have the GPS location of your launch site? Does anyone in Alberta give training on PPG'ing? I think Tyler was saying someone in Wetaskiwin offers a course on the subject? I know Superfly in Utah offers the course but think it would be very expensive not to mention the 36 hour drive there and back. Keith, you need to add that to your training portfolio? What's involved in the ultra [lite?] exam (read a manual and write the exam)? The registration, just a form you submit?

I think that's what attracts me the most about PPG'ing. The reduction in Parawaiting and any flat takeoff location could be a flying site or a launch location. You can flying in calm winds which normally grounds non PPG'ers. In ideal flying conditions you just pull out your other glider and soar with the rest of them. If you get low while thermalling, no problem, just crank up the motor and off you go.

Cheers
Trevor

[motorhead]

Wayne owns and operates Sky-Biker Aviation out of Wetaskiwin

http://www.oldcrow.ca/skybiker/index.htm

That's where I went about 6 years ago. He is probably gone south for the winter but you could still contact him via email.

You just need to study for the exam and need a 90% to pass. The registration is a form that you fill out and mail in. Wayne knows all of this stuff, it's best if you contact him for all the details.

I tried to upload a google earth kmz file but for some reason it's not allowed here. Here are the GPS coordinates instead:

Latitude: 50°49'51.40"N
Longitude: 111°35'5.79"W

It would probably be a good place for towing as well, the badlands tend to trigger a lot of thermals in the flatlands.

[tperraton]

I drive by Brooks all the time. I had no idea the bad lands extended down that direction. I thought they were only around the Drumheller area. After checking out your GPS coordinates via Google Earth I certainly am going to drive through that spot the next time I travel through. I would be interested (I know many other people would be too) in learning about all your flying sites and their locations that are friendly to PPG'ing. You also stated that this location is an annual event? Are there other annual events that can be calendared and promoted here in Alberta?

Cheers
Trevor

[motorhead]

Check out my friends site, he's got a kml file and some pics of some of the places he's flown in the province:

http://www.flyparamotor.com

For the most part I fly from a grass airstrip 5 minutes from Stony Plain, all PPG pilots have their own place where they fly from, either farm or crown land or a grass airstrip. We have a Yahoo news list called ppg_alberta where we talk about flying, and organize a fly-in at Dinosaur every fall. We keep going back to Dinosaur because it's good flying when the wind isn't gusting to 60kph or more

My favorite PPG site is @ 51°56'43.95"N 112°58'19.98"W on Google earth, it's the deepest portion of the Red Deer river, about 600', it could be soarable as well but haven't tried it since it is a provincial park.

[tperraton]

What's the rules on flying in a Provincial Park for a PPG or just a PG? I know we aren't allowed to take off or land in a National Park (Banff National etc...) but we are allowed to fly in and out of the park if we don't actually land inside the park boundaries? Well that's a Non PPG'er so I'm not sure if the PG and PPG are the same or not. Are there any penalties if the rules are broken, intentionally or by accident?

When you stated the $100 insurance...Is that extra insurance over and above the HPAC insurance?

Cheers
Trevor

[motorhead]

Unfortunately motorized and non-motorized aircraft cannot land or take-off in a provincial or national park unless it's an emergency. Transport Canada's rules are very bland and they tend not to list the penalties for breaking them, probably a fine or worse....

HPAC's insurance does not cover motorized flight, you need to get insurance from an aviation insurance company, not the ones that advertise home and auto insurance.... any licensed paramotor school in Canada can help you get set up with all of the registration and insurance requirements.

You can fly without a pilots license and registration/insurance and all those other things, just don't get caught from Transport Canada.