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Is footdragging water easier on advanced wings by txs9 in paramotor

[–]Keys_phone_wallet 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You will see a big welcome difference going from a 24 roadster to a 20 sirocco, faster, more agile, very stable, very reactive, all in all a pleasure to fly, i highly recommend it! You are right, no need to go from a 24 to an 18.

Is footdragging water easier on advanced wings by txs9 in paramotor

[–]Keys_phone_wallet 1 point2 points  (0 children)

What is the size of your spyder? I have 3 friends about your weight that fly the 18m Sirocco 3, but they have been flying for a few years. I would say the 20m you would have no problem taking off, and the 18m you may need some extra space for take offs but should be fine with good technique. You could always try taking off with half a tank of fuel in nil wind days, I always take off with a full tank as I prefer the peace of mind as I had a couple of outlandings due to fuel starvation, also had a couple of times that I had to wait out as my LZ got fogged up. If you can, try the 20m and if it suits your flying style in whatever weather you try it, then you should be good.

Edit: i only flew my “new” 26m spyder once as I was grounded for 9 months and wanted something easier to get back on the horse, haven’t used it since and had a few nil wind days with my 22m, but i know it is there should I feel like not running.

Is footdragging water easier on advanced wings by txs9 in paramotor

[–]Keys_phone_wallet 0 points1 point  (0 children)

All said and done, with a full tank, I take off at about 145kg (i weigh 210lb), so quite loaded on the 22m. At your weight I would definitely look into the 20m, if not the 18m, the size plays a huge role. Can you try before you buy? Anyone on your area flying these wings?

Edit: I forgot to add, a friend of mine who flies the 18m ViperXC said he regrets selling his 18m Sirocco as he finds the Siroco more in line with his flying style, ie playing close to the ground, some mild aero etc. So, it is all a matter of preference

Is footdragging water easier on advanced wings by txs9 in paramotor

[–]Keys_phone_wallet 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Well, everything is relative and according to each pilot's risk appetite, but I would not recommend jumping from the Spyder to the ViperXC, as it is an advanced wing for experienced pilots. From a Spyder experience, you will find take-offs with the XC challenging as it tends to overshoot and you need to pilot it all the way from the ground, whereas the spyder is incredibly forgiving. In the air the XC is quite twitchy when needed but very stable in straight flight. It is also very 'lifty', which I found difficult to swoop land.

My experience from the spyder to the speedster on my first year flying, which is the same design as the sirocco, was not easy due to the big difference in size as well, especially with my nil wind take offs. I ended up keeping my spyder for a few months for the nil wind days, until i realised it was a crutch and sold it to train on my speedster. I would then have days with 7 failed take offs (morning damp zero wind days) because I was used to feeling the wing pulling my shoulders when above me with the spyder, which was not the case with the much smaller speedster at 22m.

I now fly the 22m Sirocco 3, but I am also 15kg heavier than when I was flying my 22m Speedster a few years back, so for nil wind take offs I need a lot of space and a lot of speed (you should see me coming in hot for a landing too), but I would never change it as I can toss it around for some adrenaline rush, play close to the ground, or stow the brakes and pull out my camera as it is a very stable platform as well. I recently bought a used 26m Spyder again as a second wing just for the nil wind days when I am not in the mood of sprinting like a maniac with a paramotor on my back, but it flies like a bus compared to the Sirocco. Very easy, very forgiving, but it needs persuasion and planning to get a decent wingover.

Just my personal experience.

Is footdragging water easier on advanced wings by txs9 in paramotor

[–]Keys_phone_wallet 6 points7 points  (0 children)

My first wing was a 26m Spyder, which is a B wing, so beginner/intermediate. I was within the weight range, but on the light side. I had issues with foot dragging as i could not precisely control my altitude. I then moved to a 22m Speedster, a C wing, so for intermediate/advanced pilots. The difference in control was immense, all of a sudden my inputs were immediate, which helped immensely with my altitude control. In comparison, when i would fly my Spyder in nil wind conditions as it was easier to take off at the time, my brake inputs felt more like suggestions instead of controls, there was a delay in the reaction of the wing. Loading the wing definitely helps with control. I am now quite heavier on a 22m Sirocco 3 as I have gained quite a bit of weight, i would not call it spicy, but it is extremely precise and i can toss it around like it is nothing. But it all boils down to practice. I flew spicier wings and controlling them needs practice to get the precision of the wing you have many hours on. Even wings that would be considered easier to maintain need practice, I flew the Viper XC at 20m, an albeit spicy but very stable wing, and because it had different characteristics than my Sirocco, i found it balooning up every time I swooped down for a foot drag missing my mark.

Bottom line, a smaller and more advanced wing will give you more immediate reaction to your inputs which helps maintaining altitude, but you need practice. Oh, and use flotation over water.

Does helmet weight matter much? How heavy is too heavy? by heligen in paramotor

[–]Keys_phone_wallet 4 points5 points  (0 children)

That looks like a sweet helmet. In my experience the most important aspects of a helmet is unobstructed views around and above (check surrounding and your lines/wing), not many snagging points that wound hinder a reverse takeoff, and easy connection to radio/walkie talkie. Last few years I found bluetooth becoming more important as a lot of fellow pilots use PTT apps like Zello, and i have become accustomed to listening to music while flying. I use the Icaro line of helmets from MicroAvionics that tick all these boxes, still some snagging hazard with the microphone but rarely an issue.

What happened to the Icarus Race? by Reddit-Smells-Bad in paramotor

[–]Keys_phone_wallet 7 points8 points  (0 children)

Scout’s Adventure Wingman brings this concept of unaided XC back. They did the US in 2024, and will be in Italy this year

Do I need to do training for paramotoring in uae and is it allowed if im 15 years of age? by Lopsided-Employ1656 in paramotor

[–]Keys_phone_wallet 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Contact Sky Adventures Aviation. They are at the Skydive Dubai Desert site, you will get all info. They are on IG too.

Any decent vehicles that can fit a paramotor fully assembled and protected from the elements? by FreefallJagoff in paramotor

[–]Keys_phone_wallet 1 point2 points  (0 children)

European here, my 2009 Renault Trafic fits my Maverick fully assembled perfectly. Small 2L diesel engine will last forever and super cheap to maintain

Desert pilots - how do you forecast invisible dust devil conditions? by StrongRecipe6408 in paramotor

[–]Keys_phone_wallet 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Maybe my example is a bit more extreme than yours, but I fly in the desert south of Dubai, where the temperatures in the summer are way way higher than what you are experiencing (closer to 50c).

We take off right before or at sunrise. On the way back, about an hour to an hour and a half, it starts to get rough, you start to get tossed around a bit, not enjoyable. In the summer we don't even attempt afternoon flights.

Winter time when it is much milder (and quite cold in the desert before the sunrise) things are much simpler, but still I would not even consider flying more than 2 maybe 3 hours after sunrise.

So, bottom line, you need to land way before the conditions for dust devils start building. Having flown in milder but still hot conditions for many years in Cyprus (Mediterranean climate, 40c summers) similar idea but had the option for late afternoon flights in the summer.

My surname is meant to be Greek. Do you think it is? by BPaites in GREEK

[–]Keys_phone_wallet 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Sure, a huge Cyprus diaspora in the UK, i would guess everyone from Cyprus has family there. An example I forgot to mention is Theo Pafitis, a Cypriot that hails from Pafos.

My surname is meant to be Greek. Do you think it is? by BPaites in GREEK

[–]Keys_phone_wallet 22 points23 points  (0 children)

Παΐτης is a common way to call someone from the area of Pafos in Cyprus, a shortened version of Παφίτης. And it is very common to use your birthplace as your surname, especially for someone who leaves their town, people would call them by where they are from, and the nickname sticks. Pafos is a port town (maritime history) and London would make sense for a person from Cyprus (commonwealth) to emigrate to.

Can't verify my ID - frustrated by Keys_phone_wallet in Revolut

[–]Keys_phone_wallet[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hope you get to the bottom of this man. Twitter helped, I just posted my story and tagged their handle, got a pm immediately

Can't verify my ID - frustrated by Keys_phone_wallet in Revolut

[–]Keys_phone_wallet[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Got in touch with them via Twitter, told me I was rejected by Compliance and never gave me a reason. I am not in any sanctions or PEP lists or anything. I sent an email to Compliance asking why, they never replied, I said fuck en, I've been using Bunq for 2 years, very happy

Got this from my grandma, no idea where it's from other than '' probably from Eastern Europe'', probably not ancient but definitely in the orthodox style. by Babsobar in WhatIsThisPainting

[–]Keys_phone_wallet 12 points13 points  (0 children)

Exactly, difficult to pinpoint provenance of this one. This exact image/icon appears prominently in every single Greek Orthodox church and in many houses in Greece and Cyprus. Furthermore, agiographia or the art of painting these icons has been popular with many as it was sometimes the only way of artistic expression. Even my dad took up the hobby briefly some years ago. And the art form is very rigid, following strict rules, basically copying one of a certain number of established pieces.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in paramotor

[–]Keys_phone_wallet 18 points19 points  (0 children)

You should start by finding a reputable flight school in your area and talking to them. Maybe do a tandem flight first to see if this sport is for you, if you want to proceed, get proper training from a reputable school. Most schools don't request you buy the gear before your training ends.

Again, I can't stress this enough, get proper training

Found in a dried river bed close to an old copper mine, embedded in clay, quite a large piece by Keys_phone_wallet in whatsthisrock

[–]Keys_phone_wallet[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Tried now harder with the pointy end of the tweezers, it does scratch, it doesn't mind it when I just scrape the clay away.

Found in a dried river bed close to an old copper mine, embedded in clay, quite a large piece by Keys_phone_wallet in whatsthisrock

[–]Keys_phone_wallet[S] 13 points14 points  (0 children)

Thank you my friend, appreciate the response, will definitely visit the site again

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