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this post was submitted on 15 Apr 2024
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Paramotor training works differently, though.
I travelled for training to Florida. I stayed there for 2 weeks and did nothing but training. We'd do any flights in the morning and evening, and then instruction in the middle of the day when the air is no good for flying.
Not all schools operate like that, but many do. The other type, where you spread the training out as weather permits, those are suited more for locals.
Second, there is no licensing in paramotor. There is a governing body that offers ratings, but it's not required, and honestly, I've never once needed to prove my rating to participate in events. https://usppa.org/usppa-program/
I know for a fact there are several instructors out there who have no USPPA ratings. I'd personally not use one of those instructors, or recommend them, but they do exist.
The better instructors, in my opinion, will do an introductory tandem flight or two. Another option is towing, where the student is hooked up to a winch with a paraglider and a short flight happens where the student gets to land without the motor on their back. In my training, I got both of these. Two tandem flights and three flights with towing. But some instructors do neither of these things.
Taking a large chunk of time to complete training in one whack isn't unheard of; I read an article in AOPA magazine about a guy who got his PPL in 3 or 4 weeks doing that. He basically rented the flight school for a month to do it. I will point out that this case was notable enough to write a magazine article about. Not everyone can afford to take 2 weeks off to go to Florida for flight training. I went to ERAU, don't ask me how much my flight training in Florida cost.
I'm aware there is no licensing for paramotors as they are considered ultralights. I'm curious about the legality of these "tandem" flights you keep talking about because the very, very first rule for ultralights, FAR 103.1(a) says "For the purposes of this part, an ultralight vehicle is a vehicle that: is used or intended to be used for manned operation in the air by a single occupant." It is my understanding the historic exception for 2-person trainers was removed with the Sport Pilot Rule, with the intention of moving ultralight pilot training to tail numbered aircraft and instructors certified under 61 Subpart K. 103.5 mentions waivers, are tandem powered paraglider flights done under an administrator's waiver?
Reading the website you linked, I struggle to understand the experience requirements for a tandem instructor. This thing talks about "years", "flights", "flying days" what is all this? The requirements in FAR 61 parts J and K for sport pilots and instructors are a lot more straightforward. Hell I might see if anyone's offering SP-PPC training in my area and add on a couple ratings. Looking at the requirements with my logged experience as a fixed-wing instructor I could be a licensed parachute pilot in a 3-day weekend and a parachute instructor in a month. I wouldn't even have to re-take the FoI.
It's exactly this.
Now, I'm not an instructor, and the highest rating I've attained is PPG2. So some of this I'm a bit fuzzy on because my info is 3rd hand. My understanding is there are no hard and fast requirements. I know that for the ratings, there are written tests you have to pass that are done by the USPPA. As far as the waivers go, I think it's just up to the administrator. From what I understand, there's a bit of an epidemic of administrators who will just give out waivers for cash. I've heard of at least one that will do it for as little as $1500.
FAR 103 and ultralights are pretty chaotic. There's very little structure to any of it.
Yeah the rules are basically "Anything under this weight, speed and fuel capacity with one person on board...stay out of IMC, stay out of controlled airspace, and anything goes."