Airparamo Newsletter, August 2003, Issue 1

In This Issue: Welcome! Check It Out Notices Mark Calendar New Products Used Corner First Solos Flight Reports Safety Tips Equipment Review More Info: Airparamo and AZPPG, where Arizona paramotor pilots hang out. I'm up here for the view and the fun. I don't have to worry about stalling because the wing flies itself at a constant airspeed. Even if the engine quits, the only thing that will happen is that I will slowly start descend. - Chris Wolf page 15 of 'Running Into the Sky!' Flying paramotors is not a hobby or a sport. It is a disease! - Confessions from a very addicted pilot		Welcome to Our First Newsletter! It's about time I got this project rolling to quickly share exciting and timely information with you about paramotoring in Arizona. Expect to see a wide variety of topics covered including recent pilot outings, upcoming fly-ins, first solo flights, equipment reviews, industry highlights, new products, used equipment for sale, safety tips, visiting pilots, and lots more. Slim D Over the Mine If you would like to see any information in these newsletters, including a small write-up, articles, information or photos, please email them to us. To unsubscibe from this newsletter, follow the easy instuctions at the bottom of the page. See you in the air! Mo Sheldon Certified ASC Basic Flight Instructor 602-692-7995 Check It Out We're in the news. Check out this cool article in the East Valley Tribune. Also, Bill Rowe has put up a great website with lots of recent pictures. Notices Flying This Saturday, August 9, 2003 A bunch of pilots will be out flying Saturday morning at McCartney Field from about 5:30am to 8:30am near Casa Grande. For more information, check out the AZPPG Bulletin Board or call 602-692-7995 for details or directions. PRA is off limits I have been informed by Richard Ankrom, one of the PRA airport owners to spread the word that PRA is now off limits for us to fly at until the Copperstate Fly-In in October. They are basically in the beginning process of tearing up the 27 acres of grass and putting in a permanent, underground sprinkler system. Also, they will be extending the size of the pond, maybe doubling or tripling it. In addition, they are going to plant an additional 73 acres of grass for a total of 100 acres. All this by mid October, a little over 2 months away. Amazing!!! I can just imagine the mile long foot drags! And the water foot drags will see new lengths (or in some cases, depths) as well! Mark Your Calendar I will be displaying a booth at the Arizona Outdoor Recreation Expo in the Phoenix Civic Plaza September 5-7. I will have a bunch of free passes if you want to swing by. Lots of big fly-in's are coming up. October 2-5 - 2003 4th Annual Balloon Fiesta PPG Fly-in October 9-12 - 2003 COPPERSTATE Regional EAA Fly-In To find where local pilots will be flying, check out the AZPPG Bulletin Board. Also be sure to visit the AZPPG Calendar for more on big fly-ins. New Products Windtronic 2 Wind Meter Windtronic 2 Wind Meter A precision instrument that uses horizontal cups that measure wind from any direction. The horizontal cup principle eliminates the cumbersome need of orienting the device as measurements are obtained irrespective of wind direction. A major benefit is accurate readings at any time. Be sure to visit the Airparamo Online Shopping for current pricing and product information. Used Corner Back Bone 100 I've got some really clean, pre-owned equipment for sale at great prices. Here's just a sample... Back Bone RDM motor unit Only about 5 hours on it. Basically just broken in. Very quiet, powerful and lightweight. Has both electric start and pull start. $4600. Nervures 26 and 28 wings Both have about 30 hours on them and are in great shape. They retail new for over $2600. Asking $1600 for each. I have a bunch more pre-owned gear, including two more motor units and several other wings. Please contact me if you are interested. Dennis & Jennifer First Solos A big Congrats to Dennis Gauthier for his first solo flight on July 11, 2003 out at McCartney field. Flight Reports Great Flying Monday AM By Slim "D", on August 4 Dennis, Mike T. and I had a great time this morning out at McCartney. I got in the air first just before 6:00AM and circled while Dennis got up next. Mike elected to stay down and practice with his new trike and Gold 115, trying to get the feeling down as he said it is sooo different from the LaMouette he was flying before. The weather was cool, winds were calm 1-2mph and launches were uneventful. Dennis and I both practiced several touch-n-go's and then did some sightseeing to the West for a few miles. After about 1 1/4 hrs floating around we decided to call it a day and packed up to go home. The ONLY thing that would have made this a better day to me is if there were more pilots there to share the sky with. If you would like to submit a flight report for this newsletter, with a small write-up or photos, please email them to us. Safety Tips Hooking In & Warming Up Preflight Checks By Mo Sheldon In this issue, we discuss the preflight. Even though you may not find anything, it's always wise to do a quick review of your gear. That one time you find something amiss can mean the difference between an enjoyable flight or a disaster. It helps to make a checklist. My routine is to do a visual and tactile check of all the gear looking for loose bolts, cracks, frayed material, leaks, and wear and tear. I usually start with the motor, seeing and feeling that everything is tight and in it's place. I almost always check the prop bolts, as they tend to come loose quite often. If I am using a trike, I check all connections are tight, and I look for cracks or any flaws. Then I move to the harness, checking the connections and straps, then the wing, for knots and twigs in the lines, twists in the risers, and a clean layout. Then once my equipment gets my blessings to fly, I move on to a different check list: hooking in. First, I put my helmet on. Then I fasten the harness to myself and warm the motor up. Then I move to the wing. I then check that the risers are hooked in correctly and make sure the carabiners are locked and closed. Now we are getting very close to takeoff and I do a final double check staring from the feet up. Legstraps, centerstraps, radio connection, camera, risers, carabiners, throttle, brakes, and helmet. That's it. Ready for take-off! Equipment Review Windsock 'Pilot at Play' Portable Windsock and Pole Take the guess work out of reading the wind. This windsock will help you know when to do a forward launch, when to do a reverse launch, and the proper flare speed for your landings. 50 inch bright yellow rip-stop nylon sock is highly visible against any terrain Telltale fluorescent streamer for very light winds 16 foot telescoping pole gets the sock up where your paraglider flies 6 inch spike on the bottom of the pole makes for quick setup Pole is shipped in a sturdy 54 inch PVC tube that can be used for storage and transport Copy on the sock reads "PILOT AT PLAY" Makes a great gift! Order yours today!
Airparamo does not trade, sell or give any of your information to anybody! We also value our privacy. If you would like to submit information for this newsletter, please email your request to us. 602-692-7995    info@airparamo.com ©2003 Airparamo

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