My flying gear

Hahaha..when flying paramotor you can fly in style like me.. wearing shade. The helmet which protect me from unintentional bump, has a mic+speaker which connect to a 2 ways radio. This allow me to communicate with my friend when flying. The earmuff help to reduce engine noise and protect my ear.

Below is my flying gear. My paramotor engine is Nirvana electric imported from Czech Republic. It is powered by 210cc Solo Engine with 115cm carbon propeller. The tank can hold 9.5 liters of petrol and if I want I can fly for almost 3 hrs. It generates max 55kg of thrust to push me up. The body is laminated fibre glass with harness attachment. It was very comfortable in flight and look handsome too. The weight is 23kg dry.

My wing is Paramania Revolution with reflex profile. To find more information about this wing, go here Flyparamania.com

My First Flight

When I started this hobby, I wasnt sure whether I'am up to it. My boss, friend at work call me crazy and said the hobby dangerous. But I pay little attention of what they said, this is my childhood dream, somehow I have to work hard on it to realize it. Furthermore I'm not that lucky person who pilot B747 for living.

I start by going to local air carnival (not many organized here) and visited the booth that display the para equipment and start asking silly questions just like regular person. To my surprise the person that manning the booth was not customer friendly and act like a robot. That mean you if you ask 1 word he reply one word. Never even want to answer my questions seriously. I feel disappointed on my first encounter and this make me rethink my intention to join this sport.

Many months and years later I joined group of RC Flying Model enthusiast and luck was on my side as this hobby make way for me to get closer to people that has interest like me...flying. Tho they only fly RC Model, the experience and knowledge they had plus some knowledge that I gathered from the internet thought me about aviation, its discipline and risk. So I learned alot f stuffs. Believe me when you have good knowledge about aviation, learning to fly become easy as all the theories are already in your head.

There was this day when I'm flying my RC Heli at Cyberjaya suddenly I saw a guy flying with a paramotor orbiting behind me. I was astounded and I quickly land my RC Heli, packed my things and dash to the place where the paramotor guy landed. There were 2 guys there, one introduce himself as Wan was the guy with nice looking paramotor unit call Nirvana and the other one call himself Wak. We quickly introduce each other and start a friendly conversation and I got to know that Wan just completed the paramotor course with Mat Salleh instructor.

While Wak just started and just bought a wing and built his own paramotor unit using a motorcycle engine. Wak's engine does look scary but after learning about his background and his high passion about flying I have to give him a salute for his DIY engine. Both of them were looking for new people to expand their paramotor team and I was quickly accepted to be part of their team. After learning basic kitting and know how to handle the wing properly a few months later I bought myself an engine. Used one of course to keep my start up cost at minimal.

The following week after received my engine I was ready to attempt my 1st SOLO flight. Under Wan supervision and after getting the setup right, I started the engine and warm up the engine for awhile. When the morning breeze came, I move forward and pull the A risers firmly. The wing came up nicely and Wan give a 2 thumb up mean everything were good. I accelerate the engine and speed up my running forward until I was lifted up to the air. While maintaining the engine speed I pull myself into the harness and start piloting the glider around the field. While fear was in me, the joy and excitement of flying suppress my fear. This was my first taste of flying and I enjoy it very much and I can tell you I wont stop for one time only.

After fly circuit a few rounds I decided to land because the engine start to acting up and sound rough. I make a turn and make my landing approach towards the wind. About 10 meter from the ground I turned off the engine and got off the harness. With steady direction control to my landing spot then about few feets from the ground I pull full brake and touch my leg softly for a safe landing. There was a big grin on my face and Wan came to me, shake my hand, congratulate me and said ' Welcome to the world of flying paramotor'.

I just touch the surface of flying this personal aircraft and I knew I wont stop here, there is still so much to learn. Whatever it is I'm delighted as my dream to fly is realized.

I want to fly..

I love to fly and always want to fly, to fly like a bird, like a superhero if I could. Ever since at primary school, every time I read Superman, IronMan comic and other comic book that show a man can fly, I feel very excited and think of a way of how I can do this.

I'm not sure what year it was, but it was in one episode of Benson&Hedges Golden Dream TV program where I saw a man fly using a paraglider in Australia. It was his dream to fly with a glider and B&HGD realised his dream.. I wished that time I was the one flying it but luck was not on my side because I was still in school. I know for sure that this is the type of flying I want to do. Sadly this sport activity was none existence at that time in Malaysia neither has any information about it. Internet was only a word on text book and searching of information was so traditional..ie: either book store or library.

Fast Forward 10 years to when I already land a job, I still find myself trying to find info on this flying sport from magazine at bookstore but none was available. So I have to put aside my desire to fly and do other great stuffs such as videography, photography and many other things until I finally got hook playing flying RC model like airplane and helicopter. It was challenging at first to fly RC model and I learn to fly those on my own. Off course after hours of practice on computer games and simulator game and it did help to keep the repair bill low.

I find flying is very natural to me, problem is my two feets are still on the ground flying these RC models and my neck get stiff when flying it for too long. But I'm glad I join the RC hobby because that was how I got to know people who fly paramotor. Soon after I met paramotor people, my interest of flying Rc model faded. I sold off my Rc stuffs and use the money to buy my flying gear..a new chapter begin..

Welcome to my blog

Salam & hello to all heart and soul that love flying.

Welcome to my blog. I have been thinking to pen my paramotor adventure for sometime but never get time to actually do it. Previously I did publish my weekly adventure and activities at www.i-putra.com.my, but due to virus attacked to that site I unable to continue to publish my writing there.

Tho our national language is Bahasa Malaysia (BM), this time I like to write it in English to allow more people to read my article and make constructive comment. I may mixs some of my posting with my previous article in BM I had posted elsewhere. The other reason of setting up this blog is to share information with paramotor pilot from outside Malaysia about my beautiful country and the friendly people living here.

So how should I begin...

Paramotor is relatively new sport activity which start gaining popularity here in Malaysia due to exposure of this sport in the local TV programe, internet, youtube video and also blog site. The number of people doing serious paramotor business is also very few. Article in my blog will touch more on local flying activity with people of similar interest with Malaysian flavored stories,jokes,flying sites and other fun activities. There maybe hit and miss but I do my best to put the story/article together so any person local or non local who got bitten with flying bug can join this fun sport safely. It is an expansive sport to some people to get started but so as golf, motorcross, cycling and go-karting to name some. But to some of us who had foot launched, tasted the air at 300 ~ 400ft, flown around for hours and then soft landed to the ground may tell you that the experience are price less. Once you taste the sky you forever don't want to walk on the ground anymore.

The denying factor for some people is the equipment cost and the fear of height. Due to small market and fully import gear from European Countries and our weak ringgit does not help either to make it affordable. The good things is, there is always choice and way to realize our dream of flying. There are a lots of good used unit which is available for sell with less price. Otherwise we can keep the cost down by buying part of the flying equipment from Thailand. Thais are good in fabricating and copying thing and paramotor engine unit is not excluded from their creative handwork.

On fear of height, this is up to individual. Risk of flying with a paramotor is very low if compared with any other aviation or skysport activity. Unlike skydiving, you are flying an open chute from the start and the activity usually carried out in calm air which ensure safety. Furthermore the paraglider that is used to fly is already flight tested and certified by the world recognized body (ie. DHV,CEN,DULV) for safe flying. After days of training and practice an individual can slowly overcome the fear and start enjoy flying.

I stop for now, I think in my next posting I will write how the flying bug bites me and let the idea evolve from there. Ok see me in my next post.

Thanks for stopping by..
Fly high..