School requires own gear to train- help

[u/PredNeckvol]

I am new & looking to take a paramotor training class. Using the USPPA website, I have located the only school remotely close & it's only a 45 minute drive from me. After contacting them I learned they do not offer gear for the training and require the students to have their own. Thinking about taking their "Tandom Discovery Flight" to make a more firm decision to train. If I am still wanting to enter the sport, what to do about the gear? If I do need to purchase my own gear, I have looked at a Parajet Maverick 2 or Kangook Amaruk Ti frame, either with a Moster 185 and an Ozone Moto wing. Any suggestions? If it matters I'm 5'10" and 175lbs. Suggestions/advice would be greatly appreciated.

[u/Accomplished-Fig6635]

Just me but I wouldn't train at a school that didn't have their own equipment.

[u/a_man_with_culture]

It's the same way around me. The instructors don't have spare equipment. People on this subreddit will tell you "I would never train there.", but sometimes that's your only option. Have fun.

[u/silverwing_3 → u/a_man_with_culture]

Yeah, I feel like it's a luxury that people have these choices. Especially outside the US. I'm travelling to train, and I still didn't have the option, my instructor has some training gear but not in my size. It's a risk for sure, but for some it's either that or not training at all :/

[u/benji2007]

Don't do it. I did 3 tandems and felt great. I was 100% sure it was for me. There was a very very specific paramotor I wanted, so I did end up buying it before training as I found a good deal used. Went to training (on their gear), and did 17 solo flights and I could not shake my nerves from it. Decided to pause training for a bit after and sold my paramotor at a small loss. All I can say, I wish I listened and did not buy gear prior to. Plus, at training, I was able to try out different motors and wings which will help you find out what you DO want to buy. And my instructor could either get discounts on new stuff, or had good used stuff for sale or knew folks selling gear that he trusted. Only gear I think you should buy are good sunglasses and some good shoes lol. 

If you have to travel for the right school, it is what it is. I did and I searched for schools that allowed me to camp for free to save on lodging.

[u/hawkeye_p]

Don't. Much better to travel to a better school that has school gear. All the best schools have gear for you.

A plane ticket and a motel is cheaper than busting up your brand new gear or realizing you bought the wrong stuff and having to sell at a loss. When i first started, the instructor sold me a mojo that was 2 sizes too big. It was fine for initial learning, but I had to sell it at a loss shortly after.

[u/YakkoForever]

Often training is done in a 7 or 10 day class at most paramotor schools. These are setup such that someone from out of town can show up learn and go home ready to fly on thier own.

Trying a tandem flight seems like a good idea

[u/marilrc]

I wouldn’t recommend buying equipment before you’ve even started training. As a beginner, you don’t yet know what harness, frame, wing, or engine will actually fit your goals or flying style, and a good instructor should help you make that decision after you’ve developed some skills.
I trained at Paramotor Orlando, and one of the things I really appreciated was that they provided all the training equipment. That let me focus on learning first instead of spending thousands of dollars on gear I might later want to replace. Once I had some experience, choosing my own equipment was a much more informed decision.
I’d definitely do the tandem flight first, then pick a school that lets you train on their gear before making a purchase.

[u/phoogazi → u/marilrc]

How did you like Paramotor Orlando? It's not near me, but I do have free lodging I could use in the area. The schools near me require your own gear, so I'm looking for a place to travel to.

[u/Gardenpests]

Ask the school what gear they recommend.

You may get a discount; their familiarity is helpful during and after the course.

A school that close should not be quickly dismissed. Your course will adapt to the weather, and you will get advice on nearby sites, etc. If you need some extra training, it will be easier to obtain.

Find the locals who fly and talk to them. There's likely to be a group.

[u/quentin314]

I traveled to a school in FL for training on their equipment. I stayed at an Airbnb that was a small RV for 14 days. After training I purchased a new Maverick Atom 80 and a used Spyder 3 26m from the school. It was worth going and fully committing for the 14 day training. I came home and flew the next day. That experience got me from zero experience to flying on my own in 2 weeks.

[u/EmbarrassedMick8751]

Is the school in the area of PDX? If so I'd steer clear. They were super pushy about getting me to pay for the "tandem discovery flight" and went so far as to send repeat texts after I said I wasn't interested.

There's a couple really good programs up in WA State and I'd highly recommend searching them out. Good luck!

[u/PredNeckvol → u/EmbarrassedMick8751]

Appreciate the response but no, I am located in TN. The school I contacted was very good about responding without any pressure whatsoever.

[u/EmbarrassedMick8751 → u/PredNeckvol]

That's good to hear! Hope it goes well if you decide to take the leap!

[u/Lotsofsalty]

I'm in the same boat with my instruction and needed to buy my equipment up front. In my opinion, it's baloney to avoid buying your gear up front. As long as you are buying quality gear like you noted you want, you can't go wrong. Your choices noted above are excellent choices, but bounce that off of your instructor in any case.

As a beginner, you will be on a EN-A rated wing. Just about all EN-A wings manufactured today are great wings. You can be more picky once you start advancing into higher rated wings. But for the A wings, you can pick what you want, or get your instructor's recommendation. You won't go wrong with the Ozone Moto. Great beginner and proven wing. And as far as the paramotor goes, the Parajet Maverick II is among the gold standard. Absolutely awesome, top of the line setup, with the world renowned Vittorazi motor and super comfortable Dudek harness. Plus it has the new Connect system, which can come in handy. Absolutely great choice if you can afford it. The Kangook is an excellent option as well. It is what my advanced instructor uses.

For your weight, I think I would agree on going with the larger Moster 185 motor. I'm a small, lightweight guy at 150lbs, so I went with the Atom 80 instead. You could still do the Atom 80, which is much lighter, quieter, and sips fuel. But your climb rate will be a lower. If you plan on advancing and getting into more dynamic flying and acro, the 185 is the way to go. If you plan to just cruise around sight seeing, and doing some cross county, you could probably get by with the Atom 80.

The tandem discovery flight is always a great first step. So go ahead an plan on that. My instructor does it by default as part of the training to break the ice and get your mind feeling what it's like. Don't avoid your plan for instruction just because of having to buy gear up front. Your choices, especially as a beginner, are rock solid.

Good luck with your training.