Yesterday I tried my new paramotor pod in flight.
The pod is very comfortable inside – so I am very excited and I will definitely use it for my XCountry flights!
It definitely improves the overall air-dynamics – I can feel the changed airflow on my face! And it also opens the gap below the seat for better engine cooling.
The dashboard inside the pod is screened from sunlight, which is also good.
My friend has a small video of me with the pod – in attachment.
And also a photo from above – this is how all my pictures will look like 🙂
Here come a few notes, maybe important to you.
– I am not complaining(!) the product is great(!) – just maybe something would be interesting for you to consider.
– First, based on my garage preparations, I attached the lower ties not to the lower frame, but to the harness seat from below. It worked very well in garage and in flight. I didn’t like attaching to the frame.
– Getting prepared to flight was less convenient. I first had to get into the middle of the pod, at the right spot between the speedbar and the plate, and then trying to sit into the harness… This was not great. I am thinking to do something about this.
– On my take-off run, the magnet didn’t hold the pod on my chest. It fell down to my knees, but I was able to take-off anyway. Maybe the foot plate is a bit heavy for this magnet, or maybe I have to think how to arrange the pod on take-off so it doesn’t fall.
– Getting into the pod in the air did take some time, although I practiced in the garage. But in flight there was the airflow. I couldn’t get into the pod if the zipper was closed. So I opened the upper zipper – and then I could get into the pod. I think this is because of my knees needing some space when getting into the pod. When zipper is undone, the knees can go up higher and the legs can get into the pod.
– Now about the worst thing that happened yesterday in flight… I opened my Lift wing trimmers fully, and I felt the unusually strong airflow into my face, I think it was because of the pod.
Then I switched from brakes to the tip steering toggles. I remember I put the right brake on the riser magnet. I also remember I didn’t put the left brake onto the magnet. You know – sometimes it is not easy to put the brake handle on the magnet, because the magnet on the brake is only on one side, and you can take the handle two ways: magnet-forward and magnet-back. When the magnet is back, the handle is not easy to attach to the riser magnet. Handles normally don’t attach to the magnets automatically – you have to do it manually.
But this was always OK before! The handles were always safely hanging even without the magnet – I never had too much problem with it, besides the wrong handle goes to the wrong magnet.
But yesterday something went wrong – after a few minutes of flight the left handle was somehow caught into propeller! Bum! I lost my brake in flight for the 1-st time in 20 years of flying!
I am not sure, but I suspect the changed airflow around the pod and around my body could be the reason why the brake was blown into the propeller.
I am not complaining and I am pretty happy as can be – you did a great job with this pod! I will fix my handle and try again!
Thank you!
Yours,
Mich