Doug Kerr
Well-known member
Yesterday Carla came home from a grocery shopping expedition and called for me to come outside to see "somebody flying overhead".
It turns out that it was a fellow flying a powered paraglider (often called a "paramotor", although strictly speaking, that only refers to the frame and engine rig).
I had Carla go to my office and bring me my Panasonic FZ-1000 (I myself move a little slowly these days owing to the effects of spinal stenosis). Here is the best shot I was able to get:
Douglas A. Kerr: Powered paraglider over the Sacramento Mountain foothills
Of course the greatest focal length I had available was 400 mm ff35 equivalent, so the subject was pretty small in the frame. The image above is a 25% × 44% crop, presented here downsized to about 61% of original camera resolution.
I don't know who the flyer is or any details of his machine.
The wing of a powered paraglider is a variation of the Rogallo wing, developed by NASA engineer Francis Rogallo jointly with his wife, Gertrude.
The engines are typically air-cooled one- or two-cylinder two stroke machines.
The paramotor is typically strapped to the pilot's back, but there is also a small seat and often some kind of footrest, often just a bar.
I have learned that typically a powered paraglider is launched by the pilot with little or even no assistance. With the engine running at slow speed, the pilot runs along the ground with the wing behind. Soon the wind rises off the ground, and when it is high enough the engine is gradually throttled up, the whole things lifts off, and the pilot settles into the seat and puts his feet on the footrest bar (if there is one).
Steering is done by pulling on lines (with wood toggles to grip) that deform the tips of the wing and cause a yaw torque on the wing.
It looks like great fun.
That's all we know here.
Best regards,
Doug
It turns out that it was a fellow flying a powered paraglider (often called a "paramotor", although strictly speaking, that only refers to the frame and engine rig).
I had Carla go to my office and bring me my Panasonic FZ-1000 (I myself move a little slowly these days owing to the effects of spinal stenosis). Here is the best shot I was able to get:
Douglas A. Kerr: Powered paraglider over the Sacramento Mountain foothills
Of course the greatest focal length I had available was 400 mm ff35 equivalent, so the subject was pretty small in the frame. The image above is a 25% × 44% crop, presented here downsized to about 61% of original camera resolution.
I don't know who the flyer is or any details of his machine.
The wing of a powered paraglider is a variation of the Rogallo wing, developed by NASA engineer Francis Rogallo jointly with his wife, Gertrude.
The engines are typically air-cooled one- or two-cylinder two stroke machines.
The paramotor is typically strapped to the pilot's back, but there is also a small seat and often some kind of footrest, often just a bar.
I have learned that typically a powered paraglider is launched by the pilot with little or even no assistance. With the engine running at slow speed, the pilot runs along the ground with the wing behind. Soon the wind rises off the ground, and when it is high enough the engine is gradually throttled up, the whole things lifts off, and the pilot settles into the seat and puts his feet on the footrest bar (if there is one).
Steering is done by pulling on lines (with wood toggles to grip) that deform the tips of the wing and cause a yaw torque on the wing.
It looks like great fun.
That's all we know here.
Best regards,
Doug
