Paramotor, is a combination of the words parachute and engine. This form is suitable for terrain without high points, slopes, and little wind. Therefore, it is suitable for athletes playing in large urban areas or plains. Paramotor uses a lightweight engine and propeller mounted at the back, with ground clearance directly connected to the pilot during flight, can reach an altitude of 5 km above the ground. The weight of the Paramotor engine is about 20 to 25 kg. Therefore, pilots need to practice carrying this type of engine to get used to the weight before being able to practice taking off.
For the Paramotor tandem flight service, visitors will fly with the pilot on a 3-wheeled engine. In addition, to meet the increasing experience needs of young people, there are many flight locations providing this service in Tay Ninh, Ho Chi Minh City, Da Lat, Hoa Binh,...
Experience a new sport
"When I sat in the car and took off, I felt a bit nervous, but when the car took off, I felt everything was so light," Tuyet Ngan, an office worker in Da Lat, shared with Travellive.
Tuyet Ngan first learned about paragliding in the famous Korean drama Crash Landing on You. Seeing her idol actor flying in the sky, she wanted to experience the same feeling herself. After that, Tuyet Ngan used paragliding and motorized paragliding services in Da Lat. She described her first time in the air as "at first nervous, then her body felt light".
Pilot prepares for powered paragliding flight.
Tuyet Ngan and the first powered paragliding flight.
"I feel secure when experiencing this service because before the flight they carefully instructed and prepared protective gear for me," Tuyet Ngan said.
Kim Lan, a young person living in Ho Chi Minh City, believes that paragliding is an experience worth the money you spend. Lan only learned about this sport last year, then she tried to register for a paragliding experience. Admitting that she is afraid of heights, Kim Lan felt very nervous when she stepped onto the paragliding vehicle.
"The first time I flew a powered paraglider was with an instructor. Right after that flight, I lost my fear of heights and started to love parachutes even more," Kim Lan shared.
Experience motorized paragliding in Dalat.
Before flying, Kim Lan does not need to prepare much. She advises that those who fly with a pilot should prepare comfortable sports clothes. Besides, when participating in paragliding with a pilot, just pay attention to what the instructor says before flying. According to Kim Lan, the service of flying with a pilot costs about 3 million VND/20 minutes of flight.
"However, for those with underlying heart or high blood pressure conditions, you should consider this service because sudden changes in altitude can affect your health," Tuyet Ngan added about things to keep in mind before flying a powered paraglider.
From hobby to passion
Because of her passion for this adventure sport, Kim Lan signed up for a paragliding pilot course at the Ho Chi Minh City Paragliding Sports Federation. She joined paragliding training 3 months ago and has completed her first flight.
Kim Lan spent about 12 million VND for paragliding. To practice paragliding with a motor, tourists need to spend about 25 million VND. However, she was exempted from this because she accompanied and practiced with the flight team. Next, Kim Lan spent about 60-100 million VND to buy a shoulder-mounted propeller engine.
"If you learn to fly a plane in tandem like the guests experienced, a plane would cost around 200 to 300 million," she shared.
According to Kim Lan, the theoretical knowledge of this subject is very easy to absorb and thanks to the guidance of the teachers, she can easily memorize it. On the other hand, this subject requires high skills, so the best way to understand the knowledge is to practice diligently and stay alert to the rules when flying.
Paraglider preparing to glide down to the lake.
Start and check the engine.
The propeller motor weighs about 20kg.
"My most memorable moment so far in paragliding training is when I carried the 20kg machine on my shoulder, pressed the throttle and ran, a feeling that I thought a girl like me could not do," Kim Lan said about the memory of her first training session. She said that although her shoulder was a bit sore, she felt much stronger.
In response to Travellive, the biggest difficulty in practicing paragliding comes from her family situation. Kim Lan and her husband have 3 small children, and the family lives very far from the flying practice locations. Therefore, arranging to take care of the children and travel time to practice takes up a lot of her effort.
"That difficulty is also the motivation for me to try. My husband and I both participated in paragliding training and my husband graduated from powered paragliding. I also received great support from my husband," said Kim Lan.
