Paramotor - Marathon beauty from above {photos & video}
Paramotor is a powered paraglider ("PPG") where the pilot takes off from ground level!
The WLM team got lucky, as we met a paramotor operator at Schinias beach in Marathon - Greece! The weather conditions were perfect, so we grabbed the opportunity to present you this unique flight over the magical pine forest of Schinias!
The paramotor
The term was first used by Englishman Mike Byrne in the 80's and popularized later in France when La Mouette began adapting power to the then-new paraglider wings and nowadays it is considered one of the most impressive sports.
Today In Greece, as our Greek pilot explained to us, there around only 40 active paramotor pilots. Nevertheless, he reassured us that paramotor is one of the safest flying machines, taking into consideration that you are strapped to a parachute the whole time during the flight. The biggest risk are the weather conditions and that is why you should be extra careful and respect the flight rules.
Feels like being a bird our pilot says
To begin with, the operator should be in good shape as he will have to carry the engine of the paramotor on his back (80cc έως 200cc) - around 20-30kgs. At the same time, he needs skills to maneuver the paraglide he is attached to.
The combination of the paraglide and the engine allows the pilot to take off from ground level, with only a short run required during the start, and gives the possibility of nonstop flying for 3 hours with approximately 50 km/hour and no height restrictions. Despite the demands, a paramotor flight is not considered a workout.
The paramotor is "the smallest plane" in the world
The price of buying a new paramotor is around 9.000€ but you can find it for half price used. The training cost depends on the trainee skills, and it is between 1.000-2.000€. The fuel consumption is 3,5 l/h (depends on its displacement and the number of passengers 1-2) and in addition you must take into consideration the maintenance costs, so overall it is an expensive sport.
Flying in Schinias
A late Sunday afternoon at Schinias Beach and a unique opportunity inspired this article!
Our drone photographer George Mitropoulos and I, were visiting Schinias pine forest for one project of ours, and we bumped into the paramotor's pilot. We grabbed this amazing opportunity to have this special flying experience with him. Luck was on our side as at the same time the bird photographer, Vassilis Drakopoulos was in the area, who gladly accepted to capture the biggest bird of his portfolio!
The new team started to get ready. The pilot prepared the second seat and gave us some basic instructions regarding the takeoff, the flight, and the landing - around 8pm we were ready!
The engine was on, the wing on the ground and following the pilot's footsteps as one, we started to run - in seconds we were in the air! I sat in the seat, chased away my fears and clicked in my memory all those beautiful pictures displayed in front of me! We rose 100m in height - the sea, the forest, the sunset. Scenes you can't admire when you are on the ground. The moment I got used to it, the pilot began the flight back and I saw everything again but from another point of view while being anxious not to forget anything I saw. The beauty of Greece, the kisses of the sun, hidden corners I had no idea existed and then landing time, I saw everything closer, I got nervous and before I realized it, my feet hit the ground...
Our flight lasted half an hour and we are super grateful for the exceptional pilot giving us a lifetime experience!