Remy Swaab of the Panama Paramotoring Association is pleased to announce the success of the 2008 Flight for Life.

On Sat 3 May, 8 pilots flew from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean, flying over the Panama Canal.

The pilots launched from Fort Sherman, near Colon, and landed safely on the Pacific coast, close to the famous bridge of the Americas. In so doing they set a world record for first uninterrupted Ocean to Ocean flight.

Thanks to sponsors and donators they also received over $26,000.00 for the Charity Foundation FANLYC, a leukaemia and cancer charity.

There will be an exhibition of photographs at the Multi-Plaza in Panama from the 22nd May - 1st June.

www.vueloporlavida.org

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Antoine Mateos and Jérôme Pommier show us how easy it is to make a perfect spot-landing target.

Photos by Armel Couette. www.armel-photos.net

Materials

An empty plastic bottle
A stake and hammer
A good length of line
Half a bag of plaster
A craft knife

Cut the bottle in half

Hammer the stake into the ground

Attach the line to the stake and the other end to the bottle neck

Fill the bottle with plaster and make your first circle

Repeat the operation as many times as necessary, adjusting the length of line each time.

Pull out the stake and pour plaster in its place to make the centre of the target.

Official FAI dimensions are as follows:

25cm 250 points
2m 175 points
4m 100 points
6.5m 50 points
Outside 6.5 m - zero landing score.

Aerial view

Happy flying and happy training!

Alexandre Mateos and Mathieu Rouanet show us how to make a map holder for navigation tasks

Photos by Antoine Mateos.

YOU WILL NEED …

Materials

1 sheet of 30 - 40mm polystyrene
1 light but solid rod
Appx 1.5m elastic cord
1 carabiner
1 swivel
1 sheet of clear, self-adhesive book-covering material
Sticky tape

Tools

Pencil
Screwdriver
Craft knife
Compass
Drawing pins

Draw a circle from 35 - 40 cm diameter. (We found 38cm to be ideal)

Cut out the circle using the knife.

Cut the rod to about 30cm.

Carefully cut a rod-lengthed slot into the centre of the polystyrene (not all the way through) to house the rod, and keep the offcuts to cover the rod later.

Make a hole in the centre of the disc, using the screwdriver.

Place the rod along the slot, and secure it in place by threading the cord in and out of the hole several times.

At the back, wind the loops onto the carabiner and tie off, leaving a tail of 1cm.

Cut a strip lengthwise from the piece of polystyrene taken out of the slot.

Cover the rod with the strip, and tape it into place.

Stick the transparent film in place, taking care to avoid bubbles and creases.

You can write on the plastic with a permanent marker, and wipe it off with alcohol.

Attach the swivel to the elastic cord, leaving a length with a knot

Thread the elastic cord through the gap in the harness (by the seat plate)

Fix the elastic cord either to the seat plate or to a leg loop, with a knot

Ease the swivel through the hole

Strap yourself into your harness and pull on the end of the elastic cord to get hold of the swivel and attach the map case.

You are ready to launch! The elasticity of the cord means the map case won’t get in the way when you run, and the map case will stay flat against your legs. The map can be pinned onto the polystyrene, and the edges taped down to stop it from flying away!

Seawind have now finished their latest flying suit, to add to the Sky Racer range of clothing.

It is made from the latest hi-tech windproof and breathable fabric, and has a soft-touch finish.

Produced in their factory in China under the strictest controls, their usual quality is assured.

www.seawindfly.cn

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Flying Unlimited would like to invite all paramotor pilots in Southern Africa to participate in the 2008 PPG Boogie, at Emoyeni Flight Park, 30 mins from Durban. This is the Fourth such event, held every second year.

The event, which includes the National Championships, runs from Friday 6 - Tuesday 10 June 2008, 6th being an official practise day. Pilots are welcome to arrive early or stay on afterwards - the accommodation and facilities will be available with prior arrangement.

The event is designed to be a fun get-together, where you can make new flying friends, catch up with old ones, learn from each other and see all the latest equipment and techniques. All the tasks will be flown within sight of the airfield, making it a more spectator-friendly event and enabling easy retrieves of pilots who land out. Pilots will be put into teams by the organisers, so all pilots will score for themselves and their team, with the aim of promoting mentoring and learning.

The usually excellent weather in June in Kwa-Zulu Natal is great for paramotor flying. The winds are generally calm, the skies clear and the terrain is ideal for large groups of paramotor pilots flying either competition style tasks or for recreational flying.

More info is available at www.xplorer.co.za/ppg-boogie/

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NATS08 is getting close: From May 30th - June 3rd, Northrepps airdrome near Cromer, Norfolk, will be transformed into the event HQ and family-friendly campsite with all facilities, including on-site caterer.

Michel Carnet, current UK Champion and World silver medalist, will be defending his title, and competing with other top pilots for a place on the British team, which will fly in the European Championships in Poland at the end of July.

There will also be a powered hang gliders class this year.

If you want to compete, you can reserve your place and register on www.flymicro.com/footnat08.

Non-competitor pilots are welcome as free-flyers but there are some requirements that must be met, so please see the website above for more information.

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PXP.ES are offering 16mm reinforced, double-ring, frames for their paramotors that will be used with trikes, feeling that the strains they are put under in a nil-wind situation are too much for a traditional frame, resulting in damaged props or frames.

The reinforced frame is about 2kg heavier than a standard one, but on a trike this is of little consequence.

The special frames were designed with the help of their pilot, Alfonso ALVAREZ (Spanish team) and friend Antonio MARTINEZ.

www.pxp.es

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Spanish firm, PXP.ES, are thge first company in Spain to market a series of 4 stroke paramotor engines.

Having tested the motor on the test bench, they were very pleased with the start, low vibration and for the impressive power it gave. Add to this the increased efficiency and fuel economy over a 2-stroke version, and they are onto a winner!

The motor is currently available for trike use, and PXP.ES sell a kit including a stainless steel chassis (31.5kg) complete with chair, electric started and 9l fuel tank.

PXP competition pilot, Juanjo Garcia, has been very happy with the motor. For 2 litres of fuel he can fly 1.56 hours, and the time to perform a circuit in competition is little different from using a 2 stroke.

PXP aim to have a non-trike, small prop. version available soon.

www.pxp.es

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The Maxifly cross bracing kit can be fitted to all adventure harnesses with no modification necessary. It allows the pilot to adjust the level of cross bracing, within safe comfort limits researched by Adventure. It doesn’t change the hang points.

Cost 150 €

www.adventure.fr

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News just in is that 2008 Microlight Trade fair & Aero/Auto jumble has been postponed, as the airfield is totally waterlogged.

The new date proposed for the event is 2 - 3 August 2008.

For further information, see their website, www.popham-airfield.co.uk

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