A Thrill Yes, But Much More
Running into the air stirs our imagination like few freedoms can. But this
freedom does not come without some difficultly and this web sites hopes to
minimize that difficulty and increase awareness of this sport, especially for
those who may not be aware of the many choices available to them.
What's In A Name
The
term paramotor, along with other names such as powered paragliding, has been
used since the sport's inception. Unfortunately, one company, Paramotor Inc. in
Oyster Bay, NY trademarked the name Paramotor. Although this was likely illegal,
they knew that few would have the stomach to any legal battles. So Paramotor
Inc. in Oyster Bay, NY capitalized on the name's prevalence and profers legal
threats and coersion to those who they feel threatened by.
The most glaring evidence of this comes whenever someone tries to list their
paramotor on E-Bay. Even if the seller follows the rules, E-Bay will bow to
pressure placed on them by the heavy-handed tactics employed by Paramotor Inc.
The Real Skinny
The company uses these methods primarily because it caters to an unknowing
public who is not aware of the significant challenges facing foot launchers and
the need for thorough training. Importantly, they do now make potential buyers
aware of how difficult it would be to use their machines for foot launching,
especially compared with the current modern crop of gear available to new
entrants.
The most telling fact is that NO CURRENT SCHOOL advertises or recommends the
Paramotor brand for foot launching. The machines are well built and entirely
appropriate for cart launching but that is, unfortunately, not what many
potential clients are after.
Best Advice
This web site offers answers and links to places where good information can
be found. Most important is to get good instruction from a reputable, certified
paramotor instructor. A list is available at www.USPPA.org
under schools & clubs.
Paramotor
Info.com
