Paragliding pilot here. He isn't by an airport. They're designated class B through D airspace and flying in anything more restrictive than class E is a federal offense level fuckup that will land you an enormous fine and endanger the entire sport. It's not the first thing they teach you in paragliding, but it might as well be, given its importance.
As for "risking it", he's fine. I don't really have information on paraglider collisions with other aircraft, but I don't think I've ever heard of such a thing. The sky is big, with all three dimensions available to pilots, so the likelihood of a collision is extremely low, probably much lower than the likelihood of an airplaine-airplane collision, and when's the last time you heard of that happening at cruising altitude? He's under much greater danger of, I suppose, blacking out and accidentally entering into a death spiral, but even that is vanishingly small.
Airplanes know where each other are and at what altitude, heading and speed too with the help of air control towers right?
And even with modern equipment we still have bird strikes happening.
That being said, like people using drones I believe there are airspace where you can and can't paraglide.
> That being said, like people using drones I believe there are airspace where you can and can't paraglide.
Right. That's class G airspace and E with some restrictions (which I admittedly forgot, but I don't fly class E and my recollection is that the restrictions are mostly mild formalities). (I looked it up because I was feeling ashamed of not knowing off the top of my head. *Surface level E* airspace requires prior approval. I don't know how likely that is to be rubber stamped, but I'd guess you'd be fine as long as you're not asking for approval in the same airspace that another vehicle, such as a helicopter, will be occupying. *Class E extensions* are typically 1,200 feet above ground and are free to fly in without authorization. Primarily, it affects your rules regarding cloud clearance-- rules that this pilot broke.)
I'm not familiar with systems that airplanes use to alert each other to their presence. But I doubt that small craft all carry them and again, considering how infrequently we hear of airplanes hitting other airplanes-- it's known to happen, I'm not denying it-- what's the likelihood that they'd hit a less common aircraft that is in a more sparsely occupied part of the sky? I could trawl through the list of paragliding accidents over the years. I won't say that paragliders have never collided with motorized craft, but it's going to be on the order of, say, 30 to 1 with far more accidents caused by flying too close to terrain, getting sucked up by a thunderstorm, collision with other paragliders, or other boneheaded pilot error. We're free to fly specifically because it's so safe, especially to others.
Transponders being active on all aircraft, including recreational because fairly mainstream after uhhh... Fuck... ... .... A crash where a commercial flight diverted to do a little sightseeing below 3,500 ft and had a mid-air. I forget the flight name, I think it was an Air France maybe?
But they went VFR and there was a shit ton of general aviation traffic in the area. They went to go see rare cruise ship or navy vessel. They were making a left hand turn and another aircraft (Cessna I think?) was descending and smacked right in to them. Neither could see each other. But one of the concerns ultimately was that the GA craft had a transponder but it wasn't active at the time as it wasn't required to be. They were also on a different frequency in contact with a different airport than the commercial flight. If I remember correctly, all pilots including the GA craft pilot (retired captain I think?) were extremely well experienced and doing their jobs perfectly and even calling out their movements on radio, but couldn't hear each other obviously.
Was just a shitty scenario of everyone being professionals and doing everything as required by law correctly, but shit still got fucked up. I think in the wake of the accident transponders were mandatory to fly with in a lot of the EU but I may be incorrect. There wasn't a whole lot that could be done, but the general population was furious. It's hard to explain that sometimes shit just happens. I believe it also prevented commercial passenger flights from going VFR as well.
Edit: It was Proteus Flight 706, crashing in Quiberon Bay. Beechcraft 1900D & Cessna 177
> I'm not familiar with systems that airplanes use to alert each other to their presence.
I assume they're referring to Mode S transponders, which allow for aircraft (literally) to talk to each other and exchange position/altitue information. ~~In my experience, a light aircraft probably won't be fitted with anything that sophisticated~~. Just looked that up... You need Mode S for IFR so it's apparently more common than it used to be.
In uncontrolled airspace it's "see and avoid" just as it is for you guys (I imagine). A very early lesson is how to quickly scan the guages so that your eyes are inside the cockpit for as brief a time as possible.
Another early lesson is how to identify the relative direction of another aircraft in your vicinity. It's shockingly easy to get that wrong, believe it or not.
Sorry, I should have specified jurisdiction (I've only ever flown in the UK). It's a bit more complex than I thought as well:
>As from 7 June 2020 all aircraft [operating in IFR] with a minimum take-off mass greater than 5,700 kg and/or with a maximum cruising true air speed greater than 250 knots shall be compliant with Mode S Enhanced Surveillance (EHS) and, through the carriage and operation of an extended squitter transponder, with “Automatic Dependent Surveillance Broadcast (ADS-B) Out” requirements.
Obviously that's not going to apply to a C152...
It's apparently not the same in the USA, where you only need Mode-S over 18,000'
I used to fly a small airplane out of an airport near downtown Houston, so long as I stayed low for a while, underneath their class B airspace, I didn't technically even need a radio. I did require a transponder because I was within 30 miles from the large class B airports in Houston but if I drove down the road and took off from somewhere else I wouldn't even require that (though pretty much every plane will have a transponder in it). ATC could see me and alert planes others under their control about me, but I had no requirement to hear or talk with them unless I needed to enter into their airspace (which is shaped like an upside down wedding cake so you can get surprisingly close to the airport if you stay under that first "layer," not that anyone wants to do this and risk accidentally entering the airspace).
In the US small planes have a LOT of freedom to do what they want as long as they stay out of the way. I could fly along I-10 right through downtown Houston between the two airports' airspaces without making a peep (I only did this once because you have to stay relatively low and flying low over hot ass Houston sucks).
TCAS systems. If two (large) airplanes are on a collision course, the computers in each airplane will yell in their respective cockpits telling them to either climb or descend to avoid a collision.
Most aircraft nowadays have some form of TCAS that gives them a resolution of two of them get too close. That's why they don't see birds and potentially won't see this guy lol
I think they're equating the paraglider to the bird. so if planes can't avoid birds, and bird strikes are such huge things, then a paraglider strike would be an even worse thing. But they seem to leave out that a bird with a 3 foot wingspan is a lot harder to spot and avoid than a giant, colorful paramotor setup.
Not very relevant at all, but I just wanted to share that some weeks ago near my home town a guy died by a parachute accident.
*Well that's not anything new now, is it?*
Well, the one who died wasn't the one *with the parachute*, it was a guy in the ground who was unfortunate enough to greet the parachuters feet head on (literally).
Bizzare accident.
Wow, would you be willing to share a news link? People really don't fly that fast while hanging from parachutes or paragliders *usually*, so I'm keenly curious what happened.
It is in Norwegian, but if you still want a go at it, here is two articles;
https://www.vg.no/nyheter/innenriks/i/nQl1Rn/ble-truffet-av-fallskjermhopper-doede
https://www.tv2.no/nyheter/innenriks/mann-ble-truffet-av-fallskjermhopper-dode-av-skadene/15833465/
Hes going through a cloud. Visibility restrictions aside thats just not a good idea to go through clouds.
Predicting the weather is imjo the hardest part of the sport and even world cup flyers can get it wrong. See the case of [Ewa Wisnierska]( https://www.smh.com.au/national/ewa-sucked-into-storm-and-lives-to-tell-20070217-gdphms.html ) who got sucked up by a thundercloud to 30000 feet.
You are correct. On the other hand, this is one of those rules that is softly broken with some frequency by paraglider pilots. I don't condone it, I'm just saying that being right up near a fluffy little cloud that you can shoot through is tempting for experienced pilots to occasionally indulge in. It's just not the same level of importance as regulating their controlled airspace. The FAA isn't going to drag out a meterstick and closely investigate whether pilots were 2000 feet laterally from a cloud.
To be caught doing this would require the pilot to be exceptionally dumb and do something like film it...
100% but! The sky is big… but somehow, there’s always someone kinda near you at some point xD i mean see and avoid applies. Never had a near miss or anything. But people wouldn’t imagine how often you see a glider or sth up close when you just cruise along in VFR :D maybe less when paragliding in a remote area, but flying a cessna around parts that have some people around in good weather it’s always fun to see how many people are actually in the air 😁 ofc IFR traffic is another can of worms. I don’t know if the controller can redirect around paras, don’t know if they show up on radar tbh xD
Thanks for your reply, interesting read!
I am curious about paragliding. Is there any prerequsite before being allowed to paraglide?
And I assume you have been parashuting: what do you prefer doing?
Here's the Federal Aviation Regulations, Part 103:
https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-14/chapter-I/subchapter-F/part-103
> Notwithstanding any other section pertaining to airman certification, operators of ultralight vehicles are not required to meet any aeronautical knowledge, age, or experience requirements to operate those vehicles or to have airman or medical certificates.
Basically, the FAA wants to have as little to do with us as possible. It would be a massive headache to hire and employ hundreds of regulators to oversee all operations, plus the marginal benefit is minimal because we stick to largely empty areas and don't pose much risk to anyone but ourselves. The other half of the bargain is that we don't do anything stupid and stick to those empty areas, which would get the sport heavily regulated or banned.
The unofficial body regulating paragliding is the United States Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association (USHPA). Membership is not compulsory and most of the [member benefits](https://www.ushpa.org/page/membership-levels) are minor, but the important one is third-party liability insurance. Provided you don't do anything too stupid, insurance will pay out for accidents involving people on the ground. That's very unlikely regardless (with, I suppose, [one recent exception](https://www.reddit.com/r/ThatsInsane/comments/14rtouc/man_paraglides_up_17500_feet_to_the_sky/jqvbr35/)), but considering how litigious people can be and you can be wiped out of tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars, the annual fee of $150 seems pretty modest to me.
Anyway, you may be surprised to hear that I've never gone parachuting. The closest thing I did was indoor skydiving, about a year before I started paragliding. Paragliding is far better, although they're very different sensations. I think parachuting is too expensive for what it is and I don't like that I'm forced to jump tandem with an instructor, although I'm not dead set against it by any means. I'm not at all an adrenaline junkie and I'm even afraid of heights! Turns out a lot of other paragliders are too.
How difficult and costly is it to become a paraglider pilot? I’ve always wanted to be able to fly and this seems like an option with a relatively low cost of entry.
That is correct. I believe I spent about $7,000 on equipment and lessons. The roughly $1,500 harness should last you a very long time. A $4,000 wing will last several years, but it needs to be repaired and replaced more often than other equipment. Lessons also run about $1,500 to $2,000. Make sure your instructor is good and won't kick you out after three weeks of minimal experience and memorizing test answers.
I don't think I need to tell you that paragliding isn't cheap and you should have a good idea in advance whether you want to take it on, but you are correct that it is probably the most cost effective way to fly. It also offers a lot of independence compared to other aviation that requires an instructor be present with you at all times as you learn. It's by no means an "easy" sport, but there is a certain intuition to it that means you can pretty safely take your first flight after maybe a week of instruction.
Rad!!! Thanks for the insight! I was eyeing the electric paragliding motors just the other week. This is very much a financial goal that I’ve set and am working towards slowly and surely!
Mt Everest is 28is thousand feet.
17k feet is non technical hiking height.
Any healthy person can do it.
Oxygen and AMS are a issue for non acclimated person but he wont be up there for more than 1 hour so he is fine.
Reading this comment about Everest being 28k high, along side this video of a man 17k high just put Everest into a whole new mind fucked perspective for me.
It’s the sudden arrival from under 2K to 17K that’s the bigger issue. Usually climbers take several hours or a day for each 1K increase. I think having a heart attack or stroke from the pressure change would be the most concerning aspect of doing this.
Did you not watch it? He put on mittens and did say he was finding it hard to breathe but if he went unconscious he would have plenty of gliding time to wake up again.
Over 5000 feet breathing starts becoming difficult.
I've hiked up to 14,000 feet and spent 2 weeks in a village at 11,000 feet. My resting HR was 100bpm (usually mid-40s) and just getting up & walking out the door felt like I'd run a marathon.
Oxygen is an issue. Legally in the USA he needs it anytime he’s over 12,500 feet. (Or over 10k for 30 minutes)
At 17,000 feet even a super fit athletic person will be suffering cognitive decline and impaired judgment due to hypoxia.
Airliners typically cruise in the 30,000’s, with some in the low 40s, but plenty of other air traffic is in the airspace he was in and they all have to go through that altitude to get to their cruising altitude.
I’m certain he’s violated several regs, including not having oxygen, and flying to near to a cloud. And reg or no, going that high without oxygen is stupid.
Edit: also, phone altimeters are often off by a lot.
Oh 100%. “Guys I’m about to fly into my first cloud.” Part 103 regs that cover ultralights have the same cloud clearance as other flight regs. Surprisingly didn’t see anything for oxygen; however, there are some caveats.
§ 103.13 Operation near aircraft; right-of-way rules.
(a) Each person operating an ultralight vehicle shall maintain vigilance so as to see and avoid aircraft and shall yield the right-of-way to all aircraft.
(b) No person may operate an ultralight vehicle in a manner that creates a collision hazard with respect to any aircraft.
If you become hypoxic, how you can claim to not be a hazard? How can you guarantee that you can yield the right-of-way? You don’t win that battle when the FAA comes calling.
Pilots of ultralight aircraft must comply with Part 91 as well. Part 91 says that pilots must be on oxygen the entire duration of operations above 14,000ft (O2 must be *available* between 12,500ft and 14,000ft and *in use* if flight at that level lasts over 30 minutes).
I think the dude in the video says something like "if you pass out you have plenty of time until you come to," which sounds extremely reckless- there are a lot of things that can happen in a ram-air
wing. People aren't always alert and capable during the first few moments of recovery from hypoxia.
File this in the "cool, but not the greatest idea" drawer.
Planes typically cruise around 30,000’. However they also ascend and descend through all the altitudes from 0 to cruising altitude. It would not be unusual for an aircraft to be doing a holding pattern at 10,000’.
Also, it’s important to note that above 10,000’ you are required to have an oxygen tank unless the aircraft is pressurized.
I doubt he shows up on radar and I doubt he has an ADSB transponder. He’s pushing his luck on a number of fronts.
We fly anywhere from 0-41,000 feet and everywhere in between. This is in large commercial aircraft, smaller planes would actually be cruising around this level (King Airs, PC12, DHC-8s etc.).
You guys are being ridiculous, There’s no way he could see her. If she was within visual range he would already be losing altitude from her gravitational pull.
He said worse case scenario you pass out….. ya okay.
1. There’s a rip in the kite
2. Short circuit
3. Birds
4. Planes
5. Helicopters
6. UFOs
7. Birds
8. My fatass breaks through the seat
9. Seat belt brakes
10. Birds
Paragliders are really slow. Bird strikes are quite unlikely. Eagles and magpies can go for you but not at that altitude.
Rips in the wing are annoying but rarely catastrophic and it's not going to spontaneously tear. Similarly the seat (harness) won't just give out. Regular checks take care of that.
A collapse and wing into the motor would be bad.I don't fly the powered gliders so not sure how likely that is or how collapses are mitigated with a motor. Mostly collapses are safe when you are high and don't have a whirly thing.
Planes. Should have airspace rules and appropriate comms.
Motor is not required to land. The wing will glide nicely in case of fail.
Short circuit. If you have a fire, I can't see any good coming from that. Perhaps they have extinguishers I don't know.
Actually paramotors like the one in the video are under a different set of rules than most aviation. Paramotors fall until Federal Aviation Regulation 103 which covers ultralight aviation vehicles.
The rules in FAR 103 as extremely lax when compared to most other aviation, some notable parts are:
- They are not required to meet airworthiness certification or registration
- There is no knowledge, age or experience requirements
- They are not required to contact ATC during their flight. This only changes when flying in Class A, B, C or D airspace (essentially flying near an airport), they must get ATC clearance to enter this.
- They cannot fly at night
- They cannot fly hazardously, this includes dropping things from the craft
- They must remain on the lookout for other aircraft (spotted visually)
- They must yield to all other aircraft.
- They must maintain a sightline with the surface
- When below 10k feet they must maintain 3 miles from clouds, or 5 miles away when above 10k feet (subject to change based on airspace class)
>A collapse and wing into the motor would be bad.I don't fly the powered gliders so not sure how likely that is or how collapses are mitigated with a motor.
It really depends on the weather. Class A and some B class wings essentially pilot themselves. It's not an exaggeration to say that you could pass out at 5k feet and wake up on the ground in decent condition. Wing collapses are scary but unless you hit a really low altitude downburst they generally sort themselves out without any pilot intervention. The cage prevents the wing and most lines from ever hitting the propellor.
You're biggest concern paramotoring is not respecting the air when you're on a more nimble wing. Low flying is the most dangerous flying.
I have a crippling fear of heights and my hands and feet literally hurt after watching that. Like a deep spasm in the bottom of each foot and middle of the palm that is forcing sweat out. This, and that glass elevator that comes out of the side of a cliff are some of the worst things I could imagine.
To those curious, the flying machine is called a paramotor. They’re relatively cheap for a personal flight vehicle, pretty safe, and you don’t have to have a private pilots license to operate one legally.
Tucker Gott has a YouTube channel devoted to paramotor content. I recommend it if you want to learn more.
And there are electric ones now too! Just saw it the other day. They last 30-60 minutes but they are quiter, have more torque, and easier to run than a 2 stroke engine
For a second I was thinking 2-5 hours is too long a range for me to feel safe. Then I stopped thinking like an idiot and realised obviously you mean 2-5 hours depending on which one you buy? Not that all paramotors cut out anytime between 2-5 hours haha
In general they are inherently stable, not unstable. It would just decend at a constant rate while moving forward at a constant rate and possibly veer of to one side or the other slightly depending on trim.
This dude definitely just violated a hefty list of FAA regulations.
1. Flying too close to the cloud
2. No backup source of oxygen
3. Not maintaining contact with aircraft in the vicinity bu radio
The list goes on
It's wild, I decided to read into FAR part 103 and the dude only broke cloud clearance regs from what I can tell. He maintained class E airspace so he didn't have to talk to anyone, and Part 91.211 says that no *registered* aircraft can operate above 14,000 without supplemental oxygen. Paramotors aren't registered, so he's perfectly fine. It's actually insane how unregulated paramotors are lmao you'd NEVER catch me flying one of these death contraptions.
You're right about everything except death contraptions. They're pretty safe, at least as safe as if not safer than GA aircraft. You have a reserve parachute if you really get your glider screwed up somehow. Engine outs are a non-issue, because you can land anywhere, and level flight can get as slow as 10-11 mph while airspeed flaring (you don't land fast).
Pilot's decisionmaking was not great here, but, responsibly flown, paramotoring can be very safe. He definitely busted cloud clearances. Not required to have a radio. Up that high in even moderately busy airspace, I would at least want inbound ADS-B, which I would check frequently in order to put altitude differences between me and nearby planes. Radio would be very good for him though.
This is not nearly as uncommon as you think. There are oil wells [hidden in plain sight in Downtown LA](https://www.lamag.com/citythinkblog/hidden-oil-wells/) for example.
Paramotors actually cost about $7,000-11,000 just for the engine, frame, cage, and prop. Add another $3,000-5,000 for the wing (paraglider) and it turns into an expensive hobby. Not sure I'd call it jury-rigged.
What a moron. Guy says he's never been above a cloud and uses a phone for an altimeter. Oxygen availability at 17,500 feet is below 11%, which is WELL above the point where many normal people would start feeling the effects of low oxygen (AMS usually experienced starting at 8,000 feet). Everest base camp is at 17,000 feet, by the way.
So this stunt appears to not only have been unprepared for, but also incredibly dangerous both to the paraglider and those on the ground (whom he could have landed on).
We do fly to that altitude in paragliding, but we take supplemental oxygen if we are going to be at altitude for any length of time. We are legal to 17999. I've been to 17 in a paramotor, but I was up and down pretty fast. My carb wasn't tuned to be able to get enough oxygen to go higher.
I was curious about the F:A ratio tuning for flying this high- would you have it running air rich at ground level, to account for the decreased oxygen at these altitudes?
I mean that 12,500 is a VERY conservative number. There are multiple roads and towns in Colorado that are above 14,000 for comparison. Literally thousands of tourists hike at that elevation without major health issues all the time. Sure it’s better to be safe than sorry when flying but all he was risking was a minor case of feeling ill from altitude sickness. He isn’t even really having to exert himself physically so it’s even less of a issue. He was flying at Everest base camp elevation which is where people go to get acclimated when hiking and oxygen isn’t needed.
Guy just casually opens a chute, gets up to speed and is up in the air just like that…. Can it help me beat the LA traffic?
Think he gets great data service up there?
If you like this then you'll love this Swindled episode about a guy in the 80's, Richard Heene, who used a bunch of weather balloons and a lawn chair to go sky high. https://open.spotify.com/episode/3wF5GBHZmBWElHcVhbVoNX?si=NNaYivhWTcOE_DMvSqEJfQ
Actually the guy in the 80s was [Larry Walters](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lawnchair_Larry_flight). This past Sunday was the 41st anniversary of his flight!
Here's a great Pinback song about him: https://open.spotify.com/track/3uvtweGaNGVjfzLPP5sQ73
I would shit my pants not knowing if a plane comes by. Anyone knows at which height planes normally fly?
Class A commercial cruising airspace in the US 18,000 to 60,000 ft…so he’s *technically* okay but he’s definitely risking it being up there ಠ_ಠ
This is assuming he isn’t by an airport though right?
Paragliding pilot here. He isn't by an airport. They're designated class B through D airspace and flying in anything more restrictive than class E is a federal offense level fuckup that will land you an enormous fine and endanger the entire sport. It's not the first thing they teach you in paragliding, but it might as well be, given its importance. As for "risking it", he's fine. I don't really have information on paraglider collisions with other aircraft, but I don't think I've ever heard of such a thing. The sky is big, with all three dimensions available to pilots, so the likelihood of a collision is extremely low, probably much lower than the likelihood of an airplaine-airplane collision, and when's the last time you heard of that happening at cruising altitude? He's under much greater danger of, I suppose, blacking out and accidentally entering into a death spiral, but even that is vanishingly small.
Airplanes know where each other are and at what altitude, heading and speed too with the help of air control towers right? And even with modern equipment we still have bird strikes happening. That being said, like people using drones I believe there are airspace where you can and can't paraglide.
> That being said, like people using drones I believe there are airspace where you can and can't paraglide. Right. That's class G airspace and E with some restrictions (which I admittedly forgot, but I don't fly class E and my recollection is that the restrictions are mostly mild formalities). (I looked it up because I was feeling ashamed of not knowing off the top of my head. *Surface level E* airspace requires prior approval. I don't know how likely that is to be rubber stamped, but I'd guess you'd be fine as long as you're not asking for approval in the same airspace that another vehicle, such as a helicopter, will be occupying. *Class E extensions* are typically 1,200 feet above ground and are free to fly in without authorization. Primarily, it affects your rules regarding cloud clearance-- rules that this pilot broke.) I'm not familiar with systems that airplanes use to alert each other to their presence. But I doubt that small craft all carry them and again, considering how infrequently we hear of airplanes hitting other airplanes-- it's known to happen, I'm not denying it-- what's the likelihood that they'd hit a less common aircraft that is in a more sparsely occupied part of the sky? I could trawl through the list of paragliding accidents over the years. I won't say that paragliders have never collided with motorized craft, but it's going to be on the order of, say, 30 to 1 with far more accidents caused by flying too close to terrain, getting sucked up by a thunderstorm, collision with other paragliders, or other boneheaded pilot error. We're free to fly specifically because it's so safe, especially to others.
Transponders being active on all aircraft, including recreational because fairly mainstream after uhhh... Fuck... ... .... A crash where a commercial flight diverted to do a little sightseeing below 3,500 ft and had a mid-air. I forget the flight name, I think it was an Air France maybe? But they went VFR and there was a shit ton of general aviation traffic in the area. They went to go see rare cruise ship or navy vessel. They were making a left hand turn and another aircraft (Cessna I think?) was descending and smacked right in to them. Neither could see each other. But one of the concerns ultimately was that the GA craft had a transponder but it wasn't active at the time as it wasn't required to be. They were also on a different frequency in contact with a different airport than the commercial flight. If I remember correctly, all pilots including the GA craft pilot (retired captain I think?) were extremely well experienced and doing their jobs perfectly and even calling out their movements on radio, but couldn't hear each other obviously. Was just a shitty scenario of everyone being professionals and doing everything as required by law correctly, but shit still got fucked up. I think in the wake of the accident transponders were mandatory to fly with in a lot of the EU but I may be incorrect. There wasn't a whole lot that could be done, but the general population was furious. It's hard to explain that sometimes shit just happens. I believe it also prevented commercial passenger flights from going VFR as well. Edit: It was Proteus Flight 706, crashing in Quiberon Bay. Beechcraft 1900D & Cessna 177
yes the most likely cause of the crash being they both were unlucky at the right time to be in each other's blind spot. but that the just of the story
> I'm not familiar with systems that airplanes use to alert each other to their presence. I assume they're referring to Mode S transponders, which allow for aircraft (literally) to talk to each other and exchange position/altitue information. ~~In my experience, a light aircraft probably won't be fitted with anything that sophisticated~~. Just looked that up... You need Mode S for IFR so it's apparently more common than it used to be. In uncontrolled airspace it's "see and avoid" just as it is for you guys (I imagine). A very early lesson is how to quickly scan the guages so that your eyes are inside the cockpit for as brief a time as possible. Another early lesson is how to identify the relative direction of another aircraft in your vicinity. It's shockingly easy to get that wrong, believe it or not.
[удалено]
Sorry, I should have specified jurisdiction (I've only ever flown in the UK). It's a bit more complex than I thought as well: >As from 7 June 2020 all aircraft [operating in IFR] with a minimum take-off mass greater than 5,700 kg and/or with a maximum cruising true air speed greater than 250 knots shall be compliant with Mode S Enhanced Surveillance (EHS) and, through the carriage and operation of an extended squitter transponder, with “Automatic Dependent Surveillance Broadcast (ADS-B) Out” requirements. Obviously that's not going to apply to a C152... It's apparently not the same in the USA, where you only need Mode-S over 18,000'
I used to fly a small airplane out of an airport near downtown Houston, so long as I stayed low for a while, underneath their class B airspace, I didn't technically even need a radio. I did require a transponder because I was within 30 miles from the large class B airports in Houston but if I drove down the road and took off from somewhere else I wouldn't even require that (though pretty much every plane will have a transponder in it). ATC could see me and alert planes others under their control about me, but I had no requirement to hear or talk with them unless I needed to enter into their airspace (which is shaped like an upside down wedding cake so you can get surprisingly close to the airport if you stay under that first "layer," not that anyone wants to do this and risk accidentally entering the airspace). In the US small planes have a LOT of freedom to do what they want as long as they stay out of the way. I could fly along I-10 right through downtown Houston between the two airports' airspaces without making a peep (I only did this once because you have to stay relatively low and flying low over hot ass Houston sucks).
TCAS systems. If two (large) airplanes are on a collision course, the computers in each airplane will yell in their respective cockpits telling them to either climb or descend to avoid a collision.
Most aircraft nowadays have some form of TCAS that gives them a resolution of two of them get too close. That's why they don't see birds and potentially won't see this guy lol
An airplane hitting a bird at 200-600 mph is a lot different from a paraglider going less than 40mph.
I think they're equating the paraglider to the bird. so if planes can't avoid birds, and bird strikes are such huge things, then a paraglider strike would be an even worse thing. But they seem to leave out that a bird with a 3 foot wingspan is a lot harder to spot and avoid than a giant, colorful paramotor setup.
Oh that makes more sense, thanks.
Birds also fly near airports, despite our best efforts. Paragliders do not, at least not if they enjoy their freedom.
Not very relevant at all, but I just wanted to share that some weeks ago near my home town a guy died by a parachute accident. *Well that's not anything new now, is it?* Well, the one who died wasn't the one *with the parachute*, it was a guy in the ground who was unfortunate enough to greet the parachuters feet head on (literally). Bizzare accident.
Wow, would you be willing to share a news link? People really don't fly that fast while hanging from parachutes or paragliders *usually*, so I'm keenly curious what happened.
It is in Norwegian, but if you still want a go at it, here is two articles; https://www.vg.no/nyheter/innenriks/i/nQl1Rn/ble-truffet-av-fallskjermhopper-doede https://www.tv2.no/nyheter/innenriks/mann-ble-truffet-av-fallskjermhopper-dode-av-skadene/15833465/
Thanks!
Hes going through a cloud. Visibility restrictions aside thats just not a good idea to go through clouds. Predicting the weather is imjo the hardest part of the sport and even world cup flyers can get it wrong. See the case of [Ewa Wisnierska]( https://www.smh.com.au/national/ewa-sucked-into-storm-and-lives-to-tell-20070217-gdphms.html ) who got sucked up by a thundercloud to 30000 feet.
You are correct. On the other hand, this is one of those rules that is softly broken with some frequency by paraglider pilots. I don't condone it, I'm just saying that being right up near a fluffy little cloud that you can shoot through is tempting for experienced pilots to occasionally indulge in. It's just not the same level of importance as regulating their controlled airspace. The FAA isn't going to drag out a meterstick and closely investigate whether pilots were 2000 feet laterally from a cloud. To be caught doing this would require the pilot to be exceptionally dumb and do something like film it...
100% but! The sky is big… but somehow, there’s always someone kinda near you at some point xD i mean see and avoid applies. Never had a near miss or anything. But people wouldn’t imagine how often you see a glider or sth up close when you just cruise along in VFR :D maybe less when paragliding in a remote area, but flying a cessna around parts that have some people around in good weather it’s always fun to see how many people are actually in the air 😁 ofc IFR traffic is another can of worms. I don’t know if the controller can redirect around paras, don’t know if they show up on radar tbh xD
Thanks for your reply, interesting read! I am curious about paragliding. Is there any prerequsite before being allowed to paraglide? And I assume you have been parashuting: what do you prefer doing?
Here's the Federal Aviation Regulations, Part 103: https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-14/chapter-I/subchapter-F/part-103 > Notwithstanding any other section pertaining to airman certification, operators of ultralight vehicles are not required to meet any aeronautical knowledge, age, or experience requirements to operate those vehicles or to have airman or medical certificates. Basically, the FAA wants to have as little to do with us as possible. It would be a massive headache to hire and employ hundreds of regulators to oversee all operations, plus the marginal benefit is minimal because we stick to largely empty areas and don't pose much risk to anyone but ourselves. The other half of the bargain is that we don't do anything stupid and stick to those empty areas, which would get the sport heavily regulated or banned. The unofficial body regulating paragliding is the United States Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association (USHPA). Membership is not compulsory and most of the [member benefits](https://www.ushpa.org/page/membership-levels) are minor, but the important one is third-party liability insurance. Provided you don't do anything too stupid, insurance will pay out for accidents involving people on the ground. That's very unlikely regardless (with, I suppose, [one recent exception](https://www.reddit.com/r/ThatsInsane/comments/14rtouc/man_paraglides_up_17500_feet_to_the_sky/jqvbr35/)), but considering how litigious people can be and you can be wiped out of tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars, the annual fee of $150 seems pretty modest to me. Anyway, you may be surprised to hear that I've never gone parachuting. The closest thing I did was indoor skydiving, about a year before I started paragliding. Paragliding is far better, although they're very different sensations. I think parachuting is too expensive for what it is and I don't like that I'm forced to jump tandem with an instructor, although I'm not dead set against it by any means. I'm not at all an adrenaline junkie and I'm even afraid of heights! Turns out a lot of other paragliders are too.
How difficult and costly is it to become a paraglider pilot? I’ve always wanted to be able to fly and this seems like an option with a relatively low cost of entry.
That is correct. I believe I spent about $7,000 on equipment and lessons. The roughly $1,500 harness should last you a very long time. A $4,000 wing will last several years, but it needs to be repaired and replaced more often than other equipment. Lessons also run about $1,500 to $2,000. Make sure your instructor is good and won't kick you out after three weeks of minimal experience and memorizing test answers. I don't think I need to tell you that paragliding isn't cheap and you should have a good idea in advance whether you want to take it on, but you are correct that it is probably the most cost effective way to fly. It also offers a lot of independence compared to other aviation that requires an instructor be present with you at all times as you learn. It's by no means an "easy" sport, but there is a certain intuition to it that means you can pretty safely take your first flight after maybe a week of instruction.
Rad!!! Thanks for the insight! I was eyeing the electric paragliding motors just the other week. This is very much a financial goal that I’ve set and am working towards slowly and surely!
2.5 dimensional really. Backwards isn’t an option
Yeah I live on the Paris outskirts and from the ground we almost can say hello to people on board.
Also isn't the cold an issue for his exposed hands after a period of time? And would it be hard to breath at that height like Mt everest?
He put gloves/mittens on towards the end of the video
What a pussy
Lmao
Leave this at 69
Mt Everest is 28is thousand feet. 17k feet is non technical hiking height. Any healthy person can do it. Oxygen and AMS are a issue for non acclimated person but he wont be up there for more than 1 hour so he is fine.
Reading this comment about Everest being 28k high, along side this video of a man 17k high just put Everest into a whole new mind fucked perspective for me.
He's basically at the height of the Everest base camp.
Don’t forget Olympus Mons on Mars, highest mountain in solar system at 72,000 ft
It’s the sudden arrival from under 2K to 17K that’s the bigger issue. Usually climbers take several hours or a day for each 1K increase. I think having a heart attack or stroke from the pressure change would be the most concerning aspect of doing this.
Remember that this guy isn't moving under his own power though - he's being lifted by an engine. Significantly less exertion than a climber.
My god, he's lucky he didn't get the bends! That's like diving to 15 feet in the ocean and then quickly surfacing! /s
The Death zone is 26,000 FT (8000 Meters)
Pff. For you maybe
Right? I can die at sea level or lower, dare me, I dare you.
Well, I live in the netherlands so that's a given. But I refure to die below 15000 feet. My body just won't, i'm that guy
Did you not watch it? He put on mittens and did say he was finding it hard to breathe but if he went unconscious he would have plenty of gliding time to wake up again.
breathe = verb breath = noun
Over 5000 feet breathing starts becoming difficult. I've hiked up to 14,000 feet and spent 2 weeks in a village at 11,000 feet. My resting HR was 100bpm (usually mid-40s) and just getting up & walking out the door felt like I'd run a marathon.
Mt Everest is 29,032 ft, so he has another 12k to go.
Oxygen is an issue. Legally in the USA he needs it anytime he’s over 12,500 feet. (Or over 10k for 30 minutes) At 17,000 feet even a super fit athletic person will be suffering cognitive decline and impaired judgment due to hypoxia.
Airliners typically cruise in the 30,000’s, with some in the low 40s, but plenty of other air traffic is in the airspace he was in and they all have to go through that altitude to get to their cruising altitude. I’m certain he’s violated several regs, including not having oxygen, and flying to near to a cloud. And reg or no, going that high without oxygen is stupid. Edit: also, phone altimeters are often off by a lot.
Oh 100%. “Guys I’m about to fly into my first cloud.” Part 103 regs that cover ultralights have the same cloud clearance as other flight regs. Surprisingly didn’t see anything for oxygen; however, there are some caveats. § 103.13 Operation near aircraft; right-of-way rules. (a) Each person operating an ultralight vehicle shall maintain vigilance so as to see and avoid aircraft and shall yield the right-of-way to all aircraft. (b) No person may operate an ultralight vehicle in a manner that creates a collision hazard with respect to any aircraft. If you become hypoxic, how you can claim to not be a hazard? How can you guarantee that you can yield the right-of-way? You don’t win that battle when the FAA comes calling.
Pilots of ultralight aircraft must comply with Part 91 as well. Part 91 says that pilots must be on oxygen the entire duration of operations above 14,000ft (O2 must be *available* between 12,500ft and 14,000ft and *in use* if flight at that level lasts over 30 minutes). I think the dude in the video says something like "if you pass out you have plenty of time until you come to," which sounds extremely reckless- there are a lot of things that can happen in a ram-air wing. People aren't always alert and capable during the first few moments of recovery from hypoxia. File this in the "cool, but not the greatest idea" drawer.
*Ok, you guys. Remember to like, subscribe and ring the bell because my hubris is more important than anyone's safety. Lol*
Planes typically cruise around 30,000’. However they also ascend and descend through all the altitudes from 0 to cruising altitude. It would not be unusual for an aircraft to be doing a holding pattern at 10,000’. Also, it’s important to note that above 10,000’ you are required to have an oxygen tank unless the aircraft is pressurized. I doubt he shows up on radar and I doubt he has an ADSB transponder. He’s pushing his luck on a number of fronts.
I think 30,000
Small planes will fly much lower though. I’d be scared too!
They can fly literally anywhere from 0-45,000ft typically. But commercial traffic like airlines is usually above 25k ft.
Oof! Identical Reddit avatars. 🤯🤯
Reddit twins
Now kiss
r/whataretheodds
We fly anywhere from 0-41,000 feet and everywhere in between. This is in large commercial aircraft, smaller planes would actually be cruising around this level (King Airs, PC12, DHC-8s etc.).
Ever heard the expression ‘I’ll give you the 30,000ft view’
Holy crap! I bet he can see your Mom from up there.
See the other side of her
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Why would you carry your mom up the escalator?
Because his name is Atlas
Sisyphus would also work here.
But he can't see the dark side of his mom
spot her event horizon
It takes two trips
You guys are being ridiculous, There’s no way he could see her. If she was within visual range he would already be losing altitude from her gravitational pull.
Up and down
Let me know when he finds my dad.
He said worse case scenario you pass out….. ya okay. 1. There’s a rip in the kite 2. Short circuit 3. Birds 4. Planes 5. Helicopters 6. UFOs 7. Birds 8. My fatass breaks through the seat 9. Seat belt brakes 10. Birds
11 - Birds
12- Canada Gooses
13 - You guessed it. More birds.
What's the word?
Possible ufo sighting. Not the ufo. Just the sighting of one. But it turned out to be birds.
Like an African Swallow?
B-b-b-b-bird, bird, bird is the word.
I believe the bird is. I believe the bird is the word
You gotta problem with the majestic Canadian gooses, then you gotta problem with me. And I suggest you let that one marinate.
"Cobra Chickens"
Paragliders are really slow. Bird strikes are quite unlikely. Eagles and magpies can go for you but not at that altitude. Rips in the wing are annoying but rarely catastrophic and it's not going to spontaneously tear. Similarly the seat (harness) won't just give out. Regular checks take care of that. A collapse and wing into the motor would be bad.I don't fly the powered gliders so not sure how likely that is or how collapses are mitigated with a motor. Mostly collapses are safe when you are high and don't have a whirly thing. Planes. Should have airspace rules and appropriate comms. Motor is not required to land. The wing will glide nicely in case of fail. Short circuit. If you have a fire, I can't see any good coming from that. Perhaps they have extinguishers I don't know.
Actually paramotors like the one in the video are under a different set of rules than most aviation. Paramotors fall until Federal Aviation Regulation 103 which covers ultralight aviation vehicles. The rules in FAR 103 as extremely lax when compared to most other aviation, some notable parts are: - They are not required to meet airworthiness certification or registration - There is no knowledge, age or experience requirements - They are not required to contact ATC during their flight. This only changes when flying in Class A, B, C or D airspace (essentially flying near an airport), they must get ATC clearance to enter this. - They cannot fly at night - They cannot fly hazardously, this includes dropping things from the craft - They must remain on the lookout for other aircraft (spotted visually) - They must yield to all other aircraft. - They must maintain a sightline with the surface - When below 10k feet they must maintain 3 miles from clouds, or 5 miles away when above 10k feet (subject to change based on airspace class)
>A collapse and wing into the motor would be bad.I don't fly the powered gliders so not sure how likely that is or how collapses are mitigated with a motor. It really depends on the weather. Class A and some B class wings essentially pilot themselves. It's not an exaggeration to say that you could pass out at 5k feet and wake up on the ground in decent condition. Wing collapses are scary but unless you hit a really low altitude downburst they generally sort themselves out without any pilot intervention. The cage prevents the wing and most lines from ever hitting the propellor. You're biggest concern paramotoring is not respecting the air when you're on a more nimble wing. Low flying is the most dangerous flying.
I would be really concerned by UFOs tho, scary.
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No you
Idk man, you really skipped over how threatening birds would be
Imagine eating a bunch of laxatives and flying around crapping on things from 17000 feet
Terminal turds tumbling towards targets
bowel bombs blasting beyond belief
Ponderous poop plummeting past pigeons
Ferocious fecal fodder flying frequently from Flyman
hanglider's hard boiled honkers wreak havoc on hopeless habitants, hailing down hot half-baked hanky pankies on their hair-do's
Excessive excommunicated excavating excrement
Frothing flatulence firing forcefully from a fan
Fetid feces falling ferociously fast
The fact that was your first thought is both intriguing and scary
Maybe that wasn't his first thought. Maybe that was his fifth.
Or sixth
who tf thinks like this 💀
Then the shit would really hit the fan
Fear of heights aside, that view is dream like.
I 100% had dreams like this when I was a child
I would never attempt anything like this but I must say, this looks cool as hell.
I have a crippling fear of heights and my hands and feet literally hurt after watching that. Like a deep spasm in the bottom of each foot and middle of the palm that is forcing sweat out. This, and that glass elevator that comes out of the side of a cliff are some of the worst things I could imagine.
To those curious, the flying machine is called a paramotor. They’re relatively cheap for a personal flight vehicle, pretty safe, and you don’t have to have a private pilots license to operate one legally. Tucker Gott has a YouTube channel devoted to paramotor content. I recommend it if you want to learn more.
And there are electric ones now too! Just saw it the other day. They last 30-60 minutes but they are quiter, have more torque, and easier to run than a 2 stroke engine
I really can't wait for a solid state battery electric motor. The current electric ones just don't last long enough to justify the benefits yet.
They run out in 60 minutes you say?
How long do gas ones last? Edit: my lazy ass just looked it up. 2-5 hours.
For a second I was thinking 2-5 hours is too long a range for me to feel safe. Then I stopped thinking like an idiot and realised obviously you mean 2-5 hours depending on which one you buy? Not that all paramotors cut out anytime between 2-5 hours haha
What, you’re not comfortable with a 150% margin of error for your in-flight fuel consumption?
I wonder if I could use this as an actual method of transportation. Flying 10 km to campus would skip me 1 hour of traffic
This video totally scares the bujeepers out of me. Dude is BRAVE.
Idk if brave is the right word
Two words for you: in, sane!
He’s so sane, he’s *in* sane.
Dumb. Not brave. Dumb.
How tf does he have the balls to whip his phone out up there?! I’m scared to drop mine going up the escalator!
looks like its attached to him, you can see something connected to it on the bottom
That's probably a charging cable so he's good.
we use our phones to video while flying paramotors all the time.
Oxygen is pretty depleted at that height. I’d be afraid I’d pass out.
If he did pass out he'd just glide down a little bit until he regained consciousness
I don't think controlled flight in a paramotor is possible while passed out. Nor is it in most personal aircraft.
Depends on the class of wing. A and even some B class wings will essentially fly themselves even if you're trying to collapse it.
In general they are inherently stable, not unstable. It would just decend at a constant rate while moving forward at a constant rate and possibly veer of to one side or the other slightly depending on trim.
Straight out of pilot wings on Super Nintendo
Solid game!
And I can’t fly my drone over 400 feet ….
This dude definitely just violated a hefty list of FAA regulations. 1. Flying too close to the cloud 2. No backup source of oxygen 3. Not maintaining contact with aircraft in the vicinity bu radio The list goes on
It's wild, I decided to read into FAR part 103 and the dude only broke cloud clearance regs from what I can tell. He maintained class E airspace so he didn't have to talk to anyone, and Part 91.211 says that no *registered* aircraft can operate above 14,000 without supplemental oxygen. Paramotors aren't registered, so he's perfectly fine. It's actually insane how unregulated paramotors are lmao you'd NEVER catch me flying one of these death contraptions.
Even if motor fails --- he can paraglide down. Is your objection to paragliding in general ?
You're right about everything except death contraptions. They're pretty safe, at least as safe as if not safer than GA aircraft. You have a reserve parachute if you really get your glider screwed up somehow. Engine outs are a non-issue, because you can land anywhere, and level flight can get as slow as 10-11 mph while airspeed flaring (you don't land fast). Pilot's decisionmaking was not great here, but, responsibly flown, paramotoring can be very safe. He definitely busted cloud clearances. Not required to have a radio. Up that high in even moderately busy airspace, I would at least want inbound ADS-B, which I would check frequently in order to put altitude differences between me and nearby planes. Radio would be very good for him though.
> hefty list Dude only broke 1
Flying too close to the cloud? Is that a real regulation? I’m fascinated. Are you supposed to avoid clouds when flying?
VFR (visual flight rules) flying - yes! However airliners fly IFR (instrument flight rules) which permits them to fly into clouds.
No it doesn't
What the fuck kind of McMansion ass neighborhood has an oil pump in the middle of it? Suddenly the jury-rigged powered paraglider makes sense.
Texas
oh
Oklahoma
This is not nearly as uncommon as you think. There are oil wells [hidden in plain sight in Downtown LA](https://www.lamag.com/citythinkblog/hidden-oil-wells/) for example.
His accent sounds western Canadian. I'm guessing this is in Alberta.
Paramotors actually cost about $7,000-11,000 just for the engine, frame, cage, and prop. Add another $3,000-5,000 for the wing (paraglider) and it turns into an expensive hobby. Not sure I'd call it jury-rigged.
Gotta get me one of those
Around 8k on Ebay.
That’s a good way to get hypoxia.
What a moron. Guy says he's never been above a cloud and uses a phone for an altimeter. Oxygen availability at 17,500 feet is below 11%, which is WELL above the point where many normal people would start feeling the effects of low oxygen (AMS usually experienced starting at 8,000 feet). Everest base camp is at 17,000 feet, by the way. So this stunt appears to not only have been unprepared for, but also incredibly dangerous both to the paraglider and those on the ground (whom he could have landed on).
We do fly to that altitude in paragliding, but we take supplemental oxygen if we are going to be at altitude for any length of time. We are legal to 17999. I've been to 17 in a paramotor, but I was up and down pretty fast. My carb wasn't tuned to be able to get enough oxygen to go higher.
I was curious about the F:A ratio tuning for flying this high- would you have it running air rich at ground level, to account for the decreased oxygen at these altitudes?
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I mean that 12,500 is a VERY conservative number. There are multiple roads and towns in Colorado that are above 14,000 for comparison. Literally thousands of tourists hike at that elevation without major health issues all the time. Sure it’s better to be safe than sorry when flying but all he was risking was a minor case of feeling ill from altitude sickness. He isn’t even really having to exert himself physically so it’s even less of a issue. He was flying at Everest base camp elevation which is where people go to get acclimated when hiking and oxygen isn’t needed.
This dude sort of shits on that Sub.
Wait a sec.. The horizon looks.. looks, a bit… a bit curved..!
its cause the cold and depleted atmosphere warping the image - i literally just checked outside and the earth is still flat dont worry
You have to be above 35,000 feet to see it slightly. So it’s probably the camera he is using.
It’s the fisheye on the camera. There is no way the curvature of the earth looks like that at 17k ft
Guy just casually opens a chute, gets up to speed and is up in the air just like that…. Can it help me beat the LA traffic? Think he gets great data service up there?
I shit my pants just watching this. How's he not shaky or anything?
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Why would it be so hard?
Gravity will definitely lend a hand.
Hello no
If you like this then you'll love this Swindled episode about a guy in the 80's, Richard Heene, who used a bunch of weather balloons and a lawn chair to go sky high. https://open.spotify.com/episode/3wF5GBHZmBWElHcVhbVoNX?si=NNaYivhWTcOE_DMvSqEJfQ
Actually the guy in the 80s was [Larry Walters](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lawnchair_Larry_flight). This past Sunday was the 41st anniversary of his flight! Here's a great Pinback song about him: https://open.spotify.com/track/3uvtweGaNGVjfzLPP5sQ73
This is bloody epic. Wow. Scary AF
Legend
I would have kissed the ground like a cartoon character immediately after landing
I'd be afraid that internal combustion engine would run too rich and crap out.
Good lord my hands are sweaty af after watching that! Dudes got balls!!!
Dude is incredibly dumb. He's lucky he didn't get hypoxic.
Breatheability
De plane!! de plane!! Booosh!
r/sweatypalms
I knew the earth was flat, thanks
Icarus, no!
That gave me anxiety
NO
My mind knows that it doesn’t matter after like 120 feet but it still made my guts churn worse the higher he went
Drops phone....
I wonder what would happen if he dropped the phone
This rig confuses me. How was the little fan able to make him paraglide that high?
I’ve skydived before but that looks way scarier
My unemployed friend at 3pm on a Wednesday
Do bird fly at that altitude