Help & FAQs

The type of people who learn to Paramotor is quite literally anyone! As an International School, we've trained a lot of people from many countries around the world, with the highest percentage coming from the UK, Europe and the Middle East. Out of our 5,000+ students, their ages have ranged from 16 to 70 years old and in recent years, we have taught an increasing number of women, which is fantastic for the sport. Even though SkySchool is a British company and teaches predominantly in English, we also have Instructors who speak Spanish, Portuguese, Turkish and French.

If sitting a Paramotor course in the UK bring outdoor clothing for both warm and cold weather. Ankle supporting boots, gloves, long sleeve shirts, jackets and trousers are recommended. Do not bring jeans as they restrict the legs too much. If sitting a Paramotor course in Europe then bring warm weather outdoor clothing but also a long sleeve top, jacket and trousers as it can get cold while flying at altitude. Suncream is also a necessity!

There currently is not a weight limit for a Paramotor, but different weights require different Paramotoring Equipment. At SkySchool we can teach students weighing up to 130kgs. Anymore than this, we would require bespoke equipment which will need to be ordered in advance of a Course. For those weighing over 130kgs, they may be better off sitting a ParaTrike course as ParaTrikes have more powerful engines and larger wings, meaning they can take Pilots weighing up to 150kgs.

Paramotoring is in fact safer than Paragliding. This is because Paramotor Pilots who have received the correct training and fly with good Equipment, only tend to fly when the wind is low at the beginning and end of the day when there are no thermals. However, Paraglider Pilots rely on either stronger wind speeds or relatively unstable air in the form of thermals in order to maintain and gain altitude. This increases the risk of the wing having a deflation, as the air is more turbulent, which a Paramotor Pilot can easily avoid.

We offer ParaTrike Courses for those with a physical disability now that single seat ParaTrikes, weighing less than 65kgs, have been deregulated in the UK. Ever since the Flying for Heroes project in 2014, SkySchool has been involved in teaching those with physical disabilities how to fly and we currently offer bespoke ParaTrike Training courses in Italy.

The world distance record for the furthest flight on a Paramotor is 1,130km set by Lauri Kadakas in 2019. However, he was flying with 72 litre of fuel! Most Paramotors fly with a 17 litre fuel tank, which gives them between 3 to 4 hours of flying. Pilots tend to fly either out and return or triangle cross country route. When flying an A to B route downwind Pilots have been know to fly several hundreds of kilometres. The distance can be increased with a smaller, faster and more efficient wing.

As a sport, Paramotoring is effectively as safe as you are. However, the Paramotor itself is inherently dangerous when used incorrectly or started on the ground. When used correctly, Paramotoring and the Paramotor is safe, as long as you receive professional instruction, obey the safety rules, respect the weather and always start the engine on your back!

In the UK, we use some very low hills that allows students to take off, fly up 2m above the ground and land with just the Paraglider. However, we do not teach any ridge soaring or other aspects of Paragliding.

In the UK, you do not require a license to fly a Paramotor as they are deregulated under the Air Navigation Order. However you must still obey the Air Law regulations in order to remain legal, all of which is covered during your SkySchool Paramotor course. In order to be safe as possible, it is recommended that you complete the full APPI PPG Pilot course and attain the license. This also allows you to fly legally and take out insurance in certain other countries around the world.

You do not need to learn how to Paraglide first before going on a Paramotoring course. It is a common misconception that you need to have flown a Paraglider before learning to Paramotor, however this is not the case. The APPI PPG training system uses hand towing to teach complete beginners. It is an excellent method, as it allows the student to simulate the body position required to take off with a Paramotor, while also practising how to steer and land the Paraglider, all within a controlled environment. Paragliding requires a very different body position during take off and students with previous paragliding experience have been know to struggle to adjust their body position for Paramotoring.

In the UK the course starts at 9am on a Saturday morning and we meet outside the cafe at Hinton Airfield. In Europe the course starts at 9am on a Monday morning and the meeting place will be confirmed via email or WhatsApp before the course.

Sunday is always the travel day for courses in Portugal and Spain. You should therefore arrange your flights to arrive and depart on a Sunday.

It is strongly advised to not teach yourself how to fly a Paramotor. The saying ‘You don’t know what you don’t know’ is especially relevant when it comes to Paramotoring. This is why it is always advisable to sit a dedicated course with professional, highly experienced instructors.

It usually takes between 4 and 6 days of ground training before complete beginners are ready to have their first solo Paramotor flight. It then takes on average another 6 days of training to attain the APPI PPG Pilot license, which requires the student to complete at least solo flights, a series of tasks and the Pilot Exam.

You should never attempt to fly a Paramotor without training. Although Paramotoring is one of the safest forms of powered aviation it still comes with its risks, These are dramatically increased when people attempt to teach themselves how to fly without taking instruction. 

We completely get it, we change our minds too! Please get in touch as soon as possible and we will do our best - however if we have already order, packed and dispatched your order, a cancellation will not be possible.

We want to speak to you too! Contact us with any questions, concerns, or feedback. We will be sure to get back to you within 48 hours. However, please note that inquiries sent on Fridays will receive a reply the following Monday, but possibly sooner.

We usually only ship equipment to the United Kingdom. To enquire about shipping to a different destination, please contact us.

Standard shipping normally takes 3-5 days.

Items must be returned within 30 days after receiving your order. Items must be returned in the same condition in which they were received, be unworn/unused, have any tags still attached, and include all the original packaging.

Refunds are processed within 7 days from when we receive the item(s).