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You can bet that people that fly these planes without a license also don't spend the time and money to get a radio license; that automatically prevents from fly

You can bet that people that fly these planes without a license also don't spend the time and money to get a radio license; that automatically prevents from flying to or from a towered airport. These ultra-light planes are practically big toys that you can fly over some empty field and relatively low altitudes. Powered parachutes also fall in this category.

pests 3y ago
I watch a creator on YT who regularly takes his paramotor (a powered parachute) across town and on longer trips. He also takes it up to at least 15k feet. That seems vastly more than empty fields and low altitudes.
- AdrianB1 3y ago
  15k feet is not G class airspace (uncontrolled) in most of the world, that means you need radio contact with FIR, radio license, training etc. This is not your regular ultralight.
  - pests 3y ago
    Ultralight? A paramotor is just a backpack motor and a parachute. Is it even in the same category as an ultralight? He does not have a radio on him but he does it somehow. I believe he has some kind of flying license however.
    - AdrianB1 3y ago
      A paramotor is an ultralight in Europe and requires license, I completed the flying school for that category (fast-tracked as I already have a license for airplanes), but I never moved to take the exam, still I am aware of the regulations. In US there is no license required, but that also restricts where you can fly. If you get some licenses it does expand where you can fly, but I am not knowledgeabe on the details there.
  - mbrameld 3y ago
    > (uncontrolled) in most of the world, that means you need radio contact with FIR, radio license, training etc That's not true in the US, at least. You can easily still in be class E at 15k, which doesn't require radio communication if you're VFR and not in the vicinity of an airport.
wkat4242 3y ago
They are used for low flights mostly yes but that doesn't mean they can't get very high. They certainly can get high enough to pose a threat to other air traffic. For this reason I'm kinda surprised they are completely unlicensed in the US.
mbrameld 3y ago
> You can bet that people that fly these planes without a license also don't spend the time and money to get a radio license; that automatically prevents from flying to or from a towered airport. I don't think having a radio license will keep you from flying into a towered airport. I worked as flight instructor in the southwest US, out of a class D under a bravo shelf and flew in and out of class B, C, and D airports all over the US just a few years ago and I've never held one. I worked at a busy 141 school. It wasn't and isn't required for anyone I worked with.

pests 3y ago

I watch a creator on YT who regularly takes his paramotor (a powered parachute) across town and on longer trips. He also takes it up to at least 15k feet. That seems vastly more than empty fields and low altitudes.

AdrianB1 3y ago
15k feet is not G class airspace (uncontrolled) in most of the world, that means you need radio contact with FIR, radio license, training etc. This is not your regular ultralight.
- pests 3y ago
  Ultralight? A paramotor is just a backpack motor and a parachute. Is it even in the same category as an ultralight? He does not have a radio on him but he does it somehow. I believe he has some kind of flying license however.
  - AdrianB1 3y ago
    A paramotor is an ultralight in Europe and requires license, I completed the flying school for that category (fast-tracked as I already have a license for airplanes), but I never moved to take the exam, still I am aware of the regulations. In US there is no license required, but that also restricts where you can fly. If you get some licenses it does expand where you can fly, but I am not knowledgeabe on the details there.
- mbrameld 3y ago
  > (uncontrolled) in most of the world, that means you need radio contact with FIR, radio license, training etc That's not true in the US, at least. You can easily still in be class E at 15k, which doesn't require radio communication if you're VFR and not in the vicinity of an airport.

wkat4242 3y ago

They are used for low flights mostly yes but that doesn't mean they can't get very high. They certainly can get high enough to pose a threat to other air traffic. For this reason I'm kinda surprised they are completely unlicensed in the US.

mbrameld 3y ago

> You can bet that people that fly these planes without a license also don't spend the time and money to get a radio license; that automatically prevents from flying to or from a towered airport. I don't think having a radio license will keep you from flying into a towered airport. I worked as flight instructor in the southwest US, out of a class D under a bravo shelf and flew in and out of class B, C, and D airports all over the US just a few years ago and I've never held one. I worked at a busy 141 school. It wasn't and isn't required for anyone I worked with.