773 kilometers, over 14 hours of flight, and an altitude of 3,700 meters reached by a pilot who never stops pushing his limits.
In 2023, Nico Aubert launched the World Arcs Project, an ambitious series of self-supported paramotor adventures, with no external assistance, relying entirely on himself and his equipment. His adventure began in 2023 with a crossing of Spain, followed by Portugal in 2024 and Andalusia in 2025. This year, Nico decided to fly over one of Europe’s most spectacular mountain ranges: the Pyrenees.
Starting from Orio (Gipuzkoa), Nico left the Cantabrian Sea behind and headed east, flying over some of the most iconic landscapes of the Pyrenees. Along the way, he reached Aneto, the highest peak in the mountain range at 3,404 meters, flying over its summit at an altitude of 3,700 meters. His final destination? Cap de Creus, where the mountains give way to the Mediterranean Sea.
An extraordinary journey: 773 kilometers, over 14 hours of flight, and five days of adventure, with every stage bringing a different story to tell.
Flying solo for hundreds of kilometers, carrying everything needed to be completely self-sufficient, is no ordinary achievement. No support crew. No shortcuts. Just Nico, a few essential items, his paramotor, and the freedom to decide where the next stage of his adventure would begin.
When an adventure takes you across such diverse environments, from sea level to the heart of the mountains, being able to rely on your equipment makes all the difference. That’s exactly why Nico chose the Vittorazi Moster185 Plus to accompany him on this extraordinary journey. Versatile, powerful, and reliable, the Moster185 Plus is designed to deliver consistent performance across a wide range of flying conditions. From coastal landscapes to mountain environments, its combination of performance and reliability makes it an ideal companion for pilots looking to explore new horizons. Because when you’re hundreds of kilometers from your starting point, carrying everything you need with you, having complete confidence in your engine means being able to focus on what truly matters: the joy of flying.
We asked Nico to share some insights into his adventure.
How do you choose your routes and the places you fly over?
The first thing I do when planning a trip is study the airspace. Once I know where I can and cannot fly, I look for the most beautiful places to fly over, and from there I let the trip flow with the weather, moving forward along the route day by day. Fuel stops were the one thing I organised before leaving, because there weren’t many options and I didn’t want any surprises. Where to sleep, on the other hand, was 100% improvised every day, since it depends a lot on the terrain and the wind at that moment.
Why did you choose this particular route?
What makes this route special is that I had to deal with very high mountains, mostly around 2,600 metres, and strong winds. That meant being extremely careful with lee sides and turbulence, and trying to avoid flying over areas with no landing options. Even so, I had to cross quite a few of them, and as a paramotor pilot you are never 100% comfortable in those moments.
What was the most exciting moment of the trip?
Flying over the Aneto. It’s a mountain I studied at school, and suddenly there I was with my paramotor at 3,700 metres, flying over a 3,400 metre peak surrounded by spectacular terrain. It was a truly emotional moment.
Why did you choose the Moster185 Plus for this adventure? How did it support you?
The Moster185 Plus is my everyday engine. It’s the engine I’ve chosen and have been flying with for years because it offers the perfect balance of versatility, low weight, and power. I consider it an all-terrain engine, capable of accompanying me on both everyday flights and more demanding adventures, like this crossing of the Pyrenees. Its low weight, combined with an excellent power-to-weight ratio, allows me to handle very different situations, from takeoffs in confined spaces to significant altitude changes during the same flight. But the feature I value most is undoubtedly its reliability. I would never have attempted an adventure like this with an engine I didn’t completely trust. Over all these years, the Moster185 Plus has always given me that sense of safety and confidence that is so important to me. When you’re flying in challenging environments, where you need to pay attention to weather conditions, terrain, and countless other variables, knowing you can rely on your equipment makes all the difference. The Moster185 Plus allows me to focus on what truly matters: the flight itself and the adventure I’m experiencing.
How did the My Vittorazi App help you during your adventure?
The My Vittorazi App proved to be a very useful tool during this adventure, especially thanks to its Pre-flight Checklist feature. I’ve been flying for many years now, and I consider myself an experienced pilot. But I know that, even with years of experience, it’s still possible to forget something. Especially during a demanding journey like this one, where every day brought different conditions and environments, and there were so many things to think about. That’s why carefully performing pre-flight checks before every takeoff was essential. Thanks to the Pre-flight Checklist in the My Vittorazi App, I always had a list of checks right at my fingertips, directly on my smartphone, helping me make sure everything was in order.
What advice would you give to someone who wants to attempt a similar adventure?
First, have a lot of experience. When you do a multi day adventure completely solo, you can face unexpected situations, especially with the weather, so you need to be well prepared. Second, stay fully focused and never go beyond your limits. Accidents happen when you try to push past them, so know your limits very, very clearly.
One thing is certain: Nico loves a challenge. But every pilot has their own way of experiencing flight. Some seek adrenaline, while others prefer following these adventures from afar, enjoying a peaceful sunset flight or a sunny weekend in the sky. For us, being More Than an Engine means exactly that: accompanying every pilot and offering a unique flying experience, no matter how they choose to enjoy the sky.
Let’s rock the sky!
