01/05/2020
Six thousand miles in paramotor: the journey of Jean-Francois Chabaud
“I had a dream the first day I learned to fly a Paramotor. The dream was to fly far, really far. Why? I do not really know except for the challenge of doing something different”.
“I always like to challenge myself. I remember talking to my mentor, Troy Hartman, about the possibility of circumnavigating the entire United States. This was ambitious for someone who had just learned to fly a backpack propelled unit (foot launch Powered Paraglider).
And so it went from there”.
“After only 67 launches and still building my skills, I started with the most difficult trip ever (for any pilot). I flew my Scout Paramotor with Vittorazi Moster 185 engine and Ozone Roadster 2 24-meter wing 750 miles unsupported from New Mexico to California.
I was fully loaded with extra fuel, oil, electronics, water, spare parts, camping gear and food (160 pounds of dead weight on my back). I did not have a car following me or even anyone I knew within 375 miles while at the halfway point”.
“For my next trip, I organized the Rio Grande Adventure – a 1,500 mile, two-week long one direction group flying trip with nine pilots. Most pilots had Vittorazi Moster 185 engines”.
“Then it was time to try the big one: 6,000 miles supported. The goal was to not drive but fly across the United States from San Diego to Key West, then from Cancun back to San Diego. The route presented plenty of challenges”.
“I had also planned to fly into Cuba and from there to Cancun, Mexico but never got the authorization to do it. My nephew, Nans Pera, who was my ground crew, didn’t understand why I didn’t want to drive for a while when the weather was not appropriate to fly. Many times I had to tell him that it will defeat the trip purpose which was to fly the entire way”.
“The time to launch was, well, any time to be able to maximize the distance I could fly during daylight hours. Midday flying was normal for me. Some very good pilots told me that I should not attempt such a trip because too dangerous. Yes, I had a few wing deflations, but overall it went well. In the U.S., I drove maybe 45 miles but flew 3,700 miles. In Mexico, I drove 250 miles and flew 2,400 miles“.
“How is it possible that a small, two-stroke engine can deliver such performance?
The Moster 185 is a light and very powerful engine. It’s incredible that you can fly from sea level to 10,000 feet without adjusting the carburetor. I weigh 155 pounds and my no-wind ground speed was 32 mph, but my average speed over 6,000 miles was 37 mph with a maximum speed of 81.4 over Mobile, Alabama.
The engine kept delivering the needed power and never missed a beat. The climb was unbelievable. I never changed the carb setting and stayed at my 66/1 oil mix”.
“When we took the engine apart, it still looked pretty good. I was worried about the effect of the vibration on my back, but that ended up to not be a concern even after flying many times over eight hours a day.
Thanks to Vittorazi, Scout PPG, Ozone Power, Eskis and others to trust me and support my idea that such a flight was possible”.
