r/paramotor

Hey all,
Recently went out to kite a used wing I purchased and had essentially all of my right hand A lines come unsheathed on the first session. I cannot find anything remotely close to this online so I was wondering if anyone had any thoughts or similar experiences to this.

Here’s some more information:
Wing: Ozone roadster 2 28
This wing was manufactured in 2015, however was purchased new and kept in storage (in bag and out of direct light) for the entirety of its life. 

It was then used once for kiting, in a short grass field with no rocks, weeds or other debris. After kiting it was evident that there was catastrophic abrasion to the middle (AM5 and AM6) lines. I initially thought it was due to an external snag on something in the field, but on further inspection it appears the lines became unsheathed on their own connection loops, top and bottom of the AM5 and AM6 lines where the loops create a “knuckle” , destroying the sheath integrity of every A line loop in that cascade as well as large chunks out of the middle line sheathes.

It seems highly improbable that the lines completely destroyed themselves in 1 unlucky tangle on inflation yet I have no other explanation.

Note: I do not intend to fly this wing until it is professionally inspected, I’m just baffled that 8 A lines are destroyed after 1 kiting session in a grass field, especially after taking care to lay out the lines prior to inflation.

My motor(moster 185 ds) has about 155 hours and is running great. I’ve done a few little things recently, like plug, air filter, throttle adjustment and carb adjustment.

I ended up buying all the parts for the 150 hr service and I have them. I will be doing all my own maintenance.

I have a couple fly -in events this fall and I don’t want something to go sideways, and be waiting on parts or have it not running right and miss the events.

Let the battle begin

TL;DR: Wingman, my free flight tracker for iPhone & Apple Watch, is now at v4.9 — it connects to external Bluetooth devices (XC Tracer, Syride, Stodeus, ...), uploads straight to XContest & DHV-XC with FAI-approved IGC files, replays your flights in full-screen 3D, and comes with an incredible standalone Watch app. v5 is in the pipe. 6+ years of work, no AI slop. → Wingman on the App Store

🪂 Dear fellow paragliders 🪂,

Preface

Wingman is not another AI slop. The app is more than 6 years old now, and I've always focused on quality and reliability rather than shipping fast. A friend recently joined me on the project — we keep control of the codebase, and we work hard to make Wingman what it is today, and what it will be tomorrow.

A year ago I posted here about Wingman 3.8, and the feedback from this community was amazing — thank you! Since then we've kept working hard on it, one update at a time. Wingman is now at v4.9, v5 is in the pipe, and I thought it was a good moment to share where things stand.

Link to the App Store: https://apps.apple.com/app/id1563883190

What's new since my last post

-- Flight instruments

• A sharper variometer: The built-in vario reacts faster and more smoothly to every climb and dive. With haptic feedback on the Watch when you climb.
• Connect external Bluetooth devices: If for some reason the powerful vario and the flight instruments embedded in Wingman are not enough for you, you can connect XC Tracer, Syride and Stodeus (UltraBip / BlueBip) devices, and record your flights using the device's sensors.
• Wind estimation improved: The algorithm is more accurate, and there's a new, fully customizable wind instrument.
• Customizable units: Every flight instrument can now be configured individually with its own units.
• Landscape mode lock: When flying, you can now lock your screen in landscape mode — even by default for every flight.

-- Flightbook & analysis

• 3D Playback, fully reworked: Play back your flights on a beautiful full-screen 3D map, with playback controls and a progressive mode where the track draws itself as you watch.
• XContest & DHV-XC upload: Upload your flights directly from Wingman, automatically or manually. IGC files are digitally signed and officially approved by the FAI/CIVL, so your claims are accepted.
• Flightbook improvements: Group your flights by year or month with statistics for each period, recover recently deleted flights, export your whole flightbook, and customize its units.
• Flight sharing: New card designs for sharing your flights on social media, including a transparent overlay format.

-- And also

• New design: The whole app has been redesigned with iOS 26 Liquid Glass.
• Waypoints for XC: Waypoints can now be configured as a cylinder or a line, with specific crossing rules.
• Apple Watch, optimized: The Watch app runs leaner so it goes the distance on your longest flights, and the vario haptic feedback is stronger on your wrist.

And of course, there is still

• Airspace alerts for safety
• Take-off detection (tracking starts automatically) and landing detection (never forget to stop recording)
• Thermal Viewer: see where you gained altitude to easily find thermals
• Wingman LIVE: share your live position with friends or family via a web link
• 3rd party live tracking: PureTrack, FFVL VLSafe
• Fly with friends: see your friends on the map when flying, and compare stats with them
• Dashboard with instruments (vario, ground speed, altitude, wind direction & speed estimation, …)
• Logbook with detailed data, lifetime stats, interactive charts, sync across devices, secure online backup
• GPX & IGC import/export

Also on Apple Watch

• All of this works standalone on your Apple Watch: leave your phone at home, record your flights, enjoy the vario with sound and haptic feedback on your wrist.
• No need for an expensive Apple Watch Ultra (even though they are amazing) — the recent Apple Watch Series work great.

What's coming in v5

• I can't say too much yet, but v5 is well underway and we're really excited about it. I'm sure many of you will love it.
• As always, it's shaped by the feedback you keep sending me — thank you for helping make the app better!

Feedback is much appreciated, this is how I improve the app over time! Please just be nice, we're doing our best on this project :-)

Fly safe! 🪂

→ Link to Wingman on the App Store

Very smokey morning

Some formation flying and great views.

Picked up some used gear, including a couple of wings. I’ve was going through them replacing lines and noticed a few Mallions were bent. What type of wear of accident could’ve caused that?

This will be the sixth year for the Moses Lake Paramotor Classic. An event put on by a few party animals in the NW. Washington and Oregon team up to put on one of the coolest and most fun paramotor party in the country. Every year some crazy shit happens, which can be expected with the PNW crew. If you're not familiar with the west coast, its basically a bunch of outlaws and you're guaranteed to have a unique and incredible time.

Is this a fly-in, you might ask? No. This is a party. There are no entrance fees (like some others who want to profit off of you). There are no event rules or pilot briefings to tell you what you can and cant do. This is a group of paramotor pilots who camp in the desert sand dunes for 4 days with the dirt bikers, sand rails, monster trucks, hot air balloons, bush planes, you name it - it's there.

If you've never been, maybe this year is for you. Check out the facebook page, for more information: https://www.facebook.com/events/2261126291341451

and other info at https://seattleparamotor.com/events/moses-lake-classic