‘Paramotor’ acrobatics thrill Topping crowd

An unusual aircraft floated around at the 28th annual Wings, Wheels and Keels on Sept. 28. “Paramotors,” the short name for “powered paragliders,” resemble a parachute, but the brightly colored canopy is actually a wing. The paragliding wing is a large, kite-like fabric structure that catches the air, explained Dessi Bradecich, spokesman for Hampton Roads Paramotor, which recently conducted a parameter class at Topping’s Hummel Field airport.

“The canopy is divided into a series of cells by vertical panels known as ribs,” she said. “The cells inflate with air during flight, transforming the wing into an aerofoil shape that produces lift.”

Learning to fly

Hampton Roads Paramotor discovered Hummel Field airport in Topping in September when it presented a class with nine students from Virginia, Maryland and Pennsylvania, said Bradecich.

“It was a week-long class of high-tempo instruction where the students learned and practiced the basics of flying safely with structured supervision, and by weeks end all but one got to fly their paramotors,” said Bradecich.

The curriculum included 15 classroom hours on airspace, weather, aerodynamics, Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) rules, communications, equipment maintenance, aeronautical decision making and safety.

“The students are trained by professionals with the highest level of expertise who are well versed in aviation  protocols,” she said. They are former or current military pilots who also currently fly for airlines or have their own private aircraft.”

Friends

Hampton Roads Paramotor was welcomed at Hummel Field, she added. “The personnel at Hummel Field let us pitch our tents, park our campers and provided us with facilities and kindness for which we were very grateful. 

“To add to that, the generosity and the support of the nearby residents were humbling. It was encouraging and heartwarming to see people drive up in trucks, others in their golf carts, to watch the training, cheer the pilots through their flights and talk to us. “The outpouring of goodwill and kindness was remarkable. It also created impromptu gatherings around the bonfire filled with laughter and goodwill,” said Bradecich.