Powered Thermal Hunters - by Paul Haxby

Since I started using a paramotor as a way of expanding my flying experience I soon had a range of incredible flying stories to tell backed up by photographs to help convey the amazing views I was a witness to.

One day in April became another classic example of a how a lightweight Rad paramotor, a good paraglider and some thermic conditions can make a relatively ordinary day into one of those great flying days you want to tell your friends about.

My planned flight would be around the east side of Doncaster in the middle of the week, so calling NOTAM the evening before was essential, because the area between Doncaster and the east coast becomes a bit of a RAF Tornado playground. I also decided to contact Gary Hartley, a fellow paramotor pilot from Barnsley who has also become as addicted to using powered paragliding to get high. The week before we had completed a very pleasurable 20 miles out and return flight together on a warm sunny evening. It wasn’t an outstanding distance or massive height gain but it reminded me what a pleasure it can be when you share an enjoyable flying experience with a friend. Until recently most of my powered flights had been on my own because I was probably the first of the few in my area, but things are changing and I look forward to the social aspect of flying with small squadrons of foot launch powered aircraft roaming the skies high over Yorkshire.

The day started well with a good forward launch into Spring thermal conditions. I quickly took the lead and headed to my local thermal source to go for a quick height gain without using too much fuel. Don’t think that it’s a money saving Yorkshire attitude to use natural lift as a way of getting high so you save money on fuel – it is a free flying attitude to get a thermic elevator ride to cloud base so you have fuel to complete a good cross country flight. My known thermal source was junction 4 of the M18, which is a cocktail of heat from lorry and car exhausts, warm tyres as they slow down and turn off the motorway and the sun soaked tarmac. This combination causes the junction 4 roundabout to be as reliable a method of gaining height as the Radne engines on our backs and we were catapulted away from the ground like Zebedee on Prozac. At 1000ft above take off we both headed towards our intended turn point of Goole, latching into thermals along the way.

With such an unfortunate name, Goole has been the on the receiving end of a few jokes over the years, but from the air it is a impressive looking inland port on a wide section of the river Ouse and a clearly visible place to fly to. I was monitoring my ground speed using my GPS and noticed that the tail wind was now increasing and although we were only a mile away from Goole, I decided that it was time to turn around and return to base. The landing field was ten miles away and seemed like a very distant goal because we were battling against the headwind. I normally complete the into wind section of an out and return flight first, but the forecast for the wind speed and direction was wrong so we had to alter our flight plan to make sure we would have enough fuel to get back. As we got close to the landing field we both started playing with the thermals until we reached cloud base, which was sparsely covered by wispy clouds. At this point we both increased the throttle and went for a closer look at these ‘baby’ clouds, and as we drew alongside one of them I was absolutely mesmerised by a beautiful white swirl that came out of the top of one of them and curled over. These small swirling clouds were an indication of a more turbulent section of air between the two levels and I decided it wasn’t the place to hang around and take photographs. We descended to 1500ft above take off where the air was dotted with Spring thermals, and for the last few miles of the flight we yo-yo ed up and down alongside each other all the way back to the landing field. I landed first to look back and see Gary switch the power off and set himself up for his landing, but he couldn’t resist one last go in a thermal and he began to disappear skywards again. As soon as Gary had finally landed I began to discuss the possibility of another flight and this time with a different objective. It was getting close to midday and the winds and thermal strength were increasing, so I suggested we used the thermals to go for a height gain.

I squeezed the last dregs of my fuel from the jerry can into the paramotor petrol tank and before I had a chance to ask Gary if I could borrow some fuel he was already powering up and leaving me behind. I quickly clipped in, started the motor and set off after him in the hope that my seven litres, Freex Mission, Rad MXL and thermaling experience would help me catch up with him. At 1000ft above take off I edged out in front and guided my flying partner towards a water treatment works which I knew was a thermal source and predictably enough we were catapulted upwards. We both flew out of the thermal and Gary decided to power up again and look elsewhere, but I went back and re cored the thermal I had just left. I wasn’t sure how long I was circling before Gary realised I was showing him the thermal stairway to heaven but I probably had a 1000ft height advantage. It wasn’t long before he realised I had hooked into a good thermal and joined me on the way to a thinning layer of cloud. At 4000ft above the sunny flatlands of South Yorkshire the heat had got the better of the clouds and we passed through a slightly misty level and climbed out over the inversion layer into crystal clear blue skies. Flying above the inversion layer was like breaking through into a new world with excellent visibility and smooth air. The benign air allowed me to let go of the control handles and sit back to enjoy the view while continuing to gain height. At 6500ft and with one litre of fuel remaining I decided that the cold hands and feet, a decreasing rate of climb and the realisation that we were getting closer to a flight level at 7500ft were good enough reasons to stop the paramotor and start descending.

Flying the 2500ft back down towards the occasional and almost transparent cloud that decorated the top section of the inversion layer was a very weird feeling. Once we reached this level it felt like we had re-entered the earths atmosphere and the air was noticeably warmer and more active. From this height with the engine switched off I could have spent a long time touring the sky looking for more thermals, but I achieved a good height gain so I was happy gliding around ignoring any lift on my return to the landing field. Gary landed a few minutes after me, and the elated look on his face was an obvious indication that he had enjoyed his flight as much as I had. I usually do most of my powered flying at above 1000ft above the ground but this flight has inspired me to try flying higher more often.

Since I started using a paramotor nearly four years ago it has increased my flying range and options – you could say that my flying window became a conservatory. I look forward to the ever-expanding flying experiences that a lightweight paramotor can provide.

Paul Haxby

MOTOR: RAD
WING: Free X Mission