Flying Without Wings

Year and Month	April, 2014 (28th)
Number of Days	One Day Trip
Crew	4 (Bhanu, Madhumantha, Madusanka, Me)
Accommodation	N/A
Transport	Own Transport
Activities	Enjoy the landscape from a bird’s eye view Experience the ‘Open’ flying feel Photography
Weather	Sunny
Route	Kaduwela -> E03 -> E01 -> Welipenna Exit -> Aluthgama -> Benthota
Tips, Notes and Special remark	Our provider was “Sky Club (Pvt) Ltd” and as far as I know they are the sole providers in SL. One passenger will be accompanied by the pilot/instructor in the Paramotor Tandem Early morning (until 10.00) and late evening (Sun set view) would be the best times. Each ride is around 20 minutes Those who fear heights or have a phobia of heights should not try this. Single Passenger Paramotors also available. But you need to have a license and knowledge to handle the parachute in order to use that.
Author	Dilhan Jayakody
Comments	Discuss this trip report, provide feedback or make suggestions at Lakdasun Forum on the thread Flying Without Wings

I had a dream experiencing a bird eye view from my childhood and finally I was able to achieve that in 2012.

I was almost satisfied about that dream. However accidentally I heard about another thrilling ride called ‘Para-motoring’ last year which I never heard before. Then I went to their web site and inquired about this. But the concern was price. So I was dreaming about this for an year and early April I saw this great offer in one of the famous daily deals site in the country which is about 30% less than their regular price. Even though it is a little too much just for a 20 mins ride I decided to go for it. I spoke to a few other friends, but some of them were reluctant to do that due to the fear of height. However I managed to find 3 friends who have had the same urge to experience this crazy adventure.

Little bit about Paramotoring…

Paramotor flight has the potential to be one of the safest forms of aviation. The ability to fly both low and slow safely, the ‘open’ feel, the minimal equipment and maintenance costs, and the portability are claimed to be this type of flying’s greatest merits. The research and technology that is constantly being applied to Paramotoring has made this form of flight extremely accessible and safe for all Aviation enthusiasts Powered paragliding, also known as paramotoring, is a form of ultra-light aviation where the pilot wears a motor on his back (a Paramotor) which provides enough thrust to take off using an adapted paraglider or Paramotor wing. It can be launched in still air, and on level ground, by the pilot alone no assistance is required. Powered paragliders usually fly between 15 and 45 mph (25 and 70 km/h) at altitudes from ‘foot-dragging in the grass’ up to 18,000 ft. The Paramotor is supported by the pilot during take-off. After a brief run (typically 10 feet or 3 meters) the wing lifts the motor and its harnessed pilot off the ground. After take-off, the pilot gets into the seat and sits suspended beneath the inflated paraglider wing. Control is available using brake toggles for roll and a hand-held throttle for pitch. Lightweight carts or “trikes” (called “quads” if they have four wheels) can also be mounted on powered paragliders for those who prefer not to, or are unable to, foot launch. Some are permanent units.

Date was reserved after buying 4 vouchers. On that day we left from Kaduwela by 7.00am and reached their site at Benthota by 9.00am with one stop at Welipenna for breakfast. By the time we reached there, they were already preparing the motor and parachute. It was an interesting process to see.

After setting up all the equipments it was time to start the ride. First turn was taken by Madusanka and then Bhanu, Me & Madumantha respectively. One might initially think this is too dangerous, but as long as the parachute is full with air you don’t need to be scared. Even if the motor stops working, still you will be flying and you can come to the ground slowly with the aid of the parachute. We of course had nothing to fear about. It was full of thrill and we got a fantastic view of the southern beach.
It was a great opportunity to see the beauty of our mother Lanka.

Endless beach,
The famous Benthara Gana and river mouth
Nice architectures of southern beach hotels
“පීත්ත පටියක් සේ දිවෙන ගාලු පාර”(ගම්පෙරලිය )

All other 3 went towards Induruwa side while mine was towards Beruwala side. I went up to the Beruwala lighthouse by passing Benthara river mouth, Moragolla beach, few famous hotels like Cinnamon Bay, etc. There was lot of foreigners on the beach and they were waving at us. Since it was a clear sunny day I could see the mountain ranges towards the Mathugama, Kalawana and Elpitiya. At a distance I could see a giant Buddha statue. It was ‘ Kande Viharaya’ at Aluthgama. Not only that. At a far distance I could see several ships on in the sea. Actually no words could explain this beauty or the experience.

Not only the view, the ‘Open’ feeling also was superb. The thrill comes with that feeling of openness. It was like you sitting on a chair and flying. Our speed was around 10 – 15km per hour and altitude was below 500ft(Due to SLAF restrictions).

Our video – Created by Madusanka