BlackHawk Ranch Fall Fly In a TOTAL Success!

Each year, more and more Pilots make their way to BlackHawk Headquarters in Valley Springs California (aka “the beautiful middle of nowhere”). What they experience there can only be described in their own words… They become the stories Pilots tell around the campfire – reminiscing about that one “perfect flight” or that one “crazy adventure.” Experiencing the unending terrain that is the BlackHawk Ranch is a Cross-Country Pilot’s dream. Many tributary creaks flow into the vast Hogan Reservoir – all just minutes from the BlackHawk Flight Field. Endless rolling pastures hit the giant mountain-like ridges on the horizon and set the stage for some of the most breathtaking sunsets imaginable.

BlackHawk hosts annual Fly-In’s twice a year for a good reason… The scenery completely changes to an almost unrecognizable-state. In the spring, the pastures and trees are almost neon-green with new growth. Simply put, it looks like a Windows desktop background. Some of the best footage on BlackHawk’s YouTube Channel was shot during this time. In the fall, the temperature turns to “perfect degrees fahrenheit” and the sunlight has a reddish-glow when it hits the land. Take your pick!… It doesn’t matter which time of the year you come to a BlackHawk Fly-In. There’s always something to see and new adventures to be had.

This year was a very special Fall Fly-In. With the finish-line for the first ever “Icarus Trophy Paramotor Race” being at the BlackHawk Flight Field, it was truly a once-in-a-lifetime BlackHawk event. To summarize, a European group called “The Adventurists” organized what would be called “The World’s First Long-Distance Paramotor Race”. Shortly after announcing the event, the roster was completely filled up with a waiting list started for 2016! The race officially kicked off on October 13^th, 2015 in Eatonville, Washington. The finish-line party was scheduled for Friday, October 23^rd – making it a 10-day race. To everyone’s surprise, on October 15^thsomething remarkable happened. Two of the Pilots managed to fly the hundreds of miles and land within 4 minutes of each other! BlackHawk and event staff received notification that, “a Pilot may be landing a week early!” We were scrambling! “Where is the photographer!? Call the papers! Which Pilot is it!… Now there’s two of them landing?!” While we were still hanging signs and setting up the registration booth, Pilots were landing!

The Finish-Line on BlackHawk Field Was Marked With The Banner Seen Above

WINNERS of the 2015 Icarus Trophy Race!

A very special congratulations to Kristan Fischer and David Wainwright for being the first two Pilots to complete the first-ever Icarus Trophy Paramotor Race! Needles to say, the 2015 BlackHawk Ranch Fall Fly-In was an adventure to never forget.

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Icarus Trophy Winners Announced of World’s Longest Paramotor Race!

Hundreds of miles and 10-days later… The World’s First Long-Distance Paramotor Race has come to an end. Many Pilots and spectators spent the last week staring at the sky in anticipation of the next Icarus Trophy Contestant to land. One-by-one, race participants made the grueling journey from Eatonville, Washington to the BlackHawk Ranch in Valley Springs, California. Upon touching down, they were greeted with a flurry of cameras and questions. Attendees of the 2015 BlackHawk Ranch Fall Fly In were eager to hear the inside stories of what transpired throughout this unsupported, never attempted, highly anticipated Paramotor Race!

First, let’s start off by answering the big question: “So who won the Race?” The answer has an interesting story behind it, like the many other stories to come. A big congratulations to FIRST PLACE SUPPORTED PILOT Kristan Fischer and FIRST PLACE UNSUPPORTED David Wainwright! Not only did they finish the race within 4 minutes of each other, they finished the race 7 days earlier than the anticipated 10-days. This means these two gentlemen traveled nearly 1,000 miles in just 3-days with their Powered Paragliders. This once-in-a-lifetime cross-country adventure will become one of these pilot’s fondest memories. Especially for Kristan and David!

TWO FIRST PLACE WINNERS?…

If you have been following the Race, you probably know there were two classes of competitors: Supported Class (those who had ground support or other help) and the Unsupported Class (the “every man for themselves” pilots who were on their own). That being said, the first person to land, Kristan Fischer, was racing in the Supported Class. David Wainwright completed the race Unsupported. That being said, “the first place winner of the Unsupported Class was David, and the first place winner of the Supported Class was Kristan.”

FIRST PLACE (Supported Class) – Kristan Fischer: “Kristan Fischer is a veteran adventurer. The “Energizer Bunny that just won’t say die,” he is and extreme sport and adventure pro. He’s been training for the past year and clocked about 60 hours in the air.”

FIRST PLACE (Unsupported Class) – David Wainwright: “David Wainwright is a seasoned paramotor instructor, and owner of High Adventure Paragliding. He prepared for the Icarus by teaching, including training fellow pioneer Claire Mackay. He’s been flying with about 65kilos of kit strapped to his body.”

We know an article just captures the essence of such an amazing adventure and it’s stories. That being said, we encourage you to stay tuned for The Adventurists full-length documentary – expected the early part of 2016. Check the BlackHawk and Adventurists websites regularly for updates. In the following paragraphs, we will try to summerize the highlights from each day. If you attended the event and have any media you would like to share with the Aviation Community (pictures or video), please click HERE to contact BlackHawk.

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Paramotor Pre Flight Inspection Video!

BlackHawk Paramotors USA is proud to present our next Tips & Tricks Video! In this informative and easy-to-understand video, Mike Robinson of BlackHawk Paramotors USA covers what all Paramotor Pilots should include while conducting their pre-flight inspections.

Conducting a thorough pre-flight inspection is one of the most IMPORTANT things a Pilot can do. Unfortunately, this is one of the most OVERLOOKED procedures… Many Pilots think “I just flew yesterday and the Paramotor was fine, so I’ll just skip the pre-flight inspection today.” This is a major NO-NO! Conducting a thorough pre-flight before every single flight is an absolute must. It only takes a few minutes and can prevent problems long before they start.

Our most emphasized concern here at BlackHawk is Pilot safety. That’s the bottom line. Every decision we make and product we produce has safety in mind first. Conducting a proper pre-flight inspection of your equipment is all about personal safety. If you notice a loose bolt, a small crack, or anything out of the ordinary, you will be able to prevent a possible safety hazard long before it becomes one.

In addition to the obvious safety concerns, pre-flight inspections also help increase the longevity of your motor! Noticing a possible leak or issue before you fly can prevent your motor from incurring additional damage while in flight. We want to make sure all pilots can maximize their flight time and overall flying experience through continuing education. We hope this quick video helps!

If you have any ideas for future Paramotor Tips & Tricks Videos, please send us a message, leave us a comment, or use the contact form on BlackHawk’s website. It’s our goal to provide our customers and pilots in the Powered Paragliding Community with the answers and information they are looking for.

Featured in this video is the AirMax 220 Paramotor from BlackHawk. The AirMax has become our top selling motor and it features the absolute latest technology in the industry. The AirMax is a “versatile powerhouse machine.” It’s light enough for Foot-Launch application, yet strong enough to power a Quad. Pilots now have no need to purchase two motors if they wish to fly both Quad & Foot-Launch Paramotors! With a true 30hp, forced air cooling, available electric start, and a max payload of over 350 lbs, the AirMax is one of the best performing Powered Paragliders in the world. For more information about the BlackHawk AirMax 220 Paramotor, please visit BlackHawk’s AirMax webpage or call (209) 786-7899.

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Get Recognition For YOUR Paramotor Flights

BlackHawk Paramotor customers are always sending us links to amazing Powered Paragliding videos they make. We get to explore so many parts of the world from the comfort of our computer chair! If you put on the good old GoPro and end up capturing that “perfect flight,” we aren’t the only ones who want to see it… Our YouTube audience includes literally thousands of people from around the world and many check our BlackHawk channel regularly for new content. We are always open to posting customer’s great flight videos on our channel. This helps increase not only the exposure of the sport, but the exposure of our pilots too. We encourage you to send us any BlackHawk flight videos you may have.

If you do, please let us know the information you wish to share with the community like your full name, where you flew, a short bio about you as a pilot, and what gear you are flying. We understand that privacy is important to some, so let us know if there is any information you would like omitted from the video. Please note that any video you give us permission to use may be re-edited or shortened, have BlackHawk logos added, and or will be published in articles on our websites or social networks. Additionally, please let us know if you would like to approve any changes to your video before it is posted.

Simply use our contact form on the website by clicking the link below and put “Customer submitted video” in the message subject. We all look forward to sharing many more amazing adventures with our customers and hope to see your video on our channel soon!

CLICK HERE TO SUBMIT YOUR VIDEO

Amazing Paramotor Flight Over The Ruins of Tulum

This incredible video was sent to us by BlackHawk customer Mikael Sidenius. It is a Paramotor flight over the Ruins of Tulum. Tulum is the site of a Pre-Columbian city, serving is a major port for Coba. The ruins are located on 39 foot tall cliffs, along the east coast of the Yucatan Peninsula in the state of Quintana Roo, Mexico. This was one of the last cities inhabited and built by the Mayas.

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