Learn to get into the sky safely and enjoy it for years to come

Paramotor flight is the cheapest form of powered aviation and the best way to experience flying the way we all imagine as children; soaring over tree tops, exploring the earth.

Training

Repair Shop

Learn to fly and join an incredible community

We love to share our passion for flying. Starting with a thorough program, we methodically guide you through the steps to safely achieve your dream of flight and continue flying for many years.

Training and flying paramotors is fun! We ensure you will have the time of your life while creating lifelong memories. We can’t wait for you to join this incredible community of adventurers.

About Us

We are here to provide professional and dependable resources for powered paragliding training, equipment purchases, and gear servicing.

Justin Fox and Alexis Quintana have trained hundreds of people to fly paramotors. We each initially found paramotoring while working other professional careers. We are passionate about flying and sharing paramotor flight with others. We have made a full-time career of training pilots of all levels and servicing the gear that keeps them in the air.

There is something truly special about soaring above treetops, running into the air from your backyard, and feeling the air on your face. We can’t wait to guide you there and share the amazing experience of paramotor flight!

What People are Saying

“While I don’t have firsthand experience with other PPG schools, I feel confident in saying that Leading Edge has to be one of the best. Alexis and Justin have a clear passion for the sport and care deeply about sharing their enthusiasm with others to have an interest in PPG flight. If you’re looking for a place to take PPG lessons, this is it!”

– “Surge”

Foot Launch Paramotor Pilot, Michigan

“Great team who are very passionate about the sport but more importantly the pilot students. Justin and Alexis were super accommodating and had a gentle approach in all the instructions. This made it a positive learning experience. Highly recommend Leading Edge PPG to anyone interested in the sport.”

– Andres Rosario

Foot Launch Paramotor Pilot, Florida

“Justin and Alexis were amazing instructors. Their communication and attention to detail has made me feel very confident starting off as a paramotorist. I highly recommend this course for beginners. The knowledge they have shared with myself and other students was beyond worth the cost of the class.”

– Andrew Kruczynski

Foot Launch Paramotor Pilot, Michigan

Andrew Kruczynski

Justin and Alexis are both certified instructors for foot launch and wheel launch and certified tandem instructors with the USPPA and Basic Flight Instructors with the ASC. We are passionate about providing thorough and high-quality training to ensure students have the most success and enjoy their flying long after leaving training.

Calendar

Your first step toward flight is reaching out to us!

We look forward to sharing paramotoring with you! We are happy to answer any questions you have.

Reach out to us to learn more.

Email

Telephone

  • (833) MUST-PPG
    (833) 687-8774

Location

Leading Edge PPG
2010 Hov Aire Dr
Three Rivers, MI 49093

Home Training Field

Three Rivers Airport Ultralight Field (KHAI)
2010 Hov Aire Drive
Three Rivers, MI 49093

Training at Leading Edge PPG’s Home Field in Three Rivers, MI

Our shop is located 20 minutes north of the training field in Schoolcraft, MI

We spend most of our summer months at our home location in Michigan training when the weather is best for students to learn. During the winter, we relocate to warmer and more stable weather areas. We have trained all over the country including in Michigan, Florida, Ohio, North Carolina, Virginia, Texas, Alabama, Georgia, and more.

Check out more about our locations here!

FAQ

A paramotor (also called a powered paraglider or PPG) is an amazing form of powered flight, open to the air in all directions, no fuselage, no windows, just you flying! It is freedom in its most pure form, it can be launched from a small field, is simple to fly and transport, requires no licensing or medical. Unlike traditional aircraft, a paramotor is inherently stable while offering an even greater degree of precision and control. A paramotor is defined as an “ultralight vehicle” by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

Paramotors are the most affordable way to get into powered flight. Paramotors come in two forms. Foot launching looks like a backpack-style fan and Wheel launching (called a trike) puts the same sort of paramotor on wheels. Both forms require their own separate and specific training.

Participation in aviation generally carries a higher degree of risk than sitting in front of a television, however powered paragliding is aviation in one of its safest forms! By having proper training the risks are significantly reduced by employing good decision-making skills, and being aware of your surroundings and conditions. The vast majority of paramotor pilots grow old into the sport without injury.

Generally, a beginner glider flies at a constant 25-30 mph, but takeoffs and landings are at a much slower speed and are easily done on foot. Expert-rated gliders can fly significantly faster, even over 50 mph. Larger motors do not mean increased forward speed, larger motors mean more power to climb at a faster rate.

In the US, airspace regulations limit our flights to below 18,000 ft. You motor and wing combination also determines your rate of climb and how high you can fly. Generally, paramotor pilots prefer to fly between 300-500 ft where the amazing sense of freedom and exploration can be fully absorbed. Altitude records have been set in the 30,000 ft range internationally. A thorough training program will teach pilots how to identify safe and legal areas to fly.

The paramotor does most of the work once you learn how to take advantage of quality techniques. If you plan to foot launch, you will need to be able to walk and run with the weight of the motor on your back before launching (45-65 lbs depending on motor selection). In flight, you are seated & relaxed with the glider carrying all the weight.

There are no age requirements to be able to fly a paramotor. As long as the prospective pilot can physically manage the equipment and approach the sport with the proper respect and diligence, learning can start very young. We have trained multiple kids as young as 13 and adults in their 70’s to foot launch paramotors.

Most pilots actually DO have a fear of heights, such as climbing ladders or standing near the edge of a building. However, this typically does not translate into paramotoring where you have total control.

Most paramotor flight is done in nice weather conditions. Stable winds below 10 mph make for the best flying and generally occur within 2 hours after sunrise and 2 hours before sunset. As you gain more experience you can take courses which will teach you how to fly safely during the day when conditions are turbulent and volatile.

Paramotoring in the US is classified under the Federal Aviation Regulations (FAR) Part 103, just a few pages long. No license, medical certification or registration is required. US regulations require you fly only during daylight hours, stay away from congested areas, and prohibit you from carrying passengers without a waiver. Training is a vital element to flying safely and a training syllabus will include an in-depth class on general regulations and airspace rules.

You are underneath a very efficient glider (typically with a 9 to 1 glide ratio, meaning nearly a mile of glide for each 500 ft of altitude loss at no power), and all of your landings during training are conducted with the motor shut-off from several hundred feet high.

In the US, passengers are prohibited from being carried on ultralight vehicles. However, US Powered Paragliding Association (USPPA) tandem-qualified instructors have an exemption to carry a single passenger for training purposes. It typically takes multiple years and hundreds of hours of flight time to become proficient enough to obtain this exemption to operate tandems.

Getting into paramotoring would be similar in cost as getting a motorcycle. For a new high-quality motor and paraglider, the entry-level cost is around $9500 for a foot launch unit. As with all activities, there is a considerable range of options that can suit many different types of pilot needs and budget. The training fee is a small fraction of the gear investment, so we encourage anyone thinking about the sport but hesitating due to the cost of gear to at least come out and get training, an awesome experience in itself.

Paramotor flight is a very weather dependent activity. We anticipate that there will be time during training that the weather is not conducive to completing certain aspects of the required practical training in the field. We have several units to work through during training and the schedule can be fluid in order to accommodate adverse weather. In the 10 day program, we have allotted time for the inevitable weather day. If for some reason weather limits the progress of a course, we continue to work with students until they reach the confidence level required for solo flight. We believe that when we are hired for paramotor training, our obligation is to complete that training and most of the time, it can be done in the 10-day timeframe.

Operating cost is the combination of fuel/oil burn and general maintenance. We burn less than 1 gallon per hour, so we like to average our costs at about $5 an hour with oil. General maintenance costs include new belts, rebuilding carbs, new spark plugs, and 100-hour services. These maintenance items are inexpensive and don’t occur frequently. Motor maintenance is a course taught within our beginner training program.

Almost all experts advise you first choose the instructor team you want to learn from, instead of being concerned with investing in equipment in which you may not know yet what you don’t know, especially when gear is a much larger investment than training fees. After completing a training course, you will have had the opportunity to try a variety of gear and have gone through multiple classes so will become educated on exactly the gear that is the best fit for your height, weight, flying location, flying style, and more.

Choosing a training school is a personal choice, but can make an enormous difference in your overall experience, safety, and aptitude upon completion of training. Remember, there is no license requirement, and that goes for instructors as well, meaning anyone can legally open a PPG school and call themselves an instructor. At Leading Edge PPG, we are both USPPA Certified Instructors and well as ASC tandem pilots.

We highly recommend calling any school that you are considering training with to ask questions about paramotoring and training. A conversation will give you a good idea if the school will be a good fit for getting you flying safely and being a good personality fit for training.

Generally, light clothing, a pair of sunglasses, a hat, and shoes that provide some ankle support & good ground traction, and a great attitude! All gear required to learn to fly is provided for your use during training. Training can be challenging at times, but the end result is so rewarding. During training, we cater to your individual needs and include necessary break times. Paramotor pilots know that it takes initial hard work to become proficient and independent so there is a community of respect for every pilot that “earns their wings.”

REach out and Follow us

Leading Edge PPG
2010 Hov Aire Dr
Three Rivers, MI 49093