Flying Like This Was For The Birds.... Until Now !
Ohio Powered Paragliding

Owner - Bruce Brown
Paramotor Sales, Service and Training since 1998
  brucebrown@wcnet.org        419-823-1270
20683 Hull Prairie Rd ,
Bowling Green, OH 43402  in NorthWest Ohio
Near Toledo at the Crossroads of the Ohio Turnpike(I-80/90) and I -75


The paraglider is what you hang your life on.  We have had students show up for training with paragliders that were totally unflyable. Since private sources selling used paragliders have no vested interest in your flying success after the sale, we always recommend a new paraglider for aspiring pilots.  The ability of the paraglider to launch easily by a beginner is one of the most important features.  All the wings we carry are known for their ease of launch.
 
Click on the Name of any paraglider to go to the manufacturers web page


Paraglider
Best For
Cost
# Cells
Aspect Ratio
Best Glide Ratio
Rating Year
Rating
Sizes Sq Mtrs
Basic








Apco Prima4
Trike $2000
25
3.9
5.0-5.3
2008
CEN AFNOR
Beginner

27,30,33
MacPara Progress
Trike
$2800
32
4.8
7.4-7.7
2009
EN A
Beginner
25,28,31
Intermediate








Apco Karma Sport
Trike or
FootLaunch
$2550
41
5.0
7.9-8.2
2008
EN A-B
Beginner-Intermediate

25,27,29,31
MacPara Muse3
Trike or
FootLaunch
$3200
45
5.0
8.3
2010
EN-A
Beginner
21,24,26,28,31
Top of the Line








Apco Thrust Trike or
FootLaunch
$2800
46
5.3
7.9-8.2
2009
CEN AFNOR
Beginner
27,29,31,33
MacPara Eden4
Trike or
FootLaunch
$3300
52
5.22
8.1-8.4
2008
EN-B
Beg-Intermediate
23,25,28,30,33
Experienced Pilots








MacPara Spice
Trike or
Footlaunch
$3500
63
5.8
8.3-8.6
2005
AFNOR
Performance

22,25
Reflex Gliders








Apco Vista HP
Trike or
Footlaunch
$3400
47
5.3
-
2008
EN-B
Intermediate
23,25
MacPara Velvet
Trike or
Footlaunch
$3500
56
5.5
8.6-8.9
2008
EN-D
Competition
21,23,26,29

**Since these paragliders or some of their components are imported from Europe, they may have a Dollar-Euro Exchange Fee added to the price. To check out any paraglider ever manufactured go to the third party independent website  http://para2000.org/wings

As you can see, we offer wings for beginners starting at $2000.  The lower priced wings work well for trikes.  The more expensive wings are more maneuverable, more efficient, and tend to be better for foot launching.  There are a number of factors that affect price and overall efficiency of a paraglider. Let's analyze  some of the features listed above that will affect which wing might be best for you. 

Number of Cells - The number of cells in a paraglider can be an important indicator of efficiency and lift.  With similar size gliders, the greater the number of cells, the more labor it takes to sew and the more material required to manufacture the glider - thus the higher price.  The more cells a glider has, the more smooth that top surface can be.  The smoother the top surface, the more efficient that lifting surface can be.   Fewer, larger cells create a larger hump of each cell  which makes the wing less efficient.   Higher cell count wings can have a greater lift coefficient for the same square meters because of that smoother lifting surface.

Aspect Ratio - The true Aspect Ratio (AR) of a wing is defined as the square of the wingspan (tip to tip)  divided by the area of the wing planform.  In simpler terms, the AR is close to the length from tip to tip divided by the chord (leading edge to trailing edge dimension).  Refer to the graphic below.  The leading edge of a paraglider is where the lift is created.  Higher AR wings  have a longer leading edge than lower AR wings. This creates more lift for an equal number of square meters. That is why glider planes with high AR wings (think long and skinny) can have glide ratios of 30:1 or more.  The down side to higher AR non-rigid paraglider wings is that the load (you and your motor weight ) is distributed over a longer leading edge making the wing more susceptible to turbulance induced malfunctions.  Aspect ratios in the mid 5's and up tend to be higher performance gliders for more advanced pilots who have good active flying skills.




Age of the design - Newer designed gliders tend to have a better design than older designs.  With computer modeling and newer design technologies, the development costs are higher, but the results are better.  Paraglider manufacturers need to recoup that cost.   Older design wings like tha Apco Prima have had their development costs paid for over a longer time and can be sold for a  lower cost.  Some PPG companies that copy the designs of other manufacturers have minimal development costs.  It cost $10,000 or more to certify a wing today.  Some manufacturers only certify one size of a model rather than all 4 or 5 sizes.  PPG manufacturers in the USA can get away with this because US PPG buyers tend to believe internet marketing hype.   European and US paraglider buyers  tend to be more sophisticated than internet bargain hunters who happen upon powered paragliding.

Manufacturer Reputation - If a paraglider  manufacturer has a good market reputation as both a designer and manufacturer, their glider usually command a higher price.  Both APCO Aviation and MacPara Technologies are long time manufacturers that have designers and test pilots to fine tune the paragliders they bring to market.  If the paraglider manufacturer has just copied another's work, their reputation might not be as good.  The prices will need to be lower. and the resale values will be depressed.

Ohio Powered Paragliding
20683 Hull Prairie Road
Bowling Green, OH  43402
Bruce Brown  -   Owner
 Phone:   419-823-1270