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Drone vs Paramotor, Who Has Right of Way

Pappy

Well-Known Member
Join
Aug 4, 2017
Messages
78
Age
43
I was watching this video -
and it shows a paramotor glider being piloted at low altitude in a park. Other paramotor videos also show some doing low altitude flying as well. Given the FAA limits for drones <400' AGL and apparently paramotor pilots can fly at any altitude, who actually has the right of way?

The FAA classifies drones as unmanned aircraft. Two sections from the FAA for ultralight aircraft, which paramotors fall under, state -

FAR 103.13 (a)

Each person operating an ultralight vehicle shall maintain vigilance so as to see and avoid aircraft and shall yield the right-of-way to all aircraft.

FAR 103.13 (b)

No person may operate an ultralight vehicle in a manner that creates a collision hazard with respect to any aircraft.

So based on this I would say drone pilots have the right of way. But then this flyer from the FAA (https://www.faa.gov/uas/resources/manufacturers/media/FAA-UAS-Insert-4x8-Bleed.pdf) states "Yield the right of way to manned aircraft.". So now I'm not so sure. In a practical sense the drone is the most maneuverable and should yield, but if the paramotor pilot is buzzing tree tops the chance of you seeing the pilot coming at your drone gives you little time to avoid a collision.

So now you can add paramotor gliders to the list of objects to avoid collision with.
 
I was watching this video -
and it shows a paramotor glider being piloted at low altitude in a park. Other paramotor videos also show some doing low altitude flying as well. Given the FAA limits for drones <400' AGL and apparently paramotor pilots can fly at any altitude, who actually has the right of way?

The FAA classifies drones as unmanned aircraft. Two sections from the FAA for ultralight aircraft, which paramotors fall under, state -

FAR 103.13 (a)

Each person operating an ultralight vehicle shall maintain vigilance so as to see and avoid aircraft and shall yield the right-of-way to all aircraft.

FAR 103.13 (b)

No person may operate an ultralight vehicle in a manner that creates a collision hazard with respect to any aircraft.

So based on this I would say drone pilots have the right of way. But then this flyer from the FAA (https://www.faa.gov/uas/resources/manufacturers/media/FAA-UAS-Insert-4x8-Bleed.pdf) states "Yield the right of way to manned aircraft.". So now I'm not so sure. In a practical sense the drone is the most maneuverable and should yield, but if the paramotor pilot is buzzing tree tops the chance of you seeing the pilot coming at your drone gives you little time to avoid a collision.

So now you can add paramotor gliders to the list of objects to avoid collision with.

Drones are at the bottom of the food chain no matter how you slice it. If there is any doubt whatsoever, always defer to manned aircraft, no matter what.
 
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Hi im new in this drone game, But im been flying Paragliders and paramotor since 1995.
its a minimum attitude in powerd flight.
in Norway its 150m non urban area and 300m urban area. Free flight have no minimum altitude.
rules say the aircraft that have the best ability to turn, have to give way.
I guess a drone will be the one to make room in case of conflict in the air.
a drone is also very hard to see head-on for any pilot. Its sometimes hard to see a big paraglider too sometimes.
Best Kenneth
 
Manned aircraft will always have the right of way.
 
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