“
”
Flames coming out of the exhaust
have found not only smoke but also flames coming out of the exhaust. Please be careful out there. Strangely enough this doesn’t seem to happen when using paraffin oil, even though it is also a flammable oil.
COLOUR IT IN One thing that you will notice is that, so far, all the Smokin’ Joe paramotor pilots only produce white smoke. We haven’t seen pilots use different colours to create the Italian Tricolori (green, white and red) or the French Patrouille (blue, white and red). Theoretically this is possible: google for it and you will find recipes that use indigo pigments or methylene blue. If you go this route, just be aware that traces of paraffin oil can often be found on the paramotor after flight and any pigments may permanently mark your kit. That’s ‘permanently’.
FLYSTYLE'S SMOKE MACHINE
Most paramotor pilots who have started smoking are using a new smoke generator made by Flystyle, an offshoot of Czech paramotor manufacturer Nirvana. It was initially developed for the company’s display team, well known for their shows at flight festivals worldwide. The Flystyle smoke generator consists of a plastic bottle that fits inside a neoprene holder and a small pump that is powered by four AA batteries. A simple on-off push switch is mounted on the throttle, so the pilot can easily add smoke by squeezing the switch. The smoke generator comes complete with a special oil mixture for white smoke. According to Nirvana it is made using a special process that means not only is it visible but that it has a distinctive vanilla smell too. We’re not sure whether this is a good thing, but it is original.
Blow your own. FlyStyle's smoke machine. Photo: Sascha Burkhardt