Purchasing a used paraglider.

By this point, you've gotten a sense that I am very much in favour of finding the most cost effective means possible to get and remain in paragliding (and still retain a high degree of safety).

I've outlined how you can go about evaluating your local schools to find the true 'soup to nuts' cost of getting a license with Paragliding Economics 102: Lessons.

I've also outlined why with your first wing you should favour a used paraglider over new and rental over used with Paragliding Economics 101: First Wing Purchase.

But lets say your local school does not offer wing rental? Now what? Assuming suitability (as discussed with your instructor) and availability, into the 'pre-owned' bazaar we venture.

Two Simple Rules

Rule 1: The seller needs my money more than I need their wing. 

This is my variant of the age old 'there is no such thing as savers remorse'. I remind myself of this before any interaction with someone looking to sell. Putting myself in this frame of mind helps keep me objective and enables me to easily walk away - a deal that fails leaves me with money everyone wants and the seller with a wing few people want.

Rule 2: Trust no data that is not readily measurable. 

Launched off grass, accordion packed, no SIV, closet stored. None of these statements mean anything to me as I can't readily verify them. As a buyer I want to know four things - the 'Four Ps' - price, pilot, pics and porosity.

The Four Ps

Price - Price is self explanatory.

Pilot - I want to know who has been flying this wing. This info allows me look up the flight logs in Leonardo and XContest. I can also look up videos on YouTube and Vimeo. I can even look the pilot up in ParaglidingForum.com. Sounds creepy? I don't think so. This is how I determine if they are being honest with me - compare the description of the wing with their digital paragliding foot print. I have seen cases where a pilot selling a wing claimed it had only X hours but was bragging a month earlier on Paragliding Forum how they had clocked 2 times X on the wing that summer. Likewise with track logs and videos. Only grass launched, how about those tracks in Turkey? No SIV, funny that video of acro over Annecy. If there is any inconsistency, remember Rule #1 and walk away.

Pics - Pictures of the wing are always nice, but what I am after is a pic of the manufacturer label. This will have the Make, Model, EN rating, Serial Number (S/N) and Date of Manufacture (DOM). With the DOM I apply my previously suggested depreciation of 20% per year and check it against the sale price. Also, if there is any doubt in the legitimacy of the sale, I ask that a sticky note be placed in the photo of the manufacturer label with my name and date. I would reserve the use of the sticky to be a condition of final sale after price is finalized and not something to push for right away.

Porosity - I will not touch a used wing that has not had a proper test done by a porosity meter. I would also ask for a photo of the test result.  My minimum is leading and trailing edge centre top cell - it is the part most likely to be smacked nose first into the ground on landing and dragged tail last during take off. I suggest researching the relationship of porosity to wing lifespan, there are a few graphs floating about. One note of caution - a wing can retain porosity well after the fabric has passed its useful life - you will frequently see this with wings from the last decade flown only one season and closet dumped. The porosity will be high, but the fabric will have the strength of tissue paper. Another reason to ask for a pic of the manufacturer label. I personally will not consider a wing more than a few years old because of this.

Summing it up

With a little 'leg work' and an objective mind, there is quite a bit of savings to be had by going into the secondary paraglider market rather than purchasing new outright. If you keep the Two Rules and Four Ps in your kit while evaluating options, you stand a much better chance of walking away with a deal you are happy with as opposed to an unexpected surprise a season or so down the road.

Paragliding Economics 101: First Wing Purchase.

First flight just complete.

Standing in the landing field.

Utterly jacked.

Conveniently forgetting the butterflies that swarmed your stomach on launch not even twenty minutes before.

Enthusiastically you demand of the instructor, "MOAR!"

Instructor replies, "VISA!"

Financial caution is thrown to the wind as animal spirits take over, seeking to repeat the same rush of adrenaline and endorphin.

A quick word on lessons.

The lessons are pricey - but worth it. The quality and quantity of instruction will have a direct bearing on our safety (and enjoyment) moving forward. There is little excuse to be self taught in this day and age, especially when it could fast track one to the emergency room (or morgue).

With lessons, I can only offer this advice - find the best lessons you can afford* and complete the lessons in as continuous a timeframe as possible (fly every day back to back vs once or twice a month). You should finish with the ability to consistently launch, land, and soar in novice appropriate conditions. As well, you should be able to judge what is a novice appropriate site and what novice appropriate conditions are. If you feel you cannot accomplish these things upon award of a license, discuss with your instructor what remedial lessons are needed to correct this before flying on your own.

More on the economics of lessons can be found under Paragliding Economics 102: Lessons

Wing for student training?  Rent. 

A wing suitable for someone with a few flights under their belt is typically not the same wing they will want to fly upon graduation. As beginners, none of us understand what our flying style will be when we graduate or what wing 'personality' we would feel most at ease with. The process of learning is not only about learning how to fly, but learning what sort of pilot we will be. Different ratings, makes and models of wings present a very wide swath of potential choices. A school that carries multiple brands presents a chance to try the various flavours of beginner oriented wings over your learning experience.
A school that allows you to rent means you have less risk of deciding prematurely. Pragmatically, a rental wing means you are causing typical beginner wear and tear (and it is ALOT of wear and tear) on a schools wing rather than your own.

Graduated with license in hand? Buy used, unless...

When it comes time to make the first purchase post graduation, buy used.

The school should carry a number of trade in wings that pilots grew out of as their flying progressed (I am on my fourth). If the school can provide an objective inspection of the wing (including a porosity test), then you will have some idea of the remaining lifespan and potential resale value when upgrade time arrives.

Keep in mind that wings depreciate rapidly in their first year post purchase and again in their third year post release to market. The first year is the transition from 'new' to 'used' and the third year is typically when a manufacturer will deprecate the model in favour of a new design. These two times present great opportunities for purchase of used product.

In terms of resale, lower rated wings will retain resale much better than higher rated. Likewise more popular brands will retain value over those that are obscure.

... you can continue to rent, if it is available.

If you can find a killer deal on a used wing as you approach graduation and it is still early in the season, go for it.

If it is late in the season or the deals are simply not there, rent (if you can).

Why?

When I have sold used wings in the past, it appears a 20 to 25 % reduction of residual value per year was needed to get the wing to move. I see wings that try to sell for more sitting for months, with weekly BTT posts trying to drum up interest.

So taking the $6000 worst case new purchase price (see School B in Paragliding Economics 102: Lessons) , an assumed 20% annual depreciation, and a $50 / day rental rate (see School A) - let's have a look at the numbers:

Year	Equipment value @ start	Depreciation @ 20%	Rental days @ $50 / day
1	$6000	$1200	24
2	$4800	$960	19
3	$3840	$768	15

If you are like myself and work a 9-5/M-F job, 24 flying days in a year (let alone my first year) would be absolutely amazing. That would be 1 day a weekend for 6 months (those that can do both days a weekend have a flying partner, are single, or quickly will be).

Happy hunting.

Oh and remember - *EVERYTHING* is negotiable. Paragliding is a want, the money you have is a need. You want the lessons and gear, the school/gear vendor needs your money. Keep that in mind when it comes time to discuss price.

* caveat - just because a school charges less (or more) does not mean the quality is lower (or higher). Different schools run on different business models - some sacrifice margin for volume, others may charge less for lessons and look to make up the money in gear sales. Ask questions, a lot of them - if the price is significantly higher or lower than the local average, find out why.