Paramotoring, or Powered Paragliding, is an amazing sport — the cheapest way to fly! The gear is also very compact and there’s no licensing in the United States (although training is strongly recommended).
There’s a nice brochure here with some of the more frequently asked questions. But also please feel free to ask below and I (or someone else) will try to answer! :)
Note: I realize this is a niche community, so feel free to ask even if this post is old!
Yeah. It’s not cheap. But class should definitely be much cheaper than $10k… http://www.madcityparagliding.com/prices.html is $2.9k for example. That is about typical.
Of course gear is extra, but you don’t need to consider purchasing until after training is done. Rental gear should be included with training.
Also places like Mad City allow paying in increments, and renting gear after graduating while you save up! And if they know you’re on a budget they should be able to help hook you up with some used, cheaper but SAFE/modern gear.
Lastly any reputable instructor should encourage you to come out for introductions, watch people fly, show you the gear and what the sport is about, totally free. :)