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!
I find all of this impossibly interesting and very tempting, but I gotta ask; ballpark figure, what’s the likelihood of an idiot like me killing myself doing this?
I’d say quite low if you get good training.
The main way people die in this sport is doing completely avoidable things such as flying over water (drowning) without taking proper precautions (floatation and boat support).
Another large source of injuries is by starting the paramotor on the ground, instead of on your back. If you start it on the ground, it can be hard to keep the propeller away from body parts with a runaway throttle. But if you start it on your back, the issue is a mere annoyance and not dangerous at all. Again, completely avoidable problem!
With good training, you’ll know the risks and how to be a conservative, safe pilot.
https://www.footflyer.com/paramotor-fatalities/