Johnson Qu
Hometown: Boston, Massachusetts
Profession: paramotor instructor and engineering consulting
First flight: 2012
When and how did you start to fly paramotor?
I dabbled in fixed-wing aviation in college before discovering Paramotors. Right after graduating, I made it a goal to find training. I quickly realized that this was a sport worth dedicating time to, and soon every weekend involved longer drives to fly more.
Tell us your favourite…
Wing: Viper XC
Motor: Scout Carbon, Moster Factory R
Place to fly: Iceland, especially a mission to Maelifell
What other passions do you have, or activities do you enjoy?
I ride motorcycles, but electric unicycles are my favorite wheeled vehicle right now. When I'm indoors, you'll often find me tinkering with power tools or designing electronics, especially if there's a chance to work with high-horsepower LEDs.
Tell us the best advice you have on:
Learning to fly: Start by figuring out what really motivates you to rack up those flying hours, what your inspirations are. Then learn from experienced pilots, especially if they have advice on how to make your hours more efficient.
The gear: Every piece of gear has a specialty. Figuring out what your goals are and finding gear that suits them is almost more important than finding the 'best wing' or 'most powerful motor'.
Progressing your skills and overcoming challenges: Some skills will take time. The really rewarding ones will take a lot of time. It's no coincidence that flying feels just as much like a career as it does a hobby.
Please tell us more about the current … that you’re working on:
Mission/project: I'm always working on new ways to use paramotors. Whether that means flying to secluded islands with a full bbq setup or putting together a lightshow for a performance, I love scratching these ideas I had growing up.
Goal: I have an extended passport, and I hope I can fill it with stamps from paramotor expeditions.
Why is flying important to you, and what does flying mean to you? Flying feels like a dream come true for me. I've always daydreamed about gliding across landscapes, getting a view on whatever I want. The best part of paramotors is that they give you this as a super power, while feeling like an extension of your body.
Flying accomplishments:
- Memeber of the USA Natonal Team
- 2nd Place Icarus X Race Class
- Performer at 5+ unique USA Airshows
- Expedition Flying in Costa Rica, Iceland, Egypt, Jordan, and USA
- Tandem Pilot for New York Fashion Week Top Model
Do you have any goals, dreams or plans for the next 1-2 years that you want to share?
I've always been inspired by slalom flying, and plan to chase it hard in the next few years.
