Sandra Moreels
Sandra Moreels is a French competition paramotor pilot who balances a full-time career and family life as a mother of two. She lives by her motto: “I don’t need flowers, I need flight hours.” and is deeply committed to the sport, combining high-level competitions, community involvement, and creative GPS Art flights while inspiring the next generation of pilots.
Hometown: Roumare (near Rouen), Normandy, France
Profession: Public sector investment professional – Caisse des Dépôts et Consignations
First flight: 2020
When and how did you start to fly paramotor?
My partner gave me a paramotor training course for Christmas. I let it sit in a drawer for six months before finally taking the theoretical exam and completing my first flight. From that day on, the passion for flying has never left me.
After two years competing as a co-pilot, I started solo competitions in 2024. I then structured my training, worked extensively on mental preparation, and progressively moved toward high-level competition within the French national team.
Tell us your favourite…
- Wing: Viper XC and Viper 6
- Motor: Atom 80 at the moment.
- Place to fly: Plouharnel in Brittany - the most beautiful landscape I have experienced in paramotoring.
What other passions do you have, or activities do you enjoy?
Besides paramotoring, I enjoy creating GPS Art flights with friends. I also do kitesurfing and paragliding, and I am currently working toward my advanced paragliding pilot licence. I love traveling, whether with friends or family, and I enjoy sharing my journey on social media to inspire more women to enter air sports.
Tell us the best advice you have on:
- Learning to fly: Take your time to build strong fundamentals. Quality training and good coaching make a huge difference in long-term progression.
- The gear: Choose reliable, high-performance equipment you can fully trust. However, don’t rush into gear that is too advanced for your current skill level. Progressing step by step with the right equipment for your level is the best way to build strong and safe foundations.
- Progressing your skills and overcoming challenges: Train with purpose and consistency. Break big goals into small steps, work on mental strength, and never underestimate the power of regular practice.
Spend time ground handling. My coach always says, “I have never seen someone who is good at ground handling be bad in the air… but I’ve seen the opposite.”
Please tell us more about the current … that you’re working on:
- Mission/project: Continuing to progress and preparing for upcoming international paramotor competitions, while further developing creative GPS Art projects. This is a fun way to continue navigation training and share a common project with friends.
- Goal: To keep improving my flying techniques and my performance in competitions, continue meeting international pilots, share my journey, and most importantly, keep having fun.
Why is flying important to you, and what does flying mean to you?
Flying is my space of freedom and self-improvement. It is where I push my limits, focus completely, and grow both as a pilot and as a person. Paramotoring taught me discipline, resilience, and confidence.
Flying accomplishments
- Member of the French National Team 2024, 2025
- French high-level athlete. 2026
- Two-time Paramotor World Team Champion, Endurance 2024 & Classic 2025 (Member of the winning French Team)
- 1st female, Classic World Championships 2025 (11th overall)
- French National Championships 2025 - 3rd overall and 1st female in the Espoir category
- UK Open 2025, 6th overall, 1st foreign pilot
- UK Open 2024, best newcomer
- French National Champion 2023, PL2 class (tandem) as co-pilot
- French National Championship 2022, PL2 class (tandem), 3rd position as co-pilot
- Regular GPS art paramotor projects
- Additional regional victories (Chenay, Loyat, Sainte-Thorette, etc.)
Do you have any goals, dreams or plans for the next 1-2 years that you want to share?
My goals for the coming years are to continue progressing in flying techniques and to consistently improve my performance in international competitions. At the same time, I am working toward my advanced paragliding pilot licence and pursuing further progression and safety training, including SIV and acro courses.
I also aim to take part in major events, actively promote paramotoring to bring more pilots into the sport, and expand collaborative GPS art projects within the community.
