Ocean Crossing to the Bahamas (Unsupported)
Perhaps the Biggest Unsupported Open Ocean Crossing Ever Attempted on a Foot-Launch Paramotor. Adventure pilot Harley Milne is known for his ambitious cross-country challenges. He was the first paramotor pilot to fly in all 50 U.S. states, setting a Guinness World Record, and later flew 2,200 miles coast-to-coast across the USA in a supported trip completed in just eight days.
In 2022, he completed one of the most difficult trips ever attempted on a foot-launch paramotor in the U.S.—an unsupported flight from Sonoma to Oshkosh for EAA AirVenture in just six days (1,900 miles). The route crossed two mountain ranges exceeding 10,000 feet in elevation, with launch altitudes as high as 8,000 feet.
Harley’s next adventure involves a substantial open-water crossing. He initially planned flights across Lake Michigan—a daunting challenge given the lake’s ability to create its own weather—but it had been done before. So, he began looking for something bigger.
Learn about the Florida to Bahamas Ocean Crossing by Paramotor Adventure Trip
Sonoma to Oshkosh (Unsupported)
Harley Milne became the first Paramotor Pilot to fly in all 50 states and then went on fly Coast to Coast in just 8 Days. This last trip was perhaps one of the most difficult trips ever attempted on a Foot Launch Paramotor in the USA.
Learn about this Paramotor Adventure Trip
Coast-to-Coast World Record Attempt
Harley Milne became the first Paramotor Pilot to fly in all 50 states in June 2020 (Guinness World Record) during his 50xChallenge Paramotor Tour. He also completed a new record for the fastest Paramotor crossing of the USA on December 7 2020.
The New USA Coast to Coast Records were as follows:
- Fastest Total Flight Time Coast to Coast
- Fastest Time to Complete Flying Coast to Coast.
This supported coast-to-coast trip was expected to take between 14-21 days and was heavily determined by weather conditions for a distance of almost 2200 miles. Harley flew it in just 8 days.
“It’s going to be one of the most epic trips of my life and most definitely the biggest Paramotor adventure I will have ever done.”
EAA April 2021 Magazine
Featured in the EAA April 2021 Magazine in the Experimenter Feature.
EAA April 2021 Magazine Experimenter Feature
50 State Paramotor Tour
The Mission
- Fly a Powered Paraglider (Paramotor) in all 50 States
- Raise $50,000 for Charity
The 50 state Paramotor Tour World Record Attempt Completed on June 10th 2020 in Alaska.
The duration is 215 days, 10 hours, 25 minutes and 0 seconds
Or 7 months, 2 days, 10 hours, 25 minutes
- 18,613,500 seconds
- 310,225 minutes
- 5170 hours (rounded down)
- 215 days (rounded down) (4.3 days per state)
- 30 weeks (rounded down) (1.67 states per week)
- 59.02% of a common year (365 days)
Learn More about the 50 State Paramotor Tour
What is Powered Paragliding (PPG)
Powered paragliding, also known as paramotoring or PPG, is a form of ultralight aviation where the pilot wears a motor on their back (a paramotor) which provides enough thrust to take off using a paraglider. It can be launched in still air, by the pilot alone. The ability to fly both low and slow safely, the minimal equipment and maintenance costs, and the portability are this type of flying’s greatest merits. William Shatner who was looking for help getting a PPG flight into a charity in 2002 and hosted the Risk & Reward Educational Video.
