I was watching this video -
and it shows a paramotor glider being piloted at low altitude in a park. Other paramotor videos also show some doing low altitude flying as well. Given the FAA limits for drones <400' AGL and apparently paramotor pilots can fly at any altitude, who actually has the right of way?
The FAA classifies drones as unmanned aircraft. Two sections from the FAA for ultralight aircraft, which paramotors fall under, state -
FAR 103.13 (a)
Each person operating an ultralight vehicle shall maintain vigilance so as to see and avoid aircraft and shall yield the right-of-way to all aircraft.
FAR 103.13 (b)
No person may operate an ultralight vehicle in a manner that creates a collision hazard with respect to any aircraft.
So based on this I would say drone pilots have the right of way. But then this flyer from the FAA (https://www.faa.gov/uas/resources/manufacturers/media/FAA-UAS-Insert-4x8-Bleed.pdf) states "Yield the right of way to manned aircraft.". So now I'm not so sure. In a practical sense the drone is the most maneuverable and should yield, but if the paramotor pilot is buzzing tree tops the chance of you seeing the pilot coming at your drone gives you little time to avoid a collision.
So now you can add paramotor gliders to the list of objects to avoid collision with.
The FAA classifies drones as unmanned aircraft. Two sections from the FAA for ultralight aircraft, which paramotors fall under, state -
FAR 103.13 (a)
Each person operating an ultralight vehicle shall maintain vigilance so as to see and avoid aircraft and shall yield the right-of-way to all aircraft.
FAR 103.13 (b)
No person may operate an ultralight vehicle in a manner that creates a collision hazard with respect to any aircraft.
So based on this I would say drone pilots have the right of way. But then this flyer from the FAA (https://www.faa.gov/uas/resources/manufacturers/media/FAA-UAS-Insert-4x8-Bleed.pdf) states "Yield the right of way to manned aircraft.". So now I'm not so sure. In a practical sense the drone is the most maneuverable and should yield, but if the paramotor pilot is buzzing tree tops the chance of you seeing the pilot coming at your drone gives you little time to avoid a collision.
So now you can add paramotor gliders to the list of objects to avoid collision with.