Alexandr Ctitor may not be a conventional aircraft pilot, but he still flies passengers hundreds of metres high above the Dubai desert.
The 45-year-old from Moldova is licensed to fly paramotors. These machines are light and portable aircraft – without any doors or roof – that run on regular fuel with the help of a giant parachute. It is similar to paragliding, but with the addition of a motor and larger wings.
Since taking up the sport five years ago, Mr Ctitor has completed more than 800 flights.
He freelances with Paramotor Desert Adventure Aviation Club, located on Al Ain Road in Dubai. The company offers the public rides on a two-seater paramotor, which flies above a remote desert with scenic views of a manmade lake, animals in a conservation reserve and Downtown Dubai.
“I always wanted to fly, from an early age, so at first I took up skydiving,” said Mr Ctitor, who works full time as a parachute rigger for another Dubai company.
“About 25 years ago, I saw someone doing paramotoring and that’s when I knew this is what I wanted to do.”
Mr Ctitor said he has completed countless skydives, but he prefers “the control” paramotoring offers, because the pilot can choose the speed, direction and elevation.
The company he flies with has a paramotor known as the gold standard for these machines. It can go up 75kph and fly at altitudes between 50 and 400 metres.
“I love flying over the desert, seeing the animals, the lake – it’s all very beautiful,” Mr Ctitor said.
“I also enjoy seeing the reaction of our passengers because this is something they may not have tried before. About 10 per cent to 15 per cent of the customers do get nervous, but there are big smiles on their faces when they are in the air,” he said.
Like all aircraft, paramotoring comes with risks. Mr Ctitor said there have not been any incidents during his trips, because he calls off the flight if he suspects any kind of malfunction prior to take-off.
But there have been major accidents reported in other parts of the world.
Last year, a British man died in Bangkok after his paramotor’s engine failed.
Three weeks ago, a man in San Francisco had to be rescued after his paramotor’s wires tangled up in power lines.
“There is risk everywhere – but you can avoid it if you are well prepared. There is also a safety parachute,” Mr Ctitor said.
In most countries, including the UAE, a special licence is required to operate and even build paramotors.
Mr Ctitor said the process takes up to one year.
