UK CAA: Paramotor Pilot Ordered £8K Compensation for Injury

We use necessary cookies to make our website work. We'd also like to use optional cookies to understand how you use it, and to help us improve it. For more information, please read our cookie policy . A paramotor pilot has pleaded guilty to the offence of endangering a person, following an investigation led by the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). David Soos, 64, of Goole, North Humberside, operated a paramotor trike, a propeller-driven device that can take off, in a reckless manner on 16 September 2024, injuring a passer-by in a farmer’s field in Reedness. On Friday 25 September 2026, Soos was ordered by Hull Magistrates’ Court to pay £8,000 compensation to the victim, who had been on his bi-weekly walk through the fields. The victim, who was in his early 40s, suffered fractures to his tibia, fibula and ankle, which was rebuilt by doctors using a surgical plate and 13 screws. The court was told by CAA prosecutor Deborah Baljit that Soos had been preparing the paramotor for flight when it began moving at pace towards the victim, who was unable to jump clear. Soos was apologetic and took the victim to hospital. People operating paramotors or powered hang gliders do not require a pilot licence or any form of airworthiness certification, although they still must comply with rules of the air. This includes keeping above the minimum heights and distances from people and property, taking off and landing well clear of congested areas and not operating in controlled airspace. The Civil Aviation Authority published The Paramotor Code in cooperation with the paramotoring community to guide pilots on these requirements. Michael Macdonald, Head of International Safety and General Aviation at the UK Civil Aviation Authority, said: “This case highlights the potentially serious consequences of operating paramotors in a reckless or negligent manner. “At the Civil Aviation Authority, we are committed to maintaining the highest standards of aviation safety and will take enforcement action where alleged breaches of aviation regulations result in risk or harm to others. “By prosecuting we are protecting the public and maintaining confidence in the high standards set for aviation safety in the UK.”