Xplorer UltraFlight

Xplorer UltraFlight is a South African aircraft manufacturer based in Cape Town and founded by Keith Pickersgill. The company operates in the lightweight recreational aviation sector, with a particular focus on paramotors: compact aircraft combining a powered propeller unit, a harness or frame, and a paraglider wing. Its products have been designed as ready-to-fly aircraft for regulatory environments that include the United States Federal Aviation Regulations Part 103 ultralight category and the European Fédération Aéronautique Internationale microlight category. The company’s business has centered on the design and manufacture of paramotor aircraft rather than conventional fixed-wing aircraft or certified general-aviation products. Its product range has included the Xflyer and XS designs, which were associated with the Solo 210 engine during the mid-2000s. These aircraft reflected the company’s emphasis on relatively simple, lightweight powered flight systems intended for recreational and sport use. By 2016, Xplorer UltraFlight was producing the Micro80 paramotor, powered by the Italian Per Il Volo Top 80 engine. The company also acted as a dealer for the Spanish Marbella Parapente Paramotor PAP line, indicating that its commercial role extended beyond in-house manufacturing to distribution of complementary paramotor products. In addition to aircraft production and sales, Xplorer UltraFlight provided paramotor flight training, linking the brand’s equipment activities with pilot education and recreational aviation services. The company’s positioning is therefore that of a specialist ultralight-aircraft and paramotor provider serving pilots who seek accessible powered paragliding equipment and instruction. Available reference material documents several aircraft and engine relationships but does not provide a complete current product catalog, ownership structure, financial information, corporate timeline, or confirmed present operating status.

Xplorer UltraFlight was established in Cape Town, South Africa, by Keith Pickersgill. The company developed within the specialist field of paramotoring, a form of powered paragliding in which a pilot uses a motorized propulsion unit while flying beneath a paraglider wing. This market sits within the broader ultralight and microlight aviation sector and is characterized by lightweight equipment, relatively compact aircraft, and recreational or sport-oriented use. The company’s early documented product activity included the Xflyer and XS paramotor designs. During the mid-2000s, both models were powered by the Solo 210 engine. Their ready-to-fly configuration was intended to support operation within applicable ultralight or microlight frameworks rather than the certification regime used for conventional aircraft. The designs formed part of Xplorer UltraFlight’s effort to offer complete paramotor aircraft rather than only individual engines or structural components. The company later developed the Micro80. By 2016, this model was being produced with the Italian Per Il Volo Top 80 engine. The use of a named external engine supplier illustrates the modular nature of paramotor manufacturing, where airframe, harness, propeller, reduction system, and engine selections can be combined into an integrated aircraft package. The Micro80 represented the company’s documented product activity during that period and extended its range beyond the earlier Solo 210-powered designs. Xplorer UltraFlight also had a distribution role in the paramotor market. In 2016, it acted as a dealer for the Spanish Marbella Parapente Paramotor PAP line. This suggests that the company’s commercial activities included both manufacturing its own aircraft and supplying products from another specialist manufacturer. Such a model can broaden the available range for customers while connecting local sales and support with international paramotor brands. Training was another part of the company’s offering. Xplorer UltraFlight provided paramotor flight training, allowing it to serve customers not only as an aircraft manufacturer or dealer but also as an aviation instruction provider. Training is particularly relevant in paramotoring because safe operation requires knowledge of wing handling, ground procedures, engine management, weather, takeoff and landing technique, and applicable local rules. The available reference material does not establish a precise founding year, a complete sequence of product launches, current ownership, present management, financial performance, or whether all documented models remain in production. It also does not provide a confirmed official website address. Consequently, the historical record supports a focused description of Xplorer UltraFlight as a Cape Town-based South African paramotor manufacturer and training provider, with documented products spanning at least the Xflyer, XS, and Micro80 designs and documented distribution activity for the PAP line.

• 2016

  Micro80 production and PAP dealership

  [1]Xplorer UltraFlighten.wikipedia.org

  By 2016, Xplorer UltraFlight was producing the Micro80 with a Per Il Volo Top 80 engine and was also a dealer for the Spanish Marbella Parapente Paramotor PAP line.

• Company founded in Cape Town

  [1]Xplorer UltraFlighten.wikipedia.org

  Keith Pickersgill founded Xplorer UltraFlight in Cape Town, South Africa, establishing a specialist business focused on paramotor aircraft and related services.

• Xflyer and XS paramotors documented

  [1]Xplorer UltraFlighten.wikipedia.org

  During the mid-2000s, the company’s documented range included the Xflyer and XS paramotors, both powered by the Solo 210 engine.

A specialist ultralight aviation brand focused on ready-to-fly paramotors, powered paragliding equipment, and flight training for recreational and sport pilots.

• Paramotor

  Xflyer

  The Xflyer was one of Xplorer UltraFlight’s documented paramotor designs. It formed part of the company’s mid-2000s range and was powered by the Solo 210 engine. The model was presented as a ready-to-fly aircraft for the lightweight powered-paragliding market.

• Paramotor

  XS

  The XS was another Xplorer UltraFlight paramotor design documented for the mid-2000s. Like the Xflyer, it used the Solo 210 engine and was positioned within the company’s range of complete lightweight aircraft intended for recreational or sport paramotoring.

• Paramotor · 2016

  Micro80

  The Micro80 was a paramotor produced by Xplorer UltraFlight and documented as part of its range in 2016. It used the Italian Per Il Volo Top 80 engine. The model continued the company’s focus on ready-to-fly powered-paragliding aircraft for ultralight and microlight applications.

• Distributed paramotor equipment

  Marbella Parapente Paramotor PAP line

  Xplorer UltraFlight acted as a dealer for the Spanish Marbella Parapente Paramotor PAP line. The available material does not identify the specific PAP models distributed or establish whether the dealership remains active.

• Aviation training service

  Paramotor flight training

  In addition to aircraft manufacturing and equipment distribution, Xplorer UltraFlight provided paramotor flight training. The available reference does not specify the training location, curriculum, certification, or current availability.

1. 1Xplorer UltraFlighten.wikipedia.org