An online fundraiser is aiming to raise at least $10,000 to help “legendary” paramotor pilot Pascal Campbell-Jones following a paramotor trike accident in France last week.
Set up by Pascal’s brother Remi, and US paramotor pilot Glenn Tupper, the appeal wants to raise the money to help with specialised equipment that will be needed to help Pascal recover.
Pascal, 36, is a British pilot who lives in France. Around flying all his life, he grew up in Wales where his dad ran a paragliding school.
Pascal discovered paramotoring as it developed and became popular, and he has pioneered many aspects of the sport. He set up and ran Parabatix, the elite pylon racing display team, and was a huge ambassador for paramotoring both in Europe and all over the world.
A filmmaker too, he is the creative eye behind paramotor films We are the Rovers, Sky Trippers, and Paramania.
Pascal was taxiing a tandem paramotor trike when the accident happened. The write-up of his accident on the GoFundMe page explains:
“The accident occurred last week in south west France. Following an evening of flying, he was packing up his equipment. The throttle jammed open on full power while he was taxiing back to the hanger, sending him hurtling towards parked cars and a public area.
“He avoided them by steering the 264lbs (120kg) Rotax trike into a ploughed field to the side. The machine flipped violently and rolled multiple times. Pascal was air lifted by helicopter with severe injuries and has narrowly escaped being paralysed for life.
“He is now at the nearby hospital. He has a broken neck on the number two vertebrae (spinal segment). In addition he suffered a broken thigh (femur) bone in his left leg and a host of other injuries. Over the last week he has remained in intensive care, with loved ones close by. He has a very long road to recovery ahead of him, it’s going to be a full on challenge.
“Pascal is one of the few people in our sport who is a genuine pioneer. His focused activity, ideas, and charisma has made him an important ambassador, he has had a big part to play in shaping paramotoring into what it is today and will do so into the future.
“During this difficult period, he is going to need specialised equipment and techniques to ensure a complete recovery. Funds will go towards hospitalization costs, to adapt his living area for his recovery and unexpected medical bills involved in this process.
“In addition, he has his two daughters to take care of, but will be unable to work. Right now, he needs all the help we can give him. Anything that you can do will help this amazing legend and friend of our sport.”
