INTERVIEW TO ALEX MATEOS

The paramotor multiple world champion tells his story

Name: Alexandre
Surname: Mateos
Date and place of birth: 08/02/1992 in Orleans
Competition beginning: in 2007

1. How did you get keen on paramotoring and when did you start flying?

I discovered the sport of paramotoring thanks to my father, who is an instructor too. I started flying in tandem when I was 4 years old and I’ve never stopped.

Then when I was 12 years old I began flying paraglider and at 15 years old paramotor.

2. Which specialty do you prefer as competitions? Slalom or Regularity?

I like both Slalom and Regularity. Slalom is faster and it gives me more adrenaline, and winning or losing is a matter of 30 seconds.

Classic competition (regularity) is for me the better moment to test my equipment, because I flight for a long time, less or more 6 hours long, and I can push the engine to its limit. The competition is longer, more tactical and I like this too.

3. What are the differences between these two competitions?

The Classic competition is a different matters: fuel consumption, navigation, speed, precision landing and it is required to be a polyvalent pilot.

The Slalom Competition is more spectacular because you fly 1 meter above the water and you have to turn over of 12-meter pylons as fast as possible, and to achieve the best time.

One competition is more technical and tactical and you have to be more regular (classic competition) while Slalom is more physical and shorter, and you have to be ready at the right moment.

4. You are like Valentino Rossi of flight. Why do you use Thor 250 in slalom races, while Thor 200 in regularity races? Why these choices? Are there technical reasons?

Thanks a lot for you compliments;-), I use Thor 250 for Slalom races because I need a powerful engine with as less torque as possible and Thor 250 is the best for that so I don’t want to change it;-) All Slalom’s competitors are using it.

About Thor 200: at the beginning I used a 80 cc engine but then the wings was too small for me and so I have been obliged to switch to a bigger engine.

I tried Thor 200 and Immediately I had more power. Thor 200 consumes a little bit more than the 80cc but the performance coming from Thor 200 is better because it gives lower RPM to stay at the same level.

So Thor 200 is better and more polyvalent for classic competitions.

5. What do you think it would take to bring young people to start the sport of paramotoring?

If guys could go to school with their paramotor, like they do with the scooter, so we would have more young pilots 😉

Mass media could play an important role, young people would be attract to try it. If parents do paramotoring so they are more inclined to start this sport, but for the other young people, only media and advertisement may help to increase the number of young pilots.

6. Which is the Thor engine that you would recommend to anyone who wants to start the sport of paramotoring?

In our school, me and Marie recommend Thor 80 and Thor 130 EVO,

For lighter pilots we use Thor 80 while for heavier ones we use Thor 130 EVO,

This is the best combo for me for pilots who want to start this sport

7. We know that you also have your own school to teach to fly with paramotors. Could you give us more information? Where the school is? how much do the lessons cost? What do you need to get the flight license and how much does it cost? In short, apart from the passion for flying, how much does it cost to practice this sport?

Yes, Marie and me own a school near Orléans and Etampes, in the center of France, 1 hour far from the south of Paris.

The lessons for the training required to be a pilot cost between 950 € and 1450 €, school equipment included.

In France to get the license a practical and theory test is required, then you are pilots 😉

Once equipment is ready, you just need to buy oil and fuel and you are ready to fly.

About 4 € of fuel per hours to fly and discover the country from the sky.

8. How many years have you been working with Polini and using Thor engines?

I start flying with Polini Thor engine in 2010 and in 2011 I won the first World Slalom Cup with Thor 100 in Aspres sur Buech, France

9. Which is your favorite Polini Thor engine and why? We know that you use Thor 200 and 250 engine (the latter water-cooled) what does distinguish them and what characteristics do these engines have?

I love Thor 200, this is my favorite engine, I have a very good feeling with it. It has low consumption, a lot of power and it’s very comfortable without vibrations. I can fly lot of hours with it.
I prefer to use Thor 250 when I go to hotter countries with bad fuel quality, and also because the water-cooling system gives more stability.

10. Besides having won almost everything in your career, what was the experience or record that gave you the best emotions, not only as a sporting result, but as a flight test?

The strongest emotions arise when I’m with my family and my friends during meetings and competitions. We are all together, we share the same passion, and these are the best memories.

Resume of victories during the years and competitions won

2019

• French Champion

2018

• World Slalom Champion (Egypt)
• French Champion
• World Classic Champion (Thailand)

2017

• Champion World Slalom Paramotor Challenge (Egypt)
• European Champion (Czech Republic)
• 4^th The World Games (Poland)
• French Champion

2016

• World Classic Champion (England)
• French Champion
• European Champion Slalom (Spain)

2015

• Gold medal World Air Games Dubai
• 1^st Slalomania Bornos (Spain)
• 2^nd Slalomania Montauban

2014

• World Classic Champion (Hongrie)
• 3^rd to the European Slalom Championship in France
• 1st Slalomania Montauban
• 1^st Slalomania Saint Omer
• French Champion
• 1^st Open England