From the cockpit of a paramotor
Noise level: Under a 36Db ear defender the noise and vibration level at cruise is such that the pilot's own voice, if shouted at max volume, can barely be heard by the pilot. Side tone in comms is needed for meaningful "words twice" communication.
Field of vision: about 160 degrees horizontally with ease. Further turn of the head restricted by headset, rigging, frame etc but up to and slightly beyond 180 degrees.
I would like to ask (being genuinely ignorant of these things) whether the approach to Southend generally takes such a long base leg (some 20+ miles by my reckoning from the radar plot, possibly more. Whether this is the only feasible approach and who decides the route?
From a flight planning perspective a paramotor pilot might make an assumption based on the air chart, that passenger jets will be in the TMA above 3500 and will descend close to the ATZ. Clearly that is not the case here. An ATZ with centre line feathers would alert him to not fly closer than 11 miles (this pilot was closer than that). he might elect to phone ATC for a briefing and alert them to his operation (several do just that who fly north east of Southend). Some fly with a listening watch (limited by the noise levels) A few use basic service.
In this case it is entirely plausible to conjecture that the pilot was keeping a 160 dgeree lookout that included spotting the A319 several miles away at 3000ft on a bearing 350 and appearing to fly level and behind. The A 319 then changed course to 325 and descended. It remains plausible that the pilot lost sight as the A319 moved further behind the easy field of vision before the course and attitude change and was and remains oblivious of the passage of the jet close behind him. the time scales, vectors and speeds can be gleaned from the report and, with a paramotor expert witness to assist UKAB might draw up a very different set of possible scenarios.
There certainly is an issue with quality of training in this exponentially growing sport (from excellent to none at all and most accessing "barely adequate")but that is surely only one of the many issues that this incident throws up some of which are far more serious and requiring immediate attention?