Starseed was first established in 2015 under the brand name Soulpilots. In 2020, the company changed its name to Starseed AS (Inc.). However, the company's origins started way back in 1984. In the following, we present our timeline with the most important milestones through text, photos and film.
At the age of 14, Trond Nyman Aarre travelled by passenger plane for the first time. During the landing at Stavanger Airport late at night, Trond saw the indigo blue landing lights, which made a big impression on him – without him knowing exactly why. The spiritual indigo blue lights stayed in Trond's dreams every night for several weeks, and he just had to bring the lights home to the boys’ room. Trond went trespassing – climbing over the fence to Stavanger Airport to take nocturnal pictures of the indigo blue landing lights on the runway. These very landing lights became the start of Trond's lifelong fascination for and dedication to aviation and air sports. The Starseed logo has the same Pantone colour as the colour radiating from the indigo blue landing lights. It is part of the story that Trond was arrested by the airport guard – but then released as he was fascinated by how far Trond would go to reach his goal :-)
Trond Nyman Aarre and Espen Munthe were trained as paramotor pilots in Augsburg, Germany, with the German photographer Achim Mende as instructor. At the same time, a PagoJet BG11 paramotor was purchased by musician and designer Bernd Gärtig. Well back home in Norway, the first paramotor flight was performed on Skeie airfield approximately a 45 minute drive from Stavanger.
Our Chief Starseed Officer :-), Trond Nyman Aarre, 17 at the time and already a dedicated skydiver and paragliding pilot, pioneered paramotoring in the Nordic countries and was the first paramotor pilot and instructor in Norway. Trond chaired the first evaluation committee for the legalisation of paramotoring under the the Norwegian Airsport Federation. Lars Ove Lofthus became the first official paramotor student in Norway.
PagoJet BG11 was still in excellent condition, but Trond and Lars Ove decided that the design could be both lighter, more affordable and not least with a better design and with significantly better flight characteristics. In collaboration with the Danish aviation pioneer Vincent Seremet, Trond and Lars Ove designed and engineered the first Nordic paramotor model called ‘Skywalker One’. 10 copies were manufactured to be sold in Norway and Denmark.
Trond and Lars Ove purchased all the most well-known frames and engines in the market for active testing. The work of specifying their dream machine starts. In the next few years, the acquisition of other paramotor models gives them a thorough understanding of what is happening in the market at all times, and helps them finding the optimal reference models.
Trond Nyman Aarre and Lars Ove Lofthus allied with Miro Arsov (Evo Aviation, Bulgaria) for the development of a new generation of paramotors. First prototype of what became the 'Rebel' ready.
After several prototypes and some testing, the two partners disagreed with Miro Arsov about most things and the collaboration was abruptly ended. Both partners agreed to further develop the new generation of paramotors with different angles and approaches and split teams for good. Miro Arsov launched the 'Rebel' (with Starseed AS as an co-creator, co-owner and financial partner).
Trond and Lars allied with industrial designer Steffen Mølgaard as a new partner and co-owner of Starseed. The work with Starseed X got a much more professional and methodical approach than they had experienced before.
Two prototypes were developed and duly tested. With the goal of an almost perfect framework, work continued on further optimisation at all levels and according to our visions and philosophy of 'Sophisticated Simplicity'.
Starseed partnered up with Matteo Asnicar (Italy) to develop the new engine, Starseed e82 by e-Flight, and Fabrizio Tieghi (Italy) as an ideator and test pilot for an all new cocoon version of the Starseed X Feather to be launched as an optional kit for existing Starseed X Feather owners.
Two new Starseed prototypes were developed. Although we were initially ready for launch, we wanted further insight and response from the market. Several experienced pilots around the world were engaged to provide improvements.
The prototype of the Starseed e82 designed and made by Matteo Asnicar sees the light. And what an engine! A small revolution coming up!
On the 16th of September 2018 our founder Trond Nyman Aarre celebrated his 30th anniversary of flying paramotors and paragliders.
Starseed X is born and launched at Coupe Icare with an overwhelming response from fellow pilots, good friends and media visiting our stand.
The development of a new model - Starseed X Feather - continues. Hundreds of tests, more than 10 prototypes with all kind of manual and electric gas dampers tested. And in the end we totally saw the light.
Starseed Feather is born and represents an all new class of paramotors. Starseed Feathers represents the missing link between paragliding and paramotoring.
All new innovations and further optimizations with add-ons for existing models coming up. Promise.
