Laugh every day, and you'll find life can be the best adventure :)
Paragliding:
a visual journey
Follow along with us as adventurers take to the skies for the first time on a tandem, learn valuable paragliding skills or even catch a glimpse of pilots just goofing around!
Sometimes the most fun you can have is in your own backyard. Last week I managed to out-fly our local "sky god" and even though we're comparing flights in minutes and seconds instead of hours these days, I have to admit that getting the whole "we're not worthy!" arm wave from the man himself made me feel like a champ.
Laugh every day, and you'll find life can be the best adventure :)
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Yesterday was a stunning day in the valley, so Martin & I decided to switch things up and do a fly and hike. We drove up around 11:30 and sat on launch for a while, enjoying the January sun. We both enjoyed a sunny flight then had a leisurely walk back up to retrieve my FJ, still in awe at this incredible weather we get to experience!
Gotta love your neighbourhood when you're driving to a meeting and you spy some paragliders dropping in from a morning hike and fly! Peter, Claudia and Martin ignored the drizzly forecast and nabbed an early flight off Elk Mountain yesterday.
One of my goals this year is to double my airtime over last year. Shouldn't be hard as I didn't actually fly much last year compared to years past. So far so good - last year I didn't record any flights in January so am ahead for the month with only my New Year's Day flight. Looking forward to some hike & fly trips up Elk before the next big snowfall up there!
On a day that was far too windy to fly, I called my flying buddy Martin and asked if he'd like to join me on a small local hike. The strong outflow winds ensured a clear view all the way to Vancouver Island, and the sun glinting off Cultus Lake was an added bonus.
2015 is really stepping up and shaping up to be one of my favourite years ever. While picking up extra HAGAR study guides at the Chilliwack Airport I ran into an old friend and by (lucky, lucky) chance got to climb into this 1943 Piper Cub! Too bad the winds were so strong outside or I would've been able to go for a flight right then. No worries though, the owner (the new Chilliwack Airport Manager) will be trading me a flight on his aircraft for a flight on mine. He's as excited about his upcoming tandem as I am to go up in this classic beauty. Another benefit from our meeting is open dialogue with this small but growing airport that is definitely within our XC flying area, and he has invited me to come talk about us sharing this ever-changing airspace. All of us flying addicts need to work together to ensure we can all keep enjoying our time in the sky!
Thanks to Bart for this panorama shot during one of our many Q&A times. The modified one-day course went smoothly (and I think Jeannette even got all of her erasable highlighters back, ha ha). Wonderful to see that each year another group of pilots take to the skies with more awareness and higher levels of safety. Getting to meet fellow air junkies from around the province is a great bonus!
What a perfect start to the year - a little airtime with a group of friends. Woodside was the place to be and even a few spots of lift showed up! I'm taking this as a sign there will be a lot more flying this year, and excited to meet my first goal of the year - to double my airtime over what I managed in 2014. 10 minutes down, a few more hours to go ;)
Do you know how to read this map? Can you figure out where you can and cannot fly or where you need a radio and/or transponder?
The next HAGAR study course is coming up on Saturday, January 3rd in Chilliwack, BC. The HAGAR is a Transport Canada airspace exam which is mandatory to write in your pursuit of an advanced rating in both your hang gliding and paragliding licences. It is also full of knowledge you should possess before you start planning cross-country flights. Visit our HAGAR study course page or email Martina for more information! |
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