Hey guys, soon enough my time in ND will end as I graduate in the Spring. Honestly I grew to love it and the people here too. And I adapted to a new sport as I usually do for any area I'm in. Kiting has been my winter release, and I'll never let it go. The medium on which I ride may change, but what's pulling me along never will.

However.... I am a mountain boy at heart and would like to get into the mountains or coastal ridges if possible when I leave here. Something I've always wanted to do my entire life is paraglide, motor or not doesn't matter (I'm gunna turn the motor off when i get high enough anyway).

And so I ask my dear friends at PKF if anyone has any experience. How should I get into it, where do you fly most, what do you fly, beginner canopy suggestions, etc. It will probably be a two year project in the making im sure, but its been calling me. Since I started flying professionally, I've always wanted to be able to simple it down on the weekends and fly without frame.

Let me know who's out there, I know someone here does it

http://www.hulu.com/watch/129836/never-ending-thermal

Matt

I use the site www.usairnet.com for simple at a glance forecasting. They have info on paragliding and instuctors by area. I have an old wing someone gave me but have never flown it because I don't have the training. I assume once I have the training and get the wing inspected I will have to buy a new one. I would pay for the training and then start figuring out what equipment you want to buy. Start saving cause you could probably buy a quiver of flysurfers with what a wing costs. Good Luck

http://www.usairnet.com/cgi-bin/launch/code.cgi?Submit=Go&am...

If you have the time I would plan a trip to Salt Lake City Utah and look up Super Fly Paragliding. Try to talk to Chris Santacroce, he is one of the top pilots and instructors in the world. Google him, he has lots of you tube stuff out there.

Tell him Dustin from St George sent you.

Starting my classes this weekend, went on my first tandem weekend before last. It was almost a life changing experience. Go for it- you will love it.

Contact Solaris. She is not often here, but her email is tonya@skycountry.ca. She should be able to at least give you the questions to ask when looking for an instructor. She is down at SOBB right now so do not expect an instant reply.
S

Fly,

I took a weekend course in Flagstaff, AZ many years ago and the memory is still fresh. We were ridge flying off of the domes north of town. Would have loved to continue but my location and geography are not conducive to the activity. The instructor, Mark ?? has moved to Washington state and operates out of Chelan Pass. I think there are a number of schools there. If you're really feeling adventurous, there's instruction available at Alyeska ski resort in Girdwood, Alaska. My wife had a long and wonderful tandem flight there a couple of years back.

m

Someone else mentioned it above... and I would also recommend SLC Utah for lessons. No matter where you go, the idea is take a week or two off and go to a well established location that has consistent winds and safe conditions. That said, there are only a handful of those great spots in the US, and I feel strongly about the Point of the Mountain in Salt Lake City, it is an amazing site to learn at.
There are many schools in Utah (over 20 active Instructors) and Chris Santacroce is the best (also top RB pilot for RedBull Airforce). He owns and operates www.Superflyinc.com

BIG WARNING THO>>>> Paragliding is highly addictive, and it is a dangerous juggle to split your wind time between 2 amazing sports... With bigger kites and smaller gliders, the crossover in the wind range makes it hard to decide which to do. I always try to discourage kiters from paragliding because we lose them from our kite culture. (I should have never taught Jeff Howard to Paraglide, thats all that Okie talks about, and now he's got Blake P flying.... there went 2 great kiters:wink2:

That said, kiters make the best paragliding students, after all a paraglider is just a bigger kite.... with no kite lines, and your ass cheeks are your handles. I truly think that kiting is the best gateway sport to paragliding, they share the most crossover.

So picking up the sport will be easy for you Matt, and as a pilot, a paraglider is truly the most personal aircraft in the world! There is a great video available from Ozone, called Performance Flying, it will teach you on your sofa about how the canopy reacts, plus great in-air footage. You can buy new or used gear, but definitely look into newer models, as technology has changed rapidly in glider design. Like computers they seem to out date every few years.
Drop a line and I can give you a better idea of what you are looking at needing.

Windzup,
Brian Schenck
435-462-5303 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              435-462-5303      end_of_the_skype_highlighting

www.FlyOzoneUSA.com

Yo Matt, glad to see you're still around. You guys are gonna have to head on over to L.O.W this winter and so we can do some epic runs. I'd ready to try an overnighter out there. Anyway, I totally get what you're saying about paragliding. I have been thinking about learning myself one day. It looks like it would be sooo much fun. I'm curious to know if anyone teaches in the upper Midwest. Gotta be somebody.

Looking forward to seeing the snow fly!!

Jack

Herc got into it a few months back ... haven't heard from him since!

Chris Santacroce is my cousin. He is highly recommended. I would love to get some paragliding flights in!

Had my first 3 solos last Friday. Epic, but REALLY glad nobody got my 1st launch on film (would have been great youtube black mail material.) Different kritter though- I will always love to kite/buggy.

@kami: still alive, still here !

yeah - i can only suggest to everyone here: START Paragliding ! its simply fantastic !
and dont worry it will hurt your kiting time: if you have enough wind, you go kiting (and cannot paraglide), if you have no / little wind, you simply pull out your paraglider and get some big air . or just do some groundhandling.

here is a video of my basic cours exam flight:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ByqtmIAts3I

it was quite strong wind, basically the upper limit of what is allowed for schooling. while approaching the landing area, i was nearly standing still in the air because the headwind was so strong ! but some headwind gives smooth, soft landings.

here, just a boring video of some groundhandling:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=17kh53BgyF4

good thing here: you can practice groundhandling in almost no wind ( there was just 4 knots ..)
the glider is an old swing mistral from 1996, that i got from ebay for just 77 euro. so everyone can start groundhandling (but beware: only in sub 8 knots wind (including gusts!)! otherwise groundhandling can be really dangerous for novices!!) you dont even need a paragliding harness - i simply took some carabiners and but them on my seat-harness. but you should cover the hook with tape or something - it can happen that the carabiners snap into the hook.

i also tried paragliding with my PL scorpion 16 sqm - but i failed (too little head wind) will try again if there is more wind.


-- disclaimer:
you know the dangers of windpower sports. paragliding is even more dangerous than kiting - this includes groundhandling in too strong wind. and too strong means everything above 10 knots !!
aside that: try it! buy yourself a used paraglider for cheap (check
http://www.para2000.org/wings/index.html
before you buy: it should be a class A/B or DHV 1-2 wing and have at least a glide ratio of 7:1 -- most wings not older than 1995 should be ok)

There you are herc!
... how well do kite skills transfer to paraglider handling?

very well ! if you can handle open cell kites, you are ready to go for paragliding wings! i can really suggest you to buy an old paraglider and start experiencing the FORCE ! (<10 knots - i have warned ya ;-) )
groundhandling is 1. legal 2. tons of fun 3. can give you some nice ground hops with the right technique.
and it prepares you for the paragliding school, giving you more control in stronger winds, and faster progress during instructions.

here, an impressive video from the groundhandling master "mad mike küng":

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lCDXhx3lJZA

some more infectious videos:

SPEED 3 parakiting: dune du Pyla - HD video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S8FOpKD1wPQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PSsKAzyKzhc

RUSH HOUR DREAM:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PQ1V9dQB-rw

Paramotor Madness:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LkdRgslgN8M

short excerpt from the dvd "Playground" by mad mike küng:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=09iNil1W7wM

my first glider is going to be the Cima K2 by sky paragliders. Best most safest/stable wing on the market. super light material and its waterproof. Check out vids on the internet.

Theres a guy named Dell (superdell) he was/is best paraglider stunt guy in the world now all he does is sell them and gives lessons. Hes the dude to go to.

Hes on youtube . superdell

You will want to find an instructor near to you, if possible. The relationship between instructor and pupil is not usually a short one. So living in N Dakota and having an instructor in Florida or California is going to present difficulties. If you can not find an instructor in the Grand Forks area, you might try Winnipeg. It is only a three hour drive as opposed to a three hour flight.
Bear in mind that the best pilots are not necessarily the best instructors.
Good luck with it.

S

Thanks guys appreciate the advice! Once I get outta dodge here I will re-reference this post and get some certification going. Pretty exciting stuff! I've seen a few paramotor guys here but that's about it (We don't really have anything tall to glide off except a parking garage...).

not even a little baby hill ? your really do not need much for getting started.. just a slight slope.
even a long row of hay-stack (those stapled, compacted cylinders / bricks of hay) could work as a soaring ridge...
and even if everything is flat, you can just practicing groundhandling! if you run against the wind, you can easily take off and fly some meters.

You do not need a hill. A winch mounted on a truck or a boat will get you up.

You might want to contact. They are located in Steinbach Manitoba about 3 hours away from you.

S

Hey Matt,
This goes without saying, but don't teach yourself to paraglide. It might me illegal and it's certainly not smart. I taught myself and had a lot of close calls that would make my kiting close calls look tame. It is amazingly fun though and I have been thinking about getting back into it too. I was in Flagstaff, AZ for a number of years and had a lot of trouble keeping in touch with the local instructor there. I know a lot of people use him and have a good experience but I could never get him on the phone or get him to call me back. I have a friend in Alaska who went to SLC and had a great experience learning. All your time kiting will help for sure. Understanding that invisible, magical and eminently powerful force-the wind-is the key. On the other hand its pretty crazy expensive, especially when the motor is involved. I bought used gear but the idea of possibly worn out lines and nylon above me at 500ft was always scary!

Hills, we got. There's one called Ibuki-yama that is famous for paragliding so every time I whip out the Rebble or the Core at a public park, I get retarded groundskeeper running up to me and burbling "You can paraglide here it's illegal but you can go to Ibuki-yama" ... I politely invite them to jump off Ibuki-yama with my 3.5m kite and see how they go :saint:

My mad buddy here (who has had a defective heart since childhood, I found out recently) was teaching himself to hang glide ... hill, glider, you down how hard is that he had to give it up when he totalled the wing after a months worth of attempts!

yeah, hang gliding is substantial harder to learn than paragliding.. a paraglider is selfstable - a dhv1/ EN-A glider will glide you down safely with no brake inputs...
(though you would hit the ground at 37 km/h forward speed and about 1.5 meters/sec sink speed -- but thats nothing that would hurt too bad..)

Yea I'm definitely going to at least start with a para glider. Hang gliding scares me somewhat, I've actually witnessed a paraglider fold up in flight... Luckily the guy had a reseve chute. I think what worries me the most is how much forward speed can be achieved. Yea its cool and all, but it also means you can't land "anywhere" like you can with a paraglider.

And besides if anything goes wrong with paragliding, you're already under a chute? lol

Quote:

Originally posted by flyboy15 And besides if anything goes wrong with paragliding, you're already under a chute? lol

If you are not wrapped in it.

^^ Fair enough.

if things go wrong, a paraglider usually wont work as a rescue "parachute" like.. (only in case of a deep stall etc - only experts can handle a paraglider as a parachute)

you still need to carry a good reserve parachute. for example a nasawing :-)

really ! rogallo rescue system - beamer II :



these rogallo rescues are steerable and can even glide a bit: glide ratio 3:1 !

all thos extras make paragliding a bit expensive... a good, save, certified and checked wing > 1000 euro
a harness: > 150 euro
a checked rescue: > 300 euro...

but still cheaper than a brand new flysurfer speed3 ;-) and more fun ! really - start paragliding! it gets your adrenaline pumped more than any kitesession. because you really feel the danger , and the speed, gliding through the air. after every landing to date i felt happy i survived and was totally on internal dopes

I just got into the sport this year and love it. I'd suggest simply taking classes with a qualified instructor. You'll need several flights to advance your skills to the point where you are signed off to fly without the direct supervision of your instructor (P2). Along the way I have had the opportunity to try several different wings (provided by the instructor/school) which really helps in honing on the right wing for your style and frequency of flying.

-Bill