What’s it like to Paraglide?

Hmmmmm...? How do you describe it without lapsing into greeting card poetry?

Consider the diary of a paragliding pilot:

1st Flight, After a day of ground school and theory I sure was ready to fly. There I was on top of the hill looking down on the world. I had a perfect launch. I remember how my feet got lighter and lighter as I ran till .... There I was floating over the ground, flying! I saw some people on the bike path below, looking up at me, pointing. A minute later, with a few steps, I had landed. It's hard to describe how I felt. It was incredible...

Two weeks later, ... I get to fly off the upper launch now. Twice as high, twice as cool. On my last flight today I soared. I flew back and forth over the ridge for ten minutes. It sure was something looking down at the top of the hill.

A month later, I’m certified! Yes it’s official I’m a Class 2 pilot. We had some bad weather so it took an extra weekend. I get out flying with my paragliding buddies when ever I can. What a mixed lot they are...

Six months later, ...I’m getting pretty darn good if I do say so myself. Well, I still have a lot to learn to get as good as the Hot Shots but I’m getting a lot of soaring flights. Got my first hour long flight last week. What was really amazing was, after flying for a half an hour, I looked over and there was a huge golden eagle flying with me, only forty feet away.

Nine months later, ...Blah! Hasn’t been "flyable" for two weeks. I was sitting in the office staring out the window at the clouds. I was thinking, "I been there." I smiled thinking, "And I'll be there again".

One year later, Business trip to California, took the paraglider, flew for hours over the ocean at the beach. Me and the seagulls...

Fourteen months later, ...Yes! The boss gave me three weeks off! Going to the Alps to fly!

Sixteen months later, Flew in Grindelwald Switzerland today. Unbelievably beautiful. I got the most incredible view of the Eiger north wall. Below me, three thousand feet below me, was the town of Grindelwald...

Went to the Neuschwanstein Castle today. We wanted to fly over it but it was raining. Toured the Castle then went to the Gasthaus for "Ein bier bitte" (My friends told me to say that. It got me beer, that's all I know.) Hey! It’s a hard life but someone’s got to live it

Two Years later, Well here I am at the US National Championships. Yea right! No, I’m not a big competition pilot. I’m flying in the "Fly In" for fun when the competition is over for the day. It’s incredible to watch the competition. There are pilots from all over the world here...

Eleven years ago,
    I went to Verbier Switzerland to ski. Lucky for me the snow was terrible. I took paragliding lessons instead. Now looking back through my log book I can find all of these experiences plus many others. (I did fly in the Nationals, don’t ask me where I placed.) If you’ve wondered what it would be like to fly, if you've looked up in the sky and seen a eagle slowly circling, going higher and higher and thought, "If only...",
If you find yourself waking in the morning, remembering a cool flying dream you just had, talk to me!

Dreams are cool...
Paragliding is incredible!