Paragliding

“One dreams of flying often, and to fly in reality is rather like a dream, for during flight all values are changed and a new aspect of perspective bemuses ones senses”

Learning the ropes, South Downs, UK

For my 40th birthday, and as part of the mid-life crisis! , I bought myself a paraglider. And so began an incredible adrenalin filled few years – flying in Turkey, England and Wales. I feel very privileged to live in an age where modern paraglider technology allowed me to soar into the clouds with the birds, without any power. It still feels like an incredible dream…

Most of the time, this ended up with falling flat on my face

It’s about COMITTMENT!

Early flights resembled a startled ostrich

My first flight.... dizzy and elated!

3000ft above Olu Deniz, Turkey

Landing at dusk, Olu Deniz. The skill was to land right by the bar and impress the ladies. Sometimes you crashed and didn’t impress anyone at all

Traveling 6000ft up along narrow mountain roads to take-off was the scary bit!

Take-off 5,500ft Baba-Dag Mountain. Step out to a 3,000ft sheer drop! Faith in your training and equipment ?!

My first ever cross-country, landing on a muddy field 26KM from take-off! Now how do I get back?!

Butterfly Valley – breathtaking soaring into the valley with cliffs either side looming over you.

Variometer strapped to leg (displays rate of climb/descent), 5000 ft above Old Deniz, Turkey

The Turkey trip was to carry out an "S.I.V."course, (Simulation d’Incident en Vol which roughly translates to “simulating unstable situations in flight")

This involved putting your paraglider into unstable maneuvers (e.g. total stall/collapse at 5000ft) and recover it safely before you hit the water.

Not for the faint hearted!