HGFA Skysailor Magazine

10 SKY SAILOR July | August 2019 L iving in Western Australia, one of the flattest placesonearth,forme,reaching400hours felt pretty special. The following is a little story about where it all began, my fascination with my particular paraglider, and the adventure. After all that’s why we do it – the adventure! I actually flew hang gliders for a couple of years back in the late 80s, when I was in my late teens. Then I waited until I was 45 before I couldn’t resist the urge to take to the skies again in free flight. All that time later, I knew it would be addictive, just as it was when I was younger. The ramp up of nerves in anticipation of flying, the slow drip of adrenalin whilst flying, the peace in the air, and the happy flow of serotonin afterwards – the glow or ‘froth’ as surfers say these days. Just being in environments conducive to the flying scene is part of the adventure. So, I said to my wife, “I think I need to learn to fly a paraglider, I might have part-bird in my blood.” “Yes Honey, you could be the bird brain, I mean bird man.” I let the taunt slide, but took the rest as her approval. Now, before I begin, I must state I have no remuneration or deal with Cloudbase Paragliding Australia or AirDesign Paragliders. In March of 2015, I did my PG2 with Cloudbase, located in coastal New South Wales. Mark Rossi and Chris Rogers run a top class outfit, the live-in accommodation suited me perfectly, and I had the time of my life learning new skills and reviving old skills from my prior hang gliding lifetime. I’d never been in that part of NSW, but found it a beautiful part of the country. Cloudbase are the Australian importer for AirDesign gliders, so I learnt on the Eazy. Back in 1991, as a young backpacker, I lived and worked a ski season in Mayrhofen in the Austrian Alps. I often saw hangies and paragliders flying above the peaks around town. Now, years later, I wondered if I might have seen a young future world champion, Stephan Stiegler, at play – Mayrhofen is where AirDesign and co-owner Stiegler are based. I automatically felt a connection with the AirDesign brand. After completing my course, I took a new AD Vita back to WA to start my flying adventure, clocking as many hours as any newbie would. The fever had took hold, the addiction had well and truly started. Later that year, I joined the Cloudbase Bali tour, arriving with 17 hours airtime and leaving in the 40s! I took the intermediate or PG4 exam, and even test flew the new AD Rise2. ‘What a machine,’ I thought, ‘it wants to go.’ Later that year, after about 15 hours on the AD SuSi2 mini wing and 90 hours on the Vita, I felt ready to step up to the Rise 2. After much contemplation I phoned Mark and announced my intention. “Great,” he said, “I’ve watched you fly and XC. Have you considered the new Volt2, which is a classic C?” At first, I was concerned this was a rather large step up… I now have over 300 hours on that Volt2. It has taken me on my first real cross-country out of Mt Bakewell, WA, to Goomalling – 70km, and on numerous adventures to well known and lesser known coastal sites. With special permission from Parks & Wildlife, I flew a rarely flown Mt Barren in the Fitzgerald National Park on the WA south coast, 400 Hours To accumulate 400 hours flying a paraglider might not seem like a lot to some people, mostly nothing to non flyers, and for flyers with a lot more hours it might now seem an easy feat, but its a milestone. Nonetheless, it will sit amongst many in any free flying tenure. For the paraglider pilot just starting out – maybe with a young family, or chained to a desk of the corporate world – it might seem a too distant reality. by Julian Bryant Photos: Julian Bryant