SAFA Skysailor Magazine

22 SKY SAILOR November | December 2020 Hasn’t everything already been written about paragliding? Why the need for another book? No, it hasn’t! While researching content for the Dutch book, I found very few comprehensive works. There is lots of information out there, but there isn’t one go-to book to give you a clear and concise overview of what you need to know for your first steps in paragliding. At least not in a language I can read. Additionally, I encountered so many inconsist- encies or information that was simply wrong or outdated that I felt this needed to be cleared up. How has the book evolved from what it was originally, to the Beginner’s Guide? After showing my Dutch book to an English flying friend, he immediately insisted I needed to translate it. Feeling unsure myself, he agreed to check it if I translated a few chapters for him. So I did. He checked, corrected, then I contacted Cross Country and they liked it. Their team started to work on it, and while that took some patience from my end, it was very much worth the wait, as the original has been expanded and improved so much. What pleases you most about the new book? The fact that the contents is now checked, corrected and supplemented by so many knowledgeable pilots from around the world is really reassuring. Many different pilots from across the sport contributed. The fresh design and stunning photographs are things I would never have been able to come up with on my own. What can new pilots take away from it? The book has all you need to know from the very first flying day to way after you pass those exams. I’d say from zero to 100 hours. I don’t think there is any other place where you can find this information bundled together. A one-stop-shop, as it were, on your way to becoming a free-flight pilot. When I was learning, I missed having a resource that ex- plained the basic concepts needed to understand the more advanced information that is out there in books, magazines and online. I hope this book is that resource. Additionally, I hope it radiates the great fun of free flight! Are there any concepts in it that you think will make more experienced pilots think, ‘Hey, I never knew that’? The parts in the book I like best, I’m afraid most other people will find boring. I hope that the way we explain aerody- namics for paragliders, for example, and the background of weather phenomena in meteorology will help experienced pilots understand these complicated concepts – or possibly spark an interest in them. Do you have a best memory from flying? Hard to choose, but the majestic flight from the Aiguille du Midi at 3,800m to Chamonix ticked all the boxes for me. The descent on foot from the top station across the narrow ledge to the icy take-off. The split-second decision after launch to pop over to the south side. The long, scary, exciting, beautiful glide over the Glacier du Tacul and Mer de Glace, to finally pop back to the Chamonix side and have fun while burning off height and land in the valley with friends. That’s what it’s about for me! Finally, what’s your key advice for new pilots, or those new to the sport? Fly for fun! Fly higher, longer or further if you want, but never let the numbers spoil the fun of free flight. Paragliding: The Beginner’s Guide Photo: Alexander Robé