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| Scrambles Comp, Summer, 2002 @ Skydive Chicago. |
Thursday 30 June 2016
Tuesday 28 June 2016
New Paragliding Video Channel on YouTube
Another year has passed and it has come time to renew the Vimeo Subscription.
Vimeo has treated me well over the last few years but has since fallen behind the curve of YouTube -> the 5GB weekly upload limit coupled with 1080p @ 60FPS from the MOHOC means I can only upload the equivalent to 1.5 hours of raw flying footage per week. Given my desire to store full flight footage online as a means of helping other pilots scout out sites, this will not do.
Onto YouTube we must go.
My Channel: The FlyinOrange
With a sample of an absolutely gorgeous day flying @ Saint-Vincent-les-Forts, France and going XC around the peak of Dormillouse towards Solonnet.
Vimeo has treated me well over the last few years but has since fallen behind the curve of YouTube -> the 5GB weekly upload limit coupled with 1080p @ 60FPS from the MOHOC means I can only upload the equivalent to 1.5 hours of raw flying footage per week. Given my desire to store full flight footage online as a means of helping other pilots scout out sites, this will not do.
Onto YouTube we must go.
My Channel: The FlyinOrange
With a sample of an absolutely gorgeous day flying @ Saint-Vincent-les-Forts, France and going XC around the peak of Dormillouse towards Solonnet.
Wednesday 22 June 2016
Paragliding Video - MOHOC 1080p/60 with the Gin Carrera Plus @ Mt.Woodside, BC - 2016-06-19
Sharing the hill with 2 other pilots, 8 students @ FlyBC, and a juvenile Bald Eagle.
Scurry north, wait for a student or two to be launched, come back, top up, repeat. When they are all gone, climb out over launch and glide on to the LZ.
Saturday 18 June 2016
Personal Responsibility vs. Paragliding Accidents
A recent post on PGForum by a student who was injured while under instruction has lead to a discussion about ultimate responsibility and if litigation should be used as a means to change behaviours.
Back in 2007 I would play witness one last time to a skydiving fatality and as a result put virtual pen to paper to share my thoughts.
My thoughts today mirror what I felt then.
"Gravity set the rules. Gravity deals the cards. And the rules say
...gravity always deals itself a king and an ace.
You can never beat gravity at it's own game, the best you can ever hope for blackjack as well and breakeven.
The weekend was ended with lethal punctuation as an unfortunate fellow jumper could not match the cards gravity dealt itself.
For those that wish to dance amongst the clouds and touch the face of heaven, they understand that the earth always takes back what has briefly been taken from it. Some may chose to ignore it and pretend, it'll never be me, others approach it with a fatalistic, when it happens, it happens, I can't change that. But every single one of us who jumps knows that given enough time, you will lose your life to this sport.
It is simply a matter of whether or not old age, disease, accident, murder or suicide will claim us first.
For those that have never tasted the freedom of a world where there are no rules (aside from gravity), they will be left wondering 'why'. Not only why did this happen, but why did the victim choose to do it.
Unfortunately, the explination does not help, "those that don't, can't understand, those that do, can't explain."
The best I can offer....
Its not just the sense of freedom, it's also the sense of responsbility.
Every jump must end with the skydiver willfully saving thier own life. if they wish for it to not be thier last.
Think about this - you have to conciously save your own life. No one else is going to do it for you. No one else is responsible for you. You make the choice, you accept the consequences of your action. If anything goes wrong, you have no one else to blame but yourself.
You could blame the pilot, they flew the plane up, right?
No - you chose to get on that plane.
You could blame the packer.
But you chose to jump thier packjob.
You could blame your instructor from years ago.
But you chose whether or not you stayed on top of the incident reports to learn from the mistakes of others, and to practice your emergency procedures on every jump.
You could blame the container/parachute manufacturer.
But no one forced you to buy or put on that rig.
It all comes down to choice.
I make the choice ...
to drive to the DZ.
to put on the gear.
to get on the plane
to get in the door....
and...
to leave the plane.
Knowing what could happen.
Making a jump is at it's very core, the decision to take control of ones own life.
I make the decision to leave the plane, I make the decision to open the parachute, I make the decision to land....
I make the decision to be happy, I make the decision to be upset, I make the decision to lead or to follow.
Start to finish, birth to death
....exit to landing....
you, and you alone are in control of your life, and your destiny."
Back in 2007 I would play witness one last time to a skydiving fatality and as a result put virtual pen to paper to share my thoughts.
My thoughts today mirror what I felt then.
"Gravity set the rules. Gravity deals the cards. And the rules say
...gravity always deals itself a king and an ace.
You can never beat gravity at it's own game, the best you can ever hope for blackjack as well and breakeven.
The weekend was ended with lethal punctuation as an unfortunate fellow jumper could not match the cards gravity dealt itself.
For those that wish to dance amongst the clouds and touch the face of heaven, they understand that the earth always takes back what has briefly been taken from it. Some may chose to ignore it and pretend, it'll never be me, others approach it with a fatalistic, when it happens, it happens, I can't change that. But every single one of us who jumps knows that given enough time, you will lose your life to this sport.
It is simply a matter of whether or not old age, disease, accident, murder or suicide will claim us first.
For those that have never tasted the freedom of a world where there are no rules (aside from gravity), they will be left wondering 'why'. Not only why did this happen, but why did the victim choose to do it.
Unfortunately, the explination does not help, "those that don't, can't understand, those that do, can't explain."
The best I can offer....
Its not just the sense of freedom, it's also the sense of responsbility.
Every jump must end with the skydiver willfully saving thier own life. if they wish for it to not be thier last.
Think about this - you have to conciously save your own life. No one else is going to do it for you. No one else is responsible for you. You make the choice, you accept the consequences of your action. If anything goes wrong, you have no one else to blame but yourself.
You could blame the pilot, they flew the plane up, right?
No - you chose to get on that plane.
You could blame the packer.
But you chose to jump thier packjob.
You could blame your instructor from years ago.
But you chose whether or not you stayed on top of the incident reports to learn from the mistakes of others, and to practice your emergency procedures on every jump.
You could blame the container/parachute manufacturer.
But no one forced you to buy or put on that rig.
It all comes down to choice.
I make the choice ...
to drive to the DZ.
to put on the gear.
to get on the plane
to get in the door....
and...
to leave the plane.
Knowing what could happen.
Making a jump is at it's very core, the decision to take control of ones own life.
I make the decision to leave the plane, I make the decision to open the parachute, I make the decision to land....
I make the decision to be happy, I make the decision to be upset, I make the decision to lead or to follow.
Start to finish, birth to death
....exit to landing....
you, and you alone are in control of your life, and your destiny."
Wednesday 15 June 2016
New Niviuk Dealer in the Fraser Valley with a killer deal.
Looks like one of the local XC gods (or 'hacks' as the Brits would phrase it), Al 'The Hammer' Thielmann, is starting his own school/dealership.
As a start up promo, Al is offering the Niviuk Ikuma at an impressive discount when compared to other high end EN-Bs in the region (especially in light of the beating the CAD has taken recently).
With an eye to helping local pilots find the best bang for their buck, here is a comparison of the current state of pricing from the various dealers for high end B wings.
As a start up promo, Al is offering the Niviuk Ikuma at an impressive discount when compared to other high end EN-Bs in the region (especially in light of the beating the CAD has taken recently).
With an eye to helping local pilots find the best bang for their buck, here is a comparison of the current state of pricing from the various dealers for high end B wings.
| Provider | Brand | Model | Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| XC Paragliding | Niviuk | Ikuma | $3700 | Contact via al at xcparagliding.net |
| Thermal Addicts Paragliding | Skywalk | Chili 3 | $4370 | |
| FlyBC | Ozone | Rush 4 | $5200 ($4050 USD) | |
| DeimosPG | UTurn | Blacklight | ??? | No price listed. |
| iParaglide | Icaro | ??? | ??? | No high EN-B listed on website. |
* High EN B - a wing typically considered for a 2nd or 3rd purchase during a pilots progression. Has an AR (Aspect Ratio) of 5.5+ and a cell count of 50+.
DISCLAIMER
The posting of prices/links is in no way an endorsement for any of the above paragliding businesses. It is the responsibility of the client (you) to confirm that the instructor is properly trained, certified, licensed, and insured by an appropriate body. Paragliding is a dangerous activity that can result in serious injury and/or death.
Thursday 9 June 2016
Mastering Paragliding (Book) is up in XCShop
I was fortunate enough to spend two weeks under the tutealedge of Kelly Farina of Austrian Arena back in 2013. A daily blog of that experience can be found starting with Evaluation Day.
In the evenings when we would call it a night and retire to our rooms, Kelly's day was far from an end. The next morning we would sometimes hear a comment of 'working on the next chapter' hinting that a book was in progress.
It appears that Kelly's work is finally complete and the lessons that required that I travel across an ocean to learn will soon be at your finger tips for a mere 25 GBP (shipping include if pre-ordered).
Link to book in XCShop
In the evenings when we would call it a night and retire to our rooms, Kelly's day was far from an end. The next morning we would sometimes hear a comment of 'working on the next chapter' hinting that a book was in progress.
It appears that Kelly's work is finally complete and the lessons that required that I travel across an ocean to learn will soon be at your finger tips for a mere 25 GBP (shipping include if pre-ordered).
Link to book in XCShop
Monday 6 June 2016
Paragliding Video (Raw) Mt.Woodside, BC - 2016-06-05 - Flight 1 - Gin Carrera Plus with MOHOC @ 1080p/60
Despite dire warnings of strong lee-side and murderous lapse rate - conditions were student benign (two schools were launching students throughout the day here and at Bridal Falls across the valley)
...
A scratchy sled run sort of day.
...
A scratchy sled run sort of day.
Thursday 2 June 2016
Now if you're gonna crash a paraglider, this is how to do it (aka history remembers the bold and the stupid)
Is it just me, or does this jog a memory for you of an episode of the Simpsons where Homer takes Barts bike off a cliff?
Hint: Fast Forward to 0:44. That's the good part.
Hint: Fast Forward to 0:44. That's the good part.
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