Saturday, 27 April 2013

Flying Fast Forward - Summer 2012

After receiving a taste of XC during the Feb 2012 XC Open/Camp in Manilla, Australia - I decided 2012 was the make or break year for my flying. Either become a competent Intermediate pilot with the ability to successfully execute consistent XC (Cross Country) flights, or hang it all up, sell the kit and find another sport.

I quickly came to realize that self directed improvement for a novice is slow due to the trial and error method of learning resulting from a limited experience base, rendering a steep learning curve. Coaching is one method to reduce the slope of this curve by capitalizing on the experience of another; having an overall goal helps to direct a coach's effort.

In my case, the coach was Martina Lang from Jet Set Paragliding and the goal was the 2012 Canadian Paragliding Nationals in Pemberton (a test of XC ability for a novice pilot if there ever was one).

This video captures some of that training: flying during peak conditions, scratching, and spot/out landings, all while executing a flight plan.

Intermixed are the results during Nationals and a subsequent heli-para trip into the Tantalus Mountains near Squamish.

Enjoy!

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