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mad.radhu
Jan 8, 2006




Fun Shoe
"I like hiking" you say to yourself. "But I always look up at birds of prey and vultures circling in the sky and wish I could join them". Well I found a new hobby last year, and I have fantastic news: you can!



Paragliding has really matured as a hobby/sport in recent times, eclipsing hang gliding in a lot of places as the popular ultra-light aircraft activity. With decently safe equipment small and light enough to be compared to a medium sized backpacking kit and comparatively priced to a mid-range motorcycle, it's by far the easiest way to learn how to fly.

Instruction:
In the US, learning to fly involves getting a "P2" certification from USHPA. Ratings are described here: https://www.ushpa.org/page/ratings-and-skills-introduction
No instructor worth a drat is going to sign you off without being sure that you can handle yourself safely, and can identify flyable conditions. They'll also have an amazing wealth of knowledge about local flying culture, sites, etc. My instructor at Lift Paragliding in the SF bay area worked with me every weekend for about three months to make sure I was good enough and had the flights necessary for my rating, and has since transitioned into more of a mentorship role as I work up towards my next rating.

Flying:
When you don't have an engine, understanding local conditions to safely stay up in the air is incredibly important. Getting into this hobby involves immersing yourself in local weather patterns and basically becoming a micro-scale meteorologist.
-Ridge soaring: Utilizing wind being forced upwards by a cliff, you can basically sit in the lift bubbling up the ridge as long as conditions allow.

(me soaring just south of San Francisco this last spring)

-Mountain flying/thermaling: Utilizing bubbles and columns of hot air rising off the earth to stay in the air. Generally a harder task than ridge soaring.
(me flying in Santa Barbara, CA last winter)

-Cross Country (XC): Using thermal flying to cross distances by gaining altitude, gliding to where new thermals might be, gaining altitude again, repeat. Redbull X-Alps athletes use this method during their race, where they use their feet and paragliders to travel about 1200km from Austria to Monaco in about eight days. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4GyNFJmjCRo&t=134s


-Speed flying/Miniwings: This is that crazy poo poo you see on Redbull/gopro sponsored youtube videos. I don't know much about it, because it's insanely dangerous to the point where I wouldn't even consider it. Injury rates doing this involve stats like "1 in 5 break their back in the first year". https://i.imgur.com/CWXaQYP.mp4

Equipment:
A helmet
It's a helmet. You want to protect your head, bad launches and landings happen.

A harness:

This is a reversible harness, containing a folded up wing in the back, helmet on top, reserve parachute, pocket for a camelbak, etc. that then reverses to be the portion that you sit in (when you're flying, it's like sitting in an easy chair. None of the strap pressure is on your legs or groin.).

A glider
There's innumerable paragliders out there, depending on your flying style and abilities.


Boots
Good landing gear! Sturdy hiking boots are a must, you want something over-the-ankle.

Instruments
There's various instruments like variometers, GPS beacons, etc etc that you'll see people flying with. A beginning pilot might want a starter Variometer like an Ascent H2, but modern cell phones really are a fantastic tool. Paragliding apps like FlySkyHy (iOS only) satisfy most requirements for new pilots.

FAQ:
-Don't you jump out of a plane?
Nope! Paragliders are foot launched, though there's some weird stuff you can do if you're a daredevil with dropping off a hot air balloon. I've never jumped out of a plane in my life.

-Wait, so you're not jumping out of a plane and foot launching, so you're just going to lose altitude as you go down the hill right? This is a lot of money just for a sled ride down a mountain.
Nope! Ridge lift and thermals are a crazy thing, combined with modern lightweight materials and the right glide ratio you'd be amazed what you can do. Sometimes conditions don't work out and you do just sled down to the landing zone, but sometimes conditions are perfect, and it makes it all worth it. My last flight was about an hour, but here's the first couple minutes:


-Isn't this expensive?
Well it's not free - but it's by far the cheapest way to fly, and instructors often have used gear they can sell at a discount. All in with a new set of gear and all my instruction, I'm into it for about $7k.

-What's up with the huge diaper
Yeah, the harnesses look kinda silly. What appears to be a huge filled diaper isn't actually a fetish thing as much as it is a safety mechanism, most of that extra volume is an airbag for the pelvis and spine in case of a hard landing.

-Parasailing, right?
Though Tow launching exists, parasailing is that thing tourists do where they get towed behind a boat. Paragliding is quite different.

-Hang gliding?
Paragliders often share flying locations with hang gliders, they're sort of our cousins in the sky. Hang gliders are larger and involve rigid construction, whereas paragliders fold down a lot further and are non-rigid. Similar but not the same.

-Wait. Isn't this insanely dangerous?
The last stats I saw showed injury/serious injury rates that were comparable to motorcycling. So, probably moreso than just a walk through the woods, yeah. Major injuries and deaths occur doing this, and I've helped at bad crash sites (though in fairness that crash involved acrobatic maneuvers close to a mountain). As with everything in life, it's about risk assessment and mitigation (wear a helmet, carry a reserve chute, don't fly into conditions you don't understand).

-Sounds fun! I want to try it, but maybe just a taste first?
A lot of instructors offer Tandem flights, where you can just see what being in the air is like and decide if it's something you want to do. Give it a shot! I didn't and just dove straight in without any air time, so you could do that too if you like.

-What about <your question here>?
I will try and answer these! But I'm still a pretty fresh pilot, just excited to share my hobby. Paragliding hasn't been around for all that long (traces back to WW2 paratrooper training, first real paraglider "wings" were designed in the mid 70s and had terrible glide ratios compared to modern equipment) and is still fairly up and coming, I've found the information online can be somewhat lacking.

Anyway, for your consideration: here's a video of my progression from very first 'flight' off a 50 foot hill to soaring off a top of a mountain six months later, and also a video of meeting a hawk on the coast. Come fly!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=npK_yGXoWIw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gz8z2pTtrRQ

mad.radhu fucked around with this message at 23:09 on Jul 17, 2020

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mbt
Aug 13, 2012

great thread but ascending more than 20 feet off the ground is an affront to G*d best of luck op

big scary monsters
Sep 2, 2011

-~Skullwave~-
Paragliding looks really cool, but I live in a place where the weather is bad like 11 months a year. What kind of conditions can you go out in?

Ciaphas
Nov 20, 2005

> BEWARE, COWARD :ovr:


Yes, yes this is something I would absolutely love to do :stare:

Well... life-goals, anyway. Being 230# probably puts me out of the running, at least safely - or does it?

mad.radhu
Jan 8, 2006




Fun Shoe

Meyers-Briggs Testicle posted:

great thread but ascending more than 20 feet off the ground is an affront to G*d best of luck op
I'm seriously afraid of heights, but flying doesn't trigger it at all since you're just sitting in the harness the whole time. Turns out what I'm actually afraid of is *falling*, not heights. Being near a ledge gives me serious jelly legs, being 1000 feet in the air suspended on a bunch of strings just makes me go "hm, I'm kinda high up. Neat!".

Ciaphas posted:

Yes, yes this is something I would absolutely love to do :stare:

Well... life-goals, anyway. Being 230# probably puts me out of the running, at least safely - or does it?
Nope! They make Tandem wings, if they can make a wing that can hold two people, they can definitely make a wing that can hold one larger person.


big scary monsters posted:

Paragliding looks really cool, but I live in a place where the weather is bad like 11 months a year. What kind of conditions can you go out in?

Depends on the site, but most of the time you do want a nice sunny day with winds from 0-12mph. That being said, there's paragliding in Seattle, so there's gotta be flying in most places, right? The distance record in the US was set just about a month ago, a guy in Texas flew like 300 miles in a day without landing.

mad.radhu fucked around with this message at 16:23 on Jul 18, 2020

Ola
Jul 19, 2004

Yes, I want to try paragliding. I think I'll sign up for a course next year. I've been interested in flying all my life, but mostly airplanes. But the cost, environmental impact and the fairly detached experience of motorized flying isn't very bird-like at all. Paragliding is literally soaring like a bird, albeit with an L/D ratio closer to a broiler chicken than an eagle.

And yes, I want to try speed flying as well.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zVnNoGSlw_Y

But I think I probably shouldn't. I would die so much.

Ciaphas
Nov 20, 2005

> BEWARE, COWARD :ovr:


mad.radhu posted:

Nope! They make Tandem wings, if they can make a wing that can hold two people, they can definitely make a wing that can hold one larger person.

Well then, guess I'm seeing if anyone offers tandem demos nearby this weekend. :D

How much does the whole kit 'n' kaboodle usually weigh when you're schlepping it on foot to your launch point? I'm looking at my bicycle with its rack and seeing a handy carrier

mad.radhu
Jan 8, 2006




Fun Shoe

Ciaphas posted:

Well then, guess I'm seeing if anyone offers tandem demos nearby this weekend. :D

How much does the whole kit 'n' kaboodle usually weigh when you're schlepping it on foot to your launch point? I'm looking at my bicycle with its rack and seeing a handy carrier

Obviously it depends, but it's lighter than my backpacking kit for sure (though bulkier). Your local flying community may have ad hoc shuttle services set up to launch sites, too. In Santa Barbara there's a fairly established 15 passenger van that takes people up to launch sites on the weekends for $5 a ride.

Ola posted:

Yes, I want to try paragliding. I think I'll sign up for a course next year. I've been interested in flying all my life, but mostly airplanes. But the cost, environmental impact and the fairly detached experience of motorized flying isn't very bird-like at all. Paragliding is literally soaring like a bird, albeit with an L/D ratio closer to a broiler chicken than an eagle.

And yes, I want to try speed flying as well.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zVnNoGSlw_Y

But I think I probably shouldn't. I would die so much.

Hell yes you do. One of my favorite parts of flying with a paraglider is the lack of noise, having no engine or vibration or anything makes it an entirely different experience. Obviously you're going to have to start on a much slower wing than those speed wings, it might be a while until you can work up to doing those kinds of acrobatics. Good luck though! Someone's gotta have that much fun, no reason why it can't be you.

Ola
Jul 19, 2004

mad.radhu posted:



Hell yes you do. One of my favorite parts of flying with a paraglider is the lack of noise, having no engine or vibration or anything makes it an entirely different experience. Obviously you're going to have to start on a much slower wing than those speed wings, it might be a while until you can work up to doing those kinds of acrobatics. Good luck though! Someone's gotta have that much fun, no reason why it can't be you.

Hehe, good point! I think I could enjoy that landscape just as much, if not more, with a slow wing and perhaps being able to hang over the waterfall.

mad.radhu
Jan 8, 2006




Fun Shoe

Ola posted:

Hehe, good point! I think I could enjoy that landscape just as much, if not more, with a slow wing and perhaps being able to hang over the waterfall.

If what you want to do is enjoy the landscape, a regular B wing might be something to look into too. Or hey, maybe both depending on your budget and desires. Depends on the day.

The views are pretty good up here :shrug:

mad.radhu fucked around with this message at 18:19 on Jul 20, 2020

Destroyenator
Dec 27, 2004

Don't ask me lady, I live in beer
I did this a couple of times in Asia and got to qualifying for a ParaPro 3 (?) license. I haven't done it in years though and I'd love to give it another shot, probably starting from scratch. If anyone has any recommendations for English speaking schools in nice scenery anywhere in Europe I'd be very interested.

mad.radhu
Jan 8, 2006




Fun Shoe

Destroyenator posted:

I did this a couple of times in Asia and got to qualifying for a ParaPro 3 (?) license. I haven't done it in years though and I'd love to give it another shot, probably starting from scratch. If anyone has any recommendations for English speaking schools in nice scenery anywhere in Europe I'd be very interested.

Europe is basically paragliding Mecca, I don't have any recommendations for you (I had a trip to Spain lined up this June, but it was cancelled for obvious reasons), but I don't think you'll have much trouble finding one if you look to be honest.

Here's a comparison between established paragliding sites in the US vs Europe:





and just for kicks lets zoom in even a little bit on the Alps

animist
Aug 28, 2018
poo poo maybe i do want to try paragliding

mad.radhu
Jan 8, 2006




Fun Shoe

animist posted:

poo poo maybe i do want to try paragliding

That's Right, animist.

Destroyenator
Dec 27, 2004

Don't ask me lady, I live in beer

mad.radhu posted:

Europe is basically paragliding Mecca, I don't have any recommendations for you (I had a trip to Spain lined up this June, but it was cancelled for obvious reasons), but I don't think you'll have much trouble finding one if you look to be honest.
Yeah, that's kinda my problem. I'm in an area where there isn't flying, but then the options in the Alps are just so many and hard to get proper info on. I end up on sites like this which leads me to dozens of outdated German websites and it's almost impossible to see what's defunct or German speaking only or way out away from any major transport hubs or not near any accommodation. Which is why I'm hunting recommendations :)

Now you mention Spain there seems to be a lot more geared to foreigners so I'll be checking that out, thanks!

mad.radhu
Jan 8, 2006




Fun Shoe

Destroyenator posted:

Yeah, that's kinda my problem. I'm in an area where there isn't flying, but then the options in the Alps are just so many and hard to get proper info on. I end up on sites like this which leads me to dozens of outdated German websites and it's almost impossible to see what's defunct or German speaking only or way out away from any major transport hubs or not near any accommodation. Which is why I'm hunting recommendations :)

Now you mention Spain there seems to be a lot more geared to foreigners so I'll be checking that out, thanks!

For what it's worth we were going to go flying in Alicante, it sounded like one of the instructors there was english speaking.

Proust Malone
Apr 4, 2008

My palms are dripping sweat just from reading this thread.

mad.radhu
Jan 8, 2006




Fun Shoe

Ron Jeremy posted:

My palms are dripping sweat just from reading this thread.

It is natural to be excited :)

DeadMansSuspenders
Jan 10, 2012

I wanna be your left hand man

Had to do a search after this, I was literally shocked to find out there is a paragliding business/club right in my hometown. Looks like a good time to me.

mad.radhu
Jan 8, 2006




Fun Shoe

DeadMansSuspenders posted:

Had to do a search after this, I was literally shocked to find out there is a paragliding business/club right in my hometown. Looks like a good time to me.

You know, it absolutely is and you should try it. What a coincidence, wow

Craptacular
Jul 11, 2004

It's very, very flat where I live, which seems to indicate that powered paragliding would be the only option for me. Are there any major differences once you strap a motor + propeller on your back? I guess it'd be noisier...

treat
Jul 24, 2008

by the sex ghost

Where is this from? Link to it? I'd like to look around.

I've been saving money to get into kiteboarding/wingsuit skydiving but I think I'm going to focus in on paragliding instead. I've been into stunt kiting since I was a little kid and the feeling of wind force in my arms & body is super euphoric, it's a pretty strong sensory experience more than being just "fun." I see hawks and falcons drifting on thermals just over my head all the time when hiking mountains and I'm tired of being jealous, it's time I do something about it.

There's a place just outside of town that offers P2 certification for $2k that includes rental gear, free shuttles, 10 days of training and 35 - 50 flights. That's a pretty good deal, right? One of their co-founders was killed while paragliding last year but there aren't any other places around these parts so I won't hold it against them.

Lawman 0
Aug 17, 2010

I really like your videos mad radhu

mad.radhu
Jan 8, 2006




Fun Shoe

Craptacular posted:

It's very, very flat where I live, which seems to indicate that powered paragliding would be the only option for me. Are there any major differences once you strap a motor + propeller on your back? I guess it'd be noisier...

Yeah it's noisier and heavier obviously, I don't know much about Powered PG to be honest. One of the things that is so great about paragliding to me is the silence :shrug:

treat posted:

Where is this from? Link to it? I'd like to look around.

I've been saving money to get into kiteboarding/wingsuit skydiving but I think I'm going to focus in on paragliding instead. I've been into stunt kiting since I was a little kid and the feeling of wind force in my arms & body is super euphoric, it's a pretty strong sensory experience more than being just "fun." I see hawks and falcons drifting on thermals just over my head all the time when hiking mountains and I'm tired of being jealous, it's time I do something about it.

There's a place just outside of town that offers P2 certification for $2k that includes rental gear, free shuttles, 10 days of training and 35 - 50 flights. That's a pretty good deal, right? One of their co-founders was killed while paragliding last year but there aren't any other places around these parts so I won't hold it against them.

Windy.com, you can add a layer in the menus to show paragliding sites. $2k sounds about right for gear, the way my instructor did it was $1400 to get to your P2, with the handshake agreement that once you got it he'd be the one to sell you your gear. Still gave a 10% across the board student discount though, so idk how that money really shakes out. I got the strong vibe he just wanted to make as many new pilots as possible so he had people to fly with.

And yeah, death and serious injuries happen, even at high skill levels. It's dangerous! I helped at a serious crash site three weeks ago, dude had two busted hips and a broken leg from doing spirals too close to a mountain and smacking into it. It sucked!

Lawman 0 posted:

I really like your videos mad radhu

Thank you, I am cutting together another little one, I will post it here later today

mad.radhu
Jan 8, 2006




Fun Shoe

Lawman 0 posted:

I really like your videos mad radhu

Here is a 13 minute video (cut down from 1 hour 15 minutes of flight time) of what my flight was like yesterday

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kvz0P85sres

mad.radhu fucked around with this message at 21:19 on Jul 27, 2020

Ciaphas
Nov 20, 2005

> BEWARE, COWARD :ovr:


mad.radhu posted:

Here is a 13 minute video (cut down from 1 hour 15 minutes of flight time) of what my flight was like yesterday

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kvz0P85sres

I watched this video and emailed these folks about a 1-day a few minutes later. This is going to get expensive if I like this as much as I think I'm going to :v:

Can you wear anything like ear-plugs to dull the wind roar or do you need them open for safety?

mad.radhu
Jan 8, 2006




Fun Shoe

Ciaphas posted:

I watched this video and emailed these folks about a 1-day a few minutes later. This is going to get expensive if I like this as much as I think I'm going to :v:

Can you wear anything like ear-plugs to dull the wind roar or do you need them open for safety?

aaaaaw yeah. Flying around Boulder you're probably going to do a lot more thermaling up in the mountains than ridge soaring, stuff like this flight: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u9APxiZS9GY

You could wear earplugs, but the gopro exaggerates the wind noise, earplugs would really be unnecessary. My helmet covers my ears and the noise isn't uncomfortable at all - It's directly comparable to being outside on a windy day, since it's literally just sitting in a 8-20mph wind. It's quieter than just being near a busy intersection. At the beginning of this video you can hear how loud my radio is on the ground, and how loud it is in the air - there's very little difference. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=at2Ik_Dtu_4

mad.radhu fucked around with this message at 19:15 on Jul 28, 2020

Lawman 0
Aug 17, 2010

mad.radhu posted:

Here is a 13 minute video (cut down from 1 hour 15 minutes of flight time) of what my flight was like yesterday

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kvz0P85sres

Cool as hell

Ciaphas
Nov 20, 2005

> BEWARE, COWARD :ovr:


All set for my first day Saturday morning, in theory. Dunno if there'll be a tandem on day one or even quick take-offs, but I'm excited :D

And a little worried. I've been badly overweight most of my life (just "overweight" now :v:), and my ankles, feet & lower back bore the brunt of that. I weigh considerably less and am fitter now, but hiking uphill half an hour with 40# of gear on my back is still going to be anywhere between "rather unpleasant" and "totally impossible on day 3". We'll see :ohdear:

Ciaphas fucked around with this message at 17:39 on Jul 30, 2020

mad.radhu
Jan 8, 2006




Fun Shoe

Ciaphas posted:

All set for my first day Saturday morning, in theory. Dunno if there'll be a tandem on day one or even quick take-offs, but I'm excited :D

And a little worried. I've been badly overweight most of my life (just "overweight" now :v:), and my ankles, feet & lower back bore the brunt of that. I weigh considerably less and am fitter now, but hiking uphill half an hour with 40# of gear on my back is still going to be anywhere between "rather unpleasant" and "totally impossible on day 3". We'll see :ohdear:

Don't worry too much, I've seen some big guys flying. just make sure to really listen to your pilot/instructor on when and how to flare for landing (and wear good boots!)

Ciaphas
Nov 20, 2005

> BEWARE, COWARD :ovr:


mad.radhu posted:

Don't worry too much, I've seen some big guys flying. just make sure to really listen to your pilot/instructor on when and how to flare for landing (and wear good boots!)

i don't know dick about active footwear :v: I wear these merrell moabs in a different color, when I'm out and about, usually (though frankly I hate wearing socks in the summer); would they be good enough for the hiking and landings? They've always done quite well for walking

mad.radhu
Jan 8, 2006




Fun Shoe

Ciaphas posted:

i don't know dick about active footwear :v: I wear these merrell moabs in a different color, when I'm out and about, usually (though frankly I hate wearing socks in the summer); would they be good enough for the hiking and landings? They've always done quite well for walking

Better than flip-flops, but I recommend over-the-ankle boots - I fly with old combat boots that don't have hook style eyelets (I don't want to scare anyone off but there's a video going around right now of a guy who had a collapse mid-flight and got his boot hooked in his lines due to these. He landed safely but uh - yeah i'll avoid that if at all possible). Our training hill has a lot of gopher holes in the landing zone, and I've seen people flying with running shoes twist ankles pretty badly on landing. Your mileage may vary, but most instructors will recommend boots.

From my instructor's website:

quote:

What should I bring to my lesson?

Protective footwear (ankle supporting such as hiking boots)
Pants or jeans
Warm clothing layers and a jacket
Sun glasses and sunscreen
Water and snacks
Helmet (bike, ski/snowboard, etc.) Will be provided if you don’t have one

Ciaphas
Nov 20, 2005

> BEWARE, COWARD :ovr:


I ended up calling and asking the instructor a few ago [should have done that before lol] and he suggested my Moabs'll be fine for day 1, since a full flight is unlikely the first day. He also suggested (but didn't require) over-ankle boots, so we'll see how I feel after tomorrow

Speaking of accidents, I can't help but ask this one. I've seen a bunch of paraglider video clearly filmed with a camera drone; obviously they're going to keep distant, but were drone and paraglider to meet, would it sever the lines/chute or are they tougher than I imagine?

Ola
Jul 19, 2004

Ciaphas posted:

I ended up calling and asking the instructor a few ago [should have done that before lol] and he suggested my Moabs'll be fine for day 1, since a full flight is unlikely the first day. He also suggested (but didn't require) over-ankle boots, so we'll see how I feel after tomorrow

Speaking of accidents, I can't help but ask this one. I've seen a bunch of paraglider video clearly filmed with a camera drone; obviously they're going to keep distant, but were drone and paraglider to meet, would it sever the lines/chute or are they tougher than I imagine?

I don't know about the lines, but I've seen many videos where they have a camera at the end of a long stick and software which edits the stick out so it kind of looks like a drone. You can tell the video is a bit weird where the stick was.

Ola fucked around with this message at 18:15 on Jul 31, 2020

Epitope
Nov 27, 2006

Grimey Drawer
I kinda want to hate this activity, but it doesn't use a motor or even wheels, so there's no easy way to hate it self-righteously.

Anyway, here's a fun story of a real hard man flying

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2bfeqnwnjdY

mad.radhu
Jan 8, 2006




Fun Shoe

Ciaphas posted:

I ended up calling and asking the instructor a few ago [should have done that before lol] and he suggested my Moabs'll be fine for day 1, since a full flight is unlikely the first day. He also suggested (but didn't require) over-ankle boots, so we'll see how I feel after tomorrow

Speaking of accidents, I can't help but ask this one. I've seen a bunch of paraglider video clearly filmed with a camera drone; obviously they're going to keep distant, but were drone and paraglider to meet, would it sever the lines/chute or are they tougher than I imagine?

I presume that would end quite poorly, a lot of the sites i've flown at ban drones. One of the popular methods is a Insta360 or Gopro Max camera on a stick, which makes for pretty great footage really: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c8hT4XCYJ4o


Epitope posted:

I kinda want to hate this activity, but it doesn't use a motor or even wheels, so there's no easy way to hate it self-righteously.

Anyway, here's a fun story of a real hard man flying

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2bfeqnwnjdY

Why would you want to hate it? It's fun!

Ciaphas
Nov 20, 2005

> BEWARE, COWARD :ovr:


instructor said as much today, too. having seen the lines now I'm still not sure whether the lines would tear or tangle in th e face of quadcopter blades, but either way would be bad news bears

anyway, one day of not-flying was enough to realize i'm not ready for this. Kiting went ok but I underestimated the amount of running involved and massively overestimated the endurance of my lungs and lower back - I simply would not have made it up the hill to the launch.

some otherh year, maybe. :smith:

Ciaphas fucked around with this message at 19:13 on Aug 2, 2020

mad.radhu
Jan 8, 2006




Fun Shoe

Ciaphas posted:

instructor said as much today, too. having seen the lines now I'm still not sure whether the lines would tear or tangle in th e face of quadcopter blades, but either way would be bad news bears

anyway, one day of not-flying was enough to realize i'm not ready for this. Kiting went ok but I underestimated the amount of running involved and massively overestimated the endurance of my lungs and lower back - I simply would not have made it up the hill to the launch.

some otherh year, maybe. :smith:

Hey you've got something to work towards though, It's about where you're going not where you're at

Ciaphas
Nov 20, 2005

> BEWARE, COWARD :ovr:


Yeah, I'll get there - it was just frustrating to realize, is all, and apparently frustration + physical exhaustion does me real dirty :v: I might go back next weekend for a tandem, but in the meantime I've got 'til October-ish to improve the back & stamina situation before I try again

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mad.radhu
Jan 8, 2006




Fun Shoe
I've never flown a tandem, but I see folks out doing them a lot. They seem like a good time, to be honest

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