Aces High Bulletin Board
General Forums => The O' Club => Topic started by: Sparks on April 26, 2006, 09:22:09 PM
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On a recent skiing holiday in the Alps I did a tandem paraglide taster (picture below) :)
I am hooked !!
Has anyone any experience and can anyone recommend a school in the Southern Cal area.
Thanks Sparks
(http://www.onpoi.net/ah/pics/users/43_1146104445_paragliding1websize.jpg)
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Something tells me Gh0stFT does it. I imagine Torrey Pines would be a place to find out about it in So Cal.
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:eek: I wouldn't try it , :eek: being held up in the air just by a few strings doesn't sound like a good idea to me
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Thanks Holden - just checked out the website and it looks good . I will be taking a look at the weekend.
Raider - it is incredible. Just amazing. And you can pack it in your car and no hangarage or anything . It must be the easiest access flying available.
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Gnards <---- 12th man out on a 14 man stick, C130, Ft. Bragg 1977...1st one to hit the ground.
Chutes are over rated, Trees Rule!!!
Mac
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Sparks - I've done what was once called "parascending", in which you put on the harness with chute and stand on the back of a speedboat. With the chute fully inflated they start up the winch and you get let out on a ~100ft cord. I was hooked - literally! I haven't done it in free flight.
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Yes, Gh0stFT does a lot of paragliding AFAIK.
If you live near a suitable area, it is a wonderful sport. I'd like to try it this summer in France, but I'm afraid to become hooked.... ;)
It looks safer than it is, tho. A canopy can be folded in a bow-tie by invisible wind vortices or a downdraft can cause it to deflate. Having that happening to you at 100 ft will results in a lot of broken bones or even worse. Some manufacturers even offer a donut shaped 'reserve' as last ditch measure if a Zephyr turns your beautiful canopy in a big ball o' crap.
That being said, taking proper lessons and keeping common sense should greatly minimize the risks.
Keep us posted :aok
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I've worked on the top of a church steeple on a wooden scaffold held up by nothing more then a few 1X1s (thats one inch by 1 inch) nailed together.
I'd stood on the ledge of a 10 story building (technically 11 stories up) then with no safety harness climbed down a rope 5 stories to get on a swing scaffold.
I've Canoed the upper Delaware River and shot rapids. at night while not wearing a life jacket.
I've Climbed to the top of a mountain (Seneca Rock West VA) without the use of climbing equipment other then a stick with a hooked end I found laying around a the base.
I've stood on the second to top rung of a fully extended 40 Ft ladder just to reach a spot I couldnt get at any other way with a strong wind blowing (Not an experiance I would reccomend for everyone)
But there is no way. NO WAY I am jumping out of an airborn plane that isnt either on fire or had its controls rendered useless LOL
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Originally posted by DREDIOCK
But there is no way. NO WAY I am jumping out of an airborn plane that isnt either on fire or had its controls rendered useless LOL
That's good because in Paragliding/scending/sailing you don't have to jump out of anything :) Find yourself a clean patch of land for an impromtu runway, and off you go!
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Thanks deSelys. Do you happen to know of contact details for him (e-mail) - if so can you ask him to PM me.
I'm planning to go down to Torrey Pines this weekend to have a look and talk to some instructors etc.
I wouldn't jump out of a plane with an un-opened chute but with this you know it's open before you go :D
It felt to me like how you fly in your dreams - just nothing round you and quiet - incredible experience.
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... I just now realised that was a guy on his back & not a fan. Like this guy...
(http://www.americanppg.com/images/evan_600x.jpg)
Ahh, it's called Paramotoring. So many different names & activities for dangling under a parachute =P
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Sparks, I don't have his e-mail but he posted here no later than yesterday and he should be attracted by this thread's title like a fly by a big fresh cow **** ;)
You can also send him an email by checking his profile (http://www.hitechcreations.com/forums/member.php?s=&action=getinfo&userid=892)
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Thanks again. I looked for a profile but couldn't find a post to find a link - PC dyslexic ... Just e-mailed him
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Hi Sparks, welcome to the world of paragliding! :D
like you said "And you can pack it in your car and no hangarage or anything . It must be the easiest access flying available."
thats why i started this back in 2003. No matter where i go with my
friends, i always have my bag with me and if the weather is ok, up & away!
My first flight was also a tandemflight in switzerland/klosters-davos,
after that i bought an old paraglider (1991) from ebay very cheap and started
training alone with just a book LOL.
I cant recommend this to you, dont do it, go to a proffesional school,
without the right knowledge this sport can kill you.
I dont know any school in California, never been there, so i cant help
you with that, but if you have some special questions, i will answere
it. In this sport i found peace, playing with the nature, flying around
for hours alone or with friends, enjoying the view & silence.
here now some pics from different locations:
(http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e382/Gh0stFT/2003SwitzerlandDavos.jpg)
2003 Switzerland / Klosters-Davos first tandemflight
(http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e382/Gh0stFT/2003ebay.jpg)
flying Ebay crap, very riski! ;)
(http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e382/Gh0stFT/2004AustriaStubaital.jpg)
2004 Austria / Stubaital , yes i flown through the Clouds ;) /me crazy
(http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e382/Gh0stFT/2005SloveniaKobarid.jpg)
2005 Slovenia / Kobarid
(http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e382/Gh0stFT/2005AustriaCarinthia.jpg)
2005 Austria / Carinthia , just starting from the Emberger Alm.
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Ghost
those are some great pics, but I dont get how it works? You just find a nice windy spot or what? Is it based on updrafts on how long you can fly?
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All them parachute sports are based on farts:
- paragliders fart to gain alt
- skydivers make the most putrid farts in the plane (*) to have a good 'inscentive' to overcome fear and get out as quickly as possible when the door opens
:p
Seriously, paragliders and hang-gliders use updraft and thermals to gain alt. But Gh0stFT will explain all this much better than myself.
(*) no kidding. The combined effects of a healthy dose of fear and lower air pressure can do 'wonders' on your tubing... Some pilots never get used to it and keep *****ing about it on every load :lol
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There is a wonderful hill nearby where I live for just this perhaps.
Only some 300 feet. long and smooth and grassy and has been used quite a bit for RC gliders because of the upstream.
So, good for paragliding???
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Originally posted by deSelys
(*) no kidding. The combined effects of a healthy dose of fear and lower air pressure can do 'wonders' on your tubing... Some pilots never get used to it and keep *****ing about it on every load :lol
Hmm never had this problem when I flew jumpers. Of course the door didn't actually 'seal' and there was plenty of air flowing about.
Flew with a guy in a Cirrus that once you got above 7000' (Common when flying over the mountains heading south from Ohio) he'd start burping like crazy. It only took one trip for this guy to be required by me to have a flight's supply of gum at all times.
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Lovely pics Ghost. I can't wait to get to the site this weekend and see about times, cost etc.
Ok a few questions:-
1. I have flown solo in fixed wing gliders so understand thermals, ridge lift, wave etc. and have found some of it pretty rough (rotor under wave particularly !) What is the real risk of canopy collapse in turbulence and how good are modern canopies at re-inflating?
2. How far can you go with modern canopies ?? Glide ratio ??
3. Are the licensing standards transferable across countries ?
4. How long will a canopy last - I've heard 4-5 years before UV exposure makes it suspect. Inspections every year ??
Roll on Sunday
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iirc, in the US chutes have to be repacked professionally every 120 days if they sit that long.
i assume there is some sort of inspection that goes along with the packing procedure, but i dont know much about it
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Debonair, this rule is for skydiving reserve parachutes, containers and harnesses.
The main canopy isn't subject to any regulation regarding packing, manufacturing or size as long as your reserve and harness have the TSO approval (there are different classes regarding exit weight and max deployment velocity). In fact, you could sew a canopy yourself and jump it perfectly legally if your reserve and rig are approved.
I don't know what are the rules for emergency rigs for pilots but I suspect that it goes along the same line.
I don't think that there are regulations of the same order for paragliders but I may be wrong.
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Sparks - which glider types have you flown solo? If at a gliding club in the UK, which one?
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Originally posted by Sparks
2. How far can you go with modern canopies ?? Glide ratio ??
PPGs tend to average 6:1. Paragliders will be better since there's no drag from the motor, prop, & cage.
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Originally posted by Sparks
Ok a few questions:-
1. I have flown solo in fixed wing gliders so understand thermals, ridge lift, wave etc. and have found some of it pretty rough (rotor under wave particularly !) What is the real risk of canopy collapse in turbulence and how good are modern canopies at re-inflating?
2. How far can you go with modern canopies ?? Glide ratio ??
3. Are the licensing standards transferable across countries ?
4. How long will a canopy last - I've heard 4-5 years before UV exposure makes it suspect. Inspections every year ??
Roll on Sunday
1.) First, you will learn to judge meteorological conditions, you just dont
start and lets see what will happen. Flying Waves (Lenticularis) is a no no
for paragliders to many large scale turbulences, in Germany its forbidden to
fly in such weather conditions (Foehn). Wind is not wind, if you fly ridges
the air should be laminar, to much turbulences and you better land or stay
on ground. Its similar for flying thermals, they can be very strong turbulence,
you just dont enter it if you are not ready. Collapses happen, but usualy there
are instant re-inflating also. With the expirience you will learn to avoid
canopy collapses, we call it "active flying". And canopy is not canopy, there
are beginner canopys and others for Pro's. Beginner canopys can re-inflating
without any pilot input, the expert things need pilot reaction for re-inflating.
2.) modern canopys, (the Expert ones) have usualy a glide ratio of aprox 8:1
but like i said they need an expirienced pilot in difficult conditions, if you
are not interested in championships, its beyound me why fly a more difficult
thing if you can have a much more relaxed flying with just 6.5:1 or 7:1 glide ratio ;)
3.)The International Pilot Proficiency Information (http://www.fai.org/hang_gliding/safety/ippi)
4.) In Germany the inspections are made every 2 years. And how long does it take
until UV exposure makes it suspect depends on how often you are flying. Normaly
you can fly your paraglider without problems 6+ years, if its still in good condition
even longer. The reserve is ok for 10 years, after that you need to buy a new one.
Originally posted by GtoRA2
Ghost
those are some great pics, but I dont get how it works? You just find a nice windy
spot or what? Is it based on updrafts on how long you can fly?
When flying, you can actually soar like a bird taking advantage of rising air in the
form of thermals or ridge (wind) lift. Paragliders dynamically are closer akin to the
wings of a 747 than to a parachute. A parachutes purpose is to bring you down to the
ground slowly. The purpose of a paraglider is to go up higher into the air allowing
you to fly for hours at a time, covering miles of terrain, by utilizing the upward
movement of air to keep you afloat.
And Sparks, here is some fun movies from paragliding in california area: astocker (http://www.astocker.com/paragliding/movies/)
I hope you have a lot fun at Sunday! :D
We have bad weather right now, raining,
not even a chance for groundhandling *grmpf*
R
Gh0stFT
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Thanks Ghost, I'll post how I get on this weekend.
Beet - I flew at Yorkshire Gliding Club - Sutton Bank year ago . Soloed Blanik, K8, Astir and Pegasus (once) then I ran out of money :). Was a really fun time.....
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K8! That was a fun little wooden glider. Good for soaring but couldn't penetrate a 10 knot headwind! Astir - LOL, the poor man's "entry level" glass ship. I was in an Astir CS syndicate in 1985/86. I never did get to fly the Pegasus. People raved about it and said how much better it was than the Astir.
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Hijacked my own thread LOL! We called the Astir the "Concrete Swan" Training route at SB was Blanik - K8 - Pirat - Astir - Pegasus. Someone crashed the Pirat so I missed out that one and did the Astir. The pegasus was lovely but my one and only flight was one of re-learning speed control - "oops 65" "whoa 70" ......
All of that was 20+ years ago and I miss flying now but I don't want all that goes along with gliding - expensive aircraft, expensive aerotows, hangar or trailer spot, expensive club fees, days pulling gliders round the airfield ....
And power flying - I have to think if I can afford it therefore I can't :)
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Originally posted by Sparks
And power flying - I have to think if I can afford it therefore I can't :)
Just learn paragliding, and then you can try powered paragliding,
no hangar, no expensive aerotows, no expensive club fees ...
everything you need you can pack in the back of your car.
Hey and you dont even need thermals! to stay in air ;) but thats another story...
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Well did the investigation Sunday and decided against that particular school. It has a good reputation by all accounts but I didn't feel good about it - various things (some of which I won't say here for fear of being sued :D ) but for instance - the site was REALLY crowded and the hanggliders weren't even flying - model aircraft whizzing round your ears, sunday spectators all over the place. Also, if you join to have to sign a contract to say you will ONLY buy equipment from THEM. If you want a make they don't sell they will get it in for you but on their terms.
So I'm looking for other schools. Still want to fly though :)