Powered paragliding user a paraglider wing in conjunction with a paramotor. You are considered an ultralight light aircraft and can take off anywhere that it’s safe to run until the wing catches wind and lifts off.
Sounds fun. Anyone into this?
What do you like about it most?
What don’t you like about it?
Any unique/cool stories to share?
I took an ultralight flight over Victoria Falls. Needless to say, it was spectacular. The best part was we got some unexpected wildlife sightings from the air, including an elephant just ambling down the road in the middle of town on the Zimbabwe side.
Oddly, I didn’t find it scary at all, despite being a pretty nervous flyer. It felt really natural and comfortable- kind of like being on a motorcycle that just happens to be flying through the air.
Never tried it myself, but it seems popular up here.
I did this for my 40th birthday. There was a local guy who gave lessons. Basically, you watched a video and passed a multiple-choice test and then you could fly solo. The first flight was on a course, with your instructor in one-way contact with you via a walkie-talkie (the receiver was in your helmet)… you took off, flew around an oval course once, then again coming down low near the takeoff point and going up again, and then landing on the third time around. It was one of the more extreme things I’ve ever done… you’re way up in the air really fast, strapped into this little chair that doesn’t even have armrests. It was very exhilarating and scary… I didn’t have much chance to relax and enjoy it, especially because I went up so high that I lost contact with the instructor for awhile.
My friend from the Navy was very into this, and he invited me out a few years ago. After a bit of a hassle getting strapped in (I’m a big guy, and there’s BARELY room for 2 on this particular machine), and we take off. We get to about 100 ft or so, and I hear (through the headsets we’re wearing) my buddy starting to grunt and swear, and I realize he can’t seem to steer us.
We crashed into the side of a hill. I thought my leg had snapped on impact, but somehow, though the chassis of the contraption was bent, both of us were uninjured besides a few bruises. We figured my right leg had somehow got caught up in the steering cables.
It seemed like it would have been fun if we hadn’t crashed. I have not tried it again.
::envious::
I got to fly one (with a trained co-pilot) over a few lochs and pastures in Scotland. Not quite Victoria Falls, but gorgeous nonetheless and fun to try…
…so, not *into *it, per se, but really enjoyed it…
