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My paramotor blog!


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So let's have a go at blogging and see what we can achieve with this idea then shall we?? ?

 

SHIRE WING 

 

So here gos :)

 

This is the first blog I've ever tried to do so bear with me guys... be gentle and any tips from more experienced bloggers/internet entrepreneurs most definately welcome!!

 

My name is Danny smith, i live in a tiny hamlet called asthal which is in the cotswolds not far from burford!I have two businesses at the moment! One is valeting cars and one is landscaping. I am 30 years old,and as much as I love to create beautiful landscapes and valet peoples cars which I have excelled at so far, the way I see it,i have another good 40 years of so called "work" life left in me!

 

I start my paramotor pilot course tomorrow in a place called membury, which is in swindon!

 

Now weather it's going to be flying a paramotor or some other avenue, I'm most definately going to find a way to make money in doing the things I love the most....So let me explain a little more about my lifestyle first of all!

 

I live in my motorhome most of the year between Oxfordshire and Somerset where I have my children in both places! So already I have had to find a career which supports this lifestyle which keeps me mobile between the two places! Don't get me wrong the two businesses are perfect for this, but as with most things in my life I'm just playing around really ? and seeing what's possible if I so wish it ;)

 

I'm into posting alot on Facebook positive quotes,and just trying to always feel that freedom life can most definately offer those who seek it no matter what your situation!

 

I have been reading and watching alot of posts and content lately on people travelling the country or even the world whilst making a living selling their footage or other means online,armed just with a laptop! Now this appeals to me In a big way :) why wouldn't it....right?

 

I will be straight up and honest here! I have absolutely no idea which way this path is going or will take me! But one thing I AM certain on is I will make it work, and it will carve a beautiful journey of that I'm sure :)

 

So yeah :) that's me and what I'm trying to achieve guys! Any like minded souls local or not so local to me that I can learn from please DO get in touch ;) and for anyone slightly curious of my lifestyle or wanting to just have a laugh at what I'm doing please like the page and follow me on this madness we call life :)

 

My nickname on the paramotoring forum is winging_it ... in all honesty here, that's what's going on ??

 

Follow me @ https://www.facebook.com/shirewing

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SHIRE WING

DAY 1!

After texting Simon on the phone last night to confirm it was ok to come and start training today...

I took a nice shower and an early night! 

Well... i thought it was going to be an early night ?

No nerves at all just pure excitement :)  ended up sitting up till about 12 watching paramotor clips on YouTube! ?

Got up about half 5 this morning massive ol grin on my face buzzing for the day ??

Normal morning routine! 

Shower,prayers,meditation,thanks giving,massive morning juice, quick little pump training session then out the door! (Yeah I did brush my teeth but do I need to write that?) ?

It turns out that the actual flying school field is literally connected to membury services off of the m4!! 

Anybody want to come and watch me make a fool of myself you are more than welcome ?

Arrived dead on 0900 hours like I was told (impressed with that) ?good boy!

Jumped out the van and was greeted by the gang! 

You got Simon I think the head instructor? A massive grin always on his face and laughs easy :) you got to laugh and have fun! Made me relaxed straight away...easy going guy!

Then you got Scottish colin,I think this man is probably as wild as the hills he was born on ? and reminds me of my Scottish family a hell of a lot... even close accent because they from near enough the same area! 

It was both mine and another lads first day  called Scott,sound lad himself and I think we both smashed it today really! 

Straight away it looked like it was going to lash it down!! (Great) so we headed over for a nice brew in the costa conveniantly right next to the place! 

A load more people joined us...People all the way over from the isle of white for this course even! 

All talking about flying over crop circles and aliens wtf??? But ok!!! ? it was a nice buzz all laugh and have the crack  (what it's about no??)

Thought to myself come and spend a night in the woods with me... i'll show you aliens or the mushrooms will ? but thought best not I'll leave it off! 

Anyways... the weather cleared, the coffee was drunk so we set off!

The morning was mostly like flying a fucking huge kite (Great fun!) Yes we done alot of ground handling at this stage,I could control the wing great using the a's and d's by the time the morning was out!

After lunch we put a harness and helmet on and started to practice take off without actually taking off! Also great fun was had! First of all I practiced forward launch which I managed 2/3 straight off the bat! (Impressed myself!) The reverse launch however was more difficult, I didn't manage to complete one fully!

Even had a crash with a beautiful blonde in cowboy boots (pretty random)!! 

And that was the day pretty much wrapped up! 

So hope we can train tomorrow but we have to see the weather...

Until next time guys :)

Any feedback appreciated or tips from experienced bloggers/internet entrepreneurs 

All the best 

Danny.smith

Edited by Winging_it
Kiwi pointed out a few things!(thanks)
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My training blog which is different to the blog I am writing on my Facebook page indeed kiwi... i just copied and pasted,I included more actual detail of the tasks we carried out today, anymore pointers or what you want added? Let me know and I will if it helps anybody 

 

Dan 

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Was there any wind? 

If no, how far did you run forward before collapsing in a heap? We had organised sprints down a beach to see who got the furthest....my 22 year old son out did all of us!

Were you using small wing? How small?

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The wind was very up and down all day, but I have nothing to compare to Andy! I wouldn't say a massively windy day, more so at the start trailing off to little or no wind in the evening.. .

 

If you know the field I probably made it half way back to where the vans park from the tarmac so width ways... maybe! Lol

 

The beach sprint sounds a blast!

 

The wing didn't seem small but again I'm sorry but I don't know the answer to that? Nothing to compare to yet!

 

All best 

 

Dan 

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With a 5 to 10 mph breeze you can reverse the wing well. Above 10 and it starts to get more entertaining. I was learning in a good breeze with my son hanging onto the harness......when we both ended up in the air for a time!...24m wing.

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SHIRE WING 

Day 2 ;)

Up awake and buzzing for the second day! 

Normal morning ritual.. up shower prayer meditation and a banging juice to set me on the way! Yes I brushed my teeth ?

Arrived on site around 9 am!

All new faces today, but the boys were absolutely buzzing from the off ?

It was to be two of theirs first ever flight! 

And my god what a day for it sun absolutely blaze ;)

Well... i thought it was a good day for it but read on ?

More work all morning for me on basically flying a huge kite...

Then after lunch it was on to forward and reverse launches!

I got it that good now I can have the wing up and steer myself wherever I want to go as if in the air ;)

Now this is where a HUGE...not only flying lesson came in but a life lesson so take heed ;)

This is a scorcher of a day... no wind at all so you had to start being silent... and really really feeling the slightest movement of breeze on your face or skin, which direction it comes from and why it's cold or hot? 

Now colin god bless him spent most the day with me,patience of the man unreal, a gentleman it turns out ;)

He started explaining to me about thermals and this gos quite deep ? I'm writing this here for anyone with ears to listen, but also for my brain also to see it writ down and comprehend correct...

Now on a roasting day, when you feel that cool breeze first... followed by a wave of heat, followed by more cold that's a THERMAL going through you. Imagine loads of separate swirls constantly round about you Invisible to the eye? Now the core is warm and the outside is cool... well that's what's going on there ?

But then he went on to start looking at clouds and explaining what is actually going ON there! ?

If you can hear what's being said here it's fucking tribal mate...it is what it is ?

Now you see on a baking hot day, the small clouds that look quite tight? Like a tight ball of cotton? 

Well that is the top of a massive thermal, so the air? It comes up hot dead underneath and the "steam" (cloud) is the top... it spills out down the sides...all swirl like on the ground but bigger ?

Now if your into "as above so below" and "as within so without" then feast on this?? 

Colin made the comparison "now look at the sea boy?" "The white choppy waves??"...

"Same as up there!" 

So even tho it looked pure calm and peaceful on ground..  you can see that obviously where them clouds were,you would be fucking chucked all over the place ?

So then the waiting game started... when you could see the clouds starting to have more fluffy edges, the heat rising is clearly subsiding... (calmer waters) ;)

The two boys first flights went sweet as a nut! ?

Can't wait for my turn believe me ;)

This is a massive spiritual thing for me, and I think all there if they admit it really.. 

Now talking about that going silent, sensing the wind... FEELING the swirls go round about you before you make a decision...well it  feels almost like another sense is being brought into consciousness but whatever! Have a laugh or have a think...take from it what you want or can ?

can only imagine what more there is to learn ;)

Anyways.... so far so so sweet man ?

Finished there for the day and went straight to my cousins, fucking madman himself ?

Got his wing and motor out, got comms on the go and learnt a lot mainly about the reflex pullies when he was in the air...And what they do when you have your trims fully out... his landing was epic ??

All the best whoever reads this ;)

As always any experienced bloggers or INTERNET entrepreneurs please do get at me :)

Danny Smith

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Nice one Danny. I was the second bloke to go up that day and yes it was bumpy. While being up there, I actually liked it but the approach to land was a bit dodgy. God knows what I would have done if Simon wasn't in my ear. I've watched the video about 100 times :)

Anyway, nice one on putting the blog together. Interesting read and from a new pilot myself, I can relate.

Good luck on your next day on the airfield fella

Danny Kellett

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  • 1 month later...

SHIRE WING 

Day 3 

Well what can I say and where to start ?

Up at about 5 to watch the sunrise and give thanks for such a stunning day! 

The sun was blazing and I just knew it was going to be an awesome day, and to make it even better my mum Sharon Draper came along to see what it was all about :)

After taking a friend home to Oxford first of all and sitting in ridiculous traffic (still no clue how or why people can do that every day) we hit the road! 

We was a little late getting to membury, probably about 10 am... 

It was a different crowd again but we was greeted by Simon Westmore with a big ol smile on his face having the crack as usual!

Again don't let the nice weather and blue skies fool you with this flying game, the wind was going from 0-20 and back down again just as fast! 

All I managed to do was kite the wing all day,(which basically means flying a fuck off huge kite!)and believe me... that was one hell of a workout.

There was Nothing new learnt,but it was a good refresher day where it's been so long since the last two days I completed ;)

During the day two lads did turn up who I've met before and get on well with!

Dan who I saw take his first flight was brilliant to watch! ? like I said it was a very windy day and he is a fairly light lad... he was like watching road runner trying to run in his harness and actually getting pulled all over the place but soldiered through it ?

Also Connor was there later on in the day, even tho the wind was right up...he was doing some amazing Ariel stunts which was cool to see I must say! Spinning and then real low skimming the ground....

Also met a nice enough bloke called ed who's first day it was ;) it might of been the blind leading the blind but I was teaching him the basics of kiting the wing 

So yeah... all in all a scorcher of a day, a great laugh with the boys (good peoples) and good kite practice!

After leaving membury we headed over to my cousins Richard Westen place for a little more intense training ;)

And what a place it is too.....

By this time the wind had dropped,so in no time at all I was doing reverse launches with the new dudeck snake! And if anyone knows that wing they will know this ain't easy ?

After a few attempts I had it sitting there lovely, guiding how and where I wanted...

Next up Richie got his bulldog motor out and I done some motor practice, just feeling the power of the thing and at what angle to run and keep as straight and arms still as possible.

He's going to make a great teacher is Richie, he's a very animated man with a passion for it like you wouldn't believe  (Lee Evans hasn't got anything on him ??) had me in stitches the whole day believe me....

We then watched a load of videos on crashes and picked them apart as to why?? And how they crashed...then done some paperwork on how wings and air works in general.

And that wraps it up! Came away a bit dazed from the sun and maybe slight information overload but gotta love the life man! 

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