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Sigh ...

so, after my little unplanned umm "getting to know you" session with a tree, I've got my wing back from The Loft, no damage, and waited for some nice weather ...

Richard came over to my place and, as luck would have it, my field had just been cut, ideal for flying :)

Richard got off easily, it took me a couple of goes, nil wind launches are still a bit tricky, I swear this motor gets heavier every time I put it on.

Anyway, I got off, but have to confess to feeling quite uncomfortable. Maybe its just not having flown for a month, I dunno, I did a circuit and approach to the field again, too high, went around for another go and landed. The air was mildly bobbly, nothing even close to rough, but I just didn;t feel confident, like I have done in the past. Ho hum.

Ah well, at least I got up, which is half the battle I suppose.

I think I'll go and find myself an instructor for a day or two, perhaps having someone saying "just get on with it, you're doing fine" in my ear will be all it needs. :)

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Ah well, at least I got up, which is half the battle I suppose.

I think I'll go and find myself an instructor for a day or two, perhaps having someone saying "just get on with it, you're doing fine" in my ear will be all it needs. :)

I feel exactly the same matey, know damn well I can do it but not having that word of encouragement from the guy who trained me directly in my ear telling me that everything is fine and I should nail it kinda spooks me.

At least you got up and down, I had the most perfect launch last night and in perfect conditions too, still bottled it! Learnt a lot though even from that. I WILL be up in the sky this weekend! If only I'd started this in my 20s, when you're in your 40s you tend to think too much about injuries!!

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There is a "sports Psychology" technique to deal with this.They divide your thoughts into internal/external and narrow/broad. An example of external+broad thought would be your attention on the horizon and the approaching weather etc. External narrow are things outside you but within reach e.g. your throttle control, or harness buckles check. Internal Broad would be your general state, elation, anxiety, hungry thirsty, what you did last night and internal narrow are specific things like "I wonder if the lines are gonna snap".

Categorising the thoughts into these types (imagine a graph with a broad/narrow axis and a internal external one). When you notice your mind narrowing and getting "internal" you focus on a broad external thought (one I prepared earlier) like the eagle flying at your wing tip, not a feather ruffled, glides away in front of you and out to the horizon where the sun is glinting on the distant water.........

What peter Pan calls the "happy thought" to make you fly!

In reality nothing changes except your perception, its a mind control thing. It is actually VERY important as fear degrades rational, logical thought and it is that which will get you safely back to land; your decisions. You can poo your pants once you get there.

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Christ Francis, thats all a bit deep for me! I know I'm going through some kind of personal mental process, can't explain it in any terms but I also know that if I don't force it, all will turn out well.

I went through a similar mental thing with quad racing a few years back, I was terrified of taking double jumps for the fear of slamming into the 2nd one then one day it all felt right and I did it regularly and never got it wrong.

Went through the same terror with scuba diving but never got through it as I didn't want it enough.

My desire to fly around in freedom will eventually overcome my fear of taking off and landing, I have the same fear on a plane but of course the decision is made for me, if passengers could abort take off and landings then I'd have sent several planes off the end of the runway and done a few flybys too :D

All feels very healthy to me dealing with fears and aprehension.

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Heh heh...

OK....... Peter pan says "think your Happy Thought" !

Just passing on what helps me and saying you are right it is very healthy, we all feel it and work through.....we wid ya bro'

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You need to come and have a cross country with a few friends if you are flying with others you know every thing is ok other wise they would not be flying

Taking off is a state of mind P M A (positive mental attitude)

everything double checked

I will take off

I am going to take off

And you will take off

Pete b

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There are also some great breathing tricks you can do to calm your nurves 100% in a matter of 30 seconds.

I will show you next time your up here.

SW :D

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If only I'd started this in my 20s, when you're in your 40s you tend to think too much about injuries!!

Umm .. I did start in my twenties and I am now in my 40's ... hee hee ... still, I guess just putting some more airtime in will do it :)

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In reality nothing changes except your perception, its a mind control thing. It is actually VERY important as fear degrades rational, logical thought and it is that which will get you safely back to land; your decisions. You can poo your pants once you get there.

Interesting ...

I shall have a think about that :)

Ive used a lot of this stuff before but never really needed it in paragliding .. always felt pretty safe and fun up there.

I use an "initiator thought" in my rifle shooting. once that sequence is started, the subconcious runs the show and fires the shot, i have to confess my subconcious mind is a way better shot than my concious mind, so I prefer to let my subconcious get on with it :)

I remember a technique from climbing that worked for me, but that was more to do with overcoming specific fears and problems ... if a really hard move psyched you out, put all yur fears and thoughts into an imaginary box .. close the lid, tape it shut, tie a ribbon on it, and pop it into your rucksac. make the move. in reallity, you probably don't have any choice, its either make the move or a much more dangerous descent, even if that is possible. So .. make the move. When its over, after the climb, opne that box and analyse those fears. where they justified? was the move actually easy? you learn a lot for from that :)

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Yes :D

If you can ground handle a wing...

And move around with a motor on your back....

You can fly a Paramotor.

so....

WELCOME TO THE SPORT!

SW :D

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are ...

getting to stand up ...

and ... the first 3 steps in a nil-wind launch

apart from that, you don't need that much strength really.

umm, trying to forward launch in anything but a breath of wind might be a bad idea, its easy to get pulled back with the motor on your back, thats how I did my back in :(

apart from that, its fine .. just get going and get up there :)

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OK, so, i was going to have a couple of days training with Paddysparamotortraining ... but it doesn't seem to be happening, who else is there thats a good independent instructor and within not too many thousand miles of Kidderminster 9thats left of Birmingham to you ..) ??

I'd be up for a couple of days of confidence building fun anyway, and it would get me out of the office.

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To be fair, he sounded a pleasant enough chap, and was very helpful etc on the phone. Just hasn't actually managed to ring me like he said he would, ahh well. Maybe thats the downside of being "relaxed" :) ... I'm sure it would be fine if it actually got organsied, but so far, it hasn't.

Looks like a lovely day for it too. I may just go for a bit of a wander about the skies anyway, going to work is not that appealing today :)

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