Why?

[admin (Simon W)]

Thanks Norman,

not easy is it! I wonder if Piers is lurking and could let us know how he manages it.

Also could someone explain why the embeded Utube video isn't working:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q8OBxTMG6wg

Cheers.

Togsie

ASSUMING THERE ARE NO SPACES...

You typed this in your code

http:// www.youtube.com /v/Q8OBxTMG6wg]

You should have typed this

http:// www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q8OBxTMG6wg

Look at the end of the video code and you will spot your mistake.

SW

[Malcs]

For sure it would be painful, dealing with Indian customs is far worse than here. I play harmonica and carry a case of 12 with me everywhere I go and every single time I get pulled in Indian airports and made to explainwhat they all are and why I need so many, "are you planning to sell them sir", "will you be taking them home with you", "will you be earning money playing them in India sir", I played Last of The Summer Wine at Bangalore customs once after being asked if I could prove that I could actually play, to much amusement to the other westerners! Last time I took a portable recording studio and they had a field day with me!

Anyway, I would say that the best bet would be to take a brand new one with you, some kind of certificate and perhaps photos to show that you do actually take part in the sport and a phone number of someone there who will verify that you are going to fly it. Once you get there and you've done your week or two flying, sell it, you'll most likely get back what you paid as it would be a lot cheaper than Indians imprting them through the proper channels and the red tape that is such a pain in the arse for them. Obviously you'd need a confirmed buyer before going but you could almost guarantee a flying school out there would buy it from you, probably the wing too.

Then, you can come home with a suitcase full of cheap clothes, handmade drums and incense! Win win situation.

Seriously, keep me in mind if any of you fancy that, even if I can't go I know a lot of contacts that can help fix things once your there!

[carvingair]

...because the glider is open when I take off YES, skydiving is for crazy people I thought, hanggliding didn't work for me because I was too young in the early 80's to get instruction and thought one could fly when filled with Newfoundland Screech (local rum with kick). For a while I considered the fame but most still ignore me so that's not it...I think I like it most because it defies logic i.e we cannot fly, flying is for birds. The peace is astounding, the social experience positively superb, the phone I cannot hear, the choices are ALL MINE, it fixes my mind and I can effectively deal with trivial matters which haunted me before I scooped this flying - medication for life so to speak. No more babbling, but a short joke I heard from a new flying friend as follows...

An old southern country preacher from Georgia had a teenage son and it

was getting time the boy should give some thought to choosing a

profession. Like many young men, the boy didn't really know what he

wanted to do, and he didn't seem too concerned about it. One day, while

the boy was away at school, his father decided to try an experiment. He

went into the boy's room and placed on his study table four objects - a

Bible, - a silver dollar, - a bottle of whiskey and a - Playboy

magazine.'I'll just hide behind the door,' the old preacher said to

himself. 'When he comes home from school this afternoon, I'll see which

object he picks up. If it's the Bible, he's going to be a preacher like

me, and what a blessing that would be! If he picks up the dollar, he's

going to be a businessman, and that would be OK. But if he picks up the

bottle, he's going to be a no-good drunkard, and, Lord, what a shame

that would be. And worst of all, if he picks up that magazine he's

gonna be a skirt-chasin' bum.'The old man waited anxiously, and soon

heard his son's footsteps as he entered the house whistling and headed

for his room. The boy tossed his books on the bed, and as he turned to

leave the room he spotted the objects on the table. With curiosity in

his eye, he walked over to inspect them. Finally, he picked up the Bible

and placed it under his arm. He picked up the silver dollar and dropped

it into is pocket. He uncorked the bottle and took a big drink while he

admired this month's Centerfold. 'Lord have mercy,' the old preacher

disgustedly whispered, 'he's gonna be a pilot!'

Cheers Bro's (and flying Sis's),

Marko D Reflexjunkie

[asquaddie]

Well after reading some of the above, I thought it was time I put finger to key. Not, because mine is more exciting but each one has something slightly different in it and Norman, if you can analyse each one – then I’ll book a session with you….

I joined the Army when I was 16 and been to some good and bad places in my time – mostly all organized and regimental. I had just turned 35 and sitting in a boring office feeling old, unwanted in life (yep, marriage rocking) and just wanted to do something exciting in my life. I have always been interested in aviation – flying model helicopters for years. Enjoying domestic flights and even volunteering for helicopter flights in Northern Ireland. Being in the ‘Airmobile’ role’ it seemed I was attached to helicopters for a good number of years. The Battalion was planning a large exercise in Canada and the guys were booking some Adventure Training – 10 days Sky Diving was on the list – so I had to go for it and put my name down.

Cutting it short – it was great – scary, but exciting and very thrilling. I know it sounds bad, but getting paid to do this – what a life. A short time after, I was posted to Cyprus for three years. During that tour, I put my name down for a two-week Hang Gliding course. Passed the EP course and done some lovely ridge soaring (hiring a HG for £1 a day from the RAF – love them). During the last few months, I found out that the RAF had a gliding club, so I paid for a few lessons there, but due to the time, I was unable to gain any qualifications.

Now back in the UK, still had the HG bug and arranged some flying in Wales. Wet, cold and small grassy hills made it hard work – well I was in Cyprus before. It was getting to a stage where it was not enjoyable. On the way home one day from an exhausting day on a grassy hill I was passed by a Microlight and thought – ‘Yes, I want to do that’. No, unpacking, packing and waiting for good days. Within 6 months I was having lessons getting that ‘Fun back in my life’, divorced and happy. Then, met my dear old wife 2 B and brought a house, dogs and all the other things involved in setting up a house together so money was getting tight. Spending £70 a month just keeping my ML in a hanger was dead money – it was getting hard to justify it now.

My memory lapses me when I first thought of Paramotoring, but when I did I spent the next 8 months on the web researching Paramotoring and reading forums and personal diaries – which I thought was very helpful. After a taster day at ParAvion and getting some negative fibres from the club – quote ‘Yes, smelly machines’. I contacted Simon and it all went from there. Obviously I can’t really explain my feelings yet, but in a ML when I was around 500 feet and below I was scared, but euphoric with the feeling. Then when I am over 1500, the feeling goes and I am more relaxed with the situation – the big wide smile starts and the memories stay for ever..

[norman]

Marko,

You write with characteristic Canadian aplomb! Loved the joke.

Where are you by the way, if you give us a Lat/Long I will put up a GE map to pinpoint you. Not your address, just your general area - it's interesting to see where our members fly.

asquaddie,

Thanks for the tale, sounds like you have had as much fun as anyone getting here.

Interesting comment about paragliding and the 'other place'. Weird isn't it that there seems to be conflict - an abrasive, partisan clannishness between people that worship at the differing altars of flight? In a perfect world if you were trying to create the most rounded aviator you might start him off with a paraglider/paramotor, progress him through gliding to powered gliding, then onward towards a light aircraft. Hell, even ballooning might feature somewhere.

If you did this your fledgling would have a far greater understanding of what a wing truly is, and how it works. The open air, visceral experience of sitting beneath a wing trying to work the sky and stay airborne would produce a level of sympathetic awareness that would serve him/her well throughout their flying career. So why the divergence and foolish attitude?

Daniel Bernoulli's theory applies across the range of craft that take to the air, it is we who partition it and create ghettos inhabited with closed minds.

Before we get too much older we are going to see recreational aviation take an evolutionary leap as new materials and inventions come our way. How about semi rigid paramotor wings that weigh half what they do now; hybrid pertrol/electric motors powered by biodeisel and hydrogen fuel cells? When you look at just these technologies and marry them to trike/wheeled vehicles something new again begins to emerge. Are we as paramoteurs going to remain devoted to two stroke motors and ripstop nylon wings and an undercarriage that reacts very badly (and sometimes permanently) to hard landings... or will we evolve.

Shouldn't we at least all be pulling in the same direction?

[Guest]

I am a solitary sort and like the "being in the moment" experience i get with flying. I learned to fly paragliders as a hill pilot and soon progressed to mountain flying. I just love getting really high and the earth goes flat and features disappear. I took up paramotoring quite early in my paragliding and it helped me progress quickly by lifting me into the thermals where they are well formed. Now I use my paramotor to get me really high and turn it off and try to stay up as long as I can. then if I get low I can just turn it back on and go up again!!!!

Just getting high literally and emotionally, getting airbourne and leaving all the earthly concerns in the boot of the car. To spend an hour just sitting in mid air and soaring and swooping, it is a spiritual experience and I need it like oxygen.

[norman]

Flying is, or can be, a solitary experience can't it? Relying on ourselves and what we have learnt is a direct personal test and as such produces a truth. That truth can be exhilarating and even if it leaves you feeling wanting, that realisation sends you skyward again to do better next time. Flying with someone else is different again, it becomes more of a shared experience with another human enjoying what is to be had from the sky. Solo flight for me is 'where it is at' when we come to purity and fundamentals; perhaps another reason that paramotoring appeals so much.

Yes, it is oxygen for the soul. Beautifully put Francis.

[norman]

Thanks everyone who responded to this thread, I found the responses really useful and have logged them all.

Fire away if you feel you want to add something.

Kind regards,

Norman