Categories
Skills

Tools of The XC Trade – By Gavin McClurg

I avoided paragliding consciously for over ten years. Many good friends were pilots, all of them continuously prodded me to make my first jump. It looked like a blast, something I’d probably take to; but I also kept hearing the old saying that “there are old pilots, and there are bold pilots, but there are no old, bold pilots.” Accidents seemed frequent with rather…long term consequences. I’m a total adrenaline junky. I don’t have a very good “stop” button. If a conservative, methodical approach was required to be safe then paragliding was not the sport for me. I dreamed of flying, but kept my feet on the ground. 

Categories
Skills

Mental preparation for XC Paragliding

With all the talk of modern gliders and equipment it was interesting to read the Nova team blog post on how they prepare and train mentally for their record breaking XC flights. They shared some tips and advise on how to plan the routes, prepare for the flights and stay motivated and focused on those (hopefully) long cross country flights.

Categories
Interviews

Tim Alongi Interview

When Tim was two he asked his Dad if he could fly. It was another seven years until he took his first solo flight in Allevard, France. Three years later, watching Thomas Merigout and Michel Macquet flying acro, the 12 year old Tim was inspired. 

Categories
Interviews

Olivier Laugero Interview

Olivier Laugero is an accomplished pilot and paragliding photographer whose adventures are enough to make most of us either sick with jealousy or tremble with fear. In 2009 Olivier was the first person to land a tandem on the summit of Mont Blanc, a feat he’s repeated since.

Categories
Interviews

Jody MacDonald – Paragliding Photography

Having grown up in Saudi Arabia, returning to the US aged eight, Jody MacDonald has scarcely stopped moving since. For the past 10 years she has lived mostly at sea and, in the last five, she’s visited more than 50 countries.