Who wants to learn to Paraglide with me

Mark · Wed Aug 12, 09 11:51 am

Decided to get away and head up north. Like that they have rolling hills and work on lots of take offs and landings.

http://www.paragliding.us/index.php?option=com_content&view=frontpage&Itemid=1

Look forward to gliding with you soon!

bambam · Since 15 Mar 2005 760 Posts Hood River Photographer

Go git it Mark!

Give Doug and Denise a big hello from me!

Looks like I will home from Europe in time to make the Chelan Halloween Fly In!

Yeeeeeeeeeeee Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

Bams

FlyDunes · Since 09 Oct 2007 1034 Posts Aloha XTreme Poster

Have fun! I'll look for you at local launches soon.

Brad and Maren at Discover Paragliding or Kelly Kellar at Maxroc would have been great (and local) choices for instruction. I've got a feeling you might end up calling one them anyway after your lessons in WA (not that I have anything against the WA folks). Either that or make sure you hook up with a local pilot to fly with and get input from after you get your P2.

registered · Since 12 Jul 2005 1319 Posts tsunami Sandbagger

Don't forget skybrothers.. as a kiteboarder alex could teach some cross over stuff to.

Alex was a very professional instructor and has a great area where I took lessons.

And you get to see where some of those youtube vids were made that you all are fans of.

http://www.skybrothers.com/

andrewbanandrew · Since 15 Jun 2009 7 Posts Kook

There's a guy on Seattle Craigslist that offered me lessons in exchange for a used kite, so there's one route...

bambam · Since 15 Mar 2005 760 Posts Hood River Photographer

Sik Nik and Alex usually teach at the Ranch that is run by Doug Stroop and Denise through Aerial Paragliding. Unfortunately I do not believe that either are teaching on a regular basis these days. This is Dixon Whites old school, and Doug and Denise have both recieved the Instructor of the Year award in the past. In my opinion, taking nothing away from other instructors, Mark is going to the best place to learn in the NW due to the conditions, layout, and instructors.

Short 5-10 minute flights, direct drive up for relaunch, mountain environment that will require forward launches in the morning and reverses later in the day, and a great wing kiting area. By staying at the Ranch and eating and breathing paragliding, it makes the learning process go much faster and gives you the broadest range of experience.

I will be up flying with Mark on Wednesday, and hopefully the conditions in the afternoon will allow us to hit 10k from the Tibetts launch. Me that is... not Mark, as the mid-day active time is when Mark gets to do his classroom study work!

I will post a few images from the day.

Bam

FlyDunes · Since 09 Oct 2007 1034 Posts Aloha XTreme Poster

Agreed that "USHPA instructor of the year" is a nice award, but I sure wouldn't say it's a true benchmark of teaching skill. And Dixon's old place is nice, but is Mark only going up for one week or so? That's not near enuf time to soak in the skills you need to fly safe. Granted he could get his P2 in that time, but his skills will still be pretty sketch.

Brad and Maren are always available for their students and ex-students. I've been flying 10 years now and I *still* learn stuff from them from time to time. Plus they teach at the NW coast and at the places that Mark will actually be flying most of the time. Actually now that I think about that last statement, who knows where the heck a guy like Mark will mostly be flying... That guy travels WAY more than most folks, so maybe he isn't the typical case.

Anyway, that's my 2 cents.

Parapontificator · Since 09 Feb 2009 11 Posts North Coast Oregon

One thing to consider is higher wind ground handling skills. We focus a large part of our training on handling the wing on the ground, leaving the ground, and arriving back to it safely. Even stylishly for those that can. Great fun to go floating off launch in total control, whilst others are flailing.

Keep us in mind for future training. Doug and Denise are great folks, and the ranch is fantastic, but it's pretty hard to say it's the 'best' place to train. 94 degrees on Tuesday, 98 degrees on Wednesday. Get started at 7 in the morning back off the hill by 10:00. Hang out in the heat all day and get started again around 6:00 pm. Yeah, we used to teach that way too. Since then, we have gotten wimpy and simply enjoy the cool ocean breezes all day long.

Area B rocked all day today. (Sorry you missed it Steve!) Didn't even break out the tow rig because the dune flying was too good. We save that for when the winds are wrong for the dune. Everyone dragged their tired butts off the beach around 5:30 pm with three hours of soaring left to go.

Going to the Tillamook area tomorrow for three kinds of mountain flying. Students booked in and ready to go.

Just another perspective. It's all good, and I have nothing bad to say about the Ranch, or especially Doug and Denise. Good friends, good folks. Seriously, just another perspective.

Keep us in mind,

B Rad

Mark · Wed Aug 19, 09 8:35 pm

Mark got 8 flights off a 800 hundred foot cliff. Sell my kite gear i'm hooked!
Brad, hope to come fly with you soon.

FlyDunes · Since 09 Oct 2007 1034 Posts Aloha XTreme Poster

Nak · Wed Aug 19, 09 8:49 pm

Sounds fun Mark!

Mark · Fri Aug 21, 09 8:01 am

Here's a quickie update for those interested.

Got 17 flights in over 21/2 days. First five where from a small gentle sloping hill with 200' of elevation drop. The first one is a HUGE adrenaline rush. Reminds me of the first days of kiting. Later in the day we headed over to the big hill. 800' of elevation drop. Again the first couple flights are a HUGE adrenaline rush. Days consist of flights in the AM from 8ish to noonish. Then we have class. Lots to learn from how to read weather, flight dynamics, reserve deployment, to risk management. Then we would fly again from 3:30ish to dark. Staying at the ranch is nice because you talk flying around the dinner table and then sit back and watch paragliding porn till bed time.

All in all very fun. it complements kiting very well. Paragliders are looking for wind from 5-12ish mph. Obviously we are looking for more as kiters.

I was very impressed with Doug and Denise. They are VERY safety conscious. Doug has no problem calling off the days flights if everything doesnt look absolutly right and safe. Its also a huge comfort having them "in your ear" as you fly down the valley.

I look forward to heading to the coast later and flying with all the locals. Watched some video towups. That looks like a ton of fun as well. Doug and Denise also have very good things to say about the coastal crew and the flying to be had there.

If anyone is interested I am heading back up the week of Sep 1 for two more days. Will share ride if you want.
~Mark

eli_anderson · Since 04 Jun 2007 507 Posts Addicted

I DO>>>>>>lets play, that sounds good, if you're just starting, you might want to visit the coast for some Ground Handling and some short Dune hops.

It's an everyday thing at the coast, sometime you'll get a foggy day, but the N. strip opens up before anything else.

I'm a newly rated instructor, I see magic happen at the coast. It's fun if you've got time. As a newly rated instructor, I believe you can learn more at the coast. In heat, you'll be waiting, or getting up a 6 a.m. to play until 9 a.m. At the coast you can show up a 10 a.m. and play until 6p.m or later. But the Heat is nice once you've settled into the groove and have had loads of dune time to get the base line skills down.

I'm a thermal addict at this point,

Kiting is my passion, surfing, then Paragliding. Gotta stick to dem roots.
Paragliding will return to my life some day, for now, a lot of kiting....

Kodiak · Since 01 Aug 2005 1114 Posts Slidey

Thats awesome Mark. Glad you had fun. Are these all tandem flights or did you get any soloing in?

Mark · Fri Aug 21, 09 9:27 am

Mark · Fri Aug 21, 09 9:28 am

Eli how do u like the Buzz?

eli_anderson · Since 04 Jun 2007 507 Posts Addicted

That Glider is pretty fun. Super easy forwards, mindless reverse inflation. If you go deep into it, it's pretty sporty as well. I'm 230+.

I'm no expert DHV tester, but It's a glider anyone could fly.

Mark, what wing do you fly...normally?

Have you flown the Rush 2? Are you on comp wings or 2-3 when on acro missions?