Mitch has been paragliding for about 3 years and regularly talks about how peaceful and amazing it is to be flying thousands of feet above the ground. Last year I got to see him launch from a mountain for the first time. Prior to that I’d only seen him get towed up and do short flights. Watching hundreds of paragliders launch is pretty spectacular. There were so many people and wings everywhere.
As I watched them all launch, and then drove down the mountain to pick them up after they land, I was impressed at what a friendly community it is. Last year I watched a tandem flight launch as well- a very experienced pilot who has a tandem license took up the wife of another paraglider who had never flown before. It was cool to watch, but thats all I intended to do- watch.
Since then, Mitch has been working on me to do one. No one in Tucson does tandems, so it hasn’t been a pressing issue. But at Woodrat there are tandem pilots. I half heartedly said if he found someone willing to take me up, I’d consider it= not actually expecting anything to come of it.
He found someone. Sam has been paragliding for nearly 20 years, is an instructor, and also does tandem flights. He runs SunDog Paragliding and is a friendly old hippie type who clearly loves what he does and has managed to make a living out of it. He drives an old van with the back rows taken out to make space for his gear. He said he’d take me up and much to my surprise, I agreed. I was going to do a tandem flight!
We arranged to do a “glass-off” on Tuesday. Glass off is a late afternoon flight when the air is typically very smooth, like glass, as the sun is starting to lower and preparing to set. Tuesday afternoon came and we met up with Sam and prepped to make the 30 minute drive up the very bumpy dirt road to the top of the mountain. A few people asked if they could ride up and he agreed. Then a few more hopped in, and then a couple more. We had a total of 13 people, 10 wings (one driver and two tandem passengers- the other tandem passenger was a 10 year old girl going with her dad. She was completely fearless and basically a pro). It was quite a sight. Several people were lying on top of wings in the back, two people perched on a cooler sitting between the front seats. The little girl sat on her dads lap up front, and Mitch and I squeezed in on the small bench seat with two other people. We’re talking clown car load here.
We got to the top and reality started to set in- I was actually doing this. I signed all the waivers and became a 30 day temporary USHPA member (for the purposes of a tandem “training” flight- they’re only allowed as a “learning introduction”). Sam hooked me in to my harness and then got himself situated. He set out his wing and explained what he was going to do. Then hooked himself to me. Meanwhile Mitch took pictures and watched with the biggest grin on his face. I was not nearly as nervous as I expected as I watched other pilots launch into the air, knowing I was soon to follow.
The launch is the hardest part- it takes coordination and some strength. I have neither of those. Sam got the wing up, but a tandem wing is huge- it has to be able to hold two people after all, and when the air catches it, it pulls back. Hard. I tried to brace myself, but I fell on my butt and got dragged a bit. Another pilot and friend, Ioan, ran over to help me up and then held me in place while Sam reorganized and got the wing up again. Then we ran forward a couple yards and my feet left the ground. I was flying!
Sam told me to lean back and as we got higher he did too, both comfortable in our harnesses, thousands of feet above the ground. We made it to 5000 ft and speeds of over 20mph. He had my take the reins at one point and I steered us in a circle inside a thermal, bringing us higher and higher. It’s like nothing I’ve ever done before.
The view was remarkable. It felt like watching an Imax where they fly you over the mountaintops, but it was real. The mountains and Rouge Valley are gorgeous, and I have to say seeing them at 5000 ft is pretty impressive. The air was also calm and smooth. We hit a few thermals, bringing us higher, and floated around, watching other pilots as they hit thermals and just enjoyed the smooth afternoon air. The sky was cloudless and I could see for miles. Luckily I wore my warm jacket, because it’s rather chilly at that altitude.
After about 40 minutes we headed towards the LongSword Winery landing zone. We flew over the river and grapes and turned around to make our landing. Landing was smooth. I stood up in my harness and my feet lightly hit the ground. I walked a few feet then fell on my butt again- but it was a much softer fall this time and easier to get up. Sam unhooked me and I walked with my harness towards the side to be out of the way of any other landing pilots. After that, I unhooked myself and watched a few more people land as the adrenal in my body slowed and reality sunk back in.
Mitch was right- flying is pretty incredible.
Here are some pictures, and even video of me falling on my butt- thanks for filming that Mitch...
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