Lanzarote Photos

I took a break from my regular web work today and finally dug up some photos from my trip to Lanzarote in November and posted in them in the photo gallery.

That trip really was an interesting one - certainly lots of memories. Looking at those pictures reminded me of how different the landscape was out there - it's a unique part of the world that's for sure. Too bad the wind was so strong out there - the views from a paraglider would have been amazing.

The only images of flying I have are from a sled run I did out there. 4 sled runs in total, around 5 minutes each - after one week everyone except for me left only with this. I did get that ridge soaring flight on the last day which ended badly, but I could have done without that...

Maybe that's why I don't really care that Dune Du Pyla is just ridge soaring - my longest flight to date is only 1.5 hours. After 2 years of flying, frankly that sucks. Right now my logbook looks like this:

- Total Number of flights: 124
- Airtime: 20 hours
- Number of flights out in Cochrane: 63
- Number of sites flown: 16

I like picking numbers apart, and the airtime to total flights ratio irritates me. But then you look at the number of 1.5 minute flights I've had out in Cochrane, and it all makes sense.

This weekend I'm launching a new website template for a site I hope to make BIG. Better get back to work.

Locked in the Basement

The weather in Calgary is such a tease - just when you think spring has arrived, it starts snowing and being crappy again. Any and all possible thoughts about flying soon are thrown out the window, and you're left to wonder why the hell you live in a part of the world where it's winter 8 months out of the year.

I'm officially bartending now 1.5 times a week (Thursday and every second Sunday) which means I am slowly learning how to make new drinks. It's actually kind of handy information during weather like this - I lock myself in the basement with a stiff but sweet drink in hand, and work on the computer for hours. Maybe living in Canada isn't so bad - at least I get some work done.

Speaking of work, I've made some website update on HPAC's site, so it looks like I will be an official member of their web team. I figure that there's no better organization who I would donate my time to then the one which exists to promote paragliding and hang gliding in Canada. I look forward to doing my part.

Next week I'm going to San Francisco for 2 days - there's a trade show called "Ad:Tech" which features a lot of internet advertising and marketing companies, as well as affiliate networks. It'll be great to finally meet people who I've dealt with for some time now, in person, although getting back into a business environment will be kind of funny. When you go flying on holidays or just at home, things are usually super-casual and talking in borderline surfer-talk is fun and fairly common. Somehow though, I don't think that showing up in a windbreaker and cargo pants and saying things like "yeah man, that's awesome!" would be fitting.

There's a regular customer at the casino who sits at the bar a lot, and a couple weeks ago we were talking and paragliding came up. Now, everytime I see him, he's says "be careful" repeatedly, worrying that I'll injure myself in the sport. It's funny because he motorbikes sometimes and travels at speeds at more than 200 kmph. I keep telling HIM to be careful and I remind him that on a paraglider, you don't travel anywhere near that speed. Yeah, you can be very high, but you don't travel very quickly - he still thinks it sounds sketchy though. It's interesting how people evaluate risk differently...hmmmm....would I rather sit in between two thin wheels travelling at 250 kmph where I could lose control any second, falling, and then slathering my guts across a highway, or would I rather sit 2000 feet up in a harness with a forgiving glider, travelling 40 kmph? I know which I'd choose.

Ha ha, the speed of a paraglider always reminds me of that Simpsons episode where SideShow Bob and Bart are in the Wright Brothers plane, with Bob heading towards Krusty's desert hideout, looking to crash the plane into the building. Krusty's inside when he hears something, looks outside, and sees the plane heading towards him. Bob yells "Die Krusty, Die!" and Krusty crashes through the window, bracing himself for impact. When nothing happens, he gets up, lights a cigarette and asks, "what's the fricken hold up?" Then, the plane slowly and gently bumps the shack and falls to the ground. Crashing a paraglider into a building would almost certainly have a similar effect - the glider would suffer more damage than the building itself. Sad isn't it? I have a fantastic memory for the most useless information ever...

Europe Flying & Euphoria

So, I'm off to France and the UK in June. 2 weeks in both countries should be nice - I love travelling, and spending some more time in Europe is something I've really been wanting to do.

The first couple weeks I'll be at Dune du Pyla - Europe's biggest sand dune. Airtime out there seems virtually guaranteed - basically you ridge soar endlessly out there. You can also do some low-level acro out there (wagga), and just screw around with your wing. Sounds like a good time to me! A few people have commented to me that spending 2 weeks there might get tiresome and maybe they're right. But hell, when I get bored, I find ways of making my own fun - it'll be fine.


I'm a tad concerned about the number of gliders that will be in the air at any given time out there - I've heard it gets crowded out there really quickly. Apparently obeying ridge-rules is also something much to be desired most of the time. Last year sometime there was a mid-air out there too. I'll just have to be cautious.

During the other 2 weeks I'll be somewhere in the south-western (I think) part of the UK. I'd like to see where the Brits get their skills from, and even if it means more ridge soaring, I'm cool with that. What would be really nice is a short (10 k or so) XC flight out there. I have no idea if this is a possibility out where I'll be, but I can hope. Regardless, the BHPA pilot ratings and procedures are a lot more regimented than HPAC's - it'll be interesting to find out more, and compare the two systems.

Today shortly after I pulled out of our driveway on my way to work (yes! it was great to be back, despite the usual casino bullshit and politics) my heart just about leapt out of my chest when I saw a paraglider in the sky. Yes, it's true that because it was before noon I was still half-asleep, but man, seeing it first thing in the morning really did scare me!

I looked at it in bewilderment for a few seconds, as it seemed to have hit a massive thermal and was shooting upwards, when I stuck my lead foot on the gas to get in closer for a better look. Guess who it was? The naughty neighbourhood paramotor pilot! So I lied in my last posting - this guy's wing is blue with orange trim, not just orange. He was flying a bit higher this morning, and what a morning he chose! I wish I had a camera on me - the mountains were breathtaking - so clear. He must have had a hell of a view from up there and the weather was absolute perfection.

Per se, I don't really have a problem with this guy flying over the area - it's more a matter of what could happen if he gets caught, and if/how it will affect the attitudes of neighbouring airports towards PG pilots. His careless attitude could land more than just him in trouble, that's all. Oh, and I don't think my blog postings have any impact on this - he's flying over pretty dense residential areas, not too far from a major shopping center. Personally I think it's just a matter of time before somebody complains about the buzzing-kite-thingy in the sky, or an Air Canada pilot spots him.

To be perfectly honest though, if it were totally legal and if I had a paramotor of my own, I would do it too.

The weather over the next few days looks promising for flying, although I'm not so sure I'll get any in. Saturday my parents are leaving for Mexico (yes, I'm jealous) so I have to drop them off at the airport mid-morning, and on Sunday I'm working again. Kind of crappy on one hand, but on the other I know that 60 days from now I'll be doing nothing but flying so I don't care all that much.

Tomorrow I have a another 4 hour workout to look forward to - all this exercise is killing me. If I keep this up between now and France, I'll be insanely buff. Realistic? I have my doubts - I like exercise, but doing this much is only out of force and is only for the next 2 weeks. My physiotherapist does acupuncture on me once in a while, and a couple days ago she stuck a pin in my hand in a spot that is associated with the shoulder. It felt so goooood - 5 minutes in, my hand, me, and my shoulder were all experiencing some sort of euphoria. I SO need to convince her tomorrow that I need this same special treatment again!

Naughty Neightbourhood Pilot

Today I was spending some more time configuring my laptop, when I heard some strange buzzing outside. My first thought was, “paramotor!”, but then I thought that would be rather strange, especially being in the middle of a Calgary suburb.

I looked outside, searching the sky, when sure enough, I saw an orange paraglider in the air. I grabbed a camera, and took this photo through a window:


Bad boy! I felt bad a few months ago for doing some groundhandling and low flying at Nose Hill Park, but jeez, this guy obviously doesn’t care about flying in controlled airspace. He should also know that the HAGAR states,

No person shall fly an aircraft:

a. over the build-up area of any city, town or other settlement or over any open air assembly of persons except at an altitude that will permit, in the event of an emergency, the landing of the aircraft without creating a hazard to persons or property on the surface of the earth, and such altitude shall not in any case be less than 1,000 feet above the highest obstacle within a radius of 2,000 feet from the aircraft;

No, I’m not anal. In fact, I probably shrug off more than I should. I just hope that the Calgary Airport Authority doesn’t hear about this guy – I don't think the paragliding community needs any more problems.

Going back to the HAGAR, if you’re bored, you can read my HAGAR complaint letter to HPAC and TC. Yes, I’m a fighter.

Hopefully by Friday I’ll have my flights booked to France and the UK – better start practicing mon Francais.

Easter Weekend

This weekend is the Panorama Easter Meet - I hope the boys out there will get loads of flying, or at least skiing if the wind is uncooperative. The temperature out there seems pretty balmy, so I’m sure they’ll get some sweet flights in. Next year I’ll make a bigger effort to get out there.

Wow, this weather is terrible and is making flying nearly impossible. The idea of a wet glider doesn’t appeal to me right now, so I haven’t even bothered calling the windtalker lately. Tomorrow things should start to smarten up – hopefully then the warmer weather will be here to stay and the beginners will experience their first flights soon.

I wrote my letter to HPAC and Transport Canada regarding the HAGAR…if nothing comes from it, at least I got to vent. I’m sure Transport Canada will be issuing me a refund cheque very shortly – ha ha!

So, I’m still at home and not back at work yet. These 4 hour workouts Worker’s Comp have got me on actually aren’t so bad. Some of the time is spent in physio, some on lower body workouts and then of course the shoulder exercises themselves. I’m probably the only claimant there who actually does something the entire 4 hours – why not utilize free gym time? I really am feeling better this week, and I have 1 bartending shift I’m scheduled for next week, which is great. It’d be nice to work more often, but the shifts just aren’t available. I will use the old adage on myself and say, "patience, grasshopper".

Looks like I will be paying France and England a visit in June. I’m not going to go into a lot of detail until everything’s confirmed but I’ll probably spend 2 weeks in each country of course, flying. June is kind of a sketchy month out here anyway – the flying could be great, or it could rain every day. July is much more consistent, and I will be back to enjoy it.

Competition-wise, if I go on this trip, the Lumby Air Races are out. That’s okay, because that still leaves the Canadian Nationals, Race Willi, and maybe I can throw in the Lakeside Event too. I want to take Chris’s SIV course out in Aug/Sept. again as well – last year was so much fun! Like most paragliding students I’m totally terrified of the full stall, but I know I need to do it this year. I’ll just take a deep breath, bury the brakes, and do my best. Even thinking about it gives me butterflies…

I’m writing this from a random spot in our house on my new laptop – this thing is amazing! It has a whole bunch of features that are totally useless, but are really cool and impressive. I doubt I’ll really ever use the remote control, the high definition display, and the built-in webcam, but hey, they’re great to have! Now that I can work while I travel, I really have absolutely no excuse for not getting stuff done…okay, a lacking internet connection still might make a valid defence.

Off to finish my taxes – <sarcasm>tax time must be one of the most pleasant times of the year. </sarcasm>

Happy Easter!

April Fools!

Ahhh, April Fools day – the most brilliant day of the year. Whoever thought of devoting an entire day to making an ass out of each other is a genius.

Pulling pranks is great, although I must be the worst at keeping a straight face and telling white lies to make a joke work. When the victim asks me why I’m laughing psychotically before the prank has been pulled, I somehow usually manage to make up some sort of BS, or I just tell them I’m not taking my meds properly, and they usually understand. I can’t say I have anything specific up my sleeve this year, but at a minimum, I’ll have to do something to my sister who is always fun to pick on, and who can make things interesting with some sort of good-spirited revenge.

I don’t really have any paragliding related news to report, but it’s 3:00 in the morning, and I’m completely awake. Lately I have this strange habit of sleeping for 2 or 3 hours at around 5:00, and then waking up and going to bed at 4:00 am. Weird…I blame the weather.

This week I should be going back to work part-time, thank god. Meanwhile, I’m supposed to undergo an intense rehab program for my shoulder that consists of 4-hour workouts, 5 days a week for 4 weeks. Because I’m still on Worker’s Comp, I will abstain from voicing my opinion on this one…

The weather sucks, but I’ve managed to get some biking in at Griffith Woods. Ahhh, how I love ripping down those trails at maximum speed even with the patches of ice and snow. Actually, I call those the “fun spots” where your entire body is jarred and you try to maintain some sort of traction with your wheels as you peddle your ass off, praying that you won’t fall over any second. It’s great!

For those of you who haven’t seen my baby, here she is:



Hydraulic brakes, 100mm fork travel, aluminum tubing – what more do you want? Ok, it’s a bit heavy at around 30 pounds or so, and is a bitch to ride uphill, but who wants to ride uphill, when you can ride down? And I know it’s not full suspension, but hell, at least this bike is rideable on XC trails – a 50 lb full suspension bike? I think not!

Something tells me the amount of downhill biking I’ll be doing this year will be limited, but of course, I will try to get out to COP at least a couple times to check out what changes they’ve put in place this year. It’s just that when you’re over the age of 20 and you’re out there, you almost feel entitled to a seniors discount. There’s a million 14 year old boys out there who accuse one another of being ‘posers’, and talk about how so and so ‘bit’ a trail, and how just ‘shredding’ is cool. Half the time I don’t know what the hell these kids are talking about, but wow, do I ever admire their biking skills.

Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that last week I went skiing and suffered a mild concussion when some guy made the safety bar on the chairlift fall smack on the top of my head.

Ha ha, April Fools! :P