Learning to fly...

I'll just start out with a quote... not something I really live by... but I think it provides answers to folks like my ma, who always ask, "why?"...

Everyone who lives dies, yet not everyone who dies, has lived. We take these risks not to escape life, but to prevent life escaping us...

With my few days in Queenstown, I decided to take a short intro paragliding class. It's been one of those things that I have always known that I would love, and probably get into later in life... Anyhow, I decided to take this opportunity and take a PG1 class. Also, the school was recommended by a few folks. Though I was sore from running 40+ km back to the car the day before.



We weren't sure if we'd get to go up to Coronet Peak, due to the fog... but it looked like it would break up, so we headed up there to check it out. Here is a pic of my instructor Keith flying ahead to guide me through the landing.


... and into the clouds


Coronet Peak is a ski area.... from what I saw not too amazing...


And into the sea of clouds.


This is what you see when flying through a thin fog... that's me making a "brocken spectre" or a "glory" on my first REAL flight. I did some small flights to practice launching and landing yesterday.


Flying through some of the less foggy areas.


You can't really see me smiling... but... I had a big ole' grin the whole 10 min flight.


Third launch... I got a little more hang time catching some short lift off the ridges.


Looking down...


My view up...

Yup... another burgeoning hobby for moa...