a very good post taken from facebook

[gary stenhouse]

Why being safe is stupid.
A pissed off paraglider’s perspective on a crazy, insurance ruled world.

I fly because it isnt safe. That’s right. I am breaking the taboo. Moving away from the normal conversation points about how Paragliding isn’t a risky endeavor. Launching off mountains into strange weather patterns that carry our small crafts high into the fierce seas of our troposphere is an activity that cannot be controlled. Paragliding isn’t like other outdoor hobbies. It isn’t similar to mountain biking climbing, or skiing. There, when the conditions exceed your ability, you can stop. That is where Paragliding differs from those other sports. When you find yourself alone and in bad shit, you can’t stop, give up, call quits, you, and only you, have to handle the situation.

Paragliding is dangerous. I hope to god that my friends and I will never find ourselves in scenarios that can lead to bad outcomes but things happen. That’s why flying is so unique, beautiful, humbling. You can feel the force of nature, visit an environment that is home to beautiful clouds and avian life, travel great distances in an aircraft that you can carry up a mountain in a small backpack.

Paragliding isn’t a sport. It’s not an activity that you can put away in a shed and come back to months down the road. It demands respect, training, a deep commitment to educating yourself. Knowing when to fly, where to go, how to read the sky. When I wake up, I check the weather. Read and reread weather books and watch acro videos. I study mistakes made by others. I ask questions from people who have been there and done that. I maintain a flight logbook, reread my entries. Fly with local pilots who know where not to go. Learn from past mistakes. Practice and practice. Progress slowly. Because luck isn't something you can depend on.

I’ve been flying since 2012. 380 flights, and a couple hundred hours later, I have had my fair share pulling luck out of my bag. And I have gotten lucky. Been in places that should have had a bad outcome. Low thermals (and power lines) in Brazil, rotor in Arizona, Big whacks near the ground. But out of one bag I fill the other. Ratings don’t mean a godamn thing. I was a P-2 for my first two years of flying and when I showed up at other sites with their skygod P3’s I would outfly them. In my first 100 flights I was 12,000 feet above the ground, flew 35 miles, got my fair share of smacks from mother nature. Not because I was stupid or reckless, I knew I could handle these situations and had been training to perform. SIV clinics, sledder after sledder, training in small thermals, hours and hours of kiting. I kited for two years before I started Paragliding. To see people who think they can fly in strong conditions after only two weeks of training is just maddening. If the locals aren’t flying you probably shouldn’t fly. But don’t take my word for it go find out.

Progress slowly. Other pilots are better than you. Just because they are doing something doesn’t mean you can right away. Train in the right environment and one day you as well can misty-flip down to the grass. Comparison is the thief of joy. Fly at your pace, in your skill level, in conditions that you can handle, and you will be flying for years! If you think the conditions are too strong don’t fly. I stay on the ground a lot! There is nothing wrong with being scared and staying on the ground. It would be idiotic to “man-up” and fly.

If you see people at your site that shouldn’t be there. Do something about it. To the skydiving community. You don’t see me putting a wingsuit on, boarding your plan at your skydive club, and jumping out, with the justification that I have hundreds of hours of canopy experience. “I got this bro”. No, that would be insane. So stop coming out to our sites, with no ratings, and thinking you can fly a speedwing. Train with an instructor, progress slowly, and don’t screw it up for everyone else. The reason our sites need USHPA’s insurance is because of people like you.

Again, Paragliding/Hang-gliding/speedflying isn’t for everyone, and some days it isn’t for me. That’s okay. I am not a “pussy” for staying on the ground. I don’t need to “man-up”. That gets you hurt. Train hard, practice and practice, fly with locals (and people who are more experienced and of good influence), and if you feel nervous don’t fly. Flying is dangerous but if you take the right steps you can mitigate a lot of risk and continue to fly for years down the road.

Put the Go-pro down and have fun.

Blue skies

[Graeme]

Interesting read - passionate, to the point and well written.