Some of you probably know I fly for a living. While on a layover in Rio, I had the chance to go paragliding. I was reluctant at first, as having no desire to die in an aviation accident. I watched some of our fellow crewmembers try it and took the "plunge" the next week. According to my instructor, I won the paragliding lottery, as we were able to stay up for an hour and go all the way to Christ the Redeemer.

I am so jealous! WTG!

COOL!! I still don't have the nerve to jump off...I like the seat and wings attached!!
Cheers,

Have been flying para gliders for 20 years, and just been playing around all day in very light thermals on my favourite hill above Loch Leven. A good 40 min walk up the hill. Good crack with old friends and then flying for four or mins scratching along the rock face, and landing where took off, wait till the next cycle to start and repeat. After there hours off this, fly down to the pub. Over the years have had some amazing flights - a few thousand feet above the alps, scottish mountains in winter, wing tip to wing tip with Sea Eagles, but my most memorable was soaring along the Moor foot hills with a trained Golden Eagle with pointers working below, seeing them on the point at some rabbits, eagle looking at me, grinning as if say bet you can't do this and diving away.

I've flown light aircraft, sailplanes and helicopters - they are all noisy, claustrophobic and far too complicated and regulated for my liking. A para glider is truly free and next best thing to being a bird.

Amazing, what fun. And Sugarloaf Mountain is no little hill either. To be floating around above Sugarloaf is a fair bit of altitude. Only way to make that day any better would be to finish it off with a stop on Copacabana Beach for a few caipirinhas!

IDAKNOW, guys....this one might even trump hang gliding....definitely not for ME!!


Testing a new way to change planes... might avoid long lines at airports!

http://www.youtube.com/v/zok7L...r_FR&version=3&rel=0


Enjoy!!