Team Andy "Bull Frog" Place

The view leaving Bill Harrops

Paragliding. That looks like fun.

Time for a bit of sightseeing before things get serious.

Will they let me take it?

After at least one other Icarus pilot had his paramotor refused as hold baggage I was rather nervous while packing and making my way to Heathrow. Moments before arriving I heard yet another had been refused.

Following Mr. Simon's blog article(https://www.icarustrophy.com/blog/2018/3/7/getting-your-paramotor-to-the-start-line) and flying with Virgin I was mildly confident but I was still met with an initial No, it has to go via Cargo separately. After much persuasion, reference to their own rules the no slowly turned I to a maybe. Yet more phone calls and after an hour and a half we got a Yes.

Relieved, absolutely, but then we had to weigh the bags. 22.9kg and 31.4kg, grams off the limit, but the accepted it.

Time for a beer.

It's odd, but I've been more nervous and worried about checking in the motor than the flying over Lions thing. I guess that will come with time.

And so, the journey begins. 

Lesson 2. More kiting. Hard work in the morning as the wing got wetter and heavier. After lunch, with a dryer wing, things started to come together. By the end of the day I was able to reverse launch kite the thing, turn around and walk / run about, then turn back to lay the wing down nicely. Feels like progress, no doubt helped by the calmer wind that I had on my first lesson.

Total flight time, about 3 seconds.

Reverse launch kiting, somewhat more difficult than it looks.

Similar to flying a big kite, but the difference is this one can lift you into the air and drag you around. At this stage it's all about trying to stay under the thing and, dare I say it, keeping it up.

Can't fly yet?

"No problems - you can be ready for the Icarus in a season."
https://www.icarustrophy.com/race-details/

So I guess I'll be the test of that statement. I've got my first lesson tomorrow.

So how's this for a New Years Resolution?

Learn to fly (within a mere 7 months, and then tackle the worlds longest paramotor endurance race).