Tuesday, November 1, 2011

Locals fly less

Yeah ? or Yeah !

Over twelve years doing this, I think I have collected enough stuff to write a decent book.

About who came down, what persons you met, how it developed during the years. How fly-guide was gently introduced in the way to go abroad and fly safe.
About the many, unfortunately, accidents that happened.
About the super flights we had. About the emotional moments we shared together flying.
About the pesonal achievements clients made, and touched me, the not forgotten moments.
About the hard work integrating in the local paragliding community.
About the friendship with the locals, but still knowing in the end you will be the foreigner who arrived on their doorstep.
About the culture difference between working with a federation at home and down here in sunny lovely slow pace Spain.

And surely also a chapter with the above title : Locals fly less.

On certain days on our hills, we know better. We know the site, we know what meteo situation there is. As being with it day by day, we almost surf on that meteo change.
So us locals, we standby and we chat.
We look around, spot the sea gettting nervous, see the clouds in the back.
Have seen wrong decisions before and don't have to fly every minute.
If wanted we can easily top up 500 (five hundred) hours of airtime a year This should be a reference not to be flushed down the toilet.
We can relax and judge from a distance. This should result in good advice, honest tips.
Sometimes it works in vain.
Resulting in visiting pilots, having to fly that day, that minute, taking off in tricky conditions. Not having a clue, not having the technique yet. Being ignorant.
It hurts the eye, seeing stubborn pilots who get hurt, who embarrass themselves taking off being dragged on the spanish grass, shaved knees.
When this weekend, someone asked how strong the wind was, himself standing at take off, we told him too strong for flying, for us locals. Oh, don't worry about me, I fly comps ... ?¿&%$?¿
Minutes later he was catapulted, several times ... , trying to take off. Later on when I left, heard he was dragged on the spanish grass, not so beautiful.
Locals fly less ....

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