Without much planning, a group of Team pilots decided to meet up to fly in the afternoon. The original plans were to reach Villa Pesquera Isabela. And Sammy Badillo, David Garber and his wife Amara, Luis Ruiz and Alberto Sabah signed up for the flights.
Upon reaching Isabela, we discovered that the winds were not in the right direction to be enjoyed. They were coming from the SSW, so we had to quickly decide where we were going, if we wanted to fly.
Plan B turned out to be the Greonier Acevedo grass area in the Mamey neighborhood of Aguada. David and Amara, Sammy, Luis arrived there and Dimas Ruiz signed up. However, Alberto Sabah could not make the trip.
The weather in Mamey was quite good, the wind was relatively calm, but from all directions 🤨. There was no definitive direction and this meant that it was necessary to work the takeoffs, or rather the race to be able to take off.
For Sammy, this was the first time he had attended the place, and together with his still little experience, this meant a greater challenge to be able to take off there … In the same way for David, who to increase the challenge, planned to fly with Amara as a passenger.
It was time to the Take Off … Sammy was the first to leave and he did it right … when the runway ran out. It was impressive 🙄…, then it was David and Amara’s turn, and after a failed attempt and a change in the position of their paraglider (due to change in winds direction)…, they went out, but in the same way they had to run a lot and even Luis had to step aside when the race of them went to where Luis was standing !!!
Then Dimas and Luis came out with a little more comfort. They both know the area very well and from experience, it was more comfortable for them.
The flights through the Aguada area lasted 45 minutes, the weather was quite rough at times. Paragliding Free Flight experiences came to mind…
David and Amara crossed the town and flew down the Coast, from Espinal neighborhood to Pico de Piedra Beach, returning over Malpaso and the Old Sugar Plantation of Coloso. Sammy for his part, was entering the town of Aguadilla, and was flying over the entire coast. Dimas and Luis were flying Espinal, Malpaso and Mamey.
The landings were also a challenge…, although we had mounted a windsock, it indicated winds changing in intensity and direction. For David, flying with Amara was a bigger challenge. Also for Sammy, flying a sport glider (Apco Lift EZ R). In the end all the landings were challenging but good. One more story, thank God 🙏.
