It was a weekend dominated by strong winds, yet somehow we managed to get flight activities in on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Let’s break it down day by day…
Friday, November 28, 2025
Black Friday brought crowds to the streets—and plenty of wind to the skies. A group of pilots gathered at Villa Pesquera in Isabela, fully aware that wind conditions were going to be strong.
Pilots present:
- Edgardo Rivera and his wife Wilnelia
- Darwin Hernández, his daughter Emily, his girlfriend Zusnamy, and his father-in-law (celebrating his birthday)
- Nixon Porrata
- Anthony Green
- Luis Ruiz
Earlier in the morning, Edgardo Rivera and Luis Ruiz took the opportunity to test the BGD Typhoon 20m paraglider. This time, the flights were done in strong wind conditions, very different from the calm, no-wind days we had previously experienced in Boquerón.
Later in the day, as flying activities continued, Darwin took the Typhoon, followed shortly by Anthony. Both headed to the Royal Isabela cliffs, where the strong wind allowed them to enjoy extended soaring (engine-free ridge flying) for an indefinite amount of time.
Saturday, November 29, 2025
Given the windy conditions throughout the weekend, we decided to return at sunrise to the Freddy Rental flying area in Boquerón, Cabo Rojo.
This time, Nixon Porrata, Anthony Green, and Luis Ruiz were present. Unfortunately, Darwin Hernández was unable to make it, so Nixon took the Typhoon up, with Anthony following along during the flight.
It’s important to note that, unlike other days, takeoffs were done in literally ZERO wind. On previous flights there had been a light breeze of 2–3 mph, but not this time. As a result, extra effort and precision were required during launches.
Nixon and Anthony flew around the Boquerón area, then crossed the mountain to fly over Salistral, near the Cabo Rojo Lighthouse. Weather conditions there became challenging, prompting them to turn back toward Boquerón. Meanwhile, Luis remained flying in the Boquerón area.
Once the wind picked up significantly, we wrapped up the day’s activities.
In Loiza, Camping Time…
Sunday, November 30, 2025
With forecasts calling for 30+ mph winds, Luis Ruiz arrived very early in Isabela to assess any possible flight opportunities. He had several introductory tandem flights scheduled, and if they were going to happen, it would have to be early in the morning.
Joining Luis was his student Javier Cordero, who managed to get some practice in before assisting Luis with the tandem flights.
Also arriving to fly were Ryan and Christine from New York, along with Yarelis, a friend of pilot Chino Morales. Michael Mendoza and his wife also arrived, but their flights were postponed for a better day.
Meanwhile, in the Loíza area, a group of pilots gathered with the idea of sharing time together and flying. They succeeded in the social aspect, but flying proved extremely difficult due to the intense winds. From what I understand, only Edgardo Rivera and Pedro Agostini were able to complete a few flights.
Photos…
