We returned to Isabela once again. This time the winds were relatively strong — not too challenging for experienced pilots, but we had several students and novice pilots who wanted to fly, and for them the conditions were a bit intense.
Kamikazes Pilots and Family Present
- Edgardo Rivera and his wife Wilnelia
- Darwin Hernández and his girlfriend Zusnamy
- Berto García
- Juan Manuel Viñas (Dominican Republic)
- Wilkins “Chino” Morales
- Nixon Porrata
- Sammy Badillo
- Luis Ruiz
- Javier Cordero (Student)
- Francisco Oller (Student)
- Aníbal Marrero (Student)
- Pedro Gregory (Student)
The Morning
We started arriving early in Isabela, and even from a distance we could already see Edgardo flying. But to our surprise, he was barely moving in the air. It turned out that Edgardo had launched with his Flow Panorama 32-meter Tandem paraglider, and the wind had picked up significantly. Here a short video of his adventure…
Later on, Edgardo managed to fly more comfortably, this time switching to his 16-meter Ozone wing. Wilkins “Chino” Morales also took advantage of the conditions and joined him in the air.
The Students
With the stronger winds, flying opportunities for the students were limited. However, the conditions were perfect for strengthening their ground-handling training, allowing each student to practice controlling the wing on the ground.
Aníbal Marrero arrived ready for what would have been his first flight, but the wind intensity decided that this milestone would have to wait for another day. We’ll keep everyone posted…
Tandem Introductory Flights
Luis Ruiz had previously arranged tandem flights for Sri and his wife, both originally from India.
Sri returned to enjoy the experience once again, while it was his wife’s very first flight. Both flights were carried out smoothly and successfully, and both promised they would return — which is exactly what this sport is all about.
Meanwhile, Edgardo took student Francisco Oller up on a tandem flight. Francisco is getting closer to his first solo flight, and during this experience Edgardo handed him the controls so he could take charge of the wing. They ended up completing two flights, and Oller’s attitude shows he’s ready for bigger challenges. We’ll see what comes next.
A Paramania GTR in the House
The Paramania line was an industry leader during the early 2000s and helped pave the way for other Reflex paragliders that entered the market years later.
Their most revolutionary model was the GTR, particularly the 22-meter size (they also produced an 18-meter version, but it didn’t perform or handle the same). The company later faced administrative challenges that ultimately halted production. Even so, a few Paramania wings are still flying today in different parts of the world.
That’s the case with pilot Berto García, who owns one of the last GTR 22-meter wings ever produced, and most importantly, it remains in excellent flying condition. With Berto attending the gathering, both Luis Ruiz and later Berto himself took the opportunity to enjoy a flight on this unique paraglider.
Photos…
