Paragliding in India so far

As I write this a batch of pre-monsoon storms and showers have put paid to our flying. Strong winds have broken trees and the rain is the first I have seen since arriving six weeks ago, the temperature has dropped and the dust in the air has settled for a while. Tho' the rain is a nice reminder of home (never thought I'd be saying that!!!) I’d rather be paragliding.

The past few weeks have been excellent for flying and I’m a very happy chap. The consistent West wind which blows in from the sea, this time of year, March-May, has meant good flying in the late part of the day. Earlier can be too weak and middle part of the day is too strong, but patience on the hill is rewarded with very nice conditions for the last couple of hours after 4pm with the sun setting at around 7pm.

The winter (Nov-Jan) can be better for flying and has a more agreeable temperature, but as I chose to come here in the summer and am still managing to fly almost every day, I cannot complain. The conditions suit my experience very well and there is no way I’d be getting this much airtime in the UK. With more experience it is possible to fly cross-country during the middle of the day but the wind and thermals can be very strong, so this would be for the very experienced pilot only. As it is I have been launching in strong winds at 4pm with the windsock in a steady vertical position, and use of speedbar has been essential. Later the winds tend to be less strong.

Staying at Japalouppe has been incredibly handy as Temple Pilots allow me to tag along with the students and Club Pilots every day. Mixing with these guys is great fun as they learn the ropes, and it all takes me back to the many weekends I spent with Northern Paragliding high in the Yorkshire Dales last year. My training was very good but took a long, long time, a mixture of bad weather and my own availability meant that the whole thing was a very long process. I don’t think the students here appreciate how lucky they are being able to qualify in no time at all.

Just reading through my log-book confirms that my flights have gone from 20 to 56 and my hours are now 24 from the original 4 hours I had on arrival. Many flights have been short as I practice take-off and top-landing, and both have improved loads, flying with Avi, Anita, TJ and Dhawal has been an inspiration as they are all excellent pilots and I have learned a lot. My confidence has soared also as I work on my ground handling skills and other techniques which I had only used in a basic way before, and I am a much happier pilot because of this.

Being in full control of the canopy at all times is such an important skill, and probably the most difficult to master in Paragliding. Experienced pilots will dance with the wing at takeoff, choosing the launch time they want and not the one the canopy might dictate. Control in strong winds was my weakest skill, and it is one which is difficult to work on, a mistake can mean you may be dragged along the ground struggling to kill the life in the wing with the risers. Practicing here has meant that I am much better at this, though it is something which needs to be constantly worked-on. I’m certainly much better than I was before coming here which means less aborted take-offs and more airtime.

The speed that the great weather here allows the students to learn is impressive. A young couple Jamie and Mary from the UK were here for just 10 days recently, after 2 years of travelling around the world, they completed their P1 and P2 in just 8 days. They then spent the last 2 days flying under the instructions of the school and both had 1 hour plus soaring flights in the evening achieving heights of up to 1000ft above take off. I think they were fairly happy with their achievement! In the UK they will just need to take one or two tasks more (such as top-landings) to convert to the UK Club Pilot system.

It makes a change for me being the more experienced pilot in a group and somewhat of a visiting celebrity because of this. I am now the wise old experienced pilot the students come to when they need to clear up some point and the instructors are not around. I remember well trying to soar with my limited skills during training, and somewhat inevitably gliding down to land in the bottom landing field. I would stare enviously at the experienced pilots still in the air. Now the roles are reversed as I watch the new students short flights from the air.

You can read more about the sites I’m flying, in particular Shillar and Pavana Lake here at the Temple Pilots web site.