Wheelchair paragliding (para-paragliding)

I used to hang-glide and am now paralysed from the chest down after a bike accident. So now I para-paraglide.. :) This is my first solo flight, up at Keswick in the Lake district, with Flyability.

Category:

Sports

Tags:

• wheelchair
• paragliding
• disabled
• paraplegic
• paraplegia
• paralysed
• flying
• gliding
• take
• off
• landing
• first
• solo
• flyability
• lake
• district
• Keswick
• Calvert
• Trust
• Jockey
• Sanderson
• Escape

[farflyer]

It is inspiring. My suggestion is other PG pilot follows you after launch just in case you landed some where far. He may give some assistant.

Wish you many happy flies

From Abu Dhabi, UAE

Thanks for sharing

[basketcase3]

Hiya, thanks for the comments :) This was just simply my first 'top to bottom' in a paraglider since my accident (on a bike). There were helpers in the landing field ready to assist me as l landed. I used to fly hangliders before my injury in the UK, France, Spain and Australia. If I take up paragliding as a sport again, l will always fly with friends or other fliers : )

Best wishes.....Bazza : )

[buzzclark]

Hello. Watching this I am absolutely inspired. I have been in a wheelchair for 34 years so I know you can understand how I feel personally. Wow. You are surrounded by good people and I really hope you are exercising safety. Sincerely, JAMES.

[basketcase3]

Hello James. The sense of freedom when you find yourself up there alone, away from the ground and other people, able to go in any direction under your own guidance, is unbelievable liberating : ) Jockey Sanderson and his team, at Flyability are very special , very caring and very careful people......I had a fantastic week with them up in theLake District. Thankyou for your comment...

Barry : )

[janosparag]

Hey man,

What do u think, which is the better?Paraglider or hang-glider?I'll be a paraglider:)

By the way I wish u good flights!

Best wishes from Hungary,

Janos

[basketcase3]

Hiya, I prefer the speed and agility of a hang-glider..but a paraglider is easier to fly AND transport..

Fly free...Bazza : )

[wheelfly]

@basketcase3

It's not that bad, I regularly fly XC landing in chance places. People are generally willing to help, not once they were wishing to carry me (I fly with regular harness, no wheels) to a better place to wait for retrieve or even drove me back to the airfield themselves. Recently I even flew xc in Peru, where village people have never seen a paraglider up close, but they were helpful anyway: packed my gear up and carried me to a taxi for self-retrieve. Really, the sky is the limit :)

[imdare]

nice!

[flyingleek]

Brilliant stuff, I've seen people launching in nil wind on wheelchairs in Annecy- truly inspiring. I also knew a guy in North Yorkshire who flew a hangglider in a similar fashion. Happy landings, Pete

[wheelfly]

Hope to meet you one day on World Para Cup :)