Abby Paraglides!

Click image for more pics!Tandem for Natalie's mom, Abby
& solos for Natalie, Johnathan, Super Dave, and Rick

Winds were forecasted to be N/NW but the lapse rate was high so I decided on Mt Prevost. Natalie's mom, Abby, was over from Vancouver and she said that she'd been building up her nerve to try paragliding so, if conditions were good, she was in!

After picking up Rick en route, we arrived at the LZ to find Johnathan and Super Dave eager to head up. The wind was blowing south on the ground so it was looking promising.

Kuno caught up with us part way to the top so our crew was growing. Once on launch, Middle was cycling in lightly so Abby and I set up first. As is often the case at Prevost, the wind died, then turned east, then over the back, etc. Had the north winds started to kick in on us? The sun clouded over and then burned back through and with it came some SE cycles so we moved to Main where Abby and I launched off in a nice wind.

Abby was pretty vocal as we took off and, once she relaxed, she took in the 360 degree views. I rarely fly with a vario on tandem, but it didn't matter on Abby's flight as she chirped every time we hit any lift!

After gaining easily over the lower cuts, we eventually flew south over the golf course to lose some height and came back to LZ where we landed softly. Way to go Abby - you did it!

Click image for more pics!Rick got Natalie in the air next, taking a nil wind window from Middle. Natalie had a taste of thermalling over the lower ridge and had the chance to do some good weight-shift turning with ears before landing on the strip.

Super Dave launched next from Main and quickly climbed out over the cairn.

Johnathan got back in the air after a long break and his new Airwave KISS looked after him as he flew through some bumpy air en route to the lower cuts. Once there, I guided him through his first 360s, which allowed him to make it to the LZ with LOTS of height. He too got to pull ears and practice weight-shift turning. In the LZ, the wind switched from east to south and then, on his final, to west. You did great Johnathan - welcome back to Prevost and congrats on your first flight on your new glider!

Conditions had deteriorated further on launch and Rick was happy to catch a rare cycle and get airborne. Super Dave was still up, working some lift under developing clouds and Rick managed to scratch out over 40mins, working the powerline ridge like a pro.

Shabe and Merwan made a late appearance and, together with Kuno, they won the parawaiting award for the day. Sorry guys - tomorrow's your day!

Click video to see clip of Abby's tandem flight: