"SABRE REMAN RR IER Ra HIE.

“ly

ach Mahe cea Ps SEAT LNG OL ASA URIOED ary

Catch a thermal and you're.
Soaring on top of the world

“THISAS our wind. Ready?
“One, twos. three... Go!”

By John ‘Moore’ 7
Contributing Writer,

7 “Securely linked i in a tandem har-
“ness; First. .Flight . Paragliding
‘Instructor. Scott” Nicholson: and
“sprinted down a‘ gentle: slope atop |
the Peak of: Grouse . Mountain.

‘us. there was a soft *whuff?

ylon Dnragtider filled - with’ the.
breeze. A‘tug on ‘the shoulder har-

ness, then.I was watching’ my. feet -

‘pointlessly pedalling the ‘air, high
above Paradise Bowl...
: launch!" Nicholson

ted as we immediately caught:

cand soared on a thermal, a wave of
ising: air. toward ’the chalet, -
y Tesponse « was a String of epithets

pure. free ‘Tigh at: “4000 1 m. “with
mountains, the: city. ‘and the - sea

- the”
paraglider. into a wide turn taking us

the * eed eastern):

expect. oo

“This is nota paraetute is a
paraglider, and we don't jump; we
Jaunch.” Nicholson told us, at pains
“to distinguish the sport from high-
risk activities like “base-jumping”.
(Climbing tall things, towers, build-
ings, ‘cliffs, ‘etc and jumping off
with a parachutc.)

Though paragliding evolved out
of the base-jumping antics of crazed
‘Swiss and French alpinists in the
laie seventies, the paraglider has
developed into a specially designed,

safer instrument that has more in

common with a hang-glider than a’
parachute. A. paraglider is actually
an ‘envelope: of light: tear-resistant
nylon. Open at the “leading” (wind-
ward) edge, secured with tapes, and
closed ‘at the rear, it “inflates” as the -
flyer. runs’. into the wind’ and»

‘ becomes a kind of “soft. wing™. The

-pilot. suspended: in’ harness: from
thin but “strong. Kevlar lines, can
control. by’: pulling brake toggles:
connected to the wingtips, ;

Though they. have Ja: slightly

PLAN LA  GAA

» lower. glide-ratio. than hang- -gliders,.-

“(6:1- versus 10:1-— metres of: for-
ward-glide to.a metre of-descent), in|

",optimum conditions paragliders can

-do. anything hang-gliders can-do,
-They can achieve. extreme ceilings
“of =15,000. ft:, though. Fretenburg
«dryly advises against oxygen above
: 10,000. (What about the Valium?)

‘Instructor « Pete’ :

NEWS PHOTOGRAPHER Brad Ledwidge took this shot of John Moore and First Flight Paragliding
Instuctor Scott Nicholson while catching his own tandem ride with First Flights’ Russ Fr tenburg.
Both Paragiiders launched from the peak of Grouse Mountain. : :

Ibs: for a 40 metre tandem) and soft:

bree ee Lat ag StU ENEE RT OPEL A VENEROL LINE NNER RARE HS aL FANS,

‘had planned to do the eckend: we How safe’ is it

9  Swiss-trained.

ness —— with no frame it can be fold-
ed into a large’ backpack and hiked

into remote'locations like the Lions,

laid out-and flown down, as’ First

flew. (Weather stymied him: * ours
was perfect and paragliders-depend

‘on good. sunshine to create thermals |
and “minimize. crosswinds and
, downdratts.) me

‘ott. Nichalson . is 35. has. been.

ragliding for'10 years, holds both 2:

and Canadian licences: and a

First Flight’ Flight founder ‘Cameron MacKenzie
_McLaren has made town-to-town :
trips: of 100 km. (62 miles) in, the.

‘Interior by riding a thermal up, glid- ©
-ing down in’ a chosen direction,”
eng another. thermal up, sliding

“on etc.

it’s lightness (about 6 kg/13 Ibs. fo
a'30 metre solo glider and 8 ke/ 17

CORSAIR, EXCELLAS.

f the” line «luxury, double
glazed ‘low E: windows, air sus-
pension,.: dual’ a/c,’ dual heated }
holding tanks,” ‘skylights, 1 piece |
shower, 4 speed auto with Over.
drive and much more..

MID" SEASON CLEARANCE;
CALL'RON FOR DETAILS

“LAND PACKAGE
RATES |

Per person mn based on double:

Per person dased on triple: .

Per person based on quad: .-. $1600.00:

' Single occupancy: $2520.00
(Non: golfers deduct $350. 00)

. “Tour. Includes
.. « All green fees woe
° Pre-arraged golf ti times °
14 days transportation via deluxe a7.
passenger motorcoach =: ,

© $3 nights accommodations {all 30
Diamond AAA rating}:

Ferry passage , ,
¢ Driver expenses
* Lobster dinner
on jo * Guided tour of Halifax, . Posy $ Cove, &
aos me : Lunenberg :
, + GST & PST as

“*not included - power carts ©

| GOLF TOUR.

7 September - - 30 September

$1365,00,
$1695.00,

17 Sept HalifaxTour Begins...
18 Sept, Tour Lunenberg, Peggy's Cove
19.Sept Golf’: Granite Springs Golf Club
20 Sept Golf - Ashburn Country Club —
21 Sept Day at leisure - your own plans
22 Sept Golf - Oakfield Golf Club © %..
23 Sept Travel to Prince Edward Island
24 Sept Golf ~ Green Gables Golf Club ::
|-25 Sept Golf - Stanhope Golf.Course
: 26'Sept Day at leisure’ - your own. plans
. 27 Sept Golf - Brudenell River Course
28 Sept Golf “Links at Crowbush Cove’
29 Sept Day at leisure - your own plans
30 Sept Golf - Belvedere Golf and Winter Club ©
4 1-6.We stay at the Citadel Inn, Halifax
‘Days 7- 10 We’ stay at Rodds Charlottetown Hotel
Days 11- 12 We stay at Rodds Brudenell River Resort ,
Day 13 We return to Rodds Charlottetown Hotel

B Golf Tour Ends’
' *.not.included - power carts *.