Alex has graduated and is now in the market for gear. He’s been flying the MacPara Charger since day one, which is an awesome and very popular wing. I use them exclusively for training, safe, full featured, stable and very easy to launch and kite.
​However, there are a lot of really nice wings on the market now. One of them is the new Luna 2 by BGD, the replacement for the much loved Luna. As the local BGD rep, Mariyan just happened to have a Luna available in the appropriate size for Alex to try.
Tuesday evening Alex and I met Mariyan in Sauk City. Not to worry, we all drove separately and stayed 6’ apart when on the runway. Alex first flew the Charger to see what the sky felt like with the wing he was familiar with. Then he clipped into the Luna 2 and gave that a go. Being a higher performance wing, it’s a high B, the take off run was noticeably faster. Not an issue for Alex and his long legs. Once in the sky the differences were noticeable too. The trimmers were labeled more clearly, the speed was faster, the breaks were rock hard when held in neutral but didn’t require much additional effort to induce a turn. It’s a semi-reflex design so has some of the benefits of both classic and full reflex wings like the Charger. All in all a fun wing to fly. Too advanced for a training wing but a fun choice for after. Probably more similar to MacPara’s Colorado.
Alex and I took the opportunity to fly over the Wisconsin river and enjoyed then sunset over the driftless area’s rolling hills.
In other news, Nick’s Atom80 Miniplane arrived by UPS around lunchtime. I volunteered to assemble it for him since I’ve got time available now that Madcity Paragliding is closed for a little while. It’s a pretty sweet machine. The Atom80 is like on modern take on the Top80. Shortcomings have been cleaned up and the look and design updated. Can’t wait to get this thing airborne!

Jeff is already an experienced paraglider pilot with over 500 flights. He spends a great deal of time soaring the mountains of Utah every year. Monday was his first paramotoring flight.
Jeff arrived at the airport Monday about 2 and we started with some kiting practice. We begin training months ago but hadn’t met in quite a while so we need to dust off his skills. Wing control with a 50 pound pack on your back is a little bit more difficult than kiting with a lightweight paragliding harness on. Your balance is off and your mobility is somewhat hindered. We tweaked his technique a little to adjust for the differences between free flying and motor flying. Paragliding pilots are taught to lean forward when they run to keep their feet under them. Paramotoring pilots stay upright while running and lean back against the thrust of the motor which can be difficult to get comfortable with.
Jeff quickly gained confidence in the motor and his new kiting style. Then it was back to the simulator to go over the take off procedure several times to make that more automatic for him. Landing would be exactly the same as he’s done hundreds of times since PPG pilots usually land with the motor off anyway. After several simulated flights it was time to give it a go for real.
We moved all the gear to the field and set up. Jeff botched the first couple attempts as he is still struggling to overcome a few of the habits he picked up during years of PG launches. Things came together on his third attempt and he successfully made it into the sky. Wing control is almost second nature for him now so the only new thing is throttle control. He was a bit erratic initially but about 20 seconds into the flight he seamed to embrace this new addition to paragliding and climbed smoothly to a comfortable altitude.
He made three laps around the field as directed by me then prepared for the landing. As soon as we got him over the landing area and killed the motor he was back in familiar territory. Trusting his skills, I stopped giving instructions and let him land on his own as he’s done hundreds of times before. He easily set it down softly in the middle of the field. Congratulations Jeff! Welcome to the incredible world of powered paragliding.
Greg, Robert, Alex and Dave were also out Monday evening and got to watch Jeff make his first flight. Then they all took off and explored the area by paramotor for a while. Upon everyone’s return we went back to the hanger to celebrate. We drank Corona and other beers while observing Corona virus protocol.
​At this point Madcity Paragliding is officially suspending training until the governor lifts the “stay at home” rules.
Stay healthy!

Saturday was too nice to stay inside and self quarantine besides, even the guys from Illinois that are on “lockdown” are permitted to go outside and recreate, we just need to practice proper Covid-19 precautions. So, our small group of less than 10 people all stayed outside and at least 6’ away from each other in the sky (and on the ground too).
We tried out Mariyan’s modified winch and made some additional mods during the day too. By dark it was working pretty good and Dimitry was able to get quite high on tow. Just a few more tweaks and it will be dialed in.
Jeff and I rigged up his new reserve.
Conor added a bunch of flights and worked on his motor-on and motor-off landing accuracy. Just 5 left for him to reach the magical 25th flight.
Alex made a couple longer unsupervised flights until his hands got too cold.
Adam and Ken played with their new wings. Yes, Ken got another wing.
Robert gave a little flying demonstration for his best friend and his daughter.
All in all a great day playing outside in the sun. A great way to escape from all the craziness going on right now too.
Unfortunately the governor just announced that all non-essential businesses close starting Tuesday. So today looks like the last day Madcity Paragliding will be actively teaching for a while. Hopefully this will be sorted out sometime soon and we can get back to our regular shenanigans. Stay healthy and keep flying!

Alex showed up Tuesday with just five flights left to complete the PPG2 requirements. Conor, Greg, Jeff and Curt were all there too. Alex even brought along his better half, Reba, so he could show off his newly acquired skills.
Conor’s flight count is nearing the halfway point and we are adding skills to his arsenal rapidly. Alex generously offered to let Conor go first. Conor executed four flights then turned the gear over to Alex so he could finish up, they are about the same weight and are therefore using the same setup.
Alex wasted no time cranking out the last few remaining flights. I threw one last challenge at him and that was a touch-and-go, a task that isn’t as easy as you might think. This maneuver requires a near perfect landing and then immediately transitioning into taxiing, a quick glance at the wing to confirm its good to go again, then smoothly back on the throttle. Lots of things need to happen correctly in rapid succession to pull it off successfully. Alex did great! His first attempt was a bit rough but he did it. His second attempt was much better, he made it look pretty easy. Way to go Alex and congratulations on earning your PPG2 rating!!
When Alex was done he gave the rig back to Conor so he could continue training. Conor and I quit flying a few minutes before sunset. Then it was back to the hanger for a couple beers with Curt and Greg. I love this job!

Alex is flying (pun intended) through training! Monday he doubled his flight count and is now up to 20. He passed the written test Sunday. He’s completed all the ground school tasks and nearly all of the in flight requirements. I expect he will finish this evening.
​Chris stopped out and tried out the new Apco SLT harness. We then put together an order for his paramotor which we hope to see soon.
Sunday the crew met in Sauk for some towing. Unfortunately the winch stopped rewinding for some reason which ended our day prematurely. Replacement arts are on the way.
I got the Air Conception reassembled and broken in so it is ready to fly again. A bit of a challenge since the timing has to be set the old school way with a dial, gauge and timing light.
Daylight savings has really increased productivity. We can now fly until 7:30 which means training after work again for everyone.
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Conor met me at the sledding hill Tuesday morning. The winds were forecast to out of the north as needed to make the hill work. We warmed up with a little kiting in the field at the bottom of the hill. Then we gradually started working our way up the hill, kiting down it from higher and higher. At first Conor was all over the place like a baby bird attempting their first flights. Conor gradually gained control with each subsequent pass down the hill. By the time we stopped for lunch he was soaring the length of the hill and setting it down gently in the field at the bottom. After a lunch break it was back to the hanger to run drills in the simulator.
We took a short intermission from the simulator to give Dave some guidance as he rebuilt his carburetor, an annual task for us paramotor pilots. After Dave reassembled everything and gave his machine a test run, Conor and I finished up his simulator session and prepared for his first flight.
Alex was also planning to be out Tuesday after work with hopes of making his first flight too. He rolled in as we were shuttling gear to the runway. The motor I planned on using was the brand new Mostor 185+ Miniplane I broke in the previous day but it hasn’t been flown yet. So, I took it for it’s initial test flight and used the flight to check the sky conditions before sending the new pilots up. I demonstrated the flight they were about to do so they would know exactly what to expect. It was a little bumpy and I decided to hold off their first flights for a little while to let the gusts settle down a bit, half an hour later it was much nicer.
Conor was first and successful pulled off his second launch attempt. A little erratic in the sky at first but soon found control. He completed the three labs just as we had practiced in the simulator then set it down nicely on the runway on his feet. Way to go Conor!
Alex was next. He managed to nail his first takeoff attempt. Having made over 500 skydives, his wing handling was obviously more controlled and his landing was perfect. He really enjoyed the ability to go up while under canopy, a new situation for him. Congratulations Alex!
both Alex and Conor went on to make another flight that evening and thus complete all the requirements for the PPG1 rating.
The two of them were back again the Wednesday afternoon and made several more flights. We worked on many different in-flight skills and improve their takeoff and landing ability. Training continues for Alex this Saturday and Conor next week.
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Alex was back Tuesday after work. The breeze was perfect so we practiced wing control until sunset, how to clip in forward and reverse, controlling the surge in heavy winds, turning from forward to reverse and back...just getting comfortable with the wing. Alex even had a go with the dummy throttle. We talked about when to add gas and how much, all while controlling the wing overhead. After that, Alex and I did some motor training and watched “the Scary Movie”. Hopefully Friday he will be able to test his new skills at the sledding hill if the weather cooperates.
​Conor spent all day Tuesday with me knocking out most of the PPG1 indoor tasks. We did lots of ground school stuff and motor training. We prepped for the PPG1 written test which he later aced. Conor also watched the Risk and Reward DVD. He too is bound for the sledding hill soon.
Brothers Brad and Andy were out Wednesday afternoon to do some kiting and make a couple flights. They both did great.
Mariyan has been working on building a new training winch and wanted to test it. We tried it with an empty line first then hooked up Mariyan to try the winch with a pilot attached. It’s coming together nicely but still needs a few modifications before it’s ready to use with students.
The school’s new paramotor arrived this week. It’s a MY20 Moster 185+ matte black Miniplane with the new two piece exhaust and Apco harness. So sweet!
I hope to see many of you Friday evening at the carburetor rebuild party. Soft landings!

Alex contacted me while I was still in Ecuador to schedule an orientation upon my return. He brought his friend Piarre along with him to the appointment. Both are sky diving instructors based out of at Mathaire Airport located northeast of Sun Prairie. With over 500 jumps a piece, in flight wing handling and landings should be a pretty familiar to them, we just need to work on everything else. The Orientation went well and Alex signed up for training Wednesday. His friend was a last minute invite and so needs a little more time to check his availability and finances.
​Alex was out Wednesday and Saturday this week preparing for his first motorized canopy flight. It’s the slow season for him and therefore the perfect time to add a new sport, a sport that he can do when it’s too cloudy to jump.
Conor and Matt drove over from Milwaukee Saturday morning for an orientation. They contacted me separately but after meeting each other at the hanger soon discovered that they live just a few miles apart.
Conor is in his medical residency and has an easy rotation this month. Therefore he thought it would be the perfect opportunity to learn to paramotor. Good plan! He signed up Saturday and started training immediately. We took advantage of the sun and breeze by practicing wing control for the rest of his time at the airport.
Matt showed up thinking he was just doing research for the future. He was under the impression that he would need $15,000 to get into the sport and just wanted to learn more before he started saving. When I told him I could set him up with a complete used setup for under $5k and we could start lessons with as little as $500 down, he was blown away.
Nick’s new custom Ozone Spyder arrived Friday and he couldn’t wait to fly it. I met him at the hanger Saturday morning before Conor and Matt showed up so he could do just that. It was only 10 degrees so his flight wasn’t long but he definitely approved of his new ride. This thing is so light it just wants to stay in the sky. His motor should arrive sometime soon.
Jeff and I rebuilt the carburetor on his machine before I went to Ecuador. Carburetors should have the soft innards replaced every year because they slowly loose they flexibly over time. The plan is to hold a pizza/carburetor rebuild session next weekend for anyone interested. Details coming soon!

Off to Ecuador for nine days of paragliding and other fun.
First stop was Ft. Lauderdale for a long layover that included several hours on the beach and swimming in the Atlantic Ocean. Unfortunately none of us had sunscreen because the airlines won’t let anyone carry that big of bottles on board. So, Charles and I ended up with a nice base sunburn to start the week off right.
Uber back to the airport in time to catch the flight to Ecuador. We landed in Guayaquil after midnight where we were picked up by our friend and former student Lenin. Lenin brought along his paragliding buddy Sabastian, better known as Yuka to be our driver and guide. Yuka has been Paragliding in Ecuador for over 20 years and has established many of the flying sights down there.
Yuka’s local knowledge was invaluable. Not only has Yuka flown all the sights but knows the weather patterns at each site as well as the recommended times to be there and the conditions best suited for every site. His experience meant we were able to fly every day and most days we flew several times and sometimes multiple sites in the same day! Thanks Yuka!!
The first few nights we stayed at the lovely Cuna Luna Hosteria on the beach just north of Montanita. Atlantic Ocean yesterday, now we get to swim in the Pacific Ocean. Two oceans in less then 24 hours, awesome!
This is a surfer destination. The waves were a blast. Mariyan and I spent several hours boogie boarding during our stay there.
While we were on the coast we ridge soared at Playa Bruja and the cliffs at San Pedro. The warm breeze off the ocean was steady and predictable. The view of the ocean as we quietly flew up and down the beach was spectacular.
We chased thermals at the Puerto Lopez launch one day until it got too windy to hold our ground. Then we pushed the speed bars and glided the one kilometer to the beach. So much fun!
Beach time done, it was an early Thursday morning departure for the Andes mountains. We stopped and flew from the mountain at Cochancay on the western slope as we made our way over to the eastern side of the Andes.
Cochancay is a new site that was opened just a few months ago. A mountain top launch out over a green valley with the landing zone adjacent to the the little river at its base. Following the local birds helped locate the thermals and they made for wonderful flying companions. Mariyan apparently had a stare down with one until it dove off and caught lift Mariyan couldn’t stick too.
Then it was back into our trusty little van to complete the crossing of the Andes. Our route took us through the Cajas National Park. This otherworldly place is made up of cloud covered green mountains filled with little lakes. Well above tree line the views were unobstructed and insanely beautiful. I would have spent the entire trip here happily but we were headed to the Pan-American Paragliding Accuracy landing contest in Paute and needed to continue on.
​We spent Thursday evening in the historic center of Cuenca. Cuenca is the wealthiest city in Ecuador and home to over 7000 people from the United States. This week happened to be Carnaval which meant there were concerts and people everywhere. Carnaval is a huge country wide celebration that seems to be like a giant water fight. Everywhere we went people were throwing cups and buckets of water at each other and us. They were also spraying foam from cans made specifically for this purpose. No one was off limits. Little kids, teenagers, grandparents were all in on the action. I took a nice shot of foam to the back of the head while ordering food from a street vendor. All good natured fun.
Friday we were off to Paute, the location of the contest. Being the last training day we took full advantage of the time we had and immediately jumped into the shuttle truck upon arrival. After a 15 minute ride to the top in the back of a four-wheel-drive truck we made our first run from the top of the mountain.
The target was an easy 10 minute glide down the river valley from there. We practiced until noon and then chased some food. We made more practice runs in the afternoon.
Saturday morning was an early start to the contest. I wasn’t competing but volunteered to be the wind dummy. Which means I went first to ensure the conditions were favorable for the contest. There were teams from Korea, Columbia, Ecuador, Chile as well as the United States and France. Mariyan did pretty well that day.
I had so much fun being a wind dummy that I decided to talk to the organizers and sign up to compete the next day. My intent was to compete in the recreational division but through a communication error, something was lost in translation, I ended up in the pro division with Mariyan.
Mariyan ended up 10th overall. Which, considering that the field included the current world champion, was pretty impressive. Had I been scored in the recreational division as requested I would’ve taken third in that group and would have brought home a trophy. However, since I was put in the pro division I ended up near the bottom of the ranking. No big deal, I was just doing it for fun anyway.
Monday we snuck in one more flight before heading back to the airport to return home. The only ride we could find was a little yellow taxi cab. I didn’t think it would make it to the top, Mariyan did, so we made a bet. Whoever was right didn’t have to pay for the cab. We got close but Mariyan had to pay for the ride as we ended up walking the final pitch to the launch site.
​Then was back to the hotel to pack up and get ready to meet Edwin, our ride to the airport. Traversing the Andes again in his van, 5+ hours later we were back at the Guayaquil airport.
So many new friends, so much new knowledge and experience. If you get a chance to go to Ecuador, do it!
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Great sunset flight with Reon last night. We took off from the field at his house. The sky was so beautiful and smooth we wanted to stay up for hours but it was getting dark and we were running out of time. So it was back to the house to warm up and have a couple post flight beers. Thanks Reon!
Today is more prop repairs. This time it’s Adam’s Helix that he clipped the crusty snow with. The ice removed the innards but left some of the outer carbon fiber sheet for me to work with.. The big time consumer is the epoxy’s cure time, 24 hours +. Should be good to go by tomorrow .