Lenin, Mariyan and Charles were at the airport today doing some free flying training. This involves time in the simulator for all, a bunch of wing handling, hand towing, ATV towing and finally some pay-in winch towing. A long and very physical day for all involved. Jake even stopped by to check it out. Next step is pay-out winch towing behind the Jeep in Sauk City were we should be able to get them to heights nearing 2,000 feet! Exciting times!!

Peter started his training with couple days of kiting and trying out the Top80 Miniplane.
Mike L, Ken and Mike from Kenosha all added to their flight count. All are getting ever closer to the needed 25.
Andy, Jason and Brad prepared for and took the PPG1 written test. They all scored 100%, way to go guys!!
Madcity Paragliding graduate Chuck picked up his Trikebuggy and took it home. He made his own runway on his property, so jealous!
Jake stopped in a few times and explored the sky with his Power2Fly paramotor.
Mark ordered his new Top80 Miniplane (should be here Friday).
​And so much more...

Wednesday morning started with sunrise flying for Mike. He racked up 4 before taking a break to help Adam assemble his new Power2Fly paramotor. Nice job Mike!!
​Breaking in a Vittorazi 185 properly takes a full two hours. Unfortunately Adam couldn’t stick around long enough to test fly it.
Then Rick rolled in and made a couple motor on, wheel launches. One big step closer to flying for him. Way to go Rick!
Then it was just a blur of activity. Jason and Brad were there working on kiting. Jake was flying around doing wingovers and such.
We ended the day with Nick completing his final 3 required flight to earn his PPG2 rating and graduate. Congratulations Nick! Have fun and be safe!

Today we were gifted with a nice north wind, perfect for the Elver Park sledding hill. Lots of wings could be seen gliding down the hill.
Paul made the long trek over from the Milwaukee’s north side to ride the hill. He made several short flights that continually increased in length and control. Next up for him is motorized flights!
Peter stopped by to get an introductory lesson before committing to full training. Things went well and he begins in earnest this Friday after classes at the UW.
Kevin dropped in after work and made great progress in his quest for flight. One more day on the hill and he’ll be ready to go.
Madcity Paragliding graduates Dennis and Nick also answered the call of the north wind and made several flights down the hill.
​Mariyan was there too with Lenin and Charles working towards their P2 ratings. After today’s lesson, Lenin ready to start tow training. So, next up for him is a trip to the airport where we will hook him up to the winch and pull him gently skyward.

Mark met Ken, Kris and I at the park near Oconomowoc early Sunday morning with just 3 flights left to complete his PPG2 requirements. While Mark was making a few practice launches in preparation, Ken made a few flights adding to his total count. It didn’t take long for Mark to successfully execute the needed flights and earn his PPG2 rating. Way to go Mark!!
Saturday Andy, Brad and Jason dove head first into training. Although it was super windy and occasionally snowing or hailing we got a lot accomplished. They all tried on and started paramotors, hung in the simulator, learned about FAR 103 and so much more. Hopefully next time we meet the weather will cooperate and let us work in the all important wing handling skills.
After that, Ken stopped by the hanger and we unboxed, assembled and broke in his new Moster 185+ powered Miniplane. These machines are awesome!
Earlier in the week, Kaden and I began construction of a new classroom/work shop in preparation for the upcoming cold winter. I love building stuff!

Saturday morning Ken and Kevin met me at the park by Oconomowoc, both are ready to make their first flights. We decided that Ken would go first. Frost was still covering the field making it somewhat slippery adding to the challenge of a first flight. Ken quickly overcame these obstacles and soon found himself in the air. He made a few controlled laps around the park before returning safely to the ground. Way to go Ken!!
Conditions were bumpier than we were hoping for so we decided that one flight was enough for that day.
Del and I spent the rest of the day at the park working on getting him prepared for the day he makes his first flight.
Sunday Mike from Kenosha met me at the hanger to do some fine tuning to his take off and landing technique in the simulator. A few minor adjustments to the harness and his methods made things much easier. Weather permitting, we will try the new skills out sometime this week.
Del and Mike kited for the rest of the morning taking full advantage of the great breeze.
Sunday afternoon Mike L, Ken and Kevin returned to the park in Oconomowoc. Mike and Ken brought their better halves along too. While there, Mike and Ken took turns making flight after flight until they each had had enough. Mike added two more to his flight log and Ken racked up another four! Significant improvements were made with each successive flight. Great job guys!
Matt W was also there to lend a hand during the training. Thanks Matt!

Too windy for flying today so I spent the day clearing a field at the airport. With Keith’s permission and his articulated wheel loader I started clearing an area just past the hangers. The goal is to of have more options for take off spots when the wind doesn’t line up with the runway.

He did it! After preparing to fly all day Thursday, Friday Mike made his first flight!! We met at the hanger shortly after the rain stopped. We took our time getting things ready, wanting to give the runway as much time as we could to dry. When ready he made a practice run, then he executed a nice reverse launch and took to the skies. He made a few laps around the airport then brought the machine safely back to the ground. Congratulations Mike, you are now officially a pilot!!
Friday evening Mark stopped in and made several nice flights bringing his total to 21. His launches and landings improved with every flight. Great job Mark!
Saturday I met Jason, Andy and his brother Brad for a formal introduction to paramotoring. All three showed great excitement as well as a natural aptitude to the sport. I know they will all do well.
After that, Mark was back for more. Conditions were not that great but I managed to get a couple of bumpy flights in and Mark refereed to his flight as “festive”. We both were tossed around a bit more than we were hoping for. Just 3 more Mark!
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Thursday Mike and I spent checking off the last few items on the PPG1 syllabus to get him ready to fly. First we prepared him for the written test, then he took the test (100% correct by the way), then we watched the required “Risk and Reward” DVD, then a few more drills in the simulator and finally we ended the day with a bit of wing handling. Now all we need is the proper weather conditions and he will be flying!
Wednesday was too windy for flying so I rode my motorcycle around the area to check out a few potential paragliding hills. I found a couple spots with potential. Next step is to give them a try when the winds are lined up.

Ben gambled on the afternoon weather. He drove 2 hours from northern Chicago with the hope that things would dry enough for flying. The runway felt like a sponge and made a squishing sound with every step but the grass had dried sufficiently by the time he got to the airport to lay out the wing without it sticking to the grass. Ben was rewarded with several great flights. This was his first time using the Moster 185 powered Miniplane and he loved it! He was impressed with the power of the motor and the comfort of the harness. I have to agree, it’s my favorite paramotor too.