Very productive weekend! Highlights include:
Andy and his brother Brad both made their first flights Saturday shortly before sunset. Both did great in the somewhat imperfect conditions. Congratulations guys!!
Del completed all his requirements including the needed 25 flights to graduate Sunday right at sunset. Well done Del! Be safe and have fun!
We got the winch out Sunday morning and made several nice tows with it. Lenin, Mariyan, Dimitry and Matt all enjoyed the day.
Ken added several flights to his count bringing him ever closer to the needed 25.
Peter caught up on his ground school training. We watched the “Scary Movie”, prepared for and aced the PPG1 test. Nice work Peter!
Mike S and I met Dennis, Charles and Mariyan at the sledding to play with the cold north wind. Mariyan brought out the new Apco Hybrid wing for all to check out. This thing is pretty cool. The front half of the wing is double layered like a standard glider and the back half is a single layer. Very light and kites super easily. It’s supposed to very stable in flight too. Hopefully I’ll be able to test that soon!
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Paul met me at the Genesee Lake Road Park by a Oconomowoc Thursday morning. When I arrived I was excited to see the little shed that has been in the middle of the field forever had been removed. One less obstacle!
We got a bit of a late start and so were only able to get a couple flights in. Then we adjourned to Starbucks for refreshments and to prep for the PPG2 test. Paul is now progressing rapidly.

Paul made his First Flight this afternoon!! He has been working towards this day for a long time. Paul started over a year ago but unfortunately crashed his motorcycle early in our training program and had to take a long break to heal. He really made up for lost ground today by making 3 great flights and completing the requirements to earn his PPG1 rating. Congratulations Paul!!
Del drove up early and met me at the field right after sunrise. We made the most of the morning by checking off several in flight skills while making a total of 10 flights in just over 2 hours. Nice work Del!
Ben drove up from Chicago and made several nice flights bringing him that much closer to completing his training. We also had some fun goofing around with the ATV and my sons motorcycle. Boys will be boys.
Ken raced over from Waukesha after work to get a few flights in too. He managed to make a couple before the sun went down, then we strapped on the strobe light and sent him back up for more. I’m sure he would still be out there now if we weren’t legally required to be on the ground a half hour after sundown. This sport can be very addictive!

Productive day today at Madcity Paragliding. Started off by welding together Mariyan’s simulator for him. Then it was off to Home Depot to get some insulation for the “Pilot’s Lounge” at the hanger.
I met Peter after lunch to practice kiting. He continues to show improvement. Soon he’ll be flying.
Then Mike S and I went to the hanger and prepared for the PPG2 written test. He scored a 96% on his first try! Way to go Mike!!

Although it was too breezy to fly elsewhere, the wind somewhat unexpectedly settled down enough near Sauk City to allow us to tow Sunday afternoon. Mariyan, Dimitry and Lenin met me there with short notice at about 2 in the afternoon. Today was Lenin’s first solo flight above 100’. He had taken a couple tandem flights with Mariyan but this was his first time alone in the sky with any significant altitude, around 1,800’. He did great! The USHPA requires a student make at least 35 flights before the can earn their P2 rating so he has a lot of flying to do before he gets set free. Congratulations Lenin!!

Mike S, Mike L, Ken and Del all braved the sub-freezing temperature to continue growing their flying skills. Sure it was cold but everyone came prepared with some new winter apparel for the occasion. Del actually brought 3 brand new pairs of gloves in search of the perfect setup.
Flights were short, generally just one lap around the airport, but enjoyable. Just as the old Scandinavian saying reminds us “There is no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothes”. Dress right and the fun never stops!

Del arrived today at 1 with the hope of making his first flight. After some kiting to warm up, we added the weight and bulk of the motor to let him get accustomed to it while continuing to control the kite. Everything went great so we geared up to have a go at flying. Del looked like a pro as he easily nailed his launch on the first attempt! 4 mostly controlled laps around the field and he brought the Miniplane in for a great landing on his feet (kind of rare on first flights) way to go Del!!
Andy R and Mike S spent a lot of time kiting. We even towed Andy on a few short flights.
Lenin and Mariyan we’re back to have another go at the winch. After that they went on a tandem flight where Lenin was given the controls for some in flight maneuvers. Next up for Lenin is some full height towing!
Mark stopped by Wednesday evening to assemble and perform a hang test on his new Top80 Miniplane. The orange looks awesome!!
Jake even dropped in to take advantage of the great light wind conditions. Very busy for a cold weekday.
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Fall is definitely upon us and the training remains in high gear. Thursday and Friday we were at the sledding hill. Del, Kevin, Jason, Andy S, Brad and Peter were all making short flights down the hill in preparation for their first motorized flights. Everyone made as many runs as they could before calling it a day from exhaustion.
Saturday started before sunrise with Ken making a couple flights. Then Jason, Andy S, and Brad continued their training by watching Risk and Reward in the warm classroom as well as time in the simulator and additional kiting practice.
Monday Andy R and Mike S also watched the Scary Movie and did a little bit of kite handling before the winds got too strong.
Mike S returned Tuesday for additional ground school and simulator time.
Tonight’s plan is to assemble and break in and perform a hang test on Mark’s new Top80 Miniplane. I love this job!!

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).
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