The Naples Florida beaches are pristine, and as a matter of fact, I have recently seen some of the clearest water ever in the Gulf of Mexico. Local beach goers are going about their business as usual, and the local fishing is completely unaffected. Charlotte Harbor, where we fly our tandem hang glider flights, will never be affected as the Peace River flows into it and barrier islands protect it from the Gulf side. On a recent flight, I witnessed a large spotted eagle ray jumping very high out of the water as I flew overhead about to begin a landing approach. Maybe it thought the Falcon 3 Tandem glider was its mother…!

Vacationers planning trips to Florida this summer should not worry about the beaches at all.

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Tandem hang glider flights and lessons are a great way to see the fabulous scenery above the Gulf of Mexico and Charlotte Harbor. Florida hang gliding is hard to beat and we are thankful that this spell of bad weather is out of the ordinary. We look forward to some great days of towing the tandem hang glider over water.

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Tandem pilot rock star Alex Cuddy came all the way from Jacksonville to to help with the event and be the tandem hang gliding instructor. Florida hang gliding just doesn’t get much better than here in Punta Gorda on Charlotte Harbor, and we were hoping to sign up lots of folks for a tandem hang glide. Unfortunately, high winds, low ceiling, and rain conspired to keep us grounded. The weather also really hurt attendance at the event, even the live band packed up and left early. Next weekend will hopefully bring better weather to south Florida.

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Charlotte Harbor’s 20th Annual Lighted Boat Parade on the Peace River was quite an affair. We were there in force and seemed to make quite an impression. Then on Sunday, we had a full day of tandem hang gliding on Charlotte Harbor, which is what we do best.

The annual boat parade was postponed due to unfavorable weather on Saturday, Dec. 5, but was rescheduled for 6 pm, Dec. 12. This was a good decision by the event organizers, and reflects the safety consciousness which has helped make this one of the top Christmas Boat Parades in the nation.

We worked all afternoon to get the Reel High decked out in full holiday lighting, hang glider and all. There are many good viewing areas along the 6.2 NM parade route, both on land and out on the water. Announcers described each vessel and crew from 4 different locations, and the event was broadcast live on 102.9 FM as well. Capt. Travis, MaryAnn and myself had a great time. It was akin to taking a drive to view the Christmas lights, but having everybody in their lawns to look at us.

The estimated  crowd of 12,000+ spectators watched from just about every vantage point imaginable. Many backyards along the canals were highly decorated with large groups having parties and watching the parade. Numerous boat lined the route in the sections of open water in the Harbor, and all 4 public viewing points where the announcers were stationed had very large crowds.

Capt. Travis Elms really hammed it up, and as the spectators cheered our “float”, we all gave them the “I can’t hear you” gestures, which brought even more applause from the crowd, which seemed about as well lit as the boats and houses.

The highlight of the weekend was, of course, the flying activities. Sunday dawned clear and warm, with a gentle southerly breeze; it was obviously going to be a good day for flying.
As we finished removing the lights from the boat and glider, the participants were beginning to gather. I was pleased to welcome them all aboard, particularly none other than Alexander Cuddy, the latest part-time addition to our staff. Although he is only here for the winter season, Alex is a 21 year old up-and-coming competition pilot, as well as an accomplished tandem hang gliding instructor, and just all around good guy.  After the usual flurry of paperwork and briefings, we cast off.

After a quick solo check flight of the glider, I let Alex take the controls for a quick familiarization tandem flight, with me as the passenger. It was fun just relaxing and letting him do the flying, I can see why all of our guests enjoy the experience so much…! It was pretty obvious that Alex was right at home flying the glider over water, so I turned him loose for a solo flight of his own. The grin on his face upon landing told the tale.

The wind was starting to finally blow enough to help us out, so the tandem flights went beautifully. Alex gave each of the 2 students a tandem flight to 2,500′, then we took a break for lunch aboard Tim Coons’ “A Fabulous Affair”. While Tim grilled some snapper and amberjack, which he had speared himself a couple of weeks prior, we enjoyed the facilities. Everybody used the restrooms, MaryAnn lounged on the sun deck, Capt. Travis caught up on the footbal games on TV, and the rest of us drank cokes at the bar. All in the middle of Charlotte Harbor, with dolphins jumping and sailboats all around us. The food was awesome, and with our bellies full, we returned to the “Reel High” to continue the flight lessons.

The breeze had become very consistent at about 10 knots out of the west-southwest, so the tandem climbouts were once again super-easy, we never had to run the boat hard. With 3,200′ of spectra line spooled off the tow winch, the glider looks pretty small up there ! Both students did 2 more flights each, with Alex putting them through their paces, teaching basic glider control. Landing on the soft saltwater is always fun & easy, not to mention more forgiving than land.

On the last flight, we on the towboat were treated to the sight of thousands of waterfowl of some sort, taking off as we approached. They were in front and on both sides, running across the water as they gained flying speed, clouds of webbed feet splashing silvery trails as their silhouetted wings climbed skyward. It was truly a moment where hang gliding meets National Geographic, we were all speelbound for a few magic moments.

All in all, it was a stupendous day of tandem hang gliding, boating, and sightseeing.

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Chuck and Jamie were not the types to want the typical placid tourist ride, so their instructional flight consisted largely of how to put a hang glider into a steep dive and then whip it up into some 60 degree banked turns. A couple of rapid roll reversals and tight spirals had them squealing. Indeed, if gliders could talk, I think the big Falcon 3 Tandem would have been giving us some Yee-Haws too…! The only downside to those flights is that they are over with all too soon….

Their nephew Stepehan had been a bit skeptical and wanted to see a flight or two before taking the leap himself. Steve, due to an unfortunate childhood auto accident, has some challenging disabilities. With very limited use of his left leg and almost no use of his left arm, his spirit af adventure is still quite intact. Once he made the decision to fly, the crew of PHG was determined to do whatever it would take to make it a reality for this fine young man.

It took a bit of doing to assist him onto the flight deck and into the harness, but soon we had him all cozy and wasted no time getting the glider into the sky. As we lifted off, the boatload of relatives erupted into cheers and waves as we climbed up and away. The surface of the water was like a mirror and full of 4′ rays, truly quite a sight. During the flight, we shared a very pleasant conversation during which he told me that he thought many of his friends would not believe him when he told the story.

All of us at Paradise Hang Gliding felt humbled, grateful, and honored to have helped Steve, and we hope that it was as unforgettable for him as it was for us.

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We are happy to announce the addition of a new place to operate our boat towed hang gliding operation, as well as another great surprise. Charlotte Harbor is a beautiful spot, and offers all of the customer conveniences of our other sites in Collier and Lee Counties. The beauty of this location is that the harbor is shallow and sheltered. When the good winds we like for tandem flights start whipping up big waves on the open waters of the Gulf of Mexico, Charlotte Harbor will have only moderate chop, perfect for what we like to do…!

Our boarding point, situated at the beautiful new Laishley Municipal Marina in Punta Gorda, has plenty to offer with lots of parking, restrooms, shops and restaurants within easy walking distance. Check out their website at http://www.laishleymarina.com

As a complimentary surprise for our guests, we are very excited to announce that we have the added attraction of operating alongside of Tim Coons’ Fabulous Affair. This vessel is a 63′ powered catamaran houseboat built for ocean-going duty, and has all the conveniences one could ever want for a day on the harbor. Currently being re-fitted as a liveaboard dive vessel and party charter boat, the Fabulous Affair is fully operational as a support vessel. Food & drink, restrooms, showers, a jacuzzi, and a large sundeck make this the perfect way to relax while waiting for your tandem hang glider flight, or swapping stories, photos and video afterward. We are sure that our guests will enjoy being aboard this fine vessel almost as much as we do.

Guests view while waiting for their tandem flight aboard the Fabulous Affair

The Fabulous Affair, upon completion of its upcoming USCG Certification, will soon be available for groups of up to 50 passengers for a variety of charters such as parties, weddings, sunset cruises, dive trips, etc. For further information please contact Tim at Fabulous Services, LLC (941)204-4102 or Scot at Paradise Hang Gliding, Inc. (239)293-2891

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We met & boarded the British Bunch at Lover’s Key, and were soon headed out to sea. Today, the winds were very light and switchy, but what little there was came from the east, forcing us a couple of miles offshore to begin our run into the wind back toward the beautiful Florida beaches. Near shore, under the cumulus clouds forming over land, there was some breeze, farther out, it was truly the doldrums. We have never seen the surface so glassy and it was a spectacular day to be out on the water. The light winds made for slow climb rates during the first part of each tow, but it was fun and relaxing to just hang out on the towline, look for critters beneath and enjoy the views of the emerald colored waters.

The second half of each tow was quite different, and very exciting. A wind gradient, along with increased thermal activity being blown from shore, made for absolute rocket-like climbs. After release, on the first flight with 14 year old Luke, we worked a thermal and were actually climbing for a bit. He really enjoyed it, and liked the hang gliding lesson portion of the flight. Flying with Max & dad Gary was just as good, but their heavier weight made it impossible to climb in the thermals, although we extended all of the flights by a fair bit.

Luke saw a huge loggerhead sea turtle as we turned on final approach, and Gary was treated to the sight of a very large ray and 2 different groups of dolphins; one group of 4 was cavorting about very near the waiting hang glider tow boat. Not really as good as some days for wildlife spotting, but once again the expedition turned out to be a Florida eco-tour, and a good time was had by all.

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Saturday we had a great group of 5 ladies from Bradenton, FL (well one was from near Pittsburgh) , all of them wildlife lovers. The cast of characters in the waters of the Gulf of Mexico did not disappoint us at all.

Naples, Florida is a great place to fly hang gliders, high above the parasailers, and the area around Bonita Beach, Florida is some of the best scenery around.  Each of the passes from the inner waters to the Gulf are full of critters. Flying above them is always a treat.

On various tandem hang glider flights today, we spotted an amazing array of marine life, including rays, sea turtles, and huge groups of schooling fish. Not much boat traffic, and the water clarity was quite nice. During the boat ride to & from the Gulf, we spotted numerous dolphins and manatee. During one flight, a passing frigate bird was caught directly in the path of the tandem hang glider on tow, and soon it was flapping its wings frantically to get out of our way, passing directly in front of us only a few yards away. The passenger, an avid bird watcher, was quite thrilled.

I recently replaced the old braided dacron towline with much thinner & stronger spectra line, the high tows to 2500′ are now much easier due to the greatly reduced drag. In addition, the low friction makes the rewinds much easier and more reliable.

For Sunday, a group of 3 Brits…

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Check out our cool new video from a couple of weeks ago of a tandem hang giding lesson.

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Local businessman Quinn Ruelle celebrates he & his wife’s near simultaneous birthdays every year with a party, and what a party it always is, with many folks coming from out of town as well as most of his local neighbors. This year, in addition to the usual festivities, including a fireworks display which rivals most big-city holiday displays, Quinn decided to entertain some of his guests with some hang gliding flights above the Gulf. Naturally, we gave him a group discount, and began signing people up.

The first group went flying on Friday afternoon, and were treated to some great conditions. The easterly wind was fairly strong, and therefore the tows to altitude were easy. The highest flight was with Allison, who everybody (including herself) claimed would be the one to up-chuck, but she actually seemed quite relaxed, and we went to about 2,000′ above sea level before releasing the towline, and did not heave any chunks. We started at 3pm, and got in several tandem flights in a relatively short time.

Going out again on Sunday, we had even better conditions. The wind had turned on-shore and was again fairly strong. This day, we were able to glide back to the shoreline and actually use the lift band produced when a good wind hits the condos at the beach. Several passengers were treated to flying in the lift, sharing it with the frigate birds and pelicans soaring above the sunbathers, landing just offshore by the waiting Paradise Hang Gliding tow boat. Many of the beach-goers were waving and shouting to us, and a good time was had by all.

I think that Quinn was especially impressed by the aerial view of the Gulf he loves so much. His charitable organization Ecological Research and Action Foundation, Inc. is dedicated to red tide research, as well as other projects dedicated to the preservation of the delicate balance of the wild here in southwest FL. Please check it out at www.redtiderelief.org and keep them in mind the next time you are thinking of purchasing or donating electronic items. Quinn is a man of action, and his dedication to this cause should be appreciated by all. We at Paradise Hang Gliding, Inc. support his efforts and wish him all the best with this endeavor.

Way to go Quinn & Heike, we really appreciate your support…!

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