It has been a busy spring season here in Paradise, and we have performed hundreds of tandem hang glider flights above the sparkling waters of the Florida Keys. Among them have been 2 separate video shoots for production companies from the Travel Channel and the Discovery Channel’s Velocity TV. In both cases, we received phone calls out of the blue from the producers requesting a time slot to come film with us. Needless to say, we were delighted to say YES.

On January 13, the crew of the Travel Channel’s “Trip Flip” descended upon us with the cast  of 3 and crew of 8 for an afternoon of hang gliding action. With a chase boat provided by Capt. Dennis Fantasea Charters, we headed out into Florida Bay with Tom & Crystal Nix, of Denver CO as the flying guests, and host Bert Kreisher. The glider was literally covered with GoPro Hero 2 HD cameras, as well as a number of larger shoulder mounted video cams and sound equipment. It was quite an endeavor and a lot of fun.

In the end, hours worth of interviews and hang gliding footage were scrapped in favor of about 1 minute of mostly uninteresting  video clips. Nevertheless, we were pleased to get the exposure, and a number of customers contacted us who literally had to play back their recorded show several times in order to get our phone number off the wing of the glider.

Even better was a subsequent shoot for “Making Waves”, which has its season premier on May 3. Using a helicopter piloted by mega-talent Paul Barth , a custom-built camera platform boat, a number of hand and shoulder held cameras, a lot of sound equipment, and of course multiple glider-mounted GoPros, we shot video for most of the  day on April 5. With 3 time US National Hang Gliding Champion and US Silver Medal team member Zac Majors flying the glider, series host Jeff Doyle was treated to a number of flights with one of the best pilots in the world to get all the just-right shots and getting his lines right.

We can hardly wait to see the episode, which we are told should air on the third weekend of May. Be sure to watch our Facebook page and your local TV listings for exact show times.

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The hang gliding here in the Florida Keys has been as spectacular as can be imagined here for the past few days. The seas had 80 feet of visibility. So  much so, that without our depth finder it would have been difficult to discern our depth.

Our passengers saw several rays. Turtles were in abundance today, (they take on an Orange hue from the sky). One of our passengers even described several fish that sounded like Sargent Majors, visible from high in the sky  !!

The wow factor, the smiles, and the pure joy that flying brings to our customers continually generates and feeds our passion for the sport.

Our wish here at Paradise Hang Gliding is that everyone can wear one of those huge grins that is brought on by getting to FLY LIKE A SUPER HERO!

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Last weekend was a busy one for the crew of Paradise Hang Gliding, Inc. By the time the week started on Monday, we all needed another weekend to catch some rest…!

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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This past weekend once again saw Paradise Hang Gliding, Inc. in action in the skies above Charlotte Harbor, Florida. With a load of guests from Wisconsin and Ft. Myers, The towboat Reel High had a full load, and with the calm winds, certainly had her work cut out for her.But the water was glassy and the blue boat did her work, getting several 1500′ altitude flights above impressive numbers of rays and considerable boat traffic. As always, Capt. Travis and mate MaryAnn did a great job of running the equipment and entertaining the guests.

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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