Going full bar

"Going full bar" is a term used in paragliding that means "full speed ahead".  It's a method we use to get to our destination faster while in the air, but it can also translate to setting your eye on a goal and going for it, and it's what I'm doing now with my flying business.

Three years ago I got my instructing and tandem ratings and began dreaming of making a living doing what I loved.  People were incredibly supportive and genuinely wished me success.  It was surprising how many local pilots had approached different wing and harness manufacturers to sell their equipment here so they could follow their own dreams of living off a paragliding-related income.  Most were denied since they weren't instructors so they encouraged me to sell gear once I became qualified.  It wasn't my immediate focus then (and I didn't have the cash to buy demo products which a lot of companies required) so I started my business with introductory tandem flights.

My business grew steadily as I decided to look at paragliding instruction differently and offered different options such as one-on-one coaching and theory classes.  With constant inquiries on tandems, coaching and flying lessons lately I've been trying to figure out how to work full time and keep running the paragliding side of things.  How can it be possible to earn enough to buy all the necessities (and ok...a few luxuries too) and still pursue my passion of helping others achieve their flying goals?

Luckily, I work at a company that cares about the personal and professional success of all their employees.  Every day at work we discuss one of our company values and how it relates to what we do.  All our actions are guided by these values (such as respect, integrity, and teamwork) and it fosters a very healthy job environment.  They match my own values, and nowadays it actually surprises me when I encounter people who act unethically in business or take joy in trying to destroy someone else's dreams.  Such a change from work where my manager's passion is developing people to their full potential.  It's something that seems to come naturally to her, and I'm learning more every day in how to bring that to the coaching side of my own flying business.

There a lot of lessons from both parts of my life that help each other.  I've learned I can succeed at whatever I set my mind to, that I can be faced with a huge project and everything comes together when you work as a team.  I've learned that I can't put my paragliding business on hold, not even for a little while, because flying has been an integral part of me for 15 years and will be for the rest of my life.  I have learned that when you have a goal in mind that the universe really does conspire FOR you!

So I'm going "Full bar" with my business, confident that it will all work out.  Jet Set Paragliding is about to start carrying some more exciting products and is also putting on new courses to help everyone achieve their personal goals.  Through teamwork we are also a part of more community events that include every level of pilot and as always, all courses and gatherings are open to everyone.  There is no us-versus-them to be found here.  We're a small enough community as it is and excluding anyone is just silly.  We all share the same passion so let's support, encourage and help each other to be even better!

 daily inspiration hanging on my wall

Spring Training

It's that time again...the unpredictable weather of spring that brings us some spectacular flying days.

This year I am starting the season with a new student on board.  He has a few hours of kiting under his belt now, and is eager to get in the air.  One of his best qualities is his attitude - that of understanding the big role that safety plays in this sport and why it's important to learn the basics over the addictive pull of "I wanna fly now!"

Teaching paragliding is different than flying for yourself.  A bad cold decided to settle in, and as much as I wanted to "shake it off" and go fly on what looked like one of the best weekends of the year, I decided to stand by what we had recently gone over in ground school.  Don't fly if you don't feel 100%.  And since I didn't feel anywhere near 100%... I did not fly.  Teaching is about being a role model - students pay a lot more attention to your actions than your words - so it's helping me to refine who I am as a pilot too.

Having a full time job makes things interesting too, in that you have to make the most of your time off and prioritize what you want/need to do on your "off" hours.  Having a paragliding business blurs the line between "second job" and "free time", but when you love what you do it's not work at all.  Who knows how this year will turn out, but so far it's been fantastic and looking brighter all the time.

Women of Aviation Week

March 4-10th is Women of Aviation Week.  Airports and flight schools around the world are putting on events during the week, offering free introductory flights for women to encourage more women to get into the industry.

My company Jet Set Paragliding is getting involved too - on a much smaller scale of course!  As a female owned and operated business, I love the idea of attracting more women to our sport.  So I am putting on a draw through my Facebook page offering a free instructional tandem, mini ground school session and some other goodies, with the prize going to a woman who is interested in learning more about paragliding.

The link to my Facebook page is here - https://www.facebook.com/jetsetparagliding  All I'm asking is that those interested "like" my page, leave a comment saying they want in the draw and to watch for the winner who will be announced on March 11th!

The tandem flight will take place near Chilliwack, BC during the 2013 season.  Good luck to all who enter!

Bring on 2013!

 Happy New Year!

Letting my precious out of the bag for a little kiting 

So happy to have a new year with new possibilities ahead of me, just waiting to be filled with adventure!  We're only in the middle of January and things are already fantastic.

I finally got my paraglider out for a ground-handling session on Sunday morning, and even though there was very little wind (which is why the wing is in such a funky shape in the picture) it was still fun to run around the park with it, giggling as I ran really hard and tried to get airborne with some little bunny hops.

This past weekend I also hosted a HAGAR study course, which for non-Canadian pilots probably requires a definition.  In Canada, we are pretty much self-regulated and fly under the guidelines of our governing body, the Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association of Canada (HPAC).  However, we have to follow the rules from Transport Canada when flying in certain airspace.  Makes sense - we don't want to be flying in the middle of an airport approach path & end up playing chicken with a 747.  The exam we have to take is tricky and full of a lot of information that we don't use on a regular basis. When I went to take the exam years ago there wasn't anywhere offering lessons on the air regs and I only passed by the skin of my teeth.  Now that I'm running my own business I decided to take on this project myself and am proud to say that this past weekend was my second successful run of this course.

It's cool seeing your vision come to life, and satisfying to help others who have been searching for the same information as you.  Having more people contacting me about the next session feels great and motivates me to keep improving.

Woot woot for 2013!

All work & no play...

Today was my first "play" day in a while.  It was cold but worth it, especially since it will probably be my last flight of the year.  That means it's time to look back on the adventures of 2012.

Cold at landing and happy to have gotten some airtime

I've taken on a 2nd job so am working close to 70 hours a week, plus keeping up with Jet Set Paragliding and the occasional writing gig.  I'm grateful for the work, and the weather has been mostly gloomy so I don't feel like I'm missing out on much.

The second job started a few weeks ago.  This spring and summer weather-wise weren't the greatest for flying...in fact I probably got the fewest flights in this year since I moved out to the valley 8 years ago!  I slacked off on recording flights in my log book (I'm usually really dedicated about it) but I did log 65 flights this year, and over half of those were tandems.  Compared to 200 total flights in 2011 it's no wonder I feel like I barely even touched my paraglider this year!

However, I had some amazing moments in and around those "few" flights.  The biggest and most awesome was my Skywalk ponsorship.  I'm really proud of that...it was a new experience for me to prepare a paragliding "CV" and to have to tell someone about my accomplishments.  To have them come back & tell me they liked what I represented & then offer me a place among the Team Pilots was definitely one of the biggest highlights of 2012.

Then Flyte Park came on board when I went to compete in the paragliding nationals along with support from so many of my friends!  The competition was a bit of a bummer for me...with the loss of a pilot my confidence in my own skills disappeared, and some soul-searching was needed to get back on track.  Once again, support from my friends helped me clarify my own views on flying and I was up and running (flying?) again as usual within the week.

I also experienced having a new pilot tell me I was his mentor.  It was just dropped casually into conversation, but wow, that was humbling and awesome!  I remember being new to paragliding and having pilots I looked up to.  It's crazy to think I could be that person to someone else.

The year has had it's challenges of course...trying to run a flying business when working 2 jobs and waiting for weather windows can be dis-heartening sometimes, but I love paragliding with a passion and want to be involved however I can for as long as I can.  This sport has completely changed my life, introducing me to people, places and adventures I never would have experienced if it hadn't been for that magic cloth that takes me to the skies.

Launching as the snow started falling today...

Coolest Helmets Ever

Wohoo!  I decided to become a dealer for Ruroc, who sell awesome helmet systems that look like this:

RG-1 Shadow Complete Helmet System from Ruroc

I entered a contest on Facebook to win one, then approached them about carrying their products.  Kind of like what I did with Flyte Park and selling the Microvario - I found a product I liked & believed in and wanted to help promote.  These helmets just look so cool I couldn't help but ask to work with them!

So after doing some research, I found they don't just look great but have fantastic safety features and innovative technology, like their goggles and lenses that have special vents that permanently prevent goggle fog.  The "ski mask" is detachable so you could wear it when flying (or skiing or boarding or speed riding) in the winter, and remove it when having a nice little summer flight.

I plan to promote these within the snow sports arenas as well as the paragliding community, although I think most people who fly also ski/board/speedride in the "off season" and would love a helmet they can switch between sports. 

This past year I've been trying to "think outside the box" for ways to make a living in paragliding without having to rely on things like tandems which are completely dependent on the weather.  So far I've started teaching intermediate classroom courses and will do so again as soon as flying stops for the year, and I think branching out and catering to sports connected with ours or that pilots like to do along side with flying is a solid step in the right direction.  I'm excited about this next venture and look forward to improving my snow skills so I can wear one of these helmets somewhere other than the bunny hill :)

If you'd like to buy one (or just want to see what's available) check them out on my website:

http://www.jetsetparagliding.com/ruroc.html

These pages are still "under construction" but I can start taking orders immediately.  Thanks for your support!

Fortune Cookie Tells All

Enough said.