Money Can Buy You A Pair Of Wings

Bernard and I finally met. He congratulated me for my enthusiasm despite the poor weather and promised me aerial shots from his specially mounted camera. I have been planning this paragliding experience for more than a week and had to postpone twice, due to strong winds.

It is still windy today so Bernard said he would fly me himself on the tandem paraglider. He is a fully qualified pilot with 25 years of paragliding experience, so I felt safe in his hands. I went through a quick on-ground instructional briefing and a massive blue canopy was hauled out of a backpack attached to a bundle of Kevlar lines. I was fastened into a harness and the safety clips were inspected by two other men, followed by Bernard himself. Then, Bernard tapped my helmet and said that we were ready to go.

The launch was easier than I had expected. No jumping off rocks or jogging downhill. We simply lifted off and glided away from the cliff. With my feet off the ground, my harness allowed me to settle into a very comfortable sitting position.

The view was breathtaking. The flight zone at Timbis convinced me that I had the best seat in town. We launched off the rugged cliffs to soar over immaculate pristine beaches and blue seas with a bird’s eye view of the waves breaking over the beach and coral reefs below.

I get queasy at heights but there was no fear of falling and the ride was extremely smooth. It was very peaceful but not at all quiet, with the sound of wind whipping in my ears.

During the flight, Bernard explained his control over the glider. He checked if I was doing alright but I don’t think he waited for an answer. Soon, we were whirling and spiraling; plummeting and rising more than I had fancied. My body was being pulled by the wind while my stomach and other internal body parts following only seconds later.

We stayed aloft for almost an hour. I am not sure how high we were elevated but we hugged the coast line throughout.

Eventually, it was time to land and the landing was slow and gentle. The tandem flight was an exhilarating paragliding experience. It was good fun but most of all, it was fulfilling to have experienced man’s greatest fantasy of free flight.