Getting up in the air is a great way to put life in perspective, clear your head and find an exhilaration that is hard to match.  I’ve had the opportunity to try powered paragliding twice with Mo Sheldon, a certified instructor, and one of only two in Arizona.  He takes it easy on you, but gives you an unparalleled experience.

Admittedly, on my first experience I was a little nervous, but the nerves gave way to wonder.  Following the air currents and tuning out the rest of the world, PPG combines a motor to provide control and just letting nature take you where it will.

Paragliding and "M" Mountain near Maricopa, AZ

My second experience of PPG was even more amazing than the first.  I was able to fly over forbidden territory – Gila River Indian land that no one is supposed to travel on.  We came very close to a local landmark where I live – we call it “M” Mountain, but its real name is Pima Butte.  Flying over, we spooked some wild horses, but we were able to see them as they trotted off.

Unlike my first experience where my husband’s dry sense of humor had him asking whether I had a will made out, in my second experience, I was confident in what was to happen.

If you’ve never been able to fly, PPG is a great way to see the world.  The reason it is part of my logo – (Hey, take a look at my shop for my logo items) – is because I found the experience irresistible.  If I had the money, I’d get my own rig and go up regularly!

If you’d like to try this out when you’re in Arizona, check out Mo’s Web site:

http://www.airparamo.com

Powered Paragliding - Exhilarating!

Intrepid or, perhaps, as some people said, “nuts,” I agreed to see what the excitement was all about. I planned to see the area from a tandem apparatus that flew from heights of one to 18,000 feet off the ground. We’d be flying at about 25 miles per hour. I’m not afraid of heights. I’ve flown in airplanes and small crafts. But, I’ve never been so close to the birds.

We started out early, around 5 AM, to avoid the day’s heat. By the time we reached the Phoenix Regional Airport, about eight miles from Maricopa, and had the apparatus ready, it was close to 6 AM. To reach the sky, our powered paraglider (PPG) was our vehicle. A metal frame with mesh seat (a very cushy-looking three-wheeled cart), plus a 2-stroke engine powered by aviation gas (purer than regular car fuel), a ripstop nylon wing held to the frame with Kevlar lines, and a 4.5 gallon plastic gas tank would be taking us up. Each Kevlar line, Mo reassured me, would hold 500 pounds by itself.

Mo climbed in the back seat. I climbed in up front, with three mesh straps to hold me in – one for each leg and one around my chest. So far, so good. I had a helmet on with an intercom device so we could communicate.

And, all of a sudden, after Mo alerted me that we would go forward and then be pulled back a bit, we were up!

Powered Paragliding

We were flying! We were headed west toward Maricopa with Bill Rowe, another paragliding aficionado, ahead of us. His colorful canopy was a focal point against the sky which was already quite light.

As we flew, I saw the many thousands of cows in the feed lots that appeared as just a speckled-brown field from up high. The wind blew gently across our faces at, Mo later told me, about 10-12 miles per hour. We flew as high as 500 feet from the ground. The Estrella Mountains were off in the distance and so was Flat Top. The far-off mountains appeared a little hazy, but seeing the mountains from the air was spectacular. Everything was very quiet except for the motor of the paraglider, which you just didn’t really hear after a bit.

We could see the Tortosa housing development with sidewalks meandering about like white ribbons on the ground.
Inspired, I could see what all the excitement was about. Soaring and swooping around, floating at high altitudes and so close to the ground I could almost touch it, I was really getting excited about the views, the experience and the sense of freedom.

Mo decided to give me a taste of going off the edge of the “abyss” – a high berm – only a foot or two off the ground and into the air. For a moment or two, my stomach lurched as he swooped several times to get just the right angle to head off. And, we were off, seemingly free of the earth and away from the ground again.

Just when I was really getting to enjoy the flight, Mo declared it time to head back, since we would be going against the winds and it was going to take some time. He was also getting a bit low on gas and teased me about walking back to the hangar.

We passed canals that looked like blue lines drawn by a child in a coloring book, bordered by telephone poles with tiny wires holding them together like a long, brown necklace. The fields were open with long, green rows of cotton plants and fluffy, green clumps of pecan trees.

Finally near the landing site and over the last canal and set of power lines, Mo announced that he was cutting the engine and we’d glide in, which we did. It was effortless – or so he made it seem. We floated down and landed very easily. Sadly, my flying adventure was over for the day.

Then, Mo and Bill put on a colorful show for me with both heading back up and often almost appearing to be one sail in the distance in two separate rigs. Mo had traded his tandem rig for a one-seater without wheels, which he claimed gives more control.

Once they were down, they shook out the canopies, folded them up, and tucked them into bags as you would a tent. All of this was accomplished rapidly, almost effortlessly.

Mo has taught people to fly ranging from ages 13-76 years old; he’s flown with people ages 2-84 years old. The most moving experience he’s had was when he took a Viet Nam-era pilot up with terminal cancer, who died three days later. It really made him feel how precious every moment is. And, he intends to keep flying which “keeps you young in mind and body.” Even his father, formerly skeptical, has flown with him. Mo, one of the top-ranked competitive PPG pilots in the world, enjoys “fly-ins.” One has been held in Casa Grande, AZ with PPG pilots attending from all over the country.

Most of Mo’s students have always wanted to fly; some come because of a gift certificate for a birthday. Almost everyone he’s flown – 99%- loves it! Count me in the 99%.

Icarus, eat your heart out!

Above it all

All of Mo’s information is on his Web site at www.airparamo.com