www.FlyingMax.com – Paragliding

Posts Tagged ‘Paragliding’

The Mt. Swansea Road is now open and it was great to see several families and pilots already taking advantage of it.
Even the Dusky Grouse enjoyed the great view and was getting ready to fly as well.

We planned to do the P2 supervised flights up at Panorama that day but the upper winds from the west picked up and we decided to some towing this day. Kris was running a towing workshop at noon at Kinsmen beach and after that we got a total of 12 flights with 3 students.

*Photo credit to most picture to James Jackson

Well, I never was thinking about it myself.
Last December Pascal was asking me if I would do a P1 & P2 course in the winter…. my reply was that it is to cold and there is to much snow at the practice hill.
By the end of January, Kaymin contacted me with the same question … Looking outside, there was not much snow here in the valley at all and before I knew it, I had 2 students starting a 2 week course.

Conditions were absolutely perfect and within 4 days each of them did more than 10 flights from our 40 meter high practice hill.
The week after we started to do our “high mountain” flights at Panorama Mountain Resort with skis. A week later each of them had over 20 flights.

Flying with skis at the resort works very well. The access to the launch site is super convenient by using the chair lifts. Panorama Resort supports our sport a lot and only charges $35 for a day to fly. On some days we ended up flying up to 5 flights a day.

In the mean time we have 4 other P1 pilots working on their 25 supervised flights at the Panorama Ski Resort. This works very well and besides running courses in the spring/summer I already started to schedule a P1 course for late fall this year so we can do the high mountain flights in the winter at the ski hill.

Check out our Calendar as we keep on adding courses and events…. PPG, SIV, XC and P3 workshops coming soon.

Happy, healthy and prosperous 2019 from flyingMax.com.
We are looking forward to a great new year with lots of adventures and flights!
Here is a video of Penny and Max flying into the new year!

The 2018/2019 Panorama Paragliding season has started.
If you plan to fly at Panorama, simply read the Panorama paragliding guidelines , then send me an e-mail with your HPAC number (including valid until date) and your paragliding level of experience to max@flyingMax.com, in order to get the Panorama Paragliding waiver form. This form is required for you to get you special priced Panorama “ski/flying” ticket from guest services. For first time paraglider pilots to Panorama, we will need to set up a meeting prior to your first flight for an orientation of the take off/landing spots and review the rules.

Happy Holidays and all the best for 2019!
Max & Penny

Hang gliding and Paragliding is regulated by Transport Canada under CAR 602.29 which states in short that we can only operate in Class G airspace.
Transport makes the exception to be able to fly in Class E (controlled) airspace if you have a valid HAGAR (based on your medical)

First, what is Class E airspace?

“3.5.5. Controlled Airspace – Class E

Class E Airspace is designated where an operational need exists for controlled airspace but does not meet the requirements for Class A, B, C or D Airspace. Operations may be conducted under VFR or IFR. ATC separation is provided only to aircraft operating under IFR. There are no special requirements for VFR aircraft. Low-level airways, control area extensions, transition areas, or CZs established without an operating control tower may be classified as Class E Airspace.

Hang gliders and Paragliders can operate in VFR flight in Class E Airspace if the pilot is at least 16 years of age, is in possession of a Category 1, 3 or 4 medical certificate and has passed, or is exempted from writing, the HAGAR examination. In addition, the hang glider must be equipped with a magnetic compass and an altimeter, the flight must be a cross-country flight and the pilot must inform the nearest flight service station (FSS) of the time of departure and estimated duration of the flight in Class E airspace.”

Bottom line of the HAGAR is to make every Hang glider and Paraglider pilot aware of other air traffic (faster and IFR traffic) procedures and airspace regulations which will keep everyone safe while sharing the same airspace.

For H3/P3 pilots NOT having a HAGAR and like to go XC, the question is where and how high is Class G airspace?

In simple terms, Class G airspace is from the ground up to 12500 feet ASL or 18000 feet ASL
except if you are under an airway/air route, or under one of the shelves of airspace of a control zone around an airport.

How can you find out more about that?
The easiest way to see which airspace you’ll be in, or at what altitude the controlled airspace starts is to have a look at the IFR Low En-Route Charts. VFR Navigation Charts (or VNCs) also give you the information but it is less apparent.

On IFR Low En-route Charts anything in
“Solid Green” means Class G is up to 18000 feet ASL
“Hatched Green” means Class G goes up to 12500 feet ASL
“White” means Class G goes up to 2200 feet (670 meters) AGL. This can be lower and is indicated at the VFR Navigation Charts

How does this apply to a XC flight from Golden to Canal Flats or further?

• Golden to about Parson is “Solid Green”, meaning Class G is up to 18000 feet ASL.
• Everything south from Parson is “White”, meaning Class G is only 2200 feet (670 meters) AGL.
  • If you look at the VFR chart, south of Fairmont Class G is only 700 feet (213 meters) AGL.

I hope this will give everyone a more clearer picture and will show the benefit to have a HAGAR.

See the Low Level IFR En-Route Chart below.

Merry Christmas and a happy, healthy 2018 from our family (Max, Penny, Katia & Erik) to everyone who knows us.
2017 has been a very good year for us and we like to thank everyone who has been a part of it. This does not only mean business, it means everyone who has been a part of our life’s.

In the mean time, here are a couple pictures and videos of the last couple days at Panorama.

The 2016/2017 ski season at Panorama resort is open and has been since Dec 9th. The flying season will be open once the Sunbird Chair is in operation. Currently Panorama is working on the ski runs to open the terrain to our landing site. Once this is in place, Panorama will open up the Sunbird chair lift which is needed to get you from the landing site back on top of the mountain.
It sounds like this should happen in the next couple of days, but until then, there is no flying at Panorama as of yet.

Once again, for this season, Panorama is very supportive of pilots with a special fly/ski ticket this year.
Please keep in mind that this special day pass is for pilots who are going to fly only! If you are at the take-off site and it is not good to fly, you can leave your wing at the launch site and ski until the conditions improve. Please do not abuse this special deal, or we will be in jeopardy of losing this privilege.

The take-off and landing is the same as the years before.

Please respect the following points:

• No flying over the bottom high-speed Chair (Mile 1 Quad) area at all (see picture below)
• No landings at the village. Only land on designated landing site or on Golf course if it gets to windy.
• No launches after 3:00 pm
• Cross lifts with at least 150 feet
• Pilots need to have skis or a snowboard to get a ride with the lift
• Contact RK Heliski before you head up the Mountain at 250 342-3889.
  This is just to let them know we are flying as they will inform their pilots of the activities.

Here is what you need to be able to fly at Panorama: 

• Novice Rating (P2 rating)
• HPAC Liability Insurance
• NO Speedwing flying, Paragliding only
• Access to launch sites only possible with skies or snowboard.
• All pilots to sign the 2016/2017 waiver
• Pilots are required to get in touch with Max Fanderl (max@flyingMax.com) to get the waiver forms
  • Send your HPAC membership number, expiry date and rating

More details at https://flyingmax.com/area/panorama/

Seasons greetings and happy landings

Max, Penny & the kids