It’sbeen a bitter sweet year, with varied experiences that brought great changes inour environment and our perspectives. But I believe that there is nothing thatcan overpower human spirit. With a renewed hope and conviction we welcome a brandnew year into our lives. Warm wishes from temple pilots to all who share thesky with us. Wishing you a beautiful year ahead - to learn, to grow, to playand to celebrate life.
Duringtraining, I meet an array of amazing people with different occupations andbackgrounds who come together sharing one bond – ‘a dream to fly’ that becomeseven stronger at the end of the course.
Thisranges from – groups of young software professionals from Chennai who surprisedthemselves with the fun they had, very Corporate disciplinarians who couldn’tstop grinning at the end of the course, a group of women, all lawyers who hadthe time of their life, media professionals who left feeling creativelyinspired, families – parents with children who bonded like never before,commercial pilots who felt the wind on their face, couples who found theexperience very romantic, spiritual motivators who flew with prayer flags,ex-pats who enjoyed the flying as much as the local food and flying friends, youngentrepreneurs tasting true freedom, unemployed geniuses who are on sabbaticals,job switchers who are finding it the right time to fly. It’s truly a rareprivilege and I feel blessed.
Ourteam is steadily growing. I feel touched that my instructors not only teachflying superbly but also the essence of what it does for us. At the end of thecourse people don’t just remain students but become friends. I feel a sense ofdeep joy that these simple and earnest flyers have matured into wonderfulteachers of the sport.
JaiHind
avi
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Seated in Kanyakumari Express, having our morning chai, passing by fields of sunflowers, bouldered mountains, we're all enjoying a romance only a train journey can bring! Jokes and talks of flying - yes, the real anticipation of flying at Yelagiri has begun!!
Agnes, Gopal and Arunevi had made fantastic arrangements for our pick-up and stay. After a rested night, we woke up to yummy hot south indian breakfast and set out to the flying site at 9.30a.m.
The winds were not too strong and clearly thermic conditions. Anita inaugurated the flying festival with her first flight of the day. The rest of the Temple Pilots team followed with great flights too. Parshu in his blue zulu flew high above all the pilots. Vikash had a bumpy flight and we also had happy pilots who inaugurated their new gliders - Bolero 3, Karthik & Naren. Samson enjoyed a short and sweet flight and Jamsheed too enjoyed a good flying after a long year.
Avi test flew Naren's gllider and enjoyed a real long flight of 2 hours plus. Karthik enjoyed a tandem with Ganpat as he was flying after a long time and needed to refresh his skills.
We all connected at the landing area along with other pilots. A must mention that the pick-ups and drops were cleverly timed. There is nothing like making new friends sharing the sky with you.
We were all invited to a formal event where the collector and other officials officially began the festival. Which the pilots made it informal by clapping out loud and having fun just being themselves.
The cloud build up and the slight drizzle made it evident that there would be no more flying for the day. We headed back to the resort to get ready for the evening event and dinner. The festivities had clearly begun and we had so much to look forward to in just a few days!
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I cameacross this term recently, and it gave me quite a jolt, because I have beenthinking of the exact same thing for many years now…what with the many manyworried parents, concerned spouses, over protective friends and families andmany many clueless adults…
When was itexactly that being in the outdoors became so strange for us?
When was itexactly that sunshine began to be equated only with getting sunburnt?
When was itexactly that all of us humans collectively began to think we are in control?
My most specialmemories of childhood are walking through jungles and climbing mountains,
Of carefullysidestepping wildflowers on a hillside and splashing in mountain springs.
Of sittingcompletely still in the forest for hours just to watch the final touches beinggiven to a nest, of having a parched throat and aching limbs and yet beingcompletely content with mud on my face. Of being able to hug a tree and feel ithug back…
I havealways been able to feel a forest, sense the rhythm of the sea, to tune in tothat part of me that is one with it all…so blessed is our human race that wecan choose to experience this majestic and gentle beauty of nature around us.
All my life,I could draw strength and inspiration from nature, I can surely say that mostof my education came from there…for this I will be eternally grateful to mydad.
When I seelost souls immersed in electronic gizmos on the top of mountains, or throwplastic bottles into a valley, or noisily listen to inane music by a tree, orare so consumed by their own thoughtsthat they fail to see the purple sunset, I wonder how mother nature can standus.
By being sototally disconnected and far far away from anything rugged, pure and natural,aren’t we robbing ourselves away from what is essentially us?
We need toget out, get hurt, get sunburnt, get wet, get muddy, get terrible tired, getclimbing, swimming, flying, whatever it is…but get out there…where we are awayfrom the city and all the mechanics that go with it…dare ourselves to be withourselves…and the elements…and watch silently as the magic of it hits us…mothernature might be so loving and so ruthless…but ultimately she is a teacher…andhas patience with it.
i can neverforget what my dad used to tell me, before climbing take permission from themountain…not that the mountain with a gruff voice was going to yell a big ‘NO’to me…
but to feel thehumility in front of it…to never forget to be thankful for this enormoustreasure that is all around us, and that we never really see
everythingthat is solid and good in us is because we are a part of Nature…and the lessonswe can learn from her I guarantee can help us get a deeper understanding intoour lives and what we are about…
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Romancingthe sky…
Whatis it that attracts us to adventure?
Is it a primitive need to take risks or a deeper instinct of the evolving self.
Itis not only me writing this in praise of flying but all pilots share thisoverwhelming feeling of being intensely alive while feeling. They will all talkof that perfect moment, that magical moment and that fleeting sense ofimmortality.
InZen Buddhism these moments of great intensity are called “kensho” – a moment offeeling one with the universe. All adventure enthusiasts, climbers and flyerscan relate to this moment of feeling utterly alive.
Forpilots the world and its worries disappear below after take off and theadventure of flying allows them to be active and alive in the present moment,in the state of flow, in ways that are impossible in ordinary life.
Itgave me deep joy, the success of our “Thermalling & XC tour” in Bir/Billinglast year and three week “Yelagiri Trip” in june this year. Seeing pilotssafely progressing their skills and knowledge, flying confidently at differentlocations and having the time of their lives.
Iread somewhere and do wonder – how can you not fly when you live in a time inhistory when you can?
VAGA2009’ Team Temple Pilots and Club Pilots head for the 4thInternational Paragliding Grand Prix at Vagamon, Kerala. Scheduled – 23Sept to27 Sept09’ and jointly organised by ASSTA and Department of Tourism
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YELAGIRI – DAY1
Avi, Priti,Ganpat and I arrived last night by train. Go down at the now familiar‘Jolarpeth station’. The entire team (TJ, Pankaj, Parshya, Vikash) with Narenand Samson had come to pick us up. They had left the earlier day by road andhad a super time driving down to Yelagiri. They did it in 20 hours…from Kamshetto Yelagiri a total of 1111kms.
We arrived atSaral Inn, it is a very typical pilots haunt, easy on the pocket, basic andclean, and most important we had ample space for all the gliders right next toour rooms. We were situated just a little ahead of the market area from wherewe can turn in to the road that takes you to Ramkrishna site.
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I was justhaving my nimbu paani at Rangoli when I saw Chetan, a P2 pilot with us aking anap at the next table. After waking him up I realised he had come to see if hecould get some ground handling done…since he has had a big gap between his p1and p2 he is trying to practise on ground as much as he can, a very good planfor sure. Remember Temple Pilots Instructors mentioning that your GroundHandling Log(Hours) should be same as your flying Hrs Log. Chetan is a graphic designer with rediff.
In a coupleof minutes the rest of our group burst into Rangoli…all smiles, as they had hada great time flying at Tower hill early morning. Their theory session was doneand everyone was fully into the ‘flyingtalk’. We were joined by Svetlana who had come for her P1, and is a friend ofour very good friends and club pilots - ‘Deepali and Vivek’. It was great tomeet her, she was yet getting over her jet lag. We quickly bundled up intovehicles and tried to car pool as much as possible so that less vehiclestravelled to the site. Chetan (who was in our vehicle) started complainingabout how difficult he was finding remembering his salsa steps, a class he hadjust joined up. That is when Svetlana told us that she is actually a Salsadance teacher in the UK!It was fun to see Chetan’s expression after she told us that…I was almottempted to ask her to give him a few tips at the flying site…
After wereached the parking, everyone took their gliders and for the first time in myentire outdoor life I walked to the Shelar site through the fields with Pavniunder her umbrella which she had offered to take me under J Ifound myself chuckling at how funny I seemed to myself…
But thesewalks to and from the site are always full of the most amazing conversations…Ilearn that it was her sister Nishita’s birthday - she had accompanied us andwas also a national level fencing champion. Avinash was quick to mention thathe was into fencing too…
Then theyboth had a slightly complicated conversation about what kind of fencing theyare into…the rest of us decided to sing ‘happy birthday’ instead J
We restedunder a huge tree at the site to wait for the winds…there were variousconversations…about reserve chutes, ghosts with axes, Avinash trying to explainto P2 students about big ears, P2 students looking amused…stealing glances atthe limp windsock,
Gopalentertaining us with songs from his mobile, Rustom mercilessly pullingeveryone’s legs, Arun getting up with a glider to do kiting everytime the windpicked up, and everytime he walked to the field the winds died down. Finallyeveryone decided to hold on to him and not let him get up at all…
Khush withhis witty one liners as he propped himself by a tree, Pavni (an Indianclassical dancer) chatting with Svetlana (the Salsa teacher)…Nishita giving usall chocolates, and me giving all the kids (who sell chips and drinks) at the landing a big long boring lectureabout littering the place and not allowing their patrons to throw rubbish intheir fields. One child promptly got up picked up the heap I had collected andthrew it in a pit nearby, claiming now that you cant see the rubbish it’s abetter situation…so I had to begin the moral lecture all over again J
Finally thewinds kicked in at 6pm. The P2 pilots ran up the hill and the P1 began theirhops on the slopes. Between taking videos for the pilots, helping P1’s anddiscussing flights with p2’s as they landed, I thoroughly enjoyed myself. Arungot great height and really flew well, I remembered how avi had told me when wefirst saw Arun that he would make a fine pilot, and he was so right!
Pavni hadan unassisted take-off and a super flight, though she decided to land on herbutt. Caroline had a short flight but she looked and felt very confident. Sheactually did hands off flying and weight shift turns without any nervousness.Kudos to her!
Manoj isalso a very sincere flyer, and has always had great landings, though this timehe had problem killing his glider. Khush appears more sure and more happy witheach flight, and one can see from his weight shift turns that he is becomingvery comfortable flying, he had a great landing that I caught on camera, hisfirst words to me after landing were ‘ I am having so much fun!’ amen to that.
Gopal had 2flights and when he told me ‘I don’t mind how long or short my flights are, aslong as I am learning new things’ I knew he had the right attitude for learningthe sport well.
Amit seemedvery pleased with his take-off and landing, which he was having problems within his p1, so now he was feeling confident about starting soaring.
Rustom andAvinash were having a blast and both were having so much fun at theirhops…Svetlana looked tired and smiling ear to ear after getting her inflationsright and according to Ganpat did a better job than her senior P1’s J
We allstumbled our way back to the parking with torches in the dark after having along debrief at the landing…which was full of serious observations anddiscussion by Pankaj, Ganpat and TJ and each pilot. At the end of it was veryclear that this group had the right attitude and we were all very sure that theday went great!
Aftertiredly happy good byes, we got into our vehicles only to meet again at Rangolifor Chaas and chai and a quick group pic. After wishing them the best for thenext day I left with happiness in my heart that only flying and friends can getJ
I amlooking forward to flying with all these fabulous guys, share the sky with asalsa teacher, a classical dancer, a fencing champion, a designer and what haveyou. I am dreaming flying tours, distant lands, new cultures n cuisines, andflying with friends in the big blue sky is truly paradise.
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We would take you on the dusty roads of a small village, where the wide grins of children will greet you and the fields full of the sweet smell of hay and bells on cows will accompany you. We would introduce you to our friends - our paragliders. The crisp bright colored fabric swaying to the wind inviting you to the skies! And then after a couple of sessions of ground handling we would send you out to the skies to fly.
Flying is about lifting your spirits and stirring your heart. The one reason is to explore your own self and the wonders of nature. When our friends talk about paragliding, they also talk about life, about friendships and joy, about sunsets and dust devils, about the wind and the beauty. They leave behind them the competitive world of deadlines, economy and worries.
We don't paraglide to get somewhere or become somebody;
flying helps us see the meaning of life, to taste the joy of every single moment. To have our destiny in our own hands and be free!
Temple Pilots welcomes you to aspire to this kind of flight.
Dare to be different, independent, self-reliant, alone.
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