Lowest Paragliding Save Ever - With Vario from Air 3

I was asked many times to try and find a way to add the Vario, so here it is.
This video went viral on social media for being a very low save and possibly one of the lowest filmed. It was filmed and flown in Corryong, Victoria, Australia on 3rd February 2024.
The pilot is flying:
Phi - Maestro 2 Light with a pod harness GTO light 2 from woody valley.
Launch time was 13:47 pm during the end of Summer and temps were around 32-35 degrees.
After launching we realised the wind was now coming over the back of the mountain and we were in lee side, this produced one of the best thermals where it stayed in one place the entire way from 9 metres off the ground until I got above the mountain again and it was blown out at around 1150-1170 metres.
You can see that when I am about to land, I feel the thermal and put my foot back inside pod then I am just barely staying up until the black cattle run along the fence line and (possibly) trigger the thermal off and then I change direction and boom I start the move up again. I remember when I was starting my paragliding journey and a really good inland pilot said to me, some pilots have received a thermal kicking off from cattle and truth be told that's how it feels here. Another pilot my local mentor told me to never give up until you're on the ground and so that's what I did, I did feel like I could sense the thermal movement and direction and you can see I change direction. Another pilot had explained that some days thermals are best going right, and some days are better going left, so I tested that theory today :).
Onto the sound issue - the background is that in January I bought a new GoPro12 with media mod for making my KZbin channel, I also bought a Rode mic and receiver and when I was setting up to fly I clicked on the mic but the receiver didn’t turn on, so over the last few weeks to months I figured I could play the IGC from my Air3 and record it with my go pro with sound on then upload both to a video editor and that is how I now have Vario on the initial video.
If you have any questions, please throw them in the comments section.
See attached xccontest IGC file.
www.xcontest.org/australia/flights/detail:Patto/3.2.2024/02:47#fd=takeoff

[@condorenvy]

I can listen to a happy vario all day! Nice save!

[@shimarlie1]

that would drive me fucking mental.

[@AviationSports1978]

best feeling

[@chrisstevens4680]

But not listen to that sink of doom vario….aaaaarg!

[@gliderrider]

That was definitely the lowest save I’ve ever seen. Great work!

[@AviationSports1978]

Thanks, me too

[@cyberpoet8666]

This is a good example of how patience pays off and that it's only over when you have your feet on the ground

[@AviationSports1978]

I hate Fishing, but patience in paragliding another thing :)

[@lifeintheair22]

Definitely deep inside you knew that something could be done, I think the herd of animals has been the key to getting that thermal, the best save I have ever seen

[@AviationSports1978]

I felt something so decided give it a go :)

[@kimp8079]

The cattle as as a trigger, or the "myth" of triggers, all together. I wonder? It is cute to think so. However, air has no surface tension like water. Warm / less dense air, just wants to move from lower to higher (or higher to lower, if you were to tip a topografic (3d) map upside down) ...Any scientific facts on this, or consistent experiences ? And yes! Most impressive save. If it keeps promising for a while, it could be about to deliver. Better explore that patch. It would not have happened on a hang glider, that low ;) . Also, this "I felt something", or intuition being rewarded is something that makes thermal soaring so rewarding and addictive.

[@AviationSports1978]

@@kimp8079 well said

[@MrTruckerf]

That was an outstanding job of searching out every bit of rising air you could. I don't do this myself but I enjoy watching vultures soaring above our farm. They almost never flap their wings; no need to!

[@AviationSports1978]

Thanks, I am not the best inland pilot but that day was a great learning experience

[@LdeJ74]

Very nice flight with a low point super hard to climb up - well done!

[@MarkLoves2Fly]

Never give up. Beauty! 🎉

[@AviationSports1978]

Slow and steady :)

[@stevepositiv]

Excellent job! A low safe well deserved! :) If I may add my 2 cents on changing turning direction: thermals absolutely do sometimes have a distinct direction of rotation. I experienced this a few times when I entered a thermal with birds above. When I switched to the turning direction of the birds, the flying got smoother and climbing-efficiency increased. however, thermals don’t always have a (noticeable) rotation, it depends on the relief, the winds, and altitude. so I think it‘s important to note that sometimes, the bigger factor can be, that while changing direction, we also shift our position relative to the thermal a bit, getting closer to the center or the luv of the thermal. so, bear in mind that sometimes just flying straight into wind or towards a possible release point for a bit might have the same effect.

[@AviationSports1978]

Yeah it was a great day and lots of learning here from that video. Its great i got it all on video or others to see. Some people wouldnt believe you could climb out from so low.

[@n1352-m1i]

seeing is believing... hat down to sticking to it so smoothly! I suppose the initial small fold/collapse was an other indication of local instability ? and this motivates meall the more to upgrade my aging maestro to the maestro2 light I've been eyeing for quite a while now...

[@AviationSports1978]

Love the M2lite version best one ever.

[@Bob_just_Bob]

Loved this. While that incessant sinking tone was anxiety inducing and I felt sure you were going to have to land. That intermittent lifting at one point was making me wonder if you could indeed pull it off. Then I ended up with this huge smile on my face when you started getting that nice strong climb. Oh that was lovely. I know what It’s like to be scraping the treetops. Good for you 👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼😂

[@AviationSports1978]

Could be the best comment in the messages, Thank you. it was a great day

[@paracloudrider]

Truly epic and lowest save ever, bravo! 👏🏼

[@AviationSports1978]

Yeah go pro makes it look higher than it was :)

[@billpain]

Great to watch, it is always a great buzz to get a low save, nice work. Vario seemed very excitable and I personally would prefer to rely on feel for getting into the core with a more damped vario.

[@5ty717]

Watched it again… that frikin amazing. Hehege… amazing

[@AviationSports1978]

Thanks buddy :)

[@simhathecat]

A low one indeed. Changing spiraling direction that low down was a questionable idea, though. Glad it worked out well.

[@AviationSports1978]

Thanks it sure was a good day

[@Paiadakine]

That must have been a fantastic feeling. I've had a couple low saves at LB getting below the 300 ft launch. Luckily that one saving thermal blows in while flying southward below launch, working it over launch, then the 500 and then over the towers. Nothing like your flight but thats my story.

[@AviationSports1978]

Each low save is a great story my one is no better than yours

[@ruijrsar]

the cattle moviment is a starter of a thermics

[@5ty717]

Careful of the outside hand resting or gripping riser bro… best way to stop active piloting is to touch the riser … moreover it becomes a habit safety thing when ur under stress like say in turbulence with tip tucks… making any collapse bigger…… Anyway. Im impressed. Honestly that was awesome. Basically Lowest save ive ever seen 2nd hand and ive never done this mysslf. … how low agl did u get do u think… 20m 70’ ?… less? At ~ 6.20 min u may be lower than this… yeah?

[@AviationSports1978]

Thanks for the riser tips :) It's a very hard one to say the height, as the land slopes away the further you get from the hill, but I believe I was between 6-9 metres off the paddock at that section where I start to feel the thermal and then the black cows start running along the fence line and possibly kicking off the warm air I am feeling. You can imagine a Go Pro has a bubble effect on the camera footage so it would be even closer than what the camera shows. The xcontest IGC file is here for you if you wish to get technical. I still don't believe I have seen anyone lower on film, not saying someone hasn't done it but if no one has seen it on film then they could say anything ;) Either way was fun to get back to 1150 metres after thinking it was all over. Thanks for commenting and watching brother.

[@sgdran]

Risers are the only solid support for quick and efficient weight shift when the air is really rough and you're being tossed and turned by inercial movements. That doesn't mean you're hanging on to them and not using your brakes

[@windrider23]

That tip fold a 5:30 would have been it for me.

[@AviationSports1978]

@@windrider23 to many it doesn’t look like much but at that height, I planned to land because it was low collapse

[@andreasmallinckrodt209]

some day someone picks an apple from a tree and then makes a low save

[@pablomoll4015]

Whisch is it the vario brand? Thansk.😀 Bytheway great job!!

[@AviationSports1978]

Air 3

[@safranpollen]

the Maestro, which size , how loaded ?

[@AviationSports1978]

I am flying the Maestro 2 light - 22 and I am weighing 103kg with water and all my gear

[@safranpollen]

@@AviationSports1978 top loaded. Enough punch ahead wind ✌️

[@AviationSports1978]

@@safranpollen Very heavily loaded :)

[@j.m.5199]

The key is warm and moist air

[@rowangorringe]

I love a low save like the rest of them but...low airtime pilots see this and leave landing setup (like a couple of 360s to ascertain drift) too late in favor of the heroic low save.

[@SergeyProskurnya]

nnnice!

[@hristodimitrov5422]

5:50

[@AviationSports1978]

Boom

[@robertludmann777]

Grüße aus Germany

[@lindsaywootten9127]

Certainly a very good low save but not the lowest ever…

[@AviationSports1978]

Thanks, i haven't seen anything on film lower than 6-9 metres.

[@5ty717]

@@AviationSports1978it is the lowest ive heard of and thats when i thought u were 20m agl… frikin hard to tell but im guessing these trees are not tall and so ~ 5 m is now what i see when the cows were helping u

[@AviationSports1978]

@@5ty717 You can check the xc Contest file in the information section and do some checking if you want to full see the height.

[@billS-c3n]

Sure is the lowest I've ever seen. There is another guy that launches off a 6 foot hill and climbs out, but he's obviously riding ridge lift (dune gooning) till he finds a thermal. Nice save, really nice!

[@AviationSports1978]

@@billS-c3n Very lucky and even luckier I filmed it.

[@danizweifler6061]

nerve wrecking to watch you unsucessfull fight for a constant vario signal not even for ONE circle on that blue thermal day ...................but still mange to climb up

[@AviationSports1978]

Was an amazing day and very rough in thermals

[@AMJB100000000]

Mt Elliot is the best, if I could offer you some advise, when you push out towards to landing field (2:30) you didn’t follow the spur line down, assuming there wasn’t much wind for the thermal to drift that’s where I’d position myself. Positioning yourself over as many trigger points as possible is key to success.. I’m no expert but I’ve sunk out enough to know lol

[@AviationSports1978]

Thanks all advice is taken on board. This day after I launched the wind came over the back so i was in leeside of any wind, the spur line wasnt giving off anything, the pilot in front of me was skilled and bombed out so i was just lucky i caught a nice parcel of air and rode it back to the top.

[@SpyAgentMan]

Dude was scratching with his fingernails.

[@AviationSports1978]

Hahahha very low