Old Guy Flying-Torrey, Airspace & New Projects

[@David65702]

Cool video Thanks master pilot lol.

[@mitchsmith71]

Thanks for a very relaxing video Lou, the music and your soothing voice gets me ready for bedtime, haha.... And I'd happily see some videos of you flying in your Evektor SportStar.

[@loums52]

Happy that my videos can be a sleep aid...may be a whole new avenue for me!? 😁Thanks for watching!

[@britishnomad]

Great video Lou... Btw... When you referred to the sectional chart in the video I knew you had exposure to GA flying. And later you explained in detail about your aviation background what I had guessed earlier 🧐🤓 Greetings from Sweden 🇸🇪

[@loums52]

Thanks so much for watching. Though I hadn't been up in a fixed wing airplane for some time I always knew I might get back into it. It's amazing the different ways to get up off the ground!

[@gerrycollins9409]

I hope to also get down the the Salton sea this fall for some flying also.

[@ripmanridin7092]

Wow.........who knew you flew planes!

[@loums52]

PG and general aviation just seem like polar opposites but love having the option of how to leave the ground. Thanks for watching!

[@Bob_just_Bob]

I enjoy your videos because in a way we are similar. I’ve been flying helicopters since 1981. I made a career out of it and back in 84 was flying for a few months in LA but from then until the late 90s I flew in the NY area. In 98 the flying work took me to the Far East and I’ve been flying in China ever since and always in helicopters, larger twin engine IFR machines like The Sikorsky S-76 and the AW139. . But now I too am an ‘Old Guy’ retiring from the industry but still find myself needing to be able to fly. Never felt like urge to fly light airplanes but about a year ago discovered that I could learn paragliding just outside of Beijing and have slowly but steadily been working towards the required licensing. It’s a fun sport that allows me to stay flying. I’m in the UK at the moment for a couple of months and brought my paraglider with me. Will be doing some flying here soon too. Thanks for your videos. Great encouragement for us Old Guys to stay in the air.

[@loums52]

That's fantastic! I've been up in a few helicopters but have never been at the controls. Though I am happy to be back to flying airplanes, paragliding is so unique and satisfying. I must admit that sailplanes is an eventual goal of mine. I remember seeing them fly many years ago at Calistoga but sadly that field is no longer there. Best wishes on your PG flying!

[@csleclerc57]

@@loums52 I flew sailplanes on and off for some years, about 150 hours total. Now paragliding and paramotoring is looking very interesting.

[@loums52]

@@csleclerc57 definitely more fantastic ways to get airborne!

[@lt.dansparamotoradventures2592]

Nice video

[@loums52]

Thanks for watching! 🪂

[@cardcounter21]

About to start my own paragliding adventure here in the UK. Just got a second hand wing (Gradient Bright 4) in decent condition for £250 (approx. $340) for ground handling practice to save wear and tear on the wing I'm buying soon (likely an Ozone Spyder 3). I'm probably committing paragliding sacrilege by admitting that I'll be training myself but in my defence I plan to study diligently and put in at least 50 hours of kiting with the Gradient before taking those first critical short hops from low hills, so I'll be minimizing unnecessary risk! In about five years time (when I'm almost 60) I'll be looking to graduate to paramotoring when hopefully the 'electric' scene looks a bit more attractive (if not, two strokes will likely have fuel injection and other improvements by then).

[@loums52]

Thanks for watching and congratulations on starting your new "adventure"! The only advice I would give is to please get one on one professional training. In any endeavor, "you don't know what you don't know". Being up in the air and to be suddenly confronted with a situation (like a wing collapse) can literally be deadly. I imagine that many people train themselves and more than a few survive a very scary situation and then never fly again. I have been picked up on landing by a thermal (and even on launch)) but because I learned from an instructor how to handle these situations I probably saved myself a few broken bones (or worse). I have been both a paragliding and private pilot for years but I would never fly sailplanes without expert guidance (and they wouldn't let me anyway). The paragliding world is relatively unregulated which is both a blessing and a "curse". Nobody can stop you from flying off a mountain if you are determined to do so but as many KZbin videos will demonstrate, a few souls which they hadn't. OK, that's my "Public Service Announcement" and wish you all the best flying. One last thing...if you even think of actually flying the used Gradient, have it first checked for being in trim and can pass a porosity test. I saw a pilot stall a glider at Torrey and hit the cliff wall simply because his wing was old and tired! Fortunately he did survive.

[@cardcounter21]

@@loums52 Thanks for the words of caution. I don't plan on ever flying the Gradient (even for short hops) and will be using it only with a cheap, unflyable, training harness to avoid that temptation. When I've logged in at least 50 hours kiting I'll sell the Gradient and harness on Ebay as a ground trainer and be ready to begin the short hops with a brand new wing and harness (likely Spyder 3 and Neo Shorty). I'll be vigilant and take every precaution that I can.

[@mitchsmith71]

@@cardcounter21 I second everything Lou says, and i'lll add, with proper training you'll be up in the air much sooner and with more confidence. Also, if you wish to join many of the UK clubs/flying sites, you'll need to be BHPA registered, with which you'll need to have had proper training and passed a test.

[@cardcounter21]

@@mitchsmith71 You'll be pleased to hear that I'm beginning an Elementary Pilots course here in the UK on the 14th of this month with Green Dragons paragliding school. Hopefully won't be too long before I complete a Club Pilot course and begin soaring across England's green and pleasant lands (;