Paragliding...

     Hmmm, that paragliding... Since I started to practise it, I'm constantly monitoring how the wind blowing and spending time on Web sites with weather forecast expecting nice day for flying.

    I started to fly on 2nd May 2004 when I made the first flight in Donji Slatnik. Height difference between start and finish is about 50 meters. When I took off the ground, feeling was perfect, I couldn't believe that is happening. I made few flights more and then decided that I have to buy equipment which was done less than 2 months.

    Together with guys from flying club "Brod", paragliding section "Rode", I flied and still flying on the hill at village Bilice on the road from Slavonski Brod to Pozega. There is height difference from start to finish about 90 meters.

     However, real flying I experienced on 29th August 2004 when I had first high altitude flight. That was happened on mountain Vlasic near Travnik in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Height difference from start to finish is 900 meters. View from top is perfect, it can be seen kilometers around. Start is placed at about 1600 meters above sea level and breathing is difficult because of deficiency of oxigen in the air. I had a small fear because that was very different than flights I made before.

      When I was completely smooth, I unpacked my equipment, spread my glide, "cleaned" laces, attached myself for glide and done all other necessary operations. Than the heart start to beat faster. When the wind was good, I ran forward, glide raised up and I took off. Few meters after I took off, there was deep chasm below me. I was flying straight and was at good distance from the place I took off but I still wasn't knew if that is real or just a dream. Height indicator (variometer) was showing constantly "seeping" down because there were no any rising. I had in my view few neighbouring settlements and was flying above houses about 600 meters. I was cycling losting the height, and looking for a good place to land. All around electrical wires but there are also lot of  meadows. I found one small meadow near the road and landed there. Duration of the flight was 15 minutes and I was feeling fantastic couldn't wait for next flight.         

     That day I made one more flight, and up to now I made about 60 flights. During winter, flying is rarely, but we are doing it, so we were on the hill Smetove near Zenica in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Unfortunately, we were not flying because of weather conditions, but we enjoyed in snow which was deep about 40 centimeters.