Hello World

I am a powered paraglider pilot and cave explorer. I have been primarily exploring wild west coast caves since 1979. I have been a National Speleological Society member since 1980, concentrating most of my efforts in the field of photography and conservation. California has a wide variety of caves with a large concentration of lime stone caves just minutes from my home in the Sierra mother lode of central California.
One evening in early 2001 I viewed a National Geographic’s special of a couple anthropologists flying around the Sudan desert with paramotors on their backs. These scientists were looking for signs of ancient human existence on top of skyscraper tall, flat top formations jutting up from the desert floor. I immediately thought this would be the perfect platform to search for remote caves. How is this possible you ask? Most caves on the west coast hover around 56 degrees. Because natural caves breathe, you can see a condensation cloud rising from the entrance. The bigger the cave, the higher the column of condensation. On my first flight from the Columbia airport, I headed straight for a known large cave in the Stanislaus river canyon. As I approached the cave I could see the rising air from a half mile away. Now it was time to us this technique to locate new caves in previously inaccessible terrain. I headed to the Camp Nine area scouting the south facing slope. The area I had picked out was overgrown with 6 foot high brush that is extremely difficult to penetrate. At the top of the ridge I could see a limestone outcropping which seemed to trend down through the brush. At the bottom of the slope I could see the limestone reappear. This lead me to believe the limestone continued through the brush from the top of the ridge to the bottom. From the air I could see that this was in fact true.
Flying at 100 feet I was able to locate a small condensation cloud about 1000 feet down from the upper limestone outcropping. I was unable to actually see the entrance, but the column of rising air was distinct. I pulled out my GPS, flew directly over the spot and marked its location. A couple weeks later my caving partner and I pulled out the topographical map and plotted the best way to approach the spot. After a half hour of crawling on our hands and knees we reached the location and discovered a vertical shaft about 9 inches wide in a small outcropping. We could feel and see the air rising from the hole but it was too small to enter. Our plan now is to return in the near future to perform the excavation necessary to make entry.
To locate the cave entrance without the use of my paramotor could have taken months of crawling around with the ticks, snakes and all the other critters that live there. The powered paraglider has opened up a whole new dimension of cave exploration for myself and fellow cavers. More exploration updates to follow.
If paramotoring has progressed cave exploration, imagine what other uses it may have for you!

The sport of Powered Paragliding or Paramotoring as some call it is rapidly growing. The major reason for this growth in Paramotoring is simply the advent of the quad. Quads (buggies with 4 wheels) have made it possible for those young and old to participate in the sport of Powered Paragliding. Particularly men from the age of 45 to their early 70s!
This article is written with the intent of conveying to those who have chosen to enjoy this sport the importance of learning to TAXI their quad or trike. The Taxi procedure outlined in this article is vital for trike pilots as well as quad pilots. In fact the trike pilots may find this article more beneficial due the inherent instability of the trike vs. that of the quad.
Taxiing is an important skill that when mastered will allow you to accomplish all of the below!
1) Exhibit control over your glider when it’s overhead and your still on the ground.
2) Allows you to check the condition (shape) of your glider and your lines prior to lift off.
3) By exhibiting control off you glider while you taxi your actual lift off will be uneventful and free of oscillations and surges.
4) Lift off will be accomplished in a safe manner.
5) You will look good!! My motto is; if it looks good, it is good. If it looks bad, it is bad!
To accomplish great taxis we will start from the beginning. Into the wind, into the wind, into the wind!! Proper glider layout and placement into the wind are vital to good taxiing in the beginning. Cross wind launches etc. are for later. Don’t set yourself up to fail. After properly laying out your glider, roll your Powered Paramotor into position. When ready, begin your launch by looking out toward your glider tip on your throttle side. Then start rolling on the throttle. You will need to go to full throttle as you don’t want the glider making its own decisions! When it reaches the 11:00 position release the A’s and pull the brakes down slightly to put some “shape” into the glider as well as some stability. At the same time you will need to ease off the throttle to AVOID launching. Yes, I said EASE OFF the throttle. You only need to go as fast as to NOT takeoff! There will be plenty of time later for more precise, slower throttle control and slower speeds. Now your goal is to SEE your glider. Not to look at it but to SEE it! At this point you are the pilot; you must control your glider and hold it directly overhead. Make all inputs slow, well timed and precise. In other words if the glider is at your 10:00 not front to rear but side to side, bring it back to the 11:00 and “hold” it there. It will finish at the 12:00. If you are too late and try to hold it at the 12:00 it will finish at the 1:00! You’d like to see your glider always at the 12 but the 11 to 1 is not bad. Now, the secret here is patience. Do not takeoff until you are at the end of the strip. When instructing we don’t allow students to actually takeoff until they exhibit 6 in a row, straight, full length taxis showing complete control of the glider. Here’s a quick easy practice tip for pilots who are flying but would like better taxi skills. Launch and taxi as described above, Come back around to the strip and land at the beginning of the strip, ease off the throttle and “see” your wing! Proceed down the strip practicing keeping your glider firmly at the 12:00. Her you will want to learn to go as slow as you can yet still exhibiting a good solid glider overhead. When you get to the end of the strip Roll the throttle back on and perform a nice smooth takeoff! After a number of these, now you can play with your taxi and put some S turns into your taxiing!
All the above will not only make you a better as well as safer pilot but will set a good example for all that watch you!
If it looks good, it is good!