A Field Of Angels

My first step was to find someone locally, well as locally as possible to get things going. I talked to many of the local pilots to find out whom I should get the equipment from. Ed, Doug, and Pat were amongst the first pilots that I met. I needed a wing and a motor. I also wanted the best training I could find. Your life depends on it and it’s just something you should do. Besides, you’ll probably have fun too. It was recommended to get a wing first to make the lessons more worth while. In retrospect, after having the lessons, what you should aim for is to get your wing and practice correct ground handling before working with the motor. I say correct, because it’s very important to practice the right skills rather than to have to unlearn bad ones. So get the wing and talk to someone who knows how to Paramotor for some direction. So maybe that means, just buy the wing from you Paramotor dealer, get them to give you what you need to practice for ground handling. And go and do it!

So, I ended up with a Täiga 28 paraglider from ADG. I bought the Täiga from Francesco De Santis in Florida. My current weight is 160 pounds. I ground handled for many weeks before going to Quebec. I truly believe the traction kiting helped my understanding of the air/wind and handling of the wing. Although, they’re not exactly the same, they’re close enough that it does make a difference. Anyway, after deciding to take lessons locally, well locally within a decent drive from Toronto, I went to St. Jean Chrysostome to take lessons from Eric Dufour of Paratour. St. Jean Chrysostome is about 8 hours from Toronto on the south shore across from Quebec City, a population of about twenty thousand. If you only speak English, most of the people you'll meet speak both English and French. So, if you want to practice your language or learn a new one, it's the place to go!

Before going to Eric, I had some reservations about the lessons and the motor to purchase. My reservations were things like; is this motor the right one for me? Is it strong enough? Safe enough? Quiet enough? Light enough? Are there options to fit my needs? By the time I left St. Jean Chrysostome, I knew everything I was concerned about was resolved and that Paratour was the place to be doing it. It was from talking to other past clients of Eric’s. It was from the confirmation of other new clients that rest assured me that this was indeed the place to be. The motors and the lessons that Eric sells are progressive and top notch.

I arrived there on Saturday August the 7th, 1999 late in afternoon. The field was full of people ground handling, taking off and also parachuting. Eric shares the field of a drop zone and it's wonderful to see them all the time. Everyone makes you feel very welcome. I introduced myself to Eric and meet his teaching assistant David. They explained the way everything worked. How demanding they were going to be with me. So don't be offended, but they told me if I didn't feel comfortable or wasn't sure, just to tell them. And they would work through everything with me in my own level of comfort. After a while I felt I could relax and let them be the judge of my performance. I felt comfortable, and in the hands of professionals. That same night, David called me over to the van and asks me to help him set up this wing. He says, "you're next!" I just laughed. He was serious and before long I was on a tandem with Eric, steering, throttling I was already flying. I couldn't believe it!

In total I was there for two weeks. When you're learning to Paramotor there are a lot of different activities going on around you. Initially it can be a bit overwhelming. But don't be alarmed, you're in the field of angels. There always seems to be someone around when you need it. Everyone looks after one another in this special place. Whether you're folding you wing, picking up after a tow, re-opening your wing after a failed launch; there's always someone watching over you. I can't tell you how many time Eric's wife Elisabeth, was there helping me with something (gas, sewing, folding, or the internet). And Eric's other Paramotor friend; the welder guy who built a Paramotor frame to sit the motor on the back of my car completely assembled. Everyone in that field is there to work together for the pure joy in the sport of paramotoring.