My own kit - August 2006

On my return to the UK I set about a more determined search for a paraglider and managed to secure an ex-demo glider through someone I had met in India (thanks Tim and Sam!) as well as harness and reserve.

All that was needed now was to find a school to get my CP with. I phoned a number of different schools but eventually decided to go with Carlo Borsattino of FlyBubble Paragliding. I decided to go with Carlo as he seemed to be a pretty nice guy on the phone and happy to talk through the various options, but more importantly was happy to take things at a pace that suited me. Having been a bit scared in India I wanted to get some confidence before qualifying and flying alone. It turned out Carlo already knew Steve (my instructor from India) and so after a few emails to Steve to confirm my experience he agreed to take me on and we arranged to meet at Firle in the South Downs.

People arrived to start flying soon after I did but the day was quickly blown out and I was introduced to the difficulties of trying to train in the UK - weather! A 2.5 hr journey back up the M25/M1 wasn't quite what I had planned. Carlo lived locally and was keen to go over the theory I needed to know to fly and pass the CP exam so we headed back to his house for a day of theory. While I had covered most of the theory with Steve the year before, it was helpful to refresh my knowledge and to clarify a few things with Carlo.