Paragliding began for me upon purchasing a second-hand paraglider in 1989 from Stein Hugo Torsen’s and Chris Kyllingmark’s brother living in Oslo, Norway. Learning by trial and error, I taught myself how to paraglide on Khwamskogen’s snow-covered slopes. I did suffer a few concussions but lived to tell the tale. In due course, I acquired larger and more modern paraglide canopies.
After moving to Thailand, I blessedly had both the pleasure and the opportunity in 1998 to help George Macak, a fifteen-year-old Thai-Czech young man (George lost his pilot father) to start his own paragliding school and club at a small grass-covered micro-lite airstrip (EEA), located just outside Pattaya. George Macak is a dedicated and intelligent aviator. Later in life, he was repetitively ranked globally amongst the top five paramotor pilots. He later became the General Manager of Cobra Paramotors.
Paragliding
By 2022, George Macak had logged more than 6,000 hours on paramotors, ultralights, and microlights, and from general aviation has an impressive record of excellent achievements in competitions. George is also a professional coach for the Thai National Paramotor Team. I was proud to have played a role during his early years. Together, we had several years of trial and error flying and building engines. I eventually donated my equipment to George’s company, BMG Paramotor Team, but I am contemplating taking up this exciting sport again.
Photo Gallery
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