Page 24 - Copyright 2013 - Pamplin Media Group

SAGELAND FALL 2013
24
paraglider wing to an inspector in Idaho
once a year to make sure it is in good condi-
tion.
Pilot hopes to teach
After eight years of powered paragliding,
Jackson has not come close to exhausting all
the possibilities. He might like to try a
wheeled launch using a lightweight three-
or four-wheeled cart to get up to speed on the
ground instead of running. And he has yet to
attempt a cross-country trip, using the pow-
ered paraglider as a means of traveling be-
tween towns.
But what interests Jackson the most is be-
coming an instructor. Having benefited from
quality training himself, he wants to help
others get started, too. He has begun the
process of upgrading his pilot rating through
the USPPA and eventually will take the steps
necessary to set up a business.
“I wouldn’t even care if I didn’t make any
money, if I broke even, just to help other peo-
ple experience what I have,” he said.
Although launching a powered paraglider
takes a considerable amount of strength,
Jackson expects to be able to keep doing it for
at least another 10 or 15 years. He says that
the more skill a person has, the less strength
is needed to launch a powered paraglider.
“Because I know what my technique is
and so that minimizes how hard I have to
work,” Jackson said.
And after all, Jackson pointed out, actor
William Shatner was flying a powered
paraglider well into his 70s. Shatner provided
the introduction to one of the sport’s best
known training videos, “Risk and Reward.”
On the last sunny day in September, Jack-
son demonstrated a powered paraglider
launch at Juniper Hills Park. With the
paraglider wing laid out on the grass behind
him and the motor roaring on his back, Jack-
son pauses to collect himself before breaking
into a run. He appears calm, but the adrena-
lin is flowing.
“This is the part that never gets old,” he
says.
Flight photos were taken at Juniper
Hills Park in Madras by Tony Ahern.
“This is the part that never gets old ...”
Dropping into another safe landing.