Up, up and away

Published 9:49 am Thursday, October 2, 2008

North Bend resident Terry Flint recently got hooked on the sport of powered paragliding. He purchased his own machine after seeing one on a recent trip to California. The machines start at approximately $5,500 although Terry’s model was $7,000.

A former skydiver, Flint enjoys the freedom that flying the paraglider provides and it doesn’t require a license to operate. Take-offs and landings only require 30 or 40 feet, depending on the wind, and a reserve parachute is carried if there is a problem. He describes the machine as having a lawn-mower on your back with a parachute.

Here he is shown at a field near North Bend trying out his machine. He has nearly 50 flights under his belt and plans to continue to develop his para-gliding skills.