Alexandra Wood, Footprints Teacher in Korea writes to us to tell us about her experience flying the friendly skies! Read more here:
I found out about it from an adult student. He goes every weekend and he kept saying how wonderful it was and that I should go. So finally I said I would go. Because he was a member of the club I paid only 50,000w, normally it is 80,000w. That includes transportation to the mountain, equipment use, tandem flights and lunch. After we went out for dinner and to a sauna but that was extra.
We left at 6:30 in the morning. It still looked like night. I couldn't tell if people were still awake or just waking up. We arrived at the school and waited for people to arrive. No one except my friend spoke English. We took a van to the mountain which was about 3 hours away. W e got there and stopped at the bottom of the mountain. While waiting at the bottom other people showed up including some foreigners (English at last!). This mountain is maintained by the government so there is a bathroom and general area for paragliders to watch the jumpers and eat lunch. We took a rickety truck up the mountain's curvy road. I and some other foreigners thought it would be fun to sit in the open back of the truck with the equipment. Well, the road was so windy and bumpy that it was an adventure just to get to the top without falling out.
Once at the top they give you the equipment and tell you to get dressed. Well for the first time I couldn't dress my self. The clothes and helmet are pretty awkward the first time and my tandem flyer had to help me put it all on. Then we have to unfold the glider and arrange all the ropes and then attach ourselves to it. You end up looking like a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle. Then comes the part where you run off the mountain. My Dad thought this made no sense when I phoned him. "What do you want to run off a mountain for? You’re meant to go up mountains not jump off."
They start yelling "run, run, run." This is the hardest thing I've ever done. The glider is really heavy and you're running into the wind so you can only crawl really slowly, not actually run. But they keep saying "run, faster" so you run and pull and run and pull. It took 3 tries before we actually took off. The best thing about flying tandem is once in the air you don't have to do anything except enjoy the view and rush of flying. I could see for forever. The flying is exhilarating and if your tandem flyer does some acrobatics even better. The best thing is looking down and seeing your feet dangling in midair. The ride was to short (about 10 minutes the first time and 30 minutes the second time). The landing is also hard work. You have to land on your feet and run so the glider doesn't tangle. Well you see the ground getting closer and closer but it's hard to tell exactly when you'll land and then suddenly it feels like your feet hit a brick wall. Well I couldn't run, I crumpled like a rag doll. Crash landing! We then get undressed, pack up the equipment put it on the truck and go back to the top.
The whole day was like this. Go up the mountain, jump off, pack up your equipment, go up the mountain, and jump off. Lunch was delicious. And when I wasn't flying there were lawn chairs to lie on and watch the view of all the gliders floating off the mountain. From down below it looks graceful and beautiful. Not at all like the awkwardness you feel actually doing it.
It is completely addicting. I want to go again and again.
The website is www.jonathansky.com
Phone Number: 82-(0)32-518-1877
Address: 2F Jonathan Paragliding School,
610-10 Bu-pyung 6-Dong, Bu-pyung Gu
Incheon, Korea
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“Footprints Recruiting provided me with generous support in securing teaching employment in Taiwan. As a new comer to Taichung, Taiwan, Footprints staff were very accommodating in aiding my transition between Aussie living to Taiwanese living! The organization provided advice and support, and offered a position that suited me. Footprints also helped by providing support with travel/visa logistics, which was a great help. There is enough to think about when packing off to a new country, let alone what happens when you arrive. I was picked up at the airport and taken to a school which has great resources. I am pleased to have worked with Footprints.
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