Mike Vergalla, founder of the Free Flight Lab, discusses his journey into paragliding and his mission to explore the potential of paragliders beyond just a sport. He highlights three pillars of the Free Flight Lab: climate science, conservation, and safety. Mike shares his experiments with high-altitude paragliding and the potential for paragliders to be used in atmospheric research, weather forecasting, and environmental conservation. He also emphasizes the need for more data collection and research in these areas. The conversation touches on the environmental impact of paragliding and the responsibility of the community to protect the natural spaces they fly in. They explore the idea of using paragliders for scientific research, environmental monitoring, and community engagement. Mike shares his experiences with using paragliders to capture aerial images for scientific analysis and how this can contribute to understanding and preserving natural spaces. They also discuss the unique experiences and mindset that paragliding offers, including the ability to focus and be present in the moment. Mike also shares his insights on managing motion sickness while flying. Overall, the conversation highlights the potential of paragliding as a tool for exploration, research, and making a positive impact on the world.

Links from the talk:
Climate Science – Project Monark (Free Flight Lab @ Airbus)
Conservation – BBC Eagle Documentary
Safety – Free Flight Lab Line Trim Template
Safety – Motion Sickness Link
Safety – R07 Riser Safety Notice – Allegro X-alps
Free Flight Lab Shop: Leather Nose Cones, Shirts, Hats, Trim Rigs
Insta: @Freeflightlab
Freeflightlab.org
Support our work by making a donation @ the Free Flight Lab

Want to take part in Jessica’s Fear Injury Study? Here’s the invitation letter.

Support the Podcast

A buck an episode, that's all we ask

If you like what you hear, please consider becoming a subscriber to ensure our high-quality content continues. You can also help contribute to a healthier, greener planet through our partnership with Our Forest. See our donation and subscription options here.

Listen to the Podcast

Listen to us on all the most popular podcast platforms:

Takeaways

The Free Flight Lab focuses on three pillars: climate science, conservation, and safety.
Paragliders have the potential to be used in atmospheric research, weather forecasting, and environmental conservation.
More data collection and research are needed to better understand the impact of paragliding on the environment and to improve weather forecasting.
The paragliding community has a responsibility to protect the natural spaces they fly in and be good stewards of the environment. Paragliding can be used for scientific research and environmental monitoring, providing a unique perspective and access to hard-to-reach areas.
Aerial imaging from paragliders can contribute to understanding and preserving natural spaces, such as identifying plant health and detecting environmental changes.
Paragliding offers a different mindset and experience, allowing pilots to be fully present and focused in the moment.
Managing motion sickness while flying can be achieved through breathing exercises and early symptom recognition.
Paragliding attracts individuals with a sense of adventure and a willingness to explore new possibilities.

Sound Bites

“This is the thing I’ve been looking for, right? I had hoped to, I don’t know, fly fighter jets or something, but I didn’t want to bomb villages.”
“We’re all unique. But we also all are taking advantage of an opportunity that has only existed basically in the last 30 years out of all history.”
“What can you do with that? And that’s really where the lab projects come in.”
“We love the park, we know you love the park, come fly with us and we’ll show you the park from an angle you’ve never seen it.”
“We have the same perspective as a UAV, some flying drone thing, you know, a helicopter, and we enjoy it, but also we can share it and maybe help fund local clubs.”
“We have this unique craft, we can do more with it and how can we connect these dots to make things more sustainable, right? For everyone.”

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Background

09:26 The Free Flight Lab and its Projects

12:43 Challenges and Opportunities in Paragliding

18:07 Data Collection and Research

31:46 Conservation and the Paragliding Community

36:14 Exploring Natural Spaces from a Unique Perspective

38:25 The Mindset and Experience of Paragliding

53:21 Managing Motion Sickness while Flying

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:07:01 — 53.7MB)