Episode 57- Phil Glutz and Confidence, Complacency and Chasing it

December 28, 2017 by Gavin McClurg

Phil puts a smile on his passengers face!

Recorded live from Mexico! During the Pre PWC in Zapoltitic I had the honor to sit down with Phil Glutz, a pilot I’ve been keenly following on XContest for years. Phil sends big lines in the biggest terrain in the Alps and decided a couple decades ago to ditch his engineering career because the sky was calling. An Australian native, Phil discovered Zermatt over twenty years ago and made it his home. We discuss the business of tandem flying and the inherent risks involved; the importance of confidence when flying XC; how to “own it”; the best flying sites in the Alps; the call of the big mountains; how to make a career in flight; what makes the “perfect” student; and how to always be wary of complacency. Enjoy!

For a limited time only (December 15-30, 2017) listeners of the Mayhem can get a 10% discount on a Garmin InReach device. Visit garmin.com and use the code “GAVIN2017” in the checkout.

A buck an episode, that’s all we ask.

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Show Notes:

Matterhorn and the Alps- a local’s guide to the big mountains
From Engineering to paragliding- how to make a career in flight
Why engineers fly?
Why confidence matters
What makes a good student?
Who do some pilots choose to fly in the big mountains and why most are scared of them
Best FAI chances out of Zermatt
Best flying sites in the Alps if you like big terrain
A warning- identifying complacency
How to be receptive to advice when you’re learning
Phil discusses his accident in Zermatt a year ago and the lessons we can all learn from it

After the episode one of our listeners was having trouble visualizing exactly what happened with Phil’s accident. Here is some follow-up information from Phil to help us visualize what went down:

Sketch 1: We are ridge soaring in light lift with our right wingtips closest to the ridge. I am following my colleague.
Sketch 2: He turns 180 and returns to the slope and I follow him.
Sketch 3: He turns 180 and returns to the slope. I continue along the ridge as I felt a little more lift there.
Sketch 4: We both then turn 180 and start to return to the slope, now flying towards each other.
Sketch 5: Because of our relative positions (my colleague is slightly closer to the slope than me), we both hesitate slightly as to how to avoid each other. He decides to hug the slope rather than turn out, and I turn hard left, avoiding a collision but spinning the glider.

The question of how to avoid that situation ever happening is a tough one. I guess it just comes down to flying conservatively around other pilots, and understanding that the risk certainly doesn’t diminish around trusted colleagues.

Mentioned in this episode: Miguel Gutierrez, Garmin, Inreach, Bruce Marks, Chris Banford, Michael Vichi, Scott Schmitt, Glen Plake, Tom Payne, Heinz Gluer

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:14:50 — 68.6MB)

Christmas Bonus Episode with Chrigel Maurer!

December 21, 2017 by Gavin McClurg

For a limited time only (December 15-30, 2017) listeners of the Mayhem can get a 10% discount on a Garmin InReach device. Visit garmin.com and use the code “GAVIN2017” in the checkout.

It’s here folks! The bonus episode you’ve all been waiting for. We released this follow up episode with Chrigel Maurer a couple months ago for our Patreon supporters. Don’t miss these! Sign up to support the show through Patreon and get immediate access to bonus material like this on a regular basis. All we ask for is a buck an episode.

In this episode I rattle off all the questions that came through from our listeners about everything everyone wants to know about the greatest pilot on Earth. Not much more to be said- ENJOY!

A buck an episode, that’s all we ask.

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Show Notes:

Chrigel talks harnesses- seat board or not and much more
Instruments- what he uses and why and does he use those thermal assistants?
Does he use a sink alarm?
How to thermal more efficiently and how to make a plan on the go
Speed-to-fly
Why three liners in the X-Alps?
AND SO MUCH MORE!

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 52:11 — 59.8MB)

Episode 56- Miguel Gutierrez and a century of flight

December 15, 2017 by Gavin McClurg

For all of us who make the yearly winter migration to Valle De Bravo, Mexico we have Miguel Gutierrez and his incredible Alas Del Hombre team to thank. But the comps in Mexico are just a scratch of the surface of this legend of free flight. His father (nicknamed El Gato because he had more than 7 lives!), born in 1910 was very likely the first person in the world to base jump (in the 1930’s!)- off the end of an airplane with an unsteerable round parachute that he sewed himself! Miguel is the youngest of 10 children and his love and passion for flight runs strong in his family and began long before hang gliding was even considered a sport in Mexico. In this episode Miguel recounts building the first hang gliders literally from garbage he and his brothers found on the street to cutting his teeth with legends like John Pendry, Larry Tudor, Chris and Bob Wills, Bill Bennett, Peter Brock, Eric Raymond, and Steve Moyes in the Owens Valley of California. Miguel recounts the first time they flew 100 miles, what it was like learning to fly such terrible gliders, how they found Valle (he was the first person to fly there!), skipping school in order to fly, and how he’s turned Alas Del Hombre into the premiere paragliding company in the world- from tandems and instruction to the most professionally run competition organization the sport has ever known. Miguel has seen it all and from the very beginning. Prepare to be entertained!

For a limited time only (December 15-30, 2017) listeners of the Mayhem can get a 10% discount on a Garmin InReach device. Visit garmin.com and use the code “GAVIN2017” in the checkout.

A buck an episode, that’s all we ask.

Subscribe to the Cloudbase Mayhem Podcast on Stitcher Radio, Google Play, Tune In, or ITunes!

Show Notes:

Miguel tells the amazing story of his father and how he got the nickname “El Gato.” The obsession with flight begins…
Learning to fly terrible gliders in the early days and the many accidents that pilots suffered in their pursuit of the sky
The beginnings of Alas Del Hombre and making a living from flying
Discovering Valle De Bravo
Cutting his teeth every summer in the Owens
Flying the first 100 mile flight
Controlling your ego

Mentioned in this episode: Miguel Gutierrez, Gabriel Bass, Jeff Shapiro, Troy Bainbridge, Jocky Sanderson, Dustin Martin, Larry Tudor, Garmin, Alas Del Hombre, Bob and Chris Wills, Bill Bennett, Pete Brock, Eric Raymond, Bob Trampanow, Steve Moyes, Rich Pfeifer, John Pendry, Dave Bridges, Chris Santacroce, Roy Haggard, Dixon White

Miguel making his mother very nervous!

Miguel’s father

The flying cat!

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:33:06 — 74.7MB)

Episode 55- Xandi Meschuh and building a foundation

November 28, 2017 by Gavin McClurg

Xandi doing his THANG

Xandi Meschuh has been in the flying game since the very beginning. He learned to fly RC planes from his father, a pilot before he was ten years old and got the paragliding bug soon afterwards. Xandi has his own flight park near Gerlitzen, Austria where he teaches new students looking for their first flight as well as seasoned professional pilots looking to nail their first Infinite loop. He has taught SIV since SIV began; has been a test pilot and designer for Icaro paragliders since 2004; operates a successful tandem business; is a skilled XC pilot; co-authored the acro bible “Acrobatics” with Mike Küng and has been witness to paragliding since it began. In this episode we dig into the most essential maneuvers pilots need to have dialed, the stumbling blocks that lie in wait for pilots at each level in their career from beginner to expert, the dangers of risking too much early and a lot more. Enjoy!

Read more about Xandi, the trips he offers, SIV courses and more here.

A buck an episode, that’s all we ask.

Subscribe to the Cloudbase Mayhem Podcast on Stitcher Radio, Google Play, Tune In, or ITunes!

Show Notes:

Xandi takes us back to the start in the late 80’s and how he made flying his life
How flying RC planes helped him understand air and paragliding
How wings are developed and come to market
Wing testing- how it works and is it fair?
SIV essentials and how a proper SIV course should go down- and what you should get out of it
The two most important maneuvers to have down pat – the full stall and wingover
Where beginner, intermediate and expert pilots go wrong
After a lifetime of flight, what would you change?
The danger of playing too much.
Safety is cool

Mentioned in this episode: Icaro Paragliders, Mike Kung, Werner Weissman, Chrigel Maurer, Acrobatics, Noco, Flymaster

2006 World acro champion

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:00:08 — 68.9MB)

Garmin InReach Best Practices for Adventurers

November 19, 2017 by Gavin McClurg

Step 1- GET FAMILIAR with your INREACH! Photo Jody MacDonald in the Alaska Range

Note: this article has been updated as of Nov 26, 2021.

In the past couple years it’s been really heartening to see pretty much every pilot on launch use an InReach or a SPOT satellite tracking device. And I’m seeing them more and more in the backcountry with skiers, mountain bikers, climbers and people playing in remote areas. This is a very good thing. What isn’t great is that many people are not really familiar with their device and not utilizing them properly for messaging, maps, and hardly know how powerful they are, and this can become a serious problem when things go wrong, which is when an InReach immediately becomes the most valuable thing you own.

So here’s a quick best-practices post on how to get familiar with your InReach. Knowing just a few things makes retrieves, communications and rescues when needed a LOT simpler. If you take a few minutes to get familiar with your device it could literally save your life.

If you haven’t decided between a SPOT or an InReach, read this then come back here. SPOT is better than nothing, but in my mind there is no decision here. Get an InReach and let’s carry on.

Grab your InReach and your phone and let’s get started.

Download the Earthmate App on your Iphone or Android and connect it to your device via Bluetooth. This only needs to be done once. Apple instructions here. Android instructions here.
Download the maps for the area you will be in to your phone (if you have the Explorer, this isn’t available on the SE). Instructions here (this video also shows how to navigate, enter waypoints, update mapshare page, etc- which is all worth knowing so watch it!). This is an important step- MAKE SURE YOU GET THE MAPS!
Go into the settings of your device and make sure you’ve got your device set up like you want it. Go to SETTINGS then UNITS and put coordinates in DEGREES for example, which is what all pilots use (ie rather than Degrees, Minutes, or UTM). Whatever you choose, just make sure you and your group are all using the same so you’re speaking the same language.
Log into your Garmin account and set up your mapshare page (instructions here) if you haven’t already and put this link somewhere in your phone for easy retrieval. Once you are under the “SOCIAL” tab of your InReach account you can configure what people see on your mapshare page and can connect it to your Twitter or Facebook account, etc. There are many things here that can be useful for the folks at home who need to know where you are. You can even allow anyone who has your mapshare page to directly message you when you are out playing!
Sync your device.
IMPORTANT– Make sure you know your device email (in the device go to SETTINGS -> ABOUT THIS DEVICE). Or you can see it on the ACCOUNT tab of your InReach account (that you have logged into above). This is how your friends who also have an InReach can reach you. For the outside world to reach you they can send you messages via your mapshare page, or they can reply to a message you send them. This is widely misunderstood- the email address for your device IS NOT the one people without an InReach can use to reach you directly.

Ok now for the fun stuff.

BEFORE you head off on your adventure send everyone in your group, and your loved ones at home a message FROM your device. PILOTS- SEND IT TO YOUR RETRIEVE DRIVER! Then then can just reply back to you and presto- you now have everyone’s message thread that from now until eternity you can reply to and they will get it (and vice versa). Just use the Earthmate app and press the new message button in the upper right hand corner. The app acts exactly like sending a normal message from your phone (ie all the contacts in your phone will come up when you press inside the “TO” area). Instructions here. This is the step that most people screw up. If you don’t do this before you take off and you all get separated and DON’T have each others address, well now you can’t message one another (you can still send messages to anyone’s cell phone, but then they have to be in cell coverage!)!
Here’s a trick most people don’t know about. Every message that you send out has your coordinates, regardless of whether it’s going to someone at home on their cell phone or email, or to someone in your group who has an InReach. If you send out a message to someone at home it will have the message, ie “Hi honey, I’m out having an awesome time in deep pow and I won’t be home til dark!” and then the coordinates AND a link to where you are on your mapshare page! Now even more cool- if you send a message to someone with an InReach that person gets the message in the device, as well as the Earthmate app (assuming they are connected) that looks something like this:

See that little icon next to the message?

Press it! This will bring you to another window that has all the details from EXACTLY where the message was sent from. ASSUMING you have done step 2 above and have your maps and BINGO- you now know exactly where your friend is, how far he or she is from you and in what direction! Pretty cool right?

Need to look up your location really quickly? Garmin has made it incredibly simple- just go into the menu of your device and scroll to “LOCATION.” Presto. They even have a little “Share Location” from this menu, but sending messages is MUCH easier from your phone with the Earthmate app, and when you send messages it has your location automatically so no need to use this.

Ok let’s summarize the important stuff:

Get your maps downloaded to your device and phone. They are free and only takes a few minutes.
Make sure the SETTINGS are correct (units- DEGREES or whatever your group uses)
Know your mapshare address (very important) and your device address (ie email address- to be used to/from other InReach users) and have it in your phone. SHARE this with those you play with and those at home (send those at home a message and just tell them to reply to that message if they need to ping you).
Message your friends and understand how to see where they are so you can get to them if they are in trouble.

If it all goes to shit? Hit that handy SOS button on the side of the device! Here’s what happens when you hit the SOS (this is a great article- READ IT). Then Read this article about insurance and search and rescue services to make sure you have what you need. And take 3 minutes to watch this video by my friend Chip Noble on tips and tricks on using your InReach.

Episode 54- Dustin Martin and finding the magic

November 14, 2017 by Gavin McClurg

Dustin doing what he does best

In 2012 Dustin Martin beat out legendary Red Bull pilot Jonny Durand by a couple kilometers in Texas to go farther than anyone ever has in a hang glider- 761 km. And the record still holds. Was it his most memorable flight? Hardly. Dustin began his flying career in his early teens by flying RC airplanes and his love and interest in the sky hasn’t abated since. From RC he graduated to sailplanes but his first flight in a hang glider at the age of 15 lead to being fired at the local Sailport because the first flight became an obsession that didn’t allow for much on the side. In this wide-ranging and laugh-out-loud episode Dustin takes us through some close calls with tornados (plural!); how to assess a gust front; a brief history of hang gliders; the importance of mentors; how to find good lines; avoiding sink; working light lift; reducing drag; advice for new pilots; chasing world records; sponsorship; being a student and building a foundation; the origins of the Cloudbase Foundation, the dangers of moving to a higher performance wing too fast; what it takes to win; speed to fly; maintaining passion and a TON more. This was one of the most enjoyable and informative discussions we’ve had on the Mayhem, please don’t miss this one!

A buck an episode, that’s all we ask.

Subscribe to the Cloudbase Mayhem Podcast on Stitcher Radio, Google Play, Tune In, or ITunes!

Show Notes:

Dustin discusses a few scary but super memorable flights flying in gust fronts and tornados
How to increase performance/ reducing drag
The origins of the Cloudbase Foundation
RC flying and the crossover to flying hang gliders, paragliders and sailplanes
A brief history of hang gliding and some of the technical aspects of the craft
Finding the magic
Comp flying, sponsorship, passion
The world record in Texas (check out this AWESOME article in the NY Times) and chasing world records and the incredible end of the day eeking it out over Jonny
Stepping back for safety and perspective and coming back from some discouraging comps
Moving from Moyes gliders to the Wills Wing Team
What’s happened to hang gliding in the last decade and the loss of the community
What PG pilots can learn from Hang gliders
Finding good lines, avoiding sink, working light lift, using cloud streets, flatland techniques, etc.
Speed to fly, macready, bar…how fast should we fly? The importance of staying with the lead group and the dangers of trying to outsmart the guys early in a race
Checking the ego
Overcoming lulls in the love of flight and the importance of flying the good days- and skipping the bad
What would you change if you could?

Mentioned in this episode: Onnit, Play Hard Give Back, Joe Rogan, Tim Ferriss, Jeff Shapiro, Larry Tudor, Daniel Velez, Kevin Carter, Moyes Gliders, Wills Wing, Tom Wisenburger, Kraig Coomber, Rafael Saladini, Donizete Lemos, Marcelo Prieto, Frank Brown, Jeff O’Brien, Cloudbase Foundation, Ricker Goldsborough, Davis Straub, Raul Guerra, Joao Manuel Brum, Steven Pearson, Xandi Meschuh, Matt Beechinor, Jonny Durand, Hans Heydrich, Bob Thompson, Jeff Reynolds, Brad Lindsey, William Holmes, Kurt Warren, Joel Ribecki, Zac Majors, Tyler Bradford, Manfred Bohner, Brett Hazlett, Kevin Brooker, Perlan Project, Will Gadd

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 2:04:47 — 85.8MB)

Episode 53- Gavin reviews the 2017 Red Bull X-Alps

November 1, 2017 by Gavin McClurg

Gavin McClurg (USA1) prepares for flight during Red Bull X-Alps on Mangart, Slovenia (TP 2) on July 5, 2017. Photo Vitek Ludvig

This episode went up a few weeks ago for the supporters of our podcast but as I am in Brazil and am not able to get out a new show for another few days we decided to put this one up this week. In this episode we turn the tables a bit and I get interviewed by Nik Hawks, who followed the race closely and had a bunch of questions about how it all went down. Why did we pull the nightpass the first night? What mistakes were made? What did we learn from the 2015 race that came in handy this time? Nutrition, physical training, supplements and a LOT more on how we prepared. That bomb-out on day three when we were in such a strong position- what happened and what were the consequences? This and a lot more. Enjoy!

A buck an episode, that’s all we ask.

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Team USA 1- Ben Abruzzo, Gavin McClurg, Bruce Marks. Photo Olga Schmaidenko

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:25:28 — 78.4MB)

Episode 52- Pal Takats X-Alps, Acro, and what you can do to stay safe

October 19, 2017 by Gavin McClurg

Pal Takats (HUN) performs during the Red Bull X-Alps in Lermoos, Austria on July 6th, 2017

Pal Takats began flying 16 years ago in the flatlands of Budapest, Hungary and has since created a career any pilot would envy. One of the first Red Bull acro pilots and the man responsible for many of the current and modern acro combinations (the Joker, Cowboy, Esfera, etc.) Pal does paramotor demos for Red Bull at air races around the world, base jumps in his free time, founded JustAcro.com, flies speed wings, has twice competed in the Red Bull X-Alps (he was 8th in 2009 and 7th in 2017), is an exceptional cross country and World Cup competition pilot but it hasn’t all been a walk in the park to get there. In 2012 Pal had an accident flying a 6M speed wing that put him in a coma and nearly ended his life. Later the same year he demolished his knee cap making a poor decision on landing after a base jump. What can the rest of us learn from his mistakes and how can we eliminate a huge, huge percentage of accidents in our sport? How paragliding schools are missing out on the foundational stuff, the importance of ground handling and how this is leading to way too many accidents. This talk covers a lot of ground. A fascinating discussion with a fascinating, passionate individual.

A buck an episode, that’s all we ask.

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Show Notes:

Brief history of Pal’s many, many accomplishments
Pal breaks the Tandem Infinity Record
Moving from caving to flying- the inception
Becoming a professional pilot and making a living from flying
How not getting into University became a blessing
Transition from Acro to Cross Country and getting disillusioned with Acro and judging
Pal’s accidents in 2012, coming back from a coma and the takeaways
Becoming a Red Bull athlete
How does media, sponsors and making films affect decision making? What are the bad and good sides?
How to avoid bad situations and the IMPORTANCE of training
The IMPORTANCE of groundhandling and where the schools fall short and why the basics are being skipped and how this is failing new pilots
Where to learn acro, and what wing to start on
When to move up to a higher aspect wing? Beware!
How paragliding doesn’t have structured rules across the board and why that’s bad for our safety and our sport
Highs and lows of the 2017 Red Bull X-Alps

Mentioned in this episode: Nik Hawks, Red Bull Media House, Reelwater Productions, JustAcro.com, Sidetracked Magazine, Squash Falconer, Will Gadd, paragliding schools, Theo Le Blic, Cody Mittanck

Pal in the air during the Red Bull X-Alps

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:32:25 — 74.3MB)

Episode 51- Sailplane radness, the Perlan Project, Imagining the Possibilities

October 4, 2017 by Gavin McClurg

The Perlan project hopes to get to 90,000 feet

Imagine an engineless airplane reaching the edge of space. Crazy? Impossible? In this episode of the Cloudbase Mayhem Kevin Brooker, a passionate sailplane pilot takes us through the long history of sailplanes to the stuff that is at the far edge of what the imagination can even grasp. Just recently the altitude record was broken (52,000 feet!)- without an engine flying in wave in the Andes. But that’s just the beginning. The Perlan Project is shooting for 90,000 feet- their mission is to “explore the science of giant mountain waves that help create the ozone hole and change global climate models. This will require the engineering of a spacecraft with glider wings that can fly in less than 3% of normal air density and at temperatures of minus 70 degrees C, conditions approximating the surface of Mars.” How can paragliders and hang gliders use what the sailplane community is doing to improve our distance? How do they forecast wave, and is it possible for us to tap into this potential? This conversation was one of the most fascinating I’ve had on the show. I promise, this stuff will blow your mind.

A buck an episode, that’s all we ask.

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Show Notes:

Kevin gives us an abbreviated history of sailplanes. The smile of the interviewer begins:)
How wave was discovered and how it’s being utilized
What is Wave?
The science of lift and speed.
How to enter Wave with a sailplane and where and how it can kick your ass.
Flying 3,000km in a single day
The math of the Perlan Project
Dealing with high altitude decompression sickness in sailplanes/high altitude flight (the Bends).
Risk in Sailplanes vs paragliding / hang gliding
Hypoxia, Hydration and doubt
The advent of motor gliders

Mentioned in this episode: Honza Rejmanek, Alas Del Hombre, Miguel Gutierrez, Matt Wilkes, Perlan Project, Dick Butler, Steve Fawcett, Bob Harris,

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:29:04 — 71.4MB)

Episode 50- Dave Snowden and turning talent into Wins

September 20, 2017 by Gavin McClurg

The race begins, World Championships, Italy 2017

Episode 50 is all about competitions. From flying psychology to training David Snowden has taken 25 years of flying passion into figuring out how to take a country (Australia) with plenty of talent but with few of the resources that France, Germany, and Switzerland (for example) have to be a serious player on the world stage. In this podcast Dave sheds light on their journey from not even having a team in 2015 and being ranked in 38th place in the world to breaking the top 15 and sending a strong, competitive team to the Worlds this summer in Italy. How did they do it? What can all of learn from their journey? How to foster a team attitude in such an independent sport? Can paragliding become an Olympic sport? Dave is quick to point out that the Australian Paragliding squad development has had a lot of people contribute to its success, but their path is one that anyone could (and should!) follow.

A buck an episode, that’s all we ask.

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Show Notes:

Dave talks about how he developed a keen eye for competition in his 25 years of flying
The British Championshiops, mentors, dealing with weather and developing a competition structure in Britain in the 90’s.
Hosting a PWC in Bright, Australia after 3 years of effort
Economics of competitions and how they can be funded more efficiently
Mentoring and coaching and developing the Australian Paragliding squad
Going from 38th in the National Rankings to the top 15- how they did it
Using local comps and proper advertising to improve their own pilots internationally
How to foster a team attitude
The Olympics and the East Asia Games

Mentioned in this episode: Miguel Gutierrez, Brian Webb, Alas Del Hombre, Jon Mallinson, Bob Drury, John Pendry, Robbie Whittall, Bruce Goldsmith, Jocky Sanderson, North of Known, Kari Ellis, Mike Pfau, Aaron Durogati, Ondrej Prochazca

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:13:52 — 67.7MB)