Episode 24- Isabella Messenger and Unconscious Competence

Isabella Messenger took a paragliding course in 2007 and quit her job as an IT Specialist after the first day. She’s been chasing it ever since. She and her husband and air-Jedi Jamie Messenger spend half their year in the Alps traveling in their camper van and the other half in Nepal flying as much as they can. You name it, Isabella flies it- world cup competitions, acro, vol-biv, tandem. In this inspiring episode we flush out why there aren’t more women in the sport, the importance of surrounding yourself with the type of pilot you want to become, what’s so special about flying, how pilots develop an “unconscious competence” that can really help in emergency situations, how difficult it can be to return to the sport after a long break, where to do your first vol-biv, how to reduce stress in flying and a LOT more. When the earthquake hit Nepal in April of 2015 Isabella and Jamie hunkered down for 18 months to provide much-needed aid to families and communities hard-struck by the devastation, in cooperation with Karma Flights and the Cloudbase Foundation. Seasoned expert or total newbie, this episode is a must-listen for us all. Enjoy!

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Show Notes:

Isabella talks about the difficulties of coming back to flying after a long break
The dangers of learning too fast
How important it is to surround yourself with the pilots like you want to become
Isabella talks about what’s so special about flying
Isabella recounts throwing her reserve in a competition after having a mid-air on her Enzo 2
Isabella gives some advice to female pilots and helps us understand why there aren’t more females in the sport
How to reduce stress in flight
Mentioned in this episode: Nick Greece, Cody and Cherise Tuttle, Wingate Motion, Cloudbase Foundation, Karma Flights, Judith Mole, Steve Roti, Jamie Messenger, Manuel Nubel, Seiko Fukuoka, Klaudia Bulgakow, Kari Castle, Jim Mallinson, Jon Sylvester, Eddie Colfax, Nate Scales, Paraglider.com, Cody Mittanck, Mads Syndergaard, Matt Henzi