Cade Palmer is a speed test pilot and designer for Ozone Paragliders; is one of the most accomplished aerobatics pilots in the world; flies tandems professionally in Jackson Hole, Wyoming; regularly sessions some of the most awe-inspiring terrain on Earth with his paramotor; of course flies small planes (and jumps out of them!) in his free time; flies RC planes and lives year-round in a van with his girlfriend and fellow air junky Becca Bredehoft and their dog Talla in pursuit of all things free-flight. In other words- he’s got the life most pilots can only dream. Cade learned to fly when he was only 19 years old and has found a way to make it his year-round pursuit. In this episode we tap into Cade’s vast knowledge of small wings and tackle some of the subjects I’ve been dying to ask him for a long time. Can you learn to speed fly without learning paragliding first? How do you teach risk and consequences to a new student who hasn’t been involved in extreme sports in the past? Why are baby steps so important? How do you stay within your boundaries if you don’t know where they are? How do you learn to respect a sport like paragliding when you’re new and don’t understand the risks. How do you learn the most advanced maneuvers safely? Is #vanlife all it’s chocked up to be? Why is finding a good mentor so critical…and how do you find them? I think you’ll find this talk inspiring, interesting, at times serious and throughout- makes you want to go fly. Hope you enjoy!
You can follow Cade in Instagram @paracade and Becca @turquoise.sparrow
And follow their van build and adventures @aves_sin_rumbo
Or their website: sustainablevanlife.com
PLEASE- our feathered friends in Indo need your help. Our community lost 7 pilots recently in the Earthquake and the Cloudbase Foundation is leading the charge in trying to raise $60,000 for their families. This is urgent- if you can help out, any amount goes a long ways. Click here to learn more.
A buck an episode, that’s all we ask.
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Show Notes:
- Cade recounts flying off a volcano in Guatemala
- Cade recounts getting into flying and why
- Finding mentors and why they are so important
- The speed world grabs Cade and tandems pad the wallet
- Why do mistakes happen and how can we reduce accidents?
- Test pilot- what they do, how it works, how wings get made
- Could the certification process be improved?
- Baby steps baby- why a set progression is so critical
- Want to learn to Tumble? There’s a LOT to learn first
- Why are some pilots drawn to acro vs xc?
- Speed flying is about launching and landing- so seat time isn’t nearly as critical as it is with PG
- There is a safe way to speed fly- so why are there so many accidents?
- How to stay within your boundaries
- Van life- how good is it and what are the downsides?
Mentioned in this episode:
Cloudbase Foundation, Cross Country Magazine, Becca Bredehoft, Chris Santacroce, Carson Klein, Jake Walker, Chris Hunlow, Michelle McCullough, Nick Greece, Robbie Whittall, Nik Peterson, Jamie Lee
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 55:48 — 51.2MB)
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