My Photography & GoPro Paragliding - I Flew Like a Bird On The Mediterranean Coast

 

I just got to the Mediterranean coast, Fethiye, Turkey after visiting Pamukkale (The Cotton Castle).   

My Turkish friend looks over and asks, “Hey man do you want to go paragliding tomorrow?” I had to double check what Paragliding was in my mind. Rarely often something you hear.   

We took a van up winding up Mt. Bagadag to the very peak at 2,000 meters (6,460 ft). Ever so calmly the driver says,“Last night a family died after their car drove off the cliff.” I am thinking geee thanks for putting that picture in my head, what a way to lighten the mood as I am about to run off a cliff.  

We get to the top and all get out the van, presented with the most beautiful view of the Mediterranean Coast & the Blue Lagoon. The wind is really wiping around us, we are well above the clouds. 

They unwrap the parachute, and lay it out perfectly. We all get strapped in and my friend says, “When I say Run..Run!” 

 This is the moment I was like oh shit, I am about to run off a cliff that is 7 Eiffel Towers stacked on top of each other. I feel like I am in a different atmosphere.   

 RUN!!!!! 

Next thing my legs are sprinting towards the edge of the cliff, I have surely lost my mind. With a “fuck-it” like jump the wind snatches our parachute and we go flying even higher!   

For the next 45 minutes we fly like birds along the Mediterranean coast overlooking islands, stunning coastline and the famous Blue Lagoon.   

My friend effortless pulls out a cigarette and lighter and lights it up while we are flying above the clouds. I look behind and see that he doesn't even have his hands on the straps for stirring. I am like is this thing on auto-pilot right now? Hilariously mental. He then tells me to fly the thing for a while, an absolutely amazing experience to control the wings of a bird.    

 

About half way in, my friend says lets have some fun. I am thinking wtf is he talking about I am already having fun, what could we possibly do next? “Hold on” - I grasp the straps & GoPro while he sharply pulls one side and this thing goes spinning around like a tornado! It felt like we were going Mach 3 straight into the Ocean!
After spinning around a couple ore times, the land was approaching. He simply says to me, “when we hit the ground stick the landing.” And so I did just that, it was actually the easiest part of the whole thing.