The last days of January were excellent for flying. Little did we imagine that things would be completely different in the month of February…
The surprise WINDY February…
The intensity of winds increased basically for the entire island. And we are not talking about strong winds, which we normally fly, like 15 to 20 mph… NO… this time we are talking about 23 to 25 mph every day with gusts over 30 mph+!!!
Given this scenario, a forced flying vacations was turned ON for the majority of pilots on the island, until further notice…
Plan B ???
The aforementioned does not mean that we have not flown. Fortunately, we had a plan B for these days. But this is not for all pilots, it requires skills and attitude…
- Good Paramotor skills
- Physical condition, so, should be capable to Run in the Take Off at Light winds conditions.
- Be willing to get up early, drive and arrive at Lajas Valley before 7 AM
- Front Launch Take off in zero or 1 to 2 mph wind, and on wet grass
- Be subject to the fact that after all the mentioned requisites, the pilot simply could not Take Off.
- And worse, a possibility to fell and break some equipment.
After evaluating these requirements, only Luis Ruiz and Edgardo Rivera were present. Some skills pilots pilots could not arrive due to family or work commitments. Others simply remained silent and preferred to wait for better conditions in places close to their homes. And that’s OK.
Thursday, February 6, 2025…
Luis Ruiz was early in Lajas Valley. This time he was alone, to evaluate the weather conditions and also the track. Thanks to the friend Gilberto Saavedra, who trimmed the grass on the track, it was in good condition. Luis flew for around 50 minutes, taking off at 7:10 AM, and using the Front Launch method and a 29 meter BGD paraglider. The flight was very smooth and satisfactory. We will return to the place soon.
Saturday, February 8, 2025…
Again in Lajas Valley. This time Luis Ruiz arrived with his son Noah Enrique, and ready to fly on a Trike. Edgardo Rivera also arrived, traveling from Aguas Buenas.
Luis Ruiz went out and flew with Noah on the Trike, but Edgardo faced unforeseen problems with his Paramotor and could not take off. Later, on a second attempt, the paraglider had already taken on a lot of humidity and was not helping.
Luis landed with Noah, to allow Edgardo to fly using the Trike, which he did perfectly and managed to fly around.
Wednesday, February 12, 2025…
Again Luis Ruiz and Edgardo Rivera met in Lajas Valley. They both flew from 7 to 8 AM. We left here some videos that best describe their experiences.
After the flights, the idea was to try Isabela later in the day, but the winds on this occasion, and what has been usual for these past weeks, touched 30 mph+ there…
Photos…
