Tuesday, April 3, 2012
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
A diagram using google earth to view my 3.5 hour flight in Roldanillo, Colombia
Click on the link above to go to cross country xcontest to see one of my uploaded flights as I flew 27km or two towns away and had some rather spectacular low saves. Thank you to the birds and my flying friends Ron Hott and Caliche Castaneda.
Click on the link above to go to cross country xcontest to see one of my uploaded flights as I flew 27km or two towns away and had some rather spectacular low saves. Thank you to the birds and my flying friends Ron Hott and Caliche Castaneda.
Sunday, February 26, 2012
Enjoy my first adventure with the gopro video of Valle de Bravo, Mexico in January 2012.
I am off to Colombia tomorrow for another 3 weeks of learning to fly like a bird!!!!
I had over ten hours of video and have managed to get it into11minutes to show a
little of the hundreds of turns in thermals and my xc adventures over launch, to
El Penon, The Wall, Sacamacante, The Pinetas, The Lake landing in Valle, and
beyond Javon.
Saturday, January 7, 2012
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
Friday, November 11, 2011
Sun
Journal
What's the tallest peak you've paraglided from? I learned to paraglide off Merriam Crater (6,385 feet) in Flagstaff, Ariz. My best height has been up to 7,100 feet off a 3,000-foot mountain recently in my first cross-country flight in Spain.
Once you've climbed Kilimanjaro, what's next? I like to focus on one major goal at a time. I have a lot of training to do and flight time to achieve as well as an SIV (simulated in flight) training of collapses before climbing Kili. Since this is the first time permits have been granted to fly off Kili, this is an opportunity of a lifetime! There are a lot of mountains to climb and fly in the world, so the sky is full of limitless possibilities!
For more on Johnna Haskell, find her on Facebook and at www.JohnnaHaskellphotos.com.
http://www.sunjournal.com/news/bplus/2011/11/06/face-time-johnna-haskell-—-ever-climbing-mainer-be-among-first-fly-mount-kilim
Face Time: Johnna Haskell — Ever-climbing Mainer to be among first to fly from Mount Kilimanjaro
Published on Sunday, Nov 6, 2011 at 12:12 am | Last updated on Sunday, Nov 6, 2011 at 12:12 am
In October 2012, pilots from around the world plan to climb to the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro and jump off in paragliders.
Among the 200 will be Johnna Haskell of Carrabassett Valley.
In part, she wants to help the people of Tanzania, where the 19,341-foot mountain is located. Together, the pilots will give $1 million to the Tanzanian people.
There's also the chance to check off an item on a long bucket list.
"What I'm trying to do is live my dreams," Haskell said. "I've turned 50 this year and I've got to do it before I can't do it."
In October 2012, pilots from around the world plan to climb to the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro and jump off in paragliders.
Among the 200 will be Johnna Haskell of Carrabassett Valley.
In part, she wants to help the people of Tanzania, where the 19,341-foot mountain is located. Together, the pilots will give $1 million to the Tanzanian people.
There's also the chance to check off an item on a long bucket list.
"What I'm trying to do is live my dreams," Haskell said. "I've turned 50 this year and I've got to do it before I can't do it."
Johnna Haskell is pictured here climbing Mont Blanc between Italy and France. It is the Alps' tallest mountain.
- Supplied photo
Name: Johnna Haskell
Age: 50
Hometown: Carrabassett Valley
Single, Relationship or Married? Married
You've been a teacher, a photographer and a writer. How do you describe yourself today? I will always be a teacher. Today, I am an adventurer, mountaineer, skier, paraglider pilot and photographer.
It seems like most of your work is centered on nature and being outdoors. What does the natural world do for you? Being out interacting in the natural world is key to who I am. I love spending hours with animals in the wild photographing natural behavior or feeling the wind on my face and flying like a bird. I seek “being in the zone” as referred to in athletic performance, while photographing wildlife, climbing or flying a paraglider.
- Supplied photo
Name: Johnna Haskell
Age: 50
Hometown: Carrabassett Valley
Single, Relationship or Married? Married
You've been a teacher, a photographer and a writer. How do you describe yourself today? I will always be a teacher. Today, I am an adventurer, mountaineer, skier, paraglider pilot and photographer.
It seems like most of your work is centered on nature and being outdoors. What does the natural world do for you? Being out interacting in the natural world is key to who I am. I love spending hours with animals in the wild photographing natural behavior or feeling the wind on my face and flying like a bird. I seek “being in the zone” as referred to in athletic performance, while photographing wildlife, climbing or flying a paraglider.
Johnna Haskell is pictured at the basecamp of Alaska's Denali, also known as Mount McKinley. It is the tallest peak in North America.
- Supplied photo
What led you to climb mountains? A local teacher and friend got me into ice climbing in high school and I climbed Mt. Blanc (15,776 feet) and Monte Rosa (15,203 feet) in France and Switzerland to acclimatize to climb Mount Elbrus (18,510 feet) in Russia at the age of 24. I have always had a passion for climbing the seven summits.
You've climbed Denali and a variety of tall peaks. What was the toughest climb? Sometimes the toughest climb may be the one you have to turn around on before reaching the summit in violent weather or it may not be on a mountain at all. . . . Tough is a matter of perspective and how hard one enjoys pushing one’s potential. As far as a mountain, Denali is clearly one of the most difficult, as you are the porter carrying a 50- to 80-pound pack while hauling a 100-pound sled to establish camps in severe weather.
What led you to climb mountains? A local teacher and friend got me into ice climbing in high school and I climbed Mt. Blanc (15,776 feet) and Monte Rosa (15,203 feet) in France and Switzerland to acclimatize to climb Mount Elbrus (18,510 feet) in Russia at the age of 24. I have always had a passion for climbing the seven summits.
You've climbed Denali and a variety of tall peaks. What was the toughest climb? Sometimes the toughest climb may be the one you have to turn around on before reaching the summit in violent weather or it may not be on a mountain at all. . . . Tough is a matter of perspective and how hard one enjoys pushing one’s potential. As far as a mountain, Denali is clearly one of the most difficult, as you are the porter carrying a 50- to 80-pound pack while hauling a 100-pound sled to establish camps in severe weather.
Johnna Haskell is pictured here paragliding in Spain
- Supplied photo
You seem pretty courageous. What scares you? Actually driving a car 60 mph . . . is the scariest activity. A healthy respect of fear is essential to feeling alive and being present while participating in climbing, skiing or paragliding. Not living my passions scares me more.
How did you get involved in paragliding? In 2008, a long-time friend from Slovakia that I met in Russia contacted me to come skin up some mountains to ski. He was a competition pilot and introduced me to paragliding. I took my first tandem ride with a spiral dive and loved it. I have been working toward my pilots license and hours flying ever since.
What does it feel like to fly? Flying reminds me of carving turns on skis or white water kayaking, yet the thermals I want to climb in are invisible. With the air on my face and the quiet of the world below cloud level — this is as close to flying like a bird as I can imagine. My most notable flights have been thermalling with Griffon vultures and watching up close the amazing performance of those with feathers.
You seem pretty courageous. What scares you? Actually driving a car 60 mph . . . is the scariest activity. A healthy respect of fear is essential to feeling alive and being present while participating in climbing, skiing or paragliding. Not living my passions scares me more.
How did you get involved in paragliding? In 2008, a long-time friend from Slovakia that I met in Russia contacted me to come skin up some mountains to ski. He was a competition pilot and introduced me to paragliding. I took my first tandem ride with a spiral dive and loved it. I have been working toward my pilots license and hours flying ever since.
What does it feel like to fly? Flying reminds me of carving turns on skis or white water kayaking, yet the thermals I want to climb in are invisible. With the air on my face and the quiet of the world below cloud level — this is as close to flying like a bird as I can imagine. My most notable flights have been thermalling with Griffon vultures and watching up close the amazing performance of those with feathers.
Johnna Haskell is pictured paragliding above the city of Algodonales in southern Spain.
- Supplied photo
Once you've climbed Kilimanjaro, what's next? I like to focus on one major goal at a time. I have a lot of training to do and flight time to achieve as well as an SIV (simulated in flight) training of collapses before climbing Kili. Since this is the first time permits have been granted to fly off Kili, this is an opportunity of a lifetime! There are a lot of mountains to climb and fly in the world, so the sky is full of limitless possibilities!
For more on Johnna Haskell, find her on Facebook and at www.JohnnaHaskellphotos.com.
Saturday, November 5, 2011
I gave a talk about my paragliding trip to Algodonales, Spain at the SugarWood Gallery featured artist reception in Farmington, Maine. In the background one can see many of my framed photographs of wildlife and landscapes hanging on the walls. At the left I was showing the harness and seat attachment which fills with air in the back and seat for safety. Also a reserve is underneath the seat for backup.
As part of my training I was logging hours in Spain. I did my first cross country of 26km and had over 15 hours of thermalling with the Griffon vultures. I had lots of "first" experiences such as first xc, flying in rain, clouds, first beach flight of 20km, bush entanglement, fence greeting, flying at 7100ft, and finding lift at cloudbase.
It is rather cold at cloudbase so I wear ski gear. Turning the paragliding in thermals is like carving ski turns or a kayak in whitewater. Yet the challenge is finding thermals in the invisible air to maintain one's height above the earth. Following the Griffon vultures or smaller birds can give you lots of clues to finding the fun uprising air. Paragliding is as close to flying like a bird as one can imagine with only the wind on your face. Below I was showing the fabric of the glider and what is required to inflate the paraglider for flying.
It was impossible to open up the glider in such a small area, but I enjoyed talking about flying and answering everyone's questions. In Europe, paragliders are often seen among the mountains and there are competitions to thermal and reach specific GPS points. So there are as many paragliders as skis for ability and type of flying such as cross country or acro. Paragliding has opened up an exciting fun way to descend mountains that I climb.
Thank you to the Franklin Journal for the photos above.
 |
| Johnna demonstrating the harness attachment. |
As part of my training I was logging hours in Spain. I did my first cross country of 26km and had over 15 hours of thermalling with the Griffon vultures. I had lots of "first" experiences such as first xc, flying in rain, clouds, first beach flight of 20km, bush entanglement, fence greeting, flying at 7100ft, and finding lift at cloudbase.
It is rather cold at cloudbase so I wear ski gear. Turning the paragliding in thermals is like carving ski turns or a kayak in whitewater. Yet the challenge is finding thermals in the invisible air to maintain one's height above the earth. Following the Griffon vultures or smaller birds can give you lots of clues to finding the fun uprising air. Paragliding is as close to flying like a bird as one can imagine with only the wind on your face. Below I was showing the fabric of the glider and what is required to inflate the paraglider for flying.
 |
| The paraglider concertina folded for packing. |
Thank you to the Franklin Journal for the photos above.
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