Hi Everybody,
I'm not sure if this is the right place on the forum to introduce myself, but here it goes...I am moving to the DC area next summer '08 and would like to link up with local pilots and the club when I get there.
I am in the US Army currently serving in Belgium as an exchange officer and I have taken all of my lessons here in French. I have only been flying for a year now, but I am starting to feel somewhat confident in my abilities. I've got my own gear now and I'd really like to get out and find some sites in the area with folks who know the place well.
I have 40 flights now which were all made mountain flying in the French Alps and I will do another week this March and hope to get another 15-20 flights in and break-in my new gear.
In terms of licensing currently I have nothing. The reason for this is that it takes a lot of time here in Belgium to get licensed. The P2 equivalent requires at least 70 flights and a rather complex written test in French. My French kung-fu is pretty strong, but I don't know if it is that strong yet. So, I would like a bit of advice and some recommendations on the best route to get licensed in the DC area.
I will only be spending a year or so in the DC area and then I will head back to Europe where I will be posted in Bosnia where there is, apparently/hopefully, some great flying.
I'm really looking forward to meeting some folks in the area with similar interests and experiences and I hope to get some flying in with the members of your club. Please send me a message with any recommendations that you might have for licensing or if you have any questions.
Cheers from rainy Belgium,
Todd Scattini
New Paraglider Intro
Moderator: CHGPA BOD
New Paraglider Intro
Todd Scattini
Welcome Todd!
We have a fairly active group of fliers here in the Washington DC area. Only real downside is that our flying sites are all ~2 hours away. Not bad, however, once you get there.
See the post below titled "Newbies Seeking Lessons" for the names of two great local instructors. One or both of them should be able to work with you and get you your P-2 rating pretty quickly, and then to P-3 hopefully not long after that once you get your 90+ flights and 30 flying days in. Most (all?) of our flying sites here require that you have an observer as a P-2. (Observers are P-3 or better pilots who have signed up and certified to be observers.) Not such a bad thing as you'll want to be flying with someone else all the time anyway.
Charlie
We have a fairly active group of fliers here in the Washington DC area. Only real downside is that our flying sites are all ~2 hours away. Not bad, however, once you get there.
See the post below titled "Newbies Seeking Lessons" for the names of two great local instructors. One or both of them should be able to work with you and get you your P-2 rating pretty quickly, and then to P-3 hopefully not long after that once you get your 90+ flights and 30 flying days in. Most (all?) of our flying sites here require that you have an observer as a P-2. (Observers are P-3 or better pilots who have signed up and certified to be observers.) Not such a bad thing as you'll want to be flying with someone else all the time anyway.
Charlie
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John Anderson
- Posts: 125
- Joined: Fri Jul 15, 2005 9:25 pm
- Location: Vienna, VA
but also welcome back to the Balkans ---
Todd--
Enjoy your time in the US, flying with the CHGPA gang and similar Sterling Individuals. But after that, when you're back in the Balkans, you can look me up. I've only been here in Kosovo ca 5 months (and, unfortunately, the first three were lost to a new job and, WOIK!?!@#&**%!!?), but I am beginning to get airborne with pilots (all PG, so far) in Kosovo. We've got mountains all around, some of them actually flyable.
I hear that there is good flying in Bosnia, have not been up there yet. But other excellent sites in Montenegro, very close to you when you're in Sarajevo; and also many fun sites in Macedonia, OK, a further stretch.
But save my e-mail (joanderson@usaid.gov) and drop me a line when you balkanize... I would also like to meet pilots in Bosnia & Croatia.
-- John Anderson
Enjoy your time in the US, flying with the CHGPA gang and similar Sterling Individuals. But after that, when you're back in the Balkans, you can look me up. I've only been here in Kosovo ca 5 months (and, unfortunately, the first three were lost to a new job and, WOIK!?!@#&**%!!?), but I am beginning to get airborne with pilots (all PG, so far) in Kosovo. We've got mountains all around, some of them actually flyable.
I hear that there is good flying in Bosnia, have not been up there yet. But other excellent sites in Montenegro, very close to you when you're in Sarajevo; and also many fun sites in Macedonia, OK, a further stretch.
But save my e-mail (joanderson@usaid.gov) and drop me a line when you balkanize... I would also like to meet pilots in Bosnia & Croatia.
-- John Anderson