What a start to our holidays in Germany! Mum's cousin Torsten had initially invited us for lunch, but as the weather turned out to be good for paragliding, he rang a few of his friends and organised a paragliding day for us on Königsstuhl in Heidelberg. As I am still a child, I need a special child harness with seat to attach to a tandem pilot's harness. The harness has got an extra thick cushion, to protect the spine from a crash landing. It looks quite funny to wear this harness when walking around. But up in the air, you sit in it comfortably.
My tandem pilot Markus is semi-professional. He does 20 tandem flights per week on average and has got a terrific feeling for the winds, their shifts, or where to find upwinds.
Can you believe that I did not one but TWO paragliding flights with him? The second time, Markus managed to find beautiful upwinds on the opposite side of the river Neckar, so we could stay in the air for 50 minutes!
From above, I looked at the old Heidelberg Castle, dating back to the 12th century. It has got a prominent tower that burst when lightning struck the stored gun powder, and it also houses wine barrels the size of our living room at home.
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| Getting ready for the very first flight |
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| Testing the harness. |
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| This is the sitting position. |
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| Markus and I are ready for takeoff, looking at Jonas and Frank, Mum taking photos |
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| My short legs already dangle in the air, Markus is still running. |
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