Paragliding Lessons with Alec Gordon

  Alec Gordon has been a paraglider pilot since 1986. Paragliding exists since the mid eighties with roots in the French alps. Alec started flying the first prototype paragliders manufactured in the states by John Bouchard of “Wild Things” New Hampshire. Due to very little knowledge in the industry about airfoils, ram air technology and glider trim, the first years were very dangerous.

Alec is the father of tandem powered paragliding having invented the first tandem paramotor in 1994, and making the world’s first foot launched tandem paramotor flight in Barcelona, Spain in July of 1994. (Historical flight lightest two place motorized aircraft 45 kilos total aircraft weight)

During the first instructor certification clinic held in the United States in Bishop California in 1988 with Mark Axon, Alec gave a presentation to an international group of pilots on Micrometeorology, he was 19 years old at the time. Alec was certified by the American Paragliding Association along with 9 other pilots as one of the first 10 paragliding instructors in the United States.

Paragliding Lessons and Professor of Micrometeorology since 1987

Founder of BAPA (The Bay Area Paragliding Association) in 1988. BAPA is now one of the largest paragliding clubs in the U.S.A. Alec called together the first meeting held at round table pizza on Geary Boulevard, Andy Whitehill attended along with several other local hang glider pilots. That was the first meeting of the club, the rest is history.

Creator of the paragliding program at the hang gliding shop “Airtime of San Francisco” Located then near the San Francisco Zoo and owned by Kelly Dearborn at that time in 1988.

One of the worlds first tandem paraglider pilots. Making the first tandem paragliding flights in the nation back in 1988 using a Summit Magic 280 Paraglider manufactured in the states by Jim Yates at the time.

Instructor for Josh Cohn (Josh went on to become U.S. champion, and previous U.S. distance record holder with a flight of 200 miles launching in Zapata Texas and landing somewhere in Kansas, right on Josh!)

Factory pilot for Pro Design U.S.A. 1989-1990

Solo Himalayan expedition around Annapurna with a paraglider in 1992 solo flying 10 days walk from a road deep in the Nepalese Himalaya. Equipment sponsored by Pro Design U.S.A.

Tandem paraglider flights in the U.S.A., Guatemala, Mexico, Europe, India, Brazil, Nepal, Bolivia, and Thailand, with six trips around the world since 1991.

 Inventor and designer of the worlds lightest two and three place motorized aircraft, the La Mouette ZR 250 bi paramotor, working together with Gérard Thévenot in France. Gérard is a several time world hang gliding champion and owner of La Mouette the worlds leading hang glider manufacturer, 1994. Alec chose to work with La Mouette at the time on the Tandem Paramotor project due to their excellence in Hang Glider Construction.

Tandem paramotor flights at Pitinga beach in Arrail Dajuda, Bahia, Brasil. 1994-1999

Tandem paramotor flights at Vira Sol beach park one of the largest  beach amusement parks in Brasil. 1999-2000

In 1988 Alec started flying a special type of 8 control point competition "Speed Seat™" weight shift paragliding harness that brings the paraglider lines down under his seat and separates them so that he can steer the equipment with his body weight. By 1990, this type of complicated harness disappeared with the advent of standards in the industry. The four-control point harness was easier to make and could be flown by both beginners and experts alike. That left Alec on his own designing, modifying and evolving an 8-control point harness into a more powerful 14-control point harness and now on his present equipment, a 16-control point harness. This harness gives the pilot control over the angle of attack allowing the glider to dive or pull up quickly. It is only for absolute experts; in turbulence if you do not react properly you can get out of control. For Alec it is the only way to fly a paraglider, having built by hand and flown his own harness designs for 25 years.

	Alec Gordon