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Zachary Watkins
เข้าร่วมเมื่อ 10 ส.ค. 2011
Fighting Through the Finish...The Wingman Challenge (Part 4)
The final installment of my coverage of my experience in the Wingman Challenge. Three jaw-dropping 100+ mile flights, my first time hitchhiking, and two major mistakes that nearly cost me the finish. It was a wild ride and I'm thankful for every second of it.
Thanks again to TeamFlyHalo, the Ground Support Team, and the Nirvana team for all your help in making this amazing adventure possible!
Thanks again to TeamFlyHalo, the Ground Support Team, and the Nirvana team for all your help in making this amazing adventure possible!
มุมมอง: 2 158
วีดีโอ
Living the Adventure: The Wingman Challenge (Part 3)
มุมมอง 834ปีที่แล้ว
Finishing the second leg of the Wingman Challenge paramotor adventure was a proud moment. I'm thankful to God for my new friends and family who supported me through the finish line. All music by Lesfm from Pixabay
Crossing the Hawaiian Islands on a Paramotor
มุมมอง 18Kปีที่แล้ว
I'm honored and blessed to be able to add one more to the book of Paramotor firsts. On 25 March 2023 I successfully completed the first-ever PPG flight between two Hawaiian islands: 100 miles over water between Oahu and Maui (and then back again). It was the most difficult XC task I've ever accomplished, requiring a 30 mile ocean channel crossing at 11,000ft without a chase boat, navigation of ...
Paramotor XC: Pushing the Limits...The Wingman Challenge (Part 2)
มุมมอง 3.4Kปีที่แล้ว
This is a debrief of Day 5 of the Wingman Challenge 2022. I finally dialed in the tuning of the Nirvana F-200XC and it shattered my expectations. I flew 166 miles in 6.2 hours on 16L of gas with no tailwind. Its combo of power and fuel economy redefine the limits of paramotor range and adventure flying. Thanks to the Nirvana and TeamFlyHalo teams for making this adventure possible. Songs (all b...
A Rough Start...The Wingman Challenge (Part 1)
มุมมอง 1.6Kปีที่แล้ว
A debrief and XC analysis of the first leg of the Wingman Challenge. Lots of valuable lessons-learned for future paramotor adventure flying. Music: Sleepwalking by Ikson Siesta by Ikson
Landing at a Military Base on my Paramotor
มุมมอง 3.9Kปีที่แล้ว
This was certainly an interesting flight. Launched over a running Life Flight helicopter and team doing some training, commuted to a morale event, and landed and launched at a military base before heading home. Music: Destination and Waves by Ikson
Nice work! What an amazing flight!
What an adventure! Cheers from a fellow Swedish PPG-pilot
can i cross 15 km only with paraglading at night with mount 850 meter
Hey dude, this is super rad, if you're still flying i plan on getting my kit down to Oahu when i'm there for work end of year. lets get in the air if you're still on the islands
Hell yeah!
Awesome video! I live on Oahu (west side) and was really thinking of getting into ppg. Is it pretty decent flying even with the constant gusty trades? Unfortunately there isnt any ppg schools on oahu. Any recommendations from your experience flying on Oahu?
Before watching this video "this looks like so much fun" after watching the video "never in my life would I do this". I glad you did tho. Really beautiful. Glad it worked out for you.
Good sh*t man!!
What an awesome flight. That took some balls! Very impressed. I used to live in Laie and have often dreamed of flying one day on the north shore and windward side. I will be starting the sport/hobby this year in Australia. Have you done any free flying at Kahana Bay? Would your dudek wing be okay for that?
fantastic. I saw all the episodes in one go. thank you.
Epic day! I think that was me at th-cam.com/video/8vZTwM5Wdgw/w-d-xo.html :) Remember horsing around with you all then. Good times
What happened to the poor guy on launch 0:38
This is awesome. I've recently discovered this activity and am interested. Curious to know your piloting experience prior to this flight. Congratulations! And thanks for sharing 👍👍
Do you know any pilots on the big island? Visiting Son presently. I’d like to meet a pilot and chat.
Your trip works out to about 32.3mpg! Impressive
So how come you didn’t go the other direction and use the winds to speed your travel?
Should say I love the video!
im rewatching cus this is so fucking good
Hey Zachary, What an epic adventure. You seem highly proficient with paramotor skills. May I ask: where did you train, or how did you learn? Thx
Balls of solid brass.
Absolutely incredible man thanks for the video.
I grew up on Oahu and bodysurfed at Sandys beach where you took off from. The Molokai channel between Oahu and Molokai/Lanai is very dangerous. The extreme depth channels a huge volume of water through that channel causing strong currents and large waves. I don't know if you had a trailing support vessel although it doesn't appear you did. It's a good thing you did not have to ditch out there all alone. I was a bit anxious watching this.
As an ex-helicopter aircrewman, you are very lucky that your rotor and engine did not freeze up, because at 10k feet the air is so thin and the air so cold that helicopters have to be specially equipped for 10k and above altitude or else helicopters will fall from the sky for those reasons. I’ve learned of helicopters not specially equipped flying at 10k feet and then falling from the sky not long after. Also, be careful traveling at 10k feet because there’s less oxygen at 10k to where you will pass out before realizing you are. In the US military, a helicopter that flies 10k or above is specially equipped and that includes having oxygen tanks for every person onboard. Or else they’ll pass out from lack of oxygen. Be careful, 10k feet and above is very dangerous for reasons I’ve given you. I would say 9k feet is safest to prevent passing out from low oxygen. But you’re still in thinner and colder air which could freeze or shutdown your rotor or engine. Best of luck! It looked like a blast!
Wow! Incredible views! Congrats😀Looking to get certified in the near future and those islands are on my bucket list......
This was incredible!! I wish I would of started flying with you sooner so I could of made this trip with you!!
im confused tho, can a person carry a parachute with them ???
Sure can. We all flew with reserve parachutes on our gear
Beautiful inspiring movie .thanks for charing
How long have you been flying until you felt comfortable flying mid-day?
I've been flying for 4 years/~350 hours, but most of that has been deliberate practice toward XC skills with a lot of time outside of ideal flying hours. The best way to get better at it (outside of an SIV) is to ease into it a little bit at a time. If you usually only fly from sunrise until 9a.m., slowly broaden your comfort zone and push yourself to fly until 09:30; then once you get comfortable with that expand your window to 10a.m. and so on. Eventually you'll be able to fly all hours of the day. Those mid-day hours likely won't be comfortable or "fun" to fly, but having the ability to do it is a crucial XC skill if that's the type of flying you want to do.
Insanely pretty. Been to Cedar City, Parawan and Zion. Did you film more of the Hawaiian islands?
I've flown every inch of Oahu, but the only other islands I've flown were the ones in this video. Weather conditions are tough to line up and I only seriously started looking to do it in my last 4 months in HI...unfortunately during the windy season where the trade winds are pretty unforgiving.
@@ZDW4573 How long did you live in Hawaii? Were you there on an extended vacation or for work? So you didn't film it? What a bummer if not. But that flight to Molokai is epic. Just outstanding, if not a little terrifying.
@@curiousnomadic I was here for 18 months for work. And sorry, I meant that this trip was the only inter-island one I ended up flying. It required so much prep and scrutiny of the weather that I just never lined up another window to go again. It was incredible, but definitely a bit scary as well! If I was here another 6 months through the calmer wind season, I would definitely go fly Molokai though to see the sea cliffs.
AWESOME
Epic flight. I recall living in Hawaii back in '88. Much different but just as beautiful. Tried skydiving from Dillingham field. Becuase the view was so awesome. Now I want to go back...
Super cool!
Congratulations 🎉 Was a beautiful sight and glad you are safe and sound 🙏😎
Absolutely incredible! Congratulations!! Amazing accomplishment!!! 🙌🤙
OMG! Absolutely incredible man! Thanks for sharing this!
Your amount of knowledge and courage are absolutely incredible to be able to pull this off. Thank you for sharing🤙
insane, congrats bro!!!
Mate, incredible adventure, well done.
How hasn’t this blown up yet?!
Brah you one crazy bugga. Also my hero. Epic!
Hey Zach, what prop are you flying with the Nirvana?
I am using the Blue Line Prop in 3-blade configuration
Great video! What an amazing experience that must have been. Stay safe in the air. Aloha
Absolutely EPIC flight! I've been eyeballing large water crossings like this and it really seems like 30-35 miles is the limit without carrying oxygen or having a boat, at a 6.5-7 glide ratio. I suppose we shouldn't be surprised at this point to see you going straight out to the limits! Can't wait to fly together again. (And I'm still majorly jonesing for your fuel economy :D) Stay safe and keep crushing it!
Chuck! Brother it's been too long. Looking forward to getting back to the mainland and hope to fly together again soon.
Wow, what an amazing, well planned flight! I was in Maui a few months ago and drove past your LZ there several times. I didn't bring my PPG gear with me, but after seeing what the wind conditions I didn't think Maui looked like an ideal place to fly.
Yeah, the venturi at that LZ in particular can be pretty rough..I found out the hard way, lol. The windward side is much better. The winds are high most of the time, but when it does calm down it makes for some incredible flying
Hey Zack! I just found your channel! What a great video you made! And what an utterly incredible adventure.
Thank you! It was a time I'll never forget and I hope to get the chance to do it again!
I wish I was younger! Good stuff !
Questions, Would ATC _ever_ permit you entry into the class B, perhaps with prior permission in a less-busy time, or is it against FARs for this category of aircraft? Do you, or other paramotor pilots ever use radios? My brother used to fly a hot air balloon & always had an aircraft radio to communicate with chase crew but also in case of intrusion into, or near, an airport's airspace. But a balloon is also a registered aircraft. What a magnificent way to fly & beautiful video!
Thank you! And yeah, the ATC can grant access to anyone who is on comms. It's pretty rare for Class B though given how busy it usually is and that we don't show up on radar or have ADSB-out. I use a radio whenever I know I'm going to want to go through airspace, but otherwise I rarely carry one.
crazy boy launching with rain drops hahahaaaa cool, thanks for sharing.
A little sprinkle never hurt anybody ;)
Shine On☝️😃🪶
WOW great shots of WOW landscapes
Wow! most wont understand the Fortitude it takes to do something like this. Incredible