A Little Imagination Goes a Long Way in Powered Paragliding…

Most of our epic “Adventure Flights” around the world have been rather spontaneous. Some adventures require some extensive planning for sure, but they all start out with just one great idea and a little imagination. A perfect example of this happened last week at the BlackHawk Ranch in California… For those of you who have visited our Headquarters, you know that when we say “Ranch,” we mean it! In addition to running the busiest Paramotor operation in the United States, Mike Robinson of BlackHawk tends to A LOT of cattle and about 10 horses.

Several of the cattle managed to discover an opening in the old ranch fences and decided to wander on to “greener pastures!” Mike originally loaded up a BlackHawk Ranch ATV with fencing supplies and set off to fix the fence – hoping that he would run into the cows along the way. The fence was easily fixed in no time, however, the cattle were nowhere in sight… Heidi Lee, BlackHawk’s Sales Director suggested to Mike that he jump in the Tandem Quad Paramotor and scout for the cows via a bird’s eye view. In less than 10 minutes of flying, the missing herd was located. Within the hour, they were all safely returned to their holding pasture. This is just one example of the endless possibilities at the fingertips of a Powered Paragliding Pilot! Many farmers use Paramotors to keep an eye on their crops, hunters use them to locate game, fisherman can access incredible spots that no one else can, and so much more.

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BlackHawk Ranch Fall Fly In a TOTAL Success!

Each year, more and more Pilots make their way to BlackHawk Headquarters in Valley Springs California (aka “the beautiful middle of nowhere”). What they experience there can only be described in their own words… They become the stories Pilots tell around the campfire – reminiscing about that one “perfect flight” or that one “crazy adventure.” Experiencing the unending terrain that is the BlackHawk Ranch is a Cross-Country Pilot’s dream. Many tributary creaks flow into the vast Hogan Reservoir – all just minutes from the BlackHawk Flight Field. Endless rolling pastures hit the giant mountain-like ridges on the horizon and set the stage for some of the most breathtaking sunsets imaginable.

BlackHawk hosts annual Fly-In’s twice a year for a good reason… The scenery completely changes to an almost unrecognizable-state. In the spring, the pastures and trees are almost neon-green with new growth. Simply put, it looks like a Windows desktop background. Some of the best footage on BlackHawk’s YouTube Channel was shot during this time. In the fall, the temperature turns to “perfect degrees fahrenheit” and the sunlight has a reddish-glow when it hits the land. Take your pick!… It doesn’t matter which time of the year you come to a BlackHawk Fly-In. There’s always something to see and new adventures to be had.

This year was a very special Fall Fly-In. With the finish-line for the first ever “Icarus Trophy Paramotor Race” being at the BlackHawk Flight Field, it was truly a once-in-a-lifetime BlackHawk event. To summarize, a European group called “The Adventurists” organized what would be called “The World’s First Long-Distance Paramotor Race”. Shortly after announcing the event, the roster was completely filled up with a waiting list started for 2016! The race officially kicked off on October 13^th, 2015 in Eatonville, Washington. The finish-line party was scheduled for Friday, October 23^rd – making it a 10-day race. To everyone’s surprise, on October 15^thsomething remarkable happened. Two of the Pilots managed to fly the hundreds of miles and land within 4 minutes of each other! BlackHawk and event staff received notification that, “a Pilot may be landing a week early!” We were scrambling! “Where is the photographer!? Call the papers! Which Pilot is it!… Now there’s two of them landing?!” While we were still hanging signs and setting up the registration booth, Pilots were landing!

The Finish-Line on BlackHawk Field Was Marked With The Banner Seen Above

WINNERS of the 2015 Icarus Trophy Race!

A very special congratulations to Kristan Fischer and David Wainwright for being the first two Pilots to complete the first-ever Icarus Trophy Paramotor Race! Needles to say, the 2015 BlackHawk Ranch Fall Fly-In was an adventure to never forget.

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