SAFA Skysailor Magazine

18 SKY SAILOR January | February 2024 Developing paragliding in the Philippines – Creating connections by Tom Ridgeway A friend of mine, Steven Millard, is 70 years old and a veteran paragliding pilot. He was active in ballooning, sky diving and hang gliding before he started gliding ridges with his sky diving equipment well before purpose-built paragliders where ever made. Steve retired as dean professor of engineering at a university in China before retiring in the Philippines. When I met Steve in Bali one year, I found out that he mentored many in the flying community in the Philippines. Before Covid, he brought me in to support a group of youth we nickname the ‘Paraboys’. Now young men, they make a living by flying tourist tandem flights. Steve initially donated equipment to enable these boys to learn to fly, but that equipment was not enough for the group of around six to develop their skills while sharing the one wing they had. Steve bought them a new wing to help their cause and after talking to Steve, I re- alised I could help as I had a number of small and extra small wings on hand, the boys weigh usually only 40 to 50kg. I was able to deliver five solo wings and a tandem wing for the boys to learn with, taking the count to seven solo wings and a tandem, including harnesses and other bits and pieces of equipment. The boys’ training was supervised by a local instructor and the local paragliding associ- ation. I have been flying in the Philippines with Moon, one of the founders of the local association. We had met on a previous flying adventure at Bassano Del Grappa in Italy and I continued to help Moon develop her skills as she works towards becoming an instructor. Tetoy also watches over the Paraboys, he works as a tandem pilot for tourists. Tetoy has taken the boys on adventures all over the Philippines and given them opportunities they would never have found otherwise. In addition, the boys also get additional support from a Thai instructor and advanced German pilots at times. It was a wonderful day when Steve and I flew with all the Paraboys as well as some of