At the end of August, we hosted a BBQ at Hinton Airfield to celebrate a milestone; 20 years of SkySchool. Before the event, we filmed a short film looking back at the early days, and it brought back some incredible memories! One story that didn’t make the final cut was that before getting into paramotoring, I was originally a skydiver and a snowboard instructor. I’m convinced that my passion for skydiving is what led me to setting up SkySchool. I also believe my background as a snowboard instructor gave me the confidence (some would say the arrogance) to believe I could even run a paramotoring school!
I was first introduced to skydiving at the age of 16 when I did a tandem jump with the Red Devils at Netheravon. After that experience, I was determined to learn how to skydive, and three years later, I completed my AFF course at Toogoolawah, Australia.
During the same round the world trip, I ended up in Queenstown, New Zealand, where I enrolled in a snowboard instructor course. I eventually qualified as a BASI Snowboard Instructor in Tignes, France, the following winter. I had initially planned to study History and Film at Bristol UWE, but after these two lifechanging experiences, those plans were derailed… I couldn’t stop thinking that I needed to build a life around skydiving and snowboarding!
Everything changed after a chance meeting with Gilo Cardozo at a mutual friend’s house party. We instantly connected over our shared love of skydiving, and before long Gilo was telling me about the company he had started in his parent’s garage; this company was Parajet. He mentioned he was looking for someone to run a school to teach people how to fly his paramotors. Even though I had never seen one of these machines before, I didn’t hesitate and immediately volunteered for the role. By the end of the evening, and after quite a few drinks, we were business partners!
My initial training involved ground handling and paragliding from a hill without the engine. While my skydiving experience definitely helped me control the canopy, I quickly noticed that the paraglider responded to less brake input, would turn more slowly, and would lose less altitude compared to a parachute. However, nothing in my skydiving experience prepared me for strapping a heavy engine to my back and taking off from a Cypriot beach without a helmet, let alone a radio! Luckily, after 15 minutes of avoiding the sea, I landed on my feet. The rest, as they say, is history.
20 years on the sport of paramotoring, and SkySchool, have evolved in ways I could not have have imagined. I never dreamed we would teach over 5,000 people to fly, nor did I anticipate flying in more than 30 countries, making lifelong friends and sharing such amazing experiences with them. That chance meeting with Gilo Cardozo truly changed my life. It just goes to show, you never know what opportunities might arise at random house parties in the deepest, darkest depths of Dorset
Watch our film showcasing the last 20 years of SkySchool here!
