Episode 121- Stefan Bernhard and Mindset

Stefan Bernhard has only been racing paragliders for a short time and was recently ranked in the top 15 in the world. In this episode we find out how a former German Air Force fighter pilot has taken the skills he learned flying in the military and now flying civilian aircraft to free-flight, and the many things missing from most of our own education. How much should new pilots rely on passive safety? Free flight is an “extreme sport” so why do we try to dumb it down? What lessons in tactics and strategies cross over from flying military jets to paragliding? What’s missing in our flying schools and what should we change? The danger of having easy access to an extreme sport and not getting the right answers, the importance of calibrating your mind to flight, expectations vs reality and a lot more. I think you’ll find this talk incredibly informative and inspiring. Enjoy! Stefan is an instructor for Jocky Sanderson’s Escape XC. Find out more here. Show Notes: * German Air Force pilot * Starting with Hang gliding in the late 80’s * Leaving the sport * Combining family and work to pursue free flight * Professional training in the Air Force vs how we are trained in paragliding schools * The danger of having easy access to an “extreme sport”, and not getting the right answers * How to make good decisions * The importance of calibrating your mind to flight * The risks of pushing too much passive safety vs making the pilot safe * Expectations vs reality * A revisit to the “ground suck crowd” Mentioned in this show: Alex Robe, Manu Bonte, APPI, USHPA, Jocky Sanderson, Escape XC