Cloudbase Mayhem Podcast

Wolfi Siess has been chasing it hard for the past 19 years. He watched his Dad fly from the time he began to walk- the flying blood runs thick in this family! As soon as it was legal (and his mom gave him the ok!) Wolfi took to the skies and hasn't looked back since. He's big on the comp scene, flies tandems all summer, speed flies, makes films- basically does whatever he can to keep the dream alive. Four years ago Wolfi tumbled low on a perfect day in Elsinore and a delayed fear injury set in that took over three years to come back from.

The post Episode 93- Wolfgang (Wolfi) Siess and the Hang Gliding obsession first appeared on CLOUDBASE MAYHEM.

On October 25th, 2018 Marcella Uchoa flew into the record books by flying 411 km across the Sertao, Brazil. She broke Seiko Fukuoka's record of 402 km in Australia set in December of 2015. Marcella was in good company, team flying with Rafael Saldini, Frank Brown, Samuel Nascimento, Marcelo Prieto (the same group who flew 564 km to break the world distance record a few years back) as well as Sebastien Ospina, an ace pilot from Colombia.

The post Episode 92- Marcella Uchoa and breaking the Women’s World Record first appeared on CLOUDBASE MAYHEM.

Let's face it- sometimes things go wrong. And sometimes you get lucky. This is one of those stories and there is a LOT here we can all learn from. Rick Heatley was having a lovely day in the sky on a near-perfect day at a new site on the rugged and wild Vancouver Island, British Colombia when suddenly things went proper pear shaped. Moments later he was on a super steep slope, his wing was in a tree and he was in knee deep snow. It was going to be a very long, cold night...

The post Episode 91- Rick Heatley and the pucker factor first appeared on CLOUDBASE MAYHEM.

TEM is a simple system that helps pilots identify threats so they don't lead to errors which if they multiply could lead to an "undesirable aircraft state." It's simply an awareness protocol laid out through a series of checklists and procedures that become built-in threat mitigation.  Threats in all forms of flight are ubiquitous- internal and external threats are everywhere. So how can we use this remarkably successful program in free flight to reduce risk?

The post Episode 90- Threat and Error Management (TEM) and Free Flight first appeared on CLOUDBASE MAYHEM.

Travis Burke is an athlete, professional photographer and content creator for some of the largest adventure and action-sports brands in the outdoor industry. This is a remarkable story told by a very driven and interesting guy who spends as much time as possible slacklining, dropping crazy drops skateboarding, surfing, freediving and recently paragliding who has figured out how to make a living from his hobbies and passions.

The post Episode 89- Travis Burke and believing it’s possible first appeared on CLOUDBASE MAYHEM.

This conversation covers a lot of ground- we discuss risk management; the importance of working on the fundamentals no matter where you are in your progression as a pilot; where the sport typically bites and how you can beat the odds; how you can and should develop mental checklists; how to build a thriving flying community; how to support those who support you; the difference in SIV and the real world and a ton more.

The post Episode 88- Rob Sporrer and building community, risk awareness and focus on fundamentals first appeared on CLOUDBASE MAYHEM.

Paul Guschlbauer and his wife Magdalena have just completed a proper awesome adventure- flying his supercub two-seater bush plane from the northern tip of Alaska to the southern tip of Argentina, across thirteen countries. The journey took six months and took them slowly and usually at very low altitudes over the mountain ranges of north and south America all the way to Patagonia. "Project Overland" was the ultimate flying adventure – in search of mountaineering, paragliding and wild traveling experiences along the way.

The post Episode 87- Paul Guschlbauer and the Ultimate Adventure first appeared on CLOUDBASE MAYHEM.

In this wide-ranging episode we discuss women in the sport, the importance of getting solid foundational skills, gear and why people choose the wrong equipment for their skill level, how to get into comps and how to be an efficient pilot, why learning slowly is so important, and why flying a more reasonable glider well is about the most rewarding thing you can do. We recorded this episode live in Colombia- enjoy!

The post Episode 86- Annalena Hinestroza and managing a passion for flight first appeared on CLOUDBASE MAYHEM.

Mark Watts is one of only a very few UK pilots to have won the British Championships, a PWC, the UK X-Contest League, AND held the open distance record (at 275 km, which held until 2017). He has been on the British team many times, currently shares the out and back record in the UK with Hugh Miller and has been competing for over 25 years. Relentlessly fast, tactical, and consistent whenever Mark shows up at a comp you've got a formidable opponent. Mark has been one of the most-requested guests we've had because he avoids the spotlight, so while his flying resume speaks for itself not much is known about what makes him tick.

The post Episode 85- Mark Watts and letting your subconscious do the work first appeared on CLOUDBASE MAYHEM.

After getting his novice sign-off in Mexico (30 flights) under the instruction of 2019 Red Bull X-Alps pilot and recent podcast guest Marko Hrgetic Hrga, for his very first solo flight (flight 31) Adrian Garza hiked up one of the highest volcanoes in North America and flew off. And it's been all volcanoes since.

The post Episode 84- Adrian Garza and Chasing thin Air first appeared on CLOUDBASE MAYHEM.