Cloudbase Mayhem Podcast

What makes a successful pilot? Is it just talent and hours or something anyone can learn with training and application? Sports psychology gives us the answer if we break it down into three dimensions: technical, physical and mental. In this episode Adél Honti explains how her analytical approach and study of human psychology has helped her understand how to operate more adeptly in our invisible world. Adél explains why "races are won and lost in the mind." How do we get into the "Flow"? How should we approach training? How should we deal with failure?

The post Episode 63- Adél Honti and what makes a successful pilot first appeared on CLOUDBASE MAYHEM.

After many many requests we bring you our first show dedicated to speed flying and mini wings. Patrick Hennessey is a pilot based in the Northwest of the US who's been getting after it but came into the sport via skydiving and has a pretty interesting take on how people should learn and access the sport. In this episode we talk about the inherent risks of flying small wings, the high number of unnecessary accidents, the "cowboy" attitude and the lack of foundational skills, how important your own personal background is before you learn to fly a small wing, how "stupid" small wings are to fly, the best programs to go through to learn, how to safely learn the more advanced tricks, yet another shout out to learn ground handling and a lot more.

The post Episode 62- Patrick Hennessey and Speed Flying basic to expert first appeared on CLOUDBASE MAYHEM.

Marko Hrgetic Hrga has been flying World Cups for the past 11 years, has a paragliding school in Valle De Bravo, Mexico which operates under the Swiss APPI system. In this episode we get technical on how to fly fast. Hand position, use of speed bar, how to climb faster, speed to fly, using macready, using polar curves, using pilots in front to fly fast, correct weight shift, the importance of relaxing and using rough air to your advantage, not making stupid mistakes, SIV with modern gliders, and a lot more. Many of our listeners have been asking for tactics for races, how to properly fly a three-liner, why they lose the lead gaggle- here are the direct answers! Enjoy this episode, there's a lot here to digest!

The post Episode 61- Marko Hrgetic Hrga and How to Fly FAST! first appeared on CLOUDBASE MAYHEM.

Lisa Hope Tilstra gives us a perspective all of us can relate to as pilots as she's a total newbie- as a brand new pilot she's going through what we all have at some point in our flying lives. No flight can ever match that first time we stepped into the air and remembering how special that was is reason enough to listen to this show, but we dig down into the huge differences of coming into this sport as a female versus a male; what challenges new pilots face; how instructors really need to adapt their teaching styles to suit how you learn; how to find a good instructor (and ditch the bad!) and a lot more. Enjoy!

The post Episode 60- Lisa Hope Tilstra and taking your first steps…into the magic first appeared on CLOUDBASE MAYHEM.

Christoph Weber has been the race director of the Red Bull X-Alps since 2007. This episode dives into the behind-the-scenes for our fans of the show who wanted more than what's available on live tracking. How do athletes get chosen? How is the route decided every year? What's the story with how the rules have changed over the years? Is it possible to beat Chrigel? How has the race changed over the years? What are the major logistics involved and what is Red Bull's role? This and a lot more...

The post Episode 59- Christoph Weber and Behind the Veil of the Red Bull X-Alps first appeared on CLOUDBASE MAYHEM.

Théo De Blic is one of the new generation of professional acro pilots who has been staggering audiences around the world with his incredibly difficult twisted sequences. In this episode we learn how Théo has become one of the most-winning pilots on the World Cup tour and how he's making a living from flying and then we get into the essentials of progression, the ardors of competition, the best equipment for acro, the safest way to learn acro, the steps of throwing your rescue, why you should learn on a non Acro or Freestyle wing...and a lot more

The post Episode 58- Théo De Blic and becoming a professional first appeared on CLOUDBASE MAYHEM.

Phil sends big lines in the biggest terrain in the Alps and decided a couple decades ago to ditch his engineering career because the sky was calling. An Australian native, Phil discovered Zermatt over twenty years ago and made it his home. We discuss the business of tandem flying and the inherent risks involved; the importance of confidence when flying XC; how to "own it"; the best flying sites in the Alps; the call of the big mountains; how to make a career in flight; what makes the "perfect" student; and how to always be wary of complacency. Enjoy! 

The post Episode 57- Phil Glutz and Confidence, Complacency and Chasing it first appeared on CLOUDBASE MAYHEM.

It's here folks! The bonus episode you've all been waiting for. We released this follow up episode with Chrigel Maurer a couple months ago for our Patreon supporters. Don't miss these! Sign up to support the show through Patreon and get immediate access to bonus material like this on a regular basis. All we ask for is a buck an episode.

The post Christmas Bonus Episode with Chrigel Maurer! first appeared on CLOUDBASE MAYHEM.

For all of us who make the yearly winter migration to Valle...

The post Episode 56- Miguel Gutierrez and a century of flight first appeared on CLOUDBASE MAYHEM.

Xandi Meschuh has been in the flying game since the very beginning. He learned to fly RC planes from his father, a pilot before he was ten years old and got the paragliding bug soon afterwards. Xandi has his own flight park near Gerlitzen, Austria where he teaches new students as well as seasoned professional pilots looking to nail their first Infinite loop. He has taught SIV since SIV began; has been a test pilot and designer for Icaro since 2004; operates a successful tandem business; is a skilled XC pilot and has seen just about everything.

The post Episode 55- Xandi Meschuh and building a foundation first appeared on CLOUDBASE MAYHEM.