Paragliding over Mount Rorota

Perhaps you have already noticed the colourful mobiles levitating above Rorota. But who are the people who, come the weekend, enjoy the beach 300 metres up in the air? A paraglider flight starts in the office. Every pilot has their own set of signals. If the neighbour's mango tree waves gently in the breeze, or if the awning of the shop opposite flaps, then that means conditions are right. You then need to pop back home to get changed and pick up your wing. To get to the takeoff spot you head off down the road to the beach. On the way there the paraglider pilot tends to spend more time looking at the tops of the trees than at the road, as the way there is full of clues about flight conditions. For example, when you go past where Francis lives, the president of the Exo7 paraglider club, you should take a glance at the air sock on the roof of his house indicating where the wind is blowing from. 100 metres further on and the sailing club flags on the APCAT beach confirm the wind direction. By then you're almost there. For the wind direction is the determining factor for a good flight. Ideally, it comes perpendicularly to the coast. The principle is simple. The trade winds encounter Mount Rorota and so have to go upwards creating a zone in which paragliders can gain altitude. The pilot can then stay just in front of the Mount, veering left and right the whole time. If you move too far away from the Mount the upwards air currents are less strong and the paraglider starts losing al......