Powered Paragliding New Brunswick - Student testimonials and experience with our PPG school

Glen's Testimonial - To Trike, or not to Trike? That has been the question.

I entered the PPG world with a foot-launch on June 2, 2004. By Aug. 30, 2008 the logbook showed 75 flights and 31.7 hours P/I/C. I’ve had the good fortune to hook up with two active Fredericton area pilots, Dave and Bob. Bob is a confirmed trike flier and regaled Dave and I with stories and pics of the ineffable joys of flying off the Mactaquac head pond last winter on skis. Hmmm. Maybe there’s something to this.

Frank was offering a trike conversion course this month and that got me thinking about trikes and skis for my paramotor. I placed my order on October 7, it arrived on October 17, and I was at Frank’s the next morning, ready to be converted.

Naively I assumed that only a few hours of, of well, hmmm, of what, I’m not quite sure now that I look back. But, no matter, I’d be home that evening, fully converted. Guess again! Frank started out with some basics – and I mean ground zero. Talk about how fast you see what necessary instinctive reactions aren’t there. Quite humbling . . .

After a full day and with sunset fast approaching, Frank wanted to see a few more dry runs. They went OK. Frank took my gear for a flight test. How does he make it look so easy? Maybe he’ll deem it too bumpy. Not so: weather’s perfect, strap in! Two flights and they both go exactly according to plan. Hard to believe how fast I’m off the ground. Don’t notice any difference in climb rate – maybe there is, but I’ll need more experience to determine that.

Speaking of experience: I plead guilty to just wanting to fly. With some luck and good weather I’ve been able to blast off. Didn’t give much thought to the how and why, and for sure never worked at perfecting the technique. My attitude has since been adjusted as a result of Frank’s insistence that practice builds instinct, and that leads to consistent performance.

Sunday afternoon, after five frosty circuits that morning, I started writing down everything I could remember about the training. That filled a page, but there were gaps where I couldn’t recall some details. It’s a word to the wise to realize how much is happening in the few seconds between “go with throttle up” and “we have lift-off”.

Trike flying was an eye-opener; another way of experiencing PPG.

Frank worked me hard, and that was great. I can’t think of a single aspect of his training I’d want to modify. Frank and Johanne are a team and made me feel relaxed. I don’t know when Johanne was taking all the videos and stills, but I came home with two CDs full of her work.

I’ve never had an ego-booster like Frank’s “Good job, Glen.” on the video. Well, Frank, I’d say you did a good job. Thank you!

- Glen Boyd, October 22, 2008

Ken's Testimonial

Dear Frank and Johanne,

I have wanted to fly since I was a small child, watching the guys parachuting at the Stanley Airport. I want to thank you for helping to make that dream a reality, with your good humor and guidance.

I started ridge soaring and found the weather conditions were not favorable when I wanted to fly. The only place available to me was in Walton but only with a north wind. There is not enough north wind to appease my appetite to fly. I will continue to paraglide but now when there is hardly any wind, I’ll be launching from a field close to home. I will have even more time in the sky.

Frank and Johanne have made this course the most enjoyable one I’ve ever taken and their hospitality is second to none.

I would recommend this course to anyone with the urge to fly.

Sincerely,

The Flying Squirrel

(Kenneth Wood)

Glen's Testimonial

I phoned Frank a week ago to ask how the Sussex weather looked for flying on Saturday. My unsubtle ulterior motive was that, since my last flight was October 4, 2006, I might like a bit of help. Not a problem, and Frank and Johanne welcomed me at 06:00 the next morning. Over coffee, Frank sounded out my anxieties that had accumulated over an eight month hiatus. There was some elusive quality about his approach that was calming my "butterflies", and while I still didn't feel good, I definitely felt better.

We were set-up shortly past 07:00 and Frank volunteered an assisted take-off (an aggressive tug on the right webbing to assist me in getting the wing up in the next-to-zero winds). At 07:21 there was Sussex below. Back after a 20 minute aerial tour and Johanne brings a bag of goodies; brief rest and Frank wants the next flight to be just a circuit of the field - I'm here to work on launch and landing after all! Assisted launch again, left hand pattern, not a bad landing, then one more time, all by myself.

Johanne has videoed the episode. Frank makes a CD and de-briefs me as we review it. He gives it to me straight: got to build up those leg muscles, more body impulse to inflate, plan on running out the landing, etc.

It's around 09:30; I've been up and about for six hours so it seems like late afternoon. The low cloud has been replaced by unlimited blue, and I'm stretched out on the lawn, lying on my back, surveying the PPGNB estate. It looks like a mural: terraced lawns, grape covered arbors, serene river. This may be as close to the Elysian fields as I'll ever get, and I've made three flights this morning! Frank made them happen and I can't tell you exactly how.

A seventy-five minute drive back to Fredericton and what I'm reliving! I hope next weekend's flyable so I can tell Frank all about it.

Glen

Dave's Testimonial - Dave has been into aviation for over 20 years, he is a free-fall parachute instructor as well having his private pilots license. Dave has just recently completed his PPG course and he has written a testimonial as well as a brief description of one of his flights.

PPG Testimonial:

If you could describe a flying day that was so close to being perfect, that you would think it only possible in a dream, what would it be? The temperature would be warm, but maybe “fresh” enough that a light jacket would be nice. The winds would be calm. The sky would be blue. Some like to start their days early, as do I, but any good start would include breakfast with my family and a hot cup of coffee with my wife. A leisurely drive to the airstrip and a non hurried pace getting the flying machine prepared for flight. All systems go and off into the still air. The flight would be totally spontaneous, nothing planned, formation flying with a bald eagle, maybe some geese or a duck or two. The deer in the fields would look up at you with curiosity and caution. The farmers working in their fields would wave as you passed by their tractor cab, eye to eye….Birds would swerve in and out of your path in a playful way. Cars would stop along the highway to wonder at the spectacle. Sailors on the river would wave excitedly as you passed just over their mast. Picnic goers on the beaches would wave and you could see them pointing their cameras….shooting shots they would be describing in details to their friends, the amazing sight they had seen that day. There would be moments that it seemed like you were the only one in the universe, and moments when you were the spectacle of many along the rivers edge. Unfortunately, all flights would have to come to an end, but in this dream it would have a perfect landing in front of a small family audience followed by the sharing of the many stories of the days events.

Like many…I too dream of flying. Flying has always been one of my passions. The idea of powered paragliding seemed like it should be another wonderful opportunity to share the skies from. I came to the PPGNB program like most, I would expect, full of anticipation, excitement and enthusiasm. I also came with some flying experience which I wasn’t sure whether it would prove to be an advantage or disadvantage. I had only seen PPG’s in action once, over 20 years ago. I was sure things would have changed significantly since then.

I was delighted to see the foundation of the PPGNB program is the promotion of safe and responsible flight for all involved. The facility is outstanding. It has easy access, centrally located, great flying field, storage facility, training classroom, training aids including a flying simulator and a “Granny suite”, all within 5 minutes of the town of Sussex. Frank Savignac is an excellent instructor. He has an absolutely wonderful talent of presenting the material in a way that should make sense to both a “seasoned” and/or “unseasoned” hopeful pilot. He has the ability to see what specific to each individual is being done incorrectly and what needs to be corrected.

Frank would keep telling us what to do….correcting our flaws in technique…and each time he would manage to change the delivery…just a little….so maybe the next time…we would actually comprehend what he was saying…it would click…and we would progress and move on.

I completed my PPG “check out” on May 25^{th, 2007 .}

On June 8^th, I experienced the “perfect day of flying” as described above.

Total time a loft, 1 hour 35 minutes. Total cost of fuel & oil, less than $7, everything else was PRICELESS!!!!!

Thank you Frank & Johanne, you’ve made another dream come true.

Sincerely,

Dave Bradley

Claude Alain - Student 0704!

Hi Frank/Johanne

Here is a photo of me flying without Frank once again. Frank and Johanne, I want to thank you again for the excellent service and hospitality. As kid growing up one of my dream was to be able to fly on my own, every plane or bird that would be flying above me I always stop and look at them and always wondering what is the view up there, Well one day surfing the internet luckily I had found Poweredparaglidingnewbrunswick. And I couldn’t have find a better place to buy all my gear and one of the lucky one to get trained by Frank Savignac .This guy has more patience with students that a mother has for a child. Frank is one of those people that he will not give up on you. And while I was taking my course they let me sleep in the “in-law sweet” that no motel could give you i.e. Screen TV, plenty of powered paragliding videos etc…

Once again Frank and Johanne Thanks again for helping me achieve my life long dream!

Claude Allain

Ed Eustace

I taught myself to Hang Glide from a magazine article when I was 18, now I am 50, older, and hopefully a little wiser, When I decided I wanted to PPG I chose to get lessons , definitely a good choice, The learning curve is much quicker and you come out of it with a safe and effective approach to flying. The cost is quite reasonable if you compare it to the cost of a couple of parablend incidents due to poor technique to say nothing of possible injury.

There was a day in my life, 24 years ago to be exact, that changed my life forever! As a boy of 13, I was walking through the mall with my dad one day looking in the shop windows when I came upon one of the most amazing things that I had ever seen! It was a little ultra light airplane on display and its at that moment I was bitten! Bitten by the bug to fly! Ever since then I dreamed, I saved, I researched and I studied in the hopes of becoming a pilot one day myself or owning my own aircraft and join countless people fortunate enough to experience the marvels and beauty of flight! It wasn't until one day, after years of waiting and trying to decide what type of flying I wanted to get into, I heard from a friend that he was getting into powered paragliding and to my amazement, knew of an instructor just outside Fredericton N.B. who was offering just that sort of training.

It wasn't 10 minutes later I frantically got on the phone and call Frank with a list of questions regarding his PPG school. Frank was very eager and interested to answer all my questions and to my amazement, after a few phone calls that evening, we were making plans to start my training within a few weeks! The main thing that amazed me about getting in contact with Frank at PPGNB, was he had the whole package! I spent years trying to get a hold of instructors and finding a suitable schools that was not only close enough to my location, Prince Edward Island, but was affordable, didn't take weeks to complete the training, had a reasonable priced aircraft, and in this case, didn't need a hangar, trailer, or runway. A very attractive prospect for a new pilot with a limited budget and few resources. We set up some bookings for training and I headed over for the initial part of my training which ended up being a very pleasurable experience given the fact I was leaving home to stay at a strangers place for the weekend, had never been in a PPG before, and didn't know what to expect from the training or myself.

It didn't take long to realize I was in good hands and Frank and his wife Johanne were very hospitable, easy to talk to, and made me feel right at home. I left that Sunday with my Student Pilot Permit and very happy to have met two wonderful people who later would make my dream of flying a reality. Unfortunately, the following weeks we were plagued with either high winds, rain, or both which wasn't the conditions we were hoping for and made coming over to PPGNB for the weekend unsuitable. But with a lot of patience on both our parts Frank and Johanne saw an opportunity to graciously come over to the Island to help get me in the air while visiting relatives as well, but he location that we trained, low winds and direction made it difficult for me to make much progress but it was a very valuable experience which payed off later. Two weeks later we made another attempt and come hell or high water we were determined to get the job done, and with a little persistence from Frank and lot of hope nervousness on my part, I WAS FLYING!!!!!! The first flight lacked a bit of finesse, but after about the third flight and a calm reassuring voice from Frank on the radio, it soon became apparent to me this was it, this was going to happen, I was on my way to achieving my life long goal.

In closing, I'd just like to say, if after reading this and your still not sure what you want in flying but just know you want to fly, for god sake, follow in my footsteps and others before me and you won't be disappointed. This is the way to fly. Open, free, like a magic carpet ride and PPGNB is the place to do it. Frank and Johanne may not realize it but they are two of the most important people now that I've met in my life and I express my deepest gratitude to the both of them for the help they've given me not to mention how important their school is to countless others through the eastern part of Canada who have a dream like me. Keep up the good work, hope to do some flying with you in the future and am very proud to be part of the PPG community!

Roger's Testimonial

This is a voluntarily submitted “Testimonial” to Frank Savignac’s one-on-one PPG Refresher Course, September 2 and 4, 2005.

My name is Glen Boyd, and here’s a brief Curriculum Vitae: I earned a Private Pilot’s License in 1975, was active in Sport Parachuting between 1978-1983, purchased and trained on my current PPG gear in June 2004, went back for a Refresher Course in October 2004, and didn’t get into the air again until the morning of September 4, 2005, at 07:48.

Already I can see you thinking: if Internet sites tout PPG as THE way to fly, how come Yours Truly seems to be contradicting this image vis-a-vis an eleven-month hiatus? Be reassured that if you try it, you’ll be hooked.

During training there was an intangible sense of security afforded by the mere presence of experienced pilots on the flying field. Back in Fredericton last fall I lacked the confidence to attempt a flight without this placebo. Then in April of this year, I had the great good fortune to meet Frank. Have you ever noticed that when someone makes something look easy, it probably isn’t, and conversely, they must be good? That was the impression I got while watching Frank fly.

Frank called a week or so ago to announce his PPG Instructor status, and offered a refresher course. I took him up on that and spent four very instructive hours on basics; and, yes, they are basic. They become “second nature” to some faster than they do to others, but in any case, don’t try to fly without them. Sunday was the big day: bright and early, no wind: ergo Forward Launch (assisted). It really, really works: the glider inflates and comes over your head – no strain, no pain; release the “As”, bit of brake; gradual application of power and “run-run-run” - except my boots hadn’t splashed through very many feet of dewy clover before there I was again, aloft, just like last October. Hey, Frank, guess who’s the happiest person in the world this minute, and guess who made it possible?

OK. I’ve had my say, thank you very much; but this is about Frank, not me. Why would I unreservedly opine that if he can’t train you, then PPG is not your cup of tea? Let’s face it: while technical skills come first and foremost, “people” skills are an essential compliment. Sure, it’s easy for an instructor to be full of praise while the weather and a student’s progression go “by the book”. Impatience, frustration, whatever, undoes all the student’s learning to date; and instructors have, figuratively, “shot themselves in the foot” – bye-bye to hero status.

Frank intuitively sensed my “hang-ups”, and patiently worked me through them, one-by-one, and at my own pace. He also gave an honest and unadorned critique after each exercise.

Like you, I take most of what I read with the proverbial grain of salt. You don’t have to take my word for it: call Frank and judge for yourself.

Students Testimonials

Roger's Testimonial