The mountains across our area offer the opportunity to catch air and experience the power of flight! Sean Bailey takes us for a ride hundreds of feet above the landscape of Eastern Oklahoma in this week's adventure.
The sights off the Buffalo Mountain looking west of Talihina set the stage for this week's adventure. Ron Kohn with Oklahoma Paragliding, a veteran paraglider for close to 15 years, took 5News Reporter Aubry Killion and Sean Bailey to be with the birds.
Before the flight, Ron walked Aubry and Sean through, in detail, of all the equipment, safety precautions, and simple steps they would need to know as passengers along for this exciting ride.
Then it was the waiting game for the perfect weather. The bird flying in the air offered clues to locate and hitch a ride on rising columns of air, known as thermals, to reach as high as the clouds.
Ron explained, "Our typical cloud base in Oklahoma is 5,000 to 6,000 feet. So we are here about 600 feet so that's typically our limit."
After tracking a nice breeze up the 1,200 foot mountain, it was time for Sean to run and jump to literally catch the air. Instantly, the combined 350 plus pounds between Ron and Sean felt weightless.
Ron and Aubry buckled together next, and thanks to heat from the afternoon sun, the thermals lifted them to such great heights! They caught so much air he soared hundreds of feet above the mountain he just jumped off of. They both landed right on top of the mountain.
Aubry and Sean both were in awe of their first flight. Despite flying thousands of flights, Ron says he relishes in the tandem experience every single time. "To me it's sort of like reliving my very first flight. I get to experience that with someone who is having their very first flight. It's also my reason for teaching. When I launch my students, it's like I'm going again, it's the same feeling."
The comradery within the Paragliding community connects people from all across the nation and the globe. Philip Walker, originally from England, now living in Dallas says the trek to Talihina is worth it.
Paragrlider, Philip Walker said, "I love it here it's just a beautiful environment, and it's just a little corner where it sort of remains just quiet and uninterrupted."
Ron says there's always new adventures to spot and soar. "The world is full of flying sites. Everything is beautiful."
Ron says he's done tandem flights with people from ages 4 to 87. To check out our crew's complete flight and to get in contact with Oklahoma Paragliding, visit here.
