First time to India, Paraglider pilots needing transport suggestions.

Clive01

We are a group of 3 paraglider pilots visiting India for the first time

We are going to paraglide in the Yelagiri Hills in Tamil Nadu.

We will fly into Tiruchirapalli Airport and we each have a 20kg rucksack containing a paraglider.

I have no idea how to handle the travel logistics and some advice would be great.

Some ideas that I had are...

1. Hire a self-drive car at Tiruchirapalli and drive to the hills and use the car for getting around the area (we need to travel from where we are sleeping to where we are flying). But, it seems that self-drive car hire is unusual in India.

2. Overnight train from Tiruchirapalli to Bangalore, maybe getting off in Hosur or Dharmapuri. Hiring motorcycles there and riding to and around the hills. But, I cant find motorcycle hire place.

3. Same as (2), but getting Taxi or Bus to the hills and Taxi to to travel around the hills.

4. Same as (3), but getting Hire car with driver. But expensive? as we wont need car most of the time, and the car will be full with us and our 3x20kg rucksacks.

So, please any advice on my ideas, or better still, some new magic solution

Thanks guys .. ..Clive

crvlvr

Welcome Clive. Why Yelagiri? I would recommend Nandi Hills which can be done as a day trip from Bangalore. Alas, I know not much about Paragliding. So may be you can enlighten me?

Clive01

Hi crvlvr

Our first choice was Nandi, but it is currently closed for Paragliding as there appears to be some problem with the government officials there So, Yelagiri is the place!

Here is a great video, taken by some friends showing some paragliding in Australia

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Liocp-q-yr8

Cheers

baba420

hey clive,
after watching the video i ahve to say para gliding is one heck of a sport, goa has some high cliff-tops and i ahve seen few tourists paraglide in goa, i would surely like to join you guys while you are in india,
regards,
harish.

Clive01

Thanks for the comments guys, they are great But dont forget that we still need transport suggestions

baba420

i think you guys should hire a innova, little bit on the expensive side but it will surely solve the purpose,
regards,
baba.

skk

Sorry no transport suggestions, but what do the local pilots, club members say ? You aren't just going to jump off without talking to local people and getting an understanding of the local microconditions( watch that downdraft just over that salient _there_, or my favorite from England - when coming into land, don't forget there's that gibbet just _THERE_ ), are you ? Are you ? O well, you are better men than me.

If you haven't found local clubs, you can reach out and ask these guys in Pune, Maharashtra India for contacts in the area you are interested in:

WINGS AND FLIGHTS
Institute of Paragliding & Paramotoring
Tupe Nagar, Opp Suzlon Head Office, Malwadi, Hadapsar, Pune- 411028, INDIA.
http://www.paraglidingindia.com/contact.htm
MANGESH DIGHE
Paragliding Instructor
Mobile : +91 9689931771
E-mail : paraglidingindia@gmail.com

That name rings a bell to me, well, half a bell anyway.

-skk

Haylo

Actually, given how friendly, helpful and welcoming I've always found people in India, that might be a transport suggestion after all!

When you get in touch with the local club to discuss your plans, ask them about transport; by far the best way would be for one of them to either volunteer to share your trip, recommend a local car and driver who won't rip you off too much, or tell you the best way to get around.

__________________
The world is mud-luscious and puddle-wonderful - E.E. Cummings, poet (1894-1962)

Freereedsqueezer

As a paraglider pilot (on hiatus) myself I'd like to second the recommendation that you be in touch with local pilots also. For anywhere really, not just India.
Have fun!

__________________
Freereedsqueezer

Clive01

Thanks for the suggestions... We are in contact with a guy from the local club and I have just emailed him for suggestions..
I should have thought of it earlier