The Paragliding Podcast By Cross Country Magazine

This is a special edition of the podcast with long term friend of the magazine, Tom de Dorlodot, recorded on board his yacht Wings while sailing from the Azores to La Rochelle, France. 
In this conversation with Tarquin, Tom talks about his comeback from a devastating leg injury, the work he's been doing at Advance to develop a new paramotor brand, Elevate and his plans for the future. 
The pair discuss Red Bull X-Alps, what AI is going to do for cross country, what pilots can learn from sailors and Tom's love for going vol biv in the mountains. 
Thanks for listening! Join us every 6-8 weeks as we dive into the stories inside the latest issue of Cross Country magazine. Cross Country is the world’s international free flying magazine and is available online and in print.
Subscribers enjoy articles on new flying techniques, inspiring stories from across the world and deep dives into micro-meteorology, the latest equipment advances – and much more. 
As well as receiving eight premium quality issues, subscribers can access six Masterclass coaching sessions and discounts on merchandise, books, and flying accessories. 
Cross Country is a flying trip found nowhere else. Find us online at www.xcmag.com and on social media @xcmag.

In this episode Ed and Tarquin catch up on the latest paragliding news. The episode begins with Chrigel Maurer explaining how he dodged storms during his fifth win of X-Pyr which prompts the pair to share anecdotes of flying with Chrigel and how some pilots are made different.  
The pair then move onto discussing the latest issue of the magazine. This includes Emi Carvalho's adventures with a short-pack hang glider, Jack Sheard's report on the different approaches to teaching parakiting in the Netherlands and Andy Brown's feature on the mental strategy you need when you're competing in the mid-pack. Tarquin then discusses his 80km flight in the UK, breaking the 50km barrier for the first time. Ed probes Tarquin to discover if there's anything other pilots who are struggling to go XC can learn from his experience. (Short answer: it's all about being ready for the day when it's ON.) 
The episode then hears from the interview Tarquin did with Chrigel Maurer shortly after his X-Pyr performance. Chrigel reflects on his win, the moves that got him onto the podium and the difficult decision to fly with an Ozone wing. 
Other incredible performances the pair discuss are Antoine Girard's 400km triangle in Pakistan and Aaron Durogati's new 19,424m hike-and-fly record. Tarquin also discusses the Juraj Koren's accident and the challenge of getting the right insurance, which is becoming harder and harder – and more expensive. Looking ahead, Ed discusses his interview with Stéphane Grégoire, chief flight director for the Coupe Icare, who has the challenging task of making sure the event runs smoothly and safely this September. 

Thanks for listening! Join us every 6-8 weeks as we dive into the stories inside the latest issue of Cross Country magazine. Cross Country is the world’s international free flying magazine and is available online and in print.
Subscribers enjoy articles on new flying techniques, inspiring stories from across the world and deep dives into micro-meteorology, the latest equipment advances – and much more. 
As well as receiving eight premium quality issues, subscribers can access six Masterclass coaching sessions and discounts on merchandise, books, and flying accessories. 
Cross Country is a flying trip found nowhere else. Find us online at www.xcmag.com and on social media @xcmag.

In this episode Tarquin and Ed discuss issue 266, which is dedicated to all things Alpine. Ed gives a preview of the magazine, which features a wealth of tips, advice and inspiration for flying in the Alps, whether you're looking to fly your first 100km or like contributor Luca Godenzi, just happy to be in and amongst the Bernina mountains of Switzerland on foot or under wing. The pair discuss Tom Payne's feature on alternative flying adventures, one of which includes flying under a full moon, an experience Tarquin enjoyed with Tom last year, sharing the wild experience.
Special guest this edition is Calef Letorney, who recently gave a Masterclass for progressing pilots. The podcast includes a segment from that talk in which he shares his tips for active piloting on speedbar and while thermalling. He also opens the podcast with his advice to prioritise flying in your life. 
In the final part, Tarquin shares all the news and gossip from the inaugural Red Bull X-Alps Challenger as well as the insights he and fellow Cross Country magazine contributers Erwin Voogt and Bastienne Wentzel learnt at the Kössen Super Paragliding Testival. Between them they flew 37 wings including the new Ozone Vibe GT and the Advance Tau DLS EN-C. 
The episode concludes with Ed discussing the latest near 400km flights in the Alps. 
Thanks for listening! Join us every 6-8 weeks as we dive into the stories inside the latest issue of Cross Country magazine. Cross Country is the world’s international free flying magazine and is available online and in print.
Subscribers enjoy articles on new flying techniques, inspiring stories from across the world and deep dives into micro-meteorology, the latest equipment advances – and much more. 
As well as receiving eight premium quality issues, subscribers can access six Masterclass coaching sessions and discounts on merchandise, books, and flying accessories. 
Cross Country is a flying trip found nowhere else. Find us online at www.xcmag.com and on social media @xcmag.

In this episode we get to hear the top-landing tips of Kinga Masztalerz, why you should never fly with dark sunglasses (from a guy who makes them) and the question pilot and climber Christian Black asked himself after launching off a Peruvian mountain at 19,000ft. Between these segments Tarquin and Ed discuss the latest issue and all that's going on in the paragliding world right now, from Austria's "Hammertag" to the latest hike-and-fly results to who to watch in the Paragliding World Cup Superfinal which is just kicking off. Ed discusses the issue of the "jerk test" and why there are calls to change the standards of back protection. Tarquin shares Mymy Heissat's inspiring story of finding love (and flying) in the Lofoten Islands while Ed recounts the adventures of two of this issue's features – flying in Bhutan and Bali. The episode closes with Christian sharing his adventures in the Cordillera Blanca. 
Thanks for listening! Join us every 6-8 weeks as we dive into the stories inside the latest issue of Cross Country magazine. Cross Country is the world’s international free flying magazine and is available online and in print.
Subscribers enjoy articles on new flying techniques, inspiring stories from across the world and deep dives into micro-meteorology, the latest equipment advances – and much more. 
As well as receiving eight premium quality issues, subscribers can access six Masterclass coaching sessions and discounts on merchandise, books, and flying accessories. 
Cross Country is a flying trip found nowhere else. Find us online at www.xcmag.com and on social media @xcmag.

Spring is here! In this episdode Tarquin and Ed talk new EN-Bs the team flew at the Pelvoux Testivol in the Ecrins. In particular, Tarquin shares the respective merits of Advance Theta ULS versus the Gin Bandit 2 – as well as a flight that didn't go as planned. He found himself at 3,200m in the wrong gloves with painfully cold hands and – too light on the wing – struggled to descend.  Ed dives into the incredible – and longread story of Ariel Zlatkovski's successful quest to fly 100 100km flights in a year. Spoiler alert – he succeeded, but it came at quite a personal cost. The pair then discuss Ryan Southwell's remarkable photos from a paramotor trip around the land of volcanoes, gorges and Norse gods, AKA Iceland. For anyone who wants to fly just one 100km flight, Tarquin shares some of the tips in this issue that XC coach and Nova CEO Ferdi Vogel gave in his Masterclass. They include learning to recognise triangles in the terrain, and why it's better to visualise thermals as condensation droplets and not honey. It was a record year in the Kerio valley earlier this year and Ed brings up the stories of Titi Macquet and his wife Blandine's record 252km tandem flight as well as the 363km flight by hang glider pilot Jeremy Soper. He tells the podcast that he's on a one-man mission to keep the distance records in the hands of hang glider pilots, otherwise "it's an existential threat" for the sport. Ed and Tarquin finish up talking about what's coming up, referencing the Monte Grappa Trophy and the stories they are working on for the next issue, which include an in-depth look at eyewear for pilots and the new book, 101 Ways to Fly Better. 

Thanks for listening! Join us every 6-8 weeks as we dive into the stories inside the latest issue of Cross Country magazine. Cross Country is the world’s international free flying magazine and is available online and in print.
Subscribers enjoy articles on new flying techniques, inspiring stories from across the world and deep dives into micro-meteorology, the latest equipment advances – and much more. 
As well as receiving eight premium quality issues, subscribers can access six Masterclass coaching sessions and discounts on merchandise, books, and flying accessories. 
Cross Country is a flying trip found nowhere else. Find us online at www.xcmag.com and on social media @xcmag.