Interview with Abdulla: a paramotor instructor and (soon to-be) helicopter pilot
Abdulla, you’re a pro when it comes to all kinds of air sports, how did you become so advanced?
I started paragliding seven years ago. Within this seven years I added all the other sports to my list, such as skydiving, paramotor flying or tandem paragliding. Being in the air means freedom to me, it’s my favorite way to spend my time.
The UAE has so much to give when you’re into flying and my challenge is to find all the undiscovered gems and make them accessible to other pilots.
I was the first to fly from the highest mountain in the UAE — Jebel al Jais. Just because no one has done it yet doesn’t mean it’s not doable, right? That’s why I became UEA’s first paramotor instructor. Right now I’m about to become a helicopter pilot. So to come back to your question, how I became so advanced: I think it’s all about never stopping moving forward.
Wow, that sounds great! Is being a paramotor instructor an easy job?
Yes and no. We have seasonal flying conditions here in the UAE. The best time for flying is October to March, so I it’s not always possible to fly under good conditions. That’s why I’m doing my helicopter pilot training right now. Because of the seasonal condtions there’s always enough time for me to do my flying exercises. As a part of the Emirates Sports Federation I have to practice my own skills a lot, because we’re joining flying competitions whenever possible.
What does it take to be a paramotor or paragliding instructor?
First of all, you need to be a very good paraglider yourself. This takes lot’s of practice, passion and a bit of bravery, I guess. Lots of pilots don’t practice their sport anymore because they had an accident with their gliders.
One can reduce the chance of a crash to a minimum by checking the wind and the area and making a realistic assessment of one’s personal skills.
It still remains a sport where accidents might end badly and one should always be aware of that. So, after you become an experienced paraglider, you can start with your instructor training. I’m part of APPI, the Association of Paragliding Pilots & Instructors. Becoming an APPI instructor will give you a certification that’s recognized worldwide among paragliders. Being a paragliding instructor requires you to communicate effectively with different kinds of people and to be able to adapt quickly to changing situations especially the weather. It also means being responsible for beginners, because you make decisions for them. Is this person good enough to fly while the wind is getting stronger? Can this person handle their glider and motor at this spot? There are always questions that need to be answered quickly, decisively and most important of all, correctly.
What makes the United Arab Emirates the perfect spot for you?
Oh, we have so many good spots to fly! There’s several mountains here in the north of UAE which are great flying spots.
It’s also possible to fly within the middle of the desert. All it takes is a car and a tow. The towing system will bring you to a certain height and from there you can use thermals to get even higher. One can get up to 1600–1900 meters this way.
The UEA is also a great spot for cross country flying. My record lies at 116 kilometres in one flight. So, I can recommend that every paraglider consider visiting the UAE! But of course there are other ideal paragliding spots around the world as well. Next month I’m heading to Turkey, where there are some of the world’s best paragliding spots. If you want to follow my journey you can visit my instagram account.
What are you doing when you’re not teaching or flying?
There’s more than just flying, even if I like it the most. I like scuba diving, horseback riding, swimming, fishing, climbing and skiing for example. To me, it’s mostly about being out in nature. Every sport has its own appeal.
What does a typical day look like?
Hmmm, I guess I don’t have typical days. For me every day is different. The instructor job always depends on the weather situation, the size of your group, how experienced they are, if they have about the same level or if there’s large differences.
There are days when you can fly until the sun sets, then there are others where you can’t even lift off the ground. Sometimes I have competitions or just go flying for myself. There’s no typical day for me.
And that’s a good thing.
Do you feel like your life is just like you want it to be?
Yes, absolutely! I’m always moving forward while doing what I love and that makes me really happy. I can recommend everyone who has the same mindset to become a paragliding instructor. It’s wonderful to help others becoming pilots and it’s amazing to be able to do all these sports and living your best life.
