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Dangers !

Let's begin by the beginning : Taking off in the fog .

Yes , I know , if I could take such a picture , it is because I did the wrong thing , taking off in the fog . But the Mount Gros is VERY often in the fog ! And everybody does that one day ...
I must recognize there is a real danger because during a few seconds , we have a blind flight , we totally lose our sense of direction , risking a half turn and crash into the cliff .

The Expressway !

Well , we fly very often over this expressway , sometimes at a very low altitude . We can for example fly in the sense of the wind and have a race with the cars ( we lose almost everytime ) . So far , nobody crashed on the expressway but it is anyway recommanded not to fly to close from it . Down air streams does exist !

Cliffs ...

A priori , only a foolish pilot would crash into the cliffs . Even when flying close to them , there are some security rules which prevent this kind of accident . But one day , I had an original adventure . I flew quite fare from the cliff and then I could easily make a half-turn , facing the cliff . But at this moment , dozens of birds came frome nowhere and surrounded me . It was impossible to change my course as I was flying right to the cliff . Fortunatley , the birds changed their course just at the last moment and then I could avoid crashing . That was hot !

The swimming time

In principle , we land on the Golfe Bleu beach . But if there is a beach , there is a sea ! Of course , some pilots finished their flight in the sea ( not too far from the seaside fortunately ) . If you can swim , it is not that dangerous but you have a serious problem to bring your equipment back to the beach ! At a certain time in the end of the afternoon ( it depends on the season ) , the wind reverse its direction and blows from the land to the sea . When it happens , you shall not be over the sea ! The local pilots know this phenomenon and don't crash often into the sea . But we can see sometimes foreigners in the water . One more danger : I have seen one of these foreigners trapped by this air phenomenon but he could luckily put his feet on the beach , just at the beginning of the water . Then he said a big hurrah ... just as his paraglider felt behing him , in the water !!!

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