Catch the Wind
Nate Scott of Apogee Paragliding Shares his Passion for Flight…
On a warm sunny day at the base of Mt. Shasta, the downtown area is bustling with people when Apogee Paragliding Owner Nate Scott ducks into the Stoneway Athletics gym, quiet at this time of the day, where he exercises and works towards his goal of becoming a fitness trainer.
A big part of keeping a steady workout regimen is that it helps him stay on top of his game when it comes to paragliding. At 42 years old, Nate has been paragliding for 25 years and finally made the jump to start his own business a few years ago, teaching paragliding and giving commercial tandem rides.
Scott’s passion is palpable when talking about paragliding and he’s always learning, making him the best person to connect with about it in the Mount Shasta area. He’s been into action sports since the fifth grade, first snowboarding, then rock climbing, dirt bike riding, and eventually becoming a sponsored mountainboarder. It was during this time of his high school years and traveling across the country when he got introduced to paragliding. A friend gave him a brochure for it; he took a lesson and was hooked.
“I was a certified P2 pilot before I even had a driver’s license,” Scott says.
“It’s the slowest form of aviation there is next to a hot air balloon,” he adds. Scott enjoys the inclusivity of the sport, that it’s gender physical body neutral. “Even elderly people can appreciate paragliding. A lot of it is just knowing the weather, and timing.” At Apogee Paragliding, Scott says the process of getting in the air is so basic, you just sign a liability release and go.
“I’ve flown kids as young as 12 and women as old as 70,” he says. “It’s such a privilege to take a terrestrial human up into the sky using just fabric and wind.”
Along with offering tandem flights, Scott began teaching paragliding for those who want to get into it on their own or take their gliding skills to the next level. For beginners, he uses a 100-foot training hill to help paragliders get comfortable taking off and landing from a smaller slope.
Scott explains the different kinds of paragliding, such as cross-country paragliding, in which you can play with the air currents by catching thermal updrafts to fly from cloud base to cloud base. He recently flew from Whaleback Mountain to the north side of Mt. Shasta Proper (from a Forest Service-approved launch site), which ended up being a 10-mile ride lasting two-and-a-half hours.
“I always wanted to see the summit and worked hard to get to that point; I had tears in my eyes flying up there,” Scott says. He explains the mental strength, stamina and core necessary to do aerobic paragliding, what it takes to build up that g-force tolerance.
“I love all of it,” he says about being a well-rounded pilot. “Some flights descend only, and that’s magic, too.”
When asked about the safety of paragliding, Scott says equipment has improved drastically in the last few decades, making the sport of paragliding much safer. “It doesn’t have to be scary or intense; I think paragliding is equally as safe or safer than driving a car. I always have a reserve parachute; it’s like wearing a seatbelt. In my 25 years of doing this, though, I’ve never thrown my reserve.
“Flying is like driving – you’re always developing competency and experience and trust. When I leave the ground, I become the bird; I have wings. I’m in peaceful yet the most intense settings I’ve ever been in. It forces you into a euphoric state of mind that lasts after you land,” he adds.
Scott mentions his Super Fly paragliding equipment a few times, explaining, “I appreciate the level of safety being normalized. Accident reports are encouraged, and I watch a lot of general aviation debriefs; I’m always looking to learn and further my education on it,” he says.
“Now wings are made of ultralight material, more durable fabric. There’s zero double surface, single panel, and feels silky – like Victoria’s Secret made it,” says Scott.
His harness is a 20-liter backpack which holds the chute. Once unfolded, he turns the bag inside out and it becomes the harness he sits in under the wing. “Better, safer harnesses and reserves have come out. There have been leaps and bounds in safety equipment over the past few years. The whole paraglide kit weighs 25-30 pounds. I’m getting better, and the equipment is safer. I’m grateful that I happen to be alive during a time when I can fly out of a backpack.”
He’s excited for the future of Apogee Paragliding and putting Mount Shasta on the map of being the place to fly.
“And it’s not just about the people I know and get to fly with, but the people I get to teach. I’ve learned so much from such great people. Fitness, health and flying are my priorities and with this paragliding community, I feel like I’ve found my people. I’m so grateful for my family and friends.
“I wish all people could find that thing that makes you feel like a kid for the rest of your life.” •
Apogee Paragliding
www.apogeeparagliding.com
