Customer Reviews

Running Into The Sky

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Running into the Sky was both very informative about the technical and practical aspects of learning to fly Powered Paragliders as well as being a very entertaining saga. The author has a great sense of humor which is mixed in good proportion with valuable information.

Anyone who flys or dreams of flying a ram air wing, powered or non, should give this a read.

I've been interested in getting involved in the sport for a while now, but wanted to hear both the positive and negative aspects before I went further. Chris's book is an honest and well thought out presentation of both sides. His description of flight is a rush and combined with the help humor and raw information, the book clarified what the sport is all about. After reading it, I now understand a whole lot more why I HAVE to get into the air as soon as possible! "Running Into the Sky" is NOT a sales pitch. Its an HONEST read.

Pete

I read Chris's book about a year ago. When I started reading it, I could not put it down. Chris does what few authors and pilots have the courage to do: not sugar coat the details. With brutal honesty he shares the good, bad and ugly in a collection of entertaining stories. It's well written, witty, honest, informative, and humorous, giving his account of what it's like to learn and fly these amazing personal flying machines.

Some of Chris's recommendations of equipment and designs are outdated by today's standards. This sport is still in its infancy and there has been much progress in the gear since this book was published. But that does not take away from the extraordinary value of this book as a fantastic account of what it's like to fly like a bird.

As a PPG instructor, I recommend this book as a "must read" for all prospective, new and veteran PPG pilots alike.

Mo Sheldon
Advanced Flight Instructor, ASC Certified
Airparamo - Fly Like A Bird
http://www.airparamo.com/
602-692-7995

Even though I'm not a paraglider pilot, I really enjoyed this book! I've always been fascinated by paragliders, but could never find a book about what it's like to fly them. There are plenty of "how to" books on the subject, but I'm not really interested in the details of selecting a wing or an engine. I just want to know about the experience!

Fortunately, Chris Wolf keeps the nitty gritty technical jargon to a minimum in his book. Wolf advertises his book as "What it's REALLY like to fly a powered paraglider". That's exactly what he delivers. He tells the reader what happened to him when he decided to learn to fly a powered paraglider and why he stays with the sport. The details are very entertaining to anyone who has an interest in aviation or wants to experience the thrill of flying through paragliding. Even if you're not a paraglider pilot, some of the stories in the book are hilarious! (I loved "The Great Ostrich Ping Pong Ball Drop".) Some of his adventures are downright scary!

I also liked the fact that Wolf is completely honest. He tell the reader about his crashes and mistakes, along with his triumphs. This is a refreshing change from many of the "sanitized" aviation books, where the author never seems to makes a mistake or makes a bad judgment call. Wolf gives the reader the benefit of his mistakes.

This book has a real "You Are There" feel to it. If you want to know what it's really like to put on a wing and an engine and fly like a bird, this is the book you should read. If you are considering the sport, you need to read this book. I highly recommended it!

Struggling to keep up with my clients' deadlines, I still had to get in a few chapters of "Running Into the Sky" each night. What a riveting, enjoyable read!

As a former pilot and ultralight enthusiast but a new convert to PPG, I struggled to find honest information on the training experience, PPG dealers, equipment, technique, and pitfalls to avoid. Most of all, I sought to know what it's LIKE. Yes, there are similarities to fixed-wing, but the soft airfoil, control geometry, etc introduce many foreign issues -- and there's so much hype and misinformation in PPG.

The key value of the book is Chris Wolf's self-abasing humility: the transparency of one talking to a friend. No attempt to impress... how very refreshing. I don't mean to convey it's not a fun read; it's factual, comprehensive, palpably useful - but it's also simply enjoyable. The author's descriptive narrative and self-deprecating humor affords the reader a feeling that they are truly there, experiencing these things (however vicariously). As a former editor for a book publisher, I know that few authors can do this. "Running Into the Sky" will be the definitive primer on PPG for years to come.

This is a fun, funny, informative book. Once you start reading you don't want to put it down. If you have ever had those dreams where you just start flying, this book will start you thinking, "I can really do that!".

I immediately started day-dreaming about paramotoring and couldn't get it out of my head, like listening to an old fashioned love song.

Written with simple language. But technically detailed.
Everything of described within can be found on inet in forums, etc. But it takes only a couple of evenings to read this book instead of weeks of googling.

I entered paragliding/paramotoring kind of opposite of the author but the two sports are so closely related that I'll be buying a paramotor before too long. I ran across an ad back in 1992? for the pagojet. I was 17 at the time and since the end of high school was coming up I had to get a job and quickly forgot about the pagojet. Fast forward 17 years, my buddy forwarded me a link off of youtube for wingsuits/base jumping, I watched and link surfed to paragliding. I did a quick google search for paragliding and found an instructor nearby. After reading this book I learned how fortunate I was to find the instructor I did. I read through this book with my mouth wide open and saying "no effing way" alot. I got lucky. I would not have been as safety conscious as the author. I would have likely pressed ahead despite the dangers of an unsafe instructor. I cannot stress enough how important it is to freely exchange info with your instructor. If you ever feel like you should not ask a question because it might make you feel or look stupid, then you are with the wrong instructor. This book is very good at illustrating this point. It's your life and your money, try not to be foolish with either.

I give this book five stars for exceeding my expectations in doing exactly what it promised to do: give the reader a detailed, candid account of what is involved in learning to power paraglide. The author recounts his own training in meticulous yet light-hearted fashion, providing a vicarious experience that is both informative and enjoyable to read. To add an extra level of perspective and validity, he also includes relevant experiences of his flying partner. Since we are not all of the same size or athletic ability, it added a realistic cautionary note to learn of the latter's struggles.

Not glossing over hypothetical or real dangers was one of the attributes I most appreciated in this book. In discussing such pitfalls, including his own fractured rib, Mr. Wolf is always brutally honest and yet constructively insightful. He finishes most chapters with a "what would I have done differently?" summary. I found this an excellent feature.

About one-quarter of the book deals with his extensive training in unpowered paragliding, which he subsequently regrets as being unnecessary in his pursuit of powered flight. At first this seemed like a distraction, but in the end I found it helpfully consistent with the goal of describing the pros and cons of various paths a reasonable person might take in mastering the sport.

This comprehensive and unbiased review of both the joys and risks of the sport will ensure prospective students are fully informed before undertaking it. I can't think of a better investment of $27.95.

I really enjoyed this book. I have been flying for about a year and this book was like a journal of my own experiences. Very nice for pilots, prospective pilots and people in general interested in to understand better the feelings and reasons why people fly.