Paragliding in Bramberg, Austria with Flugschule Pinzgau (Johannes Weigel)
It took a paragliding course in Austria for this Veteran fighter pilot to finally return to the bliss of being in the air that retirement forced him to leave behind.
“I wanted to be back in the air again.”
Bryan Nickola is a retired USAF A-10 pilot. It has been a big adjustment becoming a civilian, but being out of the jet has been the hardest thing to accept. It left a void that needed filling.
He tried flying other civilian airplanes, but they “didn’t have the same feel as being in a fighter.” It was also expensive, the pace was slow and the airspace near our home in Kaiserslautern, Germany was too busy. So, he tried flying gliders for a while, which was quite fun and freeing, but getting a glider pilot’s license can take nearly three years in Europe.
Then, for Father’s Day, we went as a family for tandem paragliding flights in Austria.
“Instantly I knew it was something I wanted to do!” he says. “It was the right feeling.”
Paragliding School Pinzgau in Bramberg, Austria (Bryan Nickola)
Nickola chose to return to Austria to get his Austrian paragliding license. This basic paragliding permit requires ground school training, a written test and 40 training flights, 15 of which must be over 500 meters. This license is equivalent and reciprocal with the A-license in Germany. In preparation for eventual testing, Nickola took an online course in English from the German licensing organization: Deutscher Gleitschirm- und Drachenflugverband (DHV) before heading into the Alps for training.
Nickola attended and highly recommends the Flugschule Pinzgau in Bramberg, Austria. This small school offered lessons in English, a reasonably priced flat-rate option, very flexible training dates and a location that meant he didn’t need to travel anywhere for high-altitude flights. In his search for flight schools across Germany, none filled those needs. In addition, “The community down there was very, very welcoming, very laid back. Positive people. My instructor Anton was so great.”
Flugschule Pinzgau instructor Anton (Johannes Weigel)
It fit Nickola’s schedule best to go down for two separate weeks to get all his training done. The school has plenty of scheduled open-attendance training weeks that allow learners to come for one or two days at a time when it suits them.
During the first week, he fulfilled the ground school requirements and got his first 20 flights. Ground school at a nearby slope involved a full day of hands-on training with the ‘wing’, or the paraglider. It allowed him to get a feel for the wing, get it stabilized and up in the air, and learn to walk under it. He was also able to handle it enough to take a short mini flight down the slope at the end of the day.
Nickola paragliding in Bramberg, Austria (Bryan Nickola)
After his instructor felt comfortable with his basic handling, Nickola spent the rest of the week in the air. One instructor, Petra, took all the students to a local hilltop, where she helped them get the wing set up and take off. At the same time, the primary instructor, Anton, was visible in the landing zone and instructed students via a radio strapped to their harnesses. Nickola learned safe handling, how to handle malfunctions and how to use visual references to correct his landings. Because flights were based on the weather, other ground school training and handling was handled between flights.
Winter, Paragliding School Pinzgau in Bramberg, Austria on the WildKogel (Bryan Nickola)
The school provides personalized instruction, equipment (must be rented or purchased after ground school), a flight log book and official testing. Anton was Nickola’s primary trainer and kept the vibe of the school chill and relaxed: “He was a very calm, qualified instructor.”
Later in the month, Nickola went back for his second week of training. He started by taking the written test before heading back out for more air time. Flights were focused on finishing all the required takeoffs and landings, including the 15 over-500-meter flights. Nickola often learned one-on-one with Anton, who showed him different maneuvers and how to read the winds. They flew from multiple places, including taking the gondola up to the top of the WildKogel. It was a gorgeous place to learn.
Summer, Paragliding School Pinzgau in Bramberg, Austria (Johannes Weigel)
Now Nickola can fill the void and feed his soul with flying anytime he wants. He received his DHV license a few weeks after finishing school in Austria and was easily able to use it to get and IPPI (International Pilot Proficiency Identification) card which allows him to legally fly in most countries.
It’s important to check local country laws since they vary. For example, in Germany, it’s required to take off and land at prescribed locations. However, in Austria the regulations are more lenient as long as you seek permission from landowners.
Nickola’s next goal is “to eventually do some cross-country in the Alps where I can take my camping gear, take off from one location, land in the mountains, bivouac for the night, and then go fly the rest of the day.”
He will return to Flugschule Pingzau for that cross-country, or B, license. So far, no other flying can beat paragliding in the Alps: the views are magnificent, the air is silent and the flying finally feels ‘right’ again.
Flugschule Pinzgau students landing in Bramberg, Austria (Johannes Weigel)
