Leo Gillick
A paraglider almost met his end when a balloon got caught in his ropes.
Videos by Rare
27-year-old Michael was having a peaceful paraglide over beautiful countryside when he spotted something floating towards him. At a height of around 1,500 feet, there weren’t many things it could be.
- “At first I thought it was another pilot, then maybe a big bird, but as I got closer it turned out to be a rogue n°6 birthday balloon,” he told the Daily Dot.
Inviting Disaster: Rather than leave the balloon alone, Michael decided to have a little fun with it. He often shoots TikTok videos for his followers, and though it could make a little bit of an interesting addition. But the paraglider almost lost it all due to the balloon.
- “Naturally, I couldn’t resist a bit of fun,” he said. “I swooped around it a few times, managed a kick, a cheeky tap with my hand, and even had it drift right through the lines above my head.”
But when he went for another go around, he missed the kick he was attempting. The balloon, now out of his control, floated right into the cable of his paraglider, threatening its stability and floating towards the engine.
@thenullhypothesis Bumped into a birthday balloon as I flew into the Sunset… #Paramotor #RealFairy #Paragliding #flying #ppg ♬ Free Bird – Lynyrd Skynyrd
A Rapid Descent
The balloon bounced off his feet and got tangled in the lines above the paraglider. As he reached up to remove it, he realised there would be no way to reach it. An emergency landing was in order. But as he descended, the balloon freed itself from the lines and moved toward the engine.
- Michael quickly brought his small paraglider down toward the earth, checking above him to see how the balloon was doing. Thankfully, in a calm and collected manner, he managed to land in a field.
Speaking to the New York Post, he said, “Most of the time, my flights are calm and filled with beautiful scenery. The craziest thing I’d experienced until now was when some cows stole my equipment, and I had to run nearly 2 miles to chase them down and get it back.”
There is always risk involved in paragliding, but a big 6 balloon isn’t usually it.
