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Exposition at the Multi-Plaza Mall in Panama City
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Press Conference
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April, 10th 2008
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Coordination Meeting (AAC & ACP)
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Coordination Meeting between Panama Canal Authorities, Civil Aviation Authority and the organizers of the Event Flight for life. |
Cordination Meeting - Servicio Marítimo Nacional
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AAC Sr. Justo Campos D., |
Coordination Meeting SINAPROC
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AAC Sr. Justo Campos D., |
Coordination Meeting Policía Nacional
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Remy Swaab, Mayor Guerra |
Coordination Meeting Panama Canal Railway Co.
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Remy Swaab, Flight for Life |
Cordination Meeting - Autoridad Aeronáutica Civil
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Justo Campos, Sergio Rodríguez, Adreas Kolb, Xenia Guardia, Remy Swaab, Flor Silvera, Favian Lasso, Erazel Aguizola, Loty Cruz |
Powered Paragliding has come to Panama!
Robert M. Barry,Ph.D.
Strapping yourself into a lawn chair-looking contraption beneath a modified parachute with a giant fan blade and lawn mower engine on your back gets you into the Powered Paragliding (aka paramotoring) society.
Well…actually the technology of the sport has advanced beyond that crude image. Today, a paraglider "wing" (the thing that looks like an acrobatic parachute to us PPG-challenged folks) provides the glide once airborne, with the pilot suspended beneath with a(mostly) 2-stroke engine and propeller harnessed onto his/her back.
A relatively new sport with origins in France during the late 80's, it has quickly spread to many first world countries. Today, there is a small group of Powered Paragliding (PPG) enthusiasts in Panama.
Our trail-blazing clique of Panamanian Powered Paragliders (I simply love the use of alliteration!) are seeking to distinguish themselves among the global PPG community by attempting to set a world recordf or PPG. Records exist for altitude. Records exist for distance. But to date, no one has flown across a landmass from one ocean to another. This world record attempt will begin on the Panamanian shores of the Atlantic Ocean, fly over the isthmus (above the Continental Divide) and finish on the coast of the Pacific Ocean.. The World Air Sports Federation has acknowledged that this feat will be a first and, if successful, will qualify for a world record.
An aeronautical attempt of this nature is very weather-dependent. However, after analyzing years and years of meteorological data, a window of early May 2008 was selected as the date for the event.
As an added dimension to the event, the Authority of the Panama Canal (ACP) has given permission for the PPG "team" to fly over the course of the famous Panama Canal. Obtaining such permission is unprecedented (due to obvious security concerns) and thus, speaks highly to the recognition of this event.