(soft music)
[Radio crackles]
- Winds conditions are right side to 10-tier now.
- Lets do our checks.
Leg strap, waist strap, chest strap, radio,
connections, lines.
Houston this will be a go.
- For Clive.
(breaths heavily)
- [Narrator] So you've decided to learn how to paraglide.
It's probably one of the most exciting things
you will have done in a long time.
Good luck with your training and future flights.
- So that's just a little intro to the whole sport.
Before we start, I get you to sign all the paper work.
Sign your life away.
- I accept hang gliding and paragliding
as an action of air sport
which can involve risk of serious injury or death
and I agree to assume all the risks of injury or damage.
So that's pretty fun, isn't it? (laughs)
Okay, do it.
- [Instructor] But not everybody should be a bird.
There are people who need to be on the ground.
They need to be the kiwis.
Bring your hands up slowly.
- Up high, okay.
- Yeah, up high.
Can you bring up a little bit higher like this?
That's it.
Okay, you rotate.
Lovely.
(Ashley giggles)
(soft guitar music)
- [Ashley] My uncle Clive was this larger-than-life guy
who inspired me to be adventurous.
Since he died, I've lost that.
I'm hoping by flying, it will help me reconnect with him.
That's literally where I'm gonna fly.
- [Mum] Yep.
I think that was his happy place.
Christchurch, the mountains.
The one time I recall, five hours later he landed
because 'the wind was blowing'
and he was just in his element.
The only reason he came down was 'cause he was frozen.
- [Clive] Hello, hello.
- [Woman] I can't see cause the light's not good.
- Is it bigger?
Closer?
- [Mum] He was this crazy Uncle.
He'd sweep in like a hurricane
and you just go wild with him.
Absolutely love it.
There's a lot of things that are similar.
I mean both of you. Your zest for life is huge, as was his.
(soft guitar music)
- [Instructor] Over the shoulders. (Ashley laughs)
Three, two, one, away we go.
Hard.
Go hard.
Release, torpedo.
Go, go.
Don't...
Okay.
- [Ashley] Sorry.
- [Instructor] Arms swept back, up it comes, release
and then go into that takeoff mode, alright?
- Yeah.
- [Instructor] Ready?
Three, two, one, let's go.
Keep going, release.
Go, go, go, go.
Excellent.
Pull the brakes.
(Instructor applauding)
- Yes! (Ashley laughing)
- Nailed it.
(soft music)
- [Instructor] Ready?
- Yeah, I'm ready Graham.
- [Radio] Copy.
Looks like we have a slight issue.
(phone vibrating)
- So we did all this ground training and it was awesome
but we were 15 minutes late and the wind had changed.
So we couldn't do it and we're gonna try again tomorrow
but we haven't done any flying today.
- [Person] Disappointing?
- It's like day goes so well,
a lot of adrenaline and then
you get to the spot and you're ready and then you can't.
(soft guitar music)
Clive's deterioration was fast.
He'd been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer
and it was terminal.
His whole body had shifted
from being quite a physical man to
someone that I didn't recognise, you know?
- [Mum] I can remember him having his last breakfast
and he said, "No, I can't eat it."
- I think if someone decides
that they don't wanna eat anymore
that's a pretty sure factor.
- Because when he felt he just, he couldn't eat it
then he said no.
- Hmm.
- It's time.
(suspense music)
- We will find out shortly if we can fly.
So the reality is kind of kicking in, which is great.
- Keep flying, it's quite a long runway.
This is a huge takeoff so you've gotta stay running, okay?
- Yeah.
- [Radio] Can you give us just an ETA
of when she's going to get ready for launching?
- [Ashley] We need to go now.
- [Instructor] We are ready.
Be committed, be the bird, don't hesitate.
(Ashley exhales)
Three, two, one, away we go.
Keep going, keep going, keep going, release and go.
(suspense music)
Keep going, arms back high.
(soft guitar music)
- I'm shaking.
- [Instructor On Radio] Woo-hoo, you're flying.
Well done.
That's good, perfect.
Keep your hands at shoulder height.
Maintain your course.
Congratulations, you are actually flying.
(soft guitar music)
- Being up high, doing what Clive loved so much,
I can see why he chose to fly.
He lived life on his own terms and in his own way
and now he is home in the sky
and in the elements that he loved.
- [Radio] So the idea is to go across the valley.
- [Ashley] Mhmm.
- [Person On Radio] And losing your altitude.
Now you can see me at the landing zone.
Remember, upright.
You gotta get out of your harness.
Brake, brake, brake.
Wow, look at that. (Ashley laughs)
Beautiful. (Ashley screams)
Well done. - I did it, I did it.
- [Instructor] That was fantastic.
You're the bird.
(Ashley exhales)
(soft music)
- And i kind of like looked up at the mountains
and I just thought about him sitting there, watching.
That was pretty beautiful.
You don't have any opportunity to do anything wrong
and you have to just go with it and commit and trust
and just run
and keep running and go forward.
(guitar music)