Cloudbase Mayhem Podcast Gavin McClurg

Gaspard stylishly launches the Gaisberg, Day 1 2021 Red Bull X-Alps







Gaspard Petiot is a mountain guide and very accomplished pilot who competed successfully in the Red Bull X-Alps in 2015 (5th, Monaco), 2017 (broken wrist, withdrawn after leading day 6) and 2019 (7th, Monaco) despite having very bad knees. In this episode we rewind the clock as we have done with the others in this X-Alps series and hear the behind-the-scenes stories that the fans didn’t see on live tracking. Gaspard was supported by his brother in all three of his campaigns, also a very accomplished pilot and we delve into what made each of their races so unique and so successful. More fun of what goes down behind the veil! Enjoy!

Manu competes in the 2017 Red Bull X-Alps







Manuel Nubel has competed in four Red Bull X-Alps, starting in 2015. On Team USA 1 we call him the comeback kid. He often starts in the middle or back of the pack but gets stronger and more crafty as the race goes on. We rewind the clock to 2015, his first race and find out the back story of landing in a tree on his way to Monaco and the hilarity that ensues, the ups and downs of his campaigns, (for example having to quit due to exhaustion in 2017, and making a series of magical moves in 2021 which saw him climb from 16th to 6th in the final days of the race) and his decision to not compete in 2023, but why we may see him again in 2025. Another super fun talk with another legend of the sport. Enjoy!

Going big in the BIG STUFF







Debu Choudhury hails from the small village of Manali, India, a gateway to Ladakh and the infamous Karakoram pass. Pilots the world over know the region because of nearby Bir, one of the most reliable big-mountain flying sites in the world. Debu began flying there 29 years ago and chases it just as hard today as he ever has. In the world of paragliding he’s done and continues to do it all. Acro, high-level comps, tandems, guiding, instruction, vol biv and flying huge lines in the Himalaya. A member of the acclaimed “Sky Summits” team, which includes Eddie Colfox, Antoine Laurens, Stefan Bernhard, and the “Himalayan Sky Safaris team”, which included Jim Mallinson and the late John Silvester you’ll find Debu wherever the flying is good wearing one of the most contagious smiles you’ve ever seen. Enjoy this wide-ranging talk with one of our sports true legends.

I’ve got a head cold and hoarse throat this week which makes interviewing pretty hard, so we’re diving back into the archives to bring you a show that was great then, and better now and an excellent tune-up before spring. “Mastering Autonomy” with Manu Bonte. And a couple important topics in the show opener that I’ve been meaning to hit for weeks. Enjoy!







Manu showing the way in Colombia







Manu Bonte is an APPI Master Instructor and has been guiding cross country instructional tours around the world for over 10 years. A Mechanical engineer, Manu has worked as a test pilot for 8 years in the development team of the French paraglider brand Nervures. Manu is also a journalist and author of the book Parapente Sauvage. The “Flying Frog” is internationally known for his amazing pictures and adventurous journeys around the globe. Manu is president of the educational committee of the APPI, an international education training program that has more than 10,000 members in 134 countries. In this episode we learn about how Manu approaches building autonomy with his students; the importance of the mental side of the sport; finding the equilibrium between motivation and safety; chasing the aesthetic over personal bests and kilometer counting; how to get pilots in a positive state of mind; teaching people to avoid making stupid mistakes; the extreme risk of social media and external motivation and flying; how to free the unconscious mind; the three things that lead to accidents; switching to “autopilot”; where “happiness” lies in flying and a TON, TON more.











Some great resources from the talk:







An excellent tool to analyze your flightshttps://xcanalytics.fr/en/







https://www.fai.org/page/risk-assessment







Here is the major accident analysis over last 12 years (in French)https://vimeo.com/382900263







APPI (Association of Paragliding Pilots and Instructors) is an association based in switzerland that was founded in 2009.http://appifly.org/http://www.appifly.org/?What-is-APPI







The main goal of APPI is to offer to pilots and instructors a worldwide united education system. Many pilots travel, and APPI gives them the confidence to find consistent,  quality education in certified APPI schools all around the world. APPI allows those traveling pilots to progress in the same education system wherever they travel.







APPI has 10.000 members in more than 134 countrieshttp://appifly.org/?APPI-Worldwide&lang=en







APPI quality is based on:







A: a well documented education system







http://appifly.org/?APPI-Education-System&lang=en#educationclick on any level to have details







APPI education system also features:-Pilot manual-Pilot Logbook where the contents of each level are described. So far this logbook is available in English, Spanish, French, Serbo Croatian, Macedonian, Greek, Persian, Russian, Turkish…. Chinese and Arabic are in progress-Online theory training with a pool of 500 question carefully elaborated and regularly updated-Online Theoretical exam virtual room-Evaluation forms for practic...

Superfinal, Disentis







This episode was first scheduled as a quick primer to be released on the front of a “normal” podcast interview, but as we began recording it became clear it could stand alone as a show on its own. The World Cup is as high as it gets in competition hang gliding and paragliding. For many it is the ultimate goal in cross country flying. But getting an invitation to fly in the world cup isn’t very straightforward. First there are the many organizations- the FAI, CIVL, PWCA, and a nations flying organization (USHPA, BHPA, etc.). What’s the difference between Cat 1 and Cat 2? What is the WPRS and how does it play into selection? What are letters and why are they important? How do you make the World’s team and how is that different from a world cup? The road to a world cup isn’t very straight, but with a little clarification of the acronyms, and an understanding of how it all works together you can navigate the process quite easily. I sat down with Bill Hughes, who is the treasurer for the PWCA, is on the board at CIVL and USHPA and also works with the FAI to take us through the ABC’s of flying the highest level comps there is. If you have a goal of competing on the world cup this show is for you.

A common question we ask on the Mayhem is “what would you do if you could rewind the clock to your 50 hour self?” One of our listeners reached out awhile back and wanted to know what we should tell our zero hour selves. When we first begin we know absolutely nothing other than we want to fly! But getting into the sport is daunting. How do you pick the right instructor? What qualifications or qualities should we look for? Should we consider connecting with a club and mentors BEFORE signing on with an instructor? What are the RIGHT questions new pilot students should be asking so we don’t turn off potential mentors. How ALONE you are in the air but how big and friendly and helpful the PG community is (ESPECIALLY for women). What SHOULD we be spending money on initially? How flying is an addiction and how it might affect relationships. How learning is a “Long and Winding Road” and how limited you are in your abilities as a P2. (Note to self, you are not a YouTube worthy pilot as a P2!). How important it is to be social so you can connect with the right people and how social media can help with that. Why it is important to connect with local flying clubs and pay dues. That it’s going to cost a lot more in travel time, Gas and mileage than you think! I reached out to Greg Hamerton to ask these questions and a lot more and we had a blast. I found a lot here that is applicable to pilots at any level. Check out Greg’s website and incredible courses at FlyWithGreg.com.