After Karel Vrbenský's five-year rule over the Czech Paragliding Cup, Petr Ďorď sat on the imaginary parachute throne. The inauguration took place on November 11 in Třešť. Readers of Pilot already know Karel Vrbenský a little, but "Ďorďák" needs to be introduced a little and Linda Mišková took it upon herself...
Petř, for the last five years you have taken second place behind Karel Vrbenský, this year finally first... How does it feel, and how was it possible to hold on for so long?
Twice it managed to be second by some accident. I also take the silver for success. It could have been anyone else. We have a lot of such skilled pilots. If only they specialized in ČPP and had the opportunity to have time off on days when it is for long flights... It was clear that one day someone would dethrone Karel. That it will be this year and just me...? And why not?
Let's take it step by step. To begin with, for those who don't know you very well, any details about you - age, profession, family...?
Looking at my ID card, I can't believe it, but I'm really 51 years old. best age for performance flying My current occupation is in the private sector in real estate. I live with my wife and two children in Čestlice, a little south of Prague. Ideal strategic location, all hills are close.
And how did you get into flying? Who did you take the course with and how old were you?
I've been planning to bungee jump since I was a teenager. That passed me by when I found out that you can experience freefall from an airplane. Before I decided to sign up for the course, I saw an offer "I will learn to fly a paraglider" on a notice board in a used surfing equipment store. Well, in a few days, my brother, father, uncle and cousin were stepping on Rana, a hill unknown to us at that time, with some "instructor" Roman. On the way he explained the theory to us and in the saddle he asked "Who goes first?" In the bush we all ended up that day. That's when I forgot all the previous plans with the rubber and the plane. I was 19 years old.
In the evening, Roman went home and we ended up in a small pub on the site of today's Skleník, where, while pouring the famous "stereo", they explained to us that it was not a good idea with our instructor, that he was flying there in unsuitable conditions, and they then helped load him into the ambulance. So we made an agreement with this pub instructor Sláva and started commuting on weekends when the weather was good to attend his "course". In fact, I don't even know if he had a license for it back then. But then suddenly Sláva disappeared, he moved somewhere and we continued flying without a pilot. I do not recommend it to anyone! What we learned in danger for ten years, today in the course will be learned safely in a year.
Do you still remember your first gear?
Before the end of the "course" we bought a parachute from Sláva, with which we could already go downhill, a Cirrus 25 (hopefully it's correct), without a speedo, a seat without a backup and protector, only with a board under the butt. Phew! We always carried this equipment with us and were looking for a suitable meadow where we could "launch" it.
One of the "super" places was Chlum near the Orlické dam. There we figured out that you can fly under the dam above Solenice and land in the parking lot behind the river. Of course there were a few water landings, but we didn't see a problem with that. No one told us it was dangerous. I'd rather not talk about how my future father-in-law dragged me behind the ship. Back then, someone said that whoever survives the first two years will already survive ☺
In 96, I admired the incredible 30 km long flights, for example Malina from Raný. I liked it and I wanted it too, so I went with my friends to buy proper equipment after looking at ads in Moravia. It worked, I bought an Edel Saber (it already slid nicely), a seat
with a protector and an integrated backup, and on top of that we got to know Lub, who took us to Slovenia within a week. From my first flight
from Kobala to Kobarid (15 km) I was totally excited. That year I finished my pilot's license with Petr Dvořák.
I only started trying to make some bigger flights ten years later with the beginning of ČPP on pgweb, where I was completely satisfied with the freedom in registering flights.
How long had it been since the course when you met Kluzon (note Milan Abrahám, aka "Clouseau") and discovered Greifenburg and started trying to "GraiFAI"?
Gradually, from around 2008, we started going to the Alps to fly, first with Petr Bílek, later with Kluzon, who already had the big mountains well mapped. Our overflights have taken on a new dimension. We started planning the route more, watching the pilots from the Alpine countries how and where they fly and, above all, dealing with the weather a lot more, so that we can set out when it's really "sloppy".
What were the feelings after flying the first blue kilo and what goal did you set after that?
One of the first favorite terrains was Greifenburg, from where we only managed to fly around the mountain massif via Mölltal, just over 100 km FAI, after several attempts. By that time, the Alpine natives were already flying more than 200 km triangles from well-known terrains in Italy (Antholz, Speikboden) and Switzerland (Fiesch, Fanas). That was a challenge, so we started studying the tracks and when the right "pooch" came, we tried it too.
Kluzon then stopped flying, but you found a new party. You went to Brazil with Martin Holina. Who first thought of going there?
I have experienced more of those parties with whom I went flying and ended after some time. My determined competitiveness certainly kept me going. I dreamed of flying in Brazoška for eight years. I was there for the first time in 2014, but that was more like looking around. I could only dream about the 400 km long rides that flew there then, and even a few years later. Marťas only joined the fourth expedition in 2018 and immediately scored two "over forty kilos". He flew away and then we didn't see him for a few days before he somehow got back.
How is flying in Brazil? Not many Czech pilots go there to fly. Can you elaborate a bit, the terrains, the weather...?
Flying there is both beautiful and challenging. It is mainly flown over the flat in stronger winds. Sometimes there are larger areas with bushes without a place to land, so you need to watch your height, because it does not carry it very high in the morning and afternoon. But if you manage to stay in the air until the afternoon, that's something else. The landscape heats up, the climbs get stronger and sometimes reach heights of up to 3000 m. Then you slide to the next climb for maybe twenty minutes. The cherry on top is when you manage to fly until sunset. This is euphoria…! Then you need to secure the landing spot. It gets dark very quickly. When they break into a populated area, the locals always try to help them. More than once it happened to me that a family took me in, gave me something to eat, set up a hammock and in the morning took me to the nearest town on a bus.
Nowadays, it is mainly started from winders. It is safer in that wind and has more potential for record flights - it can be launched even in very strong winds. It is usually only possible to safely start from the hill early in the morning, before it "swells". He gets up at five o'clock, and by six o'clock we want to get ready on the field for the start.
Both paved and unpaved airfields (Caicó, Parelhas, Caraúbas...) or a dry lake (Assu) are used for towing. Services such as towing, take-off assistance and return transfers are provided by local "companies" from whom the pilot can buy a package with everything including a hotel.
The most famous downhill starting point is Quixadá. It used to be quite crowded there. At the start, the three helpers were holding the parachute so that it wouldn't blow you away, and the starter was staring at the hill and yelling "Are you ready? Go, go, go...!” It sometimes happened that before the pilot waited in line, the take-offs were canceled due to too strong a wind. It is said that only a few pilots start there today.
The next starting point is near the town of Patu, where there was too much dust for me. Tacima, probably the biggest potential for long flights, but less nice days.
To whom, which pilots would you recommend flying in Brazil?
The main thing is to manage starts in strong wind, so it takes some experience. But it is possible to enjoy Brazil without flying. One year, a promising skydiver went with us. He didn't even take the equipment out of his backpack because it was too strong for him, but he finally brought his wife home today...☺
Trips to Brazil were probably interrupted by covid. Then you moved to France. Was that already with Karl?
During covid, Martin and I hesitated a lot whether to skip that year. We took a risk, and it ended up being the right choice. The service from the locals worked perfectly and it was an advantage for us that there were no crowds of Western European pilots that year. So we had it pretty VIP there. That year we both made five flights over 400 km there. It's true that we ended up staying there for a whole month ☺
I know Tim Leonetti from Brazil, and when I saw what they were flying behind the triangles in the French Alps, over 300 km, I wrote to him last summer to let him know when it looked at least for a few days that they would arrive. Maybe the first thought was Karl's, but he probably didn't even have to say anything, it was clear... It's time to conquer another target! We managed to do that on 1 August 8 with the very first flight from Col d'Izoard. We both flew 2022 km FAI.
You started flying 300 km FAI in the French Alps. That's a very big leap. What made this possible? Equipment, the ability to plan a flight? When you compare the time when the goal was to fly 100 FAI and now you are flying over 200 km FAI triangles?
We see that it is possible with the locals, so we are also trying to do it. The greater performance of today's, mainly two-line wings certainly plays a role in this, even while maintaining sufficient safety. Of course, there is also experience. It took me a quarter of a century to start flying on such "parachutes" in order to use their performance ☺
It is certainly also about the fact that someone has to be first. Then someone showed that it was possible to fly 100 FAI and gradually it became almost common. Two 200 km FAIs have already fallen here today. I think that as more pilots start to try it, they will start to increase. It's simple: you need to catch the ideal weather, start early, fly fast, stretch it until the evening and, above all, don't avoid it.
We'll stay with technology, do you remember the parachutes you used to fly? And where was the biggest difference, the biggest shift?
Cirrus, Edel Saber, Gradient Avant, Mac Intox, Mac Magus XC, Axis Venus 2 (CPP 2010 win for the first time), Venus 3, Venus 4, Mercury XC, Ozone Zeno - there was a huge jump in performance. I am currently flying an Enzo 3 XS. It's really a very good, good, powerful wing.
It would be ideal to be able to fly at least size S or better M, but I lack kilos. It's a compromise, I don't want to deprive myself of comfortable travel with a backpack on my back with a heavy seat, and water ballast isn't ideal either... I'll catch up with my skills ☺
Which is or was your favorite parachute? And why?
That was the first one. With it, I didn't decide how to fold it or if it stayed moist. He just grabbed the bagel and I knew it couldn't hurt him.
It was a great joy to start flying the double line Ozone Zeno. I was worried at first, but I soon learned that there was nothing to worry about. When I fell asleep and a third of the canopy "fell off", it still flew straight until I caught the female drivers. And the slide was intoxicating…
What about seats? We must not neglect this part of the equipment, even if it has a longer life than the canopy. How many times have you changed the seat and what feature is most important to you in this piece of equipment?
Now I have an Advance Lightnes 3. It's my sixth seat. Comfort, the range of customization and adjustment even in flight and, last but not least, the weight are important. After all, you step on some starters, and you don't always make it to the car.
What about the devices? You probably started classically with a vario and some kind of Garmin. Now they are combined devices. What device has worked for you?
I'm actually still flying with my first Flytec, which is such an unbreakable security with two flashlights that last the whole season. I have borrowed a Naviter Oudie from Mirek from pg-shop.cz. I've been "testing" it for the second year, so the sensitivity is great. He already knows in advance that I will fly a riser. It took me a long time to get used to it, but without a doubt he helped me a lot in the shift. But there are many such sensitive devices today.
Yes, a Garmin map of the time with only a rough outline of the Czech Republic. That was a surprise back then, even before Schengen, when the Polish police arrived after landing to tell me that I was already beyond the border. They took me to the station, locked me up and the investigation began... Today it's fine with maps and GPS in my mobile phone. Plus XCtrack, the pilot hardly needs to drive it anymore.
When you want to make such a long flight, it's a lot about planning and knowing the weather forecast.
How do you plan your flight on new terrain?
I use the XC planner at https://flyxc. app/, where it is possible to plan turning points, upload them to XCTrack, for example, and fly according to them. Of course, planning is mainly about catching the weather. I don't have anything special, I already deleted Teletext ☺ I use Windy, Flymet and especially XCMeteo.
On new terrains, watching local fighters on XContest helps me the most, and on XCtrack it is actually possible to be guided by more experienced pilots using Livetracking.
In the Czech Republic, you tend to use a rope, but you can also fly in the mountains. What is your favorite terrain and why?
I enjoy mountains and plains, I like downhill and rope starts. My favorite is Všechov, because I can be there within an hour by car, it can blow pretty much from any direction, and Vysočina is super thermal and also has a wonderful view. There you don't even mind that you miss out ☺
Antholz is my favorite in the Alps. It's a two-hour hike, but it also has something to deserve the flight like that. When the conditions are right, in the morning you fly around the Grosglockner, in the afternoon the glaciers near Sölden and in the evening as a reward along the rock walls in the Dolomites...
To fly 200 km FAI, that's over eight, sometimes nine hours in the air. How do you prepare physically for these flights? After all, sitting for eight hours in a semi-reclining position, always having your hands up, concentrating on the terrain and the flight itself... Is it possible to train for it?
He can't. It wants to fly, fly, fly... Above all, it must be fun. It's definitely not for everyone. Personally, I have always been close to endurance sports. But fatigue will also come. I carry a coffee at the counter, and when I start to fall asleep, I take a siesta ☺
We must not neglect the psychological side as well. How do you motivate yourself on a flight? Some pilots lose focus after three hours and prefer to go to land, for example, because they no longer want to fight in the thermals. What keeps you in the air?
I don't feel that I need to motivate myself. This is how I enjoy it. If it was allowed and it was possible to jump to some other source after sunset, for example on the "catalyst", I would fly even through the night ☺
I think the competition motivates me the most, but I don't think I'm unique in that. For me, flying is pure fun and relaxation. And I can certainly say that also with the meaning of life and the way of life.
You specialize exclusively in the Czech Paragliding Cup, have you never been attracted to competitive flying?
I guess I was also tempted to try racing. Actually, I went to try it just outside the race at the MČR in Dolada. Due to the stormy weather, the bike was somehow interrupted. The next day, I couldn't find the motivation to even go to the start to fly under low bases. Other times, a large part of the races will be rained out. No, this didn't grab me. I am completely satisfied with the ČPP concept – absolute freedom when and where I go to fly.
What are your next goals in terms of paragliding? And where do you think paragliding can still go? Where are its limits?
I'm going to have as much fun with paragliding as I have been doing so far. And since I verified this year that LA 200 km FAI triangle can be surpassed by a lot, I will try for it. In the Alps, the fighters fly well over 300 km FAI, so that still attracts me. Well, 500 km gusts are already being flown in Brazil...☺It's hard to say where paragliding will go next. Maybe we'll be surprised a lot more.
How do you relax from flying?
My family and I have enough of mainly sports activities such as via ferrata climbing, wild water, wakeboarding. In winter, we go skiing and cross-country skiing a lot, so I don't even miss a parachute.
What would you advise pilots who are still waiting for their first kilo so that they can fly it next season?
Just keep trying. One day it will fall there. It wants to spend as much time as possible in the air so that the unnatural movement gets into our subconscious. The mountains are ideal for this. It's easier there and the experience gained there is transferable to flying with us. Fly, fly, fly…
Who is your biggest inspiration?
I get inspired by a lot of pilots both here and abroad. Of the Czechs, it is certainly Karel Vrbenský, and of the foreign ones, Timo Leonetti, even though he is 30 years younger.
Do you have a flying dream?
Probably the one I live ☺