Himalayan flying holiday
Bir Billing, Himachal Pradesh, India – October 2007

As usual Sanjay Pendurkar was flying in Billing all through the month of October. A bunch of Nirvana Pilots joined him there for a week, looking forward to the awesome experience of flying in the Himalayas. Gokul, Manoj, Sandeep, Shirish, Hina, Chintu, Sunil and Astrid were lucky to enjoy seven days of glorious flying weather and the magic of Billing.

The conditions here differ starkly from our home sites at Kamshet but pretty soon we were buzzing high up in the Himalayan skies along with the awe inspiring Himalayan Griffon vultures, other birds of prey and paragliders from all over the world.

We reached in time for Pendu’s birthday bash on the 20th and were pleasantly surprised with a rocking party where we met the entire Billing Pilot Community – some old friends and some new.

On the day we arrived we looked up at the flying site and the lofty peaks of the Dhauladar range in awe. By the end of the trip we bid a fond farewell to what we now considered to be ‘friendly mountains’

Kiting on the coast
Malvan, Maharashtra, India - March 2007

A family holiday turned out to be a fun intense Kiting on the Beach extravaganza for the Rao family. Sanjay Astrid & Sunith’s holiday away from it all turned out to be an exploration of sorts and is now slated to become a yearly Nirvana Kiting Trip.

Check out the pictures – they say it all

Nikolay Experience Cup (FAI, Category II)
Bir Billing, Himachal Pradesh, India – October 2006

It was competition time again and from 18 to 25 October and Pendu traveled up to the mountains a week in advance to practice his XC skills before this International Paragliding Himalayan Cup began. A total of 57 participants from Russia, Ukraine, Spain, Poland and India took part.

This event has TEN task days, as do European or World championships. During each of the last three years in 2003, 2004 and 2005, the Pre PWC events in Bir have had 4 valid tasks of the 4 possible.
Each day the majority of pilots flew good distances, reaching the goals from 51 to 101 km.

Pendu ranked overall 4th rank amongst 80 international pilots and 2nd in the Indian category giving the number two position in the country.

Free Flying in God's Own Country
Vagamon, Kerala, India - April 2006

Gods own country, a small hill station with rolling hills, and a virgin site with a ten km long ridge, a grassy take off at 1100 meters and landing, a two acre field at 100 meters seemed to have a lot of promise. This trip was a Nirvana family trip. Gokul, Vidya & Veda, Chintu & Shwetambara, Pendurkar, Piku, Hiren Sachin, Dilip and Pendu, met up with Hari as well as Meidi & Caroline who had visited us at Kamshet the previous Christmas.

The entire team was very excited about flying this incredible site and exploring its flying possibilities. This was the first fly at Vagamon open to all pilots. Veda the youngest member of the Nirvana team was their mascot. It was Chintu’s first free flying experience away from Kamshet on his new Sport 3.

The gang had a super time as usual and Gokul being a knowing the local lingo organized for a variety of Kerala delicacies for the group to sample each evening. Morning flights were the norm as the mist hung around takeoff in the evenings. On the last day everyone landed at the bottom where cultural evening was organized.

Chekout Chintu's article
Check out Dilip’s write up on Vagamon flying.

Pre-PWC and Open FAI
Bir Billing, Himachal Pradesh, India - 14-20 October 2005

More than 50 pilots from different countries came together for a new selection event of the Paragliding World Cup in Bir Billing, in October. Six breathtaking days of flying (4 valid tasks), with base at around 4000m and stunning views of the highest mountains in the world, added to the whole experience.

Among them was Sanjay Pendurkar ( Pendu) once more on on his Windtech Quarx.

In the 3rd task of the competition Pendu bombed out, landed unceremoniously in a tree and was helped by locals from a nearby village to unhinge himself and his wing. He continued with the last day’s task the next day and when the comp was over made it a point to fly to that remote village with gifts of sweets and tee shirts to show his gratitude and even spent a night out there in the remote village flying back to Bir the next day.

He ranked 21st place in the International category and 5th in the Indian category.