Flying has always been a major part of my life.

My enthusiasm for human flight has taken me from speed-flying and BASE jumping to cross-country vol-biv paragliding in the Alps. Over time, that passion for flight naturally found a remarkable connection with another form of flight: falconry.

That connection is known as parahawking.

What Is Parahawking?

Parahawking combines paragliding with falconry, allowing a trained raptor to fly alongside a paraglider.

For anyone fascinated by flight, it is difficult to imagine a more unusual experience than looking across the sky and seeing a bird of prey soaring alongside you.

The birds are masters of the air. They can use thermals to gain altitude and travel across the landscape with remarkable efficiency, constantly reading the conditions around them.

Flying alongside them offers a completely different perspective on what it means to move through the sky.

Two Worlds of Flight

Paragliding and falconry may appear to be completely different pursuits, but both require an understanding of the environment.

A paraglider relies heavily on weather, wind and thermals. A raptor does the same naturally.

When conditions are right, the landscape becomes a three-dimensional playground. Rising air allows both bird and paraglider to gain altitude, while the bird demonstrates abilities that humans can only attempt to imitate.

Watching a raptor use a thermal effortlessly is a reminder that birds have spent millions of years perfecting the art of flight.

A Background Built Around Challenge

Before dedicating my time to falconry, I spent 33 years in front-line service, including service with the British Army Infantry and as a full-time firefighter with the WMFS Technical Rescue Unit.

That background has given me a strong appreciation for preparation, awareness and remaining calm when circumstances change.

Those qualities are equally important in the outdoors. Whether flying a paraglider or working with a bird of prey, conditions cannot simply be ignored. You have to understand them, respect them and make sensible decisions.

The Freedom of Flight

Parahawking brings together two passions that have shaped my life: birds of prey and human flight.

But ultimately, the most important part is still the bird.

The aim is to give the raptor the opportunity to fly freely and use the sky as nature intended. Paragliding simply provides another way for me to share that environment with them.

For anyone fascinated by birds, flight and the outdoors, seeing a raptor soaring overhead is memorable. Seeing one soaring beside you is something else entirely.