{"id":245420,"date":"2025-04-25T09:52:12","date_gmt":"2025-04-25T07:52:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bluehouse.fr\/JB6\/carnet-de-vol\/?p=245420"},"modified":"2025-04-25T14:40:59","modified_gmt":"2025-04-25T12:40:59","slug":"what-if","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.bluehouse.fr\/JB6\/carnet-de-vol\/2025\/04\/25\/what-if\/","title":{"rendered":"What if\u2026?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” da_disable_devices=”off|off|off” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content” da_is_popup=”off” da_exit_intent=”off” da_has_close=”on” da_alt_close=”off” da_dark_close=”off” da_not_modal=”on” da_is_singular=”off” da_with_loader=”off” da_has_shadow=”on”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content” sticky_enabled=”0″]

Que feriez-vous si vous vous crashiez dans un accident de parapente\u00a0?<\/em><\/p>\n

21 avril, 2025, par Andrew Craig<\/em><\/p>\n

Recommenceriez-vous \u00e0 voler au plus vite\u00a0? Abandonneriez-vous\u00a0? Ou reviendriez-vous prudemment et avec h\u00e9sitation\u00a0? Andrew Craig a d\u00e9cid\u00e9 de prendre cette question \u00e0 bras-le-corps et de chercher une r\u00e9ponse.<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

J’ai eu de la chance\u00a0; j’ai pilot\u00e9 des parapentes pendant 24\u00a0ans sans me blesser gravement. Je sais que je dois remercier la chance plus que le talent\u00a0: j’ai lanc\u00e9 mon parachute de secours, atterri sous le vent, \u00e9t\u00e9 projet\u00e9 dans des buissons et heurt\u00e9 une cl\u00f4ture en fil de fer barbel\u00e9. Mais je n’ai jamais eu que des \u00e9gratignures et des bleus.<\/p>\n

Beaucoup de mes amis et connaissances ont eu moins de chance. Des dieux du ciel aux guerriers du week-end, ils ont d\u00fb composer avec des s\u00e9jours \u00e0 l’h\u00f4pital, des op\u00e9rations et une longue convalescence. J’ai d\u00e9cid\u00e9 d’interroger quelques-uns d’entre eux sur leur d\u00e9cision de recommencer \u00e0 voler pour savoir ce qui les a motiv\u00e9s.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Tom de Dorlodot est au sommet de notre sport\u00a0: un pilote professionnel dont les aventures incluent la repr\u00e9sentation de la Belgique au Red Bull X-Alps \u00e0 de nombreuses reprises. Il se remet actuellement d’un accident de snowkite, mais en\u00a02015, il s’est fractur\u00e9 le dos lors d’un voyage parapente autour de la mer Adriatique. Alors qu’il atterrissait en Croatie, son aile s’est ferm\u00e9e dans des turbulences. Il se souvient parfaitement de l’incident, m\u00eame s’il n’a dur\u00e9 que quelques secondes.<\/p>\n

\u00ab J’ai percut\u00e9 un arbre et j’\u00e9tais paralys\u00e9 pendant les premi\u00e8res minutes. J’ai un ami qui a eu un accident qui l’a paralys\u00e9 et il est maintenant en fauteuil roulant. Je me suis dit : \u00ab Bon, c’est fini. C’est mon tour. \u00bb<\/p>\n

Tom souffrait de graves fractures \u00e0 la colonne vert\u00e9brale et aux jambes, mais il dit : \u00ab Honn\u00eatement, je n’ai jamais pens\u00e9 \u00e0 ne plus voler. Et je ne sais pas pourquoi. Parce que mon p\u00e8re disait d\u00e9j\u00e0 \u00e0 toute ma famille : \u00ab \u00c7a y est. Il va trouver un vrai travail. Maintenant, il va arr\u00eater, vous savez. \u00bb Il l’a annonc\u00e9 \u00e0 tout le monde. Mais moi, je ne l\u2019ai jamais envisag\u00e9. \u00bb<\/p>\n

\u00ab Voler, c’est ma vie. C’est ce que je fais. Et c’est qui je suis. Le parapente est mon sport, et je n’ai jamais imagin\u00e9 ne pas y retourner, vraiment. Je ne dirais pas que \u00e7a fait partie du jeu, parce que nous voulons tous l’\u00e9viter, mais nous savons qu’il y a un risque, et je suis personnellement pr\u00eat \u00e0 le prendre. \u00bb Pendant six semaines, Tom est rest\u00e9 quasiment immobile \u00e0 l’h\u00f4pital. \u00ab Tout a pris du temps, mais en r\u00e9alit\u00e9, tout s’est pass\u00e9 tr\u00e8s vite. En tant qu’athl\u00e8tes professionnels, nous sommes en forme et notre corps r\u00e9cup\u00e8re plus vite. C’est ce que m’ont dit les m\u00e9decins. Je ne fume pas. Je ne bois pas beaucoup, donc \u00e7a aide vraiment \u00e0 r\u00e9cup\u00e9rer vite. \u00bb Et en fait, alors qu’ils disaient que \u00e7a allait prendre six mois, je crois que deux mois plus tard, je courais.<\/p>\n

Ce qui m’a vraiment frapp\u00e9 lors de mon accident, c’est que je pensais que ce n’\u00e9tait que mon probl\u00e8me. Mais on se rend vite compte que ce n’est pas seulement le n\u00f4tre, que c’est le probl\u00e8me de tout le monde. De sa famille, de ses amis proches. Tout le monde est impliqu\u00e9, on influence la vie de tout le monde.<\/p>\n

Tom estime que son accident a contribu\u00e9 \u00e0 rendre ses vols ult\u00e9rieurs un peu plus s\u00fbrs. \u00ab Je pense que la bonne attitude est d’abord de faire preuve d’humilit\u00e9 et de comprendre l’erreur que nous avons commise. Par exemple, le vent soufflait fort. J’aurais d\u00fb atterrir plus t\u00f4t. L’orage arrivait. Je l’ai vu venir, et j’ai pouss\u00e9 trop loin. Il faut vraiment comprendre ce qui s’est pass\u00e9, pourquoi, et l’analyser. J’ai pass\u00e9 six semaines \u00e0 l’h\u00f4pital, et avant cela, j’\u00e9tais toujours un peu press\u00e9. Je courais d’un projet \u00e0 l’autre, je sautais d’une chose \u00e0 l’autre. Voler ! Voler autant que possible. Et puis, tout d’un coup, on est oblig\u00e9 de ralentir. On est oblig\u00e9 de gu\u00e9rir, on est oblig\u00e9 de passer du temps \u00e0 faire autre chose. On commence \u00e0 lire davantage, \u00e0 \u00e9couter des podcasts, \u00e0 faire des choses qu’on ne ferait pas d’habitude, et surtout, on se concentre sur ses priorit\u00e9s. Et puis on revient de l\u00e0, et je ne dis pas qu’on revient plus fort, mais c’est s\u00fbr qu’on revient plus sage. Tu sais, j’ai des enfants maintenant. Et je vole diff\u00e9remment. Et je suis tout \u00e0 fait d’accord pour perdre une ou deux places au classement, juste en disant : \u00ab Dis donc, tu sais quoi ? Je ne vais pas voler sous un orage. \u00bb<\/p>\n

Je lui demande : si tu \u00e9tais deuxi\u00e8me du Red Bull X-Alps, une demi-heure derri\u00e8re Chrigel, est-ce que tu adopterais encore cette attitude ? Mais Tom confirme : \u00ab Lors de la derni\u00e8re course, j’\u00e9tais dans le groupe de t\u00eate. Il y avait d’\u00e9normes orages tout autour. J’ai d\u00e9cid\u00e9 d’atterrir au sommet d’une montagne et de rester assis l\u00e0, et je suis rest\u00e9 assis l\u00e0 pendant cinq heures sous la pluie, mais je voyais les gars voler. \u00c0 l’atterrissage, ils ont tous convenu que ce n’\u00e9tait pas intelligent. C’\u00e9tait trop dangereux. \u00bb Physiquement, les blessures de Tom n’ont pas eu d’effet durable sur ses performances en vol. Il estime \u00eatre revenu plus fort et en meilleure forme. \u00ab J’avais perdu tous mes muscles, je ne pouvais plus marcher, je ne pouvais plus rien faire, alors j’ai d\u00fb me reconstruire, et j’ai pris \u00e7a tr\u00e8s au s\u00e9rieux. J’ai suivi mon programme nutritionnel \u00e0 la lettre. L’entra\u00eenement \u00e9tait intense, plus intense que d’habitude. Et mentalement, je pense que je voulais vraiment revenir en force. J’\u00e9tais donc motiv\u00e9 et j’ai vraiment donn\u00e9 le meilleur de moi-m\u00eame. \u00bb<\/p>\n

Red Bull, le sponsor de Tom, poss\u00e8de un centre de performance pour athl\u00e8tes, ce qui a contribu\u00e9 \u00e0 sa r\u00e9cup\u00e9ration physique et mentale. \u00ab J’ai eu une consultation avec un psychologue et j’ai commenc\u00e9 \u00e0 r\u00e9fl\u00e9chir aux raisons de l’accident. Et \u00e0 mon rapport au risque. Quelle dose de risque sui-je pr\u00eat \u00e0 prendre ? Quelle dose ai-je envie de prendre ? C’est int\u00e9ressant, car les gens d\u00e9penseraient une fortune pour participer \u00e0 des SIV ou des stages cross. Ils d\u00e9pensent une fortune pour leur nouvelle sellette, mais ils ne d\u00e9penseraient pas 65 \u20ac pour consulter un coach mental sur la gestion des risques. \u00bb<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00ab\u00a0TU AS TAPP\u00c9 LE SOL TR\u00c8S FORT\u00a0\u00bb<\/strong><\/p>\n

Kirsty Cameron est une autre pilote de haut niveau\u00a0: elle a repr\u00e9sent\u00e9 la Grande-Bretagne aux Championnats du monde de parapente et a souvent termin\u00e9 parmi les premi\u00e8res du championnat britannique de cross.<\/p>\n

En 2015, Kirsty a \u00e9t\u00e9 gri\u00e8vement bless\u00e9e aux Championnats du monde en Colombie. Deux ans plus t\u00f4t, elle s’\u00e9tait crash\u00e9e lors d’une comp\u00e9tition au Portugal, mais s’en \u00e9tait tir\u00e9e avec de graves contusions. Cette fois, elle a eu moins de chance. Volant avec un petit n\u0153ud qui l’emp\u00eachait d’utiliser l’acc\u00e9l\u00e9rateur, elle a tent\u00e9 d’atterrir sur une petite cr\u00eate et a heurt\u00e9 le sol violemment.<\/p>\n

\u00ab\u00a0J’ai su que je m’\u00e9tais fractur\u00e9 le dos d\u00e8s l’atterrissage. Mais on sait presque imm\u00e9diatement qu’on n’est pas paralys\u00e9 \u00e0 ce moment-l\u00e0, car je sentais mes pieds. J’avais l’impression de pouvoir les bouger, mais je ne voulais absolument pas bouger, car si je bougeais, c\u2019\u00e9tait douloureux.\u00a0\u00bb Kirsty a pu contacter par radio un coll\u00e8gue pilote, qui devait alerter les organisateurs, mais n’a jamais su s’il avait r\u00e9ussi \u00e0 les joindre. Elle n’arrivait pas \u00e0 atteindre son tracker Spot sur son \u00e9paule et n’avait aucun signal sur son t\u00e9l\u00e9phone. \u00ab C’est incroyable\u00a0! J’ai r\u00e9ussi \u00e0 me d\u00e9faire de ma sellette et j’ai litt\u00e9ralement ramp\u00e9 sur les coudes jusqu’\u00e0 la cr\u00eate pour voir si je pouvais avoir du r\u00e9seau, et il y en avait. \u00bb<\/p>\n

Ayant souscrit une assurance locale \u00ab\u00a0C’est les 20\u00a0$ les mieux d\u00e9pens\u00e9s de ma vie\u00a0\u00bb, Kirsty a \u00e9t\u00e9 transf\u00e9r\u00e9e de l’h\u00f4pital public o\u00f9 elle avait \u00e9t\u00e9 soign\u00e9e \u00e0 une clinique priv\u00e9e. L\u00e0, un m\u00e9decin a constat\u00e9 que sa fracture \u00e9tait instable. Elle a subi une intervention chirurgicale pour ins\u00e9rer une proth\u00e8se m\u00e9tallique, qui est rest\u00e9e en place.<\/p>\n

Tout au long de son \u00e9preuve, elle \u00e9tait certaine de pouvoir voler \u00e0 nouveau. J’ai envisag\u00e9 de me retirer des comp\u00e9titions, mais je pensais vraiment que si j’en \u00e9tais capable, je revolerais et on verrait bien. D’autres personnes ont des accidents graves comme celui-l\u00e0 et se disent : \u00ab C’est fini, je ne recommencerai pas, je passerai \u00e0 autre chose. \u00bb Je n’avais pas ce sentiment. Je voulais continuer \u00e0 voler si je le pouvais. Et apr\u00e8s l’op\u00e9ration et la convalescence, il \u00e9tait \u00e9vident que j’allais \u00eatre en assez bonne sant\u00e9 pour le faire. \u00bb<\/p>\n

Plus tard cette ann\u00e9e-l\u00e0, Kirsty a particip\u00e9 au British Open \u00e0 Saint-Andr\u00e9, en France, avec une voile EN-C, plut\u00f4t qu’avec sa voile CCC habituelle. Elle dit que l’accident ne lui a rien r\u00e9v\u00e9l\u00e9 des risques du parapente qu’elle ne connaissait d\u00e9j\u00e0, mais la douleur et les d\u00e9sagr\u00e9ments les ont mis en \u00e9vidence. \u00ab\u00a0Ce qui me reste en m\u00e9moire, c’est que quand on touche le sol tr\u00e8s violemment, c’est assez r\u00e9voltant. On r\u00e9alise qu’on n’est que des os et de l’eau. Et le sol est incroyablement dur. Et je pense qu’en parapente, 99 % du temps, on flotte. Ce n’est pas un sport physique dans ce sens-l\u00e0. Pas comme la boxe, n’est-ce pas\u00a0? O\u00f9 l’on re\u00e7oit des coups. Mais pour moi, l’amour de ce sport \u00e9tait trop grand \u00e0 ce moment-l\u00e0 pour dire –\u00a0\u00e7a suffit, j’arr\u00eate\u00a0-.\u00bb<\/p>\n

Depuis l’accident, Kirsty et sa compagne Emma ont eu un enfant, Noah. Quand il \u00e9tait b\u00e9b\u00e9, ils sont tous all\u00e9s \u00e0 Saint-Andr\u00e9 pour le championnat britannique \u2013 et aux commandes de son Enzo (CCC), Kirsty a fait secours dans des conditions difficiles et a atterri sans encombre.<\/p>\n

\u00ab\u00a0Ca m\u2019a probablement plus marqu\u00e9 que les deux accidents, bizarrement. \u00c0 ce moment-l\u00e0, on se dit\u00a0: \u00ab\u00a0Zut alors, j’ai une famille. Qu’est-ce que je fais, r\u00e9ellement\u00a0?\u00a0\u00bb Et m\u00eame si j’ai vol\u00e9 le reste de la comp\u00e9tition avec succ\u00e8s, je n’\u00e9tais pas \u00e0 l’aise, m\u00eame avec la Zeno (une EN-D emprunt\u00e9e,) le reste de la semaine. \u00c0 l’atterrissage le dernier jour, je me suis dit\u00a0: \u00ab\u00a0Je suis contente qu\u2019elle soit dans le sac.\u00bb<\/p>\n

Depuis, le Covid ayant perturb\u00e9 les \u00e9v\u00e9nements, Kirsty n’a particip\u00e9 qu’\u00e0 des comp\u00e9titions occasionnelles et s’est limit\u00e9e \u00e0 des ailes EN-D tout en se concentrant sur le cross au Royaume-Uni. \u00ab\u00a0Si vous \u00eates \u00e0 l’aise sous une aile, vous la piloterez vraiment bien mieux que si vous \u00eates stress\u00e9.\u00bb<\/p>\n

Elle partage l’avis selon lequel beaucoup d’entre nous qui n’avons pas eu d’accident sous-estiment le risque. \u00ab\u00a0Je pense qu’on sous-estime la gravit\u00e9 de la situation, autant que sa probabilit\u00e9. Oui, c’est tr\u00e8s d\u00e9sagr\u00e9able.\u00a0\u00bb Elle souffre encore de douleurs et de raideurs au dos, surtout par temps froid, mais cela ne l’emp\u00eache pas de voler et elle est toujours d\u00e9termin\u00e9e \u00e0 exceller dans la ligue britannique. \u00ab C’est un sport tr\u00e8s \u00e9go\u00efste, m\u00eame le cross au Royaume-Uni, notamment pour la famille. Il faut pouvoir d\u00e9coller le bon jour au Royaume-Uni. Sinon, on ne peut pas faire ces grands vols. \u00bb<\/p>\n

Depuis que je lui ai parl\u00e9, Kirsty a particip\u00e9 \u00e0 une exp\u00e9dition longue distance au Br\u00e9sil, o\u00f9 elle a battu le record f\u00e9minin britannique \u00e0 trois reprises avec des vols de 300 km et 400 km.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00ab J’AI ARR\u00caT\u00c9 EN PLS \u00bb<\/strong><\/p>\n

Richard Ford, un pilote qui \u00e9tait absolument s\u00fbr de son avenir dans le parapente apr\u00e8s un accident, m’a confi\u00e9 : \u00ab J’ai abandonn\u00e9 en PLS sur la colline. \u00bb<\/p>\n

Richard s’est crash\u00e9 en 2019 \u00e0 Combe Gibbet, dans le sud de l’Angleterre, souffrant de multiples fractures de la colonne vert\u00e9brale et des c\u00f4tes, ainsi que d’un genou fracass\u00e9 et d’une h\u00e9morragie c\u00e9r\u00e9brale. Il garde n\u00e9anmoins des souvenirs pr\u00e9cis de l’incident : \u00ab Je me souviens juste du sol qui montait et j’ai pens\u00e9 : Oh non ! \u00c7a va faire mal, puis non, \u00e7a va faire un mal de chien. Et le souvenir suivant, c’est d’\u00eatre en position lat\u00e9rale de s\u00e9curit\u00e9, et le type m’a dit : \u201cBouge pas, mec !\u201d et j’ai ressenti une douleur insupportable dans mon genou. \u00bb<\/p>\n

\u00ab Je ne me souviens pas de l’impact. Je ne m’en souviens tout simplement pas. Et je pense que le cerveau est un truc incroyable pour supprimer les choses d\u00e9sagr\u00e9ables, et je crois que mon cerveau a juste disparu : \u201cNon, j’aime pas \u00e7a. Laisse tomber.\u00a0\u2018\u00bb Et je me souviens d’avoir \u00e9t\u00e9 incroyablement calme et de m’\u00eatre dit : \u00ab Oh, eh bien, c’\u00e9tait sympa, mais je ne pense pas que je recommencerai. \u00bb<\/p>\n

Richard \u00e9tait en couple au moment de son accident, et cela a jou\u00e9 un r\u00f4le dans sa d\u00e9cision : \u00ab Il y a deux raisons pour lesquelles j’ai abandonn\u00e9. D’abord, ce n’est un secret pour personne que ma femme \u2013 qui \u00e9tait ma petite amie \u00e0 l’\u00e9poque \u2013 souffre d’anxi\u00e9t\u00e9 et je ne pensais vraiment pas pouvoir la regarder en face et lui dire : \u00ab Tu te souviens de ce truc qui a failli me tuer ? Eh bien Je vais recommencer. \u00bb<\/p>\n

\u00ab Et puis, je me souviens de l’expression de ma m\u00e8re lorsqu’elle est arriv\u00e9e aux urgences, et je ne veux plus jamais revoir \u00e7a. \u00bb<\/p>\n

Richard a re\u00e7u quelques visites \u00e0 l’h\u00f4pital, et certains lui ont sugg\u00e9r\u00e9 qu\u2019il volerait de nouveau bient\u00f4t, mais il ne consid\u00e8re pas que quelqu\u2019un ait essay\u00e9 de lui mettre la pression. \u00ab Non, non. J\u2019ai dit aux gens que je n\u2019allais pas revoler, et ils ont simplement r\u00e9pondu : d\u2019accord. \u00bb<\/p>\n

Il a compl\u00e8tement r\u00e9cup\u00e9r\u00e9 physiquement \u2013 \u200b\u200b\u00e0 l’exception de la perte de l’odorat \u2013 et s’est remis \u00e0 son autre passion sportive, le VTT. \u00ab Je me suis fix\u00e9 un objectif ambitieux. J’ai d\u00e9cid\u00e9 qu’il me fallait un objectif. J’ai donc fait le Transcambrien [un parcours VTT de 175 km]. Et c’\u00e9tait un peu \u00e9mouvant, car je suis pass\u00e9 d’un \u00e9tat de fatigue extr\u00eame \u00e0 celui o\u00f9 j’ai r\u00e9ussi \u00e0 traverser le Pays de Galles \u00e0 v\u00e9lo. Et c’\u00e9tait quelque chose d’important pour moi. \u00bb<\/p>\n

\u00ab \u00c0 quel point le parapente me manque-t-il ? Pas autant que je le pensais. Il y a eu des choses \u00e9tranges, en fait, parce que quand je faisais du parapente, je n’en r\u00eavais pas. Maintenant, je r\u00eave beaucoup de parapente, de voler. \u00bb<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00ab JE SUIS DEVENUE BEAUCOUP PLUS PRUDENTE \u00bb<\/strong><\/p>\n

Catherine Castle a v\u00e9cu une progression rapide dans sa carri\u00e8re de parapentiste jusqu’en 2016, ann\u00e9e o\u00f9 elle est devenue championne de Grande-Bretagne. L’ann\u00e9e suivante, elle s’est crash\u00e9e \u00e0 Devil’s Dyke, dans le sud de l’Angleterre, se cassant la colonne vert\u00e9brale, le bassin, les c\u00f4tes, le bras et le talon.<\/p>\n

On lui a administr\u00e9 sur-le-champ un puissant analg\u00e9sique, de la k\u00e9tamine, et elle explique que la question de revoler ne s’est pas pos\u00e9e au d\u00e9part. \u00ab Les premiers jours \u00e0 l’h\u00f4pital ont \u00e9t\u00e9 un peu flous, en soins intensifs, en grande partie \u00e0 cause de la surdose de m\u00e9dicaments. Je me souviens que Garry [son partenaire, \u00e9galement pilote] m’avait apport\u00e9 un livre, et je n’ai pas pu le lire, tellement j’\u00e9tais d\u00e9fonc\u00e9e. Ils ont pens\u00e9 que j’avais peut-\u00eatre des l\u00e9sions c\u00e9r\u00e9brales ou visuelles. Ils ont conclu que c’\u00e9tait juste les m\u00e9dicaments. Je ne pouvais tout simplement pas lire. \u00bb<\/p>\n

Son ami Hugh Miller lui a rendu visite en lui apportant quelques exemplaires de notre magazine. Alors qu’elle les lisait, la psychologue sp\u00e9cialis\u00e9e en stress post-traumatique de l\u2019h\u00f4pital est venue lui parler. \u00ab\u00a0Elle m’a dit : – Je voulais juste vous demander ce qui s’est pass\u00e9. Je crois comprendre que c’\u00e9tait un accident li\u00e9 \u00e0 un sport – et elle a fait tr\u00e8s attention. Elle n’a pas utilis\u00e9 le mot parapente. J’ai dit : Oui, je faisais du parapente. – Ah oui, – a-t-elle dit. \u00a0\u00c7a vous d\u00e9range si j’utilise ce mot ? Est-ce que \u00e7a vous fait r\u00e9agir ? – Alors j’ai pos\u00e9 le magazine Cross Country et j’ai dit : \u00a0Non, \u00e7a ne me fait pas du tout r\u00e9agir. \u00a0C’est parfait. Et pendant longtemps, je n’ai pas eu peur d\u2019en parler. \u00c7a m’a vraiment manqu\u00e9 parce que, comme tu le sais, Andrew, c’\u00e9tait devenu une partie int\u00e9grante de ma vie. On passait les mois d’\u00e9t\u00e9 \u00e0 nous balader dans notre van, \u00e0 voler. La plupart de mes bons amis \u00e9taient parapentistes. Et donc pour moi, la premi\u00e8re chose, c’est que \u00e7a m’a manqu\u00e9. \u00c7a m’a vraiment manqu\u00e9. J’\u00e9tais l’enfant qui r\u00eavait de voler. Et je n’avais pas vraiment peur de revoler. Je voulais juste revoler. M\u00eame si je savais que je ne voulais pas revoler avec ma Zeno, j’ai vendu la Zeno avant m\u00eame de quitter l’h\u00f4pital.<\/p>\n

Personne n’a dit \u00e0 Catherine qu’elle revolerait bient\u00f4t\u00a0: \u00ab\u00a0Tout le monde pensait, c’est bon, elle ne volera plus jamais. Du moins, en lisant entre les lignes, c’est l’impression que j’ai eue. Mais personne ne m’a jamais dit\u00a0: –\u00a0Oh, tu seras dans les airs en un rien de temps. – Personne.\u00a0\u00bb<\/p>\n

Les blessures de Catherine l’ont emp\u00each\u00e9e de voler pendant plusieurs mois. Le jour du premier anniversaire de son accident, elle a revol\u00e9, en soaring le long d\u2019une falaise de Newhaven \u00e0 Brighton.<\/p>\n

\u00ab\u00a0On dit que les os gu\u00e9rissent en trois \u00e0 six mois, mais bien s\u00fbr, plus on vieillit, plus \u00e7a prend de temps. Alors je me suis dit\u00a0: –\u00a0Attends un an\u00a0! – Et je suppose que je voulais aussi marquer cet anniversaire avec quelque chose de positif. C’\u00e9tait une belle journ\u00e9e propice au vol. Ce n’\u00e9tait pas une journ\u00e9e de ouf, c’\u00e9tait juste une belle et douce journ\u00e9e \u00e0 Newhaven. Je voulais vraiment le faire, j’\u00e9tais vraiment contente de l’avoir fait, et je me sentais super bien. Apr\u00e8s, je me suis dit : – Bon, \u00e7a y est. Je suis de retour dans le jeu. I\u2019m back in the game – Il y a eu un moment, juste apr\u00e8s le d\u00e9co, soudain, j\u2019ai chut\u00e9 d’un m\u00e8tre. Et il y a eu ce – hmm – soudain, et je me souviens de \u00e7a, et j’ai failli me chier dessus. Et puis je me suis dit : – Oh non, \u00e7a arrive tout le temps. Ce n’est pas grave. – Je ne voulais pas que mon accident devienne ce qui me r\u00e9sume. Je voulais tourner la page, et c\u2019est comme \u00e7a que j\u2019ai pens\u00e9 pouvoir le faire. \u00bb<\/p>\n

L’ann\u00e9e suivante, Catherine et Garry sont all\u00e9s en Colombie, avec des r\u00e9sultats mitig\u00e9s.<\/p>\n

\u00ab \u00c7a peut para\u00eetre un peu brouillon, mais je pense que le corps a une certaine m\u00e9moire. Lors de mon premier d\u00e9collage en Colombie, j’ai soudain commenc\u00e9 \u00e0 me sentir nerveuse, je tremblais un peu et mon c\u0153ur battait tr\u00e8s fort. Mon bassin, l\u00e0 o\u00f9 se trouvent toutes les pi\u00e8ces m\u00e9talliques, me tiraillait. J’ai pris de grandes inspirations, et je me suis l\u00e2ch\u00e9e, puis j’ai atteint une hauteur convenable o\u00f9 je me sentais en s\u00e9curit\u00e9. J’ai commenc\u00e9 \u00e0 prendre des thermiques, et \u00e0 mesure que j\u2019enroulais, la m\u00e9moire musculaire s\u2019est mise en marche, et je me suis cal\u00e9e. Je me suis dit : \u00a0Oh oui, c’est comme que \u00e7a marche. C’est comme \u00e7a qu\u2019on enroule les thermiques. Et soudain, je me suis sentie beaucoup plus calme.<\/p>\n

Il y a eu des jours o\u00f9 je n’avais aucune envie de voler et o\u00f9 je me sentais \u00e0 nouveau nerveuse, et d’autres o\u00f9 je d\u00e9collais tout simplement et o\u00f9 je me sentais bien. \u00c7a a toujours \u00e9t\u00e9 tr\u00e8s sporadique pour moi quand je revolais. Parfois, je me sens vraiment bien, et d’autres fois, non, et j’avais juste envie de descendre et j\u2019\u00e9tais tr\u00e8s nerveuse. \u00bb Depuis, Catherine a beaucoup moins vol\u00e9 qu’avant l’accident. Ses blessures ne la g\u00eanent plus, mais le Covid, un nouveau chien et son travail lui ont pris beaucoup de temps. Elle est \u00e9galement plus prudente face \u00e0 la surpopulation et aux conditions m\u00e9t\u00e9orologiques difficiles.<\/p>\n

\u00ab Depuis que j’ai arr\u00eat\u00e9 de voler, j’ai remarqu\u00e9 que les gens volent maintenant dans des conditions beaucoup plus difficiles, avec des vents beaucoup plus forts. Je regarde 50 personnes dans le ciel et je me dis : \u201cVous \u00eates tous fous ?\u201d. Je n’ai jamais vol\u00e9 dans des conditions aussi difficiles, et je ne vais certainement pas recommencer \u00e0 voler dans ces conditions, alors je suis devenue beaucoup plus prudente. \u00bb<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00ab J’AVAIS PROMIS D’ABANDONNER \u2013 MAIS SEULEMENT \u00c0 MOI-M\u00caME \u00bb<\/strong><\/p>\n

Comme moi, David Williams pourrait \u00eatre poliment d\u00e9crit comme un pilote ordinaire. Nous volons tous les deux depuis de nombreuses ann\u00e9es, pilotons tous les deux des ailes EN-B, et sommes tous les deux ravis plut\u00f4t que d\u00e9\u00e7us lorsque nous ne parcourons que 50 km ou atteignons le goal dans une comp\u00e9tition amateurs, m\u00eame si c’est \u00e0 la 73e place.<\/p>\n

En 2014, David s’est cass\u00e9 la jambe en tentant un atterrissage au sommet lors d’une manche de l’Ozone Chabre Open. Il n’a pas perdu connaissance, mais n’a aucun souvenir des circonstances de l’accident. Il s’\u00e9tait d\u00e9j\u00e0 cass\u00e9 les poignets. Ces incidents se r\u00e9sumaient \u00e0 de simples chutes dans la pente, mais il s’\u00e9tait dit qu’un autre accident pourrait le forcer \u00e0 arr\u00eater de voler. \u00ab\u00a0Je me suis dit que si j’avais un autre accident, j’abandonnerais. – Alors voil\u00e0. J’arr\u00eate. –\u00a0Mais je me l’\u00e9tais dit, pas \u00e0 voix haute, surtout pas \u00e0 ma femme, et encore moins sous forme de promesse. J’ai donc pu revenir sur cette d\u00e9cision sans trop de difficult\u00e9s psychologiques ni de pression ext\u00e9rieure.\u00a0\u00bb<\/p>\n

Quelques semaines apr\u00e8s sa convalescence, David a annonc\u00e9 \u00e0 sa femme qu’il ne revolerait pas. Elle lui a r\u00e9pondu : “Oh, mais tu aimes voler !” Et il a r\u00e9pondu : “Eh bien, non.” Alors il s\u2019est dit : “Je ne sais pas si je veux abandonner, mais je suis s\u00fbr que je ne veux pas abandonner sur une note d’\u00e9chec total, comme ce serait le cas\u00a0\u00bb Il a donc fini par revoler et, bien s\u00fbr, s\u2019y est remis \u00e0 fond. David s’est compl\u00e8tement r\u00e9tabli et ne pense pas que la peur soit plus probl\u00e9matique qu’avant sa blessure. Il ne pense pas non plus que son accident lui ait permis de mieux comprendre les risques. \u00ab J’ai vu tellement d’accidents, y compris des accidents mortels ou presque. Et bien s\u00fbr, on lit m\u00eame que des athl\u00e8tes de haut niveau sont d\u00e9c\u00e9d\u00e9s ou ont eu des accidents graves. C’est donc peut-\u00eatre un facteur parmi d’autres. Je ne dirais pas que \u00e7a ait un effet significatif. \u00bb<\/p>\n

Prend-t-il des pr\u00e9cautions suppl\u00e9mentaires\u00a0? \u00ab\u00a0Non, ce qui semble \u00eatre une tr\u00e8s mauvaise r\u00e9ponse, mais je ne pense pas, en partie parce que j’ignore la cause. Cela dit, je suis peut-\u00eatre un peu plus prudent en approche, je garde de la vitesse, et peut-\u00eatre que je suis un peu plus m\u00e9fiant avec les atterros dans la pente, et que je pr\u00e9f\u00e8re atterrir sur un terrain plat.\u00a0\u00bb<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00ab J’\u00c9TAIS PR\u00caT \u00c0 TIRER UN TRAIT \u00bb<\/strong><\/p>\n

Frazer Wilson est un pilote exp\u00e9riment\u00e9 de cross et de comp\u00e9tition, qui a beaucoup vol\u00e9 sur des ailes EN-D. En 2017, il s’est crash\u00e9 lors du British Open \u00e0 Saint-Andr\u00e9. Frazer n’a jamais perdu connaissance et se souvient parfaitement de l’incident. \u00ab L’aile \u00e9tait intacte. Ce n’\u00e9tait pas une fermeture, rien de violent. J’ai lev\u00e9 les yeux et je me suis dit : “Mon Dieu ! Que se passe-t-il ?” Bang ! C’\u00e9tait termin\u00e9. Et donc pouvoir y repenser ne me fait pas peur aujourd’hui. \u00bb<\/p>\n

\u00ab Ma peur, c’est de manquer de discernement et de me retrouver dans une situation d\u00e9licate, et c’est manifestement ce que j\u2019avais fait. \u00bb Il a subi de multiples fractures et a d\u00fb attendre trois heures les secours, car son tracker satellite a envoy\u00e9 un signal erron\u00e9 et l’h\u00e9licopt\u00e8re l’a d’abord d\u00e9pass\u00e9. Entre-temps, Nick Warren, un pilote qui l’avait vu s’\u00e9craser, a atterri au fond de la vall\u00e9e, a laiss\u00e9 son mat\u00e9riel et a gravi 800 m\u00e8tres par 30 degr\u00e9s pour rejoindre Frazer. Il est arriv\u00e9 deux minutes avant l’h\u00e9licopt\u00e8re.<\/p>\n

\u00ab Je n’ai jamais ressenti un tel soulagement en voyant le visage d’un ami. Vraiment ! Nous avons pleur\u00e9 tous les deux. Il m’a serr\u00e9 dans ses bras comme jamais. Je suis tr\u00e8s \u00e9mu maintenant, en revoyant le visage de Nick et en retrouvant ce contact humain. J’\u00e9tais en radio toutes les cinq minutes, mais ce moment a \u00e9t\u00e9 un immense soulagement.\u00a0\u00bb Puis le m\u00e9decin est arriv\u00e9 et a dit : “Relaxe, Madame Morphine, est l\u00e0.” \u00bb<\/p>\n

Certaines blessures de Frazer n’ont pas \u00e9t\u00e9 diagnostiqu\u00e9es imm\u00e9diatement, et il a \u00e9t\u00e9 op\u00e9r\u00e9 trois mois plus tard. \u00ab C’\u00e9tait atrocement douloureux, je suis rest\u00e9 sous morphine pendant assez longtemps, et cela a laiss\u00e9 des s\u00e9quelles. J’ai des probl\u00e8mes de m\u00e9moire \u00e0 cause de la morphine synth\u00e9tique, de l’Oxycontin et de l’Oxycodone. Et cela me fait presque plus peur que l’impact physique et la douleur.\u00a0\u00bb<\/p>\n

L’id\u00e9e de revoler a imm\u00e9diatement travers\u00e9 l’esprit de Frazer. \u00ab Je savais que je voulais retrouver les sensations et la joie que je ressentais en volant. Mais d’autres personnes m’ont dit : “Tu dois te soigner. Tu dois aller mieux. Tu as eu de graves blessures. Tu es sous morphine. Ne te pose pas la question de savoir si tu vas revoler ou pas, car tu ne peux pas voler pour le moment. Bref, tu n’auras rien oubli\u00e9.\u00a0\u00bb<\/p>\n

\u00ab Mais je n’\u00e9tais pas pr\u00eat \u00e0 voler si je n\u2019allais pas vraiment appr\u00e9cier le moment o\u00f9 je serais en l’air, ou au d\u00e9co pour la premi\u00e8re fois. J’esp\u00e9rais que j’appr\u00e9cierais. Mais si j’\u00e9tais vraiment inquiet, anxieux ou effray\u00e9 les premi\u00e8res fois, j’\u00e9tais tout \u00e0 fait pr\u00eat \u00e0 dire, bon, \u00e7a suffit. J’\u00e9tais honn\u00eatement tout \u00e0 fait pr\u00eat \u00e0 tirer un trait et \u00e0 vendre mon mat\u00e9riel. J’aurais probablement essay\u00e9 deux ou trois fois, j’aurais peut-\u00eatre m\u00eame pers\u00e9v\u00e9r\u00e9 pendant deux mois. Mais je voulais me conditionner \u00e0 l’avance pour me dire que si ce n’est le pied, ne recommence pas. \u00c7a ne serait pas juste pour ta famille ni pour toi, d’ailleurs. \u00bb<\/p>\n

Frazer a re\u00e7u un appel d’un autre pilote qui avait travers\u00e9 une \u00e9preuve \u2013 Guy Anderson, dont le r\u00e9cit \u00e9pique de survie dans les \u00e9tendues sauvages de l’Utah apr\u00e8s un accident pendant la Coupe du monde de parapente en 2012 est familier aux lecteurs de longue date de Cross Country. Guy m’a dit : \u201cTu as choisi de faire \u00e7a. Alors r\u00e9fl\u00e9chis aux raisons qui te poussent \u00e0 le faire et \u00e0 ce que \u00e7a vaut. Mais tu peux absolument en ressortir meilleur pilote et plus s\u00fbr que la veille de ton accident.\u201d Et \u00e7a m’est rest\u00e9 en m\u00e9moire.\u201d<\/p>\n

Huit mois apr\u00e8s son accident, Frazer a d\u00e9cid\u00e9 qu’il \u00e9tait physiquement capable de piloter une aile, mais il a d’abord choisi de ne pas voler n\u2019importe quand. \u201cJe voulais contr\u00f4ler mes envies pr\u00e9c\u00e9dentes qui me poussaient \u00e0 voler d\u00e8s que \u00e7a volait. Finalement, je suis mont\u00e9 au d\u00e9co \u00e0 la fin de ce qui avait \u00e9t\u00e9 une bonne journ\u00e9e pour les autres. Vers 19 heures, mi-mai. Je suis arriv\u00e9 au sommet et c’\u00e9tait normal d’\u00eatre l\u00e0.<\/p>\n

J’avais des papillons dans le ventre, mais je me suis dit : \u00a0Bon, c’est normal, c’est ton corps qui te dit de te pr\u00e9parer \u00e0 faire quelque chose qu’il ne devrait pas faire naturellement, finalement, j’ai pass\u00e9 une heure et demie agr\u00e9able dans les airs.\u00a0\u00bb Frazer a ensuite r\u00e9alis\u00e9 sa meilleure saison, avec notamment un record personnel de 183 km. \u00ab Je ne me for\u00e7ais pas \u00e0 d\u00e9coller alors que je n’en avais pas envie. J’y allais doucement. Je ne cherchais rien \u00e0 prouver. J’essayais juste de retrouver le plaisir de voler. Je ne suis pas stress\u00e9 \u00e0 l’id\u00e9e d’atterrir. \u00bb<\/p>\n

R\u00e9cemment, Frazer a particip\u00e9 au British Open, exactement sept ans apr\u00e8s son accident. \u00ab J’ai fait une grosse frontale acc\u00e9l\u00e9r\u00e9 \u00e0 fond avec ma le Photon, je l’ai contr\u00e9e aux freins violemment, et elle s\u2019est rouverte trois secondes plus tard et je me suis dit, eh bien, c’\u00e9tait un peu nerveux. Comment je me sens ? Je peux continuer. Oui, je peux continuer. Mais il m’est arriv\u00e9 d’atterrir plus t\u00f4t que les autres, simplement parce que je ne me sentais pas vraiment pr\u00eat ce jour-l\u00e0, ou parce que j’avais fait un bon vol, que j’\u00e9tais all\u00e9 assez loin. Je ne suis plus le m\u00eame. Ce n’est pas comme \u00e7a que je volais avant l’accident. \u00bb<\/p>\n

Sa femme Sophie \u00e9tait avec lui \u00e0 Saint-Andr\u00e9 cette fois-ci. Elle est arriv\u00e9e et m’a dit : “J’adore faire partie de ce groupe, et je comprends maintenant pourquoi tu y es si attach\u00e9e.” Et j’ai r\u00e9pondu oui, et je veux \u00eatre avec ce m\u00eame groupe quand j’aurai plus de 80 ans. Je veux avoir des histoires \u00e0 raconter.”<\/p>[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content” locked=”off” disabled_on=”on|on|on” disabled=”on” sticky_enabled=”0″]

What would you do if you smashed yourself up in a crash?<\/em><\/p>\n

21 April, 2025,\u00a0by Andrew Craig<\/em><\/p>\n

What would you do if you smashed yourself up in a crash? Would you start paragliding as quickly as you could? Would you give up? Or would you come back cautiously and hesitantly? Andrew Craig decided to face this question head on and went looking for an answer<\/em><\/p>\n

I\u2019ve been lucky; I\u2019ve flown paragliders for 24 years without hurting myself badly. I know that I can thank luck more than skill \u2013 I\u2019ve thrown my reserve, landed downwind, been blown into bushes and hit a barbed wire fence. But I\u2019ve never had more than cuts and bruises.<\/p>\n

Many of my friends and acquaintances have been less lucky. From skygods to weekend warriors, they\u2019ve had to deal with hospital stays, operations, and lengthy recuperation. I decided to ask a few of them how they decided whether and how to fly again.<\/p>\n

Tom de Dorlodot is at the top of our sport \u2013 a professional pilot whose adventures have included representing Belgium in the Red Bull X-Alps numerous times. He\u2019s currently recovering from a kite-skiing accident, but in 2015 he broke his back during a paragliding tour around the Adriatic Sea. As he came in to land in Croatia, his wing collapsed in turbulence. He remembers the incident clearly, though it lasted only a few seconds.<\/p>\n

\u201cI hit a tree, and for the first few minutes I was paralysed. I have a friend who had a paralysing accident, and he\u2019s in a wheelchair now. I was like, okay, this is it. This is my turn now.\u201d<\/p>\n

Tom had serious fractures to his spine and legs, but he says: \u201cTo be honest, I never thought about not flying again. And I don\u2019t know why. Because my father was already saying to all my family, this is it. He\u2019s gonna find a real job. Now he\u2019s gonna stop, you know. He announced it to everyone. But for me it was never the plan.<\/p>\n

\u201cFlying is my life. It\u2019s what I do. And this is who I am. Paragliding is my sport, and I\u2019ve never imagined not going back, really. I wouldn\u2019t say it\u2019s part of the game, because we all want to avoid it, but we know there is a risk, and I am personally willing to take that risk.\u201d<\/p>\n

For six weeks, Tom lay almost immobile in hospital. \u201cEverything took time, but actually it was really fast. As professional athletes, we\u2019re fit and our body recovers faster. That\u2019s what I heard from doctors. I don\u2019t smoke. I don\u2019t drink much, so it really helps to recover fast. And actually, while they were saying, it\u2019s gonna take six months, I think two months later I was running.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat really struck me when I had my accident is that I thought it was only my problem. But you soon realise it\u2019s not only your problem, it becomes everyone\u2019s problem. Your family, your close friends. Everyone gets involved, you impact everyone\u2019s life.\u201d<\/p>\n

Tom feels that his accident has helped to make his subsequent flying a bit safer. \u201cI think the right attitude is first to be really humble and understand the mistake we\u2019ve made. Like, the wind was strong. I should have landed earlier. The thunderstorm was coming. I saw it coming, and I pushed too far. Really go through the whole process of understanding what happened, and why it happened, and analysing it.<\/p>\n

\u201cI spent six weeks in the hospital, and before that I was always kind of in a hurry. I would always run from one project to the other, jump from one thing to the other. Fly! Fly as much as possible. And then, all of a sudden, you\u2019re forced to slow down. You\u2019re forced to heal, you\u2019re forced to spend time doing other things. You start reading more, you start listening to podcasts, you start doing things you wouldn\u2019t do usually, and also, most of all, you start focusing on your priorities.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd then you come back from this, and I\u2019m not saying you come back stronger, but for sure you come back wiser. You know, I have kids now. And I fly differently now. And I\u2019m totally okay with losing maybe one spot or two spots in the ranking, by just saying, hey, you know what? I\u2019m not gonna fly below a thunderstorm.\u201d<\/p>\n

I ask him, if you were second in the Red Bull X-Alps, half an hour behind Chrigel, would you still take that attitude? But Tom can back up his words: \u201cIn the last race, I was in the front pack. There were massive thunderstorms all around. And I decided to land on top of a mountain and sit there, and I was sitting there for five hours in the rain, but I could see the guys flying. When they landed they all agreed that it wasn\u2019t smart. It was too dangerous.\u201d<\/p>\n

Physically, Tom\u2019s injuries didn\u2019t have a lasting effect on his flying. He feels that he came back stronger and fitter. \u201cI lost all my muscles, I couldn\u2019t walk, I couldn\u2019t do anything, so I had to rebuild, and I took that really seriously. I followed the nutrition plans very strictly. The training was heavy, heavier than I was used to doing. And mentally, I think I really wanted to come back strong. So mentally, I was driven, and I really pushed.\u201d<\/p>\n

Red Bull, Tom\u2019s sponsor, has an Athlete Performance Centre, which helped in his physical and mental recovery. \u201cI had a session with a psychologist and I started working on why did the accident happen? And what is my relationship with risk? How much can I take? How much do I want to take? It\u2019s interesting because people would spend a fortune on going to SIV or cross-country courses. They spend a fortune on their new harness, but they wouldn\u2019t spend \u20ac65 to talk to a mental coach about risk management.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2018You hit the ground\u00a0very hard\u2019<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Kirsty Cameron is another pilot at the highest level of the sport \u2013 she\u2019s represented Britain at the Paragliding World Championships, and many times finished near the top of the UK cross-country league.<\/p>\n

In 2015 Kirsty was badly hurt at the world championships in Colombia. Two years earlier she\u2019d crashed at a comp in Portugal, but got away with severe bruises. This time she was less fortunate. Flying with a small knot that stopped her applying speedbar, she ended up trying to land on a small ridge, and hit the ground hard.<\/p>\n

\u201cI knew I\u2019d fractured my back as soon as I landed. But you know almost immediately that you\u2019re not paralysed at that point, because I can feel my feet. I felt like I could move, but I very much didn\u2019t want to move, because if I move, it\u2019s going to be painful.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kirsty was able to radio a fellow pilot, who promised to alert the organisers, but never heard whether he had got through. She couldn\u2019t reach her Spot tracker on her shoulder, and had no signal on her phone. \u201cThis is quite unbelievable: I actually got myself out of my harness, and I literally commando-crawled on my elbows up the ridge to see if I could get any better mobile reception, which I did.\u201d<\/p>\n

Having taken out local insurance (\u201cIt\u2019s the best $20 I\u2019ve ever paid\u201d), Kirsty was taken from the public hospital where she was first treated to a private clinic. There a consultant realised that her fracture was unstable. She had surgery to insert supporting metalwork, which remains in place.<\/p>\n

Throughout her ordeal, she was sure that she would fly again. \u201cI considered that I might maybe step back from competitions, but certainly, my opinion was that if I\u2019m able to, I will fly again and see how it goes. Other people do have big accidents like that, and they say that\u2019s it, I\u2019m not doing it again, I\u2019ll move on to something else. I didn\u2019t feel like that. I felt like I wanted to carry on flying if I could. And after the operation and convalescence, it was very obvious I was going to be healthy enough to do so.\u201d<\/p>\n

Later that year, Kirsty flew in the British Open at St Andr\u00e9, France, on an EN-C, rather than her usual CCC wing. She says the accident didn\u2019t reveal to her anything she didn\u2019t already know about the risks of paragliding \u2013 but the pain and inconvenience brought them to the fore.<\/p>\n

\u201cSomething that still sticks with me is that when you hit the ground very hard, it\u2019s pretty revolting. It makes you realise you\u2019re just bone and water. And the ground is incredibly hard. And I think when we\u2019re paragliding 99% of the time we\u2019re up there floating around. It\u2019s not a physical sport in that sense. Not like boxing, is it? Where you\u2019re being hit.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut for me the love of the sport was just too great at that point to say that\u2019s it, I\u2019m quitting.\u201d<\/p>\n

Since the accident, Kirsty and her partner Emma have had a child, Noah. When he was a baby, they all drove to St Andr\u00e9 for the British championship again \u2013 and flying her Enzo (CCC), Kirsty threw her reserve in fierce conditions, and landed safely.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat was probably more of a turning point than either of the accidents, bizarrely. At that point you think, crikey, you know, I\u2019ve now got a family. What am I doing, really? And although I flew the rest of the comp and I did well, I wasn\u2019t comfortable even on the (borrowed EN-D) Zeno the rest of that week. By the time I landed on the last day, I was like, I\u2019m glad it\u2019s back in the bag.\u201d<\/p>\n

Since then, with Covid disrupting events, Kirsty has done only an occasional competition, and has stuck to EN-D wings while concentrating on British cross-country flying. \u201cIf you\u2019re comfortable on a wing, you\u2019re going to actively pilot that wing so much better than if you\u2019re nervous on it.\u201d<\/p>\n

She agrees with the suggestion that many of us who\u2019ve not had accidents underestimate the risk. \u201cI think you underestimate how serious it is, as much as the likelihood of it happening. Yeah, it\u2019s very unpleasant.\u201d<\/p>\n

She still suffers some pain and stiffness in her back, particularly when it\u2019s cold, but it doesn\u2019t limit her flying, and she\u2019s still driven to excel in the British league. \u201cIt\u2019s a very selfish sport, even flying cross country in the UK, in terms of family and stuff. You have to go out on the right day in the UK. Otherwise you\u2019re not going to do those big flights.\u201d<\/p>\n

Since I spoke to her, Kirsty has been on a big distance mission to Brazil, where she\u2019s broken the British women\u2019s record three times with 300km and 400km flights.<\/p>\n

\u2018I QUIT IN THE RECOVERY POSITION\u2019\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n

One pilot who was absolutely clear about his paragliding future after an accident is Richard Ford. He told me: \u201cI quit in the recovery position on the hill.\u201d<\/p>\n

Richard crashed in 2019 at Combe Gibbet in southern England, suffering multiple spinal and rib fractures, as well as a smashed knee and a bleed on the brain. He nevertheless has clear memories of the incident: \u201cI just remember the ground coming up and thinking Oh no! This might hurt, and then thinking No, this is gonna effing hurt. And the next thing I remember is being laid in the recovery position, and the chap saying to me \u2018Don\u2019t move, mate\u2019 and just feeling the world of pain from my knee.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t remember the actual impact. I just don\u2019t remember it. And I think your brain\u2019s an amazing thing for editing things out that are nasty, and I think my brain\u2019s just gone: \u2018No, don\u2019t like that. Forget it.\u2019 And I can remember being ridiculously calm, and thinking: \u2018Oh, well, this has been fun, but I don\u2019t think I\u2019ll be doing this again.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

Richard was in a new relationship at the time of his crash, and that played a part in his decision: \u201cThere\u2019s two reasons effectively why I\u2019ve given up. One, it\u2019s no secret my wife \u2013 who was my then girlfriend \u2013 suffers from anxiety and I really didn\u2019t think I could turn around to her and say, you remember that thing that nearly killed me? I\u2019m just off to do that again.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd the other thing is, I can remember the look on my mum\u2019s face when she walked into Accident and Emergency, and I don\u2019t want to ever see that again.\u201d<\/p>\n

Richard had a few visitors in hospital who suggested that he\u2019d be flying again soon, but doesn\u2019t consider that anyone tried to put pressure on him. \u201cNo, no. I told people that I wasn\u2019t gonna fly and just got, fair enough.\u201d<\/p>\n

He made a full physical recovery \u2013 except for losing his sense of smell \u2013 and returned to his other sporting passion, mountain biking. \u201cI set myself a big goal. I decided I had to have something to aim for. So I did the Trans-Cambrian [a 175km mountain bike route]. And that was a bit emotional, because I\u2019ve gone from smashed up, to I\u2019ve managed to pedal myself all the way across Wales. And that was a big thing for me.<\/p>\n

\u201cHow much do I miss paragliding? Not as much as I thought I would. There\u2019s been some strange things, actually, because when I paraglided I never dreamed about paragliding. I dream a lot about paragliding now, about actually, you know, I\u2019m flying.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2018I\u2019ve become a lot\u00a0more cautious\u2019<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Catherine Castle made rapid progress in her paragliding career in the years up to 2016, when she became British women\u2019s champion. The following year she crashed at Devil\u2019s Dyke in southern England, breaking her spine, pelvis, ribs, arm and heel.<\/p>\n

She was given a strong painkiller, ketamine, on the spot, and says the question of flying again didn\u2019t arise at first. \u201cThe first few days in hospital were a bit of a blur when I was in intensive care, largely because I was on a shed load of drugs. I remember Garry [her partner, also a pilot] brought me a book, and I couldn\u2019t read it because I was so off my face. They thought that I might have some sort of brain damage or some sort of optical damage. They worked out it was just the drugs. I literally just couldn\u2019t read.\u201d<\/p>\n

Her friend Hugh Miller visited her, bringing some copies of this magazine. As she was reading them, the hospital\u2019s PTSD counsellor came to talk to her. \u201cShe said, I just wanted to ask you about what happened. I understand it was an accident to do with a sport, and she was very careful. She wasn\u2019t using the word paragliding.<\/p>\n

\u201cI said, yes, I was paragliding. Oh, right, she said. Do you mind me using that word, is that triggering for you? So I put the Cross Country magazine down and said, no, I\u2019m not triggered by that at all. That\u2019s absolutely fine. And for a long time I wasn\u2019t scared of doing it at all.<\/p>\n

\u201cI really missed it because, as you know, Andrew, it had become such a massive part of my life. We used to spend months in the summer just driving around in our van, flying. Most of my good friends were paraglider pilots. And so for me, the first thing was that I missed it. I really missed it.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was the child that used to have dreams of flying. And I didn\u2019t really have any fear of getting back in the air. I just wanted to get back into the air again. Although I recognised that I didn\u2019t want to get back in the air again on my Zeno, and so I sold the Zeno even before I\u2019d left hospital.\u201d<\/p>\n

No one told Catherine that she\u2019d be flying again soon: \u201cEverybody thought right, that\u2019s it, she\u2019s never gonna fly again. At least, reading between the lines, that\u2019s the impression I got. But nobody ever said, oh, you\u2019ll be up in the air in no time at all. Nobody.\u201d<\/p>\n

Catherine\u2019s injuries meant flying wasn\u2019t an option for many months. On the first anniversary of her crash, she took to the air again, flying a sea cliff run from Newhaven to Brighton.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey say that your bones heal in between three and six months, but of course, the older you get, the longer it takes. So I thought, give it a year. And I guess I also wanted to mark the anniversary of it with something positive. It was a nice flyable day. It wasn\u2019t booming and stonking, it was just a lovely, gentle Newhaven day. I really wanted to do it, and I was really pleased I did do it, and I felt fantastic. Afterwards I thought, right, this is it. I\u2019m back in the game. I\u2019m back in the game.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere was one moment just after I launched, and suddenly you just drop a metre. And there\u2019s that sudden hmm, and I remember that happening, and I nearly shat myself. And then I was just like, oh, no, this happens all the time. It\u2019s fine.<\/p>\n

\u201cI didn\u2019t want my crash to define me. I wanted to move on from it, and so that\u2019s how I thought I would do it.\u201d<\/p>\n

The following year, Catherine and Garry went to Colombia, with mixed results. \u201cIt sounds a bit hibbly-dibbly, but I think that your body sort of holds a memory. When I first launched in Colombia, I suddenly started feeling nervous, and I was shaking a little bit, and my heart was beating really, really quickly. And my pelvis, where all the metalwork is, was twinging.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd I took deep breaths, and I sort of got into it, and then I got to a suitable height where I felt safe. And I started thermalling, and as I started thermalling, your muscle memory comes in, and I just locked in. I was like, oh, yes, this is what I do. This is how I thermal. And I suddenly started feeling a lot calmer.<\/p>\n

\u201cI had some days where I just didn\u2019t want to fly, and I felt nervous again, and other days where I just launched, and I felt fine. It\u2019s always been very sporadic with me when I\u2019ve gone to fly again. Sometimes I feel just great, and other times I just don\u2019t, and I just want to get out of the sky, and I feel really nervous.\u201d<\/p>\n

In the years since then, Catherine has flown much less than before the accident. Her injuries no longer restrict her, but Covid, a new pet dog, and her work have taken much of her time. She\u2019s also more cautious about both overcrowding and strong conditions.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve noticed since I\u2019ve had this break from flying, that people are flying in much stronger conditions now, much, much stronger winds, and I was looking up at 50 people in the sky going, \u2018Are you all mad?\u2019 And I haven\u2019t flown in those strong conditions, and I\u2019m certainly not going to start flying in them, so I\u2019ve become a lot more cautious.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2018I\u2019D PROMISED TO GIVE UP \u2013 BUT ONLY TO MYSELF\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Like me, David Williams might be politely described as a bog-standard pilot. We\u2019ve both been flying for many years, both fly EN-B gliders, and are both delighted rather than disappointed when we fly the occasional 50km or make goal in a fun competition, even if it\u2019s in 73rd place.<\/p>\n

In 2014, David broke his leg while trying to slope-land during a task in the Ozone Chabre Open. He didn\u2019t lose consciousness, but has no memory of how the crash happened. He had previously broken each of his wrists. Those incidents were little more than falling over on the hill, but he had told himself that another accident might make him stop flying.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy thought was, well, I said to myself that if I had another accident I\u2019d give up. So that\u2019s it. I\u2019m going to call it a day.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut I\u2019d said it to myself, and not out loud, and in particular not to my wife, and even more particularly, not in the form of a promise. So it was a decision I was able to change without any great psychological difficulty or external pressure.\u201d<\/p>\n

A few weeks into his recovery, David mentioned to his wife that he wouldn\u2019t fly again. \u201cAnd she said \u2018Oh, but you enjoy your flying!\u2019 And I said \u2018Well, yes, I do\u2019. So I thought, I\u2019m not sure whether I want to give up, but I am sure that I do not want to give up on a note of complete failure, which this would be. So eventually I did fly again, and of course got back into it.\u201d<\/p>\n

David made a complete physical recovery, and doesn\u2019t feel that fear presents more of a problem than before his injury. Nor does he think his accident has given him more insight about the risks. \u201cI have seen so many accidents, including being close to fatalities and near fatalities. And of course, one reads even about some of the top people in the sport dying and having serious accidents. So it\u2019s perhaps one element in the pot. I wouldn\u2019t say it was a significant effect.\u201d<\/p>\n

Does he take extra precautions? \u201cNo, which sounds a very bad answer,\u00a0 but I don\u2019t think I do, partly because I don\u2019t know what caused it. Having said that, maybe it\u2019s in my mind to be more careful on approach, to keep speed on, and maybe I\u2019m a bit wary of doing slope landings, and would prefer to just go out and land on flat land.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2018I was prepared\u00a0to draw a line\u2019<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Frazer Wilson is an experienced cross-country and competition pilot, with lots of time on EN-D gliders. In 2017 he crashed during the British Open at St Andr\u00e9. Frazer never lost consciousness, and remembers the incident clearly. \u201cThe wing was intact. It wasn\u2019t a collapse, it wasn\u2019t anything violent. I looked up and thought \u2018Christ! What\u2019s going on?\u2019 Bang! It was over like that. And so being able to play it back doesn\u2019t give me fear today.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe fear I have is not having good enough judgment so that I fly myself into a bad spot, and that\u2019s evidently what I did.\u201d<\/p>\n

He suffered multiple fractures, and then had to wait three hours for rescue because his satellite tracker sent an inaccurate signal and the helicopter initially flew past him. In the meantime, a pilot who\u2019d seen him go down, Nick Warren, landed in the bottom of the valley, dumped his kit and climbed 800 metres in 30C heat to get to Frazer \u2013 two minutes before the helicopter.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have never felt such relief seeing a friend\u2019s face. Really! We both cried. He gave me the biggest hug of my life. I\u2019m getting quite emotional, feeling it now \u2013 seeing Nick\u2019s face and having that human contact again. I\u2019d been on the radio every five minutes, but having that was enormous relief. And then the paramedic arrived and went: \u2018Reste. Madame Morphine arrive.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

Some of Frazer\u2019s injuries were not diagnosed at once, and he had surgery three months later. \u201cIt was excruciatingly painful, and I was on morphine for quite a long time, and it\u2019s had residual effects. I have memory issues as a consequence of synthetic morphine, and oxycontin and oxycodone. And that almost makes me more scared than the physical impact and the pain.\u201d<\/p>\n

The question of flying again was in Frazer\u2019s mind immediately. \u201cI knew that I wanted to have the feeling and the joy I got from flight again. But a few other people said to me \u2018You\u2019ve got to heal yourself. You\u2019ve got to get better. You\u2019ve had some bad injuries. You\u2019re on morphine. Don\u2019t worry about whether you\u2019re going to fly again, because you can\u2019t fly right now. Anyway, you won\u2019t have forgotten anything.\u2019<\/p>\n

\u201cBut I wasn\u2019t prepared to go flying if I didn\u2019t really enjoy the moment that I was in the air, or being on launch for the first time. I hoped I would enjoy it. But if I got really worried or anxious or spooked the first few times, I was quite prepared to say, okay, enough\u2019s enough. I was honestly quite prepared to draw a line and sell my kit. I probably would have had two or three goes, I might have even pushed on for a couple of months. But I wanted to pre-emptively condition myself to say if it\u2019s not fun, please don\u2019t do it again. It\u2019s not fair on your family or yourself, for that matter.\u201d<\/p>\n

Frazer had a call from another pilot who\u2019d been through an ordeal \u2013 Guy Anderson, whose epic tale of survival in the wilds of Utah following a crash during the Paragliding World Cup in 2012 will be familiar to longtime Cross Country readers. \u201cGuy said: \u2018You\u2019re choosing to do this. So think about why you\u2019re choosing to do it and what it\u2019s worth. But you absolutely can come away from this as a better pilot and a safer pilot than you were the day before your accident.\u2019 And that\u2019s really stuck with me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Eight months after his crash, Frazer realised he was physically capable of handling a wing, but at first chose not to fly on flyable days. \u201cI wanted to exercise control over my previous urges just to go out whenever it was possible. In the end I went at the end of what had been a good day for other people; seven o\u2019clock in the evening, mid-May. I got to the hill and it felt normal to be there.<\/p>\n

\u201cI had butterflies, but I said well, that\u2019s normal, that\u2019s your body telling you to prime yourself for doing something it shouldn\u2019t really naturally do, and I had a lovely hour and a half in the air.\u201d<\/p>\n

Frazer went on to have his best year, including a 183km personal best. \u201cI wasn\u2019t forcing myself to go out when I didn\u2019t want to. I was taking it easy. I wasn\u2019t trying to prove anything. I was just trying to enjoy flying again. I\u2019m relaxed about landing.\u201d<\/p>\n

Recently, Frazer flew the British Open, exactly seven years after his crash. \u201cI had a full speed full frontal on the Photon, banged it down, and it was out three seconds later and I went, well, that was a bit lively. How do I feel? I\u2019m all right to go on. Yeah, I\u2019m okay to go on.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut I have at other times landed early when others haven\u2019t, just because I felt I\u2019m not really up for this today, or I\u2019ve had a nice flight, I\u2019ve gone far enough. I wasn\u2019t the same person. That that\u2019s not how I flew before the accident.\u201d<\/p>\n

His wife Sophie was with him in St Andr\u00e9 this time. \u201cShe came away and she said \u2018I love being in that group, and I now understand why you\u2019re so attached to them.\u2019 And I said yeah, and I want to be with that same group when I\u2019m in my eighties. I want to be telling tales.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_divider _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][\/et_pb_divider][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content” sticky_enabled=”0″]

Cet article a \u00e9t\u00e9 publi\u00e9 dans <\/span>Cross Country 257<\/a><\/p>[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Que feriez-vous si vous vous crashiez dans un accident de parapente\u00a0? 21 avril, 2025, par Andrew Craig Recommenceriez-vous \u00e0 voler au plus vite\u00a0? Abandonneriez-vous\u00a0? Ou reviendriez-vous prudemment et avec h\u00e9sitation\u00a0? Andrew Craig a d\u00e9cid\u00e9 de prendre cette question \u00e0 bras-le-corps et de chercher une r\u00e9ponse.   J’ai eu de la chance\u00a0; j’ai pilot\u00e9 des parapentes […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":97,"featured_media":245423,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"_joinchat":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[139],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-245420","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"\nWhat if\u2026? - Carnet de Vol<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bluehouse.fr\/JB6\/carnet-de-vol\/2025\/04\/25\/what-if\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"fr_FR\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"What if\u2026? - Carnet de Vol\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Que feriez-vous si vous vous crashiez dans un accident de parapente\u00a0? 21 avril, 2025, par Andrew Craig Recommenceriez-vous \u00e0 voler au plus vite\u00a0? Abandonneriez-vous\u00a0? Ou reviendriez-vous prudemment et avec h\u00e9sitation\u00a0? Andrew Craig a d\u00e9cid\u00e9 de prendre cette question \u00e0 bras-le-corps et de chercher une r\u00e9ponse.   J'ai eu de la chance\u00a0; j'ai pilot\u00e9 des parapentes […]\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.bluehouse.fr\/JB6\/carnet-de-vol\/2025\/04\/25\/what-if\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Carnet de Vol\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-04-25T07:52:12+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-04-25T12:40:59+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.bluehouse.fr\/JB6\/carnet-de-vol\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/comeback4-2048x1265-1.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"2048\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1265\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"webmaster\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"\u00c9crit par\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"webmaster\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Dur\u00e9e de lecture estim\u00e9e\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"24 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.bluehouse.fr\\\/JB6\\\/carnet-de-vol\\\/2025\\\/04\\\/25\\\/what-if\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.bluehouse.fr\\\/JB6\\\/carnet-de-vol\\\/2025\\\/04\\\/25\\\/what-if\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"webmaster\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.bluehouse.fr\\\/JB6\\\/carnet-de-vol\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/ce1cb0ed0131f4344401cac259e245d6\"},\"headline\":\"What if\u2026?\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-04-25T07:52:12+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-04-25T12:40:59+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.bluehouse.fr\\\/JB6\\\/carnet-de-vol\\\/2025\\\/04\\\/25\\\/what-if\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":9851,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.bluehouse.fr\\\/JB6\\\/carnet-de-vol\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.bluehouse.fr\\\/JB6\\\/carnet-de-vol\\\/2025\\\/04\\\/25\\\/what-if\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.bluehouse.fr\\\/JB6\\\/carnet-de-vol\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/04\\\/comeback4-2048x1265-1.jpg\",\"articleSection\":[\"news\"],\"inLanguage\":\"fr-FR\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.bluehouse.fr\\\/JB6\\\/carnet-de-vol\\\/2025\\\/04\\\/25\\\/what-if\\\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.bluehouse.fr\\\/JB6\\\/carnet-de-vol\\\/2025\\\/04\\\/25\\\/what-if\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.bluehouse.fr\\\/JB6\\\/carnet-de-vol\\\/2025\\\/04\\\/25\\\/what-if\\\/\",\"name\":\"What if\u2026? - Carnet de Vol\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.bluehouse.fr\\\/JB6\\\/carnet-de-vol\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.bluehouse.fr\\\/JB6\\\/carnet-de-vol\\\/2025\\\/04\\\/25\\\/what-if\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.bluehouse.fr\\\/JB6\\\/carnet-de-vol\\\/2025\\\/04\\\/25\\\/what-if\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.bluehouse.fr\\\/JB6\\\/carnet-de-vol\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/04\\\/comeback4-2048x1265-1.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-04-25T07:52:12+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-04-25T12:40:59+00:00\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.bluehouse.fr\\\/JB6\\\/carnet-de-vol\\\/2025\\\/04\\\/25\\\/what-if\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"fr-FR\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.bluehouse.fr\\\/JB6\\\/carnet-de-vol\\\/2025\\\/04\\\/25\\\/what-if\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"fr-FR\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.bluehouse.fr\\\/JB6\\\/carnet-de-vol\\\/2025\\\/04\\\/25\\\/what-if\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.bluehouse.fr\\\/JB6\\\/carnet-de-vol\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/04\\\/comeback4-2048x1265-1.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.bluehouse.fr\\\/JB6\\\/carnet-de-vol\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/04\\\/comeback4-2048x1265-1.jpg\",\"width\":2048,\"height\":1265},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.bluehouse.fr\\\/JB6\\\/carnet-de-vol\\\/2025\\\/04\\\/25\\\/what-if\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Accueil\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.bluehouse.fr\\\/JB6\\\/carnet-de-vol\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"What if\u2026?\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.bluehouse.fr\\\/JB6\\\/carnet-de-vol\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.bluehouse.fr\\\/JB6\\\/carnet-de-vol\\\/\",\"name\":\"Carnet de Vol\",\"description\":\"Carnet de Vol Parapente\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.bluehouse.fr\\\/JB6\\\/carnet-de-vol\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.bluehouse.fr\\\/JB6\\\/carnet-de-vol\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"fr-FR\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.bluehouse.fr\\\/JB6\\\/carnet-de-vol\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Carnet de Vol\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.bluehouse.fr\\\/JB6\\\/carnet-de-vol\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"fr-FR\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.bluehouse.fr\\\/JB6\\\/carnet-de-vol\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.bluehouse.fr\\\/JB6\\\/carnet-de-vol\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2023\\\/11\\\/logo.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.bluehouse.fr\\\/JB6\\\/carnet-de-vol\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2023\\\/11\\\/logo.png\",\"width\":400,\"height\":400,\"caption\":\"Carnet de Vol\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.bluehouse.fr\\\/JB6\\\/carnet-de-vol\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"}},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.bluehouse.fr\\\/JB6\\\/carnet-de-vol\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/ce1cb0ed0131f4344401cac259e245d6\",\"name\":\"webmaster\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"fr-FR\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/4b64ec4b9a4d8d09064a101cdf364c5052a135b40f524c48218d4d2d661211ff?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/4b64ec4b9a4d8d09064a101cdf364c5052a135b40f524c48218d4d2d661211ff?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/4b64ec4b9a4d8d09064a101cdf364c5052a135b40f524c48218d4d2d661211ff?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"webmaster\"},\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.bluehouse.fr\\\/JB6\\\/carnet-de-vol\\\/author\\\/webmaster\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"What if\u2026? - Carnet de Vol","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.bluehouse.fr\/JB6\/carnet-de-vol\/2025\/04\/25\/what-if\/","og_locale":"fr_FR","og_type":"article","og_title":"What if\u2026? - Carnet de Vol","og_description":"Que feriez-vous si vous vous crashiez dans un accident de parapente\u00a0? 21 avril, 2025, par Andrew Craig Recommenceriez-vous \u00e0 voler au plus vite\u00a0? Abandonneriez-vous\u00a0? Ou reviendriez-vous prudemment et avec h\u00e9sitation\u00a0? Andrew Craig a d\u00e9cid\u00e9 de prendre cette question \u00e0 bras-le-corps et de chercher une r\u00e9ponse.   J'ai eu de la chance\u00a0; j'ai pilot\u00e9 des parapentes […]","og_url":"https:\/\/www.bluehouse.fr\/JB6\/carnet-de-vol\/2025\/04\/25\/what-if\/","og_site_name":"Carnet de Vol","article_published_time":"2025-04-25T07:52:12+00:00","article_modified_time":"2025-04-25T12:40:59+00:00","og_image":[{"width":2048,"height":1265,"url":"https:\/\/www.bluehouse.fr\/JB6\/carnet-de-vol\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/comeback4-2048x1265-1.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"webmaster","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"\u00c9crit par":"webmaster","Dur\u00e9e de lecture estim\u00e9e":"24 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.bluehouse.fr\/JB6\/carnet-de-vol\/2025\/04\/25\/what-if\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.bluehouse.fr\/JB6\/carnet-de-vol\/2025\/04\/25\/what-if\/"},"author":{"name":"webmaster","@id":"https:\/\/www.bluehouse.fr\/JB6\/carnet-de-vol\/#\/schema\/person\/ce1cb0ed0131f4344401cac259e245d6"},"headline":"What if\u2026?","datePublished":"2025-04-25T07:52:12+00:00","dateModified":"2025-04-25T12:40:59+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.bluehouse.fr\/JB6\/carnet-de-vol\/2025\/04\/25\/what-if\/"},"wordCount":9851,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.bluehouse.fr\/JB6\/carnet-de-vol\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.bluehouse.fr\/JB6\/carnet-de-vol\/2025\/04\/25\/what-if\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.bluehouse.fr\/JB6\/carnet-de-vol\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/comeback4-2048x1265-1.jpg","articleSection":["news"],"inLanguage":"fr-FR","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/www.bluehouse.fr\/JB6\/carnet-de-vol\/2025\/04\/25\/what-if\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.bluehouse.fr\/JB6\/carnet-de-vol\/2025\/04\/25\/what-if\/","url":"https:\/\/www.bluehouse.fr\/JB6\/carnet-de-vol\/2025\/04\/25\/what-if\/","name":"What if\u2026? - Carnet de Vol","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.bluehouse.fr\/JB6\/carnet-de-vol\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.bluehouse.fr\/JB6\/carnet-de-vol\/2025\/04\/25\/what-if\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.bluehouse.fr\/JB6\/carnet-de-vol\/2025\/04\/25\/what-if\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.bluehouse.fr\/JB6\/carnet-de-vol\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/comeback4-2048x1265-1.jpg","datePublished":"2025-04-25T07:52:12+00:00","dateModified":"2025-04-25T12:40:59+00:00","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.bluehouse.fr\/JB6\/carnet-de-vol\/2025\/04\/25\/what-if\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"fr-FR","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.bluehouse.fr\/JB6\/carnet-de-vol\/2025\/04\/25\/what-if\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"fr-FR","@id":"https:\/\/www.bluehouse.fr\/JB6\/carnet-de-vol\/2025\/04\/25\/what-if\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.bluehouse.fr\/JB6\/carnet-de-vol\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/comeback4-2048x1265-1.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.bluehouse.fr\/JB6\/carnet-de-vol\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/comeback4-2048x1265-1.jpg","width":2048,"height":1265},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.bluehouse.fr\/JB6\/carnet-de-vol\/2025\/04\/25\/what-if\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Accueil","item":"https:\/\/www.bluehouse.fr\/JB6\/carnet-de-vol\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"What if\u2026?"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.bluehouse.fr\/JB6\/carnet-de-vol\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.bluehouse.fr\/JB6\/carnet-de-vol\/","name":"Carnet de Vol","description":"Carnet de Vol Parapente","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.bluehouse.fr\/JB6\/carnet-de-vol\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.bluehouse.fr\/JB6\/carnet-de-vol\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"fr-FR"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.bluehouse.fr\/JB6\/carnet-de-vol\/#organization","name":"Carnet de Vol","url":"https:\/\/www.bluehouse.fr\/JB6\/carnet-de-vol\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"fr-FR","@id":"https:\/\/www.bluehouse.fr\/JB6\/carnet-de-vol\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.bluehouse.fr\/JB6\/carnet-de-vol\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/logo.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.bluehouse.fr\/JB6\/carnet-de-vol\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/logo.png","width":400,"height":400,"caption":"Carnet de Vol"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.bluehouse.fr\/JB6\/carnet-de-vol\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.bluehouse.fr\/JB6\/carnet-de-vol\/#\/schema\/person\/ce1cb0ed0131f4344401cac259e245d6","name":"webmaster","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"fr-FR","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/4b64ec4b9a4d8d09064a101cdf364c5052a135b40f524c48218d4d2d661211ff?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/4b64ec4b9a4d8d09064a101cdf364c5052a135b40f524c48218d4d2d661211ff?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/4b64ec4b9a4d8d09064a101cdf364c5052a135b40f524c48218d4d2d661211ff?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"webmaster"},"url":"https:\/\/www.bluehouse.fr\/JB6\/carnet-de-vol\/author\/webmaster\/"}]}},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.bluehouse.fr\/JB6\/carnet-de-vol\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/comeback4-2048x1265-1.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bluehouse.fr\/JB6\/carnet-de-vol\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/245420","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bluehouse.fr\/JB6\/carnet-de-vol\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bluehouse.fr\/JB6\/carnet-de-vol\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bluehouse.fr\/JB6\/carnet-de-vol\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/97"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bluehouse.fr\/JB6\/carnet-de-vol\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=245420"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/www.bluehouse.fr\/JB6\/carnet-de-vol\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/245420\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":245438,"href":"https:\/\/www.bluehouse.fr\/JB6\/carnet-de-vol\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/245420\/revisions\/245438"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bluehouse.fr\/JB6\/carnet-de-vol\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/245423"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bluehouse.fr\/JB6\/carnet-de-vol\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=245420"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bluehouse.fr\/JB6\/carnet-de-vol\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=245420"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bluehouse.fr\/JB6\/carnet-de-vol\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=245420"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}