I think, at the end of the day, it really doesn't matter, because what we want is simply to have great flights, safe landings, and have fun with the whole thing. And I think it would be cool if we could really let all that go and just support each other more, because there are so many great, experienced pilots out there, experienced pros, who could really step up a bit and lend a hand. I think that would be brilliant, because then we would really have better flights, safer flights, and we'd all have even more fun with the whole thing here.
Podz-Glidz, the Lu-Glidz podcast.
Stories from the cosmos of paragliding.
Today with
Beate Schlaps and
Lucian Haas at the microphone.
Over the past few months, I've received requests and inquiries from various Podz-Glidz listeners asking if I could occasionally have completely normal paragliders speak in the podcast. This naturally raises the question of what that actually means. A normal pilot? I'll interpret that as a person who has experiences and gains experience while flying without major performance ambitions, which many others could also report on in a very similar way. From this perspective, Beate Schlaps certainly falls into the category of a completely normal pilot, even with the following story. Last year, while flying in the Swabian Alb, Beate had an unpleasant experience with consequences.
Physically, she remained unharmed, but she wasn't free in her head afterward. From then on, she felt insecure while flying, somehow blocked. She even seriously considered quitting flying because of it. And honestly, who hasn't heard of similar cases from themselves or from a flying environment? In this episode 76 of Podz-Glidz, Beate Schlaps tells us, among other things, about what she did because of that. However, the way she cleared the block again isn't quite so normal. She did hypnosis therapy and has been flying more freely than ever since. And that's saying something, because Beate learned paragliding 30 years ago and has gathered a lot of experience in that time. So we also talk about how she lost her passion for flying years ago and how she managed to get back into it more than a decade and a half later.
If you enjoy this podcast, please support my work as a patron. You can find out how easy it is on the website of my blog Looglights, specifically on the "Support" page. By the way, Looglights has recently been updated with a new, refreshed layout. Do check out the website again.
Beate, can you still remember your first glider?
My very first glider? That was from the brand Edel. It was a Space, a bright green Space it was.
Is it like your first car? Yes. That you look back at such a first glider and say, yeah, that was a glider?
Yes, absolutely, absolutely, because they obviously had different performance back then and you already cherished and took care of it somewhere. And it was already a highlight to be out with a paraglider back then and to have that first glider when I was still quite young, when I started taking care of it. And that was already something special, absolutely.
Now tell me, how young were you then and when was that exactly?
So I started paragliding one day after my 18th birthday.
Oh wow. And what year was that?
That was back in 1992.
So it's been 30 years already. Yes. A 30-year paragliding story. How did you get into paragliding as a young woman back then? There were even fewer women in the paragliding scene back then than there are today.
Yes, absolutely. So, I usually went on vacation with my parents, and when I was 17, they did a tour of Germany. And that was the moment for me where I decided, hey, that was the last time with my parents, next year I'm 18, so I'm going on my own. And I'd looked around a bit to see what I could do. Because I was still in my apprenticeship back then, didn't have much time, and of course, my options were limited financially as well. And then I saw this tiny little picture in the newspaper, and there was a paraglider shown. It was here near me, not far away. It was the Eltschein, and I thought, hey, how cool would it be to fly down the mountain with a glider like that. And I signed up there at the time, here on the Swabian Alb, and did this course for a week and just loved it.
Awesome, just awesome. And then I decided that I wanted to keep going.
How did your friends see it back then? Were you like the badass among them?
Yeah, yeah, sort of, in a way. And I think everyone thought, oh yeah, that's just a temporary thing and it'll go away. But when I really started buying the gear and was out a lot on the weekends... I lived at home at the beginning, for example, with my parents. If I was home on the weekend, they'd be like, "Oh, but the boarder is here for once," or they'd ask me if I was sick because I was home on the weekend. For example, because I was really out a lot in those early days. That
means, went flying every weekend?
Pretty much, yes.
Did you have friends of the same age who also flew, or who did you go flying with back then?
Well, I was lucky enough to meet a friend in the flight school back then. She was my age. We got along great and we did our A-license together and then went flying together. And through a club we joined back then, I met other people and went flying with them too. On weekends, or rather, we did a lot of club trips, and I was already out there a lot.
Were you really sportingly ambitious back then? Like, did you say, "Ah, I want to do cross-country flying and stuff," or was it really just about getting into the air and feeling that freedom?
Just getting into the air and feeling that freedom. I mean, cross-country flying back then wasn't really a thing for the average pilot like it is today. Back then, you were really looking at the pros—people like Burkhard Martens or Achim Joos, they were the ones out there doing it big. And of course, they were the idols somewhere, but for us, it was a bit more about just getting into the air, flying, and having fun with the whole thing.
In which region was that? I mean, where did you always go flying?
It was mainly in the Allgäu or Vorarlberg region—Andelsbuch, Betzau, or other places in the Allgäu. Also the Tannheim Valley, Breitenberg, Reute, Lechtal. Basically, what you could say is reachable in about two to three hours for a weekend trip.
That was 30 years ago. Was your flying career a continuous one? Can you say, hey, you can really fly? Can you congratulate yourself on 30 years of paragliding?
No, absolutely not. I flew really intensively for ten years, and then at some point, the passion was just gone. There were other interests, and I sold everything and took a 15-year break. But it never completely let me go. So, if I was somewhere in the mountains or something and someone was paragliding, or I was standing at the launch site, I enjoyed watching and maybe briefly adjusted the glider or opened the leading edge again. Stories like that. And then, about two and a half years ago, I couldn't get it out of my head anymore. It was always in my head, constantly nagging at me. Then I thought, okay, I'm really going to see if I want to start again, and I did a refresher course at my trusted flight school, just to test it out. I did a tandem flight, and that's when I really decided: I want to fly again.
The passion was back. Before we talk about flying today, I'd like to look back again, specifically to that moment where you say the passion was actually gone. Because I believe many paragliders who are so passionate always say that this passion for flying never really goes away. Once you've been in the air, you always have it. Why did you lose it?
I don't know if... Well, at that time I was also living in Australia and I moved from Sydney to Perth. And in Perth, at that time, there weren't really any super great flying spots, I have to say. That's a bit different now. And on the other hand.
It was a gradual process. I mean, it wasn't like I woke up one day and realized, "That's it, I'm done," but it was more of a slow shift where I just noticed my interests had changed a bit. I just didn't get that same fun or that same passion for flying anymore; it just didn't give me the same sense of fulfillment it used to.
You say you lived in Australia back then, but did you also fly a lot within Australia itself before you gave it up?
Absolutely, yes. So I lived in Sydney for three years and I really flew a lot there. Whether it was along the coast, where there's a great flying area, or also inland. Manila is also relatively well-known, even among cross-country flight pilots. And we really often flew from Sydney to Manila on the weekends and then flew around there as well. Or in the Blue Mountains, there are also great flying areas. I was really active there too and flew a lot there.
I want to empathize a bit more with this story about the passion fading away. What does that feel like, when you lose that passion? Did it make you feel sad too?
Absolutely, absolutely. Because flying gave me so much. It's not just the airtime, where you're actually in the air, but it's also this, I'd say, this social aspect. Somewhere you're out with like-minded people. You can build expertise. You have a great time. And for me, it was really such a gradual process over a year until I eventually realized: it just doesn't excite me anymore. For whatever reason. And I was so sorry about it, and I really felt like something was missing. And I looked for a long time for something comparable—after I stopped, I looked for something comparable. But I didn't really find anything that could truly fill that spot. Something I liked. And that gave the same feeling as flying.
And yet, for me, it was clear: hey, no, I don't want to fly anymore, but at the moment, it's just not happening.
Did you actually make the decision back then to say, I'm making a cut, I'm selling my gear too, or was it still lying around somewhere unused?
No, I really did make a cut then. I really sold all the equipment, everything. Kept nothing. What I did keep were those T-shirts from that time. That was the only remnant I kept. But otherwise, all the other stuff—the vario, helmet, paraglider, harness, rescue device, everything sold. And I sold it in Australia back then and really made a hard cut.
You just said you haven't found anything since that gave you what flying gave you. So, what does flying give you? I mean...
Nowadays, I have to say, I just find that feeling of freedom in the air. For me, this feeling of freedom in general—I have to feel it, it's a totally important thing. And when you fly, you can satisfy this need so, so well. And I haven't found any alternative anywhere that gives me that feeling of freedom again. The social aspect, you can find that in many other things you can pursue. But this feeling of freedom and also, let's say, this, this other perspective on the world. I just love being completely amazed at the world when I'm flying, for example, and being free like a bird and being able to fly wherever I actually want to go. And I haven't found that in anything else, this freedom, this substitute for the feeling of freedom.
Do you always experience flying as freedom, or is it also sometimes—it's often the case, pilots are in a way trapped by their aviation hobby. You always have to watch, and then you go to the launch site and sit there for ages until the conditions are right or something, or you realize, no, the weather isn't that good today. And that part isn't actually freedom, it's being trapped. Do you ever experience it like that too?
Yes, absolutely, absolutely. But I try to look at the whole thing positively and I'm just happy when I have time to go out, and I also find it nice to just be out in nature and enjoy the view from the launch site, maybe chatting about technical stuff with others. If a flight happens then, great, that's like the icing on the cake. And I think you just have to say, okay, today the flying conditions just aren't that good, so today we'll do something else. But I actually enjoy it when I'm really out there in nature, and if it turns into flying, that's awesome. And often it's the case that other like-minded people are also on the mountain, and then, even if you're just chatting, just talking shop with like-minded people, that's also already awesome because it's just something different from everyday life.
And that gives you a nice feeling, or I find it a pleasant experience, even if you're just sitting somewhere in the mountains for half a day or a day and, for whatever reason, you don't get to fly. I don't mind at all; I just enjoy it as it is, I take it as it comes.
After that long break you had, when and how did that desire to fly actually start to resurface so strongly again?
It surprised me too. It happened suddenly, but it was almost like a creeping process where it kept coming back to me, even though it hadn't been a topic for me at all before—for years, in fact. And somehow, I couldn't get it out of my head; it kept circling in my mind, and if something came on TV, I'd like to watch it, or see a report in the newspaper or something. And at some point, I thought, just try it again, especially with a refresher course—they last three or four days here—and I actually did it just to see what the feeling was like. Can I still do it? What does it feel like? Do I enjoy it? Do I want to do this again?
And I had so much fun, and the performance of the glider has of course changed significantly compared to before. And I then decided, I really want to do paragliding again. I consciously decided that I want an extraordinary life, and right now, in this moment, doing paragliding is just part of that for me.
Were those first flights you just did, did they feel like the very first flights again, like that first takeoff, where you get those endorphin rushes and all that? Was it a different feeling coming home this time?
No, I think it really was like the very first flights, when you leave the ground for a bit longer, a bit higher for the first time, and it was something extraordinary, where I also noticed that I was at the same flight school where I got my A-license back then, and that the performance of the gliders is completely different than before, that you've flown much further now. We basically flew over the landing field we used to use, we flew past it now, and actually flew double the distance until we eventually landed. And that was really such a wow, because there was so much time in between to enjoy the view, to enjoy the flight, and it was such an incredible feeling. It was really like starting over from scratch somewhere.
Was the flight instructor still the same at the flight school?
There actually was one, there was still a flight instructor at the flight school there whom I also knew from back then. And
Did he still know you? He said, Beate, you were with us about 20 years ago or something.
Yes, they still knew me, and they also knew my friend I used to work with back then, who quit nursing a long time ago. And yeah, it was really funny when I showed up again, because it was a bit like old times, you could say. They still knew me, I still knew them, so it was totally great.
Your girlfriend, you said, she quit—does she not want to start again now that you're flying again? Like, is she saying, "Hey, that's going to get me involved too"?
No, no, well, we did talk about it, but for her, it's absolutely not an issue at all anymore; she doesn't want to start again.
What year was it, actually, when you started again?
That was in 2019. That
So, you stopped in 2003 and started again in 2019. That's a 16-year break. How much of the, how should I put it, muscle memory—how much of those memories were still in your muscles, where you'd say, "Actually, that worked on the first launch," or was it difficult to get back into it?
No, I also asked myself whether it would still work or not, but surprisingly, I could just pick up right where I left off. Especially that takeoff process, for example. That was still there; it's a bit different today than it used to be—back then you'd run into the gliders much more—but the process of taking off or even this preparation here, that was all still in my body. Or even just the flying itself, this centering. Centering in thermals, I was able to get back into that really quickly or relatively directly from where I had stopped. And I thought that was a great thing, that I didn't have to start from scratch somewhere.
Well, you're significantly older today than you were back then. Has your overall way of flying or your approach to flying changed in some way, such that you'd say people fly differently in their more mature years compared to when they're young?
Yes, well, I remember when I first started flying, I thought, hey, I'm not going to get off the mountain because my glider isn't opening, and I have a rescue device with me and I'm wearing a helmet. What could possibly happen, in that sense? I was 18 or 19 back then, so you're traveling around relatively young and naive, and now of course I'm different because you've gained your experience over time. You see things with other people and you're already, I want to put it this way, moving around with more respect. So the story is different now and it's not like that anymore; I take it more relaxed now and I enjoy flying more. Before, it was more like, hey, I want to fly thermals now or I want to do this or that. Or at least fly for an hour, stories like that. And now I enjoy it more, I just enjoy the moment.
Did you experience any significant setbacks yourself during your flying years?
Not really in the first flight phase. I had a setback, for example, when I started again here last year. But in the first flight phase, there weren't any real setbacks.
What was the setback you're talking about, where you said you had one last year?
So, for example, I had an experience where I was flying at a site that doesn't have a mountain lift, and I landed at the bottom a few times, and it's always a bit of a hassle to figure out how to get back up to the launch site. And then at some point I decided, I'll just try landing at the top at the launch site, which was an official top landing area, and I watched others do it. I looked at the meadow, a very large meadow, and watched how the others got in, how they did it? And then in the spring of last year, I made the decision, like, okay, now I'm going to try top landing too.
What I... well, I made a mistake, something I didn't consider at all. It was a thermally quite active day, and this large top-landing meadow is located right at the edge of the slope, and it was constantly getting caught in the lift. So, when I started my final approach, I had good altitude and thought, that'll last forever, great, everything's perfect. And then I got one lift after another, pulling up along the edge of the slope, and I couldn't get down. At some point, it hit me like a bolt from the blue: I don't know what to do anymore. I have no options left, but I have to react within seconds, otherwise I'll be stuck in the trees immediately because the landing meadow is ending. I couldn't turn into the valley because I was already too low for that, otherwise I would have gotten hung up in the trees for way too long; going straight ahead wasn't an option either, otherwise I'd land in the trees.
The altitude was already too high, I knew that, and I couldn't turn to the other side either, otherwise I would have hit the rotor. And that realization, which really took a huge emotional toll on me and hit me like a bolt from the blue—hey, I don't know what to do anymore and I have to decide within seconds—that story stayed with me for quite a long time. So, I did have to struggle with that for a while.
But was it really a state of paralysis that you fell into while in the air? Like, did you just stop knowing what to do and fly straight into the trees, or what happened?
No, well, in that moment, I flew some light S-turns to lose altitude and everything went well, everything was fine, I landed safely. But it really stayed with me, it really stuck with me. So, thank God, I didn't somehow fall into a trance or a block or anything like that in that moment and I landed well, everything was fine.
But was that always on your mind during subsequent flights, or what?
Yes, yes, so on subsequent flights, whenever I was in the air, it was always in the back of my mind: what if something happens again where I don't know what to do? And I just couldn't get it out of my head somehow, and as soon as I was in the air, that thought was always there—what if something happens again where I just don't know what to do? And I felt... I realized I didn't want to fly anymore. And I also felt magically drawn to the landing fields and really had to force myself to go flying, and not directly to the landing field, but like, just fly around for half an hour or an hour or something, like my buddies do, just fly a bit of thermals. But that was really, really an effort for me, and I also asked myself: do I want to keep flying or not, and is the whole thing worth the risk somewhere?
How close were you to giving up again?
I was pretty close, I mean it was really down to the wire, a real decision of whether I'd keep going or not, and I thought to myself, I want an extraordinary life and I just want to keep paragliding, and I have to do that somewhere, that was my goal, it was clearly defined, I want to keep paragliding because it gives me so much. I want that now, because of the story, I don't want to give it up.
How did your circle actually take it? Did you talk to them about it too? And did they have understanding for something like that, or is it like I know too, many paragliders have some negative experiences at some point, but you maybe don't really dare to talk about it because everyone is always telling such great stories about their flights, while you yourself just felt like shit. I'm not going to go into detail about that in front of the group right now, but we're talking about it now. So how did you handle that, or how did you handle it together with the others?
I have to say, it took me a while to admit it to myself first. Everyone is a topic I have to deal with. And then I started telling my best flying buddies, and I'm really honored to have such sensational flying buddies who were very supportive of me. And then, when I went on a flight school trip once, I just talked to the flight instructor, and when you talk to other people like that, it turns out that quite a few people feel really similarly or also have fears in the air or are in similar situations somewhere. But it's not talked about. I find that a bit of a shame. And after I brought up the topic on various occasions and talked to different people, they also said that they sometimes feel similarly or that there were moments, situations, where they didn't feel quite as comfortable.
How did you handle that, or how did things progress with that story? Were those conversations with the others so liberating for you that you could say, "That's settled, and I'm back to flying"?
The conversations, they were liberating, they were, in some way, they helped me. I also got some really great tips, for example, flying more during off-peak hours, but I also started just looking for a solution. And I took in everything possible, whenever I caught something in the media or anything about anxiety blocks or something like that, how to solve it, I watched it, looked into it. And a real game-changer for me was your podcast with Manuel Nübel, the Nübeltäter. I have to say, that was a great story, I listened to it during that process. And I am totally grateful to you and Manuel for mentioning the name of this hypnosis doctor, Dr. Marco Ramadani, who helped Manuel on one hand, but also helped many other pilots who had negative experiences at some point.
And when I heard that, I just looked into it, did some research, checked out Marco's website, and just thought, I'll give it a try. What do I have to lose? I basically have everything to gain. And I really followed through, contacted Marco, and basically had Marco hypnotize me, and I've been traveling completely free ever since and the issue is settled for me. Super great. That
So, was that a single hypnosis therapy session and that set you free, or were there several?
Basically, it was one session. So you have a preliminary talk with Marco where you just get to know each other, where he explains the process, and where I basically described what my issue is, what happened, and what has been bothering me ever since. Based on that, Marco then builds the hypnosis, which takes place a week later, lasts for half an hour, and it really was just a single hypnosis session. You are completely conscious, and after that, the issue was settled. So, since I've been out there, I don't have that thought I had before at all; instead, the thought comes up, "Hey, I have complete confidence in my abilities." And I've been flying much more freely since then—not naive or wide-eyed, I still have respect for the elements, but I'm moving around much more freely and I can enjoy it again.
When you say you were fully conscious, what actually happened during that half-hour hypnosis session? What did Marco tell you, or do you talk to him, or do you just listen to some nice music or how does that work?
Basically, you can imagine it a bit like a guided imagery session in meditation. So Marco does a hypnosis session for about half an hour, and during that time, only Marco is speaking.
You're completely conscious; you can sit or lie down, keep your eyes closed, and basically just listen to Marco's voice. And because of the way he tells this story—or this guided imagery, I'll call it—through the tone he uses, the words he chooses, and even the sentences he sometimes leaves open for your brain to complete on its own, he brings the brain into a certain operating state. So, if you're doing sports or relaxing, for example, your brain is in a different operating state, and Marco uses the words he chooses, that tone, and even his speed, for instance, the way he speaks, to utilize these different operating states. He brings you—or rather, your brain—incredibly quickly into a certain operating state where he can essentially influence it and positively affect things so that this blockage dissolves.
And he also says that if you have images—so if you have images during the whole story, that's great—but if you don't have images, it's just as good. So, in principle, you shouldn't force anything; just listen to Marco's voice and he does the rest. I'm totally thrilled because it's a session that only takes half an hour somewhere, no follow-up sessions anywhere, you're completely conscious, and the result is incredible. It's unbelievably good. I'm mega thrilled. It
In that half hour, when he takes you on a dream journey or something like that, does that situation you probably described to him—the one that led to it—is that even part of the story? Or does it have nothing to do with it at all, and he just takes you somewhere completely different, yet it still has that effect?
No, this topic doesn't come up at all; instead, he leads you completely somewhere else, basically to the opposite here, and he actually reinforces the positive attributes. For example, in my case, it was about birds that fly and are very experienced, and are high up, safe, and fully supported. I thought that could be very well translated to paragliding, but it had nothing to do with the negative experience as such, in the sense of going into that negative experience; rather, it was about the flight of birds in a very positive way.
Do you get something like that at the end or as part of the session? Like a kind of mantra or a mental training sentence where you say, if you're in a stressful situation, just think this to put yourself back into that state? So, do you also get additional, how should I put it, tools like that?
Not during the hypnosis itself. I mean, sometimes if I notice I'm getting a bit tense, maybe because it's turbulent in the air or whatever, I use a mantra for myself. A mantra like, I can do this, I can do this, I can do this. And that's a mantra where I try to stay in a good headspace while I'm flying—that I feel comfortable, that I feel safe—and I also pay very close attention to my thoughts, what's going through my head at that moment. I don't say, oh, I hope I don't have a failed takeoff, but instead, hey, no, I can do this, I'm going to have a good takeoff now. But you don't get a mantra during the hypnosis itself, although Marco often said that the birds are safe and secure at all times. That's sort of something I've taken away for myself.
I often tell myself that too when I'm flying. Hey, I'm safe and secure at all times, or I tell myself, hey, I have complete trust in my abilities and I can do this, I've got this.
Now you said you're flying completely free again. Is this feeling of flying you have today, because of this liberation, perhaps even different and bigger than it was even before you had that incident?
Absolutely, absolutely. Yes, so I'm much more free, much more relaxed in the air now. And I mean, one positive side effect of the hypnosis, for example, is simply that I was or had been relatively dissatisfied with my harness for a long time. I was of the opinion, hey, there has to be something more comfortable out there, but I hadn't found anything until now. And since the hypnosis, I find my harness super, super comfortable and I feel totally comfortable with my harness. And the topic of a new harness is completely off the table.
That means, in the end, something like that is only in your head. You talk yourself into it—so the discomfort you have from whatever it may be, you transfer it and say, yeah, the harness is stupid, it's pressing on this spot or something.
Exactly, exactly. I found it somehow uncomfortable in my back and thought there had to be something else out there. And now, thanks to the hypnosis, I'm saying, great, I'm super happy with my harness and I don't want anything else at all. And Marco told me that in the presentation too. So you have a pre-talk where many people report that they somehow feel more secure in the harness afterwards, more comfortable, better in the harness, as if they were buckled in tighter, even though that's obviously not the case. But that's apparently a positive side effect for very many people.
Amazing, you could almost just go out and say, oh people, if you're not getting along with your harness, before you invest 1,000 euros in a new one, maybe invest in... what does a hypnosis session even cost?
So you have a preliminary consultation, which is about 90 euros, and the hypnosis session is about 150 euros. So it actually stays really within limits. I mean...
so it's clearly cheaper, at least for a new harness. And if you can then also fly up and keep flying once you're released, that's of course great.
I'm going to push you a bit here, because in a previous conversation or in an email where we exchanged some thoughts, you also said that you almost fly your flight buddies too well, so to speak. You fly around their noses and sometimes they might not like it at all. Is that really true? I mean, have you actually had experiences like that?
So I've had experiences where I think the men are a bit more competitive than the women, for example. Sure, for the men here, it's a bit about honor. So when they meet, it's first and foremost about higher, faster, further, and who has the bigger glider. And when women or something like that meet, it's actually more about compliments and hey, you're flying along too. But I think at the end of the day, it really doesn't matter, because what we want is simply to have great flights, safe landings, and have fun with the whole thing. And I think it would be cool if we could really leave all that aside and just support each other more, because there are so many great, experienced pilots out there, experienced cracks,
...step up a bit, lend a helping hand, I think that would be absolutely brilliant, because then we would really have better flights, safer flights, and we would all have even more fun with the whole thing. And that's what I'd like to see a bit more of.
That's the positive side. I still want to poke at it a bit, though, because I always find those kinds of stories interesting. If you've now flown so much better, were there really situations where you noticed, "Ah, I'm not the little angel anymore." The anxious Beate that the others saw as, "Ah, we have to look after her, men love doing that, we have to take the women under our wing, at least when flying in that spot," but suddenly you were the one who went to the launch site with courage again, spun up quickly, and was maybe higher than the others and all that? So, did you notice that all of a sudden the men had to compete with you and couldn't just take you under their wing anymore?
Yeah, you can notice that a bit with the younger ones or something like that. I have the impression that, tendentially... the older ones are a bit more relaxed in that regard, but the younger ones are a bit more competitive, and for them, it's sometimes a bit difficult when the women are, let's say, a bit higher. Sure, I'm also lighter than the big guys, for example, here alone, if you look at it and you notice that the guys might not like it quite as much when you've flown over them or something. Sometimes, comments come up.
What kind of comments, for example?
Now you were higher again or you waved at me from above again, stories like that, or oh, it's nice that you're also making it to the landing field here, or you're flying around the guys' ears again, stories like that come up sometimes.
That's not something women would say to each other, would you say? No, no. They'd just say, "Wow, you were great up there," or something—really just the positive stuff. Exactly, exactly. And the man feels belittled because he landed first and you're arriving a bit later.
Exactly, exactly. So, I had a story for example last year where I flew along the edge of the flight area a bit, and I saw another pilot out there too. We were flying relatively offset, but we always had each other in sight and were flying together for a bit at some point. I landed first, and the other pilot landed in second place, and then it turned out, hey, it's also a young girl—so there was some real women's power out there. And we just cheered for each other, like, hey, great, cool job here, and it was such a great story, somewhere where we gave each other that positive boost and motivation.
Are there many women out there in the region? You fly a lot in the Swabian Alb—are there many women out there, or is there also a very, very large male majority, let's say, the usual 90 percent men, 10 percent women, which we so often see at the paragliding station?
Yes, there are quite a few women, though I don't know the exact distribution. I'd say maybe 70-30, roughly, but there is definitely a male majority; you can really tell.
And does that also determine the atmosphere at the launch sites?
I have to say, I really enjoy flying in one particular flight area, and it's truly very relaxed and familiar there. Everyone supports each other, and it really doesn't matter who flies longer or higher or what. The atmosphere is always very laid-back, a very nice vibe. There's a second flight area, which is unfortunately relatively full, and I find the atmosphere there a bit more tense, simply because there are quite a few pilots and you really have to stand in line and wait until it's your turn, so to speak.
Did you also have significantly more stress back in the day at launch sites that were so full, and are you now much more self-confident—after your hypnosis therapy, I mean, it was just one session—that you say you feel as free there as you do in the air? Do you feel really free at the launch site now and say, "Nobody can tell me anything here"?
Yes, absolutely. It used to be that if you knew there were ten people in line waiting for you to clear the spot, you'd feel—or I'd feel—a bit of pressure, like you had to deliver. But since the hypnosis session, I've been much more relaxed and a lot freer. I don't put that pressure on myself anymore and just say, it'll take as long as it takes.
Does that only show up when you're flying, or have you noticed this mental switch? You feel this freedom so clearly when you're flying now—has that also transferred to other areas of your life, maybe?
I'd say mainly while flying, actually.
Okay. But maybe you come home from flying happier now and can handle other things... everyday things, the hardships of everyday life, Corona, and all that, better and say, "Ha, but in the air, I was free, I felt good."
That could be true. So it's probably quite possible that it's unconsciously influencing things in everyday life, at, let's say, work or something like that, somewhere. That's very possible.
Were there other people in your club who, I mean, even before, talked about these fears or something, where other people then said, hey, give me that name of this hypnosis doctor too, or I'll look somewhere else, where... Yeah, in any case, hypnosis interests me, that someone else basically followed your example.
So, a few people asked me for the name. I passed it along. I don't know, or we haven't talked about it in the newspaper lately, whether they actually followed that example. But because hypnosis is usually so negatively charged—through the media, I think—many people have now gained a different perspective on it when they hear about my experience. Yes, that's true. And it really surprised me, like, wow, hypnosis is interesting, because it went completely differently for me than what you classically know from the media, and their perspective on it changed, and people then said, oh yeah, interesting, I'll look into it, give me the contact details.
To what extent did this hypnosis therapy—or your mental liberation, as it were—also change your perception of flying? I mean,
I'm definitely approaching things differently now, more relaxed. I still have, let's say, respect for the elements of nature, but I do dare myself more now to fly somewhere or to fly off a mountain. So, it hasn't just changed my idea of flying, but also, let's say, it makes me think, hey, you can handle almost anything in life. There's always a solution somewhere. So, regarding this topic, I didn't think I'd find a solution now, because there are also those who say, hey, if you're afraid of flying, then you shouldn't fly. But I don't see it that way. For me, the goal was very clear: hey, I want to fly again, so I have to find something. I need a strategy somewhere that leads me to the goal, and as long as the strategy doesn't lead me to the goal, I simply have to adjust my strategy.
And that's something I've actually integrated into my everyday life a bit, in the sense that if you really want something, it's possible. You'll find a solution somewhere.
And did you land perfectly again at your launch site?
No, honestly not yet, but I intend to, I'm going to do it again after all.
It'll probably be quite easy then, you'll be like, what was I doing back then? Such nonsense.
Exactly, exactly, yeah, so that's for sure. I also thought, where it was, where it happened, that the best thing would be to get right back on the horse. And best of all, to go flying again right away.
And what was okay, but I realized then that this block was just there. I haven't been in a flight area since then, I haven't had a top landing. But that's definitely on my list of things I want to do again.
Now that you're flying so freely—or even more freely—what are your next big goals and maybe the areas you still have left to explore?
So, cross-country flying. I'd like to do some cross-country flying here. I'd like to, let's say, get into it or get a bit more into it here. That's just a goal of mine. At the moment, I still have a bit of respect for flying away from this familiar flight area. And I think it would be cool, somehow, if someone out there said, hey, I know my way around here well. I'll take you along now or something. I know where the landmarks are here. And that's a goal of mine. I'll leave competition flying to those who want to do it. But I'd really like to do cross-country flying.
That means, with this freedom you have from within, it'll probably even work out. And then the guys in your club or at the launch sites will have to warm up a bit and wonder, "Can we still keep up with the old man?"
Yes, that would be funny.
Alright, Bärte. Thank you for your story. I think some people might be able to take something from that, because this topic of the fear block—or it doesn't have to be a complete block, but really these themes of, you always have these little issues at the launch site, like I'm being watched by everyone else or something, I don't dare. And if I launch alone, I launch well, but if five people are watching, I'm always nervous or something. And if you can maybe really achieve some mental freedom through that and just free yourself from it, that's something every pilot can only wish for, because then you probably enjoy flying much more. Absolutely. Thank you for this story. Maybe some people can take that as inspiration too.
Thank you very much for the invitation.
You're very welcome.
Thank you.
Thank you very much.
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