First Flight with Bob!

Today we had a videographer come to film some of our daily actives for a piece he's making for French tv. He spent some time with me during the falconry lesson, then went up to takeoff wit Scott.

After the lesson I did my usual activities, cleaning the aviaries, getting food ready for the birds, playing with Talo, and laundry.
The first flight with Kevin went well, the passengers were happy and so was he. The weather is finally how it's supposed to be, nice blue skies and sun.
We only had one flight booked for the afternoon, leaving one open. Unexpectedly, Ellie asked if I wanted to fly. I asked "what kind of a question is that?" OF COURSE I'd love to.

So we all jumped in a taxi and up to the takeoff. The videographer joined us as well, had some interviews and filmed take off.

We got a nice lift in the thermal and the experience is almost indescribable. I thought I enjoyed a regular paragliding flight, but being able to watch Bob soaring, maneuvering, and landing on my glove was unlike any experience I've ever had with a bird.

From a bird lover's point of view, watching him in a natural environment, watching how easy he can make decisions, turns, stops...the whole thing left me speechless, which is pretty hard to do. From a trainer's perspective, it's always rewarding when your birds do the behaviors you ask of them. It's the greatest satisfaction when the activity you ask is so enriching for them. Being with Bob in flight truly allowed me to appreciate what we are doing with these birds, and know that they enjoy and expect these flights perhaps even more than we do.

And here's a photo from our amazing flight...

In summary, a life changing experience as both a bird enthusiast and trainer