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Cloudbase Mayhem Podcast

Gavin McClurg

Free flight podcast hosted by Gavin McClurg

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  • 26 episodes
  • fortnightly
  • Avg 56 min
  • English

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Episodes 26

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  • Saturday · 47 min

    #284- Shackleton Aviation- Benny Abruzzo and the Balloon Flights that Changed History

    Benny Abruzzo grew up inside one of the most remarkable aviation families in history. His father, Ben Sr., built the Sandia Peak Tramway, turned Albuquerque into a ballooning capital, and then — with co-pilot Max Anderson — set out to do something that had never been done: cross the Atlantic Ocean in a helium balloon. They failed on the first try, nearly dying in 50-foot seas off the coast of Iceland with no survival suits, frostbitten and beaten. A week later, Ben Sr. said: "let's try it again."

  • October 12 · 37 min

    #283 In the Blink of an Eye with Joe Stone

    On August 10th, 2010 twenty-five-year-old Joe Stone went out to take a few laps on his speed wing, something he did nearly every day. But that day didn't go as planned. Joe woke up over a month later and nothing was, or would ever be- the same. This is Joe's incredible story of resilience, hope, inspiration and ultimately- gratitude. When your life goes upside down the little things become everything. This one isn't easy, but it will leave you with a profound awareness of what's possible, what's important, and what we all miss in the hidden joys of just being alive.

  • September 26 · 35 min

    #282 The Future of Hang Glider Design with Tim Swait

    British Hang Gliding Pilot and designer/ owner of Avian Hang Gliders Tim Swait shares his long journey from aviation enthusiast to innovator in hang gliding, discussing the evolution of the sport, technical advancements, and his groundbreaking work on the seventh generation hang glider. Discover how new designs could revolutionize performance, accessibility, and the future of free flight. Hang gliders agree that the last major evolution in the sport came with the six generation topless wing in the late 90's. That's about to change.

  • September 11 · 31 min

    #281 Risk and Reward: Mastering Extreme Environments with Thomas Lone

    Norwegian adventurer, mountaineer and pilot Thomas Lone doesn't do anything halfway. He's the youngest Norwegian to summit the Seven Summits — the highest peak on every continent — and now he's setting his sights on the 2027 Red Bull X-Alps. Meanwhile, he and his wife just welcomed their first child into the world, guide paragliding, backcountry skiing and snow kiting tours, and Thomas has quietly become one of the more formidable race-to-goal pilots on the circuit.

  • August 27 · 30 min

    #280 Breaking records and building robots: the future with Jeremy Soper

    In this episode British hang gliding pilot Jeremy Soper shares his journey from overcoming a fear of heights to becoming a record-breaking pilot and innovative robotics entrepreneur. We explore the future of AI in physical labor, using robots to weed instead of using pesticides, the thrill of extreme flying and chasing distance around the world, including a midnight flight where the date changed, a personal call-out to other hang gliding pilots who are losing the records race to paragliders, and an optimistic view of the future of AI.

  • August 12 · 33 min

    #279 The ultimate flying migration with Benjamin Kellett

    In this episode, adventurer and filmmaker Benjamin Kellett returns to the Mayhem by popular demand to share his rather awesome adventurous paragliding journeys across the Himalaya, Karakorum, and Europe in what has become an annual migration. Ben discusses the challenges of high-altitude flying, gear choices, and the evolving landscape of tandem paragliding regulations and a LOT more. Discover insights into character-building expeditions, the impact of weather phenomena like the "Super" El Nino this year, and future plans for exploration. Ben chases the aesthetic of flying better than just about anyone.

  • July 31 · 42 min

    #278: Patagonia Convergence, Acro Mastery, and the Truth about SIV with Kris Holub

    Kris Holub is one of the most versatile pilots in the American free-flight community — an accomplished acro competitor, XC pilot, and SIV/acro instructor who has spent the last four years running clinics out of Oludeniz, Turkey. Gavin sat down with Kris in person during a weather day at the US Nationals in Chelan this June to talk about his extraordinary winter season in Bariloche, Argentina, where he and his friend Marcos Rosenkjer explored one of the most underrated and unknown and seriously awesome XC destinations in the world — and capped it off with a 345km convergence flight into the Patagonian desert.

  • July 16 · 1 hr 16 min

    #277 Mastering the Skies with Chandler Papas

    In this episode I sit down for a super fun chat with longtime instructor and one of the coolest cats around, Chandler Papas, the owner of Desert Wind Paragliding. Chandler shares his life-long journey into paragliding, the importance of good instruction, risk management, and cultivating gratitude for a safer and more fulfilling flying experience.

  • July 1 · 1 hr 11 min

    #276 Hang Gliding Unveiled: Safety, Gear, and Growth Strategies with Erika Klein

    Veteran Hang Gliding pilot Erika Klein shares her journey into the sport, the unique aspects of dune flying, and insights on safety, gear, and growing the sport. This episode offers valuable tips for beginners and enthusiasts alike- and if you haven't hang glided will get you very keen to go prone!

  • June 19 · 1 hr 25 min

    #275 Hike and Fly Racing, Supporting, and Having One with Ben Hodgson

    South African pilot and veteran sailor Ben Hodgson has been competing in some of the most well-known and intense hike and fly races around the world for a decade, beginning with the XBerg in 2017 and then advancing to the Bornes to Fly, X-Pyr and many others. Last year he was the main supporter for the wunderkid rookie Gabe Jansen in the Red Bull X-Alps after they met competing in a hike and fly race in Brazil.

  • June 5 · 57 min

    #274- Breaking Barriers: Fatemeh Eftekhari’s journey as Iran’s “Queen of the Skies” and the Power of Aviation

    Have you ever imagined a woman soaring through the skies at 6,000+ meters, shattering the proverbial glass ceiling in a country where female pilots are a rare sight? Today, we delve into the remarkable story of Fatemeh Eftekhari, Iran’s first female pilot and a trailblazer for women in aviation and extreme sports. Her journey is not just about flying; it's about defying societal norms, pushing boundaries, and inspiring a new generation of women to chase their dreams no matter the obstacles. In a time of enormous geopolitical tensions and societal restrictions, Fatemeh's story offers a breath of fresh air—an inspiring example of resilience, courage, and relentless pursuit of passion.

  • April 25 · 47 min

    #271 Why the Sports Racing Class (SRS) is taking the Paragliding world by storm with Brett Janaway

    In this conversation Brett Janaway discusses the evolution of this exciting new take on paragliding competitions, the structure and scoring of the SRS, and the unique vibe that sets it apart from traditional events. Brett shares insights into the challenges and successes of organizing competitions, the importance of community, and the non-profit nature of the SRS, which aims to enhance the sport while providing a fun and competitive environment for pilots. We discuss the evolution of sports wings in paragliding, the impact of new safety regulations, and the balance between safety and competitiveness in the sport.

  • April 10 · 58 min

    #270 From the Czech Mountains to Kenyan Volcanoes: Jakub Rott’s Flying Journey

    Join us as Czech pilot and last year's Czech hike and fly national champion Jakub Rott shares his journey through paragliding, speed flying, skydiving and hike and fly competitions across the globe. Discover insights on safety, training, and the joy of flying in diverse terrain, along with some fantastic tips for aspiring pilots.

  • March 30 · 1 hr 3 min

    #269 Navigating Doubts with Violeta Jimenez

    Violeta Jiminez has become one of the most elite competition paragliders in the world in a relatively short period of time. Her first World Cup was only 5 years ago in Aksaray, Turkey flying a Zeno. Last year she was on the podium in the OVERALL, again in Turkey, this time in Çameli. But it's been anything but easy. Violeta came to flying from a background in ballet and ultra running and as Will Gadd says, coming to flying from non-gravity sports can be not just challenging but risky. In the early years Violeta's desire was well ahead of her skills and she had a number of incidents and accidents, and one particularly violent accident that required a long mental and physical rehab.

  • March 13 · 1 hr 11 min

    #268 Control Theory, Winning a PWC, and behind the scenes of X-Alps madness with Estefano Salgado

    This episode features one of Valle De Bravo's most loved and successful pilots, Estefano Salgado. Estefano is a world-class trained chef who supported the Fra 4 team of Tanguy Renoud-Goud in the 2025 Red Bull X-Alps, is one of (maybe the only?) North American pilots to win a World Cup in recent history, is an elite instructor/guide for ParaglidingGuides.com and is a wicked story-teller! In this episode Estefano discusses his experiences in competitive paragliding, putting control theory into use, team management, and the importance of training and mentorship in the sport.

  • February 27 · 58 min

    #267 Bivvy and Adventure Flying by HANG GLIDER with Emi Carvalho

    Portuguese pilot Emi Carvalho got into hang gliding over a decade ago. Now living in Switzerland Emi is fully bi-wingual, and has instructed both hang gliding and paragliding. His passion these days is bivvy flying and depending on the weather will pick the kit that fits the mission, but more often than not the kit that fits the bill to have more fun is a short-pack hang glider. It's a bit heavier (similar to a light-weight paragliding tandem set up) and a bit more bulky, but you get to fly prone! In this fun talk Emi shares his expertise with short pack hang gliders, their development, and their application in adventure flying and bivvy trips.

  • February 13 · 52 min

    #266 Serena Ronchi and the Comeback

    In this moving conversation, Serena shares her inspiring journey of recovery after a life-changing paragliding accident and her incredible ascension once again to the top of XContest in the Sport class this year. She discusses the challenges she faced during rehabilitation, her mental battles with fear, and the strategies she employed to regain her confidence in flying. Throughout the discussion, she emphasizes the importance of addressing fear and finding joy in flying, while also contemplating the lessons learned from her accident.

  • January 29 · 1 hr

    #265 – 8 years of Tandem bivvy’s with Dad across the entire Alps to Solo big air adventures at 16 with Martin Rejmanek

    Martin Rejmanek and his father Honza, a veteran 5-time Red Bull X-Alps competitor completed the full length of the 2003 Red Bull X-Alps course from the Dachstein to Monaco by tandem bivvy using only their wing and their feet this last year. Father and son completed the amazing journey in different segments over the course of eight summers, starting when Martin was just 8 years old. Martin is now seventeen and graduated to flying solo last year, taking on the full breadth of cross country flying, SIV training and becoming a completely independent pilot. He's flown solo from Annecy to Chamonix over the Aravis chain. He's flown at over 17,000 feet over Mt Whitney in the Sierras. Inspiring to say the least.

Showing 1–20 of 26 episodes