Mapagama Menghidupkan Kembali Paralayang di Kampus UGM
Mapagama Menghidupkan Kembali Paralayang di Kampus UGM
Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) nature enthusiasts joining the Mapagama group are trying to rejuvenate the sport of paragliding for UGM students, marked with the opening of paragliding division at the start of 2017.
Parapante or paragliding in Indonesia is under the Federasi Aero Sport Indonesia (FASI). It was first learned here in the 1980s by Gendon Soebandono and the late Dudy Arief Wahyudi who both used simple equipment to develop the sport in the country.
“Paragliding entering Indonesia for the first time was introduced by seniors of Mapagama in 1989,” said chairman of Paragliding Division of Mapagama, Fadil Ramadhan, on Tuesday (24/1) when contacted whilst applying for paragliding certification in Bogor, West Java.
The first step they do to rejuvenate the enthusiasm among students is sending some members of Mapagama to do paragliding training and certification in Puncak, Bogor, from 15-30 January 2017.
“We send six members of Mapagama to do training and certification there,” he said.
The six students are Fadil Ramadhan, Rizal Fahmi, Banu Iqra, Jalu Lintang, Wildan Mush'ab and Yusya Asadilah.
“The training gives basic knowledge for paragliders, from materials to gliding practices. At the end of the training we would have licences of Beginner Pilot 1,” he said. To be able to get this licence, they ought to do 40 flights.
“For beginners like us, it’s hard. But during the training we were trained physically and mentally, and be given materials, to be a good glider,” he said.
Fadil hoped their participation in the training would drive Mapagama to actively develop this sport in the country. “The establishment of paragliding division is not only to develop tourism, adventure, and paragliding, but also to produce achievements. I wish for the university’s support to the development of this division, especially for providing training equipment,” he said.