16/3/2007

The GKN Mission Everest flight team has just finished a week of trials in the French Alps.

Basing themselves near Mieussy the two paramotor pilots who will fly their aircraft over Everest – Bear Grylls and Giles Cardozo – were accompanied by their support team and two world experts in paraglider and paramotor flying at high altitudes.

The team spent an entire week honing their skills and familiarizing themselves with flying in a mountainous region. Taking off from deep snow, flying in poor visibility and recovering from spins, stalls and wing collapses were all on the agenda.

GKN’s Wolfram Messner, an experienced Alpine climber and skier, was there and on the last day he completed a tandem flight on a paraglider. 

He said: “This was a first for me and a truly incredible experience. I would be lying if I did not admit to being nervous about launching into the air from the side of a high mountain but it is important that I understand some of what Bear and Giles will experience. And after all, GKN always encourages us to push at the boundaries of our experience.”

Bear, Giles and other team members enjoyed the hospitality of Marc and Marie Vuarchex, who made their holiday home near Mieussy available to them. Marc is GKN Driveshaft’s European Operations Director.

Bear said: “Marc and I met at the ILC in November and literally within minutes of us meeting he offered us the use of his house in the Alps for our week’s stay. His generosity is typical of the enthusiastic support we receive from GKN – they are a fantastic sponsor and we are working hard to live up to your commitment to us.”