Is it a UFO? The delights of cross-country flying

We have to ensure the weather conditions, like wind direction, speed and air current, are suitable before a flight.

There are eight designated paragliding sites in Hong Kong: Long Ke Wan, Pak Tam Au, Pat Sin, Ma On Shan, Sai Wan, Shek O, South Lantau East, and South Lantau West. The operating altitudes of the sites as set by the Civil Aviation Department are between 1,000ft to 2,500ft. After learning to fly on those routes, Ho-nam has been paragliding in Mainland China, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam, Switzerland and many other overseas locations.

On one 90-kilometre paragliding journey in Hua Hin, Thailand, Ho-nam landed in a small village. A group of playing children at first thought he was an alien from outer space in a UFO. Ho-nam overcame the language barrier and was welcomed into the village which makes a living out of growing pineapples and pig rearing for a one-night stay. “Sometimes, we do not experience the exact take-off and landing that we plan during cross-country flying,” he says. “An unexpected landing is always the beginning of another adventure. They are marvellous delights.”