The Fly with Behrooz
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Aerial shot of a paraglider above Sesimbra bay — wide, showing cliffs + Atlantic + town below

Panoramic view from a Sesimbra launch showing multiple headlands — Bicas, Meco, and the Atlantic horizon

Golden-hour mood shot over Sesimbra — a paraglider silhouetted against a warm Atlantic evening sky

Dramatic Atlantic coastline from a cliff launch — uncrowded skies, warm light, conveying year-round Portugal flying

Aerial view north from Sesimbra ridge — Arrábida nature reserve in foreground, Tagus estuary and Lisbon skyline on the horizon, showing the 30-minute proximity

View from Praia das Bicas launch looking down over the Atlantic — Sesimbra village visible below-right

Dramatic Arrábida limestone cliffs above turquoise sea — a paraglider visible on the ridge line

Wide Alentejo plains in summer light — cork oaks, golden wheat fields, cumulus-marked thermal sky

Granite peaks of Serra da Estrela — paraglider visible against the mountain ridgeline, dramatic alpine scenery

Medieval stone village of Linhares da Beira on its granite cliff — rooftops below, launch area visible above

Dramatic headland of Cabo Espichel — vertical Atlantic cliffs, abandoned pilgrimage sanctuary plateau visible above

Wide XC flight shot over the Alentejo-to-Andalusia landscape — vast horizon, cumulus thermal sky, epic cross-border scale

Quiet winter morning on the Sesimbra coast — golden low-angle light, empty launch, calm Atlantic swell, no crowds

Behrooz giving a pre-flight briefing to a small pilot group at a Sesimbra launch — radio visible, attentive pilots

Paraglider in a strong thermal climb over XC landscape — GPS vario visible in foreground, wide horizon above

Side-on view of a paraglider carving tight turns along a Sesimbra cliff edge in laminar Atlantic ridge lift

Pilot kiting a wing on Atlantic coastal dunes — cobra start or reverse launch in steady sea breeze, Atlantic visible

Parakite wing flying close to dune terrain — high-speed proximity above Atlantic dunes at low altitude

Tandem passenger smiling in flight above Sesimbra's Atlantic coast — genuine joy, big smile, first-timer experience

Mixed family group on Sesimbra beach — some in flying gear, others relaxed on beach towels, paraglider visible in sky above

Windguru or Windy app on a phone screen, Sesimbra coastline visible in the background — weather forecast for flying

Paraglider turning above the Sesimbra cliff in laminar ridge lift, the Atlantic coastline stretching left and Alentejo plains on the inland horizon — both flying worlds in one frame

Pilot's IPPI or BHPA card alongside a helmet and wing at a Portuguese launch site — licence and certification

Pre-flight safety briefing at a coastal launch — pilot checking sky and wind indicators, safety-first framing

Laptop screen showing XContest or AirScore track log — flight path overlaid on a map of Portugal, data visible

Pilot with wing bag and travel gear arriving at Lisbon airport — travel planning and anticipation mood

Flat lay of paragliding kit — wing bag, harness, helmet, vario, GPS, carabiners, gloves, and a packing checklist

Pilot checking pre-trip documents — IPPI card, passport, wing certification laid on a table, sunlit Sesimbra street visible through the window

Sesimbra's Praia da California beach seen from above the cliffs — crystal Atlantic, white sand, fishing boats, the idyllic setting that rewards a flying week

Lisbon Humberto Delgado Airport arrivals hall, or the scenic N10 drive south through Palmela to Sesimbra coastline

Behrooz briefing a student pilot pre-flight — safety harness check, calm and professional, cliffside launch in background

Close-up of a first-timer at the moment of launch — focused expression, Atlantic coastline visible below

Paraglider soaring peacefully above Sesimbra's Atlantic cliffs — calm controlled flight as contrast to skydiving's freefall

Student pilot practising forward inflation on the beach at Sesimbra — wing rising above, learning fundamentals on a bright day

Pilot practising asymmetric collapse drill above a lake — wing partially folded, altitude visible, controlled SIV manoeuvre

Happy recipient on their first tandem flight above Sesimbra bay — the perfect gift experience, Atlantic in the background

Pilot's POV from a soaring paraglider — wing edge above, Atlantic ocean below, Sesimbra coastline stretching into the distance

Diverse group of pilots of different ages ready at the launch site — showing the wide age range that paragliding accommodates

Student pilot on their first successful ridge flight above Sesimbra — expression of achievement, instructor watching from the cliff

Silent paraglider soaring above Sesimbra's Atlantic cliffs — pure free-flight freedom, no engine, just the wind and the wing

Two paragliders side by side — EN-A (larger, rounder profile) and EN-B (sharper leading edge, higher aspect ratio) — visible shape contrast

Pilot inspecting second-hand paraglider fabric with porosity tester on an outdoor table — safety check, gear inspection mood

Syride Air 3 or XCTracer Maxx variometer mounted on a riser — clean tech product shot against open sky, lightweight instrument

Meteo Parapente colour forecast grid on a laptop — XC planning session, morning briefing, pilot checking thermal strength map

Low-angle close-up of a pilot's feet on the speed bar loop during XC glide — legs extended on the stirrup, harness in frame, Atlantic coast below

Pilot carrying compact wing pack on a coastal trail above the Arrábida ridge — Atlantic below, lightweight hike-and-fly kit visible

GoPro chin-mount on a pilot's helmet mid-flight — camera visible below chin, wing canopy above, Atlantic horizon and Sesimbra cliffs below

Alentejo sky at midday — scattered healthy cumulus at 1,200 m cloudbase, pilot circling in thermal, farmland and cork oak forest below

Golden Falésia sandstone cliffs near Albufeira, turquoise Atlantic water below, dramatic strata in the cliff face

Paraglider above Madeira's volcanic west coast — Cabo Girão's 600 m sea cliff, terraced vineyards below, deep blue Atlantic

Paraglider above São Miguel's green volcanic crater landscape — Azorean lake and cloud formations visible below

Paraglider above the Serra do Larouco near Montalegre — granite mountain terrain, green Minho valleys in the distance

Paraglider above the granite peaks of Peneda-Gerês National Park — ancient oak forest and wild mountain scenery below

Paraglider above the forested Serra de Sintra ridge — Pena Palace's colourful towers visible below, Atlantic beyond

Pilot ground handling or low dune soaring at Fonte da Telha — golden sand dunes, Atlantic horizon beyond

Paraglider above Sesimbra in soft spring light — green hillsides freshly bloomed, scattered cumulus building overhead

Split-frame: tandem above Ölüdeniz's Blue Lagoon vs paraglider above Sesimbra's Atlantic cliffs — the Iberian vs Mediterranean choice

Beginner pilot ground handling under supervision at a gentle training slope — instructor nearby, calm conditions, learning the wing

Aerial contrast: Algodonales limestone sierra thermal country (Spain) vs Sesimbra Atlantic coastal cliff soaring (Portugal) — the Iberian choice

World map with 10 coastal paragliding pins marked — Sesimbra, Ölüdeniz, Torrey Pines, Rio de Janeiro, Iquique, and the rest of the global top 10

Paraglider soaring above Sesimbra cliffs on a clear January day — Atlantic ocean below, no crowds, winter sunshine on the limestone

Behrooz soaring the Arrábida sea cliffs with empty airspace — nobody else in frame, wide Atlantic horizon, quintessential uncrowded Portuguese paragliding

Behrooz at launch preparing for an XC flight over the Alentejo plains — competition wing clipped in, vario on, looking up at the sky ahead

Behrooz coaching a pilot on the radio during a ridge soaring flight — handheld radio raised, watching the pilot's wing from the Sesimbra clifftop

Behrooz studying morning wind data on his phone at the launch — Sesimbra below, northerly sea breeze already visible in the whitecaps on the Atlantic

XContest track log of a completed FAI triangle route from Sesimbra into the Alentejo — the three turnpoints connected on a satellite map overlay

Pilot at launch making the go/no-go decision — looking at the sky, wind sock in background, the moment before committing to launch

Evening at a Sesimbra harbourside restaurant — pilots reviewing a track log over grilled fish and local wine, the Moorish castle lit up above

Behrooz at 6 am checking weather tools on his phone and laptop — Windguru and Windy open, coffee beside him, Sesimbra visible through the window

Portuguese breakfast spread at a Sesimbra café — muesli, fruit, local bread, galão coffee, water glass — the ideal pre-flight meal

Lac d'Annecy from above — paraglider over turquoise lake, Alpine peaks on horizon, compared in spirit to Sesimbra's Atlantic cliffs

Volcanic Teide landscape with paraglider soaring in trade winds — barren lava terrain below, trade wind cloud layer above, blue Atlantic beyond

Wide Castilian plateau near Piedrahíta — paraglider high above cork oak terrain, thermal cumulus overhead, Sierra de Gredos in the distance

Whitewashed Algodonales village perched on the Sierra de Cádiz ridge — paraglider above terracotta rooftops, blue Andalusian sky overhead

Eiger-backdrop tandem operation at Interlaken vs Sesimbra coastal cliff soaring — Alpine spectacle vs Atlantic coach-led flying, side by side

Solo pilot checking his vario at the Sesimbra clifftop launch — morning light, empty sky ahead, personal adventure and independence

Female paraglider at the Sesimbra cliff launch preparing to fly — wings inflated overhead, confident stance, Atlantic ocean backdrop

Pilot in his 50s in harness enjoying a soaring flight above Sesimbra — calm expression, Atlantic horizon, confidence earned over years in the air

Group of friends celebrating on the Sesimbra beach — energy and camaraderie, Atlantic and Moorish castle in background, adventure well spent

Couple at Sesimbra harbour at golden hour — fishing boats, Moorish castle silhouetted above town, warm Atlantic evening light and romance of Portugal

Four pilots on the Sesimbra clifftop preparing gear together — teamwork and camaraderie, Atlantic backdrop, club group flying day

Aerial view of the Setúbal Peninsula — Atlantic coastline, Arrábida ridge, Sesimbra town and Cabo Espichel headland all visible in one frame

Warm autumn light on the Arrábida cliffs — paraglider in a golden late-afternoon thermal, end-of-season glow on the Atlantic coast

Comporta dunes from above — wide white Atlantic sand, Sado estuary on one side, paraglider soaring the dune crest in evening light

High summer at Sesimbra — paraglider soaring on the Atlantic ridge in a strong reliable northerly, whitecaps below, summer haze on the horizon

Sesimbra's whitewashed fishing town seen from the castle — terracotta rooftops, harbour below, the Atlantic and launch cliffs visible behind

Pilot carrying a packed wing backpack up a steep launch trail — effort and commitment before flight, the physical preparation that makes a flying week better

Overhead GPS track view showing tightly wound spiral circles of a centred thermal climb — clear contrast between good and wandering thermalling lines

A round reserve parachute being professionally repacked — bright fabric in systematic folds, careful safety preparation every pilot must do

Paraglider with big ears deployed — outer wing cells folded in, the distinctive shortened-span shape visible descending above the Atlantic coast

Paraglider in a modern pod harness in full reclined flying position — harness shape, leg shield closed, vario mounted on left riser, feet on speed bar

Long XC track log on a GPS screen showing a 120 km straight-line flight across the Alentejo — landscape below, waypoints marked, the scale of a real XC day

Pilot executing a cobra launch on the Sesimbra clifftop — wing rising in a controlled A-frame shape, sea wind in the canopy, coast behind

Behrooz on the clifftop with a handheld radio watching a pilot fly — coaching in real time, the invisible conversation that transforms skill level

Pilot having left the Sesimbra ridge, heading inland on their first XC day — unfamiliar terrain below, the sense of commitment and freedom combined

Pilot at their home site after returning from a Portugal coaching trip — same skills now applied to a different hill, the journey continuing beyond Sesimbra

New pilot in a harness at the launch for the very first time — supervised, instructor beside them, looking up at the wing with beginner's curiosity

Wrapped gift box beside a folded wing bag and a variometer — adventure gear meets a gift occasion, the ideal present for a paragliding pilot

Split-image: Lac d'Annecy below a paraglider, Sesimbra Atlantic cliffs below another — two of the world's great paragliding views side by side

Behrooz alone in the air above Sesimbra at golden hour — the most familiar flight of 20 years, shot from below with warm Atlantic light on the cliffs