Hang Gliding and Paragliding Volume 44 / Issue 1: January 2014 | Page 31

The 30-something Nepali stuffed some bills in
his pocket, took a swig of water, and smiled
broadly: He’d made 500 rupees—around
$5.50US. A good day.

O

ne sunny December day in
Pokhara, Nepal, I was savoring
an aprés-flight lounge in the
landing zone when my peaceful vibe
was shattered.
A fellow pilot stood in the center of
the LZ , holding his wing in a messy
rosette and letting loose an expletivefilled rant. The issue? The rising cost
of hiring someone to fold and pack his
glider.
As in many flying destinations that
offer the combination of good flying
and a good exchange rate—Valle
de Bravo and Rio de Janeiro come
to mind–locals in the LZ are eager
to fold your glider for well under a
dollar. This price, of course, comes
with unintended consequences—for
example, kids opting to fold gliders

instead of going to school. But it can
also be a win-win situation: The locals
get badly needed jobs, and pilots get a
factory-grade fold on their gliders.
This pilot’s complaint about such
a small ch