Hang Gliding and Paragliding Volume 44 / Issue 12:December 2014 | Page 10

CORY BARNWELL: THE SKY IS THE LIMIT
by Adam Bain

S

tellar—that’s one of the adjectives most often used to describe
Cory Barnwell, this year’s #1
ranked Sport-class pilot. Literally, on a
wing and a prayer, this rookie pilot has
become one in a long line of kite pilots to
“live to fly.” Cory launched off Lookout
Mountain for the first time November
23 of 2012, and in doing so, unintentionally began the process of a complete
lifestyle change. This evolution from
dreamer to #1 has paid off for Cory a
thousand times in life experiences over
the last two years. Cory is living his
dream right now. His humble nature
and precision flying are characteristics

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HANG GLIDING & PARAGLIDING MAGAZINE

that people who know him mention
every time his name is brought up.
Cory’s continuous thirst for knowledge
and his positive attitude make him hard
to beat.
When I asked Cory about his life before
hang gliding, he responded: “The two
years before I started hang gliding were
two of the lowest years of my life. I had
grown fat and depressed and wasn’t sure
what the point of everything was. The
things that used to interest me no longer
interested me, and I didn’t know what
to do. I needed a passion, something to
focus on, but I couldn’t find anything.
Hang gliding saved me from that low
point. I finally had a passion. It excited
me and consumed my thoughts. I was

excited to be alive again. Hang gliding
gave me a purpose.”
Cory went from 240 pounds to a lean
180 in just a couple of months, bought a
van, and quit his job in pursuit of happiness. Cory said, “After I started flying, I
began to question my current lifestyle. I
was working a fulltime job and making
good money, but I didn’t know why I
was doing that. I didn’t have a family
to provide for, a mortgage to pay off, or
anything like that. I decided I wanted to
fly more.”
After leaving his job in May of 2014,
Cory’s first stop was Quest Air. Cory
spoke highly of Mark Frutiger who
helped and encouraged him to experience cross-country flight, A.K.A. open
distance. When Cory told Mark about
his fear of XC flying, Mark simply
started the plane, said, “Go for it!” and
picked him up later 10 miles down the
road.
Cory surrounded himself with experienced pilots who he refers to as his
“lifelines,” who mentored him and
helped him out by offering advice and
taking him flying. Cory talked about
these “lifelines” as if they were members
of his family.
The following week, Cory traveled