Iberian Flyover

“I went from zero to doing it.” Nico Aubert shares the highs and lows of mid-summer vol-bivouac flying.

Before setting off on his adventure to paramotor the length of Portugal, Nico Aubert received some friendly advice from his father. “He said Nico, I think it’s not the best time to do this kind of adventure – the summer is hot, it’s going to be turbulent, there will be many thermals.” 

His father Pierre has been making paramotors since 1989 and, it’s fair to assume, is a good source of wisdom and knowledge in these matters. But in time-honoured fashion, the young son decided to ignore his father’s advice. “I think it’s going to be fine,” Nico replied. They were famous last words – and ones he would live to regret. 

But before we come to that, a little introduction: Nico Aubert, 26, is a half-French half-Dutch paramotor pilot, who thanks to his dad’s paramotor business, PAP Team Paramotors, has grown up in the sport. Nico...