Head in the Clouds now on Kindle

Head in the Clouds, the unique collection of free flight stories that captures the “heart and soul” of free flying is now available as an ebook. Kindle users can download it now.

The book is a collection of 50 stories from the first 50 years of free flight and the hardback edition was published in October 2023.

The book is edited by one of Britain’s best paraglider pilots Hugh Miller and former BBC journalist Andrew Craig, who between them have more than 50 years of free-flight experience.

Through the stories, pilots from across the world describe the highs and lows in free flying firsthand: from the beauty of sunset soaring in the mountains to tales of epic adventure and the fight for survival.

“The stories range from the sublime to the terrifying” reviewer and adventure writer Roger Cox said on publication.

Cloudbase Mayhem host Gavin McClurg said: “This book’s got it all, from the thrill of a first flight, to the fear of the unknown, the brushes with the Gods, and the sombre reminders of the ultimate power of gravity.”

Meanwhile the BHPA’s Skwyings magazine called it a, “A terrific cross-section of some of the most inspiring writing about the entire spectrum of our sport. It’s a seriously good read.”

Highlights from the book include:

• The story of the first pilot to fly 300 miles by hang glider in the USA
• The pilot who crossed the Atlantic in a microlight
• The man who got swept up by a dust devil on launch in Australia
• The Dangerous Sports Club member who flew a homemade hang glider from Kilimanjaro in the 1970s
• The woman who traversed New Zealand’s Southern Alps by foot and flying alone
• The Canadian who followed the migration of the Monarch butterfly from Mexico to British Columbia
• The British climber who became the first paraglider pilot to circumnavigate an 8,000m peak
• The search for the New Zealand pilot who ‘simply vanished’ in the Nevada Desert
• The English baronet and Sanskrit scholar whose second home is a paragliding paradise in the Indian Himalaya
• The ‘Touching the Void’ style story of survival of a pilot crashed in the US wilderness
• The epic sporting battle between two friends as they fought to set a 450-mile world record in Texas
• Plus many more

Upon original publication co-editor Andrew Craig said: “The stories in Head in the Clouds include plenty of unmissable heart-in-your mouth stories, but they also include ones that will catch the back of the throat, or make you laugh.

“Our aim has been to capture a range of great tales from across our sports and across the decades. I hope we’ve done a good job that will entertain pilots and armchair-pilots alike.”

Published by Cross Country magazine, the Kindle edition is available to buy through Amazon. The print edition is available here.