Paragliders will continue to float over Sai Kung despite the death of their fellow pilot this past week. But perhaps not today (29 July). The Hong Kong Paragliding Association’s website says the weather for flying off Ma On Shan today is not good. The wind direction is unsuitable. The best place for paragliding in Hong Kong today, given the weather, is South Lantau. This is where Patrick Chung Yuk-wa was killed tragically.
About 10 paragliders were flying off Sunset Peak, Lantau, on 22 July when Patrick went missing. He was a 44-year-old pilot with at least three years’ experience. Why did a pilot of Patrick’s experience get into difficulty? Chiu Ho-man, safety director of the paragliding association, said the weather changed suddenly on that day. Strong wind gusts were noted. A Hong Kong Aviation Club pilot said changes in the weather are predictable based on Observatory warnings and a study of weather charts. Why Patrick died may not be known until the investigation is completed, or perhaps never.
Patrick was missing for six days. Low cloud hampered the flying search although GFS sent its helicopters to Lantau 22 times. More than a 100 paragliders, friends, Lantau residents and fireman and police searched on land for Patrick. After the cloud cleared, his body was found on 27 July on the southeast slopes of Sunset Peak, about 1 km from where he had taken off. His paragliding chute was tangled on rocks.
Paragliding is one of Sai Kung’s most visible and most exhilarating sports. Administered by the Hong Kong Paragliding Association and overseen by the Civil Aviation Department, the sport is safer than it looks. Some of the top pilot instructors live in Sai Kung. They fly off the Ma On Shan ridge above our town and land –the most skillful pilots — on the strip of grass near the Kau Sai Chau carpark, and — the less advanced pilots — on farmland at north Sha Kok Mei.
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