The history of Paramaniacs and how it is inter-woven with Skywalk Paragliding School @ The Bay

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 In 2013, after FUFS was dissolved and the 3 partners went their separate ways, Ronnie (the owner of Skywalk) needed a dedicated area to do training at. A friend knew about a site next to Harties, known as The Bay Golf Estate (planned but not proclamated or developed). Ronnie met with the agent in control of the site and a rental agreement was entered into with the landlord.

Skywalk had the perfect homebase, in a beautiful scenic area, and there was even a hill to do paragliding training flights when we were not winching - payout winch assembled to the back of Deon's bakkie! The Skywalk Adventure Park was established, as we appropriately named it to envision our dream.

We all felt the need for a club as the next step after qualifying from the flight school and spreading our new wings. The Paramaniacs Club was officially formed mid 2014, with close ties to Skywalk Paragliding School.

 The Club made use of the Skywalk Adventure Park as a clubhouse, which by then consisted of the site office west of the dirtroad entrance and the boma next to it, with the kiddies play area on the other side of the site office. So basic... but we had the best of times, weekend after weekend. We needed nothing more: fly, braai and reminisce around a campfire.

Ronnie and friends slaved away almost 7 days a week, to tame and develop the ground-training and PPG field, the dirtroad to the top of the hill and the PG take-off slope on the hill. The shadeport on the hill did not last many months before it was stripped and reappropriated...     

The next phase was the shaded gazebo with seating, and moving as well as expanding the kiddies play area. Keeping the whole family happy and occupied, when they visited, was always a priority.     

We still drove from Pretoria and back every weekend with two trailers: one with the Xcitor trike and PPG equipment, and the other with all the PG equipment.

The dream of a proper facility with enough storage space, a showroom, workshop, upper deck plus braai area and kitchen started to take shape with the purchase and arrival of the first two 12m containers. Two more were added shortly after, to make up the U-shaped main base.      

One of our friends surprised us with the steel structure that consisted of the stairs on the western side, the safety rails, the shadeport with galvanised roof for the deck as well as the steelbase for the floor. His amazing team delivered and installed the whole structure within a couple of hours.   

Next up, new ablution facilities were added as that of the site office was not adequate for the growing number of student pilots and club members.    

 A palissade fence with access control followed, complemented by an electric fence shortly after.   

A couple of members started to store their containers inside the fenced off area to serve as their own mini hangars. 

Many friends helped to bring the facility to where it is today, by donating numerous hours, expertise and advice with each new step in the development, and of course many of the items that now make up Skywalk's homebase, training hub and showroom, as well as the Paramaniacs members' favourite clubhouse and launchpad.