As a new student of Paragliding, I find these podcasts to provide an amazing variety of topics covered and Gavin & his guests delve in with sophistication & detail. I’ve learned much beyond what I could have previously ever imagined. And excellent production, editing & audio quality. Worth ‘the buck a show’ I’m donating. Thx, Gavin for this labor of love. Will Johnson, Port Angeles, WA

It’s an awesome show and great to hear so much info from so many different pilots

I became interested in paragliding 4 years ago and naturally sought out as much information as possible to whet my appetite for the sport. What I found in the Cloudbase Mayhem podcasts has far exceeded my expectations. Insightful, compelling and fun interview with pilots, trainers, authors and filmmakers from all aspects of the sport. Gavin McClurg's interview style is remarkably easy to listen to and enjoyable and I find myself referring to past episodes as I grow in experience. Give it a listen, you won't be disappointed!

I’m P2 50 hours and this is school keeps me happy between flights! Favorite episode is the one with Kari Castle!

I just finished my P2 in Santa Barbara after soaking up the podcast for the last few months. First mountain flight from Skyport to Parma was mind-blowing! Lucked out on the conditions and bumbled into plenty of lift on the way down. Joined a few hawks thermalling up from the Monastery ridge and had a spiritual moment when I started smelling the cloud vapor up at base with the birds calling back and forth on either side of me. Was totally overwhelmed at the improbability and awesomeness of it all and broke down sobbing for a few minutes up there in the wispies. Cannot overestimate the value of the show in helping me through the learning process safely- several times I chose not to fly in marginal (for me) conditions and felt great about the decision, learning a ton just standing on the ground watching. It’s hard to estimate risk without much experience, so for now I’m trying to harness the positive power of negative thinking, and brainstorm all the ways a potential flight could go badly, and then honestly ask myself if I have the skills to handle it. If the answer is only 99% yes, then that’s not nearly good enough and I’ll stay on the ground. Thanks Mayhem! Patrick Switzer, Oahu

Awesome guests and great to hear some exciting stories. Was hoping the quality would be better considering the age of this podcast. Still a worth a listen.

Gavin has put together an extensive compendium of interviews from free flight pilots across the world. Many informative interviews with much to learn from a wide array of expertise for all levels of pilots.

Gavin provides a bunch of fun and valuable info for people interested in paragliding.

I totally appreciate the perspective Gavin and Guests offer on performance, safety, optimization, and pure fun adventure I get to hear about here. I am learning very worthwhile informations and practice. Thank You Gavin and Team!

As a fairly new (female) pilot, I have really enjoyed listening to Gavin’s interviews. They have helped me gain a strong understanding of the sport as well as a grounded perspective on how to stay safe AND crush. I LOVED the recent interview with Adel, possibly the best show yet. Keep featuring those female pilots, their perspective is unique and crucial to help us grow the sport!

What can i say that hasn't been said in an other review... This is on of the most useful resources for bringing your flying to cloud base and beyond. From ground handling, safety, progression, technique, training, philosophy, weather, decision making, tales of terror, fun stories and adventure. If you are a dedicated pilot to free flight, novice, intermediate, or expert you will find insightful conversations and light shed on the nuances of free flight. I find myself listening and relistening to episodes and applying as much as i can to every time i take my wing out. Whether its ground handling or 100+ km cross county or acro, its all about becoming a cabable pilot who is not only knowledgable and skilled but becoming an insightful pilot.

Cloudbase Mayhem has literally saved my life. I am a third year pilot pushing the limits of my abilities and safety. Listening to the experts has kept me from going too far too fast. I feel like I have had access to the best coaching available. Gavin does an excellent job of asking questions relevant to beginners in the sport as well as to advanced pilots. I have never found another podcast as consistently engaging, interesting, and important. The interviews with Jeff Shapiro in particular really made me change my perspective not just on paragliding but on my whole life. I'm not just "winging it" anymore. I'm staying calm and professional when it comes to safety. Whether it's flying, climbing, skiing, or finding something else to do. Thank you Gavin for making these stories available.

Searching for info on single skin traction kites brought me to a paragliding forum where someone mentioned Cloudbase Mayhem. My flying is done in sailplanes and I've never seen a PG up close. What inspired me to become a podcast subscriber is not the technical flight info but listening to the attitude of the guests; how they manage risk, life balance, and integrating flight into their lives. If you fly anything at all listening to these interviews will improve your safety and enjoyment of being in the air.

The Mayhem has reinvigorated and revolutionized my flying! Thanks so much for this amazing gift to the flying community! The Mayhem is a godsend for pilots who don't have access to the greats! I got my P2 in 2005. In 2007 as a fresh P4 I moved from Colorado back home to Northern Vermont. I had a disheartening transition from "the rookie" in a stout CO crew to instantly being the "hotshot CO pilot". Of course I was still the same 2 yr pilot and my flying plateaued pretty quickly for lack of mentors and encouragement to send it... Then I found the Mayhem and I am starting to progress again! Here's a few lessons I learned from Gavin that have improved my flying: -When in doubt, go deep! With wide expanses of trees in VT, my XC lines used to focus on quality and quantity of LZ's. Thanks to Gavin's podcast, I am focused on picking the successful line rather than hedging for failure. For every flight that I have gone deep and used that last bailout LZ, there's been 5 that going deep paid off in spades. -House lee-side thermal! At my home site, on light wind days that look like epic XC conditions we frequently find soul crushing sink all the way to the LZ. In these conditions I consistently found a thermal at the far side of the LZ on the terrain rising up towards the mountains on the opposite side of the valley. I was never able to make much of that thermal and oddly it seemed to drift in a direction that should have been upwind. It never made sense. Thanks to the Mayhem I realized this was a lee-side thermal, sourcing from our LZ. Earlier this season, for the first time I caught that thermal at 300' AGL and drifted deep into the lee before it turned on and I boomed up to 6K AGL. My mind was blown! I've a whole new understanding of thermals thanks to the Mayhem! -You don't know until you've done hundreds! Pre-Mayhem I'd done a handful of spins and stalls. Gavin has inspired me to up my game. I am now at 50, working towards 300 each. I could go on... suffice to say, for all the isolated pilots without a guru, I thank you! Cheers, Calef

Gavin has put together the most informative and enjoyable podcast I listen to. Not only do the shows provide absolutely critical information, it provides great insight into the mind of the pilot and what we need to know to be safer and grow better in this beautiful sport. The guest are absolutely the best. And Gavin has a great way of building rapport with them so that the shows run with great ease. Gavin is able to ask very insightful questions and really get the guest and the audience involved in the conversation. I really am very picky about the way I spend my time and attention and don't like to waste them on fluffy, low content podcast. This podcast is absolutely neither of those and I am proud to be a Patreon member of this vaulable show.

I am currently working towards my P2, beginner paragliding certification in Boulder Colorado and this podcast has been one of the most informational, entertaining, and approachable tools I have found yet! I really appreciate Gavin's open nature and the guests he brings on the show have allowed me to start having a clue as to what is actually going on up there in the sky. I have found people that I want to follow online, reach out to for specific training, and destinations I want to plan! Thanks for everything Gavin and keep it up!!

As a passionate, still relatively new pilot with a self diagnosis of intermediate syndrome. Cloudbase Mayham has been incredibly informative on helping me re-focus my mental game, and give me some ideas on how to progress forward safely. Thank you for the great show!

We'd all rather be flying, but when you can't get those sweet beeps, this is the next best thing!

I have been known to hang out in bars and cafes in Sun Valley where I can overhear the stoke factor and insight from some of the best pilots. This podcast brings the conversation straight to you! It's been a great companion on my road trip. You feel like you get to know what makes the best pilots in the world tick. Thank you Gavin! Brilliant!

Gavin's podcast is what my paragliding dreams are made of! I live far from flying sites so when I can't get in the air, Cloudbase Mayhem fuels my passion for paragliding and for adventure. Gavin has great conversations with amazing pilots. I have learned a tonne from Gavin and his guests through their numerous stories and wealth of experience. This is a podcast I make sure I never miss!

If you are a vet, or a noob like myself (P2) you can't get enough books, youtube videos, and content about flying. Here you are going to find things that are going to keep you safe, and having fun. If you combine all the years of expericance of these guys he has had on this show, you will have a thousand years of experience and wisdom to make your flying career a life long thing. Enjoy! I love how you can decide if you want to give to the program. If you like it give a dollar, if not, don't. I love the old school way!

I initially subscribed to Cloudbase Mayhem to discover more about paragliding and have not been disappointed. I have learned so much about proper training, risk assessment, the importance of ground handling, soaring, XC, and on and on. But the unanticipated tremendous reward in listening to The Cloudbase Mayhem has been Gavin's uncanny ability to share what it means to be human. This may sound like a ridiculously bold statement, but listen to some episodes and you'll see. From Nate Scales hilariously sharing his X-Alps experience of being taunted when his last nerve was frayed, to Isabella Messenger describing how life takes unexpected turns when a flying adventure becomes a prolonged humanitarian effort, to Jeff Shapiro thoughtfully considering what can be understood when so many friends lose their lives, Gavin covers it all. As with everything Gavin does in life, he "sends it" with each episode of The Cloudbase Mayhem. His passion to share experiences from every type of life adventure along with a sincere desire to help others combine to make The Cloudbase Mayhem a "must listen" show. Thank you, Gavin and all of your guests!

Imagine driving up to the launchpad and, instead of listening to a friend saying “I don’t know if we can fly today”, you are listening to Gavin, a pro who has crossed Alaska in a glider among other adventures, talking to every expert in the sport about their rad adventures and how to crack the code. For sure you’ll reach the top with an improved flight plan and morale! I’ve heard most episodes of Cloudbase Mayhem more than twice and they have brought up subjects from every part of the flight discipline: tips for beginners, what kind of school to enter, who to listen to on launch, how to be aware of the intermediate syndrome, the $1000 question of “when to move up a hotter glider”, planning your first XC flights and adventures and more. They are simply addictive. For those already awesome pilots who think they have nothing to learn from these legends and world champions: you have probably lost the sky crack! Time to get it back. Thank you for spreading the knowledge Gavin!!

I was lucky to meet Gavin this year at Stanford on his film tour showcasing his Alaskan adventures in 'North of Known', a must see when it come out in theaters. Gavin is an amazing athlete, inspiring, super cool, genuine, and down to earth. I was thrilled to discover his postcast; Gavin is an awesome storyteller and interviewer. He has hosted some incredible pilots, and you learn and laugh and are inspired in every show. I so look forward to each podcast, clearly a labor of love. This podcast is my all time favorite!

Came across this after seeing it on Santacroce's fb. Now 6 episodes deep in a week. Highly recommending it for all pilot buddies. Keep it up y'all

If, like me, you try to gobble up all the best information about paragliding anytime you're stuck on the ground, this podcast is just what you've been looking for! Drink from the cup of the nectar of the gods. Gavin and his fellow sky-god guests never fail to deliver, funny, amusing, and useful stories about their flying careers; some of which extend back to (and beyond) Paragliding's genesis. Both novice and advanced pilots will find nuggets of knowledge in every episode that will advance their flying career and amp them up for their next flying day. Gavin and his cohorts are inspiring another generation of pilots and adventurers by sharing their approach to paragliding, adventure, and life. Don't miss out on these wonderful, inspiring, and information-rich conversations. I feel a disclaimer is also warranted. This podcast will cost you far more than the (well worth it) "buck-a-show" Gavin asks from his audience. You'll find yourself planning travel to new paragliding destinations. You'll be asking your boss for months off work to go Vol Biv across Bir, India or some other far-flung destination. After a few episodes you will never again be content to pilot your desk. But at least when you do you'll be able to get a hit of skycrack straight to your ears thanks to Gavin and his guests.

With three hours to the closest flying community, I live for these podcasts. So much wisdom to process and discuss with fellow pilots, when I finally get together with them. Good on ya, Gavin.

If you free fly, you need to tap into these podcasts. Lots of energy, lots of knowledge, lots of insights, and lots of Gavin answering his own questions halfway through the asking (in a good and entertaining way). I listen to each of these podcasts multiple times and continue learning from them. And they are lots of fun! Don't miss out...

Hey pilots, if you dare call yourself a pilot having never listened to the Cloudbase Mayhem Podcast, hosted by Gavin McClurg, wether you are an old salty or a nooberry pie, you need this podcast. The Cloudbase Mayhem Podcast will bring you the best aspects of paragliding all from one easy-to-access digital launch pad. You will hear heart wrenching stories of pilots who have left everything (and sometimes vice-versa) to pursue the ultimate joy ride, as well as gobs, and gobs of precious paraglider lessons, hard earned by seasoned pilots who know of what they speak. You’ll discover secrets of successful decision making, be inspired to explore new places to fly, increase your awareness of weather workings, and sometimes just be entertained by the likes of some of the most passionate, real and intelligent people in the paragliding world – hell, in the whole world. I consider the Mayhem Podcast one of the easiest way to augment my flying, other than, well, flying. Live it – learn it – love it, you can’t go wrong plugging yourself into the condensed wisdom of the luminaries of our sport; worth a buck an episode? If it gets you one flight of an extra hour or two, yep, but if it saves your life, you tell me.

Gavin, your podcasts are entertaining and in same time full of the great knowledge from best pilots over the globe. These podcast can surely benefit beginners as well as pros. I wish they will never end. Power to you Gavin and see you in the skies. Cheers. Michael, SoCal. PS: I am very happy to donate and contribute, especially if I know I don't need to!

Legends of flight, from around the world, talk about their best and worst moments. The best and worst advice they have been given. You will learn a lot, and laugh a lot. If you love where paragliders take you, then you will love where Gavin takes you.

It took me one podcast to download the rest... great material for all disciplines of piloting.

Super rad and informative!

It is amazing and gratifying that the leaders of our sport are so genererous with the pearls of wisdom they have acumulated over their years of flying. We are part of a special community and Gavin has made this community feel so much smaller by introducing us to the people behind the comp results and world record reports. Gavin is an outstanding interviewer and he draws out this wisdom in a way that makes it digestable for a less experienced pilot like me. Beyond the wisdom, it is worth it just to hear the stories!

I just discovered this podcast a month ago and I've already listened to all of the back episodes. So much good information and inspiration!

Great inspiring podcast. It gets me motivated and gives me tricks to improve my own flying! Thanks Gavin!

Really fun to listen to cool casual conversations with awesome people. All the thumbs up for this.

5 stars! Great stuff! Thanks Gavin!

Gavin does an amazing job of capturing the interesting and critical aspects of paragliding in these interviews with the top pilots of our sport. It is a great listen for pilots of all skill levels. Thank you Gavin for putting these together.

An awesome athlete and pilot in his own right, Gavin brings a wide range of rad, experienced and interesting pilots in front of a mic to discuss paragliding and other air sports. I love the mix of topics covered, ranging from war stories and in-depth technical and piloting discussions to poignant thoughts about these life altering (and sometimes life threatening) sports. Keep it up!