Kester Haynes
Where do you live?
South west England, United Kingdom
What do you do for work?
I am a design and development engineer, test pilot and instructor at Parajet International. Race director for the Icarus Trophy at The Adventurists. Cameraman and host for Cinemaro in Brazil.
What year, and how old were you when you started flying?
Started flying in 2008 at the age of 24.
Did a family member introduce you to paragliding?
No.
Does anyone else in your family fly?
Yes, I taught my brother to fly
What other passions do you have, or activities do you enjoy?
I have a passion for travel and adventure with various means of transport which include paragliders, paramotors, motorbikes, 4×4’s, jet boards. Even outside of work I still find myself designing and developing various flying machines and looking for the next expedition opportunity.
Why is flying important to you, and what does flying mean to you?
Flying has become a really important part of my life, giving me the opportunity to see the world from a different perspective, often reaching remote parts only accessible by flight, meeting like minded people and making friends everywhere. I also love how it enables me to explore another style of flying, doing some manoeuvres to get the adrenaline pumping and being completely focused in that moment. There’s always room to improve and huge scope to challenge yourself.
Flying accomplishments:
- Since 2008 many paramotor expeditions such as: India, Kenya, Maldives, Namibia etc.
- Since 2014 – many paramotor displays: Ecuador, Brazil, Botswana, Kuala Lumpur…
- Since 2016 – Canal Off and Cinemauro TV series production (paramotor adventure) in Red Pole, Australia, Philippines, Cambodia, France, Italy, Sicily, Oman, Hawai, Namibia.
- 2013 Parajet Skycar testing in Utah, USA and Oman training the Royal Oman Police
- Tandem pilot for Bear Grylls in UK.
- And many more ….
Do you have any goals, dreams or plans for the next 1-2 years that you want to share?
There are always goals and challenges on the horizon but I never like to shout about them until they are halfway to being feasible.
