Jobin Sebastian
Wings of a Dream: The Flight Journey of a Village Boy
I was born in 1986 in a village called Yedayar, Kerala, India as the son of an ordinary plantation worker. I received my primary education from the same village. Though I later pursued nursing, I couldn’t complete it.
I was born in a village where people didn’t even know what paragliding was. Still, from a very young age, flying had always been a dream. But life’s circumstances often stood as a barrier to those dreams.
So, I suppressed those dreams and joined nursing school. But during that time, I happened to witness gliders flying and landing right in my hometown. That rekindled the passion to fly, and it slowly grew into a burning dream. Until I accepted paragliding as a profession in 2015, I survived by doing several unskilled jobs and raised money for my studies.
When I expressed my desire to learn paragliding at home, everyone strongly opposed it. Since no one really understood this sport, I faced resistance from my family, friends, and the local community.
To summarize, there was simply no support or opportunity to learn flying at that time. In 2010, a few local friends and I learned paragliding under an instructor affectionately called “Guruji” — Narendra Raman.
In the early days of flying, I had a small accident, and without anyone’s support, I was alienated from society for choosing what they considered an unacceptable profession. Yet, I was not willing to give up my passion for flying because of anyone’s words or protests.
By 2015, I had fully embraced paragliding as a profession.
From 2016 to 2024, I worked as a tandem paragliding pilot, flying over 8,000 people — one of the proudest achievements of my life. I’ve logged over 3,500 hours of flight time, and even in areas without advanced landing infrastructure, I’ve managed to do XC (cross-country) flights of over 60 kilometers. I’ve flown in numerous sites, including Bir Billing in India.
Due to some negative experiences in the professional world, I was forced to take a break from paragliding.
During this period, I participated in three competitions and gave notable performances.
The UK Chapter
My life partner received a job through the NHS, and we were able to move to the UK as a family. But the dream stayed alive. Fortunately, the British Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association (BHPA) quickly helped me get certified to fly in the UK — something I will never forget.
I went on to attend several competitions under BHPA. Clubs like Birdwing Air Sports and Green Dragon Airports provided crucial support, guidance, and training for competitive flying.
Under Chief Instructor Andy Shaw at Green Dragon Airports, I successfully completed my tow rating course. Acknowledging my commitment, Andy even offered me a sponsored glider to help overcome my equipment limitations.
Today…
Though paragliding has been my life, the financial burden and job pressures are once again casting shadows on my dreams. I still want to participate in more competitions and explore other air sports. But the challenges — especially financial — are significant.
I first came to know about paragliding and BHPA back in 2005 through the internet. From that day on, it was a dream to attend a BHPA competition — and today, that dream has come true.
Being in Europe, the heartland of free flight, I’ve had the chance to meet and fly with some of the world’s best pilots. Training under them and participating in various competitions has been a huge milestone in my life.
I don’t know how long I can continue flying due to financial constraints — but I truly want to keep going. My dream is to keep flying with all my heart. Before me lies a vast sky, ready for me to spread my wings and soar…
…but life’s circumstances are putting chains on those wings.
If I could get support — if someone could stand beside me and my dreams — then I truly believe I can keep flying higher and farther.
I humbly ask for your love, support, and encouragement.
Thank you!