Ölüdeniz air games take off

FETHİYE

AA Photo

Turkey’s biggest air sports festival kicked off in the Mediterranean town of Fethiye’s Ölüdeniz with paragliders from around the world participating in the event.

Around 500 air sports enthusiasts from 40 countries are competing in various disciplines at the 15th Ölüdeniz Air Games Festival, which is held every October.

Paragliders are flying off the ancient Mount Cragus, also known as Baba Mountain, which is nearly 2,000 meters high. Along with paragliding, participants are also skydiving, base jumping, hangliding, engaging in para-motor flights and doing acrobatic flights.

Kadir Kutluğ, the organizer of the event, said there were also participants from the Middle East, including Iran and Iraq, who traveled for the festival in difficult conditions.

Russian paraglider crashes

Meanwhile, a 23-year-old Russian paraglider, Lucia Simak, crashed into a rocky area due to crosswinds right after taking off from Baba Mountain’s landing field at 1,700 meters. She lost control of the parachute and fell unrestrained after crashing into the trees. She escaped the accident without injury and managed to fly successfully during her second attempt.

Another paraglider, Thomas Lednik of the Czech Republic, said he had missed the festival only once in 15 years, adding that the event was one of the best air sports festivals.