All his life, Walter Martens has never shied away from adventure sports. But, his options were slowly becoming more limited as he turned 104 on Sept. 26.
Or so he thought.
A water skier into his 80s, Walter also loved airborne pursuits – parasailing at the age of 68, hot air balloon rides, glider sail plane flights, helicopter rides, and at the age of 101 he was given his first flying lesson in his hometown of Langley – as a birthday present from his family.
In the weeks ahead of his 104th birthday, Martens son Harvey knew Dad would like to get airborne just one more time.
So, Harvey contacted the newly established Adaptive Airtime Association in Chilliwack after learning about its unique program that takes folks with mobility challenges on tandem paragliding flights.
“My dad has always been fascinated by any flying machine," Harvey explained.
He is a risk-taker at heart and would jump at the chance to leave terra firma in whatever was offered.
I have taken him for flights in a Cessna 150 and in a Cessna 172, two hot air balloon rides, parasailing, and glider plane rides.
"WOW, I’ve never been this high before," Martens exclaimed to family in a video call before the flight, while looking out at the valley views from the Mt. Woodside paragliders launch.
After he safely landed, Martens shared his delight with the adventure, although he admitted the ride up the mountain, to the launch site, was "pretty rough."
“The flight was quite exciting, it was quite something," Martens said. "It was terrific!”
Having the privilege of ending this year’s flying season by making Martens’ 104th birthday wish a reality was a highlight for the small, but eager, volunteer team that supports the Adaptive Airtime initiative.
Established in Chilliwack in 2024, Adaptive Airtime Paragliding is a Canadian non-profit organization dedicated to breaking down barriers and making the experience of free flight accessible to everyone.
People with spinal cord and brain injuries, as well as all forms of mobility limitations and special needs, are welcome.
From youngsters to the elderly, they are able to take anyone soaring who dreams of flying.
Adaptive paragliding is a specialized form of paragliding that utilizes a custom-built wheelchair with a built-in harness specific to paragliding.
Passengers are securely fastened into the wheelchair, and once attached to the pilot and the paragliding wing, are gently rolled off a hill and into the air.
Following in the footsteps of Project Airtime operated by Chris Santacroce at the Point of the Mountain Flight Park in Salt Lake City Utah, Adaptive Airtime kicked off in May of this year with a “Wheels Up” event, focusing on several paraplegic and quadriplegic co-pilots.
Since then, during the summer flying season, Adaptive Airtime flew a wide range of co-pilots, including those with degenerative disease such as ALS, cancer, Reed Syndrome, cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy, as well as amputees, and elderly folks with other mobility challenges like Martens.
