Interview

Acro flying is simply in his blood. With only 21 years between his ears he already belongs to the best pilots in the world and is just about to become a pro paraglider. During last year he also turned to be the speaker of the German acro scene, to legalize paragliding acrobatics in his home country. Who already met Marvin will agree; he is not just the number one German acro pilot but a smart, calm, really friendly and open-minded guy.

Nationality: German

Date of birth 06.07.1989

Home: Chiemgau, Bavaria

Pal Takats: Despite your young age you already got a few thousand hours of air-time...Tell me about your childhood, how did you grow up and what interested you as a kid?

When was your first flight with a paraglider?

Marvin Ogger: Yes you are right I already got a lot of air-time but this is mainly because of the two last years where I was flying every minute! But also before this time I was flying quite a lot, my parents are flying since the 80s so I got born into this. The first flight alone I was doing when I was nine years old at my uncles training hill.

Pal: So despite the German rules prohibiting acrobatics with a paraglider you started to do your first tricks. How was the general opinion about this among the 'normal' pilots did it give you any hard times being a "black sheep"? And what your parents thought about it?

Marvin:Not really, when I did my first acro tricks during my uncles SIV I had a great support from my parents as well. I didn‘t care too much about people who were talking about my way of flying but I knew some always did. At this point I also have to mention Richard Gallon, my first contact to the the scene.

Pal: What I really like in your style that you seem to be precautions, thinking twice what and how you are going to do, flying pretty relaxed and it is rare to see you messing up your routine. Among some other youngsters you made a big progression in short time with relatively a few serious emergency situations (if i am not mistaking? :-)). Using your knowledge today please give some advice to the upcoming generation how to do the same in the safest possible way?

Marvin:In the beginning I never thought about doing a Tumbling someday and was just playing around with easy wings for many years before I sticked a first Helicopter. I didn‘t have too many people around pushing me but my family who told me all the time to do it step by step and only for my pleasure, not for anybody else. If I am looking back I am glad they told me, I was so young. Finally I got my first 19m2 wing and spent almost the whole summer 2009 at the ,Ossiacher See‘ lake. In 2010 Organyá became my base camp where I could do an incredible progression.
Only in 2008 I made a hard experience doing a simple SAT to Helico in the end of the day, I probably wasn‘t some where else and got a big twist spiraling fast to the ground and finally hit it very bad because I didn‘t threw the rescue parachute. You will never see me waiting to throw my rescue parachute again except I have thousands of meters beneath me.

Pal: I see, step by step! You already spoke two times about Organyá and it sounds you don‘t do anything else except of flying in the hot Pyrenees?

Marvin:Actually you have enough time to do a little run followed by a swim, having breakfast, trim your glider and then we usually go up to the take off around 4pm. If it‘s not flyable you are off for some rock climbing, in June it can be cold and wet.

Pal: So tell me, is legal acro flying in Germany finally on the way?

Marvin: You are already allowed to fly all tricks until 135°, a high Tumbling is still "forbidden". Anyway we don‘t really have the right spots to fly acro in Germany but the prohibition of acro is annoying and makes everything more complicated. So there is basically no support and not much understanding from the national federation so far.

Pal: What are you doing nowadays for living and What are your plans and personal goals for the next few years?

Marvin: Flying as much as possible and hopefully realizing some film projects in future. I am also working on a new helmet range with Bern. Fresh, stylish and safe helmets designed for acro and other air-sports. We plan to present them at this years Coupe Icare at the end of the summer.

Pal: How do you see your long-term future, what is your vision?

Marvin: Freestyle paragliding is quite a young thing, until now we are an assessable but increasing community which is good. I am sure it will be more commercial soon, we shouldn't take that too serious. For me it is important to step back from time to time, then I get the distance I need to digest what I did. Lets see what the futur will bring..

Pal: Thank you for the words and have a nice season!

Marvin: Thanks to everybody who is supporting!