Motorised Paragliding Expedition, Malaysia, 2003

I can’t see the curvature of the earth from my mobile perch. So what. With my cruising altitude at a mere 20 meters, I'm pretty pleased with myself for not getting tangled in the furry casuarina trees rushing past just below me. A quick and nervous squeeze on the throttle and a crisp seabreeze catches my chute and pushes me skyward.

Below me spreads the dark turquoise of the South China Sea, shimmering in the early morning sun. The jungles surrounding Malaysia's understated beach mecca of Cherating are shrouded in a surprisingly cool morning mist, spilling out onto a generous stretch of beach, still hard-packed from the receding tide - my landing strip.

Not so fast. I slip into a holding pattern with the other motorised paragliders circling around me; no one wants to be the first to give up his piece of heaven.

Motorised paragliding, also known by the French 'paramotor', has suddenly taken off (in more ways than one) as a new sporting phenomenon for Malaysia's flying enthusiasts everywhere. A decade ago, Leon Mouraud - a Frenchman who is as much respected for having been Charles de Gaulle's aviation mechanic in his prodigal youth as for his current 'unorthodox' views on aviation - redefined flight as we know it.

His approach, according to his journal, was simple - some say crazy - you decide. 1) Replace a lawnmower's blade with a propeller. 2) Strap the lawnmower to my back. 3) Oh, mais oui, attach an open parachute to this contraption some'ow. 4) Run off the nearest cliff and, voila, fly!

Voila, indeed. The sport of motorised paragliding has been soaring ever since. Adrenaline has never had to do so much overtime ....

Since those heady days when lawnmowers everywhere went into hiding, Mouraud has passed the baton of developing the sport's popularity to his good friend and accomplished pilot Guy Leon Dufour. And intense man who feels more at ease skirting mountains and clouds, Dufour is responsible for bringing motorised paragliding to the R&D table and out into the world.

It's his company, Adventure, that has hosted several enthusiastically received international MPG Tours. Now, for the first time in its decade-long history, motorised paragliding is making its official debut in Asia, and Malaysia is proud to play host.

Due to the slick success of the Commonwealth Games, Malaysia is suddenly on every sports/adventure map. If it requires a mild climate, good food, gracious people, and a modern infrastructure for events both big and small, all roads (and flightpaths!) these days seem to lead to Malaysia.