Escape Adventures

 Keswick, Cumbria CA12 5BE 017687 71442

After leaving school, Jocky spent many years teaching canoeing voluntarily to South London youth groups. He was a member of the Canoe Lifeguards Corps in Kent and competed in canoe slaloms around the UK, eventually attaining the rank of South East Champion within his division.

Jocky then spent six months in America as a Chief Canoe Instructor before returning to England to obtain his mountaineering and guiding qualifications in the Lake District. These achievements enabled him to work with the legendary John Ridgeway in his centre in Cape Wrath, Scotland. After a year's experience with John, Jocky returned to the Lake District to set up his own outdoor centre, teaching canoeing, sailing, mountaineering and climbing.

Jocky was attracted to hang gliding and used every spare opportunity to develop this flying skill. This keen interest brought him into contact with Paragliding (in 1988), which he incorporated into his school's activities soon after. Due to popular demand, Paragliding soon became the schools main activity and Jocky's close and continued association with the establishment of the sport in the UK, enabled him to become involved in the BHPA's Paragliding Training Programme. These involvements also lead to his nomination onto the Board of Executives in 1990. In the same year, Jocky became the only British test pilot to work for the European Testing Commission and after publishing his "Security in Flight" manual and work on "The Tandem Pilot Examination Programme", he was elected BHPA Senior Assessor for the UK. Since then he has produced the video "Security in Flight" and designed and set up, courses and equipment to help people with disabilities to fly paragliders.

Jocky began competing in paragliding in 1989 and was a member of the British Team in the 1989 Paragliding World Championships. In 1990 he became Captain of the British Team and was ranked 21st in the world and 3rd in Great Britain. In 1991/92 he withdrew from full time competing to concentrate on his outdoor centre and testing commitments, but returned to the international circuit in 1993 when he managed the British Team in the 1993 World Paragliding Championships in which they won the bronze medal. In 1994, Jocky focused on competing and was ranked 12th in the world and 7th in Great Britain. His strengths as a competition pilot were evident in 1995 when he was placed 3rd in the World Championships and the British Team won the Silver medal. In 1996 he won Silver in the Pre-World Air Games and he captained the British Team to 1st place. In 1997 he was ranked 10th in the World and the British team took the Silver medal. In the '97 World Air games he captained the team to the bronze.

Jocky has been the Meet Director for the British Nationals - from 1997 to '99. In 1995 he was placed 4th, in 1996 7th, and in'97 finished 4th in their ranking. Because of his competition experience and reputation, Jocky has been the pilot representative at many world competition events, helping set tasks and protecting pilot interests. Now he's not competing, he rworks from his hometown of Keswick, for his company "Escape". A company providing advanced worldwide paragliding tuition, adventure breaks and specialises in flying courses for people with disabilities in conjunction with the charity Flyability,

He has produced two of the worlds leading paragliding educational videos, "security in flight " (SIV), and "Speed to Fly" (XC), in addition to flying in stunts for TV worldwide, he continues to run courses and events around the world promoting the safety and fun of the sport and the good name of his sponsor, gin gliders, with his unique energetic style.

Specialising in

Rock Climbing in the English Lake District, Cumbria

Walking in the English Lake District, Cumbria

Canoeing in the English Lake District, Cumbria

Sailing in the English Lake District, Cumbria

Paragliding in the English Lake District, Cumbria