US Paragliding Team

Pilot Profile: Josh Cohn

Height and Weight: 5' 9" 150 pounds

Birthplace: San Francisco, California

Occupation: Buyer, independent music wholesaler

Education: Masters, geology

Glider type: UP Targa 3

Reserve: High Energy Quantum

Harness type: Woody Valley X-Rated 2

Home flying site: Mt. Diablo, California

First altitude flight: Whaleback, California, 1989

Total reserve deployments: 3

Criteria for hucking laundry: If you think you might die, get it out.

Worst injury resulting from reserve ride: Blisters, from hiking down 4000'.

Philosophy: Attitude is key: It is your reaction to events that determines your happiness more than the events themselves. While it's good to be motivated, taking oneself too seriously often sabotages success.

Favorite flight: Flying from Billing to Manali after the Pre-PWC in India in November of 2002 with nine others. It had only been done a few times before, was off our maps, and there were high passes in the way. The flight was fairly easy, though massively committing. The landing in 20mph valley winds on rice paddy terraces at the end did provide some excitement.

Flying goals: Go bivouac flying in a cool spot, win the U.S. Nationals again.

I am sponsored by: www.paragliding.com, UP, Flytec

Top 5 Results

1st 2004 Monarcas Open, Valle de Bravo, Mexico
1st 2003 SoCal Open, San Bernardino, California
Winner(tie), task 5 of 2003 World Championships, Montalegre, Portugal
World Declared Goal Record: 177 miles, from Edinburgh, Texas
U.S. National Champion 1999, Aspen, Colorado

For more information about the US Paragliding Team, visit

© 2007, Cloud Streets, LLC. All rights reserved. No logos, photographs or graphics on this site may be reproduced without permission. Navigation photographs courtesy of Josh Cohn. Pilot biographies and photographs courtesy of USHGA. Questions or inquiries.

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Pilot Profile: Josh Cohn

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