pilot profile / Farnoosh, 31, Iran

Farnoosh caught my eye on Facebook when I saw her tandem picture through a mutual friend. I mean, how many female tandem pilots can there be in Iran! Turns out there are two :-)

Name/age? 

Farnoosh Samadzadegan

Farnoosh Samadzadegan, 31 years old

Where are you from and where do you live now?

I’m from Iran and live in Karaj

Employment / studies / what do you want to do in life?

I’m an Electronics Engineer … but I work in an IT company.

I’d like to be a Paragliding Instructor, and become a good and Professional pilot.

Marital / family status / is your partner a pilot?

I’m single

Do you have or want children in the future?

Yes, I like children.

What does ‘Freedom’ mean to you? What gives you freedom?

It means to me, do what ever I can do… like flying… live free… riding a motorcycle… I mean do what ever men can do.

Farnoosh is on the left. The one in red is the best motorcycle girl in Iran, Nora Naraghy. And in the middle is Nora’s mum Shahrzad Nazhifi.

If you had one wish in the world, what would it be? For yourself or anyone or 

anything?

I hope me and my family be safe … and I could fly with wing suite …. :D

When, how and why did you start paragliding?

I started 4 years ago. I like Skydiving, but unfortunately we don’t have in Iran… so I start paragliding. I start last year for tandem and now I HAVE A TANDEM License.

Why do you still do it?

I love it.

I can’t imagine my life without it.

Last year I had a very bad accident, but still I do it.

Do you prefer XC, acro, soaring…? and what are your goals in paragliding?

I like both XC and acro but I’m not very good yet. Im learning and trying to become good.

Glider?

ParAAvis Joy 1-2

Harness?

Airwave

Vario / gps / radio / camera / other electronics while flying?

Yes I have all of them.

Do you log your flights, how many hours / flights do you have?

Not completely… but I have about 600 flights and about 200 hours.

Memorable flying experience: the best one? the worst one?

Most of them are good memories for me. But one of them is very bad, that I  had accident. Last year I flew into a powercable and I was hanging for 7 hours…

How do you handle fear?

Before my accident I have no fear… but after that some times I FEAR … But try to make myself relax and try to fly.

Farnoosh recently won 2nd prize for females in an accuracy competition and this was her prize! She told me she can’t cook and she gave it to her mum ;-)

What’s next / coming up in your life?

I don’t know… I do my best, and hope to continue. And I like to experience new things.

Can you tell me something about paragliding in Iran? Is it safe?

Farnoosh, 2nd place to the left. 1st place, Maryam Babaie. 3rd place, to the right, Sanaz Hamidavi

YES it’s good in Iran. Ofcourse we have problems, specially in Tehran our land is not safe. We have buildings, bus and river… and the worst is the power cable…
but because we just have one site for flying in Tehran we can’t do anything.

Are there many female paragliding pilots in Iran?

There are not many female, but they become more… maybe about 60-70 women in Iran.

And is it acceptable?

It’s new for Iranian women, and they are beginning to be active in paragliding and some more like this.

Thank you Farnoosh for sharing with us an insight into your life, and I hope to see you in the Iranian skies sometime :-)