Meet ERNESTO MARTINEZ | Head Instructor and Owner

We had the good fortune of connecting with ERNESTO MARTINEZ and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi ERNESTO, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
I started paragliding at a very young age. But I have always wanted to bring it to the Native American Reservations as I’m part Tarahumara ( The greatest long distance runners in the world), Spanish, and Nordic descent. One of the things about paragliding is the peaceful feeling of your feet leaving the hill for the first time. Its life changing and I really wanted to share that with others.

What should our readers know about your business?
The Many Feathers name came to me from spending 16 years in Northwest Montana. I wanted something to represent all walks of life. As paragliding is for anyone with the desire to actually fly, I wanted the name to represent that in a way. What sets me apart mostly is the International rating as an APPI 5 Master pilot,
I also do clinics in Flathead Valley MT. Usually a week or two before the US open for paragliding championships,
A.P.P.I. is a much higher standard than the USHPA system is currently, but thing are in the works to improve that and I’m glad to be a part of it.
I’m proud of mostly never rushing my progression and being injury free as decision-making and risk homeostasis is a great parts of risk management.
It isn’t easy to start a business from scratch. My parents always told me to never quit a job until you have another one. This is the worst advice they ever gave me personally. financially sounds but spiritually and mentally breaking at times. I found ways to push thru every barrier and setback along the way but I’ve always been an entrepreneur and have never survived more than a few years in a corporate setting, due to the fact I had made the connection as a kid that working for someone else will always make you less. This is why I left the engineering world of telecom and electrical design. I actually do onsite water treatment systems for backup income because it keeps me outside doing soil tests and backhoe work on the non-flyable days.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I would take them up for a paraglider flight on my tandem wing, If its a nice thermic day its possible to make it from Colorado Springs to Boulder and land for tacos. It would be an unforgettable experience as every tandem passenger get to experience the same feeling. If he here for a week or two I would say we, do some actual pilot training sessions together and possibly go to Leadville, Colorado. My Hometown. As a kid I knew these mountains like the back of my hand and the San Isabel National Forest was my backyard. I’ve hiked and flown almost every peak you can see from the middle of town which is awesome because it is surrounded by 14rs. We could do some beginner Vol-Biv (fly camping) and eat fresh fish from lake to lake we land at.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I think the Major shout out goes to my parents. Both of them have helped me grow into the person and pilot I am today, as they purchased a tandem flight for my birthday at 10 years old in 1993. I took lessons the next year to get certified as a P2 beginner pilot.

Website: www.manyfeathersparagliding.com

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