Latest news with #BenjaminKellett
NZ Herald
25-05-2025
- Entertainment
- NZ Herald
Kiwi paraglider Benjamin Kellett's 200km flight over Indian Himalayas goes viral
Taking off into the sky, Kellett said he'd fly 'straight down the ridge' past the village of Dharamshala before turning around and returning to Bir Billing. What followed were pristine views of snow-covered mountains, pastures and weaving roads to alpine villages. Over the course of the journey, Kellett checked in to share his progress on the distance and time he'd covered. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Benjamin Kellett (@benjaminkellett) 'Coming up on four hours, 130km into the flight. Four metres a second with the vulture,' Kellett said, praising the large raptor flying beside him. 'These guys are so good. They help us find the climbs, it's amazing.' At one point, he turned to a fellow paraglider and pulled his attention towards a tea shop below they'd visited earlier in their trip. 'Just down there's where we had chai.' Approaching his landing spot after covering 200km – roughly the distance between Auckland and Tauranga – Kellett said it was 'a beautiful end to the day'. The entire glide took Kellett six-and-a-half hours to complete. 'After a 12-hour taxi ride back to Bir, we got five hours' sleep and decided to have a crack at the classic 200km flat triangle from Bir Billing. The conditions were amazing and was by far the easiest 200km I've ever flown, 6.5 hours,' Kellett captioned the video. 'What an incredible place, can't wait to go back!' It has since accumulated 160,000 likes and over 2.1 million views. Stunned viewers headed to the comments after the video began gaining traction online. 'It's so peaceful, I would have fallen asleep within the first hour,' one person commented. 'I had my first paragliding experience at Dobhi. 20 mins felt like hours. I can't imagine people flying for 5 hours ... unreal mate!' wrote another. 'Bro said day 1 in the start and gave us this Earth premium tour,' said a third. One person asked how Kellett managed to stay so long in the air without a toilet break, to which he replied: 'Lean out the harness, aim to the side and try not to get any on your face.' Kellett, who is originally from the UK but now lives between Queenstown and the European Alps for work, is a professional paraglider with over a decade of experience. Having started to document his adventures on social media, Kellett has built a following of over 210,000 on Instagram and 30,000 on TikTok. One trip to British Columbia in Canada last year saw Kellett fly from the summit of Revelstoke Mountain before landing by an alpine lake to camp. The overnight expedition also went viral, garnering over 6.9 million views and 571,000 likes for the adventure-seeker.
News18
24-05-2025
- News18
‘Earth Premium Tour': Watch New Zealand Paraglider's 200-Km Trip Over Himalayas
Last Updated: During his journey, the paraglider kept calculating the speed and altitude, and shared updates with his followers. Paragliding in the middle of the Himalayas might be a dream for many, but how about a route stretching 200 kilometres in just one go? A professional paraglider from New Zealand recently took up the challenge and posted a video of his adventure on Instagram, leaving viewers thrilled and stunned. With a GoPro mounted to his headgear, Benjamin Kellett started from Bir Billing in Himachal Pradesh, one of India's most popular paragliding sites. He was visibly awed by the majestic view of the mountains and lush green forests while flying over Himachali cities. During his journey, Kellett kept calculating the altitude and shared updates with his followers. Dharamshala was visible at a distance. Kellett mentioned that his final destination was right past the city. He was excited after spotting a tea shop, they had encountered on their way to Bir Billing. He completed the 200-metre fly in six and a half hours. 'After a 12-hour taxi ride back to Bir, we got 5 hours sleep and decided to have a crack at the classic 200km flat triangle from Bir Billing. The conditions were amazing and were by far the easiest 200km I've ever flown 6.5 hours," Kellett shared in the caption. His video went viral, with users dropping their reactions in the comment section. One of them hailed Kellett for 'enjoying India more than Indians". 'Our anti-drone missile system has been active for a few days, so be careful," quipped another. Overwhelmed by the Himalayan beauty, a user said, 'Bro said Day 1 in the start and gave us this Earth Premium tour." 'Serious question – toilet breaks?" asked one. 'I have seen you guys flying by IIT Mandi," claimed one. Another simply said, 'This is the ultimate flex." A person shared, 'I had my first paragliding experience at Dobhi. 20 minutes felt like hours. I can't imagine people flying for 5 hours.. unreal mate!" A user suggested Kellett should open a paragliding school here in India. 'I'm jealous in my own country," admitted another. Kellett, who has more than two lakh followers on Instagram, has seen his paragliding video garner over two million views. First Published:
NDTV
24-05-2025
- NDTV
Video: New Zealand Paraglider Flies 200 Km Over Himachal, Spends 6.5 Hours In Air
A professional paraglider from New Zealand recently took to Instagram to share an incredible video of his 200-kilometre flight, which began in Bir Billing, Himachal Pradesh. The clip has left internet users amazed by the scale of the journey and the mesmerising views captured during the flight. The video begins with Benjamin Kellett saying, "Day one of trying to fly 200 km in India." As the clip progresses, he shows the scenic mountains below. Throughout the video, he shares updates on how many kilometres and minutes he has covered. At one point, he also identifies Dharamshala, and jokes about tea breaks mid-air. "Flying 200km in India Bir Billing Himachal Pradesh. After a 12 hour taxi ride back to Bir we got 5 hours sleep and decided to have a crack at the classic 200km flat triangle from Bir Billing. The conditions were amazing and was by far the easiest 200km I've ever flown, 6.5 hours. What an incredible place, can't wait to go back!" Mr Kellett wrote in the caption of the post. Watch the video below: View this post on Instagram A post shared by Benjamin Kellett (@benjaminkellett) Since being shared, the video has accumulated more than 138,000 likes and over 1.8 million views. Reacting to the post, one user wrote, "Bro said Day 1 in the start and gave us this earth premium tour." "I had my first paragliding experience at Dobhi. 20mins felt like hours. I cant imagine people flying for 5hours.. unreal mate!" shared another. A user asked, "Serious question - toilet breaks?" to which Kellett replied, "Lean out the harness, aim to the side and try not to get any on your face." "Flying is a luxury for humans. Very few can do it but to be at this height on top of a beautiful country and experience that freedom in air is pure bliss. Thank you for sharing some visuals of this journey," expressed one user. "Enjoying india more than Indians," remarked another. "I want to fly like you, what kind of licencing is required to do this? And how much does the gear costs?" asked a curious user.
India Today
24-05-2025
- Entertainment
- India Today
New Zealand paraglider flies 200 km over Himachal in one go, video stuns Internet
A professional paraglider from New Zealand took to the skies above Himachal Pradesh and completed a 200 kilometre flight from Bir Billing. A video of the feat has left the viewers stunned by the scale and ease of his Kellett took off from Bir Billing in Himachal Pradesh, known as one of India's premier paragliding sites. With a GoPro fixed to his gear and calm confidence in his voice, he documented his route, altitude, and progress across the mountains in real shared the video in a post on Instagram. 'Day one of trying to fly 200 km in India,' he said in his now-viral video. The visuals that followed offered a rare glimpse of the Indian Himalayas from above. The view showcased snow-clad ridges and winding paths thousands of feet identifying spots like Dharamshala to joking about tea breaks mid-air, Kellett kept the tone light while navigating a flight path many wouldn't one point, he pointed below and said, 'Down there where we had chai,' giving the impression that this was just another regular day in the flight took him 6.5 hours to complete. In the caption of his post, Kellett mentioned how he reached Bir again after a '12-hour taxi ride' and a quick 5-hour nap before attempting the conditions were amazing and it was by far the easiest 200km I've ever flown,' he said, adding, 'What an incredible place, can't wait to go back!'Watch the video here: View this post on Instagram A post shared by Benjamin Kellett (@benjaminkellett)Social media users flooded the comments section of the post to express their thoughts.'Serious question – toilet breaks?' a user asked. Kellett didn't hold back and said: 'Lean out the harness, aim to the side, and try not to get any on your face.'Another user who had previously flown in the region said, 'I had my first paragliding experience at Dobhi. 20 mins felt like hours. I can't imagine people flying for 5 hours, unreal mate!''Bro said Day 1 in the start and gave us this Earth premium tour,' one of the users said, while another added, "He is enjoying India more than Indians."See the comments here:As viewers kept replaying the video and wondering what it must feel like to glide across mountain peaks, Benjamin Kellett's parting words, 'What a beautiful end of the day', summed it up best. For him, it was a flight. For the rest of us, it was a window to the skies.
