Interview with Petar Loncar

Petar Loncar from Serbia, alongside with his mentor Mendo Veljanovski are two very likeable personalities of the aerobatics competition scene.

A kind and very quiet guy, but when it comes down to acro, he is surely going to impress you with his high-precision piloting!

justACRO: Petar, when did you start paragliding/acro?

Petar: It was in 2007 when I found paragliding after I came out from the army parachute brigade!
In 2008 I already start to practice acrobatics, it was on one spot in Serbia which is 300m hill where I made my first sat and wing overs! After I realized that I need to find another place due to the bad conditions and low altitude! I knew it is going to be hard, I was raised on flat land.
Where did you learn to fly acro?

Because of Politicals problems in Serbia in 2008 and 2009 I was not able to travel in Europe to meet up with best acrobatics pilots and places around! The only chances which I had is to go to Ohrid Lake in Macedonia to start with some serious and radical tricks. On my first journey to Macedonia I was lucky to meet one of the most experienced acro pilots Mendo Veljanovski, and even more lucky to had him as a mentor during the rough beginning of my acro career! Most of the tricks I learned and the knowledge how to compete I can thank to Mendo!

You were the first Serbian pilot who learned Infinity Tumbling, when exactly?

After a almost two years of hard training I was able to do it in 2010 and become a first Serbian and unfortunately still the only one!

Favorite trick?

My favorite trick is Mac twist to heli!

What are your upcoming plans?

Focusing on my paragliding career, flying as much as possible following all acro competitions and do some nice projects.
One of the biggest goal for this year is Pakistan and attempt to break the altitude record together with good friend Veso Ovcharov!
There is also some nice plans which I would like to realize during this year, visiting Sol paragliding factory in Brazil, as well fly around and visit Banditos Team in Colombia!

And here is one of the biggest dream to make an acrobatics show and promote acrobatics flying at my home place at the beautiful lake Ada in Belgrade which has around 300 000 people visiting on a weekend. With help of right people the project would be possible!

At the moment I am in Nepal testing a new proto wing from Sol Paragliders Hiper Sonic.
which is working very good for all connection, and for this season is on the way a new proto 2013 with Esfera potential!

Petar, thanks a lot for the interview!

Thanks for this possibility. I would also like to say thanks to Sol Paragliders and Ary Carlos Pradi for supporting me all the time and in the future we will have many more nice projects together! And also thanks to Air Federation of Serbia and Zeljko Ovuka for support and promotion of acrobatics flying in the good way!

Name: Petar Loncar
Nationality: Serbian
Date of birth 26.08.1986
Home: Belgrade/Serbia
Best result: 10th Acrowing tour France
Sponsors: Sol Paragliders, Air Federation of Serbia