A 43-year-old man remains in hospital after crashing his paraglider into a mountain near Manilla on Thursday afternoon.
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The paraglider pilot was airlifted by helicopter to Newcastle's John Hunter Hospital after suffering injuries in a serious crash, which happened soon after takeoff at Mount Borah.
Manilla Paragliding School owner Godfrey Wenness said the man was visiting the famous paragliding hotspot from the Illawarra region.
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"The pilot was taking off from the west side of Mount Borah when shortly after takeoff, he lost control," Mr Wenness told the Leader.
"He impacted with the takeoff area."
The Westpac Rescue Helicopter was tasked to Mount Borah from Newcastle, and ambulance paramedics rushed to the scene just after 4pm on Thursday.
The man was stabilised and flown to John Hunter Hospital.
Mr Wenness said he had been contact with a friend of the man on Friday, and believed the injured pilot was in a stable condition.
He said the 43-year-old would undergo surgery for a broken arm, and also suffered pelvic injuries in the crash.
The moments leading up to the incident are a bit of a head-scratcher, according to Mr Wenness.
"It's the equivalent of someone driving on a dry, straight road with no traffic, and ending up in a telegraph pole, that's the kind of accident it was," he said.
"He was inexperienced in the conditions he was flying in and he just made a mistake.
"He was lucky to get away with what he did."
It's understood it was the man's first trip to Mt Borah, and he'd enjoyed a "nice flight" earlier that day.