Ernie Camacho, at 13,000 ft., above King Mt. and the Sunset Ridge, near Arco, Idaho.
Ernie is flying a Moyes CSX5 topless (no king post or upper rigging) hang glider. Moyes gliders are made in Australia. On a high-altitude cross-country flight like this, Ernie uses oxygen and carries a radio to stay in contact with other pilots and his chase vehicle. On this flight Ernie made it almost 70 miles down the Lost River Range to Challis Idaho.The photo was taken with an Olympus 35mm camera mounted on the wing tip and fired by infrared remote. Camera was set on automatic exposure control. Photo taken 7/5/2000.
Photo © Ernie Camacho, 2000
Ernie Camacho, launching behind an ultralight Tug at Quest Air in Florida.
The occasion was the Flytec Championship, an international hang gliding contest that's been held at Quest for the last several years. Ernie attended the competition as a volunteer helping to get the competitors into the air each day. Another Sonoma Wings pilot, Vince Endter, was a competitor, finishing as the 2nd highest scoring American Rigid Wing pilot.The photo was taken with a Canon G3 digital camera. Photo taken 4/15/2004.
Photo © Ernie (EC) Camacho, 2004
Gregg Hacket and Anthony Abate, soaring with a hawk at Goat Rock.
Gregg is flying the gold/blue Gin Oasis, Anthony has the red/black Swing Mistral 2 Medium, and the hawk is flying a home-made wing.Sonoma Wings members fly a variety of wings. These are paragliders, with no rigid frame. You'll also see us flying flex wing hang gliders (using weight shift for control), and rigid wing hang gliders (using some form of aerodynamic controls).
This photo was taken at Goat Rock, on the Sonoma County coast at the mouth of the Russian River. Photo taken 1/25/2004.
Photo © Leo Jones, 2004
Greg Sugg flying over Plasket Ridge along the Big Sur coast.
The photo was taken with a Canon G3 digital camera. Photo taken 1/3/2004.Photo © Donna Matthias, 2004
Sonoma Wings pilots, setting up at lower launch, King Mt. Idaho, July 2000.
From left to right: Bob Stanley with his 150 Fusion, Larry Roberts with his 155 WW XC, Leo Jones with his 150 Fusion, and Albert Branson with his 147 WW Ram Air.It's still early in the day. They're waiting for that lone cumi in the distance to turn into a whole sky full of fat cumi's.
Photo © Donna Matthias, 2000
Kurt Bainum flying the Lost River Range in Idaho. Borah Peak, the highest point in Idaho, can be seen below his feet.
Kurt is flying a Sensor 610 CF topless glider. His harness is a Wills Wing Z5, he's wearing a Charlie Insider helmet and he's breathing on a Mountain High oxygen system.Kurt took this photo the day before the King Mt. meet. On this day he managed to fly 50 miles to the end of the Pahsimeroi Ridge (also known as Victory Ridge or Ginzu Ridge), then back to where he'd started from at King Mt., and then out to where he was camped - a six hour flight.
The photo was taken with a Minolta Explorer Zoom EX 35mm camera mounted on the wing tip and fired by infrared remote. Camera was set on automatic exposure control. Photo taken 7/5/2001.
Photo © Kurt Bainum, 2001
Kurt Bainum flying the Lost River Range in Idaho. The Pahsimeroi Ridge can be seen below him.
Kurt is flying a Sensor 610 CF topless glider. His harness is a Wills Wing Z5, he's wearing a Charlie Insider helmet and he's breathing on a Mountain High oxygen system.Kurt took this photo the day before the King Mt. meet. On this day he managed to fly 50 miles to the end of the Pahsimeroi Ridge (also known as Victory Ridge or Ginzu Ridge) back to where he'd started from at King Mt., then out to where he was camped - a six hour flight.
The photo was taken with a Minolta Explorer Zoom EX 35mm camera mounted on the wing tip and fired by infrared remote. Camera was set on automatic exposure control. Photo taken 7/5/2001.
Photo © Kurt Bainum, 2001
Matt Jagelka, hitting the bulls eye (that traffic cone), after completing a speed gliding run at Lake McClure.
Matt is flying a Wills Wing Talon topless (no king post or upper rigging) hang glider. This flight was made at Lake McClure, near Coulterville in California's Gold Country, during the Speed Gliding portion of the 2-day Mother Lode Sky Rider's Halloween fly-in. Matt had to follow a course down the mountain and cross the finish line in as short a time as possible. Then he finished the flight with an attempt at landing on the spot, which he did!The photo was taken by Lijian Liu with a digital camera. Photo taken 10/26/2002.
photo © Lijian Liu, 2002
Rich Sauer soars above Elk Mt., north of Upper Lake. Clear Lake can be seen in the background.
Rich is flying a Laminar MR2001. His harness is a Carbon CG. This is the equipment he'll be using this spring in his quest to be part of the US world team. At the time of this photo, Rich was ranked 10th in the nation. Only the top 6 male US pilots will make the world team (2 slots on the 8-person team are reserved for female pilots).The photo was taken with a Minolta Explorer Zoom EX 35mm camera mounted on the wing tip and fired by infrared remote. Camera was set on automatic exposure control. Camera provided by Ernie Camacho. Photo taken 3/1/2001.
photo © Ernie Camacho, 2001
Scot Huber flying the Lost River Range in Idaho. Mackay Reservoir can be seen in the background.
Scot is flying a Laminar ST14. His harness is a Woody Valley Tenax.Scot took this photo on the last day of the King Mt. meet. He was about 25 miles from launch when he decided to turn back because of the approaching rain storm. You can see the rain clouds behind him.
The photo was taken with a Minolta Explorer Zoom EX 35mm camera mounted on the wing tip and fired by infrared remote. Camera was set on automatic exposure control. Photo taken 7/8/2001.
photo © Scot Huber, 2001
Matt Jagelka's Wills Wing Talon, on the ground after its first Cross Country (XC) flight.
Matt describes this photo:Did I say it was cold?
Some may remember my story of a very cold flight. This picture was taken after landing from that cold flight. I flew south from Slide Mtn, NV past Highway 50 a mile or so and landed in this beautiful field adjacent to the snowcapped peaks of the Sierra Nevada along Route 206. My first XC (16mi) in the Talon! The most memorable part of the flight was climbing out of Washoe Valley. It took several tries to get out and it was cold!
photo © Matt Jagelka, 2002
Vince Endter soars the cliffs at Ft. Funston in San Francisco.
Vince is flying his new ATOS rigid wing hang glider. A rigid wing uses aerodynamic controls in at least one axis (roll on an ATOS), as opposed to the pure weight shift and wing warping that is used to control a conventional flex-wing hang glider.Vince has been flying hang gliders for 2 1/2 years now, but he comes to hang gliding with 22 years of general aviation experience and a Cardinal single engine airplane in the hangar.
The photo was taken with a Minolta Explorer Zoom EX 35mm camera mounted on the wing tip and fired by infrared remote. Camera was set on automatic exposure control. Camera provided by Ernie Camacho. Photo taken 2/15/2001.
photo © Ernie Camacho, 2001
Andy Long flies his ATOS at Hull Mt., north of San Francisco.
Andy is at 10,000 feet, nearing cloudbase above Hull Mountain during his second flight on his new ATOS B rigid wing hang glider.Andy has been flying hang gliders since 1972. This is his first rigid wing.
The photo was taken with an Olympus D-460 Digital Camera, carried in Andy's harness. Photo taken 7/31/2001.
photo © Andy Long, 2004
Rich Sauer flies his ATOS VR at Elk Mt., north of Clear Lake.
Rich's ATOS is the latest rigid wing produced by A-I-R in Germany. This is Rich's first rigid.Rich's harness is a Tenax, and his helmet is a 4-fight. Elk Mt. is Rich's home site. You can see Clear Lake in the background.
The photo was taken with a digital camera, mounted to the wing. Photo taken 5/15/2005.
photo © Rich Sauer, 2005
Vince Endter flies his ATOS VR near Burney, CA.
Vince is at the 100 mile mark on a flight from Mt. St. John. He and Rich Sauer, also on an ATOS VR, landed at Burney for 116 miles. You can see Mt. Shasta in the background.Vince's ATOS is made by A-I-R in Germany. Vince's harness is a Rotor, and his helmet is from ICARO.
The photo was taken with a digital camera, mounted to the wing. Photo taken 7/2/2005.
photo © Vince Endter, 2005
