The Dreamwidth Journal of zdashamber

This is an amazing hang-gliding story, and I think the conclusions Camacho draws at the end are enormously applicable to non-hang-gliding endeavours. This was posted three days ago; I've copied it over here from the Sonoma Wings bulletin board so it's easy to find.

Quick jargon orientation: XC = cross country; LZ = landing zone; PG = paraglider; "bag it" = pack their gliders back into their bags; "sled ride" = no going up (thermalling), just straight flying down like you're on a sled on a hill; "vario" = variometer, a gadget that beeps when you're going up or down and lets you know how fast you're rising/falling and how much altitude you've gained/lost; "flare" = when you tilt your wings up to make them into big air brakes to slow yourself for landing. The "No Fly Zone" was because Bush was in town last weekend, and heaven knows, a hang glider might kamikaze into Air Force One.

Setup: The Sonoma Wings are an active group; I think they have money and time, and most beneficially to their flying, they live near 3-4 really great hang gliding sites, in the area of California about an hour or two north of San Francisco. I did hang gliding for a few years a couple years ago with the Berkeley Hang Gliding Club, and I met some of the Sonoma Wings guys, who seemed very friendly. I'm not sure if I met Ernie, the president of the club, or not... All the guys I did meet were 40ish guys with a bit of a pot belly; sane, reasonable guys, with a bit of the love of the daring: like most hang glider pilots. So that's who I imagine is telling this. Here's his tale, in his words.

( Ernie Camacho launches into clouds at St. Helena )