Pictures and videos from this weekend in Hat Creek...

This weekend was just great. I managed to escape from the office early with the promise that there would be WLAN in the campgound. That was a hard bet, considering that there is no cellular network coverage in that area. I wrap up my stuff, rush home where I pack in 2" before Craig arrives to pick me up. I don't recall I left a place so fast :-)

Normally, in order to catch the glass off in Hat Creek, one need to leave SF at 12h30 latest. We left at 2.30pm. But call it luck (light traffic) and also not pit-stop, we arrived on site at 7.30pm. Just in time to capture that video of a BAPA member taking off...


This is Hat Creek ! We got a good 30 minutes flight in the evening warm air until the sun goes down. The weekend starts well.

Saturday was another story. Even though the weather forecast had predicted good air, what we saw was a strong south west wind carrying T-Storm after T-Storm. It was OK for Craig and me in the campground, but ask Monica, Richard and Erik who went to climb the Mount Shasta that morning (more than 4000m) and slept outside without a tent ! They did the summit in a strong wind and joined us for the dinner at the camp. That was a super evening.



You can see, Starting from the left: Erik, Monica, Richard, nice stranger and Craig at Potatoe Hill where we drove to this morning for a great thermal flight. Big blue thermals that took Craig and me way above the launch. Erik was less lucky, but hada great time.

Way better time than this dude from another group of pilot that probably got surprised by the thermal activity.

I promised to post those pictures so that the pilot could get a souvenir. As we say, you can only be considered as a true pilot if ou have landed in a tree. With this cateegory of tree we have a future champion :-) I am still a beginner, I only managed to go through a tree few years ago.








You can see the wing in the tree, almost in the middle of the picture. Bets are open if the will will be recovered.


I forgot to mention : the pilot is fine !

Next time, bigger team and we do it again.

It will soon be time to leave California for new adventures. In the office, there is a tradition to make a drawing of the team members. Here is what one of the designer came up with :-)




This is from the movie I am a legend with Will Smith... I love the Eiffel tower in the back.

Thanks guys, I'll miss you.

Arnel "The Artist", kitting at the Dump

No edits on that video ... just music.

The weather this week was jut perfect for paragliding.

This gives a good idea of what flying is like.

Big production,... Big Stars,... Big budget ...

Arnel, Christophe, Arturo, Nova, ... Only good stuff :-)

hectic time ...

Too much stress,.. too much work,...too much travel,... but all in all I guess this is a real positive life experience ... I was discussing with Hussein tonight at the paragliding site and he was telling me that his secret for flying so well was that he accepted the suffering that went with it. He told me that the Flying was the good part, and that he accepted the walking and the sweating. I answered him that the flying was the nice part, the walking and sweating was actually the good part. He agreed :-) I guess that was a highly philosophical moment that pushed me to make a post again ...

Just before that conversation with Hussein, I took that video...




I also took that one ... and Arnel is still once again showing his skills ... I made a terrible flight :-(

5h30 Barcelona airport

There was a army of taxis flooding the airport this morning. Every one wants to go home after 3gsm. The airport is packed.

Another view of the cafe