Two Men, One Sky

[Everskyward]

THE CLOUDS stretched across the Texas sky like a highway. And soaring along those lanes, lofted nearly 8,000 feet by the hot air rising from the earth, two hang gliders raced in tight pursuit of the most prized feat in this high adrenaline niche sport: farthest ever flown.

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/13/s...purer-form-of-flight.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0

 

[Geico266]

That is an amazing read.

Thanks.

 

[AdamZ]

Wow that is an impressive feat!

 

[JasonCT]

Impressive indeed!

Have you ever thought about hang gliding Mari?

 

[Everskyward]

Impressive indeed!

Have you ever thought about hang gliding Mari?

I have thought about it, that's what caught my eye. I was in HS just about the time hang gliding became popular and I wrote an essay for English class about it. After I moved to San Francisco I would go and watch the hang gliders at Fort Funston. I still do sometimes when I'm out there.

 

[tonycondon]

yea, awesome article. i was following along the trackers that day. incredible flight. Gary Osoba lives here in Wichita and used to be fairly active in our local soaring club. I've visited with him a few times and he's invited me down to Zapata. Maybe I should go one of these years.

 

[Bill Watson]

‎"In the sky, where they snacked on protein bars and water and relieved themselves freely over the world below, they were as evenly matched as two hang glider pilots could be."
...now that is some hang gliding!

I've raced sailplanes over the same territory and scared myself silly more than once. I can't imagine doing it hanging in a bag... a real physical and mental endurance test! One of the best soaring articles I've read in the popular press.