Ridge Soaring the Massanutten

(Virginia, USA) in an ASK-21 sailplane (glider) one fine winter day. The shorter winter days usually result in fewer potential thermal soaring opportunities during the winter season in the Mid-Atlantic region of the US. However, the hardier soaring enthusiasts often take advantage of the ridge and wave lift generated by strong winds associated with the low pressure systems which frequent the region during the winter months. The heroes of this clip are the hang glider pilots who brave the elements (minus 4 degrees Celsius in winds exceeding 50 mph) without even the meager protection afforded by a sailplane fuselage. Public Service Announcement: No gliders, hang gliders, or pilots were harmed during the making of this film. All maneuvers were performed by highly experienced pilots and should not be attempted without appropriate training or flight experience. N.B. Always communicate and coordinate with the pilots of other aircraft before flying in close proximity situations. Respect all ridge soaring rules and FAA/JAA/NAA/CAA/etc. regulations. Never soar the ridge at 2x in Real Life. Interested in flying sailplanes or hang gliders? In the Greater Washington (DC, Maryland, Virginia) area please visit: Mid-Atlantic Soaring Association http://www.m-asa.org Skyline Soaring Club http://www.skylinesoaring.org Cumberland Soaring Group http://www.cumberlandsoaring.org Shenandoah Valley Soaring (Waynesboro/Charlottesville) http://www.svsoar.org Capital Hang Gliding And Paragliding Association http://www.chgpa.org The Maryland Hang Gliding Association http://www.marylandhanggliding.org Elsewhere in the US: SSA (Sailplanes) http://ssa.org USHGA (Hang Gliders) http://www.ushga.org Music credits: Farewell Transmission, Magnolia Electric Co. The Birth and Death of the Day, Explosions In The Sky Broken Boy Soldier, The Raconteurs Dreamt for Light Years In the Belly of a Mountain (Aka Maxine), Sparklehorse This is a Lo-Fi production. For professional HD soaring video, please look elsewhere on vimeo.com or try http://www.gpgliding.com.

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