Paraglider Flight Accross the Grand Canyon!

hangwind · Post by **hangwind** » Mon Sep 13, 2004 11:35 am

images and quote care of www.azreporter.com

Anybody see this or a more full account HERE.

Will Gadd wrote:"It was absolutely the wildest flight I've ever had," says Gadd, 37, of Canmore, Alberta, Canada. "The air was very powerful and I was nervous because it could be fatal to land a paraglider in the Grand Canyon's winds. And even if I survived the landing I didn't know if I'd be able to get out."

Yeah!

Historical Note: Bob Thompson and Hans Heydrich took off from Eldon (approx 70 air miles away) in hang gliders and flew to the Grand Canyon, accross it and then back accross to land on the South Rim in the mid 80's. Previous to this in the late 70's there was a group of hang glider pilots who flew into the Grand Canyon who took off from the South Rim.

hangwind · Post by **hangwind** » Tue Sep 14, 2004 11:44 am

...and more HERE.

Will asks about Bob Thompson and Hans Heydrich flight. I will shoot Bob and Will a common e-mail. This is one of the things I enjoy about naming names on flight history in Arizona.

All the best!

p.s. I sent this e-mail to Bob and Will.

http://forum.ahga.org/viewtopic.php?p=971#971

Hello Bob (cc to Will Gadd),

I am writing to you to inform you of a Paraglider Flight over the Grand Canyon. I wrote a little of what I could find about it at the above URL and there are links in there to most of the accounts of this flight.

I saw that Mr. Gadd was inquiring on yours and Hans flight. I took the liberty to send you an e-mail. I would have sent one to Hans...

Looks like Mr. Gadd is an accomplished pilot indeed, much on the calibre that you guys are Bob.

All the best to both of you, hope this finds you well.

Adam Trahan
Arizona Hang (Paragliding) Association Historian