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New Mexico Backcountry Strips in HD at Vimeo
A recon trip to several New Mexico Backcountry airstrips near the Gila Wilderness. Beaverhead (13NM), Me-Own (1NM0), Negrito (0NM7), Whitewater Mesa (55NM) and Jewett Mesa (13Q).
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Landing at Dirty Devil in HD at Vimeo
In November 2009, I went on a backcountry flying / camping trip into the Canyonlands of southern Utah with my flying buddies Paul (Aeros2) and Mike (Rans S-18). I (Jeff) was flying my trusty Aerotrike Cobra. We landed at several strips during the day, then headed for our camping spot on a bench overlooking the Dirty Devil River. This was the most remote spot I have ever landed at. No road access, just foot, horseback and now ultralight. The airstrip was created during a uranuim mining boom in the 1950's and 60's.
It was late in the day when we arrived, the sun already below the horizon. The winds were perfectly still, and all three of us glided in to a easy landing. The next morning we headed out again to Happy Canyon, Angel Point, Hidden Splendor and camped at Mexican Mountain.
More to come
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Landing at Nokai Dome in HD at Vimeo
In November 2009, I flew to Monument Valley with my flying buddies Paul and Mike. We continued on for 3 days of flying and two nights of camping at Utah backcountry airstrips strips. The first was Nokai Dome, on a rise overlooking the San Juan River and Lake Powell.
More to come
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Dream Flight, San Luis Valley, Colorado in HD at Vimeo
A dream flight . . .
That's how I remember it.
These scenes streamed by before being lost behind me. I dared not look back or I would miss the next one, and I needed to stay in position, behind Paul, but slightly above his prop wash. No messing around with my camera. Just fly.
Thankfully, I captured it on the video so I can put myself back in the cockpit and fly it again. You have to watch this one FULL SCREEN.
0:58 I saw a pair of horses slowly wading across the river.
1:30 Flying in the shadows.
2:45 A small herd of wild horses on the banks of the river.
4:26 Time to gain some altitude over this shallow section of the Rio Grande Gorge.
6:29 The horses about a 1/2 mile to right are on a morning run.
Running time 8 mioutes, 37 seconds
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Colorado Trike Flying, Alamosa, in HD at Vimeo
Frank, Chris, Rick and I made a trike expedition to Alamosa, CO in July 2008. The next morning we followed the Rio Grande towards it's source, near Creede, CO. There were clouds at Wagon Wheel Gap, so Chris and I checked out a side canyon (Goose Creek) and when we returned the clouds had lifted. We continued to Creede and beyond to an amazing series of mountain lakes and meadows.
The next day we headed back home, following the Rio Grande Gorge to Taos, and on to Albuquerque.
This is a companion video to an article to be published in the August 2009 issue of Light Sport and Ultralight Flying Magazine. I filmed all of the video on my Aiptek HD+ 1080P camera.
Running time, 13 minutes 19 seconds
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NColorado Trike Flying, Pagosa in HD at Vimeo
In September 2008, Rick Frank and I flew up to Pagosa Springs Colorado. We flew up to Williams Lake, then explored the nearby Weminuche Valley.
On the last day of the trip I flew up to the Piedra Valley and saw a powered parachute, then landed at sunset.
This is a companion video to a article I wrote for the August 2009 issue of "Light Sport and Ultralight Flying Magazine." I filmed all of the video on my Aiptek HD+ 1080P camera..
Running time, 10 minutes 54 seconds
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Night Landing at Belen in HD at Vimeo
I entered the pattern at Belen 25 minutes after sunset, with 5 minutes of civil twilght flying left to go. It was dark, but not as dark as it looks on the video, but the runway lights never looked cooler.
Running time, 2 minutes 17 seconds
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Flying with the Devil in HD at Vimeo
My friend Frank got a new blood red Apollo 912s Delta Jet. I call it the Red Devil. We went flying over Rio San Jose and the "Big Red Spot", near Albuquerque last week. I took the video with my Aiptek 1080P camera, set in 720p 60Hz mode. The camera was mounted on the control bar. I am amazed how clear the video is. On my computer at home, it looks flawless. Enjoy the flight. Clicking on the link to launch the Vimeo viewer and enjoy the ride. Turn off HD unless you have a superfast PC.
Running time, 13 minutes 19 seconds
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Over New Mexico in HD at Vimeo
This is a compilation from three trike flights, video shot in High Definition over incredible scenery, all within an hour or two of my home base at Belen Airport. Clicking on the link to launch the Vimeo viewer and enjoy the ride. Turn off HD unless you have a superfast PC.
Running time, 13 minutes 26 seconds
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20071111_mv3_day3.wmv 26.9 MB
Monument Valley, Expedition 3, Day 3
The three trikes took off and watched the sun rise. Johnny headed north to Cortez, CO while Rick and I turned SE towards a line of bumps on the horizon I discovered on my first trip to MV in 2006. We continued on to Canyon de Chelly and Red Valley before stopping at Window Rock. Then on to Mt Taylor and a large herd of wild horses in the plains near Acoma. An amazingly beautiful flight
Running time, 5 minutes 9 seconds
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20071110_mv3_day2.wmv 63.0 MB
Monument Valley, Expedition 3, Day 2
Johnny from Cortez, CO flew down to MV that morning and met Rick and I over the buttes. We landed and the took a second flight in the afternoon. I finally got to fly over the top of Agathlan Volcano.
Running time, 11 minutes 30 seconds
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20071109_mv3_day.wmv 49.9 MB
Monument Valley, Expedition 3, Day 1
This was my third trip to Monument Valley, and I saw more, flew more, and was more blown away by the scenery more than ever before. Rick and I crossed the Mt Taylor Plateau, looked down on the ruins of Chaco Canyon, dodged eagle attacks over Shiprock, made our way across the Goosenecks of the San Juan River, before finally entering Monument Valley at sunset.
When I watch this video, I find myself back into the cockpit of my Cobra, cruising over the desert landscape. The music is the same music I listen to while flying, so the immersion is complete. Running time, 9 minutes 4 seconds
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20070528_alamosa_day_three.wmv 45.07 MB
20070528_alamosa_day_three.mpg 49.0 MB (Macs)
Alamosa Day Three
Time to head home. The morning air was calm, so Rick and I were able to get a close look of the Upper Rio Grande Gorge all the way to Taos, NM. We landed, took a break, then continued south over then deepest part of the Taos Gorge. We made a short stop at Los Alamos, then continued on to Double Eagle and Belen airports. Running time, 5 minutes 32 seconds.
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20070527_alamosa_day_two.wmv 45.8 MB
20070527_alamosa_day_two.mpg 62.8 MB (Macs)
Alamosa Day Two
Rick, Chris (with student Ron in the back seat) and I followed the Rio Grande to its headwaters, near Creede CO. We landed at the Creede Airport for break, then Chris and I continued to follow the river upstream. Ahead of us was a mirror smooth mountain lake. The pull was irresistible. Running time, 7 minutes 5 seconds.
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20070526_alamosa_day_one.wmv 38.7 MB
20070526_alamosa_day_one.mpg 50.0 MB (Macs)
Alamosa Day One
Rick and I flew north, following every curve of the Rio Grande Gorge to Alamosa, Colorado. The canyon seemed to stretch on forever and I enjoyed every minute and every mile of the flight. In Alamosa, we met Chris who flew in earlier from Taos, and John and Becky who had trailered in. That afternoon the 4 trikes took flight to the Great Sand Dunes. Running time, 5 minutes 23 seconds.
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20070210_vent_mania.wmv 51.2 MB
20070210_vent_mania.mpg 50.1 MB (Macs)
Vent Mania
This was my third trip to vent complex west of the Jemez mountains and the first with decent video. Before I headed out, I surveyed the area using Google Earth and found that I had missed most of the vents on my earlier trips, including two large pools. I flew out and back on a cold February morning, then returned in late April to check out a tip about another vent hole in the nearby Ojito area. The Ojito vent is on public land, so I might hike out there to check it out. On the way home flew by a large herd of wild horses grazing by the Puerco ruins. Running time, 5 minutes 32 seconds.
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20061119_mv2_return2.wmv 50.9 MB
20061119_mv2_return2.mpg 59.4 MB (Macs)
Monument Valley 2 - Return
I launched before dawn for a last look at Monument Valley, then headed across the Goosenecks of the San Juan River. Next stop - “Valley of the Gods.” Mark and I flew past Comb Ridge and Bluff, refueled in Farmington and headed towards Albuquerque. In case you are wondering, Mark eventually did make it back to civilization (how else would I have gotten his pictures) Part 3 of 3. Running time, 6 minutes 18 seconds.
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20061118_mv2_serenity2.wmv 54.3 MB
20061118_mv2_serenity2.mpg 68.5 MB (Macs)
Monument Valley 2 - Serenity
Mark and I launched at dawn and headed out to the sunlit eastern buttes. Conditions were perfect - no wind, no thermals. I made a serene flight around Agathla volcano, in conditions much nicer than last January. My most enjoyable flight to date. Part 2 of 3. Running time, 7 minutes 26 seconds.
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20061117_mv2_outbound2.wmv 76.0 MB
20061117_mv2_outbound2.mpg 84.9 MB (Macs)
Monument Valley 2 - Outbound
My second flight to Monument Valley, this time with Mark as my wingman in his Airborne XT trike. Our 7.5 hour flight took us to Cabezon Peak, Chaco Canyon, Farmington, Bluff, Mexican Hat and finally Monument Valley. Part 1 of 3. Running time, 9 minutes 12 seconds.
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20061021_roswell.wmv 52.0 MB
20061021_roswell.mpg 39.7 MB (Macs)
Lonny’s Fly-in, near Roswell, NM
I made a 3 hour flight to Lonny’s farm near Roswell, landing on the dirt field lined with spectators waiting for me so they could eat lunch. The next day Lonny took me and Lee on a tour of the Pecos river. I was in the rear, and got to capture some cool air-to-air footage. On the last day, Lee and I returned north along the beautiful Rio Hondo Valley. Running time, 4 minutes 17 seconds.
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20060108_mv4_return.wmv 59.8 MB
20060108_mv4_return.mpg 60.8 MB (Macs)
Monument Valley Part 4 - Return
I watched the sunrise as I circled over Monument Valley, slowly drifting downwind. The sky was blue and clear, the air cold and crisp, the towers of rock towers pink and red in the morning light. Reluctantly, I started my trip home past other desert wonders including “the Sandworm” and Canyon de Chelly. Running time, 11 minutes 20 seconds. - Part 4 of 4.
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20060107_mv3_interview.wmv 41.0 MB
20060107_mv3_interview.mpg 54.5 MB (Macs)
Monument Valley Part 3 - The Interview
After the flight, Damien walked up to my trike with the camera rolling and filmed this interview. It’s one of my favorites, not because I make a rare on screen appearance, but because it captured that perfect moment of enthuisiasm we felt after a magnificent flight. Running time, 5 minutes 56 seconds. - Part 3 of 4.
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20060107_mv2_bumpy.wmv 56.0 MB
20060107_mv2_bumpy.mpg 87.0 MB (Macs)
Monument Valley Part 2 - That was Bumpy
Damien and I were grounded all morning by tailwinds, finally launching at 3pm for a bumpy tour of Monument Valley. I made a quick side trip to the San Juan River Canyon and the Goosenecks, and circled the buttes as sunset. The flight ended with a gentle cruise in the wind shadow. Running time, 8 minutes 31 seconds. - Part 2 of 4.
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20060106_mv1_outbound.wmv 60.9 MB
20060106_mv1_outbound.mpg 86.9 MB (Macs)
Monument Valley Part 1 - Outbound
My 7 hour flight from Belen to Monument Valley, past the Gallup cliffs. Shiprock, along the San Juan River, and into Monument Valley at sunset. A perfect flight in light winds over the most amazing landscapes I have ever seen. This is what I got into trike flying for. Running time, 9 minutes 22 seconds. - Part 1 of 4.
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20051210_bird_dance3.wmv 26.0 MB
A mile ahead, I saw a large field with a shimmering white strip. As I grew closer, it began ripple, like the surface of a lake. Slowly the bird dance unfolded below. We flew together for a short while, then not wanting to bother them, I turned away and left them alone (updated with extra video).
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20051201_galinas_loop.wmv 37.0 MB
Flight over the Caldron of Hell and along Galinas Ridge to Socorro, then back to Belen along the Rio Grande following my shadow and some flocks of birds.
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20051106_los_alamos.wmv 27.0 MB
There is only one way in and one way out to Los Alamos, perched high on a mesa at an elevation of 7170 ft. You can see Frank’s trike during the landing sequence. Returned low over the Rio Grande Bosque.
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20051022_sunset_flight.wmv 12.7 MB
I spent all day doing trike maintenance, then took this very relaxing sunset flight over Rio Grande. I landed after sunset and tried the “Night Vision” on my camcorder.
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20051014_taos.wmv 32.0 MB
My best fliight to date, an overnight trip to Taos, NM and a great view of the Rio Grande Gorge. Plus a sunset flight over the gorge and my return past Espanola and a stretch of “No Mans’ Land” north Tetilla Peak.
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20051001_ojito.wmv 38.8 MB
White Mesa, Vents, and the Ojito Badlands
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20050909_dirtfields.wmv 10.1 MB
A collection of three dirt field landings. The PPC on the Rio Puerco, the “Big Red Spot”, and the Magdalena airstrip.
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20050806_riverrun.wmv 15.7 MB
Running the Rio Grande
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20050709_rio_puerco_to_ppc.wmv 21.0 MB
Cruise up the Rio Puerco to the PPC field where I met up with Frank and Damien. We took off and flew around together on a beautiful summer morning.
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20050522_puerco_cruise_high.wmv 10.0 MB
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Low cruise up the Rio Puerco
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20050311_midvalley.wmv 16.9 MB
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Short stop at Mid-Valley
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20050116_antelope_high.wmv 5.7 MB
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Antelope on the mesa
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