Aloha everybody, as you may or may-not have heard a good friend and P1 pilot was kiting halfway up the hill and got taken up in a thermal in early afternoon (approx. 1:30 p.m.). Roy had a 35 min flight and almost landed but got taken up again and blown over the back of Pu’u Loa into the rotor. He suffered a L2 fracture and was life flighted out to Hilo then onto Queens.That’s all I know for now and will let you know more later. He is expected a full recovery. This happened on Sunday, June 29th. Aloha Yeti

—story from west hawaii today

A paraglider injured in a crash Sunday was taken to The Queen’s Medical Center on Oahu for treatment, police said Monday.

The victim, a 43-year-old Kailua-Kona man, suffered back and leg injuries after the paraglider he was operating fell about 100 feet to the ground near Mana Road, in the Puuloa area. He is listed in serious but stable condition, police said.

Police classified the incident as a public accident, and are investigating the crash. A witness reported that the paraglider fell out of a “thermal draft” while descending and was unable to maintain altitude.

This is the first and historic flight of me (Yeti), into Hilo International Airport. As far as I know, it is the first time a paraglider has ever landed at an International Airport. The first time a Powered Paraglider has landed at one and taken off at one. The lightest air craft and slowest air craft to fly into one. Soon I will set the record for the most amount of touch and go’s in a single pass. A big mahalo to Eric, Larry and Crew ATC in the tower.

 Aloha Yeti

  More here  —> Pictures from eric weinert

On Sunday January 28th, Moku Busch and Bill Morris became members of the “4,000 Foot Club” by obviously flying higher than 4,000 feet above sea level at Kealakekua. Comments were heard later like: I was above cloud base, well that is if there WAS a cloud base! I flew with an I’O, well actually above an I’O since the there was no food up here. I saw the tops of a bunch of wings, and they looked tiny….If my radio worked that high I would have reported my position and invited everyone to join me… and so forth! Congratulations

The payoff for living in one of the rainiest cities in the world, is that we also get the cleanest air and clearest skies found anywhere on the planet. Friday, January 26 was one of those rare afternoons. No wind, no clouds, in 80 degree temperatures…. A view of Mauna Kea, Mauna Loa, Puu oo, Onomea and Hilo Bay even Kapohoo, with whales breaching by the dozens. Darren Campbell, Kirk Deffebach and myself launched from my front yard, playing in the afternoon skies until our fuel tanks dwindled. A quick refuel, then up again beneath the rising moon, flying until the sun faded behind the mountain.

Onomea Eric