Pretty much opposite of prior picture. Here I am in early 1980s flying my Kasperwing I-80 out of Joe's field next to landing area for hang gliders in Ellenville NY.
22HP Zenoah 250CC with 180 square feet of wing area.
Big Zagi!
This day I went on a 30 plus mile cross country. Used ounces of fuel to get to bout a thousand feet, then shut off motor and thermaled to over 10,000 and went over back of mountain.
Was above several single surface airfoil hang gliders the whole flight (they went cross country too). Amazing thing happened going through about 8,500 feet, I spotted a large bird below me climbing up plenty fast.
When the bird got closer I could see this Eagle with a trout tucked in under em. He or she came over very close to have a better look at this other flying wing that seemed to have captured a larger fish. With this ambivalent look that was unquestionable condescending the bird flew away figuring perhaps its fish was smaller, but the flying wings performance was poor at best and only worthy at best of a slight passing glance.
Stan Novak, owner of the Long Island Game Farm who partially sponsered my first homebuild balloon "Z-Bra" (1983 first flight) presented me with this picture printed from his computer shortly before he passed away early 2000s. We took a picture of it with our digital camera.
We would often transport in the yellow 1980 Toyota mini pickup at the same time**:
**A 1979 Raven RX-6 Rally hot air balloon "Stardust" N5557A used in Stardust Memories with Woody Allen (first balloon)
**A 1983 Parigoris AX-6 hot air balloon "Z-Bra" N3787B (second balloon and first homebuilt balloon)
**1980 I-80 Kasperwing ultralight
The Red Volkswagon Scirocco is owned by Ross and Marylee Sale (picnic on blanket) who was partial partners in N5557A.
Ron Parigoris
Y10-02-18
