Gliding under massive OD at sunset

[@JonathanStCloud-yo5oq]

I thought this is the prefect video to show my non-glider pilot friends what is so exhilarating about soaring. The figurative highs and lows... Excellent, thank you.

[@FJ-gk3jb]

I've watched all your videos and now I'm watching some of them for the second time. Your videos are amazing! Thank you for narrating. I've considered soaring before, I'm currently a PPG pilot. I didn't think soaring was for me but after watching your videos I've reconsidered. I found a local soaring club in MI and will be going up for my 1st instructional flight as soon as they open in the spring. Your adventures are truly inspiring. Fly safe and keep up the great work!

[@BenHirashima]

That's great to hear! Come join us in the skies. I have several friends that came to the sport from paragliders. You won't regret it.

[@bravoecho64]

Congratulations !!! This reminds me of a flight when I was about about to outland in the spanish side of Pyrenees and finally found ridges and thermals that allowed me to cross the boarder again at ... 08:00PM and safely land back home. Once again a really nicely done and inspiring video.

[@johnfoster1201]

Well done! Way to keep fighting. I'm often surprised by how far we can go if we just keep fighting (as you said, within our safety margins).

[@AJHewson1]

Loved this video. Thanks for taking the time to create it and share with us. Epic flight, congratulations on a flight well flown!

[@SaraStearns-t6f]

What a video, Ben! What a flight. At times the hair on my arms was standing up, definitely outside of my comfort zone, but then, I don't have the experience you do. That was evidenced by your segment on that sunny ridge towards the end of the flight. You played that with precision. Knowing you had an airport in glide while working that weak lift was definitely a cushion! I'd not dare to try such a flight in PY - 39:1 on a good day just isn't enough. But, it sure is fun watching you and Philip give it your best, and then document it in such a beautiful way. Thank you, my friend!

[@DM-MCMLVI]

Always fun to team fly! I impulsively purchased an introductory glider flight at Minden, while a driving back from the Owens Valley, back in the 90's. My very cool flight instructor took me to 18k' in wave lift (my first experience with hypoxia), and aerobatics on the way back. Best "introductory" flight ever! Great channel, thanks for sharing =)

[@BenHirashima]

@@DM-MCMLVI sounds like a fun flight!

[@geekazoid47]

The 360 cam shots are incredible.

[@InvestingDoc]

What a cool random youtube suggestion for me to watch. I really enjoyed your video

[@MiscDotGeek]

Love this! I live in the area (Fernley) so it was neat to see it all from the air, and also all that amazing scenery near Bridgeport. There's also a dirt airstrip about 20 miles N of Bridgeport, but landing out there would be quite a drive from Minden. An old friend of mine was a well known glider and tug pilot in the area, and he offered to take me up, but he's gone now. These days I'm too fat for a glider, but when I lose it all, I'm seriously considering getting licensed as a glider pilot. I also used to fly RC slope soaring gliders, and I hope to at least get back to that in the next year or two. It's just so relaxing.

[@BenHirashima]

RC slope soaring is so fun. I used to do that in Socal.

[@MiscDotGeek]

@@BenHirashima Yep I used to go out to Stead on the hills between Stead and Cold Springs. There's also a great spot behind Hidden Valley in Reno, but Stead has better lift.

[@Edward-bn2vw]

I think the best KZbinr for gliding! 👍🏻

[@RyanYTube]

what a beautiful shot at 3:30. I appreciated that.

[@flyneur]

Wonderful video! What a fight at the edge to make it home! Congratulations! I was really enjoying watching the video, and especiall last part is a real thriller. Thanks so much for sharing! Excellent work and great achievements on this flight!

[@BenHirashima]

Thanks so much!

[@doobydooby2008]

New glider add on pilot here and I met you at Williams several weeks ago. Thanks for the inspiring trip reports. I'll be following and hope to meet again soon.

[@nuclearbuick]

Great flight! And very entertainingly presented. I've flown over some of that area (not as far NE near Austin) and it brought back some good memories. Thanks for sharing.

[@toodie-em2mp]

That was a beautiful flight, your assessment of the conditions were spot on. Happy to see you both flying from Linden. I'm a very older glider pilot not flying any longer, so truly enjoy the soaring flights. In the middle 1950's I learned to fly a TG-3 at Minden, no-one there then just the big old wooden hangar and all runways were open. Fun time, using auto tows!

[@BenHirashima]

@@toodie-em2mp wow auto tows at Minden. Bet that was fun.

[@toodie-em2mp]

@@BenHirashima My instructor took 4 of us from the Bay Area in his station wagon pulling the TG-3 on the trailer to Minden. That was the tow car also. Everyone got to drive the car two of us sat on the back incase they glider couldn't un hooK. BIG knife. Looking back it was amazing! A time I will always remember...think I'm the last one still here.....smile became a soaring pilot as a teenager, power rating came later.

[@bradjackson-m2e]

The effort and time you put into these videos, definitely makes them the most informative, educational, and enjoyable videos to watch. Ben, you have really raised the bar on producing great videos.

[@BenHirashima]

Thanks for the kind words, Brad!

[@RWBHere]

Nicely done. Determination can make a huge difference.

[@bungee7503]

Nice, but oh, the luxury is having airports to land at.

[@vincentremazeilles504]

Thanks so much.

[@danestark7372]

Great flight and video

[@SimonAmazingClarke]

What an amazing flight.

[@gadfly96]

Such a great video! Thanks for creating and sharing it.

[@AirJoe]

I would love to gliding in the desert one day. i live in Pennsylvania and the highest I've gone off thermals is 7,000 feet agl. Its crazy how high you can get up there. Beautiful scenery too.

[@peterparaglides]

rad flight, good stuff.

[@no-engine-no-cry]

Thriller!

[@tomdubois7836]

Really like your videos. I’m learning at Williams now. Love to see a how you make your videos clip

[@alexbarraud9054]

As a paragliding pilot you can noy immagine the ANXIETY the last few minutes of this flight gave me 😂 40:1 glide ratio is insane

[@geekazoid47]

Crazy cool story bro.

[@BenFrankAdventures]

Hi Ben, love the video. How do you get the LXnav to playback your flight like that, is that the simulator, can you plug the igc file in and review it in the LXnav sim?

[@BenHirashima]

It's the simulator. I just record the computer's screen when it's playing.

[@BenHirashima]

Yeah, you load an IGC file into the simulator and it can play it back.

[@BenFrankAdventures]

@@BenHirashima ok thanks for that info, I didn’t know that was possible. Adds a great component to your video.

[@imoverclocked]

Nice video! You mention that “as a VFR aircraft, you are legally required to land” which is not my understanding of the FARs. Maybe, “as a VFR aircraft without the required equipment, you are legally required to land,” is more accurate?

[@SailFlyTri]

If I can clear these hills! I've never said that before lol

[@tricky2917]

When you make these videos do you think a lot about turning your experience into a narrative?

[@BenHirashima]

@@tricky2917 not really, I'm just focusing on flying. Occasionally, I'll think to myself, this will be a good video. :)

[@tricky2917]

@@BenHirashima I meant in the editing room, but I think your answer would be the same. :)

[@BenHirashima]

@@tricky2917 oh, gotcha. Yes, I do try to tell the story of the flight. Glider flights tend to have moments of drama and triumph in them, so they make for good stories.

[@tricky2917]

@@BenHirashima they do indeed.

[@mattmatt245]

Did you have some landing field in reach during the whole flight ? Terrain looks mostly unlandable.

[@BenHirashima]

@@mattmatt245 yes, always. The terrain is unlandable, but I was able to stay high enough to keep an airport in range at all times.

[@surf_thermals]

Do you both fly JS3?

[@BenHirashima]

On this flight, I was flying an LS6

[@ArticulateVCS]

@@BenHirashima It was a nail-biter at the end! 🫣 You guys have the best adventures! 💥 Thanks for sharing.