Owens Valley Hang Gliding - Gunter Launch

[@penrynbigbird]

As Don Burns correctly points out below, this is Gunter launch, not Paiute. Thanks Don.

[@kenhelm2725]

That brings back a lot of very fond memories! Those were some really, really fun times! Thanks for posting. Ken Helm

[@skyhighflyguy6986]

Awesome to watch this footage from that time period.

[@penrynbigbird]

To whom it may concern, the ads that now appear with this video are all KZbin! I don't, nor would I want, a single cent for posting my vintage footage from long ago!! Kinda pisses me off actually...

[@chrisdrake7849]

Flew the heck out of this site and many more in the Owens, hung out with Kari and Mark Gibson.

[@Highrockman]

If you like that you should look up "Comet Clones and Pod People" about the Owens Valley Classic...

[@penrynbigbird]

If you have a link to that video (?) I'd sure like to link it here. I did a quick search and didn't find the video?!?

[@Highrockman]

@@penrynbigbird I have an original tape of it ..buried somewhere in my house..Ill try and see if I can locate it

[@ThermalCowboy]

WOW, just WOW!!!

[@banalpedant41]

I had a very poor copy of a "Owens valley and the pod people" video which I would love to see again if anybody knows of it. This video seems to have been shot at the same location. No comets on the scene yet though from what I can tell so perhaps a few yrs earlier than the pod people video. I remember it being big news for guys to go over one hundred miles.

[@penrynbigbird]

You might try posting your search here: forum.hanggliding.org.

[@Highrockman]

I have a copy of it ..Own the original tape..Just would have to search to find it

[@Vl7248]

Phil, incredible transfer from film. What film stock and camera format were you using? The colors are exceptionally rich and vivid. More so than any other transfer I’ve seen to day. also- are you still flying?

[@penrynbigbird]

Umm, the technical side of the camera/conversion is not my forte. Back in the 70s, we used a regular, inexpensive 8mm camera - nothing fancy that's for sure. I'm converting the 8mm to digital using Wolverine 8mm & Super 8 Digital MovieMaker - $399.00 on Amazon. The condition of these old films is pretty darn good for all of the decades that have gone by. They were boxed and always stored indoors. That might have some role in the quality. BTW, thanks for the kind remarks. Yes, I still fly. Like many other back in the 70s, hang gliding answered that age-old dream of flying like a bird - we were all hooked and many still love the sport.

[@Vl7248]

That’s awesome. You inspired me to convert my dads old collection of 8mm and upload to KZbin. I hope to fly with you one day.

[@penrynbigbird]

@@Vl7248 Wow!! Where did your dad fly and what is his name? Are you currently a HGer pilot or planning on lesson soon? I do clean the old footage before converting them with commercially available film cleaner that I bought on Amazon. Please, please let me know when you start posting the old footage :)

[@Vl7248]

H5-Phil sorry , I should’ve have clarified, he was not a pilot, just lots of 8mm films from the 60s and 70s. I’ve been flying for 20years

[@Richard-xu4cj]

Excellent ! NEED MORE! That first launch (Firefly?) looked damn sketchy but with a very nice transition

[@penrynbigbird]

I think that might be a UP Condor. I remember thinking that the Owens was a strange place to throw an inexperienced/new pilot off of. I'm assuming that if she needed a keel assist she was a relatively new pilot plus she flew thru lift and just went out and landed.

[@Richard-xu4cj]

@@penrynbigbird I forgot about the Condor. A real floater as I recall. I saw that she failed to work the lift but I did the same early on-part of the learning process. At least she was wearing a 'chute. No doubt she had to overcome a great deal of fear. Thanks for all the great vintage footage posted here!

[@Andesflier]

Minor correction: that's not Piute, that's Gunther.

[@penrynbigbird]

Hey Don, thanks for pointing out that error. Did/do you fly the Owens frequently?

[@Andesflier]

@@penrynbigbird Every July for the past 25 years. :)

[@penrynbigbird]

@@Andesflier Damn, when will your book come out? I'm sure you've got some great flights and awesome stories! :)

[@Andesflier]

@@penrynbigbird Heh... well, one of our "gang" members, Larry Fleming wrote Downwind (www.amazon.com/Downwind-true-hang-gliding-story/dp/B0006F1M4W). We try to keep a "blog" of sorts for our yearly trips. I have some of them here, but some may need a little maintenance: donburns.net/Articles/Owens2004/ donburns.net/Articles/Owens2006/ donburns.net/Articles/Owens2007/ donburns.net/Articles/Owens2009/ donburns.net/Articles/Owens2010/ donburns.net/Articles/Owens2011/ donburns.net/Articles/Owens2012/

[@vagabondroller]

2012 was a great read, enough so that I'm going to work my way through the rest. Thx!

[@ramonquirozvazques2730]

i like much