For the HD experience:
http://www.vimeo.com/14348524

Imagine if taildrgfun and coyote ugly could visit this place (to name our most photographed members..I'm sure many of you could find a good use for those hilly alpine meadows.)

Based on those movements it sure looks like an RC.. I know they have came a long ways with technology in that area.... What is the platform Zane?

If you look at the shadow at 1:10 whatever it is, it looks tiny. Pretty amazing if they can ply an RC plane that close to the peaks from a distance.

From the shadow pointed out by jaerl, the platform is most likely a small flying wing called a Zagi wing... or a copy of one. They are very very common, cheap, and nearly indestructible.

Zagi wings are made from polypropylene foam, covered with colored packing tape (yes, box sealing tape). The "EPP" foam is crush-proof... you can run over the foam with a car and it will spring back into shape.

The Zagi wing was originally designed for "slope combat" flying, which is several small R/C gliders riding the updraft of wind flowing over a slope or mountain ridge. You can fly back and forth in front (upwind) of the slope, the upward component of the wind flow (as it is deflected upward) counteracts the sink rate of the glider. Two to ten of these gliders soar back and forth in this "ridge lift", and perform an aerial demolition derby. After even the most horrific crashes, you just walk over, pick up the model, tape something back into place, and throw it off the mountain to go beat the crap out of your buddy's plane.

The one in the video is powered likely with an electric motor, which can be shut off when there is lift.

The biggest tip that it's RC is the landing at the end. It had me wondering for a while too...especially since I couldn't see the tow winch if was a hangie. The guy had to have had some realtime video display back at his position.

Either way, awesome footage.

At 1:11 you get a pretty good shot of the operator. I believe you can also see the operator at :51 on the ridge in a hat..

EZFlap wrote:From the shadow pointed out by jaerl, the platform is most likely a small flying wing called a Zagi wing... or a copy of one. They are very very common, cheap, and nearly indestructible.

Zagi wings are made from polypropylene foam, covered with colored packing tape (yes, box sealing tape). The "EPP" foam is crush-proof... you can run over the foam with a car and it will spring back into shape.

The Zagi wing was originally designed for "slope combat" flying, which is several small R/C gliders riding the updraft of wind flowing over a slope or mountain ridge. You can fly back and forth in front (upwind) of the slope, the upward component of the wind flow (as it is deflected upward) counteracts the sink rate of the glider. Two to ten of these gliders soar back and forth in this "ridge lift", and perform an aerial demolition derby. After even the most horrific crashes, you just walk over, pick up the model, tape something back into place, and throw it off the mountain to go beat the crap out of your buddy's plane.

The one in the video is powered likely with an electric motor, which can be shut off when there is lift.

I am very familiar with the Zagi. I have a non powered one that I use to do Combat Sloping with. We get 6 or 7 of us up at one time and try knock each other out of the sky. When the conditions are right it's a ton of fun. I have a ridiculous amount of roll rate in mine. They are fairly industructable too. They are made from foam, strapping tape, and a little carbon fiber. Best $60 glider I've ever flown.

Dang, drooled a bit on my shirt looking at those ridges... ha ha
Cool video... an beautiful country..