LEGACY PILOT NO
11
ALY BRADSHAW
LEGACY PILOT #
11
WING
OZONE RUSH 5
REBORN AS
IN-FLIGHT SIDEKICK
FAVORITE/HOME FLYING SITE
BLOSSOM
YEARS FLOWN
2021-2022
OTHER SITES FLOWN
DOLOMITES, SWITZERLAND, FRANCE, AUSTRIA, ALL OVER SAN DIEGO
PILOT QUOTE
Being mostly pink, stereotypically I hope it inspires females in adventure sports. Also, I hope it exudes resilience.
/ THE VIEW FROM ABOVE
THE EPIC FLIGHTS
/ THE INTERVIEW
IN THEIR OWN WORDS
Every wing has a story. We sat down with the pilot to capture the moments, the conditions, and the decisions that shaped this canopy's life in the sky.
TELL US ABOUT YOUR FAVORITE FLIGHT
When I was first getting into cross country I got this wing used from another female San Diego XC pilot. It was exciting to finally have some speed! One of the first flights was at Palomar and I flew down the range towards Temecula, my friends flew to Soboba but I had dinner plans so I turned to the west and landed at a winery in Temecula called Danz a del Sol. The staff cheered me in and gave me a glass of complimentary sparking wine to quench my thirst. From then on that winery became a great site to end at for lots of pilots whether from Palomar (sadly no more), Elsinore or other sites nearby due to their great LZ and friendly staff. It’s always cool coming in on a pink glider to represent women in the sport.
HOW DOES IT FEEL TO SEND YOUR WING OFF FOR A NEW LIFE?
So happy. That glider was at the end of its life and I was giving it away for "a bottle of wine or something" on Telegram. My friend told me about this company and I was excited that it still had some use in it!
DO YOU FEEL MORE CONNECTED TO THE PLANET BECAUSE OF FLYING?
Absolutely. It gives you a whole other view of the world. Especially when you are soaring high over hikers and climbers, I feel like I am almost cheating because of the view I get in comparison. I love it.
WHAT WOULD YOU SAY TO THE PERSON WHO ENDS UP WEARING A PIECE OF YOUR STORY?
I hope you enjoy this pretty pink wing the way I did! I had many good memories on it.
WHAT'S ONE WORD YOU'D USE TO DESCRIBE YOUR GLIDER AND WHY?
Transformative. This is the wing I really started to learn XC on so it helped me become a better pilot.
FINISH THIS SENTENCE: "IN THE AIR I FEEL ____"
Like I'm not thinking about anything else going on in the world.
WHAT FIRST DREW YOU TO FLYING?
My late husband and I would see our friend flying the hill behind skydive San Diego after a day of jumping and thought it looked fun and we wanted to try. We loved the idea of a new adventure and getting to travel the world and see it in a different way.
TELL US ABOUT A MOMENT IN THE AIR YOU'LL NEVER FORGET.
Too many to choose from… Maybe when I was brand new on my A wing and I was in France and decided to fly off a glacier by myself in the Chamonix valley. I ended up getting up and flying over Aiguille du Midi. This was the first time I had the confidence to launch a new spot by myself and explore this side of the valley and it was quite magical.
WHY DID YOU DONATE YOUR GEAR TO OUTSPIREX?
Once my friend told me about your company it was a no brainer. Especially that it is women owned and local. Love it.
WHAT STORIES DOES YOUR GLIDER HOLD? ANY SPECIFIC FLIGHTS OR TURNING POINTS IN YOUR FLYING CAREER?
Lots of first XC moments. Horse to Julian for some pie, my first blossom XC crossing, all over the Dolomites, my first real XC flights in Valle de bravo, my first XC out of Elsinore, my first blossom to Dudley’s, an SIV at berryessa and all over Europe!
WHAT DO YOU HOPE YOUR GEAR'S NEXT LIFE INSPIRES IN OTHERS?
Being mostly pink, stereotypically I hope it inspires females in adventure sports. Also, I hope it exudes resilience.
WHAT'S YOUR ADVICE TO THE NEXT GENERATION OF ADVENTURE SEEKERS?
Do it for fun, don’t take it so seriously! It took me years to figure that out and I’m still working on it sometimes.
BEFORE THE CANOPY WAS UPCYCLED
/ WING SPECS
WING
OZONE RUSH 5
COLORWAY
PINK/WHITE/BLUE
YEARS FLOWN
2021-2022
OUTSPIREX DROP #
2
/ MADE FROM THIS WING
THE WING TRANSFORMED
THIS GLIDER AVOIDED THE LANDFILL AND BECAME PART OF A MOVEMENT.