LEGACY PILOT NO
5
Orion Whetstone
LEGACY PILOT #
5
WING
Skywalk Chili 5
REBORN AS
IN-FLIGHT SIDEKICK
FAVORITE/HOME FLYING SITE
Torrey Pines Gliderport
YEARS FLOWN
3 years
OTHER SITES FLOWN
Japan, New Zealand, Thomas Mountain, Little Black Mountain
PILOT QUOTE
Pull some inspiration from this wing and just keep pushing those boundaries.
/ 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
So on the glider that I donated, we had a really cool flight. So it was from up north San Diego County, Thomas Mountain. And then it was a really good day. We flew 130km. But near the end of the flight in the evening, there was just this super magical glass off where the sun is setting, but everything is still pretty lifty. We were at 11,000ft, just cruising over the desert. And it's such a pretty picture with the sun setting. Me and my buddy Mason were just out there together. We'd done the whole flight and then we're out there just having fun touching wingtips. It t was just a great day.
HOW DOES IT FEEL TO SEND YOUR WING OFF FOR A NEW LIFE?
I've gotten to do some cool hike and fly and then camp style stuff and just getting to go and explore new frontiers and things like that. So if anybody could upcycle and take that gear and do something similar with it, that's probably the highlight and is the coolest thing.
DO YOU FEEL MORE CONNECTED TO THE PLANET BECAUSE OF FLYING?
I think a lot of people have experienced it where you just pay way more attention and are just much more in tune. It completely changed my perspective on clouds and the wind and just how we interact with nature and what nature means. It's been hugely eye opening on how slight changes over here can affect huge changes in your local atmosphere. So it's definitely opened my eyes and changed my relationship with nature. Not only trying to harness it and go along with it, but also have respect.
WHAT WOULD YOU SAY TO THE PERSON WHO ENDS UP WEARING A PIECE OF YOUR STORY?
Pull some inspiration from it and just keep pushing those boundaries. Obviously, I could have never gotten into paragliding and and never bought that wing and never gone and done any of these cool things. So just take it as "it's definitely possible" and get out there and do something cool.
WHAT'S ONE WORD YOU'D USE TO DESCRIBE YOUR GLIDER AND WHY?
Adventurous. Every time I think about flights on it and look back at that glider, I just think about how it took me to so many cool places.
IN THE AIR I FEEL
Free. It's just such a cool not connected to the ground, but connected to nature in a different way. You're reliant on the air and, and you kind of feel it's mass. You're detached from the earth but still attached to nature.
IF YOUR GLIDER COULD SPEAK, WHAT WOULD IT SAY?
It always felt like it really wanted to fly. I'd bring it up and that that thing was like, yeah, let's go. Come on. So it would probably be just as excited to fly as I was. It wanted to get out there.
DO YOU HAVE ANY ADVICE FOR THE NEXT GENERATION OF ADVENTURE SEEKERS?
Seek out a mentor, and try to continuously push that comfort zone. Obviously don't jump into something that is you're going to get hurt. So that's why have the mentor to set set some boundaries for you of what's what's safe and appropriate flying. But just having that spirit to push the envelope a little bit. I've always grown the most outside of my comfort zone...just on the other side of of comfortable. That's where I've experienced the most growth personally and in sports.
BEFORE THE CANOPY WAS UPCYCLED
/ WING SPECS
WING
Skywalk Chili 5
COLORWAY
Blue/Maroon/White
YEARS FLOWN
3 years
OUTSPIREX DROP #
2
/ MADE FROM THIS WING
THE WING TRANSFORMED
THIS GLIDER AVOIDED THE LANDFILL AND BECAME PART OF A MOVEMENT.