Powered Paraglider, The Air Boss's Ultimate Headache

[Wrongway Feldman]

This is not photoshopped
His back was towards the B1, He didn't know it was behind him!!
You will probably never see these two types of flying machines, flying so close to each other, ever again in your life.

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[FlyingMN]

I would sure think/hope the airboss knew he was there. He was part of the next act hanging out behind the crowd line until the B-1 was done. I think the whole city knew where the B-1 was with the noise those 4 afterburners made :). It didn't help their separation when the B-1 made its final turn and pass right over the crowd. I was looking straight up at it. Pretty cool but I'm assuming he was supposed to be out over the runway.

[baboss]

If you happened to be listening on the AirBoss freq that night, boy was he not happy. From what I recall the AirBoss was asking on freq what the paraglider was doing in the air already, as in he didn't get the AirBoss's permission to launch! I remember something like "Get him down on the ground NOW!"
Glad it all worked out and that dude didn't curtail any more of the B-1 display.

[DaleB]

If you happened to be listening on the AirBoss freq that night, boy was he not happy. From what I recall the AirBoss was asking on freq what the paraglider was doing in the air already, as in he didn't get the AirBoss's permission to launch! I remember something like "Get him down on the ground NOW!"
Glad it all worked out and that dude didn't curtail any more of the B-1 display.
I wondered about that. When we first saw the paraglider up there I thought someone was going to be blowing a gasket over that.

[Kyle Boatright]

I saw that too. I didn't realize that paraglider was part of the next act in the show. I figured someone on the UL strip had gone slightly rogue.

Once all 5 or so paragliders launched, their act was pretty good.

[glider90]

Yes, for some reason the paraglider launched from the UL strip to go meet up with the rest of the team at show center. Airboss was NOT impressed. Several people around us were tuned to the frequency and the airboss commented "we are calling the B1 off on its final pass if he does not get out of the air or redirect NOW", in no uncertain terms. Photographers all along the burn line gave the paraglider one of the most en masse stink eyes ever recorded. It was pretty dicey for a few seconds as they were determining if the B1 could be diverted still, and if the paraglider was in the potential path.

[challenger1]

Check out this short video I shot that night.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pPdxpgO7c-0

[Rod Schneider]

I saw this from our campsite with a couple of friends of mine. We were reminiscing about a similar event that we saw at Sun'N'Fun about twenty years ago--a B-1 did a similar low pass and appeared to pass UNDER an ultralite from behind!!! The ultralite pilot did a very quick right turn and got out of there :) (Not sure the B-1 actually passed under, but it was close.....)

[mazdaP5]

Another view. Also, note how effective the B-1 is at drowning out unwanted aural intrusions.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OWkr-_DHaiw