Hank Butzel

Thursday, the tightly woven community of Missoula hang glider pilots suffered a huge loss. Our close friend Hank Butzel died while flying his sail plane in Idaho. Hank was a wonderful person whom I was lucky enough to know and form many great memories with. He will be greatly missed.

Hank up front at the controls

Boudoir Photo Shoot

A few weeks ago a gal I work with asked if I would take some pics of her for her boyfriend. I had never tried anything like it, but was excited to try. She came over with an assortment of outfits and some friends who did her make-up. We shot for a few hours an I had a blast doing so. She was extremely bold and comfortable posing which made my job so much easier. It was a great experience trying to create an image by controlling the light rather than capture an image using ambient light. I'm looking forward to my next opportunity to shoot this style.

Stuck in the Sky

For the last week I've been trying my best to get some work done with Jeff, but I haven't been successful. I'm just too much of a fun whore. Each day off from the hospital I've planned on starting a new batch of harnesses, but between Jeff taking people tandem and the sky looking good, I can't help myself. I just go flying. I guess it is just like Leonardo Da Vinci said, "Once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been, and there you will always long to return."

I can't be bummed though, I am flying and it has been good. I feel like I've been flying better and I have been redefining what is possible for me.

Some random pics from the season:

Jeff tuning his glider before Europe

Josh enjoying a beer after flying Leadore

Jesse out for a morning flight

Paul and Josh flying a Zaggy waiting to launch

Setting up my new glider

Posse on Sentinel