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Iquique, Chile - November 2010
video |
photo gallery
Dates
Instructional Days - Wednesday, Nov. 10th (arrival) to Tuesday, Nov. 16th (departure) - (P-1 to P-4 level)
Iquique Days - Wednesday, Nov. 17th (arrival) to Thursday, Nov. 25th (departure) - (P-2 to P-4 level)
Pure XC Days - Friday, Nov 26th (arrival) to Monday, Nov. 29th (departure) - (P-4 level)
Locations
Iquique, Palo Buque, Patillos.
Organizers
Atlanta Paragliding Enterprises & Wallowa Paragliding
Tour Leaders
Luis Rosenkjer & Todd Weigand
Tour Descriptions and Commentaries
This year we divided the tour into 3 different segments that offer specific styles of flying at different sites. The tour is designed for you to choose the segments you like best.
Instructional Days (7 days, 6 nights)
This package trip is focusing on P1- P4 pilots who would like to improve ground handling, launching, landing, and flying skills. The first 4 days of this tour will focus on intensive basic training with many instructors available to help you adapt to Iquique’s unique high wind launching conditions. This is a perfect opportunity for pilots who fly less than 30 hours per year or for any level of pilot who would like to improve basic skills. We will be focusing on kiting and launching to ensure that low airtime pilots will gain good control and knowledge, and advanced pilots will get pointers that will take them from good to great! Most visiting pilots are humbled when they arrive to Iquique and find that they don’t have as good of kiting or launching skills as they thought they did. So if you aren’t sure you have those skills, you need to join this trip! We will also be coaching you throughout the flights and will have instructors at launch and landing. With radio communication we will also help you stay in the air longer by pointing out where the thermals and ridge lift are, and we will have at least a 1:3 instructor to pilot ratio to allow more individual attention throughout the first 3 days. Then for the remaining 4 days we will have at least a 1:5 instructor to pilot ratio to provide assistance for the remaining tour week.
Iquique Days (9 days, 8 nights)
This 9 day long tour in Iquique will be focused on novice (P2) to advanced (P4) level pilots who would like to log some airtime and work on thermaling, launching and kiting skills on their own. Novice (P2) pilots are required to attend the Instructional Days before joining the Iquique Days. All pilots attending this week are required to have good launching, flying, and landings skills. If you do not have good high wind launching skills then we expect you to sign up for the Instructional Days. Iquique and the surrounding flying sites are superb training grounds for less experienced pilots but will also satisfy the advanced level pilot who would like to improve overall skills. Less experienced pilots will be able to log many hours of airtime plus practice in the moderate wind conditions at the dunes. More advanced pilots will be able to fly until they are exhausted and hungry! The conditions are excellent for fine-tuning thermaling skills, flying small out and return XC flights up and down the ridge, working on top landing skills, and perfecting your kiting skills at the world famous Palo Buque flying site!
Pure XC Days - (4 days, 3 nights)
We will be continuing our tour in Iquique and Northern Chile and will be focusing on advanced level pilots who are seeking miles! We will be flying at Patillos, Chipana, Cabo Paquica, La Mina, or Pisagua depending on the best XC conditions for the day. We will focus on XC flying and racking up miles! All flights will be lead by Todd and Luis, and radio contact will be mandatory. We will use our local knowledge to guide you past the many difficult crossings found along the North Chilean Coast Range. Pilots will be able to fly in the thermal/dynamic conditions along the coastal range for many miles and will be able to log XC flights everyday. Flights up to 206 km are possible! Pilots for this week need to have experience in strong thermal conditions and turbulence since we will be flying during the stronger, mid day conditions. If intermediate pilots would like to fly there first cross country flights then we recommend they attend the “Instructional Days” and/or “Iquique Days” first to build up skills and then continue into the more advanced XC flying. Iquique is probably the most consistent flying site in the world, and we will be flying everyday! All pilots attending this week “ONLY” need to be advanced rated P-4 pilots. And even for advanced P-4 pilots we recommend attending at least a few of the Iquique Days prior to the Pure XC Days in order to get used to the unique launching and flying conditions. For pilots without USHPA signoffs in RS (Ridge Soaring), TUR (Turbulence), and X-C (Cross Country), please contact us. Good, high wind launching skills are very important for this week!
Commentaries
Iquique is located in the northern part of Chile along the Pacific Ocean, 120 miles south of the Peruvian border. The city has a population of 250,000 and is thriving due to the duty free zone and mining in this northern part of Chile. This area is also known as the Atacama Desert, which is why the flying conditions are so consistent. It NEVER RAINS, and the winds are always coming from the Pacific Ocean, generating incredible lift along the 300 mile range between Iquique and Antofagasta. The ridge varies between 1,500 and 4,000 feet altitude and XC flights can be done in both directions quite easily. In November, the breeze normally starts blowing at 10 AM, and lift lasts until 7 PM. There are several takeoffs near Iquique and all of them allow pilots to reach beach landings while flying above the city and the dunes. There are many other launches to the South and to the North.
Palo Buque, a site just outside of Iquique, became famous when the SAT Team shot their first video here. The launch is at the “bottom” of a 3,000 foot sand ridge! Yes, depending on the wind, you only need to kite your glider up 30 feet or so and then you can soar all the way up to the top of the ridge to start an XC flight back to Iquique, practice top landing, ski in the sand, or just enjoy the beautiful views of the Pacific Ocean!
Patillos is the classic cross country site where we get special permission to fly past the airport all the way back to Iquique! This site allows pilots to fly a 35-mile XC flight back to Cavancha Beach and the Choza Bamboo restaurant and bar! The thermal/dynamic flying conditions in Iquique are so consistent at this time of the year that this flight is possible almost everyday! After a hard day of flying it doesn’t get much better then to dine out at one of Iquique’s many restaurants to feast on Chile’s reputable sea food and pisco sour.
The Price Includes
- 1st class accommodation (1 double room for each person, 2 rooms per apartment – breakfast included)
- Transfers to and from the Airport on arrival and departure days
- Transport from Iquique to Antofagasta and/or Antofagasta to Iquique if applicable
- Transport to and from all flying sites
- Daily weather updates
- Site information and flying tips
- Launching supervision
- Radio communication with guides and drivers during flights
- Flight retrieval back to launch site
- Flight retrievals
- Free DVD movie of the trip
- Free T-shirt
Prices
- Instructional Days - (7 days, 6 nights) $ 1,690
- Iquique days - (9 days, 8 nights) $ 1,690
- Pure XC days - (4 days, 3 nights) $ 990
- Per day rate any week $ 280
- Extra cost for single room apartment per night $ 40
Payment Options
For either partial or total advance payment
the following
range
of discounts will be applied proportionally to the received amount.
Before July 10th 15 %
Before August 10th 10 %
Before September 10th 5 %
Late bookings after October 10th add 5 %
We accept cash, checks or credit cards
Refunds
We are so confident with this site’s reliability at this time of the year, that we will refund each grounded pilot $250 per day if 50% of the group (including guides), are unable to fly for an entire day due to weather conditions.
Requirements
P1 certification, VHF radio, certified equipment, reserve parachute and helmet,
and a good attitude because we are going fly heaps and have lots of fun!
Bookings or Questions
Click here to Send a message to Luis or Todd
Guide Information
Click here to See Guide Bios |
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Oludeniz, Turkey - September 2010
video |
photo gallery
Dates
Thursday September 30th (arrival in Dalaman) to Sunday October 10th (departure from Dalaman)
Locations
Oludeniz, Turkey
Organizers
Atlanta Paragliding Enterprises & Wallowa Paragliding
Tour Leaders
Luis Rosenkjer & Todd Weigand
Tour Descriptions and Commentaries
Oludeniz is one of the most frequently visited paragliding sites in the world! We will be flying from high, majestic mountains overlooking the aqua blue Mediterranean Sea! Babadag, our main launch site, is more than 6000 feet above our landing zone on the white sand beach next to the hotel! Small islands dot the horizon while sailboats explore the rugged fiords of the coastal area surrounding Oludeniz. With around 400 daily tandem flights and multiple SIV courses being flown on a daily basis, the sky is never short of action!
If your desire is to climb in lift, the locals assure us that it is not rare to be able to climb all the way up to 12000 feet on a good day! That is 6,000 feet above launch and 12,000 ft above the Sea! We were only able to climb up to 10,000 feet in 2009!
Even if you decide not to thermal up, you will be rewarded with a 30-minute flight through smooth, laminar air! The flight will take you out over the sea with thousands of feet to enjoy the spectacular views while snapping off pictures, or burn through the extra altitude while practicing wingovers, asymmetric spirals, or your maneuver of choice!
After landing next to the hotel on Hizaronu beach, you may enjoy a warm swim in the sea before dining out at one of the many restaurants. Or, if you haven’t had enough, you can go back up to Babadag for another flight! We will provide two shuttles up to launch per day at scheduled departure times and if that still hasn’t satisfied your flying desires you can easily catch a ride up to launch for a small fee with the tandem pilots and passengers. They usually depart every 30 minutes throughout the day.
In 2009, we explored most of the local flying sites, but we will also be in contact with the most knowlegable local pilots for weather forecasting and site exploration outside of the Oludeniz area.
This trip is designed for pilots of all levels who have decent launching and landing techniques. As we venture away from Oludeniz to visit some other sites, a turbulence signoff will be required to fly since most of the inland sites have stronger, more demanding conditions. If pilots don’t have the required skills for these sites, they will be able to stay and fly the normal site at Babadag. Some of the inland sites do have some XC potential as well.
Spouses and friends will also enjoy this trip because there are endless activities available. Some of these activities could involve a visit to historic sites and ruins of a millenary culture, one-day excursions to Greece or the islands on a speedy boat, enjoying the beautiful beaches, swimming, sailing, or just eating the exquisite Turkish cuisine.
The guides, Todd and Luis, have gained prestige by leading paragliding trips for all levels to Iquique, Chile and the French Alps since 2001. Turkey will surely become another favorite trip for USA & Canadian pilots.
The Price Includes
Transfers between Dalaman Airport and the Hotel in Oludeniz on September 30th & October 10th
Accommodation in single or double hotel rooms with breakfast included
Transport to and from all flying sites
Daily weather updates
Site information and flying tips
Launching supervision
Radio communication with guides during flights
2 rides up to launch per day per pilot
Free DVD movie of the trip
Free T-shirt
Prices
Pilots double room $1,990
Pilots single room $2,250
Partners (non-pilots) double room (1 queen size bed) $1,590
Extra cost for transport to or from the Airport outside our group times $ 100
Price may change anytime before receiving payment due to the Euro rate.
Payment Options
For either partial or total advance payments the following range of discounts will be
applied proportionally to the received amount.
Before May 10th 15%
Before June 10th 10%
Before July 10th 5%
After August 10th add 5 % to our price
After September 1st add 10 % to our price
We accept cash, checks or credit cards
Requirements
To have completed P2 certification, VHF radio, DHV certified equipment, reserve
parachute and helmet.
Bookings or Questions
Click here to Send a message to Luis or Todd
Guide Information
Click here to See Guide Bios
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France, Switzerland, & Italy
- June 2010
video
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photo gallery
Dates
Saturday, June 12th (arrival to Geneva) to Saturday, June 26th (departure from Geneva)
Locations
St. Hilaire, Annecy, Plain Joux, Chamonix, Mieussy, Verbier, Andrate, Les Saissis, Montlambert and others….
Organizers
Atlanta Paragliding Enterprises & Wallowa Paragliding
Tour Leaders
Luis Rosenkjer & Todd Weigand
Tour Descriptions and Commentaries
The French and Swiss Alps are where it all began in the 80’s! We will be taking you back to the Alps where paragliding has more history then anywhere else in the world!
The impressive beauty of the Alps is not a secret and many pilots consider this area to be the world’s “Mecca” of paragliding. We will be flying the heart of the Alps and will be surrounded by snow capped peaks, granite cliffs, and green forests with a patchwork of small fields and villages below. Mount Blanc, the highest peak in Europe, rises up to nearly 16,000 ft and seems to pierce the sky with its glacier covered peak when not surrounded by puffy cumulus clouds. Huge glacier carved valleys surround these majestic mountains and provide wide open landing sites next to small villages.
With local knowledge and weather forecasting we will guide you to the most favorable flying site in the area depending on the conditions. With our central location we will be able to spend at least one day flying in Switzerland and if conditions allow we will also travel through the Mount Blanc tunnel into Italy for one day as well!
This tour will accommodate pilots of all levels from P2’s to P4’s. Pilots will need good light wind launching skills. Most of the sites we will be flying provide light thermal soaring conditions. Advanced pilots will be able to climb up above the mountains and take in the impressive views of the snowy Alps from above. For those pilots who land early, we will be providing unlimited shuttles back to launch as long as pilots still want to fly! A few of the sites provide an opportunity for advanced pilots to fly some out and return and triangle flights. XC flying is not the focus of this trip though, and XC retrieval is not a part of the normal retrieval routes. Most of the sites we will be flying have over 2000 vertical feet and even sled runs last 20 minutes!
All the flying sites are less then 2 hours from where we will be staying in Megeve, a year around tourist destination just outside of Chamonix. Many of the sites we will be visiting are not only great flying sites, but are also world famous event locations such as St. Hilaire and Annecy. Mieussy is recognized as the birthplace of paragliding and will take us back to our roots! For those who want some extreme flying, we may also have the opportunity to fly off the “La Aguille du Midi” glacier on Mount Blanc at 12,540 ft or fly off the Petit Combin in Switzerland after flying up with a helicopter.
In order to make this trip affordable due to the ever strengthening Euro we have chosen to base our tour from an apartment complex in Megeve instead of a hotel location. Our accommodation will include several rooms’ apartments and a shared kitchen, but will be without room service. Single rooms will be priced differently than double rooms. See our room pricing below.
We would also like to invite any non-pilots to join us on this tour! If we have at least 3 non-pilots we will have a female interpreter who will be available during part of the trip to guide anyone out to experience the beauties of France from the ground! Non-pilots will also be welcome to join us during the daily flying activities during the rest of the trip.
Our comfortable van transportation will be available for other attractions and activities as well when we are not flying. Some special occasions may include dinner at “La Ferme” after a day of flying in Annecy or a night out on the town in Chamonix or Geneva.
Luis has led and organized this trip every year since 2001. Groups have ranged between 14 and 35 pilots each trip and every year it seems to get bigger and better!
During edition 2007 (Todd’s first), 26 pilots flew from the La Aiguille du Midi, Mont Blanc, taking off towards the South face and flying above La Valle Blanche.
We are here to fly, and that is what we will do! But during this tour we will also experience the French culture, eat some great food, and enjoy the magic of the French Alps!
The Price Includes
Transfers from and to Geneva Airport before noon on June 12th & June 26th
Accommodation in single or double room and shared kitchen apartments
Transport to and from all flying sites
Daily weather updates
Site information and flying tips
Launching supervision
Radio communication with guides and drivers during flights
Flight retrieval from LZ back to launch except La Aiguille du Midi
Interpretive guided tours for non-pilots
Free DVD movie of the trip
Free T-shirt
Prices
Pilots double room ( 3 - 4 rooms per apartment) $2,690
Pilots single room (3 - 4 rooms per apartment) $2,990
Partners (non-pilots) double room (1 king size bed) $2,490
Only 7 nights (first or second week Saturday through Saturday) 60 % of above
1 Extra day $ 280
Extra cost for transport to or from the Airport outside our group times $ 170
Price may change anytime before receiving payment due to the Euro rate.
Payment Options
For either partial or total advance payments the following range of discounts will be
applied proportionally to the received amount.
Before January 10th 15%
Before February 10th 10%
Before March 10th 5%
After April 10th add 5 % to our price
After May 1st add 10 % to our price
We accept cash, checks or credit cards
Requirements
To have completed P2 certification, VHF radio, DHV certified equipment, reserve parachute and helmet.
Bookings or Questions
Click here to Send a message to Luis or Todd
Guide Information
Click here to See Guide Bios
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Costa Rica - February 2010
Dates:
Full Week Tour - Saturday FEB 13th (arrival)toSunday, FEB 21st (departure)
Long Weekend Tour - Wednesday FEB
17th (arrival)to Sunday, FEB 21st (departure)
Organizers:
Atlanta
Paragliding Enterprises, Sebastian Zavalla
Tour Leaders:
Luis Rosenkjer, Sebastian Zavalla
Early payment discounts!!!:
Check our discounted payment
schedule down below.
Tour
Descriptions:
This year we will offer two different options. One
that will allow 7 flying days plus perhaps a short flight the arrival day at
the end of the day, and another option that offers basically 3 flying days and
a short flight the arrival day.
Full Week Tour (9 days, 8 nights)
This package will start with mostly ridge soaring
conditions flying at Caldera and end up with more challenging thermal sites at
the end of the week. Pilots should have at least a P-2 license to join this
part of the trip. The difficulty in the Flying sites we choose will be
increasing along the wing, but during at least the first 2 days, we will be
using smooth ridge soaring conditions. This makes it a good option for new P-2
pilots that want to add some airtime to their log books and enjoy visiting
other countries.
Long Weekend Tour (5 days, 4 nights)
We will fly Caldera the first day
and some more changeling sites the next days. Pilots should have at least a P-2 license with some experience in
ridge soaring and thermal flying to join this part of the trip.
Commentaries:
We will be staying in Puntarenas,
at the Pacific Ocean side of the country, at around a two hour drive from San
Jose. Costa Rica is a beautiful Spanish speaking country, with very friendly
people and an incredible well preserved nature environment, with many different
species of all kind of animals and birds. February is middle of the dry season
in the part of the country we will be flying at, and conditions are very
consistent. Most of the time we fly within the influence of the see breeze coming from the Pacific and underneath the
higher levels easterly winds at this time of the year. There are four different sites within one hour drive from
the hotel, Caldera with sea breeze is a ridge soaring site and it has two
different take off places with the possibility to top land if you have the
skills. The other 3 sites, San Miguel, Hermosa and Jaco are thermal sites. They
all have their own flying weather conditions and it’s very hard not to fly on a
given day. The site to fly will be chosen by the instructors according to the
conditions of the day and the flying skills of the group.
Accommodations
We will be staying in a three-star
hotel, and prices are based on double rooms with breakfast.
PRICES, CONDITIONS AND PAYMENT DETAILS:
The price includes:
- 3 star
double room hotel
- Transfers
to and from the Airport on arrival and departure days
- Transport
to and from all flying sites
- Daily
weather updates
- Site
information and flying tips
- Launching
supervision
- Radio
communication with guides and drivers during flights
- Flight
retrieval back to launch site
- Flight retrievals
- Free DVD
movie of the trip
- Free
custom designed 2010 T-shirt
Prices:
- Full Week Tour - (9
days, 8 nights) $
1290
- Long Weekend Tour
- (5 days, 4 nights) $ 690
- Extra cost for
single room per night $ 40
Discounts and payment options:
For
either partial or total advance payment the following range of discounts will
be applied proportionally to the received amount.
- Before January 10th,
2009 10
%
- Before January 20th,
2010 5 %
- Late bookings after February 1st,
2010 add 5 %
We accept cash,
checks, credit cards, and PayPal
Requirements:
P2 certification, VHF radio,
certified equipment, reserve parachute and helmet, and a good attitude because
we are going to have lots of fun!
Bookings or questions:
Atlanta Paragliding www.atlantaparagliding.com
Luis Rosenkjer luis@atlantaparagliding.com Cell
404-931-3793
Sebastian Zavalla sebazavalla@hotmail.com Cell 011-506-88272342 (Costa Rica)
Guide Information:
Luis
Rosenkjer
- Advanced
USHPA Advanced Instructor and Instructor Administrator
- Multiple
Argentinean National Champion
- Argentina
Open Distance 7 year record holder- (158 miles)
- Chilean
Open Distance now days record holder- (128 miles)
- 10 years of paragliding guiding
experience in Argentina, Chile, France, Italy, Switzerland, Turkey, Costa Rica.
Sebastian
Zavalla
- USHPA
Advance Instructor, Tandem Instructor, Competition Pilot.
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FIRST-MOUNTAIN-FLIGHTS AND RIDGE SOARING CLINIC - July 2009
This clinic will be held in Caldera, Costa Rica. It will be during the rainy season and this allows us to fly during the mornings until mid afternoon in smooth ridge soaring conditions, pretty consistently, every day, before the weather starts deteriorating. We will do ground school and watch the videos from the day, after we get back from flying. We will also allow non participants to the clinic, to join us just for the fun of flying and having a great time!!
- Dates: July 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th, 13th 2009
- Site: Caldera, Costa Rica
- Organizer: Atlanta Paragliding Enterprises LLC
- Instructor: Luis Rosenkjer
- Maximum vacancies for the clinic: 8
- Minimum students signed-in by May 1st: 6
- Maximum vacancies for non participants: 8
- Minimum non participants signed-in by May 1st: 6
- Prices:
Clinic participants (includes lodging) $ 690
Non participants (lodging not included) $ 390
!!SAVE $50!! Register by May 1st and pay only $ 640 or $ 340.
Requirements for clinic participants:
- P-1 rating or higher
- At least 10 tow flights
- Good ground handling skills.
- Own equipment is required including a 2 meter band radio.
Requirements for non participants:
- P-2 rating or higher.
- At least 20 mountain flights with excellent record.
- Excellent ground handling skills.
- 2 meter band radio.
PROGRAM (clinic participants):
- Wednesday, July 8th
2 PM - Pick up at San Jose airport at and transportation to lodging location.
5 PM - Two hour theory session.
8 PM - shuttle to Puntarenas (15 min drive) and back to lodging location
- Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday…
9 AM to 2 PM - Flights under radio guidance with shuttles from LZ to launch-site every hour
4 PM to 6 PM - Theory session (Thursday)
6 PM to 7 PM – Videos of the day.
8 PM - shuttles to Puntarenas (15 min drive) and back to lodging location
- Monday, July 13th
Trip to San Jose Airport, arriving at airport at 11 AM
PROGRAM (non participants):
- Wednesday, July 8th
2 PM - Pick up at San Jose airport at 2 PM and transportation to hotels in Puntarenas.
- Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday…
9 AM to 2 PM – Flights. Shuttles from LZ to launch-site every hour
2 PM shuttle to hotels in Puntarenas.
- Monday, July 13th
Trip to San Jose Airport, arriving at airport at 11 AM
Daily schedules subject to change, depending on weather conditions.
Price Includes (clinic participants):
- Lodging in double bedrooms, 1 bath every two rooms, and breakfast. (5 nights)
- Transportation from San Jose Airport to lodging location on scheduled time.
- Transportation to and from flying sites and retrieves back to launch-site with no limit every day.
- Transportation from our lodging location to Punta Arenas and back on scheduled times every day.
- Transportation from lodging location to San Jose Airport on scheduled time.
- 4 hours of theory sessions.
- Daily weather update.
- Radio guidance during flying (2 days).
- Site fees.
- Copy of raw video.
- Certificate of attendance.
Price Includes (non participants):
- Transportation from San Jose Airport to Puntarenas on scheduled time.
- Transportation to and from flying sites and retrieves back to launch with no limit.
- Transportation from hotel in Puntarenas to San Jose Airport on scheduled time.
- Daily weather update.
- Site information and flying tips.
- Site fees.
- Copy of raw video.
Registration, reimbursements and conditions:
- Register at 404-931-3793, or email to info@atlantaparagliding.com
- If, during 4 scheduled flying days, there aren't at least 4 flyable hours, a $80 refund
will be applicable for every participant.
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Monterrey,
California - Summer 2006 - $500
Ridge Soaring Clinic in Monterrey, California
Atlanta Paragliding travels to the coast of California for our Ridge Soaring clinics. The
site has over six miles of soarable sand dunes where you can fly with the sea gulls for hours!
In
this course you’ll learn how ridge lift works and how to master this most eloquent form
of flying. The nine day course starts on Saturday and goes till the Sunday of the next week.
You’ll attend a pre-trip briefing and be provided with sixteen pages of notes
and diagrams specifically written for this course. You’ll arrive prepared to start soaring.
This
course is appropriate for beginner students looking for that first extended flight to advanced
mountain pilots looking for a change of pace.
Accommodations are available from the Marriott
in Monterey to dirt bag camping. The area provides great bad weather distractions, (that is
if we have any, we often fly every day!) hiking in Point Lobos, visiting the world famous Monterey
Aquarium or wharf and cannery row. That means you can bring a non-flying friend and they can
have great time also.
Cost: $500 - Next Trip, July 2nd to July 8th, 2006
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