16-18 Whitney Low

Paragliding Lessons (P-2)

To be a Pilot, you want a P-2 license for most US sites.

BAPA Pilots
Advanced Paragliding = 2100
Merlin Flight School = 1725
Air Time of SF = 2100 (with free equipment rental)

Equipment Cost...
... after reading some FAQs.... sounds like it'll run around 3500 for a newer one (cheap side)... and 2500 or so for a used get up...
Suggested Equipment

Learn in New Zealand?
Nelson Paragliding = 1950 NZ dollar ($1342)
Nimbus in Christchurch = 2100 NZ ($1445)

Learn in Australia?
Alpine Paragliding = 1665 AU (1400$)
Sunshine Coast = 1440 (1200)

FAQs
http://eagleparagliding.com/?q=node/33
http://www.flyaboveall.com/paragliding_faq.htm#cost
http://www.all-about-paragliding.com/faq.htm#9
http://www.airborne.uk.com/pg_faqs.htm
http://www.adrenalineparagliding.co.uk/Paragliding%20FAQs.htm

So... damn that's expensive. 1500+3500 for gear = 5000$...

Hmm... may have to save up for a while...

Panoramics...a tutorial...

Since people ask me how to make these huge panos...here's a quick tutorial.

This is for the Canon users...I'm not familiar with other brands.

1. take pics in "photostitch" mode...the pics will be saves as STA files on the memory card.
   
2. go to www.autostitch.com and download their program...and donate money if you are rich.
3. Run the program...and voila! a panoramic.

Here are some good ones...
http://telek.smugmug.com/gallery/1207298

Some hints...

When taking the pics...

• make sure to hold the camera steady. One blurry pic, and the pano is bad...
• you don't have to line up the pics exactly, just try to make sure that the pic is straight.

Using autostitch...

• I usually go to options, under "edit" and set the scale to 25% for the initial viewing...then if I like the pic, or I think it's ready for printing (8$/ft2 for matte, 10$ for glossy, and 12$ for super glossy at Copy Central on Shattuck Square in Berkeley), I'll set the scale to 100%...the rest of the options, I haven't really played with.
  

Sunset between the golden gate.

Since I'm either outside, or would like to be outside... I have always enjoyed sunsets/sunrises.  

Anyway, after learning a little about the movements of the sun...the significance of Tropic of Cancer, and the Tropic of Capricorn...(maybe more on this later...but briefly between the two latitudes, your shadow will be directly beneath you at one point in the year...further north or south, this will never happen.)...and many other things at a talk at Costanoa with Kim (www.costanoa.com)

With the curiosity, and the tools (mainly google) to solve the puzzle, I finally figured out when the sun would set exactly in the middle of the golden gate bridge.

This was possible by using National Geo Topo Program, and with the help of the U of O Solar Radiation Monitoring Lab...http://solardat.uoregon.edu/SunChartProgram.html

Also, check this out too...
http://www.esrl.noaa.gov/gmd/grad/solcalc/
http://www.cambridgeincolour.com/tutorials/moon-night-calculator.htm

Turns out someone has already done this sort of calculations for me...
Golden Gate Sunsets is about as easy as it gets.
http://www.acme.com/jef/ggs/

View Larger Map

You can calculate the same thing for the moon as well...
http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/astronomy.html?n=224&month=11&year=2011&obj=moon&afl=-1&day=1

And if you wanna see if it's going to be good... here's a good place to look:
http://sv.berkeley.edu/view/