helicopters are expensive to operate, and
often not available at any price in the
remote areas where he flies. And even if
George were a helicopter pilot, he’d never
be able to fly and shoot pictures at the same
time, so he must rely on communicating
with the pilot—often through an interpreter. Some pilots have a natural instinct
for seeing what George sees and understanding his needs. Most do not.
Suspended in space from the harness of
his canopy, George has an unrestricted
180-degree view, both side to side and up and
down. Also, there is no Plexiglas between his
lens and his subject. Because George operates
in total control of his position, he can con-
stantly re-evaluate the lighting conditions as
they evolve, approach his subject from the
optimum direction, climbing or descending
(usually descending), and have the time and
control to adjust his camera equipment for
the best exposure. Shooting from his aircraft
is George’s edge when it comes to images no
other platform can duplicate.
PILOTING THE PARAGLIDER
George added the motorized paraglider to his
photographer’s “gadget bag” about a decade
ago. The entire aircraft weighs only 72 pounds
empty, so he can pack it to fit the baggage limitations for most airlines. It weighs only 100
pounds fully loaded and carries enough fuel
for about three hours’ flying.
Using a team of ground-support helpers
and vehicles, he can set up his landing zone
in a space the size of a tennis court, depending on wind conditions. He often uses dry
riverbeds or beaches to get the sprinting
start he needs to launch. That runway (
literally) could require anywhere from 20 to
100 steps, depending on wind. For George,
flying the motorized paraglider is intuitive enough that, after all these years and
thousands of hours aloft, his recurrent
“training” involves picking up his jogging
