Aerotrekking - Ultralight Flying
John McAfee, the man behind McAfee anti-virus software, has found a passion for flying. The idea of Aerotrekking is to follow the terrain, often just a few feet above the ground, to visit places that could never be reached on foot or by car.
The low-altitude flight in aerotrekking is made possible thanks to the Air Creation, four-stroke kite-wing planes. The planes are powered by a rear propeller and guided by a steering bar at the pilot's fingertips. The planes have a range of 300 miles, can reach up to 115 mph or glide just above the landscape at a minimum speed of 25 mph.
McAfee, a Tucson resident, has spent nearly $12 million so far developing a network of eight aerotrekking bases in isolated parts of Arizona and New Mexico for his exclusive club, The Sky Gypsies, that has about 150 enthusiasts. The bases are part of a 1,100-mile circuit that run from Truth or Consequences, N.M., to Rimrock near Flagstaff.
Membership in the club can run from $1,000 to $200,000 depending on the membership package, and the planes themselves run from $30,000 to $120,000, depending on model and quality. You can read more about the Sky Gypsies at their site HERE, more about McAfee's passion HERE, or look into buying your own Air Creation ultralight HERE.
(via BornRich)
Posted by Ghostshark under Adventure, Outdoor |
