Flying Related Links

Paragliders and Harnesses:

• XiX Paragliders
• Swing Paragliders
• Airwave Paragliders
• Wills Wing
• Critter

Electronics:

• Flytec Flight Instruments
• Brauniger Flight Instruments

Safety:

• DHV Test and Safety Site
• Quantum Reserves
• Free Flight Enterprises Reserves
• Charlie Insider Helmets
• Hanwag Paragliding Boots
• Icaro Helmets
• Lazer Helmets

Clubs and Forums:

• A-Z of Paragliding
• B.C. Hang and Paragliding Club/Forum
• Big Air
• Blue Bound
• Cloudbase Country Club
• Dowsett Events
• NW PG Club
• OZ Report
• Paragliding Forum
• Para2000
• Rainier Paragliding Club
• USHGA
• 2005 US Nationals Web Page

Miscellaneous:

• Euro Exchange Rate (opens new page)
• NASA (opens new page)
• Parcel Viewer...more interesting/helpful than you think!

Non-Flying Related Links

Non Profits:

• Boomtown: Boomtown Cafe is a small cafe in Pioneer Square tasked with helping feed the homeless, and otherwise less fortunate, population of Seattle in a dignified and respectful cafe setting. Although the actual cost of a meal may be $4-$5, patrons are able to choose from a variety of items and pay for their meal with $1.75, 15 minutes of bartered work, or a meal coupon. I became involved with Boomtown when I moved to Seattle in 2000 and learned about their meal booklets/coupons which offer a great way to easily give a meal to someone living on the streets. There are, however, several other ways you can be a part of the solution. Just a few interesting and fulfilling ways to help would be to volunteer at an event or in the office, attend and/or donate goods/services for their annual fund raising auction (Barb & Rich Hass attended with me last Fall and are pictured on the right), or attend an Evening At Boomtown. The monthly Evening at Boomtown is one of the largest fundraising activities and a great deal for us patrons as well! Each month a guest chef comes in from a local restaurant and provides a terrific three course meal for a mere $20 charge to us. Since the guest chef, and their staff, totally donate their time and the materials...all the proceeds go directly to Boomtown. I highly recommend attending an Evening At Boomtown and also supporting the local restaurants who participate in this event.
• Sound Experience: Back in the late '90's Jeff Luoma and Meg Olsen introduced me to this wonderful organization which offers educational seminars on marine biology, and the Puget Sound eco system, in an adventurous an entertaining way, to, mostly, young people with limited resources. Now, my friend Jessica is closely working on the funds procurement committee and I have had the pleasure of helping out with some of their Adventures in Dining, providing tandem paragliding flights for some their fundraising events (along with Bob Rinker, Steve Stroming, and Denton Meier), and also sailing the Adventuress. their 136 foot, Gaff Top-sailed two masted Schooner! It was great fun and a great meal was served to boot! If you would like to volunteer as crew, or in any other way, I urge you to contact them. If you crew, you sail with limited resources of food and water, just like our planet, that you must tend carefully to be sure they last. As a full member of the crew, you also take good care of the ship to ensure it will be available for others who follow you. This is a great opportunity to become close with a diverse group of people...yet with similar interests.

Backpacking and Climbing:

• Toleak Point Beach Hike
• Oyster Dome Hike March 13, 2005
• Oct 2004 Halloween Tunnel Hike Slide Show: A fun annual hike through the Snoqualmie tunnel.
• Castle Rock Slide Show from Sept 28th 2004:Tom Donahue took me rock climbing after not being out for several years! It was great to get back to my roots and actually lead an exposed pitch on my first time out. The rock gym is not really my cup of tea, but if any of you want to hit the outdoors for some real climbing...just let me know.

Sailing:

• Links being developed

Food and Wine:

• Enjoying Parisians
• Cooking At Megs: Feb 13 2005

• Walla Walla Wine Alliance
• Cayuse: Christoph makes some great Syrah and sells it all in futures. I am happy to be on the list!
• Dunham: Eric is a great wine maker AND chef. He has a super kitchen at home and also has one in his winery at the airport. He occasionally does wine maker dinners both in WW and in the Seattle area. I would encourage you to attend one if you get the chance.
• L'Ecole #41: My first forklift experience, and also a great place to hit a few golf balls! Great wine, some good values, fun location with typically a lot of wine available to taste.
• Leonetti: Considered by many to be the premier winery in WW. You can only get their wine in a few specialty wine shops or by being on their mailing list (yea, I am on the list!). If on the list, you may be allocated anywhere from a few bottles to three plus cases per year. High quality, high price, low volume production.
• Pepperbridge: Very nice, newer winery creating some incredible cabs in their state of the art gravity flow winery. If you get a chance to have Jean Francois to give you a personal tour...Take It!
• Reininger: Chuck is making a variety of high quality wines at good prices.
• Rulo: Talk about a FUN winery! Kurt and Vicky really make you feel at home when you visit. They offer some very good value wines, a nice tour and tasting in their working winery, and would be more than happy to put you to work during crush. Fork lift driving lessons are available.
• Walla Walla Vintners: Join Myles for Sunday morning communion the next time you are in WW. He makes some incredible wine and, what I feel, are some of the best values in the valley. I never go to WW without a stop at Walla Walla Vintners.
• Waterbrook: Great whites and a nice tasting room right downtown.
• Woodward Canyon: Woodward is considered the premier WA winery by many, as well. Very nice selection, wide variety of prices, easy availability, nice tasting room, and many wines that are built to last. Most definitely a worthwhile stop.

World Travel:

• Babadag: A story by Jud Weaver

A potpourri:

Crosswords: A bit on the easy side for you old pro's.

Sprott Physics: Just an interesting site to look around and play some games.

Flight Design: For 15 years Mike imported FD paragliders and rigid wings. Even though they are no longer manufacturing foot launched craft, we still have an affinity for FD and really think their small plane is very cool.

Don Marcy's Law Firm: Don is a long time pilot who has toured with us around the world on several occasions. Don has flown with us on both North and South America, Africa, and Europe. How about New Zealand next? Don does a lot of legal work for the PG/HG community and his specialty is Real Estate Law.

Seattle House Call Medical Practice: David Naibert, a friend and student, has an incredible medical practice...he still does house calls! For those of you who lead busy lives, this is way better than scheduling a few hours out of the middle of your day to go sit in a doctors office. Dave really spends a lot of quality time with you instead of rushing you out the door. Highly recommended.

Firefly: Denton Meier started flying with us over a decade ago just after he started his business, Computer Works. Denton now has three partners and has grown his business into their new venture...Firefly.

NASA (opens new page)