Flying over the Anza-Borrego desert in southern California in an "Ultralight" |
 ast winter, a friend of ours in Borrego Springs told us she had just enjoyed a spectacular flight over the Borrego desert in an "Ultralight", and that we should try it too.
What was an Ultralight?
At the Borrego Springs airport, Scott Johnson of the U.S. AirBorne Sport Aviation Center was giving short aerial tours of the Anza Borrego Desert State Park which surrounds the town of Borrego Springs where we live. He was taking people up in a motorized hang-glider, sort of a three-wheeled motorcycle with a propeller and wings, called an Ultralight.
Though the idea of monks flying a mile high over the desert in an open air vehicle was both novel and a bit disconcerting, the urging of our friend and Scott Johnson's enthusiasm convinced us to give it a try.
Several of the monks of Atma Jyoti Ashram, as well as a few friends, went on flights over the desert, enjoying stunning views of the desert and mountains surrounding our valley, as well as an invigorating feeling of freedom as we soared like a bird. We shot video both from the air, including aerial views of our ashram, and the ground. Our friend, Kumuda (Sharon Janis), an award-winning video editor, enjoyed a flight, and helped tutor our efforts to turn the raw footage into this music video. |
