Horseshoe Bend near Page Arizona
One of the great things about the blogosphere is the people you might meet. I say "might" because the blog only goes so far. At some point, I have to pick up the phone or email and make the personal contact. I met Maria Langer last February when I was in Wickenburg. Who could not be intrigued by a best selling computer book author who also happens to have a helicopter charter business? And she has horses, chickens and a husband! Maria spent the early summer drying cherries on contract to some Washington orchards, now she's in Page flying for tourists, so I had the chance to stop in on my way from SLC to Phoenix.
There wasn't a room to be had in Page on Friday night - I thought gasoline was expensive, but plenty of people were motoring huge watercraft about the lake this weekend. Maria put me up in her trailer and introduced me to the rest of the pilots camped out in the RV park near the airport. This pilot subculture, like river guides and dude wranglers, has its own language and customs, but hospitality seems to rank high. The next morning, Maria suggested breakfast at Marble Canyon, about 40 miles from Page by car. It's only 10 minutes by helicopter if you go the straight path; we did not. What fun would that be?
Maria put me completely at ease in the air, and on the way back, she took off the door on my side so I could get some shots without the bubble glare. She flew a legal path over the restricted area inside Grand Canyon National Park boundaries, and then circled over the famous Horseshoe Bend at a couple different altitudes. I also got some shots of both the Glen Canyon and Marble Canyon Bridges (2 of the seven land crossings over the Colorado River in 750 miles) and a fascinating look at Antelope Canyon from above.
If I had a sponsor for the flight time, I would do an aerial tour of the entire length of U.S. Highway 89. We have so many locations emblazoned on our memories from a particular location, and I'd love to show some of my favorite places from different perspectives. Most people make a short hike from Highway 89 to the Horseshoe Bend. They see it from the upper right in this image and never get to see the rest of the s-curve. Maria is a photographer herself, and knows how to work with other photographers in the air. She has put together some outstanding aerial tours, including a week-long circle of the highlights of Arizona. If you are looking to fly with someone, I highly recommend Flying M Air (and the breakfast at the Cliff Dwellers Lodge).
Comments (3)
What a great photo. I love everything about it, especially riding in a plane without a door.
Posted by Scott Smith | August 18, 2008 1:42 PM
Posted on August 18, 2008 13:42
Thanks for all your kind words.
I would very much like you to get a sponsor so I could take you on that flight.
And Scott, it was a helicopter with the door off, which is even scarier!
What kills me is that I have the skills to put the helicopter in place to get great shots, but my hands are always full and I can't take the photos! But it's extremely rewarding to me to see the photos taken by folks who have flown with me and know how to handle a quality camera.
And, if I could just take a moment to be a bit commercial here...I'm in Page, AZ through the end of September 2008 with the helicopter doing photo flights in the area. If you think you can top Ann's photo (which I doubt), get in touch. It's a lot cheaper to fly with me while I'm here than to have me come up here from the Phoenix area some other time.
Posted by Maria | August 25, 2008 8:31 PM
Posted on August 25, 2008 20:31
Quick correction: breakfast was at Marble Canyon. Cliff Dwellers is about 10 miles up the road.
Posted by Maria | August 25, 2008 8:33 PM
Posted on August 25, 2008 20:33