Ron Lowery and Cloud Chaser

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Last June my son and I went on a 3.5 week trip that was one of the most incredible journeys of my life. Traveling with my younger son, Ryan, we went all over the southwest US. We loaded the plane with camping gear,food, two camera systems, computer, tools and clothes.  Our average speed was about 70 mph at an average altitude of 300 feet AGL. Almost every morning we awoke at 4:30 am and got airborne to make sure we had early morning light for photos.

When I first started shooting the Meteor Crater in Arizona timing became an issue because clouds were starting to cause shadows nearby. I first shot photos at 500 feet above the ground. Then within seconds I shot up to 2500 feet for another angle. This enormous reserve power came in handy many times. My goal was not to set distance records, but to explore and photograph geographic features,  textures and wildlife from a perspective very few people get to see.

Over the desert in New Mexico we were able to fly beside 3 running antelope at 45 mph, only 50 feet above the ground. We watched ranchers herding cattle, oil wells being drilled, crops being harvested, rodeos, and Indian children going to school. All the different colors of the Red River basin looked like sand art. The cinder cones, lava flows, meteor crater and the Painted Desert gave me the impression I was flying over Mars. The 1000 foot deep crevasse north of the Grand Canyon seemed like the earth was about to break apart. Flying over Oklahoma it seemed like every rancher had at least one oil well. I got to wondering if they were really productive or was it just fashionable.

Most pilots that have flown all their life have not seen the country like we have.  Everywhere  we landed, pilots and curious townspeople would gather to look at and photograph the unusual plane.  A crop duster even threatened to spray us because we looked like a giant grasshopper! The hospitality we received was nothing less than 4-star. People invited us to stay at their homes. An airport manager gave us a tour of Santa Rosa. A intertribal medicine man gave us contact names and phone numbers of Indian tribal leaders that would allow us to land on the reservations.

Then came our close encounter with a alien space craft. Not only was the trip productive because of the photos I took, but it was an incredible geography and cultural experience for me and my son. Sure, there are much faster and efficient ways to travel across the country, but when you drop the flaps and hang there at 40 mph it's comparable to savoring America like it's a fine wine.

This is part of a story that was published in a local newspaper. When I first submitted the story I figured it would be published in the travel section. They loved it so much they put it in the lifestyle section with a lot more info such as the Air Cam construction, my international fame and how I do my photo work. I now have 260 hours on Cloud Chaser with no problems encountered.