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In 2000, the Italian Angelo D'Arrigo had a vision: he is floating high above the Andes, underneath him snow-covered mountain-tops are glistening in the sunshine, the sky is crystal clear and dark blue. An Andean condor is floating beside him through the icy mountain air. This vision sowed the seed for a breathtaking new project for the top pilot, whose great passion is flying with birds.
Angelo plans to traverse the Andes and their highest peak, Aconcagua (6962 m), flying alongside a condor. The adventurer has already won many international competitions and set many altitude records. Last year he was the first person to fly by hang glider over Mount Everest. He completed two other unique and interesting projects in 2001 and 2002 when he flew by hang glider across the Sahara and Siberia. (Read about these on www.angelodarrigo.com)
In March 2005, small cracks in an egg marked the start of the risky plan. A condor chick hatched out in Angelo's care, and together they overcame the obstacles which arose in rearing it over the following months. Angelo would like to release the young bird in Autumn into its natural habitat, the Southern Andes. The condor will then be almost full-grown and have a wing-span of almost three meters.
Condors are the largest (flighted) birds in the world. There are now only 3,000 - 4,000 living in the wild, making the Andean condor a species threatened with extinction.
There are three important aspects to Angelo's project, "Flying with condors":
- Science and nature:
Breeding, raising and training the condor by a human and releasing it into the Aconcagua National Park.
- Technology and innovation:
Use of state-of-the-art materials and technologies for the wing design, and advancements in aerodynamics.
- Sport and adventure:
First free flight crossing of South America from Santiago, over the summit of Aconcagua, to Buenos Aires.
The flight over Aconcagua places the highest demands on a pilot. At these altitudes, temperatures often drop to - 40° and wind speeds can reach 125 km/h. No pilot has ever managed to overcome these extreme conditions.
SWING is supporting Angelo D'Arrigo
The collaboration between SWING and Angelo D´Arrigo began well before the flight planned over the Andes. The project signifies a symbiosis between man, animal and technology. Given its unique nature, SWING is providing the adventurer with three gliders for the project, the MISTRAL Twin tandem glider, the STRATUS 5 competition glider and the SALTO acro glider. This specially built glider of only 22m² will make it possible for the top pilot to fly even in turbulent conditions which often prevail in the high altitudes of the Andes.
One striking feature is the appearance of the gliders, which was specifically created by SWING designers for this project. The distinctive white pattern on a black background with grey wings is the same as the natural colouring of a mature condor.
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