Paraphotonormaljournalism

Ice-road driving

No that's not the BQE. It's the E77 where it crosses the icy Vistula (Wisła) river in Kiezmark, Poland, about 23 km from Gdansk. Amazing photo, right? What's even more amazing is how it was taken--from a paraglider. The photographer, Kacper Kowalski, shoots from a paraglider: a "lightweight, free-flying, foot-launched glider aircraft with no rigid primary structure," according to Wikipedia. "The pilot sits in a harness suspended below a hollow fabric wing whose shape is formed by its suspension lines, the pressure of air entering vents in front of the wing and the aerodynamic forces of the air flowing outside."

(Courtesy Wikipedia)

While Kowalski pilots a traditional paraglider for fun and competition, he uses a powered one for work, which means there is a small engine attached to give the thing some thrust. You can check out some of his other amazing photos on his website (Polish/English) and on his blog (Polish only, but you'll get the drift--or draft?).