Starthistle Fly-in, a three-day bonanza of flying competitions and in-the air camaraderie. Hundreds of paragliders, hang gliders and spectators from around the world will flock to WoodratMountain's launch site to catch thermals and travel from the top of Woodrat to the valley below.

(TRAVPR.COM) USA - March 8th, 2011 - Memorial Day weekend means one thing to Ruch, Oregon - Starthistle Fly-in, a three-day bonanza of flying competitions and in-the air camaraderie. Hundreds of paragliders, hang gliders and spectators from around the world will flock to Woodrat Mountain's launch site to catch thermals and travel from the top of Woodrat to the valley below.

One place to view the gliders is Fly HighVineyard/ LongSword Vineyard tasting patio. The tasting patio looks right at the launch site and is a great way to view gliders floating through the sky or as they land in the adjacent field. Spectators can watch events from Noon to 6:00 p.m and is free of charge. Fly HighVineyard/ LongSword Vineyard's tasting room offers culinary delights from Chef Jay (studied under Julia Child) including his renowned Shibui, area vegetables and fruits, live local musicians, flights of award winning wine and lots of great seating.

Memorial Day weekend kicks off a three-month swing of events at Fly HighVineyard/ LongSword Vineyard and at Woodrat that includes the West Coast Paragliding Championships in June and the annual Rat Race Paragliding Competition in July. All of which continue to land in Fly HighVineyard/ LongSword Vineyard's adjacent field. So come join the fun and be sure to bring your binoculars.  

For more information on Starthistle, including directions to the top of Woodrat Mountain, go to the association's Web site at www.rvhpa.net. 

For information on the paragliding championships and the Rat Race, go to

www.mphsports.com

Local Instructors:

Christian Rossberg: Tandem flights; http://wildwildwest.us

Mike Haley: Tandem flights and advanced instruction; mike_haley@charter.net

Kevin Lee: Tandem flights and beginning instruction; http://thermaltracker.com

Nick Crane: Tandem flights and beginning instruction; http://paracrane.com

John Ivey: Beginning instruction; http://roguevalleyparagliding.com

For more information on Fly HighVineyard/LongSword Vineyard www.fhlvllc.com

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