Paragliding in Chelan
Adventure and inspiration,  Flying Culture

Addicted in Chelan

Jorge Atramiz has been visiting and flying Chelan for 15 years. He returns to Washington State to tell the story of this remarkable flying community through the old hands and new generation of pilots who know its mountains, flatlands and dust devils best.

7 September, 2026, by Jorge Atramiz

“Dustyyyy!” Like an orchestra in tune, this song is sung by everyone at take-off while a rebel dust devil joins the morning briefing. The first tent gets ripped and the second one gets airborne and lands metres away. 

There is a moment of silence, a moment of fear and excitement. The mix of feelings is easy to read on the faces of the pilots. The flats of Chelan today look simply epic.

I can already imagine my small helmet-vario...

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