Performer Lineup
Dan Buchanan
Losing the use of your legs in sporting accidents would convince most people to retire from the active life and spend more time relaxing at home. Not so, Dan Buchanan of Minden, Nevada. When the active pilot was forced out of the cockpit by the tragic turn of events in 1981, he vowed to return to the air. And he did, BIGtime!
Not content with learning how to fly all over again, Dan flew his first airshow performance in 1989 and earned rave reviews from airshow industry professionals. For fun, Dan regularly soars for three to six hours at a time above the Pacific coastline riding waves of air rising from the ocean cliffs. That's big-league effort for a hang glider pilot!
The only professional hang glider pilot in the airshow circuit, Dan flies an Australian-built Moyes Sonic Glider, specially modified for airshows. He is towed into the air from a specially designed trailer during a high-speed drive down the runway. Since he also happens to be a licensed pyrotechnician (fireworks expert), Dan accentuates his graceful, aerobatic return to terra firma with a blazing array of colored smoke and flares.
The story of Dan Buchanan's success as an airshow performer is inspiring to "fully equipped" pilots and his growing legion of fans. He has done what many pilots only dream about. He certainly made a lasting impression during his first visit to Springfield Air Rendezvous in 2003. You will want to be on hand to welcome him back this year. And don't forget to meet him at our autograph tent after the show.
*Night Show Participant