Ed Cesar, 55; Pilot, Champion Hang Glider Took Part in Film ‘Up’

Ed Cesar, 55, a champion hang glider pilot who with his wife, Barbara, founded Syncro Aircraft Interiors, died May 24 in Los Angeles. The cause of death was not disclosed.

Born Edison Martin Cesar, he repeatedly won hang-gliding competitions and piloted a glider for the camera in the inspirational documentary “Up.” The film won an Academy Award and a National Educational Award, and has been used to inspire children to set high goals for themselves.

An accomplished pilot, Cesar had ratings to teach flying and to fly helicopters, jet and seaplanes as well as gliders. He flew more than 13,000 hours and, with his wife, flew relief missions in their floatplane to aid Nicaragua and Honduras after Hurricane Mitch in 1998.

With their business, the Cesars designed and built posh interiors of planes owned by celebrities and others. Always connected to Hollywood, Cesar sublet part of his hangar space at Van Nuys Airport to film companies for work on such motion pictures as “Batman and Robin,” “True Lies” and “Air Force One.”