USHGA Hang Gliding September 1982

from

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EDITOR Gil Dodgen ASSOCIATE EDITOR LAYOUT & DESIGN: Jonie Dodgen STAFF PHOTOGRAPHERS: Leroy Grannis, Bettina Gray, Stephen Mccarroll ILLUSTRATORS Horry Mortin, Rod Stafford

OFFICE STAFF: MANAGER: Carol Velderrain Cathy Coleman (Advertising) Amy Provin (Ratings) Linda Stahlberg (Membership) Terri Jo Nelson (Acct, Rec,) USHGA OFFICERS: PRESIDENT: Vic Powell VICE PRESIDENT: Doug Hildreth SECRETARY: Elizabeth Sharp TREASURER: Ken Koerwitz

ISSUE NO 116

Hang eliding CONTENTS FEATURES

10 EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE: Vic Powell Doug Hildreth David Broyles USHGA REGIONAL DIRECTORS REGION 1: Doug Hildreth, REGION 2: George Whitehill, Pot Devevan, REGION 3: Rob Kells, Steve Howxhursl, REGION 4: Lucky Campbell, Ken Koerwitz, REGION 5: Mike King, REGION 6: Ted Gilmore, REGION 7: David Anderson, Henry Braddock, REGION 8' Charles LoVersa, REGION 9: Les King, Richard Newton, REGION 10: Richard Heckman, Scott Lambert REGION 11: David Broyles, REGION 12: Poul Riker!, Steve Ostertag, EXOFFICIO DIRECTOR: Everett Langworthy, HONORARY DIRECTORS: Bill Bennett, John Horris, John Lake, Hugh Morton DIRECTORSAt-LARGE: Jan Case, Keith Nichols, Dennis Pagen, Vic Powell, Elizabeth Sharp, The United States Hang Gliding Association Inc,, is a division of the National Aeronautic Association (NAA) which is the officio! U,S, representative of the Federation Aeronautique Internationale (FAI), the world goveming body for sport aviation, The NAA, which represents the U,S, at FAI meetings, has delegated to the USHGA supervision of FAlrelated hang gliding activities such as record attempts and competition sanctions, HANG GLIDING magazine is published for hang gliding sport enthusiasts to create further interest in the sport, by a means of open communication ond to advance hang gliding methods and safety, Contributions are welcome, Anyone Is invited to contribute articles, photos, and illustrations concerning hang gliding activities, If the material Is to be returned, a stamped, Seit-addressed return envelope must be enclosed Notification must be made of submission to other hang gliding publications, HANG GLIDING magazine reserves the right to edit contributions where necessary, The Association and publication do not assume responsibility for the material or opinions of contributors

HANG GLIDING magazine is published monthly by the United States Har>g Gliding Association, Inc, whose moiling address is PD Box 66306, Los Angeles, Calit 90066 and whose offices are located ot 11423 Washington Blvd, Los Angeles, Calif. 90066; telephone (213) 390-3065, Second, class postage is paid at Los Angeles, Calif, HANG GLIDING magazine is printed by Llenett Co The typesetting is provided by 1st Impression fypesettir>g Service, Buena Park, Colit Colar separations by Scanner House of Studio City, Calif.

The USHGA is a member-controlled educational and scientific organization dedicated to exploring

all facets of ultralight flight, Membership is open to anyone interested in this realm of flight Dues for full membership are $29.50 per year ($32,50 for foreign addresses); subscriplion rates ore $22 50 for one year, $40.00 for two years, $57.50 for three years Changes of address should be sent six weeks in advance, Including name, USHGA membership num, ber, previous and new address, and a mofling label tram a recent issue.

SEPTEMBER 1982

22

24

FLYING SITE SERIES British Columbia's Sunshine Coast

article and photos

by Randy Johnson

FLAT LAND CROSS COUNTRY - Flying the Prairies 1982 CROSS COUNTRY CLASSIC

by Willi Muller

by Tom Kreyche

photos by Bettina Gray and Pete Brock

31

FANTASY FLIGHT

32

IN QUEST OF THE CUP

40

text, poem and illustration by Dennis Pagen

by Jeff Burnett photos by Bettina Gray and Steve Thompson

HOT AIRTIME With Kid Gemini

as reported by Kirk G. Erickson

DEPARTMENTS 4 4 6 8 10 12 16 19 43 46 49

ULTRALIGHT CONVERSATION INDEX TO ADVERTISERS NEWLY ACQUIRED RATINGS AND APPOINTMENTS USHGA REPORTS CALENDAR MILESTONES NEWS AND NEW PRODUCTS THE RIGHT STUFF by Erik Fair PRESIDENT'S PAGE by Vic Powell CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING STOLEN WINGS

COVER: Eric Raymond launches Ultralite Products' new Arrow, foot-launched sailplane, at the recent XC Classic, Photo by Pete Brock.

CONSUMER ADVISORY: Hang Gliding Magazine and USHGA Inc,, do not endorse or toke any responsibility for the products advertised or mentioned editorially within these pages, Unless specifically explained, performance figures quoted in advertising are only estimates, Persons considering the purchase of a glider ore urged to study HGMA standards, Copyright © United States Hang Gliding Association, Inc 1978, All rights reserved to Hong Gliding Magazine and individual contributors,

Mt. Buffalo XC Classic Dear Editor, Although flights from Mt. Buffalo in Australia don't match the Owens Valley, the contest we hold here each year is just as demanding. Now that the Owens Classic is so restrictive, the Mt. Buffalo XC Classic could rival it as one of hang gliding's contests to win.

There are two rounds: from the 28th of December to the 4th of January 1983, and from the 6th of January to the 15th. The top ten from round one go into round two.

There is no limit on international entries.

Bring your parachute, altimeter, compass and CB radio as well as Hang IV rating.

Mt. Buffalo XC Classic 23 Kirkwood Montrose 3765 Victoria, Australia

Certified Advertising Dear Editor, I urge the members of the Board of Directors along with the general membership to discuss imposing an advertising policy in which each glider advertised would clearly indicate whether or not a particular model and size is HGMA certified.

Luigi Chiarani Van Nuys, CA

Editor's Note: Manufacturers whose gliders are cemjied mention that information in their ads, since this is a major selling point. If an ad does not specifically state that the glider is cernfied it may be assumed that it is not. We do have a policy that no mention can be made of cer11jica tion until the package has been officially accepted by the HGMA.

pilot? Judgement. The ability to find lift, the ability to handle the glider, a little courage, some common sense, a competitive rig, and a lot of luck are important once you're in the air, but when and where you fly makes the difference between a 10-hour, 100-mile odyssey and a ride down your glide angle. Therefore, the competition that leaves the most up to the judgement of the competitors gives them the most opportunity to demonstrate their skill.

There are four basic quantifiable evaluations of a flight: distance, duration, speed, and accuracy. A turning point or triangle doesn't measure any more than the same distance straight. And a predetermined course or destination doesn't correspond to anything that pilots try to do when they're flying for fun.

What I'm proposing is the extension of the "open window" idea into a whole "open door." Give the participants lots of starting and landing places, all manned by witnesses with synchronized watches, pens and paper.

Let the competitors fly all they want for a week. Then take each pilot's furthest flight, longest flight, fastest flight, and five most accurate landings, and using points or places or percent-of-best-performance, compute the winner.

Dear Editor, The purpose of a hang gliding competition is to determine who among the participants is the best pilot. What makes a good hang glider 4

Bennett Delta Wing Gliders ................................ l, 51, BC Eco Nautlcs ............................................................................ 9 Embury .................................................................................... 23 Flight Designs ...................................................................... 30 Glider Rider............................................................................ 9 Hall Brothers ......................................................................... 50 Hang Gliding Press ............................................................. 23 Kitty Hawk ........................................................................ 41, 44 Lookout Mt. ............................................................................ 7 Moyes .................................................................................... IBM Pacific Kites .......................................................................... 50 Pagen Books ....................................................................... 50 Para Publishing ..................................................................... 11

Peter Cyrus New York, NY

World Team Support

Pro Air ................................................................................ 14, 39 Raymond ............................................................................... 48 Rotec ........................................................................................ 23

Dear Editor, The July issue was very exciting. The color ads and cross country articles really keep the reader's attention. That big centerspread poster is now on my wall and should be a regular part of the publication. George Worthington's so detailed article on the Mitchell Wing was something to think about and I wish more hang glider pilots did fly one.

In regards to Vic Powell's page on helping the USA World Team with financial support, it can be a good club or flyer promotion to have the donor's name and photo published in the magazine. Vic says, "There is considerable room for flyers to provide assistance and ask for a personal donation to raise money for this project."

Tom Thompson King, NC

Gaggle Open Door Competition

INDEX TO ADVERTISERS

Dear Editor, I recently discovered that a gaggle is only a gaggle when it is on the ground. When in the air it is called a "skein."

Snyder Ent ............................................................................... 18 Spectram ............................................................................... 41 Systek ....................................................................................... 41 Ultralite Products ................................................................. 42 USHGA ........................................................................ 15, 52, 15 Whole Air Magazine .......................................................... 9 Wills Wing, Inc ................................................................... 2, 11

AD DEADLINES All ad copy, instructions, changes, additions and cancellations must be received in writing l1/2 months preceding the cover date, i.e. Mar. 20 for the May issue.

Jim Oldham Dunlap, TN HANG GLIDING

Dinos oar Dear Editor, Heading home from an afternoon of flying we stopped to check out a 300' hill which is usually soarable in the evening. Arriving at the top we found a group of flyers setting up in a 20-25 mph wind.

The most vocal among them told us he was a certified instructor and had been flying for seven years. They proceeded to set up and launch four kites with a tandem to follow. Of the four only one wore a helmet, and another (they flew in swing seats) took a beer along for the ride.

I can't fault anyone for his desire to fly, but flying outdated gliders in windy conditions without a helmet is stupid! Those involved owe more to themselves than that, and just as much to the rest of the hang gliding community. As for the "instructor," he should have his certification revoked if he really has one. I guess the dinosaur isn't really extinct after all.

solutely spectacular colored photographs of a hang glider soaring in the sunset. I assume this type of ad would meet with the approval of your members.

Our insurance policy is a group effort that will pay airline pilots a lump sum benefit up to $150,000 cash, tax free, after a 12 month waiting period, if they are permanently prevented from flying for their airline for medical reasons. Only pilots under 40 years of age are eligible to join, although once insured they, of course, remain insured for the balance of their flying career. Since most people under 40 suffer disability from accidents rather than sickness, our ads are intended to portray those normal recreational outlets to which a certain amount of hazard is attached. Airline pilots are generally more active and adept and more adventuresome than other people their age and we try to picture interesting pursuits that they can relate to.

Harvey W. Watt

Special Dangers Dave Dixon Costa Mesa, CA

Crashing IF YOU WERE PERMANENTLYGROUNDED, CHANCES ARE $150,000 \VOULDGETYOUBACKONYOURFEET.

llif;11t~~;1tit:1tJlI:~t::i~;i'.~f~;~:rt~:i~1itw.~~wl~l~i

Dear Editor, Concerning Erik Fair's article, "The Right Stuff' in the July issue: Frankly, I'm scared.

As a potential hang glider pilot, I'm puzzled by your drawing of the woman flying her glider serenely while listening to a Walkman.

How can she be so calm when her harness seems to be no thicker than an old T-shirt? It's either that, or she has nipples made of iron.

Where did you find this woman? Her tits seem to be putting a real strain on the apparatus.

Why have you neve_r mentioned this very real problem? Obviously, flying presents special dangers for women with any chest protrusions at all.

Diane Sorenson St. Paul, MN

Mid-Air

face.

Bill was flown by helicopter to the University of Utah Medical Center and was put in critical condition with multiple fractures, internal injuries, and a concussion which rendered him unconscious for several days.

Fortunately, Bill is back in Colorado and I believe is hang gliding again.

This collision may also make an interesting interview, whereby the grace of God both pilots survived.

TMHGA Boulder, Colorado

San Luis Reservoir Dear Editor, San Luis, CA Reservoir is now open for hang gliding on a one year evaluation program. These are the terms of the permit issued by the California Department of Parks and Recreation: All pilots must be current USHGA members. All pilots must be rated at least Hang III (Intermediate) with a turbulence sign-off. All pilots must hold a current coastal Condors membership card. No pilot may launch in wind exceeding 30 mph or when the red rotating beacon atop Romero's Visitor's Center is on. Pilots should confine westward flying to within 500' of shore because of potential conflict with seaplane traffic. Parachutes are recommended.

Flying at San Luis is primarily ridge lift and secondarily thermal and convergence lift.

Launch is at about 200' on a grassy knoll that accepts SW to NW at 10-30 mph.

To fly San Luis you must check in with the California Department of Parks and Recreation, not Romero Visitor Center. You will be required to present USHGA card, Coastal Condors card, and pay a $2.00 per vehicle day use fee. Only 12 vehicles per day will be cleared for hang gliding.

Dear Editor, The following letter is in response to a letter from USHGA President Vic Powell concerning the above advertisement. - Ed. Dear Mr. Powell, Phil Haney handed me your letter of July 6th concerning our May, 1982 advertisement on the back cover of the Airline Pilot magazine. I have taken the liberty of forwarding your letter to the senior partner of the advertising agency that handles our account and I apologize if this attempt at humor of. fended your members. This was certainly not our intention. In fact, in the past we have run one or two ads featuring hang gliding with ab-

SEPTEMBER 1982

In reference to the July article on the mid-air and Terry Ferrer's interview with Pat Denevan: Yes, there was another mid-air which occurred one week before, on Saturday June 6th, 1981 at 5:50 PM at Salt Lake City, Utah.

After that day's completion of the Region IV National Qualifier being held at the Point of the Mountain north side, two pilots, Brent Da\'is, 41, of Salt Lake City and Bill Lewis, 26, of Boulder, Colorado collided. My understanding is that Brent's Raven was undamaged and his chute was deployed and he landed safely. But Bill's side wire was severed and his Comet folded and torpedoed I 00 ft. or more to the rocky ridge at the top of the north

Kitty Hawk Kites P.O. Box 828 Marina, CA 93933

X-Correction Dear Editor, Last month your article on the So Cal Regionals describes me as a "micro-comet" pilot. It is true that I have flown the small comet, but not during the Regionals. It was a Delta Wing X-Series 140 that won me a spot in Nationals. Thanks Uncle Bill!

Betty Moyer Santa Ana, CA

5

NEWLY ACQUIRED USHGA RATINGS AND APPOINTMENTS BEGINNER Name, City, State

Name, City, State Region

Thomas G. Tierney, Bloomington, IN 7 Alan Dotts, Beaverton, OR Bruce Harrington, Aloha, OR David Ward, Glenwood Springs, CO 4 Kevin Stank, Denver, CO 4 Mike Jackson, Indianapolis, IN 7 Lou Iserhardt, Burnsville, NC 10 Joshua Crews, Lafayette, LA 11 Dacio Moraes-Neto, Sao Paulo, Brazil Foreign Robert L. Burdett, Bowie, MD 9 Tina Helmes, Sumner, WA I Robert Meshako, Hickam AFB, HI 3 Ralph McCullough, Tucson, AZ 4 Terry Riforgiate, Lombard, IL 7 Madjid Sartipi, Indianapolis, IN 7 Greg Hancock, Poolesville, MD 9 Patricia R. Mabie, Trout Run, PA 9 Thomas E. Murphy, Kenmore, NY 12 12 Charles A. Gerber, Jr., Clarence, NY 2 Donald L. Farmer, Foster City, CA Curtis B. Pack, Logan, W. VA 9 Glen Ward, San Jose, CA 2 Chris Scruton, Campbell, CA 2 Kevin L. Frost, Hallewa, HI 3 Carl Thunberg, Norwich, CT 8 Caroline Gaudoin, Bristol, CT 8 Robert Van Velzor, Hartford, CT 8 9 Frederick W. Ford, Alexandria, VA Terence D. Kennard, Hampton, VA 9 Thomas L. Ball, Toledo, OH 9 Lane Tassin, Shreveport, LA 11 Jennifer Talak, Berkeley, CA 2 Elaine M. Gionet, Las Vegas, NV 2 Kevin McClure, Phoenix, AZ 4 Jeff Johnson, Phoenix, AZ 4 Paul W. Whelpley, Natick, MA 8 Milton Gary Campbell, Locust Grove, VA 9 Russell A. Stanley, Uniontown, OH 9

NOVICE Name, City, State Tom Gilman, Santa Barbara, CA John C. Baedke, Spring Lake, MI Dawn Wolcott, Williamsport, PA Rick Barnett, Brookville, OH Paul H. Gibney, Hampton, VA Lance D. Odum, Bristol, TN Michael D. Clark, Charlotte, NC Jason Otto, Tucson, AZ Dan Allred, Ogden, UT Ed Smalley, Rochester, MI Merle T. Jones, New Phila, OH 6

Region 3 7 9 9 9

JO

10 4 4 7 9

Region

Tommie D. Killfore, Maitland, FL JO F.J. Turmo, Woodstock NY 12 Beverly Billings, Kerman, CA 2 Michael O'Brien, Auburn, WA I Lonnie Davis, Little Rock, AR 6 Hans Herr, Holtwood, PA 9 Charles Rebert, Portola Valley, CA 2 Roger Perreault, Warren, MI 7 10 James A. Rouse, Columbia, SC Alvin McKinney, Jr., Garden City, AL 10 Don C. McKee, Beavercreek, OH 9 Gary Peruta, Middlefield, CT 8 Roger Janson, Jamaica Plains, MA 8 Robert J. Gut, Berlin, CT 8 Michael R. Wade, Salt Lake City, UT 4 Brian Sharp, Sebastopol, CA 2 Neil Munson, Lansing, MI 7 7 Gary Munson, Lansing, MI 2 Chris Soloman, Olympic Valley, CA 2 Jim Farmer, San Mateo, CA 4 Keith A. Davis, Aspen, CO 4 Barry John Boland, Denver, CO 7 Bruce Buckner, Portage, IN 10 Jim Ozier, Bowden, GA 10 Phil Harper, Bowden, GA 11 Dai Middleton, Dallas, TX 11 Muriel Middleton, Dallas, TX Bill Maxwell, Highland, CA 3 6 Tim Capps, St. Louis, MO 6 Robert A. Brake, Parkville, MO James Andersen, Garden City, MI 7 Tom Condren, Southington, CT 8 David R. Leggett, Bangor, PA 9 Bill Tolbert, Baltimore, MD 9 Terry Willis, Burnsville, NC 10 12 John W. Allen, Poughkeepsie, NY 12 Nate Granger, Bayonne, NJ Dave Prochaska, Enid, OK 6 Tom Slevin, Olympic Valley, CA 2 2 Page T. Perrin, Oakland, CA 2 Scott Malerbi, Petaluma, CA 2 Richard A. Nowack, San Jose, CA 2 Jeremy Naploha, San Francisco, CA 9 Lester W. Gelsinger, Denver, PA Mark C. Houston, San Diego, CA 3 Vince Calcagno, Bolingbrook, IL 7 Clint Keith, West Hurley, NY 12 Scott R. Mair, FPO San Francisco, CA 2 William Saltmarsh, San Francisco, CA 2 3 James A. Carroll, La Palma, CA Pamela L. Murry, Yukon, OK 6 Ronald Sterling, Yukon, OK 6 Mike Kitterman, Enid, OK 6 Alan K. Peterson, Snowmass Vil., CO 4 2 Steve Chamberlain, San Rafael, CA Mary Kesslak, Andover, MA 8 9 Darryl W. Richards, Roanoke, VA Donald B. Scoggin, Milton-Freewater, OR I

Region

Name, City, State

2 2

Jan Busby, Hayward, CA George Koper, Las Vegas, NV Ron Borthwick, Altus, OK Laurie Borthwick, Altus, OK Rick A. Mack, Norwalk, OH Walter S. Mruk, Cleveland, OH E. Mark Dooley, Montvale, VA Jon Goguen, Birmingham, AL George Terwilliger, Marietta, GA

6 6 9 9 9

10 10

INTERMEDIATE Name, City, State

Region

David Timson, Merced, CA Jeffrey D. Wisseman, Merced, CA E. Van Spurgeon, W. Hollywood, CA Dave Bash, St. Charles, MO Paul D. Meek, Topeka, KS Carl F. Krause, Annapolis, MD Dean E. Garrison, Morganton, NC Steve Karp, Chattanooga, TN Mike Smith, Sacramento, CA Eric O'Neill Parks, Mill Valley, CA David Erik Freund, Los Angeles, CA Patrick T. Brooks, Natrona, PA Jeff Wolford, Albuquerque, NM Patrick D. Rawlings, Azusa, CA Raymond Eichler, Hemet, CA Steven Hawks, Geyserville, CA David Payne, Lakeside, MI Patrick B. Sharp, Santa Cruz, CA Dave Baxter, Pawcatuck, CT William M. Chambers, Fulton, MD William Coffay, Wilkes Barre, PA Mark E. Dodge, S. Charleston, W. VA Stephen Bannasch, Medford, MA Douglas A. Hirsch, La Habra, CA Ken Barrentine, Santa Rosa, CA Tom Call, Marina, CA David R. Squires, Los Altos, CA Mike Sorgaard, El Centro, CA John R. Thomas, San Jose, CA Michael Parker, Santa Clara, CA Eric Rauhauser, Whitethorn, CA Alan D. Whites, Reno, NV Dennis R. Owen, Rock Hill, MO James R. Donnell, Columbus, IN Jeffery Busbee, Mt. Union, IA Dale Counts, Stoney Pt., NC Charlie Ferguson, El Centro, CA Joseph Barfoot, Las Cruces, NM Mike O'Leary, Oklahoma City, OK Michael Long, York, PA Jim Gay, Wilmington, NC Jeff Smith, Greensboro, NC Eric S. Miluk, Eggertville, NY Ralph C. Pruitt, Jr., Hopewell Jct., NY

2 2 3 6 6 9

10 10 2 2 3 9 4 3 3

2 7

2 8 9 9 9

8 3

2 2 2 3

2 2 2 2 6 7 7

10 3 4 6 9

10 10 12 12

HANG GLIDING

Name, City, State

Region

Stephen Goldman, Cary, NC Ed Wilson, Independence, MO

10 6

ADVANCED Name, City, State

Region

Mike Smitherman, La Mesa, CA 3 Doug Henderson, Las Vegas, NV 2 Donn Law, Winkelman, AZ 4 Johnny Ray, Grandview, MO 6 Gary Elhart, Ellesheim, W. Germany Foreign 2 James F. Weber, Mtn. View, CA Tom Myatt, El Cajon, CA 3 Leopoldo Montejo, Wayland, MA 8 Keith Blaycock, Garden Grove, CA 3 David C. Henly, Sausalito, CA 2 Mohammed Naas, San Francisco, CA 2 Richard Leach, Long Beach, CA 3 Dan Pritchett, San Clemente, CA 3 Dave Chapman, Enid, OK 6 Stephen Webb, Middlebury, CT 8 Robert Miller, Huber Hgts., OH 9 Marc E. Magor, S. Bend, IN 7 Tim Wuest, Minneapolis, MN 7 Gary Braun, Inver Grove Hgts., MN 7 Peter Soule, Marina, CA 2 Alex Avgerinos, Bronx, NY 12 Rex E. Beck, Jr., Nevada City, CA 2 Scott Lee Greenwalt, Oklahoma City, OK 6 Dave Van Wie, Minneapolis, MN 7 Rick Speer, Ventura, CA 3 Greg Huizenga, Truckee, CA 2 Arthur Scott Dockter, Sacramento, CA 2

OFFICIALS OBSERVERS Name, City, State

Region

Scott Greenwalt, Oklahoma City, OK Paul Whitehill, Daly City, CA Dave Bowen, Dunlap, CA Russ Kidder, Casper, WY Larry Strom, Spokane, WA Jerome Stewart, Spokane, WA Dan Meenach, Spokane, WA George Alexander, Spokane, WA Dave Schmidt, Ooltewah, TN Mike Mills, Montgomery, NY

INSTRUCTORS -

6 2 2 5

10 12

BASIC

Name, City, State

Region

Peter Weymouth, Bridgeman, MI Bob Rouse, Pasadena, TX

7

11

INSTRUCTORS - ADVANCED Name, City, State Bob Faris, Ft. Collins, CO

SEPTEMBER 1982

Region 4 7

USHGA REPORTS

A COMPETITION FAREWELL

by Keith Nichols In any comparative science, the procedure is generally to render those objects being compared into their purest state. This simplifies the job of comparison. So it is when competition is looked at as a comparative science. Extraneous factors are removed; the competitive environment is made as equal (fair) as possible; and the same opportunity is given to all.

For example, tennis competitors are given an equal environment (the court), allowed the same amount of equipment (one racquet each), and have the same opportunity (rules) under which they may attempt to score more points.

Similar situations exist in marathon running, track and field, and other areas in which an individual attempts to best a field of competitors.

The Competition Committee of the USHGA, with the invaluable assistance of the hang gliding competitors themselves, is the administrator of most of this country's hang gliding competition. We have attempted to approach it as essentially a comparative science.

Extraneous factors such as luck and weather (good or bad) have, for the most part, been removed. The fairness of the competitive environment is insured through contemporary launch formats. We use the same flying site, indeed the same air, for the competition and allow the same amount of equipment, i.e., a single hang glider throughout the meet. Finally, the same set of rules is applied equally to each competitor, allowing them all the same opportunity to win or lose.

This scientific procedure attempts to objectively judge competitors solely on the basis of performance (which indicates ability). This distillation of pure competition is refined more and more every year. Competition in 1976 was

a more accurate assessment of ability than in 1973. Competition in 1979 was even more accurate than in 1976. And it follows that the record for 1982 has bettered the previous years, and so on.

Each year we can also expect competition results to more accurately reflect pure ability and performance than ever before. But as we get better and better, one would expect there to be a limit. However, the constantly improving performance of the new designs, coupled with the ever increasing knowledge and ability of the pilots, seems to maintain a separation from this theoretical limit. Thus, I feel that perfection will remain a constant goal for both competitors as well as for tournament administrators.

There is another facet of hang gliding competition that is less scientifically measured and is objectively irrelevant to the contest results themselves. This is the concept of ethics and sportsmanship. To compete, a pilot must enjoy testing himself against another. Win or lose, there must be some enjoyment in the act itself or there would not be much point in doing it. Ethics and sportsmanship are what insure that enjoyment. One doesn't win because he's a good sport, but he also doesn't lose because ofit. He does, however, gain a lot. He generally feels better about his performance while at the same time receives the respect of his peers. Ethics are what elevates the competitive aspects of the sport to a level not often attained by many other sports. It adds much honor and reflects well upon its participants.

These three areas of hang gliding competition, the refinement of competition analysis, the improvement of pilots and gliders, and the ethical and sportsmanlike conduct of the participants make the sport a source of great enjoyment.

As we move into future years of hang gliding competition, the stakes will grow. Prize money will increase, public recognition will be greater, and more contests will be inviting only the very best. All of this and more will make the competitor even more determined to win, to prove to the world as well as to himself that he is one of the best. With this increase in rewards will come an increase in the number of competitors and the level of competition intensity.

It will become increasingly more difficult to balance these three important parts of the whole of competition. Unfortunately, there is a limited amount of energy to go around.

Pilots will spend more energy and time on improving their abilities and more money into obtaining the best glider available. While this is all very well, the tendency will also be for ethics and sportsmanship to fall by the wayside, to be ignored in that climb to the top.

It is you, the competitors of today who are reading this now, who have the responsibility to carry on and encourage the traditions of the

past while guiding the sport into the future. It is you who will be looked to as examples. You who are the top competitors and you who are the rising young stars; you who are the experienced competition administrators and you who coordinate competition for the USHGA; you must all work together to maximize all three aspects of competition within the sport.

When all of these areas of competition are improved individually, the whole of competition is improved at a greater rate than the sum of its parts. You must set aside differences and you must overcome rivalries. You must lead this sport in the years to come. The future of our hang gliding depends on the positive involvement of you all.

It is with this encouragement, this hope for the future, that I am resigning my position as Chairman of the USHGA Competition Committee. I'v:e held this job for three years now, since Dave Broyles, as President of the Association, handed me the appointment in 1979. He recognized the importance of having the Competition Committee supervised by someone who had not only a first hand acquaintance with contemporary competition, but the respect of the competitors as well. He wanted this country to become more involved with competition but more than that, he wanted the USHGA's administration of competition to be a valid administration, one that would be accepted by the pilots themselves.

The most important thing I feel has been accomplished while I headed the Competition Committee is the increased involvement of competition pilots in the USHGA's administration. When I first accepted my position on the Board of Directors, there was only one other competition pilot, Dennis Pagen. Now we have seven experienced competitors on the Board, several others in advisory capacities, and all working to develop competition in both this country and abroad.

We have a new competition philosophy and format, a new rulebook, and a greater national participation. As a result, I also feel we have a much higher level of competitive flying ability than ever before. I only wish that every flying member of the USHGA could experience a one-on-one competition flight with another pilot of similar ability. Your flying level would get better; your comraderie with your fellow pilot would grow stronger; above all, you would tend to understand what we in the Competition Committee have been trying to accomplish during the last several years.

I am leaving it to the USHGA Board of Directors to appoint a new Chairman of the Competition and Rules Committee at their Fall, 1982, meeting this October. You competition pilots reading this need to consider who you would like to work with and send this input to your Regional Director, the USHGA Board, or me. I will do all I can to help the new Chairman move into this position. I feel it is one of (con1inued on page 44)

8

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"Statistics," Pilot Reports, "Used THE EQUIPMENT ; WHO Glider Bluebook," Mini-features, interviews, weather phenomena, WHAT , WHERE , WHEN • • • consumer news, free Reader WHOLE AIR, THE MAGAZINE ~:~:::.se Be:::i:i Innovative content. Leading in FOR PILOTS. DELUXE • color. new directions ... Whole Air, for pilots!

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Zip _ _ _ __ Mail To: Box 144, Lookout Mtn., TN 37350 - - - - - - -HG - -

The site is a ten··mile long zoirh ele1m1ion from S,000 to 4,200 feel. Launch so111hwest into prevailing winds. Access is via ac· ti7Je logging road. There is an emcrgcncv landing field immediately below launch which is a small meadow surrounded by 200feet evergreens. This landing makes the sire a Hang IV, since it can be 1Jerv rricl?y. On soarablc days a jield is a7Jailable for landing in Garden Bay, miles away. Permission must be obtained from Fran!?

Uoscndahl.

From Vancouver, B. C. rra·uel to the llorseshoe ferrv terminal. Talw the ferry to rhe "Sun· shine Coast. From Langdale travel to Gihson.1· and contact the author at (601) 886· 7604.

Two years ago my family and I decided to move to purndisc. We left 1hc sand dunes of' Indiana for an isolated peninsula in British Columbia. Shortly after our arrival I dis· covered a 4,000--foot coastal mountain with a beautiful extending ten miles. A perfect launch was located off an old copper mine. On the day of' my discovery thermals were giving the rnvens and eagles the time of'thcir lives. As you can imagine, this is where my fantasy grew. I saw myself soaring thousands of feet over the mountain just as my feathered friends. However, my with women

SEPT. 3-6. Nova-Air Cup, Kossen, Austria. Contact: Gary Elhart, Am Bahnhof, 8531 lllesheim, West Germany (Tel. 09841-8883 or 1039).

SEPT 4-6. Fifth Annual Free Spirit Glidinr.i Con· test. $1,000 purse plus trophies. Campinr.J. Ultra· lir.itit activities included.

Con tact: P.O. Box 13, Elmira, NY 14902. (607) 732-i 490.

SEPT. 7-12. European open two-place hang r.ilidinr.i competition. Con· tact: D. Raibon-Pernoud (76) 08 30 08.

10

A lone hawk soars the ridge.

SEPT. 1M2. 4th Annual Canadian-American Chai· lenr.ie Cup. Black Mtn. Wash. $30 entry. Contact: Rick Girard, 1911 Larra· bee, Bellingham, WA 98225 (206) 733-5467.

SEPT. 14-19. U.S. Masters.

Grandfather Mountain, Linville, NC. International invitational tournament.

Contact Hugh Morton, Lin· ville, NC 28646 (704) 733-2800.

SEPT. 16-19. Basic and Ad· vanced new and recertification Instructor Certification Program. Kitty Hawk West. Contact: Jim (408) 384-2622. Also In·

termediate rating Sept. 17-19.

and with hang gliding has proven time and again that where there's expectation, the ex· pected seldom occurs. For the rest of' the season I was never to see thermal activity the likes of' which I saw that day when I didn't have my glider. The winter rains set in. I discovered some more sites. My anticipation and anxiety grew.

I cleared a launch on a six-mile 200-foot ocean ridge. Unfortunately, J could never capture a straight-in wind. After three attempts, assembling a launch crew and wangling my way off work, and three aborts, the day had come when I was to experience a serious approach/avoidance conflict. I had not soared for two months. I had a crew that had seen the "folding of' wings" three times. They were sending those very unhealthy "go for it" vibes. There were eight bald eagles soaring the ridge. The wind at launch was 30 ° ofl~ cross· ing from the left at 30 mph. I had flown similar conditions in Michigan. Little did I know that five seconds after my release, I would he elevated to 500 feet above the ridge, facing 45-50 mph winds, with a groundspecd of -5 mph. I was gaining altitude in gale force winds, realizing I had made a possibly fatal decision; I was out of' control! I knew I had

clinic

SEPT. 20-28. Telluride World Invitational Aerobatic Hanr.i Gliding Championships. P.O. Box 456, Telluride, CO 81435.

OCT. 2-3. Second Annual California International Air Show, Salinas, CA. Contact: Barbara Balen . tine (408) 484-9381.

OCTOBER 16-17. Blue Angels at Point Mugu Air Show. Contact: (805) 982-8094.

OCTOBER 31-NOVEMBER 5. Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association 27th

annual Convention and in· dustry Exhibit, featuring the Plantation Party. Aviation seminars, training pror.irams, exhibits, entertainment. Las Vegas, Nevada. Contact: (301) 951-3947.

NOV. 27-29. Suncoast 8th annual tow launched hang Glider championships. St. Pete, Florida. Contact: Hal Elr.iin, 6639 Emerson Ave. South., St. Pete, FL 33707.

JAN. 17·29, 1983. New Zea· land Ct1ampionships. All advanced pilots welcome.

Contact: Pacific Kites, P.O. Box 45-087, Te Atatu, Auckland 8, New Zealand.

HANG GLIDING

After a very suc:c:enful tour of dealers In the WHtern/Northern U. s. and Canada, Jim Shaw 11 on th11 road again, with the dealers and flying aitH of the S0uth1:1rn, Eastern, and Mldwe11tern U. S. on his Itinerary.

Jim wlll be offering demo rldH on all three sl:i:os of the popular HARRIER II, the DUCK 180, and

four miles of beach to cruise, traveling at 40-50 mph downwind. I knew that if I didn't put down by the end of the beach, I would be into rock cliffs and raging surf. Fortunately three miles down the ridge was a small peninsula.

As I saw it, my only hope at this time was to go over the peninsula and hope the rotor on the back side would drop me low enough to put the glider into some alder trees. After momentarily being tossed about like a leaf I was amazed to see that I was alive. My glider and I were nestled in some sixty-foot alder trees which were trying to do the hula in the gale force wjnds. I was unharmed, but my glider was totaled.

As we all learn, hang gliding is an activity demanding the utmost in judgment. I momen· tarily lost it, and narrowly escaped with my life. Typically, after these I throw myself into some heavy duty introspection. I generally pull myself out of the air for a period of time until the withdrawal pains get so bad I can't stand it.

I found family pressures, low capital and slow glider repair all working against my fantasy of skying out on my beautiful mountain. I helped host a fly-in on this mountain where thirty odd pilots came up to realize its beauty.

Unfortunately, the soaring season was over and the days were once again growing shorter before I got my glider back. After twenty months of waiting, I realized the Mother Lode on April 25. After ten calls I finally located a driver. Reports from flight service and the Coast Guard indicated that today was when it was going to happen. When we got on the mountain, light thermals were popping through, combined with five mph ridge lift.

After brieflift at launch, I found myself in 500 sink, everywhere! I started getting set to relax into another sleigh ride, when the glider pitched up and the mountain gave me 600 fpm lift. I had never before experienced the wide boomer thermal. Within ten minutes I was SEPTEMBER 1982

2,000 feet over launch, watching the mountain get little. After nearly two years of fantasy, my dream came true. I was soaring with eagles in one of the most spectacular parts of the world.

Seldom has the reality of an experience ex· ceeded the fantasy seeded months before.

With hang gliding the reality has never let me down. ...,

My instructor couldn't believe my progress and one of the flyers thought I was a hot pilot pretending to be a student. I could talk hang gliding like a pro and I flew better than any other novice on the hill.

My secret? I read Dan Poynter's book before my first lesson. In just a few evenings at home, I breezed through

what a lot of people are calllng the mMt exciting new gilder of

1982: the DUCK 160.

11-20 21-24

Oklahoma & Arkansas Tex1:1.11

27-30

Flor Ida

1-e

TenneHee

a-10

Virginia

10-13

Maryland

14-16 17-26

Pennsylvania

21H30

Connecticut

1-4

New York

New Hampshire

Gliding, The Basic Handbook Of Ultralight Flying and learned all about the sport. It made me an instant expert

5-10

Quebec/Montreal

11-13

Michigan

14-15

Wisconsin

on weather, materials, design, construction, the principles offlight and I even picked up the basics of flying.

15-17

Minnesota

It must be a good book, it was the first on our sport and it has been ----··-nine times; over 125,000 people have bought one. To get your copy of this fun, easy to read book, send $7.95 (includes shipping, Californians add 48¢ sales tax) to:

For more detailed Information about demos, films, tuning seminars, and parties, call your nearest WIiis Wing dealer or contact us at the shop to find out when Jim will be In your area.

Santa Barbara, CA 93103 USA Telephone: (805) 968-7277

Send/or FREE brochure!

12011H E. Walnut Sonia Ana, Oalllornla

(714) 647-1344

growing still larger as it drifted toward the valley. Would it place the Brisco range in shadow before I arrived?

I gained as much height as possible, then headed across the five mile gap. The long glide gave me time to think about the sailplane tha1 had crash .. Jandcd two weeks earlier, somewhere in the trees below; the craft was totally destroyed. The pilot bad scratched too low on the back range, and had been unable to glide out to the valley. And what about Andrew Barber-Starkey? I couldn't see him ahead of me, while behind me followed Rene Paquette and Bob Wilson . Smith. What about a route over the back? I thought of crossing the mountains to the Kootcnary River Valley, but dismissed the idea.

I arrived at the Brisco range jnst as it fell into shadow. The only thermal to be found lilied

June: 12, 1982. As a fresh cycle

began at launch, I looked at my watch: 2:30 PM. lt was getting late. Still, conditions looked promising for a cross··country flight. I had a brand new barograph in the keel pocket of my glider, and a small camera in my jacket sleeve. Andrew Rarbcr·Starkey, the first pilot

was well-ccmercd in the thermal, suddenly 1 was pitched out, weightless. Taking the hint that I was unwelcome, I headed nonh, taking a few pictures as I went.

At the north end of the Edgewater range, I gained altitude to cross the big gap to Brisco, and to review my progress. In the last 11h hours I had flown 22 miles, but I would have to pick up the pace a lot in order to have any chance of making it to Golden, 70 miles from Mt. Swansea. Above Brisco, a large cloud was

to launch, was already getting high overhead.

Wind speed was increasing: let's go!

The first thermal proved to be a bit. disap·

pointing. I soon left it and found another at the next mountain north. It wasn't very strong either, perhaps 600 i)Jm (3 m/s), but patience led to a gain of about 4,000 ft. (1,200 m). As I circled, I snapped a few pictures. The clouds looked very encouraging, and a light southeast wind alofr kept the thermals right above the peaks.

It was easy sailing to Mt, Rcdstrcak, I 0 miles north. Passing over its ruddy rock !'ace, I glimpsed the pool at Radium Hot Springs, 6,000 fr. below. Taking a chance, I crossed the gap at Sinclair Creek low, arriving at Mt. Berland and the Edgewater range near the mountain top. I was greeted by violently strong lift. With the vario pegged, the altimeter digits flashed by like a pinball score, 100m higher in every 1urn. As I climbed toward the clouds, the lift seemed to get stronger and rougher. Although I thought I

12

TOP: Looking south from the 50-mile mark, with Spllllmacheen where the low front peaks begin, ABOVE: Near cloudbase under the street above Splllimacheen. Golden lies al the range's end.

HANG GLIDING

me at a weak 100 fJ,m. Then it happened: my vario battery died. As I switched over to battery 112, I discovered I'd forgotten to recharge it. Damn! I saw below me the field where I'd landed afi:cr sinking out on two previous flights. Oh no, not again.

A weak sunlit patch appeared on the moun1ain to the nonh of me. 1 traded altitude to speed there, arriving at the summit. At first, all I found was turbulent air. I was afraid to circle dose to the trees above the unfamiliar peak, preferring a few ridge-soaring passes instead. Then, as I ventured out in weak lift I hit a strong but ragged core. Soon I was high enough to head for Spillimechccn, 33 miles from Mt. Swansea, where 1hc low front peaks merged with the higher back rnngc. There I sensed strong lift and climbed as close to I he clouds as I dared without a compass. Turning

the vario on briefly, I read an altitude of 4,000m MSL (13,500 fr. MSL), the highest point in my flight.

Ahead of me, the range stretched unbroken for 40 miles, all the way to Golden. Above it, a perfect clouclstreet astounded me. And in the valley below nm the highway and the meandering, marshy Columbia River. Four paths running north to Golden, and I, solitary in the aerial vastness, rejoicing in my luck at being there.

I took a few pictures then pointed my glider northward. Golden was still far away, and the sun wasn't getting any higher. I flew in a straight line for over an hour with never a real need ro circle except to get a different view.

To the west lay the Bugaboos, famous for helicopter skiing and mountain climbing. To the cast I could see the Kickinghorse River Valley. I thought briefly of flying 1hat way, but was dissuaded by my dead vario. Straight ahead lay the more secure rome.

Finally I reached Mt. Seven, the last peak in the long range. Hitting strong sink as I neared it, I feared I'd fall short of my goal, but some bumpy ridge lift on its west side got me to Golden.

As I circled over town, I saw the cloudstreet continuing on 20 miles to Donald Station, where the highway turns into the mountains. Shaking with cold after four hours and '70 miles in the air, l decided to land.

Where was Andrew Barber-Starkey? Having already flown to Golden several times, begin· ning three years previously (when he set the then-Canadian distance record) he had crossed over the back range at Edgewater and had headed up the Koolenay River Valley. Then he crossed another range into the Vermillion River Valley, then across yet another range, over the Continental Divide and into Alberta, landing 66 miles away at Lake Louise in Banff National Parle a Canadian first!

On Monday evening, June 28th, Dan Skadal, an instructor at Kitty Hawk Kites, set a new duration record for this 130' sand dune.

Jockey's Ridge is located in Nags Head, North Carolina. Dan's record-breaking flight lasted 5 hours and 21 minutes and was accomplished in 15-25 mph south winds. The existing record had been held by Pete Soule, also an in· structor at Kitty Hawk Kites. Pete had stayed aloft for 4 hours and 52 minutes in a strong northeast wind.

Dan came to the Outer Banks three months ago from Somers, Iowa. He is a Hang III pilot and a certified instructor with 50 to 60 hours air time. Skadal has been flying for two years

Dan Skadal receives $100 from John Harris ol Kitty Hawk Kiles for his record,breaklng flight.

'Sharon Pro photo.

TOP: Where in Golden to land? I settled for the race track near !he highway close to II restaurant. ABOVE: Looking east from Ml. Swansea toward the Kootenay River Valley and the Rocky Mins.

SF:PTE.MBEP 1982

bm since Iowa is quite flat his longest flight until now had been only 21/2 hours.

The record-breaking flight started at 3:40 PM in the afternoon with the winds south at 15-20 mph. As the afternoon wore on the winds picked up slightly and became gustier, but Dan went for it. Since the ridge is only about 200 feet long he really had to work at it.

The glider Dan flew was the Wills Wing Harrier II I '77. Skadal had great praise for his glider.

For breaking the Jockey's Ridge Soaring Record Dan received a $ l 00 check from John Harris, president of Kitty Hawk Kites. The prize for breaking Dan's record will be $200.

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INSURANCE PLANS AVAILABLE D Plan A: Single Foot-Launch Gliding Coverage (included in Full & Family Membership fee) D Plan B: Plan A plus Powered Ultralight & Tandem Coverage (add $20 to Membership fee)

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I HAVE ENCLOSED A CHECK OR MONEY ORDER PAYABLE TO: USHGA, BOX 66306, LOS ANGELES, CA 90066 D FULL MEMBER ($29.50,$32.50 foreign) (Plan B add $20) D FAMILY MEMBER(S) ($14.75 each) D SUBSCRIPTION, one year ($22.50, $25.50 foreign) D SUBSCRIPTION, two years ($40.00, $46.00 foreign) D SUBSCRIPTION, three years ($57.50, $66.50 foreign) D TRIAL SUBSCRIPTION, six months ($11.25, $12.75 foreign) _ _ __ D I would like $1 00 of my membership TOTAL dues to be used for WORLD TEAM expenses.

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e

Slight winds and sunny skies blessed the tenth annual Hang Gliding Spectacular held at Jockey's Ridge. Conditions were ideal for the more than 30 participants in the competition.

Friday and Saturday were the best days with eight to twelve mile··per-hour winds from the east allowing the most favorable dune to be used.

Glenn Hockcn of Mechanicsville, VA came away with the top honors for the second year in a row. Larry Rice of Massachusetts placed second and Jason Williams of Greenville placed third in the three days of competition.

Vic Powell (rlt1ht) received II special award. Powell helped get Iha event started ten years ago. Seen with him ara Mark Airey, coordinator of the event, and Francis Rogallo (center). Sharon Pro photo.

The events consisted of two heats of distance flying, seven heats of duration and rnrgct competition, and three rounds of spot landing trials. Points were awarded in each event.

M.en and women from throughou1 the east coast participated in the competition. Two men from West Germany were among the entrants.

The Hang Gliding Spectacular is a nonprofit event co-sponsored by the Dare County Jaycees and Kitty Hawk Kites. It is considered the oldest continuously held hang gliding competition in the United States.

The Prize for hang gliding journalism has been expanded to cover all areas of creative communication: films, music, art. The prize of $25(J and a trophy is awarded each year with a deadline for entries of November 31 for 1982.

16

A new registration system for all hang glider pilots using the Fort Funston area of the Golden Gate Na1ional Recrca1ional Area will go into effect in September, district ranger Steve Gazzano recently announced.

The registration system is being established 10 improve pilot safety and to protect Fort Funston's heavily used hang glider area, one of the more popular in Northern California.

The new system will be administered by the Fellow Feathers Hang Glider Association. To register a pilot must pay a $7 annual fee and be a current member of the United States Hang Gliding Association.

Each pilot will then be issued a helmet sticker and a copy of the Fort Funston hang gliding regulations. Helmet stickers issued this year will be good for all of next year as well.

Hang glider pilots may register at hang glider shops in the Bay Area or with Fellow Feathers officers at Fort Funs1on.

All hang glider pilots must purchase a helmet sticker prior to Sep1 ember I to continue flying at Fort Funston this year, Gazzano said. Further information is available at Bay Arca hang glider shops or from the recreation area by calling ( 415) 556-8371.

The Lariano Triangle open distance XC competition in Italy has by now become a European classic. It's the most highly organized invitational competition in Europe and is proudly run by a group of friends from Delta Club Como. In the three contests so far with top XC pilots from all over the world, high quality competition flying has always been paramount and even record breaking flights have been accomplished (Steve Moyes 115 km '79, and Gerard Thevenot 158 km '82).

Geographically the Lariano Triangle is a triangular peninsula between the two parts of Lake Como in Northern Italy. The lake snakes around the mountains 1,000m below and is the first obstacle one has to cross, in order to reach the higher mountains of the Swiss Alps.

On the second day of this year's meet the

competition just exploded. Gerard Thevenot called back late in the day after having accomplished a historic flight. It was the first complete crossing of the Swiss Alps in a hang glider from South to North 148 km to Walchwil, a village just 30 km from Zurich.

He said he just ran out of mountains, and landed on the plateau before the hills of Germany.

Eight other pilots also flew 100 km to the Rhone Valley in the middle of the Swiss Alps: Davide Manna (I) took second place with 105 km, then Steve Moyes (Aust.), Marc Burge (CH), Stefano Briccoli (I), Angelo Crapanzano (I), Sergio Magistri (CH), Walter Schoenaur (CH) and Wolfgang Hartl (A).

In five days of flying with 29 top pilots, more than 6,500 km were flown all over the Alps. The distances driven by the pick-up teams is not known but it took some organizing!

Next year's Lariano Triangle we hope will be even bigger and better.

Tony Masters

RESULTS Country

Pilot Thcvenot 2 Pendry 3 Buerger 4 Baier 5 Cockcroft Bricoli Crapanzano Moyes Reichholf 10 Manna II Schoenauer 12 Hartl 13 Guggenmos 14 Lorenzoni 15 Blenkcnsop 16 Magistri 17 Duncan 18 Gilmour 19 Scott, J. 20 Sigal

FR GB

CH D GB I I AUS A 1 CH A

D A SUS

CH AUS AUS USA USA

Glider

Disrnnce (km)

Azur M.Come\ Azur Bullet Typhoon

420.5 371.l 343.3 334.8 317.6 310.2 295.6 294.0 288.2

Azur Vampire II Missile Demon Comet Firebird CX Fla1sh Bullet Duck Missile Pirnna Missile Missile Missile Pirnna

286.3 286.0 256.2

233.9 225.9 220.9 213.6

179.4 179.4 175.8 171.2

NEW FM radios are available from Delta Wing with voice activated transmit (VOX), or a prcss-10-talk bunon. A long life additional battery is also optional. The press-to-ralk button makes these units ideal for use in ultralights.

The best news is that they arc just a little more than half the price of similar units. The retail price is $89.95 each. The units arc available from Delta Wing Kites and Crliders, and all Delta Wing dealers.

HANG GLIDING

REGION 9 QUALIFIER Region 9 held its regionals Memorial Day and Fourth of July weekends. Forty-nine pilots competed in nine rounds in a one-onone around a two-mile pylon course. The seven qualifying pilots were: 1. Dennis Pagen - 180 Sensor 510 2. Bob Killingsworth - 165 Comet 3. Mike Nueman - 165 Comet 4. Ward Oldenfield - 180 Sensor 510 5. Randy Grove - 165 Comet 6. Joe Horton - 165 Comet 7. Don Glascow - 210 Sensor

OPEN CLASS Mike Lackner - Viper Rick Downs - Pro-Star Lee Kaiser - Altostratus

NEW CERTIFIED SCHOOL USHGA welcomes a new certified school: Ultimate Hi School of Hang Gliding 13951 Midland Road Poway, CA 92064 (714) 748-1739

TOP CONTRIBUTORS

June 1983. The flying is much better during the summer. Also, this schedule gives the Association more time to make all the arrangements and it does not clash with the forthcoming Asiad games.

The major points of the planned itenarary are: a minimum of 15 days in India, eight days of competition flying, four days of free flying.

The WHHGA may arrange for flying safaris before or after the competition to other flying sites in Himachal Pradesh and elsewhere in India.

For details contact: Mr. P.C. Sarin, Secretary General, WHHGA, S.C.O. 60, SECTOR 17-A, Chandigarh· 160 017, India.

ALLEGHENY CROSS COUNTRY CHALLENGE Hang glider pilot Fred Booher has been declared champion of the Allegheny Cross Country Challenge. Fred, his wife Loretta, and sons Jason and Chad reside in the western Pennsylvania community of Cowansville north of Kittanning.

The highlight of Booher's performance was back-to-back challenge wins over Larry Huffman, Saxonburg, PA. Flights are scored on the basis of straight line distance from launch to landing. During the competition altitude gains above the launch points at East Brady and Templeton, PA often exceeded 5,000 feet on ideal soaring days.

The following are the top ten USHGA membership contributors for the months of April, May and June, 1982.

1) 2) 3) 4) 5) 6) 7) 8) 9) 10)

Mission Soaring Kitty Hawk East Flight Realities Chandelle San Francisco School of Hang Gliding Golden Sky Sails Richard McKnight (Harmony Flight Club) Tradewinds Hang Gliders West Northern California Ultralight Association

SEPTEMBER 1982

MOST CHALLENGE WINS Fred Booher, Cowansville, PA, X-180 MOST CUMULATIVE MILES (50) John Scott, Sharon, PA, Comet 165 LONGEST FLIGHT (41) Larry Huffman, Saxonsburg, PA, Demon 175 401/2 MILE FLIGHT Mike Neuman, Pittsburgh, PA, Comet 165

13 MILE FLIGHT Marty Eiler, Glenshaw, PA, Comet 165

I

Wings and Wheels of Cooperstown, PA sponsored the competition. Samuel J. Scott of Sharpsville, PA was commissioned to create the five awards in oil on wood placards. Each prize winner also was awarded a topographic map of his flight paths and cash prize money.

AOPA ACCORDED HALL OF FAME RECOGNITION

COMPETITION IN INDIA John Bowman and Deepak Mahajan have recently concluded a reconnaissance trip in Himachal Pradesh, India, to identify flying sites. The Western Himalayan Hang Gliding Association (WHHGA) sponsored the trip.

One flying site has been selected for the pro· posed Internatonal Competition in Himachal Pradesh. This site will be suitable for closed circuit tasks and out-and-back flights of80 km.

This competition was to be held in November '82, but now it is scheduled for May/

With lift diminishing Neuman was forced to flare for landing in a clover field just northeast of Colver, PA. Huffman, then at a mere 500 feet above Neuman's skyward gaze, had his first indication of winning the duel nearly three hours into the ordeal. The elated Huffman glided another half-mile beyond Neuman and spiralled down to landing. Official recorded distances were Neuman (401/2 miles) and Huff. man (41 miles).

John Scott, Sharon, PA, was high pilot in cumulative miles for the event with 50 in flights of 38 and 12 miles.

All pilots in the competition are members of the United States Hang Gliding Association and the Daedalus Hang Gliding Club, Inc., a USHGA affiliate. The western Pennsylvania cross country distance record was broken and rebroken three times during the meet with 38, 401/2, and 41 mile flights.

Spiralling up in a blue thermal is John Scott at 5,200 feet during the final flight of the meet.

The most dramatic challenge occurred in the one-on-one competition between Larry Huffman and Mike Neuman of Pittsburgh.

The two pilots jockeyed thermal lift, nearly wingtip to wingtip at times to an altitude of 6,500 feet.

The 260,000-member Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association has received the "Spirit of Flight" award from the National Aviation Hall of Fame in ceremonies at Dayton, Ohio.

The presentation, according to Hall of Fame trustees, is in recognition of AOPA's continuing role in promoting general aviation and flight safety.

The Hall is the only exclusively aviation· related organization with a Congressional Charter, signed into law by President Lyndon Johnson in 1964.

The Hall was established to honor aviation leaders, pilots, teachers, engineers and others who have made outstanding contributions to aviation.

In accepting the award, AOPA President John Baker said: "This award is presented to

17

and accepted by the staff of AOPA and is a tribute to their daily effort in behalf of general aviation and AOPA's 260,000 members."

The occasion was the annual Enshrinement Ceremony earlier this month when four new names were added to the Hall's roster of notables.

REGION 5 QUALIFIER REPORT

6th

Lonnie Tiegs

7th

{tie)

Nampa

Comet

Mike King

Nampa

Gemini

Jeff Feldman

Billings

Gemini

Ken Cavanaugh

Pocatello

Comet

Paul Lundquist

Casper

Harrier

1982 ARIZONA XC CONTEST UPDATE Standings as of July 15, 1982:

1982 "High Country" Regionals, Sand Turn, Dayton, Wyoming. Russ Kidder waxed the entire field of competitors at the first leg of the Region 5 Qualifier. Russ and his Comet needed the points from only one flight to blow away all comers. That flight ended ·some 21 miles from the Wyoming/Montana border.

The Casper resident landed along temporary I-90 about a mile short of Lodge Grass, Montana.

Chuck Bright, of Riverton, Wyoming, was the only other flyer to come close to Kidder's place. Chuck and his Sensor 510 turned in a flight which ended in Sheridan, Wyoming.

1st

Russ Kidder

Casper

Comet

2nd

Chuck Bright

Riverton

Sensor 500

3rd

Charlie Stone

Dayton

Comet

4th

Steve Shotwell

Pocatello

Comet

5th

John Woiwode

Moscow

Comet

1. Bob Thompson -

165 Comet 141 miles, 6/20/82, Mingus Mtn. Pinon, AZ

2. Rob Murray - Voyager 88 miles, 7/11/82, Mingus Mtn. Grand Canyon 3. Andy Rockhold - 165 Comet 50 miles, 6/27/82, Shaw Butte - Punkin Center 4. Scott Griffin - 165 Comet 47 miles, 7/11/82, Mingus Mtn. - Red Lake 5. Joe Pettit - 160 Prbsrnr 40 miles, 7/10/82, Mingus Mtn - Bellmont

13 good reasons why thet-1£.""Altimaster IV should be on your flying machine

6. Jim McEown - 165 Comet 26 miles, 4/4/82, Shaw Butte - Rio Verde

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1281

HANG GLIDING

An instructional column for the new pilot.

by Erik Fair NAME EEEEYAAAARGH!! (Tippity, tippity,

srun1ble1 lunge)

SKABAM (Gav;rww

dan1mit\1). How many times have you seen or heard son1eone. !and their double surface, fixed airfoil ground slammer in just such a fashion?

How n1any times have you done it yourself?

Never mind, I already knov.'< When I read the letter to the editor fron1 Name Illegible of Tucson~ Arizona 1 instantly realized it wis high time son1conc did

something to put an end to the Downtubc I)crby (or Breakstakes if you \Vill) that has acc:ompanied the advent of fast, efficient gliders that want to keep flying and refuse to land gracefully unless absolutely forced to by pro· per landing technique. In case you missed iti Name wrote to Hang Glicb'ng last month asking for some word on the subject of landing double surface gliders, To those of you ,vho were looking fot\Var<l to the article I promised on beginning soaring and are angry about having to read more guff on landing technique I can only say: Lay rhe b\ame on Name, He's the one v.rho reset my priorities. And you at least have to admit that effective. landing technique is a much higher priority then efl"ective soaring-your-brains-out technique.

BAD NEWS - GOOD NEWS

"AH\ G.JJD NEWS, YOIJH ::.1:::COND CLASS JN::LUD[S

A ,=.-uu. HOUH OF

REME01AL LAND!\(;."

your DSFA without looking like you're taking a final exam in a survival course. Another bil of good news is that DSFAs are not rhat hard to land in any significant headwind.

WHY? I)SFAs are difficult to land because they are faster and pcrtOrm better than the gliders they've obsoleted. Nov.• before you leap to the

BILLOW CRUISERS

·:t>SFAs

More Twbfr more.-drag at'staU; 1riQre.dinic•

~e_s_S. rw1is_t:\1ess-Arag )at at_3:n;_:_1eS_~ .di~ec;',,

t'ionatty stable·.

The bad nC\VS is: Appearances are not deceiving. Double surface, fixed airfoil gliders (DSFAs) really are 1nore difficult to land than the billow cruisers of yesteryear, especially in cain1 air. Conccntr-ation and precise, smooth execution of a specific landing technique are required to bring DSFAs in successfuUy. There is very little room fi:ir error in ti1ning, quantitative inaccuracy in control input or passive indecision. You have to know what you're doing and be able to do it.

1~hc good news is: AH you have to do is finish reading this article and you \vill know why DSFAs are more difficult to land than their ancestors, what you're trying to ac· complislJ during final approach and landing flare, which common errors in technique lead to \vhich kinds of crashes, and how to land

SEPTEMBER 1982

conclusion that Erik Fair has become rhc champion of the obvious\ give nH: a chance. to elaborate, Faster, You're right1 that's easy, Faster means harder to land because your stall speed is higher and that means you can't slow down ns n1uch prior to flaring. 1t a!so means you have ta n'rnkc: the decision to flare \Vhen the grider is moving relatively q1iickly over the gro1,1nd. The fact that many pilots avoid n1aking this decision until they are well below staH speed is responsible foJ a good percentage of pounded DSFA lnndings. 1\ significant headwind, of course, negates the speed f.tctor <1n<l makes DSFAs relo.tively easy to land.

Higher performance: Let's define perfoi-mancc as LID or lift to drag rmio. Let's also grant rue -a link poetic license so I can simply say that the designers of l)SFAs didn't so much spray more I.. on the wing (th()ugh they did a little of that) as they sanded lots of D off the wing. When you spray a little L on and sand iots of I) ofr you have a higher LID ratio and a better per10rming hang glider. rfhe following chart sumrnarizes perfortnance

-'.

·, :.,_', '.·<-·.:_,\,. -'._·,_

t_io-_nklljr_ srnbJ_e '.

More ·Area: more iJi:"ag-chute effec:r-with-f)3re . ·J,e~s: il\reat _iesS drag\:hut~- effecl'Wtth)l(lre (fnily flared glider acts ·;1t-drag Ct,ure)

Mor~ Ro_Jl A:utbOr1ty: _ea;:1.er -t~ ke-cj:)_-stt~ight. and level during -slow~dowrc_sCqtH~nc_e. (fiilal appnrnch)

·

·

Less Pitch 8-ensiiiVity~_lesS_subjeC~ tO.ciV~r-

Control in pitch

L~.S~:;·tto1t_i~uffl~~~~;J\noieJHfi1cif1t_- r~_:'k-6.~~;:,

str'aight_ -1111<:1· k_vel'._ (luring -sl \:i\i,;,.46:wn -~equerlce: "

.

·'

:·:M?t'_i{Pt~ch· sCh~idY'it;/n1or~)hbj_ect, to .oyer;\:ontrol. in _pitch ·

· -

M-_ore sPeed: Siow',d;Wn:i,_e'qlltii,C~ _faSte/ "and.-.: m.o[e-Ct'hkiil

. Less .SpeCdi sl~w~dow~ ·seCJ.n.eitc<: '·misi~/and less critlcal -

ApparCntlY )ess incre_ds,e- in J.,/D.du'c tp _groun~ effect:·Less'time -0n final st,crit ·within a few

feet of the gl'ound_,

·

'i\p_})ar(:'~tly .1no're_ iPcre~_~e.'tn' Jjri 'dij_e'-_t_o groun_d More 11me il1?cd ·_ai_sttffJ.<;,O:t_p'iiiit w_Jt_h1n..·a -f~w _feet 9f the:,g_rt.untj: in landing :ap;, , proUdl ·

eH~cr:·

19

C. A'( S1ALL

D.

E.

F. G.

You can, up to a point, replace the lift lost to slowing down by increasing your angle of attack.

The point at which you can no longer increase lift by raising the angle of attack is stall speed.

What you want to do when you reach stall speed and can no longer produce more ltft by pushing out further is to create as much drag as possible as quickly as possible.

You do this by executing a complete, aggressive flare.

This enables you to land gracefully.

WHICH?

variables of DSFAs and older gliders as they pertain to landing issues.

Figure I shows the difference in twist and area between billow cruisers and DSFAs and the concomittant difference in aerodynamic drag at stall speed and after flare.

WHAT? What we're talking about here, of course, is landing, the goal of which is to gently touch down on suitable ground at or close to O mph groundspeed, wings level, on your feet, into the wind, reasonably close to where you want to be. For our purposes landing consists of two parts: final approach during which the pilot slows the glider down to stall speed and flare which is the process by which the pilot rapidly raises the angle of attack as much as possible, thereby producing maximum drag to bring the glider to a complete stop in relation to the ground.

Since DSFAs seem to glide forever once they enter ground effect, and since the landing technique I'm going to recommend to you is based on trying to achieve an infinite glide path at 3' AGL, you can conceive of your entire final approach as occurring at 3' AGL. Further, you can equate drag (D) with what slows you down and lift (L) with what supports your weight (W) while you're slowing down. See Figure II. We all know you can't glide forever at 3' AGL even in a DSFA glider but if you fly down to 3' AGL at best glide speed and maintain 3' AGL as you gradually slow down to stall speed you will be at 3' AGL for a lot longer time than you would be in an older glider. The sequence is as follows: A. The goal of final approach is to slow down as much as possible while still flying 3' AGL. B. As you slow down aerodynamic forces (lift) decrease.

Figure III shows three different executions of the 3' off the ground final approach - flare sequence. The first one (A) is proper. The pilot flies to 3' AGL at best glide, gradually slows down to stall maintaining 3' AGL, then flares at stall speed. He is ready to run so that he can run in front of the glider's static CG. His arms are fully extended above his head as this is the best way to get a complete flare and keep the static CG behind him, so the dead weight of the glider will fall behind him rather than in front of him.

Figure IIIB shows a pilot who has stalled the glider, waited too long and is therefore unable to flare properly. He has slowed down so much that flaring, instead of utilizing the last bit of usable airspeed to lift the weight of the glider and pilot to a stop has simply thrown the glider in front of him forcing him to run after it. Also the static CG is in front of him and the dead weight of the glider is trying to fall forward. An awkward stumbling nose-in generally results.

Figure IIIC shows a pilot flaring slightly prematurely (before stall speed was reached) and the glider climbing out to 10' AGL. He makes the situation worse by pulling back in.

This causes the glider to enter a stall recovery dive which will intersect the ground at a high rate of speed. A better option for a pilot who has flared slightly prematurely and climbed out to as much as I 5' is to hold the flare fiercely and land on the keel with the ability to use his legs as shock absorbers. Unnecessary "take

t...lFT

t

rOl<CEc;

t

WEIGHT

AL Tl TlXDE. ;

3 1 A6L

lI 20

HANG GLIDING

A

(

\~\\\~\\\\~~J[]Tr~,1#s~~~~(((r(~~~~~~::i--:~t11TI\\7~~';.

-g

C

~EGIN">

F~ 100 S00"-1

it back" flares are responsible for a lot of pounded DSFA landings.

as much drag as you can.

Have your feet underneath you and ready to run when you flare.

HOW

SUMMARY

Land DSFAs like you land any other glider, only concentrate more and set up as long and straight a final approach as you possibly can.

Fly to within 3' AGL at best glide.

Maintain 3'AGL while you slow down to stall speed by making small pitch adjustments outward between best glide and 3"-4" out from trim bar position.

Recognize stall speed by recognizing the point at which you can no longer maintain 3' AGL by pushing out l". You can develop the ability to feel the point at which the glider stops flying and starts mushing in ground effect.

When you recognize this point flare aggressively by pushing out and up for all you're worth. This enables you to produce

SEPTEMBER 1982

A.

DSF As are more difficult to land than billow cruisers because they are faster and perform better in terms of LID. Faster means you can't slow them down as much during final approach (before you have to flare). Less drag means that when you have slowed them as much as you can and still be flying (stall speed) there is less aerodynamic drag working to destroy your glide path and allow you to land. Less sail area means that the process of flaring does not produce as much drag chute effect. All of the above, coupled with the fact that DSFAs are less roll sensitive and more pitch sensitive makes them noticeably harder to land. There is less room for error in the slowdown and flare sequence.

B.

C.

DSFAs can be landed quite gracefully by those who take the time and effort to master proper technique, which for any glider consists of slowing down from best glide to stall speed while maintaining. 3' AGL, and flaring completely and aggressively at that point. Stay ready to run out of the landing in case you've flared a little bit late. Be convinced that the best thing to do if you're flared a little early is, to hold the flare fiercely and land on the keel, using your lap as shock absorbers.

Quit buying downtubes and noseplates.

The Right Stuff

clo Hang Flight Systems 1202 M E. Walnut, Santa Ana, CA 92701

P.S.

Hey Name: Thanks for the letter.

Regarding your question about drag chutes my position is they are unnecessary given proper landing technique.

21

Flying

Prairies

by Willi Muller

-----~-~---

-

/Id I'

1 ' ,/(//

I

"ST;4ffc>~ 8'2_ During the past two years some of the longest flights have been made over prairies or flat terrain. The starting points have been hills or riverbanks ofless than 500 feet with numerous flights over 100 miles. Since usually the soaring of small ridges is limited to ridge soaring, the hooking of a thermal from a small hill does give the "boring soaring" some extra flavor.

Unlike the mountains there should be a good lapse rate and a strong enough prevailing wind to make ridge soaring possible.

It is necessary to have a number of wind indictors on the top and bottom of the ridge. On ridge-soarable days the sign of a thermal going through is a decrease of winds peed on the top of the hill associated with a change in wind direction. The change in wind direction usually indicates on which side of the indicator the thermal is happening. Unfortunately, one has to be airborne already. A launch at that time usually ends up as a walk up the hill, with everyone in the air at that time skying out.

While on launch it gives one a good opportunity to time the length of the cycles and frequency. While in the air the thermal is recognizable with the usual turbulence and the lift following. Once the vario "beeps" check that there is no one behind and there is enough room to 360. Now that the first important thermal is "caught" the next thing is what to do with it. Numerous times I have heard the phrase "The thermal just broke up," or "The thermal petered out," as an excuse for losing it. During the initial climb-out, it is imperative that one establish the drift direction and drift angle.

The drift direction is fairly easy as it is usually with the prevailing wind; however, the angle is another matter. A good way to determine whether one is falling out the front or the backside of the thermal is to watch one's circles closely. If you are on the downwind side of your turn and you feel the tendency of the glider to turn downwind, go to the other side - the same with the upwind side. A usual mistake of someone in his first thermal is to look back at the hill and then go back to it out offear of not being able to penetrate back if he

22

loses the thermal. This is a sure way of losing it because eventually one is bound to fly out of the back of it. In a case like this it is best to chase the thermal downwind.

The commitment of when to go with the thermal is another important factor. It is a very difficult decision, especially since it is ridge soarable and a flight of even two miles cuts deep into the afternoon airtime. The decision to go for it should be made before the flight with appropriate clothing, gloves and other cold weather gear; communication (for at least someone should be organized for pickup). Numerous potential hundred mile flights have been cut short because it was cold at cloudbase - too cold for holey socks and T-shirts!

Once in the thermal it is essential to concentrate on your turns; since you are drifting downwind, distance is gained while thermalling. The higher one can get in that first thermal, the better the chances in finding a second one.

The second thermal: There are numerous indicators for that second thermal; if you were lucky enough to have a nice day with cu's all over, the clouds are some of the best indicators. The lift underneath those cu's should be checked out. It usually is best under one part of the cloud while there is no lift under the rest of the same cloud. Once you find the part of cloud where the best lift is, it is usually under the same part of any cloud for the rest of the flight. When you leave cloudbase to go to the next cloud, head directly for the same corner as the one you just left. If there are no clouds ahead of where you are heading, stay with the last one and wait for development or change course. Heading out into blue sky when there are cumulus clouds around usually means the end of the flight. Staying up longer while drifting means a longer flight.

Of course, there are not always clouds around to show you the thermals, but there are numerous other indicators. During the spring when plowed fields are plentiful, downwind of a large field in sunshine is a good bet. The same goes for towns. A town is preferable to a

field.

If I notice soaring birds, I go there without questions - it is hard to outdo birdbrains it's a lot easier following them. Last spring was fairly dry so there were indicators in the form of small dust-devils. They are a sure sign of lift. They should NOT be flown into at low altitudes, but from higher up they help to make valuable time on an XC flight. With an indicator like that you take 1,000 fpm up, climb out and run for the next one.

Another good indicator is smoke or dust from moving vehicles on gravel roads.

Anytime the smoke or dust does not drift with the prevailing wind there is a good chance that lift can be found toward the direction of the smoke. Most of the time lift can be anticipated downwind from the indicator. Due to those thermal indicators the downwind flight never will be in a straight line, but rather in a zig-zag fashion and at times even crosswind or upwind.

The time in the air determines the distance of the flight, however, after the going has been good for some time there comes the personal fatigue factor. Not being sharp has ended most XC flights before there was any need to.

The hardest part of flying in the prairies is getting up. However, once you get away from the hill the going is not any more difficult than in the mountains. Since the XC flights are usually associated with relatively strong winds (which make ridge soaring possible at the beginning of the flight), the ground speeds achieved on XC flights are usually higher than in the mountains.

An advantage of flying XC in the prairies of course is the abundance of landing areas. If you do sink out it is possible to work lift as long as you can make another 360. Basically, the prairie flying has extended the XC season into spring when most of the mountain sites are not accessible, and opened new horizons for flatland flyers. It is certainly a change to hear about great flights in Saskatchewan, Kansas and Minnesota.

HANG GLIDING

George Worthington's Book "In Search of World Records" • • •

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All about high adventure in cross-country soaring Over 3000 sold Learn the real meaning of the word DETERMINATION

Eleven World Records

World Records

AME OLD ADDRESS _

Everyone is reading and talking about this book. Over 3000 copies have been sold already. Shouldn 't you order today, because sooner or later you will feel you must read

in

TAKE HANG GLIDING WITH YOU DO 'T MISS THE LATEST ISSUE BY FAILING TO OTIFY USHGA OF YOU R CHANGE OF ADDRESS 11

-

Th is is what the December issue of The Soaring Society of America's National j ournal "Soaring " said in its bookreview: " ... Worthington's book is a shout of exultation to those of us who dream of the sky, the wind, the moun· tains ... the very act of flight. " To order, send check or money order to Hang Gliding Press, Box 22552-H, San Diego, Californ ia 92122. Prices are $9.95 for soft cover and $12.95 for library hard cover. Please add an additional $1.50 for mailing and handling. Applicable state taxes will be paid by Hang Gliding Press.

USHGA # _

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USHGA, Box 66306. Los Angeles, CA 90066.

Tom Bettina and Pete Brock 3 1. Task: Gunter northeast to rest area along Hwy. 6, approximately 10 miles west of Tonopah, Nevada (goal).

Distance: 6'5 miles straight line; more reasonable dogleg flight distance, up to 80 miles. In 1981, both a Coaldale goal and an open distance task along this route required a photo turnpoint of Benton, forcing pilots to closely follow Hwy. 6 along a dogleg route.

For the '82 contest, the turnpoint requirement was dropped partly in the interest of simplicity, but mostly to allow the pilots more discretion in choosing their flight paths.

The primary local XC route is to the north and northeast starting with your basic 30-mile

milk run along the White Mountains to Boundary Peak, and then off the end of the range.

Previous to this task, no significant flights had been made over the back side of the Whites; not only is this route to the east inferior for XC distance flights, but the least penalty for getting drilled is a quick 15-mile flight, with a 150-mile round trip retrieval! Most pilots elected for the more conservative longer route and the fewer who elected for the short, direct approach reported no backside difficulties, yet were not compensated for their efforts with either winning times or task completions. ,,uw,ui" along the Whites can be fast! Darkhorse Steve Luna shocked the group by

LEFT: Photographer Ballina Gray took an airplane ride to

brings In Ultrallle Products' new Arrow, lool·launched

24

beating Tudor by 4 1h minutes, with a winning time of 3 hrs./22 min./2 sec. Woody Woodruff and Jim Lee were the only other pilots achieving the goal; the four finishers were separated by an average of three minutes!

Percentage of goal finishers: 6C!lo. A few pilots landed within a couple miles of the goal, while the majority of the pack stretched along 6 between Coaldale and Basalt. French pilot (and mountaineer) Christian Rudolf calmly walked for four hours down 6,000 vertical feet to Hwy. 6, after suffering a broken glider over the Montgomery Peak area, landing under parachute in one of the most forbidden spots in the Whites!

this shot ol takeofl al Gunter, In Iha While Mou11t11i11s 111i11r Bishop, CA. ABOVE RIGHT: Eric !or a landing at Manzamir. ABOVE: Jell Burnell brings in his Comet. Photos by Bellina

HANG GLIDING

with Raymond, Pfeiffer, Tudor and Moyes in close pursuit. Many of the pilots enjoyed the traditional Bishop VFD fireworks at the Bishop Airport, although there were only two giant fireballs, a disappointment after the '81 show's three; the third an eyelash scorcher from 300 yards!

July 5, 3. Task: Gunter north to White Mtn. Ranch turnpoint, then south to Manzanar (Goal) abandoned airport (halfway between Lone Pine and Independence). Distance: 75 miles. One photo tumpoint required.

This task required pilots to fly north, then south along the Whites to the notorious Wcstgard Pass landing area and along the Inyo Mounlains. This section of the Inyos includes the Mazourka Canyon area, more familiar to pilots flying the standard route north from Cerro Gordo. Although Mazourka is an eX·· tremely reliable lift source, conservative pilots and late pilots are coerced into flying out from the mountains towards the distant Hwy. 395, or risk a later retrieve on the nightmare of hor· riblc dirt roads nearer the foothills. Eric Raymond narrowly won his second task, a mere three minutes faster than Larry Turor. Sixteen pilots finished the task, many the now typical three to four minutes apart, for a total of 23% task finish. Although mnch lighter than the summer's typical south surface wind, a light breeze rearranged abom 20 pilots' final glides to the goal; most were within shouting (screaming!) distance. This misjudgement was now showing up as a major tactical error, committed by contestants both new and old. Eric Raymond grabbed a narrow lead for first place, with Tudor, Lee and Pfeiffer in hot contention. Japanese pilot Etsushi Matsuo, by finishing the task visited the site, now vacant save for tumbleweeds, where Americans of Japanese descent were interred during the WW II yellow peril panic.

TOP: First finisher and 1982 Classic ch,amplo,n Jim Lee receives his trophy from Don Partridge.

ABOVE Second place Larry Tudor.

FIIGIH: Third place Australian pilot Flick Duncan.

Photos by Bettina Gray.

July 4, 2. Task: Gunter nonh to Benton mrnpoint, south to Big Ears TP, north to Linc St./Laws··Polcta LZ (Goal), just east of Bishop. Distance: approximately 75 miles.

Two photo turnpoints required. This White Mountains ridge-running task is very straightforward, although long enough to tell the fast from the faster! For the first time, Eric Ray·· mom! and the 1JP Arrow foot-launched sailplane displayed their true potential by smoking the pack, winning in a time of 2 hrs./22 min/57 sec., second-for--the-day turnpoint ace Jeff Burnett by 23 min./7 sec.

Burnett, Pfeiffer, DeGlanville, and Dem: were separated by an average of less than two minSEPTEMBEP 1982

utes! Total number of task finishers was nine pilots, for 13%. Several pilots, including experts Larry Tudor and Steve Moyes misjudged their final glides, landing just short of the goal. Steve, obviously low and worried on the last mile of his final, matched his glider to every pop of lift and sink hole, achieving an impossible glide angle while nearing the goal.

The spectators were kept guessing right up until the last moment when he slowly glided in, grinding to a frustrated halt a mere 50 feet short! Nnmcrous pilots landed within a mile of the goal; the majority of the pack achieved both turnpoints, landing along the final 10-·milc task leg. Jim Lee possessed first place,

6, 4. Gunter north to junction hwys. 10/360 and 95 (approximately lO miles south of Mina, NV) then southeast to Coaldale (Goal). One turnpoint photo required. Distance: 75 miles. Although July 6 of the previous year saw a couple 150 + mile flights, the weather 011 this day was not up to that high standard. Overdevelopmcnt and late takeoff times conspired to pave the highway between Basalt and the TP with nearly solid dacron. Eleven pilots achieved the 55-mile TP, but only one (yep, Eric Raymond) achieved the goal with a time of 4 hrs./52 mins./5 sec.

A rout appeared in the making. One task (con1inuc<l on page 28)

CENTERSPREAD: Clockwise from upper left: Jim Lee displays his pod harness.

Takeoff.

Steve Moyes (left) talks ii over with Rich Pleiller.

Climbing out Gaggle!

Roy Haggard (right) UP designer, and Eric Raymond set up !he Arrow. Centerspread photos by Pele Brock.

25

(con1i11ued fron1 page 25)

finisher isn't much over 1% of the group! Rich Pfeiffer, with a magnificent effort, took second place for the day by flying to within five miles of the goal. The group who did make the turnpoint complained of a strong southeast headwind, yet free-flyers who headed north to Mina also reported a strong headwind. Raymond widened his cumulative lead over a narrowly spaced Lee, Tudor, and Pfeiffer.

July 7, Day 5. Task: Gunter north to Gabbs (Goal). Distance: 101 miles. This task on an average day is essentially open distance with a limit, to prevent a six hour I 02-mile flight from beating a three hour 101-mile flight. Conditions lived up to expectations, with slight overdevelopment late in the day.

The contestants were well spread out along the entire route, past Basalt. Eric Raymond continued his domination with a winning time of 3 hrs./53 min./52 sec. Klaus Kohnstedt, second for the day, and with a 143-mile flight a few days before under his belt, was 23 min./7 sec. slower. There was a total number of six goal finishers for 9%. Hypoxic Dave Gibson mistakenly identified the wrong road intersection, spiraling out 6,000 feet, until he discovered his error, and disappeared behind the horizon, his anguished radio howling abruptly terminated. Raymond increased his lead again over Tudor and Lee, while Rich Pfeiffer inexplicably landed between Basalt and Mina in 51st place for the day, ruining his chance for a first place finish.

July 8, Day 6: Task: Gunter south to Big Ears TP, then north to Benton TP, south again to east Bishop LZ (goal). Two turnpoint photos required. Distance: approximately 85 miles. This task was essentially the

reverse of the ridge run on Day 2, although in the shuffie an extra 10 miles is gained. Excellent cloud development along the Whites allowed both early takeoffs and late landings, resulting in a resounding 35 task finishers, approximately 50% of the pilots! Several more pilots were disallowed for the day due to photo problems. Eric Raymond failed to put in an appearance at the goal, and the rumor was eventually substantiated that he landed near the first turnpoint. He evidently arrived at Black Mtn. with reasonable altitude, but the mountain proved weak and fickle, never yielding any significant lift. Eric practically duplicated Rich Pfeiffer's previous day's error and score, also ruining his first place bid.

Shock and chagrin from one quarter, ill-concealed delight at Eric's overconfidence and subsequent downfall in others. Jeff Burnett won the ask with a hot time of 2 hrs./52 min./56 sec. perhaps helped by running the same task and winning the 1981 XC Qualifier.

Jim Lee and Larry Tudor were in close pursuit for the clay, and Tudor increased his new grasp on first place, with Lee and Duncan now trailing by a fair margin.

July 9, Day 7. Task: Gunter northwest to Lee Vining (Goal). Distance: approximately 65 miles. This task took the pilots over terrain unfamiliar to most, although the task overflew several local rarely-used flying sites. Despite dire warnings regarding the consequences in penalty-scoring off retrieval-route landings, a fair number of pilots elected to fly the terrain southwest of Glass Mtn., while the conservative group flew the north side and the retrieval route. The southwest group became stuck well off the route in a developing headwind, while the north group spread out along the highway

west of Benton. Jim Lee and Mark Bennett both flew with the north group, tieing first for the day, landing after the headwind thwarted their progress, just behind the last obstacle to Lee Vining, Mono Craters. Although these lads logged a very hard earned SO-mite flight, the west wind won this round hands down: sorry, no task finishers. Larry Tudor gambled with the southwest group of pilots and lost: big penalty, and Jim Lee took over first place by 16. 75 points. Ed Goss was in danger of having cooked goose with the southwest group, but with his Colorado thermal skills pulled himself back over Glass Mtn. and joined the north group on the highway!

Final contest day, July 10, Day 8. Task: open distance. Although a few pilots had been howling for open distance earlier in the contest, the majority of the pilots preferred not to lose a contest day by heading out into the ozone in mediocre weather (for the Owens).

Although the clay started out cloudless, with expectations low, conditions soon improved.

Since scoring on this day was strictly on distance, not a route, pilots were encouraged to take advantage of local weather conditions.

Nonetheless, most pilots over 100 miles ended up landing in two major groups. One group flew north from Gabbs along the highway, while the second group flew a bit more northeast along a major dirt road. The distances for both groups of pilots were quite similar. Only a relatively few pilots struck out on their own, and Eric Raymond turned in the longest flight of 158 miles in the UP Arrow, landing approximately JO miles northeast of the famous town of Austin, Nevada. Rich Pfeiffer performed particularly brilliantly by crossing well east of Mina over no-man's land, and run(con,inued on page 44)

by Don Partridge -

-

F,iV? years ago \n July of1978, tne first X-C Classicwas held in the White Mountains near Bishop, Califomia,Itwas ai1 idea who's time had con1e. The elllerging _ i,port __ of_footl~~~chedflight __ •had. finally advanced• it'~ techno1o_H to the•levet necessary rorsustained mer111aung flight. l'redictab1y, it was a sailplane pilot converted to hang gliding \Vho would be one of the firsuo demonstrate crossEou11.trrtechniq\}e torliesport'scager mafises.

Jh~()wensvauey had been aroundfor eons andJ~e sailplane fraternityhad been n;velling in frs_ "powerful thermals since the _forties.

Co111pelitlon 's . crucible has been bubbling thro11ghout history, All that was necessary was

a place Jo equittJbly launch_ the competitors. flight was72 miles. In 1982 the average com~ Fortunately, the industrious 111inerson Gunter pkted task .length was 79 miles, ahd the Ridge had seen to that. The die was cakr, longestopen distance flight was 158 -miles. ultralight cross-country -soaring · competition ,EticRaymonqflying the UPAnow ayeraged was both.

31 miles per hour on the Benton, Big Ears, The five yearssince the first Classic have l.;aws: Pol eta Road Task on the second day of seen many changes in the sport. Gliders have the l 982 Classic. . -As the Classic has grown in prestige and pargotten stronger and heavier, faster ard more complicated. PilorskiH has grownin quantum ti<;ipant performance so -_ have the basic leaps - both individtially and co!Iecti\Tely; philos_ophies that govern• the meet· evolved to One hundred mile plus flights areoci:Urring meet tfie. rieed. Problems have arisen that all over the world now and have become com- demanded-solutions and the solutions are fremonplace in the Owens with over 40 so far quently comptomises. The original Classic this year. In 1978, the average rnsk length was !fas 50 entrants all from the United States.

23.6 miles, and the longest open <llstance This year's Classic saw 69 pilots from -15 difO

(c~ntinll_e9 on page 45)

28

HANG GLIDING

CLOCKWISE FROM UPPER LEFT: Gerard Thevenot, France, Azur designer landing al Gabbs. - Author and co-meet director Tom Kreyche. - Eric Raymond launches the Arrow al Gunter. - The Arrow on Chris Price's bug: a sailplane in a bag. - Roy Haggard. - View ol White Mountain from a Cherokee. Photos by Bettina Gray.

FANTASY FLIGHT text, poem and illustrations by Dennis Pagen

There are two forms of unfettered flight available to mankind. One involves the use of synthetic cloth, aluminum-graphite spars, and stainless steel cable to construct a portable, controllable wing. Flying with such a wing is called hang gliding. The other way is that which I prefer - flying with Mejicalus, my falcon.

Let me tell you how it feels: I mount his soft neck and whisper a command. Immediately, we leap into the air with a powerful beat of wings. I then direct our flight through corridors of clouds, down deserted valleys, and out over the ocean toward the crystal blue horizon. We can soar upwards for a mile or dive to the ground with a swoop. Meji turns with just the slightest nudge of the knee. We dart through the trees and canyons in perfect harmony.

The air is my home. The earth may spin in its tireless orbit, but there is no dull time in the sky. My thoughts are in a different space with the hot sun and the cool wind on my skin. I can see forever, yet below me a panorama unfolds with new wonder. And as I glide along I chant the ancient song of the Zephyron Aeronaughts:

The freedom of flight is my creed, The bounds of the sky is my quest, A bird of the wing is my steed, I hail from the halls of the west.

The pleasures of life that I seek, Are those that are easily won, The view of a snow-crowned peak, Or a river trace gilt by the sun.

With the rush of the wind in my hair, Let me course through the vault of the sky; Adrift on the swell of the air, Let me live till the day that I die.

SEPTEMBER 1982

31

by Jeff Burnett photos by Bettina Gray and Steve Thompson This year's American Cup was organized by the British Hang Gliding Association for the first time since the Cup's origin in 1978. The meet was a brainchild of Bettina Gray who believed a shootout between England's best and America's would be quite interesting.

Tracy Knauss and Brian Milton combined their talents and brought together the first Cups in Chattanooga, Tennessee where the British were a dominating force. In 1980 the U.S. team was at last successful at regaining the Cup. Due to the contest not being held in 1981 and the British wanting another crack at it, they felt holding the meet in England would get the ball rolling again. So the organization was begun early this spring. Teams were invited from Brazil, Canada, France, Switzerland and the United States.

The American effort was backed by the U.S. manufacturers, the USHGA, and was organized by Keith Nichols. Keith approached the manufacturers who donated funds and gliders into a pool from which a budget was comprised.

Keith then contacted pilots who were ranked highest on the USHGA point system to see who would be able to make the trip abroad.

After a lot of hemming and hawing the final selection of pilots came from a variety of backgrounds. Mark Bennett from Escondido, CA, flying a Comet 185, who'd had a very successful season on the competition circuit last year, would be joined by Chris Bulger from Seattle, Washington for Flight Designs on a new factory prototype. Bruce Case from Minnesota was sponsored by Wills Wing, on a Duck. Dug Lawton from Duluth, Georgia with a half sponsorship from Seedwings and half self-sponsorship, was flying a 180 Sensor 510. Stu Smith was a late entry as a replacement for Sterling Stoll. Stu was also flying a Sensor 510; it was a 165 sponsored by Seedwings. I, like Mark was flying a 185 Comet

32

with stars and stripes, built in traditional red, white and blue fashion especially for the American Cup. Brian Milton, former British coach of successful American Cup teams, took the job as coach for the Americans. This had to do with a situation that arose between Milton's promotion company and the BHGA (British Hang Gliding Association). Brian was unjustly ousted from the organization after a complicated mess and lost the editorship of Wings magazine, his membership on the competition committee and his position as British team coach.

This spring when the opportunity arose to coach the American team Brian saw his chance to again be in the thick of competition. He consented and gained full support from all members of the U.S. team. It was clear to us that he was invaluable as a coach, not only from a tactical standpoint, but also because of his personal knowledge of the British team.

The British team attitude, as you might guess, was one of acute bitterness. They felt Brian, and everyone from England associated with the American team, had gone too far.

This included Mike Atkinson and his son Neil. Both were British league pilots and were acting as U.S. team managers. Each proved to be of inexhaustible assistance, and great friends to all of us. Another person brought under British fire was Keith Cockcroft. He was retained by the foreign teams as a consultant to the tasks and conditions at any of the sites during the contest. He also acted as a wind dummy some of the time. The British were particularly cold to these people and the members of the U.S. team. Unlike past American Cups they did not socialize with the other teams and in fact separated the teams between different towns.

After a long six-hour drive in the team's transport vehicle, a World War II looking relic equipped with sleeping and cooking comforts

"'" straight out of an old warship, we arrived in the town of Grassington. This was a quiet village in the southern part of the Yorkshire Dales.

We unloaded the vehicle, lovingly christened "Galactica" by the members of the team, due to its creep factor speeds and handy Braque-speaking on-board master mechanic Michael who owned the van and knew all the tricks to keep it on the road.

We met the landlord of the close Raine House, the bed and breakfast house we were to stay in for the next couple weeks. His name was Mr. Scholey and he didn't, at the time, seem to have a great liking of Americans, especially six of them.

That night we met at the local pub with Derek Evans and his wife Audrey. Derek was meet director assisted by Audrey with scoring and other details. We all sat around talking about the kind of flying to expect and got our first taste of pub food and English beer, the latter proving much more desirable than the former.

The following day we left early from the B&B house toward the site called Wetherfell.

Our drive through the lush countryside of Northern England was breathtaking. Numerous flat-top moors rise from abundant river valleys scattered with grazing sheep and strewn with ageless stone walls.

The day was one of textbook soaring conditions, large puffy cu's streeting to the horizon.

Suddenly a pair of RAF Phantoms came streaking up the backside of the ridge just a few hundred feet above our heads-nothing unusual according to the locals.

After rigging and tuning our gliders out of the transport tubes we were ready to do some comparison flying with some of the British team pilots on hand. Tony Hughes, Mike McMillan, and captain Bob Bailey had arrived and readied their gliders.

After launching I was the first to luck into a HANG GLIDING

"Stu was like glue, and Bob was frantically diving out of the lift and racing to opposite ends of the ridge trying to lose him. Stu was following him turn for turn and every time Bob would yell back at Stu to buzz off Stu would just grin and wave." small thermal and get up and away from the hill. Before long I was plugging along with a gentle tailwind under the forming cumulus.

The word to stress when flying in England is patience. The lift is sparse and climbing entails countless 360s with slow reward, but the flights proved exciting.

Passing over the small stone villages and ancient ruins I soon encountered a somewhat more modern concern: a heavily active military air base with Phantoms doing endless touch and go patterns. I opted to leave the cloud street and skirt far to the north to avoid the area full of jets and still had one come in too close to check me out before veering. After zig zagging around a few more airports I came upon the city of Darlington. There the seabreeze awaited as a massive impenetrable wall, quite dark with brownish smog. Flying down its length I again found myself heading for another airport and hence decided to punch through the sea breeze. It proved a wrong decision and I was on the ground surrounded by football playing youngsters moments later.

Mark's flight was more successful. He made much better time and distance before hitting the seabreeze. He landed behind a very respectable pub nearly 50 miles from launch and set a new distance record for the site.

Stu's flight was one of a dogfight with Tony Hughes, chasing him through the lift and clouds for about 40 miles and landing beside him. There they waited for Tony's friend to arrive and after hours of watching the local dart champs competing for beers were finally picked up by Bruce Case at about midnight.

The supposed two-to-one British advantage was rapidly deflating. All the media were sold on the assumption that being on home turf the British were untouchable. But after only one flight by the Americans on new gliders, far from their home turf, the Brits were thinking seriously.

On the remaining practice days the weather was not nearly as cooperative. A few flights of 20 miles were tallied by Mark and Chris, but most of the time was spent tuning gliders and newly acquired French connections.

The night of the pilots meeting was soon upon us and we met the captains, coaches and managers from the other teams. Last minute rule changes and goal locations were discussed. The only problem that arose concerned the Brazilians bringing an extra man for the team, and they were adamant that he be allowed to fly. The rules read expressly that there were to be no substitutions but were changed after SEPTEMBER 1982

prolonged argument to allow an injured pilot to be replaced.

Day one of the competition turned out to be more typical of English weather, a slight over· cast with cumulus development. Forecasted was a northwest wind changing to east in the afternoon. The site chosen was Wetherfell and the task was a race to the town of Masham, a 25-mile course.

Once the window opened it was not long before a gaggle appeared over launch. The wind began to shift towards the north as expected and most pilots began to make their way upwind to the north point of the ridge.

There another gaggle formed and began to fight for precious altitude because it was obviously going to be a glide into the wind for the best distance.

"Only when we arrfoed to stick our pins in the maps back at the center did we have the wind knocked out of our sails.

Tony's pin was just about off the map."

As I looked around I could see that all of the U.S. pilots were in good position and mixing it up with the Brits. Once the pack arrived at maximum altitude everyone began the glide out. The pilots who were leading the group suddenly hit a strong gust front and were drilled to the ground. Those who were just seconds behind and further back on the ridge did a little better because the gust wasn't quite so horizontal and had slackened, allowing them to glide over the heads of the landed pilots, which included a number of English blokes.

As it turned out the American team, who had matched man for man to the Brits, on the average had gained about 100 yards on each opponent, and took the day with a 143-point advantage. The individual winner was the world champion Pepe Lopez who flew about 10 kilometers from launch.

On Sunday, day two of the meet, the winds were prevailing from the north and the only site open for flying was called Cringle Moor, a two hour drive from headquarters. So the race was on with teams choosing the best route to speed to the hill. The other teams jumped into

their rented vans while the Americans fought for seats in their array of vehicles. These included the bus Galactica, Brian's little mini, and Bettina Gray's chauffer-driven black Jaguar sedan. It was a wild cross country motorcade ending on top ofa 1,500-foot north· facing plateau.

The wind was a strong 30 mph with an overdeveloped sky. Cloudsuck looked to be quite strong and rain fell in patches. Before the weather briefing was held, our team had a short strategy meeting and decided to take out a bit of insurance on Bob Calvert. Bob was England's brilliant cross country wizard, who had the potential of breaking away from the pack and getting an untouchable distance. To balance Bob's explosive talent we decided to have Stu Smith, who was outperforming all the members on our team, follow Calvert around the sky. That way Stu could cancel out the scores as long as he stayed with Bob. The weather briefing over, the task was declared open distance as the pilots streamed toward launch. With all the teams up into the ridge lift, an up and down game began as the cycles came through. For the first hour few people could get high enough to chance going over the back. Watching Bob Calvert and Stu Smith dog fight was quite humorous. Stu was like glue, and Bob was frantically diving out of the lift and racing to opposite ends of the ridge trying to lose him. Stu was following him turn for turn and everytime Bob would yell back at Stu to buzz off Stu would just grin and wave.

Finally the cloudsuck became stronger and gliders began to scatter out over the ridge.

When a good cycle came through and the clouds had cleared there were no Americans left to be seen. The entire British team still remained with only Stu Smith to contend with.

Everyone else on our team, although scattered about, decided at the same time they were ready to go for it.

Well, the English didn't quite know what to think about this, so they called a pow wow and all proceeded to land back on top while Stu circled like a vulture above.

In the meantime we Americans were finding out a few things about cross country flying in England. Although the cloudsuck had proved quite strong above the ridge it was not so just down wind at the next cloud. Those who had gotten impatient, and blitzed toward the cloud street, found a severe lack oflift. Chris Bulger, who had left alone, went for a ridge behind takeoff that should have been soarable. To his dismay he found quite the contrary and squeaked out the valley landing short of the 10 33

Graham Hobson, 1980 Rogallo Trophy winner, at !he Carlton Bank site. Photo by Bellina Gray.

K minimum scoring distance.

Mark and Doug went together toward a sunlit valley instead of drithng with the cloud over the ridge. They soon fimnd themselves on a slow glide down a boxed-in valley without a bump to work. Mark, trying to get some ex· Ira distance, got badly dumped and ended up in some trees. Both had just gotten over IO K in order to score, and proceeded to hack Mark's glider nut of the irces.

Bruce Case and I were together when we decided to leave the ridge. Bruce lefi the bot· tom of the clone! to race to the ncx1 one in the street. Not finding lilt there he was lef\ tryint~ dcspermely to stretch his glide to a moor at the end of the valley. There he landed, just short oft.he soarable ridge as I passed over his head with just enough altitude to maintain in the lift. It took about 30 minu1es before a thermal strong enough to climb in came through. I climbed about 1,000 foct and was able to drift with it over the next town, before landing about 25 K from launch just past the town of Hclmsley.

Well, back on the ridge the British were get .. ting concerned because it was already "3:00 and time was running out. It seemed to be cycling down when the good fortune clause suddenly wem in their favor. The clouds opened up unexpectedly and the sun lit the ridge and behind . A1 this time most of the pilots still on the ridge went for i1 and were able to get over l O K to score. The British held back about 10 minutes, giving the sun more 1irnc to work before leaving. As went through the valley behind launch they fo1tnd small workable 1hcrmals, enough 10 make it most of the way to There Calvert lost S1u and with two other Brits landed three miles out of town, just over my head. Calvert had the best distance of the being about 30 K..

Meanwhile, back over launch, a few Swiss pilots were having trouble adjusting to the

34

strong winds and fast drifting thermals. They would climb np to cloud base and then pro· cced to penetrate back to the ridge. On the first day the Swiss had failed to get enough distance to score and all zeroed. This day three had been able to break away far enough to score while I he remaining three landed back at takeoff when the lift finally died.

The Canadian team had all left launch when 1hc sun first broke and all managed to get past 1hc JO K line. Don Miller had stuck wilh the Brits and landed pas1 Helmsley for the third best distance. This was enough to place the Canadians second for the day.

Brazil had two pilots land just short of Hclmslcy and the rest scoring rather well which gave them a third place. Just a !'cw points behind came the U.S. team with France, who was minus their team captain Mike Deglanville (who had been subbed

because of a past back injury that had flared up) following the U.S. with fifth.

Monday brnught similar weather, bm with a little more sun. It was another Cringle Moor day only the wind was more easterly, which meant a 5()().. foot hike to the ridge above the plateau. The foot race was on as pilots moaned their way to the top to set up and await the briefing .

An open distance task was set again and once the window opened a mass of 40 gliders pro .. cccded to dive into the lift within minutes.

The first five minutes were harrowing as gliders jockeyed for position. Smaller gaggles began 10 form and the first to leave the ridge was one made up of two Brits; Bailey and Hobson, three Americans; Bulger, Bennett, and myself; and the Canadian Don Miller .

We all went down wind to the ridge behind launch and found out how Chris felt the day before. Miller managed to grab omo a small thermal and get away while the rest of us sat like yoyos f'or the better part of an hour. Some amazing low level saves were had by Chris and Mark whose shadows seemed about to swal .. low them up at times. above we watched thermals full of gli· ders drift by, but our little valley refused 10 give anything away. By now Hobson was get-· ting very impatient and took a small halfbroken thermal away from the ridge toward the valley. This he found to be the wrong way to go and was deposited on the ground a few miles later.

Chris and Mark got together in one and decided they wanted ou1 of there, only 10 get stuck on the next ridge behind with simih1r conditions. That left Bob Bailey and myself feeling quite frustrated but slightly heartened when a few French and Brazilians came to join our predicament. After holding on to all the heat for so long it finally had to let g;J, and go

Mike McMillan launches at Semerwater. Photo by Steve Thompson.

HANG GLIDING

LEFT: Graham Slater takes off at Wetherlell.

Photo by Bellina Gray. BELOW: The sky begins to !ill al Semerwater. Photo by Steve Thompson.

BOTTOM: The American team. Left to right, front: Siu Smith, coach Brian Milton, assistant Mike Atkinson. Back row: Chris Bulger, Mark Bennett, Bruce Case, author and team captain Jeff Burnett, Dug Lawton and Jeff Scott. Photo

by Bellina Gray. CENTER LEFT: The usual low ceiling and wait. Photo by Bettina Gray.

it did. The wait was definitely worth it. I wind knocked out of our sails. Tony's pin was found myself with ten others in the biggest just about off the map and instead of picking thermal I encountered during the whole up over 200 points we gained only 60 points adventure. We all rode the mother lode right on the British. to cloud base and stuck with its slow drift for The Canadians had placed third followed what seemed like ages. closely by Brazil with France and Switzerland Bailey was first to forget how well we had starting to get it together. gotten to know the sheep back on our little On Tuesday, the fourth day of the meet, the ridge. He bolted for a glider he saw circling weather was as gloomy as the American spirit. downwind only to find fool's lift once there.

The team cold had struck and was knocking the energy from some ofus. Dug Lawton lookSo that was two down and four to go.

Now to the fox and hound game between ed absolutely pale and felt worse. A strong southeast wind brought with it low clouds and Stu and Bob Calvert. Bob had been looking over his shoulder too much and was getting rain showers. Semerwater was the site finally very upset at seeing himself in the reflection of chosen. This ridge was on the back side of Stu's mirror glasses. He wasn't performing Wetherfell and was the smallest site of the conquite up to par and allowed himself to get test, a 500-foot ridge overlooking a lake valley grounded while Stu climbed back up to cloud with a climb to the top. base and doubled Bob's distance, something Once there the weather story called for innever heard of in England before. Well, that creasing winds as the day went on with an makes three down, and Mike McMillan open distance task set. Again the decision to wasn't long behind Calvert, landing short of fly one-on-one with the British was going to be his distance, making it only two to go. our tactic, but the Limeys had other plans. By Chris Bulger was now back at cloudbase and now the English were quite fed up with being remembering the lesson from the day before. dogged by the Americans. So they figured on teaching us a lesson. Their tactic was to He plugged along very patiently and scanned the ground below for downed gliders. It sacrifice a pilot and bring an American down wasn't long before he spotted Graham Slater's short of the scoring line, and thus we'd stop glider on the edge of the road. Number five playing the one-on-one game.

Brit and counting. He managed to land about Since, at the time, I was leading our team in two miles past the last glider to be seen, which points and was the captain, I was the obvious turned out to be Stu Smith. candidate to zilch. So the man I was to tag was When the retrieval had begun Brian Milton Graham Hobson who'd by now been given his was uncontrollable. He had passed five Brits orders. After launching we were hanging with on the road and knew three Americans were the group about 1,000 feet over. Bobbing still flying up ahead. Most of the British faces around for a while it seemed it wasn't going to weren't too happy either. In fact, when Mike get much better so Graham decided it was Atkins, driving the American bus, stopped to time to leave. We were on opposite sides of the offer Calvert a ride, Bob was so indignant he thermal circling in light lift drifting over the yelled at Mike to go pick up an Argentinian. valley. Before long the lift started tapering and After calls back to headquarters and yet Graham still circled. The urge to leave was frustrating moments on the phone trying to strong and yet the plan to stay with your man get through the busy signals, it seemed that right to the ground kept going through my Chris Bulger had won the day and Stu a close head. When the lift gave out and turned into second, Dean Kupchanko from Canada third, sink and yet Hobson continued to circle I had Lopez fourth and myself fifth, with a fair had enough. And it was time to quit playing distance ahead of Slater, the closest Brit. games. I shot for the ridge on the other side of Spirits were high for us on the ride back to the valley, now with Graham close on my tail. the operations center. By our early estimates We arrived on the bottom step of the ridge we had knocked down a big chunk of the along with Felipe, one of the Brazilians who British advantage. Only one British pilot was picked the wrong people to follow. The three left unaccounted for, but we felt he must have ofus were now stuck on this 50-foot ridge with been in the middle of the pack somewhere. only a 200-foot stretch that we could maintain That is where our reasoning fell short. Tony on. After a few minutes of flashing on close obHughes was England's saving grace that day. jects, like trees and gliders and grass, Felipe He turned in a brilliant flight, more than gave up and left the two of us to duel it out. doubling Chris Bulger's distance. His account After another 20 minutes of a sweaty low level of the flight was that he got to cloud base I 0 · turbulent workout, I decided there was no getmiles from launch and watched the cloud ting up to the next step on the ridge. So down street develop in front of him. With a few low the ridge I went, popping over the trees where saves and long climbs he landed very late and I could and around the ones I couldn't. At last his call to headquarters wasn't made until we I came to a barricade of stone buildings, power were on the road home. lines and fences with nothing left to do but Only when we arrived to stick our pins in dive under a power line which was strung over the maps back at the center did we have the a fence, and hope my kingpost wouldn't get 36

yanked. As I waited among the curious cows, Graham came by and landed in the adjoining field. He admitted to doing his job, and he'd done it well. We were both about 200 yards short of the scoring line.

After a while gliders started filtering over our heads. The rain started and a cloud carrying about l O gliders arrived on our side of the valley. Then a surprising thing happened.

These 10 gliders were working the ridge top when two Swiss gliders appeared just above the pack. To our amazement these two, who seemed reluctant to go over the back on past days, never blinked an eye and cruised straight over the ridge and disappeared from sight.

Later we were to learn that the Swiss had three of the day's longer flights, placing third, fourth, and fifth all with distances over 24 K. The day was won by the Brazilians with Niemeyer and Nobre both flying over 30 K. It gave them enough points to slide into second overall with just three points over the U.S. team.

The British extended their lead to more than 500 points and figured the game was just about over.

Wednesday's weather looked much more promising. The sun was shining and early cumulus were forming. The westerly winds meant another good day for the Wetherfell site. The briefing brought good news for the day's weather and the task chosen was an elapsed time race to the town of Masham. The wind dummies were off early and maintaining for a while but few were gaining much altitude. On several occasions they went to the valley below or stuffed it in on the side of the slope.

Because of the task's nature, few competitors cared to launch first. Especially in the marginal conditions. The first to launch, ifhe didn't succeed in getting up right away, would be at a disadvantage in time. As soon as they started climbing the others could launch and just have to stay with the first off in order to have faster times. It was an ideal task call from the British standpoint. They could sit on the launch all day, quite happy ifno one else took off, and maintain their 500-point lead.

As the day wore on it became clear that the weather was not improving. After a thrilling display by Steve Moyes of cannon ball thermalling no one else managed to climb up to cloudbase. The managers and coaches from all the teams, excluding the British, approached Derek and requested that the task be changed, since up to this point, no competitor had launched and as late as it was, if the task was simply a race to the goal, the first there declared winner, all pilots would be off and running.

Well, the director refused any task change and in fact stated that since it was so marginal only two members of any team would be allowed in the airspace above launch at one time. Now things started to look pretty bad HANG GLIDING

TOP LEFT: Tho infamous "Gal11ctica." TOP RIGHT: Dug Lawton studies the new "French co1~ne,ction," a French-designed suspension system to reduce control pre,ss,ures. ABOVE Stan Abbott, Wings!

British hang gliding publication) editor.

by Bellina Gray. ABOVE RIGHT: Bruce Case pilots a Wills Wing Duck in a Bulletman harness. Photo by Steve Thompson.

SEViEMBEP 1982

from our standpoint. The clouds above suddenly overdeveloped and closed off the sun.

Then a tailwind began blowing and big grins came over the faces of the Brits.

Afrer a fat zero from the day before I was determined not to get caught on the hill or at the bottom without a score again. I decided the next time the wind blew up the hill I would be gone. No sooner had that thought crossed my mind when a hole broke in the clouds and the sun peeked through. As I moved toward a launching spot Keith Cockcroft, acting as a wind dummy, took off below us and started to climb. That was all I needed and I ran off the hill witb Stu Smith right on my heels.

The Penguin principal went into effect immediately and as 1 circled and looked back there was a mass of gliders taking off. It wasn't long before Stu and I were joined by Bob Calvert and Tony Hughes. We all gained

about 800 feet above the launch and the lift began to taper off A few pilots began to head toward the north end of the ridge. With the lifl dying and a few gliders on the bottom of the stack losing it, I decided the timing was right to leave.

For the first time since the beginning of the meet, Stu made the decision to leave Bob Calvert, and it turned out to be the correct one. We left Calvert and Hughes over launch searching for more lift and went down the ridge around the corner to find Don Miller circling in light lift. The lake on the back side showed a stronger easterly flow as we climbed in the converging lift. We all gained about J,000 feet before it ended and we started the long glide into the wind.

I landed first in a field adjacent to the road with one of the meet stewards parked next to it. No sooner had I moved to the edge when

37

Siu Smith and the coveted Rogallo Trophy. Bellina Gray photo.

Don came and landed in my footprints. Stu landed about 112 K behind us and we proceed·· cd to pray to the wind gods for stronger cast winds. Well, the winds did pick up and no one came close to our distance. In fact, because Calvert and Hughes had stayed around launch so long, two British pilots were caught on the hill when the tail wind picked up.

Unfortunately three U.S. pilots landed yards short of the five K scoring line and only Mark Bennett was in the group on the scoring side. Although Mark had scored on his flight he was almost zeroed by Pepe Lopez who arrived a while later determined to practice his martial arts skills on Mark. It seems these two had a close encounter while flying and Mark had yelled a remark directed at Pepe, bur relating to his mother. Brazilian families being what they are, Pepe took it to heart and confronted Mark a little later. A pushing match ensued but was broken up before it came lo blows.

When the scores for the day were calculat cd, the British still held over a 300 point lead and the Brazilians had dropped back to third. The Brits were again realizing they were not out of reach and the sweating wasn't over yet.

Thursday was another southeast day. The race t.o Scmerwarer seemed longer than the first and the trudge up the hill seemed harder.

Once on top the meet officials decided that althoui~h il was flyable, they should hold until conditions improved. felt that there had been loo many rounds in marginal conditions with pilots barely making the minimum scoring distances set. So it was the typical waiting situation with everyone set up and

38

to go. Strategy meeting and map sessions were heavy business while the three hours ticked by. Now Derck had decided that conditions had not improved enough to warrant competition so the launch was opened for free flying. This was a bit much for us to swallow.

Well, soon enough everyone had jumped and was getting 1,000 feet over. The conditions seemed quite similar to the day Niemeyer had flown 40 K from that site. After a couple of hours of hoolcys and racing it was time to go land and head back to Grassington.

The U.S. team had invited the British to a night on the town for beers at a neutral pub to try to break the ice once and for all. After showers and donning our last clean clothes we headed to the black horse for the rendezvous.

There we met Bob Bailey and Mike McMillan who informed us that the rest of the team couldn't make it. Shortly after our departure from Semerwater the local wave had turned on. Calvert, Hobson, and Slater had all skipped down wind and gotten 30 K flights. Tony Hughes had left before the wave set up and just by ridge hopping had flown about 20 K. Needless to say it was like adding insnlt t.o injury, considering the American team was adamant that conditions had been good enough all along for competition. We felt lhat the reason it was deemed non-contest air was the fact that we had done well on all the clays where it was a climb and glide contest and the Brits were afraid one more day like that could have washed their lead.

The weather then turned against us and the rain began. Our hopes of catching the English were fizzling with each rain storm. Laundry days were proclaimed and we all made the transformation into typical tourists. The clouds refused to break and by the last day the whole country had a serious lack of sun, and not an isobar to be seen on any weather map. So afier being thoroughly movied out and caught up on sleep, most people felt it was time to give out the awards.

Benina Gray was on hand to give out the prizes and began with her personal journalism award that went to Stan Abbott, the new editor of Wing1· magazine. Then Derck Evans proceeded to give his opinions on why the Rogallo Award had no place in the American Cup. Because it was a team competition, awards for individual performance should not be included.

Stu Smith came up to receive his award. lt was quite anticlimactic. Stu had clone an amazing job containing Bob Calvert. He had made the right decisions at the right time and had a flawless meet. We all felt he deserved a little more recognition.

The British team came forward to receive 1hcir trophies in their usual fashion, all clad in their blue and red flight suits. The bottles of champagne were appropriately shaken and sprayed over all the onlookers nnd

The winners. Bettina Gray photo.

photographers who quickly covered their lenses. The cup was filled and I wondered if the English team all got a taste of the copper cleaner I had used to shine up the trophy.

And so it ended. The British victorious, but not without pressure. If the last four days had been flyable the tables might have been turn· eel. The Bras iii an team was the strongest ever but was not consistent, and Lopez could not carry the ream. They failed to hold their lead on the last day and had to settle for third, a small difference held the fourth place Cana· dians only 140 points away. They had come on strong in the end and if they had not started slow, they would have been a formidable team.

France's loss of Deglanville was serious; if he had just not substituted himself om and taken a zero for the day he would have finished the meet and helped the French morale.

The Swiss team admitted they were having problems adjusting tot he conditions. Afr er the first two days and only three men had gotten far enough to score, they had an uphill battle throughout the meet, but they were a deter·· mined bunch and by the end were showing great improvemem.

A thought for future Cups: Wouldn't it be nice to hold them in Rio with officials from a neutral country? Then the complaints would be down to a minimum.

The whole affair was definitely a thrill a minute and one not to be missed. All of the U.S. team members were quite grateful lo all those who put the time and effort into making it work and a special thanks goes to Bettina Gray for her constant support of the American Cup and all the teams involved. ..,.

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as reported by Kirk G. Erickson A group of pilots sits around a campfire after a hard day of flying near Hager City, Wisconsin. As the various alcoholic beverages find their way down the parched throats, the tales that are told become progressively more fanciful. Right around midnight, Kid Gemini pops the cap from another of his infamous home-brews and gently decants it into a large ceramic mug. He takes a long draught, sucks the residual suds from his moustache, and then boisterously belches his approval. The light of the fire dances and sparkles in his eyes, very much like Liberace's tuxedo reflecting the beam of a high intensity spotlight, only on a lesser scale. Slowly, the corners of his mouth rise in a mirthful grin if remembrance.

"Did I ever tell you guys," he begins, drawing himself from his reverie, "about the time I took Farrah Fawcett for a tandem ride?"

Amidst the raised eyebrows, he continues, "Yeah, it was out at Torrey Pines, back in '78 or '79."

Rob Kells had called and wanted me to come out to California to help, him test the new design that Wills Wing was working on.

This was August, as I remember, and I was right in the middle of building a house out in Minnetonka for one of the Dayton kids, so I told him that I wouldn't be able to make it.

"Well, listen," he says, "we've got to have you out here. I'll get the company to cover your travel costs and pick up your expenses, and you tell that bozo he's gonna have to wait a couple of weeks to move in."

I detected a tone of desperation in his voice, so I gave in and caught the next flight out.

What are friends for, right? When I got off the plane, Rob was there at the airport with a pair of gliders bungied to the top of the International Travelall that he was still driving back then. I tossed my gear into the rear of the wagon, and Rob layed down a long patch of rubber as we tore away from the terminal.

Now, that old truck wasn't in the greatest of shape. In fact, it was beat to hell, and I thought that I detected a grating noise coming from the rear end as we batted down the highway toward the midday sun. I mentioned it to Rob, but he dismissed me with a wave of his hand.

40

"It's been doing that for months, now," he said with conviction. "Don't worry, it'll get us there."

Although I still had my doubts, I left 'em to cringe in the corner ofmy mind so that I could concentrate on what Rob was telling me abour the new design. I won't go into all of what he told me that day, 'cause as I'm sure you've already guessed, it was the prototype of what became Wills Wing's Raven. A lot of you guys fly 'em regularly, and most everyone else knows what they're about, so just let me say that he was really excited about the quick roll response and what he called the "power steering." It didn't take much of a sales job topicque my curiosity, and I was beginning to catch a strong dose of Rob's enthusiasm when the rear axle froze up. The only thing that saved us from rolling down the embankment and into the gorge on our right was the "Drive Safely" sign which disappeared under the truck when we plowed into it. While Rob was out kicking the crap out of the fender and pounding his fists against the hood, a silver Mercedes 450SL pulled in behind us and out stepped Lee Majors.

"Rob?" Lee queried. "So it is you! I thought this looked like your truck. What happened?"

"Looks like we lost the fuggin' rear end!

Damned near lost our arses to boot!" Rob was a bit upset, you might say.

"I spun around and got my first good look at America's number one sex symbol. I played it cool, though, and didn't go ga-ga."

Of course, I was wondering how it was that Rob knew Lee, and once we had been introduced, I learned the answer. It seems that Lee had taken flying lessons from Rob just a few months earlier, and was now considering the possibility of buying one of the new gliders once the bugs were worked out. Coincidentally, he had been on his way down to Torrey Pines to pick up Farrah, who was on location for Charlie's Angels, when he happened upon us. That's why we ended up down there for the tests rather than someplace closer.

Rob and Lee were pondering the problem of what to do with the gliders when the cockroach of an idea began gnawing on the circuits of my brain. Lee had a bicycle rack bolted to the back bumper of the Mercedes. I reasoned that ifwe were to put down the convertible top, lash one end of the kites to the rack and lay them across the windshield, then one of us could sit on the trunk lid with his feet on the back seat and a glider over each

shoulder in order to hold them down.

Granted, it was going to be a mite tricky, but it appeared that we had no other options.

While Lee and I transferred the kites and gear from the Travelall to the coupe, Rob went to work removing the license plates and ID numbers from his wagon. He had wisely decided to leave it to the wrath of the California Highway Patrol rather than go to the considerable expense and trouble of trying to save it. We quickly finished our respective tasks and beat a hasty retreat; Rob tearfully waving goodbye, Lee jamming the gears like some has-been Gran Prix race car driver, and yours truly, The Kid, clutching desperately to the kites over my shoulder. To those we passed on the road we must have seemed a bizarre, twisted, modern-day version of a knight jousting in the Twilight Zone.

Anyway, we finally did make it down to Torrey around five that afternoon. Lee said that he was gonna go get Farrah, who was down on the beach sunbathing, so Rob and I headed over toward launch to set up. There were only about half a dozen pilots soaring at the time, and they were all at least five hundred feet above us. Rob would be flying the smaller of the two gliders we'd brought, so that left me with a behemoth that had somewhere in the neighborhood of two hundred and fifty square feet of sail. Since I was grossly underweight for the monster, I decided to wait for Lee to return in the hope that he would be willing to go tandem.

Meanwhile, Rob was hot to take a dive, so I assisted him in a perfect launch that got him up to over a couple hundred on his first pass. I was watching him work the lift over the golf course when I felt a light tapping on my shoulder. I spun around and got my first good look at America's number one sex symbol. She was wearing the same swimsuit that she has on in that poster shot. I played it cool, though, and didn't go ga-ga, because I didn't want her thinking that I was just another starstruck twerp from the Bible belt.

We introduced ourselves to each other, and I told her about my flight plan. She said that Lee had ducked into the glider shop to blab with some of the Charlie's Angels cast who were curious about the whole hang gliding bit, but that she would be happy to take his place.

After a half-second's deliberation, I agreed to take her along.

With sweating palms I helped her slip into a harness. She told me that she had flown tandem a couple times before, so we hooked in and made a run for the cliff's edge. Just as soon as we became airborne, Lee came running out of the shop waving his hands and screaming something that sounded like, "Wait, don't go!" Of course, by that time, the kite was already climbing viciously and we were soon out of earshot.

Farrah pulled herself tightly against me as I HANG GLIDING

made my first banking turn to the right. The fast response of the glider took me by surprise, however, so I had to whip it back to the left.

Unfortunately, I had over-corrected, so I had to once again bring it over to the right. We were swinging between the uprights like the cojones on a running bull, but Farrah didn't seem to be bothered by it one bit! She was gently tugging at the little hairs on the nape of my neck when I finally got the thing stabilized.

"Take me higher," she whispered in my ear.

I turned my head toward her to nod my assent, but I noticed that her eyes were closed.

"Okay, baby," I said, "anything you want!"

I jammed the control bar straight out and the resulting lift was like a freefall in reverse.

Somewhere up above me, Rob started blowing his whistle, warning me that we were on a collision course. Knowing that I had to make the right decision, and that I had precious little time in which to make it, I stuffed the bar to our collective knees and slammed the right traveller into my side. The corkscrew dive that followed was enough to make even me slightly dizzy, but it was having an entirely different effect on my passenger.

"I love it," she screamed ecstatically.

"Faster, faster!"

I pulled out of the dive and went directly into a steep wingover. Then, I repeated the maneuver several times, closing out the last one with a slipping stall. We'd barely regained airspeed when I noticed that Farrah was kneading my back with hard pinches of her fingernails. It was then, after a particularly stiff pinch, that I chewed to the crux of a soberingly stale biscuit. Farrah was an aeromaniac! The more radical my flying became, likewise, the more frantically her attentions developed! To test my theory I drove the kite up to a thousand feet and went into a holding pattern. Sure enough, the lack of motion seemed to quiet her down a bit, but I needed further proof. I put us into a long fast dive, and when it felt like the glider would be torn apart, I pushed the bar out to arm's length and performed what I'm sure must

have been the world's first tandem loop.

I really should have known better than to do that. Of course, I'd wanted to test my suspicions regarding Farrah, but I could have done something a bit more tame. Not that I had any problem with the execution; quite the contrary, actually. It was a beautiful loop.

However, the pace of Farrah's affections increased to a fever pitch. I tried again to mellow her out by flying in a conservative manner, although this time to no avail. I thought that if I could get her to open her eyes, and then fix them upon some stationary object below, perhaps she would snap out of it.

I banked the glider to the left, shot across the gap, and parked us above somebody's swimming pool. Her breath was coming in panting rasps, and she was attempting to climb onto my back, using the upright for more leverage. Suddenly, we were rolling hard to the left. Almost too late, I saw the mammoth antenna rising from the roof of the house! I cranked the turn even tighter, and as the aluminum of the kite's leading edge just grazed the tower a connection was temporarily formed between the two. I suppose that the hollow tubing and steel cables of the glider acted as a sort of receiver, because I swear that I could hear part of the Gilligan's Island theme song right then. The part that goes "The Minnow would be lost, the Minnow would be lost." Yes, the Minnow would be lost, and perhaps Farrah and myself as well!

"For Chrissake," I pleaded, "I can't fly this thing unless you settle down!" She tried to bite my neck, then, and I knew that she could hear nothing but her own hot blood pounding in her ears.

By this time, I could no longer control the glider. It was one of those moments when a person's life flashes before their eyes and the grim reality of impending doom freezes better judgement into the icetray of non-existence.

Farrah was drunk on the liquor of aeros and totally unaware of the danger we were in! I, on the other hand, was fighting for my life. It had become a war! A war of lust versus selfpreservation!

"It's either you or me," I cried as I prepared to do battle. Quickly, I unzipped the pocket of my harness that held my Swiss Army knife.

With two nasty slashes she was away and earthbound. I watched in trepidation as she fell, tumbling over and over until, with a resounding splat, she plunged headlong into the swimming pool.

I continued my surveillance only long enough to see her drag herself from the water.

Now, I had another problem. Due to the loss of weight that naturally occurred when I cut Farrah loose, the glider and I had resumed an incredible rate of climb. I latched onto the front of the keel near the nose. All in vain.

Nothing seemed to want to slow the kite's ascent. Without hesitation, I retrieved my knife and made two long cuts in the dacron, parallel to the keel, one on each side of it. As the sail began to spill air, the glider started to drop. I 360'd down from about a grand and turned in a perfect two point landing not far from where Lee sat with his head in his hands. I explained to him that Farrah had fallen safely into the swimming pool, and that she was very likely on her way over as we spoke. He thanked me profusely and then went dashing off in the direction that he'd seen her fall. That was the last I ever saw of either of them, although I did receive a long letter of apology from Farrah a couple of weeks later.

Rob and I flew the gliders for the rest of the day, trading off between the smaller rig and the monster with the split sail. We both agreed that the split sail provided some interesting possibilities, and Rob said that he was going to get Wills Wing to study the design thoroughly. Actually, I'm kind of surprised that they haven't yet released a production version of the prototype that I unintentionally created.

The coals of the fire glow dimly beneath their blanket of ash when Kid Gemini concludes his tale and sits up to survey his audience - sound asleep to the man.

"It's all true," he says as he trudges off to his tent. ~

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Presideal's Page

by Vic Powell

YOU AND THE BOARD In last month's issue there was an item asking for nominations to the USHGA Board of Directors. I urge you to give consideration to serving on the Board, or ask one of the leaders in your Chapter to run for the office. Your Association needs the best volunteer leaders.

I have had the privilege of working with nearly every annual Board of Directors since the Association's first nationally-elected governing body in 1975. Being a volunteer group· the Board has all the strengths and weaknesses of volunteerism: only those who are interested in helping are likely to volunteer; and if the volunteer loses interest, or job pressures require the individual's time, the volunteer work may not get performed.

By and large the Association has been well represented by its elected Directors. I thank members making an effort to vote in past elections. Being a member of the Board doesn't require that the individual be a genius, although I've served with some very sharp people. It doesn't require an extraordinary level of some particular talent, and I've served with some very talented people. What it takes is followthrough.

The hard work begins after the meeting is over, when everyone has gone home and the Director has a task to perform for the Committee on which they serve. The record indicates that this seems to be the period when Board work suffers. People who actually do their work on time are rare and valuable to an organization. They make the Board and the Association work, helping USHGA to serve its members.

The Association has an effective working Board now, but a number of Director positions will open next year. We must assure that the best candidates are nominated and elected.

You probably know about three people in your local Chapter who fit the "valuable" SEPTEMBER 1982

description above. They have earned their reputation and the position they hold within the organization because they reliably perform the work of the club. They are probably very busy people. Do you know what their "secret" is? They know that a volunteer always receives at least as much, and often more, from the learning experience than the contribution made. Volunteering is an opportunity for the member to learn and expand. They take it when the opportunity presents itself.

The Board meets twice a year, usually in the spring and fall. At today's airline prices such travel can be exorbitantly expensive. To help soften the expense the Association policy is to share one-half the director's airline transportation cost, and to purchase tickets in advance through a travel agent to obtain the most economical fares. The one-half cost sharing is regarded as a token of appreciation on behalf of the Association's membership to the Board member for their work.

Decisions of the Board can have a wideranging impact on the sport. Your Association needs the very best guidance it can get.

Nominate your best candidates and you will be giving others in your Region the opportunity to elect them to the Board.

Deadline for receipt of material is September 15.

ACCIDENT REPORTS One of the valuable services that USHGA provides to members and the aviation community is compilation and publication of safety information and accident reports. The published accident figures are one indicator of the progress that our sport is making in training and educating flyers, and they provide a review of reported accidents that can highlight need for further safety development. I always read the report from beginning to end.

Accident reports are compiled and analyzed

by Doug Hildreth, Chairman of the Accident Review Subcommittee of the Safety and Training Committee. The sport owes a hats off to Doug for the hours that he donates to organizing and producing the information from received reports. He personally is providing a valuable service to hang gliding, and it is in the fine tradition of association volunteerism.

You can help in the effort by serving as a field reporter for the program completing the reporting form following an accident and forwarding it to USHGA. Let me dispel any misunderstanding as to the type of accident warranting the filing of a report; it should not be limited to fatal accidents.

One of the purposes of the program is to help the Safety and Training Committee discover accidents of a repetitive nature, accidents that can result from a meteorological condition, faulty part, or other factors. Individually the accident may not be significant in a flying region, but when received from flyers across the nation the reports can quickly reveal a trend. That is valuable information. It is a service your Association offers in which you can both help and benefit.

If an accident occurs at your flying site involving damage to the kite or injury to the flyer, please take the time to get details as requested on the form and send it promptly to USHGA. Report any accident you believe would be helpful to the safety of flyers whether damage or injury was sustained. The accident reporting form is published periodically in this magazine. Extra copies are available free from USHGA headquarters.

Thanks for your participation in this reporting program.

BOARD MEETING Your Board of Directors will meet October 1-3, 1982 at the Skyways Inn in Denver, Col-

43

orado to review reports, attend to committee and association business, and elect officers for 1983. You are invited to attend and observe the meeting. While you may not be in a position to accept the invitation, please don't feel there is no opportunity for your input to the Board. Y~~r Regional National Director is as close as your phone or mailbox. If you have a hang gliding subject you would like to discuss with your representative, please follow through. Directors value the viewpoints of members. Such input helps them to represent you more effectively at the national level.

Between now and October please invite your Director to attend your Chapter meeting to discuss hang gliding matters of local and national importance, and ask the Director to report on issues facing the Board or the Director's committee.

I encourage you to make suggestions to your Director. USHGA is your Association, and as a member you can help guide the development of hang gliding. An important step in the process could be helpful suggestions to your representative on the Board. ~

it luck if you will, yet over a grueling eight-day contest, the truly lucky are culled, and the truly great rewarded. With such an equal group of pilots, a relatively small lapse in judgement on a brief occasion becomes a fatal flaw. Eric Raymond, Larry Tudor, Mark Bennett, and Rich Pfeiffer all suffered such errors.

Outstanding newcomers to the Owens convincingly demonstrated their extremely quick grasp of the essential conditions: mountains and desert, weather, and fellow pilots. Gerard Thevenot, Eric Lothe, Karlheinz Baier, Ed Goss, and Woody Woodruff - all newcomers yet a third of the top 15 pilots!

Is a winning pilot merely conservative, from a lack of errors? Or is he demonstrating an exceptional brilliance of skill, nerve and judgement? Jim Lee's friends in New Mexico knew last year. Now we all certainly know too!

RESULTS Place

(continued from page 8)

(USHGA Reports) the most difficult to hold in the Association.

While I will certainly continue to participate in the most enjoyable sport in the world I will also be entering law school next year. I simply will not be able to devote the time that I feel is necessary to the administration of competition in this country. I urge you all, competitor and USHGA member alike, to help, advise, and even complain to this new Chairman. Believe me, you can all be of great assistance. ~ Good flying to you, one and all.

10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

Pilot Jim Lee Larry Tudor Rick Duncan Eric Raymond Paul Robinson Rich Pfeiffer Mike Deglanville Gerard Thevenot Eric Lothe Mark Bennett Karlhcinz Baier Jeff Burnett Steve Moyes Ed Goss Woody WoodrufT Helmut Denz Ted Zinke Dave Gibson Rick Rawlings Klaus Savier

Glider

Points

Comet Comet Missile

Arrow Comet Duck Comet Azur Sensor 510 Comet Bullet Comet Missile Comet Comet Comet Comet Comet Pro Star Comet

490 464 439 415 392 370 348 327

307 288 270 252 234 207 207 180 162 144 126 108

Contest Personnel Fig ....................................... driver and timer Robin Waxman ..................... driver and timer Mike Harbison ...................... driver and timer Danny Tockey ..................................... driver Cowboy Dave ...................................... driver Sally Spittles ......................................... timer Oswin Heider ....................................... timer Debbi Renshaw ..................................... timer Gordon & Meredith Wiltsie .................. photo developers Liz Sharp .................................... scorekeeper Mark Axen, Tom Kreyche, Don Paratridge ................ contest organizers and meet directors Jeff Steber ...................... stained glass trophies John Green ............ computer scoring program A sheet has been sent out to all Classic pilots, detailing the final cumulative results, and describing the various protests, decisions, and policy clarifications which took place during the contest. A copy will be mailed to any interested person for $1.00. Anyone desiring a complete daily scoresheet and cumulative results, 15 pages total, should send $5.00 to: Owens Valley Hang Gliding Center, 700 Airport Rd., Bishop, CA 93514.

Scores were not made official until two weeks after the contest, in order to check for errors and photo and landing witness verification. Several scores were rearranged in the official scoresheet as printed here, as a result of accidental "DNF" scores awarded to pilots who had actually completed. ~

(continued from page 28)

(Classic)

Contest Prizes

ning the Toiyabe range north until too low to continue, hopping over the back for a nearby paved highway, turning in 138 miles. Mark Bennett lead the Gabbs north and northeast packs with a flight of 118 miles\ Larry Tudor and Jim Lee both landed with the north group, Larry ahead with only four pilots between them.

JIM LEE First place three-dimensional stained glass trophy. $1,000 contingency prize from Pete Brock, Ultralite Products.

CONTEST WRAPUP It should now be obvious that the skill among cross country pilots has improved to the point where all are much more equal. The evidence shows through in very long goal tasks, with pilots achieving very similar times.

Tightly grouped landings, especially in poor weather conditions and on open distance tasks, are now the rule. On nearly any given day a few pilots demonstrate an intuitive skill, and succeed in breaking away from the pack. Call

44

LARRY TUDOR Second place stained glass window. $500 contingency prize from Pete Brock, Ultralite Products.

Basic Instructor Certification September 16 and 17 Fee: s50° 0 Advanced Instructor Certification September 16 thru 19 Fee: s50° 0 Intermediate/Advanced

RICK DUNCAN Third place stained glass window.

ERIC LOTHE Best newcomer, Janie's certificate.

(Men only eligible, sorry)

Ratings September 18 and 19 Fee: s50° 0 Contact:

Kitty Hawk Kites West JO BINNS Bettina Gray consolation prize of $ I 00, best hard luck story.

P.O. Box 828 , Marina, CA 93933 (136 Reservation Road) (408) 384-2622 HANG GLIDING

{{oz!~in~_c9 frO,r page 2aJ

fererit countries.In the first Classic by the end pilot skill and equipment performance while of!he 3rd day the Owens had seen more reducing the luck factor as thuch as possible.. cumulative airtime than existed · totally in This produces valid winner$.Tasks are now h1111g gliders in the Valley before the meet designed to attempt to keep t~e top finishers in pegan. The Mariah was the odds-on favorite the air for approximately thr~e hours or more. anclthe. HGMA certification program still had This doesn't necessarily m;ean limiting the some bugs in it. The scoring system was number of finishers, just insuring that the abysmal. Rigid wings were ineligible. The en- ones that finish or nearly fi~ish. a no-finishers try feewas $75.Transportation to launch was task reach the goal through skill and not luck. in shifts and there was no retrieval. The watch In this year's Classic the c~ampion Jirn Lee claimed Jeff Steber's origitial stained glass word was "wonder,'' Originally pilots were required to land near trophy for first place by completing four of the: a paved· road in order to score without seven timed tasks averaging ~2.4 mph and fly, penalties. It was hoped that this would prevent ing a total of 608 miles, incltiding 105 miles on anyonefrom getting seriously lost and involv- the open distance day. Larr}i Tudor earned se'. ing the· lo.cal community search and rescue cond place by completing four of the timed team. Beginnings are delicate times and local tasks averaging 2L7 mph: and flying 611 antagonism was to be avoided; As it turns out miles, including 110 miles c\pen distance. there have been only three incidents over. the Irnnically, open distance itask5may not lie JasUive ·years where rescue operations have the· best measure. of pilot $kill possible. in. a been necessary for Classic competitors. contest format. The dirty dpwnwind runs are Overall the caliber of pilots that compete here exhilarating no doubt, especially when coin, demonstrates. their good judgement in regard pared with the agonizingly' slow progress of to safety, The occasional incidents which do beating against·. the. clock on an upwind leg: occur seldom happen without Witnesses or However, without the test )of the· clod; on radio contact. Good fortune, the gliders' goal Course, a lucky thermWcaneasilY put ll relatively low . inertia, and parachutes have less-skilled pilot much high~t in the i;tandings contributed to the commendable safety record then a more highly skilled pilot who is allle to that exists in the Owens. Therehas been only reach difficult goals quicklf imd consistently. one death rrom flying. h1mg gHders in the It is for this reason. as weil as the extended Valley and no more than eight serious injuries. time factor involved iri ope11 distance retri.eval Nevertheless, this year's scoring system still that Classic tasks· are nearly all closed.co\'lrse. scoredpi\otsalong the highway, as much for Open distance is. a call reserved for \hQS~ scoring convenience, as ease of retrieval and special. days when a larg(g11~gl.e ofdre best safety. This was unfortunate in this year's Lee pilots has a chance to pusfrhiglns furtherthan · Vining task where the highway was . some ever before.

Retrieval is a common 'protilt:m to cross distance. from an obvious route of flight. In orderto stay withiri the operating rules of the country pilots, one that inv6lyes a great dea! of n1eet., many pilots who made fine flights were time and expense. At firsLi;'etrievalwa&not of' penalized for not landing by the highway.ft is fered for the entry fee to th(Classic. Later as it hoped that by next year an equitable scoring became necessary to utiliz~ larger tnore effi, system can be devised which will serve the cient trucks for . transportation to . launch, clualputpose of rewarding flights on the basis retrieval was added as a me~ns ofjustifying tl}e ofinerit and still provide a. clear way of deter- increased. costs of transpoft'ation. Over tl:iefa$t two years however it hasb~come obvipus.that r11ining exactly where pilots land.

Gamera technique once again proved to be group retrieval in the manrier which it must be the downfall of some of the top placing pilots. conducted is hot efficient/ for the Classic. A I~ particular, Mark Bennett lost·third place majority of the competitor~ employ their own because · he neglected· .to photograph his retrieval crews and the me~t retrievnl vehicles nurnbers · before attempting a task. While must run late in the evening i.nsure thail10 pno1:ographic •sk:ill may seem to have nothing one is left behind. What thisamountsto is that fo do with pitotskill,still it is the only way of the meet retrieval system ~ndi up collecting a ~ubstarttiating pilot identification in regard to very small minority of p,ilots at expense to successful turnpoiht completion. Anything everyone. The retrieval bu~ which was utilized less than the standards stated in the rules is this year anhe cost of $1. 30 a mHe was rarely '1nacceptable and will continue to cost the of- over half-full and once retArned with only one fending pilot thefask. Hopefully, the resulting competitor on board. Ndt rear we are conpoint!oss will not cost Mark a place on the sidering eliminating retrie-&al. Possibly wewi!I American Team because he is one of the better be able .to provide some sort of pifot·c:rew mat.upcoming piiots in this country. ching system which will ~nable pilots without Tasks in the Classic have always been dif- a crew to find existing :crew vefo:cles with ficult and have steadily become harder with room to spare. , . · each passing year. There is good reason for Undoubtedly, the big/:est change in the this; It is theintention of this meet to folly test Classic over the last five fears has been the in;

a

to

SEPTEMBER 1982

crease<in the entry fee which has gone from $75 in 1978 to $475 in 1982. This is due to many reasons.notthe least of whkh is inflation; Other factors include past budgets that· were too small to adequately cover all the ex0 penses, leaving deficits which had to be met from personal resources. This in turn allowed little or no money during the critical organiza; tional time in the winter before funds from the next year's meet began to roll in. As the meet grew in size and scope this organizational effort increased dramatically until it approached the complexities of a foll time job, complete with ·office·. rent and· a· healthy phone biH. Money. was necessary to support this effort.

The only place found so far to raise this necessary money Js an increase. in entry fee.

Sponsorship would seem to be a natural source of funds but sponsors usually expect some sort ofretum for their investment and the sport of hang gliding does not offerthe size ofmarket necessary to entice big sponsors: Hang glider manufacturers and businesses are not large enough to pick up the tab on ameet the size of the Classic. It should be mentioned that Pete Brock of Ultralite Products is perhaps the foremost leader in the sport when it comes to the finandal support of top competiton pilots, Even so the $1,SOOhe awarded to the first and second> place Comet pilots. in this year's Classic is. only a. drop \n the bucket compared Wwhat they1eserve their efforts., Only general public's. awareness of .the intrica.cies of competition hang gliding rises to the JeveL necessary to involve regular major media. coverate will steady major sponsorship for competitions be forthcoming. Until then we will just. have to support. ourselves.

The <:lassie has raised· questions vital to this emerging sportsince the first goal and return flight on day one; five years ago. This year was no different than previous ones. in this regard. Competition, like war, produm rapid technological advances toward .very. specific ends. The ability to go far and fast is the name of the. game in the Owens. This year the Classic was open for the first time to anything which could be assembled and foot-launched unassisted; The UP Arrow was Brock/Haggard/Raym.ond's answer tO. the Classic questionofdistance and time. Unfortunately the Arrow went to ground at the first turn point on day 6 i· due to . a poor combination of' weather, luck and pilot judgement, litniting Eric to fourth place. The stage is set, for the Arrow had already swept days two and five and went on to win day eight giving Raymond five out of eight wins, The Arrow and the similar. craft which. will surely follow in i.ts wake will undoubtedly establish .a valid niche for themselves in the existing soaring hietarChy. The question which naturally arises is this: Where do hang gliclers stop and sailplanes begin? .-,

whew t~F

fot

45

SEAHAWK 140, $500, Olympus 140 with harness, $325, Raven 179, SI 100. Ask for Chris (415) 726-6561.

SENSOR 510 - (180 sq.) Will ship. $1100. Tom, (704) 264-3600 or 7668, SENSOR 51 O's - Sales & service - immediate delivery new gliders in stock -- starting at $1950. (916) 583-6136.

STRATUS 164 - Brand new sail, black leading edge and tips, rainbow split panels on right wing, white elsewhere.

New teflon lined bowsprit. A very clean and nimble machine. I'll pay shipping, $650. (505) 266-7621, Ed. STRATOS VB 164 $1100. (206) 324-9392.

CONSUMER ADVISORY: Used hang gliders always should be disassembled before flying for the first time and or torn Joose from their anchor points front and back ruined bushings, bent bolts (especially the heart bolt), re-used Nyloc nuts, loose thimbles, frayed or rusted cables, tangs with non. circular holes, and on Rogallas, sails badly torn or torn loose from their anchor points front and back on the keel and leading edges. If in doubt, many hang gliding businesses will be happy to give an objective opinion on the condition of equipment you bring them to inspect.

Rogallos BENNETT KITES - All models sold & serviced. Fly the fantastic new X-series. (916) 583-6136.

CAN WE HELP YOU GET INTO THE AIR? Do you want to fly, but are short of funds? We will trade anything to help you fly. Contact Delta Wing Kites & Gliders, (213) 787-6600.

COMET 165 - Factory new, $1695. Call (805) 685-8624 or_write to: P.O. Box 1386, Goleta, CA 93016.

Excellent condition. Very quick.

2 · 205 SUNBIRD CHALLENGER gliders. Both excellent condition, $750 for one or $1400 for two. (805) 488-5616.

WILLS WING DUCK 180 - Very low time, excellent condition. Must sell, have 160 Duck on order. $1875. Will ship. (503) 485-4116.

WILLS WINGS - Raven 209 - Alpha 215 - Omega 260 - SST B, (213) 637-8440.

Rigid Wings EASY RISER - With excellent trailer - Conquest (like Eipper), (213) 637-8440, FLEDGE IIB - 1980. Less than 2 hrs. T.T. Excellent condition. $1000./Best offer. (916) 393-5543.

FOR SALE: 1981 Fledge II B. Good shape. Custom sail work. Solid black, gold lightening bolts, pucchie batten pockets, inbetween battens, brake down control bar with sliders. $1,100 firm. (714) 849-3741 8 AM - 5 PM. (714) 849-8867 5 PM - 8:30 PM.

Schools and Dealers

COMET 165', exceptionally clean, low airtime, mid-1981. Beauty - $1375. (208) 883-0616.

COMET 165, 1981 - Good condition. (303) 221-3571.

COMET 185, 1981 - Black, red, yellow. $1400. 1978 Alpha 245, black, red, orange, wht. $600. Kurt, (213) 694-7925 day, (714) 887-8284 night.

HARRIER 177 - Like new - low airtime, $1150. Will negotiate. Jon Bautsch, (715) 842-4103, 848-1316.

HATE TO PART with an old friend, but need the money.

179 RAVEN, one year old. Colors: black - red - orange -yellow - white, keel to wing tip. $1000 or best offer. Barb, (714) 751-9194.

ARIZONA DESERT HANG GLIDERS -4319 W. Larkspur, Glen· dale, AZ 85304 (602) 938-9550.

SKY BOUND HANG GLIDERS - Full time, full-service shop. New and used gliders and equipment, certified instruction, repairs) accessories. 10250 N. 19th Ave., Phoenix, AZ 85021. (602) 997-9079.

CALIFORNIA

HOW TO STOP THIEVES COLD. Free details!! See DEVIL DOG under Miscellaneous.

LOOKING FOR A USED GLIDER? Selling yours? In 213 and 714 area codes call Doug Hertzogs Hang Gliding Referral Service, (213) 436-4891.

OMEGA 260 - Multi-colored, super floater, very good condition, $750. U.P. Cloud harness, large, $50. Windhaven chute, $150. Chad ATV flight deck, $250 or everything together - $1,000. Call Bill at (716) 87~·7085 days, or (716) 634-3331 nights. Will ship.

PEREGRINE MOTH 2B - Excellent condition. Easy handling, good performance for novice/intermediate. $500. ·(503) 343-4390.

PRO AIR 180 - Excellent condition, great kite (but too big). $1450. Call Mike, (714) 566-6366 or 488-8191.

81 PROAIR 180. Exe. Cond. $1250. (303) 539-3335.

BEST FLIGHT AIRCRAFT SERVICE - Featuring Flight Designs Products and American Aerolights Eagle.

Sales, service> accessories, flight and ground training.

Located on Flabob Airport, Riverside, California. Day (714) 781-9222. Night (714) 989-12"7_4.

CHANDELLE SAN FRANCISCO, Hang Gliding Center. USHGA certified school. Stocking dealer for Wills, UP and FD. Come visit us! (415) 756-0650.

RAVEN 179 - Mint condition airframe and sail. Less than five hours flight time. $1100. Clayton Gantz, (415) 441-3251 or (805) 963-2044.

FREE FLIGHT OF SAN DIEGO. Expert instruction utilizing modern, safe equipment. (714) 560-0888.

RAVEN 209 - $500 firm. Good condition. Oly 180 with breakdown control bar and prone harness, $350. o.b.o.

Good condition. Will ship. Both good deals. (805) 687-3184.

FRESH AIR FLIGHT SCHOOL Personalized USHGA certified instruction and observation. An alter· native hang gliding establishment meeting all of your flying needs - including expert repairs at realistic rates. Call BRIGHT STAR in Santa Rosa at (707) 584-7088.

46

HANG GLIDERS WEST-DILLON BEACH FLYING SCHOOL - USHGA Certified instructors, observers serv· ing Northern California since 1973. Expert quality repairs.

Complete lesson programs. AFTER THE SALE IT'S THE SERVICE THAT COUNTS! All major brands, parts, accessories. Call or write for brochure. 20-A Pamaron Way, Ignacio, CA 94947. (415) 883-3494. Now offering ULTRALIGHT POWERED FLIGHT INSTRUCTION. All equipment provided. We Believe-SAFETY FIRST! MISSION SOARING CENTER - Test fly before you buy. Demos, new & used gliders in stock. All major brands available. At the base of mission ridge in the "Old School."

43551 Mission Blvd., Fremont, CA 94538. (415) 656-6656.

SAN FRANCISCO SCHOOL OF HANG GLIDING Private and group instruction by certified instructors. (415) 731-7766; 992-6020.

SKYWORKS HANG GLIDING & ULTRALITE - of the South Bay Area offers you opportunity and diversiftca· tion in the art of flying. Complete lesson programs, certified instruction, demos, equipment new and used, repair facilities, and major brands available. 527 Sinclair Frontage Road, Milpitas, CA 95035. (408) 946-7115.

ULTRASPORT, INC. is the only Southern California school dedicated 011/y to powered ultralights. We have a flight simulator whicil allows you to learn basic flight maneuvers before committing to free flight. USHGA certified. Call or write for more information. Ultra Sport, Inc. 12780 Pierce #14, Pacoima, CA 91331. (213) 896-1805.

WINDSPORTS INTERNATIONAL, INC. since 1974 (formerly So. Cal. Hang Gliding Schools). Largest and most complete HANG GLIDING and POWERED ULTRALITE center in Southern California. Large inventory of new and used gliders, ultralites, parts and accessories. Complete training program by USHGA certified instructors. 5219 Sepulveda Blvd., Van Nuys, CA 9141 I (213) 789-0836.

FOUR CORNERS HANG GLIDING & ULTRALIGHT AIRCRAFT - since 1974. Major Brands, Sales, Service, Professional Instruction. Fly 11 Earl's Ranch". Box 38, Hesperus, CO 81326. (303) 533-7550.

RAVEN 209 - Brand new multi-colored w/Wills Wing harness, $1000. Chuck, (714) 840-5069.

SEAGULL SUPER SEAHAWK 180, 1981 - Very good condition. THE LAST ONE MADE BY FACTORY, has complete Emerson-Bailey Tow System. Total package, $750. Will ship. (305) 859-8489. Orlando, FL.

HANG GLIDERS OF CALIFORNIA, INC. USHGA certified instruction from beginning to expert levels. All brands of gliders, a complete line of instruments & equipment are available! For information or catalog, write of call: Hang Gliders of California, Inc., 2410 Lincoln Blvd., Santa Monica, CA 90405. (213) 399-5315.

COLORADO

ELSINORE VALLEY HANG GLJDING CENTER. Certified, experienced instruction, sales for all major manufacturers and repair facilities. Call (714) 678-2050.

RAVEN 229 - XLNT condition. Brown, red, orange and white. Will ship. $800. (213) 256-0302.

HANG GLJDER EMPORIUM SANTA BARBARA (Formerly Channel Islands Hang Glider Emporium) Quali· ty instruction, service and sales since 1974. Full stock of gliders (both new & used), harnesses, helmets, varies, accessories, and spare parts. Contact us for details. Located just minutes from major highway and flying sites. 613 N. Milpas, Santa Barbara, CA 93103. (805) 965-3733.

HANG FLIGHT SYSTEMS - Certified instruction pro· gram, beginning to advanced levels. Featuring Wills Wing and Ultralight Products gliders and accessories. *Duck, Comet, Gemini, Harrier demo flight available to qualified pilots. 1202 E. Walnut Unit M, Santa Ana, CA. (714) 542-7444.

GOLDEN SKY SAILS - USHGA certified school. Foot launch, power, towing, mountain soaring, ground to air communication, video replay. Complete airframe, sail, power plant repair. We sell and service all major brands.

Golden Sky Sails, 572 Orchard, Golden, CO 80401. (303) 278-9566.

LEADING EDGE AIR FOILS, INC. · Write for our complete line of gliders, power packs, ultralight equipment and lessons, (powered, towed and free-flight). Enjoy our unbeatable prices and fast service. A MOST COMPLETE SHOP. 331 South 14th St., Colorado Springs, Colorado 80904.

CONNECTICUT AIR WISE INC., 15 Long Ridge Road, West Redding, CT. 06896, (203) 938-9546. Training programs for beginner to expert by USHGA certified instructor/observer staff.

Dealer for all major product lines, featuring Flight Designs, UP, Moyes. Complete accessory line. Lecture-film presentation available.

CONNECTICUT COSMIC AVIATION - 14 Terp Rd., E. Hampton, CT 06424, c/o Bart Blau, Lynda Blau, (203) 267-8980. Hang glider dealer for Wills and U.P. USHGA certified instructor.

HANG GLIDING

HAWAII

NEW YORK

MAUI SOARING SUPPLIES - Certified instructors.

Sates, service and rentals. R.R. Box 780, Kula) lv1auil HI 96790. (808) 878-127 l.

AERIAL TECHNIQUES, Rt. 209, Ellenville, NY 12428, (914) 647-3344. Come visit Ellenville. Learn to fly at our new training facility or challenge the mountain with your thermaling and X-C skills. Complete inventory of gliders, accessories, and replacement parts. Quicksilver ultralight sales and instruction. Open all year.

TRADEWINDS HANG GLIDING - USHGA certif,ed instructors/observers. Classes daily. Box 543, Kailua, Hawaii, 96734. (808) 396-8557.

IDAHO SUN VALLEY SENSOR - New and used Sensor 5!0's.

Sales, service, demo. Bruce McKellcr, P.O. Box 3696, Ketchum, Idaho 83340. (208) 788-9692.

ILLINOIS MID-AMERICA INC. - Instruction in hang gliding and motorized ultralights. All major brands available. Certified instructors and BGI's. Individual and group rates. Write: Box 100, Granville, IL 61326 or call (815) 339-2282 before 10:00 a.m.

PROAIRIPROSTAR SALES AND SERVICE, night accessories and Ball variometers - Midwest J\1otorglider Supplies, 2638 Roberts, Waukegan, IL 60087, (312) 244-0529.

INDIANA BAT-SAIL ENTERPRISE, INC. Central Indiana's hang gliding and ultralight headquarters. Dealer for Flight Designs, Moyes, U.P., and Wills Wing. Specializing in Jetwing ATV and towing. 6040 Ashway Ct., Indianapolis, Indiana (317) 291-9079.

MARYLAND MARYLAND SCHOOL OF HANG GLIDING, INC. Serving the Washington D.C. and Baltimore areas. Complete line of gliders and equipment. USHGA certified instruction. (301) 628-6177.

MICHIGAN BUSINESS FOR SALE - D & D Michigan Manta.

Dealers for Progressive Aircraft & Manta. Phone, (6 l 6) 744-9492 or 744-2000.

ECO-FLIGHT HANG GLIDERS AND MICHIGAN MOTOR GLIDER continue our FREEZIN' SEASON SALE with substantial savings on gliders, ultralights, windsurfers and accessories, including Wills Wing, U.P., Flight Designs, Pterodactyl, and Manta. W, offer U.S.H.G.A. & F.A.A. certified instruction, complete parts and expert repair service} ·windsurfer rental, sales> and in~ struction. 493 Lake St., Benzonia, Michigan 49616. (616) 882-5070.

SOUTHEAST MICHIGAN HANG GLIDERS - Sales and instruction in Ultralights, Free Flight and towing.

Dealers for Eagle, UP, Flight Designs, Delta Wing and Soarmastcr. 2485 l Murray, ,\,It. Clemens, MI 48045 (313) 791-0614 - Since 1975.

MINNESOTA NORTHERN SUN HANG GLIDERS, INC. Dealer for all major non-powered and powered brands. USHGA certified instruction. Owners/managers of the Hang Gliding Preserve, soarable tidge with tramway lift. When in the North Country stop by and test our line of gliders and enjoy the sites. 2277 W. County Rd. C., St. Paul, (Roseville), MN 55113 (612) 633-3333.

NEW MEXICO BUFFALO SKYRIDERS, INC. - Southwest's hang gliding headquarters. Instruction, sales and service for all types of gliders. Coronado Airport, P.O. Box 4512, Albuquerque, N.M. 87106. (505) 821-6842.

THE WELCOME MAT IS OUT at Mountain Wings, the Ellenville area's newest and largest shop for hang gliders, ultralights, RC gliders and more. Located just off Route 209 on Main Street, Kerhonkson, our product lines include Flight Designs, ProAir, Manta, Seedwings, Stratus. Top notch instruction programs with audiovisual teaching aids.

Mountain Wings, Box 1022, Kerhonkson, NY 12446. (914) 626-5555.

NORTH CAROLINA KITTY HAWK KITES, INC., - P.O. Box 340, Nagshead, N.C. 27959 l-800-334-4777, in North Carolina, (919) 441-4124. Learn to fl)' safely over soft sand dunes through gentle At !antic breezes a few miles south of where the Wright Brothers learned to fly. Beginning/Novice packages and ratings available daily. Complete inventory of new gliders, accessories and parts in stock.

SCOTT'S MARINE, INC. - Full time professional, sales, service, training. Wills Wing Gliders, Pterodactyl ultralights, expert repairs. Scott Lambert, (704) 875-948_6.

PENNSYLVANIA SKY SAILS LTD Hang Gliding School. l!SHGA certified instructors. 1630 Lincoln Ave., Williamsport, PA l 770!.

(717) 326-6686 or 322-8866.

TEXAS AUSTIN AIR SPORTS - Certified hang gliding instruction. Glider sales & equipment. (512) 474-1669.

AUSTIN HANG GLIDING CENTER - Lessons, winch tow to 2000'. (512) 255-7954.

ELECTRA-FL YER DISTRIBUTORS. South MidWestern distributors for: Electra Flyer Carp., UFM Prod-

/onlc soon to be released

Spectra Aircraft working with great patience and refined techniques, has created the Sonic - the glideryou've been waiting for and deserve to own While our competitors were initially designing or improving their 120° nose angle/60° double surface model we ~ were prototyping- the next generation ultraship - 150° nose angle/95°double surface with a unique split surface system for light handling.

SPECTRfl fHRCRRrT C[]RPa

2UU Arnold Industrial H~ Shop #ts Concord, Ca 94tUao

415-798·9993 FOR MORE INFORMATION WRITE OR CALL OUR OFFICE. SEPTEMBER 1982

47

ucts, Sky Sports, Seagull Aircraft. Now accepting dealership inquiries. Call or write: LONE STAR HANG GLIDERS, 2200 "C" South Smithbarry Rd., Arlington, TX 76013. Metro. (817) 469-9159.

La Mouette, Delta Wing, Flight Designs, Winter, Litek, Hall Bros., Ball Varies, Altimaster, Quick-N-Easy. I 104 Rekku Shibakoan 2111113. Shibakoan Minatoku Tokyo l05 JAPAN. Tel. 03/433/0062.

LONE STAR HANG GLIDERS. Electra Flyer, Sky Sports, Seagull, Manta and UFM sales, repair, instruction.

2200 C South Smithbarry~ Arlington, TX 76013 (817) 469-9159.

Employment Opportunities

UTAH WASATCH WINGS INC. - Located minutes from Point of the Mountain. Safe, personalized, instruction beginning through mountain flight. Custom harness manufacture and repair. 700 East 12300 South, Draper, Utah 84020, (801) 571-4044.

CRYSTAL AIR SPORTS MOTEL - Male/Female HELP WANTED: 15 hrs./wk. Exchange for lodging in Original Flyers Bunkhaus. Call or write Chuck or Shari, 4328 Cummings Hwy., Chattanooga, Tenn. 37409. (615) 821-2546.

Home of SKY GEAR, Apparel & Accessories. Also, vacationing? Private Rustic Rooms. Waterbeds, Video Movies, Color T. V., Pool. Reserve early due to World's Fair.

CAPITOL CITY GLIDERS - New and used gliders and ultralights, accessories, service. Certified instruction. (206) 786-9255, (206) 456-6333.

FAIRWINDS INTERNATIONAL is the exclusive Ultralite Products dealer in the Northwest. Comet, Gemini in stock. Some good used gliders also. 1302 Kings Place, Bainbridge ls., WA 98110. Call evenings; (206) 842-3971 Lyon McCandless, (206) 842-4970 Ken Godwin.

LEADERS IN HANG GLIDING AND MICROLIGHT AVIATION. 12 year full time professionals. Developers of the Chart of Reliability method of instruction. Sales and service of most major brands. High Perspective Inc. R R #3 Claremont©, Ontario Canada LOH IEO Toronto phone: (4 l6) 294-2536 or 294-9665.

JAPAN SUNR1SE COUNTRY INC. - Distributor Japan: Manta,

SOARING - Monthly magazine of The Soaring Society of America Inc. Covers all aspects of soaring flight. Full membership $28. Info kit with sample copy $3.00. SSA, P.O. Box 66071, Los Angeles, CA 90066.

Ultralight Powered Flight DELTA WING TRIKE-::: Built up, ready to fly. Solo engine. $1395. FREE FLIGHT INC., 7848 Convoy Court, San Diego, CA 92111. (714) 560-0888.

NEW RAPID DEPLOYMENT B.U.S. FLY AWAY CONTAINER SYSTEM is the world's newest, fastest and most reliable system. By the originator of hang gliding parachutes. Bill Bennett Delta Wing Kites & Gliders, Inc., P.O. Box 483, Van Nuys, CA 91408 (213) 787-6600, telex no. 65-1425.

KITTY HA WK KITES - Training specialists for ultralights. FAA certified Flight Instructors. Quicksilvers, parts in stock. P.O. Box 340, Nags Head, N.C. Within site of where the Wright Brothers made their first historic flight. 1-800-334-4777.

PARACHUTES REPACKED - Your parachute aired, inspected and repacked by experienced rigger - $15.00 includes return postage. Send U.P.S. ro HANG GLIDER EQUIPMENT COMPANY, 3620 Wawona, San Francisco, CA 94116 (415) 992-6020.

International Schools & Dealers CANADA

Publications & Organizations

Emergency Parachutes

WASHINGTON BIG BIRD'S WINGS - Hang gliding's best. Instruction - sales and service. Dealing & distributing Wills Wing in Washington state. Call Fitz (Big Bird), (206) 523-2436.

cable. Extra cable $5.95. Add 7% sales tax, $3.00 shipping.

Write for catalog. PD S, Dept. HG, 216 Hampton Way, Penfield, NY 14526.

Parts & Accessories HANG GLIDER EQUIPMENT COMPANY - For all your hang gliding needs. 3620 Wawona, San Francisco, CA 94116 (415) 992-6020.

8' NYLON TIE DOWNS - $4.00 each. 4' wind socks orange wlyellow tip, $15.00. D. Snyder, 642 Beverly Dr., Arcadia, CA 91006.

PHOTOGRAPH THE PILOT IN ACTION. Our camera mount attaches the new Kodak 4000 Disc Camera to your wing. Light weight, rugged. $29.95 includes mount, 15'

LONE STAR HANG GLIDERS. Electra Flyer, Sky Sports, Seagull, Manta and UFM sales, repair, instruction.

2200 C South Smithbarry, Arlington, TX 76013. (817) 469-9159.

NORTHERN SUN INC. The industry's most experienced rigid wing builders, offers all custom built rigid wings at discount prices. Also dealer for all major factory built powered ultra-lights. Our Powered Training Course is designed and taught by pilots experienced in both conventional aircraft and Powered Ultralights. This comprehensive course includes techniques in reading and understanding sectionals, FAR's, microme~eorology, and even float and ski use. Upon completion of course, students receive certification cards. For more details, contact us at: 2277 W. Country Rd. C., St. Paul (Roseville), MN 55113. (612) 633-3333.

SKYWORKS California.

Please see ad - Schools & Dealers -

SPORT FLYING UNLIMITED - Ultralight sales, train-

USHGA CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING ORDER FORM

SIERRA FLIGHT

by Eric Raymond

35 cents per word, $3.00 minimum. (phone numbers - 2 words, P.O. Box -

1 word)

Photos - $10.00 Deadline, 20th of the month six weeks before the cover date of the issue in which you want your ad (i.e. March 20, for the May issue).

Bold face or caps 50¢ per word extra. (Does not include first few words which are automatically caps). Special layouts or tabs $20 per column inch.

Payment for first three months required in advance.

Please enter my classified ad as follows:

Number of words: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ @ .35 = _ _ _ _ _ __

Section (please circle) Rogallos Schools and Dealers

Now available as a high quality 24" x 32" color poster!

Send $6.99 to: Ultralight Soaring Software

33274 Baldwin Blvd.

Lake Elsinore, CA 92330 Price includes postage, mailing tube and tax.

48

Rigid Wings Business Opportunities

I I I

"i3

I

I Emergency Chutes Publications & Organizations I Ultralight Powered Flight Miscellaneous I I Begin with 19 issue and run for I I consecutive issue(s).

I : My check _ _ money order _ _ is enclosed in the amount of I

I$ I I Name: : Address:

I I I Phone Number: I P.O. BOX 66306, LOS ANGELES, CA 90066 I (213) 390,3065

I I

l I I : I I

I. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -• HANG GLIDING

ing and service for QuickSilver, MX and Mirage. Two lorn· tions: 2915 S. Logan St., Lansing, MICHIGAN 48910, (517) 882-2468 or 1450 10th St., S., Safety Hbr., FLORIDA 33572, (813) 726-7020.

TYPE: Moyes Mega 172. SAIL: Blue and white with lightning bolt. Red bag. WHEN: Saturday, March 20, 1982. Reward. CONT ACT: Russ Gillfer (602) 523-4058.

TRIKES - Sales, service, instruction, glider conversions, test flights, Bennett, Soarmaster, (916) 583-6136.

TYPE: Fledge IIB #1032. WHEN: March I, 1982 Denver, CO. Glider is incomplete. SAIL: White with dk blue LE, tips and keel panel. CONTACT: Richard Siberell, 711 55th Des Moines, Iowa 50312 (515) 255-1456.

ULTRASPORT, INC. - Dealers for Eipper, Quicksilver, and Pterodactyl Fledglings. Our only business is power.

USHGA certified. Call or write for further free informa· tion. UltraSport, Inc., 12780 Pierce #14, Pacoima, CA 91331. (213) 896-1805.

TYPE: 1982 Super Lancer 200.

WHERE/WHEN: Binghampton, NY 4/18/82.

CHARACTERISTICS: Will not fly as is. No base tube, battens, or washout tubes. One down tube replaced with stock 6061 tubing. SAIL: Blue and white, orange bag. Stolen by wuffo expected to be sold in southern California. CONTACT: James McLaughlin (607) 771-1583 days collect. $500 reward for arrest and conviction.

VOLMER AIRCRAFT - Established 1925. First to fly three control foot launched glider, first to construct homebuilt amphibian, 1958. First to construct highest performing foot launched glider, 197 l. Third to construct powered foot launched glider, 1976. First foot launched glider to fly a loss the English Channel, l 978. Complete plans available. Brochure for all our seven aircraft including our VJ24W - 10 HP Ultralight, $10.00. Volmer Aircraft - Box 5222 · G, Glendale, California 91201.

Miscellaneous Bumper Stickers - "HAVE YOU HUGGED YOUR HANG GLIDER TODAY?" White w/blue letters. $1.40 each (includes postage). P.O. Box 66306, Los Angeles, CA 90066.

CB RADIOS - Smallest most powerful 40 channel available. Complete with mounting bracket, nicad battery pack, charger, antenna, and microphone. $195.00. Send check or use money order for quick delivery. Write for brochure, optional helmet mike or power mike available.

Sea Drake Designs, 99 Trish Dr., Novato, CA 94947.

IS SOMEONE STEALING YOUR VALUABLE EQUIPMENT? Amazing new 'DEVIL DOG' STOPS THEFT! Easy installation, ten year warranty. Free info.

Dealers inquire on letterhead. Gulf Air Sports, P.O. Box 892, Venice, FLA. 33595. ACT NOW PROTECT YOUR WINGS!

LARGE PATCHES - (2 1/8" x 9") for collectors only.

Great for caps, bags and harnesses. $3.00 plus $1.00 post· age and handling. Call now l-800-334-4777. In N.C. call (919) 441-6094. Kitty Hawk Kites.

PATCHES & DECALS - USHGA sew-on emblems 3" dia. Full color - $1. Decals, 3'/," dia. Inside or outside application. 25~ each. Include 15~ for postage and handling with each order. Box 66306, Los Angeles, CA 90066.

Powered Ultralight Training Course - By Dennis Pagen.

Now available from USHGA. Lessons, Groundschools, tests, FAA Regulations, 8 1/, x 11 workbook format. $13.55 (incl. postage) P.O. Box 66306, Los Angeles, CA 90066.

TEE-SHIRTS with USHGA emblem $6.50 including postage and handling. Californians add 6% tax. Men's sizes, S, M, L, XL BLUE/ORANGE, USHGA, P.O. Box 66306, Los Angeles, CA 90066.

TORREY PINES 1979. Text by Don Betts. Photos by Bet· tina Gray. Pictorial review of hang gliding at Torrey Pines.

40 pages of photos, maps, flying regulations, and history of the area. Excellent booklet for those who have only heard of Torrey Pines. Booklet can also be purchased at site. $2. 50 each (encl. pstg.). USHGA, P.O. Box 66306-HG, Los Angeles, Calif. 90066.

The rate for classified advertising is 35¢ per word (or group of characters). Minimum charge, $3.00. A fee of $10. is charged for each photograph or logo. Bold face or caps 50¢ per word extra. Underline words to be bold. Special layouts or tabs $20.00 per column inch. AD DEADLINES - All ad copy, instructions, changes, additions and cancellations must be received in writing 11h months preceding the cover date, i.e., April 20 for the June issue. Please make checks payable to USHGA: Classified Advertising Dept., HANG GLIDING MAGAZINE, Box 66306, Los Angeles, CA 90066.

SEPTEMBERR 1982

TYPE: X-160 #2. SAIL PATTERN: Black LE, gold center spanwise, white LE and keel pocket. TYPE: Nova 230. SAIL PATTERN: Red, white and blue. Chevy truck logo. TYPE: Blue Price harness, Windhaven chute, black Delta Wing knee hanger harness, 2 white helmets, Litek vario, Thommen altimeter, airspeed indicator, yellow UP flight bag.

WHERE AND WHEN: All stolen with truck from Chatsworth, CA. CONTACT: John Zurlinden (213) 951-5014 or (213) 993-6644 Ext. 312.

TYPE: Gemini #UPG13400M. SAIL PATTERN: Dk blue LE, Pacific blue center, white TE. Tape on LE. WHERE AND WHEN: 6/28182 W. Jordon Utah, taken from car. Contact: Claudia Holbrook (801) 561-1974 or 571-4044.

TYPE: Eipper Flexi III. SAIL PATTERN: White, blue, green, yellow and white. New, or no control bar. Tear in keel pocket. Reward.

CONTACT: Will Richardson, Rt. 1, Box 167, Trout Dale, VA 24378 (404) 436-8504.

TYPE: 172 Moyes Mega. WHERE AND WHEN: March 20, '82, 80 miles north of Flagstaff AZ (Echo Cliffs area). SAIL PATTERN: Lt. blue, with dk blue lightning bolt on right wing. CONTACT: Sky Bound Hang Gliders, 10250 N. 19th Ave., Phoenix, AZ 85021 (602) 997-9079.

TYPE: 1982 177 Harrier II #6744. WHERE AND WHEN: Fountain Hills area, NE of Phoenix, AZ, April 15, 1982. SAIL PATTERN: All white upper sail, blue lower sail, rainbow center panel. CONT ACT: Sky Bound Hang Gliders.

TYPE: UP Gemini 184 #UPG184032. SAIL: Yellow nose, orange middle, red trailing edge (span-wise cut) with white leading edge and keel pocket. WHERE AND WHEN: Alameda, CA July 2, 1982. CONTACT: David Catlett (415) 521-7633. Reward.

TYPE: Pterodactyl with Cuyuna 430 reduction drive #l l lOOO. LE, yellow, TE, white. Center, brown. Tips, brown. Rudder, white with brown & black stripes. Canard, brown, yellow and white.

CONTACT: LEAF, 331 South 14th St., Colorado Springs, CO 80904 (303) 632-4959.

TYPE: Black nylon duffie harness bag containing black cocoon harness with red shoulder pads, Flight Designs vario, Thoemen Altimeter, orange F.D. helmet. black leather gloves, blue jackets. WHERE & WHEN: Manressa State Beach parking lot Sunday, 5-2-81. CONTACT: Brian O'Kelly, 2300 West Haven, Bakersfield, CA 93304 (805) 832-3987.

TYPE: Wills Wing Harrier 177 #6113. SAIL PATTERN: All white. Six holes in L.E. WHERE AND WHEN: Ultmate Hi, Feb. 22, 1982. CONTACT: Roger Chase (714) 748-1739.

FOUND: Harness and chute in Lancaster, CA near Ave. P. CONTACT: HG of CA, (213) 399-5315.

TYPE: Comet #UPCMT 165995 Sail: nose to tail - gold, yellow, white. UP Gemini: #UPGl64042.

Nose to tail: Green (blue stripes), yellow. Thief is known to be in Redondo Beach, CA area possibly working for Walker Transportation Co. Large reward. CONTACT: Alesandro Gomez (331)-2-38-21 (Colima, Mexico).

TYPE: Fire Eagle w/Z-drive. SAIL PATTERN: Red, orange, gold, yellow, yellow wired L.E. DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS: Infinity lettering and logo faintly visible. Sail repair on inside panel. WHERE AND WHEN: Dec. 1981 Cedar Valley, Utah. CONTACT: Infinity Flight Systems, 898 S. 900 E., SLC., Utah 84102 (801) 359-SOAR. TYPE: Robertson Cocoon Harness, light blue liner, brown outside with Flight Designs parachute, gray bag. Red helmet, Litek vario, round face (black), red bag, Flight Designs altimeter. WHERE AND WHEN: Home Feb. 13, 1982. CONTACT: Jon, Los Gatos, CA (408) 354-3041 or (408) 395-2645.

TYPE: 1979 Seagull 10 Meter. WHERE AND WHEN: Cincinnati, Ohio, Oct. 11, 1981.

DISTINGUISHING FEATURES: Light blue sail with "Seagull" lettering. Keel and right L.E. plain anodized, all other black. Red bag with thumb snaps. CONT ACT: Kermit Kinne, 35 Juergens Ave., Cincinnati, Ohio 45220 (513) 751-6642.

TYPE: 135 Comet. SAIL: Black LE, crimson green TE. Red top sail, red keel pocket. Red UP left side. WHEN: April 15, 1982 San Bernardino area. CONTACT: Laverne DeJan, (714) 796-1658.

TYPE: R.D.P. parachutes: #'s 3003, 3078, 3042, 3073, 3035, 3037, 3023. Litek Model C varios: #'s 390, 417, 420, 434, 401, 423, 433, 383, 404, 403, 397, 256, 287, 213, 230, 243, 247, 233, 249, 251, WHERE AND WHEN: Delta Wing, Van Nuys, CA. Sept. 1981. CONTACT: Detective Bob Hanson, Van Nuys police dept. (213) 989-8371 or Delta Wing (213) 787-6600. Reward for information.

TYPE: 209 Raven #4402. SAIL: Center out: Brown center, two white, two orange, white tips.

Brown LE. Orange keel pocket. WHEN: El Centro, CA April 26, 1982. CONTACT: Mike Sorgaard (714) 352-2116.

Hang Gliding publishes (free of charge) stolen gliders and equipment. New listings appear at the head of the column in bold. Type up your submission in our format and send to: USHGA, Box 66306, Los Angeles, CA 90066.

49

PILOTS! LEARN TO FLY HIGHER, SAFER, FURTHER Up-to-date illustrated information guaranteed to improve your flying. Written by a USHGA instructor.

•HANG GLIDING FLYING SKILLS-DETAILS ON: BEGINNING FLIGHT * INTERMEDIATE SKILLS * AERODYNAMICS • GLIDER DESIGN * GLIDER REPAIR * SELECTING EQUIPMENT* THERMALING * MORE. $6.95+60¢POSTAGE.

BROTHERS Fast and accurate air speed measurements can be made by using 1he Hall Wind Meter. A valuable instrnmenl for all hang glider pilots. $21.50

• FLYING CONDITIONS....:THE ROAD MAP TO THE SKY-DETAILS ON: GENERAL WEATHER* TURBULENCE* ROTORS * WIND SHADOW * SEA BREEZES * WIND GRADIENT * RIDGE LIFT *THERMALS• MORE. $6.95 + 60¢ POSTAGE. •HANG GLIDING FOR ADVANCED PILOTS-DETAILS ON: COMPETITION * EFFICIENT TURNING* POLARS* SPEEDS TO FLY* THERMAL TECHNIQUES* DISTANCE SOARING* DESIGN CONCEPTS * MORE. $6.95 + 60¢ POSTAGE. •POWERED ULTRALIGHT AIRCRAFT-DETAILS ON: CHOOSING THE RIGHT CRAFT • AERODYNAMICS * CONTROLS * AIRMANSHIP * MORE. $7.95 + 60¢ POST. •••NEW••• • POWERED UL TR ALIGHT TRAINING COURSE-A MANUAL FOR SELF-TEACHING AND TRAINING SCHOOLS-11 LESSONS AND RELATED GROUNDSCHOOLS-TESTS AND FAA REGULATIONS INCLUDED- $12.95 + 60¢ POSTAGE. $11.95+60¢POSTAGE FOR TWO ~ ExceptPOWERED $16.95 + 90¢ POSTAGE FOR THREE ULTRALIGHT $21.95 + 90¢ POSTAGE FOR FOUR TRAINING COURSE $29.95 + 1.10 POSTAGE FOR ALL FIVE SEND CHECK OR CASH TO: DENNIS PAGEN, DEPT. H P.O. BOX 601, STATE COLLEGE, PA 16801 DEALER INOUIR IES INVITED

Our Seated and Prone Brackets shown here with the Wind Meter. provide an excellent lightweight mounting for the Wind Meter. Seated Bracket S5.00 Prone Bracket $6.00

Our Con1rol Dar Wheels protect you and your glider on that occasional bad landing and during routine ground handling. The wheels fit 1" or l ~'a'' control bars. Specify size when ordering.

$20.00pr.

prevents vibration from interferino with ifs operation o~ motorized gliders. $8.50

When ordering please specify the items ordered and how many of each are desired. Add S2.00 for C 0.0. orders and for orders to foreign countries. Telephone orders welcome. Dealer inquires Invited.

MAKE CHECK OR MONEY ORDER PAYABLE TO HALL BROTHERS BOX 771, MORGAN, UT 84050 (801) 829-3232 '

USHGA MERCHANDISE ORDER FORM

B-2 B-3 B-4 B-5 B-6 B-7 B-8 B-9 B-10 8·11 8-12 8-13

'.~\=Z!,~ 1! .· ./

8-14

- ~ i·}

B-17

1-4

~-..

-~

- _-_

BOOKS

QUANTITY B-1

B-15

__JI

B-16

PRICE

THE COMPLETE OUTFITTING & SOURCE BOOK FOR HANG GLIDING

by Michael Mendelson. History, models, acces .. public. organizations, schools, sites.

USHGA INSTRUCTORS CERTIFICATION MANUAL Complete requirements, syllabus, teaching methods.

HANG FLIGHT by Joe Adelson & Bill Williams. Third Edit. Flight instruction manual. 100 pgs.

HANG GLIOING by Dan Poynter. 8th Edition. Basic Handbook for skysurfing.

MAN-POWERED FLIGHT by Keith Sherman. History & modern technology. design considerations.

HANG GLIDING AND FLYING CONDITIONS by Dennis Pagen.

Micrometerotogy for pilots. 90 Illustrations.

HANG GLIDING AND FLYING SKILLS. by Dennis Pagen. Beginners to experts instruction manual.

HANG GLIDING FOR ADVANCED PILOTS. by Dennis Pagen. Techniques for cross-country, competition & powered flight.

POWEREO ULTRALIGHT AIRCRAFT. by Dennis Pagen. Complete instruction manual.

GUIDE TO ROGALLO BASIC. by Bob Skinner. Handbook for beginning pilots. 30 pgs.

MANNED KITING. by Dan Poynter. Handbook on tow launch flying.

MAN-POWEREO AIRCRAFT. by Don Dwiggins. 192 pg. history of flight. Features flight of Gossamer Condor.

FEDERAL AVIATION REGULATIONS FOR PILOTS. 1980 Edition.

Hang gliding pertinent information.

FAI SPORTING CODE FOR HANG GLIOING. Requirements for records. achievements & world championships.

TORREY PINES. by Don Betts, photos by Bettina Gray. Rules, regulations. history of Torrey Pines.

HANG GLIDING MANUAL & LOG. by Dan Poynter. For beginners.

An asset to instructors. 24 pgs.

USHGA OFFICIAL FLIGHT LOG. 40 pgs. Pocket size, skills signoffs (all levels). glossary.of terms, awards.

AMOUNT

$ 7.95 $ 2.00

S 3.50 $ 6.50 $ 6.50 $ 6.50

S 6.50 $ 7.50 $ 8.50 $ 2.75 $ 4.35

S 6.50 $ 3.98

S 1.00

S 2.50 S 1.50 S 2.95

ITEMS l-1A 1-18 1-2 1-3 1-4 1-5 1-6 1-7 1-8 1-9 1-10 1-11

"NEW" USHGA 'HANG GLIOING' T-SHIRT. 100% heavyweight cotton. WHITE only. Men's sizes: SM L X-L !CIRCLE ONEJ. Women's sizes (French cul): S M L !CIRCLE ONE).

USHGA EMBLEM T-SHIRT. 100% heavyweight cotton. ORANGE or LIGHT BLUE. Men's sizes only. S ML X-L JCIRCLE SIZE & COLORJ. USHGA EMBLEM CAP, One size fits all. Baseball type/USHGA emblem. NAVY. ORANGE, GOLD !CIRCLE COLOR).

"NEW" USHGA BELT BUCKLE. Solid bronze. custom design, relief sculpture. 3'1< x 2'1<.

USHGA SEW-ON EMBLEM. 3" dia., full color (red wings. sunburst w/black print).

USHGA EMBLEM DECAL 3'1,'' dia .. full color.

USHGA EMBLEM PENDANT. W' dia. Pewter w/silver chain.

USHGA BUTTON/PIN. 1'/1 dia .. full color.

LICENSE PLATE FRAME. ''I'd rather be hang gliding." White on Blue.

WALLET. Nylon. velcro closure. mach. washable, water re sistan!. ROYAL BLUE color.

BUMPER STICKER. "Have you hugged your hang glider today" Blue on white.

S 6.50

S 6.50 S 6.50 S 5.00 $12.00 $ 1.00 $ .25 $ 3.00

s .10 $ 4.50

S 8.95

S 1.40

HANG GLIDING/GROUND SKIMMER BACK ISSUES "'SPECIFY BY CIRCLING ISSUE NUMBER"'ISSUES NOT NUMBERED ARE SOLD OUT'" PAINTED COPIES: 20, 21. 22, 23, 24, 25, 28. 29, 30, 31, 33, 34, 36, 37, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 47, 58, 59, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71

1·7

$ .40

PRINTED COPIES: 73, 76, 77. 78, 80, 82, 83, 86, 87. 88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95 through 104

S 1.50

#105 to current # issue

$ 2.00

'"NO TAX ON MAGAZINES'"

MAOAZINE SUB TOTAL MERCHANDISE sue TOTAL

(Californians add 6% tax on merchandise only) Ordering Information: All prices include postage and handling. (Prices subject to change without notice.)

Enter quantity and price of each item ordered. Allow 3-4 weeks delivery (8 weeks for Foreign). All orders are mailed by the cheapest available rate. II you wish to receive your order faster, please include sufficient postage funds. No C.O.D.'s.

Foreign Orders: USHGA will ONLY accept foreign checks payable on a U.S. bank in U.S. funds.

NAME _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ USHGA # _ _ __ (Please Print) ADDRESS _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _~ CITY _ _ _ _ __

STATE. _ _ _ ZIP _ _ __

TOTAL

HO CHARGE ITEMS USHGA MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION FORM (!4)

USHGA POWERED ULTRALIGHT RATING (PART 105)

USHGA MERCHANDISE ORDER FORM (!141

ACCIOEN f REPORT FORM (#151

USHGA LILIENTHAL AWARD FORM

SOURCES OF DEALERS, SCHOOLS. ETC. (!8)

USHGA BASIC SAFETY REGULATIONS (Part 100)

Specify state - - - - - - - - -

USHGA PILOT PROFICIENCY PROGRAM (Part 1041

MAIL WITH CHECK OR MONEY ORDER TO: USHGA, PO BOX 66306, LOS ANGELES, CA 90066

\''j~,:;'yo.,Al1.1n,jn1Jrn ·tt,r~(( ,~~ij!I~

When the Rubber Band Breaks?

-~nocHzed .

The World's Best Parachutes Designed to Open Faster at Slow Speeds

01;'.

·.IJltralight Hardware.•.

think LEAF! Anodi~edAI umjnffrn l"ubin!J: Leading Edge Ai(F6Hs, Inc., one tbf natiQfs _leaders in Ultralights and Hang _Gliclers is now also the Rocky Mountain area's leading supplier of high _ quaJity 6061 T6 Bright Dip Tubing. This high;strengthtubing is available in standard sizes.

3/8('x .035X 1:2'>2-19 lengths ............ $.57perJoot l" x .05S l2' 2--9 lengths . , ........ , ... 1.20 per fqot h1/81fx,058x'12' 2,;,.;9 tengths .... , ..•..... L35pedoot 2(tx .049 x 12' 2--9 lengths . ·• ..... •·., .. ,•. ·• .1 ..92 per f pot In addition, YQU also have your choice ofPewter Blu_e or Gold Anodized-Tubing.in several select sizes.

Ultralight HardV11are: For your addedconvenience,. Leading Edge Airfoils, Irie. c1Jso ca.rri.es a complete. selection of high-strength UltraUghtand Hang·Gtii:lerhartjware; sail cloth, reductions, and accessorles.

of

Twenty Foot Diameter RDP for Hang Glider and Pilots under 225 lbs.

Gross Wt. ................................. $365.00 Twenty-Two Foot Diameter RDP For Pilots of Hang Gliders or Ultralights under 285 lbs. Gross Wt. Also Proven for Base Jumps ................................. $465.00 Twenty-Eight Foot Diameter RDP for Ultralights up to 400 lbs. Gross Wt. 12' Cable bridle. Harness & Carry Bag. Total Wt. 12 lbs ................................. $595.00

Embury Sky Systems, Inc. 33330 Westlong Street Lake Elsinore, Calif. 92330

U.S.A.

(714) 678-2174

~ IE s SI

x

•~EADINGEDGEAIRfDUS,INC. 3a1 'sodt11J4th St_teet,ColoradoSprings, Colorado 80904 Phone {303) 632-4959

TAKE HANG GLIDING WITH YOU DON'T MISS THE LATEST ISSUE BY FAILING TO NOTIFY USHGA OF YOUR CHANGE OF ADDRESS/I NAME _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ USHGA # - - - ~ OLD ADDRESS CITY '

-

STATE _ _ ZIP - ~ -

NEW ADDRESS CITY _ _ _ _ _ _ _ STATE _ _ ZIP ____ LAST ISSUE RECEIVED

Stop for a minute and picture yourself on top of the stack at your favorite flying site, feeling relaxed and confident. We've been making gliders that stayed on top for a long time. lma~i~e headi~g ~ut for the next pylon runnl_ng neck and neck with your compet1t1on, but finding the extra speed to arrive first. We make very fast gliders. Think about going for the target know!ng that the glider lands so easy and slowly that you don't worry about dropping the nose or bending the down tubes.

You a winner! The Moyes Missile from the company that over the years has produced more winners.

(PLEASE ALLOW FOUR WEEKS FOR PROCESSING)

Notify USHGA Early!

Please Note: You must notify your post office that you will pay forwarding postage on your second class mail or you may miss an issue.

USHGA, Box 66306, Los Angeles, CA 90066.

COMPETITION CORNER MOYES WINS Lawrence Hargrave Intl. Meet

*1ST *2ND *3RD

•• , IIIC.