APA Paragliding Vol1/Iss2 1990

Featuring news from. t~e American Paragliding Association

\JOl "\ NO, 2

s1cr,.1oc1. '90

Introducing ...

THE

''POCKET ROCKET''™ PATENT PENDING

FROM SECOND CHANTZ RECOVERY SYSTEMS INC.

THE ORIGINAL, ROCKET DEPLOYED RECOVERY SYSTEM FOR PARAGLIDING AND HANG GLIDING. Fast, Rocket Deployment.

No Installation Hassles.

Aimable Hand-Deployable Transfers Fast Between Harnesses.

Paraglider Systems For Up To A 250 lb. Load or Tandem Flight.

Hang Glider Systems Use Your Own Hand Deploy.

Fully Tested in Actual Extreme Flight Emergencies.

5 Year Shelf Life Rocket Motor Built To Rigid Military Specifications.

Field Inspection And Repack By Owner.

TOLL FREE ORDERING

800-342-1601

For free information and our new video ($5.00, refundable upon purchase) Please write or call.. .

Second Chantz Inc. P.O. Box 12671 Reno, Nevada 89510 Phone 702-829-2077 Or Fax 702-829-2079

published six times per year Publisher and Editor

Fred Stockwell art director

Freddie Snalam

FEATURES:

Paragliding, The Magazine Editorial. subscription and advertising information : 3314 West 11400 South South Jordan. Utah 84065

(801) 254-7455 fax (801) 254-7701

Cover Photo by John Stanford Cover Photo of Debbie Olea - Flying at Point of the Mountain. Utah

Photo Credits Phot by Ed Pitman Page 5: Page 10: Photo by Jack Kreinheader Page 11: Photo by Fred Stockwell Page 12: Photo by Ed Pitman Somewhere in France Page 14: Photo by Fred Stockwell At Point of the Mountain. Utah Page 16: Photo by Ed Pitman Flying at Summer Lake Page 36: Photo by John Heiney & Greg Smith Flying south of Fort Funston, CA Page 38: Photo by Denny Dennis of Claudia Stockwell

PARAGLIDING. themagczJnelspubllshed rormembers or the paraglldng community as weM as other Interested parts . tt ls the offldol voice of 1he American

PAiaglldlng Assocloffon. Mcie submissions are welcome . however Paraglld-

~Ato~~~o~~~Z:c1tt~':1~~~:6r~7;!~~~!;~{M~~ii: ~~~ft~. i1 Magazine, reserves the right to edit any contributions. Further. The magazhe rese,ve, the nght to reject any advertising wtilch may be deemed obJecttonable or damaging to the pubHcatlon by the staff ar the association. 1ne magczJna ond the associating da nat assume any responslblN1y far the content of any pu:,ilshad articles. advertising or far the opinions In the magazhe by ~s conti1bUtors.

PARAGLIDING . 1he Magame . ls published six ffme, per year far a subscnpffan price of S24 per year by: PARAGLIDING PUBLICATIONS. INC.. 3314 We,t 11400 South. Sauth Jordan. Utah 84065. Absolutely na articles. odvertlsng . photos ar other p\.bllshed matertal of the magazine may be reproduced In any marYl9r without express written permls~anofthe publisher. () Copy!lght 1990 PARAGLIDING PUBLICATIONS. INC. Al rtghts rese,ved .

j~QM~~R~~ ~ir~i~'.

~ra"~:Paragliding. The Maga~na. 3314 West

2

Flying in Mexico No rules - no restrictions

5

Torrey Story Flying the cliffs of San Diego

by Kim Taylor

by Ken Baier

Towing in Utah

10 Sheer fear and excitement

by Fred Stockwell

Your First 12 Buying Paraglider

by Fred Stockwell

Paragliding Harness

22 A constructive look at 2 and 3 riser harnesses

DEPARTMENTS: 8 14 24 28

Glide Ratio Competitions Technique

by John Bouchard

A.P.A. News

36 Glider Review

40 44 47

by Dennis Pagen

by Greg Smith

Weather Conditions Accident Statistics Classified

1

by Granger Banks

••• _ _·_.l~. ---•

-- ..1.~~ L. 1

BAJA - CAL\f'ORNIA

l

ust minutes across the border, ere exists a world completely different from Southern California in every respect. Mexico's undeveloped land, free of rules and restrictions, offers wonderful flying for the adventurous, and not-so-adventurous paraglider pilot.

For the adventure seeke~ Mexico offers the opportunity to hop across the border in search of new, never before flown sites, where one can dive in at any site that looks inviting. However, because there are no rules, there is also no permission, so the adventure seeker runs the risk of being kicked off his or her chosen site. In addition to good flying, there exists a myriad of restaurants available to those who don't mind a little risk of catching Montezuma' s Revenge.

The roadside taco stands are the best for tasty tacos made of lobster, shrimp, fish, or carne asada, and an ice cold beer or soda. I've heard stories that these

stands are a good place to get sick, but I've eaten at them for years, and have never even had a belly ache. Another plus about these stands is the price. Tacos are usually only one dollar each, so you can stuff yourself cheaply.

The conservative pilot can avoid the potential hassles of being thrown off an unknown site, as well as the potential unknown dangers of an unknown site, by flying sites that have been flown for years. These sites are well known to most San Diego pilots, and they can most likely give you directions, and information about any quirks the sites may have. Likewise for the conservative diner, there are many higher class restaurants with good food, silverware, and real dishes. Be expected to pay about ten to fifteen dollars per meal (assuming you go easy on the margaritas).

These restaurants may be more expensive, but the lobster dinner is tasty and unique. Where else can you get lobster with tortillas, 2

beans and rice?

We have flown many of the popular sites, as well as some sites we found through exploration, and the following sums up what we think are the highlights of northern Baja flying.

1) Tijuana Torrey. Located at kilometer 18 off the toll road, this sight is a coastal cliff of only about a hundred feet high. It works best in a westerly wind and needs winds of about ten to twelve mph for tons of soarable fun. Landing is no problem; top landings are an option, as well as a sandy beach below. Just around the point to the south is a longer continuation of the same cliff, which faces more southerly, and is slightly larger.

2) Cantamar Sand Dunes. Take the Cantamar exit off the toll road, and take advantage of the best place ever for barefoot flying and taco stands. Come here for lunch, if you're brave enough to attack these roadside

stands. As for the site, you can park in the parking lot right at the dunes for a fee of around three dollars. The northern dunes to the right of the parking lot are the most soarable, working best in a west to northwesterly wind. You'll be flying in a cluster of homes on the cliff top, and the children will go wild when you pass by. The southern dunes to the left of the parking lot are about fifteen feet high, and are quite a fun challenge to soar in higher winds. The weather here is a bit un predictable, sometimes not blowing when other nearby sites have wind, and often blowing out.

Therefore don't get your hopes up until you get there.

3) La Salina. This is a 600 foot ridge located about ten miles south of Cantamar, off the east side of the toll road (you can't miss it). Take the La Salina exit,

and follow the road towards the ridge to the east. You have to park on the dirt road, cross the barbed wire fence, and hike up the ridge, but it is usually well worth it, as this sight offers some truly fabulous air. As you'll see when you get there, the entire base of the ridge is LZ, but there is a small clearing with a streamer, that makes a good place free of low bushes to land.

Straight uphill form this LZ is a cleared launch with a streamer.

The ridge itself is probably a couple miles long, and works best in a southwesterly wind. · Words of caution: 1) Don't be fooled with the proximity of the ocean. The sight is notorious for punchy thermals, and can be quite a handful under a clear sky.

The best day to fly here is on a pre-frontal or June gloom day.

Watch for rattlesnakes on the hike up, and mosquitoes in the

LZ. D~n't land first or you may regret 1t.

Traveling in Baja should be a pleasant experience, but there are a few things to watch for.

First, the toll road to Ensenada is the most convenient road to take, so be prepared to spend $1.75 or so per toll. Also, be cautious of speeding, because if the Federales catch you, they'll want all your money. Thus it is wise to take small bills, and don't keep more than $20 in your wallet. Also don't bring any drugs down there, or you're really asking for it. Other than that, have fun, and remember that these are onlr highlights, and if you're feelmg adventurous, find your own site (just be sure to tell a San Diego local on your way back)!

..... \\w /..¥

'

RAVEN ADVENTURES

ALASKA Walk on Air through the high gla cier Peaks of South Central Alaska with Raven Adventures.

Experience flight from the most remote and scenic wilderness mountains in the country. Raven Adventures owned and operated by local pilots Clark and Norma Saunders, is conveniently locat ed just an hour north of Anchorage.

Our courses range from absolute beginner to advanced pilot skills. All are taught on a personal basis , by APA certified instructors. New and used equipment sales as well as custom mountain tours are available.

For reservations or more information write to: Raven Adventures P.O. Box 1887 Palmer AK 99645 See you in the Skies!

TEXAS PARAGLIDING INC. SOARING AND SERVING THE LONE STAR STATE

SA.LES & ~~HOOL for American Paragliding Assoc1at1on Cert1f1cat1ons. Tandem and video instruction · Towing • Flatland Thermaling • Ridge Soaring YEAR ROUND flying a 7 Texas sites!

Supplier of high performance paragliding equipment.

ITV * HARLEY * PERFORMANCE DESIGNS

TOWING? We set the paragliding towing standards for safety with our Quic~ Line Recov~ry System (QLR) .

Also useable with all hang gliding tow rigs .

Exclusive distributor for the 'SKYLAUNCH' Tow System.

SKy-6000' • SKY-3000' e SKY-SPECTRA 1/8" models Certified supplier for ·u.LTRALINE' and its replacement· coming your way!

To order and Enroll call us at (713) 973-9546 or write

T.P.I. 1437 Waseca, Houston, TX. 77055-4411

By

KEN BAIER

orrey Pines is a great place to paragiicle, no doubt one of the nations premier sites. It features consistently soarable winds, year around warm weather, unmatched convenience, an at the launch restaurant, flight school and store and some of Southern Califomias most beautiful coastline. The only negatives for some pilots are the rules and restrictions designed to keep it open. So before you drop everything and hop on the next jet to San Diego, read on to see if the locals are going to let you fly here. If you qualify you'll enjoy some terrific flying at one of the Meccas of the soaring world.

from the Miramar Naval Air Station pass directly overhead (1500 to 2500 ft.) and Redtail hawks and gulls will often share the sky at close distances. Torrey is really good for aerial photos so bring your camera, even if it does make you feel like a geek.

I call Torrey the 7-11 of soaring sites because it's so convenient. Numerous area pilots show up to fly their lunch break or after work. a telephone call to the club sponsored Wind talker ( 457-9093) is all it takes to learn if it is good. The park is only several minutes from interstate 5. With the parking area, shop, set-up, launch and landing areas all in the same spot the logistics are simple. No drivers or four wheel drive vehicles are needed.

Located adjacent to the landing area is Torrey Flight Park (TFP), the concessionaire at the park. Torrey Flight Park is a full service paragliding and hang gliding shop offering lessons, equipment (including rentals) and service. Sandwiches, sodas and other goodies arL handy within the shop at the Cliffhanger Cafe. TFP is also the flight director at Torrey. Before you can fly you must check in, fill out the necessary paperwork, show your ratings and sign into the log book. Be sure to bring your rating card because they do check! The business is owned

by Bill Bennett, known worldwide in the sport of hang gliding. He is also very much into the paragliding business and is a character you'll want to meet.

T

THE SITE These beautiful 300 foot coastal cliffs are located in the suburb of La Jolla (San Diego's answer to Beverly Hills).

The vertical sandstone wall faces west and is about four and a half miles long. The diversity of scenery to fly over

THE POLITICS Torrey Pines Gliderport is a city park that is designated .a natural park to be used for soaring sports. Sailplanes, hang gliders and radio controlled models have been flying Torrey for years with the paragliders becoming legal only in February of 1990. Flight rules are made by the city after recommendations by the Soaring Council, which is made up of members from each of the participating sports. One of the most interesting things about paragliding being accepted at Torrey was the open mindedness cU1d enthusiasm towards it by the other flying clubs using the park. They could very easily have made things difficult but they started out with a good attitude. I

includes some amazing multi-million dollar mansions, the Torrey Pines Golf course, the Torrey Pines State Park and Black's Beach (probably the best known nude beach in California). With a good thermal you'll see the city sprawled all the way to Tiajuana, Mexico: Fighter jets

5

believe this attitude was largely due to the patience of the local paraglider pilots and the shop in working with the system and not flying until a proposal had been accepted by the city. The site was not endangered because when flying began the insurance and flying rules were in place.

THE RULES Torrey Pines Gliderport Paragliding Pilot Requirements l. APA Class 2 or equivalent.

2. Member of the USHGA. This provides the insurance required by the city. You can join at the park.

3. Membership in the local club to cover use fees for the city.

4. Pass the Torrey paragliding test. Focus is on right of way rules and rules particular to Torrey. You'll get these when you sign in.

5. All pilots must fly with helmet, reserve parachute and a whistle.

THE FLYING Consistent and smooth are the probably the two words that best describe the air at Torrey. This is air you can play in. At 8 to 10 MPH the cool sea level air becomes soarable and with just a little more it becomes buoyant and fat. This is great air for working on flight maneuvers or learning a new glider. The stronger winds allow touring the entire cliff from the Point (the northern most part near Del Mar) to the pier ( where the cliffs flatten

out in La Jolla). Frontal conditions produce unstable air that makes for good thermalling that is rarely turbulent.

Pilots that don't believe that thermals can happen right at the coast are usually the ones looking up at other gliders. Working thermals at Torrey is a great way to work on pilot touch and technique.

THE WEATHER From spring through fall the coastal sea-breeze flows on shore almost daily, with wind speeds normally between 8 to 16 miles per hour. Torrey is protected by the Southwestern desert that moves the track of most cold fronts to the north so, except for powerful winter storms, it is rarely blown out. The worst condition at Torrey is high pressure. This produces off-shore or northerly winds except for an occasional strange aberration known as a Catalina eddy, which blows southwesterly at Torrey and from the east virtually everywhere else. The late fall and winter months arc dominated by high pressure so we often endure periods of no flying, however the winter storms that reach us give us excellent flying in the upper portions of our speed range and some really good thermal conditions. Perhaps the final beauty of Torrey is that it's in Southern California with numerous other sites and other things to do if the winds do not cooperate.

B

I

R

D

w

I

'

N

G™

The two Winglets reduce the size of the vortices created by the wingtips resulting in less induced drag. Additionally, the Winglets improve spanwise shaping and add lifting area to the canopy.

The very smooth and flat spanwise shape of the canopy leads to higher lift performance.

The quadruple cascading of the suspension lines results in the use of the minimum number of lines and reduces line drag while it maintains the most accurate trim and airfoil shape, chordwise and spanwise.

The use of the best available materials combined with parachute construction techniques adds to the performance and durability of the Birdwing 300 series.

Flying a Birdwing 323 or 325 will convince you of the performance and handling advantages these canopies have.

Please contact Para-Fl ite or the nearest authorized Para-Flite dealer for additional information.

~

PARA FLITE lncarparatad 5800 Magnolia Avenue• Pennsauken, NJ 08109 U.S.A. (609) 663-1275 • TLX 831355 • FAX (609) 663-3028

1990 GLIDE RATIO CONTEST At Morningside, New Hampshire

By Dennis Pagen

ome time ago, in an episode of grandiose delusions, I decided to embark on a quest of pure scientific discovery on the order of Newton, Maxwell, Einstein and Planck or at least Mr. Wizard and Gyro Gearloose. My interest was to discover the true glide ratio of hangliders to once and for all put an end to the runaway inflation of manufacturer's claims.

The concept was simple: Find a hill of suitable height, measure this height accurately, fly at best glide in still air, measure the horizontal distance from takeoff to landing point and calculate the glide ratio. In practice, a few technicalities complicate matters, but we forged blithely ahead and now, for three years running we have held a glide ratio contest that has produced some accurate data gleaned from hundreds of flights.

The important news for paraglider enthusiasts is the fact that for the past two years we have included paragliders in this contest and now have enough information to present the results.

Before we hit you with the hard numbers, however, let me tell you more about our methods.

the best glide speed for their particular canopy. Some paragliders are trimmed to fly at best glide speed with no brakes applied, while others require a certain amount of brakes. Consult your manufacture to find out your canopy's situation if you have any doubt.

S

FINDING THE RIGHT AIR The above discussion has one added glitch. The maximum glide ratio we are talking about assumes still air. A headwind will decrease this maximum glide ratio with respect to the ground.

Imagine that you are flying your best canopy at best glide ratio into the teeth of a wind equal to your flying speed. In this case you wouldn't be moving forward at all, but would be slowly descending straight down. Your glide ratio would be zero. Thus, headwind as well as sinking air decreases your glide ratio while lift and tailwind increases it. Consequently, to truly find our maximum glide ratio we must fly in still air.

The best way to find still air is to get up at an ungodly hour in the morning before the sun has had time to heat the ground and stir the air. To indicate our dedication to science, we were up each morning of the contest by 5:00 AM and flying by 6:00 AM.

FLYING A GLIDE To begin, we should define what we mean when we say "glide

We had to stop both days by 8:30 AM due to moving air.

ratio." This term is used throughout aviation to indicate how far forward an aircraft travels for every unit of height it descends.

For example, a 10 to l glide ratio means the craft goes forward ten feet for every foot it drops. With 1,000 feet of altitude, this particular aircraft could travel 10,000 feet - almost two miles.

An aircraft can vary its glide ratio by changing its angle of attack or speed. However, there is one speed that interests us most. That is the speed that produces the maximum glide ratio. At that speed, an aircraft is flying most efficiently and achieves the flattest glide path.

THE SETUP We chose Morningside Recreation Park near Claremont, New Hampshire as the most reasonable place to run such a contest.

The site has a 250 foot grassy hill and most importantly, fourwheel drive vehicles which ferry pilots and gliders or canopies to the top for multiple flights.

The course at Morningside consisted of a straight flight out from the hill to land as far from takeoff as possible. We measured the course by using a 100 foot rope and an accurate digital altimeter. With a little trigonometry and a few punches on the calculator, we could draw a profile of the hill and lay out the horizontal distances on the flat landing area below.

Maximum glide ratio is one important measure of an aircraft's performance. In a paraglider, miles per hour faster than minimum sink speed which is just barely faster than stall speed.

(Minimum sink speed, another important parameter of aircraft performance, is that speed which produces the slowest descent rate.) All these speeds vary with wing loading (how heavy you arc) and glider design, so each pilot has to experiment to find

When a pilot took a glide ratio flight, we marked his landing point, measured his horizontal distance by referring to our

8

performers cannot be counted due to the limited number of flights. Our science is not that precise yet-only a quantity of quality flights will allow us to achieve statistical reliability. Note that less than four feet in takeoff altitude makes a difference of I/10th of the glide ratio point. Launch technique could easily account for that difference.

markers then divided this by the known hill height (240 feet from the lift-off point) to get an instant glide ratio. With this method we measured over 70 flights in two hours (hanglidcrs and paragliders combined) each of the two contest days.

THE RESULTS Our meet philosophy has remained unchanged over the past three years. It is:

Note from the chart that glider size didn't seem to make much difference in the still air. Theory tells us that wing loading doesn't affect maximum glide ratio. The flights of Etsushi Matsuo were taken back to back on different size canopies with the result being results arc listed in roughly the order that flights were taken by the various pilots so you may judge the affect of conditions and learning to fly best glide.

1. To have fun.

2. To learn how to fly at best glide speed.

3. To compare glide ratios of different crafts.

4. To find the true maximum glide ratio of each design.

We have listed these in the order of importance to us and in the order of feasibility. We have certainly achieved the first goal, judging from the smiles on the faces of the competitors. This was widest despite the early hours, the wet grass trudges and the kamakazi mosquitos. The rest of the goals were met to various degrees according to how many flights a pilot took.

The best way to view the results is to look at the accompanying chart. Here we see the seven pilots flying various canopies with various degrees of success. Part of the secret to this success was a good, aggressive launch. It should be noted that three of the pilots, John Harris, Roger Coxen and Bo Haggwood had never foot-launched a canopy before June 22, one day prior to the contest (their experience came from towing at Kitty Hawk Kites in North Carolina). Also noteworthy is the pilotage of Andre Bucher, world class competitor who exhibited a high-energy launch and an inimitable flying style.

As can be seen from the chart, we used a variety of canopies from three different manufacturers. The short lead time we had prevented more companies from sending gliders. As it was, we had a good enough mix to see some trends.

One obvious point is that the best designs do indeed get better than 6 to 1 maximum glide. Any differences in the top

The third annual Glide Ratio Contest is now history. Our meager contribution to science is there for the world to witness.

We found out some interesting items, not the least of which was the fact that some of the best paragliders do glide close to what the manufactures claim. Contrast this with the history of hand gliding where claims became inflated up to 15 to 1 until we showed that 10.5 to 1 was the most we could reasonably expect out of a modern high-performance model.

Next year we will do it again. We hope to have more paragliders, more pilots and more fun if that is possible. You are all invited to come and glide your flattest.

I'd like to close with a word of thanks to the manufacturers that supported our little event. Scott Gressit and Etsushi Matsuo of UP helped organize and insure participation in the contest.

Ed Pittman sent along a canopy and Peter Zimmerli showed up to fly his glider and promote the APA. Finally, Jeff Nicolay, Morningsides manager helped in many arcane ways, not the least of which was telling jokes to humor us after waking everyone at the obscene hour of 5 AM. We recommend Morningside to all levels of pilots with its commercial set-up ideal to cater to your needs.

PARAGUDING GUDE RAno RESULTS

JUNE 23

JUNE 24

PILOT

GLIDER

GLIDE RATIO

GLIDER

GLIDE RATIO

BOHAGGWOOD

VECTOR 29

6.48

COMETCX

6.30

ETSUSHI MATSUO

VECTOR 25

4.97

VECTOR 25

5.83

SCOTT GRESSIT

VECTOR 25

5.23

VECTOR22

5.61

.................................

5.23

GLIDER ........................

GLIDE RATIO .....................

6.05

GLIDER ... ... _............ _

GLIDE RATIO ... ... -...........

UP SWIFT ............... _......

......... _.........

VECTOR 2.5 5.17 & 5.27 ... _............... ... ........................

UP SWIFT

5.62

UP SWIFT

6.05 ... .................

JOHN HARRIS

VECTOR 27 ............................

COMETCX

5.75

................... ......

PETER ZIMMERLI

..............................

... ..............................

COMET

5.03

... ........................

... .................

JEFF HOSTLER

..............................

.................................

VECTOR 27

4.68

VECTOR 27

... ..................

ROGER COXEN

..................................

9

-

.... W,Nc..H 1Dw1Nc. ....... u1~1-t ...

,~4~dt

-

take-up-slack signal, I started to drive forward. The tension meter was set at 60 lbs. The slack came out of the line.

It was mid June and the temperatures were

getting up to the 90's. Phillippe Waffelaert had driven up from New Mexico to take delivery of his new tow winch and to learn the art of towing paragliders.

Friday morning we fitted the tow winch to his pickup and in less than three hours were ready to go. But first we needed a guinea pig to pull up while I showed Phillippe how to tow. Fortunately for us, Jack Kreinheder was visiting from Alaska and was keen to learn. I went through the basics with him and he felt he was ready to go. I should mention that Jack has a Class I licence and is a good pilot.

I tensioned the hydraulics and paid out 150 feet of line. Claudia clipped the line to Jack and with the

I gently accelerated. The

canopy came up clean. I increased the speed, and in two steps Jack was airborne, but it was hard to keep him there. The winch was paying out too fast, but with a half twist of the tension knob the pressure went to 80 lbs. and all was well. As I increased the tow, I was able to back off the pressure.

At 700 feet, I stopped the tow. Jack released the line, did a 360° tum , turned again and heading for launch, landing close to where he had started. Jack stood there with a big grin on his face. His first word was "Unbelievable!", followed by "Let's do it again!".

Within 10 minutes everything was set and ready to go.

Phillippe was watching and listening to every word.

For the next tow he would be driving. As with the first tow, as I drove I explained to Phillippe the speed of the truck, tension on the line, and the flying position of the pilot. Jack was flying very well and kept his position right behind the truck. I stopped the tow. The line went slack. Jack released. We re-wound the line and headed back to launch. Phillippe was asking one question after another and I was answering as fast as I could. The line was connected once again to Jack. I told him Phillippe would be driving this time. His eyes opened a bit wider. Phillippe and I smiled. Fortunately for us all, if you tow with a good winch and understand the correct safety procedures, the chances of a mishap are very low. If you try it by trial and error, the odds are very much against you.

Phillippe took the driver's side, checked the tension pressure, waited for the take-up-slack signal, and with a pensive look, started the tow. The canopy inflated.

Jack once again took to the air, a little faster than he would have liked, but the winch system kicked in and let out the line to compensate for the extra speed. Phillippe let off the gas and Jack started to go up again, much to his relief. It was an interesting first driver tow, but first driver tows usually are. Jack was in good spirits and we were ready to go again.

After about 10 tows, things were looking really good.

Four other pilots were with us - Robin from the U.K, Claudia, and two guys from Colorado. When we first started they were a bit skeptical, but realizing that Jack

Claudia Stockwell on tow 10

was getting a whole lot of air and fun, it was time for them to move in. Next to go was Robin. No problem. After four tows, Claudia's canopy was ready to go. Phillippe was doing great, no one wanted to stop, and so it was for the next five days! Phillippe put in over 50 tows and was looking real good. Everyone got lots of air. By Wednesday, the clinic was over and Phillippe was on his way back to New Mexico. Towing is a great way to get airborne. But without the right equipment and training it can be lethal. You need to know if your canopy is safe to tow. Many canopies are not.

Jack Kreinheder

IT'S TIME TO FLY! HANG LI DING AND PARAGLIDING LESSONS

• All levels of instruction • USHGA Certified instructors • Hang Gliding & Paragliding lessons • All gear provided • Private and group lessons • Equipment dealer AIRTIME of San Francisco

(415) SKY-1177

3620 Wawaona, S.F. CA 94116

11

\

B

"'"'

uyin..g• .a_p_.awi rari-g•lider is an important step. The amount of choice facing a first time buyer can be confusing. You will need some knowledge, advice and patience. Most instructors sell equipment, not only for commercial reasons, but as part of their service to you. They are therefore in a position of being both seller and advisor. Usually the selection offered is based on their experience with the product, and the needs of their market. Make sure that the selection isn't limited to the products of one manufacturer. Your instructor has seen your capabilities from the start of your lessons and using his or her experience should guide you into the canopy that is right for you.

Here are a few important points to consider before you choose: Where are you going to fly? How often will you be able to fly? What is your price range? New vs. Used .

A second hand canopy if well maintained can be a good purchase. Whatever the temptation of an attractive price the canopy must be inspected and flown.

Remember this is a risk sport, aviation. Therefore it follows that the canopy should be in flying condition and you should be able to see it flown and fly it by yourself before the purchase. On inspecting a second hand canopy, use your common sense and training. A canopy that is very dirty, faded, or stuffed into an old sack is an example of poor treatment. Do a hands on pre-flight check as you have been taught and you should find any obvious damage.

Where and how often you will fly are worth some thought as well. If you will be flying where landing areas are sparse, glide ratio is an important consideration. Beware of exaggerated claims, talk to other pilots who fly the type of glider you are considering. Read manufacturers guidelines for weight range and glide ratio. Make sure you understand the level rating system (see July I August issue).

Level 1 beginner, level 2 intermediate, level 3 advanced. Know what the level the glider is rated.

No one should buy a level 3 as their first glider!

In the beginning of your flying career your learning rate is so great that you can outgrow your first canopy faster than any subsequent purchase. You need to evaluate what type of flying you plan to do. Canopies made for descending from mountains are generally smaller and lighter than those made for soaring. U you live in an area where tow-launching is an option you will need to be advised on what type of canopies tow the best.

Where you fly, can also govern how often you fly . Some areas, such as the coast have more consistent winds. So it follows that you will get more opportunities to fly. If you will be flying one day a week it will take you longer to build your skills. A wise choice then would be a level 1 canopy, very easy and forgiving to fly, but with less performance. On the other hand if you plan to devote a good deal of time to getting air time you will need a level 2 glider, so you won't outgrow it too quickly. If you are in this category you should plan on spending time with your instructor to fully understand your canopy.

P.S. If you are buying used, look at the D-rings, the steering line wears the D-rings and they can snap. Test material for U.V. damage by pressing your thumb hard against the cloth. If it tears forget it. If riser tabs are fitted, make sure you understand the use of, and that they were fitted in accordance with the designer and manufacturer. Don't forget to check harness for U.V. damage and stitching.

12

_ _ _ _ _ _ by Fred Stockwell

ParaPorter TM ProParagliding TM Harness Pilot features include:

* Fully Padded Shoulder Straps &Back Pad

* Fully Adjustable * ln,Jlight Adjustable * Large Pocket on Back * Comes in Different Sizes * Two Styles to Choose From Construction features include:

* 4 Years in Development * AB Materials Meet or Exceed Military Specifications

* Stainless Steel Leg Strap Hardware

* Designed & Tested by Two FAA Licensed Master Parachute Riggers

* Quality .Materials and Construction * US Patent Pending

$185.00 Complete Dealer Inquiries Invited!

Aerolite TM SuperLite TM Paraglider Reserve Systems The Only Paragliding Reserves Designed and Built in. the USA Aerolite R-500 16 Gore Reserve 160 lb. Maximum Gross Weight $ 290.00 • Includes Container

Aerolite R-600 18 Gore Reserve 200 lb. Maximum Gross Weight $ 315.00 • Includes Container

Aerolite SuperLite Reserves feature:

* Compact Size

* Light Weight· only 3.25 pounds * Clips Easily on to any Harness * Easy Center Pull (pull with either hand) * Containers Available in Custom Colors * Single or Dual Attachment Yoke (your choice) * Pulled Down Apex Canopies (slow descent rate) * Innovative Deployment System • US Patent Pending Performance Designs Paragliding, Inc. 12650 Softwind Dr., Moreno Valley CA 92388

"We used our 10+ years ofusing and developing skydiving and paragliding equipment to design and manufacture the ultimate paragliding reserve system. It is absolutely the best reserve Tony Domenico money can buyr FAA Licensed Master Parachute Rigger

Dealer Inquiries Invited!

Phone 714-924-5229 FAX 714-242-4718

UTAH

Girls Just Wanna Go Fly

By D.D. Trait

using the body slide rather than the stand up technique. She placed third . Kim Taylor from San Diego, flying a 95 Meteor, showed great form and control and added to the competitive spirit by her accuracy on the spot. She placed second losing by only one point. Claudia Stockwell, a local pilot, flew a 97 Meteor to grab first place with her performance on the pylon course and spot landing like a pro.

The hang gliding event was somewhat non-eventful and it never really got soarable. Several of the pilots flew and went for the spot landings at the bottom. Lori Judy Fitzgerald and Kari Castle scratched in great form, and were joined in the air at times by Allison Baumhefner, Sue Cristie, Polly Ross, Claudia Stockwell, and Mika Kojima. Lots of us demo'ed new gliders and enjoyed each others company all day waiting for the wind.

In the evening it still wasn't soarable, but Kari and Lori made it look easy as they flew the pylon course sometimes only feet above the hill. When it was over Kari was the winner with Lori in 2nd and Polly 3rd.

Congratulations to them and also to Claudia, Kim and Debbie, and all the women who came and flew. Thanks also to the Utah girls and the U.H.G.A. for organizing and hosting the event. Let's do it again next year!!

The first combination paragliding-hang gliding competition in the U.S. was a women's meet on Memorial Day Weekend, at the Point of the Mountain, Utah. "Girls just Wanna Go Fly'; was attended by 7 paraglider pilots and 23 hang glider pilots from all over the country. The atmosphere was lively as the women out-numbered the men and a great time was had by all.

The weather refused to co-operate, so modified tasks were called on the South Side, a 300 ft. training hill. Rather than the preferred 1200 ft. North Side. The tasks consisted of spot landings and a pylon course with a duration task added for the hang glider pilots.

The Ladies: Susan Earley, from Boulder, CO., flew a big Harley Elite and gained good altitude though she lost landing points overshooting the spot. Dana Ellinger, from Austin Texas, chose a small Harley Elite to fly stronger North Side conditions, and she fell short of the spot on the South Side. Gina Guthrie, from Boulder, CO., flew well on her Firebird but wasn't able to stay for the entire competition.

Bobbi Halpern, from San Diego, CA., on a comet CXA maxxed the pylon course but missed the spot and missed out on placing in the competition. Debbie Olea, a new pilot from San Diego, flew aggressively on a Comet CXA but in her determination to hit the spot, lost valuable points by

L to R: Debbie Olea, Joie Perrault, Kim Tatlor, Claudia Stockwell, Bobbi Halpern, Dana Ellinger, Gina Guthrie.

14

Progress has its name

OREGON

SUMMER LAKE Fourth Of July Fly-in

by Jim Yates

W

The Summer Lake Fly-In was the best run paragliding event that I have ever been to. Phil Pohl deserves a lot of credit as does Ed Pitman and Heidi Carr. Darrell and Nina Sevens could not have done a better job with the food and accommodations, private tours oflndian sites, day care, drivers, and the list goes on.

Summer Lake is truly a magical flying site. The east facing2,500 foot rim provides a site capable of a 60 mile out and return record waiting to be set.

We will be back again to enjoy, and challenge Winter Ridge and Summer Lake. If you are interested in flying the site contact Darrell Stevens at the Summer Lake Bed and Breakfast (503) 943-3983 or Phil Pohl at (503) 389-4086.

e were all told that Summer Lake was destined to be one of the West's premier paragliding sites. Was this true? Or was this to be just another trip in search of?

Twenty pilots were soon to find out that Summer Lake not only has wonderful flying potential but also offers some of the best fishing, hiking and wildlife observing in the Northwest.

The week began as sixteen pilots came for the exploration of Winter Ridge. Peter Zimmerli from New York with family and friends, as well as Doug Pohl from Washington, Curtis Woodman and students from San Francisco, Hans Hub from Sun Valley, Idaho, Ed Pitman, Heidi Carr, and myself from Redding Ca., along with a few locals.

On the first day we all were able to fly from Buck Launch in moderately strong thermal lift. The site became too strong Saturday afternoon to continue paragliding so the group settled back at the D7 Ranch to swap stories and white lies about flying experiences they had all had since we last met. The next day and a half was blown out as a front moved through the area. People were fishing on the D7 pond trying to catch just one of the many large mouth bass that · Darrell's friends had released in it. Others enjoyed the sunset from the rim or toured ancient Indian encampments. Some of us opted to frequent the Summer Lake Hot Springs. Tuesday and Wednesday offered the best flying of the trip.

The launches on Winter Ridge are rocky, so be prepared. The only serious injury of the event was when Paul Book blew his launch and broke his ankle.

Charlie and Zac Hoisinton from Redding became air hogs flying every chance while Ed Pitman, Jim Yates and Peter Zimmerli spent time chasing each other up and down the rim. Three to five miles was the average flight given the conditions during our stay. The highway runs at the base of the rim so cross country allows the driver to be waiting for you as you sink out somewhere down the rim.

We were having so much fun at Winter Ridge that we never made it to Albert Rim 45 miles to the south. The hang gliding fly-in there brought in over 100 pilots to compete for a cross country purse of $500.

Flying at Summer Lake

16

~

AREA SPAN

MIWINK LOW SPEED TOPSPEID GUDERRIO' U LOADRANGE 50AIO

CANOPYWf.

1iX:21 AREA SPAN

IIN/SINK LOWSPEED TOP SPEED

t

MIDI$ 2S.IIR ~ 1.111 1A MPS 131CMff 37 ICIIJI U

GUDERATIO LOAD RANGE 1111120KG f

CANOPY WT. t .QX:D MEIBIC. AREA SPAN

MINISINK LOW SPEED

TOP SPEED

Banks, Granger, Paraeoft Inc., 398, LoulavlUe, CO 80027 Congdon, Ralph, 50N83-1S88, 1 -.i, Wenatchee, WA 98801 Hub, Hans, S.V. Ket. Pll'IIQlklng, 208.728,471' Cedar Dr., Ketchum, ID 83340 Lawley, Fred, Rainbow Salls, 811M81·7480, P.O"~ r:,,.:~.c:1u · 1226, Del Mar, CA 92014 Pohl, Phil, Sky Hook Sports, 503-38M08t; P..mJc!J 812, Bend, OR 97709 Pujol, Greg, A Place of Wings, 408-738-1222, MR FalcOn Ct., Sunnyvale, CA 94087 Stenstadvold, Jan, Aspen Paraglldhlng, ~ .

116 Freesilver Ct., Aspen, CO 81811

19.8M2 213.7SQ.FT

7.BM UMPS

25.8 Fr. 374FPM

9.3MPH 23MPH GLIDE RATIO $.2 5.2 LOAD RANGE 45/80 KG 991171LIS 15KMH

37KMH

CANOPY WT.

W:ai

3.8 KG ~

ILBS

11A.

22.8 M2 245.5 SQ.FT &7M 28.5 FT. MINISINK 1.8 MPS 354 FPM LOW SPEED 13 KMH 8.1 MPH TOP SPEED 36 KIIH 22.4 MPH GUDE RATIO 5.3 5.3 LOAD RANGE 55,1100KG 121/220 LBS CANOPY WT. 3.9 KG 8.6 LBS AREA SPAN

(For Dealer Information) ED PITMAN Ph. (916) 359-2392 P.O. Box 188 Fax (916) 359-2397 Shasta, CA. 96087 Mobile (916) 520-2192

.....__ _~USA.

.cJA:Z! ~ 11A. AREA 25.8 M2 277.8 SQ.FT SPAN 9.6 M 31.5 FT. IIN/SINK 1.7 MPS 334.6 FPM LOW SPEED 12 KMH 7.5 MPH TOP SPEED 36 KMH 22.3 MPH GLIDE RATIO 5.4 5.4 LOAD RANGE 65/110KG 1431242 LBS CANOPY WT. 4.2 KG 9.3 LBS

by F. C. Stockwell The 1990 Point of the Mountain meet (Salt Lake City) was the best one yet! Due to the problems we had last year, mainly 6 accidents, it was decided to limit entries to 25 pilots, Class II or invited only. All 25 slots were filled. There was only one task, to bench up from the north side, fly over the top launch, and out to the gap.

The goal was to make it to Lone Peak and return. There were several photo turn points in the gap to score points, and a photo had to be taken every 20 minutes during the flight. Turn points were the water tank, "Potato" Hill, and the dry pond. The maximum points were for a cross road turn point at the base of Lone Peak Mountain. This was not achieved but several pilots made it to "Potato" Hill got their photo and returned, which doubled the points.

The dates for the meet covered 5 days, unfortunately the first 3 days were blown out south. The competitors hung out playing games and talking the usual pilot stuff. By Thursday everyone was ready to fly, the weather was good. The window was opened at 1:00 and would be closed at 7:00.

cus Salvemini made it up and out that first day, as did Jan Stenstvold.

By 5:00 conditions were still strong and as many as 5 pilots were tying to bench up at a time. Every so often one would break away and go up, and another would sink out. Ed Stein made more attempts than anyone, but never got up until the next day. In spite of a heavy wing loading, Mark Axen and Mike Goudeau made it.

Jan made it to "Potato" Hill and back, as did Marcus, Terry Hawkins, and Joel Parker. At the end of the day, the rolls of film were turned in to the meet director to deliver for processing. The next day the photos were examined for validating the scores. It was painfully obvious that good pilots are not necessarily good photographers. More than half of the pilots lost their points due to camera problems. Using a date back camera needs to be added to Class I special skills!

By Friday afternoon the problems were sorted out and two rounds were called for the day. The first window 1:00- 5:00, then 5:00 - 8:00 for the next. Conditions started out a bit milder than the day before, pilots started launching at about 2:00. Pitman was up and out, followed by Marcus. Several pilots that hadn't made it up Thursday were up and heading for the gap. One of them was Dave Whaley. Mark Axen and Greg Smith were on their way to make up points lost to camera problems. Ed Stein, Bill Anderson, and Todd Bibler, were up and away. I felt that on Thursday some of the pilots launched hoping they would get up, by Friday they knew they would get up, come hell or high water! and so it was.

The competition was underway. By4:30mostof the pack was headed back, they had to land and re-launch for the second window. Joe Lentini made more attempts than anyone and finally got a good thermal and headed out.

Lee Kaiser really got high while Fred Lawley had penetration problems. I watched Bill Anderson get some heavy duty tucking and Chuck Smith got dumped in the bushes just after launching. The judgement and skill level of the pilots was high, the meet was winding down with no accidents or injuries. As the day came to an end pilots were landing for the last time and looking as though they'd had a hard days flying, (they had). When the last rolls of film were handed in we celebrated by raising a large silver skull for a final toast to good flying.

It was over! All that was left was the satisfaction of our own achievements.

onditions were a bit strong at 1:00 and had eased up by 3:30. Ed Pitman was the first to go. When he launched there was 1000 fpm up with big sink holes. Ed made it up in less than 10 minutes but it was so strong on top penetration was difficult. Ed blew over the back and landed behind the ridge. He was okay and headed down for his second attempt. Other pilots were trying to bench up but all they could find was the big sink. Chuck Smith launched just after 4:00, found the lift and 10 minutes later was 700 ft. above the top launch, he got his photo and flew down the ridge. At 500 ft. above he broke away from the ridge and headed into the gap. The conditions were quite rock and roll with strong punchy thermals. Greg Smith was the next to make it up. He took his start photo at 300 ft. above the top, at 650 ft. above he broke for the gap. Greg said it would have been easier if he had remembered to turn on his vario. Unfortunately for him the switch was broken and he needed a match stick to turn it on. Searching his pockets for a match stick. while flying in rowdy air made for a very exciting first flight.

The next pilot to bench up was John Bouchard, he made it look so easy catching a good thermal right on launch and taking it right up to the top. At 800 ft. above he headed out to go for the goal. John actually made it to the base of Lone Peak Mountain where he landed. Mar18

FERAL CORPORATION • North Conway, N.H. (603) 356-6907 GLIDING FLIGHT PARAGLIDING CENTER • Point of the Mountain, S.LC., UT. ( 80 l) 254-7455 CLARK SAUNDERS • P.O. Box 1887, Palmer, AK 99645, (907) 745-3097 ALPINE WORLD OPERATIONS• Boulder, CO. (303) 449-5620 TORREY PINES FLIGHT PARK• San Diego, CA. (619) 452-3202 TEXAS PARAGLIDING • Houston, TX. (713) 973-9546 ,,.

MORNING SIDE FLIGHT PARK• Claremont, N.H. (603) 542-4416 LASER CUT FOILS VERTICAL FLIGHT SYSTEMS • Bishop, CA. (619) 873-8367

mv

FINAL RESULTS Place 1

clockwise from top left Photo by Ed Pitman - at South Side Point of the Mountain, Utah.

Joe Lentini tackles Mickael Goudeau on launch North Side Bench.

Pilots meeting on South Side.

Marcus Salvemini launching on North Side Bench.

2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 11 13 13 13 13 13 13 19 19 19 19 19

PIiot Pitman Bouchard Stenstadvold Hawkins Smith, Greg Anderson

Kaiser Parker Bibler Goudeau Stockwell, Fred Axen Stein Smith, Chuck Whaley

Salvemini Lentini Trammer Lawley Kuprecht Stockwell, Claudia Zimmerli Gress it

Glider

Event 1

Event2

Event 3

Total

Comet25 Saphir 103 Comet 25 Vector 25 Vector 25 Comet 23 Comet23 Comet 21 Meteor97 Saphir 100 Meteor 100 Saphir 100 Meteor 95 Saphir 103 Twist Excalibur 39 Meteor 103 Comet 21 Comet 25 Paralell 25 Meteor97 Birdwing Ill Vector 29

0 0 352 3780 0 0 150 400 0 150 0 150

600 570 300 100 300 150 0 0 0 0 0 0 100 0 0 100 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

500 300 150 150 300 300 300 0 300 100 150 0 0 0 100 0 100 0 0 0 0 0 0

1100 870 802 620 600 450 450 400 300 250 150 150 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 0 0 0 0

0 100

o· 0 0 100 0 0 0 0 0

... THE INNOVATOR

STABILIN ... PERFORMANCE ... CONSTRUCTION QUALIN ... STATESIDE FACTORY SUPPORT ... INVENTORIED WINGS, PARTS & ACCESSORIES ... INSTRUCTION PROGRAMS ... FACTORY DEMO'S ... UNPRECEDENTED SERVICE ... THE WIND IN YOUR FACE, THE SKY AT YOUR DISPOSAL ... COME TO UP PARAGLIDERS ... CALL THESKYSPORT LEADERS AT 6199430274 ... UPSKYSPORT TEAM FLY-IN ... ELLENVILLE NEW YORK, MAY5&6 ... UPINTERNATIONAL ... 5604 BIRCH STREET .. .LAKE ELSINORE, CALIFORNIA .... 92330 .. . l 800 COME 2 UP

-~~

........... - ...,,._,,.__...,. ...pm,-,_,... ... .,,...,..,...,.,,..,,_. •

>

-411'!"\ff

P..,fTII 111T+- - - - - - - - - - - - -·---- - - - - - - - - - - ----in 1/fl I

I

Translated from Vertical Magazine 1990 by John Bouchard

Concerning Paraglider Harness

by Andre Rose, ACFPULS Director /"F," - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ...

-rdc:-4'~ - - - - -_..

-,,,_.-...,~ ..,_,....,._._.....,,.,,,,,,_,,_~------~...-Jllllll,dfl-

aging the following scenario - the pilot is caught in sink and is speeding up to get out of it. Moments later, his left tip is pushed ur by lift which turns him into the cliff. His reflex is to pul on the left brake which momentarily increases his lift on that side and he is pushed further into the cliff! On the other hand, with a steering seat, he would shift his weight left to counter his seat going up on the left, avoid going into the cliff, and tum into the lift - unless he over-controlled and went into a spin!

Both scenarios prove that idiot proof paragliding does not exist (if it ever did) and only experience with your equipment will give you the appropriate reflexes to prevent an accident.

Harness Variations a.) Trim Tabs: For the most part on rear risers they permit an increase in the camber of the foil while slowing the glider and diminish the effort required on the toggles.

Inconveniences: they induce deep stalls with some models and a delayed return to normal flight ( in the case of deep stall for example). b.) Accelerator Pedal: There are several types: 1.) A trim tab on the front risers. A debatable advantage depending on the model; it makes the leading edge more susceptible to collapse and has the added inconvenience of sometimes jamming.

2.) A deferential system acting more on the B risers than on the A, first making the foil more convex, then decreasing the angle of attack. The commonly accepted speed gain is around 4 - 8 km/h, around a 10 - 20% improvement. c.) The Steer Seat: Two riser; it is the equivalent of assisted rear riser controls.

However it is not progressively applied enough for good results. Without some sort of limiter to the pitch control, it can be dangerous in the course of a violent stall because of a bad re-alignment of the last third of the wing, or during a frontal closure at maximum speed. This type has been abandoned for the most part.

Three riser; it allows a smooth and gradual change in the camber of the following an excellent sink rate at slow speeds. It should be used only with special foils and for the most part is.

Pseudo Three riser; found on the Saphir, it is a three riser system with two front risers fixed to dampen the handling.

One can adjust: a.) The height of the riser attachment points. The standard height is around 50 cm from the board to the risers. The pendular stability of the pilot will increase with this distance. b.) The width of the attachment points - their separation directly affects the roll control efficiency of the harness.

The closer they are together, the less roll input.

The purpose of the crossover harness is to eliminate roll input. The steering seat, however, has extremely sensitive roll control. Also widely separated risers of the steer seat facilitate the rotation of the pilot due to the increased the lever arm of the harness - the pilot rotates easily with the glider. For the same reason, the closer attachments of the crossover harness facilitate "twist" (the glider rotates while the pilot does not, which leads to the lines being twisted and loss of control). c.) The body position - from sitting upright to supine. The more horizontal the pilot, by increasing his inertia, the greater the risk of twist during a partial collapse.

In Summary: The wider the seat, the greater the pilot's roll input as long as the attachment points are the same width as the seat.

However in turbulence, the pilot's sensations will also be greater - the seat goes up on the side of the lift. Inversely, a narrower seat (and narrower width between attachment points) will decrease the pilot's roll input and diminish his sensations in turbulence.

The crossover stabilizer harness eliminates much of the roll effect at the seat. Its obvious advantage consists of shifting the pilot's weight to the open side of the glider in the case of a partial collapse. In this respect it functions perfectly and this has been demonstrated in numerous test flights. Nevertheless, there are two problems: 1.) Certain gliders with sensitive brake input will go into auto rotation and not a spiral dive because the system slows down the increase in the bank angle. This is not obvious in wide radius turns -which the system optimizes by flattening out the tum. Prudence dictates not recommending this otherwise seductively appealing system to schools without seriously testing it on the specific glider.

2.) Certain high performance gliders at their maximum speed show an inverse roll with light brake pressure. Im-

22

It permits a slowing of the wing with less toggle pressure.

coordinated almost like with a hang glider. Accelerate s~ift the ~ 7ight, P?ll on the brake, and return to the posi~ hon of mm1mum smk. The steer seat is for those who want more in terms of input and performance and are also willin.g to learn how to do it. But, some will say that when they tned a steer seat, they felt like they were sitting on a barrel balanced on a log.

Four point; this is the extreme, permitting simultaneous control of th~ a_ngle of attack and the camber at the leading edge. A vanahon reverses the A and B risers to combine deforming the effects ~f the accele~ator with hyper lift the front third of the ghder. Complex and difficult to control, it is for experience pilots.

Another model is being developed which combines the steer seat with crossover stabilizers under the from of pitch control limiters - for late analysis.

With experience, the steer seat is a pleasure to fly, but you have to pay attention to its sensitivity. Tums should be

?Y

T~~ stee~ seat t ansforms paragliding into a sport like

7

sk1mg, wmdsurfmg, or surfmg, where the pilot is one with his.machine with all its advantages and disadvantages. In flymg, everyone should make his own decisions, but sho'?ld also be aware of the constraints imposed by those chmces.

CUMB ABOVE THE COMPETITION !

THE

by

•DIGITAL AL TIMETERNARIOMETER WITH AUDIO •EXTREMELY LOW TEMPERATURE DRIFT •MOUNTING OPTIONS INCLUDE LEG STRAP MOUNT •OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE!

DIGITAL ALTIMETER WITH AUDIO VARIO

e est for a reaso

AUDIO-ONLY VARIO GREAT VALUE!

MODEL SVAi FOR YOUR NEAREST DEALER CALL (206) 337-9575 SENTEKINSTRUMENTS 14327 27th Dr. MILL CREEK, WA 98012

23

NI UE

By John Bouchard

Bump tolerance in a paraglider is more than just being calm while the glider is thrashing wildly over head. An inexperienced pilot in thermal turbulence will demonstrate crazed pitching, rolling, and yawing moments and probably several glider collapses. An experienced pilot will show none of this. atch someone like Greg Smith or Mark Axen in burly air; they always appear to maintain a straight level flight path with their glider solidly overhead - nor does it seem to matter what glider they are flying! The difference is that the expert is constantly feeling his glider through changes in brake pressure (and riser pressure if he is flying with a seat steering system). And most important, the expert has long ago realized that brakes are not simply for turning, but perhaps more important, are for maintaining the internal pressure of the glider; this is essential for flying in thermals.

The difference between a paraglider pilot and a weight at the end of the strings is that the pilot correctly interprets the glider's signals through changes in the brake pressures and then immediately makes the appropriate and usually minor response. If the weight on the strings wants to become a pilot he must learn to keep the glider above him and must not allow it to be behind, in

W

front, or to the side.

CONTROLLING THE WILD PITCHING MOVEMENTS The glider surges forward when it encounters a gust from behind (it seeks to increase its airspeed, and the pilot feels a slackening of the brake pressure) and rocks back when it is hit by a gust from in front (it seeks to decrease its airspeed and the pilot feels increased brake pressure). In the first case the correct response is to add brakes to control the surge, and in the second to let off brakes to avoid rocking back. If there is no response or it is too late, the pilot begins the all too familiar pendulum motion. In neither case can the pilot completely rely on the air on his face as an indicator of airspeed since he is so far below the glider. He must learn to rely on the changes in brake pressure as indicators of the glider's relative airspeed.

24

THE SEEMINGLY UNCONTROLLABLE ROLLS A gust hits the left side of the wing from behind. The pilot feels an immediate pressure reduction in the left br:,ke, loses lift on the left side which drops, and feels increased pressure on the right side which rises, speeds up and begins a left hand turn. If the pilot docs nothing, his pendular weight will swing left and eventually return the glider to level flight. Ifhe reacts too late and pulls right brake while the right wing tip is up, he will increase the amplitude of the roll. The correct response is to instantly increase right brake to slow clown the half and stop the turn and repressurize the left side by forcing air from the right side into it.

Let's assume the gust were a little stronger and the pilot less experienced.

The pilot feels a dramatic pressure decrease on the left, a substantial increase on the right and does nothing.

The left wing collapses immediately lifting the right side. All the weight goes to the right side which accelerates it starting a sharply banked left turn. The pilot gasps, releases the right brake and starts frantically pulling on the left brake which further slows the left side and the glider starts to spin. If th..: pilot still does not control the right side, the glider very likely will spin faster than the pilot causing a twist in the lines and complete loss of control. The correct response on feeling the pressure surge on the right and decrease on the left, is to pull the right brake to stop the turn and move internal air pressure from the right to the left. If the pilot is fast enough and the gust was not too great, the pilot would have prevented the collapse. If there was a collapse anyway, the pilot first applies

FLYING THE GLIDER IN TURBULENCE &THERMALS

Tension on the ri9ht brake at best guide

Tension on the left brake at best glide Symmetric Flight. The two "hatt wings" are flying at the same speed.

Leading Edge Tuck

right brake to preven~ a spin and repressurize the left, then he shakes the left brake to re-inflate the left side.

With a frontal collapse, the pilot first feels a great increase in both brakes pressure. If the gust is not too great, the pilot can avoid the collapse by pulling on both brakes to increase the pressure in the center and counter the effects of the gust. Otherwise, after the collapse, the pilot must apply both brakes to repressurize the glider from the wing tips.

Care must be taken to avoid excessive brakes which can deflate the glider causing a horseshoe stall .

1.) Keep the glider over your head control the pitch and roll.

2.) Feel the changes in the relative airspeed by the decreases and increases in brake pressure.

3.) Avoid maximum speed - you cannot speed up.

4.) Avoid minimum speed - you cannot slow down.

5.) Fly at best glide - you can speed up or slow down.

6.) If, when applying brakes to repressurize the glider, you feel a sudden reduction in brake pressure, then you have over reacted and must back off.

D After a gust; a slowing of the left hall wing; the pilot feels a slackening of the left brake in his hand. The glider starts to veer to the left.

D

The pilots left hand lowers, seeking the lost contact of some resistance at the brake

The pilot's reaction on the right brake to maintain a straight direction The pilot's counteraction re-equilibrates the speeds of both hatt wings.

The pilot gently raises the controls to regain the speed of the original flight .

25

STAGE 1

The Polar Curve This is a graph which shows the performance of a glider.

If you plot the descent rate against the air speed at which the glider is flying

BEGINNING THERMALS

Typical Polar Cun,es Airspeed, MIies Per Hour 10 20 30 40

50

60

70

I I I I I I I I

I I

The best area to begin is a known site when the thermals are gentle, generally early or late in the day. The pilot is maintaining altitude in ridge lift making very wide figure S's above the ridge. When he encounters increased lift (a thermal) during a pass across the hill, he should slow down to minimum sink to use the lift as best possible. He makes his turns like he normally would while ridge soaring. When he is confident that he can identify the area of thermal lift, respond by slowing down, and most important, make the corrections necessary to stay on course and avoid collapses, then he is ready for the next St'.lge.

for a variety of air speeds,

then you end up being able to draw a curve like this.

A high performance

.!! 200 hang glider will fly at j speeds between 16 mph and :::E 65 mph. Between these two extremes are two very interesting speeds: MAX.

S..1 - -

GLIDE end MIN. SINK. • Max glide is when the Lirt/ Drag ratio is best and the - BOO glider will travel furthest from a given height.

Minimum sink is when the 800 descent rate of the glider is at its lowest figure.

The Polar Curve will enable both orthese figures to be found easily. Min sink is the highest point on the curve and Max glide is the contact point of the curve with a straight line (tangent) from the zero point.

j

8 !

Hong gl\',, ',,'

STAGE2 INTERMEDIATE THERMALS

THERMAL FLYING

The pilot makes a few passes on the hill in ridge lift to get a feel for the width of the thermals. If the thermals arc wide enough, he should try to make his figure S's in the thermal lift. If he is successful, then he will have climbed 300 - 500" above the ridge where the thermals begin to acquire more of a defined shape. The pilot still docs not know the shape but should be starting to make correct predictions based on the glider's input through brakes and seat pressure. As the pilot climbs higher in the thermal it becomes more effective to tum in the lift as described in the hang gliding manuals. If he is high enough over 500' over the top of the hill - and in no danger of being blown back, he should try to make a 360° turn in the thermal.

Unfortunately there is another side to the well defined thermals - not only do they have a well defined area of lift, like in the diagrams, but they have extremely well defined areas of sink which should be avoided for obvious reasons. And in more powerful thermals, the border between lift and sink is much sharper and the shear causes all kinds of problems. Luckily we're only talking about soft gentle thermals.

The ability to fly in these conditions is a hard won skill. It takes a lot of time and patience to acquire - my guess is at least fifty hours if the pilot slowly progresses from gentle conditions and docs not over reach by flying in air too strong. A log book is essential to record progress, and of course as much advice as possible from those who do fly thermals. To feel the sudden bur~t of pressure on the lines and hear the vario scream, correct

Thermal flying requires the pilot to have the "feel" of the paraglider; he must be able to interpret all the glider's signals not only to avoid problems but to meaningfully seek out rising air.

Most beginner and intermediate pilots have read something about thermal flying and are familiar with the diagrams of gliders making turns in circular areas of lift. However through their own experience they also know the thermals rarely seem like the inverted cones of lift in the diagrams but usually seem like the rock and roll air that causes collapses.

Most thermal flying stares off a hill or ridge with the pilot soaring in ridge lift. At under three hundred feet from the top of the hill, the thermals feel like turbulent and inconsistent ridge lift. The easiest way to take advantage of these thermals is to make figure S's in the approximate area of the increased lift at the speed of best glide for the reasons we discussed earlier. The pilot enters the lift, feels a tug on his seat, and hears the vario indicate lift. He should slow down to minimum sink (not minimum speed), just a hair slower than at best glide, in this zone. As he exits the area of maximum, lift, he should make a turn while still in some lift. What he should avoid is turning in the sink and flying straight through the lift. In the beginning it is best simply to slow down as the lift increases and speed up where the lift decreases. Experts manage to "core the lift" most of the time. Beginners "core the sink".

26

what would have been a major fold a year ago, bank and turn into the lift and spiral up while compensating for the drift, this is a pleasure worth all the work.

And if the ground becomes very small, the air cold, and the hawk that shared the thermal five minutes ago is not in sight, so much the better!

CHANDELLE SAN FRANCISCO, INC.

Since 1973 488 Manor Plaza Pacifica, CA 94044 {415) 359-6800

ALL MAJOR BRANDS OF GLIDERS AND ACCESSORIES HANG GLIDING AND PARAGLIDING

COMPLETE SALES, SERVICE & INSTRUCTION

NEWS

A Word from the Presider1t I have some good news to report. Our organization is growing and getting stronger Membership dues are coming in and new members are signing up in greater numbers than have last year. Headq.uarters is running efficiently and beginning in August or September, we hope to increase office hours.

So far) the support from the membership is great. I've received a lot of encouraging word s , constructive criticism and offers to help out. I just wish I could think of something for you guys to do at the time of your offers. But I will call on you just as soon as the projects are ready to roll .

At the Board meeting on July 21, 1990 projects will be finished and many new projects will be set into motion. It's now up to you to get involved by contacting the committees directly or your regional director . Our organization is still . very young and all of you are pioneers. Your job is to forward your opinions and comments to your Representatives at the Board. Your biggest challenge is now, as you will elect your representatives this winter for the first time. Let them know what your opinions are and what you want and expect.

More and more sites are opening for paragliding . Individuals have put a lot of work .into explaining and educating the site owners or operators about paragliding. All of these sites require an APA rating to protect them from losing benefits such as insurance and ultimately the flying site itself.

During the short time I've been running headquarters and have changed the application form, I've seen an alarming number of beginners with high performance canopies. Sure , it's exciting to fly those high performance chutes, but it is also dangerous for the individual and paragliding. 1 wish individuals would be a bit more conservative in the beginning, as well as

safety conscious. In that way the APA will jhelp us to educate the student to understand wha~! the European equipment certification categJries mean. Even though Europeans use hi)ber performance canopies for the.ir students, ·d~ itwt forget that their instructors have experience :Jihat • • is greater than ours. They alsor bave methpls trJ modify the student's equipment: that they, students use school equipment Utttil the .•. . f license) to eliminate some of the darigereii s( handling characteristics. .. . ;t. . • I just spoke to Andre Bucher and :he repoHed/ about an emergency meeting at the (German Hang Gliding Assqc.) coru:;erninf tin. increasing number of accidents th?lt givrt;~the. sport of paragliding .a dangerous 4nd; hazar&¢us· reputation. Let Us WQ,fk. together ..S@• thatwe don't follow the same path.Your officer cctn ~tilY: make up rules arid recommendations, buf:'t~ ij ·• up to each individual to represent paraglidirlg in the best light. Paragliding is an aviatic sport qnd there!ore has inherent dangers if not perfarmed and carried out as recommended from ).the manuf(lcturers and tlieir dealers through t9l :the ptlots. .. . ·.. . : .H Another point I would like to stress fr· keepJng an accurate log book of your flights. Hav.e important flights signed by a witness. or better yet, a certified instructor. A logbook is yourbnly proof of your experience. The APA has desi~ed a logbook and it will be available from headquar,:~r:s for $4. 95 including shipping . (non.-AfA; members pay $5.95).

Any APA members who's interested. in running for office of Regional director ban forward their resumes to Headquarters or catL directly before the end of September for mdre infon-nation.

Let's keep the APA alive and gliding.

us~ltan ...

0

ti~V

Blue skies , Peter

28

NEWS

A.P.

. Board of Directors Meeting July 1990 The administration has been working with USHGA, Mark Macho was very helpful with helping us understand the proposal for merging administration. The Board felt it was not in the best interests of the APA, or financially feasible at this time.

Mark Axen resigned as regional director of Southern Calif., due to commitments. I will be sorry to see him go. Gregg Pujol was appointed as regional director for Northern Calif. and approved by the board, good luck to him. Five new examiners were appointed pending the requirement that they attend 2 ICC's to help teach and learn the system.

The present examiner system still stands.

The next B.O.D. meeting will be in Oct. Date and place to be announced.

The meeting was attended by all directors and 10 visitors. ( visitors included Tony, and Tim Dominico, Steve Byers, Chuck Smith, Joe Lentini, Bruce Hamler, and Mark Macho, a representative from USHGA.) Three main issues were covered, the rating system, Bylaws, and Administration.

Claudia Stockwell, chairperson of Safety and Training, defined the present system.

After some discussion it was agreed to maintain this system with a few changes.

You can read about it under APA News. Ed Pitman, chairperson for Bylaw committee presented and discussed the work of his committee. The packet was discussed, some amendments were made and it was voted in.

F.C. Stockwell

The Fall 1990 Board of Directors election will include 3 board positions for National Directors. A National Director is equivalent to Regional Director in all capacities. The entire A.P.A. membership votes to fill National Director Seats. Each Nominee for National Director must be an A.P.A. member, a paraglider pilot, and recognized as an estaablished member of the

flying community to be placed on the ballot. A candidate must obtain either 3 nominations from current directors, or from 1 % of the total A.P.A. membership.

Nominations must be received by the A.P.A. headquarters no later than October 18. At least five candidates will be on the ballot. Term of service for national Director is 2 years.

-----CON We are looking for a hot new logo for the A.P.A. The contest is open to all A.P.A. members.

The winner whose logo is chosen will get

free A.P.A. membership for 5 years (2 years instructor, l year for corporation) and endless glory. Send your entrees to A.P.A. Headquarters by September 15, 1990.

29

NEWS

CLASS I

What Does It Mean?

It is up. to thedJscreti<mof the i;l}Stt1.tc~~r to requite certain ·tcisks. relative to the i:area where the Class Jptlqtw.tl\flyf · ·.· -t

Class I is a skill level. It means that you have been taught byan A.P.A. cerllfled Instructor, set tasks and ski/ls, In varied wind conditions. In aqdltion, you have a reasonable knowledge of what conditions to fly In andmore Important what conditions to avoid.

·Y

Wh$n•··vov.achfsvf1 ·r your Classfra.ttrxgyqu .: ar!i9reat;Jy to o\Nfn vo:ur!· first p.an 'der.

What nextz?P:ractk:e ...learn,; fly .. tr!vel ... soar .. adva.ncth 'nher~ ..ate se~eral s~~ct::il skills you can acquire as yOQ fly. Then when you're ready Class 11! .·..· Due to the :v:aried·.geography . andl~rge distances (n the U.S. the main ingredt4~.ti~ becorning an a&vanced :pilot ts time~ )Yo.u need to fly at several dif'feret:tt sit~~, in different wind condit;tol}Sl to becom~ lj~tily pr9ficient ... Jt Js i.~:~OS"~i:blj tp ·cOin~l~;~f so~eone inlv0,nced: if he p;asi\1' t flq~~ :~. every seasont1ftl\e year. Iii is .a ptffic. task•. · to ;measure .· a .pilots s~ikls and .k{lOW ...·. ge, .· because con,d1tions ·have SQ tl\uch • ~8(do . ·• wt,th. . perfqr.man~~f· . t\ri: ·experieMc~:<11:: instr~ctbr..1$ ·a• :~ki,~1FA· qbs.erv~t• a.nd Jb~o~f malnly>forcon~J~tj11py. l tbi,;:r~.~af ~affy. pilots don't<1.tnderstand the purpbse.~fth~· rating system. Your rating· fs. not ;n•aw•rii, .it is not a race, it is your future. I~Hs a recognition of skJl;lJ~yeb: .!he.ratf~g. mearthigless tf ·lt back~d up Wit~ the: . knowfedge, :aJ1Xd :ski!ll ttslipijl(;l,:represe · ":No• matter what; ~$Uir ~ating :.tfu::ere .· is .. . . .m©re to learn;, pl~ase qse gQod· }u ep~,: · an4.se~ <1 gppd e~~mJJ1~, )owe can)Jli~eep: enjoyin.g. our wings: . . :: •·

A Class I pilot should be able to identify an appropriate site, including landing area.

He has a thorough knowledge of the equipment he is flying, and can fly with other aircraft, so as not to endanger himself or others.

A Class I pilot can inflate a canopy in no wii)d to high wind (15 mph) with and without assistance; He is. in control of the wfng on the ground before. launching. Can make a flight plan, understands lift and sink, also turbulence and its causes. He should be able to consistently land in a given area, (should hit a spot 4 out of 5 times)i

isn,'t

When an instructor.gives a Class I rating, Lt means this person is a pilot not a passenger and has the maturity and judgrnent to make decisions, and stay safe.

., f3y CJlaudia..Stock~ell' L""

30

,

NEWS

8. CANOPY CONTROL FLIGHTS: Flights with "S" turns, stall and recovery proceedure, minimum sink flying.

9. RULES OF THE AIR: Briefing on rules of the air and conditions for use of ridge. Collision avoidance. Relationship with other air users.

10. THEORY: Basic theory of flight and airflow.

Importance of airspeed. Soaring sites: area of lift/sink, curl-over, rotors, eddies, etc. Matching canopy and pilot weight/skills to wind speed.

IFICATION Para

ing Training Program

Class I certification teaches the student skills necessary to launch and fly in low-moderate, nonturbulent wind conditions at sites with appropriate glide ratio, and open launch and landing zones.

Time required to obtain certification will depend on conditions, site availability, student aptitude, and course size. listed below are the minimum requirements an Instructor should teach.

CL SS I TASKS All witnessed flights must be pre-planned by the pilot and discussed with the rating instructor. All flights must be selflaunched and include proper canopy setup for conditions. Demonstrate the following: 1. Preflight while explaining what to look for.

2. How to brief and instruct ground crew, and explain when assisted launch is neccessary.

3. Clean launch with each flying task (i.e., tight lines, riser control, proper stance, smooth transition from running to flying, etc.)

4. Two straight flights, launching and landing into the wind on feet.

5. Three flights with S-turns 30 degrees off wind line following a straight line path ending with a controlled landing on feet into the wind.

6. One flight with at least two 180 degree (figure 8) turns.

7. Two no-wind launches, two moderate-wind launches, two high-wind launches (10-15 mph) 8. Five spot landings within a 50 ft. diameter circle.

9. Hands-off flying, from riser use, and mild stall and recovery (above 500').

1. SITE: Site Layout, choosing launch and landing areas. Site Protocol.

2. EQUIPMENT: Introduction to equipment and terminology.

3. GROUND CREW: Briefing and duties for ground crew.

4. PRE-FLIGHT CHECKS: Canopy connections, rigging, and control lines, harness, helmet.

5. EMERGENCIES: Briefing on emergency procedures: drag back, low turns, slope landings, tree and hazard landings.

6. LAUNCH PRACTICE: Preparation, inflation, launch practice on gentle slope progressing to take-offs. Stop-launch and practice canopy collapse. Static flying to practice canopy control.

7. STRAIGHT FLIGHTS & LANDING: Take-off and straight-ahead flights inlowmoderatee wind with stand-up landings.

31

NEWS

10. Two cross wind launches approximately 30 degrees off wind line.

11. Smooth airspeed control ranging from minimum sink to fast conditions.

12. Standard ,,aircraft landing approach: downwind, base.t and final.

13. Proper strong wind landing procedures and how .to keep from getting dragged back.

14. Demonstrate and explain correct packing procedure, canopy care and maintenance.

15. Pass APA Class I oral/written exam.

between the points.

4. The pilot must complete two conseqi#iv.e figure-S's aro1,1tld the coll.rse compensatirtg for ground track wil:ho.ut overcontrolor he.sitatf6n. · 5. Demonstrate.one flight on a ridgewithjother traffic lastingl5 mit?,µtes.orlonger~. · · 6. Demonstrate one sidehill landing, 7. Pass written exam.

360° Turns: ,; Note: Pilot must demonstrate ability, to judge/allow proper clearance ~om l'ldge od~~er aircraft. \ ' 1 1. D~monstrate smoothrcoordinated 36Q s Boeh·.. directions ustng,¥a:d~iJs speeds ~n{bank,anglfS, .· · 2. Demonstrate. consecutive•• 3(5Q's 'With mlijimum, altirode loss. · · · ' ' ·' 3. Demonstrate spiral diving 360'sto lose altt,rude.

4. Demonstrate negative turns. ·

if

After s.tvdent passes Closs I requirements~ he/she should maintain a flight log. Also# the following should be obtained and understood by the pilot:

., .

Thermali: 1. Define and understand thermal conditioniil z. Have practic~d and can demonstrate st~ll11 ,; ,~ancl:,'. recovery. .. .

I1 3. Perform two supervised flights at th,ermal ~~es.

4. Perform one observed 15 minute flig(ie in thermal lift without sustaining .ridge lift.. '· 5. Understand and e:icplain use of· resdr,v.e parachute.

6. Pass written .examt

1. 11 Reoommended Operating Limitations"

2. Canopy manufacturer's specifications, instrucd0ns; etc. .3. "Special Skills" 4, European Canopy Certification Procedures

SPECIAL SKILLS these are special skills· a pilot. should practice :a:n4 ,perf¢,ct after· achieving a Class l rating. Ln ,order to>attain r.ecognition for a special skill, you mtJst follow, the requirements listed and perform the ski:U fo.r observation by ari instructor; While working toward these skills, remember your limitations as well as your capabUities. Some of the special skills will r~quire an oral or written exam.

CUffor.1RampLauncnf .

1. pemonstrate the ahilii:¥. to Jau11~1S iafely,J~w'a · shallow slope r:amp or c:ttff top where ·run~j*gj$ . severely restricted, d!,'opoffis precipitous, .a.n:dHvlrm': is 5 MPH or less, such that posi,tive ·ai:~i·t1;1d~ control and smmg aggressive sprinttng stiltH ~re required. Stalled falhng dJving lat1nches i~ · · acceptable even if flight is achieved.. .

1: 2; Demonstrate 'aijility tP .laun.ch with assltance: in windy condition.s from precfphous .cHff9~ iawi,. · MuK show pi:opet ijse of r:el~ase (Sigrialfil'l'd: confident, aggressive 1.aµnch: ~~ · 'J

Riag~ •Soaring: 1. Explain and understand right-of-way (traffic) l'ul.es.

2. Demonstrate smooth, delibel'ate airspeed .control.

3. In a wind sufficient to cause drift, two points will be selected on a line perpendicular to the wind .. The pilot must fly a flgure·8 course consi~ting of smooth turns around the points with the Stl'aight segments crossing midway

Spot Landings: 1. Demonstrate three consecutive landings within

a three foot diameter.:11pot.

2. O.emonstrate and explain how to S!il~)rten:,f:llg~rl:< path. · ·

32

NEWS

3. Demonstrate and explain how to lengthen flight path.

4. Demonstrate standard aircraft approach: downwind, base, final.

5. Demonstrate spiral dive landing approach.

or longer duration,with at least 1 one hour flight in thermal lift, without ridge lift, and at least 5 ridge lift flights of 30 min. or longer.

6. Must have logged at least 10 flights from a launch over 1000' above the landing zone.

7. Must have flown at least 3 different types of canopy.

Towing: Must successfully complete APA-approved towing clinic.

Observed 1. Smooth coordinated 360 degree turns in both directions, with reversal at various speeds.

2. Three consecutive spot landings within an 81 diameter circle. (turns are required to set up an approach) 3. Demonstrate side hill landings.

4. Full stall and recovery above 500 ft.

5. Negative turns, flat spin, spiral dive.

6. Successful completion of Class II written exam.

1. Must have completed Class I, or Foreign equivalent, plus 1 year logged air time.

2. Must have logged at least 150 flights plus 30 hrs. airtime.

3. Must have logged flights from at least 5 different sites. (1 at sea level - 1 above 5000 ft. asl) 4. Must have logged at least 80 flying days.

5. Must have logged at least 5 flights of30 min.

By Circ Toepel competition just outside of Moscow (Russia) in the Caucausus Mountains. If you want to go to Europe, have the time of your life, experience a little known country and fly with the big boys, I am putting together a group tour. They want American pilots and have made the deal very attractive. We get ourselves to Moscow and they will take care of the rest for $600. This includes: en~ry fee, transportation to & from the Caucausus Mountains, breakfast, dinner, lodging and lots of other ameniries. What you need is a Visa (Mastercard won't do) and a ticket to Moscow (about $1400). The date is tentatively set for late September/early October 1990, but for an opportunity like this, you can be a little flexible with your social calender, right? Give me a call if you're interested at 303670-0301.

If you have any info for competitions or would like to hold a Fly-In, please call me at 303-6700301 so I can get it in the newsletter and/or help you with organizing it.

OK, here's the deal. We want you to host a competition in your area. It's a lot of work, it doesn't pay well, and you don't get to fly (meet directors should not fly in their competitions).

But.....you'll get your name in print, everyone will thank you AND they are a lot of fun for everyone involved!! If you don't know the first thing about putting on a competition, call or write to me and I will send you a packet of info.

It tells you everything you need to know about how to organize and execute a successful competition.

At the time of this writing, we have no competitions to announce. However, Aspen is holding an official APA Fly-In over Labor Day. Come join the fun and enjoy one of the premier flying sites in the country as well as being a social center of the Rockies. To take advantage of this good time, call Jan Stenstadvold at 303920-2449.

For those with a larger travel budget, there is a

33

NEWS

, The following companies are APA company members supporting the paragliding community with their membership. While the APA takes no position on the value of equipment offered by these members it is important to remember and recognize that they actively support and promote the ~port of paragliding and the APA.

CORPORATION P.O. Box 1100 North Conway, NH 03560 Manufacturer ITV Canopies, Harnesses, Flywear PARA..FLITE, INC. 5800 Magnolia Avenue Pennsauken NJ 08109 (809) 663-1275 Manufacturer Birdwing Canopies -&~& .~-

PERFORMANCE DESIGN 12650 Softwind Drive Moreno Valley CA 92388 (714) 924-5229 Manufacturer, Distributor, Sale, School, Loft,Hamesses Excalibur Canopies, Instruments, Flywear, Accessories, Media DESIGNS USA 2765 Bechelli Lane Redding CA 96002 (916) 222-4712 Importer, Distributor, Sale School, Pro Design Canopies Harnesses, Instruments, Flywear, Accessories

The following are certified APA instructors. They are more then happy to give you detailed information about paragliding and lessons, courses etc. ~

City

AK AK CA CA CA CA CA CA CO CO CO ID MA MA NH NY OR TX UT UT UT UT UT WY

Fairbanks Palmer Bishop Carlsbad Del Mar Enciinitas Kentfield Truckee Aspen Aspen Aspen Sun Valley Osterville Welfleet North Conway Staten Island Bend Houston Salt Lake City Salt Lake City Salt Lake City South Jorden South Jorden Jackson

Name. Phone and Address Alan Chuculate, (907) 455-6379, Box 83305, ZIP: 99708 Clark Saunders, (907) 745-3097, P.O. Box 1887,ZIP: 99645 Mark D. Axen, (619) 873-8367, P.O. Box 1632, ZIP: 93515 Ken Baier, (619) 729-9504, 151 Tamarack, ZIP: 92008 Fred.Lawley, Jr., P.O. Box 1226, ZIP: 92014 ScottOressitt, (619) 943-0274, 639 Camino El Dorado, ZIP: 92024 Curtis Woodman, (415) 461-2749, 80 Murray Ave., ZIP: 94904 Bill C. Anderson, (916) 582-0527, P.O. Box 10514, ZIP: 95737 Dick Jackson, (303) 925-7625, Box 819, ZIP: 81612' Klaus Schweiger, (303) 920-1423, 143 Lone Pine Rd. 1125, ZIP: 6161 Jan Stenstadroud, (303) 920-2449, 116 Free Silver, ZIP: 81611 Hans Hub, (208) 726-4774, Box 1094, ZIP: 83353 Rick McDonough, (508) 428-3498, P.O. Box 663, ZIP: 02655 Chuck Smith, (508) 349-2561, P.O. Box 815, ZIP: 02667 John Bouchard, (603) 356-6907, P.O. Box 1100, ZIP: 03860 Peter Zimmerli, (718) 698;5738, 25 Goller Place, ZIP: 10314 Phil Pohl, (503) 389-4086, P.O. Box 812, ZIP: 97709 Charles.Fontenot, (713) 973-9546, 1437 Waseca, ZIP: 77055-4411 Dr. Cory Branhem, (801) 268-8090, 715E. 3900 S. Suite 109, ZIP: 841 Jay Hauth, (501) 268-9369, 1130 East 4045 South, ZIP: 84124 Jay Jamison, (801) 566-251, 7211 South 175 East, ZIP: 84047 Fred Stockwell, (801) 254-7455, 3314 W. 11400S., ZIP: 84065 Claudia Stockwell, (801) 254-7455, 3314 W. 11400S., ZIP: 84065 Kurt Kleiner, (307) 733-3896, P.O. Box 3707, ZIP: 83001

34

NEWS

PRESIDENT Peter Zimmerli HEAD OFFICE: 25 Goller Place, Staten Island, NY 10314

TREASURER/SECRETARY

VICE PRESIDENT

h

Ken Baier 151.Tamarack Ave. Carlsbad, CA 92008 (619) 729-9504

AK Clark Sau P.O. Box 188 Palmer, AK 99 (907) 745-3097 Southern California, HI Vacant call headquarters Northern California Gregg Pujol (408) 736-1222

OR,WA Ed Pitman P.O. Box 188 Shasta, CA 96087 (916) 859-2392

UT, ID, NM, MT Fred Stockwell P.O. Box 177 Riverton, ur 84065 (801) 254-7455

CO, WY, ND, SD Freddie Snalam 2841 13th St. #2 Boulder, CO 80302 (303) 449-5620

TX, LA, OK, AR, MO, KS, NE,IA .

Dana Ellinger 2905 Richard Lane · Austin, TX 78703 (512) 472-6679

ME,NH, VT,M John Bouchard P.O. Box400 North Conway, NH 0 (603) 356-6907

CT, NY, NJ I PA, DE, MD Peter Zimmerli 25 Goiler Place Staten Island, NY 10314 (718) 698-5738 AZ,NV Gregg Smith 3422 Bowie Rd. Reno, NV 89503 (702) 747-1896

Safety and Training .... Mark Axen, Claudia a Saunders artdJohn Bouchard Competition . . . . . . . . . Circ Topel Sites •................ Freddie Snalam .

Towing ...............Fred Stockwell, Dana ger, and Charles Fontenot APA Bylaws ........... Ed Pitman, Dana Ellinger, and Jay Hauth

STATEMENT OF MISSION The APA is. a non-profit, self regulating, membership organization. Developed by paragliding pilots, for paragliding pilots, established to promote, maintain, and preserve the safe an.cl healthy growth of the sport of paragliding in the U.S.

Approved on April 4, 1990 BOD in Salt Lake City Chairman: Peter Zimmerli

35

GLIDER REVIEW

by Greg Smith

Model Vector 25 ~4'

UI.TRAI.ITIR Pl'IOQUCTe

q,,, ~,9,.

••.q7"/0NAL

'""

~

\)<o·

Jl'l'i'

reflected in the manufacturer's spec's, however I wasn't able to achieve the minimum sink rate advertised. I did get a flight to cloud base in turbulent conditions. The glider handled very well with no surprises. The Vector 25 is an intermediate rated glider, but I found it just a little advanced for that rating. It comes in two sizes at this time, but be on the lookm..1."i: for more in the future.

0

ne of the first things I noticed about the Vector 25 was the length of the lines and how much higher it was over my head while kiting.

Because of the longer line lengths and high aspect ratio (4.00) it has less dihedral arc than most. This produces a very flat wing span (span-wise) which accounts for its good speed and glide. It also reduces the pendulum point and also keeps you from being tossed about as much in turbulence.

The Vector 25 uses small flexible battens, located internally towards the leading edge on each load rib, this distributes the load very well (but must be folded carefully for storage). The overall construction is excellent. All seams are internal, this produces a very clean airfoil with reduced drag. Because of the high aspect ratio and the closed end cells, this glider has great span-wise pressure which makes it feel very rigid in flight . The leading edge ports are covered with netting to hold a good shape and to keep out rocks, sticks, etc.

The top speed of the Vector 25 is better than

Manufacturer's Specifications

Model VECTOR 25 SPAN(m)

9.87

CHORD(m)

1.60-2.85

AREA (sq.m.)

24.35

WT (kg)

4.5

ASPECT RATIO

4.00

GLIDE RATIO

6X

SINK RATE (m/sec)

1.3

CRUISING SPEED (km/h)

34

STALL SPEED (km/h)

20

SUSPEND WT (kg)

70-100

NOTE: Certified as BOOAIR Level II ACFPULS 36

- -- --

-

- - - -- - - - - - - --

-

-

-

~

-

-

-

OF SAND/EGO

• ICOM, YAESU, & KENWOOD 2 METER HAM RADIOS & ACCESSORIES • THE ORIGINAL FLYAWAY HELMET •CUSTOM PARAGLIDER HARNESSES AND SEWN ACCESSORIES •NEW & USED CANOPIES •PARAGLIDING TOURS & INSTRUCTION •SPECIAL THIS MONTH ... THE ICOM 2SAT HAND HELD 2 METER FM RADIO $389.00 ... lncludes Aircraft Band Reception, Antennae, Battery Charger, Lanyard & Belt Clip. This incredible unit is the smallest most feature packed hand held available anywhere. Additional discount for orders of two or more units.

SJ<YSPQRToFSANDtEGO

619-632-7762 ..... FAX #619-632-7697

Summit Magic Inc. 2765 Bechelli Lane Redding, CA 96002 (916) 221-1192 or 222-4712

-

GLIDER REVIEW

by Greg Smith

Model METEOR 100 of lines used, there seems to be an excessive amount for my taste. I found the ITV Spec. sheet to be very reasonable in its claims. The Meteor is an intermediate rated glider with advanced performance. Having flown a lot of ITV' s, I think the Meteor is ITV's best ever effort at an all intermediate glider.

A fter logging several hours of air time from desert mountain thermal to coastal ridge lift, I found the ITV Meteor to be an excellent all around flying machine. Its good speed range and excellent turning ability make it a thermal eating machine.

Billed as ITV Intermediate Model, it had most of the good qualities you might expect, ease of launch, ground handling etc, yet the performance does not seem to suffer. In certain situations (and for the average pilot) I believe it rivals the Safir. The Meteor is available in five different sizes and thanks to ITV's laser cutting system the aspect ratio remains the same (the glider is scaled to size), instead of just adding or removing cells like most manufacturers do.

I found it to be very stable in rough air, although if you are in the extreme forward position of the speed seat (FAST) you should keep a watchful eye on the leading edge and be ready to apply a little brake pressure. My only real complaint about the Meteor is the amount

Manufacturer's Specifications

Model METEOR 100 Size/Weight

Metoer 100 (155 -175 lbs)

Aspect Ratio

3.9

Speed Minimum sink rate

11 - 24 mph (17 - 40 km/h) 280 fpm (1.4 mis)

Best Glide ACFPULS Rating 2 Includes back pack and harness or steer seat

38

6/1 2

Weather onditions Fist published as "Looking at weather" In Wings! In 1984 This article written by Alan Russel and since up•datedby Tim Williams delves Into some of the complexities of weather which enables us to soar by extracting energy away from the air around our aircraft.

Weather is driven by heat.

The energy which drives our weather originates 93 million miles away on the Sun. Because we live on a sphere, the Equatorial regions receive more heat in the sunlight than the poles. This temperature differential, combined with the rotation of the earth and the energy which can be stored by vaporizing water into air to be released later, gives us all the combinations of conditions and phenomena we call weather.

Hot and cold air adiabats.

Fig. 1 summarizes these lapse rates.

An area of the atmosphere where the air becomes warmer with height is said to be "inverted" and if there is no change of temperature with height the zone is called an "isothermic layer"

Stability/instability.

When a "bubble"ofairheated by the Earth's sun-warmed surface rises, it normally cools at the DALR of 1OC per 100m. If the surrounding air is cooling at a lower lapse rate such as the AvALRof0.650 C per 100m the bubble will soon reach a level where it is cooler than the air surrounding it and will sink towards the surface. This condition is described as being "stable" If the surrounding air is cooling at a higher lapse rate-greater than 1 oc per lOOm-then the bubble will continue to be hotter than the surrounding air. and it will continue to rise. This does not go on forever as the bubble eventually mixes wi.th the cooler air.

This condition is described as being "unstable"Unstable conditions obviously favor the development of thermals and make for a good cross-country flying day.

The atmosphere is heated (by the earth) from the bottom upwards. The rate at which temperature decreases with height is of great importance in weather systems.

This change of temperature with height is called the lapse rate.

As air rises it encounters lower pressure so it expands and this makes it cool down.

During this process it exchanges (in theory) no heat with the surrounding air.

The expansion or contraction of a ga!'i with no input of heat is an "adiabatic" process.

Although air does conduct heat it does so quite badly, as people with down flying Hairy heaps and other jackets are glad to testify, so it is most useful clouds. to look. at the Adiab.atic Lapse Rate (it Changing temperat. ure changes the quanmakes. the math easier. anyway). Years of tity or moisture that the air can carry. as m.easU:rements around the world have water vapor. If warm .air containing some determined an Average Adiabatic Lapse moisture is cooled the moisture will conRa,te (AvALR). dense and form a cloud. If the process is So for every 100m that you climb up a allowed to continue and the correc;t condimountain it becomes, on an average, 0.65 C tions pertain, the cloud droplets will amalcooler. Fortunately, for those of us who gamate and form droplets too large to enjoy thermalling, bits of the atmosphere remain in suspension in the cloud - we call have different lapse rates depending on this "rain"!heating effects and m.oisture conditions.

One of the simplest ways to cool air below Dry air cools at the Dry Adiabatic Lapse RAte (DALR) oflO C per 100m. "dry" in this context means that all the motsture is in it's vapor Fig.1 form and has not started to Average ALR condense. ~ When air cools sufficiently for Isothermal layer any water vapor to start to condense, it is said to be at it's "Dew Point". The actual temperature ofthe Dew Point depends on the moisture content of the air. When the moisture condenses it releases some latent heat and the air does not cool as rapidly as H would otherwise. It now cools at the Standard Adiabatic Lapse Rate (SatALR) of 1 f20 C per 100m.

f----l

40

it's Dew Point is to forqe it upwards. A stream of air flowing over flat ground will be forced upwards if it encounters .a hill. If the hill is large enough the moisture in the airstream will condense and an "orographic" cloud will form on the hilltop.

Orographic rain can result.

Bubbles of air rising afte~ being heated by "hot spots" on the earth's :surface may cool sufficiently to pass their ;Dew PQints and form "convection cloud$''. These clouds h.ave .a discrete puffy for4't with flat bases, often described as fookil)g like a heap of cotton wool and are cons~quently called by the Latin for heap: cumuJus. These clouds mark the tops of therm)ils and indicate good, if somewhat bumpy flying conditions.

Sometimes these clouds are produced by large enough pockets of a;ir to develop into really large heaps with toweringdark tops ceJled Cumulonimbus clouds. Nimbus is Latin for rain. Theses clouds are sometimes referred to as "cu~nimb's" and - if large enough prod.uce thunder1>torms and other dangerous flying conditions.

Clouds can also be formed when large areas of the atmosphere are lifted and cooled.

This happens when larg~ .masses of air of different temperatures meet. The masses of air tend to nux and one tj111ss is forced upwards by the other.. The b~~mdary between the masses is called.the fxpnt.

General lifting of massefof air can cause widespread areas of clottds. If this stratus cloud is well developed, tii.e.thickness of the layer makes the cloud appear darker am;i is called nimbostratus.

At very high levels the water droplets freeze and form rather prettier clouds. The thin wispy mare's tail dt "cirrus" clouds often see high in a clear. blue sky .are an example of this type. Cirrµs means ".hair" in Latin. These clouds are fdrmed at altitQdes of five to 13km, their dist~ric;t hooked shape is due to the strong wind~ at these high altitudes. Ice particles wltich fall to lower levels are left behind to fbrm the hook. As they fall to still lower lev~ls they evaporate away. · The deciding factor on m~ny cross country flights is the cloud base. jYou can get good idea of what the cloud base is going to be on any day by getting ~· weather report giving the Dew Point ar ·. well as the Air Temperature. Just do th!') following surn: Air Temperature~ C- Dei,v Point° C x 400= Cloud Base in feet. · For example: if the air temperature is 26° C and the Dew Point is 120 C then 14 x 400 = 1

•

5,600. So the cloud base is likely to be 5,600 feet.

Weather systems.

When you look around from a mountain top on a typical summer's day, more than 30,000 cubic miles of the earth's atmosphere will be Fig. 2 on view.

It is easy to forget that the blue sky and hundreds of fluffy white clouds which stretch as far as the eye can see, are part of a vast weather system which might involve 250,000 cubic miles of atmosphere.

Weather - that is mainly wind and rain, comes with Low pressure systems. If you could see the top of the atmosphere from space, like the surface of a pond, you would be able to see that in the region of a Low pressure system the surface of the atmosphere would dip downwards. The depth of the atmosphere being reduced by a few thousand feet. Easy to understand why Low pressure systems are often called DEPRESSIONS. Overall the air in a Low pressure system rises. ln the northern hemisphere, Low pressure weather \lystems usually move from West to East across the surface of the globe and ALWAYS turn in an counter cfock wise direction. Hence if you stand facing the wind, the center of low pressure lies somewhere roughly over your right shoulder.

Frontal Systems When warm air meets cold at a front, the buoyant energy of the warm air combined with the spin imparted by the rotation of the earth will often turn the fronts around into a huge whirlpool which becomes a Low pressure system.

The original masses of cold and warm air are still there with their attendant fronts, but now they are whirling round and round at speeds up to 50 mph or more. These Low pressure systems can move from West to East at anything up to 20 mph or more.

Small wonder that out weather is so variable! Without fronts our climate would be considerably different. They cause most of our clouds, rain, and variations in wind direction.

Fig. 3 Fronts come in three main forms: cold, warm and occluded. The weather patterns associated with each type of front are quite different.

The slope of the wedge is quite steep, about 1 in30to 1 in 100.

Cold fronts are quite complicated; depending not only on the temperature differences but on the relative stabilities of the air mas-

COLD FRONT

air. Warm fronts are marked on weather maps by small half circle symbols. A warm front (as seen in Fig. 3) may extend over hundreds of milE;!s.

Warm fronts ten4 to produce less dramatic weather than cold fronts, persistent drizzle being their worst feature. Plenty of advance warning of their arrival can be had by observing the approaching high level clouds.

As the front passes it will become warmer and more settled, the winds will veer clockwise by 300 to 90° often ending up southwesterly.

Warm fronts do not move as fast as cold fronts - their general speeds do not exceed about 15 mph. The slope of the transition between warm and cold air is between 1 in 50 and 1 in 400.

Formation of a Low Pressure System

ses. They can consequently range from very active, inducing severe weather, to quite gentle producing hardly any rainfall. A typical cold front is heralded by cirrus clouds in the distance. The uplift of the air produces clouds and rain.

Cold fronts move quickly, at up to 20 mph, and a strong Fig. 4 updraught may be encountered 100 or more miles ahead of a front.

Cold fronts may be hundreds of miles in length. As a front passes it will become noticeably colder and the wind will veer towards the west or north clockwise by 450 to 180°. After the passage of a cold front it will be clear and cold and the air is often turbulent and ther• mal activity may bring good cross country conditions in the typically cold, clear north westerly wind.

Warm Fronts The transition between the cold and the warm air masses is called a warm front, as the warmer air is encroaching on the colder

WARM FRONT WA.RM A.JR OVER•Rll)ES.COLDA.IR

In Fig. 4 you can see a stage in the development of a LOW. A cold plunge of air from the North Pole sometimes finds it hard to penetrate warmer air t.o the south. Then the cold frontal air undercµtting the easterly flowing warm air ends up flowing in the opposite direction, headed southwest. At the transition between the two air masses a

FORMATION OF A LOW PRESSURE

SYSTEM

strong upper flow forms, called a "JET". The whole system then starts to spin up as warm air is forced by the under-cutting cold plunge. The cold front swings. round to chase the warm front and the LOW deepens as the spin increases. This huge vortex then moves eastwar4 in the prevailing flow around the northern hemisphere.

Occlusions Because cold fronts move faster than wa1:m fronts they will eventually catch up and form an occlusion. The occlusion can have some of the characteristics of a warm front or a cold front but generally on a much milder scale.

Occlusions are generally slow, moving and represent the final stages in the decay of a frontal system. The weather produced by an occlusion can range from that of the. two frontal typ~ to prolonged periods of rain.

By learning to recognize the various cloud

Cold Fronts When a mass of cold air encroaches on a body of warm air a cold front can occur. It is marked on weather maps with spiky symbols. The cold air tries to push under the warm air acting as a wedge, see Fig, 2.

41

types, keeping an eye on the pressure and temperatures and remembering the various characteristics of the various frontal types you will soon find it quJte easy to become rat.her. good at local short term forecasts. This is obviously goin~ to increase your chances of picking good days to go flying and add to your .enjoyment of the sport. Fig. 5 summarizes the types of front.

angle of your glider,

Speed of the win~.

High pressure systems.

These are the opposite of Lows. and represent heaps of air piled up to give the atmosphere greater depth. The air in .i .• High Pressure system is slowly descending over an area which may be as big as Europe.

High Pressure systems reduce the possibility of upward movement of air, so thermal strength may be reduced and INVERSIONSmay occur. (As stated earlier, an inversion is where the air temperature may suddenly increase with height). If there is. a large area subject to inversion in summer, the atmosphere becomes hazy because dust, pollen, smoke and pollutants cannot escape upwards to. be.dispe;sed. 111 winter High Pressure syste~s bring cold clear frosty nights as the ground radiates heat straight out into space be<;ause of the lack of cloud cover. During the day it is often clear and crisp with brilliant blue skies. High Pressure systei:ns may. divert the path of LowPressu.re systems.

Now it's time to lookat aviation meteorology in. more detail, specific11.lly the sort of dose to the surface local weather of interest to hang glider pi~ots. · · 1

HIii soaring.

bQmp on otherwise.flat grounct it willbe forced to flow around and/or over the bump. Fig. 6 shows two hillsint'3rcepting horizontal air flows. The rounded hill tends to deflect the air not tofight against gravity.

The ridge forces the afr upwarq.s as it is too long for the air to by•pass. Looking at the airflow on the l'idge in a crosssection (Fig. 7)youcan seethatlttoocanberesolved into vertical and horizontal vectors.

So l6ng as the upward vertical F' 7 vector for the wind is larger · ig~ .•. than thedownwarq.ver*al vector for the glider, the glid~ will rise.

As you can see, the size ofthe wind vector depends on the steepness of the slope and the strength of the wind. It also depend$ on the angle at which the Wind meets the slope and the stability of.the air~ · ·

The stronger the wind, ttje stronger it's vertical and horizontal components. However aerofoils do.11ot producei~he sameamcmnt of lift over their wholE1:speed. r~nge: At higher speeds they do not produce as much lift, yet such higher speEj;ds may necessary to penetrate the strong'~r winds .. Consequently it mll.y not be pqssible to go much higher than on lighter wfod days, especially if you have a glider wpkh does notperform so well at higher spteds, such as most paragliders and sing)e surface hang gliders. · Stronger winds will also li>e mo.re turbulent.

The slope of the hill, win~ strength and the size .of the hill will all affect the amottnt of lift produced. The smoo(lmess of the slope also comes into play. ·

Angle of wind to>':s1ope.

Wind blowing at 90° to Jhiii slope wilt obc

Steepness ofthe slope~ The steeper the slopet. the greater the vertical component. To achieve a suffiqiently. strong updrau.gh. tto ke.ep. a g.lider aloft on a very shallow slope, a strong wind is needed. The limitatio.n hel'e ·is the .maximum speed of the glider, Hmay beby the time that the wind has ini::reased !lufficiently to generate enough· lift ori fhe shallow slope you can only fly ''bAak,wards". The theorotical slop~ limitation is that the!!lope of the hill mu$t be steeper than the glide

After gaining his or her Class I Rating the novice pilot's main aim in Ufe is to achieve that first ridge - soaring flight and. go on to gain thermailing experience before becoming a fully fledged cross country pilot.

To ensure that the thoughts of the would~be ace are those of joy rather than the "ohgodhowdolget down?!.''. vatiety·q.uring those•first soaring flights, three fact0rs are critically Important.

Fir$tly the pilot should have W//iJO GOES At<Ol/A.Jk') been given good instructions 1'1./!F HIU. in flying techniques. , Fig. 6 Secondly the pilot should un- · derstan:d why .the p~raglider or hang glider ought tq stay up and what weatherand site conditions will affect soaring.

Thirgly, .advice from an experi¢nced pilot. familiar with the site is essential.

WINO IS F:c>IUE1' 4 R.l/t>~li'

OLJO(.

viouslypl'9duce the mosilift. Sensitivity to .this is inci:ease in propqrtioi:i to .the steeprv~ss of the slope. Aslopec:if 750 wm prod4ce half the lj!Xpeoted lift wh+n the wind is 350 off the slope, whereas slope of 1so teqUil'es the wind to be ~O~ off before the lift isreduced PY half. · :

t•

Stability

. ,

WheB the airstream is s,tt,\1'le the floW 0s smoother and the•zone Qf lift·extends far~ ther out from the hill. Wl)en condition1, are more uns.table it is .less likely that the airflow overthe hill will tie s,moqth, as thermal activity can upset i~e laminar flow.

Hills. which may be easiLr s,o~rable in .aJO mph breeze on an unst(l,le day may become unsoai:abk on. a jmore stable day simply bec;:1use the ai~ lac.ks sufficient moofl!ty. ·

Turbulence Flying a hang. glider or paraglider in ridge lift involves flying for prolong~d periods closer to the groundan<l, in strong wind,s ~han.a ny. other fo. ;m.. ofav~a.tion. . Turb• ul. ence 1s therefore of maJor conc~rnas 1t may cause

Hills.

When air is moving over a flat surface it will tend to flow parallel to the surface. If the horizontal air encounters a

42

Fig.8

ings and hills turbulence can be produced by any object that sticks up into the airstream.

Trees can induce quite severe local turbulence and an area of "wind shadow". ll 3) Turbulence induced by penetrative convection. When a horizontal airstream is penetrated by thermic air currents turbulent eddies can occur. The level of turbulence depends on the wind strength and the energy of the thermals.

Often when strong winds are blowing, conditions are not favorable for the formation of thermals as the thermal sources are rapidly cooled by the airstream.

Detecting turbulent air is a question of interpreting the indicators all around. Smoke form chimneys, tree tops, crop fields and standing water will often show approaching gusts. Gustiness is more of a problem

loss of control or even cause a pargalider to deflate. Turbulence is a swirling motion imparted to the air by some external upsetting force. Turbulence ranges from a global scale (lows and highs) down to tiny swirls too faint to detect. Swirls of Jess than 0.25mm cannot exist because of the viscosity of the air.

Turbulence is a problem when Fig. 9 it is of sufficient .strength and size to make you lose control of your glider. Turbulence which imparts more than about 1 /2 g (lg upwards will make you go weightless) feels unpleasant.

More than 1 /2 g to 1 g for any length of time in not recommended for flying. Turbulence is generated in airstream by the following: II 1) By air encountering solids. When air, flows around a smooth streamlined shape it will contourthe shape. Sharp edges and, sudden changes in shape will tend to produce turthan wind strength alone. bulence. In Fig. 8 you can see air encounter• 4) Turbulence induced by wind shear. ing a veryunstreamlined building. TheedWhere two opposing airstream pass, eddies are produced because. the shape is too dies will form. This often occurs along the angulax for the air to flow smoothly around line of fronts, where widespread areas of it. Standing eddies can form, they do not turbulence can form. On a more localized change position and because they spin scale, turbulence can often form where a around on the spot they are often referred strong inversion exists. to as "rotors". You should obviously be very Picture a still pocket of air in a valley which careful when soaring sharp edged cliffs or has cooled down in contact with cold earth spine-backed ridges. overnight more than air higher up. From • 2) Turbulence generated by mountain the valley floor upwards the ranges upwind of your flying site can send temperature falls, then rises in eddies crashing into your otherwise the upper air. It the upper air is smooth site. The air flowing over a solid is moving over the stationary retarded by friction as it rubs against it and pocket. turbulence will be the viscosity of the air results in a reduction found along the inversion in speed proportional to the distance form boundary. VEry turbulent conthe solid. ditions can occur when a The surface of the earth has just this effect strong inversion confines all and the wind blows slower the closer it is the thermal activity to a relato the surface. This sets up a "wind tively narrow band close to the gradient". The exact profile of a wind ground. As this can commonly gradient, which can extend over many tens occur without cumulus clouds of feet, is determined by the unretarded forming., the weather can loom speed of the wind and the surface roughdeceptively smooth and unness. Rough surfaces, such as. forests, and thermic. strong winds tend to produced a turbulent e 5) Measuring wind sh·ength wind gradient profile. In addition to buildand direction on a hill. Hand

43

held wind strength meters can easily be tr~nsported to the site and used to gauge wmd strength, but they are of limited usefulness. They are quite accurate but they can only measure tne wind fairly close to the hill and consequently they are very susceptible to localized effects.

Wind g~adient can result in the pilot measurmg a totally misleading wind speed. Not holding the instrument parallel to the streamlines will make it under-read badly. The "venturi" effect - created by hills to a gre.ater or lesser extent - caused by streamlmes of a parallel airflow being crowded together as they pass over the hill, speeds up the flow and can result in a much altered measurement of wind speed at ground level compared with that as a realistic flying height. Fig. 9 shows what we call "compression" over the top of a hill. It is a good idea to buy a wind speed indicator ~nd learn what different wind speeds feel like. The temperature of the air can make y~ur senses guess at the wrong speed. The wmd always seems stronger when it's colder.

A strategically placed windsock which inflates at a known velocity is a useful tool but it is worth remembering that th~ windsock will also only demonstrate what is happening in it's immediate vicinity. Fig. 10 shows a typical situation where a pilot with only one windsock could become confused if he or she had not taken into account the geometry of the site.

Landing the wrong direction with the respect to the wind is one of the main causes of accidents and injury in hang gliding and p~ragliding. Often.t~e pilot sticks to a previously made dec1s1on about which way the wind is blowing and ignores all other signs telling him the truth. Learn to watch for signs which give away to the wind direction. Waves in corn, ripples on ponds (The calmer the water is always upwind), even the direction larger birds come into land (they're .not stupid and always land into the wind).

If you develop an interest in observing the weather it will make you a safer and more accomplished pilot - guaranteed!

Fig.10

S tatistics Accidents Analysis How common are paragliding injuries and how do they occur, is a question discussed frequently among pilots. Until now answering this question has been largely left to personal experience and accident reports.

By Granger Banks

training: 67% gave pilot error as the reason for their accident with 27% blaming weather conditions and only 6% the canopy.

A

recent reader survey conducted by the Swiss paragliding magazine Gleitschirm produced some interesting and some what horrifying statistics.

What: The lower extremities seem to be the most at risk (55.6%) with an alarmingly high rate of spinal injury (16.2%). Noteworthy also was the frequency of foot injuries (32.5%() which are easily avoidable through appropriate footwear. Here is the breakdown:

Who: Based on 1,546 responses over one-third of all pilots had an accident and 9.4% had been hospitalized as a result. Despite the rigorous Swiss certification program, the results made a strong case for better pilot

Treated as outoatient 24.2% No accidents 66.4%

When: The survey confirms that take-offs and landings are the most dangerous phases of flight: 44% of accidents occurred during take-off and 43% during landing with only 13% occurring when actually flying.

Canopy6%

Hying 13%

Weather conditions 27%

Take-off 44%

Pilot error 67%

Landing 43%

44

Although accidents often occur as a result of many factors, turbulence causes the most accidents in all three phases of flight. Here is the breakdown by flight phase: Percent Start abort • • • Crosswind•••• Sat down too soon • • • • • • • • Rough terrain • • • • • • • • Tailwind••••••••• Lost footing • • • • • • • • • • • •

Once you have tasted flight, you will walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward; for there you have been and there you will long to return. _ _ _-..!:'.L,eonardo da Vinci

Turbulence • • • • • • • • • • • • • • Cause 0% 2% 4% 6% 8% 10% 12% 14% 16% 18%

l

I

I I I

Obstacle Incorrect chute adjustment Emergency • • • • landing Turbulence ~~~.!_~.~~-~--~-~~~.~~-~~~~~L_ 0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35%

Inappropriate terrain Obstacle • • • Stall·-Tailwind landing • • • • • Improper braking • • • • • • • • Poor accessment . . . . . . . . .. of conditions • Turbulence • • • • • • •IIJIIJIIJ.(___ 0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

FLYING LESSONS ...

• Run on a friendly, informative basis ® Our instructors have full APA/USHGA Certificiation • We carry equipment, accessories, and instructional materials ® Dealer for ITV & Comet

30%

The results tend to confirm that at least in Switzerland paragliding accidents are far too common. It would be interesting to do a similar survey in the U.S. to compare accident frequencies. Since most pilots involved in accidents attributed their accidents to pilot error, better training at least in Switzerland and very probably also in the U.S. is necessary, particularly in take-off's and landings.

Accelerated Flight Systems P.O. Box 1226, Del Mar, CA 92014 (619) 841-7400

45

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER

1990

NEW EUROPEAN RECORD SET Please watch out for a guy who uses different names to order equipment with no intention of paying for it. He is located in Williamsport, PA. and has burned a number of manufacturers, dealers and instructors to date.

If you have any questions as to a customers credibility, please contact the APA and we'll surely help if we can.

ATTENTION APA PILOTS! How would you like to start your next road trip with a guide to all of the paragliding sites in the USA? The APA is compiling a site directory database which will be available to all APA members.

However, we need your help to make this directory effective! If you would like to list your site for the benefit of other pilots as well as protecting it by establishing site protocol, call us today. Scott Gressitt is building the database and will give you a list of criteria when you call him at (619) 943-0274.

THE ANNUAL CAPE COD SEAGULL CHASE October 26,27,28. Hang Gliding & Paragliding Fly-in at Seascape Motor Lodge, No. Truro and White Crest Beach, Wellfleet. Contact Chuck Smith (508) 362-5978 or Beth Cooper (203) 651-8278.

A new European distance record was set by 19 year old, Dominik Muller, on a Firebird F-1. after a 5 hour flight over the alps, Dominik touched down 107 km from his starting point. The German pilot had started from Oberstdorf in the southern part of Germany on Sunday, July 22, i 990 at 12:33.

After crossing some of the highest mountains in Austria, he eventually landed 67 miles later in the Italian South Tyrol at 17 :20. Dominik reached a maximum height of 13,320 feet during his flight over the Alps. The record flight - by a pilot who has only had four years experience at the sport - has been greeted with incredulity by Europe's paragliding community.

Normally long distance records have been set in ideal conditions in Namibia in southern Africa - the world record is 137 km. But Dominik's record - documented by photos and barograph readings was reached over jagged peaks in difficult conditions.

fell to Firebird pilots - Firebird will be introducing an even higher performance canopy this fall, provisionally called the F-1 Ninja.

$50,000 CASH PRIZE MONEY Peter Zimmerli just received a pre-invitation for an International Competition in Taiwan from March 29, 1991 to April 9, 1991. The competition is limited to one team of 6 competitors per country. The invitation was mailed to the National Aeronautic Association and that means that the team has to be officially entered like the team for the World Championship. They offer a first prize of US $50,000. Cash prizes are totaling US $109,000. Let's hope it comes through. Selecting rules for the team members will be worked out within the next months. Travel expenses and entry fee of $100 are at the competitors expense. Aside from saving up the travel money, practice, practice, practice!!! With this kind of prize money the best pilots in the world will attend.

"For the sport of paragliding, this is equivalent to a milestone like Lindbergh's crossing of the Atlantic." said Otto-Max Fischer, head of the Oberstdorf Hang Gliding and Paragliding Club.

KEN BAIER - GREG SMITH JOHN BOUCHARD - KEVIN ERIN - ED PITMAN

Despite the record, Dominik felt himself unlucky: "If I had the wind behind me a little more, I would have had the world record too."

NEW WORLD RECORD TARGET I RETURN WITH AIRBOW - 71.5 km

Not content with breaking records and winning competitions - the Swiss and Italian Opens recently

46

NEW APA EXAMINERS

Place: Gnadenwald I Tirol to Telfs I Tirol and back.

Pilot: Schwaiger, Robert from

cell $950. New Firebird Twist 25.

ITV Electra 220 $800. Southwind (801) 254-7455

Wattena/Tirol. Flight Time: 3.5 hours

still be done in actual flight.

The record flight will be submitted to be recognized (all requested documentation are made).

FIREBIRD F-1 21 mtr. New $2500.

San Francisco - (415) 641-7539.

2- EDEL EROTICS 27 mz. 90 - 110 kgs. $1400. NEW. Call Greg at (714) 674-3071.

NEW SOFTWARE FOR GUDING PARACHUTES

1 NEW SWIFT 50 - $1600. Condor Vector used 70 - 90 kgs. $1400.

Condor VIP 11 Comp. w/ cable speed seat $1200. More demos, used and new gliders available. call Greg Smith (714) 674-3071.

Para-Flite is installing and will use a new software program developed

by Dr. Chatzikonstantinou in cooperation with Para-Flite, Inc. The software will compute the performance of a gliding parachute design, using three dimensional numeric analysis. The only thing the program cannot do is predict handling characteristics, that must

new training canopies starting at $800. Complete w/ harness and pack. Also lots of used equipment and instruments: 2 Harley Elites 270 Excellent cond. Harley Elites 220 excellent cond. Condor SP10 Excellent cond. $1400. Birdwing 10

ATIENT~ON SCHOOLS

CANOPIES - Condor SP 9 - ITV Meteor 95. Ed Stein (415) 367-8245 or (415) 343-0300.

NEW - 2 EDEL EROTICS 27 mz.

90-110 kg. Glide ratio 5.6 min. sink 1.6. Price $1400. per glider.

NEW SWIFT 50 28 mz. 95-110 kg.

Glide ratio 5.8 min. sink 1.5. Price $1600.

1 USED CONDOR VECTOR flown

by Greg Smith in Salt Lake Competition. Glide ratio 6 min. sink 1.4. 70-90 kg. Price $1400.

1 USED CONDOR VIP II COMPETITION w/ cable speed seat Good condition $1200.

Plus much more! Call Greg at (714) 674-7005.

Air jun® kies n 1: person who loves to fly above all else 2: person seen hanging out at flying sites for long duration usually kicking rocks, telling stories and hoping to fly 3: professional, full time paragliding business dedicated to 'turn you on' to paragliding!

I)

@

@

LESSON DEMOS

"' SALES: ITV I Edel • Second Chance 'Pocket Rocket'• Brauniger and Ball Variometers "' GUIDED TOURS: San Diego• Southern California• Mexico• etc., etc.

I S

BAIER

151 Tamarack Ave.• Carlsbad, CA

(619) 720-9775

• gives you the Safety - Performance & Reliability that you demand from a Paraglider

'

Just what makes the Excalibur"' line of paragliders the best in the world?

Bill Coe, designer of the Excalibur, started by developing a safe, stable, easy to inflate, collapse resistent air foil. Then he invented a way to make the airfoil extremely rigid while at the same time reducing the total number of suspension lines by over 50%.

As you may already know, line drag is the single largest source of parasitic drag on a para glider.

Other manufacturers the world over have tried to accomplish the same thing with mixed results. Some manufacturers have tried to reduce drag by using a limited number of suspension lines (see illustration 2). This method results in lower drag but at the expense of severe canopy deformation resulting in a corresponding loss of lift.

A few manufacturers have even added additional

suspension lines to keep their wings rigid (see illustration 3). Although this does result in a flatter wing the amount of drag produced by the additional lines results in a low performance paraglider.

'

In sharp contrast to these failed attempts at increasing paraglider safety and performance all Performance Designs Paragliders use the Patented C3 Construction Method (displayed in the illustration surrounding this text) to get the best of both worlds - an extremely rigid wing and a minimum number of suspension lines.

This is accomplished by the use of internal nylon flares that: 1. Add to the overall strength of the canopy 2. Reduce the total number of suspension lines 3. Distribute the load on the wing over a wider distance (reducing and minimizing stress points) 4. Result in a flatter, smoother, more efficient wing

These four factors combined with our safe airfoil design gives you one of the most stable and absolutely the most efficient paraglider available today.

This means easier inflations, easier launches, more stable flight, less sink, higher LID (glide angle) and virtually no canopy collapses. Performance Designs has accomplished what every other paraglider manufacturer in the world has tried to and failed produce a safe airfoil that can maintain its rigid shape during all flight modes and deliver the Safety, Performance and Reliability that paragliding pilots the world over demand from their wing.

I I I I I Illustration 2

Illustration 3

Phone (714) 924-5229

FAX (714) 242-4718

Safety - Performance - Reliability Exclusively distributed by Performance Designs Paragliding Inc., 12650 Softwind Drive - Moreno Valley CA 92388

DESIGNS PARA GLIDERS PROUDLY PRESENTS

Two years in extensive development and test flying around the world At last, high peiformance without compromising safety!

The safest Beginning to Intermediate Paraglider in the world.

u Absolutely the safest Intermediate to Expert Paraglider in the world.

Our Expert-Only Paraglider

"The 39 Cell Excalibur has the highest glide ratio and the lowest sink rate of any paraglider in the world" Jacques Due French Paraglider Test Pilot z

ALL CANOPIES AVAILABLE IN CUSTOM COLORS AT NO EXTRA CHARGE PRO~PARAPORTER HARNESS - Multiple Sizes and Styles to choose from PARAPORTlER RESERVE SYSTEM - 18 Gore Parachute with Container - Can be clipped on to any harness AU of our products are 100 percent American made with the highest quality materials and craftsmanship. The patented Excalibur construction method reduces the total number of Hnes by 50% (line drag is the single biggest smurce of parasitic drag). We have over 7,500 Ram Air Wings in use today, Contact us today to receive your FREE Video Tape of the Excalibur Test Flights and extensive soaring footage shot in Southern California and a FREE Glide Angle Computer (used to determine if a site is suitable for paragliding). Dealer and School inquiries invited.

Performance Design Paragliders, Inco I

L_Phone

12650 Softwind Drive Moreno Valley CA 92388

FAX

J

(714) 242-4718