USHGA Hang Gliding February 2002 by US Hang Gliding & Paragliding Association

DEALERS CAUFORNIA

VIRGINIA

Dreamweaver - Doug Prather

Blue Sky - Steve Wendt

NEW YORK Mountain Wings - Greg Black

Kim Jenner

(250) 453-9983

(209) 556-0469

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Looko11t Mo11ntain Hans Glidins 800. 688. 5637 - WWWe l.a"9lidE:eCOIII

Fin tlllltlS as man_y students leam ra

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ntents (USPS 017-970-20- ISSN 0895-433X)

14 The 200 I Region Nine X-C Contest by Pete Lehmann The 2001 Region Nine X-C Contest produced a broad and interesting range of flights.

24 Soarcasting by Davis Straub Predicting when it will be soarable, and how good it will be.

30 Flying Above Cancer by Curt "Wamm Dave Foster realizes his dream.

34 Wuffo Encounters Of The Weird Kind by BiLl Buffam, illustrations by Hany Martin Humorous encounters with the Llll Lniciaced.

39 Tuning A Modern Glider -

Part II

47 Hang Gliding Photo Gallery T his month's featured phocographer is Mark Vaughn.

Columns

Departments

President's Corner, by Jim Zeiset ...........8

Airmail ....... ......... .. ....... ....... ................... 4

Product Lines, by Dan Johnson ......... 55

Update .................................................. 10 Calendar of Events ............................... 13 Classified Advertising ............... ...........43 lndex to Advertisers ....................... ..... .54

FEBRUARY 2002

litrle man

The

then concludes that our popuLll' concept "thermal is a myth. I [c references my book the as well the articles writers to out where in some pan we go astray. l cm not be for I he of other focus 011 what I have done.

agree with the Peter has rnuch the same process over the yc,1rs in the various forms I went

of my book first was written in l 'The calculation of the d1ermal appears on 1 I most of the Peter presents is lcfr out of' my book because it imcndcd fr)r the average reader who wants to know way. When there is a linc detail for exactitude We'll revisit this poim later. l also with Peter that surface ten· sion has no role to in the bin h, release and nf thermal. I with his statement that there is

And near as it is a model for the average reader 10

observed

with picture in their mind. Dixon White has used the concept surface tension tension LO f<mn a

the

of hem

etc. Heat will off of areas where it isn't: trapped,

which is

Sl'ND CHANCE OF ADDRLSS CLIDINC, P.O. llOX 13:lO, Colorndo BIJ()OJ.

F1 lll<UARY

a valid point. Scientiflc is chock full of similes such as in electronics we like a door that

lets electrons pass in one direction not rhc other. No one thinks

as possible and arc in order t:o avoid using too mental process while the world oflifr passes us by. ! ff read Peter's write-up he believes that thermals form :11 the surface when rhc sun hears the ground which in turn heats the overlying air. All right so for. Then he thinks the thermal automatilifring off as soon as it has a (less density than the surcoolcr air). This lifro/T; accord-to he wrote, occurs over the entire heated surface in a more or less unifonn fashion. As this heated mass rises it coalesces ro become the somewhat dis-· cretc column rhat we know alld love as a thermal. I think Peter's "Realistic Model" is faulty for a couple of reasons. note that convection currents fonn very readily in a fluid due to density diffi:'.renccs caused by heating. These currents serve to distribute the heat more uniformly througharc more or less our the fluid. and continuous. However, when rhc heat is applied at the bottom of a fluid at such a rntc that convection cur-· rents cannot up with rhc process, then more ch;1otic penetrative convecrion occurs. In this case the warmer air "comes in I umps, away from rhc heated which we call thermals." The qnote is from R.S. Scorer's hook, Natural /1eror,1:1m,qmzcs. (This book was the flrst text wrincn 011 micromereorology and is a wonderful source of' in.depth information fiir anyone who wants to really undersra nd how sndlcr-·sca le atmospheric effects work. Unfortunately, it rrrny be only available through the libraries universities. Scorer himthe foremost sel/' was in his I believe he died in the 1970's.) When the heating from the sun's insolation reaches a certain rate, the volume of air being hc,ncd over good absorbing sur· areas expands. T'he expansion rate is faster than the convection currents within it can distribme rhe heat beyond the boundaries of rhc thermal. This

process can continue for half an hour or more as you can readily sec 111 a thermal-generating field. patience, waiting in the quiet you suddenly foe! a rush of wind as the wnves and rhc leaves toss. A h:1s just lifted off The buoyant thermal air docs not bleed ofFgradnally. lt sits on the ground until a discontinuity starts it pcnc> upward, then it releases in a VV IJIUU··" 1, lt has been 1TIIW,c>rc•rl mc:chan11snis rhat rcrHj(;rn:y of a thermal to account for rest on the its lower densi· ty co:mf)ared 10 the air above it. The first is inertia. Peter cotTcctlv of a thermal as this great weight to as a cohesive mass it deal of i nenia. a rhenn:1! 10 ]iii off it must be replaced with air from the side rcrnc1:n\')er, nanire abhors a If the air is hcmcd more or less uni .. formly over a wide expanse, there is 110 great horizontal di/frrcntial th:11 will induce an inflow from the side. As a heated blob it cxerrs a pressure out ward that oppose the inward pres· sure from denser air at t lie sides. An point 10 note is that air of difforcnr densities docs not mix. in a manner simiLir to oil and water. That's why squall lines or gust froms mai111ain their /cir hours over miles of why you can a ct1rnulus cloud take half and hour or more to lose its cohesive structure. Thar's fronrs for and rhe

arc lessened mid the thcrrnal is disturbance to start irs There is :111 :lll:i w,,,v illustrate our of w;ncr. Pure water cm he era!

below

for a

and will

rcmam a unril a or disrurbancc occurs. Then it will ice up in a suddrn rush. In the same way a thermal 011 the until it is disturbed. The rhat wirh

off

ofF even

That's why a thermal isn't pc11e1:Tatcd

countless incursions 011 the ground waiting for a A thermal on the

in a tenuous as acer·· rain process conrirn1cs. That process die continued of the thermal. When that Jt docs since rl1c heat comes from the

FIBRUARY 2002

illustral ion

this m;mcr on page 12.8, shows it on page I Tl of

Be speciflcally mentions ground vehicles (among mnny other things) on page G of the revised edition. On the snme page he describes experiences where he went to triggering areas to get a thermal. Of course, all these top pilots could be subscribers to the myth as well as we mortals (no facetiousness intended). But here's one last argument: If there were no such thing as thermal triggers or trigger poims, it would make sense for all cross-country pilots to simply fly in as straight a line as possible over a flat desert aren such as in Australia near Hay, or Chelan (perhaps ::iltering course a bit to ::ivoid stronger sink) and rely on chance to find a thermal. Since we all arc rational and don't believe any one pilot is guided by "The Force," the result would be a mix of pilots going the farthest or winning on successive days. But this is not the case. [n fact, certain pilots with superior clecision--making abili-tics arc consistent winners. In my inter-· views with them they declare that every-one climbs about the same, and it's the decision-making ahour where to go that makes a difference. They all believe in trigger points. Perhaps it can still be argued rhat most of us are deluded, hm flying involves hundreds of subtle decisions on the wing, and if the model we have helps us excel, then it is a valid mod-cl even though it may not be absolutely accurate. All the top pilots know thar X-C flying is a game of percentages and they try to load the dice by seeking thermal sources and thermal triggers. No one believes that porential trigger points are 100% reliable, hut they up the percentages of finding a thermal. One final poim f wish ro dispute is Peter's statement that since 1 mcmion thermal bubbles in my book that I "implicitly accept rhe surface tension idea ... " Nothing could be fr1nher from rhe truth, as I've ;i[ready mentioned. I also mention thcrrnal col11mns in the book. l believe Pcrcr misimcrpretcd whar ['m modeling. When we describe thermals as bubbles or columns, other authors and J arc nor talking about how they act or opc'.r;1te on t:hc ground in this case. We are describing rhcir shape in the air after they have consolidated and arc rising. This is somewhat a historical marrcr, which arose

as a qnestion when sailplane pilots in the .1920's first discovered thermals. As ] point out in my book, thermals can be either bubbles or columns, according to how much air is available to supply them from underneath. Here in the Northeast we frequently have bubble thermals since the heated layer is ofren not as thick as it is our West, and the heated areas tend to be determined by field size. It is not uncommon to sec a gaggle of gliders or birds define the top and bottom of the lifr in ::i couple of hundred feet. For a really good picture of thermal shape and progress, I recommend the Scorer book. lie presents photos of a dense, white solution (barium sulfate) being released as a blob in water. The downward flow, vortex ring, erosion and cohesion of the solution is a very good model (upside down) of a thermal. l would also direct the reader's attention to the OSTIV publications on technical soaring, especially publication nr.11. Much of the above discussion is a rehash of an article I wrote for my Wingtips column in the l 980's for what was Glider Rider magazine at the time. l'm sure Peter and many readers have missed it. As 1 have been pointing out in the talks and seminars f present, there is a new emphasis on small-scale meteorology due to the military i mportancc of drones. There arc many new studies of the effects and characteristics of thermals. For these reasons I have been planning an updated article on thermals for some time. Look for it soon. In the meantime, keep your finger on the rriggcr. Dennis Pagcn Spring Mills, PA

by Rodger Hoyt here is strength in diversity," says the axiom. The same is true for hang loops. Larry Heming aud other pilots around the Presno, California area arc

adamant that main hang loops and back· up hang loops be of different materials. If your main is one-inch Type 18 webbing, for example, your secondary should be seven-mm pcrlon rope. The philosophy is that, in the event of a catastrophe, the second loop may be resistant to whatever damaged the first. Definitely sounds like a good idea, but if you're retrofitting your wing with a non-factory hang system, make certain your new loop is mounted in the appropriate location, is the correct lengrh and doesn't interfere with any critical components. rom the "Two Rights Make a Wrong" department: It's a good idea to regularly apply spray silicone to your harness zipper. It's also a good idea to use a match or dispos-· able lighter to burn the little fuzzies and thread ends from your harness. Bur unless you want to be featured on "Real TV," it is not a good idea to do both at once! Most spray lubes arc highly flammable and can linger in the air a surprising length of time. So, if you value your hair and eyebrows, melt off the dangling threads first, then lubricate your zipper. This tip was not submitted by Mitch "Fireball" Shipley, but probably should have been.

Have a hot tip? E-mail rbhoyt@go.com or mail Rodger Hoyt; 956 Glengrove Ave, Centmf Point; OR 97502. All contributors submitting a usable photo (print or slide) will receive a free set of GateSavers.

HANG GLIDING

~anot,1er I fl exwmg • ,,ere sunp , y- 1-s: .not out-performing the new Combat 2! -Jerz Rossignol

t's been years-since ve experiencea thfa· kind ofperformance. I love it! -Kari Castle

.,I

.S. Aeros 1125 Harborview Dr. Kill n evi/ Hills, N C 27948 252•480•3552

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The Internet Era

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Dan

Virtually every reader of Hang Gliding magazine is wired to the Internet. It's the way we find information ... 24 x 1, up-to-elate, ana hassle-free (well OK, pretty much hassle-free) The ByDan}ohnson.com Website will offer you over 20 years of "Product Lines" columns-for researching, or merely wandering through the history of hang gliding in the USA. You can also find flight reviews by Dennis Pagen for several modern gliders among hundreds of pilot reports ana thousands of photos. Unique features like Planefinaer, PlaneView, SpecCheck, or Pros & Cons will help you zero in on the right purchase for you. Or-just react it for fun. Coming, uh ... soon! Sign up now to be notified when the site goes live.

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2002 Buyer's Guiae Ever wanted to compare specifications on the hang gliders that interest you? How about paragliaers, or ultralight sailplanes, lightweight soaring trikes, or paramotors (powered paragliaers)? Those interested in powered aircraff might want details on trikes, ultralights, microlights, homebuilt designs, helicopters, powered parachutes, gyros ... the list goes on for 256 pages-all in full color. Photos of each wing (or aircraff), addresses of manufacturers, and lots more information on wings ana aircraff from the USA ana Europe. Now, obtain your own copy of the World Diredory ofLeisure Aviation. Only $9.95 + $3.95 Priority Mail. In stock nowsend a check for $13.90 to: Dan Johnson • 265 Echo Lane • South St. Paul MN 55118 • USA • (no credit carets or phone orders)

USHGAAnd The FAA General Aviation Ban by Jim Zeiset, USHGA President

n the aftermath of the tragic events of September 11, the privilege of hang gliding and paragliding was taken from the American public in a broad, sweeping ban of general aviation . Reinstating these privileges instantly became the focus of the USHGA EC (Executive Committee) and the entire Colorado Office staff. The ED (Executive Direcror), Jayne DePanfilis, was as you may imagine totally consumed by this project. First she had to clarify the FAA's position concerning Part 103 operations. On September 11 she consulted with the EC, USHGA's attorney, Dennis Pagen (National Coordinating Committee) and Bill Bryden (Safety and Training Committee) before taking the initiative to contact other air sports associations and the FAA. Rob Kells and Mike Meier of Wills Wing were also trying to evaluate whether or not the ban on general aviation applied to ulcralighcs, and how chis ban affected recreational flying and instruction. The USHGA worked closely with the USUA (United States Ultralight Association), the NAA (National Aeronautics Association), the EAA (Experimental Aircraft Association), the AOPA (Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association) and the FAA to clarify the applicability of the FAA ban to Part 103 operations. Each of the sports associations operating under Part 103 immediately wrote an executive memorandum concerning our need for the clarification of how the ban on general aviation (Part 91 operations) would affect our specific operations. We also expressed our desire to comply with FAA regulations once we knew for certain how these new rules applied to us. Our first challenge was to derail our specific recreation and training operations as they relate to each of our activities. Our hope was to obtain directives for each of these operations separately even though it appeared as though the FAA was lumping all Part 103 operations together in the ban on general aviation. In the USHGA's memorandum to the FAA, Jayne addressed training hill lessons and solo flights, soaring and non-soaring fligh ts, solo aerotows, foot-launched and aerotow tandems. All of chis information was compiled into one memorandum by Tom Gunnarson of the USUA and forwarded to the FAA in Washington, DC. Jayne worked most closely with Tom Gunnarson, Executive Vice President of the USUA and with Sue Gardner and Mike

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HANG GLIDING

Henry of the FAA in Washington. Mike Henry is in charge of the FAA division that oversees Part 103 operations. Sue Gardner works for Mike Henry. Within a few days, the USHGA received clarification directly from Mike Henry of the FAA that, in fact, the ban on general aviation did apply to Part 103 operations - all of our operations. Hang gliders and paragliders were grounded across the country. Our next challenge was to determine an effective strategy for compliance. Clearly, the FAA was raking its cues from the National Security Council. It was the USHGNs position that the flying of hang gliders and paragliders was not permitted and that a breach of this rule would not be acceptable. It was also clear that the FAA was not always in constant contact with their field offices. There were times when local FAA representatives were not issuing the same directives or enforcing the same rules as the home office in Washington. In fact, it was a challenge to get the FAA to "spread the word" to their local offices on the rulings related to Part 103. It was difficult to obtain clear directives for Part 103 operations until after the USUA was able to contact the person in the FAA who was responsible for writing the directives. It was clear that the FAA representative who was writing the FAA directives was unfamiliar with Part 103 operations. Once this awareness was created, we were able to detail how the FMs directives applied to our operations. While the FAA acknowledged that there was very little likelihood that certain aspects of our operations would represent a threat to our national security, it was obvious that they wanted to minimize solo instruction of any kind. They wanted to minimize the potential threat from new pilots flying solo for the first time, whether these flights were five feet above the ground or 2,000 feet above the ground. The communication efforts between the USHGA, other aviation-related associations and the FAA were constant. The USHGA website was updated immediately when verifiable news about the ban became available. The ED was also in daily contact with the USHGA EC, the Board of Directors, many operators and all members who called in with questions. She answered all phone calls and e-mail inquiries regarding the ban and dealt exclusively with the media. This intense focus was maintained throughout the duration of the ban, and even after the ban was lifted, as many schools were closed due to being within enhanced Class B Airspace. Most of the schools were able to get permission to teach through their local FAA office. Within two weeks the restrictions as they related to enhanced Class B Airspace were lifted which allowed almost all schools to . . resume msrrucnon. Now Jayne and the local pilots around Salt Lake have a new problem. General Aviation has been banned within 45 miles of the Winter Olympics from February 6 to 19. Jayne, the Salt Lake Clubs and the local Director are working with the local and National FAA offices to get the ban lifted for ultralights. The club website will maintain the latest information. •

FEBRUARY 2002

WILLS WING NEWS

MR TENAXNOWIN PRODUCTION

~e ye".1"s ago, In COnJunC-

tion with their move to a new, expanded facility, Wills Wmg installed a state-of-the-arr, computer-controlled Automerrix sail-cutting machine. Since 1993, every prototype and production hang glider they've made has been cur on chis machine. They also use the machine to precision cut harness components, and to produce custom sail inlays and ocher custom cutting jobs directly from digital files. They have replaced their original machine with tl1e highly upgraded Automerrix AutoCur 7000 model. The new unit features repeatable accuracy to within ren thousandths of an inch over the entire surface of the 50-foor by five-foot table. It is well known among designers and rest pilots char dimensional variations as small as 60 thousandths of an inch over the 32-rwo foor span of a hang glider can yield perceptible changes in flight characteristics, so chis level of accuracy is a matter of practical importance in hang glider manufacture. Wills Wing's investment in the AutoCur 7000 reaffirms their ongoing commitment to apply the latest in technology and innovation to the job of providing the highest quality equipment for hang gliding and paragliding. Visit their new website ar www.willswing. com.

he MR Tenax is now in production and available in the U.S. This ultra-clean harness comes in several colors, and Laminar owners can order it with Manfred's special carabiner-free clip-in system. Ir is available mroughAV8. Contact: AV8, indasky@yahoo.com, www.icaro2000.com, (760) 721-0701.

VEWDROM SPORTS GlASSFS ,

Telodrom USA is proud to announce the

strength, comfort and function, and all used by paraglider and hang glider pilots. All styles have a matt black, super-light nylon frame, are UVNUVB-safe, and have anti-fog polycarbonate lenses. All models suitable for pilots (wrap-around or regular style to accommodate all helmet types) come with a choice of smoke or colored high-definition lens chat increase contrast and let you see even the tiniest wisp of cloud development without sacrificing UV protection. Velodrom Spores Glasses are being introduced in the U.S. in 2002 by Velodrom USA. For more information call a dealer or contact: Velodrom USA, (732) 747-7845 (phone/fax), Velodrom@ advance-usa.com, www.velodrom.se.

V introduction of Velodrom Sports Glasses. Velodrom is a line of sunglasses and protective eyewear designed uniquely for highspeed outdoor sports such as hang gliding and paragliding. Velodrom is the perfect solution for pilots and ochers who are tired of dust in their eyes, overly dark lenses, poor peripheral vision, headaches caused by chick frames pinching under a helmet, and running eyes. And the price won't O make you lose any sleep over sirring on a pair. Velodrom offers 11 different models, all tested for

CURT WARREN RECEIVES THIRD DIAMOND SAFE PIWT AWARD

he USHGA would like to congratulate Curt Warren ofVenice, Florida for his achievement oflogging more than 3,000 consecutive safe flights, earning him the Third Diamond Safe Pilot Award.

PHOTO CREDIT AND SPONSOR or our article on Kari Castle in the December issue we would like to give photo credit for the climbing shots to Andy Seiters. Kari would also like to mention chat another one of her sponsors is the manufacturer of the Rotor harness.

"Proven Performance" "Over 100 Satisfied Customers" 600 foot/min climb rate 100 foot take off and landing 22 HP engine Attaches to most hang gliders Easy to set up, break down and transport Ready to Fly, Not a Kit SkyCycle Video Available

Fun, Convenient, Comfortable and Easy True Lightweight Soaring Trike 95 lbs. Lookout Mountain Hans Glidins 800. 688e 5637 - WWW• ltan9lid€eCOttl H ANG G LI DING

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Calendar of events items WTLI, NOT be listed if only tentative. Plc:1se include exact information (event, date, comact name and phone number). Items should be received no later rhan six weeks prior to the cvcm. We request two months lead rime for regional and national meets.

APRIL 13-19: 20021¥1td!ttby Opm ttnd US. NtttiorwL(. Sanction: US[-ICA Class A Lorntion: Wallaby Ranch, 1805 Dean Srill Rd., D:wenport, PL 33837, (863) 424 0070 Entryjee: $400, 50<Yc> deposit required at registration. Docs not include towing. Organizers: Malcolm Jones and Laurie Croft

Meet Director. J.C. Brown Sr:tjety Director. Malcolm Jones Scorekeeper. Peter ( ;ray USN GA Meet Stewards: Jim Zeiset and J.C. Brown Awards and Prizes. A minimum of $5,000 prize money will be distributed ,Is follows. Class l: A minimum of $3,500 will be awarded in Class 1. l~irsr: $1,000, Second: $700 , Third: $500, Fourth: $300, Fifrh: $250, Sixth: $200, Sevcntb: $175, Eigbth: Tenth: $100. Class 2: $150, Ninth: $1 A minimum of$1,500 will be awarded in Class 2. First: $800, Second: $350, Third: $250, Fourth: $100. Mandatory pilot briefing: April I 2, 2002, 7:00 PM at meet headquarters. APRIL 21-27: 2002 Flytec Championships at Quest Air. Sanction: USHGA Class A and CIVL/WPRS points meet Loaltion: Quest Air Soaring 6548 Groveland Airport Road, Groveland, 429-0213, fox Florida, 347:36, (352) 429-4846, www.flytec.com. Entryfi:e: within 30 days of the meet). Docs not include rowing. Meet Organizen: Sreve Kroop :md the Quest Air Family Meet Director. David Glover Safety Director. Russ Brown Scorekeeper. David Glover USHGA Meet Steward: John Borton Awardr and Prize.~ A minimum of $5,000 prize money will be split over at least 13 places throughout Class l and Class based on registration breakdown. Mandatory pilot briefing, Saturday, April 20, 2002, 5:00 PM at meet headquarters. F113RUJ\RY 2002

IMPORTANT lNFORMATlON TO READ that applies to both meets: Rcgistrntion begins on December 7, 200 l (sec contact inlcmnation above). April 20 is a rest/transition clay. No official rest days arc planned during the meets. No official practice days arc planned. There arc no rain, weather, or conti ngcncy plans to extend or postpone the competition. Number of pilots: 90-120 pilots, 65C% of the available positions will be held for U.S. pilots for the firsr 30 days of registration. Competitor entry requirements include: USI-!GA membership, USHGA (or fc)reign equivalent) Advanced pilot rating (Intermediate ar T;lytcc) with Acrotow signoff. Glider/equipment entry require·· mcnts include Class 1 and Class 2 hang gliders. CPS rco:ivcrs arc required for Aight documentation. The following models of ( ;ps receiver will be supported: Garminmodels38,40,45, 12, l2XL, 12 Map, IT, II I and III 1. (Others may :ilso be supported. Please contact meet directors J.C. Brown at jcbfly@qwest.net and David Glover at david@davidglovcr.com for more info.) The meet format is crosscountry race to goal with or without turnpoims. Rules: 2002 USF!GA Competition Rulebook and the 2002 and Local Meer Rulebooks. Scoring: CAP/GAP modified.

JULY l 1-21: The First Atos-Clttss World Championships, Chelan, Washington. JUIY 11··21: 1he F~~hth Women'.r World C1:wmpiomhips, Chelan, Washington. JULY 1 l ·-21: The Ninth Swifi-Class World Chttmpionships, Chelan, Washington. Contact: Chelan Flyers, I~O. Box 907, Chelan, WA 98816, skydog@tclevar.comhttp://www.chela n flyers.com/Chelan Worlds.

FEB. February Frostbite Festivril at Cliffodc or Bingen in the beautiful state of Washington. Party at Rick Higgins' house in Hood River, Oregon that Saturady night. For more inform,1tion call John Sargc111 at (503) 639-2284. Bring warm clothes! May 17-· 19: South Carolina Springtime Fly-In, at Glassy Mountain near Greer, SC. Come enjoy flying and competing (spot, duration, X-C, balloon toss, etc.) at this beautiful south-facing mountain. Plaques awarded to all fost, second and

third place finishers in all competitions (except balloon $20 cmry frc for competition flying, 10 frir fim flying. Fly-In T-shirts available. Glassy launch is I, 500' AGL. Contact: Paul Peeples, PO Box 121, Brevard, NC 28712, (828) 885-2'536, pbranncnp@citcom.net.

UNTIL MARCH: tours, Valle de hravo. I Jang gliding and paragliding week-long tours, in and out on a Sunday. 'Thnsport to/from Mexico City airport, lodging, guides. Cost: $895 with hang glider included. Paragliding $695. Contact: (512) www.flymcxico.com. MARCI-{ 9-IO: Mexico 2002, Cotes Cliff,, Baja California, 80 miles south of Enscnada, Mexico. Annual series of win· ter flying trips. 1CJ.mile-long, 250-foothigh cliff located on a deserted Mexican beach. Flying starts before noon, lasts all day. No facilities, so bring everything you will need for the flight to Glen Crater and The Point. Bring household donations for the local population. Contact: Mike Hilbcratl1, (949) 455-0032, cteamcr@)hotm.iil.com, or ctcamrulcs@ev1nwdorks.com.

APRIL 12- 14: 'J orrey Pines !-fang Gliding and Para.gliding Air Races, featuring the world's fastest hang glider and paraglidcr pilots. Held at world-famous Torrey Pines Gliderporr. All categories of Serial and Open Classes will fee for three days is $150. 'Jhrrey Pines Hang Glider And Parttglidcr Mcmufacturer's Exhibition. Manufacturers showcase the world's newest and most complete lines of hang gliding and paragliding gear. Open to the general public. JULY '/orrey Pines Paragliding And Hang Gliding Costume Fly-In. California's most extreme, fon costume fly-in. Dress up your paraglider and fly free. Games, comcsts ancl prizes for the most outrageous and original flying costumes. All pilots welcome to camp overnight ou the property. Satmday night cookout and party for all attendees. Mccfot and filming bluffs welcome. Contact: David Jebb, Director of Operations, Torrey Pines Glidcrport, Air California Adventure, Inc., D&M Distributing, LLC:, 1--858-ZULU (9858), 'foll Free: I 8T7-FLY-TEAM (359-8326), www.flytorrcy.com.

kY Pete Lehmann

wo pilots had flights of over I 00 miles, and 50-m ile flights were seen down to 14th place. Surprisingly, two rookies had flights of over 70 miles, and two singlesurface gliders placed in the top 10. The year's results were also unusual in that eight of the top 10 flights occurred after the traditional April-May period that usually produces the year's longest flights . Finally, an astonis hing number of the contest's flights occurred on one day, June 9. That day produced exceptional flights throughout the Region, ranging from hill sites across Pennsylvania to tow sites in O hio, New Jersey and on the Delmarva Peninsula.

OPEN CLASS The contest's overall winner was Tim Donovan with a site-record 110-miler from Peters Mountain, West Virginia. As has been chronicled in past articles on this contest, T im and his buddy Rich Lawrence have been attempting to com-

Despite a widely held view that it was a poor flying year in the East, the 2001 Region Nine cross-country contest produced a broad and interesting range offlights. Last years contest enjoyed its largest-ever participation. Sixty-two pilots entered the four classes, ofwhom 45 registered flights amounting to 1734 miles for a respectable average of 38.5 miles per flight. plete ''The Mission," their dream of running that ridge southwestward for 200 miles into Tennessee. Their years of trying have produced a number of fine 80+ mile flights, but they have all been stopped around Tazewell, Virginia, the point at which they have to accomplish a 2.5-mile upwind glide onto C linch Mountain's Shorr Mountain spur. In 2001 Tim easily flew the first 65 miles of the mission, swapping leads with his wingman Rich Lawrence as they crossed the various gaps, rivers and doglegs

along the way. But Rich became a bit impatient and consequently decked it at Tazewell for 65 miles. Tim nearly joined him, but got back up and ultimately arrived behind the Short Mountain obstacle. There he spent an hour and 20 minutes beating his head against that upwind obstacle before finally giving up. But instead of simply landing, as they have in the past, he climbed out and bailed over the back, taking a sharp left turn in search of Tennessee. Heading south, he crossed I-81 near Marion, Virginia at 7,500' MSL

In the history of hang gliding t here have been j ust two flights of more than 400 miles. They had just one thing in common:

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I lowcvcr, thar course line was soon blocked the leaf desen of" the Blue Ridge Mountains, necessitating a zag back to the somhwcsr. Pinned against those mountains, Tim was soon our of opt:ions and eventually landed in the last available field. That landing zone at Twin Tennessee was literally bisected by the T<:n· nessee-Virginia border. The Mission had finally succeeded in getting into albeit with a zigzag course and a 30-foot

margin. T'l1e flight took broke the late Bill Bennett's site record, and repre· sents Tim's first 100-mile flight. Better yet, Rich and their driver Shane Moreland arrived flve minmcs after T'irn's landing. /\II in all it was a pret Ly foir day. In second place was Larry Huffman with a flight of 105 rnilcs made on the Fah ulous Nimh ofJ1111e. ];lying from Temple-· ton, Pennsylvania, Larry enjoyed a <lay of' st;mlingly high cloud bases, attaining a maximum of9,400' MSL and 8, I 00' ahovc launch. The day had very little wind even at rhosc ,iltirudcs, bm the height of' the clouds and the fact that they became unusually well strcctcd meant that it was fundamentally easy to fly a long distance. Lift was generally only in the low 400-J11m range, bm there w;1s lots of ir. After l<)IJ r and a half hours in the air, Larry finally landed at seven o' dock near l-fancock, Maryland as the last clouds evaporated in the evening. The truly unusual framre of l flight was nor its length, but rhc fact that he made most of it with me rnggi ng along on my single-surface Falcon. As the accompanying Siamese tracklog shows, my third· place, 98.4-milc flight was intimately rclat· eel to I W'c worked the same rhemds fc)[· 85 miles. Tc1 the reader it may sound ludicrous, hut trying to fly a topless /rx such distance together with a Falcon is not easy. The performance difference between Larry's topless Moyes CSX and my I 9'5 Falcon is ;ikin to the difference between a world-class distance runner and a weekend jogger. Fortunately, T.arry :md I have flown together for years, and we know one anoth· cr's intimately. 'fhar made it possible for Larry 10 stay with me as we took our Torroisc and II arc show on the road. Essrn1ially what J ,arry did was hang back while I flew on ahead, and once I started to climb he'd come and join me. Had we reversed the scenario, he'd have immccliatcly scraped me ofE This routine

Nelson l,cwis (lcfl), and Rich J,czurr:ncr: (rig,ht) at Peters Mtn. l"aunch. FrnRLJ/\FN 2002.

worked quite well for the first 65 miles unril Tgot into trouble after having crossed Allegheny Mountain at low altitude while Larry managed to remain higher and find a thermal. I finally pulled off a save, but after that the Falcon was always below and ever farther behind the CSX. In a long cross·

career, this flight ranks with the most lt1dicro11sly enjoyable Thave ever made.

ROOKIE CLASS Generally, I would next write abom the Sixt:y-Milc Class scores, bur this year we

will begin with the Rookie winners. In a most um1sual tum of evems, two Rookies flnished alm1d of the highest-placing Mile contestant, and 1hey did so with exceptionally good flights considering their inexperience. Bill Buffam won the Rookie Class with his personal-best flight of71.8

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miles made on the Fabulous Ninth of June from the Sac in east-central Pennsylvania. As Bills says, "I broke all of my personal records, but only half of my dowmubes. " Bill demonstrated the necessary tenacity of a good X-C pilot by going back up the hill after getting flushed on a fust flight. He then climbed off the ridge, later getting to a personal record of over 8,500' MSL during the 3:40 he was in the air. Bill's previous record had been 14.7 miles, and he had only fantasized about flying back to his home town of Malvern, Pennsylvania, which lies downwind of the Sac. It had seemed an impossible dream, bur this flight did indeed bring him home. He couldn't quite get to the exact field he aspired to, landing a couple of miles short, but it was a spectacular flight nonetheless. And it only cost him one downrube. Bill is a self-confessed gadget man, and this flight enabled him to employ his arsenal of toys in documenting the flight. Those interested in viewing the fr uits of his gadgets can go to his website at www.buffam.com/Hanglide/Sacramento20010609/ s FEBRUARY 2002

wry.html. In second place was Terry Spencer whose 70.2-mile flight was profiled in an earlier article on the Region ine Regionals. Like Bill's flight, Terry's was made from the Sac, however, his was made during the more traditional spring X-C season. As was Bill's flight, Terry's was an extraordinary one for a pilot of his relative inexperience. Interestingly, his flight would have been even longer had cold and fatigue not forced him co land early. He'll dress more warmly next spring. The third-place finisher in the Rookie Class has a surprisingly long history in the sport. When I fust began to fly with the Pittsburgh area's club in 1982, Fred Booher was one of the good local Hang Fours, and one of the Region's single-surface crosscountry pilots of that era. However, soon thereafter he stopped flying to raise a family, and only recently did he resume flying. Now on a Wills HP AT, Fred flew 41.2 miles from Templeton, Pennsylvania to nearly double his almost 20-year-old personal distance record. And along the way

he also got to cloud base for the fust time ever. Old dogs do learn new tricks. SIXTY-MILE CLASS Joe Gregor won the Sixty-Mile Class with yet another June 9 flight. In his case it was from the Highland Aerospom' Ridgely, Maryland tow park on the Delmarva Peninsula and took him to Berlin, Maryland for a flight of54 miles in 3:15. After getting to about 7,500' AGL, Joe's flight had a less-than-happy ending in that his landing proved to be fully downwind, and ultimately upside down. He had landed in a zone where the marine breeze had overwhelmed the prevailing wind, a fact he only discovered at the last second. Fortunately, no damage was done, and Joe consoled himself, and rewarded his wife Janet with blue crabs on the way home. In second place was Randy Leggett with a flight of53.3 miles into central New Jersey from Little Gap in eastern Pennsylvania. Randy's flight was in the spring and has been detailed in the previous Regionals article. Mark Gardner's Mother's Day flight of 21

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Tim Donovan launrhingfom Peters Mountain'.s- infamous ramp in the latefall. 50.5 miles was notable because, lix the second year in a row, he had his longest flight "on Mom" as he says. 'fhanks to Moms everywhere.

PARAGLIDER CLASS Last year's longest paraglider Right was made by Jim Maze who enjoyed that honor fix the second year in a row. His best flight of 50 miles was made on May 19 from Little Gap, Pennsylvania and was done in the company of Randy Leggett's flight mentioned above. Dwayne McCourt produced a fine 25.9-milc flight from Big Walker, Virginia to take second place. His flight was a ridgerun to the southwest on the same day that gave ·nm Donovan his long flight along a nearby ridge. Dwayne's account of his flight drives home to the reader how much more difficult ridge--running and gapjumping is on a paraglider than on a top· less. J-lc's to he commended for the flight. BEST OF THE REST Of the other long flights entered in the contest: several arc notable in a variety of ways. ln fourth place overall, Claire PagcnVassort bid adieu to the Region with a very fine 79. l-milcr from Pleasant Gap a day early, on June 8, not June 9. Ric Nichaus's fifrh-place flight, a site record 76.3 miles frorn Ridgely, Maryland, took place earlier in the spring. Ric was unable to improve on that performance as he claims that his newborn son Jabin has since stolen bis cross-country mojo. FrnRUARY 2002

Finally, we come to one of my favorite flights. Jn 2001 Mitch Shipley ofrcn flew a singlc--surface Acros Target, and with astonishing success. On June 9 he, like me, made his longest flight: of the year on the single-surface glider, and not on bis topless Stealth. However, unlike me, he didn't get out on his first flight. After briefly soaring he was flushed down into the middle of the tock quarry below the: Pleasant Cap launch, right onto the carrier-deck plateau between the pits. Since he was flying alone, Mitch got a quarry worker to give him a body--ride to rhc bonom of the mountain. From there he then ran up the mountain to launch, grabbed his truck, drove down, picked up his glider and went hack to launch to set up again. He re-launched barely an hour and a half aftcr his first flight had begun, all the: while fuming thar he had blown an excellent day. The: 'forget beamed out from launch and immediately validated his assessment of the day's conditions by going to base at 9,400' MSL Wirh rhat height he soon easily crossed the nasty Seven Mountains mess in his glide-challenged Target. Thereafter he remained high until the: clouds died, landing 67 miles away around seven o'clock in downtown I ,ewisbcrry, Pennsylvania. Fortuitously, that put him within walking distance of a pub. One imagines the beer tasted good. As Mitch says of the flight, "The moral of the: story is that even when there is nobody else to fly with, you deck your first flight:, don't have a driver, and have to nm up the hill, you still have to go on those great days." Amen. 1111

Soarcasting by Davis Straub

The question that is foremast on our minds zs, ''Is it going to be soarable?" Tomorrow? Later today? In the next few minutes? While I m not going to help you with the last version of this question, let's see about the longer-range forecasts. f your site is near an ai~port ':"here the National Weather Service twice a day releases a balloon that will measure the air temperature, dew point temperature, wind speed and direction by altitude, then you can use the resultant temperature profile to forecast the future lift. All you have to do is call up Kevin Ford's soarcast website (http://csrp.tamu.edu/soar/for.html) about an hour or hour and a half after the morning balloon goes up to find out the predicted thermal indices and trigger temperatures by altitude, as well as the height of cloud base. The balloon you are interested in is released at noon Greenwich Mean Time (also known as 12 UTC, 12 Zulu, or 12Z). In the summer they release the balloon at 8:00 AM on the East Coast and at 5:00 AM on the West Coast. Conveniently for us, the balloons will measure the temperature profile of the air just before it begins co warm up from the rising sun. Once you fill in Kevin's form and clicked the Submit button it will send your chosen parameters to a CGI script that will create a new web page for yo u with your soarcast. You can make this new page one of yo ur favo rites. Later you can go back co this favorite and yo u'll get your soarcast

MSL

*TI * Wdir @kt str i g VirT

--- - - ----- -- ---6000 5500 5000 4500 4000 3500 3000 2500 2000 15 00 10 00 500

-2.2 -2.4 -2 .6 -2.9 - 3.2 - 3.6 -3 . 9 -4.4 - 4.9 -5. 4 - 5.9 -6 . 9

140

155

1 60

165

150 140

16 11

89 89 88 88 87 86 86 85 84 83 82 81

Figure 1: Kevin Ford's Soarcast 24

without having to go through the standard interface. For example, http://csrp. camu.edu/soar/ci.cgi?SUB JECT =Tl&Uppersracion =TBW&Surfaces cacion=GNV&Forecasthigh=&MaxAlti rude=8000 The values to the right of the "=" signs, when combined with the ti.cgi script, produce a soarcast using the Tampa Bay, Florida temperarure profile and the National Weather Service's predicted maximum daily air (at ground level) temperature for Gainesville. The balloon measures the temperatures of the air mass that it rises through, but it doesn't know anything abo ut the predicted maximum daily air temperarure at ground level, which in any case won't happen until much later. You have to add this piece of information to the balloon data to gee a soarcasc. You can have Kevin Ford's sire do ir by specifying a location for this temperature, or you can rype in a value of your own choosing. See Figure 1 for what a portion of the soarcasc looks like. If it is a good soaring day yo u'll see the lircle apostrophes (') co the right of the temperature profile (:) line. These apostrophes represent the temperarure change ch_ac a particle of dry air would go through as 1t rose from near the ground starting with the

3.9 degrees/division(" ' ": DryAd i abat i c)

--- - ---------------------- ------------------60 . 9 : 63 . 2 65.5 67 .6 69.7 71. 7 73.8 75.6 77.4 79. 1 80.9 81. 8

predicted air temperature ac the ground (d ry adiabatic). As the air parcel rises it expands and therefor cools. As long as its temperature is greater than the surrounding air (approximately indicated by the temperature profile) then ic will keep rising. Sailplanes with their sink rares can climb up co about the level where the thermal index (TI) equals -3. We can usually get higher. So the thermal index gives you an idea of how high you can climb. The trigger temperature is the air temperature at ground level that is required co produce rising air to the altitude shown to the left of the trigger temperature. In the case above, if the ground temperature gets co 85 degrees, packers of air warmed near the ground should rise to 4,500 feet. The predicted air temperature near the ground fo r this day was 94 degrees, and cloud base was predicted to be 5,600 feet at that temperature. Of course, clouds would most likely form earlier and lower when the ground temperature was less and then rise during the day. Looking at this chart we can see that the dry adiabatic line is quite a bit to the right of the temperature profile (the air temperatures of the surrounding air by altitude) so we can expect that this will be a good soaring day. You can find out more about the soarcasc at http://csrp.camu.edu/ soar/READ ME.html. What if your site isn't near one of the airpores where they put up a weather balloon? Well, you can instead use modeled data for the profile. The modeled data are not data taken by any instrument, but data created by an atmospheric model. It is a prediction about what the temperature and wind profile at a given site should be given what we know about atmospheric physics and all rhe measurements that we do have. You can find our more about the various models at hrcp://maps.fsl. noaa.gov/. The good thing about these modeled data is that you can gee it for your site (or at least nearby) . If the measured values from an airport are just coo far away to be applicable, then this is your next-best option. You can go to the site that plots the temperature and wind speeds and direction by altitude ac: http://wwwfrd.fsl.noaa.gov/ mab/ soundings/java/. Read chis web page carefully. You'll then wane co fill in the form in Figure 2 at the bottom of the page. Type in the designator for a local airport or the lacirude and longitude of your site and click the Java-based plots button co see the p lotted modeled data. If you don't know the designator fo r your local airport just H ANG GLIDI NG

click "METARS, " which opens up the list found on http://wwwfrd.fsl.noaa.gov/ mab/ soundings/java/ metar .short. If I wanted the profile in Florida for the Wallaby Ranch, I would type in for latitude and longitude: 28.15,-81.41. This produces: http://wwwfrd.fsl .noaa.gov/ mab/ soundings/java/ plot_ soundings.cgi?airport=28. l 5,8 l .4 l &start=lacest&n_hrs=3.0&dara_sou rce=MAPS. I could also use the Kissimmee airport designator - ISM. This would produce the following: http://wwwfrd.fsl.noaa.gov/ mab/ soundings/ java/plot_ soundings.cgi?airport=ism&start=latest&n _hrs=36&data_source=MAPS You've now produced a plot of the predicted future temperature and wind profile that looks something like Figure 3. If you produced your plot early in the morning on the day you were thinking about flying, you would have a prediction

"MAPS" is the test version of the 20 km RUC model Latest MAPS analysis is valid at 23:00 10-Jun-Ol UTC. Latest RUC2 analysis is valid at 23:00 10-Jun-Ol UTC . Select a time range and location: AC.ARS (restricted)

Figure 2: lype in your airport designator and the number ofhours into thefatureyou want plots for. for the profile for the next few hours just what you want. If you want ro get a profile fo r the next day, while yo u work on the computer the night before, you would

wane ro change the hours field shown in Figure 2 ro 36. T hat way you'd be sure to get a plot fo r the next morning. Now you've got a number of plots

MAPS 6h Forecast, 11 -Jun-2001 13:00:00 (7 .7nm/118° from ISM)

200

300

4001---Y~.....-~ -,L~..J..,.-~-#-~--,~,X--,l----,~,L-.""'"1~'--;,~ ~ ~"""'~-f-r-i'~,1,-,'-I Pressure (m b)

800

1000 ~ ::::::;::;:;::~~ ii==i~ ~ ~:::::::;~ ~=====i<~:i;:i:¢.~ ::;;:;::;~~ ~ ' 7~;;!¢';¢:.~ .40

-30

-20

ISM(F6) 06/11/01 1300

-10

Temperature

NOM - Forecast Systems Laboratoty

50 Press Alt.

100

Ids

Kft

Figure 3: FSL interactive plot ofpredicted temperatures and wind speed and direction for Kissimmee. FEBRUARY 2002

rnoo · 'IOt3mb (O.!l ft)

.A.It.

ISM(F6) IJ6t11 /IJ 1 ·1 :31JIJ ' .

50 kl:5

100

!(ft

Figure 4: ~oomcd in FST interactive plot. which you can choose from by clicking on one of the gray buttons at the bottom (sec Figure 3). These buttons arc labeled with the hour that the plot is good for. Remember rhat Zulu time is displayed, so suhtracr between frmr and seven hours (East to West Coast, daylight savings time) to get your local time. Click a button rhat will display a profile for mid-morning. While the plots display the temperature profile, in a manner similar to Kevin Ford's soarcast, what they aren't displaying is the line to rhe right, the dry adiabatic, the line showing the temperature of the rising air. 'fo get this line 10 display you need to click on the plot ro put in d1e rnaximum daily air temperature (at ground level). You enter the predicted air temperature at ground level by moving your cursor over the plot to the right of the bottom of the thick red air temperature line. Your cursor will display values frH temperature and ground altit:udc (above mean sea level). Move your cursor until the correct values are displayed next to your cursor. Then

click to display the dry (and above cloud base wet) adiabatic line. The filled-in difference between the air mass's temperature: profile and dry adiabatic gives you a visual cine as to the strength of the thermal. In addition, cloud base is displayed as a black horizontal line intersecting with the thick red air temperature line. You'll need to find out the predicted rnaximum daily air temperature in order to enter its value on the plot. 'There arc many places to get your local forecast. One is http://wcathcr.noaa.gov/pd/. Just click on your state, then on your county. Another site that gives a deflnitc value for rhc maxim urn daily air temperature, as well as predictions for air temperatures every three hours, is http://wcather.uwyo.edu/modds/mos/mos .hnn. Click on an airport site near you. You'll find the maximum temperature on the N/X line. You can flnd om more about this chart at http://www.nws.noaa.gov/ om/tpb/463body.htm.

You can get a much better view of your FSL plotted modeled data just by zooming in. Unless the plot indicates cu-nimb's, you arc most likely not going to be interested in anything over 10,000 feet AGL. Drag a box around the lower portion of the plot by holding down the left mouse button. You'll get something that looks like Figure 4. Yt)lt can play or interact with these plots to sec how the cloud base rises with air temperature ar the ground, wbicb tcrnpcraturcs get you to what altitudes, and how winds vary with altitude and hour. Because they arc fun and easy to play with, you can quickly learn ;1 lot about rising air. You can flnd om more about these plots (known at Skew T diagrams) at l1ttp://www.geo.mtu.edu/department/ class cs/gc40G/crnrilcy/imcrpret.html and http://www.gco.rn tu.cdu/ department/ class cs/ gc406/ clcdlin/. One thing that the plots don't produce are indices that describe or characterize the day's soarability. But you can use the mod-· eled dara that is used to produce these plots HANC CUDINC

to do just that.

1nstcad of producing these Java--based plots, you'll wam to output the FSL mocl· cled data in text form. On the web page shown in Figure choose "Latest· dara" in the "Start hour" field and O in the Number of hours" field. Click "ASCII text (PSL format)," and a text web page will be dis· played with one profile for one hour, the latest hour. You can then save this to a text (txt) file (click File, Save As) in a convenient location. I just use the default file name (gecsoundings.txt). If you want to use a profile from a later hour (called a forecast instead of an analysis), set die "Start hour" field at "Latest data" and type in "36: in the "Number of hours" field, and click "ASCH text (FSL format)." A text web page wfrh many hours of data will be displayed. Copy and paste the chunk of profile data that corresponds to the later hour that you wish to use into Microsoft Word (which correctly preserves the format) and save as a text file, say, get .. soundings.txt. Now this data can be used as input (along with a predicted maximum daily temperaFEBRUARY 2002

ture for the day) into a soarcasting pro .. gram. You'll find just the soarcasting pro· gram thar you need at the web addresses below: hrtp://home.arr. net/ ,,doug.kathy/Soar cast Horne. !nm lmp://acro. harvard.edu/SOARIN G/ssa...pr ograms.html http:/ I aero. ha rvard .ed u/ SOARING/ sofr ware/ soarcast_j nstall .exe Download and insrall this soarcasting program. Starr tbc program and choose 'fools, Options and "NO/\A FSL Text File." Also check "Suppress Parser Error " as the FSL format used by the author of the program is somewhat differcnt than rbc one put out hy the FSL soundings. Click Save. Click Pile, Open, and choose the gecsoundings.txt file that you just created. Click 'fools, Set Max Temp/Elevation. Enter the value of the predicted maximum daily air temperature and the elevation at the ground for your site. You'll sec some.. thing like r:igme 5. Don't worry that the date values arc wrong. Again, this is due to problems the

Figure 5: Soarcast using J,SL modeled data. program has reading the PSL file. The soarcasting programs use "cmpiri-· cal" values and cguations to come up with the predictions for the thermal index, maximum lifr, trigger temperature, etc. Sec if they work for you by doing your own empirical evaluations. You'll find site-specific J:sL soundings for 1he World Record Encampment in Texas at http://www.davisstraub.com/ Glide/wrewea thcr.htm. And, for Wallaby Ranch at http://www.davisstraub.com/ G1idc/wal labywcather.hm1. Feel free to copy these and change them to work for your site. Most of this article originally appeared as a series of articles in the Oz Report. Additional information is posted on line at http://www.davisstraub.com/OZ. Jusr look for Soarcast. Thanks to Jim Keller (hnp://mem.. bers.ao I.com /toweri ngqs/wx/ o bs/indcx. ht ml) and Dennis Hovcrstott for help with this article.

by Curt Warren

When things get in your way, you can still get to where you were going. You just may have to discover another path. After Dave Foster learned that he had advanced stages of cancer, he thought he had better take care ofa few things he really wanted to do. One desire was to learn to fly, "truly fly" isabled with a major limp from a motorcycle accident in 1968, Dave wasn't: yet sure how he was going to pull this one off. He soon learned the path to take the training technique of aerotowing. I explained this method of instruction in detail to Dave, and said, "Now it's just a matter of getting some airtime together. No pressure, my friend. We'll simply go flying together and have some fun, and you'll be learning without banging yourself up." I explained that, once up in the air, it's "fingertip controls." Today's gliders arc "Cadillacs" compared to the heavy-handling vehicles of the early days (so they tell me). I saw the "hungry'' look in his eyes transform into pure excitement. Fifteen minutes later we were off rhe ground. One hour later, Dave had just finished bis third tandem and called it a morning. Dave said he returned home to Lebanon, Tennessee and told his family and friends all about the adventures. "They listened to me but they could only take so much of my 'hang gliding talk.' I wanted to bring them all to the flight park so they

hang glide! could sec for themselves. That didn't work. Most everybody just thought, and still thinks, I'm crazy. Maybe, but it's so peace· ful up there. You're on top of the world! What a way to sec things. If they only knew ... " Dave came up for lessons on Sundays, and with his sunny character came a big box of fresh pi:aa ingredients, enough to hold me for the week. He has owned and operated Dave's Pizza in Lebanon, 'Jcnncssee (near Nashville) for over 30 years now. One month (and 30 pi7;zas) later, on July 4, 2000, "Independence Day'' bad a new meaning for my buddy Dave when he had a perfect first solo flight. "There weren't any surprises, really. T remember Curt towing me up to 3,000 plenty of altitude ro 'feel out' the glider so I'd be ready for my approach and landing," Dave reflected. The Aight was particularly special for us because I was the tow pilot, not always an opportunity my students get. Caught in the moment, l recall reminding myself to focus on flying the plane as my eyes watered with satisfaction.

Since then, good ol' Dave has gone on to make me more than proud. He's made a

number of multiple-hour flights, while circling up to altitudes approaching 6,000 feet. "Five thousand eight hundred feet is my new personal record," he proudly told me. He loves soaring the ridge on a busy day, "Getting a sense movement from the HANG GLIDING

other gliders," he told me on the pizza shop phone. Dave's flying goals arc to fly at new sites and to get into some cross-country action. Yeah, that's my boy! Yep, the guy next door is doing all this! Aerotowing, with the proper equipmenr and instruction, once again offers the freedom of hang gliding that eve1yone FrnRtJARY 2002

deserves. /\nd certainly Dave docs. Not hung up on his physical state, be seems focused on just having fun pleasing the mind. And his soul glows because of it. By the way, as long as ['m in town, l sti 11 receive free delivery, from over I 00 miles away, of the world's best piua, from the man himsclfl

Editors Note: Curt Wlarren, an international hang gliding instructor, keeps his own skill, highly tuned by training and competing internationally. Dagger sunglasses, Crott!,ies accessories, Moyes hang gliders, Flytec vctrios, and super fly. net sponsor him. II 31

Ripples

A rewind of the past few days flickers past, the details already begi,nning to blur, but somehow appearing sharp at the same time. Such is the mind's work this melancholy morning as the road toward home reels beneath the truck. Maybe it's the early hour. More likely it's because leaving here is always hard It seems impossible to get enough ofthis place. er more than half-a-dozen week.long visits, the measuring tick has become finely graduted. T he flying on mis trip was decent enough, though not outstanding. The crowds were light, which is simultaneously a blessing and a minor letdown. The highlight was that Lakeview, Oregon, once again, was still Lakeview, and that leaves very little room for disappointment. A sheet of rainbow colors made by the early morning sunlight dancing off spray from a long span of hayfield sprinklers races me down the highway while thoughts of the week whiz by almost as fast. The rainbow wall abruptly ends; the replay continues. Soaring for an hour and a half in front of Sugar Hill waiting for an up elevator away that never comes. Landing out front in the downhill-into-the-wind bailout LZ for the first rime ever. Danthe-French-Canadian's excitemenc over Roy and I "really hanging in there. " The truck's tires hum and the cab fills with Diana Krall's rendition of "Straighten Up and Fly Right. " The road follows her suggestion for a few miles before going back to its meandering ways. My mind, as if in acknowledgement, follows suit. A glass-off with no outstanding marks except that it is smooth and we are

in it. Effortlessly cruising the ridges around Black Cap from one end to the other. The grand spectacle of an Oregon high desert sunset seen from the air. A no-step landing right down front of the crowd in the LZ in spite of hanging one hand in a rear wire during the transition. The ensuing crowd noise and goodnatured ribbing of friends for "having pulled one out of my ... " Around a bend in the road come 20 pelicans lined up in a rising and falling formation, the leaders doing all the work, the trailers mooching a free ride. Ir's a dragon, wings flapping and snaky body undulating, soaring above the countryside in search of prey. The road snakes away coo. Seeing old friends and making new ones. Robert, of the latter, and an oldtimer too, remarking, "How do you know all these people?" after witnessing the umpteenth "Hey, I know you. How you been?" Me responding, "Comes from being a glider whore for way too long ... " Him immediately nodding and grinning in understanding. I pull the truck off the highway co herd a stray calf back into its pasture and close the gate for me rancher. Have to press on in spire of a strong desire to turn around and stay a few more days. Not another vehicle in sight. The huge portions of food at resrauH ANG GLIDING

rants more accuscomed to feeding ranch hands than pilots. Like there's much difference . The great steaks of cattle country. Good cigars almost every night. Mt. Shasta, a turgid, wind-frothed wave rises on the horizon, growing larger and brighter with each mile, rhen abruptly disappears behind a bend in rhe road, gone as suddenly as any other spent ocean swell. Swapping tales around the campfire until everyone's head is nodding from rhe fatigue of a long day's activities. Having coo good a time to want it to end FEBRUARY 2002

even rhough tomorrow promises to bring more of rhe same, if nor better. Rising wirh rhe roosters co bear rhe line for the one shower. The geyser at Hunter's spouting high inco rhe rosy, still-aired dawn. The morning coffee clutches wirh Roy, Dan, Dave, Gregg and Sue. The cruise down I-5 in the Central Valley, a long, straight, boring, nondescript roadway, temporarily seems the flow of remembrances. Clouds above a distant mountain range become a reminder of the week past and rhe flood gates open agam.

"Really hanging in rhere" again at Sugar Hill on an overcast, unpromising day. A huge dust cloud rising off a freshly plowed field far our fro nt and slowly drifting coward launch. Russ flying our co meet it, climbing the whole way. Sugar, the entire co p veiled in wispy, dusty finery, finally far below. Floating across Fandango Pass and up the valley on a buoyant cushion of air. Dutcher shadowing on rhe ground, chasing a wrinkle in rhe wind and me with ir. Gregg cheerleading after his evenrual retrieval. Ger-

Continued on page 42. 33

by Bill Bujf1,m, illustmtions by Harry Martin

I first came across the wondeful term «zoujfo" in Erik Fair's The Right Stuff for New

Glider Pilots.

Being relative/,y new to the sport (1995), I hadn't rectd the original Hang Gliding magazine articles that make

up the boot<. l-i,rik is a great storyteller, and comes across as a real character. {Wherever is he these days?) s Erik says, the origins of the word "wuffo" are obscure, but the most popular theory holds hat it's a contraction of "what for," in recognition of all the questions wuffos ask of the hang glider pilots they stumble across: "What for is this? What for is that? What for is the other?" So, the hang gliding community has come to use the term simply as a convenient handle to mean "non-pilot." It's exactly parallel to J.K. Rowling's coining of the term "mug·· gle" for her Harry Potter books, whicb denotes ordinary, non-magic people. And the two terms carry very similar overtones of pity for tbe deprived, as well as a latent and (usually!) subtle hint of smugness

that we can do mind-blowingly awesome things that the poor muggle/wuffo can barely imagine, let: alone actually do. Anyway, we all have our wuffoencoumcr stories. Usually they're from wuffo-infosted launches (like Hyner View in Pennsylvania). But the more interesting wuffo cnconntcrs occur on t:hose X-C landings far from other pilots and the hang gliding scene, where the wuffo cannot pick up by osmosis the kind of infr)r·· rnation, background and hang gliding ethos that he tends to pick up at places like T·lyner. The event that gave me the idea of collecting a file of wufft) encounters was, of course, an experience of my own. It

went like this. There I was, rhinking, "Well, I'm outta Ii ft, so I have to land." So land I did, passing up an enormous soybean field for a much smaller but still plentybig grass field. T carried the glider over to the road side of the field and started pacing around as I tried to raise a retrieval volunteer on the cell phone. Along came a redneck in a pickup truck. He slowed way down and gave me That Certain Look. You know, the one that says, "What the hell are you doing with that contraption in my field, buddy? And by the way, ['m mad as hell about it." Well, he parked his truck in the driveway across the street and wandered

HANC GLIDINC

over to talk. Far from being mad as hell, he was just totally dumbstruck and totally amazed. He was really very friendly. Bur the questions were bizarre -- way more surreal than the usual wuffo questions. Please understand that I am not: making any of this up.

with, "Gravity? Oh, that hasn't stopped since the last couple of million years. I'll risk that!" Thinking that other pilots must have had amusing experiences like my own, l set about collecting those experiences from the eGroups I:-fangGlide list, and from the mailing lists of our loci I East Coast clubs. What follows is the best of that bunch.

Wujfh: Whassamatta, you run outta gas?

Pilot: [Thinks, "Ha, ha, what a joker." 'Then looks at wuffo's face and body language and realizes, "Hey, this guy is serious!" I No, we don't have gas. This is a glider. It has no engine. \XYe soar on the d1crmal currents, just like the hawks and vultures. Wujjh: [Dead silence while he digests this information ... J Wuffr,: Yeah, but what do you do when the wind stops? Pilot: Ob, we're not dependent on the wind blowing. We [brief explanation of how gliders flyJ. 'fhe bottom line is that we're powered by gravity. Wujfh: [Ruminates for a few seconds ... ] Wufjh: BUT WHAT DO YOU DO WHEN GRAVJTY STOPS? Pilot: (Beginning to understand the thought processes he's dealing with now. FEBRUARY 2002

Continuing on the theme of "hang gliding violation ofwuffi, beliefsystems," this one is from Russ Brown:

Check facial expression. Yup, he's not joking. He's dead serious. /\nd remember, l'm still not making this up.) [Lame remark about "then we'd all be in big trouble" and starts pulling battens in (mercifully successful) attempt to exit this wacky conversation.] Russ Brown suggested that a better response to the gravity-failure question would have been, "When that happens, we throw our chutes," because parachutes arc easy for wuffos to understand. He has a point. Ban Doers would have gone

I remember a 1980 conversation with my great uncle who refused to believe that I had a six-hour flight from 200--foor hill because it obviously wasn't high enough. (It's really just a matter of flying veeery slooowly.)

On the same theme, a mysterious pilot who goes only by the handle "Red" related this story: I camped about a dozen years on Point of the Mountain, Utah. (Got some good air, too.) Needless to say, it was never difficult to drum up an expedition in my truck to the local mountains, and I

3 .),-

admit to picking and choosing the participants. Amazingly, any number of times I had every female pilot (that I could find) in the truck. (Evil grin!) Fall flying meant Tower Mountain, where two or three thermals would be standing in the sky at any one time, all filled with circling golden aspen leaves going up. It was like catching elevators, any time you needed one. We were "sight-soaring," just out for a great flight, nothing to prove to anyone. At the end of the day we were all back at Tower, and I landed first to set up the windsock. Two Utah cowboys, complete with horses and hats, came by to check this out. One cowboy announced that he could ride Brahma bulls, but no way was anybody gonna get him on a hang glider, and they both agreed that I "must have a set that needed a wheelbarrow." About then, the second pilot was coming in to land. To avoid sweating, she would shake loose a yard of flaming red hair on final, and it was always beautiful. As she slowly glided past a foot high, I could not resist asking her, "How was that, m'lady?" and before she flared, she sang back, "That was great. Let's do this again tomorrow!" These two cowboys had just set their masculinity on the line here, and it wasn't pretty. "Hey, that was a girA" "Yep" I said, all casual. Then I asked, "If you could fly like a hawk, who would you go flying with, some other guys?" The grin I had was a killer. The next pilot landing was the same story, and one unhappy cowboy was staring up at the mountain. "Them other gliders up there, they're all women, ain't they? And you're the only guy here, right?" I said "Right!" Exit two very dejected cowboys, walking slowly with their horses.

Landings were the theme ofseveral amusing wuffiJ encounters. Here's one from Nancy Smith: One of my favorites took place in a field l landed in just a few miles from the LZ. A man stopped to see if I needed help, and told me about another hang glider that had crashed in the same place just last month. Quite concerned about who this was, I started asking questions and quickly discovered that the guy had

simply landed like I did. Much relieved, I explained to him that it wasn't a crash. That's how we land. He took me to his house to make a phone call, and his wife started telling me about the bang glider that crashed last month. l n a rather urgent whisper he said, "They don't call it crashing, honey." It was perfect.

Here's onefrom Leo Jones, eeri/,y similar to Nancy's story: I'd flown a few miles X-C from our local site, back toward home, and made a perfect landing in a field by the road, knowing rhat my pal would pick me up on the way home, as he'd landed in the bailout. I'd packed my glider up and was sitting on the gate by the road. Presently, a car came along with a man and a woman in it. It went by, turned around and pulled up in front of me. They looked at me in my blue flying suit, sitting on the gate, chewing a straw, and asked me ifI had seen or heard any-· thing of a hang glider that had crashed near there. No, I hadn't heard of any such thing. I had just flown from the hills l 0 miles away and made a perfect landing in this field, and I was certain that there were no other hang gliders in the vicinity. They told me they were from the local paper. A lady had called them to report that a hang glider had crashed, and that the pilot was wandering around looking dazed! (Okay, I look like that sometimes alright!) They seemed quite disappointed to find no blood, and drove off, seeing no interesting story.

And one from Christy Huddle: That reminds me of a wuffo who watched me crash land. I was flying the K-5 which, if you've known me long at all, you'll know I hated. It had no bar pressute at all and it had this nasty habit of going into a dive without warning. (I wasn't the only one who noticed this. Karnron at PacAir said he had the same problem and that he hated test-flying them.) I'd gone over the back at Daniels and was cruising along getting lower and lower. Time to land. A guy pulled over in a pickup to watch. I set up an approach over a big field that had a nice uphill part to it. A pond in a golf course near by gave

rne a good indication of the wind speed and direction. At about 60 feet AGL I did my turn onto final in from of two trees. The nose of the glider suddenly pitched down and it felt like I was in freefoll. I pulled in for speed, but then realized that ifl didn't push out, I would die. So l pushed out hard. The glider came out of the dive just above the ground and went into a ground loop. One wing tip hit the fence and the leading edge broke through the sail. There was no other damage. As the dust settled, a wuffo came over and observed, "So that's how you land them things!" "Not if you can help it," I replied.

Steve Kinsley: My story is almost exactly like Christie's. I had flown X-C from the Pulpit and was sinking out near Greencastle. I set up for a crosswind landing in a narrow field, figuring 1 would tum it a fow degrees into the wind before flaring. Then L saw that there was a crop, so I hurriedly looked around for alternatives. There was a hay field downwind so I headed for that. It was another narrow field, 90° to the first one. "Okay, it'll be a crosswind landing," I thought. But 90 plus 90 equals 180. Total brain fart. I was downwind and it was blowing 10 on the ground. That is seriously downwind. J made a horrible slam-in. [ was unhurt but actually heard birdies going "cheep, cheep" like in the comics for a second or so. ] slammed in right by a former who walked over while I was still lying there: "You guys always land like that?"

Richard Hays: Long ago we used to fly at a place called "chickie's rock" or "scaro-gordo," depending upon your experience there. 11 was a 300-foot bluff overlooking a rail yard on the Susquehanna River, just off Route 30. Anyway, on a blustery, blownout-everywhere-else northwest day, I convinced Brad Hays to go with me to soar that ridge. Being the newbie that he was back then, he agreed and off we went:. We arrived at the top, and it was extremely soarable. However, we were short of folks to wire us off Since Brad was less experienced, I opted to go last and help him launch. HANG GLIDINC

ronunately, a Mennonite guy stopped by and was quite interested in our quest. He volunteered to help us, and we briefed him on the do's and don'ts. With the wind clip· ping in at about 15 to 20, we moved Brad's Demon Wing ro the edge. Brad yelled "clear," popped his nose and stalled horribly. He pulled in, dove, and regained his airspeed, but was in a nasty turn to the lcfr as he tried m get inro his cocoon boot. I thought he was going to die! 1-Ic dis-appeared around the corner and out of sight, only to reappear later on final approach into what we learned later were fivc--foot-tall weeds at the bottom. /\frer the Mennonite guy and I watched Brad plow into the weeds, the Mennonite thoughtfully stroked his beard, looked at me solemnly and said, "Nope not for me! I'm sticking with farmin'."

Still on the sort of), we have reports:

oflcmdings (well, tm,ch--and-go

Bill Lapworth: A hiker in the LZ did not respond to shouts from pilots on the ground to get out of the way of a landing glider. When asked why she didn't move, she replied,"] thought he was going ro take o/Fagain."

Leo Jones: T flew nearly 80 miles to the coast (can't fly any farther!), setting a new pcr-sonal and sit-c record. I carried my glider with a swagger to rhe edge of a held next to a vacation trailer park. A nice couple came out, made a foss over me and me a drink, and were astonished when I told rhem where I have come from. l twas late in the afternoon. The lady then asked me if I was going "to take off and fly hack."

Ofcourse, every landing is by a launch. Wu/fhs like to watch too, and sometimes even provide assistance and rw,uzrr1u, opinion. Steve Kinsley: I was at l ·ligh Rock with w11ffo wire crew, getting ready to launch. I was very FiilRLJAl<Y 2002

checking this and that, when I snd· denly realized that the w11fTo on my right wing was talking ro me. He told me a story that went something like this: "So the judge says, '] sec you got four DWl's.' And I says, 'No sir! I only gm three.' /\nd the judge says, 'Well, this sheet says you got frrnr, bur it don't matter no how 'cause th is here is a concealed weapons charge.' And I S<1ys, 'Well, it sure as hell matters to me.' "

/)an 1()mlinson: A beer--drinking wuffo at I !igh Rock took another of his Budweiser. "I could rhat thing!" he said boisterously. "Okay, here you go, give it a try," was my reply.

Suddenly he was sober.

WufjrJS wujfiJs, not to see their numbers decline through defection to the Drirh Side. Here'.r one ofthe ways they invoke The Force of Wuffi1 Solidflrity to repel the evil. Tim Meehan: By far, the most common thing I hear (as I'm flying a few frer overhead, barely scratching while all my friends arc soaring high above me) is: [sonnd of woman slapping husband hard across rhe shoulder] "Don't even TH INK about it!"

!I/though many umjfiJs are quite certain tht1t we're all crazy, some ofthem actu-37

al(y seem to believe we willingly put our lives in the care ofsomething that goes wherever the wind takes it. "Can you con·· trol those thing,?" they wonder. Bart Doets: On the Dutch coast, one day I out immediately after launching. A little kid, pointing at the others soaring along the dune, said, "They don't make it down, do they?"

Bill Lapworth: One bystander to another, viewing set-up gliders: "So, do they just sit on the bar and hang on?"

Russ Brown: I remember back in 1979, Twas ridge soaring La Conchita, California in my new Seagull ] 0 Meter. I spotted this guy who pulled over to the LZ and stood d1erc watching me for an hour as l made a zillion passes on the ridge in marginal lift. After I flew out and landed on the sliver of beach where he was waiting, he walked up and asked, "Can you co111rol those things? You know, make them fly where you want to go?" Hmmm.

Gliders look 11 little unusual when they're all pr.r.cked u.p. for example, my new neighbor thought 1 was a ham radio enthusiast heading ou.t with a tall mast for a DXingfield trip. Here are some more misidentified hang gliding equipment tt.r.les. l,eo ]ones: On my way to go flying I stopped for gas. J also bought a battery for my vario and proceeded to install ir. The vario made beeping noises, and the gas station attendant inquired what it was. I tried to explain, without getting technical, that it measures my rate of ascent or descent, and tells me by the beeping sound it makes. A look of bewilderment was replaced by one of understanding, as he looked up at the hang glider on my car and said, "Oh, for your windsurfer!"

Vince Endter: For two years l carried my glider in a

round tube I up to look like a rocket. There is a picture at http:/ /home. pac-· bell. net/vend tcr/Rocket_Su baru.lum I. time I drove around with it on my truck someone would ask me where I went to launch it. At times [ would try to explain that it was for my hang glider, and half the time l would get the response, ''f'vc never heard of a rocketpowered hang glider."

ing my eye with a sharp stick."

I included Russ's observation because it so accurately reflect:r my own experience, and until Russ said it out loud 1 thought this umffi; eye-poking behavior must have something to do with me, rather than hang gliding in general. I'm guessing that a lot o(you out there have h11.d simil11rfeelings without fully what Wt.IS going on. Now it's ,I/'.'; . l ''ff, ., .. ..(.; fl/" 011 ,cza: · ey, 1ts not_;ust me tljter au.

Bill Buff-am: Wuffo: [poinrs at bagged glider on rop ofvchiclc] Are your oars in there? Pilot: Oars? Um, what do you think it is? Wuffo: A sculling boat of some kind? Pilot: [feeling smug but trying not to show it] No, it's a hang glider. Wuffo: Oh. [Runs quickly away from this clearly crazy person who might be armed and dangerous.]

Vcs l /mow, this lctst one really isn't 1.r. very interesting or amusing w14fo story, as wuf/1; encounters go. But it nicely illustrates a phenomenon thru Russ Brown describes. Russ notes that: "A key thing to remember is tbat most wuffos don't wanr to talk about hang gliding, or even think about it. le) make it easier ro relate to their phobias, pretend a guy wearing an eye patch comes into your office. He enthusiastically goes into great detail about finding just the right kind of stick and sharpening it just the right way with his favorite knife. Then he giddily describes how he located the center of his cornea, positioned his stick just so, slowly poking the stick deep into his eye. That's sort of how most wuffos feel when WC talk to them about hang gliding. "Now if you're the boss, you're hound to get a couple of kiss-up wuffos asking you 'how the hang gliding was last weekend.' The important thing to remember here is ro immediately turn the conversation to the weather, such as, 'It was great! 'fhe weather was sunny and warm. It looks like it might rain in a couple days, though. We certainly could use the rain.' " Russ says, "l don't have any pictures of hang gliding in my office here at work, just a couple of 8x 1O's of me pok-

Well, that's almost all.fol/es. f did, however, save the bestfr;r last. Roy Mahoney: One of my earlier X-C flights from Magazine Mountain had me landing at Morrison Bluff, Arkansas (not wanting to cross the Arkansas River rhc bridge looked closed, not completed yet, so I w;mred to keep retrieval shorter). I set up an approach near a fonn house, over the barn and inro the field near the highway. Just after landing I hear a loud, angry voice hollering, "Get out of there! What do you think you're doing? Ger out!" Whereupon J kept running, quickly threw my glider over the barbed-wire fence, and got onto the highway right of way. The farmer made his way over to me. l quickly apologized fr)!° landing in his pasture but explained that Twas f<>rccd to land somewhere as I lost altitude and his pasture was the better of those in the area. l lis tone quickly changed as he explained he thought 1 had jumped off his barn! When he frmnd out where l did launch, and how far I'd come, be invited me in, and he and his wife offered me iced tea and fried chicken. Then he called the local newspaper reporter to do a story.

Be nice to wuffos. 7'hey don't /mow what they're missing: Besides, some ofour bestfriends are wuffhs, including; 1 suspect, most ofour spouses and significant others. Through their wujfo view of the world, their questions provide us with amusement and entertainment. But mind your eyes with those pointed sticks. Erik Pair's ctrticle on wu/Ji;s (Pear People, he called them) was one ofthe funniest hang gliding pieces !'ve ever read. !'ll the edireprint it in an upcoming issue .fi.cation ofour readers. ha. HANC GLIDINC

month we began our explorcuion ofthe many aspects oftuning the latest

with a look at trimming for proper airspeed. As long as a

glider

have an extreme turn in to.

the speed is the first thing to

older gliders, the next step would be to work on any and all turning aspects.

hese aspects include removing turn tendencies on glide, dropping a wing during landing, and winding in on one (or both) sides during thcrmaling turns. But wid1 topless gliders we have another step or two we can rake hefr)re we turn to turns. T'hese steps arc basebar position adjustment and pitch pressure adjustment.

BAR POSITION In older gliders i I was not common to worry about rhe bar position in normal hands.-off flight. Ir fell where it foll and different sized pilots coped with it in dif forent ways. I recall that gliders of the late I 970's had a setup so best glide was wirh the bar al your upper chest and minimum sink was at your chin. 'fhcn, when double-surface gliders appeared, we could go faster without diving out of the sky. So the bars were tilted more forward w allow more speed range. Best glide moved up to your neck and minimum sink went past your eyebrows. The fotesr crop of topless gliders exhibit a big change in basebar trim posirion as the VG goes from ii.111-off to fol] .. on. Full-off V(; with hands off may pur the bar way in front of your head, while foll-on brings it back to your chest. With such a wide movement, perhaps you can sec why it's important to have the bar in a good place fi.ir your body length and strength when the VC is set at its normal thcrmaling position. I know of three top pilots flying for a popular manufacturer who have their lxirs arranged in three dif. FEBRUARY 2002

fcrem positions. Before we get carried away we should point om thar changing the bar posirion is not a normal procedure. 'The only way to do it is to change the relative lengths of the from and rear cables. Manufacrurers do not regularly supply altered cable sets. For one thing, changing the cables theoretically puts the glider 0111 of ccrtifica·· tion. However, I f<.ir one think manuf::tcturers should consider offering two or three bar position options, eve11 if it requires doing a load test at the different positions. Because such an alteration can affect safory, we do not suggest that a pilot do such a job by himsel!: Only a manufacturer or trained rcpairrnan should do so. There are two safety considerations here. As you rnove the bottom of yom A-frame forward, the increased tilt slightly increases the: compression load on the uprights and possibly increases the tension in the side cables. A glider's specific configuration determines these factors, but up to a six-inch move is normally of no srrcngtb con secp 1C n cc. 'The second safery factor concerns landing. 1f your /\ .. frame is rilted forward, you won't have as much flare authority. It's surprising how much a couple of inches of bar position change at the point where you hold the uprights affects your landings. Normally, short-armed pilots are more likely to have bar position issues. l ndced, a very short or very tall person may be more inclined to want a har position change than we boring, aver--

age people. But every pilot flying a new·· generation glider should pay attention during a flight or two to get a feel for where their ideal bar position is for thcr· maling. Chances arc, if your bar isn't set there, there will be many occasions when you do nor squcG.c all the climb out of the thermal tube, or you get cxtr;J tired, or both.

DEALING WCTH PITCH If you think we were covering new ground with the previous discussion, wait until you sec what comes next. In the past it has not been possible for the average pilot to easily alter the pitch sta· bility of his or her glider. Certainly you could change the batten profiles or rhe reflex bridle lengths, bur these alterations rnke some effc)rt. Not so with today's glider arrangements. The sprogs (dive sticks or washout struts) on most mod·· cm designs arc very readily adjusrable. 'Tc) undersLand the effects of such an adjustment, we should fill in a hit of background. As most of you know, a tailless hang glider achieves pitch stability by combining sweep (angling b;ick ofthe wings) with washout (twist in the wing). 'T'his trick works because tbe win grips arc always flying at a lower angle of attack than the wing root (center). If the nose rotates up, the rips experience a gremer increase in lift than the root, and the effect rotates the nose back down. On the other hand, if the nose is rotated back down, the tips lose lift and the resulting g;ithering of"lifr at the root tends to rotate the nose back up. (For the aerodynamically obsessed reader: The main reason the tips lift more at a higher angle of attack is that they actually undergo a greater angle of attack change due to the increased upwash coming off the root area. Also we note that a hang glider has lift on the tips at angles of attack relating to the lower speeds. ff we consider our tips to be our tail, since they arc well behind the center wing, this us a balance of forces very different than t:bit of an airplane with its downward aerodynamic: force on the tail. Our sorr of stability is known as "artificial stability" in aerodynamic cir and is nor as good as an airplane's, bur it is adequate due LO our low CC and the abiliry to increase stability by moving our body forward.)

.:::.,•r"J'iT= /.:S

PROM --rw1sr1 NC+- 'Z?oWN

When kingposts, upper cables and reflex bridles were discarded like a prom dress, many were concerned about die stability of the newly altered gliders. Some of our concerns were warranted since a few of them tumbled, although it's hard to tdl how many of these had lowered sprogs. Here's a rule or drnmb you can take without salr: 7 he lower your sprog

setting; the less pitch stable your glider. Let's see how all this works. Sprogs set the minimum washout your sail will have. IJ your wing goes negative (the angle of attack goes below zero), the rnore twist" that rernains in the sail, the more the will push down to bring the nose back up. Also, the more twist (and the more solid the sprog system) the sooner this effect will occur during a nose-over event. Most gliders have two sprogs one jusr past mid"·span and one near the Working together they hold the mini·

mum twist and make the wing act like ;1 rigid wing in pitch at low or negative angles of attack. 'fhc more solid structure of the latest gliders enhances tbis effect. fn fact, these modern gliders may be more stable than older gliders with reflex bridles, since the effects are operating more outboard. Manufacturers test gliders for pitch stability by mourning them on a vehicle and running thern along. 'fhcy set the sprogs high enough to readily pass the required pitch-testing standards. Any alteration of the sprog settings th us pms the glider om of certified configuration, and pitch stability is reduced if they are lowered. For that reason we do not ttdvo"" ctlte lowering the sprog, below the setting the

mamifacturer supplies or recommends in glider'., ()1)JYlfY''.,

YOU/'

mt,UlloWL

Now we can proceed to point out three reasons why you may need to lower

the sprogs if they arc set too high. The first is roll control. Tf sprogs are set too high, the sail will he riding on the sprogs (or nearly so) in level flight. When you try to make a turn, the outside wing will not be allowed to flex down, so it will feel like you arc trying to weight-shifr a halfrigid wing Figure 1). A good test to see if your sail is impaired in this manner is to check to sec if the handling shows little change in the range from VG off to VG half on. If the change isn't much (it's almost as stiff VG off as half on), it's a sure sign that your sprogs are hindering the sail movement. An adjustment may be i11 01·der. The second drawback of too--high sprogs is too much pitch pressure as you try to speed up in flight. Generally, this effect can be uncomfortable and tiring. In a real pinch (landing in a high wind, getting our of a venturi, running from a thunderstorm, ere.) too much bar pressure can be detrimental if not dangerous. Every time I go back and fly my trusty old Klassic after a modern roplcss, J won·" dcr why we put up with so much highspeed bar pressure. Well, for one thing, it is comforting when the sky breaks into a turbulent tap dance. The final problem with too-high sprogs is that launch may be compromised if they preve111 you from getting the nose down on a windy launch. 1 recall some earlier singJc.·surfaee gliders with short reflex bridles that were a bear to launch because there was no way to keep the nose down for a good run. More to the point, I flew a new topless with very high sprogs and I could not f-lANC CUDINC

keep the nose down without- help on a windy little hill. Since a high percentage of accidents occur during the launch process, this is not an inconsequential point:. ft is not valid to assume that a testflown glider comes with the sprogs set properly. I have seen too many that didn't. Consult your owner's manual and solicit expert advice if you suspect that your sprogs arc set improperly in light of the above information.

LOWERING SPROGS The remaining discussion is like sitting your kids down 10 talk about the birds and the bees. You don't: want to give them any ideas, but if you don't try to guide them, Dirty Johnny down the block will (and probably already has). We repeat: When you lower your sprogs you enter a regime where you arc a test pilot. Do you have the qualifications? Although we aren't advocating it, we will discuss some of the factors so the process is not done blindly or blithely. Why do pilots lower their sprogs? Besides the previously mentioned handling factors (which means maladjusted sprogs in the first place), the big reason for lowering sprogs is increased performance. By lowering sprogs you reduce pitch pressures as mentioned, which allows you to have a lighter touch on the bar during intcr--thcrmal glides. A lighter touch means more sensitivily to feel the location of thermals and lifting lines. We can't overemphasize the importance of this concept, since nearly all of the 17 pilots we interviewed for Secrets ofthe Champions talked about this concept in some form. The other factor is simply a bencr glide at higher speeds. With some of the minimum twist taken out of the wing due to lowered sprogs, there will not be as much downward force on the tips as they go neg-· ativc at dive speeds. 'The downward force increases the drag, so lower sprogs mean less drag and a better high-speed glide. I had the chance to tune the sprogs of a couple of gliders alongside Gcrolf' Heinrichs, the Litcspccd designer. His method is to sight along the trailing edge and adjust the sprogs so rhc trailing edge rakes a slight curve upward from root to tip. That is, rather than the two sprog ends being in a straight line, the outboard one is set slightly higher. This concept is shown in Figure 2. Gero If has a lot of cutFrnRUARY 2002

and-try experience, both on the Litespccd and with Manfred Ruhmer on the !caro gliders, to go along with his aerospace engineering degree. l expect that his sprog arrangement system is ideal. Most modern gliders' sprogs arc adjusted by screwing a fitting where the sprog is attached at the leading edge. Figure 3 shows a typical example. On some you must remove a pin in this fitting and on some you remove the cable at the sprog to tum it and rnake an adjustment. Typically, one rotation has a noticeable cHixt to an experienced pilot. Depending on the sprog design, as little as a quarter turn may be desirable (especially when tuning o\lt a high-speed turn tendency, as we will sec next month). Our carefully considered advice is for anyone performing sprog .idj11stment to do so in very small increments unless a trained professional (you can usually recognize them by the trophies in their hand) is assisting you. Now here are a couple of pro-tricks. Many competition pilots are putting carbon inserts in their leading edge pockets inboard of the crossbar. This stiff sheet doesn't reduce handling and helps stop the leading edge indentations that form between the battens at very low angles of attack (high speeds). These indentations increase the drag and the nose-down moment, so reducing them provides better high-speed glide and pitch stability, and, so some pilots believe, allows them to get hy with lower sprogs. Also, note that the multiple fittings on sprogs mean that they can come from the factory in slightly different settings due to possible play in the system. Sometimes you may even run out of adjustmcm and have to improvise. lf you are bottomed out on a Litcspecd setting you can twist the rube with the pin in ar least one full turn to cut additional threads in the flt .. ting. We'll sec next month how impor1ant it is to be able to get all the sprogs

balanced. For my tastes, I like to adjust the sprogs to provide a progressive, light pitch feel with the VG thrcc--quartcrs on. 'This setup then provides a solid pitch feel with the VG half on and looser. With the VG full on reserved only for diving to goal on most new gliders the pitch feel mostly goes away. That means the aerodynamic forces arc distributed along the wing in such a way that their combined effect is right: over your body's center of gravity. Static pitch stability is lessened, but damping is enhanced due to rbc more rigid-like wing, so dynamic pitch stability may be adequate. It is dynamic pitch stability (the effects when the angle of attack is changing) that is responsible for keep-ing w; upright. Remember, there is cur-rently no rest for dynamic stability of hang gliders other than our hides hanging in the air. And those tests arc unscientific since all variables (like sprog setting or panic) arc not controlled. We dealt with rhc tunings and ideas that relate to straight flight in the first two parts of this series. Now it's time to rune for turns. We'll start next month with cantankerous turns from miss-tun-ing, then look at tuning for turn pcrfr:ction the fr)l!owing month. ml

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Continued from page 33. ting ahead of the airy wavelet, then hanging out in zero sink while it catches up. Long, drifting glides, slowly climbing the whole time, the reward for being patient. Anxiously going too fast and starting the whole cycle over. Landing at Hunter's instead of continuing on "because it's the leisurely thing to do. " T he afterglow of a truly memorable flight after riding a ripple up the valley. A change in highways brings the alltoo-familiar Bay Area bumper-tobumper traffic of weekenders racing each other home from who knows where. The lunacy builds as civilization looms nearer. First-rime flights with old buddies

and rough-as-a-cob thermals to nowhere. Low saves and landing out in rhe same field. War whoops, high fives and icy cold beer in the LZ afterward in celebration of being so alive. Now out of the heavy traffic and sertling into the rhythm of a familiar road. Home, and the end of the trip, are nearly at hand. Offering to share "The Tree" at Hunter's with Team Topa and being nicknamed "The Mayor" of "Topaville" in return. The once nearly empty, now suddenly crowded encampment, strewn with toys of both the young and old. The new, untidy community being called "urban blight" to everyone's obvious enjoyment. One last exit and onto the home-

stretch. The excitement of returning home after a long trip tempered by the steady flow of recent memories. Feeling a strong desire to turn around while they're still so real; knowing it isn't feasible. Soaking in the hot springs at Hunter's on the final night until it feels as though our insides are smoldering and stress and care are merely made-up words . Cooling off with the evening air. Blissful, child-like slumber. Rising one last rime with the sun and folding the tent. A melancholy morning as Lakeview grows smaller with the miles, the memories looming larger at the same rime. Fond remembrances of riding ripples and racing rainbows.• H ANG GLIDI NG

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USHGA, P.O Box 1330, Colorado Springs, CO 80901 (719) 632-8300 • fax (719) 632-6417

MOYl,~'i LITK'iPEED It New in April 2001, zoom & fosr control frames, low hours, exccllcnr condition. Cheapmake offer. (706) 398--2'1(,7, l,ofusfly@lcompuse1vc.com MOYES I.ITESPEED 146 Red & white $4,800. !{;1mAir J!i6 w/tips $1,7,00 OBO. llPAT l/i5, tom $500. Mosquito, brand new $3,500. (303) The Novice model before the SONIC, two available $1,500., $2,100 or trade for? (262) '173-8800, info(i»hanggliding.com MOYES XTRAUTE lli7 --- All white $1,J 00 or trade for? (262) 473-8800, info@hanggliding.com

WW FUSION SPl 50 Excellent condition, w/only 70 hours, less than one year old, all white w/lcading inserts, spring tip battens, folding basetubc, 2 downtubes, removable WW wheels $3,250. Ron O) 479- 1360, dcniron62(alhotrnail.com WW FUSION 50,hrs, yellow LE, red (large), yellow asymmetric, black WW, winglets, folding speedbar $1,400 OBO. (509) 525-'728 J, lbbrownt7Ilbrni.nct WW SPORT AT 16'7 green/white/blue, ripstop trailing Joe (8'17) 895-5858 Tllinois.

The Best. Whi1e/black/blue $Ii, 500.

WWXC 1'12 Like new, 36 hours, winglets, xc bag $1,999. (530) 544-6601, GAfreespirirs@cs.com

PUT.SE !OM Green/white, low hours $1,000 firm. (805) 235-4000.

WWXC lli2 Very low hours, clean, near new con-· dition $2,liOO or trade for? (262) 473-8800, infot71lhangglidi11g.corn

POI.SE, VISION 1IM Pcrfoct condirion! One hour air time! Not flown since Annual $2,500. (317) 8430085, dboclter(i1lworldnct.att.net

EMERGENCY PARACHUTES

Like new condition, BRS para .. training wheels & regnlar wheels, special car rack $6,500. Om East

NEW STAT.KER -- From Aeros, located in Southern California $7,900 OBO. Marc (562) 429-8033, mmcw@sprimrnail.com STAT.KER As new, test flown twice. Denny (949) Mi 1-5/i 59, den nymallctr@hotmail.com

w/swivcl $375. 20 gore $199. Used Quantum 3.30s, 550s. Many more available. Raven Sky Sports (262) 473-8800, infoG1>hanggliding.com

AIR SPORTS USA WWW.FLYJ10RFUN.NET SCHOOLS & DEALERS

HARNESSES

SPECTRUM llili, 165 ~-- Rental at low homs, clean, priced to sell or trade for? 8800, info(iilhanggliding.com STEALTH ll 151 77.8-3905.

MILLENNHJM chute, rudder two transport (819) 5657249.

UITRALJGIJ'fS

20 GORE PDA

PULSES & VISIONS Bought-Sold-Traded. Raven Sky Sports (262) 47:3-8800, infnti'llbanggliding.com

MILLF.NTlJM CUSTOM RED & WJ-IlTE SlJNBlJRST SAIL, ALL THE LATEST MODS, RUDDFR PF.DALS, SET UP FOR TOWING BUT FOOT LAUNC:HABLE, LIKE NFW, NO PARACHUTE. YOU PICK UP IN CARSON CITY, NEVADA. $5,500. (775) 720-115'7 SEE CFNTERFOLD HG MAGAZlNEJULY2001.

Exccllcm, extras $1,700. (970)

SUPER.SPORT 153 Mint condition, 80 hours $1,100. I Energy harness, Quantum chute w/swivcl & air rocker 6ft $900. (530) 5ftfi.(,60 I,

AEROS CROSS COUNTRY 5'8"-6'1", High Fncrgy 22 gore parachute, swivel, cxcellem $850. (970) 728-3905. DOODLE BUG Motor harness, sales, service, instruction. Dealers welcome. www.lly 101 .com (702) 2607050. ll!GII ENF.RGY TRACER POD I lARNESSFS Sizes and monrhly, $300-500. Cocoons $125-$200 each. Many others available. (262) 4738800,

SLJPFRSPORT J 53 Supcrneat intricate custom sail, almost zero hours $1,700 or trade for? (262) '173-8800, info@hanggliding.com

MOSQUITO POWERED HARNESS --- New Prop, one hour airtime, $3,500

NATIONAL SCHOOL NETWORK RINGS LOCALLY. Pot information call David (719) 6303698, axv1ovvalav1:ag10vc1 ALABAMA

whacked. baserubc 565/i eves.

I.ow homs, cxccllcnr condition, never blue undcrsmfacc, slipstream, cal'hon (970) 6/i 1-2937 days, (970) 611

S'il''-6'0", side chute pocket, barely used 810-4209 Chuck.

TAT ,()NS 150 all mylar w/slipsrrcam comm! frame; 140 w/dacron sail & folding basctubc. Both new, not demos! Special pricing, immediate delivery. 1-800688-5637, fly@hanglide.com

WOODY VAi.LEY --- Brnnd new condition, gnaran· teed $575. (608) 7.21-3681, gdinaauer<i1\1ol.com

TR'l white leading edge $2,000 or trade for clean 170 Falcon or Also Stealth 155, clean $2,900. (2'18) 394-1220 mbol1glidc((1laol.com

AIR SPORTS USA WWW.111,YFOR FUN. NET

lllTRASPORT 135 - )'.\own 3 rimes, folding con· trolhar $2,300. (7lli) (i08-3/i5 I.

ATOS Small, brand new, in stock. Nm a demo. Why wait> (262) 473-B800, info~llhanggliding.com

Ul TRASPORT lli7 Very very clean, real&. black, folding bascrnhe, spare down tube $2, I 00. (619) li401')73 San Diego.

EXXTACY B5 Small, 80lbs, 70hrs, comes wirh extras. MAXIMUM HOOK-IN WEIGHT 230lbs $5,700. (206) 2ii4-':i I

UI:rR.ASPORT 117, 166 - Rental park, low homs, cbrn, priced to sell. i11fo(illhanggliding.corn

at flight iJTl-8800,

l'ARAGUDERS

R!GIDWINGS

LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN r:I.JGHT PARK ad nndcr Georgia.

Sec

CALIFORNIA DREAM WEAVER HANG GLIDING Train on state-of-the-art WILLS WING FALCONS. LESSON PACKAGES: One four hour lesson $100. Three four hour lessons, pins tandem off 2,000fr. $300. Five lessons for $400. Ten lessons plus rnndcm $750. Complete lesson programs. Year--round instruction. Launching and hmdillg and thermal clinics available. Call for group rates. Tired of hiking your I'll help you! Dealer for Wills Altair, lligh Spons, Ball varios, Camclhaks more. We love I'm yonr northern California MOSQUITO HARNESS DEALER. If you live in central rbrough northern California, give me a call or email to schedule your Mosquito demonstration or clinic. Call or email, scheduling lessons five days a week, l'riday through Tuesdays. Ideal training hill, up to I 50ft., 600ft. monnrain. 1,200ft. mountain. Tandem instruction. USHGA Advanced Jnstnictor DOUG PRATHER (209) 5560li69 Modesto, CA. HANC GLIDINC

!'LY AWAY HANC GI JDlNC Santa Barbara. Personalized instrnction. (805) 957-9 Jlt5, www.fly·· aboveall.com/flyaway.ht 111 I'() Box 'J'HF HANG CLlDING CENTER l 5J 51t2, San Diego CA 92175, (619) 265-5320.

The Acrotow Flight Park Satisfaction Cu'1rantecd flJST 8 Mil.ES FROM D[SNFY WORLD

LARGEST HAN<; CL]])ING SHOP In the We.st' Om deluxe retail shop showcases the latest equipment and has two virtual reality hang gliding flight sirmda· tors. We stock new and used ... Wills Wing, Altair and Moyes gliders, and all rhe hottest new harnesses. Tradeins arc wclcon1e. ( )ur comprchc11sivc training program, located at the

San Francisco Bay Area's finest beginner site features: gently sloped "bunny hills," Wills Wing Falcons of all sizes '1ml comtonablc training harnesses! "FIRST ]'LIGHT" I '5 minute video tour of our ncr lesson program shows a student's skill progression $20 (shipping included). 111 G Way, Milpitas CA 95035 (nectr San Jose). (li08) 262 1055, fax (408) 262.J:-388. mission(1)hang-gliding.corn \Vww.hang-gliding.coni

DON'T RISK BAD WFJ\THFR Bad instrttction or dangerous training hills. :l50 flyable days cad, year. Le'1rn foot launch skills safely and quickly. Train with at world famous Dockweill'r Beach training slopes (5 minutes from I.A airport.) Ply winter or sttmmcr in gentle coastal winds, soft sand and in a thnrottgb with one of America's most prestigious schools

• YEAR ROUND SOARING • OPEN DAYS A WEEK • SIX TUGS, NO WAITING • EVERY DIRECTION 50r· NICE demos to fly: Topless to Trainer Cliders: Laminar, Moyes, Will;;, Airborne, J\irwavcJ Fxxtacy, La Monette, Sensor;

also harnesses, varios, etc.

Ages 13 To 7.3 have learned to fly here. COLORADO

No one comes close ro our level of experience and success with tandcin acrorow instruction.

AJRTJMF ABOVE !JANC C:L!DTNG ~ Full-time lessons, sales, service. Colorado's most experienced!

A GREAT SCENE FOR FAMILY AND FRIENDS ...

Wills Wing, Moyes, Altair, Acros, Airwavc, High Energy, Ball, Flytec, Flight Connections and much more. Call (303) G74-24 51, Fvergreen, Colorado AirtimcU(;(cilaol.com

10 motels&. rcstauranls witl1in 5 mins., camping) hot showers, shade tTccs, sales, sroragc, ratings, XC rctricvtils, great weather, climbing wall, trampoline,

DSS TV, ping pong, picnic tables, swimming pool, etc. CONNECTICUT MOUNTAIN WINGS

Flights of over 200 miles and more than 7 homs. Articles in 1I,1ng Kitp!tmes, Cross

Look under New York.

others. Featured on numerous TV shows,

Darci inc NBC, The Discovery Channel & FSPN.

FLORIDA LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN FI.ICJff PARK

Sec

ad under Ccorgia. Nearest mountain training center ro

Visit us on the Web: http://www.wallaby.com

Orlando (only 8 hottrs).

TORREY PINES GJ.IDERPORT Come soar in San Diego! This family owned and operated site offers USHCA certified instruction, equipment sales, fandc!Yt flight i11stT11c1 ion, n1otorizcd pg/hg i11.struction, parachute repacks, repairs, and site tours. We also have an extensive pg/hg outlining shop and dining wirh a view when you cat at our own Cliffhanger Cale. Importers for ADVANCE, PARATFCH, AVA Sport Accessories, Crispi boots, Center of Cravity helmets, Fly Mike flight mits, Cut and AustriAlpin carabincrs and dealers for most orher brands. Check us out onli11c for sales and questions 8t: www.flytt)rrcy.com, or

call toll free at 1-877-l'IY.TEAM. Also, tune in to the Internet Paragliding Talk Show at www.wsradio.ws every Thurscfay 5-7:00 pm (PST).

BUNNY.. THE HILL WITH IT!

Please call us for reforcnccs and video. 1805 Dean Still Road, Disney Area, l'L 33837 (863) li2/i-0070 phone & fax fly(,'1lwallahy.com 1-800-WAI.I.ABY Conservative• Rcli;iblc • State of the Art F.H.C. INC./FI.YINC FLORIDA SJNCF 1974

li\JUG':Jly,JIJ Dil(;:lli{I@ @lLO®Ol~JC~l ,., WE HAVE The most advanced training program known to hang gliding, teaching you in half the tirnc it takes on the trnining-BUNNY HILL, and with more in· ,1ir time. YES, WF CAN TEACH YOU FASTER AND SAFER. For year-round rraining fttn in the sun, call or wrire Miami Hang ( :liding 005) 285-8978. 2550 S Bayshore Drive, Coconut Crovc:, Florida 3313.3.

Malcolm Jones, I .;turie Croft, Carlos Bessa, Rhett Radford, Tiki Mas!ty, Jeremie Hill, Tom Ramseur, Roger Sherrod, Mike Barber, Neal Harris, Ban Weghorst, Carolina de Castro, Panl Moncmc, Bob McFc:c, Fmily Boespflng

a 1n

Ff13RUARY 2002

HAWAII

MARYI.AND

When you' absolutely have to fly with the best! THE BEST AEROTOW Instruction avaibble. The only U.S. hang gliding school wirh TWO NATIONAL CHAMPION INSTRUCTORS and U.S. WORLD TEAM MEMBERS Bo Hagcwood :WOO National Champion And Paris Williarn.s 2001 National Champion. From your lirst tandem to advanced X-C racing insrrnction. Open every with other bc:unifnl remodeled 90+ acre focilitics. Plcmy activities like our screened in pool, hot tub, private lake, canoes, fishing, volleyball and just minutes from Orlando :mractions. l.etJrn .fi·om the best .... at Quest' www.qucsrairforcc.com !\mail: quesrair(1)sundial.net (352) 429-0213 Groveland, FT.

Hang gliding & ultralight on Kauai. Certified tandem instruction. (808) 822-5.009 or (808) 639· 1067, bi rds@birdsi nparad ise.com www. bi rdsi nparadisc.com

GEORGIA

TT.l.lNOTS

Baltimore and DC's foll time flight park 'l 'andern instructio11 solo acrotows :md cquipmenr sales and service. We carry Acros) Airwavc, l)csign} Moyes, Wills Wing, High Energy Sports, Flytcc and more. 1

BIRDS IN PARADISE

Two 115 HI' Dragonfly rngs Open fields as far as you can sec

0 n ly 1 to 1.5 hours from: HANG Gl.lDF CHICAGO Pull service acropark, 2 tow planes. Full rime certified instructors, ulrralight instrnctors, Fast Coast record 2U miles. (8] 5) 1952, www.hangglidcchi(:agc,.<:om

Rehoboth Beach l\altirnorc

RAVEN SKY SPORTS (:ll2) 3600'100, (815) lt89·9'100 or (262) lt'13-8800. ?. hours from Chicago, 90 minmcs from Flgin, Palatine or I.ibcnyvillc. The best instructors, the best the best results in the Midwest. 7 March thm November.

Come Ply with US!

FOOT Apply I 00%1 of your imro lesson costs to certification program upgrade! Please sec our ,id under WISCONSIN. 1 ·800-80'.P788

l'lJLL HOOK-UPS Laundry, propane, recreation room. 1-800-801·7788 LOOKOUT MOUNTAfN FLIGHT PARK Sec our display ad. I )iscover why FOUR TIMES as many pilots earn their wings at Lookout than at any other school! We wrote USHGA's Ofticial Training Manual. Our s:uisfaction and fim wirh the BEST FACILJT!FS, largest invcnr01y, camping, swimming, vollcyl,all, more! For a flying trip, imro flight or lesson packages, Lookour Monnrain, just outside Chattanooga, your COMPLETE training/service center. Info? (800) 688 TMFP.

Ph 410.63/i.2'100 Fax 410.634.2775 2.4038 Race Track Rd MD 21660 www.acrosporrs.net

MEXICO

INDIANA

MEXICO Year-round, summer in Momcrrcy, win, ter in Valle de Bravo. 1-8()().. 861-7198, www.Hymcxico.com

RAVEN Sl<Y SPORTS (262) 47:3-8800. Please sec our ad under Wisconsin. info~ilbanggliding.com

MICHIGAN CLOOD 9 SPORT AVIATION Acrotow special· all major brand hang PREE tube with new glider pur· TALON COMP!, XC 155, Ii, Sonic 165; M:tgic Kiss Falcons; Moyes 154. Outrigger and other accessories in stock. Call for spriug t:mdern lessous and flying appointmcms with the DraachcnFliegcn Club at Cloud 9 Field. 11088 Coon 1.akc Road Webberville, Ml li8892. (517) 223-8683. Cloud9sa@laol.com. lit:t p:/ lmcmbcrs.aol.com/ cl oud9sa

(71

MICim;AN SOARING - Delivering VALUE with the best combi,rnrion of SERVICE, QUALITY &. PRICE. ALL brands of and gear. Call 882-47/ili, wingman@travcrse.com

saw

us 46

TRAVERSE CITY HANG GLIDERSIPARAGJJDERS FULL-TIME shop. Certified instrnction, foot launch and row. Sales, service, accessories for ALL major brands. VISA/MASTERCARD. Come soar our 450' dunes! 1509 F 8th, Traverse Ml 49684. Offering for the Explorer & powered paragliding lessons & used units. Call Bill at (2:01) 922-284/i, Visit our Wyoming. Call Tracie ar 007)

HANC CIIDJNC

TEXAS

NORTH CAROLINA

MlNNRSOTA

RAVFN SKY SPORTS (612) 340-1800 or (262) 473-8800. Please sec om ad under WISCONSIN.

NEVADA ADVENTURE SPORTS Sierra Tours and tandems available. Instruction ccniGcd USI!CA instructors with 25 years experience. Sales, service and instruction by Carson Tahoe NV. 88}-7070

•

SEASONAL OPFRJ\TIONS (JlJN.NOV) , FX(:EU.ENTX<: FIS!N(; • TJ\N!JF.M INSTRUCTION AFRO 'JOWIN(; , l)RJ\C;ONl'l.Y/TRIKF INSTRIJC: !'JON • INTRO HXH 1.J\UNC:11 C:LASSFS • Fl.YINS AND Cl .INJC:S • SAi .ES AND Sl·'.RVIC:E <,OO J\CRL l'J\C:ll.lTY • /\LL fl.YING BY RESFRVJ\TlON ONI.Y Steve Burns 979.279.9:08?. email: sburnsGDalpha I .net 800ll Pinc St., I !came 'I 'X !78'j') Fred Burns 281 li/1.1488 email: austinairv1i,10J.corn :\81 0 Bonita l.:rnc, La l'ortc TX 775'/ 1 WWW.AUS'J'INAfRSPC)Rl'S.COM

LAS VFCAS AlRSl'ORTS -- US! !CA ccnilicd hang gliding instruction. Sales ,md service, hoat tow, moun-

tain soaring, XC:. (702) ?.60-7950, www.fly101.com NEW JERSEY MOUNTAIN WlNC;S

Look 1111der New York.

NEW YORK .1\AA l'UCI IT SCI 1001. MOUNTAJN WINGS INC. Your Ii.ti! service Pro Shop serving die North East. We sell and service all the best brands. wv,w.mtms·rnr;s.com mtnwings~i)catskill.nct 150 Canal Street, New York 17/i?.8 WOODY VAi.. LEY HARNESSES, V-MITTS $25.00 Paragliding, Ultralights, Towing. (815) 647 <H77 AIR SPORTS lJSJ\ NYC's first and only certified hang paragliding, microlights (trikes), pa1·agl1c!Jng. Distributors li,r Avi,rn. Dc,tlcrs most

(;() .. J lANC CL!lllNG 11 '

, ·1 AND FM JNSTRlJCTJON AEROTOW!NC; ' llOAT TOWING IJE/\CH Rl•:srnn , TRAl\llNG CAMPS FOOT I.AUNCI l , OPFN YFAR ROUND l'ARJ\C;l.IDINC • EQUIPMENT SAi.i'S AND SERVICE

major brands. 1;ull scrvice and c:quipmcnr at best prices.

The most friendly service in the area. Store address: 29 31 Newtown /\vc., Astoria NY. Phone Cl 18) 7000, WWW.Fl.YFORFUN.NET FT.Y lllCH llANC (;LJDING, INC. Serving S. New York, Connecticut, Jersey areas. Area's EXCl.lJ. SIVF Wills Wing dcalcr/s1)ccialisr. Also all other major

(800)

NAGS HEAD,

Tandem flights! Contact Paul Voight, 516:l Rd, Pinc Hush, NY 12566, (845) 7/t!i 3:l 17. SUSQUEHANNA l'l.l(;J-!T P/\RK Coopctstown, NY. C:cnificd l nst ruc1 ion, Sales and Service for :di manufact mers. 40 acre park, naining hills, jeep hunk house, hot showers, 600' NW ridge. We have the best in '.J. New York state to teach you how to fly. c/o Dan Cuido, \lox 29:l Shoemaker Rd, Mohawk NY 1.YiO?, (31 5) 866,61

www.flyrcxas.com

llll.L COUNTRY l'ARAC!.\DINC; INC:

I.earn complete pilot skills. l'crsonalizcd US! ICA n:nilicd rraining, ridge soaring, fooi & 10w launching in ccmral

Texas. MOTORIZED PARAGUDINC lNSTRUC TION & EQIJJPMENT AVAILJ\BI.F. ('Jl 5) :17'! I l 8'i. l lr'/5 C:I{ 220, Tow TX 78(,'/7. KITE ENTERPRISES · Slope, stationary winch, platform launch and acrotow training, sales, rentals and repair. Will, Moyes, Nonhwings. Dalla,, Fon Worth and Texas arc.1. ('JlJ.) :,<JO-'JO'JO,

lnrcrnc1 J\ddrc.1s: littp://www.1'i11yhawk.com F·Mail Address: info~0 lzinyhawk.com

www.ki1c;..cn1crpriscs.co1n

PENNSYLVANIA UTAH

brands, accessories. (:cri-ificd school/instruction.

Teaching since 1979. Area's most INEXPENSIVE prices. Exccllcnr sccornLuy inst-ruction ... if you've started a progr:tm :rnd wish to cominuc. l'ly the moumain 1

Jeff) !unt. Austin ph/fox

(512) /i(,/.2'i2'J jc/ll!1lflytcxas.com

I !IGHI.J\ND AFROSPORTS -· Sec Maryland.

MOUNTAIN TOP RFCREJ\TION Certified instrnction, Pittsburgh. (Ii 12) 767./i882. C'MON OUT AND PLAY!

WASATCH WJNGS ·- Utah's only fiill service hang gliding .~chool PninL of the Mountain, regional mountain sites, rowing. Dealer for Acros, J\irwavc, Altair, Moyes, Wills Wings ,md mnch more. Call (80 I) 2/i·1-7-194, wings~1\vasa1dJ.com

MO\JNTJ\l N WINCS - l .ook under New York.

WWW. wasatch.com/, \Vings

PUERTO RICO

VIRGINIA

FLY PUERTO RICO Team Spirit Hang c;liding, JIC classes daily, tandem instrucLion available. Wills Wing dealer. Clidcr rcnwls for qualified pilots. PO Box 978, Pt1nta Santiago, 1'11cr10 Rico 007/i I. (787) g50.

0508, tshg(a\:oqt1i.net

new

TENNESSEE

1.00l<OlJT MOUN I J\lN i'I.ICI IT PARK ad under ( ;eorgi:1.

FrnRUARY 2002

Sec

llUJE SKY

- Fullrimc instruction and service at lvl:rnquin !'light !'ark near Richmond. Wills Wing, !'light Design, Acros and Airw;ivc glidns. Mid Mosquito dealer. Steve Wendt ('540) li:32 6557 or (80/i) 2/i 1-li:121, www.hlucsl,ylig.mm, blucsk yl,gvhyalioo.rnm

r:;1

I llGHLAND AEl,OSPORTS KITTY HAWK KITFS

Sec Maryland.

Sec Nonh Carolina.

111,y AT VIRGINIA'S NFWEST TOTAL FJ.JC:HT MANQUIN offrrs acrotowing, tandem truck training hill and scouter pilots. Certified cqnqnn,cnr sales, service and

Virginia's leading, hang instn1ci-ion and soar the

Just 7. hours sornl, DC, minutes NF of Richmond. !'rec camping close ro fast food, rcsraurants and Kings Dominion theme park. Visit www.hlucskyhg.com. (5/iO) lil2-6557

ORDER ONI.INE AND SAVE

MINT VARfO World's smallest, ( :lips to helmet or (). J 8,000 Ii., fas1 response 2 year warramy. (;rcat for paragliding 100. ONLY $169. Mallettec, PO !lox 15756, Santa Ana CA. 97.7:$5. (71/i) %6-1210, MC/Visa acccp1cd, www.rnallct1cc.com

Water/Dust Resisrnm Push Bumm Field Replaceable Switch • l kavict Ca\\p,c Plllgs Increased S1rain Relief at AU. Joints

Price $119.95. Fxrrn finp;er switch $19.95 w/prn·chasc. Dealer inquiries welcome. Call (<JU) 1hx.1'J''" MC/Visa. Visit our website at www.llightconn.mm

SILVER WINGS, INC. ~ Certified insrruction ancl cqt1ipmcnt sales. (703) 53:l-1 %5 Arlington VA,

secure

shopping.

pans~ harness accessories, electron· equipment, complete powered

ics, paragliding units with training from llill Country WASHINGTON

Paragliding lnc.

800-66/i .. 1160 for orders only. I ·I ANG'l 'IME - Dea lcr of the MOSQUITO powered harr1csscs. Call fi,r CLINIC dates. Right here in 1hc pacific 11orrhwcst. ('i09) lbbrown(all,mi.nct

Cl !OSTlllJSTER PARTS

(915) 379 . 1567.

ril,s,

WISCONSIN RAVFN SKY SPORTS lfANC c;urnNG AN]) PARAGLIDING The Midwest's Premier aerorow park, founded in 1992. Featuring INTEGRATJNSTRUCTJON of foor .. launch and aerotow tan . prices 10 beat in the USA. Seven grassy training hills all wind row pla11c.s, no Fom tandem gliders on undercarriages. Falcons for training from die very first lessons. USUA uhraligh1 ,rnd instruction. ]lrec Salcs/ser.. vice/accessories all brands. Open '/ March thru November. Contact Brad Box IOI, Whi1ewatn WI 53190 (262) 1'/.'l-8800 11ho11c, (262) liTl-8801 fox, www.hanggliding.com, inli,~1l\1a11ggliding.corn

The world,class XC:R- 180 up 10 3 hours (rhl 8,000 Ii. and only ( :omplt'te ki1 with cylinder, liamess, c:rnnnla and remote on/off llowmetcr, only $/i00.00.

SPFC:TAC:Ul.AR TROl'IIIFS Awards & gif'ts! Free catalog. Soaring Dreams (2.08) ,'>76-791/i, Zoolisa(a\1trl.com

TEK FLIGHT PRODUCTS

direction;,. Four

PARTS & ACCESSORIES AEROTOWTNG ACCESSORIES Sec TOW! NG. THE WALLABY RANCH (863) lt.Z,i .. 0070. AMA/.INCLY LOW \'RICES llobQ1l(,roked,1ry,,u.con1

On all Ball varios'

AV8 LAMINAR PARTS. We have wlrar you need and we arc com mitred 10 same day AV8. ( :all (760) /2. 1·070 l or email ar 111,lasl,y~1·1yail,or,.c,,m

ALL AC:C:l'SSORIES JN STOCK! l'lytcc li005, Quamum 330, rnll! Low prices, fost delivery! Cunnison Gliders, 1519 County Road 17, Cunnison C;o 81 :no. (9'70) Gli J .9,l 15, http://gtJnnisonglidcrs.com/ Kl.ASSIC OR CONCEPT WlNCl.ETS One pair lefr, brand new in box $Yi0 OBO or trade for? (262) lt73-8800, i11foQhhangglidi11g.co1n

Camera molmt $1i8.'50. Camera remote (ask abrm1 rebate) $/i5. Vario 111,mnt $23. G" wheels $29.'75, 8" wheels $.34.75, Ad<l $4 S&l l per (US) included. TEK FLIGHT Products, C:olchrook Stage, Winsted CT 06098. Or call (860) 379· 1668. Email: LckG'1)snct.nc1 or onr page: www.teld-1ight.com

l'lylitc, Fxrrcrnc, Tccma. Reserves, Uvcx hcl met, .~pcc<lslt.:cvz, h,nmitts, wheels. (206) 7.lili-51 rcdris1 G'ilaubi.com

rli\NC CI.IDINC

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DON'T CET CAUGHT LANDIN(; DOWN WIND! oz. ripsrop nylon, UV treared, 5',j" w/11" throat. Available colors f'luorcscent p1rtk/1rcll,ow or flumcsccnt pink/whitt:. $Y).95 (+$5.00 Send to USHGA Windsok, P.O. Box I:no, Colorado CO 8090 l · Ll}O, (7 I 9) G:l2·8300, fax (719) I 7, usbga!'iJushg,1.org VISA/MC accepted. PUBI.ICATIONS & ORGANIZATIONS

WEATJ !ER TO FLY, by Adventure Productions. A much needed instructional video on meteorology.

Dixon White, Master pilot and lJSHCA Fx:nniner, takes through a iug

IIARRY AND TJIF l!ANG Cl.lDER is a bealllifi.dly illustrarcd, hardcover children's book with 10 color written for pilots to share the dream of' flight! To send $2.1.95 pins $3 shipping to Skylligh Publishing, 201 N. Tyndall, Tucson, A/. 85719 or call (520) 628·8165 or visit http://www.flash.ner/-skyhip11h Visa/MC accepted. SOAR INC Monthly magazine of The Soaring Society of' America, Inc. Covers all aspects of soaring flight. Full membership $55. Inf,,. kit wi1h sample copy $"l. SSA, P.O. Box 2100, Hobbs, NM 88241. (505) 392 1177. TOW[NC

Otto Lilicnthal's genius in scientific observations and analysis, documented in this work, became the basis for the of rhe pioneers in aviational brothers, Otto is con· "hero" of the to be "The Father of Gliding ]!light." l.ilienthal's definitive hook has been om of prim for almost a hut is now available to everyone for a wonderful and journey inro aviational hisrory. 17(, 89 drawings and I Ii graphs. Call USHCA 1-800--61 G. 6888, or order off our wcbsircwww.ushga.org

AEROTOWINC ACCESSORIES I kadquarters for: The flnesr releases, releases, Spectra "V" bridles, weak links, tandem launch cart kits, etc. Tl TE WALLABY RANCH (863) 124·0070. DRAGONFLY -· 1996, 2--placc, 810 hours, 582 w/clutch, 20 hours since major, salmon color $16,800. Mike (601) 932.0250W, (601) 845,850311

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111

a Fr HRLJARY 2002

.53

STOLEN WINGS & THINGS 1 BAC OF c;FAR Srolcn November 25, 2001 in C:OR\IA1.l.!S, Cm.EGON. Conraincd: older, smallish, purple 11 igh Energy po<l lrnmcss with jury-,rigged jmudcat system under yellow 2/i-gorc I li;;h Energy chme 35mm camera, Braunigcr A\I vario s11. 1099314, several 1musu:1l l1ome·m<1dc inslTumcnts (hnbblc level system and (;,meter). Seibel, (5/il) "/52-81?.5, scihd99')@lhormail.com Corvallis p.d. case ()]. I lii')5.

From d,c Tcllmidc Festival in J 981, 10 the modern day corllpt:tmon. Follow the of this dynamCall USHGA C,'l7.-8.300, fox (719) !i.,2-(,lt 17, order from our web site www.oshga.org. Please add ., $4 domestic s/h.

I.A MOUETTE TOPLESS 13.SM Stolen Augnst It, 2001 from WASHOE, NEVADA. l'u:ml,·/r,rccn with pink l.E, missing (at the rime) ., each side. Two worn areas

tape) on the MISCELLANEOOS

on grey duel

)." worn spots

arc :l foet from around hcartbolt. Contact I )ave Merriman (916) 7tJ8-070lt, asaccn(('lsofrcom.net

FOUND 2.8, 2001. Flight suit lcfi: on launch at Lookout Flight 1':rrl<. Call and identify, thrmlnp@1chunanooga.net (70G) 820-0.365.

"AEROBATICS" Foll color 23"x .'l 1" poster foatur-· ing John Heiney what he docs bcst-·l.OOl'JNG! Available through 1 lQ for just $!i.95 (+$'5.00 s/h). Fill that void oo wall! Send 10 US! IGA Acrobatics l'o.stcr, PO 1300, Colorado Springs CO 80933. (USA & Canada only. Sorry, NOT A \I AILA BLE on intcrnationa.l CIAI.-Acroharics & Eric Raymond BOTH FOR $10 s/h). Check the merchao,lise

STOLEN WINGS arc listed :L1 a service ro USHCA members. Newest entries arc in bold. There is no charge for tbis service and lost and found or cq11ipmc111 may be called in (7 J 9) (i32 .. 8300, in ('71 <,32,.<,4 17, or emailed at nshgac"llushga.orr; for inclusion in Hang C:liding magazine. Please call to can· eel the listing when gliders ;uc recovered. Periodically, this listing will be pmged.

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sccriou of onr wvb site www.11shga.org frn a color pic-

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APPAREi., VIDEOS, BOOKS & POSTERS Check om om weh page www.nshga.org DON'T I.EAVE YOUR GROUND-HOUND EQUIPMENT SITTJNC; IN THE GARAGE. SELi. IT lN THE HANG GLIDlNG CLASSIFIEDS. CI.ASSIJ'IFD ADVERTJSfNC RATES The rate for classil,cd advertising is $.50 per word (or grnup of char· acrcrs) and $1.00 per word for bold or all Mll;'fl· MUM AD C:HJ\RGF $5.00. A fee of' 15.00 is charged for each line art logo and $25.00 for each to. UNF./\R'J' & PHOTO SlZF. NO 1.1,1\\,c1·." THJ\N 1.75" X . Please underline words to he in bold prior. Special of tabs $25.00 per column incli. Phone words. Email or web :1ddrcss=3words. AD DEADLINES: J\11 ad copy, in.strucrions1 cha11gc:,, additions arnl (·~u1cclladons rntist be received in l. 5 mon dis the cover l'chruary for the issue. make 10 LJSHGJ\, l'.O. Box 1.'l:lO, Colorado CO 80901-ITlO, (719) 6'32--8300. Fax (719) ] 7 or email: ushga<?1!1rnhga.org your classifled wirh your Visa/MC or Amcx.

Angle of Attack ................................. 54 AV8 .......... ,...... ., ............................... 20

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Ask us «&bout Gll'iinnl11>1 "S:h,,hu, 1

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J\l; you re?ad this, happ0,n:ing . Hope yrni macfo i L- . traveling indoor air Ehow for new ent:husiasts Lo ind hang ilncl paragliding, T believe;. Of cour:1e, thc,y find sailpli1ne1;, ultralights, acrobatic , R/C modelr;, and more the show Uic,;c e] ements of sport eel "SporL Aviation." sn't wha we migh ca 1 "sport (un] (:fJS you comd der homebu:ild ing ai "r;po:rl~,,) . Conversely, the Air Sports Expo t:he kind of flying that's done strictly for sport. ~,ome o[ those: EAA ai rcrafl: 200ves. Building may also be 1:or E3port:, but the l:hc1TI"ca 11 a purpose ot l:xansport Nol:hing bu ' I what we do (nor ultralight::;, aecobatic aircra t:L, do). + So, thi,i l:.he on0:--and-only show caterl; to tr1e true--b] ue fly Lor- r:un crowd. 't make the 2007 c:vent hope you'll cons id it next. year as the country goes nuU; over J 00 or powered [lighl:. Many have g-rou,;c"d about gLiding not growing or about a s·I owclown in 'I'he Air Sports Expo on1y one buL c1 so Li.d one that aJ,;o of partnership with oilier torshow L:ravc·1 around to those Lry i ng Lo :I ike a hc-,ckuva to m, 9M Air Sport: Expo was going on (and \mdersl:,md, I'm l:his before l:he event occurs) , another event in "sport:" avi.aL:ion was happening. co Iumn went to Of of Manageand Budget (0MB) had finally released FAA' new ort:en to "Sport Pilot." wish to recommend Lhat you gee\: ouL your Septem7,001 of Hang GLid:ing where you'll fi.nd an sidebar about L:his now ru1o (page 19). Gregor d:i d an cxccll enl: job or deLaLI i nq the, new as we know it-. al: this l:..i.me. He cover·cd t.be hisand li the implicaU.orm of Lhe new propos+ 'L'hat proposal bas now been from l:he and Budgcl: (OMl3) where i I had delayed for some months. The events of Septem-lltr1 added a significant· delay in issuance the Nol:ic0 of Proposed Ru] c Maki nq (NPRM) but history now. In early danual'.y, 0MB sent the back to FAA for t.hem to issue the NPRM i bly by tbe t:ime you th i.s though such wrong in tbo pac,t) . ••• 0 ,.

your

De::ar Cong-ces~;man o.r

yc:t, but- plea,;e keep your and USHCA Websi Le for advice wJ~JC,n l:.he ti me docs come, involved! + The two main areas of my humble opinion) lack of a provision and the uncerta i.n of our for + Now, thc 0

FrnRLJJ\RY 2002

of Part 10::l under wrii ch l:hc-, majority hang and pa raglicler pi lo\ fly .i E, nol: threatened. fooL I aunch, the NPRM may not sc-,em part icuevant. But remember, federal n,gu 1 ons always grow and are rarely ret.ractcxJ once i.mp·I ement:ecl. + Originally, l:.ow_Lng hc1d hcxm incl ucl · concern about "commerci<J l ed. But due' to F'/\/\' activi.U.es" :in ,;port- aviation, Uie abiJil:y for sport aircraft. to Low ot:hers was removc-:cl. Tn U1e draft doeumenl: FAA prel,onted months ago, towing hang gliders was not allowed! doc Crecior proper-I y describe.is it, may deU ver d "cr p].ing blow" to U1e towparh; lhal. 1~e rer;ponsiblo for ,c;o much aetivi ty :in r1ang gl:idinq. 'l'hc 0U1er areas of concern involve Uie two place exemption L:andern training. /\gain, Gregor did good job of identifying why Fl\/\ wants to stop oxempU om; Such "loop holeE," in I.he c are inl:ended to be tempora1·y but. E,hould not: remain .i.n pl year a f:l·cr year. Yet t.hi.'3 i,; exact ly what has occurred wiL:h both our towing and tandem exc~rnptiom;. Bol:h n some jeopardy wi.l-h:i n FAA' s proposdL + A,; Gn,gor and ,c;idebar wri l.er Bill Bryden reported, the, proposals we've seen f;o may not t·o l:hc, NPRM wbecn t is released. llowevccr, proposal often become NPJ<Ms largely im:act, loO be ready You don't need to act just yet, but BE PREPARED! + "A USHCJ\ Commit.tee or E',pecial 'T'alok Force' ha,:; bec,n USI-!GA's posLl:Lon on ,',port al.:ed to address Pi Jot L:i censc," rc,ported USHCA Exocut.i ve Di rec 1-.or, '.I'll i s t.a s k 1· orcc0 uder; Bi :I L iJayne DePanf.i. l f3rydcn, Dennis ::'aqen, Mike Meier, Ma I: I: 'l'abcr, Steve Kroop and cJayne. a so Li cl qroup and we' I 1 a] l await the i adviee. 9N Fina Uy, l:he news t:h:i month surrounds a blur of mai amonq tl1e IJSl!GA board of direcl:ors and staff. The possLb.1 e eombining of f/ang Gliding ng maga:cines. Association leadership doe[; not want: tl'.y inq hard l.o U1is to be a forced i ssuc and memben; can c,xpres[; tllemE,01 ves be rore the acl:ion may be taken. + Jayne proved herself a good Li sl:enor. Hearing [rom many board members vi viqorouE: e-mail exchange, Jayne melded Uie ber,t idc-,as l.ogcl:.her ancl J t:hink no member wi fc,el he or she was not informed. Look carefully at lhe Marc:11 and Apd l issues. test wi LI be· May and then we' 1--evert t.o two maga;;:inff: ( [or a ,fr1ort while, J hope) to give memben; a cbancc l:o cl iqc,r;t Li: all. J\s 've writl:en before, 'm 'in favor of: combining but 'm only one of more them 10,000 who need to t.hink i \· Lhrough themr;elve,1. A] l anyone ccJn ask an opon mind. 9M Yeah, OK, "Produc:. Li.no:;" wc:w kinda light on I.hr, producl:s U1i.lo Lime. fell. gel: bac:,c to I.he the, above now,-; wo:; worthy, but: J' ,,Luf t11aL 1rnua.1·1y appc,an; J-iere next rnonLh. 9M So, gol. newr; or opiniorn;? Send 'cm to: 8 l)on·;ct, SI.. l'aul MN r,'il18. Me,;,;agccs or [ax to 6'il :i0-0930 P:Leasc nol:R my new e-mai 1 addre::;;, o[ News@ByDanJohnson.com ... bu you can r;t il] u Cumuluc; Man(£laoL. com Lor t:hc roro,;ccable future. 'rHANKS !

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FlyTEC 352-429-8600 • 800-662-2449 • www.flytec.com