USHGA Hang Gliding June 2002

June 2002 • $3.95

A Publication of the United States Hang Gliding Association

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Introducing the FALCON 2 Improved sink rate and L/D • Slower stall speed and improved stall characteristics Trick features like spring battens and full leading edge mylar insert Better handling • Expanded optimum pilot weight ranges

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Hang Gliding

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June 2002

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Table of Contents Features 7 16 24 32 36 40

The Future of the Sport by Dennis Cavagnaro Book Review - Hang Gliding Spectacular

by Peter Birren King Mountain by Kevin Frost Loop Record by Chad Elchin Scary Parachutes Photo Gallery by Ignazio Bernardi

Departments 4 5 10 22 30 43 54

Editorial Mail Update Calendar of Events Wingtips Marketplace Product Lines by Dan Johnson

Cover: John Silvia at Dinosaur, Colorado - photo, Aaron Swepston Contents: Ignazio Bernardi, self portrait Centerspread: Kurt Bainum during - King Mt. Meet - photo by Ernie Camacho

June 2002

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Editorial (USPS 017-970-20–ISSN 0895-433X)

This month Jayne asked me to write a personal bio for the Editorial section, introducing myself as the new Art Director for Hang Gliding magazine. Personally, I would rather that she had asked me to comment on any number of other things, flying related, magazine related or otherwise. Introducing myself has not always been one of my most eloquently handled tasks. But, the magazine is a place for information to be shared and communicated, and my becoming the Art Director is a fairly noticeable change for myself, USHGA and the magazine itself, so it deserves a mention so that people get some sort of idea what the heck has happened to their magazine! So here goes.

The chronlogical stuff first. I started flying back in 1978 and have been passionate about it ever since the very beginning. The sport has been very rewarding for me in that it has provided me with the best friendships and experiences I could have ever hoped to have achieved. Hmmm, that really says it there, and I could expand upon it and fill the rest of this page and many more with just a hint of detail, but really, I met my wife through hang gliding and in doing so gained a family. I’ve met my best friends through hang gliding and in doing so have gained an extended family. Flying has allowed me to to find myself and to test myself and I have become a far better person because of it. Hang gliding quite simply has been one of the most significant factors in molding who I am. It’s been a fantastic 24 years and for some reason I don’t get the feeling that I will be changing what I do any time soon. Flying remains my lifestyle and my passion.

Okay, now on to why I am writing this in the first place. The new Art Director part. As part of my professional life I have been involved in printing and design, having started back when I won an aerobatic event and spent my winnings on our first computer. It was a Mac Classic. It is laughable now, but it was so cool at the time. My first accomplishment was to inherit the CBCC newsletter from the previous editor. I thought it was a great thing. The previous editor thought it was a great thing to pass it on to me. Later, I also thought it was a great thing to pass it on to the next editor! At that time, however, the seeds were planted about some day working with Hang Gliding magazine. It was the epitome of both worlds for me; hang gliding and publishing. Little did I know at that time that years down the road I would be sitting at an even bigger, faster, more powerful Mac working on the magazine in real life. But here I sit, drafting my simple bio so that I can make the deadline and also so that I can make our deadline which just so happens to coincide with a speedgliding meet. make the deadline and I get to make the meet. Perfect, as long as everything goes well.

There’s the rub!

The magazine is a very dynamic, almost living entity, and this issue is my second as Art Director. The first was the May combo issue. That issue was a major accomplishment for me personally, as well as for the entire team associated with the production of the magazine.

That would include of course Gil, Jayne and Jeff, and Dan but also another group of people who have been working hard for the magazine more recently, including Steve Roti and Lori Allen. Naturally, being the new guy with the magazine has its difficulties, one of which is being able to instantly jump in and move fast.

Time goes by way too fast, and when there are deadlines to meet, magazines to be delivered to members boxes in a timely fashion, and all sorts of obstacles to overcome in the process of meeting those deadlines, one needs to be able to maintain a clear focus on the goals.

That’s where my flying experiences have helped out the most. Clear focus and dedication is something that has to be developed to a high degree to be successful in aerobatics and speedgliding, my two personal favorite styles, and now as Art Director I hope to be able to bring that same dedication and focus to my work on the magazine. I want to be able to help Gil and USHGA keep the magazine a dynamic and evolving entity for our current members and those to come.

Fly safe, Aaron Swepston Art Director, Hang Gliding magazine 4

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Published by USHGA Editor in Chief: Gil Dodgen, GilDodgen@aol.com Art Director: Aaron Swepston, tontar@mindspring.com Contributing Photographers: Ancil Nance, Steve Rathbun, Jeff Diener, Mark Vaughn, Jay Carroll, Bob Lowe, David Glover Illustrators: Harry Martin, Tex Forrest Staff Writers: Dennis Pagen, Alan Chuculate, Rodger Hoyt, Dan Johnson, Steve Roti –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– USHGA Main Offices Executive Director: Jayne DePanfilis, jayne@ushga.org Advertising Manager: Jeff Elgart, jeff@ushga.org Member Services: Natalie Hinsley, natalie@ushga.org Member Services: Sandra Hewitt, sandra@ushga.org IT Administrator: Paul DeFranco, paul@ushga.org –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– USHGA Officers and Executive Committee: President: Jim Zeiset, jimzgreen@aol.com Vice President: Mark Ferguson, markjf@direcway.com Secretary: Russ Locke, russ@lockelectric.com Treasurer: Bill Bolosky, bolosky@microsoft.com –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– REGION 1: Bill Bolosky, Mark Forbes. REGION 2: Ray Leonard, John Wilde, Tim West. REGION 3: David Jebb, John Greynald, Alan Chuculate. REGION 4: Mark Ferguson, Jim Zeiset. REGION 5: Frank Gillette. REGION 6: James Gaar.

REGION 7: Bill Bryden. REGION 8: Doug Sharpe. REGION 9: Randy Leggett, Felipe Amunategui. REGION 10: Tiki Mashy, Matt Taber. REGION 11: R.R. Rodriguez. REGION 12: Paul Voight. DIRECTORS AT LARGE: Jan Johnson, Dennis Pagen, Russ Locke, Steve Kroop, Chris Santacroce. HONORARY DIRECTORS: Aaron Swepston, J.C. Brown, Ed Pitman, G.W. Meadows, Bob Hannah, John Harris, Larry Sanderson (SSA), Dave Broyles, Gene Matthews, Ken Brown, Rob Kells, Liz Sharp, Dan Johnson, Dixon White. EX-OFFICIO DIRECTORS: Art Greenfield (NAA).

–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– The United States Hang Gliding Association Inc. is an air sports organization affiliated with the National Aeronautic Association (NAA) which is the official representative of the Fédération Aeronautique Internationale (FAI), of the world governing body for sport aviation. The NAA, which represents the U.S. at FAI meetings, has delegated to the USHGA supervision of FAI-related hang gliding activities such as record attempts and competition sanctions.

Hang Gliding magazine is published for hang gliding sport enthusiasts to create further interest in the sport, and to provide an educational forum to advance hang gliding methods and safety. Contributions are welcome. Anyone is invited to contribute articles, photos, and illustrations concerning hang gliding activities. If the material is to be returned, a stamped, self-addressed return envelope must be enclosed. Notification must be made of submission to other hang gliding publications. Hang Gliding magazine reserves the right to edit any and all photographic or editorial contributions where necessary.

The Association and publication do not assume responsibility for the material or opinions of contributors. Send submissions to Hang Gliding editorial offices, attention Gil Dodgen or Jeff Elgart c/o: USHGA, P.O. Box 1330, Colorado Springs, CO 80901-1330.

The USHGA is a member-controlled sport organization dedicated to the exploration and promotion of all facets of unpowered ultralight flight, and to the education, training and safety of its membership. Membership is open to anyone interested in this realm of flight. Dues for full membership are $59 per year (of which $15 goes to the publication of Hang Gliding), ($70 non-USA); subscription rates only are $35 ($46 non-USA). Changes of address should be sent six weeks in advance, including name, USHGA number, previous and new address, and a mailing label from a recent issue.

Hang Gliding magazine (ISSN 0895-433x) is published 11 times per year, every month except for May, by The United States Hang Gliding Association Inc, 219 W. Colorado Ave., Suite 104, Colorado Springs, CO 80903 Phone: (719) 632-8300. FAX: (719) 632-6417 E-Mail: ushga@ushga.org.

PERIODICAL POSTAGE is paid at Colorado Springs, CO and at additional mailing offices.

POSTMASTER: SEND CHANGE OF ADDRESS TO: Hang Gliding, P.O. BOX 1330, Colorado Springs, CO 80901-1330.

DISCLAIMER OF WARRANTIES IN PUBLICATIONS: The material presented here is published as part of an information dissemination service for USHGA members. The USHGA makes no warranties or representations and assumes no liability concerning the validity of any advice, opinion or recommendation expressed in the material. All individuals relying upon the material do so at their own risk. Copyright © 2002 United States Hang Gliding Assn., Inc. All rights reserved to Hang Gliding and individual contributors.

_xààxÜá 61 Anakie Drive, Cornubia 4130, Queensland, Australia sky_out@optushome.com.au

A NEW NAME FOR USHGA

USHGA, PO Box 1330, Colorado Springs, CO 80901-1330 or ushga@ushga.org REHYDRATING Dear Editor, On the subject of rehydrating, I must highly recommend flying with a CamelBak watering system. I just finished riding my motorcycle on a 1,000mile trek through Death Valley National Park, Mount Whitney, and surrounding valleys over the last three days in record heat conditions. With this gadget on my back I was able to sip ice-cold water through a flexible tube with a built-in valve that can be actuated with your mouth while wearing thick gloves. The mouthpiece fit comfortably in my mouth, even while wearing a full-face helmet. While watching my clock, I made every effort to sip water every 10 minutes.

This particular model holds two liters of water and would easily work for hang glider or paraglider pilots. Another model holds up to three liters of your favorite beverage. I have heard that “fizzies” don’t work well as a beverage.

While some riders wanted to stop at every town to tank up on fluids, the drivers with CamelBaks were able to ride longer and were more alert thanks to the cold water in the blistering heat.

Harry Martin Thousand Oaks, CA

THERMAL SNOOPERS AND “SKYOUT” CARTOONS

Dear Editor, Recent issues of the magazines continue the long and ongoing debate over whether to merge the two USHGA magazines into one. As a former magazine editor, I understand many of the complicated issues involved, especially the potential economies gained by publishing one magazine.

However, there is a more fundamental issue that needs to be addressed before I would welcome and support a combined magazine — a new name for the organization that recognizes and gives equal footing to the sports of hang gliding and paragliding. It makes great sense (and it would be a way to put this simmering issue to bed) to unveil a new name at the same time you launch a combined magazine. I have been a subscriber of Cross Country almost as long as Paragliding. Cross Country demonstrates that a magazine can provide a viable, informative, and visually appealing vehicle that holds the interest of a biwingal readership.

Since I joined USHGA in 1993, the fact that paragliding is not mentioned in the name of the Association has been a source of irritation to me and other paraglider pilots. To summarily lose a magazine focused on our type of flying would only add another irritant. If clubs like Utah and New England (the former being one of the largest and oldest clubs in the U.S. and the latter being a smaller, by-the-seat-of-its-pants club) can change their names to reflect the diversity of their pilot members, shouldn’t USHGA, our national leader, be stepping up to the plate?

It is my experience that when an issue hangs around too long it acquires more stature than need be, and takes away from other more important concerns like flying safely and often, together in one or two gaggles over the hill.

I urge USHGA Board members to throw internal politics to the wind and finally take on and resolve this issue. Then we can all move on to more important concerns like site development and protection, safety, competition, and pilot education.

Rolf A. Fuessler, P4 Boston, MA

Dear Editor, I have a large, cherished collection of Hang Gliding magazines spanning the years 1982 to 2001 which I have been gradually rereading to spark some good old memories of my own flying career. When reading the “Thermal Snooper” articles I wondered what became of this very promising flying instrumentation, and the considerable advantage it could offer when it comes to understanding the air we fly in — can’t see it, but can measure and detect its vertical movements and temperature fluctuations. Who still uses a Thermal Snooper and where can I get one?

Jim Palmieri’s recently completed book, Sky Adventures, is a very exciting and interesting read, featuring some of the best hang gliding stories in print. The book also features a fresh batch of my cartoons for comic relief, but since it was published my contact details and web address have changed.

I have a compilation of cartoons that I have self-published called “Skyout.” It is available via my website at http:// members.optushome.com.au/sky_out. It features the last 12 years of hang gliding cartoons crammed into about 50 pages, and includes two A3-sized board games, “Thermals and Sinkholes” and “Cross Country Circles,” that are just crazy and good fun. On those blown-out, socked-in days you can get a laugh. There is also a photos page where you’ll see some great Australian hang gliding sites and unique shots.

I will be submitting some new material to Hang Gliding magazine soon to add a bit of frivolity to the pages.

Dear Editor, The issue of combining Hang Gliding and Paragliding magazines is really quite simple to me. I am a hang glider pilot. Paragliders, motorized anything, and a host of other flying subjects do not interest me sufficiently that I would pay to read about them. If I were interested in paragliding I would happily buy a paragliding magazine. I am sure that many paraglider pilots are equally disinterested in hang gliding (no matter how disillusioning that might seem).

Combining the magazines will mean that I, at least, will only read part of a magazine that I must pay for. If doubling the size of the magazine would be more cost effective and still cost USHGA members less, fine. If combining the magazines would mean, for example, that we would get the same articles as were published in the April issue, but there would also be some paragliding articles, great, as long as the material is segregated because I have no interest in anything but hang gliding.

To force a hang gliding member to pay for a paragliding magazine does not seem fair. If the magazines must be combined to serve the bureaucratic good, how about offering a “no-magazine” hang glider pilot membership at a reduced rate? The market would then demonstrate how good an idea combining the magazines is.

Jules Makk Mad Hang Gliding Cartoonist

Ben Davidson Tek Flight Products

June 2002

COMBINING THE MAGAZINES

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2003 USHGA Regional Director Nominations Solicited Deadline July 20th

USHGA is issuing its annual call for nominations to the national Board of Directors. Ten positions are open for election in October 2002 for a two-year term beginning January 2003.

Candidates must be nominated by at least three current USHGA members residing in the candidates’ region.

Nominations must be received at the USHGA office by July 20, 2002.

Nominations are needed in the following regions. The current Directors, whose terms are up for reelection in 2003 are: Reg# 1 2 3 4 5

Current Director Bill Bolosky Ray Leonard David Jebb Mark Ferguson Nominations are not needed

States within region Alaska, Oregon, Washington Northern California, Nevada Southern California, Hawaii Arizona, Colorado, El Paso TX, New Mexico, Utah Idaho, Montana, Wyoming

in Region 5 for this election.

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Nominations are not needed

Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, Nebraska, Arkansas

in Region 6 for this election.

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Bill Bryden

8

Douglas Sharpe

9

Felipe Amunategui

10

Tiki Mashy

11

Nominations are not needed

Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Wisconsin, North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota New Hampshire, Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Vermont Washington DC, Delaware, Kentucky, Maryland, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico Texas (excluding El Paso), Louisiana

in Region 11 for this election.

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Paul Voight

New Jersey, New York

Ballots will be distributed with the October issue of HANG GLIDING and PARAGLIDING magazines. USHGA needs the very best volunteers to help guide the safe development and growth of the sports. Forward candidate material for receipt no later than July 20th to: USHGA, PO Box 1330, Colorado Springs CO 80901-1330.

USHGA members seeking position on the ballot should send to headquarters for receipt no later than August 20, 2002 the following information: name and USHGA number, photo and resume (one page containing the candidate’s hang/paragliding activities and viewpoints, written consent to be nominated and that they will serve if elected).

The following form is for your convenience.

REGIONAL DIRECTOR ELECTION NOMINATION FORM I hereby nominate____________________________________________________ as a candidate for Regional Director for Region #__________. I understand that his/her name will be placed on the Official Ballot for the 2003 Regional Director Election if three nominations are received at the USHGA office by July 20, 2002.

NAME__________________________________________USHGA#______________REGION#___________ 6

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Sports Illustrated Centerspread - Courtesy Chris Wills

The Future of Our Sport

by Dennis Cavagnaro Hang gliding as we know it has been a “sport” for more than 30 years. Although there had been pilot-exposed gliders and delta-style (Rogallo) wings prior to this, it was in the early 1970’s that interest developed, manufacturers sprouted up and contests were organized for this form of aviation.

We hope to initiate a series of articles that will speak to some of the issues our sport faces today. This first article addresses the current pilot population and changing demographics, including what this means for hang gliding and what can be done about it. In following months we hope to publish additional articles that will focus on hang gliding’s image and politics, business economics and changing technology, all of which must begin with an understanding of who we are and how we got here.

Recently we have heard much conversation about USHGA’s hang gliding membership, laced with concern that the sport is a dying activity, that we had much greater numbers 20 years ago, and that our numbers are currently in rapid decline. It is also generally believed that paragliding is attracting all the young pilots.

Although some demographic information has been available in recent years, gathering accurate numbers beyond a decade ago is quite a challenge. The most difficult task has been determining what happened to the pilot June 2002

population over the last 25 or 30 years. I have been flying continuously throughout this period and have consulted with several industry experts. It is generally agreed that we were at our peak in the mid-1970’s, with estimates reaching 15,000 to 16,000 pilots with an average age of 25.

Then, through attrition (in the mid to late 1970’s the accident and fatality rate was high — more on this later) the pilot population quickly dropped to about 10,000.

The only consistently hard data I have available are the mandatory circulation figures that Hang Gliding magazine publishes every year. So, I have included a chart that reflects those who have paid dues and subscribed to the magazine. This does not include pilots who were not USHGA members or who didn’t subscribe to the magazine, and it may be incomplete in other ways, but it is useful in revealing a participation trend. Unfortunately, this is all the information that is available at this time. You will see that the numbers after 1980 have remained fairly constant.

It’s true that some unique factors inspired the initial group of pilots. This group had just lived through exceptional times of counter-culture and youth movements, a space race and moon walks. But more importantly, as baby boomers this group represented a proportionately much larger population than any of the age groups to follow.

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YâàâÜx There were simply more of them to take up the sport of hang gliding. So, as those in this group grew older and were affected by careers, marriage and family responsibilities, there were fewer potential pilots in the younger “feeder” age group.

The current age distribution supports this. In Figure 2 the mean age of all pilots is 42, with about 45% of the total membership coming from the baby boomer age group. The age group replacing the boomers is 40% of the total right now. A reasonable assumption can be made that in hang gliding’s early “peak” years, the baby boomers

represented more than 75% of the total membership. Our numbers are an indicator that we have established our niche in aviation, and those who take up the sport stay with it over time — not great news of spiraling growth, but certainly no prediction of impending demise.

It takes many years to establish a baseline for the average age of a participant in any sport. What I mean is that when hang gliding was first introduced it was initially adopted by people in their early 20’s, but it would be a mistake to assume that the sport would only appeal to those in that age group. Today, the average pilot age is 42.

It is a concern that the increase in the average age of a hang glider pilot has slowed but not stabilized, and this is something we need to address.

Regarding the theory that paragliding appeals to 8

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younger people, it should be noted that the age distributions of paraglider and hang glider pilots are nearly identical, with the mean paraglider pilot age also being 42.

A factor that can’t be overlooked concerning our numbers today versus years ago was the effect of the early high accident and fatality rates. The adventure of participating in a new sport in the early 1970’s was replaced years later by concern over these life-threatening realities, and the numbers support the fact that hang gliding acquired a negative reputation as a dangerous activity for thrillseekers. The incident numbers didn’t begin to stabilize until the HGMA was formed and equipment and instruction became more reliable and professional. This took a few years to realize, and the number of pilots was nearly cut in half during that time (the mid1980’s). Education and instruction that allows for a comfortable entry into our sport is an important theme, one that is critical for our continued growth.

So what does all this mean for hang gliding? What is the best way to direct our resources so we may grow and maintain our sport? Big promotions? Mainstream multimedia advertising?

Like a good number of pioneer pilots I first became aware of hang gliding through the famous 1972 Popular Mechanics article. But it wasn’t until I had a firsthand opportunity a year later to see gliders fly and talk to pilots that I Figure 1 learned to fly. After a number of discussions with many pilots over the years, and more recently in preparation for this article, it seems that the experience I went through is very common, and makes sense for a niche activity like hang gliding.

We grew quickly with this original exposure, but to assume that mass advertising alone can continue to build or sustain hang gliding would be a mistake. This was pointed out by Chris Wills, one of hang gliding’s original pioneers and a founder of Wills Wing. A photo of Chris was once featured as a centerspread in Sports Illustrated.

There is no better opportunity to produce awareness of a budding sport than to be featured in SI, since it has been one of the premier sports publications for more than 40 years. However, in spite of all the fanfare there was no increase in the number of inquiries at USHGA headquarters or a surge in membership that could be attributed to June 2002

YâàâÜx this exposure of the sport. According to Chris, the phones didn’t ring and it was disappointing.

This should not come as a surprise. As enthusiasts we love to see gliders on TV, in movies and in publications, but the overall effect of this mass-market exposure is limited. Although it is true that someone must first become aware of the existence of hang gliding before he can become a pilot, the real recruitment process is still dependent upon a prospective pilot having a convenient opportunity to learn more about the sport, the availability of instruction and access to flying sites to develop their skills. In many parts of the country these resources are becoming scarce or are no longer available at all!

In order to reverse this trend I suggest that the USHGA consider a developmental program to address the education and instruction of new pilots. An assessment of the availability of education, instruction and flying sites should be conducted in each USHGA Region and compiled into a general pilot-development report. As an organization we need to understand what our pilot-development assets are.

Once this is accomplished we need a plan to provide technical assistance and starter grants to new schools operated by those who have expressed interest, and have the skills, flying sites and commitment to promote the sport Figure 2 and train new pilots. This will

June 2002

help address the lack of resources exposed by the pilotdevelopment report.

Hang gliding is an activity that appeals to a very small percentage of those interested in aviation, and aviation in general represents a very narrow vertical market in our society. Professional promotion is important for our sport’s future, but large-scale media efforts will be wasted without the availability of follow-up information and instruction. As in politics, in the end “all flying is local,” and it’s what touches us in our everyday lives that keeps our attention. - D. C.

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Laminar MR700 The Laminar MR700 is the latest high performance glider produced by Icaro 2000. It is the result of a series of tests and tuning sessions, carried out by Manfred Ruhmer, while competing in different locations all over the world.

Glider Features: • Icaro manufacturers all of its gliders using a frame built totally from Ergal 7075 Menziken (just like Manfred flies on competitions).

From the very beginning, this project demonstrated its potential: Manfred has been acruing a vast number of contest victories, including The Millennium Cup in Mexico, the competition in the Canary Islands, Wallaby Open, Quest Air, and the Redbull Speed Run.

• The frame of the Laminar MR700 is assembled from 760 individual components; they are built by Icaro and/or in collaboration with 8 external companies.

But his most historic accomplishment occurred in July when, a week after winning the World XC Championships in Algodonales (Spain), Manfred travelled to Zapata, Texas, and for the first time in his life tries to break the most coveted World Record any hang glider pilot can hold: Open Distance.

On his third attempt he manages to accomplish the longest flight ever made by a human being on a hang glider and, with his 700.8 km, he not only sets the new Open Distance Record for Class I but also surpassed the Class II record. This is where the new Laminar gets its name – Laminar MR700 –.

In comparison with the previous model – the Laminar MR2001 – 22 refinements have been. Among them are the airfoil, the chord and a different distribution of the sail tension on the frame. The result is an exceptionally high performing glider, which maintains particularly easy and pleasant handling. Manfred said right after coming back from Texas: “you can’t fly for almost 11 hours, like I did, with a glider that is not enjoyable and fun to fly!”

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• The Laminar MR700 uses a crossbar designed by a firm specialized in aeronautical engineering.

The materials used are intended for aviation use, rather than for nautical use.

• Icaro 2000 uses 62mm diameter tubes for the leading edges which they believe provides the necessary frame rigidity for increased performance at medium and high speeds.

• The Laminar MR is the only production glider featuring inner and outer sprog compensation, activated automatically via the VG. • The MR700 sail utilizes materials specifically chosen for their durability, responsiveness and stability in order to set new performance standards. The sails are constructed of 82 individual components assembled using 154 meters of seams, for a total of 104 man hours.

• All Icaro production gliders reach the market only after having passed the rigorous German DHV certification, which also provides useful clues for further glider safety improvement.

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June 2002

PRODUCT ADVISORY GateSavers GateSavers are an essential component of every safe hang system. One manufacturer’s testing revealed that a 4,400-pound rated carabiner could fail with as little as 200 pounds when loaded on the gate. GateSavers are a simple, effective method of maintaining proper carabiner orientation and keeping straps, ropes and bridles in the ‘biner corners where they belong (without suspensionline chafing like the old “bike tube around the mains” trick).

GateSavers, however, like any other hang component, deteriorate with age and UV exposure. Check your GateSavers. If they are discolored, shiny, slick to the touch, or fail to grip your carabiner tenaciously, they are no longer doing their job and need to be replaced.

See your local hang gliding dealer or contact GateSavers directly for replacement information: GateSavers, 956 Glengrove Ave., Central Point, OR 97502 (541) 664-5915.

NEW RVHGA WEB ADDRESS Temporarily, if not permanently, the web address of the Rogue Valley Hang Gliding Association has been changed from

RVHGA.org to RVHGA.net. The RVHGA club owns the .org name, but moving it from one registrant to another has proved difficult. Until they regain the .org name, please find the club’s website at www.RVHGA.net, which will be still be valid after reinstating .org.

The page for their upcoming fly-in is now www.RVHGA.net/Starthistle2002.htm.

LAKE ELSINORE 2002 X-C COMP The Elsinore Hang Gliding Association announces their 2002 Hang Gliding X-C Competition at Lake Elsinore, California, Labor Day weekend, August 31 to September 2. It is a three-day event with a $70 entry fee, but $20 is waived if you are a current member of EHGA. There is $1,000 in prize money, awards and a barbecue on the final day. There is a maximum of 35 entrants, and it is open to all hang gliders, rigid or flex wings. The scoring will use a handicapped system. T-shirts go to all who pre-register before July 19. Contact: Jack Barth, (714) 223-0543 or e-mail eteamjack@yahoo.com for more details and instructions.

G U A R A N T E E D

ATTACK TUBES STILL ONLY

37

.50

$

EACH EACH

MOST MOST STYLES* STYLES*

2002 MASTERS OF FREESTYLE Aero Events is bringing the 2002 Masters of Freestyle Hang Gliding Contest to San Diego’s Mission Bay during the 37th Bayfair event, September 20-22. The event is expected to draw 200,000 spectators to make Bayfair San Diego’s largest annual sports competition and family event. Mission Bay Park encompasses more than 4,600 acres and is the world’s largest manmade aquatics park.

This year marks the 21st anniversary of freestyle hang gliding competition in the U.S., with this, the world’s most respected contest. As in all five past Masters Contests, aerotowing will be used to increase the fairness, validity and fun quotient of the competition. Gliders will be towed up from Fiesta Island located in the center of Mission Bay, and pilots will begin their freestyle routines at 2,000 feet above the center of the bay between Fiesta Island and East Vacation Island.

The Masters of Freestyle Contest will be trading center stage with the World Series of Power Boat Racing. The event announcers will call the audience’s attention alternately to the water, then to the sky during the three days of this great event. Eleven classes of power boats will tear up the water while aerobatic hang gliders will carve up the sky above.

For general event information check out the Bayfair website at www.bayfair.com.

For contest or contact information check the “What’s New” page at www.aeroevents.org.

Attack Tubes are about half the cost + of most glider downtubes, and are often stronger than stock tubes.

These replacement tubes are cut and precision milled so they’ll fit perfectly on: • Aeros • Altair • ATOS • Exxtacy • Ghostbuster • Laminar • LaMouette • PacAir • Seedwings • Stalker • UP TRX • Wills Wing. Don’t see yours? Call!

We have aluminum replacements for most “safe edge” tubes and blanks, and we can fill your custom orders as well.

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AEROEXTREME 2002 Aeroextreme 2002 is on track and scheduled for July 24-28 at Teton Village, Wyoming.

This is a sanctioned USHGA speedgliding contest, with points available toward SGNTSS. The current USHGA rules governing SG contests will apply, and will be available on a website soon. The website is currently under construction and will soon be online with rules, maps, online entry form, local info, etc. Please be patient as this is a privately funded venture.

They hope to see a large turnout this year as the scope of Aeroextreme 2002 is far beyond just speedgliding. Aerobatics for hang gliding and paragliding will be paramount, as will one-on-one match racing during soaring conditions. You will get a lot of bang for your buck, so don’t just sit on your hands waiting for a better time to enter an SG contest. Think about July 24-28 in Jackson Hole for a rompin’ good time.

Contact: Scot Trueblood, P.O. Box 6759, 130 S. Jackson St., Jackson, WY 83002, (307) 734-8730.

June 2002

LOWER THE COST OF REPAIR

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OEM/Dealer inquiries encouraged. www.BirrenDesign.com

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hÑwtàx 2001 MICHAEL CHAMPLIN WORLD X-C CHALLENGE RESULTS John Scott wishes to thank the following sponsors of the 2001 Michael Champlin World X-C Challenge: Gerald Myers, Ian McArthur, Flight Connections, Inc., Davis Straub, Peter Birren. The 2002 Challenge will run until December 31. There are no entry fees or pre-registration requirements. It is open to paragliders, hang gliders, rigid wings and sailplanes. For more details visit the contest’s website at http://www.hanggliding.org, or contact: John Scott, (310) 447-6234, fax (310) 447-6237, brettonwoods@email.msn.com.

2001 Results

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Place Pilot 1 Mark Poustinchian 2 Scot Huber 3 Pete Lehmann 4 Davis Straub 5 Chris Zimmerman 6 Tom Truax 7 Ramy Yanetz 8 Herb Seidenberg 9 Dave Brandt * Mitch Shipley 10 Russ Brown 11 Bruce Barmakian 12 Rick Niehaus 13 Bill Belcourt 14 Kevin Frost 15 Vincent Endter * Pete Lehmann 16 John Scott 17 Deane Williams 18 Tony Deleo 19 Jon James 20 Tom Lanning 21 Dennis Cavagnaro 22 Scott Angel 23 Rita Edris 24 Greg Dinauer 25 Bill Buffam 26 E.J. Steele 27 Tex Gates 28 Judy Hildebrand 29 Thomas Blon 30 Tom Flynn 31 Tim McIntyre

Wing RW FW FW RW FW PG SP RW RW SS RW RW FW PG RW RW SS FW RW RW FW FW RW FW SP RW FW FW FW FW FW FW FW

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Score 5272.22 4855 4574 4251 4246 4065.6 4047 3986.41 3774.83 3602 3521.59 3344.28 3327.1 3008 2959 2860.6 2801 2773.07 2534.88 2349.7 2339 2208 2093 1807.74 1382 1350 1231.67 777.03 683 515.35 490 368 54

RW = Rigid Wing, FW = Flex Wing, SP = Sailplane, SS = Single Surface, PG = Paraglider * Single surface scores are not official 2001 Weekend Division

Place Pilot 1 Scot Huber 2 Tom Truax 3 Ramy Yanetz 4 Herb Seidenberg 5 John Scott 6 Vince Endter 7 Russ Brown 8 Tony Deleo 9 Mark Poustinchian 10 Dave Brandt 11 Bruce Barmakian 12 Jon James 13 Scott Angel 14 Rita Edris 15 Dennis Cavagnaro 16 Bill Belcourt 17 Bill Buffam 18 Deane Williams 19 Pete Lehmann 20 Chris Zimmerman 21 E.J. Steele 22 Davis Straub 23 Kevin Frost 24 Tom Flynn 25 Thomas Blon 26 Tim McIntyre

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June 2002

Wing FW PG SP RW FW RW RW RW RW RW RW FW FW SP RW PG FW RW FW FW FW RW RW FW FW FW

Score 4855 4065.6 4047 3986.41 2773.7 2567.6 2493 2349.7 2072.22 1754.55 1712.5 1688 1496.93 1251 1245 1241 1231.67 1093.02 851 813.95 777.03 664 647 368 269 26

hÑwtàx Submitted Records For 2001 Site Aspen Rd., WY Caledonia, MN Ellenville Mt., NY Garlock, CA Hearne, TX Hearne, TX Hearne, TX Hollister, CA Hollister, CA Jacks Mountain, PA King Mt., ID Laguna Mt., CA Marshall/Crestline, CA Mt. Olympus, UT Peters Mountain, WV Plowshares, CA Quest Air, FL Quest Air, FL Ridgely, MD Squaw Peak, ID St. John, CA Walts Point, Owens Valley Whitecap, ME Winnemucca, NV Zapata, TX

Pilot Pete Lehmann Dave Brandt Deane Williams Herb Seidenberg Mark Poustinchian Chris Zimmerman Multiple Pilots Ramy Yanetz Ramy Yanetz Mike Neuman Scot Huber Jerz Rossignol Matthew Carter Bill Belcourt Tim Donovan Chad Bastian Mark Poustinchian Mark Poustinchian Ric Niehaus Kevin Frost Scot Huber Tom Truax Daveid Hopkins Scot Huber Manfred Ruhmer

Wing FW RW RW RW RW FW RW SP SP FW FW FW PG PG FW PG RW RW FW RW FW PG FW FW FW

Record 205 Miles 51.7 Miles 129 Miles 120 Miles 242 Miles 215 Miles 105 Miles (T) 330 Miles (OR) 226 Miles 61.5 Miles 112 Miles (OR) 166 Miles 112 Kms 54 Miles 110 Miles 55.5 Miles 225 Miles 108 Miles (OR) 76.3 Miles 71.7 Miles 65.6 Miles 145 Miles 68 Miles 76.6 Miles 700.80 Kms

New RW Records Set At FW Sites Squaw Peak, ID Mt. Ascutney, VT Morningside Tow Park, NH

Kevin Frost Dennis Cavagnaro Deane Williams

71.7 Miles 122.1 Miles 93.7 Miles

New Records That Qualify Sites For Future Contests Blackhawk, CA

Tom Truax

PG

61 Miles

T = Triangle, OR = Out-and-Return

June 2002

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Artwork reprinted by permission from Hang Gliding Spectacular - by Jim Palmieri

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June 2002

www..us www ushga. hga.org org

June 2002

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Book Review by Peter Birren

Hang Gliding Spectacular Fantastic Flying Stories from the Hearts of Those Who Live the Dream Edited by Jim (Sky Dog) Palmieri, Maggie Palmieri, and Bob (Sky Dog) Grant

J

ust as the title says, this is a book of flying stories, but it’s more than that. Jim and Maggie Palmieri teamed up with Bob Grant to produce an awesome book — brimming with tales of bravado, striking views, interaction with nature, “there I was” true-life experiences — and added a CD chock full of photos from the contributors themselves. The book is over 250 pages and contains some 70 stories by 61 pilot-authors from around the world, and the CD has nearly 450 photographs neatly arranged in a slide show for your computer, so you can match a face, glider or site with the authors, stories and details.

Fly along with Mark Poustinchian as he breaks the Florida X-C record. Read about how Davis Straub thinks when he goes long. Feel the tension as Rick Agudelo, a Hang II pilot, learns to fly an aerotug, then tows with it at a competition. Join several pilots who experience nature at its finest in meetings with the masters of the sky, the hawks (there is a whole section on this most remarkable occurrence).

Hang Gliding Spectacular is named for the world-famous annual gathering at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, and it is dedicated to the memory of Michael “Hollywood” Champlin. The dedication is written by Tiki Mashy who also recounts some of her favorite flights.

All contributors, from new students to old veterans, were asked to write about their most memorable flights, and their stories have already captured the interest of many who aren’t even in the sport.

These aren’t merely “there I was”-type campfire items; they’re emotion-filled reliving of the events that sometimes changed the individuals.

The book is small enough to pack in your harness for a long X-C retrieval wait. It’s big enough to provide many hours of bathroom or coffee table reading. It’s perfect for helping promote the sport and ideal as an appropriate and inexpensive gift for your friends, relatives, boss, driver, flying buddies or landowners. Give them a glimpse of what we experience regularly.

The full-color cover photography is by Mark Vaughn, professional photographer and pilot, and a painting by Marc Laferrière, Canadian artist and pilot, graces the back cover. Inside are 20 cartoons and illustrations by Jules Makk, which separate the various sections, followed by a brief note about each of the authors.

This is the third hang gliding book by Dr. and Mrs. Palmieri.

The three books, Sky Adventures, Stories of Our Heritage, Sky Adventures, Fantasies of Free Flight, and Hang Gliding Spectacular are collections of writings by pilots for pilots, with each book focusing on a different realm of our unique brand of flying. Visit http:// www.skydog.net to learn more. - P.B.

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HANG GLIDING SPECTACULAR Is dedicated In Honor Of the Memory Of

Michael “Hollywood” Champlin September 9, 1958 to June 16, 1999

Peter Birren has been flying hang gliders since 1977, is the inventor of the Linknife towing release, and is a contributor to all three books. Visit his website at http://www.birrendesign.com. You may contact Jim Palmieri at: Skydog Publications, 6511 Deepwoods Dr., Roanoke VA 24018-7645, (540) 772-4262. — Ed.

June 2002

Dedication to Michael Champlin

By Tiki Mashy

THEY CALLED ME “HOLLYWOOD” Michael Champlin Speaks …

June 16, 1999, Hobbs, New Mexico -The day looked great, but the lack of wind made it far from a world record day, and since I’m swinging for homeruns everyday, flying for distance today would be pointless. However, I was still excited about flying today. I told Tiki that maybe JB would let me fly his Millennium in thermal conditions this afternoon. She smiled and gave me the thumbs up.

Minutes later JB came up to me and said, “Hey Hollywood, you wanna fly my glider today?” Heck, yeah!

I’d flown JB’s glider a couple times before in Hobbs in smooth conditions. The flights were pretty much unremarkable. My only concern then was landing. The pitch on the Mill seemed to be more responsive then what I was use to on my flex wing, and that in particular concerned me. I told Tiki that I was afraid of pulling back too hard on the stick, but didn’t let on to JB the depth of my uneasiness. A couple of weeks previous, two guys came to Hobbs with Millenniums. One had expressed that he was afraid to fly slow on landing, fearing he might accidentally spin it. Hearing that made me wonder how prone the Millennium was to spinning.

Would it give me any warning or would it just happen? Boy, that really got me thinking.

I don’t know, after flying the Mill a couple of times, I had pretty much decided that it was probably not the glider for me, but I’d give the it every chance to prove me wrong, though I knew I was better suited for the Exxtasy or the Atos, but deep down I ached for the performance of the Millennium. Anyway, this thermaling flight would be the deciding factor.

Tiki towed me up to about 2,000 feet, no problem. JB was standing by on the radio. I radioed to JB and Tiki that everything was fine, but that I’d signal them when I was going to land by saying “foam the runway!” Despite never having had any stick time, I seem to soar comfortably over the airport. Then after about two hours the call of nature started knocking on my bladder. I radioed to JB for some direction on how to relieve myself in this contraption. He jokingly replied, “just do a loop.” Well, considering the fact that landing the Mill was not my strong suit, I weighed my two options carefully and felt it would be slightly less stressful to land.

When I approached the L.Z. I was so stinkin’ high, I radioed to JB, “what do you think about me trying a spin?” He said nonchalantly replied “okay,” and talked me through it. I executed it perfectly. I radioed back - “wow, that was easy, this thing gives you lots of warning before it happens.” I was still plenty high and decided to do one more to be sure I understood the characteristics.

Nice execution - no problem. Then JB radioed - “Hey, Tiki said she didn’t see the full spin, she wants you to do it one more time.”

I replied, “okay...”

[End of transmission]

June 2002

They called me “Hollywood”- but not because I’m flashy or anything like that, my hang gliding buddy, Hungry Joe, named me that for two reasons, one because there were too many Michaels in Los Angeles, and second because I had a successful career as an actor, doing commercials, movies, episodic television and stage.

When I graduated from college with a degree in Forestry, I found little to no work in my chosen field, so I started my own business in South Florida, then eventually stumbled into acting. My business was booming and the revenue from my acting jobs was abundant. Life was good.

Yet life, my life, my existence, my wild embrace of the martial arts fueled my craving for wanting to understand more about my own existence. Why I am here and what is my true purpose. Corny as it may sound, it wasn’t until I took that first hang gliding flight in 1992, that all my wild roads converged in the purest form of flight.

Was this was my destiny? Believe me, I’d ventured down numerous risky avenues like skydiving, motorcycles, advanced scuba diving, trick jet ski riding, rock climbing, competitive kayaking, competitive kickboxing (heck, I held two black belts, in Karate and Judo - I idolized Bruce Lee and his teachings). Talk about a wild road for kicks, I dove off a high bridge in my hometown and cracked my sternum in half, but none of this stuff challenged my energy like flying. Oh yeah, I knew early on I’d always live my life in high gear, because anything less would be a waste.

How ironic - Hang gliding saved my life. And as the years passed I relished in all I was learning from books, magazines, hang glider pilots, sailplane pilots, etc. I was a giant magnet in the fast lane reeling in every bit of information that came my way. I tenaciously queried my peers with tedious and sometimes complex questions, but gladly shared my findings with anyone patient enough listen.

But it wasn’t until my first 200 mile flight in 1995 that I realized that an “average Joe,” like me, could do something noteworthy in this sport and perhaps be able to inspire others. If I were to describe my flights over the past four years I’d say (no bragging intended) I racked up between 2,500 to 3,000 cross-country miles each season (a season is approximately 2 months), of that 13 flights were between 200-248 miles; 38 flights between 150-185 miles, and a countless number of flights between 100-145 miles. Along the way I set the Florida state record twice and won the Wings of Rogallo contest two years in a row with a cumulative score of over 600 miles.

Believe me, I didn’t think I was a great pilot. I was just a pilot full of tenacity, tremendously focused, throw anal retentive and egghead in the mix and you’ve pretty much pegged my flying.

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exä|xã But the real joy didn’t come in setting the state record or racking up three or four 200 milers in a season, nope. What excited me the most was the thought of giving back to the flying community what I had learned and drawn from each of those flights. I could never keep silent about my flying techniques or weather information or even simply what does or doesn’t work. I sought out knowledge passionately and happily shared it with those who were interested. Perhaps this was my purpose - to seek and obtain the knowledge and then give it back.

Anyway, I’ll leave you with this, I’ve always tipped my hat to those who came before me and given a leg up to those who’d need it. So, next time you’re soaring up there amongst the puffy cummies, look closely, you’ll probably see me there, tipping my hat to you. You folks gave me, your time, insight, patience, laughter and inspiration and I thank you. Yes, this was my destiny and I can only hope that in my life I have given as much inspiration to others as I have received.

Oh, scribbled on a piece of paper in my wallet I carried around this inspirational note, which I tried to live up to: “The key to immortality is first living a life worth remembering.”

See ya up there.

Michael “Hollywood” Champlin September 9, 1958 to June 16, 1999 Comments By: Tiki Mashy Tiki Mashy is the person that Michael inspired the most. Thank you Michael for teaching me that going far is the challenge and enjoying the ride is the reward.

So many pilots inspired ”Hollywood” that I can’t begin to name names, but I know he would want to send his thanks to a hand full of people who made him feel special during his early days of hang gliding. Special thanks must go to Curt Graham, Malcolm Jones, Joe Greblo, Don Quackenbush and Matt Spinelli, I apologize if I have forgotten anyone. Michael appreciated everyone he met no matter how brief.

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June 2002

exä|xã Editorial Comments on the Dedication of Hang Gliding Spectacular to Michael ‘HOLLYWOOD’ Champlin

by Jim(Sky Dog)Palmieri, May 7th, 2001

Two years have passed and it is still difficult to think, let alone write, about the passing of a friend, Michael ‘Hollywood’ Champlin.

We pass through this world interacting with a myriad of acquaintances, we will make many friends but we will contact just a very few special people. I do not know how to explain this, either as a scientist or as a pilot or even as a parent.

There is just a unique bond which exists when someone special is befriended. In the world of Hang Gliding I have two, Betty Pfeiffer and Michael Champlin.

While putting together this book and reading all the special stories about all those special flights form so many special pilots, my mind kept returning to the thoughts of Michael Champlin. The subtitle of this book states…

From The Hearts Of Those Who Live The Dream. If there was any one pilot I know who lived the dream, it was Michael Champlin. So many of the stories in this book were made possible because of the influences Michael has had on the hang gliding community. More importantly, many of the most important flights in our sport are now the result of preparation for or competition within the Michael Champlin World XC Challenge (See footnote). After reading so many of the contributors articles, it became obvious to me that this book had to be dedicated to Michael Champlin and there was no better person to write the dedication to Michael Champlin other than Tiki Mashy.

Within minutes I was on the phone to Tiki and got her to agree to write it once the 2001 Wallaby Open (April 22-28) was over.

Early Monday morning, May7th at 12:30 am, I could not sleep thinking about Michael Champlin and the dedication of

this book to him, so I got out of bed and went into our computer room (which doubles as our hang gliding memorabilia room) and began to write. No sooner was I on the computer than I received this email and the dedication of Hang Gliding Spectacular to Michael Champlin from Tiki Mashy. She wrote…

“Jim, Use this if you want. I wrote it about 6 months after Hollywood died. Wow, this is probably the first time I’ve said, “died” instead of “accident.” There’s still that painful lump in my throat”.

I stared at her email and found the words painful making it impossible for me to even read what she had written. My heart opened up just trying to imagine the pain she must have felt when Michael died and what she must be feeling having to relive the tragic moments just to prepare the dedication for Hang Gliding Spectacular. I am glad she did. Tiki, I will always be thankful to you.

I first met Michael in December 1996, almost a year before Maggie and I had finished writing Sky Adventures, Stories Of Our Heritage. We had just arrived at Wallaby Ranch, outside of Orlando, Florida from Roanoke, Virginia. I remember the day as clearly as if it had just happened today. Maggie and I were sitting at a picnic table, just outside of the office. The mid-morning sun was warm and the day was gentle. A pilot walked up to us and introduced himself as Michael Champlin. He was quite good-looking and quite physically fit and his voice was quite gentle.

He said to us that he had heard that we were writing a book about the history of hang gliding.

We mentioned that we were in the process compiling over 100 articles from 100 pilots who had submitted for the book. Michael pulled out a checkbook and began to write a check saying he wanted to buy a copy. Michael said to just send him a copy whenever it was done. He wrote out a check for $20.00 and then said to us…”What you are doing is a great thing for the hang gliding community. I want to June 2002

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support you.” Then he walked away. This was the first check we had received and Michael’s book was the very first book we mailed out. This was Michael Champlin, gentle, honest, trusting, caring and supportive.

Throughout that week I spent much time just talking to Michael. He was such an interesting person and such a knowledgeable pilot. I followed his flying progress, setting the Florida State XC Record during the Spring of 1977. As the Wallaby web page records: Mike “Hollywood” Champlin - The Florida State and Wallaby Ranch Record was broken on April 5, 1997.Wallaby Ranch to Lake City, Florida: 147 miles (235km thanks RZ) by Mike “Hollywood” Champlin. Mike did the flight on a Moyes SX 4 he rented from Wallaby. Mike earned $250 for breaking the Florida Record from Wallaby.

Mike Barber, Davis Straub also flew over 100 miles from Wallaby on the same day.

The memory Of Michael Champlin is frozen in my mind forever.

On Thursday, June 17, 1999, I received the following email from Davis Straub as part of his famous, The OZ Report:

Date: Thu, 17 Jun 1999 10:26:33 EDT Subject: fwd: fatality (OZ Report) To: cbccnews@kurious.org, nwpg@listbot.com, NWPGLIDE@kurious.org The Oz Report Volume 3, Number 72:Thursday, June 17th, 1999 “Toto, I have a feeling we’re not in Kansas anymore.”

Our friend dies.

We are all in shock.

As I write this late on Wednesday night I’m just a zombie. I’ve been crying all afternoon and I keep crying. Michael “Hollywood” Champlin has died flying.

This morning we were just seven Hang Gliding

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exä|xã happy hang glider pilots ready for a day of fun flying at Hobbs, NM on a light wind day that promised good lift and triangle tasks. All of us were flying together and had known each other in various ways. It was great to be altogether here and experiencing what nature provided.

Tonight everything is different. We don’t have a purchase on why we are here.

This morning Michael decided to fly John Borton’s Millennium, just to fool around and learn about this different glider. He had already flown it a few times in the evening to 2,000' on a previous day when we didn’t fly during the day.

Michael and Tiki have been here in Hobbs ready to set world records.

Michael has been extremely focused on setting the Class I hang gliding distance record, flying often at Hobbs and in Wyoming.Tiki set the women’s record here last year (since passed by Tova Heaney). I’m here because Michael convinced me that Hobbs could be a wonderful place to fly.

Michael launched John’s Millennium around noon from the northeastrunning runway, and got up quickly.

The rest of us (Mike Barber, Patty Cameron, Ramy Yanetz, and myself) towed up, worked our way up in well-formed lift to 5,000' AGL and headed north to Lovington against an 8 mph headwind to do a triangle.

Michael continued to fly the Millennium over the airport for over an hour. He was on the radio with John Borton, who was providing casual instruction. Michael decided that he wanted to try to do some spins.

Michael completed two spins successfully. He then attempted another spin.To come out of the spin he pushed the stick forward, which aims the nose of the glider at the ground. He entered a high-speed dive - a very high-speed dive.The Millennium will recover from a spin if you just let go of the stick as soon as you go into a spin.You can speed 20

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its recovery by pushing the stick forward.You don’t need to push it all the way forward, and it is not a good idea to go into a dive to recover from a spin.

The glider came out of the dive, presumably because Michael eased off on the stick. It was now going very fast, most likely beyond VNE. The glider climbed going straight up and then the wings folded back.

There was no attempt to deploy the parachute in spite of the high altitude of the glider.

A review of the wreckage by John Borton, showed that the pin that Holds the two wings together at the nose had been bent and the safety ring on the pin was missing, likely sheared off in flight after the pin was bent. Once the latch came off the pin, the wings folded. After the wings folded back, the glider dove nose first into the ground from 4-5,000'.

Our utmost sympathies go to Tiki and John’s family. We want our friend back desperately.

Michael was a very conservative pilot and a very analytical one as well. He taught me quite a bit about weather forecasting and we had numerous discussions about speed to fly, etc. I got to fly with him a number of times on long flights and really enjoyed the experience. Many people on the hang gliding mailing list have enjoyed his contributions.

Michael has many friends in Florida and at the Wallaby Ranch where he set the Florida state record. His life has been hang gliding. Hang gliding is the richer for it.

I wish my friends would quit dying. It really scares me.

Davis Straub

I could not believe my eyes. I was sitting at the computer in the classroom where I teach and just stared at the computer for the next hour. I do not remember the rest of the day. I was numbed by this bad news. Maybe weeks later, I called Tiki to •

June 2002

tell he how sorry I was. I told he how Michael had bought the very first Sky Adventures, Stories Of Our Heritage book. She talked, telling me stories about Michael. I don’t remember much of what she told me because just hearing them saddened me. Tiki’s voice was broken as was her heart, I am sure. Then Tiki told me a story about Michael and her, which I shall never forget.

Tiki said that Michael would read to her from Sky Adventures, Stories Of Our Heritage while she would cook dinner or after dinner was over. Tiki said he enjoyed reading the book to her and she enjoyed having him read to her. It shocked me that Michael Champlin who had given me such a special gift, a gift of trust and support, derived pleasure form that very book we sent him. This one incident alone mad the years of work on this book worthwhile.

Maybe as you read some of the great stories in Hang Gliding Spectacular, Fantastic Stories From The Hearts Of Those Who Live The Dream, you will think of Michael Champlin. You may be new to Hang Gliding, or maybe you are one of the contributors or maybe even have shared the sky with Michael Champlin, but whatever your connection the sport of Hang Gliding has been made better because of Michael. As you enjoy the many flying stories, know in your heart that Michael is there with you.

Respectfully Submitted, Jim (Sky Dog) Palmieri May 7th, 2001

[The Michael Champlin World XC Challenge is a yearlong cross-country contest designed to allow pilots from every region and soaring craft the opportunity to compete against one another.There is no entry fee or pre-registration requirements.The Challenge is open to sailplanes, hang gliders, foot-launch rigid wings and paragliders;Visit the Web Site at: http:// www.hanggliding.org/ ]

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Calendar of events items WILL NOT be listed if only tentative. Please include exact information (event, date, contact name and phone number). Items should be received no later than six weeks prior to the event. We request two months lead time for regional and national meets.

Competition USHGA-sanctioned events Hang Gliding X-C Meets Wallaby Open/U.S. HG Nationals, April 13-19. Contact: Malcolm Jones, 1805 Dean Still Rd., Davenport, FL 33837, 1-800-WALLABY. Quest/Flytec Championships, April 21-28. Contact: Steve Kroop, 6548 Groveland Airport Rd., Groveland, FL 34736, (352) 429-8600.

2002 Chelan X-C Classic, Chelan, WA. July 1-6. Contact: www.cloudbase.org/ChelanComps for registration, tasks, rules and details. $90 entry fee. Medium to top level pilots! Awards July 9th. Contact Russ Gelfan - russlfboe@attbi.com or (206) 367-8963.

US Open 2002- Big Springs, Texas, August 4-10. Contact: David Glover at david@davidglover.com or (719) 630-3698.

Hang Gliding Speed Gliding Meets Chelan Speed Gliding Championships , Chelan, WA, May 1-4. Contact: Steve Alford (425) 788-0308 or Aaron Swepston (253) 826-1112.

Ed Levin Meet, Ed Levin, CA, June 7-9. Contact: Meet Director Mike Vorhis, mike@vorhis.com.

Aero-Extreme, Jackson Hole, WY, July 25-28. Meet Director: Scot Trueblood, hang4av8r@aol.com, www.aeroextreme.com.

U.S. Speed Gliding Nationals, Sept. 12-15, practice day on Sept. 11, Lookout Mtn., TN. Contact: Matt Taber, 1-800-688-5637.

MAY 3-5: Ninth Annual World Invitational Paragliding and Hang Gliding Air Races, Torrey Pines International Gliderport in San Diego, California. Race entry fee is $150 USD. Cash and prizes in sport and open-class elimination series. The races will be held in conjunction with the West Coast Paragliding and Hang Gliding Exposition and Demo Days taking place from May 1-5. Contact: aircal@ix.netcom.com or phone (858) 452-9858.

MAY 12-18: Canadian Hang Gliding (Class 1) Open Championships . Lumby, British Columbia (north of Chelan). Prize money. CIVL Class 2 Sanctioning and U.S. NTSS Sanctioning. Contact: www.dowsett.ca/cdnnats.

Hang Gliding

JULY 11-21; The First Atos-Class World Championships, Chelan, Washington.

The Eighth Women’s World Championships, Chelan, Washington.

The Ninth Swift-Class World Championships, Chelan, Washington.

Contact: Chelan Flyers, P.O. Box 907, Chelan, WA 98816, skydog@televar.com - http://www.chelan flyers.com/ChelanWorlds.

FUN FLYING MAY 17: Kitty Hawk Kites Instructor Alumni Reunion. All instructors past and present who have taught for Kitty Hawk Kites are welcome. Held in conjunction with the Hang Gliding Spectacular and Air Games at Kitty Hawk Kites, Nags Head, NC. Contact: Bruce Weaver, (252) 441-2426, bruce@kittyhawk.com.

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 first, second and third place finishers in all competitions (except balloon toss). $20 entry fee for competition flying, $10 for fun flying. Fly-In T-shirts available. Glassy launch is 1,500’ AGL. Contact: Paul Peeples, PO Box 2121, Brevard, NC 28712, (828) 885-2536, pbrannenp@msn.com.

MAY 17-20: 30th Annual Hang Gliding Spectacular and Air Games, Kitty Hawk Kites, Nags Head, NC. Fun flying for pilots of all skill levels (Hang 1 to Hang 5).

Festivities include: two-day dune competition at Jockey’s Ridge State Park, two-day aerotowing competition, instructor alumni reunion, street dance, Rogallo Foundation Awards Banquet. Compete and/or demo equipment from major manufacturers. All competitors receive prizes. Contact: Bruce Weaver, (252) 441-2426,

JUNE 21-23: Wild Wild West Regionals, Carson City Nevada. 12th annual X-C racing event. Pilots of all skill levels welcome. Intermediate through competition-

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JUNE 26-30: King Mountain Meet, King Mountain, Moore, Idaho. This year’s meet will offer a different format from previous years. We will be scoring the best three out of five days, so if you can only make the weekend you still have time to get your flights in. We will still have the best world-class trophies, Open, Recreation, and Team classes, Driver Award, Staff Choice Award, barbecue Saturday night, handicap scoring with bonus LZ’s, Open Distance X-C, great scenery, flying, and fun! Entry $50 includes a beautiful full-color shirt designed by renowned Montana artist, Dan Gravage.

Contact: Meet Director/Organizer Lisa Tate, or a pre-registration packet from 11716 Fairview Ave., Boise, Idaho 83713 (208) 376-7914 or e-mail to Zoolisa@aol.com.

Information also available at http://hometown.aol.com/zoolisa/myhomepage/ extreme.html.

JULY 19-21: Adventure Sports X-C Open 2002. Open Distance, Open Direction, Open Window. Open to all pilots. Pilots choose their course. The longest flights win.

Launches will be from either Slide Mtn. or McClellan Peak, both in the Washoe Valley 20 miles south of Reno, NV. Cameras required. Sponsored by Adventure Sports. Entry $100 until July 1, $125 thereafter. Contact: Box 20066, Carson City, NV 89721 (775) 883-7070, advspts@pyramid.net.

UNTIL MAY 27: 2002 Region Nine Regionals and Region Nine Yearlong X-C Contest. The Regionals adds up a contestant’s three best weekend flights between March 16 and May 27, inclusive. The yearlong contest is to honor longest individual flights of the year on any day between February 15 and November 15. Classes for Rookies, Sixty Miles, Open, Rigids and Paragliders. Entry fees $10 and $5 respectively. Contact: Pete Lehmann, lplehmann@aol.com, (412) 661-3474, 5811 Elgin St, Pittsburgh, PA 15206.

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caliber pilots fly a proven course in the Sierras surrounding beautiful Lake Tahoe out to the awesome desert. T-shirts, party for all, and silver belt buckles for the top five places. A no-pressure competition and race. Registration is $100 until May 1, $125 thereafter. Contact: Adventure Sports, (775) 883-7070, advspts@pyramid.net.

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June 2002

bruce@kittyhawk.com.

MAY 25-27: 26th Annual Starthistle 2002 Fly-in for hang gliders/paragliders, at Woodrat Mtn. in southern Oregon. Fun flying with pilots from all over the world. A good place to test your skills. Camping facilities. Close to Ruch, Oregon for all your shopping needs. Reconditioned mid and top launches making this site first class. Enjoy the historic city of Jacksonville. Contact: http://rvhga.org/Starthistle2002.htm, or President@RVHGA.org.

MAY 25-27: 22nd Annual Dry Canyon Memorial Day Fly-In. Competition and fun flying. $25 entry fee includes awards dinner, drinks and good flying. T-shirts and other apparel also available. Dry Canyon has been changed to a Hang 3 and above site with FL experience and sign-off on USHGA card, for the safety of all pilots.

Contact: Tom or Cindy West, 2216 Pecan Dr., Alamogordo, NM 88310, (505) 4375213, cindy@totacc.com, or George Woodcock (505) 5854614.

SEPT. 14-15: 12th Annual Pine Mtn. Fly-In. Pine Mtn., Bend, OR. Contact: Bill Taylor, (541) 408-2408, www.desertairriders.org.

CLINICS, MEETING, TOURS JUNE 1-2: Second Annual Cape Kiwanda Antique Hang Glider Spectacular, Pacific City, Oregon. Sponsored by the ValleyVille Hang Gliding Club. Dust off the old kite, round up the family, whip up your favorite dish and come relive the old days.

Camping accommodations for all, either on the beach or in one of the close-by campgrounds equipped with full RV hookups and tent sites. Gourmet potluck and party Saturday night. Cape Lookout and other flying sites nearby. See photos and event information at: http://danimal.ats.orst.edu/antiqueflyin.html.

JULY 3-7: Lakeview Umpteenth Annual Festival of Freeflight. Lakeview, Oregon. Lots of fun flying with your buddies from a great selection of sites and a few friendly contests with cash prizes for the winners. Registration ($10) Wednesday, July 3, fly July 4-6, awards at 10:00 AM on the 7th. Pilot’s meeting July 4, 9:30 AM at the Chamber HQ. Cumulative distance contest for paragliders. Annual Sugar HillLakeview trophy dash on Saturday for hang gliders. Spot-landing contests Saturday afternoon. Adult beverage party at Jules and Mary’s July 4, Chamber barbecue on Saturday at Geyser Hot Springs (formerly Hunter’s). Contact: Jules, (541) 947-3330, freeflite@centurytel.net, or Lake County Chamber of Commerce, (541) 947-6040.

JULY 6-7: Torrey Pines Paragliding And Hang Gliding Costume Fly-In. California’s most extreme, fun costume fly-in. Dress up your paraglider and fly free.

Games, contests and prizes for the most outrageous and original flying costumes. All pilots welcome to camp overnight on the property. Saturday night cookout and party for all attendees. Media and filming bluffs welcome. Contact: David Jebb, Director of Operations, Torrey Pines Gliderport, Air California Adventure, Inc., D&M Distributing, LLC, 1-858-ZULU (9858), Toll Free: 1-877-FLY-TEAM (359-8326), www.flytorrey.com.

JULY 19-21: 2002 Texas Open.Texas’ first ever NSFC points meet in the beautiful Texas Hill Country. Fly near the World Record Encampment (WRE) route in WRE conditions. OPEN class and SPORT class pilot designations allow for ppilots of all levels to participate in a safe, fun, and challenging environment. $30 entry fee includes a Texas Open T-Shirt, NSFC scoring, BBQ dinner and Awards ceremony, and tons of flying, fun and friends. Skill requirements: OPEN class - AT signoff plus Intermediate rating with XC signoff or Advanced rating only. SPORT class - AT signoff. See http:/ /danbarb.org/txopen for more details or contact Meet Director, Dave Broyles, broydg@attbi.com - (972) 390-9090 AUG. 22-24: Sierra Nevada Open Distance Hang Gliding Championships .

Reno, Nevada area. Trophys, Awards BBQ & T-shirts. $60 Early Entry Fee. $75 within 30 days of registration. Information, Rose Carter (775) 359-3933 or rose_carter@hotmail.com also heliumharris@aol.com AUG. 29-SEPT. 2: Region 9 Fun Fly-In. Rain dates Sept. 13-15. Fairview Airfield in Hyram Township, OH. Camping available at the site with no amenities, but camping with amenities is available nearby. Call or e-mail for details and directions. Aerotow meet only. Pay as you tow ($10/1k, 2k/tow limit). Tasks include X-C (GPS required), out-and-return (GPS required), duration tasks, bomb drops, and spot-landings. Fee: $30 if registered by July 15, $35 after. Fee covers porta-potty rental and land use fee for owner. Register by sending check or money order to: Felipe Amunategui, 3122 Huntington Rd., Shaker Heights, OH 44120, (216) 751-0347, dr.amunategui@att.net. Include name, address, phone, e-mail and a copy of your USHGA card. AT administrators will be available to sign off qualified participants.

AT sign-off required to compete.

June 2002

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Kurt Bainum and Jon James break down after landing, Invisible is seen in the background - photo by Ernie Camacho

King Mountain Looking Back on 2001 - Looking Forward to 2002 by Kevin Frost

K

ing mountain is the last high mountain on the south end of the Lost River Range in Idaho. As with any mountain range, the eye tends to focus only on the peaks that stand out, but down below those snowcapped peaks are a number of anonymous gullies and canyons — dry, rocky creek beds surrounded by acres of sagebrush, nothing anyone traveling by at 60 mph would be likely to notice. Even if you were leisurely traveling the highway at bicycle speed you would give little notice to that part of the landscape, since there is plenty else more interesting to catch the eye.

But to those soaring above the peaks, these gullies and canyons are tantalizing. From 15,000 feet you see the slight of hand that hides their secrets — strange geology, invisible from out front, hidden by canyons that snake around or double back into little tucked-away green meadows, lakes and ponds, creeks that begin at the base of high waterfalls and dry up without leaving the mountain itself — any number of miniature Shangri-La’s.

About three miles north of King

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Mountain one of these gullies is particularly average, and even from the air it is totally unremarkable. You can take a dirt road through a mile of sagebrush and drive most of the way to it, then hike up a little trail below some 30- to 60-foot cliffs where you come to a small, clear spring that runs 15 feet down a solid rock incline, then trickles down the hill for about 100 feet before disappearing again into a dry creek bed.

Hike a little farther and you come to a small cave that is really more of an overhang in the rocks, with room for 20 people to stay out of the wind and rain. The surrounding cliffs are decorated with dozens of rusty, red petrogliphs, some faded to near obscurity, some suspiciously new looking. All of this is in just one of a hundred unnamed gullies along a range that runs for more than 80 miles.

There were bison in this country until the 1840’s, and they ranged at least as far north as Challis in the upper quarter of the Lost River Range. The various tributaries of the rivers were rich with salmon until the late 1960’s. The last Indians to occupy this

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June 2002

region — Flathead, Sheepeater and Bannock — acquired horses early from the Shoshone, who migrated north from the Death Valley area. These indigenous people had this land to themselves until relatively late in the game.

Flying north along the Lost River Range, and looking west to the far back side of the White Cloud Mountains, you can look down on wild horse country. I’ve seen these horses from a distance, a big herd running and kicking up a cloud of dust, perhaps the descendents of those used by the Indians who hunted the buffalo, speared salmon and painted petrogliphs on rocky walls. The Indian part of my blood may not run thick enough to receive a government check, but it is thick enough to love this land as I soar thousands of feet above it and wonder where my back-country travels have intersected those of my ancestors.

JULY 4, 2001 The weather forecast was for high temperatures and high pressure starting early in the week and continuing throughout the meet. I

envisioned big turbulence and scarce thermals down low, dead air, and F16like landings in dry, switchy winds at 5,000 feet. A few other Boise, Idaho pilots and I hit the road two days early so we could get in some warmup flights and our share of the fun. We arrived to find King unexpectedly socked in, with clouds over the valley.

Not being inspired to kick rocks up in the clouds, we visited Moore Park to check out the scene. The park offers free tent space, trailer parking, an electrical outlet, a large barbecue, a toilet and cold running water. It is also crawling distance from the Antler Club, a sleepy, Old West bar that has remained more or less unchanged since before I was born. Upon arriving, I heard that the city was putting in hot showers in the park. It’s nice to have a hang glider pilot, Alan Paylor, on the city council.

We met with Lisa Tate, our hard-working meet director, her nose already to the grindstone registering competitors and doing paperwork as pilots arrived from afar. Many pilots were already in town, but Lisa was still worried about attendance. I was double worried, because everyone knew that if we had a bad showing it would probably be my fault for writing last year’s “Black Diamond” article, which was full of scary stories. (See the February 2001 issue of Hang Gliding magazine. — Ed.) We heard about some Hood River, Oregon pilots who canceled their King plans after reading my article, but I also ran into some young California pilots who said they came because of that article.

California pilots rule!

The sky cleared early enough for a bunch of us to make a pretty cool glass-off flight that evening, and we were treated to classic King Mountain baby’s butt-smooth lift. I flew my Atos seven or eight miles south to the town of Arco and watched some Fourth of July activities as I flew over. My truck was almost part of the parade, and my ol’ Pup turned on his trademark bark siren to let people know that some very important retrieval business was in progress. I landed in a huge wheat field at the edge of the Craters of the Moon lava plain.

King Mountain at sunset, as seen from the Lost River - photo by Ernie Camacho

JULY 5, PRACTICE DAY Scattered, wet squalls made for a lot of dodging around in flight. High above the peaks the air smelled of wet sagebrush — to me, the clean smell of spring. If you added up all the zigging and zagging, my cohorts and I really tallied up some miles, but unfortunately, we never count zigging and zagging. I finally got drilled just north of Mt. Borah, Idaho’s tallest mountain at about 12,500 feet, so I landed and tore down in the rain. A few of the California guys had especially good flights and timed their squall flying a little better, one making a record 100-mile-plus out-and-return with help from the wind that is apt to switch from the north in the afternoon. My driver, brother DJ, and I raced back to Arco to meet the Boise gang, with Arizona, Salt Lake City and Hood River elements bellied up at the big, long picnic table in front of Grandpa’s Barbecue. Grandpa’s is a little house on main street in Arco that serves some world-class southern food. We told stories about our flights, and pulled out our digital cameras for a tiny slide show of the tops of each other’s gliders. We gorged and feasted like we really needed the ballast, eating quickly because we knew a gust front was brewing.

Hang glider pilots are keen observers of nature, at one with the elements and sensitized to the signs: an ever-blackening sky, a stiffening breeze, and a huge, fastmoving dust cloud relentlessly heading in our direction. The gust front hit and June 2002

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absolutely nuked! We ran for shelter indoors.

Grandpa’s teenage son grabbed a pair of swim goggles and bravely chased plastic chairs down the street, all of us fearing for his life as tree limbs flew from the cottonwoods. Meanwhile, back at Moore City Park, a glider would have been crushed by a thick cottonwood limb but was luckily straddled by the bow. The rain and lightning came. I made a dash for my motel room and found the roof blanketed by the limbs of a fallen tree. I crammed my soaking-wet Atos, which was obviously a 20-foot graphite lightning rod, into my motel room as the rain came down in buckets.

JULY 6 — THE MEET BEGINS The next morning the storm was gone, revealing a fresh blue day. I woke up the crew and we and headed up to Moore Park.

The air was still plenty wet, and the weather really had me worried. Would the sky stay blue or would it OD by launch time as it is apt to do?

I was still concerned about the turnout, but was happy to see lots of pilots and gliders when I pulled up to the park. Sixtyeight hang glider pilots registered for the meet, in addition to free flyers and paraglider pilots, so attendance wasn’t down much. Sadly, there were only about 10 local pilots (there are not many of us left), but a ton of fliers from California made the big drive, and there was a big group from Massachusetts, our Utah cousins and some from all over.

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VÜÉáá VÉâÇàÜç Lisa Tate unveiled her lovely trophies which are real works of art, and conducted a pilots’ meeting, briefing contestants on the rules for handicapped open-distance X-C, bonus LZ’s, a new team category, and the weather. Tons of door prizes were handed out, then we all zoomed up to the lower launch.

It was a light-wind day, and on such days many pilots prefer the upper launch since it offers more altitude to find a thermal.

However, the upper setup area is a little small and steep, and a bit of a zoo. It also requires lots of traffic control beginning with the trip up.

I was on the task committee, but with Frank Gillette and Ken Schreck, who had the brains and experience, I was just a rubber stamp and an extra lightning rod. The upper-level winds suggested Routes 2 or 3 as a task. (Route 2 is northerly and requires lots of range-jumping. Route 3 is fairly easterly and a bit of a flatland route, with only two range jumps.) Overdevelopment in the mountains suggested Route 3. The fairly low cloud base (projected at 13,000’) said no to Route 2, but Route 3 might prove too difficult. So, we called Route 3 with dire warnings about possible killer rotors for those who might leave too low. There was a chance that few or no pilots would get high enough to make the jump over the back.

Mark Mason, my old X-C nemesis who passed me up in the arms race last year and bought a sailplane, launched early to play wind dummy with his Falcon and stayed up.

I hurried and launched among the first handful, and very quickly hit cloud base and drove around at only 12,000 feet, worrying about the jump over the back. I soared a couple of hundred feet up the face of a cloud and watched as Shannon Raby, who was lower than I, go over the back, drive around and come back low. Wow! I guess that meant there wasn’t a rotor, but the idea of going over the back so low still gave me the heebie jeebies. Shannon got high again and left, so I decided to go, but decided to be a wimp about it and drive south of King a bit into the wind, then swing a miles-wide arc, avoiding what I thought would be the rotor zone. It was baby’s butt-smooth air for the next five miles.

Howe Valley proved unproductive, with green, irrigated fields and clouds at the end of their life cycle, and I ended up low at the base of Saddle Mountain on the next range east with a few other gliders. Saddle is the last tall mountain on the tail end of the Lemhi Range. The sky was dotted with clouds and cloud streets, but it was mostly 26

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stuff with that end-of-cycle look. I started flying the foothills and headed south where they peter off into the flatlands.

Just when it was looking like a long retrieve in the sagebrush I hit a very nice bump. All of a sudden, there was teammate Kurt Ziegler at my altitude with his damned pigsticker (he had been doing that all year). I left early with my rigid wing and there was Kurt, who had launched 15 minutes after I did, passing me with a ragged-out old Moyes Xtralite. Kurt and I got up in a very sweet 1,000+ fpm smooth thermal that took us up over the top. Although we had vowed to team-fly, our other teammates were scattered, as we yacked back and forth in an attempt to give each other advice and encouragement. I chose to fly south into the flatlands and to the clouds, but Kurt got low

Gregg Sugg took 1st Place in the Recreational Class - photo by Ernie Camacho

flying more easterly, straight for the next foothills. I got miles ahead as he worked his way back up, and I heard another teammate behind us on the radio as he got ready to land near the highway in the flats. However, he skyed out in a lucky thermal, caught up with Kurt, and they flew together for another 30 miles.

I worked my way to a cloud street, then hauled for 10 or 15 miles, ending with an easy glide to the Dubois bonus LZ. I decided to go for it and try to hit the foothills to the north, but ran out of altitude and luck and landed in a lava field at 64.8 miles. Ouch! I should have gone for the bonus points at Dubois. For a while I thought I might have the flight of the day, but no such luck, I was far from it. Veteran King meet champ Heiner Biesel worked his way through and kicked butt that day with 94.3 miles in his Atos! Eiji Yokoda, a Pocatello, Idaho local •

June 2002

sky god, got 77.5 miles with a pigsticker.

Lisa Verzella, also flying a pigsticker, got 70.4 and Brian Horgan got 70.6.

On the way back, just east of Dubois, it looked like the sky had rained hang gliders.

We waved and honked for the next 20 miles.

DAY TWO — JULY 7 Saturday morning in Moore Park the day was looking beautiful, and we were treading the wet grass with plates and forks in hand.

The townsfolk of Moore were serving us breakfast cooked up on portable stoves. The spicy link sausage smelled heavenly in the cool morning air and was especially good and in plentiful supply. Driver DJ said they should call it the “King Meat” because all week our meat consumption tripled.

By the time the pilots’ meeting rolled around, a huge, dark, towering cumulus was forming over King and getting big enough to anvil off. The whole rest of the valley was getting pretty overcast. Lisa conducted the pilots’ meeting with visibly crossed fingers and trepidation, but soon it was, “Gentlemen, start your engines!” Gliders were quickly juggled from truck to truck all around the perimeter of Moore park and the big race up to the lower launch began. By the time we got to the upper launch the sky was pretty much overcast, and I was downcast.

With the smell of rain breezing through the pines, my first impression was that the day could end up as a best-glide contest, even though Mark Mason had already launched and was having no problem soaring his Falcon over the western knob.

Alan said that there were already towering cells on the radar all around us at 11:00 AM, but we couldn’t see any of them with the blanket of cloud cover. Those of us on the task committee, ever reluctant to call a day, discussed a lot of options. I’m one to let pilots make their own choices when it comes to deciding to fly, but we came to the inevitable conclusion that invisible thunder cells somewhere up there above the overcast would be a deal killer.

So the day was called and poor Lisa had to make the announcement. I was preparing to catch a lot of flack, because many very experienced pilots had come to the meet and were prepared to make their own decisions.

However, all I heard was agreement, and 15 minutes later it started to rain. So, I had to decide if it would be better to tear down my glider or finish setting up and take a sledder.

More rain made the decision for me, so I tore down in a shower for the second time in three days and stowed my wet glider under a

VÜÉáá VÉâÇàÜç tree. However, it’s a lot of trouble to haul a glider off the upper launch, so a number of pilots flew anyway.

In the sprinkling rain one pilot started his launch run with a wing touching the ground, and had the absolute worst successful launch ever seen by most who witnessed it. With his Exxtacy’s wing tip on the ground he started running (it sounded like a 55gallon drum dragging on asphalt) and, of course, the other wing quickly yawed around. I thought it would just keep coming around for a quick smack-in, but it didn’t, and the glider popped up 30 feet and was airborne. The steep slope gave him too much altitude to end the flight happily on the ground, and he was close to the trees just looking horrible. Somehow he pulled it off and flew into the rain.

A lot of pilots were soaring around King when we left. No one was hurt in the friendly little gust front that came through, but Frank Gillette’s glider did roll away on its wheels and suffer a little damage.

SUNDAY — JULY 7 We called Route 1, north up the range.

There were thunder cells again, but at least pilots could see them.

Cloud base was pretty low. My buddies, Team Soggy Bottom, spent a lot of time watching the weather up range. Clouds were moving west to east, and about every hour a new thunder cell crossed the valley and moved over Invisible Mountain about 15 miles down the route. The initial heavy cloudiness seemed to be thinning with time, and the big black cells seemed to get progressively smaller. We decided to give it a good long wait and then time our launches to get past the next cell. Others decided to go for it and leave early. If they got drilled, I guess they planned to make a second flight later.

Pilots were diving off so fast that what we thought was way late was only 2:30 PM. The kingposted Soggy Bottom Boys, Kurt and Ken, went first. I delayed another half hour, left King a little low and made the jump to Ram’s Horn, all the while listening to Kurt and Ken make good progress ahead.

There were already a couple of flexies working even lower on Ram’s Horn. I slowly out-climbed the tube jobs and then wham, a Mr. Nasty thermal. I put the Atos on a wing tip and rode it out, happy to be going up quickly but white-knuckling the sheer nastiness. I left before I got whispied, with cloud base still a bit low at around 12,000 feet, and drove up range in buoyant air near cloud base. The geography was very

interesting at this altitude, mostly at range height, but you know I would rather have been 5,000 feet higher.

Remember those traveling thunderstorms we were trying to avoid? The Soggy Bottom Boys’ timing was pretty good, and the Soggy Kingpost boys were now only a couple of miles ahead of me, crossing the path of the storms and doing fine. I steamed on ahead past Invisible Mountain just northeast of the town of Mackay, then on to the spectacular, flat-topped, sheer rock face of McCaleb, named for an army officer who died in this beautiful place during a skirmish with some angry Bannock raiders. I ran into overcast skies but the blackness was across the valley where I wanted it to be. Cloud base lowered, the lift died and there were sprinkles of rain.

Some flex-wing pilots and I saved ourselves in no-man’s land with a little thermal. I sped on to Corner Mountain where the range gets closer to the highway and found myself down to about 1,000 feet, circling Kurt’s accident site.

My teammates, Kurt and Ken, were a bit ahead of me and decided to deal with the large, overcast, no-lift zone by leaving the range and heading out toward a sunny area over the flats. Ken made it across the

with shredded clothes, knocked himself silly for a moment and totaled his Moyes Xtralight.

I was circling above him in a holding pattern in very light lift, listening to the traffic on the radio. It became apparent that he was not badly injured, and there was nothing I could do, so I got serious about getting some altitude. I gained perhaps another thousand feet but could do no better, so I turned into the headwind and ran north without a single turn until I tiptoed between the sagebrush about a mile and a half farther along.

Heiner, who launched much earlier, won the day with a flight to the Willow Creek bonus LZ a few miles beyond where I landed. I believe that my flight would have earned me second place for miles flown, but it was only good for about 20th with the handicap.

Back at the park, Kurt Ziegler limped to the laptop computers and did some lastminute software hacking for Lisa to do the scoring. Lisa soon handed out her beautiful etched-glass and hardwood trophies, and it was all over.

Honors in 2001 for the Open Class went to Utah pilot Heiner Biesel who took first

2002 King Mountain Meet — June 26-30, 2002 King Mountain, Moore, Idaho This year’s meet will offer a different format from previous years. We will be scoring the best three out of five days, so if you can only make it for the weekend you will still have time to get your flights in. We will still have the best, world-class trophies, Open, Recreational, and Team Classes, Driver and Staff Choice awards, a barbecue Saturday night, handicap scoring with bonus LZ’s, Open Distance X-C, an on-site massage therapist, great scenery, flying and fun! The entry fee is $50 and includes a beautiful, full-color shirt designed by renowned Montana artist Dan Gravage. For more information or a pre-registration packet contact Meet Director/Organizer Lisa Tate, 11716 Fairview Ave., Boise, Idaho 83713, (208) 376-7914, Zoolisa@aol.com. Information is also available at http://hometown.aol.com/zoolisa/myhomepage/extreme.html.

highway and the Lost River where he saw two cars on a dirt road, with the dust they kicked up indicating a south wind. A minute later, as he was making his landing approach, something felt wrong, so he dropped a smoke bomb, saw that the wind had turned north and made a good landing. Kurt, in the meantime, had only made it to the highway, got the strong southern wind reading, set up to land, and was too low when the wind suddenly turned north. He made a sidehill landing with a strong tailwind in sagebrush and lots of rocks. His glider tumbled on the ground, he sprained an ankle, was cut up June 2002

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place. Dan Gravage, a Montana pilot, placed second, and Californian Brian Horgan placed third. In the Recreational Class first place went to Greg Sugg from California, Peter Bovingdon, a Montana pilot, placed second, and Craig Hines from Montana took third-place honors. The Team Challenge was won by the Salty Dogs (Heiner Biesel and Tom Vayda). In second place was In Sinc (Kurt L. Bainum, Jon James, Matt Jagelka, M. Leo Jones and Greg Sugg), and third place went to the Soggy Bottom Boys (Kevin Frost, Ken Schreck, Kurt Ziegler and Cory Rose). - K. F. Hang Gliding

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Wing Tips

by Rodger Hoyt Roman (Dead-Eye) Dodson will make most of us feel as guilty as a puppy by a puddle with this tip on batten cleanliness: “How many times have you seen pilots lay out their battens in a row in the dirt, then wipe off each one as they insert them?

Static electricity makes fine dust jump onto the battens, and not cleaning them will reduce batten pocket life considerably. It’s much better to leave the battens in their bag, stand the bag upright against the keel and remove them one at a time starting with the longest.”

Thanks, Rome. A little silicone spray on the batten tips sure makes them slide smoothly too, helping save batten pockets from the dreaded “blow-through.”

Jim (Sky Dog) Palmieri (skydogpublishing@home.com) has a way to patch your sail that’s as invisible as the wind: “Minor tears and holes are easily repaired. First, clean the damaged area with MEK (available at hardware stores and innocuous to sailcloth). Cut a piece of matching sail material about 50% larger than the damaged area and cover the back with 3M double-stick tape. Using sharp scissors, cut an oval patch from this piece, making sure there are no corners which could pull away later. Remove the backing from the double-stick tape and place the patch over the damaged area, rubbing thoroughly to remove any air pockets.

“Repairing a damaged area this way will result in a good-looking repair which will last many hundreds of flying hours.”

And remember, patches generally should be reserved for non-stressed areas of your sail, such as leading-edge Mylar pockets or the undersurface. Trailing edges, typically under high tension, should have patches sewn by a qualified repair facility.

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

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Why Books?

1. They don’t use power and are cheap to operate in California.

2. They’re portable.

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5. They guide you long after you leave your instructor.

By Dennis Pagen: • Hang Gliding Training Manual (Hang 1 to 3) - $29.95 • Performance Flying (Hang 3 to 5) - $29.95 More flying books • Towing Aloft - $29.95 (also by B. Bryden) and videos at • Understanding the Sky - $24.95

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Chad Sets a New Consecutive Hang Gliding Loop Record at Highland Aerosports in Ridgely, Maryland

by Chad Elchin

M

y interest in aerobatics began early on while I was working at Kitty Hawk Kites in North Carolina. As a Hang II pilot and tow driver, I never really had the chance to fly in the middle of the day. On most days I would pull tandems until sunset, looking forward to maybe getting a flight in at the end. Just floating around can be okay, but after a while I felt a little bored and needed something else. High-banked turns became lazy eights, and lazy eights became 100-degree wingovers. This was when I decided I needed to look for something a little faster than my Pulse.

I picked up a beat-up Axis 15 for a song and continued flying near sunset. I weighed about 150 pounds, so it was a good thing I liked going fast; at low speeds the old Axis didn’t

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like me telling it where to go. After saving a little money I found a used TRX 140 — perfect. It turned much more easily, was faster, and was cool too! This was the glider John Heiney was flying at the time.

All my flying buddies knew how much I wanted to loop. I spent lots of time getting steeper in my wingovers, and eventually worked my way up to what seemed to be about 180 degrees. Who knows for sure?

Somehow, it still seemed like a huge step to transition into a loop, but I mentioned to Sunny in June of 1996 that I thought I was ready. I would spend the next two months being taunted until I finally went through with it.

At this point I had accumulated almost 600

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hours of free-flying airtime and was working as a tandem instructor. “Are you going to loop it today?” I would be asked. “Maybe. I don’t know. I don’t think so,” I’d reply each time we went out. But on August 23, 1996, I was leveling off from a dive and beginning to climb. For some crazy reason I decided not to roll the glider. As I continued to let out the bar I looked as high toward the nose as I could.

I still remember that moment when all I could see was blue, and that feeling of waiting for the horizon to reappear. It was similar to that first solo, when you finally get into the air and the only thing on your mind is landing.

For me, the horizon was my safe landing. The next thing I knew, there it was. Woooohooo!

Now I was pointing straight down and was gaining even more speed than I had during

the first entry. What to do? Let’s try another.

Now it seemed familiar. What the hell? Those two went off without a hitch. I completed numbers three and four, leveled off, and was almost too happy to land. I’m pretty quick, however, and soon figured out that I had no choice in the matter. I composed myself and landed with a grin from ear to ear. Now that was fun.

I spent the next couple of years working as a tandem instructor and looping whenever I got the chance. I purchased one of the first Stealth II’s and worked my way up to sets of 20 loops.

I was at Quest Air in 1998 when John Heiney raised the consecutive looping record to 57. I brought out a copy of a video I shot with the camera dangling from two lines off the crossbar/leading edge junction. Someone asked if I was going to try to break the record, and I thought that with a little more practice, more exercise, and a little less late-night beer drinking I might have a chance. The next day Mitch McAleer upped the record to 76. “Forget it,” I said, “That’s just crazy.”

After the 1998 Nationals we packed up and headed north to start a flight park called Highland Aerosports. As crazy as it seems, that put

flying (recreationally) on the back burner for a while.

In 2000 I started flying for fun a little more often. Getting back into wanging the glider around was a nice change of pace. I began doing sets of 20+ loops again, and at this point my logs show about 700 completed loops. At our fly-in I was able to test-fly the next generation of topless wings, and man those things were fast. It’s amazing how far things have progressed since my Axis. The top speed and energy retention was unbelievable. “No more balling up!” I thought.

There was a Stealth 3 on site, available for my use, and after completing a few loops I received comments describing my dive as more of a forward glide than anything. After a few rounds I was really noticing that much less altitude was lost during each loop. I wondered how much less, so I strapped on a Flytec 4020 and set it to record altitude, speed and climb rate in one-second intervals. After landing I plugged it into the computer and took a look at the graph. I had lost only 115 feet per loop at 2,000 feet MSL. This was when the idea of breaking the record popped into my head again. If I could get that number down June 2002

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a little, I might be able to crank out 100 in 15,000 feet. Then the problem of altitude density hit me. How was the thinner air going to affect my altitude loss? I had to get some idea before I assumed that my plan would be possible.

I knew how altitude would affect an airspeed increase, but I wasn’t sure if it would affect altitude loss during a loop in the same way, so I hopped in a plane to see how altitude would affect the RPM’s of the engine. I set the throttle to a position that produced 5,000 RPM’s at 35 mph, and watched the RPM’s increase as I climbed higher into the air. By the time I reached 14,000 feet the engine was at 5,800 and I had to back off. That’s about a 16% increase over 14,000 feet.

What would this mean for loops? I wasn’t sure, but it seemed scientific enough at the time, and it did tell me how I should pitch the prop for the high tow. As for looping, it seemed that my best bet would be to assume a twopercent decrease in efficiency for each 1,000 feet of altitude gained. I based this on the altitude density effect on airspeed. This meant that a 130-foot loop at 1,000 feet would be a 180-foot loop near 16,000 feet.

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The next step was to raise the sprogs and washout struts a bit. This worked better, but I still had to bring out the bar a little. I spent a couple of weeks flying with the 4020, taking readings and tweaking the glider, and I finally got it. I could now judge the best time to exit the dive through a little bar pressure. The glider was at a point where I could initiate the dive and let go. Just a second after bar pressure would begin to develop, I would gently let out the bar and the glider would go right over the top. At the moment it began to pass 180 degrees, it was time to let go again and just wait for that signal. Now the glider felt right, but I couldn’t really tell how much altitude I was losing since these were all short flights consisting of only four or five loops.

After a higher flight with the recorder I got the lower loops back down to about 110 feet, and it was now time to increase the altitude a little. Sunny towed me to 12,000 feet, and this was where I would really find out how higher altitudes would affect altitude loss. I released from tow and pulled in the bar until I had enough speed, then let out the bar and began looking for the horizon. Everything felt okay as it came into view.

I ordered an Aeros Combat in the spring of 2001 and, because I no longer found it necessary to ball up for speed, traded in my cocoon for a nice clean pod. It was now time for practice, tuning and testing. The first recorded run did not look promising; I was losing over 150 feet in each loop. What was wrong? It didn’t feel like I had a ton of extra energy going over the top. The only thing I could figure was that I was diving too long.

On the next trial I found that I had to help the glider out of the dive by bringing out the bar a little. The wing would not begin to pitch up on its own until it was already going faster than I wanted it to. I checked the altitude loss again and it was much improved, so I practiced sets of 20 until I got the altitude loss down to 110 feet.

I began towing to 6,000 feet and practic34

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ing to see how many loops I could complete. It was at this point that I realized I was unable to hold my head up after about 30 loops. I had to figure something out, so I got out a drill, put a hole in the back of my helmet and tied on a loop of Spectra. I put a small pulley with a clip attached to it on my front harness line. It worked great! After releasing from tow, I just clipped my helmet in, and I could now let my forehead rest against the front of the helmet. Suddenly, 40 loops became fairly painless.

At this point I only had one remaining problem: After 40 loops they were getting a bit sloppy, and I was losing more altitude than I should be. I knew I’d lose more at high altitude, but even the lower ones were taking over 140 feet again. I had to find a way to make them a little more brainless.

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June 2002

Suddenly, the glider started to slide off to one side a little and began to spin inverted.

I think I went through two rotations before it began to tumble, and it went over twice before I recovered. Wow! This was a situation I had never encountered before.

That doesn’t mean I’d never thought about it, but I believed that if I didn’t lose the bar, and had the altitude, everything would be okay. Fortunately, that was the case this time.

I was over 10,000 feet high and had plenty of time to check things out, so I looked around at the glider after it recovered and everything seemed fine. I figured if something was wrong that I couldn’t see, the glider would act funny (perhaps a little change in pitch pressure or a low- or highspeed turn), so I let the bar go to trim to see if it acted normal. It had no turn. This was followed by a couple of stalls and lowspeed left and right turns. Everything felt okay.

I pulled the bar in to my waist. The bar pressure felt good and it had no turn. I popped the VG off and repeated the pro-

cess, and everything seemed good. As silly as it sounds, I found myself with more than 9,000 feet and nothing to do. I was happy everything worked out, but what was I going to do for the next 40 minutes or so?

“Let’s give this another try,” I thought.

I dove the glider again, let the bar out, and completed a loop. Everything felt great, so I continued to complete a total of 50. Later that day I tore the glider apart for inspection, and the only evident damage was an elongated hole where the aft section of the right leading edge clipped onto the midsection. Apparently there was so much torsional force from the sprog that the entire aft section twisted a little. I replaced the leading edge and continued flying the glider.

gear and a full tank of fuel, Sunny began rolling down the runway. I knew I had a long tow ahead of me and rested my forearms on the basetube. We hadn’t towed this high before, so we figured we’d go past 15,000 feet until it got too cold or the climb rate got really bad. Twenty minutes and 35 seconds later we hit 16,200 feet.

We were both getting cold, and the climb rate was down to 500 fpm. We were not using any oxygen and were concerned about being above 13,000’ for too long.

By now Sunny was getting pretty good at figuring out my looping glide slope. He signaled me off a few miles north of the field at 16,200 feet.

I spent the next day getting in some more practice and tweaking the glider. I was now completing sets of 20 and averaging only 94 feet lost per loop. Needless to say, I was happy with this, but could I maintain it? It looked like Monday was going to be a nice day, so I figured I’d wake up early and see if I felt like trying for 100.

Monday was as expected. It was a nice clear morning and Flight Services were reporting light winds aloft. I was on the cart and ready to launch at 9:00 AM. With two Flytec 4020’s to record the flight, our cold weather

“Okay, just one more… and another… and another… I had no idea how many loops I had done, but I knew if I were going to come close to 100 I’d need every bit of altitude. I knew I was getting low when I could see the guys on the ground smiling at me, so I leveled off over the airport at 700 feet and reached to pop off my VG. To my surprise, what would have been an easy task on any other day seemed impossible. I put a few wraps around my wrist and extended my arm fully. A little swinging motion was all I needed.

I set up a nice, long final and landed next to the tug. I set down the glider, wiped the snot from my face and removed the recorders from the glider.

They confirmed 95 loops in 15,900 feet and about nine minutes and 40 seconds. It wasn’t the 100 I had hoped for, but I couldn’t really complain.

By the way, the Flytec had been recording during this episode and the graph is quite interesting. From the barograph, it looks like it took about 25 seconds from the top of the intended loop to spin twice, tumble twice, exit the tumble and level off, burning up about 750 feet. It made me think about doing aerobatics at low altitude.

A few days later I towed to 15,000 feet and began looping at around 14,500’. This was my first opportunity to see if I could hold up physically, so I looped down to about 1,000 feet, completing 75 loops — just one short of the record. I was happy I held up, but not so thrilled with the altitude loss. I think I was a little spooked from the tumble and was diving a little longer than necessary.

arms. I thought, “There’s still a long way to go,” and I wasn’t sure if I could keep it up all the way down.

I spent the first few seconds off tow looking around. I was over a 50-mile-wide peninsula with a 6/1 glide to the Chesapeake Bay and a 10/1 to the mouth of the Delaware. It was an amazing view. I knew I had no altitude to waste, so I tucked in my bridle, hooked up my helmet, pointed at the runway and began my first dive.

As I was diving I was thinking about a few flights before when that first loop went bad, but this time the first one went great, and after that I let the glider do most of the work. One loop at a time, I slowly made my way back to the airport, and found myself at 5,000 feet near loop number 60. This was when I began to tire. After another 10, I found myself using the low bar pressure points to shake out my June 2002

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After reviewing the data I found my calculations to be a little off. At the bottom of the flight I was losing about 125 feet per loop. This was a bit worse than I’d seen in practice sessions, but I suspect fatigue may have played a part in this. At 8,000 feet I was losing 160 feet per loop, which was much higher than expected, and above 15,000 feet I lost nearly 230 feet per loop.

Amazingly, instead of a 2% increase I was seeing about 3.5%.

Even now, after a thousand loops, there’s still a lot to learn. I’m a firm believer that lazy eights, wingovers and spins are a great way to get more comfortable with flying and become a better pilot, but anyone with an interest in aerobatics should first speak with someone who is experienced. There are safe and unsafe ways to go about it. Aaron Swepston has started a list at Yahoo groups for this purpose at http://groups.yahoo.com/ aero_hg. Check it out if you have an interest in freestyle flying. - C. E. Hang Gliding

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gxv{Ç|vtÄ

Scary Parachutes

by Betty Pfeiffer and Gary Douris

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June 2002

Scary Parachutes Gary Douris of Free Flight Enterprise and

Betty Pfeiffer ofDouris High Energy Sports, Inc. repby Betty Pfeiffer and Gary resent the major American emergency para-

Gary Douris of Free Flight Enterprise and Betty Pfeiffer of High Energy Sports, Inc. chute manufacturers for paragliding and hang represent the major American emergency parachute manufacturers for paragliding gliding.

In Inthis article they join forces for unsafe the and hang gliding. this article they join forces for the purpose of exposing parachute construction in the hope of saving lives. parachute conpurpose of exposing unsafe

struction in the hope of saving lives.

Although U.S. pilots continue to be very lucky when it comes to successfully deploying their emergency parachutes, we must learn from the rest of the world where some pilots have suffered disastrous consequences from unsafe systems. As we see parachutes that utilize “unconventional” manufacturing techniques show up in our shops or at parachute clinics, we have been in the uncomfortable position of having to inform pilots of associated structural problems.

In this article we will illustrate some of the most obvious areas of marginal construction. If you suspect that your parachute may utilize this kind of construction, simulate a deployment (not while flying!) and look at your parachute.

(You may as well practice a deployment as long as you are taking your parachute out of your harness.) If you find evidence of questionable construction, have the parachute inspected by a qualified person.

An emergency reserve parachute deployment is often a last-ditch effort to get out of a terrible situation, and you must be able to rely on your chute to save your life without falling apart in the process. For the purpose of this article we will not distinguish between catastrophic failures and probable damage from malfunctions or asymmetrical openings. We will not discuss deployment systems, but focus strictly on easy-to-identify, inadequate parachute construction. A qualified, skilled parachute inspector will go into much more detail when examining your parachute for airworthiness.

Cardinal Rule #1: If your parachute lines fall off your parachute, the parachute will not do you much good.

UNACCEPTABLE LINE ATTACHMENT AT THE BRIDLE Problem: Lines are folded and sewn with a single zigzag stitch. Usually, the end of each line is melted so it will not unravel.

Sharp edges on lines can cut fibers. More importantly, the zigzag is only one stitch that crosses from the line to the folded end. If the end of the line catches on wreckage you could easily lose lines. At the very least, this type of construction should us three stitches for each zig and each zag.

Problem: One line is attached to the skirt of the parachute, looped around the bridle and secured with a bar tack, then attached to the skirt of the parachute.

The lines are only half as strong as they would be if each line were individually attached to the parachute. If you lose one line you will most likely lose two attachment points instead of just one.

Here is the true story of the 10-line parachute. Years ago, when hang glider pilots only cared about “surviving” a deployment, the 10-line parachute emerged. It packed up very small and looked quite good except for one small

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detail; it would not open when tested from an airplane The designers finally did get it to open by throwing it off the back of a pickup truck while driving down a runway. The moral of the story is: Know how your parachute was tested!

Problem: Sewing on fine attachment loops extends past the reinforced area onto the single layer of parachute material (point loading).

UNACCEPTABLE LINE ATTACHMENTS AT THE SKIRT OF THE PARACHUTE

Cardinal Rule #2: If your parachute falls apart you will come down faster than you wish.

Problem: Lines are sewn directly onto a seam using a single zigzag stitch.

UNACCEPTABLE CANOPY CONSTRUCTION

Problem: Lines are sewn directly onto a seam without a V-tab to distribute the load in the event of a peeling action (line-over, inversion, or temporary partial inversion).

Problem: V-tabs are sewn with single needle and the stitches go past the skirt band into a single layer of parachute material (point loading).

Problem: Line-attachment loops are attached only to the top surface of the canopy. (They should sandwich the parachute seam.)

Problem: Line-attachment loops are sewn with two lines of straight stitching. (They should use a double stitch with a zigzag pattern.)

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This is a true story. Years ago, when reserve parachutes for hang gliding were rare, parachute designers for one company were given the following specifications: The chute must be lightweight, have low bulk, be quick and easy to manufacture and use no more than $50 worth of materials.

The internal code name for these parachutes was “meat-saver.” The parachute was designed to save a pilot but would probably break some bones in the process.

Problem: There is no reinforcement in the skirt or on the apex. The parachute material is simply folded and sewn.

Problem: There is no reinforcement tape in the radial seams.

Problem: Uneven line lengths fluctuate four inches or

June 2002

more on a round parachute.

Problem: Gore widths or lengths are uneven on a standard round parachute.

Problem: Parachute “domes” are attached to the skirt with eight to 18 stitches at the seam with no reinforcement.

The problems listed above are meant as guidelines when evaluating your parachute for airworthiness. Many of the lessons we have learned came from tests performed on our own parachutes, and some came from drop tests performed on questionable chutes brought into our shops.

As we continue to monitor hang gliding and paragliding accidents, and keep abreast of failure modes in which pilots resort to deploying their parachutes, we continue to refine and improve our safety instructions and products. When we encounter known construction problems we feel that it is our responsibility to speak up.

A WORD ABOUT CERTIFICATION Pilots must be proactive in determining whether or not international certification programs for hang gliding and paragliding parachutes are indeed testing what they claim to be. If you have any questions about the testing procedures used for your equipment, be sure to ask the manufacturer specific questions.

We believe that with today’s sophisticated testing instrumentation, good, objective results are available, and a good certification program will use standard parachute tests. Throwing a parachute off an 800-foot bridge clearly does not tell us what we need to know about the airworthiness of your reserve. - B. P. & G. D.

PARACHUTE TRUISMS THAT ARE NO LONGER TRUE 1) You must always air out your parachute before it is repacked.

This was true with old silk parachutes but is no longer a requirement with today’s synthetic materials.

2) Never fold your parachute in the same place two repacks in a row; the material will break down. The coating used on today’s materials is far superior, so this is not an issue.

3) Never sit on your parachute. These days, we want you to sit on your parachute, especially right after it is repacked.

By doing so you will squeeze the air out and reduce the risk of an accidental deployment.

4) Parachute rubber bands melt because the grommets on the deployment bag heat up. The main cause of rubber bands melting on the old deployment bags was a chemical reaction between brass grommets and the rubber. Today, manufacturers know better than to use brass grommets.

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ZtÄÄxÜç I’m an Italian professional photographer. I began my career 15 years ago in Milan, as an assistant in the Super Studios, a very large structure composed of many smaller studios where photographers from around the world come. Everything necessary for work can be rented there. I also started hang gliding at the same time, and began shooting pictures in flight.

I collaborate with some of the most famous manufacturers and designers, including Icaro, Woody Valley, Brauniger amd so on.

My goal with my flying pictures is to create the cleanest and most futuristic imagery that I can, to represent the dreams of all pilots.

- Ignazio Bernardi

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June 2002

VÄtáá|y|xwá

MARKETPLACE HANG GLIDING ADVISORY Used hang gliders should always be disassembled before flying for the first time and inspected carefully for fatigued, bent or dented downtubes, ruined bushings, bent bolts (especially the heart bolt), re-used Nyloc nuts, loose thimbles, frayed or rusted cables, tangs with noncircular holes, and on flex wings, sails badly torn or torn loose from their anchor points front and back on the keel and leading edges. If in doubt, many hang gliding businesses will be happy to give an objective opinion on the condition of equipment you bring them to inspect. BUYERS SHOULD SELECT EQUIPMENT THAT IS APPROPRIATE FOR THEIR SKILL LEVEL OR RATING. NEW PILOTS SHOULD SEEK PROFESSIONAL INSTRUCTION FROM A USHGA CERTIFIED INSTRUCTOR. ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– FLEX WINGS ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– AIRBORNE CLIMAX 13 — One nearly new $4,995; One demo, looks new $4,595. 1-800-688-5637, fly@hanglide.com ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– AEROS STEALTH III 151 — Excellent, 40 hours, carbon cross, carbon wingtips, all Mylar racer, blue bottom, white top $2,000 OBO or trade for Ultrasport. Andrew (408) 446-4580 ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– ALTAIR SATURNS 147, 167 — Rental gliders at flight park, low hours, clean, priced to sell. (262) 473-8800, info@hanggliding.com ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– AV8 - ICARO — The MRX700 World Record Editions are in stock.We can help you go RIGID if you want to.(760) 721-0701, indasky@yahoo.com and www.icaro2000.com ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– EAGLES 145, 164, 180 — Rental gliders at flight park, low hours, clean, priced to sell. (262) 473-8800, info@hanggliding.com ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– EVEN-UP TRADES — Looking to move up from your Beginner or Novice glider, but can’t put up cash?

(262) 473-8800, info@hanggliding.com ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– FALCONS — 140, 170, 195, 225 new and used.

WALLABY RANCH (863) 424-0070.

––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– FALCON 195 — Like new, clean, excellent condition, light & dark yellow, wheels $1,930. (808) 924-9996 ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– FALCONS CLEARANCE SALE — School use, one season.

All sizes $1,250-$2,500. (262) 473-8800, info@hanggliding.com ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– FREE PVC GLIDER STORAGE/TRANSPORT TUBE — With the purchase of any new glider. (517) 223-8683, Cloud9SA@aol.com. Largest selection of new and used gliders in Michigan.

––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– FUSION — Grey/black, 90 hours $2,000.xcarmando@aol.com ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– HPAT 145 — Good condition, new leading edge cloth and recent superpreflight $995.(262) 473-8800, info@hanggliding.com ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– LAMINAR MR2001 13 — Perfect condition, 60 hours, Get state-of-the-art handling and performance for $2,000 less than a new one. (619) 286-6045, mtryon@ucsd.edu, http://daneel.ucsd.edu/sdhgpa/lamie.jpg ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– LAMINAR MRX 2001 — Mylar 14, simply beautiful,white/flouro red/magenta. Email for pixs, 1 year old, babied. Faired basetube, carbon ribs $4,700/best. Scott (310) 559-1231, cloudbase@attbi.net ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– LAMINAR MRX 2001 14 — Very clean. White/black/blue $4,200. (262) 783-7747, SurfAir@execpc.com –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

LAMINAR ST 14 — New wires, new mylar, just tuned & flies perfectly $2,200 OBO. (510) 223-6239, ortiz@tdl.com ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– MOYES CSX4, SX4, SX5, MAX — Great condition, very low hours, priced to sell. (262) 473-8800, info@hanggliding.com ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– MOYES SX5 — Very good condition, extra downtube, batten prints, 20’pvc transport tube $1,000 OBO. (310) 974-5520, cranknbank@aol.com ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– MOYES XT PRO 165 — The Novice model before the SONIC, two available $1,500., $2,100 or trade for?

(262) 473-8800, info@hanggliding.com ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– MOYES XTRALITE 147 — All white $1,100 or trade for?

(262) 473-8800, info@hanggliding.com ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– MOYES XTRALITE 147 — Good condition, Mylar LE and sail, extra downtubes & battens $1,000. (970) 728-4991, (970) 728-7084, dwright@telluridecolorado.net ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– MOYES XTRALITE 164 — Like new, <30 hours, SX modifications $2,000. (541) 840-6472, asktech@wave.net ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– PACIFIC AIRWAVE K5 145 — Very good shape, rib chart & manual included $850. Flytec 3005 vario $200.

Vlad (510) 849-1579.

––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– PULSES & VISIONS — Bought-Sold-Traded. Raven Sky Sports (262) 473-8800, info@hanggliding.com ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– SENSOR — $500. (817) 460-2401 Arlington,Texas.

––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– SPECTRUM 144, 165 — Rental gliders at flight park, low hours, clean, priced to sell or trade for? (262) 473-8800, info@hanggliding.com ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– SUPERSPORT 153 — Mint condition, 80 hours $800. High Energy harness, Quantum chute w/swivel & air rocket 6ft $900. (530) 544-6601, GAfreespirits@cs.com ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– SUPERSPORT 153 — Superneat intricate custom sail, almost zero hours $1,700 or trade for? (262) 473-8800, info@hanggliding.com ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– TALONS — 150 all mylar w/slipstream control frame; 140 w/dacron sail & folding basetube. Both new, not demos! Special pricing, immediate delivery.

1-800-688-5637, fly@hanglide.com ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– TRX — Good condition $600. WW Sport 150-good condition $700. (727) 733-1450, kob7150@hotmail.com ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– ULTRASPORT 135, 147, 166 — Rental gliders at flight park, low hours, clean, priced to sell. (262) 473-8800, info@hanggliding.com ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– VISION PULSE 11M — Brand new, never used, High Energy harness, reserve, helmet. Best offer. (920) 623-5212, bbeyer@erdman.com ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– WW FUSION 150 — Excellent condition, 50hrs, white LE, silver, black, red undersurface, 2 extra downtubes $2,000 OBO. HPAT 158-good condition $300.WWZ3 harness, 5’7”-5’10” $125. (626) 332-3663 japarawlings@yahoo.com ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– WW SPORT AT 167 —Very good condition, green/white/ blue, ripstop trailing edge, flies great $850.

Joe (847) 895-5858 Illinois.

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WWXC 142 — Very low hours, clean, near new condition $2,400 or trade for? (262) 473-8800, info@hanggliding.com ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– PARAGLIDERS ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– AIR SPORTS USA — WWW.FLYFORFUN.NET ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– EMERGENCY PARACHUTES ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– 20 GORE PDA — w/swivel $375. 20 gore $199. Used Quantum 330s, 550s. Many more available. Raven Sky Sports (262) 473-8800, info@hanggliding.com ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– HARNESSES ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– DOODLE BUG — Motor harness, sales, service, instruction.

Dealers welcome. www.fly101.com(702) 260-7950.

––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– HIGH ENERGY TRACER POD HARNESSES — Sizes and styles change monthly, $300-500. Cocoons $125-$200 each.

Many others available. (262) 473-8800, info@hanggliding.com ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– MOSQUITO HARNESS — Used once, with new parachute.

Young family, no time $3,000 OBO. (712) 276-8098.

––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– MOSQUITO POWERED HARNESS — New Prop, one hour airtime, complete super-preflight $3,500 OBO. 1-800-6885637, fly@hanglide.com ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– RIGID WINGS ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– ATOS — Small, brand new, in stock. Not a demo. Why wait?

(262) 473-8800, info@hanggliding.com ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– BRIGHT STAR SWIFT — Outclasses everything, period. 60 hrs, excellent. Ballistic chute,ASI,Tangent flight computer, tow release, partial fairing, box, cover. Priced to sell $8,500 or offer. SoCal. (619) 232-0351, swift@finbar.net ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– ESC 143 — 2001, excellent condition $7,500. (970) 728-4991, (970) 728-7084, dwright@telluridecolorado.net ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– EXXTACY 135 — Small, 80lbs, 70hrs, comes with extras.

MAXIMUM HOOK-IN WEIGHT 230lbs $5,500 OBO. (206) 244-5122, redris1@attbi.com ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– FLEDGE II — $600, good condition, Fledge III $1,000 excellent condition. Original owner, never crashed, carefully stored.

(419) 885-0528 Toledo, Ohio.

––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– GHOSTBUSTER PARTS — Sail,flaps, spoilers,ribs,hardware, wires, everything but the leading edges.(970) 641-9207,skyout1@webtv.net ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– NEW STALKER — From Aeros, located in Southern California $6,000 OBO. Marc (562) 429-8033, marcw@sprintmail.com ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– ULTRALIGHTS ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– AIR SPORTS USA — WWW.FLYFORFUN.NET ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– DRAGONFLY TUG — Excellent condition, see www.geocities.com/kimdonndenman/tug.html for details.

––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– LMFP SKY CYCLE — Wit Sport 180, customized, reinforced & maintained by AP mechanic $5,000. Leon (317) 856-4401 ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– SKY CYCLE — With WWXC 155, only 3 hours flying time, paid $9,000 sell $7,000. (803) 725-1226 days, (803) 649-4183 evenings, curtis.fletcher@svs.gov –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

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VÄtáá|y|xwá ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– SCHOOLS & DEALERS –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

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The Aerotow Flight Park Satisfaction Guaranteed JUST 8 MILES FROM DISNEY WORLD • YEAR ROUND SOARING • OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK • SIX TUGS, NO WAITING • EVERY DIRECTION

NATIONAL SCHOOL NETWORK — RINGS LOCALLY. For information call David (719) 630-3698, david@davidglover.com ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– ALABAMA ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN FLIGHT PARK — See ad under Georgia.

––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– CALIFORNIA ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– DREAM WEAVER HANG GLIDING — Train on state-ofthe-art WILLS WING FALCONS. LESSON PACKAGES: One four hour lesson $100.Three four hour lessons, plus tandem off 2,000ft. $300. Five lessons for $400.Ten lessons plus tandem $750. Complete lesson programs. Year-round instruction.

Launching and landing and thermal clinics available. Call for group rates. Tired of hiking your glider? I’ll help you! Dealer for Wills Wing, Altair, High Energy Sports, Ball varios, Camelbaks and more. We love trade-ins. I’m your northern California MOSQUITO HARNESS DEALER. If you live in central through northern California, give me a call or email to schedule your Mosquito demonstration or clinic. Call or email, scheduling lessons five days a week, Friday through Tuesdays. Ideal training hill, up to 150ft., 600ft. mountain. 1,200ft. mountain. Tandem instruction. USHGA Advanced Instructor DOUG PRATHER (209) 556-0469 Modesto, CA, drmwvrhg@softcom.net ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– FLY AWAY HANG GLIDING — Santa Barbara. Personalized instruction. (805) 957-9145, www.flyaboveall.com/flyaway.htm ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– THE HANG GLIDING CENTER — PO Box 151542, San Diego CA 92175, (619) 265-5320.

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LARGEST HANG GLIDING SHOP — In the West! Our deluxe retail shop showcases the latest equipment and has two virtual reality hang gliding flight simulators.We stock new and used…Wills Wing, Altair and Moyes gliders, and all the hottest new harnesses. Trade-ins are welcome.

Our comprehensive training program, located at the San Francisco Bay Area’s finest beginner site features: gently sloped “bunny hills,” Wills Wing Falcons of all sizes and comfortable training harnesses!

“FIRST FLIGHT”15 minute video tour of our beginner lesson program shows a student’s skill progression $20 (shipping included).

1116 Wrigley Way, Milpitas CA 95035 (near San Jose). (408) 262-1055, fax (408) 262-1388. mission@hang-gliding.com www.hang-gliding.com –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

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DON’T RISK BAD WEATHER — Bad instruction or dangerous training hills. 350 flyable days each year. Learn foot launch flying skills safely and quickly. Train with professional CFI’s at world famous Dockweiler Beach training slopes (5 minutes from LA airport.) Fly winter or summer in gentle coastal winds, soft sand and in a thorough program with one of America’s most prestigious schools for over 25 years.

––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– COLORADO ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– AIRTIME ABOVE HANG GLIDING — Full-time lessons, sales, service. Colorado’s most experienced!

Wills Wing, Moyes, Altair, Aeros, Airwave, High Energy, Ball, Flytec, Flight Connections and much more. Call (303) 674-2451, Evergreen, Colorado AirtimeHG@aol.com ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– CONNECTICUT ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– MOUNTAIN WINGS — Look under New York.

––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– FLORIDA –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

50+ NICE demos to fly: Topless to Trainer Gliders: Laminar, Moyes, Wills, Airborne, Airwave, Exxtacy, La Mouette, Sensor; also harnesses, varios, etc.

Ages 13 To 73 have learned to fly here.

No one comes close to our level of experience and success with tandem aerotow instruction.

A GREAT SCENE FOR FAMILY AND FRIENDS...

10 motels & restaurants within 5 mins., camping, hot showers, shade trees, sales, storage, ratings, XC retrievals, great weather, climbing wall, trampoline, DSS TV, ping pong, picnic tables, swimming pool, etc.

Flights of over 200 miles and more than 7 hours.

Articles in Hang Gliding, Kitplanes, Skywings, Cross Country and others. Featured on numerous TV shows, including Dateline NBC, The Discovery Channel & ESPN.

Visit us on the Web: http://www.wallaby.com Please call us for references and video.

1805 Dean Still Road, Disney Area, FL 33837 (863) 424-0070 - phone & fax 18265 E. State Road 80, Clewiston FL. (863) 805-0440, www.thefloridaridge.com ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN FLIGHT PARK — See ad under Georgia. Nearest mountain training center to Orlando (only 8 hours).

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T H E B E S T A E ROTOW — I n s t r u c t i o n available. The only U.S. hang gliding school with T WO N AT I O N A L CHAMPION INSTRUCTORS and U.S. WORLD TEAM M E M B E R S B o H a g ewo o d 2 0 0 0 N a t i o n a l Champion And Paris Williams 2001 National Champion. From your first tandem to advanced X-C racing instruction. Open every day with beautiful remodeled 90+ acre facilities. Plenty of other activities like our screened in pool, hot tub, private lake, canoes, fishing, volleyball and just minutes from Orlando attractions. Learn from the best.... at Quest! www.questairforce.com Email: questair@sundial.net (352) 429-0213 Groveland, FL ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

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fly@wallaby.com 1-800-WALLABY Conservative • Reliable • State of the Art F.H.G. INC./FLYING FLORIDA SINCE 1974 Malcolm Jones, Laurie Croft, Carlos Bessa, Rhett Radford, Tiki Mashy, Jeremie Hill, Tom Ramseur, Roger Sherrod, Mike Barber, Neal Harris, Bart Weghorst, Carolina de Castro, Paul Moncure, Bob McFee, Emily Boespflug –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

NO MORE BUNNY… THE HILL WITH IT!

WE HAVE — The most advanced training program known to hang gliding, teaching you in half the time it takes on the training-BUNNY HILL, and with more in-flight air time. For year-round training fun in the sun, call or write Miami Hang Gliding (305) 285-8978. 2550 S Bayshore Drive, Coconut Grove, Florida 33133.

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––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– GEORGIA –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

Lookout Mtn. GA/TN FULL HOOK-UPS — Laundry, propane, recreation room. 1-800-803-7788.

––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN FLIGHT PARK — See our display ad. Discover why FOUR TIMES as many pilots earn their wings at Lookout than at any other school!We wrote USHGA’s OfficialTraining Manual. Our specialty-customer satisfaction and fun with the BEST FACILITIES, largest inventory, camping, swimming, volleyball, more! For a flying trip, intro flight or lesson packages, Lookout Mountain, just outside Chattanooga, your COMPLETE training/service center. Info? (800) 688-LMFP. ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– HAWAII –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

BIRDS IN PARADISE — Hang gliding & ultralight flying on Kauai.

Certified tandem instruction. (808) 822-5309 or (808) 6391067, birds@birdsinparadise.com www.birdsinparadise.com ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– IDAHO ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– KING MOUNTAIN GLIDERS — Alluring site plus shop supplying all your HG/PG needs. Instruction, equipment sales, complete accessories. Visit our website www.kingmountaingliders.com or (208) 554-2224.

––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– ILLINOIS ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– HANG GLIDE CHICAGO — Full service aeropark, 2 tow planes. Full time certified instructors, ultralight instructors, East Coast record 213 miles. (815) 495-2212, www.hangglidechicago.com ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– RAVEN SKY SPORTS — (312) 360-0700, (815) 489-9700 or (262) 473-8800. 2 hours from Chicago, 90 minutes from Elgin, Palatine or Libertyville.The best instructors, the best equipment, the best results in the Midwest. 7 days/week, March thru November.Training program for combined/integrated FOOT LAUNCH AND AEROTOW certification. Apply 100% of your intro lesson costs to certification program upgrade! Please see our ad under WISCONSIN. info@hanggliding.com ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– INDIANA ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– RAVEN SKY SPORTS — (262) 473-8800. Please see our ad under Wisconsin. info@hanggliding.com –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– MARYLAND –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

Baltimore and DC’s full time flight park Tandem instruction, solo aerotows and equipment sales and service.

We carry Aeros, Airwave, Flight Design, Moyes, Wills Wing, High Energy Sports, Flytec and more.

Two 115 HP Dragonfly tugs Open fields as far as you can see Only 1 to 1.5 hours from: Rehoboth Beach Baltimore Washington DC Philadelphia Come Fly with US! Ph 410.634.2700 Fax 410.634.2775 24038 Race Track Rd Ridgely, MD 21660 www.aerosports.net hangglide@aerosports.net ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– MEXICO ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– MEXICO — Year-round, summer in Monterrey, winter inValle de Bravo. 1-800-861-7198, www.flymexico.com ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– MICHIGAN ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– CLOUD 9 SPORT AVIATION — Aerotow specialists. We carry all major brand hang gliders. FREE PVC glider storage/ transport tube with new glider purchase. Now in stock:Wills TALON COMP!, XC 155, Falcons; Moyes Litespeed 4, Sonic 165; Magic Kiss 154. Outrigger wheels and other accessories in stock. Call for spring tandem lessons and flying appointments with the DraachenFliegen Soaring Club at Cloud 9 Field. 11088 Coon Lake Road West, Webberville, MI 48892. (517) 2238683. Cloud9sa@aol.com. http://members.aol.com/cloud9sa ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– MICHIGAN SOARING — Delivering VALUE with the best combination of SERVICE, QUALITY & PRICE. ALL major brands of gliders and gear. Call Doug Coster (231) 882-4744, wingman@traverse.com ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– TRAVERSE CITY HANG GLIDERS/PARAGLIDERS — FULL-TIME SHOP. Certified instruction, foot launch and tow. Sales, service, accessories for ALL major brands. VISA/ MASTERCARD. Come soar our 450’ dunes! 1509 E 8th, Traverse City MI 49684. Offering powered paragliding lessons & dealer for the Explorer & used units. Call Bill at (231) 9222844, tchangglider@chartermi.net.Visit our paragliding school in Jackson,Wyoming. Call Tracie at (307) 739-8620.

––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– MINNESOTA ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– RAVEN SKY SPORTS — (612) 340-1800 or (262) 473-8800.

Please see our ad under WISCONSIN. ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– NEVADA ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– ADVENTURE SPORTS — Carson City, Sierra tours, tandems, sales. (775) 883-7070 http://home.pyramid.net/advspts –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

June 2002

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––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– LAS VEGAS AIRSPORTS — USHGA certified hang gliding instruction. Sales and service, boat tow, mountain soaring, XC. (702) 260-7950, www.fly101.com ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– NEW JERSEY ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– MOUNTAIN WINGS — Look under New York.

––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– NEW YORK ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– AAA FLIGHT SCHOOL — MOUNTAIN WINGS INC.Your full service Pro Shop serving the North East.We sell and service all the best brands. www.mtnwings.com mtnwings@catskill.net 150 Canal Street, Ellenville, NewYork 12428 V-MITTS $25.00 Paragliding, Ultralights, Towing. (845) 647-3377 ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– AIR SPORTS USA — NYC’s first and only certified hang gliding, paragliding, microlights (trikes), powered paragliding.

Distributors for Avian. Dealers for most major brands. Full service and equipment at best prices.The most friendly service in the area. Store address: 29 31 Newtown Ave., Astoria NY. Phone (718) 777-7000, WWW.FLYFORFUN.NET ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– FLY HIGH HANG GLIDING, INC. — Serving S. New York, Connecticut, Jersey areas. Area’s EXCLUSIVE Wills Wing dealer/specialist. Also all other major brands, accessories.

Certified school/instruction.Teaching since 1979.Area’s most INEXPENSIVE prices. Excellent secondary instruction...if you’ve started a program and wish to continue. Fly the mountain! Towing! Tandem flights! Contact Paul Voight, 5163 Searsville Rd, Pine Bush, NY 12566, (845) 744-3317.

––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– SUSQUEHANNA FLIGHT PARK — Cooperstown, NY. Certified Instruction,Sales and Service for all major manufacturers.

40 acre park, 5 training hills, jeep rides, bunk house, camping, hot showers, 600' NW ridge.We have the best facilities in N. New York state to teach you how to fly. c/o Dan Guido, Box 293 Shoemaker Rd, Mohawk NY 13407, (315) 866-6153.

––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– NORTH CAROLINA –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

Kitty Hawk Kites Flight Park

Fly At The Beach!

• TANDEM INSTRUCTION ––––––––– • AEROTOWING • BOAT TOWING –––––––––––––––– • BEACH RESORT • TRAINING CAMPS ––––––––––––– • FOOT LAUNCH • OPEN YEAR ROUND –––––––––––– • PARAGLIDING • EQUIPMENT SALES AND SERVICE

(800) 334-4777 NAGS HEAD, NC Internet Address: http://www.kittyhawk.com E-Mail Address: info@kittyhawk.com –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

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––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– PENNSYLVANIA ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– HIGHLAND AEROSPORTS — See Maryland.

––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– MOUNTAIN TOP RECREATION — Certified instruction, Pittsburgh. (412) 767-4882. C’MON OUT AND PLAY! ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– MOUNTAIN WINGS — Look under New York.

––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– PUERTO RICO ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– FLY PUERTO RICO — Team Spirit Hang Gliding, HG classes daily, tandem instruction available. Wills Wing dealer.

Glider rentals for qualified pilots. PO Box 978, Punta Santiago, Puerto Rico 00741. (787) 850-0508, tshg@coqui.net ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– TENNESSEE ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN FLIGHT PARK — See ad under Georgia.

––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– TEXAS –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

• SEASONAL OPERATIONS (JUN-NOV) • EXCELLENT XC FLYING • TANDEM INSTRUCTION • AERO TOWING • DRAGONFLY/TRIKE INSTRUCTION • INTRO FOOT LAUNCH CLASSES • FLY-INS AND CLINICS • SALES AND SERVICE • 600-ACRE FACILITY • ALL FLYING BY RESERVATION ONLY Steve Burns - 979.279.9382 email: sburns@alpha1.net 800B Pine St., Hearne TX 77859 Fred Burns - 281.471.1488 email: austinair@aol.com 3810 Bonita Lane, La Porte TX 77571 WWW.AUSTINAIRSPORTS.COM ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– GO...HANG GLIDING!!! — Jeff Hunt. Austin ph/fax (512) 467-2529 jeff@flytexas.com www.flytexas.com –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– ` HILL COUNTRY PARAGLIDING INC — Learn complete pilot skills. Personalized USHGA certified training, ridge soaring, foot and tow launching in central Texas.

MOTORIZED PARAGLIDING INSTRUCTION & EQUIPMENT AVAILABLE. (915) 379-1185. 1475 CR 220, Tow, TX 78672 ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– KITE ENTERPRISES — Slope, stationary winch, platform launch and aerotow training, sales, rentals and repair. Wills Wing, Moyes, Northwings. Dallas, Fort Wor th and nor th Texas area. (972) 390-9090, www.kite-enterprises.com.

––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– UTAH ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– WASATCH WINGS — Utah’s only full service hang gliding school, Point of the Mountain, regional mountain sites, towing. Dealer for Aeros, Airwave, Altair, Moyes, Wills Wings and much more.

Call Zac (801) 244-7494, wings@wasatch.com www.wasatch.com/~wings –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

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––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– VIRGINIA –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

BLUE SKY — Fulltime instruction and service at Manquin Flight Park near Richmond. Wills Wing, Moyes, Flight Design, Aeros and Airwave gliders.

Mid-Atlantic Mosquito dealer.

Steve Wendt (540) 432-6557 or(804) 241-4324, www.blueskyhg.com, blueskyhg@yahoo.com ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– HIGHLAND AEROSPORTS — See Maryland.

––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– KITTY HAWK KITES — See North Carolina.

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FLY AT VIRGINIA’S NEWEST TOTAL FLIGHT PARK — MANQUIN offers aerotowing, tandem lessons, platform truck towing, training hill and scooter towing for beginner thru advanced pilots. Certified instruction, glider equipment sales, service and repair through “BLUE SKY” Virginia’s leading hang gliding school.

Try 3-axis flying with certified ultralight instruction through “FLY RAWLING”, learn to fly and soar the SuperFloater.

Just 2 hours south of Washington DC, minutes NE of Richmond. Free camping and close to fast food, restaurants and Kings Dominion theme park.

Visit www.blueskyhg.com.

(540) 432-6557 ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– SILVER WINGS, INC. — Certified instruction and equipment sales. (703) 533-1965 Arlington VA, silverwingshanggliding.com ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– WASHINGTON ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– HANGTIME — Dealer of the MOSQUITO powered harnesses. Call for CLINIC dates. Right here in the Pacific Northwest. (509) 525-3574, lbbrown@bmi.net ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– WISCONSIN ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– R AV E N S K Y S P O RT S H A N G G L I D I N G A N D PARAGLIDING — The Midwest’s Premier aerotow flight park, founded in 1992. Featuring INTEGRATED INSTRUCTION of foot-launch and aerotow tandem skills, at package prices to beat any in the USA. Seven beautiful, grassy training hills facing all wind directions. Four Dragonfly tow planes, n o w a i t i n g ! Fo u r t a n d e m g l i d e r s o n w h e e l e d undercarriages. WW Falcons for training from the v e r y f i r s t l e s s o n s . U S UA u l t r a l i g h t a n d t u g instruction. Free camping. Sales/service/accessories for all brands. Open 7 days a week, March thru November. Contact Brad Kushner, PO Box 101, Whitewater WI 53190 (262) 473-8800 phone, (262) 473-8801 fax, www.hanggliding.com, info@hanggliding.com –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

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June 2002

––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– PARTS & ACCESSORIES ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– AV8 — LAMINAR PARTS. We have what you need and we are committed to same day shipping. AV8. Call (760) 721-0701 or email at indasky@yahoo.com ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– BRAUNIGER IQ BASIS VARIO — Never used, $300 OBO. Kenwood TH-22AT Radio, like new $200 OBO. Erika or Jeff (307) 734-4450, erikaboggs@yahoo.com –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

• ORDER ONLINE AND SAVE • SUMMER SPECIAL $99.95 - Free Express S&H • Water/Dust Resistant Push Button • Field Replaceable Finger Switch • Heavier Gauge Wire/Improved Plugs • Increased Strain Relief at ALL Joints Extra finger switch $19.95 w/purchase. Dealer inquiries welcome. Call (785) 843-1842. MC/Visa.

Visit our website at www.flightconn.com, mikedillon@flightconn.com ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– FOR ALL YOUR FLYING NEEDS — Check out t h e A v i a t i o n D e p o t a t w w w. m o j o s g e a r. c o m featuring over 1000 items for foot-launched and powered paragliding, hang gliding, stunt and power kiting, and powered parachutes. 24/7 secure online shopping. Books, videos, KITES, gifts, engine parts, harness accessories, electronics, clothing, safety equipment, complete powered paragliding units with training fromHill Countr y Paragliding Inc. www.hillcountryparagliding.com 1-800-664-1160 for orders only.

Office (915) 379-1567.

————————————————————— GHOSTBUSTER PARTS — Sail, flaps, spoilers, ribs, hardware, wires, everything but the leading edges. (970) 641-9207, skyout1@webtv.net –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

DOUBLE BAG! — XC $60., heavy waterproof $100.

Harnesses, accessories, used parts. Low prices, fast delivery! Gunnison Gliders, 1549 County Road 17, Gunnison CO 81230. (970) 641-9315, orders 1-866-238-2305 http://gunnisongliders.com/ –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

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––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– HANG GLIDING BOAT — For sale, see at www.fly101.com. (702) 260-7950.

––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– KLASSIC OR CONCEPT WINGLETS — One pair left, brand new in box $350 OBO or trade for?

(262) 473-8800 info@hanggliding.com –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

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HAWK AIRSPORTS INC — P.O. Box 9056, Knoxville, TN 37940-0056, (865) 945-2625.World famous Windsoks, as seen at the Oshkosh & Sun-N-Fun EAA Fly-Ins. Hawk@windsok.com, www.windsok.com –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

MINI VARIO — World’s smallest, simplest vario! Clips to helmet or chinstrap. 200 hours on batteries, 0-18,000 ft., fast response and 2 year warranty. ONLY $169. Mallettec, PO Box 15756, Santa Ana CA, 92735. (714) 966-1240 MC/Visa accepted, www.mallettec.com –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

The world-class XCR-180 operates up to 3 hours @18,000 ft. and weighs only 4lb. Complete kit with cylinder, harness, regulator, cannula and remote on/off flowmeter, only $400.00.

––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– SPECTACULAR TROPHIES — Awards & gifts!

Free catalog. Soaring Dreams (208) 376-7914, Zoolisa@aol.com ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– TEK FLIGHT PRODUCTS

Camera mount $48.50. Camera remote (ask about rebate) $45. Vario mount $23. 6" wheels $29.75, 8" wheels $34.75, Add $4 S&H per (US) included. TEK FLIGHT Products, Colebrook Stage,Winsted CT 06098. Or call (860) 379-1668.

Email: tek@snet.net or our page: www.tekflight.com ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

DON’T GET CAUGHT LANDING DOWNWIND! — 1.5 oz. ripstop nylon, UV treated, 5’4" long w/11" throat.

Available colors fluorescent pink/yellow or fluorescent pink/white. $39.95 (+$5.00 S/H). Send to USHGA Windsok, P.O. Box 1330, Colorado Springs, CO 809011330, (719) 632-8300, fax (719) 632-6417, ushga@ushga.org VISA/MC accepted.

––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– BUSINESS & EMPLOYMENT ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– HANG GLIDER INSTRUCTORS — Needed /wanted.

Also needed: tandem instructors, sales people, trike i n s t r u c t o r s . S p e n d t h e s u m m e r i n N ew Yo r k .

Mountain Wings Inc., mtnwings@catskill.net (845) 647-3377.

––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– PUBLICATIONS & ORGANIZATIONS –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

THE ART OF PARAGLIDING — By Dennis Pagen.

HOT OFF THE PRESS!!! Step by step training, ground handling, soaring, avoiding dangers, and much much m o re . 2 7 4 p a g e s , 2 4 8 i l l u s t r a t i o n s . T h e m o s t complete manual about paragliding on the market. $34.95 +$5.00 s/h. USHGA, PO Box 1330, Colorado Springs CO 80901. (719) 632-8300, fax your MC/ Visa/Amex to (719) 632-6417, www.ushga.org, ushga@ushga.org –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

June 2002

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FLY THE WING! Hooking Into Hang Gliding, by Len Holms.This is the perfect book for those curioous about the sport of hang gliding. Written at a level which will not swamp the reader with daunting amouonts of technical detail, you will learn about hang glider wings and the skills needed to fly them.

84 pages with photos and illustrations. $12.95 (+ $5 S&H for UPS/Priority Mail delivery).

USHGA, PO Box 1330, Colorado Springs, CO 80901.

1-800-616-6888 www.ushga.org –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

BAG IT! — If you don’t have your copy of Dennis Pagen’s PERFORMANCE FLYING yet, available through USHGA Headquarters $29.95 (+$5.50 s&h for UPS/Priority Mail delivery).

USHGA, PO Box 1330,Colorado Springs CO 80901.

1-800-616-6888 www.ushga.org ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– *NEW* PARAGLIDING INSTRUCTOR’S MANUAL — By Dennis Pagen, available through USHGA. Covers: Learning to teach/Teaching to learn; school organization; teaching beginners; teaching novice; weather considerations and much more. 140 pages packed with illustrations. $15.00 +$5 s/h.

USHGA, PO Box 1330, Colorado Springs CO 80901.

(719) 632-8300, fax your MC/Visa/Amex to; (719) 632-6417 www.ushga.org, ushga@ushga.org ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– SOARING — Monthly magazine of The Soaring Society of America, Inc. Covers all aspects of soaring flight. Full membership $55. Info. kit with sample copy $3.

SSA, P.O. Box 2100 Hobbs, NM 88241.

(505) 392-1177.

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HARRY AND THE HANG GLIDER is a beautifully illustrated, hardcover children’s book with 40 color pages written for pilots to share the dream of flight! To order: send $24.95 plus $3 shipping to; SkyHigh Publishing, 201 N. Tyndall, Tucson, AZ 85719 or call (520) 628-8165 or visit http://www.flash.net/~skyhipub Visa/MC accepted.

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Otto Lilienthal’s genius in scientific observations and analysis, documented in this work, became the basis for the experimentation of the early pioneers in aviational flight. The “hero” of the Wright brothers, Otto is considered to be “The Father of Gliding Flight.”

Lilienthal’s definitive book has been out of print for almost a century, but is now available to everyone for a wonderful and absorbing journey into aviational history. 176 pages, 16 photographs, 89 drawings and 14 graphs. $19.95 (+$5 s/h) Call USHGA 1-800-6166888, or order off our website www.ushga.org ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– TOWING ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– AEROTOWING ACCESSORIES — Headquar ters f o r : T h e f i n e s t re l e a s e s , s e c o n d a r y re l e a s e s , Spectra “V” bridles, weak links, tandem wheels, l a u n c h c a r t k i t s , e t c . T H E WA L L A B Y R A N C H (863) 424-0070.

––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– DRAGONFLY B-MODEL KIT — Built by Bobby Bailey $13,600. Rotax 582 fitted and plumbed radiator, exhaust $6,626. Electric start, 6 blade Ivo prop with clutch $1,100. Rear seat and controls $1,250. Brake kit installed $250. BRS 900 VLS $2,595.

Instrument pack: Alt, ASI, Tacho, temp gauges, Hobbs $1,017. Painted one color $1,200. Tow system $375.

Total $28,013. A 50% deposit is required. Bobby Bailey can be available for basic training after completion. Kenny Brown/Moyes America, 200 Hillcrest Drive, Auburn CA 95603, (530) 888- 8622, f a x ( 5 3 0 ) 8 8 8 - 8 7 0 8 , f l y a m oye s @ a o l . c o m , www.moyesamerica.com ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

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–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– VIDEOS & FILMS –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

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WEATHER TO FLY, by Adventure Productions. A much needed instructional video on meteorology.

Dixon White, Master pilot and USHGA Examiner, takes you through a simple step-by-step process showing where to acquire weather data and how to interpret it. This video will help pilots of any aircraft understand more about modeling and forecasting.

You’ll learn about regional and local influences and how to determine winds aloft and stability. “Weather To Fly” is an over-all view packed with useful details and includes great cloud footage. It is a straightforward presentation that is easy to follow. 50 min. $39.95 *NEW* SPEED TO FLY with Jockey Anderson. A complete video guide to cross country paragliding.

Great air-to-air and in-board footage with Jockey as he takes you around the world, providing flying tips and interviewing the top pilots. Covers thermaling, decision making, competition flying and speed to fly.

70 minutes $39.95 *NEW* A HIGHER C ALLING by Dawn Treader Productions. Winner “People’s Choice Award” at the Banff Mountain Film Festival 2000. A story of six friends attempting to fly cross country together as a group through western Nepal, where finding launches & landings becomes a daily routine. Become immersed into the Nepal culture upon every landing.

Superb editing. 45 minutes $32.95 –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

“AEROBATICS” — Full color 23"x 31" poster featuring John Heiney doing what he does best-LOOPING! Available through USHGA HQ for just $6.95 (+$5.00 s/h). Fill that void on your wall! Send to USHGA Aerobatics Poster, PO Box 1300, Colorado Springs CO 80933. (USA & Canada only. Sorry, posters are NOT AVAILABLE on international orders.) SPECIALAerobatics poster & Eric Raymond poster-BOTH FOR $10 (+$5 s/h). Check the merchandise section of our web site www.ushga.org for a color picture of these beautiful posters.

––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING RATES The rate for classified advertising is $.50 per word (or group of characters) and $1.00 per word for bold or all caps.

MINIMUM AD CHARGE $5.00. A fee of $15.00 is charged for each line art logo and $25.00 for each photo. LINEART & PHOTO SIZE NO LARGER THAN 1.75" X 2.25". Please underline words to be in bold print. Special layouts of tabs $25.00 per column inch.

P h o n e n u m b e r = 2 wo rd s . E m a i l o r we b address=3words. AD DEADLINES: All ad copy, instructions, changes, additions and cancellations must be received in writing 2 months preceding the cover date, i.e. February 1st for the April issue. Please make checks payable to USHGA, P.O. Box 1330, Colorado Springs, CO 80901-1330, (719) 632-8300. Fax (719) 632-6417 or email: ushga@ushga.org your classified with your Visa/MC or Amex.

Index to Advertisers

From the Telluride Festival in 1981, to the modern day freestyle competition. Follow the history of this dynamic gathering. $24.95 Call USHGA (719) 632-8300, fax (719) 632-6417, order from our web site www.ushga.org.

Please add +$4 domestic s/h.

––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– MISCELLANEOUS ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– FLY BEAUTIFUL CHELAN BUTTE — Furnished log home in Chelan, owned by P3 pilot, $800/wk or $2,400/mo. Up to 8 people. Call or write for details or reservations.

(509) 682-4679 or specker5@aol.com ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– MULTI FUNCTIONAL KEY RING — Help-seeking signal, flashlight, detecting illegal sur veillance , distinguishing counterfeit bills. Useful, convenient and inexpensive 425. (801) 808-0146.

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June 2002

Adventure Productions........... 23 Airborne ................................ 15 Attack Tubes .......................... 11 Fex America ........................... 13 Flytec USA............... Back Cover Hall Brothers ......................... 14 Just Fly....................... 12, 14, 23 Lookout Mt. .................... 15, 21 Mojo’s Gear.............................. 9 Moyes .................................... 39 Northwing ............................. 18 Sport Aviation Pub. ................ 31 Traverse City .......................... 21 US Aeros ................................ 31 USHGA................ Various Pages Wills Wing ... Inside Front Cover

USHGA MERCHANDISE ORDER FORM CALENDARS

USHGA 2002 CALENDAR - Outstanding photography. Check one HG PG CLEARANCE!.....1lb

PRICE $ 5.00

QTY Total Weight TOTAL ____ ______ $________

$12.95 $24.95 $19.95 $29.95 $29.95 $29.95 $29.95 $24.95 $15.00 $34.95 $19.95 $ 8.95 $10.95 $ 9.95 $ 6.50 $ 2.95

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PUBLICATIONS

NEW-FLY THE WING! By Len Holmes. Great intro hg book for those interested in the sport..............lb NEW-HANG GLIDING SPECTACULAR 70 great flying stories, over 250 pages, w/comp CD .......1lb BIRDFLIGHT: As the Basis of Aviation. Otto Lilienthal s flight documentation a century ago..............1lb HANG GLIDING FOR BEGINNER PILOTS by Peter Cheney. Official Training Manual.250pgs. ........2lb TOWING ALOFT by Dennis Pagen/Bill Bryden. Covers ALL aspects of towing. 372 pgs......................3lb HANG GLIDING TRAINING MANUAL by Dennis Pagen For the beginner/novice pilot. 350 pgs........2lb PERFORMANCE FLYING by Dennis Pagen. For the Intermediate-Advanced pilots. 340 pgs. ............3lb UNDERSTANDING THE SKY by Dennis Pagen. THE most complete book on micrometerology.......2lb INSTRUCTOR’S MANUAL by Dennis Pagen, used in IP’s. Illustrated. Check one HG PG.........2lb THE ART OF PARAGLIDING by Dennis Pagen *NEW *. Covers ALL aspects. 274 pgs. ................3lb PARAGLIDING-A PILOT’S TRAINING MANUAL by Mike Meier/Wills Wing. Covers all aspects...2lb RIGHT STUFF FOR NEW HG PILOTS by Erik Fair. Reprints of Erik’s HG column. Classic.............1lb DOWNWIND by Larry Fleming. Share the experience of over 20 years of hg flight. ...............................1lb A RISK MGMT MANUAL by M. Robertson. Includes Charts/Reliability. Become a better pilot!..........1lb DELUXE FLIGHT LOG BOOK 4.25 x 7 68+ pages. Log over 270 flights. .........................................3oz FLIGHT LOG BOOK The Official USHGA flight log book. 40 pages. Log those flights! ......................2oz

______ ______ ______ ______ ______ ______ ______ ______ ______ ______ ______ ______ ______ ______ ______ ______

$________ $________ $________ $________ $________ $________ $________ $________ $________ $________ $________ $________ $________ $________ $________ $________

VIDEOS All our videos are in USA/VHS NTSC format.

TO FLY: SPECIAL PROMOTIONAL VIDEO. Check one HG (10 min) PG (7 min) ...........1lb $ 9.95 ____ ______ WEATHER TO FLY Dixon White educates us on this very important subject. (50 min) .......................1lb $39.95 ____ ______ SPEED GLIDING: TEAR UP THE SKIES Great camera angles & animation. (24 min).......................1lb $24.95 ____ ______ STARTING HANG GLIDING Basic preparation, attitude & what to expect. (30min) ..............................1lb $29.95 ____ ______ DUST DEVILS Fly with the Women s World Hang Gliding Team in Chelan, WA. (24 min).................1lb $19.95 ____ ______ PARTY AT CLOUDBASE A hang gliding music video, set to hard driving music. (20 min) .................1lb $19.95 ____ ______ TELLURIDE AEROBATICS Follow the dynamic history of this event, from "81-95". (50 min). ..........1lb $24.95 ____ ______ BORN TO FLY HG action. Meet Larry Tudor & Green team, fly Owens, Sandia, etc. (50 min)............1lb $34.95 ____ ______ HANG GLIDING EXTREME Fly spectacular sites in the US. Meet the top pilots. (50 min)..................1lb $34.95 ____ ______ SPEED TO FLY World tour instructional video on XC PG flying techniques & tips. (70 min).............1lb $39.95 ____ ______ GROUND HANDLING & The Art of Kiting PG Instructional. Learn techniques & tips. (44 min) ...........1lb $36.95 ____ ______ A HIGHER CALLING Superb paragliding XC adventure in Nepal. Excellent editing. (45min)..............1lb $32.95 ____ ______ THE PERFECT MOUNTAIN Spans the globe for the quintessential paragliding site. (44 min) ............1lb $36.95 ____ ______ BALI HIGH Exotic paragliding adventures in Indonesia. (38 min) .............................................................1lb $29.95 ____ ______ STARTING PARAGLIDING Basic preparation, attitude & what to expect. (30min)...............................1lb $29.95 ____ ______ MASTERS AT CLOUDBASE A paragliding music video, set to hard hitting music. (20 min) ..............1lb $19.95 ____ ______ FLY HARD Rob Whittal & C. Santacroce paraglide the westcoast. Rock soundtrack. (36 min). ..........1lb $35.95 ____ ______ CLOUDBASE PARAGLIDING Great intro. video. Meet the hot pilots, fly the hot sites. (36 min) .........1lb $34.95 ____ ______ All our videos are in USA/VHS NTSC format only.

$________ $________ $________ $________ $________ $________ $________ $________ $________ $________ $________ $________ $________ $________ $________ $________ $________ $________

MISC.

WINDSOKTM 1.5 oz. ripstop nylon, 5’4" long w/11" throat. Pink/yellow or pink/white ...................2lb $39.95 ____ ______ $________ ZING WING Flying toy. Launch it skyward and watch is soar. .............................................................8oz $ 2.50 ____ ______ $________ RED/WHITE/BLUE DECAL Two color on white vinyl, UV coated. Check one HG PG ..............1oz $ 1.00 ____ ______ $________ LAPEL PIN Two color enamel. Check one HG PG .............................................................2oz $ 2.95 ____ ______ $________ USHGA EMBLEM DECAL Our original logo, in its original colors, on a 3" circular sticker................1oz $ .50 ____ ______ $________ LICENSE PLATE FRAME: I’d Rather Be Hang Gliding or I’d Rather Be Paragliding ..............1lb $ 6.50 ____ ______ $________ PAYMENT must be included with your order.

NON-USA orders must be in U.S. FUNDS drawn on a U.S. BANK! SUBTOTAL WEIGHT (for shipping) ______ --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SHIPPING (USA)

CHARGE MY VISA /MC/AMEX

SUBTOTAL $___________

Up to 2 LBS ADD $5.00 2.1-4 LBS .. ADD $6.00 Acct#_______________________ Colorado residents add 3% tax $___________ 4.1-6 LBS .. ADD $6.50 6.1-8 LBS .. ADD $7.00 expires___________________ Shipping (see chart) $___________ 8.1-10 LBS .ADD $8.00 Over 10 LB..Call/fax/email signature________________________________ TOTAL $___________ NON-USA SHIPPING-Call/fax/email Email____________________ Send To: ___________________________________________________USHGA #___________ Phone_____________________ Street Address (if possible)_________________________________________________________________________________

United States Hang Gliding Assn., PO Box 1330, Colorado Springs CO 80901-1330 (719) 632-8300 1-800-616-6888 www.ushga.org fax (719) 632-6417 email: ushga@ushga.org

BE SURE TO CHECK OUT OUR NEW APPAREL AT WWW.USHGA.ORG June 2002

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ST. PAUL, MINN. — Wallaby’s Open started the season with a bang. While wet spring weather brought challenges, four valid rounds left Ukrainian Oleg Bondarchuk as the winner of the flex-wing class class, beating Italian Manfred Ruhmer and Yankee Paris Williams in a field of 72 pilots. Mike Barber (6th), Chris Arai (10th), Jim Lee (17th), and Curt Warren (18th) were among Americans in the top 20 finishers. ◆ For rigid wings now grouped in Class 5, Alex Ploner held his title, taking first over fellow Italian Christian Ciech. Top Yankees were Bruce Barmakian, Davis Straub, Campbell Bowen, and Heiner Biesel in 4th through 7th respectively. This class saw the ATOS dominating with 63% of the field, Ghostbusters at 13% and five other models in the field of 24 Class 5 rigids. ◆ Brian Porter again won in Class 2 rigid wings flying his Swift, though he competed only against Brit’ Robin Hamilton in another Swift. The tiny class will take on new meaning as it was reported that Manfred Ruhmer will fly Hamilton’s Swift instead of his Laminar in the Quest meet beginning as this column was submitted. ••• From a total of 98 competitors, 16 countries were represented in a display not unlike the World Meet.

Team USA was far out in front with 58% of the field, followed by Great Britain at 8%, Austria at 7%, and Brazil at 5%. ••• Looking at the assortment of glider brands flown in the flex wing division, we see Wills Wing making a strong recovery from prioryear contests with a second-place 26% of the Wallaby field. Moyes barely led with 29%, and the two leaders were trailed by Icaro, down to 18% from stronger representation in years past. Next came Aeros, barely behind at 17%, followed by AirBorne (4%), La Mouette (3%), Avian, and Solar Wings (1% each). ••• Wills Wing not only had a good turnout of contest flyers, they also revealed their latest prototype Talon with one of the cleverest ideas I’ve seen in a while. WWVariable Reflex brand unveiled their “Variable Reflex” technology on the latest Talon prototypes. To operate their VR system, a line runs from leading edge to trailing edge on the upper surface. As you tighten the VG system (which functions inside the sail, of course), you tighten these reflex lines and draw the flexible aft rib upwards. It can be varied to suit different levels of VG-on racing or off completely, returning the wing to its familiar undercambered shape. Wills’ VR system allows a lower sprog setting and puts the trailing edge to work on a topless glider somewhat like luff lines do on kingposted models. The function was easily — and stunningly — evident on a glider with a clear top sail. ••• WW-brand has also come out with an updated edition of the Falcon Falcon, a version 2.0 (borrowing a term from the computer industry). Enjoyed by experienced pilots too, the

new Falcon 2.0 has a Mylar leading edge pocket, spring tip battens, 7075 material in all ribs, a new sail cut, and a price just over $3,000. Wills says Falcon 2.0 has a reduced stall speed, enhanced stall characteristics with more gradual air flow separation, decreased sink rates, and better handling.

You can fly fully pushed out on the Falcon 2.0 because it retains control nearly at stall speed. Wills says it has delivered 2,000 of the Falcon model, first introduced in 1994. Fv2.0 is available in four sizes as was its predecessor: 140, 170, 195, and 225. ◆ Focusing on flight school operators, the Orange, California company also reported that their 225 Falcon is now available in two models. A solo model has a smaller control bar and a two-place tandem glider can be fitted with big wheels wheels… three of them to hold the glider and two pilots clear of the ground. In the future Wills Wing will reportedly sell the whole tandem tow package with the wheels and extra boom for the back wheel. FMI: 714-998-6359 or check their website at willswing.com. ••• Not to be outdone, Aeros brought their new Stalker 22, which was warmly received. The rigid entry has a new tip treatment invoking a fairly tall, outward-leaning winglet winglet. Many advanced aircraft use winglets for performance enhancement, though they appear to give a marketing edge as well. Reports are starting to come in regarding flight characteristics. For those of you with older Stalkers, take heart in the word that most “upgrades” on the 2 model can retrofit to the first edition. FMI: justfly.com. ••• Felix Ruehle Ruehle, designer of the ATOS and boss of producer A.I.R. showed up at Wallaby with the first wheelpantfaired hang glider wheels I’ve seen. Actually, a tandem set of wheels (that’s one-behind-the-other tandem, not “tandem” as in two-place hang gliding), the wheels are small and fit neatly in a thin fairing. A couple of years back, Felix injured his knee and he has concerns about landing in light winds.

••• As this issue went to press, Oleg Bondarchuk was leading the gang at Quest. In addition, Manfred Ruhmer was getting used to flying the Swift and his times have been improving. It appears Brian Porter will get the contest he was hoping for and that more attention will be focused on the “ultralight sailplane” class of hang gliders. ◆ However, it ain’t over till it’s over, so we’ll have to wait until next month to see how Quest turned out. Those who want the scores more quickly can go to Flytec.com, although the results from the first couple of days had not been posted at the time this column was turned in to the editor. ••• So, got news or opinions? Send ‘em to: 8 Dorset, St. Paul MN 55118. Messages or fax to 651-450-0930. Send e-mail to: News@ByDanJohnson.com THANKS !

THANKS!

Torrey Pines - photo by John Heiney

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