USHGA Hang Gliding & Paragliding Vol33/Iss10 October 2003

Volume 33 Issue 10 October, 2003 $4.95

A P u b l i c a t i o n o f t h e U n i t e d S t a t e s H a n g G l i d i n g A s s o c i a t i o n • w w w. u s h g a . o r g

cn~at iv e design er '5i11ce

7

bh;igi".1 r

'.·.

~~--

.

--

rd

~~

"

·;,-.,,', ,., .. ,,,.,. } ' .. .

._

.,,, .

~

~

~

6L fil10ER5r Us.A - ,u

Ll _,ging'II

om

~• 'fJ.'I(' ~

,Ii,

~

f]J1,· ,· . · M ..

GI I

,

Jayne DePanfilis, Publisher: jayne@ushga.org Dan Nelson, Editor in Chief: editor@ushga.org Steve Roti, Contributing Editor: steveroti@hotmail.com Contributing Editor: Matt Gerdes Contributing Editor: Davis Straub Copy Editors: C. J. Sturtevant and Dick Girard Tim Meehan, Art Director: artdirector@ushga.org Office Staff Jayne DePanfilis, Executive Director, jayne@ushga.org Jeff Elgart, Advertising, jeff@ushga.org Sandra Hewitt, Member Services, sandra@ushga.org Natalie Hinsley, Member Services, natalie@ushga.org Bob Archibald, IT Administrator, bob@ushga.org USHGA Officers and Executive Committee: Bill Bolosky, President, bolosky@ushga.org Jim Zeiset, Vice President, jimzgreen@aol.com Russ Locke, Secretary, russ@lockelectric.com Randy Leggett, Treasurer ias@ot.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: Steve Mayer, Jim Zeiset. REGION 5: Frank Gillette. REGION 6: Len Smith. REGION 7: Bill Bryden. REGION 8: Gary Trudeau, REGION 9: Randy Leggett, Felipe Amunategui.

REGION 10: 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: G.W. Meadows, Aaron Swepston, Steve Roti, Dick Heckman, Michael Robertson, Bob Hannah, John Harris, Tom Johns, Ed Pitman, Jennifer Beach, James Gaar, Dave Broyles, 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 and paragliding activities such as record attempts and competition sanctions.

HANG GLIDING & PARAGLIDING magazine is published for foot-launched air-sports enthusiasts to create further interest in the sports of hang gliding and paragliding and to provide an educational forum to advance hang gliding and paragliding methods and safety. Contributions are welcome.

HANG GLIDING & PARAGLIDING magazine reserves the right to edit contributions where necessary.

The Association and publication do not assume responsibility for the material or opinions of contributors.

HANG GLIDING & PARAGLIDING editorial offices e-mail: editor@ushga.org. ALL ADVERTISING AND ADVERTISING INQUIRIES MUST BE SENT TO USHGA HEADQUARTERS IN COLORADO SPRINGS. 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 Rogallo membership are $59.00 per year (of which $15 goes to the publication of Hang Gliding & Paragliding Magazine), ($70 non-U.S.); subscription rates only are $42.00 ($53 non-U.S.). 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. You may also email your request with your member number to: ushga@ushga.org.

Hang Gliding & Paragliding: October, 2003

HANG GLIDING & PARAGLIDING (ISSN 0895433X) is published monthly by the United States Hang Gliding Association, Inc., 219 W. Colorado Ave., Suite 104, Colorado Springs, CO 80903 (719) 632-8300. FAX (719) 632-6417. PERIODICAL POSTAGE is paid at Colorado Springs, CO and at additional mailing offices.

POSTMASTER: SEND CHANGE OF ADDRESS TO: HANG GLIDING & PARAGLIDING MAGAZINE, P.O. BOX 1330, Colorado Springs, CO 80901-1330.

CPM#40065056 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 © 2003 Hang Gliding & Paragliding Magazine.

Hang Gliding and Paragliding magazine welcomes editorial submissions from our members and readers.

We are always looking for good material.

Feature stories generally run anywhere from 1,500 to 3,000 words, however, your topic may demand more or less than this. You may discuss this with the editor.

News releases are welcomed, but please do not send brochures, dealer newsletters or other extremely lengthy items. Please edit news releases with our readership in mind, and keep them reasonably short without excessive sales hype. You are welcome to submit photo attachments, preferably jpeg files smaller than a megabyte.

Calendar of events items may be sent to the e-mail address above, as may letters to the editor.

Please be concise and try to address a single topic in your letter.

Your contributions are greatly appreciated. If you have an idea for an article you may discuss your topic with the editor either by e-mail or telephone.

Contact: Editor, Hang Gliding & Paragliding Magazine, editor@ushga.org, (253) 840-1372.

The United States Hang Gliding Association, a division of the National Aeronautic Association,

is a representative of the Federation Aeronautique Internationale in the United States.

3

23

Dennis Pagen’s continuing discussion of how and why thermals work.

DEPARTMENTS Editor’s Notes: ......................................... 6

Big Spring, Big Air, Big Fun: Results and wrap-up of 2003 US Hang Gliding National Championships.

Air Mail: Readers write in ......................... 9

31

Pilot Briefings: News and Events ........... 10 USHGA Nominations..............................13 Calendar ............................................... 14 Master’s Tips: Rob Kells.......................... 20 Skills building techniques to make yourself a better, safer pilot

w ing d n

o

ays mea

n la

Product Lines: Back where it belongs...... 78

w ’t al

USHGA BOD contact list........................ 59

e sn

Marketplace .......................................... 61

an help…

ing with fla ir d

Newly Awarded Ratings ........................ 51

sc eel wh

La n d

Accident Reports ................................... 29 Indepth analysis of accident provides lessons all pilots should heed

ith a ‘flare’—b ig

Santa’s List: Anatomy Lesson ................. 21 Understanding causes and precursors to accidents can help prevent them

Cover Image: Gill Coutou Kim Shipek ready to step into the sky on a promising cross-country day at Mingus Mountain.

Any Landing…

Childhood passion for flying established firm foundation for free flight lifestyle.

47 Results and wrap-up of World Record Encampment.

4

42

October, 2003: Hang Gliding & Paragliding

� � � � � � � � � �

������ ����� ����������

��

�

���

���� ����

���� ���� ������� �������

����� �������� �� ������ USHGA’s Nonflying college intern Brent Mueller offers insights into perceptions of free flight in America…

17

������������ ����������������������� � ������������������������� ��������������������������� �������������

The Rat Race: Results and wrap-up of 2003 Rat Race regional competition.

37

���������������������������� ����������������������������������� ����������������� � ����� � ������ � ���� � ������� � ����������� � ������� � ��������� � ������ � ��������� � ������� � ������ � ������������������������������������ �������������������������������������� ���������������������������������������� �������������������������������� ��������������������������������������� ������������������������������������� ���������������������������������������� ������������������������������������������� �������������������������������������������� � �������������������������������������������������������������� � ����������������������� ������������������������������������

������ ������������ ���������� ������������ ������� ������������������������� �������� ������������������������ Hang Gliding & Paragliding: October, 2003

���� ����������� ������������������������������� ������������������������������������������������������� 5 �������������������������������� ��������������������

EDITOR’S CORNER

Meeting new people, making new friends, tackling new challenges

he heat of summer is fading away and the shorter days of fall are descending on us.

Dan Nelson

As I write this, summer is just starting the slide into autumn. There are still some great days aloft ahead, but I still feel compelled to look back. As this first, full flying season with a new magazine draws to a close, I find I am torn by mixed emotions.

I’ve had a lot of fun this summer, both in the air and in my office. Working on a free flight magazine is a dream come true, but it has also meant more time talking and writing about flying and less time actually flying. So I haven’t flown nearly as much as I would have liked, though I got out as frequently as possible—fortunately, even here in the rainy northwest I can expect at least a few flights every month at our local sites during the long wet winter.

I also haven’t visited as many clubs, chapters and flying sites as I had hoped, though the people I did meet confirmed my high opinion of free flight pilots. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed talking and flying with all my new friends, from Hodge Jordon, the Marine Master Gunnery Sergeant I met at Point of the Mountain, to San Diego pilot (and contributing writer to this magazine) Rick Thompson and his wife Sue. And of course, even when I don’t get to meet them face to face, I am blessed with the opportunity to talk with great pilots and wonderful people around the country, and the world. Joe Gregor from Washington, D.C., is a joy to talk to. Cherie Silvera of Aspen has great stories to tell. Rob Kells and Mike Meier of Wills Wing 6

always have some good information to share. Steve Kroop of Flytec never fails to make me chuckle during a conversation, while Chris Santacroce usually makes me guffaw in laughter.

And I can always count on a happy acceptance of assignments from Davis Straub, the eminent vagabond traveler, pilot and free flight writer in the U.S. and Australia.

Indeed, Davis has proven so valuable to us as a writer, we are proud to list him as an official Contributing Editor of Hang Gliding & Paragliding. Davis will provide the bulk of coverage for hang gliding competitions as well as other feature stories. He has also agreed to contribute to the new Site Guide series we launched last month.

contributions, too, if you’d like to suggest a site or two.

After this first full free flight season, I’m convinced we’ve made some good strides with the development of this new magazine, but I’m also convinced we have a lot of room to grow. We’ll continue to try new things, offer new features and generally keep the magazine moving forward. Not everything we try will work, but by continually evolving and growing, we strive to bring you the best possible magazine. It’s up to you to keep us on our toes. Let us know what we are doing right, and what we are doing wrong. We take all your comments to heart and use them to help shape our actions plans.

Matt Gerdes, also a Contributing Editor, developed this series and will continue to drive it forward. The Site Guide will cover hang gliding and paragliding sites through the U.S. and Canada, with occasional reviews of outstanding sites abroad. The sites included in the Guide will fall into two categories: The Pilots’ Guide and the Family Guide.

Keep reading, keep commenting and most important of all, keep flying!

The Pilots’ Guide will focus on flying sites that are perfect for free flight pilots, but don’t offer much in the way of recreational opportunities for nonpilots. In other words, you go to these sites to fly, pure and simple.

editor@ushga.org

Get high, go far,

Dan Nelson

The Family Guide, though, will focus on flying sites that not only offer outstanding flying for you but recreational activities for your kids, spouses and significant others. We offer the Family Guide as a means to help you keep harmony in your household even as you get to enjoy great flying vacations.

The two forms will alternate each month, and we’ll focus on sites that can be enjoyed by both hang gliders and paragliders. As we further develop the series, we might try to put both forms of guide in each issue. Davis Straub and Matt Gerdes will drive this series, but we’ll welcome outside October, 2003: Hang Gliding & Paragliding

A I R

Spreading the word I enjoyed your comments on recruiting new members to our sport. I worked as an instructor at Lookout Mountain Flight Park, and I am currently working with Dale Sanderson of Inland Air Sports in Spokane, Washington.

Dale’s School has been operating for many years, though I feel as though awareness of his service is limited at best, despite efforts to advertise on radio and city publications. I have set myself to the task of improving his visibility. I have had marginal success. One thing that I’d like to share with you is that I have had great communication with the Recreation Director of the University of Idaho, Mike Beiser. He has agreed to include hang gliding in his fall schedule of activities. After discussing how best to present the sport to the students, he offered to advertise an “Intro to Hang Gliding” class in his fall recreation brochure.

This class will be free. After the class, it will be up to us to sign up interested parties for lessons. In other words, the university will not provide organization or transportation. It is a perfect deal for us, really, free advertising to a student body of 30,000 or so. We plan to show some videos and discuss the sport with a Q&A session. One thing that I am always surprised about is how little people know about the sport. Dispelling myths about hang gliding is half the battle. Most people are amazed to find that a typical flight last hours rather than minutes. A lot of misinformation is left over from the 1980s about the safety of the sport as well, so I find myself mentioning the fact that glider design has came a long, long way since the beginning.

More than anything, I would like to see more students interested in learning to fly. For one, it means I could possibly make a living in hang gliding, but mostly I am after the camaraderie that a larger flying community represents.

I would like to help in this effort in Hang Gliding & Paragliding: October, 2003

M A I L

any way possible. Feel free to publish all or part of this letter, and contact me as often as you like about the ways and means of disseminating good information about hang gliding.

than me, and far more often than not they don’t go cross-country anyway.

Also, my landings usually look prettier, and my arms are less sore after a couple hours of thermaling than theirs.

Good ideas are out there. Keep up the good work.

There are those with a hard-core competitive edge, who thrive on highperformance gliders and cross-country flying. More power to them, but I firmly believe MOST pilots would have more fun and be less likely to quit flying if they followed my example.

Anyone who has the time and money to properly become biwingual should do so, and everyone should keep (or buy) beginner gliders long after becoming advanced-rated pilots.

Keith Bien

Keeping free flight fun Here are some thoughts on keeping flying fun, new, and relaxing for the typical pilot: I had been flying hang gliders for a few years when paragliding really started to take hold in America. For several years, I couldn’t understand why anyone would want to fly something with such low performance, nor could I understand why anyone would want to fly something that could so quickly and easily wad-up and cease to be an aircraft. For many years I had only an intermediate-level hang glider and thought my next purchase would be a high-performance glider.

Finally, I got to know a couple paraglider pilots, and some fellow hang gliding friends gave paragliding a try.

They all seemed to be having a great time, and boy, did it look convenient compared to hang gliding! Four years ago, I took my first paragliding lessons, and now I spend around half my airtime in paragliders. Becoming biwingual has been very fun and refreshing, and it has given me far more flying opportunities.

Another thing that made flying more enjoyable was the purchase of a single-surface hang glider. I kept my double-surface, but it sure doesn’t get much use anymore. I love carrying a 50-pound glider and setting-up in 10 minutes. I’m usually a thousand feet over launch for fifteen minutes before those with hotshot gliders are done stuffing battens. They can go farther faster, but they don’t get any higher

John Fritsche

Ad offends women When will you and the Just Fly company realize that showing nearly naked women such as on page 27 of the July issue really cheapens the image of our sport?

These kinds of ads seem to send a message that all pilots are male and only men read your magazine. What about women pilots like me? We may be a smaller portion of the total pilot population, but you cannot ignore that we are out there. I have yet to see a man in a jockstrap in any of your ads trying to sell ME something! Thanks to such a tasteless ad, I’ve decided that the “Just Fly” company is the last place I’ll ever buy from.

Kitty Goursolle

Get it right on reverses A reverse inflation is not a reverse launch. A reverse launch is when a paragliding pilot gets in the air still facing the opposite way the glider is flying. A reverse inflation is when a pilot brings the paraglider from the ground to overhead and from there one may decide to turn forward and do 7

A I R

M A I L

a forward launch or stay reversed and do a reverse launch. While practicing kiting we may do dozens of reverse inflations and never launch.

I have a four year old son who loves to look through “daddy’s” magazines.

I WILL NOT have him seeing things like that ad. I do not want to see them either.

Ken Hudonjorgensen The only thing I have left to say is fix it, or I am out of here.

Dealer service outstanding I wanted to write in and say what great service I’ve received from GW Meadows at Just Fly. Over the last year, I was looking to get a used topless glider. Many of the wings I was looking at were made by Aeros, so I found myself calling G.W. several times for advice. Even though he didn’t stand to make a dime for his time, he was open and free with all kinds of advice concerning the gliders I was considering.

After buying one of the gliders we had discussed, I found that the x-bar had been damaged in shipping. I called GW for a replacement, and I quickly had the part I needed to get in the air.

Today, so many businesses lose interest in you when they find out you’re not buying but just looking for advice. GW is a real credit to the industry, and if you’re looking at Aeros or any of the other products he sells, you can count on great support.

Angelo Mantas

Ad offends men, too This is going to stop one of two ways.

On page 61 of the August, 2003, issue of Hang Gliding & Paragliding magazine there is a nearly pornographic ad for Aeros.

You have one of two options.

Eliminate the ads that are like this, or I will withdraw from USHGA. Yes that is a little borderline crazy. I feel that strongly about this subject.

8

Kent Willer

Poetic look at power Having started out a paragliding student and then going to powered paragliding and then back to pursuing PG ratings. I find the idea of including PPG into USHGA a great idea.

Enjoying both aspects of these wings is like having a really cute significant other who doesn’t mind sharing their really cute sibling.

What they have in common is both are a heck of a lot of fun in their own way and don’t get jealous if you do the other.

Monogamy among birds is unique to Penguins and they don’t know how to fly anyway.

Walter Hines, a.k.a. Wally Wally

Magazine scores I figured it would take a few issues for the new staff to get its sea-legs on the production of a combined magazine, but the jury is now in over here in Lakeview anyway.

The new magazine is a smash hit, outof-the-park home run!

I love it! Easily the most professionally edited and photographed “specialty” magazine I have ever read. Very well balanced between hang and para and I find articles about both sports fascinating and fun to read.

A I R

Best of all, there is plenty of ‘get-thejuices-flowing’ content for almost any novice who picks it up.

good strides forward, but we still have a long way to go in making this the best free flight magazine possible.

Personally, I think combining the magazines should have been done long ago and I have to say that the combined effort is way ahead of my expectations.

Dan Nelson

Congratulations to all of you for producing a publication that is far greater than the sum of its parts.

The pains to make it happen were numerous and sometimes almost unendurable but definitely worth the effort now that it is done.

Jules Gilpatrick.

Editor’s Response: Thanks! It’s certainly been a challenge for all of us, but a challenge with great rewards. But we’re not done yet. The magazine has made

Magazine falling short As a new H-2 pilot, I have thoroughly enjoyed and benefited from past articles on glider tuning, finding lift, reading the weather, pixel-perfect, accident statistics, etc. in the magazine.

I have also enjoyed some of the artwork in the past. However, I have to say that I am increasingly disappointed in the magazine. I am not necessarily blaming the downturn on the ‘combining’ of the two groups, either. The artwork theme for the High Rock story was not in the least bit contributory to the article. I don’t find that the solarized pictures and other degradation techniques do anything to bring the

M A I L

magazine alive. Furthermore, many of the shorts in the last two months have okay backgrounds but the subject in the foreground was too dark to clearly see. It is just plain poor photography.

My disappointment is not only in the quality of photographs, but in the article content as well. Some people just don’t have the literary skills to draw in an audience or make something interesting. Almost the entire July issue was a waste with regard to content. Lots of words were put into print, but nothing interesting or useful to me. If I had to choose competition versus non-competition coverage, I’d choose non-comp.

Rance Rupp

through the USHGF

➢ Site Preservation ➢ Safety and Education ➢ Competition Excellence The United States Hang Gliding Foundation supports activities that help ensure that the free-flying community has a future.

Make a tax-deductible contribution today.

The USHGA will match your contribution up to $500 each year when you join or renew your membership.

Hang Gliding & Paragliding: October, 2003

9

Contact us at 719-632-8300 — or on the WEB at www.ushgf.org

PILOT

BRIEFINGS

Paraglider Pilot Scotty Marion Missing in Switzerland The search for Scotty As this issue goes to press in late August, Scotty Marion is missing in the Alps.

The facts as we know them are that on Friday, August 8 Scotty took off on a cross-country flight from Ebenalp near Appenzell, Switzerland and he didn’t return from the flight. Three weeks of aerial searches by government organizations and private individuals were not successful in locating him, and his whereabouts remain a mystery.

Here in the US, Chris Santacroce spearheaded a fundraising drive that collected $20,000 in contributions to pay for the private search expenses.

Well over 100 people contributed to the “Find Scotty Marion Fund”, including paraglider pilots, hang glider pilots, powered pilots, and Scotty’s friends from all walks of life. The outpouring of support for Scotty was tremendous.

We don’t know what the future holds for Scotty and his family, but we remember him as the most successful US paraglider pilot in international competition with a Paragliding World Cup win and a 2nd Overall placing in the 2002 PWC tour.

Bill Belcourt writes, “Scotty was a rare pioneer in paragliding. His imagination of possibility combined with his flying style and profoundly good instincts created cracks in the impossible.

He had a duty to try to fly through those cracks as he saw them. We will miss him.”

10

Links: Find Scotty Marion Fund page on the USHGA Web site

http://www.ushga.org/ news2003scotty.asp Scotty Marion interview on Chris Santacroce’s Web site

http://www.superflychris.com/scotty_ marion_interview.htm Picture of Scotty (left, 2nd Overall in 2002 PWC) on the PWC Web site

http://www.paraglidingworldcup.org/ Results/2002/index.htm http://www.paraglidingworldcup .org/Results/2002/Korea/images/ DSC01099.jpg Information about Scotty Marion

http://www.scottymarion.com

Vermont Hang Gliding Club builds on relationship with state This summer, the Vermont Hang Gliding Club assisted the Vermont Department of Forest and Parks to present a highly successful foot and bicycle race to the summit of Mount

Ascutney. VHGA provided volunteer personnel to assist with parking, first aid, staff check points, and coordinating radio communication. This is the third year VHGA has helped with the popular public races.

VHGA President John Arrison says the Vermont Club has worked hard to foster a good relationship with the state. “Assisting with the races has been a great public relations tool,” he said. VHGA has two flying sites on state lands and the club hopes to open more sites in the future with cooperation from the state.

Mount Ascutney is a premier recreation site in the North East. Hikers, bicyclists and free flight pilots all enjoy the mountain. There are launch sites facing northwest and southwest on the upper slopes of the mountain.

For more information on the Vermont Hang Gliding Club or Mount Ascutney, visit www. vhga.org

July yields record number of new pilot ratings Nearly 300 pilot ratings were awarded by the U.S. Hang Gliding Association in July.

Turn to the Ratings pages in this issue and you’ll see 127 new Hang Gliding ratings, and 164 paraglider ratings were presented in July by USHGA instructors.

This surge can be attributed to a number of things, including a general increase in public awareness of free flight and improving access to instructors and training facilities. A month of remarkably dry and clear weather also helped spur the growth.

October, 2003: Hang Gliding & Paragliding

PILOT

Pre-teen solos at Raven Sky Sports: Octogenarian enjoys tandem flight

anyone over the age of 80. Recently, Fran Achen of Whitewater, Wisconsin, took them up on that offer. The 87year-old Achen visited Raven Sky Sports to watch his daughter, Randy Morgan, enjoy a tandem flight. Achen was so taken with the scene that he decided to try it himself.

On August 19, 2003, tandem pilot Terry Kramer flew Achen 4,000 feet above the retirement home in which he lives, providing him a view of his home that his fellow residents have never experienced.

Gretchen Haraldson, the 12-year-old daughter of Janice Haraldson, could be the youngest pilot to hang glide solo in the United States.

Gretchen, flying a Falcon 140, was aerotowed to 2,000 feet at Raven Sky Sport’s flight park in early August.

Gretchen’s mother, Janice, is an instructor at Rave Sky Sports, and Gretchen worked with her mom as well as Terry Kramer, head of curriculum at the flight park. She did most of her tandem flying with Kramer.

Brad Kushner of Raven Sky Sports notes that at the time Gretchen earned her H-2 and enjoyed her fi rst solo fl ights, she was just 12 years, 8 months old, and weighs a scant 100 pounds. She aced all her written and flying exams, proving herself a highly competent and careful pilot.

During her first two solo flights, tug pilot Tim Thompson reports that Gretchen “did everything ‘textbook,’ from her takeoffs out of the launch dolly, to her landings back on the runway.”

At the other end of the age spectrum, Raven Sky Sports encourages older Americans to get out and enjoy free flight. They have a standing policy of offering free “Discovery Flights” to Hang Gliding & Paragliding: October, 2003

Digital directions: Suunto X6 Altimeter watch and a whole lot more Review by Dan A. Nelson Variometers and GPS receivers have become standing flight equipment for most free flight pilots. But not all pilots want the weight and expense of these efficient flight instruments. Fortunately for them, they have an alternative.

BRIEFINGS

The X6 also sports a digital magnetic compass with a continuous bearing reading. The compass headings are given in degrees as well as cardinal points (W, WNW, NW, etc.) and the declination can be set to ensure accurate true-north bearings.

Standard timepiece features include time, date, multiple alarm clocks, chronograph, and second time zone settings. Finally, the truly fun feature of the X6: the memory log. The watch will record elevation changes at user-set intervals (as frequently as once every 30 seconds). That means pilots can track their actual flight paths rather than just record highs and lows. Once back at home, they can download the memory log into their PC. The computer interface is simple—a small alligator clamp locks on the face of the watch, contact pins on the clamp jaws match up to small contact holes on the back of the watch. A thin cable from the clamp runs to a serial port on your personal PC, and using the included Suunto software, you can download and view all the data from the watch, including the altimeter record log.

Suunto USA, long a maker of high-end altimeter watches for skiers, hikers and climbers, offers a product that seems perfectly suited to the free flight community. The Suunto X6 “Wristop Computer” sports many of the same functions as a basic variometer.

This new multifunction timepiece offers a slew of useful features, and several that are just plain fun. The X6 utilizes the highly accurate barometric altimeter Suunto developed years ago for their original wrist-top computer—the Vector. The altimeter records elevation changes in three-foot increments and its fine-tuned accuracy means there is very little ‘altimeter drift.’ That is, once calibrated, the altimeter stays accurate unless there is a substantial change in weather patterns (which brings a change in the barometric pressure).

The slim, lightweight X6 is made from rugged, durable plastic. The watch boasts a large, easy to read face with a bright backlight. On-screen graphic menus making scrolling through the watch functions easy and intuitive.

The Suunto X6 sells for $385. For more information, visit www.suuntousa.com 11

PILOT

BRIEFINGS

Fly Ecuador this winter!

In the dead middle of winter we all have those dreams of racking up hours of flying and exploring someplace warm and beautiful.

For the 2003-2004 winter season, Thermal Tracker Paragliding is carrying on the yearly tradition of Winter Getaway tours to the beautiful, awe-inspiring mountains and coastal regions of Ecuador! This year’s dates are: December 5-17, December 27-Jan 8 and January 22-Feb 3.

Opportunities will abound, with time spent exploring the High Andes, flying among some of the most beautiful peaks in South America. In addition, a third of our tour will consist of soaring and relaxing/flying on the warm Ecuadorian coast, exploring miles of smooth coastal ridge sites, in addition to: swimming, fishing, and eating to your hearts content.

For pilots and non-pilots alike, we also have a strong commitment to exploring the ground based beauty of this country, With trips that can be organized after the tour... from hiking to mountain biking, touring Inca ruins to river rafting, exploring jungles to visiting indigenous markets full of crafts and textiles. Our accommodations range from family run pensions, to beautiful Haciendas high in the Andes.

The Professional Guides are local pilots with TEN consecutive years experience leading Paragliding adventure tours in Ecuador. Each group is limited in size to promote quality, so reserve early to secure your space in this winter’s adventure! $1950 includes all ground expenses in Ecuador, lodging, transportation, drivers, guides, air shuttle to the coast, and other fees for 12 days.

Call and ask for a professionally produced tour video and past participant’s referrals. Or check out 12

our links for photos, stories, and more information. For more information, visit www.thermaltracker.com

wetter as the award ceremony—featuring Trophy presenter Wendy Swank— ended with a celebratory dousing of the winner with a bottle of warm beer!

When the lift gets light, pilots get creative

For all the skill exhibited by these competitors, however, the real story was in the parallel competition between the current crop of students on launch.

All the students performed well, but a

by Dan A. Nelson POINT OF THE MOUNTAIN, Draper, Utah—All week, the strong winds off Provo Lake kept pilots aloft on the South Side of The Point. When the winds backed off and the lift got weak, the pilots got creative.

Pilots on launch rallied around an impromptu spot landing contest. A good dozen men and women entered and after the first round, four had plopped down dead-center on the ragged rug that served as the target spot.

Tommy “Tsunami” Riggins from Breckenridge, Colorado, and local pilots Terry Hawkins, Othar “OJ” Lawrence, Brad Gunnuscio were tied.

Riggins stuck a perfect landing on the outer edge of the rug. OJ missed the rug by a few feet, and the official spot photographer by mere inches!

Gunnuscio, trying to match OJ’s aerobatic approach, came up short.

With a shout of “this is gonna hurt” Gunnuscio committed to a down-wind landing as he attempted to stretch his flight out the last dozen yards to the spot. He came up short, skidding into the grass just short of the target.

Last in, Hawkins banked into a downwind run that put him on the rug, but the energy in his wing forced him to skid off the spot— although, he could have stuck the landing by sucking it up and taking a header!

The Winner, Tommy Tsunami pair of marines who had started flying lessons a few days earlier showed up the field.

Master Gunnery Sergeant Hodge Jordon and Staff Sergeant Steve Pope came close enough to the spot that they edged out many of the already-rated pilots in the ‘advanced’ competition. Hodge ended up winning the Student/Novice spot comp.

Jordon and Pope serve in what is essentially the research and development department of the Marine’s special forces at Quantico, Virginia.

The Marines, working with instructor Ken Hudonjorgensen, earned their P-2 ratings in mid-August.

In the end, only Tommy Tsunami Riggins stood-up his spot landing, going away a few dollars richer and a whole lot October, 2003: Hang Gliding & Paragliding

PILOT

BRIEFINGS

Call for nominations

8

USHGA is issuing its annual call for nominations to the national Board of Directors. Eleven positions are open for election in December 2003 for a two-year term beginning January 2004.

Nominations are not needed in Region 8 for this election New Hampshire, Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Vermont

9

David “Randy” Leggett Washington DC, Delaware, Kentucky, Maryland, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia

10

Matt Taber Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico

Current Director States within region

11

R.R. Rodriguez Texas (excluding El Paso), Louisiana.

1

Mark Forbes Alaska, Oregon, Washington

12

Nominations are not needed in Region 12 for this election New Jersey, New York

2

John Wilde, Tim West Northern California, Nevada

3

John Greynald, Alan Chuculate Southern California, Hawaii

4

Jim Zeiset Arizona, Colorado, El Paso TX, New Mexico, Utah

5

Frank Gillette Idaho, Montana, Wyoming

6

Len Smith Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, Nebraska, Arkansas

7

Nominations are not needed in Region 7 for this election Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Wisconsin, North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota

Candidates must be nominated by current USHGA members residing in the candidates’ region. Nominations must be received at the USHGA office by October 20, 2003.

Nominations are needed in the following regions. The current Directors, whose terms are up for reelection in 2003 are: Region

Ballots will be distributed with the December issue of HANG GLIDING & PARAGLIDING magazine. 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 October 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 October 20, 2003 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).

REGIONAL DIRECTOR ELECTION NOMINATION FORM (The following form is for your convenience.)

I hereby nominate:

as a candidate for Regional Director for Region #n I understand that his/her name will be placed on the Official Ballot for the 2004 Regional Director Election if nominations are received at the USHGA office by October 20, 2003.

NAME

USHGA#

REGION#

2004 USHGA Regional Director Nominations Solicited Deadline October 20th, 2003 Hang Gliding & Paragliding: October, 2003

13

C A L E N D A R

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. For more complete information on the events listed, please see our Calendar of Events at www.ushga.org

Competition OCTOBER 1-18, 2003: Canungra Paragliding Cup 2003, Australia - Cat 2 CIVL Competition. For more information: canungracup@hotmail.com http://home.iprimus.com.au/plenderleithm/canungracup/ UNTIL DEC. 31, 2003: The Michael Champlin World X-C Challenge.

Open to paragliders, hang gliders, rigid wings and sailplanes. Visit http: //www.hanggliding.org or contact John Scott (310) 447-6234, fax (310) 447-6237, brettonwoods@email.msn.com.

OCTOBER 4, 2003: Paragliding Instructor Recertification. Two-can Fly Paragliding/ Ken Hudonjorgensen, Draper UT, (801) 572-3414, khudonj@qwest.net, www.twocanfly.com OCTOBER 11-12, 2003: Paraglider Tandem Clinic (T2 & T3) Two-can Fly Paragliding/ Ken Hudonjorgensen, Draper UT, (801) 572-3414, khudonj@qwest.net, www.twocanfly.com OCTOBER 13-14, 2003: Paragliding IP testing. If interested, call Mike Eberle, North American Paragliding at napi@fun2fly.com, (206) 320-9010.

OCTOBER 16-18, 2003: Paragliding Lake Powell Maneuvers (SIV) clinic.

Two-can Fly Paragliding/ Ken Hudonjorgensen, Draper UT, (801) 572-3414, khudonj@qwest.net, www.twocanfly.com OCTOBER 19-25, 2003: Paragliding Lake Powell Deluxe Maneuvers (SIV) clinic. Two-can Fly Paragliding/ Ken Hudonjorgensen, Draper UT, (801) 572-3414, khudonj@qwest.net, www.twocanfly.com

JANUARY 8-20, 2004: Pre-World Hang Gliding Championships, Hay, NSW Australia. Practice days: Jan 6&7th. hotdc@tpg.com.au

OCTOBER 24-26, 2003: 10th Annual Baja Thermal clinic at La Salina, Mexico, sponsored by Torrey Pines Glider Port. Contact www.flytorrey.com, (858) 452-9858.

fun flying

OCTOBER 25 – NOVEMBER 2, 2003: Paragliding trip to Oludeniz, Turkey, on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea. P2 or higher. Contact Mike Eberle, North American Paragliding at napi@fun2fly.com, (206) 320-9010.

OCTOBER 11-12, 2003: Annual Baldy Butte Oktoberfest and site fund raiser. Contact Mike Eberle of North American Paragliding, Inc. at napi@fun2fly.com, (206) 320-9010 or Rich Hass at richh@nwnexus.com , (425) 453-7177.

OCTOBER 11-13, 2003: Columbus Day Fly-in, Alamogordo, NM. Contact Tommy or Cindy West, 505) 437-5213, cindy1112@charter.net OCTOBER 24-26, 2003: Annual Cape Cod Fly-In, sponsored by the Connecticut Hang Gliding Assn.,Inc. The Seascape Motor Inn, North Truro, Massachussets. More info: see the CHGA web site at http://www.geocities.com/chga_1999/cape.html

OCTOBER 26 – NOVEMBER 8, 2003: Tour to northern India, fly the Himalayas! Contact: Dale Covington, Big Sky paragliding (801) 699-1462 www.bigskyparagliding.com NOVEMBER 2-8, 2003: Ridge Soaring Clinic in New Mexico with Parasoft Paragliding School. www.parasoftparagliding.com/NewMexico.html NOVEMBER 9-15, 2003: Ridge Soaring Clinic in New Mexico with Parasoft Paragliding School. www.parasoftparagliding.com/NewMexico.html

Oct 25- 26, 2003: Halloween Women’s Fly’n. Chelan, WA. More information: Marilyn Raines, (509) 682- 2251 or Michelle Devoe (206) 714-8824.

NOVEMBER 15-30, 2003: PG Thermal & XC tour of South Africa.

Contact Mike Eberle, North American Paragliding at napi@fun2fly.com, (206) 320-9010.

clinics, meetings, tours

NOVEMBER 23 – DECEMBER 6, 2003: Fly Nepal 2003. Contact: Dale Covington, Big Sky Paragliding (801) 699-1462, www.bigskyparagliding.com

OCTOBER 3-5, 2003: Paragliding Instructor Training. Two-can Fly Paragliding/ Ken Hudonjorgensen, Draper UT, (801) 572-3414, khudonj@qwest.net, www.twocanfly.com OCTOBER 3-5, 2003: 2003 Fall USHGA Board of Director’s Meeting, Ramada Inn, Outer Banks Resort and Conference Center, Kill Devil Hills, NC See www.ushga.org/hotnews.asp for more details.

SPECIAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING is scheduled for OCTOBER 4, 2003, during the Board of Director’s Meeting in Kitty Hawk, NC. Members are invited to attend.

14

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER/JANUARY 2003/4: Mid Atlantic Airsports – Spain and the Canary Islands. http://midatlanticairsports.com/trips.html DECEMBER 13-20, 2003: Paragliding Southern CA trip. Two-can Fly Paragliding/ Ken Hudonjorgensen, Draper UT, (801) 572-3414, khudonj@qwest.net, www.twocanfly.com DECEMBER 15, 2003 – JANUARY 3, 2004: PG tour of Western Australia, P3 or higher. Contact Mike Eberle, North American Paragliding at napi@fun2fly.com, (206) 320-9010.

October, 2003: Hang Gliding & Paragliding

C A L E N D A R

DECEMBER 5-17,2003; DECEMBER 27, 2003-JANUARY 8, 2004; JANUARY 22-FEBRUARY 3, 2004: Fly Ecuador this Winter! www.thermaltracker.com DECEMBER 28, 2003 – JANUARY 4, 2004: P2+ Tapalpa, Mexico Trip#1 Join Parasoft on their 10th year of flying trips in Mexico. Granger Banks (303) 494-2820. http://www.parasoftparagliding.com/MexTapal.html DECEMBER 2003–APRIL 2004: Valle de Bravo, Mexico and more. www.flymexico.com 1-800-861-7198.

JANUARY 3-10, 2004: Valle de Bravo Mexico with Ken Hudonjorgensen and Kevin Biernacki. Two-can Fly Paragliding/ Ken Hudonjorgensen, Draper UT, (801) 572-3414, khudonj@qwest.net, www.twocanfly.com JANUARY 4-11, 2004: P2+ Iguala, Mexico Trip#1. Granger Banks (303) 494-2820. http://www.parasoftparagliding.com/mexico.html JANUARY 11-18, 2004: P2+ Iguala, Mexico Trip#2. Granger Banks (303) 494-2820. http://www.parasoftparagliding.com/mexico.html JANUARY 18-25, 2004: P2+ Tapalpa, Mexico Trip#2. Granger Banks (303) 494-2820. http://www.parasoftparagliding.com/MexTapal.htm

WI SWING 2

D B REE N P TA TRH T E M INT E ENR N T

by Brent Mueller started my Marketing/Communications internship without ever having seen a hang gliding or paragliding advertisement. I knew that free-flight existed, but it seemed extremely peculiar that an activity I compared to skydiving, kite boarding and even mountain biking, in terms of “adventure,” lacked the visibility that the other sports received.

There is no doubt these adventure sports target an enthusiast such as myself who is interested in extreme sports. Perplexed, I tried to discover why my peers and I have seen numerous advertisements for skydiving and none for hang gliding and paragliding. Knowing virtually nothing about hang gliding or paragliding before starting my internship, I was in for a revelation of sorts. The image I held for the free-flight sports was about to be forever changed.

USHGA Instructor of the Year, Mark Winscheimer

It didn’t take long for my perception to change. During my lunch break on my second day in the USHGA office, I found some interesting reading material intended for the sole reading pleasure of college students. Distributed for free and because I’m a college student, I couldn’t pass it up. However, what I found inside was unexpected.

Flipping through the pages while eating my monster burrito, I discovered articles on whitewater rafting, skydiving and kite boarding. These articles portrayed full-color pictures of kids my own age demonstrating incredible dexterity in their particular Hang Gliding & Paragliding: October, 2003

17

BRENT THE INTERN

activity. Then I had an epiphany—this would be a great avenue/ medium to market hang gliding to college students.

University of Wisconsin, Whitewater student, Tom Gudex working the booth at Oshkosh with Brent…

The next page I turned will forever stick in my mind. A flight park put in an advertisement for hang gliding. Instead of elation over someone’s insight to reach a new target market, I was left bewildered. The picture that I first noticed showed a pilot flying a glider, with a prominent mustache across his face. Not that there is anything wrong with mustaches, but in a magazine that’s directly marketed to the collegian, it would seem appropriate for someone with the approximate age of a collegian to be in the ad. Furthermore, compared to the advanced athletes performing technical maneuvers in the other advertisements, the traininghill shots of students launching didn’t carry the same appeal.

When I returned to work after lunch, I was informed that the average age of a hang glider and paraglider pilot is 43. Even so, I thought there must be pilots younger than 30 that can be used in these advertisements.

Because of my inexperience in the industry, I sought the advice of others on the subject of marketing the sport. I talked to flight instructors, flight park owners, students and executive directors.

Each of them had their own opinion of why there was such a discrepancy between hang gliding and paragliding and other “adventure” sports when it came to the age of the participants.

Their reasons varied from a lack of money, to the accessibility of flight parks and sites, to the extended learning curve of the sport.

All of these seemed to be valid explanations.

Everyone knows that college students are strapped for money.

Therefore, when asked to put forward $500 just to learn how to do something, overlooking the cost of equipment, they would rather do something else. Brad Kushner, owner of Raven Sky Sports, best coined the stereotype when he said “They would rather spend their money on drinking, smoking and taking their honeys down to Daytona for spring break.” While this may be the case, there are other examples that suggest money isn’t the sole deterrent.

Hang gliding has come a long way since its humble beginnings.

The continual improvement of technologies has created a safer and more proficient sport. The days of the “birdmen” have made way for a generation of pilots, trained in the ways of aerodynamics and meteorology. In this sense, Mark Windsheimer of Airtime Above Hang Gliding, compared learning how to hang glide more to obtaining a private pilots license than learning how to ride a bike. The learning curve has drastically increased.

Considering the safety of the sport, this is an incredible achievement. However, in terms of graduating new students, it has made things more difficult.

18

October, 2003: Hang Gliding & Paragliding

BRENT THE INTERN

Many attempts have been made to detour these common reasons of why there are few younger participants. I have heard of flight parks cutting prices in order to attract collegeage students. Furthermore, flight parks located minutes away from colleges, making them extremely accessible, have also struggled to attract students. While compromises in safety will never be tolerated on the part of instructors, efforts have been made to speed up the learning process.

I have learned that in order to solve a problem you need to find the root cause or the factor of that problem. I believe that today’s society plays a large role to the lack of younger participants in the sport. The idea of delayed gratification has been laid to the wayside. Immediate pleasure and satisfaction has been pushed to the forefront of today’s values.

Why spend a lot of money to learn a skill when you can spend the same amount and have a new mountain bike to show off? Or why drive an hour and a half to the nearest flying site when you can ride your mountain bike 15 minutes to miles of trails? Furthermore, why spend your weekends for the next three or four months learning to hang glide or paraglide when you can take some ground school and a few tandem skydiving jumps and be certified?

Contrary to what I believed, and what others my age may believe, hang gliding is not an activity. It’s a sport that takes patience and dedication to learn. Immediately after I tell my friends that my marketing internship is through the United States Hang Gliding Association, they ask me when I can take them flying. I appreciate their utter confidence in placing their lives in my hand. However, it’s not their confidence in my capabilities, but their utter unawareness about what hang gliding entails. They compare skydiving and bungee jumping in the same category as hang gliding and paragliding.

Therefore, if our intentions of promoting the sport are increasing the number of discovery tandem flights in my age group, we should portray it how sky diving and bungee jumping are portrayed: an activity meant to be checked off a list.

The article I read in the Collegian—making hang gliding look easy enough for anyone to do it, with rolling sand dunes and sunny skies—might have caught the attention of numerous families, but it missed its target market: the collegiate.

M A S T E R ’ S

T I P S

Tips from the Masters Skills building techniques to make yourself a better, safer pilot Photos and text bsy Rob Kells Want to be a better pilot? Here are some ways to practice your skills.

Be Precise

To get the most out of your glider, you have to be able to put it where you want it.

Roll Reversals

worse the adverse yaw becomes.

This means that you’ll need to anticipate the heading change and begin the roll input before the gliders nose reaches your reference point. We can all turn Rob Kells our gliders from one direction to the other, but basing the maneuver on an exact reference heading, and an exact bank angle makes it much more difficult.

Once you have the 30-degree roll reversal mastered, try making the reversal faster until you are able to do the 30 to 30 reversal with full weight shift control and make it as fast as you can. You’ll find that it requires pitch input in the correct amount and at the right time to get a fast roll reversal to be on heading, smooth, and stop it at the correct bank angle after the reversal. The next step is to increase the bank angle and begin the process over again. Why bother, what’s the point?

Well, the control inputs required to improve your performance doing roll

glider from going into roll / yaw oscillations. Usually moving over and waiting for the roll input to have an effect, or a bump of turbulence is all it takes to upset the glider and have the pilot chasing the roll in an attempt to regain control of the glider.

The oscillations are most commonly seen while aerotowing or flying fast, both for the same reason. The faster you fly, the more sensitive the glider becomes to control inputs. Generally the more out of control we feel, the tighter we grip the base tube, and the faster we fly. A death grip on the base tube (fear) and flying faster (more fear) both make the PIO problems worse.

Some Tricks to Stop PIO Slow down and wiggle your fingers.

Generally if you do these two things the wing walking will stop immediately. Obviously we can’t just slow down while aerotowing or we’ll fly way too high on the tug, so we must learn to avoid these roll / yaw

Practicing coordinated roll reversals is the best exercise I know to improve your glider control skills. Though it sounds simple and mundane, there are very few pilots that can do rapid roll reversals well.

On a future soaring flight when well away from the terrain, choose a heading reference like a road, or house, clear the turn and airspace below you, and then put your glider into a 30-degree bank. Do a 360-degree circle and try to do a roll reversal to 30 degrees in the opposite direction exactly on the heading reference.

Sounds easy right? If you haven’t practiced this before you’ll quickly find out that it isn’t as easy as it sounds.

Most gliders adverse yaw when given a roll input. The harder the roll input the 20

reversals will become second nature.

This will not only make you a better pilot, but will improve your soaring performance and your safety.

PIO Control / Flying At Speed Ahhh, the dreaded “pilot induced oscillation”. Actually, because most gliders are unstable in the roll / yaw axis, it’s actually the pilot that acts as a flight control computer to stop the

oscillations, or stop them if they start.

If you have problems flying your glider straight at high speeds, consider flying with a stabilizer fin until you have more experience flying your glider fast.

All gliders seem to be more docile and easier to fly straight when equipped with a stabilizer fin.

(Master’s Tips continues on page 60…)

October, 2003: Hang Gliding & Paragliding

S A N T A ’ S

Santa’s List Anatomy of a Free Flying Accident

By Chris Santacroce Dissecting events leading up to a Free Flight accident • Disclaimer Flying a well certified modern para or hang glider with proper training, at nice friendly sites with proper training and even some supervision is very, very predictable. If you are a level headed individual capable of being very honest with yourself, then you might not need to read this article. If you aren’t terribly level headed and if you fly all but a basic glider in basic conditions then you may benefit from reading on…

• What is Anyone who has been in free flight for any period of time has unfortunately seen an accident or two. I have had the unfortunate displeasure of seeing quite a few over the years. I am particularly interested in the anatomy of these accidents because in dissecting them, we can learn to avoid them. First, some perspective; free flying is not the worlds most dangerous pursuit. It is also not the world’s safest pursuit.

I compare it to riding motorcycles.

Riding a café racer at high speed through traffic during rush hour in a big city while holding a cigarette in one hand a latte’ in the other is clearly, very dangerous. Conversely, if properly trained, using the proper equipment and riding on a closed track with radio guidance is probably a great deal safer.

Obviously, the sport can be whatever we want it to be.

• Cliché Our wonderful sport is full of cliché.

“Looks good, you go first.” “Should have been here yesterday.” Even our accident accounts start to become a bit clichéd: “He took his winter flying mindset into Hang Gliding & Paragliding: October, 2003

L I S T

the summer;” “wasn’t current;” “lost situational awareness;” “flew beyond his skill level;” “was in over his head on that glider;” “took his ridge soaring mindset to the mountains.”

There’s nothing terribly wrong with these accounts. Still, we can do better.

Those who have been in the sport long enough know that few accidents can be attributed to any one shortcoming or cause. We can do much better than to say, “it was the glider, conditions, skill, judgment or a bad decision.”

• What are they Free flying accidents are events that are caused by a number of forces, all acting at once. Just as a “once in a lifetime” flight is often the result of some hard work, some planning, some faith and some chance; so are accidents. Let’s take two examples. One; a sprained ankle. Two, a back injury with other complications. Whereas it would be easy to attribute a sprained ankle to taking a funny step or an unseen gopher hole, it may be better for us to dig deeper and extract something more meaningful from the experience. Likewise, a big event like a back injury is rarely a simple case of being “unlucky.”

• Warning signs The best support for the theory that accidents aren’t just bad luck is that we almost always get warnings in advance of these accidents. I have observed that we tend to get in the neighborhood of three warnings before an accident finally unfolds. Here’s a short list of potential warning signs: Hang Gliders • forgot to tie glider on to roof rack • tried to launch without hooking in

h “ Punislf, it yourseme the saves uble.” tro Bell e t n o —M

Chris Santacroce providing tandem instruction to Kay Tauscher of Boulder, CO. Photo by Dan Nelson.

• forgot to pre-flight the reserve parachute • did a late turn to final, didn’t get out of harness/ on uprights • broke downtubes • drove glider into the drywall in the garage • walked on battens Paragliders • let helmet roll down the hill • inadequate pre-flight • multiple blown launches • tree landings • unnecessary inadvertent deflations/ maneuvers • cartwheels/ somersaults/ ass landings • circled too close to terrain • blew back

21

S A N T A ’ S

L I S T

• How they unfold Assuming that there are/ were some warning signs and that we did ignore them by not modifying our decision making, how do these accidents happen? It goes something like this; “Wow, I sure am glad that I finally made it to launch with all of my gear.

I can’t believe that I forgot my helmet, again. My radio isn’t charged but that’s no big. Damn, I am a little nervous. I hadn’t blown a single launch at this site until last time. I did a double front flip with a twist on that last aborted launch {hang gliders: drug wingtip}.

Anyway, I just need to get after it. It’s the season for good flights and I just got a new glider, so I gotta go. My job has been stressing me out and I have been getting beat UP at home. I just gotta go fly and get away from it all.”

Or, you might hear: “Gosh, I didn’t really realize that learning to fly was going to be so challenging. Last time, there was a nice breeze and it sure was easier to run on the training hill.

Now, there’s no wind, it’s muddy and I am having to run a lot faster. I thought I was going to hit the fence on that last flight, man that was scary. It feels like I am doing worse, not better. Well, I am paying for this lesson so I better get after it. This needs to be good value because I got a speeding ticket on the way here and I can’t wait to fly on my own without this annoying instructor in my ear.”

Or maybe: “I am going to wait and watch people blow launches this morning. It’s such a laugh.

I’ll fly later. I don’t know what’s so hard.

I have been flying here for a few months and I’ve never botched a launch like these hackers. They are a mess in the air too.

They just fly away from the cliff faces like total chicken shits. They ought to get in there and work it. There’s nothing like cranking it around in the lee. I have never 22

• Dealing When accidents do happen, we tend to replay the event continually, asking ourselves how we Now, it doesn’t really could have done matter how these better/ avoided situations unfold. the accident etc.

The outcome could This is often a be a scare, near painful process “Our flying mindsets miss, incident or that hinders are directly related to accident. Suffice to our healing and our overall safety. Like say that these types doesn’t really a wave, our mindsets of scenarios often help us to return have big ups and downs. lead up to incidents to flying and to and accidents. When develop as pilots.

The best we can do they do happen, we I suggest that is to be aware of and can look back and in place of: “I honest about where we see that the situation shouldn’t have are on the wave. When was unfolding been flying that we haven’t fumbled in over the course of glider, made that a while, our number is time. They were low turn, stuck up. We are never safer predictable. In fact, my foot out, been than right after we just most instructors flying in that air, crashed.” will tell you that given such a big they know who input, been flying — Chris Santacroce will most likely while sick etc.” have an incident that we always and they can often look at the big, big tell you when it picture and realize might happen. The that an accident challenge is for all of us to develop an is a culmination of many factors. The eye for these scenarios and for us to primary factor is usually what I call a exercise the appropriate discipline by “corrupt mindset.” A corrupt mindset modifying our decision making out of tells us that; “it will be okay, we can pull respect for the circumstances. it off,” that our instincts don’t serve us well, that we are “good,” that the factors • Pulling it off that indicate that we shouldn’t fly don’t Many people fall into these “ruts.” In “factor in” this time. many cases, their “killer instinct” or “right stuff” carries them through.

• Debriefing What would have been an accident for We have an obligation to properly and one person is a “nice save,” for another. accurately summarize our accidents Still, it is important for us to “log” our for our long term benefit and for the “nice saves” as “crashes.” Likewise, if benefit of our free flying brothers we land so hard on our asses or bellies and sisters. We often need help from that we should have been hurt, we another pilot in order to accurately ought to adjust our mindsets to treat summarize these events. I will use a the event as though we sustained recent incident to illustrate this point. injury. The only difference, in many cases, between being hurt and not; is A P3 friend on her second or third luck, after all. cross-country flight sank out into a been turned at the cliff like some have. I think that most of these people are just handicapped.”

(Santa’s List continues on page 28…)

October, 2003: Hang Gliding & Paragliding

ne characteristic of the human mind is the ability to recognize patterns.

patterns in the near atmosphere will be the one who excels. So this month, we will concentrate on patterns as they relate to thermal excellence.

in their data banks, but they also have the ability to quickly switch paradigms when necessary.

Strength

It is pattern recognition that allows us to read the printed page, to recognize friends in a crowd, or to see a viper hidden in the grass.

Perhaps the epitome of pattern recognition was displayed by the code breakers of World War II or by the brilliant French scholar, Jean Francois Champollion, when he deciphered the Rosetta Stone and translated Egyptian hieroglyphics.

But we don’t need to be decoders or brilliant to use our pattern-recognition abilities in our world of flight. Most of us use pattern recall to help us find lift and deny gravity for prolonged pleasure. When you go to a house thermal area and hit old reliable, you are recognizing a pattern. When you go to a good-looking cloud, you are recognizing a pattern. When you tighten up a 360 to use a small swatch of lift, you are recognizing a pattern.

When your significant other expects to see you pacing the floor the moment cumulus clouds start sailing, that person is recognizing a pattern.

Patterns in the air can be in both space and time. If we go to expected thermal generation sources, we are exploiting spatial (space) patterns. If we plan to launch in the maximum heat of the day, we are relying on temporal (time) patterns. Both types of patterns can be simple or complex. No matter what the nature of the pattern, it is almost sure that the pilot who best recognizes Hang Gliding & Paragliding: October, 2003

Our first concern will be small-scale patterns—the paisley prints in the sky. Thermals themselves are the patterns we are talking about. Here is a list of items to look for in a thermal, which have various degrees of reliable repetition: 1. Size 2. Strength 3. Longevity 4. Height 5. Movement 6. Cohesiveness 7. Mutaltimpetus 8. Timing Size Thermal size can vary greatly on a given day if the areas of heating are varied on the ground. However, on most days, there is a similarity to the size of the cores and thus how big you should make your circle for best efficiency.

The terrain is as much a factor here as the nature of the day’s conditions.

For example, in Florida, the thermals all tend to be much wider and gentler than, say, in the Owens valley. Learn to recognize the thermal size quickly, and expect others to be similar on a given day. On the other hand, in all cases, be ready to expect the unexpected and wrap up tightly in the occasional shots of 1000 FPM that even Florida has to offer. Great pilots have good models

The strength of a thermal depends on its excess heat and the lapse rate of the air, as we have seen in previous parts of this series. Generally, you should expect a pattern of similar thermal strength within a period of an hour. Of course, you should expect the strength to quickly increase once trigger temperature (the temperature for thermals to bust through the ground inversion) is reached. Then, you should expect a gradual increase in strength as the day heats, followed by a gradual diminishment as the solar heating wanes. Such a pattern is a temporal pattern. It behooves us to understand it well to excel.

Longevity The length of time that a thermal feeds is surprisingly consistent on a given day in a given area. I find that if one thermal feeds long enough to yield a 3000-foot climb, most others in the day do the same. If only brief climbs are available, don’t expect to find a stairway to heaven. In that case, I switch into semi-survival mode or full-blown Rambo ramp up, depending on how low I’m running, or how badly I want to stay airborne.

Height We all recognize the max height of a thermal as a fairly reliable pattern on a given day. Either cloud base, inversions, or thermal strength determines this characteristic. Of course, we should all be ready to exploit the rogue thermal that plows upwards with unexpected vigor.

23

Movement Thermals move around depending on the wind flows at different levels, the nature of the lapse rate, or even the terrain. The pilot who quickly recognizes the shifty nature of such lift will more readily top out. If one thermal is shifty, expect the rest to be.

Cohesiveness Thermal cohesiveness refers to the nature of the core. Is the core singular or multiple? Thermals with multiple cores are generally part of a pattern of the day. Again, having lots of flying buddies with you is the best way to detect such a thermal nature. When one thermal is multi-hearted, I look for the others to be as well. In that case, extra attention to being in the best core is imperative to success.

Mutaltimpetus Mutaltimpetus is a Latin word I made up to keep you on your toes. It means the change (muta) with height (alti) of the force (impetus). Thermals don’t often maintain the same strength throughout the entire height of their climb. On a given day, the lapse rate and heating determine this factor.

Learn the nature of the thermal passage in your first few thermals and you will be able to best exploit the maximum lift, or know when to shift gears as you get lower.

Thermal Timing Thermal timing refers to how often a given thermal generation area (field, rock pile, parking lot, and so on) releases a thermal pulse. You can start this timing at the launch area and modify it as you get experience throughout the day. This factor depends on the terrain, of course, but also on the day’s heating.

It is also tied up with the length of the thermals and the amount of wind.

When wind quickly evacuates an area of warm air once a thermal lifts off, the thermal lengths will be shorter and release will be more frequent unless cool air is brought down from aloft.

24

Areas with a large supply of warm air at the surface may pulsate with the wind effects, but release thermals every few minutes. Cooler areas and post-coldfront conditions may result in thermal release timed a half hour or more apart.

In all the cases described above, there is an upside and downside to pattern recognition. The upside is that you have some things to rely on to put into your bag of tricks. If thermals were completely random on any given day, we would be doing a lot less relaxing in the air and perhaps be less adept at staying up on pure heat energy. With semi-reliable regularity in the lift, we can often pass by anemic lift and go for the gusto of a fierce thermal. The downside is that sometimes we have to settle for the thermal dregs when we know that there’s “gold in them thar hills.” Life isn’t often fair, but it is usually interesting if you set your sights high enough.

about four miles apart. If they reach to 15,000 feet, expect the thermals to be spread around 10 to 12 miles apart.

The actual distance also depends on the terrain, of course, so we always have to note the local conditions. The important point is to recognize the potential patterns in the spacing and judge accordingly.

Cloud Suck Cloud suck occurs when the thermal lift feeding a cloud accelerates as it gets a few hundred feet from the base of the cloud. The presence of cloud suck depends on the condition of the air near cloudbase (moisture content and lapse rate), among other things. So on a given day, when you experience cloud suck, expect other clouds to be vacuuming equally. (In a later installment, we will go into detail about cloud suck, including prediction and procedures.)

Lift Patches

The next level on which to seek patterns is on a scale from a few miles to tens of miles. This is the bold plaid patterns of the firmament. We’ll put into this category such things as: 1. Thermal spacing 2. Cloud suck 3. Lift patches 4. Convergence lines 5. Thunderstorms 6. Waves 7. Undifferentiated terrain 8. Cloud streets 9. Textured terrain

In some of the studies referred to in earlier articles in this series, it was made clear that what we think of a thermal is a small portion of the potential lifting area. Many times, most of us have felt multiple lifting areas around one or two stronger central cores. Most likely, in moister areas, thermals are a family affair. In other words, they are ganged together in an area of general lift, as shown in Figure 1.

Thermal Spacing The distance between thermals shows a notable regularity on a given day. The spacing has been found to be greatly dependent on the height of the maximum lift. Typically, the thermals will be distributed with a spacing of about four times their height.

So if they reach to 5,000 feet above the ground, they will be October, 2003: Hang Gliding & Paragliding

Convergence Lines For the purposes of our slow little craft, we think of the one spot lifting best.

But in most cases, an accurate model would be of multiple thermals or multiple cores all rising from the same general area. These lifting areas can be spread over the land in regular patterns (in regular undifferentiated terrain— see below) or erratically positioned according to the land forms. It is in our best interest to recognize the existence of these patterns and try to establish if they are regular or not. If so, how far apart are they? If not, what terrain features give rise to them? I know that certain areas at my home sites, as well as at other sites I fly around the world, exhibit regular patterns of lift production in large areas with draining sink everywhere else.

Those of us who run X-C seminars preach the necessity to spend as much effort perfecting glide skills as thermaling skills. One thing patently clear to all of us in competition us that there are patterns in the non-lifting area of the sky as well as in the thermals.

The cause of these “lift and sink lines,” as we call them, has not been studied scientifically, as far as I know. But it is easy to speculate that in wind, the sinking air caused by a thermal can be elongated just like the lift.

However, sink and lift lines appear to be strung out so long that I am not

convinced that this is the sole cause.

A few years ago I had an observation that I think may be more pertinent.

I have a large yard on a slope, which is ideal for launch practice with hang gliders and paragliders. It faces the cold northwest wind.

On a winter day with solid snow cover and a stiff breeze, I was standing outside watching the snow blow, when I noticed that the snow was piled up in continuous multiple parallel ridges aligned with the wind flow. I got to thinking how water gives us so many good models of the air flow (waves, rotor, turbulence), so why not blowing snow? I could see that one little imperfection started a local pileup that would alter the airflow downwind and beside it.

The downwind side of this bulge slowed the wind, and snow filled in behind it. Beside it, the snow was excavated because the displaced wind sped up (converged). Before long, a ridge of snow was paralleled by a trough on both sides. But it didn’t stop there, for the altered flow near the bulge and trough system caused another ridge on either side of the troughs, and the process continued to grow. It could affect a local change that propagated by creating an artificial hump in the snow. These snow lines extended for 10 to 50 yards. Figure 2 illustrates the process I saw. The air develops parallel lines of convergence and divergence. The lifting area in the air is over the trough in the snow. The sink is over the snow ridge.

Thunderstorms Thunderstorms tend to build up in very moist and unstable conditions. They are often caused by fronts plowing through an area

Hang Gliding & Paragliding: October, 2003

or upper-air disturbances. However, some thunderstorms form over local hot spots and follow a pattern of placement during thunderstorm conditions. It is important for safety reasons to recognize and avoid potential thunderstorm patterns.

These patterns are especially prevalent in high mountain areas and islands where extra lift helps the thunderstorm develop.

Waves Waves that we can use are all generated by wind flowing over mountains, hills, or ridges in certain atmospheric conditions. They often occur at the end of a thermal day in the post-coldfront periods in the Eastern USA. I have been in waves a number of times, but they tend to be hard to predict. So they are simply a joy to revel in when they appear, just like love. On the other hand, waves tend to affect the wind and lift patterns below them, so any signs of waves (lenticular clouds or varying wind strength on the ground) should make us aware that lift patterns may be present in areas perpendicular to the wind flow.

Undifferentiated Terrain Undifferentiated terrain means a surface that is little changed in cover or contour over a wide area. The classic undifferentiated surface is water. More common to our thermal experience is desert or grassy plains with similar ground cover spread expansively. In such cases, thermals arise in a quite regular pattern.

In little or no wind, this pattern will be more or less like hexagonal honeycomb cells with lift in the middle and sink in the intersections of cells.

Figure 3 shows such a pattern, as given by a study in Australia, and detection of lift at sea. This pattern is the most energy efficient for a turnover of the heated surface air. When there is a wind, the cells tend to tilt over until they turn into regular lines of cloud streets, similar to the lifting lines discussed previously (Figure 4).

25

Cloud Streets

Highs and Lows

Cloud streets are extremely prevalent (even without clouds, in which case they are known as blue streets), and should be expected any time the wind is over 8 mph on the surface in greener areas. In the desert areas, the high thermals and lack of any lid on the lift is not conducive to streets.

Streets complicate matters when you are traveling crosswind, but when going parallel to the wind, they are a boon—as long as you expect the street pattern and find the line.

After the passage of a cold front, we most often see the combination of good wind aloft and good thermal production that leaves the East in the throes of X-C fever. Typically the good lapse rates and winds last from one to three days after the front pushes through. Then, high pressure moves in to stabilize the sky and send us back to the drudge routine of work. When a warm front passes, the air warms up (what did you expect), the air often stabilizes, and gets more hazy. When a high behind a warm front arrives in an area, you might as well mow the lawn or sit by the pool sipping Singapore Slings. True flying is dead. Knowing the nature of this weather pattern is what can save you pointless trips to the hill only to set up forlornly, sled ride down the incline of air to the landing field, and sit around kicking rocks after a sweaty fold-up.

Textured Terrain Textured terrain is what most of us fly over. That means we navigate above humps and bumps as high as Mount Whitney, and as low as the Florida “ridge.” Most of us are aware that the high ground tends to trigger and collect thermals. It is these areas we should seek to do our business. I live in the Eastern ridge and valley system, and have ample experience bearing this rule out. Even when there is no ridge lift due to light wind or a crossing wind, the ridge is the place to be to find thermals.

We have experimented with going into the valley and usually found nothing unless a particular land feature says “try here.” The high ground sets the pattern for lift all around it. The higher it is, the greater this pattern extends.

I expect a hill or mountain gathers lift from at least 10 times its height or more (and thus shuts down thermals in that area except for on its flanks).

Remember this pattern the next time you need a thermal friend.As with the smaller-scale patterns, these widerscale patterns all have exceptions to the rule. But an awareness that they exist and using them as much as possible is the magic that yields great flights.

26

The final patterns we’ll explore are the ones that most people know as weather. They occur over hundreds of miles and can be listed as: 1. Pre-frontal conditions 2. Post-frontal conditions 3. Highs and lows 4. Jet stream Pre-Frontal Conditions Since we rarely fly during frontal passage, the patterns of conditions within the front itself is only of interest to us weather wonks. But those pilots who live where fronts pass as regularly as the mailman should know what patterns prevail immediately before and after the front. Before a cold front, the East typically experiences winds from the eastern to southern quarter. Even though the sky can be overcast, good thermals frequently are abundant because the whole air mass is unstable (it is being lifted by the frontal progress).

Post-Frontal Conditions Before a warm front, west to southwest winds are typical with stable air being the norm, especially if the high cirrus and stratus that precedes these fronts are present. Sometimes, however, a day before the front strikes, winds can be blustery and humidity can accumulate so that convection leading to a thunderstorm can develop. If conditions aren’t too strong and thunderstorms aren’t embedded in the haze, flying will be reasonable. The point is to recognize the approach of the different fronts, use a weather service, and know what to expect by learning the patterns associated with slow and fast cold and warm fronts.

Jet Stream Finally, we mention the jet stream as a key to the weather and wind in an area. When the jet streams drops down as a gift from our Canadian neighbors, invariably a low pressure forms and a cold front follows.

When the jet stream loops north, fair weather is in the offing. But if a warm-front high squats over the area, leave the thermal underwear at home.

Hang Gliding & Paragliding: October, 2003

You’re not getting high except with the aid of a prop.

internalize and utilize, but getting there is half the fun.

The jet stream presence also tends to cause higher winds at the surface.

Spend some time using the weather services on the Web and follow the position of the jet stream to see how it affects your surface winds. With a little practice, you can learn to predict the jet-stream position and the flying effects. Such large-scale pattern recognition is a great help in figuring out the atmosphere that buoys us up.

Hopefully this article will help jumpstart the process and give you a solid basis with which to form your own pattern databank. Seeing the true colors of the sky in your mind map is the path to fulfillment and fun in the air.

It should be clear from this little discussion that there is much to observe in the fluid in which we choose to immerse ourselves. It repeats itself like a TV preacher trying to fatten the collection plate. There are patterns of all sizes with varying degrees of reliability. Most of them are more dependable than many pilots think.

Forming a working model of the different patterns that occur in our little universe will make you a better pilot. Guaranteed. The more accurate the model, the more ironclad is the guarantee. Of course, such pattern recognition takes some time to Hang Gliding & Paragliding: October, 2003

Guest Designer Kathy Kelly is a hang glider pilot, graphic designer and illustrator currently working on projects for Moyes Delta Gliders in Australia and America among others. She is passionate about flying and is always keen to offer her talents for the development of free flight.

Kat runs her business, KATABATIC I.D. from her home in Australia. (www.katabatic.com.au) and contributed this layout electronically.

Are you a talented graphics professional?

Would you like to contribute your talents to Hang Gliding and Paragliding magazine? Let us know! We are always looking for new talent, vision and design in the magazine. Contact artdirector@ushga.org

27

S A N T A ’ S

L I S T

(Santa’s List continued from page 22…)

bad area with varied terrain and wind.

She decided to do a hard/ low circle and wasn’t able to finish the circle before meeting the ground. She ruined her harness, was sore, but was fine. It was easy to conclude that the circle was inappropriate and/ or that the turn was made too low, too hard or that it was unnecessary. She was free at that point to carry on flying but to avoid cranking hard turns while low, in turbulent rotors.

* no amount of training, killer instinct or right stuff immunes us from needing to work a thoughtful learning progression * she rushed her learning progression and almost paid a very high price * she was given plenty of hints, she didn’t take any of them * she has never crashed before and therefore, lacks perspective * she was in a “bad way” with a “corrupt mindset” * she thought that nothing bad could happen to her, especially not on that day

Needless to say, that doesn’t do the event proper service. I helped her to look at the big picture. She was exploring cross-country flying during the middle of the day in the middle of the summer. All that she had had lately was “close calls,” two of them.

She had never hit the ground with any force while free flying. She is the adventuresome type; trained for, practiced in and comfortable with adversity. She thinks that she is better equipped than the next person to fly and to play with dangerous situations.

She glided off into uncharted territory and without realizing it; got low in wind, near some varied terrain. She flew into an obvious rotor.

* she was on a new glider, flying a new site in conditions she had never flown before

She was in a “bad way.” She had been given some hints (some inadvertent maneuvers while low to the ground), some aerobatics gone bad, some friends who took time to point out her callous indifference about conditions and about the dangers of aerobatics. But, she hadn’t taken the hints. The low circle into the hill while flying in a rotor could have been very, very bad.

She was just lucky that she wasn’t seriously hurt. She needed to hear the following and then internalize it/ believe that it was true;

* she has the opportunity to adjust her behavior

* she’s not better than the next pilot, she’s no better equipped than the worst student ever 28

* she had been saying: “this is a great glider, it really takes care of me, I love this harness, it saved me.” This is a mistake, the healthiest way to think about an aircraft is; “it’s trying to kill me every time I fly it;” “its a dangerous weapon and it’s always aimed at me.” * she had been making very poor decisions on every level, meanwhile thinking that she was “being smart” … “proceeding thoughtfully” * she was a ridge pilot trying to make a “go” at mountain flying she was out of her element

She needs to take time to embrace these concepts, to say these points out loud, to type about them, to adjust her behavior over the course of time and to share these insights with friends.

• Prevention Here are some more specific ways to avoid crashing; Realize that there are millions of ways to crash, people invent new ones, every day. It will take every bit of our attention to fly uneventfully over

u “ Write what yto it want: Just ge for to me on time once!”

the years especially if —Dan Nelson we choose to fly in any significant conditions. We need to be brutally honest about our flying, the health of our flying mindset, our experiences and our shortcomings.

When you are in a “bad way,” say it out loud. “I am in a bad way! I haven’t fumbled a launch in a year, I make the impossible glide to the LZ and sneak into the pretend landing area like clock work and have for the last two hundred flights, I am screwed! My number is up.

I am driving for you all today; I can’t afford to have my number come up right now.” Say this sort of thing for your benefit and for the benefit of those around you. Say it whether you believe it or not.

When you get a warning, proclaim it! “Steeerike 1, I almost hit the hill today on an afterthought of a low and late circle. Boy am I an idiot. Between leaving my vario on top of the car during the drive up the hill and that last maneuver, that’s two strikes. One more and I am out. I am saving my last strike.

You guys fly, I am going to mow the lawn and try not to cut off my toes.”

Get help, be held accountable! If you come home with grass stains on your jeans two times in a row, have your significant other ground you. That’s two strikes and no one can afford three strikes. Structure financial penalties for strikes; next person to blow a launch buys a case of soda pop. Drift a thermal into the rotor and you buy lunch. Keep a top three list of pilots with multiple strikes. Nobody wants to make the top three lists.

Punish yourself! When you beat yourself up for harboring a corrupt mindset or for making bad decisions, taking strikes etc. then you save (Santa’s List continues on page 60…)

October, 2003: Hang Gliding & Paragliding

ACCIDENT REPORT

HG Accident Report Fatality at Flight Park

By Joe Gregor

Indepth analysis of accident provides lessons all pilots should heed At approximately 1 pm local time on April 15, a pilot crashed while maneuvering to land during a contest at a flight park in central Florida. The pilot reportedly performed multiple 360° turns close to the terrain just prior to the accident. The pilot suffered fatal closed head injuries as a consequence of the crash. Weather conditions at the time of the accident were 7000 SCT, visibility 10+ miles, winds from the east at 5 mph. The incident aircraft was a Wills Wing Talon 140 equipped with a Wills Wing Z5 harness. The accident flight was approximately 30 minutes in duration.

The accident pilot was an experienced hang glider pilot with an estimated 750 hours total time, approximately 175 aerotow launches, and about 400 mountain launches. He had been flying hang gliders for approx. 4 years and often flew several times per week. At the time of the accident the accident pilot was both current and proficient, and held the following ratings/ appointments: Advanced Pilot with AeroTow, Assisted Windy Cliff Launch, Cliff Launch, Flat Slope Launch, Restricted Landing Field, Turbulence, Cross Country; Observer. The accident pilot was about 42 years of age and in excellent physical health. He was not known to be on any medications at the time of the accident.

The accident pilot had suffered a blow to the head during a previous launch accident a year or so prior which resulted in a loss of consciousness.

The pilot also admitted having a medical problem resulting in spatial disorientation when moving his head while in a steep turn on approach. This problem had reportedly resulted in at least one hard landing including glider damage at a local mountain site. It was Hang Gliding & Paragliding: October, 2003

related that he had devised a fix to this problem, by holding his head steady and scanning with eyes-only while in a turn close to the terrain.

There was moderate damage to the downtubes, left leading edge, and sail of the glider, resulting in an estimated $1500 in repair costs. Damage to the glider was consistent with a left-wing impact with the ground followed by a left ground loop.

The accident pilot was wearing an Icaro lightweight hang glider helmet.

There was a patch of light scuffing on the surface of the helmet, covering an area of approximately 12 square inches above and to the right of the open face. The chin guard was substantially damaged but physically intact and of the proper shape. The interior components of the helmet were removed for inspection. The styrofoam was found essentially undamaged in all respects with little or no evidence of crushing.

Witness statements are in general the least reliable piece of information available to the accident investigator.

They may, however, prove useful when combined with corroborating physicals evidence. The pilot was overheard transmitting while airborne: “I’m not doing so well here, I think I’m gonna go in for a re-light,” indicating his intention to land for the purpose of relaunching. Witnesses generally agreed that the pilot performed multiple 360turns unusually close to the ground.

A tug pilot landing at the time of the accident observed the accident pilot flying north down the North runway

ahead of him. He then saw the glider initiate a left 180° turn, level out briefly, and initiate another left turn low to the ground with good energy. The tug pilot, who was on the ground by this time, perceived a conflict as a result of the second 180° turn. The tug pilot immediately applied max power and took-off to the northeast to avoid the conflict. The tug pilot observed the glider as he took-off and estimated that the pilot may have had just enough energy to complete the last turn.

The incident pilot was flying with a hand-held GPS unit, which was set to automatically record aircraft position at 30 second intervals. The GPS tracklog was downloaded to a personal computer and overlays performed to aid in reconstruction of the accident flight. The results are illustrated in figures 1 and 2.

Information from Dennis Pagen’s Performance Flying Skills, together with this GPS data, was used to set parameters on the maneuvers the pilot could have performed during the final phase of the accident flight. GPS segments with speeds greater than 25 mph indicate that the glider was in cruise flight.

GPS segments with speeds below the stall speed for the glider indicate that the pilot was maneuvering during that segment. The average speed for a GPS segment could be used to estimate the maximum number of turns performed during that segment, using expected glider performance as a guide.

GPS data collected just prior to the accident indicates that the glider executed 4 to 5 turns just SE of the field. The glider then flew to the SE corner of the approach end for the North runway and executed 4 or 5 additional turns. The final GPS segment is consistent with a glider flying straight for approximately 12-13 29

ACCIDENT REPORT

seconds and executing one or two more turns adjacent to the right side of the approach end for the North runway.

Any remaining maneuvers must have been completed prior to the next GPS update – 30 seconds after the final recorded point in the GPS tracklog.

This was sufficient time for the glider to execute a crossing to the west side of the runway followed by 1 or perhaps 2 additional turns. Projected altitude loss for these maneuvers indicates that the glider must have been at least 85-120 feet AGL before turning left to cross the runway. Had the pilot decided to approach straight-in, without executing the last 5 to 7 turns, the glider would have been at least 260-365 feet AGL at this point.

Any reconstruction of events represents a “best-guess” based in this case on witness testimony, physical evidence, and information from the pilot’s GPS. It will necessarily rely on certain “reasonable and likely” assumptions in order to fill in the gaps in the available information.

The accident pilot remained in the immediate area of Quest and decided to make a landing back at the tow park in order to effect a re-launch. The pilot attempted to map out lift just to the SW of the field after launching via air-tow. The pilot then flew to a position just SE of the field and executing 4-5 more turns, possibly in an attempt to work lift. The pilot then flew straight at approximately 25-30 mph to a point directly over the SE corner of the North runway and executed 4-5 additional turns; most likely setting up for an approach to landing. The glider then flew down the North runway, executing 1-2 more turns. The GPS unit was deactivated in the crash before recording the next 30 second update point. It was during this timeframe that the glider executed the fi nal maneuver resulting in a ground loop on the left-hand side of the North runway.

Given the position of the wreckage together with the GPS information, the 30

glider must have been at least 85-120 feet AGL, probably higher, at the last recorded GPS position. Any lower, and the glider could not have performed the maneuvers required to arrive at the crash site. If the glider was above 120 feet AGL at the last known GPS position, the pilot may have been able to make a left 270-360° turn to landing across or down the north runway adjacent to the launch line. Were this the case, there should have been sufficient altitude to proceed another 250 ft forward to clear the grove on the right, and turn right final to land to the east into the prevailing winds. Had the glider not made the last 5-7 turns adjacent to the approach end of the North runway, the pilot would have had 250-365 feet AGL at the last known GPS position – sufficient altitude for a setup to landing virtually anywhere on the field.

After turning left 180° and flying south adjacent to the tree line, over the launch line, and along the west side of the North runway, the pilot reportedly rolled out momentarily prior to initiating another left turn low to the ground. A tug pilot rolling out after landing short on the North runway saw this low left turn, perceived a conflict, and flew off to the northeast to avoid a collision. The tug pilot reported that the glider had good speed in the turn, and thought the glider may have been able to complete the maneuver successfully. Had the glider pilot seen the tug setting up to land on the North runway and perceived it to be a conflict, it is unlikely that he would have initiated a left 90° turn to fly across the tug’s flight path. Once the turn was initiated, however, the pilot would not be able to see the approaching tug (view blocked by the glider’s sail) until he had completed at least 180° of turn.

It is similarly unlikely that the pilot would continue the turn past 180° and into direct conflict with the tug unless: 1) he still did not see the tug or else did not perceive it to be in conflict, 2) he perceived a greater danger due to groundbased conflicts directly ahead, 3) he was overcome due to some medical condition or event, or 4) the glider was upset by strong atmospheric turbulence.

There is no way to ascertain with confidence which factor or combination of factors attributed to the final outcome. Nevertheless, we can and should learn from each and every accident by examining the possible contributing factors. This accident, like most aviation accidents, was likely the result of a chain of events.

In this case, we had a highly capable pilot flying with enthusiasm during his first high level aero-tow based competition experience. This pilot had a history of head trauma, and a known medical condition affecting his ability to maintain spatially orientation during turns low to the ground. He was attempting to land in a restricted area under extremely high traffic conditions. Hang gliders and tugs were continuously operating (takeoff and landing) in the same section of the airfield. Had any one of these links been absent - the competition pressures, the restricted field/high traffic condition, the mix of powered and unpowered ultralights, the pre-existing medical condition – the outcome would likely have been different. Together they combined to produce a fatality.

The objective lessons learned in this accident are expressed in the probable cause detailed below. Suggested methods that may be employed to mitigate future accidents of this nature are discussed in the recommendations. As with any fatal accident, this information was obtained at great expense. Let us use it wisely.

Probable Cause • Failure to maintain adequate ground clearance while maneuvering to land.

• Attempting to land in a restricted area during a period of extremely complicated simultaneous air/ground operations.

• The accident pilot was landing during a sink cycle, at a time when many other gliders were also landing in the same general (Accident Report continues on page 46…)

October, 2003: Hang Gliding & Paragliding

B I G

S P R I N G

The US National Hang Gliding Championships

By Davis Straub Photos by Gina Seaberg Hang Gliding & Paragliding: October, 2003

31

B I G

S P R I N G

t was Steve Burns and his nurturing wife, Gaye, who first introduced many of us to the wonderful flying conditions to be found in Texas. It was the glorious Lone Star Championship that took place in mid-August, 2000, out of the tiny east Texas town of Hearne, that really got a whole bunch of competition pilots excited about flying in Texas. Well, the competition pilots have been coming back to Texas ever since, and they are as excited as ever about flying in the big open skies.

Now, you all know that Texans are uncommonly proud of their state, and frankly, when it comes to producing the conditions for soaring flight, Texans can be justly proud. Texas is blessed with some of the best (if not the best) cross-country racing conditions in the world, and it is just incumbent upon the rest of us to make sure we show up to enjoy them.

After Steve and Gaye ran themselves ragged catering to all of us summer Texans over two years, producing the US Nationals in 2001, David Glover picked up the ball and gave us all a Texas competition venue in the central Texas town of Big Spring (no “s”). Located at the southern end of the panhandle, there had earlier been a truck-towing meet here out at the abandoned air-force base. And it was to that air-force base that we would return.

Unlike Austin Airsports operation in Hearne, David put together a “remote” flight park that relied on out-of-state resources to provide the “mountain” that we needed to get

up and go from Big Spring. And like with the World Record Encampment (WRE) in south Texas in Zapata, David relied heavily on Flytec USA (Steve Kroop) and the gang at the Quest Air Flight Park in Florida.

Of course, they weren’t the only ones who brought the Dragonflies and trikes to Big Spring, and we would have had a hard time getting in the air without the support of numerous tug owners and pilots who traveled long distances to this ”remote” area (centrally located).

When David ran the US Open in Big Spring last year, it was a trial run for the US Nationals this year. With fewer than 30 pilots in this new location, it was a very successful trial, in part because of the enthusiastic support of the town of Big Spring and their visitor and convention bureau folks.

They would just do anything for us, including sending out the Boy Scouts to run down the dollies after we took off. The town of Big Spring wanted us back this year and worked long and hard with Dave to make sure that we’d get what we needed to have a good time in Big Spring.

Now at first you might think, “Texas in late July? You’ve got to be kidding? I mean, it’s got to be beastly hot down there at

B I G

S P R I N G

that time of year. Why would you subject us to that?”

Now, it’s not like we competition hang-glider pilots are taking the family out for a pleasant summer vacation at the beach or in the mountains when we head off for the big time competitions in the summer. I mean, Dinosaur, Colorado? Lakeview, Oregon? So the dry part of Texas isn’t really out of line.

But still, the thought of going there then does give one pause. So how do we do it? Well, the new airport terminal building, which is set up for our use, is air conditioned. All the meetings are held there. You turn in your GPS there. The task committee meets there. It’s totally comfortable (with its wireless internet access).

Right on, town of Big Spring. Right on, local ISP. Then, there’s the hangar. So do you remember setting up your glider in the heat and dust on the side of the White Mountains in the Owens in the broiling sun? Sound like fun? Well, how about setting your glider up in a large hangar on a concrete floor, out of the sun, and leaving it set up after completing the task in the same hangar? How about a separate hangar for the tugs? Way to go, town of Big Spring.

You spend so little time in the heat that you hardly notice it.

Walk from the air-conditioned terminal to the

Now an even better value!

13-months of the world’s greatest hang gliding and paragliding photography.

Order yours today.

http://www.ushga.org/store/

719-632-8300 USHGA Headquarters

800-616-6888 Toll-Free in the US and Canada

B I G

S P R I N G

hangar to put on your flying gear, roll out to the launch line, and within a few minutes you are in the air. Stylin’.

How about a nice smooth asphalt taxiway for your cart to roll on as you take off down the taxiway? And then as you climb up, you find yourself over a huge, very-lightly-used airport facility that provides plenty of open uncluttered space if you need to land and relaunch or when you are coming back into goal. No trees nearby that might reach out and grab you.

This was a big air-force base with a lot of jet-pilot training going on, and two jets always on standby. There’s enough room here to run the sailplane, hang glider and paraglider nationals, all at the same time.

Not only that, the town of Big Spring wants us. To them we are a big deal, no matter how small a deal we are out in the rest of the world. This is a town that is down on its luck and is looking to anyone to bring back the spark. We are a spark.

we’ve flown every day. Climbs to over 12,000 feet (9,500 feet AGL). Comfortable temperatures in the air, strong thermals, beautiful cu’s every day, often light winds so that we could do tasks that got us back to the airport. It was hard to think of any improvements we could make in the weather.

I’ve flown in many places throughout the world. Texas has by far the best conditions. I mean, it is great flying in central New South Wales, but Texas is just outstanding. Day after day of cu’s forming at 11 or noon or 1, marking the lift, encouraging us to get into the air and race.

Speaking of which, was there a competition, a US Nationals in all of this? Darn right there was. Fifteen rigid wings, 37 flex wings, and three Swifts. The Three Class Nationals.

When they knew we were coming back this year, they organized a hang-gliding festival for the last day of the competition. They set up viewing stands and covered them to provide shade for those sitting in them. They brought out food vendors for the week and bands on Saturday. They had a swap meet next to the terminal building. They put on a dinner for us the first night and gave us ice cream so that we would fill out their survey.

They came out and worked the launch line along with the drivers, making sure everyone was checked for safety. They (including Chris Cheney, the local jeweler, who learned to fly this year after seeing us last year) chased the carts and made sure we were wheeled up to the launching pad.

They joined with the local radio station and covered the airwaves in town with ads for the festival and invited people out for ultralight and tandem flights. This gave tug pilots a way to earn extra income before and after they got us in the air. Pepsi Co brought out their Aguafina blimp on the last day and it became a windsock. I mean, when was the last time you saw all this support from a town for our sport? Big Spring has earned our loyalty.

It all came together on Sunday, July 27. The flex-wing pilots were headed up by Paris Williams, US number one and for the previous two years the US National Champion. Texas had been good to Paris. He had top flight competition from fellow US team members Curt Warren and Jerz Rossignol as well as “foreign” pilots Kraig Coomber and Robin Hamilton.

Many of the other top US flex wing pilots were there also, including the new daddy, Glen Volk, former US Champion Bo Hagewood, and Jim Lee, as well as top women pilot Claire Vassort. A tough field with plenty of racers that would love the strong conditions that we would experience here.

But our loyalty wouldn’t be worth much if the flying sucked.

Fortunately the flying was fabulous. Two years in a row and

The rigid-wing pilots would also be wellrepresented with US National Champion Bruce Barmakian, Ron Gleason (head of the USHGA competition committee), Campbell Bowen (who had won here last year), Rich Burton (who did well here last year), and Jim Yocom (high-ranking Colorado pilot).

34

October, 2003: Hang Gliding & Paragliding

B I G

It was also great to see three Swift Lights at the meet. It was a perfect spot for them with easy rollouts on the runway. We even got to see Brian Porter foot-land it on the taxiway the last day. Junko was just back from Austria after beating Manfred during the second week of the pre-Worlds.

On the first day, we did a 60-mile-triangle task that half the flex-wing pilots completed in spite of the fact that there was a 15-mph headwind coming into goal. That just goes to show how good the lift was—that it allowed these guys to power through the head wind. Also, the lift was often well organized into lift lines that, if found, offered a highway home. Of course, there were matching sink lines for the not-so-skilled at seeing the invisible lift.

Paris flew out front and fast. There was no need to fly with the gaggle, as the lift markers—cumulus clouds—were everywhere.

Paris excels at racing, and for once, he didn’t put himself in a hole to start the meet. Lift was strong but turbulent on this first day, but would get much smoother starting the next day.

On day two, we decided to go with the flow and run downwind 100 miles. I’d printed up a little pilot survey to see what pilots wanted in the way of tasks. They split evenly between 100-, 150-, and 200-mile tasks when the wind was strong (15 mph). Perhaps we should have gone long that day.

We did the 100 miles to two and a half hours. Bruce was the fastest one in. Paris was one second behind him, and I was third. 150 miles to Muleshoe would have been quite doable.

On day three, we did a 75-mile triangle and tried to come back into a 10-to-15-mph wind that’s blowing from a cu’nimb that’s to the south and west of the airport about 10 miles.

Glen and Curt made it across the line with a bunch of flexies landing 1/10 of a mile away. Four rigids made it.

On day four, we had a front just to our north. At first we called a task 70 miles straight south. But when the cu’s got a little too tall to the south around noon, the task committee changed its

Hang Gliding & Paragliding: October, 2003

S P R I N G

mind and called a dogleg to the west and northeast. It was too bad, because it turned out to be nice to the south, while going to the north put us too close to the front.

With the front came over-development and patches of rain.

Bo was the only flex-wing pilot to make goal. Five rigid wings (from a group that got stuck early and caught the leaders who landed just before goal after encountering rain) made it in the gloom. All the while it looked beautiful to the south. Paris and Campbell flew as close to goal as they dared, then turned right and headed back to Big Spring to land at the airfield and put their gliders in the hangar.

On day five, we called a 55-mile out-and-return to the northwest, mistakenly thinking that there might be some over-development. The day turned out perfect, but we only used two hours of it on the task. The cu’s lined up on the course, and there were patches of really solid lift. We could have easily done a 100-mile triangle. The cu’s stayed in the sky until late, as they did most evenings during the meet.

On day six, the air dried out a little and we had to wait until later in the day for the inversion to break and the cu’s to form.

In fact, it wasn’t until 3 p.m. that the inversion finally broke, although we’d been flying since 1:15 p.m. and the rigids had been racing since 2:15 p.m.

This was the strongest race so far. Our task was a 75-mile FAI triangle to the north of town. We started getting over 11,000 feet MSL, and the lift after 3 p.m. became very coherent, and stayed strong even up high.

Paris would later report that he measured 1,200 fpm on his averager coming into the second turnpoint at Akerly. When I got there before him, I found a strong one also that got me over 10,000 feet.

It took only one thermal on the last leg to get home against a light headwind. The rigids had a half-hour earlier start time

35

B I G

S P R I N G

than the flex wings, and I climbed up with Vince Endter and Bruce Barmakian half-way back to the airport in lift that averaged over 1,000 fpm to almost 11,000 feet. When Paris came along later, he found 1,600 fpm.

With cloud bases this high and lift this strong, it was easy to go on 15-mile final glides. We were doing these tasks a lot quicker than the task committee had planned because of the strong lift.

On day seven, the lift only got stronger and cloudbase higher.

We called a 77-mile out-and-return task, hoping to get everyone back in time for the awards dinner, but unwilling to cut down on the length of the task, given the conditions.

The conditions were magnificent, with some pilots later reporting the best flying experience that they’ve ever had. We started later in order to give the inversion a chance to break and for the cu’s to start forming high. We were able to get to 11,500’ under a cu waiting for the start window to open.

After that, it was a full-on race out to the turnpoint 36 miles away. With the dry air, the cu’s always marked lift, and we took full advantage of only the best lift. I was able to get to over 12,000 feet (22 miles from goal) and go on a long final glide along the edges of clouds coming in with an extra 2000

feet, even though I’d been pulling in hard on the bar for the last 10 miles. Campbell was 12 minutes behind me for second place. All the rigids made goal, as well as 23 flex wings.

Full results can be found at www.flytec.com/usnats03/ scores.html. The daily roundup of each task can be found at http://ozreport.com.

The town of Big Spring wants us and the US National back again next year. The pilots who flew at the Nationals had big smiles on their faces every day. They were really sorry to have to leave town.

The facilities at Big Spring are big enough to handle a much bigger meet. The hangars and the terminal building are key to us coming back. The air is so good that pilots will love going there and getting a taste of it for themselves.

Will we do it again there? I sure hope so. I hope that David Glover is willing to organize it, that the tug owners and pilots want to come back, and that the town continues to enjoy us coming back.

Rigids PLACE

NAME

GLIDER

TOTAL

1 2 3 4 5

BARMAKIAN, Bruce ENDTER, Vincent SEABERG, David BOWEN, Campbell STRAUB, Davis

AIR Atos C Icaro Stratos Icaro Stratos Flight Design Access AIR Atos C

5804 5504 4991 4761 4673

Flex Wings PLACE

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

36

NAME

GLIDER

TOTAL

WILLIAMS, Paris WARREN, Curt COOMBER, Kraig VOLK, Glen HAGEWOOD, Bo HAMILTON, Robin LEE, Jim SAUER, Rich ZIMMERMAN, Chris ROSSIGNOL, Jerz

Aeros Combat 2 Moyes Litespeed 4 Moyes Litespeed Moyes Litespeed Aeros Combat 2 Moyes Litespeed 4 Wills Wing Talon Icaro MRX Wills Wing Talon 150 Aeros Combat

5929 5715 5662 5566 5531 5324 5245 5073 4916 4895

October, 2003: Hang Gliding & Paragliding

R AT R A C E W R A P U P

The Rat Race Wrap up of northwest regional competition: The Rat Race

I am NOT a competition pilot.

So, why did I enter the first ever Rat Race held near Medford, Oregon, May 31 and June 1, 2003?

Actually, I entered because of an email post from veteran Tillamook, Oregon, hang glider pilot and friend Joe Evans. (Like most clubs, we have a list service we subscribe to so we can exchange information, provide flight reports and report where the flying might be good.)

Joe wrote, “If your idea of fun is to watch your flying buddies have outstanding flights in challenging conditions, that’s OK. If you would rather join them and help advance the state of our art, there is a fast track program available.

Competitions like the upcoming Rat Race are an incredible learning opportunity for both intermediate and expert pilots. Every participant will be a better pilot when the meet is over.”

Hmmm, I thought. He could be right.

Then Joe added, “The really big gains go to the intermediate pilot who will learn more in one week than could be learned in a year of dedicated flying.”

The Rat Rates High with Regional Pilots

Okay, that pretty much did it for me. Thanks, Joe. The next day, I emailed Gail and Mike Haley, primary organizers of The Rat Race, and asked if it was too late to sign up. It wasn’t; I did and I’ve got to tell you it was one of the best decisions I’ve made in a long time.

Joe was right. I learned more in three days than I could in a year of “learnby-flying” on my own. True, going to Valle De Bravo, Mexico, in February taught me a great deal. However, when you add the element of competition, the learning curve shortens considerably.

By Toby Harris

Friday evening, the day before the comp, there were three GPS classes held by Dixon White and Bill Gordon. I knew zipola about the antiquated Magellan 315 I inherited from my friend and fellow northwest pilot Tim Pfeiffer. Okay, so I knew how to turn it on. That was about it. As it turns out, though, it’ll do pretty much all of the basic functions adequately. I attended two of the sessions because I’m your basic electronic gadget dummy. With instruction from Dixon and Bill, some coaching from Tim and consulting my manual, I got it figured out before the competition began the next day.

Before the launch window even opened on Saturday, I felt I had already gotten my money’s worth.

Hang Gliding & Paragliding: October, 2003

Photos: Ron Skog 37

R AT R A C E W R A P U P

On Saturday, we had our pilot’s briefing and then headed up to the launch at 3800 feet atop Woodrat Mountain where the Starthistle Fly-In (which I had also attended) had been held the weekend before. A brief meeting was held to cover some important items, not the least of which was the task board and goal for the day’s assignment.

Quickly, I found a quiet place to manually enter the coordinates of the various tasks, or waypoints, and the ultimate goal, a very reachable Dark Hollow Road a few miles away. The Rat Race organizers purposely designed the race to make the tasks and goal attainable for the intermediate pilot.

Those with more current GPS units had all the necessary coordinates downloaded automatically. Once I had the coordinates entered, all I had to do was enter the route, waypoint by waypoint. When I approached a waypoint, my screen would display an attention text showing I was within one quarter mile. All I had to do then was enter the waypoint on my GPS, then head to the next task.

38

So now, based upon valuable information gained, I figure I owed Mike and Gail some more money. I think we all did.

On the first day, some pilots chose to launch early and risk sinking out. Most, if not all, remained aloft.

Those of us who lingered, like me, got a late start.

Actually, I had told myself I wasn’t actually “racing”.

I wanted to safely launch, make all the tasks and reach Dark Hollow road—all in one piece. Alas, I did not make it to goal. I zigged when I should have zagged.

However, I didn’t feel awful. I was just happy that I wasn’t the first to land and had actually completed four of the tasks before regrettably coring sink to the LZ. On day two, Sunday, I decided I’d push myself a little harder

and actually try to compete—at least a little. I launched early and had the incredible experience of thermalling above the first task, waiting for someone to announce the start of the race. The voice in my radio, either Dixon or Bill Gordon (Dixon, I think) announced the race would begin in 15 minutes. There were 31 of us circling in that half-mile “cylinder” of space above Woodrat Peak. It was a very, very, very long 15 minutes spent turning right—ever right—avoiding any uncomfortable proximity to others and trying also to stay in the air until the start announcement.

And then it came.

It must have been some sight: 31 or more gliders suddenly, like a flock of birds, changing course in unison and stuffing speed bars for the LZ , which was the first task.

(Okay, I know birds don’t have speed bars, per se.) Brett Hardin, the previous day’s leader, was ahead and above me.

Surprise, surprise.

October, 2003: Hang Gliding & Paragliding

R AT R A C E W R A P U P

We flew first to the LZ, then back to the peak, then off to Rabies Ridge, then Burnt Ridge, then back to the peak and then back to the LZ—just slightly over 14 miles in all. I arrived high and Wendy Hughes, another Northwest pilot, landed just ahead of me. Girls can fly. I learned later that Brett had arrived high above goal too and pulled a B-line stall to quickly loose altitude. He was a tad more in race mode than I was.

Anyway, I landed after pulling big ears for a very long time, tickled that I had accomplished my objective: I reached goal, and did so without breaking anything.

In a recent post, Brett Hardin, who took first honors, said, “The Rat Race was an amazing experience and a huge success! It really opened eyes in terms of how much FUN and skill can be gained from competition flying.” He added, “I heard many comp pilots say it was the most organized competition they had ever been to.”

and, possibly, for hang gliding as well.

A low-key, well-organized Class C regional competition like The Rat Race helps keep the excitement level up and makes better pilots of us all.

Tim Pfeiffer, who finished second, said it was two days of fantastic flying.

He said, “As I understand it, Mike Haley’s concept behind the Rat Race was to provide a friendly regional competition to generate interest in building flying skills throughout the flying community. Hopefully, the

So, thanks to meet organizers Mike and Gail Haley, owners of MPH Sports, the company that manufactures flight suits for sport aviation, the Rogue Valley Hang Gliding and Paragliding Club and the Cascade Paragliding Club. Thanks also to Dixon White, whom I had not met before this, for his invaluable instruction and guidance. Same to you, Bill Gordon.

Next time I see you, the beer’s on me.

Thanks also to Kristen Wick from

great success and rave reviews…will transmit into similar events around the country.”

the RVHPA for her tireless efforts and the herculean task of also staging the Starthistle Fly-In the weekend before.

There are a lot of pilots who could care less whether more people are drawn to the sport. Fine. But, consider this: if demand for product declines (electronics, wings, harnesses, reserves, etcetera), advances in design, safety and general improvements decline as well. Whatever we can do to keep the spirit alive is good for paragliding

As for me…I can’t wait until next year.

See you at Rat Race II.

In writing this article, I had it in mind that this kind of flying isn’t for everybody…and maybe it isn’t. But maybe it is, too. I fervently believe that everyone involved in the event, each with different reasons for being there, came away delighted with the entire experience. As Joe had said…”the intermediate pilot will learn more…than could be learned in a year of dedicated flying.” If you don’t buy that, ask anyone who participated. If you’ve ever thought of XC flying, the Rat Race would benefit you immeasurably.

Will I enter next year’s race (assuming one will be held)? Absolutely. This year, at $50, it was a steal. I’d pay twice that next year without blinking and I’ll be among the first to register to ensure a spot. Judging from the comments I heard from practically every participant, the word will spread and anyone registering late will be disappointed.

There were pilots from the Bay Area and San Diego. Juan Carlos, from Colombia, helped me with my Spanish and I’m sure he’ll tell his flying buddies down there about Woodrat Mountain in Oregon State. There was a pilot from New York, one from Florida and some from Nevada. Next year, I’m sure the representation will be even greater and more diverse.

Hang Gliding & Paragliding: October, 2003

39

photo: CHRISTIAN PONDELLA Red Bull pilot Aaron Swepston at Red Bull Wings Over Aspen 2001

W R E

W R A P U P

2003 WRE:

days, we found low cloud bases or thick cirrus clouds to the north.

Record Encampment

By Davis Straub World Record Encampment closes without any new records

I

t’s been two years since the weather gods have smiled on south Texas. Well, at least as far as we hang glider and paraglider pilots were concerned, any way.

Otherwise the locals are loving the fact that they had lots of rain and the cows had lots of grass.

Last year there were two good days a couple of days soon after we arrived in Zapata in late June and that was it.

Mike Barber and Pete Lehmann took advantage of the first day to set a joint world-record distance-to-goal mark, and Mike Barber flew further than anyone ever has in a hang glider on that day: 438 miles.

Dave Prentice set the world distance record on a paraglider. The next day, Will Gadd went even further on a paraglider from Zapata to set the current world record. But after those two days, nothing but rain to our north.

This year, the best weather happened right after we got to Zapata once again, but it wasn’t all that good. I was able to best my world record for the 50-km triangle on day one, June 22. But when we tried to go far over the next three 42

Usually the cloud bases are just below 2,000 feet AGL near Zapata in the morning around 9 a.m. Normally we tow up soon after 9 a.m. and hang on in the light but organized lift as the south-southeast winds drift us to the north, past Laredo. We stay in the lift, gaining some miles and waiting for it to get stronger as it gets later in the morning.

Well, this year it did get better as the day progressed, but the cloud base just wouldn’t rise to the levels that we have come to expect as we head north.

Instead of rising to 5000 feet by noon, it was still around 3000-4000 feet.

Heading into the hill country in the early afternoon means that the ground is rising up 2000 feet. The clouds weren’t rising at the hill country either, which made things even worse. We had gotten used to 7000-foot cloud bases by the time we were diving into the hill country.

Of course, it was all the moisture in the air that was keeping the cloud bases low, combined with the low (for south Texas) temperatures. Every day I would check the enhanced infrared satellite images for Texas, and every day moisture would be pouring in from northwest Mexico. This is a pattern that I never saw in 2000 and 2001.

To help us get around the Laredo airspace, we finally moved our whole operation—both hang gliders and paragliders— 18 miles to the east to a ranch owned by Renato Ramirez, the local IBC Bank president. This made for very easy short-distance retrieval, as we could fly along a north-south highway and still make it easily to Highway 83 north of Laredo. This was one of the few highlights of our trip south this year.

We were looking for the Bermuda High to set up out in the Atlantic and send a long finger of high pressure into the Gulf of Mexico with another associated high pressure centered just south of New Orleans. This weather feature can be so big that it dominates all of Texas with a clockwise flow from Brownsville through Kansas.

This year, Texas seemed to be divided into a southern part and a northern part, both of which had their own weather patterns. From Big Spring north up the panhandle, it was dry with high pressure centered over the Four Corners area. The south was wet with the monsoonal pattern pushed to the east.

Finally, after day upon day of disappointment, Mike Barber started following a little storm center that was forming way to the southeast of the Caribbean. Within a few days, this turned into Claudette, which, by the time it came ashore, was a hurricane.

We had already left south Texas, quite aware that a hurricane meant the end of the 2003 World Record Encampment.

It was three years ago that Gary Osoba first got us to join him in Zapata for the first World Record Encampment.

Gary feels that this is the best place in the world to set distance hang gliding, paragliding and ultralight sailplane records. The funny (strange) part about this is that, for various reasons, Gary has never set a world record in Zapata.

Doesn’t stop him from coming back, but it must be very discouraging.

I guess if they were easy to set, they wouldn’t be World Records. We’ll be back next year with an even better launch area.

October, 2003: Hang Gliding & Paragliding

W H E E L

Landing gear should roll, not stick Hang Gliding & Paragliding: October, 2003

D E A L

T

By ‘Sunny’ Jim Fenison his is not just an article about flying with ‘wheels’—it is an article about flying with adequate wheels. By “adequate” wheels, I am talking about wheels of sufficient size, strength, and efficiency to handle the speed and weight of the aircraft, as well as the dimensions of the field to be landed in.

No self-respecting hang glider pilot would think it a very sane proposition to land a Cessna 180 on fourinch plastic clip-on wheels. Yet how much of what we currently accept for our sport is equally absurd?

When talking about wheels with my fellow cross-country or competition pilots, I usually hear comments such as: “Wheels add too much drag,” “most of the fields I land in are full of obstacles and cannot be rolled into,” “wheels are not macho,” or even (!) “I always land on my feet!”

You always land on your feet? Okay, hotshot, follow me with your vivid imagination out to a very probable landing scenario on the flatlands east of Chelan Butte. Let’s say you are on final to land in a farmer’s field when a dust devil breaks off out in front of you and your previous no-wind landing condition turns into a 10 mph tailwind. There 43

W H E E L S

are six inches of plowed dirt furrows to run through and you are traveling down hill.

Now is a good time to get a little bit more honest!

Don’t tell me this can’t happen to you or that you will have a perfect stand-up landing if it does. The fact is, you will probably get in two or three good steps before playing “Roll-over, Rover” and then planting your nice, shiny helmet through your nice, shiny sail. This is a very messy and potentially lifechanging experience and it can happen to anyone.

I’ve certainly experienced this myself.

Once without wheels, where I turtled and ended up on top of my sail, caked with dust and feeling very lucky not to have broken my silly neck. Another time, I experienced the same scenario with big, strong, beautiful (in their own special way) 12-inch wheels on my basetube. In this case, I merely pulled my glider to the deck and rolled it in. This potentially devastating scenario became a non-event by flying with adequate wheels.

Think about it.

If you are still unsure, think about it this way: Some of us hang-glider pilots think paraglider pilots are crazy folks who take huge risks every time they fly. “Don’t they know the wind can change? Don’t they know a thermal can rip through at any time?” Well wake up, you wise yet blind hangies!

That is exactly what some of them think of us when we attempt to land aircraft almost guaranteed to crash if the wind changes.

Paragliders have no mass. When the wind switches a little bit they might have to run a little or eat some dirt but they don’t have a 70-pound aircraft over their heads that must somehow 44

lose If that on

momentum. nose comes over (can you say WHACK?) they don’t have an aluminum and Dacron wall to swing their head through or an extremely efficient, 70-pound guillotine if their head gets there first!

After flying with 12-inch wheels for the past two years I now consider 12-inch diameter wheels “barely adequate” for most of the places I fly. How can anyone possibly expect to roll into a field six-inches deep in dust when your so-called “wheels” only give your basetube three inches of clearance?

If we were to redefine a perfect landing as “the safest possible way to land” a hang glider, wheels would be required for a perfect landing. That is, in most cases, the perfect landing would be to roll it in on wheels of adequate size, strength, and efficiency to handle the speed and weight of the aircraft, as determined by the size and make-up of the field to be landed in.

However, wheels are not the only answer here. We all know that not all fields are landable with wheels and the no-step landing is a life saving maneuver in a rough field, as many cross-country landing zones tend to be.

Even I, ‘Sunny’ Jim, will concede this is an excellent and valid reason for teaching most pilots to perform a full-flare stand-up landing. But why do we teach novice hang-glider pilots this maneuver? The full-flare, no-step landing is really a radical low-altitude aerobatics maneuver. If you doubt that, practice doing one at altitude (but only if you want to practice a parachute deployment immediately afterward!).

That’s why (in my opinion) the nostep, full-flare landing would best be represented as a special skill, worthy of a special skills rating, just like cross-

country flying, flat-slope launches, cliff launches, and restricted-field landings are special skills.

Now, please don’t stop reading here — think with me on this. Fear is probably our greatest natural obstacle to introducing new pilots to our sport.

Most folks naturally understand why airplanes need to land on wheels and most folks naturally question why we try to land on our feet. Then they come out with a friend to a perfectlygroomed LZ and watch seasoned Hang 4 pilots pound it in!

Do not be fooled. Do not pretend that every loss due to death, injury, or fear does not result in a much greater, yet indirect, loss due to the negative circle of influence surrounding each and every incident. After literally thousands of landing incidents involving loss of control while rotating to the upright position, flaring too late, flaring too soon, not flaring at all, or landing downwind, is, is it really such a crazy idea to give some extra thought to what we currently accept as normal?

What if we just rolled ‘em in like regular aircraft? How many pilots would still be with us? Can you imagine how boring our landing zones would be? How much fear would be removed from the equation? How much would this speed up the basic learning process? How big would our sport be? Would this really have made a difference? Of course it would have.

Back in the 1970s, I flew without a helmet or reserve parachute and thought nothing of it. Today, however, I would feel naked and vulnerable if I flew without either. Two years ago I was not really flying with wheels on a constant basis. Two years ago I logged flight #2,372 from Chelan Butte without wheels—no big deal.

October, 2003: Hang Gliding & Paragliding

W H E E L S

to Later that afternoon I threw on the wheels just for kicks and took flight #2,373 at the same site.

Coming in on final I misread the streamer and found myself coming into the soccer field with a 10 mph tailwind. (Okay, so maybe I need glasses.) I’ve been flying hang gliders for 31 years. I would have sworn up and down I could never have done something this stupid, but I did.

I touched down doing around 40 mph groundspeed and rolled to a perfect and safe landing. I have never flown without wheels since then.

Wheels have not hindered my crosscountry flying abilities at all. To the contrary, I now feel so much safer flying cross-country that I fly cross -country far more often with much less stress resulting in much more enjoyment. I even won the Falcon cross-country contest last year flying with my 12-inch wheels proudly obstructing the airflow.

Of course, I am flying a single-surface glider and I am flying very slowly, which keeps the parasitic drag from my wheels to a minimum. But even if I go high performance again someday, I will not give up the safety margin that I currently enjoy. Flying without adequate wheels or adequate skids capable of handling the terrain I am flying over would now feel like I was flying without my parachute or without my helmet.

What constitutes an “adequate wheel” is relative to what you fly, how you fly, and where you fly. A super-sturdy four-inch wheel might be just fine on a groomed field, but Hang Gliding & Paragliding: October, 2003

what about a field full of four-inch gopher holes?

I made my own wheels by robbing a pair of 12-inch “tuffy”-style wheels from a broken push scooter I found at Value Village for ten bucks. Then I removed all the bike bearings and enlarged the center hole to one and a quarter inches. This allows enough room for both the base tube and an eighth-inch bushing to protect the basetube from wear and tear (critically important). Then I fi lled up the honeycombed area of what was left of the hub with hot glue to strengthen it. I then positioned a rubber basetube “donut” to hold the bushing in place on the basetube and let the wheel “float” between the “donut” and the downtube. It ain’t pretty but it’s been field tested at 40 mph and it only cost $10!

I built my own wheels because I don’t think the “perfect wheel” can be found ready-made. Most of the wheels on the market are adequate only on fairly smooth landing zones. Improving on the safety of our sport should include improving wheel designs. But much of our focus in this sport so far has been spent creating safer, better-handling, and higher-performing wings to fly.

I am as happy about this as the next guy, but sometimes it feels like we are driving hotrods with no brakes. I would like our hang-gliding manufacturers to consider this as an official challenge to consider providing “adequate” landing gear for their beautiful birds.

My perfect “dream wheel” would be like one of those streamlined, low-profile jobs they use on racing bikes—low drag but ultra-strong and rubber-tired. A 12-inch minimum diameter that rolls on its own bearings and possesses a magical ability to somehow fold and remain attached

either

streamlined or round basetubes either with or without VG systems. You build it, I’ll buy it. Perhaps it does not yet exist only because we have not given this issue our full attention.

My wheels are not perfect but I love them! I do lots of fly-on-the-wall landings and I top-land Chelan Butte on a regular basis with reasonable results because I can carry my speed and control all the way to the deck. I can also bounce a little bit if I don’t judge it just right or my reactions are not fast enough in rough air (I feel like a bushplane!).

I am not saying top-landing at places like Chelan Butte with wheels is rational or safe any more than I am claiming to be right in the head.

Truth is (to be brutally honest) I’m a hypocrite because I still love to do full-flare no-step landings just to look cool. But I am saying the difference between where I can land safely and where my friends on wings without adequate wheels can land safely is a huge difference and I don’t want to lose any more friends.

Last night I made a list of all the wonderful people I have met through the years with whom I no longer fly because of some accident. I don’t get to party with them or their families or their friends anymore. Some of them I really loved and I miss them. For some of them, big-ass wheels wouldn’t have made any difference. But for some of them, really big wheels would have saved their ass.

Fly High, Stay Safe.

45

ACCIDENT REPORT

��������

������������������� (continued from page 30…)

area. Tugs continued launch and landing activities on both the North and East runways. The incident pilot executed several turns consistent with a set-up for landing adjacent to the busiest section of the field.

• The accident pilot, while experienced and highly current, had relatively little experience flying in this type of environment; his aero-towing experience being limited to operations at local flight parks with one or at most two tugs and generally fewer than 5-10 gliders in operation at any one time.

• Flying with a previously demonstrated spatial disorientation problem.

• The accident pilot had admitted to problems in maintaining orientation (vertigo) when moving his head while turning on approach and close to the terrain. His solution was to keep his head stationary while turning and scan using eye movement only.

• This would have severely restricted his ability to clear for traffic from multiple directions.

• Head movements required to adequately clear the area onapproach could have triggered/ aggravated the pilot’s vestibular problem, causing spatial disorientation during the final turn(s) and inadvertent ground contact at high speed.

Recommendations • Pilots should be discouraged from flying with known medical conditions that may compromise their ability to precisely control the glider during critical phases of flight.

• Glider pilots should strive to remain well clear of other traffic, 46

both in the air and on the ground, to the maximum extent possible in accordance with a safe approach and landing.

The following applies specifically to competition and flight park operations: • Pilots wishing to launch and land during the primary competition launch window should demonstrate an adequate level of experience to safely fly with confidence in complex, high volume, high traffic conditions.

• Pilots less-experienced in high volume aero-tow operations, and those with little or no high-level competition meet experience, should be closely mentored during their initial competition experience.

• Glider launch and landing areas should be designated well clear of one another, clearly briefed prior to commencement of flight operations each day, and pilots strongly encouraged to utilize these areas.

• Planned tug and glider departure, arrival, and approach patterns should be designed to mitigate traffic conflicts, and these patterns clearly briefed to all glider pilots prior to commencement of flight operations each day.

• Right-of-way rules should be clearly briefed to all participants prior to commencement of flight operations. In addition to the standard rules applying to glider/ glider conflicts, it should be made clear to all tug and glider pilots that an airborne glider has rightof-way over a tug in all situations.

• Glider pilots should never use their right-of-way to gain advantage over a tug in the event of a conflict.

��������������������������������������������� ������������������������������������

� ������������������ ���������� ������������������������������� ����� ������������� ���������������� ����� ��������������� ������������������������� �������������������������� ������������������������� �������� ���������� ���������������������������� ������������������ ������ ����� �������������������������������������������������������

�������������������������� ����������� ������������������������������������������ ������������������������������ ����������������������������������������� ������������������������������������

High Energy Sports Inc. Quantum Series Hang Gliding & Paragliding Parachutes...

The best you can buy!

A reserve parachute is one of the most important purchases you will ever make. If properly cared for, your parachute will outlast your glider and your harness. A parachute can be your last hope for survival in a very bad situation. The Quantum Series design has revolutionized parachute technology. It was adopted for use by the US Forest Service Smokejumpers and the US Army Special Forces. The safety record has been unprecedented! Make sure you have the best...

Make sure you have a Quantum Series Parachute

by High Energy Sports Inc.

Hang Gliding Harnesses designed for you... customized by you!

Each harness is cut to your body dimensions and built with your choice of over 30 options. You only pay for the options you order. For details see our web site.

1081 Shepard Street Unit A, Anaheim, CA 92806 tel: (714) 632-3323 • fax: (714) 632-6622 www.highenergysports.com betty@highenergysports.com

A N Y

L A N D I N G

by David Hayner s I wait next to the launch ramp, I tell myself that as soon as John clears me, I’m running off the cliff. No waiting, pondering debating: just launch. I’ve cleared the big hill and I’m all set for my first cliff launch at Lookout Mountain Flight Park.

Evidence in the room pointed to the following events: Pull out the drawers and use them to climb to the top of the dresser, crawl from dresser to drapes, slide down drapes to windowsill, launch to bed. Repeat until bad landing. Go to hospital to stitch tongue back together. These initial positive experiences— several successful take-offs and landings—sowed the seeds for the future. I was too young to remember the pain.

I have strong launches and fly fairly well—for a beginner. I’ve done my pre-flight and I’m waiting to do my hang check. Now, as my nerves start to bounce around, I’m thinking hard about all the things I must do, trying to keep my mind focused, though I’m not having much success.

Leaping ahead a few years, my dad takes my sister Janet and me out to fly box kites. Several engineering degrees later, I still do not know why these things fly. My memory is of Janet’s kite flying gracefully away, using up several balls of string, including the extra balls my dad brought for me. I remember myself tangled in my kite string and dragging it along the ground. Good take-offs are important!

I have two big concerns. One, will I screw up my landing approach and fly into the trees—despite half a dozen tandem aerotow lessons? Second, this “running off a cliff” business.

I’ve been taught to run off the cliff aggressively, with no hint of hesitation. I’m thinking this contradicts 3 million years of Darwinian selection.

John’s running monologue to me concerning the stilltheoretical ideas that airspeed and altitude are good things, letting glider fly, blah, blah, blah, is definitely taking a backseat right now. I try to reassure myself that the flying is quite safe—simply make sure the landings are good. As these random thoughts wander through my mind, I realize these ideas and feelings are oddly familiar.

My first serious attempts at flight involved my father’s dresser, the windowsill, drapes and my parent’s bed, in that order.

Hang Gliding & Paragliding: October, 2003

My grandmother confirmed to me, when I was 7, the playground rumor that if I went over the bar on a swing, I would turn inside out. Her intention was to discourage reckless behavior. She did not have any sons. Despite near heroic efforts, and substantial help from friends, none of us ever managed to turn ourselves inside-out. We did manage some jarring falls back into the seat and some world-records for longest and highest swing jumps— the longer and higher flights usually the result of “pilot error.”

We also managed to break a few legs and arms along the way.

Good landings are important!

My childhood home had a neat porch, about 30 feet long, 6 feet wide and 4 feet off the ground. To my young mind, this looked very much like an aircraft carrier flight deck, without the catapults. With a dozen bungee cords and some rope we 47

A N Y

L A N D I N G

built a catapult. A friend’s skateboard, some scrap lumber, plastic sheets, trusty staple gun, and we had wings and landing gear.

Testing the catapult with two bags of sand strapped to the top of the skateboard confirmed we could accelerate 50 pounds quickly in a short distance. The broken sandbags several feet past the end of the porch did not serve as much of a warning to our nine-year-old minds. After all, the sandbags had no wings.

We reloaded the catapult with me strapped to the skateboard and holding onto the wings. My friends released the bungee cords. The wings immediately flew out of my hands and I dutifully followed the same parabolic path of the sandbags.

This probably saved me a broken bone or two. I “landed” in the sand. Any landing you walk away from is a good landing.

By adolescence, I’d seen pictures of early hang gliders. They looked like big kites. Barry and I figured we could build one.

We searched the town for sources of aluminum tubing, T3040 or something. No one had a clue what we were talking about.

Nor did we, actually.

Since kites work well with wood, and airplanes used to be made from wood, we figured, why not build our big kite out of wood?

Consequently, with more scrap lumber, nails, moldy sailcloth

and our trusty staple gun, we built a big kite and waited for a windy day.

New sandbags were requisitioned for testing. As with the catapult test, things go deceptively well at first. We lashed the sandbags to the kite’s frame, launch it and the kite flew up about 30 feet before we winched it down.

Then it was my turn. I strapped myself in, grabbed the handholds, ran sideways against the taut cable, and slid into the wind. For about 5 seconds I flew. Then I over-controlled, left, right and the last thing I remember is a head-down dive for the ground. Barry pulled the mostly-intact kite off me, figuring to uncover a badly maimed body. Finding nothing broken, only shaken, we packed our stuff and headed for home. Any landing in which you can reuse the equipment is a better landing.

Many years pass and most of my flying is vicarious: Flying Baby tricks and International Swing Jumping competitions with my daughters. While jumping off roofs into snowdrifts with my girls, I came to the conclusion that humans fly quite well: it’s our landings that need work. I mean, just how many people have hurt themselves while flying? Darn few. How many have hurt themselves with poor landings?

Some authors have suggested that the trick to flying is missing the ground. I disagree. You’ve got to come back to terra fi rma sooner or later. The trick to flying is consistently good landings.

Mid-life crisis?

Long suppressed urges? I start to look into flying again. I do not want the hassle of an engine, so hang gliding is the answer. A friend finds Lookout Mountain Flight Park and we sign up. Over a week of training, I develop strong takeoffs and decent landings. My turns aren’t as crisp and as coordinated as I would like, but I don’t over-control—I’ve painfully learned that lesson.

Takeoffs are my favorite. I like the feeling of the glider trying to pull me into the air, putting my head down and digging through a few more

48

October, 2003: Hang Gliding & Paragliding

A N Y

L A N D I N G

steps before the ground falls away and I’m airborne. Now the entire flight is in front of me: time to have fun in the almost 10 seconds before I must set up my landing.

John calls me to the concrete pad for my hang check and final briefing. Now I am solidly focused on the basics. Eyes on the horizon, correct wing attitude, strong launch run, fly away from the cliff, fly out to the LZ and land.

Hang Gliding & Paragliding: October, 2003

49

A N Y

L A N D I N G

This does not look simply like a longer version of a training hill flight. I shoulder the glider, grapevine the downtubes. and suddenly realize how short the launch run is. I’m used to 10 yards or so of distance to accelerate, get the wing flying, and let it pull me from the ground. Now two yards!

My confidence is thoroughly shaken. Flying from a cliff is one thing. Running aggressively from a cliff with 60 pounds still sitting on your shoulders is quite another matter. I’ve always been flying before the ground falls away. John clears me. I count to three and go. As I run off the launch pad, I find myself falling and thinking this isn’t right, and then I feel a hard jerk as my harness catches me. This was not like any training-hill launch.

As I squeeze the round downtubes into a more aerodynamic oval form, I wonder what else is going to be different. The 1000 or so feet of altitude is certainly novel as is the absolute and total isolation from mankind. I also now understand that I am the only person in the universe who will have much impact on my survival. No help, no going back. This is not just a longer training-hill flight.

I do not think I enjoyed much of my first hang-gliding flight. I was way too focused and worked every little bump in the air into a mountain that I had to conquer. Is this what I wanted when I was 2 or 4 or 10 years old? I landed. Any landing you can walk away from is a good landing. Any landing in which you can reuse your equipment is a better landing.

These concepts are no longer theoretical: they now have a deep, relevant and personal meaning to me. As I prepare for my next launch, the launch platform still looks pretty short. The second launch was much stronger—less of a jerk on launch. I started to enjoy flying again. I executed some decent turns and flew around a little. Altitude is useful.

I picked up a fair amount of speed on my downwind leg, kept this speed through the trees and onto final. Strangely enough, I had a pretty good landing. Speed is a good thing.

I break down the glider and head back up for yet another launch. As I make my third launch, I am wondering why they made the launch pad so long. But I am no longer wondering if I’ve found what I’ve been looking for since my youth. I know the answer.

50

October, 2003: Hang Gliding & Paragliding

N E W REGION

H-1 H-1 H-1 H-1 H-1 H-1 H-1 H-1 H-1 H-1 H-1 H-1 H-1 H-1 H-1 H-1 H-1 H-1 H-1 H-1 H-1 H-1 H-1 H-1 H-1 H-1 H-1 H-1 H-1 H-1 H-1 H-1 H-1 H-1 H-1 H-1 H-1 H-1 H-1 H-1 H-1 H-1 H-1 H-1 H-1 H-1 H-1 H-1 H-1 H-1 H-1 H-1 H-1 H-2 H-2 H-2 H-2 H-2 H-2 H-2 H-2 H-2 H-2 H-2 H-2 H-2 H-2 H-2 H-2 H-2 H-2 H-2 H-2 H-2

1 1 1 2 2 2 2 2 3 3 3 4 4 4 6 7 7 7 7 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 11 11 11 12 12 12 12 13 1 1 1 2 2 2 2 2 3 3 3 3 3 4 4 6 7 8 8 8 8

NAME

CITY

S LISETTE SAZAMA RICHARD MINTER MAHESH IYER S. ARTHUR WEST PHILIP FERREIRA J PATRICK CUDAHY BARAK HAIBY BRIAN HOUSTON FERNANDO ESCOBAR GREGORY BROWN RODNEY MOON RICHARD RALLISON STAN NOWAKOWSKI WESLEY NISTLER IAN PIETZ THOMAS MCGRATH DAVID ARNOLD DAVID ARNOLD EDGARDO RODRIGUEZ MICHAEL ONORATO VICHER TANTA-NANTA DANIEL TARQUINIO GAKUTA TOBA AKI EJIMA MARK TIMNEY JUSTIN PFEIFER STEVE HEINOWSKI KATHY GOODMAN ROBERT ROGERS PHILIP HUTCHISON WILLIAM PRIDAY JEREMY SWERDLOW DAVID TEAL RANDY SOWDEN RODNEY MCINTOSH RUSSELL STAPLES KEN GROOVER BRIAN HEINOWSKI PATRICK KONVALINKA PETER BONIFAY JOHN SUMMERS JOACHIM ROSLER DANIEL LEONARD STEPHEN FOE SCOTT JOHNSON ROBERT MC QUIRK THOMAS JONES JR SABRINA WELCH WAYNE TURNER ROBERT HOFFMAN MIKE COLONNA MICHAEL ROGERS RUSTAM ZAL DAVAR S LISETTE SAZAMA RICHARD MINTER MAHESH IYER S. ARTHUR WEST J PATRICK CUDAHY AMY JORDAN HAROLD JOHNSON OLEG MUSTEATA MONISH KHARE PATRICK BARSZCZ GREGORY BROWN CHRISTIAN WILLIAMS RODNEY MOON STAN NOWAKOWSKI WESLEY NISTLER KEVIN SMITH EDGARDO RODRIGUEZ MICHAEL ONORATO GAKUTA TOBA AKI EJIMA JUSTIN PFEIFER

MOUNTLAKE TERRACE WA HILLSBORO OR ASHLAND OR PLEASANT HILL CA ALAMO CA ARCATA CA SAN FRANCISCO CA SAN FRANCISCO CA GARDEN GROVE CA SANTA BARBARA CA SILVERADO CA PARADISE UT LEADVILLE CO TAYLORSVILLE UT KIMBERLING CITY MO CHICAGO IL NEW ALBANY IN JEFFERSONVILLE IN CHICAGO IL NEW MILFORD CT W ROXBURY MA N EASTON MA WATERTOWN MA WATERTOWN MA HARRISVILLE NH NEW MILFORD CT OBERLIN OH BALTIMORE MD LUZERNE PA ROCKVILLE MD RICHMOND VA VIENNA VA NORTH CANTON OH SALEM VA DECATUR GA MILLEDGEVILLE GA MCDONOUGH GA BEAUFORT SC SIGANL MTN TN WINTER HAVEN FL LAKELAND FL CASSELBERRY FL JACKSONVILLE FL BROOKSVILLE FL CLERMONT FL CARROLLTON TX GRAND PRAIRIE TX AUSTIN TX LAGRANGEVILLE NY NEW YORK NY ROCKY POINT NY LONG BEACH NY LONDON SW179BQ MOUNTLAKE TERRACE WA HILLSBORO OR ASHLAND OR PLEASANT HILL CA ARCATA CA SAN FRANCISICO CA SAN LEANDRO CA HAYWARD CA LOS ANGELES CA VISALIA CA SANTA BARBARA CA PACIFIC PALISADES CA SILVERADO CA LEADVILLE CO TAYLORSVILLE UT FORT SMITH AR CHICAGO IL NEW MILFORD CT WATERTOWN MA WATERTOWN MA NEW MILFORD CT

Hang Gliding & Paragliding: Paragliding October, 2003

STATE

R A T I N G S OFFICIAL

CHRISTIAN THORESON JAMES REYNOLDS RODGER HOYT BODHI KROLL ERIC HINRICHS GRANT KIMBELL MICHAEL FOY PATRICK DENEVAN ANDREW BEEM JAMES GARDNER ROB MCKENZIE H BRUCE WEAVER III MARK WINDSHEIMER WILLIAM HEANER III KEVIN COLTRANE BODHI KROLL CHRISTIAN THORESON CHRISTIAN THORESON ROBERT HASTINGS BEN DAVIDSON GREG BLACK GREG BLACK JEFFREY NICOLAY JEFFREY NICOLAY JEFFREY NICOLAY MALCOLM JONES CHRISTIAN THORESON H BRUCE WEAVER III JOHN BILSKY ROBERT LANE STEVE WENDT STEVE WENDT TAMMY BURCAR WILLIAM CASH CHRISTIAN THORESON CHRISTIAN THORESON CHRISTIAN THORESON CHRISTIAN THORESON CHRISTIAN THORESON MALCOLM JONES MALCOLM JONES MALCOLM JONES MALCOLM JONES MALCOLM JONES ROBERT LANE DAVID BROYLES DAVID BROYLES JEFFREY HUNT GREG BLACK GREG BLACK GREG BLACK GREG BLACK MALCOLM JONES CHRISTIAN THORESON JAMES REYNOLDS RODGER HOYT BODHI KROLL GRANT KIMBELL KURTIS CARTER MICHAEL FOY PATRICK DENEVAN ANDREW BEEM DAN FLEMING JAMES GARDNER JOE GREBLO ROB MCKENZIE MARK WINDSHEIMER WILLIAM HEANER III TONY MIDDLETON ROBERT HASTINGS BEN DAVIDSON JEFFREY NICOLAY JEFFREY NICOLAY MALCOLM JONES 51

N E W

R A T I N G S

REGION NAME

H-2 H-2 H-2 H-2 H-2 H-2 H-2 H-2 H-2 H-2 H-2 H-2 H-2 H-2 H-2 H-2 H-2 H-2 H-2 H-2 H-2 H-2 H-3 H-3 H-3 H-3 H-3 H-3 H-3 H-3 H-3 H-3 H-3 H-3 H-3 H-3 H-3 H-3 H-3 H-3 H-3 H-3 H-3 H-4 H-4 H-4 H-4 H-4 T-1 T-1 T-1 T-1 T-1

9 9 9 9 9 9 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 12 13 13 2 2 2 2 2 3 3 3 3 3 4 7 8 8 9 9 10 10 12 12 13 3 4 8 10 12 2 2 2 4 8

STEVE HEINOWSKI ROBERT ROGERS JIM HODGES PHILIP HUTCHISON DAVID TEAL RANDY SOWDEN KEVIN KCONCE JOHN SHIRLEY KEITH ATKINS RODNEY MCINTOSH RUSSELL STAPLES KEN GROOVER BRIAN HEINOWSKI PATRICK KONVALINKA JOHN SUMMERS JOACHIM ROSLER DANIEL LEONARD STEPHEN FOE SCOTT JOHNSON WAYNE TURNER LEONARDO LUNA RUSTAM ZAL DAVAR ROBERT MURRAY YAKOV LEVIN EVAN HARDING ROBERT ONEIL MARIE LARSEN EFI GLUZZER KURT DUMAS ROBERT MORAN FERENC RAKSI ROD CLARK STAN NOWAKOWSKI HUMAM ABUAMARA GAKUTA TOBA GREG SARACINO CHRISTOPHER MC KEE HOWARD WAGNER KEVIN KCONCE JOHN HILL MANUK KEROVPYAN ERIC DOUGLAS RUSTAM ZAL DAVAR MARK DAISEY STAN NOWAKOWSKI BRONISLAUS TAURINSKI PETER BONIFAY RYAN VOIGHT ERIC BRAINARD MARK LAUER MARK ZELEZNOCK DAVID PRENTICE ARIC PAULSON

REGION NAME

P-1 P-1 P-1 P-1 P-1 P-1 P-1 P-1 P-1 P-1 P-1 P-1 P-1 P-1 P-1 P-1 P-1 P-1 52

1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 2 3 3 3 3 3 3

A JAMES MOVIUS JOSEPH LEONARD ASHLEY SHARPLES PAUL LOASBY STEPHEN CROZIER COURTLAND WEAVER KURT NIZNIK RAYO GOFORTH THOMAS BRAND DAVE COROLLO BRUCE FECHT BRENT ERDMANN RON JURINCIE LARRY SEVERSON DANIEL BAUMEISTER EMILY ZEIS BOB JOHNSON KU WING NANG

CITY

OBERLIN LUZERNE PURCELLVILLE ROCKVILLE NORTH CANTON SALEM NAGS HEAD CANDLER MEMPHIS DECATUR MILLEDGEVILLE MCDONOUGH BEAUFORT SIGANL MTN LAKELAND CASSELBERRY JACKSONVILLE BROOKSVILLE CLERMONT LAGRANGEVILLE VANCOUVER, LONDON FOLSOM SUNNYVALE GILROY SAN FRANCISCO SAN FRANCISCO OAK PARK BURBANK LAGUNA BEACH LAKE FOREST NEWPORT BEACH LEADVILLE NAPERVILLE WATERTOWN SHELTON ALEXANDRIA WALDORF NAGS HEAD PORT SAINT LUCIE ELLENVILLE HOWARD BEACH LONDON PALM DESERT LEADVILLE BRISTOL WINTER HAVEN PINE BUSH SAN FRANCISCO PACIFICA SAN FRANCISCO ALBUQUERQUE UPTON

STATE

OH PA VA MD OH VA NC NC TN GA GA GA SC TN FL FL FL FL FL NY BC SW179BQ CA CA CA CA CA CA CA CA CA CA CO IL MA CT VA MD NC FL NY NY SW179BQ CA CO CT FL NY CA CA CA NM MA

CITY

STATE

SEATTLE SEATTLE SEATTLE RENTON ANCHORAGE ANCHORAGE FRIDAY HARBOR EUGENE TRUCTEE TRUCKEE PALO ALTO SAN FRANCISCO SANTA BARBARA SANTA BARBARA LOS ANGELES PUKALANI HONOLULU EL SEGUNDO

WA WA WA WA AK AK WA OR CA CA CA CA CA CA CA HI HI CA

RATINGOFFICIAL

CHRISTIAN THORESON JOHN BILSKY KEVIN COLTRANE ROBERT LANE TAMMY BURCAR WILLIAM CASH ANDY TORRINGTON CHRISTIAN THORESON CHRISTIAN THORESON CHRISTIAN THORESON CHRISTIAN THORESON CHRISTIAN THORESON CHRISTIAN THORESON CHRISTIAN THORESON MALCOLM JONES MALCOLM JONES MALCOLM JONES MALCOLM JONES ROBERT LANE GREG BLACK ANDREW BEEM MALCOLM JONES GEORGE HAMILTON JIM WOODWARD MICHAEL FOY MICHAEL FOY PAM HARLOW JOSEPH SZALAI JOSEPH SZALAI JOSEPH SZALAI ROB MCKENZIE ROB MCKENZIE MARK WINDSHEIMER ARLAN BIRKETT JEFFREY NICOLAY PETER PERRONE MATTHEW GRAHAM RICHARD HAYS ANDY TORRINGTON MALCOLM JONES GREG BLACK MICHAEL FOY MALCOLM JONES ROB MCKENZIE MARK WINDSHEIMER DANIEL JESTER MALCOLM JONES PAUL VOIGHT GORDON POLLOCK GORDON POLLOCK GORDON POLLOCK PARIS WILLIAMS PAUL VOIGHT RATINGOFFICIAL

DENISE REED DENISE REED LAN DO CHIRICO MARC CHIRICO PHIL SMITH PHIL SMITH WALLACE ANDERSON WALLACE ANDERSON MATTHEW GERDES RAY LEONARD WALLACE ANDERSON WALLACE ANDERSON BO CRISS BO CRISS BO CRISS DAVID BINDER DAVID BINDER ELIAD ZAX October, 2003: Hang Gliding & Paragliding

N E W REGION NAME

P-1 P-1 P-1 P-1 P-1 P-1 P-1 P-1 P-1 P-1 P-1 P-1 P-1 P-1 P-1 P-1 P-1 P-1 P-1 P-1 P-1 P-1 P-1 P-1 P-1 P-1 P-1 P-1 P-1 P-1 P-1 P-1 P-1 P-1 P-1 P-1 P-1 P-1 P-1 P-1 P-1 P-2 P-2 P-2 P-2 P-2 P-2 P-2 P-2 P-2 P-2 P-2 P-2 P-2 P-2 P-2 P-2 P-2 P-2 P-2 P-2 P-2 P-2 P-2 P-2 P-2 P-2 P-2 P-2 P-2 P-2 P-2 P-2 P-2

3 3 3 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 5 5 6 8 8 8 8 9 9 9 10 10 10 10 11 12 12 12 12 12 13 13 13 13 13 13 13 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 2 2 2 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 5

DAVID DOSTER MASATAKE SHIRATORI DALE GLENN EUGENE BERRY ELISABETH OTTOLINI SEAN DUNLOP ELIZABETH BINDER THOMAS KEOUGH CASEY AAKHUS-WITT CHRIS KATES TOMMY LE CLAIR TOM LARSEN ADAM MITCHELL BRIAN CLARK BRUCE JOWERS BRYAN JOWERS SHAWN DAVIS DEMLER PHILIP JOSEF SCESNAK JOHN WINSOR PHILIP PORTER OMAR ABASS GREGORY LYNCH HUGH LONG TORGEIR RUI JOSEPH ARME SHEENFAR FONG JOE HARDWICK GARY LEACH HOLGER WUNDERLICH CLARK CARR JONATHAN HAACK SEAN FAY RANDHIR JHAMB JOE LAWSON VICTOR PEREZ RAYON ADRIANA PEREZ RAGON IOULIA MALKOUVA ALEJANDRO PEREZ RAYON ABGRALL DANIEL WILLIAM HUDSON A JAMES MOVIUS JOSEPH LEONARD ASHLEY SHARPLES PAUL LOASBY STEPHEN CROZIER COURTLAND WEAVER KURT NIZNIK THOMAS BRAND DUANE HALGRIMSON DAVE COROLLO KARLA WERNINGHAUS WES STETSON BRUCE FECHT RON JURINCIE LARRY SEVERSON DANIEL BAUMEISTER EMILY ZEIS BOB JOHNSON RUSSEL METLITZKY DAVID DOSTER MASATAKE SHIRATORI STEVE SHAW DALE GLENN ALEXANDER HOHENZOLLERN DON WORSHAM SEAN DUNLOP ELIZABETH BINDER THOMAS KEOUGH KRISTIAN MERWIN TOM LARSEN ADAM MITCHELL BRIAN CLARK BRUCE JOWERS

Hang Gliding & Paragliding: Paragliding October, 2003

CITY

STATE

HUNTINGTON BEACH COSTA MESA HONOLULU BASALT ASPEN DRAPER DRAPER AVON WHEAT RIDGE ENGLEWOOD VAIL CRESTED BUTTE PROVO SALT LAKE CITY JACKSON JACKSON SHAWNEE NORWALK MALDEN WILLISTON HILLITON WESTERVILLE WOODBRIDGE HAYMARKET CROUSE SARASOTA SNELLVILLE OAKLAND PARK AUSTIN POUGHKEEPSIE TEANECK WESTFIELD ASTORIA GLADSTONE BRISTOL HURXGUILUCAN, HUIXGUILURAN HUIXGUILUCAN HUIXQUILUCAN ROSSY CDG APO SEATTLE SEATTLE SEATTLE RENTON ANCHORAGE ANCHORAGE FRIDAY HARBOR TRUCTEE WELLINGTON TRUCKEE CASTRO VALLEY ANGELS CAMP PALO ALTO SANTA BARBARA SANTA BARBARA LOS ANGELES PUKALANI HONOLULU CLAREMONT HUNTINGTON BEACH COSTA MESA SAN DIEGO HONOLULU ASPEN ASPEN DRAPER DRAPER AVON RIVERTON CRESTED BUTTE PROVO SALT LAKE CITY JACKSON

CA CA HI CO CO UT UT CO CO CO CO CO UT UT WY WY KS CT MA VT MA OH VA VA NC FL GA FL TX NY NJ NJ NY NJ EN EDO EDO EDO EDO CEDEX AA WA WA WA WA AK AK WA CA NV CA CA CA CA CA CA CA HI HI CA CA CA CA HI CO CO UT UT CO UT CO UT UT WY

R A T I N G S RATINGOFFICIAL

MARCELLO DE BARROS MICHAEL MASTERSON PETE MICHELMORE ALEJANDRO PALMAZ ALEJANDRO PALMAZ DAVID BINDER DAVID BINDER DAVID CHAMPAIGN GRANGER BANKS GRANGER BANKS KRIS HUSTED RICHARD KOCUREK STEPHEN MAYER STEPHEN MAYER DENISE REED DENISE REED DWAYNE MC COURT LARS LINDE MARCUS SANTOS RICK SHARP STEPHEN MAYER DWAYNE MC COURT RAY LEONARD RICKY RAY ARNOLD CHRIS BOWLES DAVID BINDER KENNETH MUNN STEPHEN MAYER NANCY STANFORD ALISTAIR RITCHIE ALISTAIR RITCHIE BENOIT BRUNEAU CIARAN EGAN MIKE STEEN GRANGER BANKS MIGUEL GUTIERREZ MIGUEL GUTIERREZ MIGUEL GUTIERREZ MIGUEL GUTIERREZ MIGUEL GUTIERREZ NANCY STANFORD DENISE REED DENISE REED LAN DO CHIRICO MARC CHIRICO PHIL SMITH PHIL SMITH WALLACE ANDERSON MATTHEW GERDES RAY LEONARD RAY LEONARD WALLACE ANDERSON WALLACE ANDERSON WALLACE ANDERSON BO CRISS BO CRISS BO CRISS DAVID BINDER DAVID BINDER ELIAD ZAX MARCELLO DE BARROS MICHAEL MASTERSON NICHOLAS GREECE PETE MICHELMORE ALEJANDRO PALMAZ ALEJANDRO PALMAZ DAVID BINDER DAVID BINDER DAVID CHAMPAIGN JOSH WALDROP RICHARD KOCUREK STEPHEN MAYER STEPHEN MAYER DENISE REED 53

N E W

R A T I N G S

REGION NAME

P-2 P-2 P-2 P-2 P-2 P-2 P-2 P-2 P-2 P-2 P-2 P-2 P-2 P-2 P-2 P-2 P-2 P-2 P-2 P-2 P-2 P-2 P-2 P-3 P-3 P-3 P-3 P-3 P-3 P-3 P-3 P-3 P-3 P-3 P-3 P-3 P-3 P-3 P-3 P-3 P-3 P-3 P-3 P-3 P-3 P-3 P-3 P-3 P-3 P-3 P-3 P-3 P-3 P-3 P-4 P-4 P-4 P-4 P-4 P-4 P-4 P-4 P-4 P-4 P-4 T-1 T-1 T-1 T-1 T-1 T-1 T-1

54

5 6 6 8 8 8 8 9 9 10 10 10 12 12 12 12 13 13 13 13 13 13 13 1 1 1 2 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 4 4 4 4 4 5 5 7 8 9 9 9 10 10 10 11 11 12 13 13 1 3 4 4 4 4 4 4 5 10 12 3 3 3 4 4 8 8

BRYAN JOWERS SHAWN DAVIS ANDREW ECKERSON DEMLER PHILIP JOSEF SCESNAK JOHN WINSOR PHILIP PORTER OMAR ABASS GREGORY LYNCH TORGEIR RUI JOSEPH ARME JOE HARDWICK HOLGER WUNDERLICH JONATHAN HAACK SEAN FAY RANDHIR JHAMB JOE LAWSON VICTOR PEREZ RAYON ADRIANA PEREZ RAGON IOULIA MALKOUVA ALEJANDRO PEREZ RAYON ABGRALL DANIEL WILLIAM HUDSON PHILIP HUMPHRIES DICK RANDOLPH PAUL LOASBY RAQUEL LOPES DOUG GOTTHARD PLAMEN YANAKIEV JOHN WILSON PH D DAVID ERICKSON MASATAKE SHIRATORI PETER ARROYO JR ART FAVELA FABIAN KUTTNER MARCELO GARCIA ARESCA KRISTIAN MERWIN JAMES LYONS TOM LARSEN KEVIN HAMLIN PETER VOLF HENRY ROSSETT BARRY KRIGER STEVE DAUM BEN-JOHAN VAN DER WALT OMAR ABASS TORGEIR RUI THOMAS HARTMAN BENEDICT MCALEVEY PAUL GREENWOOD MICHAEL BILES SEBASTIAN MEIER SCOTT BLAYLOCK ALEJANDRO PEREZ RAYON PAUL LOASBY MASATAKE SHIRATORI KAY TAUSCHER STEVE KONVES BRUCE WALKER BRYANT LEMON, JR JAMES STELZER WALTER FONTANA STEFAN MITROVICH TORGEIR RUI NARUNAS BUKAUSKAS SCOTT GRESSITT ANTHONY DAVIS MASATAKE SHIRATORI TOMAS PECINKA KARL DECKER JAMES VERNER LEONARDO SILVEIRA

CITY

STATE

JACKSON SHAWNEE LINCOLN NORWALK MALDEN WILLISTON HILLITON WESTERVILLE WOODBRIDGE CROUSE SARASOTA OAKLAND PARK POUGHKEEPSIE WESTFIELD ASTORIA GLADSTONE BRISTOL HURXGUILUCAN, HUIXGUILURAN HUIXGUILUCAN HUIXQUILUCAN ROSSY CDG APO BELLINGHAM FAIRBANKS RENTON SANTA CLARA CARPINTERIA SAN DIEGO SAN DIEGO SAN BERNARDINO COSTA MESA HONOLULU CARMILLO BOULDER BOULDER RIVERTON OREM CRESTED BUTTE JACKSON JACKSON WHEATON WEST SPRINGFIELD CENTERVILLE FALLS CHURCH WESTERVILLE CROUSE FT LAUDERDALE NORTH PALM BEACH LEANDER AUSTIN PHILMONT OTTAWA, HUIXQUILUCAN RENTON COSTA MESA BOULDER FLAGSTAFF LAKEWOOD ALBUQUERQUE LOS ALAMOS SANTA FE BOZEMAN CROUSE BROOKLYN SAN MARCOS HEMET COSTA MESA EDWARDS GOLDEN FAIRFIELD NASHUA

WY KS NE CT MA VT MA OH VA NC FL FL NY NJ NY NJ EDO EDO EDO EDO CEDEX AA WA AK WA CA CA CA CA CA CA HI CA CO CO UT UT CO WY WY IL MA OH VA OH NC FL FL TX TX NY ONTARIO EDO WA CA CO AZ CO NM NM NM MT NC NY CA CA CA CO CO CT NH

RATINGOFFICIAL

DENISE REED DWAYNE MC COURT FRANK GILLETTE LARS LINDE MARCUS SANTOS RICK SHARP STEPHEN MAYER DWAYNE MC COURT RAY LEONARD CHRIS BOWLES DAVID BINDER STEPHEN MAYER ALISTAIR RITCHIE BENOIT BRUNEAU CIARAN EGAN MIKE STEEN GRANGER BANKS MIGUEL GUTIERREZ MIGUEL GUTIERREZ MIGUEL GUTIERREZ MIGUEL GUTIERREZ MIGUEL GUTIERREZ NANCY STANFORD DELVIN CRABTREE FRANK GILLETTE MARC CHIRICO KIM GALVIN BO CRISS JOHN (TAD) HURST KYOUNG KI HONG KYOUNG KI HONG MICHAEL MASTERSON PETE MICHELMORE ROB SPORRER CHRIS SANTACROCE GRANGER BANKS JOSH WALDROP KYOUNG KI HONG RICHARD KOCUREK THOMAS BARTLETT THOMAS BARTLETT STEPHEN MAYER JOHN GALLAGHER DWAYNE MC COURT DWAYNE MC COURT DWAYNE MC COURT CHRIS BOWLES JOSE CASAUDOUMECQ JOSE CASAUDOUMECQ NANCY STANFORD ROB SPORRER ROBERT CHEVALIER DAVID JEBB MIGUEL GUTIERREZ MARC CHIRICO MICHAEL MASTERSON ALEJANDRO PALMAZ DIXON WHITE GRANGER BANKS J C BROWN J C BROWN J C BROWN SCOTT HARRIS CHRIS BOWLES PAUL VOIGHT ALAN CHUCULATE MICHAEL MASTERSON MICHAEL MASTERSON GREGORY KELLEY JAN VOEGELI KEN HUDONJORGENSEN LARS LINDE

October, 2003: Hang Gliding & Paragliding

Gallery Artist:

GILL COUTO

WWW.GILLCOUTO.COM

Mick Gainer launching with flying colors Mingus Mountain, by Gill Couto Mingus Mountain is an island in the sky, standing 4,500 feet from the Verde Valley below. The sky is big over Mingus and the cross-country flights are scenic: you can fly northeast over Sedona’s Red Rock Country, cross over the two-thousand foot high Mogollon Rim, skim the San Francisco Peaks near Flagstaff, fly over the mile-wide Meteor Crater, and enjoy the subtle colors of the Painted Desert below. Another popular route goes northwest through Chino Valley, past the Aubrey Cliffs, and to the south end of the Grand Canyon over 100 miles from launch.

Hang Gliding & Paragliding: October, 2003

I’ve been using a Nikon CoolPix 995 digital camera over the last three years with consistent results. I apply noise-reduction software to every shot and the results are stunning. Digital cameras are very convenient and truly allow you to unleash your creativity.

I still use a lot of slide film for sunsets, night shots, and mid-day shots that include the sun. My trusty 25-year old Nikon FM won’t give up. There’s a whole new world of digital cameras now, great new film emulsions too, and there’s plenty of room for more.

Variety is what I always go for. Many different angles, varying scales, tight framing some shots and zooming out others, playing with layers, and even an occasional intentional motion-blurred shot. Hang gliders are perfect colorful subjects, add a blue sky and clouds, and you get magic every time.

55

four frames: Bill Lemon trying to leave con-trails in his GhostBuster. Gary Brown patching the big blue sky. Randy Skywalker tip-toeing on the cloudtops, tap-pit-ty-tap-y-tap! Kim Shipek after her launch in this month’s cover shot.

View of the sky from under Paul Witcomb’s glider as a small crowd gathers at launch.

above: Paul Witcomb trots down the ramp right: Scott Campbell launching to check out the new Spring’s air currents left: Randy Skywalker in his UP Predator on fire, nothing has ever been in his way. below-right; Marshall Poole’s famous missile glider-tube Gill Couto’s own photo website with free hang gliding photo calendars every month: http://www.gillcouto.com The Arizona Hang Gliding Association website: http://www.ahga.org

Whassuupp?

“What’s taking so long with your Website?” — “Are you ever going live?”

I’m aware some of you have been waiting anxiously so you can read almost 25 years of “Product Lines” columns, Dennis Pagen flight reviews of several modern gliders, or hundreds of other pilot reports with thousands of photos.

OK, maybe “anxiously” is a little strong. But after all these ads, you’re curious, aren’t you?

To speed up the effort of posting all the articles, I’ve hired Whole Air magazine editor Starr Tays Weiss to help, and our former teamwork will pay off once again.

So, really — I mean it — ByDanJohnson.com IS coming. Please sign up58now to be notified when the site goes live.

Brand New 2003 Buyer’s Guide Last year’s edition sold out.

And the new 2003 model is bigger and better than ever.

WDLA has got: 36 pages of paragliders, 16 pages of hang gliders, 10 pages of ultralight sailplanes, 19 pages of powered hang gliders or paragliders… plus… over 1,000 aircraft including powered parachutes, trikes, ultralights, kit-built aircraft, rotorcraft… and… contact info for many suppliers, schools, dealers, and clubs.

Thought you’d seen it all? Hardly!

Get your own copy of the 2003 World Directory of Leisure Aviation. Only $9.95 + $4.95 Priority Mail. Limited stock—send a check for $14.90 to: Dan Johnson • 2003: HangSt. Gliding Paragliding 265 EchoOctober, Lane • South Paul&MN 55118 • USA • (no credit cards or phone orders)

D E P A R T M E N T REGION 1 Bill Bolosky (R - 04) 8426 316th Pl SE Issaquah WA 98027 (425) 222-7702 bolosky@microsoft.com Mark Forbes (R - 03) 1840 SW Allen St Corvallis OR 97333 (541) 766-2515 mgforbes@mindspring.com Aaron Swepston (H - 03) 3717 163rd Ave Ct E Sumner WA 98390 (253) 826-1112 tontar@mindspring.com Bob Hannah (H - 04) 9920 51st Ave S Seattle WA 98118 (206) 328-1104 bhannah@paraglidewashington.com Steve Roti (H - 04) 3024 NE 18th Ave Portland OR 97212 (503) 284-0998 steveroti@hotmail.com Tom Johns (H-05) 10704 206th Ave NE Redmond WA 98053 (425) 898-8163 cascadesoaring@hotmail.com Ed Pitman (H-05) 34039 Hwy 19 Kimberly OR 97848 (541) 934-2711 ed@good-deal.com Dan Nelson (Editor) PO Box 1537 Puyallup WA 98371 (253) 840-1372 dan@ushga.org

Tim West (R-03) 18 Salada Ave Apt 4 Pacifica CA 94044 (650) 355-3115 tim3west@yahoo.com

Liz Sharp (H – 03) 5555 Bowron Pl Longmont CO 80503 (303) 530-0718 Elizabeth.Sharp@heii.com

Felipe Amunategui (R- 04) 3122 Huntington Rd Shaker Heights OH 44120 (216) 751-0347 dr.amunategui@att.net

Russ Locke (L - 03) 868 S Mary Ave Sunnyvale CA 94087 (408) 737-8745 russ@lockelectric.com

Dixon White (H – 03) PO Box 2626 Flagstaff AZ 86003 (928) 526-4579 dixon@paraglide.com

Dennis Pagen (L - 03) 318 Bitner Hollow Rd Spring Mills PA 16875 (814) 422-0589 pagenbks@lazerlink.com

Ken Brown (H - 03) 200 Hillcrest Dr Auburn CA 95603 (530) 888-8622 flyamoyes@aol.com

Jennifer Beach (H-05) 11533 E Alaska Ave Aurora CO 80012 (303) 365-9215 dragonworx@aol.com

Art Greenfield-NAA (X) 1815 N Ft Meyer Dr Ste 500 Arlington VA 22209 1-800-644-9777 awgreenfield@naa-usa.org

REGION 3

REGION 5

REGION 10

David Jebb (R - 04) 2800 Torrey Pines Scenic La Jolla CA 92037 (858) 452-9858 davidj@flytorrey.com

Frank Gillette (R - 03) 903 East 500 South Declo ID 83323 (208) 654-2615 watercyn@pmt.org

Matt Taber (R - 03) 7201 Scenic Hwy 189 Rising Fawn GA 30738 (706) 398-3433 fly@hanglide.com

John Greynald (R - 03) 2774 Puesta del Sol Santa Barbara CA 93105 (805) 682-3483 throgrog@aol.com Alan Chuculate (R - 03) 6709 Salizar St San Diego CA 92111 (858) 292-1552 alanc@san.rr.com Rob Kells (H - 04) 500 W Blueridge Ave Orange CA 92865 (714) 998-6359 rob@willswing.com REGION 4

REGION 2

Steve Mayer (R - 04) 12665 S. Minuteman Dr #1 Draper UT 84020 (801) 576-6460 stevem11@mindspring.com

Ray Leonard (R - 04) PO Box 20066 Carson City NV 89721 (775) 883-7070 advspts@pyramid.net

Jim Zeiset (R - 03) 13154 County Rd 140 Salida CO 81201 (719) 539-3335 jimzgreen@aol.com

John Wilde (R- 03) 3553 Jefferson Ave Redwood City CA 94062 (650) 556-1320 wildeblu@comcast.net

Chris Santacroce (L - 03) 552 West 8360 South Sandy UT 84070 (801) 255-9595 chris@4superfly.com

Hang Gliding & Paragliding: October, 2003

REGION 6 Len Smith (R - 03) 13141 Bluejacket St Overland Park KS 66213 (913) 897-7857 SmithLl@bv.com REGION 7 Bill Bryden (R - 04) 6608 North 100 East Rd Seymour IN 47274 (812) 497-2327 bbryden@hsonline.net Dan Johnson (H - 04) 8 Dorset St Paul MN 55118 (651) 450-0930 CumulusMan@aol.com REGION 8 Gary Trudeau (R - 04) 595 Outlook Avenue Cheshire MA 01225 (413) 743-0147 gtet595@aol.com

John Harris (H - 04) PO Box 1839 Nags Head NC 27959 (252) 441-4124 ucanfly@kittyhawk.com Steve Kroop (L - 03) 6548 Groveland Airport Rd Groveland FL 34736 (352) 429-8600 steve@flytec.com Dick Heckman (H - 04) 3401 Lookout Dr Huntsville AL 35801 (205) 534-1461 hekdic@worldnet.att.net GW Meadows (H-03) 1125 Harborview Dr Kill Devii Hills NC 27948 (252) 480-3552 gw@justfly.com REGION 11

REGION 9

R.R.Rodriguez (R - 03) 1980 Hilltop Drive Wimberley TX 78676 (512) 245-2400 rr@swt.edu

D.”Randy” Leggett (R - 03) 7112 Little Creek Rd Bangor PA 18013 (610) 258-6066 ias@ot.com

Dave Broyles (H-04) 203 Whisenant Dr Allen TX 75013 (972) 390-9090 broydg@attbi.com

REGION 12 Paul Voight (R - 04) 5163 Searsville Road Pine Bush NY 12566 (845) 744-3317 info@flyhighhg.com Jan Johnson (L - 03) 70 King Rd Middletown NY 19041 (845) 695-8747 jjohnsn2@hotmail.com REGION 13 Michael Robertson (H-04) 1150 Hwy 7, RR 1, Locust Ont, Canada L0H 1E0 (905) 294-2536 Michael@flyhigh.com EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE: Exec Director-Jayne DePanfilis jayne@ushga.org President- Bill Bolosky Vice Pres.- Jim Zeiset Secretary-Russ Locke Treasurer-Randy Leggett R=Regional H=Honorary L=At Large X=Ex Officio COMMITTEE CHAIRS: Insurance- Mark Forbes Competition- Ron Gleason xcflying@earthlink.net Mem.& Dev- Matt Taber Site Mgmt- Randy Leggett HG Accid.- Tom Johns PG Accident- Steve Roti Awards- Jan Johnson ByLaws- Liz Sharp Nat’l Coord.- D. Pagen Planning- Russ Locke Safety&Training- Dave Broyles Tandem- Paul Voight Towing- Steve Kroop Publications- Dan Johnson Insurance- R.R.Rodriguez Finance- Randy Leggett Elections/AllocationsMark Forbes USHGA FOUNDATION: President-Jim Maze paramaze@aol.com Vice Pres-Randy Leggett Treas.-Stephen Onstad sonstad@worldnet.att.net Secretary-Doug Sharpe dbsharpe@earthlink.net Trustee-Jim Zeiset Trustee-Bill Bolosky Exec Director-Jayne DePanfilis Rev 8/31/03

59

M A S T E R ’ S

T I P S

S A N TA’ S

LIST

������������ (Santa’s List continued from page 28…)

someone else the trouble. It’s better.

(Master’s Tips continued from page 20…)

If you watch experienced aerotow pilots you’ll notice that most of them use quick shots, or bumps of control input that are of very short duration, and then move immediately back to the center of the bar. Inexperienced aerotow pilots tend to move over and wait for the glider to roll and then move back to the center. When the glider overshoots the desired bank, they move to the other side and wait, the glider over shoots in the other direction. I have heard flight park owners refer to this as “ringing the bell,” as the pilot is first on one side and then the other side, until a wing over breaks the weak link.

Learning to fly straight at higher speeds is just another skill to learn. Practice doing a gentle turn to the right, then back to the left and then back to straight and level at progressively higher speeds. When you get hit by a thermal aerotowing or flying a fast approach, the correct input will be automatic.

Take the hint! When your buddies don’t want to go fly with you, give you the silent treatment, tell you that you are a dumb ass etc. If people laugh or applaud when you take off or land, then they might be trying to tell you something. You might be on their list. Then take the hint! Let them see a deliberate change in your decision making, flying etc. Ask someone that you respect how your flying looks. Is your flying style commensurate with your experience level?

• In closing When you think about it, this is all good news. We don’t have to think of accidents as being freak occurrences.

We don’t have to chalk them up to bad luck and then sit and wait for bad luck to strike again. We don’t have to “go it alone.” We can help each other. We don’t have to guess when we are in a “bad way.” We have tangible evidence when our mindsets are corrupt; all that we have to do is be honest and forthright about our status. Don’t be a victim! Take a super pro-active role in cultivating and maintaining a healthy flying mindset.

Be on the defense against the common “pitfalls” of confidence, callousness, indifference, over zealousness and machismo. They will infect and corrupt it. Talk about this subject with your friends. Your flying will be more fun when you start to incorporate dynamics into every flight.

Have fun and fly safe!

60

October, 2003: Hang Gliding & Paragliding

���������������������������������������� ����������������������������������������� ������������������������������� ���������������������������������������������� ������������������������������������������������� �������������������������������������������� ������������������������������������������ �������������������������������������������������� ���������������������������������������������� ���������������������������������������������� ���������������������������������������������� ����������������������������������������������� ������������������� ���������������� ��������� ������ ��������������������������������������������� ��������������������������������������������������� ������������������������������ ������������������������ ��������������������������������

��������������� ������������������������� �����������������������������������

M A R K E T P L A C E

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 non-circular holes, and on flex wings, sails badly torn or torn loose from their anchor points front and back on the keel and leading edges.

PA R A G L I D I N G A D V I S O R Y

Used paragliders should always be thoroughly inspected before flying for the first time.

Annual inspections on paragliders should include sailcloth strength tests. Simply performing a porosity check isn’t sufficient.

Some gliders pass porosity yet have very weak sailcloth. If in doubt, many hang gliding and paragliding 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

AEROMAX MAGIC 4 166 - $500. Beautiful Aeromax glider bags & Prime harnesses.

(505) 523-5181, airmax2u@yahoo.com

EAGLES 145, 164, 180 — Rental gliders at flight park, low hours, clean, priced to sell.

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

MOYES LITESPEED IV – New Spring 2003, zoom frame, carbon inserts, perfect $4,900.

Bubba (336) 385-9075.

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

MOYES LITESPEED 5 – Excellent condition, white mylar top, yellow/purple, round speedbar $4,000. (321) 724-8576.

FALCONS — 140, 170, 195, 225 new and used. WALLABY RANCH (863) 424-0070.

FALCONS CLEARANCE SALE — School use, one season. Falcon 1s and 2s. All sizes $1,250-$2,500. (262) 473-8800, info@hanggliding.com FALCON 195 – 40 hours, excellent shape $1,200 OBO. WW harness w/parachute $500 OBO. (505) 325-7157 winks@fisi.net 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 150 & 150SP — Low hours, meticulously maintained, excellent condition, two of the last ones built $1,700 or trade for?

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

PACAIR PULSE 10M – Excellent condition, faired downtubes, speedbar, includes harness, helmet, vario, manuals & batten patterns $2,000.

1-800-943-3620, jgjoern@sisna.com PULSES AND VISION MARK 4S — Low cost novice gliders.(262) 473-8800, info@hanggliding.com SATURN 167 — ~20 hours, perfect, VG, all options $2,900. SurfAir@execpc.com (262) 783-7747.

SPECTRUM 165 — The Wills Wing novice model before the Eagle. One left, low hours, clean, priced to sell or trade for?

(262) 473-8800, info@hanggliding.com SPORTSTER 148 — Brand new, white and red, priced to sell or trade for?

(262) 473-8800, info@hanggliding.com TALON 160 — 15 flights, red LE, white undersurface, hydranet, Slipstream control bar w/wheels $4,500. danarmstro@aol.com, (661) 821-0346, Calif.

AIRBORNE CLIMAX 13 — One nearly new $4,995; One demo, looks new $4,595.

1-800-688-5637, fly@hanglide.com

K4+ - Custom sail, great condition and flies great $500. MOYES harness, new, never been flown, all the extras, includes towing package and front mount chute, red/black, fits 6’1” $450. (209) 532-1302 anytime.

AIRWAVE PULSE II 15M - Crisp sail, no fade, blue/yellow/white, well maintained, great first glider $2,600. Near St. Louis, MO (618) 655-0314, lohrum@spiff.net

LAMINAR 14 MRX 700 — Excellent condition!

Extras include 2 spare downtubes & an extra set of wires. Only $3,900! (310) 779-5348, deniron62@hotmail.com

TRX 160 — BRAND NEW, perfect condition $1,995. (310) 488-0060, Bilswing@vzavenue.net

AV8 — ICARO The Laminar MRX 700+ is available. Fly the glider flown by the US National Champion and both the Men and Womens World Champions. (760) 721-0701, indasky@yahoo.com and www.icaro2000.com

MOYES SX4 — Great condition, very low hours, under $2,000. Moyes Xtralite 147 — All white $1,100 or trade for?

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

ULTRASPORT 147 – Beautiful geometric sail design in red, blue and black, 100 hours flight time, Hall wheels $1,500 OBO. (315) 785-3639, imaginehg@aol.com

DOUBLE VISION 215 TANDEM — Good shape, rarely used, lands easy, lots of extras $1,400 OBO. Andy (928) 525-2657.

Hang Gliding & Paragliding: October, 2003

MOYES SX5 — Very good condition, minor scrapes on nose, complete w/ batten patterns, extra downtube & PVC “hanger”, $500 or trade for WW Falcon.

(509) 464-3534, cranknbank@aol.com

TARGET 180 — Near new, rental glider at flight park, clean, priced to sell. (262) 4738800, info@hanggliding.com

WWXC 142 — $1,100 OBO. (303) 921-1508, rmartin@ball.com WWXC 142 – Low hours $2,500 OBO. Call at 12noon (973) 398-4817 Middleton NY. 61

M A R K E T P L A C E

Cl

MoliY kl' Choo___ Th B(1$tT111 11~~ .......,r-m. For You with1 Pili I H - mil«i!lfil 536·.'95 1

,- P'ilots o,f all. win,.

Th.e,rei' s much ,o e t,o ,earn~

,ar,agIr+d·1~ng B · · 1'b. ·1· :

The H' . "11' · . an · ct·d·. .l 1.nv .i r1·1ogy:

T.-,n;,_

• · ecrel of hmupions

• The Art of ' m-a lmdilTII ·

1, .1

1

17 Lcssom:ii fro m llw v.;orld"s

t-

0'

,i-

S:!9.!11:5

e, erlbmumc . s

1>: -mi:11 : 11

1111

bz rllnk.rnm

We acrep1 \ ~a,u lllid M

~

-

M A R K E T P L A C E

FRE IE

FL I

~!!l!CLI, WlndSp:m,

CA'N\UlA. Q'HTilUl!ll)

aGrtblo,

M. - .

OF Q!l,[EIIEC

ffl~l :2M-

"'c:d

M A R K E T P L A C E

E M E R G E N C Y PA R A C H U T E S

AUTHORIZED CHUTE REPAIR — And service center for APCO, Elan, Chiron powered parachutes and UP/Perche/ Independence paragliders and more! We have a full-time loft available with quick turn around for small to huge repairs and annual inspections. Ship your chute to MoJo’s Gear Ltd. Co., 1475 CR 220, Tow, TX 78672 Attn: REPAIR or INSPECTION. Include a note about the service(s) you require as well as a contact phone number and email. We will contact you with an estimate prior to starting the work. Office: 915-379-1567, www.mojosgear.com RISING AIR PARAGLIDING SERVICE AND REPAIR — Since 1988, specializing in all types of paragliding & powerchute repairs, repacks, inspections. Pricing and service request form available at www.risingair.biz, badbones@risingair.biz. (208) 554-2243.

20 GORE PDA — w/swivel $375. 20 gore $199. Used Quantum 330s, 440S, 550s. some paraglider reserves, too. Inventory changes monthly, some trade-ins accepted.

Raven Sky Sports (262) 473-8800, info@hanggliding.com HARNESSES

THE BUG / SUPRONE POWER HARNESS - Stability, performance and comfort.

Climb to altitude on your terms! Complete harness ready to fly. Electric start, Silencer kit, Prop lock & more... $5,688 delivered.

US Distributor & Service Center, Ken Brown (530) 888-8622, Sportwings@aol.com HIGH ENERGY TRACER — $300, 6’ 200lb, very clean, no scuffs, black w/yellow stripe .

SurfAir@execpc.com (262) 783-7747.

HIGH ENERGY TRACER POD HARNESSES — And other brands, too. 5’ to 6’6”. Sizes and styles change monthly, $300-500. Cocoons $125-$200 each. Many others available.

(262) 473-8800, info@hanggliding.com AEROMAX GLIDER BAGS & HARNESSES – Regular $59. XC $58, waterproof $90.

PRIME XC cocoon $189, PRIME X cocoon $159, Prime Trainer $125. (505) 523-5181, airmax2u@yahoo.com 64

CG HARNESS – w/Lara Gold chute & swivel $1,500 OBO. Eric Raymond tandem harness, chute, swivel $800 OBO. Reggie Jones (619) 445-3633, reggieandvicki@cox.net

P O W E R E D PA R A G L I D E R S

M-2 – Fits 6’ pilot $250. (619) 920-4140 San Diego.

PARAGLIDERS

AIR SPORTS USA – WWW.FLYFORFUN.NET PERCHE ECCO - Medium 85-105kg, new $2,000, 6 months/90 hrs old $1,400.

(970) 728-1754, cristol8750@hotmail.com RIGID WINGS

ATOS B — 2001, good condition, 5 flights since thorough April 03 annual, 135 total hours, mostly flown in comps, latest V-tail and other upgrades, many extra parts $3,000 OBO. Tom Vayda (530) 521-6500.

EXPLORER POWERED PARAGLIDER — Tach, hour meter, upgraded carburetor, flown once. Adventure L34 wing, turquoise.

Scorpio training harness, 2 helmets (one w/communications), windmeter, alitmeter watch, brand new pair Symplex paragliding boots size 12. $8,500 invested, asking $6,500. Walt (410) 977-7932.

ATOS – Small, low hours, extras $5,500.

(608) 221-3681, gdinaauer@aol.com AV8 — STRATOS RIGID. World championship rigid wing. We stock Stratos and Atos parts. Call (760) 721-0701 or email indasky@yahoo.com EXXTACY 160 — 1997, excellent condition $3,000 OBO. (714) 898-4121, grimjay@oco.net EXXTACY 160 — New in 2001, less than 10 hours!! Clean, almost new, priced to sell.

(262) 473-8800, info@hanggliding.com GHOSTBUSTER 2000 - Very clean, complete w/recreational control frame, wheels, full race Wills Wing control frame, extra downtubes, extra carbon fiber base frame, spare keel, XC splite bags, many many extras: complete make up for racing $5,500. http://members.cox.net/reggiefiles/glider “More Bang For the Buck”. Reggie Jones (619) 445-3633, reggieandvicki@cox.net

THE MINIPLANE — Is the paraglider pilots paramotor, very comfortable harness, weight shift option, low weight, very quiet, clutch w/quick brake down frame and custom travel box. www.usairborne.com, (509) 243-4988.

SCHOOLS & DEALERS ALABAMA

LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN FLIGHT PARK — See ad under Georgia.

ULTRALIGHTS

AIR SPORTS USA — WWW.FLYFORFUN.NET COMPLETE AEROTOW TRIKE OPERATION — w/Rotax 503, 3-blade Ivo prop, 2-place seat, tow release, emergency chute, LaMouette Gulf wing, custom trailer, launch cart $8,000 gets it all. cctravel@mail3.newnanutilities.org for pixs or (770) 304-8475.

October, 2003: Hang Gliding & Paragliding

D M EA PR A K ER TT PML EA N C E T

ARIZONA

DIXON’S AIRPLAY PARAGLIDING - Dixon White: USHGA’S Instructor of the Year! Airplay: Top ranked school for years and featured in the best selling paragliding training videos “ Starting Paragliding”, “Weather to Fly”, “The Art of Kiting”, “Paraglider Towing” and “Lifting Air”. Airplay and it’s sister schools are dedicated to thorough and competent instruction at perfect beginner training areas.

Drive up to 360 degree treeless, rockless and uncrowded launches. Land in wide-open fields, beginners enjoy many flights each day. Excellent individualized instruction with state-of-the-art lesson plans and equipment.

Comprehensive ground schooling with an emphasis on micrometeorology.

Great new and used gear, specializing in Windtech, Gradient, Swing and Airwave. In Arizona or Washington RESERVATIONS are required. POB 2626 Flagstaff, AZ 86003 call (928) 526-4579. www.paraglide.com or dixon@paraglide.com CALIFORNIA

AIRJUNKIES PARAGLIDING — Join KEN BAIER for your “Pursuit of Paragliding Excellence” in the land of year-round, excellent paragliding: Southern California and the Baja. Courses for Novice, Intermediate, Advanced and Instructor ratings. Powered paragliding, soaring and maneuvers clinics, guided tours, tandem and towing instruction and special events. USHGA certified. Handling the latest equipment.

Call (760) 753-2664 for information, airjunkies@worldnet.att.net

I’LL HELP YOU! Dealer for Wills Wing, Moyes, Aeros, High Energy Sports, Rotor harnesses, Ball varios, Flytec, Brauniger, Garmin GPS, Camelbaks and more. 80 MILES EAST OF BAY AREA. I’m your northern California MOSQUITO HARNESS DEALER. Call or email to schedule your Mosquito demonstration or clinic. Giving lessons five days a week, Fridays 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

Come fly with Rob Sporrer (USHGA’S 2002 INSTRUCTOR OF THE YEAR!) and the rest of Eagle Paragliding’s excellent instruction staff. We are an Airplay sister school, and teach the same high quality program which has made Dixon’s Airplay a top ranked school for years. We specialize in beginner instruction. SANTA BARBARA caters to paraglider pilots of all levels.

Our training hill is unparalleled. We offer YEAR ROUND instruction, equipment sales, SERVICE, and support. By appointment only. www.FlySantaBarbara.com (805) 968-0980.

THE HANG GLIDING CENTER — PO Box 151542, San Diego CA 92175, (619) 265-5320.

SAN FRANCISCO HANG GLIDING CENTER — Tandem instruction, solo lessons, gliders new and used. Ultralight seacraft instruction over San Francisco Bay. Apprenticeship program.

(510) 528-2300, www.sfhanggliding.com DREAM WEAVER HANG GLIDING — Train on state-of-the-art WILLS WING FALCONS. LESSON PACKAGES: One four hour lesson $125. Three four hour lessons, plus tandem off 2,000ft. $400. Five lessons for $550.

Ten lessons plus tandem $1,000. Complete lesson programs. Year-round instruction.

Launching and landing and thermal clinics.

DON’T HIKE YOUR GLIDER YOURSELF, Hang Gliding & Paragliding: October, 2003

FLY ABOVE ALL — Experience year-round paragliding instruction in beautiful Santa Barbara, CA! Our friendly, experienced staff offers hands-on, personalized, radio-controlled lessons. Enjoy soaring the best training hill in the Western US and when you land, shuttles will whisk you back to the top for your next scenic flight. USHGA certified, solo, tandem and powered paragliding instruction, equipment sales and tandem flights. Visit our Website at www.flyaboveall.com or call at (805) 965-3733.

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

TORREY PINES GLIDERPORT — Come soar in San Diego! This family owned and operated flying site offers USHGA certified instruction, advanced training, equipment sales, tandem flight instruction, motorized pg/hg instruction and site tours. We also have an extensive pg/hg outfitting shop offering parachute repacks and full-service repairs.

Bring your family for our amazing sunsets and dining at the Cliffhanger Cafe. Importers for PARATECH and INDEPENDENCE gliders. We also carry AustriAlpin, Center of Gravity, Crispi and SupAir. Check us out online for sales and questions at: www.flytorrey.com, or call toll-free at 1-877-FLY-TEAM (359-8326).

Also, tune in to the Internet Paragliding Talk Show at www.worldtalkradio.com every Tuesday 9-11:00am (PST).

65

M A R K E T P L A C E

GRAYBIRD AIRSPORTS — PARAGLIDER TOWING, XC, thermalling, instruction, equipment. Dunnellon Airport (352) 2458263 www.graybirdairsports.com LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN FLIGHT PARK — See ad under Georgia. Nearest mountain training center to Orlando (only 8 hours).

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 — Fulltime lessons, sales, service. Colorado’s most experienced! Wills Wing, Moyes, Altair, Aeros, Airwave, High Energy, Ball, Flytec, MotoComm and much more. Call (303) 674-2451, Evergreen, Colorado AirtimeHG@aol.com CONNECTICUT

MOUNTAIN WINGS — Look under New York.

FLORIDA

WE HAVE — The most advanced training program known to hang gliding, teaching you in half the time it takes on the trainingBUNNY HILL, and with more in-flight air time. YES, WE CAN TEACH YOU FASTER AND SAFER. 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.

18265 E. State Road 80, Clewiston FL. (863) 805-0440, www.thefloridaridge.com 66

THE BEST AEROTOW — Instruction available. The only U.S. hang gliding school with TWO NATIONAL CHAMPION INSTRUCTORS and U.S. WORLD TEAM MEMBERS Bo Hagewood 2000 National Champion and Paris Williams 2001 & 2002 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

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 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 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 October, 2003: Hang Gliding & Paragliding

M A R K E T P L A C E

GEORGIA

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 Official Training Manual. Our specialtycustomer 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

PROFLYGHT PARAGLIDING — Imagine a 1000’ foot training hill with nothing but grass between the launches and landing zone. Imagine a paved road that would offer easy access to multiple launches. Imagine that road continuing up to a launch at 6,500’ AGL. Imagine telling your spouse that the next flying trip will be to Maui. (SNAP!) Now wake up and make your dreams a reality. Join Dexter Clearwater and his team at Proflyght Paragliding for an experience of a lifetime. Never flown before? Spend two weeks in paradise and go home with your rating. We offer complete instruction from beginner to advanced. Call (808) 874-5433 for more information or check us out at WWW.PARAGLIDEHAWAII.COM IDAHO

KING MOUNTAIN GLIDERS — Alluring site plus shop supplying all your HG/PG needs. Instruction, equipment sales, tandems, complete accessories. Visit our website www.kingmountaingliders.com or (208) 390-0205.

ILLINOIS

HANG GLIDE CHICAGO — Full service aeropark, 2 tow planes. Full time certified instructors, ultralight instructors, East Coast record 217 miles. (815) 325-1685, www.han gglidechicago.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

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 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: 2003 Upgrade Wills Talon Comp, U2 145, U2 160, Falcons; Moyes Litespeed 4, Sonic 165; Airwave Magic Kiss 154. Outrigger wheels and other accessories in stock. Cloud 9 Field, 11088 Coon Lake Road West, Webberville, MI 48892. Cloud9sa@aol.com http: //members.aol.com/cloud9sa. Call for fall tandem lessons and flying appointments with the DraachenFliegen Soaring Club at Cloud 9 Field (517) 223-8683, DFSCinc@aol.com http://members.aol.com/dfscinc

MAINE

BIRDS IN PARADISE — Hang gliding & ultralight flying on Kauai. Certified tandem instruction. (808) 822-5309 or (808) 639-1067, birds@birdsinparadise.com www.birdsinparadise.com Hang Gliding & Paragliding: October, 2003

DOWNEAST AIRSPORTS — Paragliding and hang gliding instruction; quality equipment sales.

Specialize in “biwingual” cross-over training.

Extended training/tour packages with lodging in magnificent Acadia NP available by reservation. in_a_cloud@hotmail.com, Marc (207) 244-9107 www.downea 67

M A R K E T P L A C E

NEW YORK

TRAVERSE CITY HANG GLIDERS/ PARAGLIDERS — Put your knees in our breeze and soar our 450’ sand dunes. FULLTIME SHOP. Certified instruction, beginner to advanced. Sales, service, accessories for ALL major brands. VISA/MASTERCARD. 1509 E 8th, Traverse City MI 49684. Offering POWERED PARAGLIDING. Call Bill at (231) 922-2844, tchangglider@chartermi.net.

Your USA & Canada Mosquito distributor.

NEVADA

ADVENTURE SPORTS — Carson City, Sierra tours, tandems, sales. (775) 883-7070 http://home.pyramid.net/advspts NEW JERSEY

MOUNTAIN WINGS — Look under New York.

NEW MEXICO

GLIDER BOY SEEKS BATTEN BUNNY - For good times aloft. Now why do you suppose a fellow would advertise a hang gliding school in a magazine read almost exclusively by rated pilots? Simple: I like my Mom, and she gets off on stuff like that. You shoulda heard her when I told her I got to be the CEO of my company! I told her it was just an online form thing, but she had to stop and tell my Dad I was the CEO of a hand gliding company – a START UP company. Then of course she asked me if I had a sweetheart because time is running out for your father to see his sons’ babies and blah blah blah and I’m like yeah yeah yeah only maybe Ma’s got a point.

Maybe 10 or 15 years from now having a couple of teenage kids hauling my gliders around wouldn’t be so bad. They take lots of maintenance though. Like a danged job.

Sometimes when she goes on the babies jag I want to tell her I’m too busy because I’ve been subpoenaed before a secret grand jury, but I’ll just tell her she’s right and I’m looking. She’ll be so happy! Hang Gliding lessons, sales & service in southern New Mexico. Wanna Fly? www.WhiteSandsHang Gliding.com 68

AAA FLIGHT SCHOOL — In Ellenville.

Mountain Wings Hang Gliding and Eastcoast Paragliding Center. The Northeast’s oldest, largest and most professional training center. Sales, service, demos, towing , ultralight training, pro shop and the “best damn training hill” anywhere. mtnwings@hvc.rr.com www.mtnwings.com (845) 647-3377.

TENNESSEE

LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN FLIGHT PARK — See ad under Georgia.

NORTH CAROLINA

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.

PENNSYLVANIA

HIGHLAND AEROSPORTS — See Maryland.

• TANDEM INSTRUCTION • AEROTOWING • BOAT TOWING • BEACH RESORT • TRAINING CAMPS • FOOT LAUNCH • OPEN YEAR ROUND

MOUNTAIN WINGS — Look under New York.

• PARAGLIDING

PUERTO RICO

• EQUIPMENT SALES AND SERVICE

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

Internet Address: http://www.kittyhawk.com E-Mail Address: info@kittyhawk.com October, 2003: Hang Gliding & Paragliding

M A R K E T P L A C E

TEXAS

AUSTIN AIR SPORTS * CHECK WEBSITE FOR SCHEDULE OF EVENTS * ALL FLYING BY RESERVATION ONLY * DRAGONFLY/TRIKE INSTRUCTION * INTRO FOOT LAUNCH CLASSES * AEROTOWING/WINCH TOWING * EXCELLENT XC FLYING * TANDEM INSTRUCTION * SALES AND SERVICE Steve Burns - 979.229.2699 email: sburns@austinairsports.com Fred Burns - 281.471.1488 email: austinair@aol.com 3810 Bonita Lane, La Porte TX 7771 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 & tow launching in central Texas. MOTORIZED PARAGLIDING INSTRUCTION & EQUIPMENT AVAILABLE. (915) 379-1185.

1475 CR 220, Tow TX 78672.

SUPER FLY PARAGLIDING ACADEMY — The nations foremost training paragliding center offering comprehensive pilot training programs, powered paragliding instruction, tandem flights, maneuvers training, towing training/certification and tandem pilot training. We are the closest shop to Point of the Mountain, open year round and supported by the Super Fly, Inc. distribution and service center just minutes away.

Instructors Ken Hudonjorgensen, Scotty Marion, Chris Santacroce, Kevin Biernacki, Dale Covington, Jeff Farrell and Ryan Swan.

Lessons start at $65. (801) 816-1372 or www.paraglidingacademy.com VIRGINIA

HIGHLAND AEROSPORTS — See Maryland.

KITTY HAWK KITES — See North Carolina.

SILVER WINGS, INC. — Certified instruction and equipment sales. (703) 533-1965 Arlington VA, silverwingshanggliding.com

TX FLYSPORTS — SPECIALIZING IN POWERED PARAGLIDING, certified instruction. Sky Crusier, Fly Products, Fresh Breeze. US importer of MacPara Technology paragliders (Eden II and Muse) (713) 494-1970 Houston, www.macparaUSA.com

BLUE SKY — Fulltime instruction and service at Manquin Flight Park near Richmond. Wills Wing, Moyes, Flight Design, Aeros, Doodlebug and Mosquito dealer. Steve Wendt (540) 432-6557 or (804) 241-4324, www.blueskyhg.com, blueskyhg@yahoo.com

UTAH

WASHINGTON

CLOUD 9 SOARING CENTER — Once again, we are the closest shop to the Point of the Mountain. Utah’s only full time PG/HG shop and repair facility. Contact 1-888-944-5433 or www.paragliders.com

D I X O N ’ S A I R P L A Y PA R A G L I D I N G — Please see our classified ad under Arizona. www.paraglide.com

Hang Gliding & Paragliding: October, 2003

U.S. AIRBORNE SPORT AVIATION CENTER — Full service flight school & sales.

Paragliders, hang gliders, paramotors, light trikes, Explorer harnesses, AirBorne trikes, aero towing, flight suits, Lynx helmets and headsets, BRS, tours and a full line of accessories. USHGA advanced paraglider instructor, ASC advanced flight instructor: trikes & paramotors. Nice bluegrass strip near the Blue Mountains of SE Washington and Hells Canyon. Scott & Terri Johnson, www.usairborne.com, (509) 243-4988.

WISCONSIN

RAVEN SKY SPORTS HANG GLIDING AND PARAGLIDING — The first and oldest aerotow flight park in the USA, open 7 days a week since 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 and a new 360 degree manmade hill under development. Four Dragonfly tow planes, no waiting! Four tandem gliders on wheeled undercarriages. WW Falcons and Falcon2s for training from the very first lessons. USUA ultralight and tug instruction. Free camping.

Sales/service/accessories for all brands. Open March 1st thru December 1st. Contact Brad Kushner, PO Box 101, Whitewater WI 53190 (262) 473-8800 phone, (262) 473-8801 fax, www.hanggliding.com, info@hanggliding.com CANADA

VANCOUVER B.C.’S – Largest paragliding flight school. Paraglider wing, harness and accessory dealer and importer. www.deimospg.com, (604) 434-0672, tom@deimospg.com MEXICO

FLY BAJA MEXICO - Join us for our twelfth year paragliding at La Salina, Baja, Mexico, February 21 to 28, 2004. Some of the most consistent flying conditions in North America. Beach front accommodations and all ground transportation to and from San Diego Airport included. Beginners welcome: $1,175 includes all instruction and equipment. Para 2 and above rated pilots with their own equipment: $899. Save $100 by booking your trip by October 31.

Call 1-800-PARAFLY or visit our web site at www.paraflypg.com

69

D EA PR AK RE TT M N C T E M P LE A

FLIGHT SUITS

MEXICO — Summer in Monterrey, winter in Valle de Bravo. 1-800-861-7198, www.flymexico.com PARTS & ACCESSORIES

AEROMAX GLIDER BAGS & HARNESSES – Regular $59. XC $58, waterproof $90.

PRIME XC cocoon $189, PRIME X cocoon $159, Prime Trainer $125. (505) 523-5181, airmax2u@yahoo.com

Starting at $139.95 We offer a Broad range of sizes.

5 STYLES IN STOCK *Perufly Paragliding Suit. *Featherweight *Desert *Flame Retardant *Hang Gliding 24 HOUR SHIPPING, MC/Visa Accepted.

MPHSports.com (503) 657-8911

Don’t Pay Retail for your Flying Gear

Certified Full Face Helmets $149 www.OnlineFlyingGear.com onlineflyinggear@mindspring.com MC/Visa/Paypal KLASSIC OR CONCEPT WINGLETS — One pair left, brand new in box $350 OBO or trade for? (262) 473-8800, info@hanggliding.com

XC $60., heavy waterproof $100.

Accessories, used stuff. Low prices, fast delivery! Bar mitts, harness packs & zippers. Gunnison Gliders, 1549 County Road 17, Gunnison CO 81230. (970) 6419315, orders 1-866-238-2305.

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 • ORDER ONLINE AND SAVE • Water/Dust Resistant Push Button • Field Replaceable Finger Switch • Heavier Gauge Wire/Improved Plugs • Increased Strain Relief at ALL Joints SPECIAL PRICE $99.95 Extra finger switch $19.95 w/purchase. Dealer inquiries welcome. Call (708) 484-6490. MC/Visa.

Visit our website at www.flightconn.com, mikedillon@flightconn.com

BOXED, BUSINESS-CARD-SIZED DISPLAY ADS USHGA’S LOW-COST, HIGH-VISIBILITY, MOST EFFECTIVE ADVERTISING VALUE

FOR ALL YOUR FLYING NEEDS — Check out the Aviation Depot at www.mojosgear.com 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 from Hill Country Paragliding Inc. w w w. h i l l c o u n t r y p a r a g l i d i n g . c o m 1-800-664-1160 for orders only. Office (915) 379-1567.

The perfect holiday gift Call Jeff at USHGA HQ to find out how easy it is to own yours today.

1-800-616-6888

70

October, 2003: Hang Gliding & Paragliding

M A R K E T P L A C E

TEK FLIGHT PRODUCTS

Camera mount (A or B) $48.50 ($6 S&H).

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.

SOARING DREAMS

Vario mount $23 (S&H included). 6” wheels $29.75, 8” wheels $34.75, $10 S&H pr.

Web page www.tekflight.com for more.

TEK FLIGHT Products, Colebrook Stage, Winsted CT 06098. Or call (860) 379-1668.

Email: tek@snet.net PUBLICATIONS & ORGANIZATIONS

Otto Lilienthal’s genius in scientific observations and analysis, documented in this work, became the basis for the experimentation of the early SPECTACULAR TROPHIES, AWARDS! — Hang gliding & paragliding gifts and accessories.

Contact Lisa Tate, 11716 Fairview Ave., Boise ID 83713, (208) 376-7914 or (208) 484-6667, www.soaringdreamsart.com

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) 6288165 or visit http://www.flash.net/~skyhipub Visa/MC accepted.

pioneers in aviational flight. The “hero” of the Wright brothers, Otto is considered to be “The Father of Gliding Flight.” Lilienthal’s

FLY THE WING! Hooking Into Hang Gliding,

by Len Holms. This is the perfect book for those curious about the sport of hang gliding. Written at a level which will not swamp the reader with daunting amount of technical details, 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). USHGA, PO Box 1330, Colorado Springs CO 80901. 1-800-6166888 www.ushga.org

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 1-800-616-6888, or order off our website www.ushga.org

HAWK AIRSPORTS INC — P.O. Box 9056, Knoxville, TN 37940-0056, (865) 945-

SOARING — Monthly magazine of The Soaring Society of America, Inc. Covers all aspects of soaring flight. Full membership

2625. World famous Windsoks, as seen

$55. Info. kit with sample copy $3. SSA,

at the Oshkosh & Sun-N-Fun EAA Fly-Ins.

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

Hawk@windsok.com, www.windsok.com

(505) 392-1177.

Hang Gliding & Paragliding: October, 2003

BAG IT! — If you don’t have your copy of Dennis Pagen’s PERFORMANCE FLYING yet, available through USHGA Headquarters $29.95 (+$6 s&h for UPS/Priority Mail delivery). USHGA, PO Box 1330, Colorado Springs CO 80901. 1-800-616-6888 www.ushga.org 71

M A R K E T P L A C E

REAL ESTATE

THE ART OF PARAGLIDING — By Dennis Pagen. HOT OFF THE PRESS!!! Step by step training, ground handling, soaring, avoiding dangers, and much much more. 274 pages, 248 illustrations. The most 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

EL RANCHO LAUNCH — Tehachapi, Calif.

1,800’ vertical, launchable SE to W, excellent reliable site. Access within Bear Valley Springs, gated community, amenities (golf, camping, swim, tennis, etc). 100 mile views to the Sierras. Approx 20 acres, water/power to prop line, water meter in. $44,000. danarmstro@aol.com, (661) 821-0346.

TOWING

AEROTOWING ACCESSORIES — Headquarters for: The finest releases, secondary releases, Spectra “V” bridles, weak links, tandem wheels, launch cart kits, etc.

THE WALLABY RANCH (863) 424-0070.

COMPLETE SCOOTER TOW RIG INSTRUCTION PACKAGE -- Includes fabricated tow rig for trailer & reel for scooter w/3000’ Spectra, release, 6 3-loop releases, 3 training harnesses $1,000 for all or will consider selling items individually. (315) 785-3639, imaginehg@aol.com

M A R K E T P L A C E

TLS PAYOUT WINCH — Currently fitted for Toyota Extra Cab 4x4, 2500’ line, great fun $600. danarmstro@aol.com, (661) 821-0346, Calif MISCELLANEOUS

“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.) SPECIAL-Aerobatics 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.

HANG GLIDING CHRISTMAS CARDS Black and white etching style. $10 per dozen, $18 for 2 dozen, $33 for 50, or $60 for 100.

Plus 10% for shipping. Send a self addressed stamped evvelope for an assortment selection sheet to: TEK FLIGHT Products, Colebrook Stage, Winsted CT 06098 or call (860) 3791668. On the net: http://www.acreation.org or mail cards@acreation.org NEW APPAREL, VIDEOS, BOOKS & POSTERS — Check out our web page www.ushga.org WORLDWIDE INTERNET PARAGLIDING TALK SHOW — WWW.WORLDTALKRADIO.COM Listen live or to the archives! Live Tuesday 9-11:00 am (PST). Call toll-free, 1-888-5142100 or internationally at (001) 858-2683068. Paraglider pilots and radio hosts David and Gabriel Jebb, want to hear about your stories, promotions/events or insight: they also take questions!

Hang Gliding & Paragliding: October, 2003

VIDEOS & DVDS

*NEW* STARTING POWERED PARAGLIDING is a great introduction to the sport of powered paragliding. It shows what to expect from first lessons, first solo flight, to advanced techniques. Covers ground school with simulator training and paraglider wing ground handling, equipment fundamentals of the wing and power pack, importance of weather to fly, and expert pilots showing advanced techniques. Features animated modeling to illustrate climb/descent attitudes and flight patterns plus spectacular in-air footage and great soundtrack. 44 minutes $36.95 ALSO AVAILABLE IN DVD, same great price. *NEW* LIFTING AIR For Paragliding-How to Thermal and Soar. Master the principles of lifting air with Dixon White, Master Pilot, USHGA Examiner, and USHGA 2002 Instructor of the Year. Learn where to look for thermals and ridge lift, how to stay in the lifting air to climb efficiently, and deal appropriately with the dynamics of the soaring conditions. This is for beginner, intermediate and the advanced pilot wanting to brush up. A must for all paraglider and powered paraglider pilots. Divided into 5 sections: Prerequisites for Lifting air, Active Piloting, Ridge Lift, Thermal Lift, and Cross Country. 40 minutes $39.95 ALSO AVAILABLE IN DVD, same great price. *NEW* PARAGLIDER TOWING Instructional.

Learn the fundamentals of paraglider towing with Dixon White, Master Pilot, USHGA Examiner, and USHGA 2002 Instructor of the Year. Basic how-to and safety tips are covered along with a discussion on towing rigs. Gives you a better understanding of paraglider towing. 24 minutes $24.95 ALSO AVAILABLE IN DVD, same great price.

SUPER FLY HARD by Super Fly. A worldwide flying adventure film featuring Chris Santacroce, Rob Whittall, Othar Lawrence and Pablo Lopez. Filmed at the most beautiful flying locations in the world-Hawaii, Switzerland, Turkey & Utah. This films shows the beauty of flying, the latest aerobatic maneuvers and an introspective look into why we fly. 40 minutes $35.95

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 A HIGHER CALLING 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 BALI HIGH, by Sea to Sky Productions. A paragliding adventure film. Great flying and a great adventure on the exotic island of Bali, Indonesia. A result of wild imaginations, weeks of filming and three unsupervised pilots in a land of serious fun. Great flying footage. 38 min $29.95 PARAGLIDER GROUND HANDLING & THE ART OF KITING, by Adventure Productions.

Learn techniques and tips for easy ground handling with this instructional program.

Get in tune with your glider and improve your flying skills while on the ground.

Various wind conditions are covered with the successful and proven industry-standard techniques of Dixon White-Master rated pilot, USHGA Examiner and USHGA’s PG Instructor of the Year. This is for the beginner, intermediate & advanced pilot who wants to do some brushing up on his skills. Be a master of your paraglider. 44 minutes $36.95 ALSO AVAILABLE IN DVD, same great price.

IN SEARCH OF THE PERFECT MOUNTAIN

By Adventure Productions. Searching for the perfect mountain, perfect flight, and the perfect experience that challenges our essence and satisfies our quest for adventure.

This paragliding odyssey takes you to St. Anton, Austria; Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany; Sun Valley, Idaho; Point of the Mountain, Utah; and Jackson Hole, Wyoming.

Features in-air footage, aerial maneuvers, and local pilot tours. 44 minutes $36.95. NOW AVAILABLE IN DVD, same great price.

73

M A R K E T P L A C E

Noon· pm}

D E P A R T M E N T

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 straight-forward presentation that is easy to follow. 50 min. $39.95 ALSO AVAILABLE IN DVD, same great price.

STARTING HANG GLIDING, by Adventure Productions. Produced especially to promote the sport. Covers basic preparation, weather, proper attitude, ground handling, launching and those first flights. 30 min $29.95 STARTING PARAGLIDING, by Adventure Productions. Covers basic preparations, weather, proper attitude, ground handling & those first exciting launches. 30 min $29.95 ALSO AVAILABLE IN DVD, same great price.

HANG GLIDING EXTREME & BORN TO FLY

by Adventure Productions, great hg action $34.95 each. ALSO AVAILABLE IN DVD, same great price.

TO FLY: DISCOVER PARAGLIDING TODAY — USHGA’s 7 minute promotional video, now only $9.95 PLUS FREE SHIPPING (in the USA). 1-800-616-6888, www.ushga.org

STOLEN WINGS & THINGS

PRO-DESIGN TARGET – Paraglider, stolen August 8, 2003 from car at WINTER PARK RESORT, COLORADO. Red w/large comp numbers “42” on underside, Pro-Design Concept Air harness & reserve, blue helmet, Ball M19e vario, Yaesu FT-411E radio, Hanwag boots. Contact: Mark Ziegler 970-887-3066 mzig@rkymtnhi.com STOLEN FROM MULLER WINDSPORTS, Cochrane, Alberta, Canada between July 18-20, 2003. APCO ALLEGRA MEDIUM YELLOW #600271, in purple stuff sack; APCO FIESTA MEDIUM RED #765452 , new; APCO PRIMA 24 VIOLET #25818 , faded bag, w/first harness; APCO FRONT MOUNT RESERVE MAYDAY 20 w/Y bridle; APCO CONTOUR LARGE HARNESS, black/blue; UP TETON HARNESS, large, grey/blue. Please contact us if you have any information: fly@mullerwind sports.com, (403) 932-6760, fax (403) 8510737 or contact Cst. H. Boilard, Cochrane RCMP (403) 932-2211, fax (403) 932-2842.

APCO XTRA COMP PARAGLIDER & SUPAIR HARNESS — Paraglider, stolen June 4th, 2003 from SEATTLE, WASHINGTON. Purple w/white underside, minor repair work. Purple SupAir backpack comp harness w/whire rear mount reserve, log book, green Protech helmet. Terry Stuart, (425) 369-9920, upland_contracting@yahoo.

TRACER HARNESS — By High Energy Sports, stolen Feb. 9, 2003 from car at VALLE DE BRAVO, MEXICO. Magenta with blue stripe and new parachute. Also taken: panoramic helmet size small, wills wing back pack. Please contact Somer Hughes, somer@austin.rr.com

TO FLY: DISCOVER HANG GLIDING TODAY — USHGA’s 7 minute promotional video, now only $9.95 PLUS FREE SHIPPING (in the USA). 1-800-616-6888, www.ushga.org

GIN BANDIT — Stolen May 4th, 2003 from pick up truck in GREELEY, COLORADO. Size x-small, purple w/ Jackson Hole Paragliding logo, w/blue Critter stuff bag.

Contact Matt Combs (307) 690-7555, mcparagliding@hotmail.com

Call USHGA (719) 632-8300, fax (719) 632-6417, email: ushga@ushga.org, or order off our web page www.ushga.org.

Please add +$4 domestic s/h (+$5 for two or more videos). Great to impress your friends or for those socked-in days. Perfect gift for the launch potato turned couch potato.

ADVANCE SIGMA 5’S — Two, stolen April 10th, 2003 from LAHOLLA VILLAGE (close to TORREY PINES GLIDERPORT, LA JOLLA, CA).

One Advance Sigma 5, 28 meter, aqua, serial # 26702, w/black & dark blue bag. One Advance Sigma 5, 31 meter serial # 26813, w/yellow & black bag. Reward$$$ Bob Ryan (714) 350-7860, turbobobryan@cox.net

Hang Gliding & Paragliding: October, 2003

VISION CLASSIC — Stolen October 25th, 2002 from a van in SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS. Size small, orange/white. Small women’s harness, black w/orange trim, w/front mount reserve chute. Flight bag w/helmet, boots, pants, etc. Trisha Ross (360) 402-5767, diligentanesthesia@yahoo.com SMALL GIN BOLERO #31247 & Genie II Harness by fraud ring in Singapore at Jl.Gandaria IX No:4, Gandaria kebayoran baru, City: JAKSEL, JKT-IND. Also fraudulently ordered by delta_trikes@astaga.com: Alinco DJ-195 radio, Gin Flight Suit, Gin Reserve and Lazer helmet. Contact granger@parasof tparagliding.com or (303) 494-2820.

STOLEN WINGS are listed as a service to USHGA members. Newest entries are in bold. There is no charge for this service and lost and found wings or equipment may be called in (719) 632-8300, faxed in (719) 632-6417, or emailed at ushga@ushga.org for inclusion in Hang Gliding & Paragliding magazine. Please call to cancel the listing when gliders are recovered. Periodically, this listing will be purged.

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. Phone number=2 words. Email or web 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. July 20th is the deadline for the September 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.

75

~" USHOA 111&1i\CHAJ11)fflR M A R K E T P L A C E

1r>1· . .._p,..e .o.. 1-\11-~.s ::" . 1W ~ 'd . . ,. , ·v · .., .. '.

1

I

PAR:AG I $'il"Alit

~ oW" vlrtuos .

.. i'a

vs~

ro.

HTSC ,or,

: . . ~o S24.e5NJ

1,i2.95'

.s::w.a& Si!:U!:15

1Zl 1:15, ' ...... .. .'O

$29 ,!;15,

1 2a.i:15 Uil.1:15 $,15.00

YOU MUST PURCHASE NOW. YOU WILL FEEL MUCH BETTER AFTER YOU PURCHASE NOW. PICK UP THE PHONE AND CALL NOW. YOU MUST PURCHASE NOW. PURCHASING NOW WILL GIVE YOUR LIFE MEANING. PURCHASE NOW. YOU MUST PURCHASE NOW.

,$311.95 .$:i!;I , !,

e~

.$ !il.!M .$ IS.SO .5, 2..95

o.aDEa c,·n MHE dlUIIJI.•U.~ H9A.OJMI 76 October, 2003: Hang Gliding , & Paragliding 1 u 1sHGA, PO· Box 1330 ,c .o l,o ra do Sp r 1ing CO 8 090 1 1

1

1

(7 1·9 } 63241311D ushga · _shg!a.org 1~1Hl1M ,1 6..&888 fax (719) 63Z.6,4 ·17'

M A R K E T P L A C E INDEX TO ADVERTISERS

Adventure Productions............... 62 Aerolight USA ............................ 19 Angle of Attack ............................ 5 Apco Aviation ............................ 74 Atacama Paragliding Adventure . 15 Baja Thermal Clinic .................... 79 Blokart USA................................ 49 Brazil Adventours ....................... 19 Cloud 9 Soaring Center ............. 15 Critter Mountainwear ................ 58 Dale Covington ......................... 62 Dan Johnson ............................. 58 Dixon’s Airplay........................... 79 Fly Market/Independence .......... 50 Flytec USA ................................. 80 Hall Brothers .............................. 46 High Energy Sports .................... 46 Mojo’s Gear ............................... 74 Moyes America .......................... 63 North American Paragliding......... 3 The Paraglider Network ............. 72 Paraglider Magazine .................. 72 Pro Design ................................... 8 Sport Aviation Publications ........ 62 SuperFly....................................... 2 Thermal Tracker .................. 27, 60 Torrey Pines Gliderport .............. 49 Traverse City/Mosquito ............. 63 US Aeros ................................... 77 USHGA .......................... 33, 60, 76 USHGF......................................... 9 Wills Wing.................................. 16 Hang Gliding & Paragliding: October, 2003

77

P R O D U C T

L I N E S

© By Dan Johnson <cumulusman@aol.com> www.bydanjohnson.com

St. Paul, Minn. -- The buzz continues over power and USHGA. Actually, most of the racket appears to be emanating from a vocal few while most pilots are either ambivalent or fence sitters.  Invited to vote, hopefully all pilots studied the USHGA position and then expressed their interests. Ten years ago, in 1993, USHGA accepted all APA (American Paragliding Association) members into our club.

The assimilation worked with few problems. Now the same decision is facing us with power for soaring. You got your voting card. Did you send it? We’re all waiting for you… ••• Executive Director Jayne Depanfilis writes that one reason to think carefully about HG&PG power in USHGA is because FAA is all-but advising the association to take these aviators under our wing.  With that in mind, Jayne asked if I’d go listen to the new FAA administrator speak at the Oshkosh airshow in late July. Here’s some highlights of her talk. As expected, none of her remarks focused on hang gliding as Part 103 operations are unaffected by the new rule.  Brand new FAA boss, Marion Blakey, spoke at Oshkosh on July 31, 2003 in a session called “Meet The Administrator.” While she started with issues related to general aviation pilots, Blakey soon got to Sport Pilot / Light Sport Aircraft (SP/LSA).

Reporting that she’d signed off on the new rule for FAA the day before generated the loudest applause of her speech.

Listeners overflowed the large forum in which she spoke, many keen to hear about Sport Pilot. However, except to confirm sign-off on the final version of the rule, Blakey revealed little.  Experiencing deja vu? Yes, FAA already sent this rule off to OMB (budget) and DOT (transportation) before but that was the proposal. Now, FAA’s sent the final.

When Blakey stated that the process would take 6-12 months some experts felt she didn’t “spin” her message well. Could this long-overdue rule still be a year away? With 90 days allowed to each agency, OMB and DOT “should” have the rules back to FAA for public issuance by February 1, 2004. As the man who once pushed Part 103 through FAA’s bureaucratic machinery, Mike Sacrey was more upbeat.

“This puts the [SP/LSA] rule within field-goal range,” he commented.  Blakey reported that 4,300 responses had been received to the proposal, a large figure compared to other NPRMs. Of that outpouring, a significant percentage came from the hang gliding community regarding towing.

Congratulations commenters; you were heard loud and clear. ••• Nanotrikes at Oshkosh! These lightweight structures use powered paraglider engines and are aimed at hang glider soaring pilots. They are closer to a powered harness than a conventional powered ultralight trike. No less than four models were shown, two of them brand new.  Seagull Aerosports’ Pod was the only fully enclosed nanotrike. Mike and Linda Riggs showed their Escape Pod, the powered model, with an almost-identical but engineless Pod Racer to follow. I wrote about this quite a bit last month so I will only add that my excitement continued when P

r

o

d

u

c

t

L

i

n

e

s

…

h

a

n

g

g

l

i

d

I saw the actual Pod. For years, I’ve been seeking a soaring trike that minimizes drag and weight. Seagull’s Pod series is an elegant answer. It displayed in mockup form as final details prevented a finished, flying product. But it was good enough for me to hand over the $1,000 (deposit) check I’d promised in this column years ago. FMI: 952-473-1480 or Mike@fly-seagull.com  Lookout Mountain Flight Park had on their space the PowerLite imported from Australia’s Airtime Products, also the supplier of the Explorer Powered Harness. Their’s is a minimal trike that looks more refined than any other nanotrike entry. It was even smaller and lower than LMFP’s own SkyCycle, displayed with some new features like side storage bags. Powerlite uses the same engine selected by Seagull for their Pod -- Cors-Air was first developed for powered paragliders. LMFP’s SkyCycle uses the well-proven Zenoah and their carriage looked like it could handle harder use than the tiny Powerlite. Logically then, you might start with a SkyCycle and move up to a Powerlite. FMI: 706-398-3541 or fly@hanglide.com  Or, you might consider Steve Rewolinski’s one-off soaring trike. Steve smiled that big grin of his and hinted at possible production by a local business currently producing powered parachutes (Skymaster). It seems a good way for a fully-employed Steve to deal with inevitable interest. His is a competition-pilot-designed trike with all streamlined tubing, hand-deploy parachute, and a suprone posture. A narrow pod between his knees had room for instruments and some limited storage underneath the faceplate. With his MR700 Icaro hang glider doing the lifting, Steve’s nanotrike climbs about 600 fpm, he reported. He added that he’s already logged many engine-off hours soaring this rig.  In successive columns I’ll write more about each of these nanotrikes because every single one of them is aimed at soaring flight. I’ll also tell you about a new hang glider tug unveiled at the big show. Summary: looks good with a lower price than Dragonfly. ••• Wrapping up, I’m pleased to say USHGA again displayed at Oshkosh. It proved a good year to return as the giant airshow enjoyed its best attendance in three years. Working the booth steadily was Brent Mueller, USHGA’s summer marketing intern, who said many people tried out the slick hang gliding simulator provided by Raven Sky Sports. As for most vendors, this doesn’t necessarily translate into revenue (or memberships), but it gave hang gliding a highly visible presence at a week-long event that draws nearly a million flight-oriented people.  USHGA’s booth space was made possible by Brad Kushner who purchased the location. Naturally he also promoted his towpark that is conveniently located only a couple hours away. FMI: 262-473-8800 or hanggliding.com ••• So, got news or opinions? Send ‘em to: 8 Dorset, St. Paul MN 55118. Messages or fax to 651-450-0930. E-mail to News@ByDanJohnson.com or CumulusMan@aol.com.

THANKS! i

n

g

p

r

o

d

u

c

t

n

e

w

s

s

i

n

c

e

1

9

7

9

One more from Gill Couto: Dave Frechette running down the ramp the AHGA built in 1995

Hang Gliding & Paragliding: October, 2003

79