USHGA Hang Gliding & Paragliding Vol36/Iss6 June 2006

Volume 36 Issue 6 June 2006 $4.95

A Publication of the United States Hang Gliding Association

www.ushga.org

Lisa Tate, President: lisa@soaringdreamsart.com Felipe Amunategui, Vice President: dr.amunategui@att.net Elizabeth Sharp, Secretary: Elizabeth.Sharp@heii.com Mark Forbes, Treasurer: mgforbes@mindspring.com REGION 1: Bill Bolosky, Mark Forbes. REGION 2: Jim Macklow, Urs Kellenberger, Paul Gazis. REGION 3: David Jebb, John Greynald, Tad Hurst. REGION 4: Steve Mayer, Jim Zeiset. REGION 5: Lisa Tate. REGION 7: Tracy Tillman.

REGION 8: Gary Trudeau. REGION 9: Tom McCormick, Felipe Amunategui. REGION 10: Steve Kroop, Matt Taber.

REGION 11: Gregg Ludwig. REGION 12: Paul Voight.

REGION 13: Dick Heckman. DIRECTORS AT LARGE: Russ Locke, Elizabeth Sharp, Dennis Pagen, Bruce Weaver, Riss Estes. HONORARY DIRECTORS: Bob Hannah, Steve Roti, Connie Locke, Ed Pitman, Jennifer Beach, Dutcher Sterling, Len Smith, Bill Bryden, Randy Leggett, John Harris, Jan Johnson. 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 United States at FAI meetings, has delegated to the USHGA supervision of FAI-related hang gliding and paragliding activities such as record attempts and competition sanctions.

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 © 2006 Hang Gliding & Paragliding magazine.

Hang Gliding & Paragliding magazine welcomes editorial submissions from our members and readers. We are always looking for well written articles and quality artwork.

Feature stories generally run anywhere from 1500 to 3000 words. If your topic demands more or less than this, you should discuss options 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 via email to editor@ ushga.org, 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 email or telephone.

Contact: Editor, Hang Gliding & Paragliding magazine, editor@ushga.org, (425) 888-3856.

For change of address or other USHGA business, call (719) 632-8300, or email ushga@ushga.org.

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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.

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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 email: editor@ushga.org.

ALL ADVERTISING AND ADVERTISING INQUIRIES MUST BE SENT TO USHGA HEADQUARTERS IN COLORADO SPRINGS.

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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.

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USHGA Officers and Executive Committee:

Canadian Post Publications Mail Agreement #40065056.

Canadian Return Address: DP Global Mail, 4960-2 Walker Road, Windsor, ON N9A 6J3

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Jayne DePanfilis, Executive Director: jayne@ushga.org Martin Palmaz, Business Manager: martin@ushga.org Rick Butler, Information Services Director: rick@ushga.org Erin Russell, Admin. & Memb. Services: erin@ushga.org Michelle Burtis, Member/Instructor Services: michelle@ushga.org

POSTMASTER: Send change of address to: Hang Gliding & Paragliding magazine, P.O. BOX 1330, Colorado Springs, CO 80901-1330.

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HANG GLIDING & PARAGLIDING (ISSN 1543-5989) is published monthly by the United States Hang Gliding Association, Inc., 1685 W. Uintah St., Colorado Springs, CO 80904, (719) 632-8300, FAX (719) 632-6417.

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

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Jayne DePanfilis, Publisher: jayne@ushga.org C. J. Sturtevant, Editor: editor@ushga.org Joe Hartman, Art Director: jhartman@brandingironmedia.com Martin Palmaz, Advertising: martin@ushga.org Thayer Hughes, Contributing Editor: thayer@ushga.org Staff writers: Matt Gerdes, Rob Kells, Jim Little, Dennis Pagen Staff artist: Harry Martin

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

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

Chrigel Maurer Photo courtesy Advance

Flight Report: First Time Thermal Soaring . . .6

DEPARTMENTS

TURBULENCE ONEOH! OH!-ONE

Editor’s Corner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Air may be invisible, but it’s not difficult to imagine how it flows and eddies around obstacles, and to take appropriate precautions to avoid being thrashed by turbulence.

Pilot Briefings: News and Events . . . . . . . . . . 8 Air Mail: Readers Write In . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 USHPA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 USHGF. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Pilot Profile: USHPA President Lisa Tate – Who Is She, Really? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

Copyright©2006 by Dennis Pagen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19

THE LOOKOUT EXPERIENCE

Master’s Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

A paraglider pilot who’d attempted but given up on hang gliding seven years ago decided it was time for another try.

With expert instruction at Lookout Mountain Flight School, he invested two weeks and came away with competence, confidence and his Hang 2.

PG Accident Reports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Flight Report: Unofficial U.S. State Cross-Country Distance Records . . . . . . 34 Review: Going Lightweight This Season: It’s Not Just for Atkins Addicts . . . . . . . . . 37

By James McLoughlin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31

Comp Corner: Paraglider Pilots World Rankings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52 The USHPA NTSS Ranking System . . . . . 54

FLY WHERE TWILIGHT LASTS UNTIL DAWN!

Flight Report: A 100-Mile Weekend . . . . . . . 58

Girdwood, Alaska, offers an opportunity to fly all day long – and at the summer solstice, “all day long” lasts the full 24 hours!

Gallery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62 Memorial: Ron Young . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67 Les Taff . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70 Calendar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .68

By Russell Agnew . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32

Marketplace . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71

AWARENESS, ACCIDENTS AND AIRMANSHIP

New Ratings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73 Classifieds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74 Croak and Cluck . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78 Index to Advertisers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77 Volume 36 Issue 6 June 2006 $4.95

Jonny Benson and passenger Cat Richotte glide into a Costa Rican sunset.

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Photo: J. Patrick Cudahy

A Publication of the United States Hang Gliding Association

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(Part three of a three-part series) In this third and final segment of the series, pilots are encouraged to ponder their personal traits and the local community’s values for attitudes and practices that could lead to accidents.

By John Matylonek . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42

www.ushga.org

June 2006: Hang Gliding & Paragliding – w w w.ushga.org

It's the way it all goes together in the morning calm, with the sun lighting up the colors in the sail. It's the perfect balance on the launch run, as the hill falls away, or the way you come out of the cart straight and true, the tug's wheels nailed to the horizon. It's that 'right-now' response as you bank into the first thermal and start your climb.

It's the ground sliding away beneath you as you head for the next cloud, the horizon feeling closer than the ground.

It's the sure, confident carved turns on approach, and the easy, two step touch down at the end of the day.

It's the smile on your face the next day at work, when no one but you knows what you're smiling about.

It's your new Wills Wing.

Go ahead. You deserve it.

It's all about the flying.

WWW.WILLSWING.COM 500 WEST BLUERIDGE AVE. ORANGE, CA 92865

TEL: 714-998-6359 FAX: 714-998-0647

THE AIRBORNE PLANET EXPEDITION, PART 1: COLOMBIA A strong desire to share a paraglider’seye view of their home turf to villagers throughout the tropical world led to the Airborne Planet adventure. This is the first installment of an amazing travelogue.

By Kris Coppieters, with translation assistance from Matt Gerdes, staff writer . . . . . . . . . . . . .46

SPEED IS LIFE A Marine’s fighter pilot training, and an understanding of Newton’s laws, gave this new-to-hang-gliding pilot the split-second reaction needed to escape plastering himself on the hillside.

By Brad Spencer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50

Gallery. . . 62

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June 2006: Hang Gliding & Paragliding – w w w.ushga.org

noteworthy records.

Kris Coppieters and some friends traveled with solo and tandem paragliders to remote areas around the globe, with the intention of introducing the local people to their world from above. The first stop on this Airborne Planet adventure, Colombia, is in the Travel section; Kris will continue his saga in future issues.

Also in the Travel section, Russell Agnew invites parapilots to come to Alaska for some midnight flying on the solstice. Murdoch Hughes’s poem, Summer Solstice, reminds that our flying season is always way too short, so “let’s go flying.”

This month’s Pilot Profile features Region 5 director and USHPA’s president, Lisa Tate. If you don’t already know Lisa, Amy Ray’s article will reassure you that your organization is in capable hands.

Region 3 director Tad Hurst, a P-5/H-4 pilot, recently had an unforgettable weekend, with 100 miles of flying in spite of numerous equipment glitches. His story and the map of his route are in the Flight Report section.

The other Flight Report also comes from a biwingual pilot: P-2 pilot James McLoughlin takes us through the challenges and rewards of earning his H-2 at Lookout Mountain.

Some USHPA business: It’s time to consider who you want to represent you on the BOD during the next two years. You can make a regional director nomination using the form in the magazine or at ushga.org (log in to Members Only, and go to Board Information). Region 1’s director and USHPA treasurer Mark Forbes hits us with the bad news of a dues increase, the first one since 2000. Mark explains with texts and charts our financial history, and why there’s a need to increase our revenue.

USHGF (the Foundation) is closely associated with USHPA and funds numerous projects that make flying more accessible. The Tennessee Tree Toppers recently received support from the Foundation to acquire a landing zone; their article and maps showcase the value of the Foundation’s programs.

On a sad note, the hang gliding community recently lost two long-time and well-known members; neither Ron Young’s nor Les Taff ’s death was flying-related. Fellow aerobatics pilots Aaron Swepston and John Heiney reflect in words and photos on Ron’s presence in the sport for over 20 years. I learned of the death of Les, hang glider and trike pilot, just days before this issue went to press, and was able to obtain only brief details on memorial services for her, to be held this month; that information is on p. 70.

Photo archivist Thayer Hughes has assembled a photomontage for our gallery this month, and we’ve used full-size versions of several of those sunset images throughout the magazine. Please continue to send us your big, beautiful photos of whatever aspect of flying you’ve captured on film or digitally.

You can reach me at editor@ushga.org.

June 2006: Hang Gliding & Paragliding – w w w.ushga.org

Photo: Chris Amonson

For many of us, the season is here for getting away, flying new sites, stretching our personal envelopes. Enjoy the exhilaration of getting out there and going for it, but please be sure you warm up – mentally, physically, skill-wise – before taking on new challenges. Injuries take a toll on all of us.

Please fly safely.

Former Product Lines columnist Dan Johnson was injured last April in a LSA (light sport aircraft) takeoff accident. His back injury required surgery, and he’s looking at several months of rest and rehab with, luckily, the expectation of full recovery. Being laid up during flying season is a bummer – you can send a message to him at Dan@ByDanJohnson .com.

To help you warm up for summer flying, Dennis Pagen maps the invisible air in his feature, Turbulence One-Oh! Oh!-One. John Matyloneck’s final installment of Awareness and Accidents speaks to the attitudes and mind-sets that can lead to accidents. Jim Little analyzes paragliding accidents over the past five years in his annual Accident Summary article, and finds some trends that are worth our attention. Jim is retiring as our annual accident reporter with this column; his insightful summaries will be missed.

Brad Spencer initially learned to fly with the Marines; he tells a gripping tale of a hang glider flight that could have ended disastrously had he not had that background. Brad points out the element of luck in his escape, but his stall response is nonetheless worth considering. Steve Kroop was directed by the board to bring an aerotow safety issue to the attention of hang glider pilots. If you tow, especially in competition, be sure to read Steve’s article in the USHPA section.

Keeping your hang glider safe on an airplane is the topic of Rob Kells’s Master’s Tips column this month. If you have tips for getting your wing safely through the ordeal of airline travel, please send me a note and I’ll pass your hints on to the readers.

Traveling with a paraglider is considerably less challenging than with a hang glider. Bob Hannah and Bob Rinker report on a new lightweight, smallpacking wing and harness that make it possible to take your paragliding gear on the airplane as carryon luggage. An additional advantage: This kit bag is light enough for hiking up to launch with energy left over for safe takeoff and flying.

Considering competing this season? Len Szafaryn, who competes on both hang gliders and paragliders, explains the intricacies of the NTSS, the U.S. points system that determines who is on the U.S. World Team. Greg Babush, who’s relatively new to competition, offers some good reasons to give the comp scene a try, and provides links to useful information for competitors as well as a list of world rankings of the top U.S. paraglider pilots.

Steve Roti collects flight reports from paraglider pilots who set state records, and each spring publishes a list of state records. This year’s update contains records from states with no previous record, as well as some spectacular flights in states that already had

C.J. Sturtevant Corrections in the April magazine: The cover photo shows Floyd Fronius at Torrey Pines flying a Bug II, designed

by Mike Sandlin.

On p. 58, the photographer is Shada Druel; Jeff Meyer is the pilot in the orange glider.

The photo on p. 3 in the May magazine was taken

by Stefan Mitrovich.

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Free Owens Valley Map Flying the Owens Valley big air is hard enough without having to worry about getting lost! On XC fl ights, visiting pilots and chase crews may not know where they are, and hang gliding/paragliding place names aren’t on most maps.

Landing out after a hard fl ight can turn into a real ordeal when nobody can find you!

After years of flying the Big O, Hungary Joe’s Flying Circus developed a flying map for the Valley. Popular launch and LZ locations are in bold letters, so both pilots and chase crews can use the map to improve communications and to reduce navigation problems. The free map includes lamination instructions for carrying in fl ight on a hang glider con-

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trol bar, and is available in PDF format by sending an email to ghoag@brwncald .com.

Ozone Offers Three New Wings for the New Season, and Updates Some Favorites The Addict and Addict R (thin line version) have been enthusiastically received by pilots everywhere, and Ozone says that the feedback Ozone’s new Addict they have reThe Magnum in Zermatt ceived suggests that the Addict is one of the most maneuverable and comfortable DHV 2 wings available today. Ozone Mojo will continue as Ozone’s “perhighly recommends the Addict R ver- formance” DHV 1, meant for newly lision for the majority of pilots, saying censed pilots. that the thin lines increase the agility New materials for the new wings!

Ozone has switched to the new and performance of the wing with no Porcher Marine Evolution cloth for decrease in safety.

The Magnum Tandem has also al- their new wings, which they say offers ready received great reviews. Ozone a lighter and nicer handling and overall describes it as a very well rounded “pro- feeling, with no compromise in glider fessional” tandem wing that excels in longevity. a wide variety of conditions and pilot/ …and as an option for some popular passenger weights. Created with an previous models.

The Buzz and Rush, which were preemphasis on the most crucial characteristics of a professional tandem wing, viously manufactured only in Gelvenor, the Magnum is an easy launcher, highly are now available in the new Porcher or maneuverable in fl ight, and perfectly original Gelvenor – your choice. The Buzz and Rush have been DHV certisimple to land.

The Element will be replacing the fied with the new cloth, and Ozone says Ozone Atom2 this year, and is meant that the Buzz and Rush Porcher versions to be a basic DHV 1 training wing for offer an improvement in handling and the pilot’s fi rst days of learning. The overall feeling, as well as lighter weight.

Addicts in Africa June 2006: Hang Gliding & Paragliding – w w w.ushga.org

Photos this page courtesy Ozone

The Outer Banks Officially a Hang Gliding Getaway Destination The Outer Banks of North Carolina are known for beautiful beaches, rich aviation and maritime history and, of course, hang gliding. It’s fitting, therefore, that the sport of hang gliding has been selected as the icon for the Outer Banks Getaway Card featured in The Outer Banks 2006 Official Travel Guide.

This promotional card offers special values and discounts on recreation and merchandise throughout the Outer Banks, including the Kitty Hawk Kites Hang Gliding School located at Jockey’s Ridge State Park. Visitors can use the card to receive discounts on their first hang gliding adventure or an advanced lesson for those who are already hooked on the sport.

With a national and international distribution of over 135,000 copies of the travel guide and three welcome centers supplying copies, the exposure for the sport of hang gliding is extraordinary.

This is an exciting opportunity to introduce Outer Banks visitors to the thrill and excitement of hang gliding in 2006 and beyond. You can sign up for your own Getaway Card at www.outerbanks .org and you can use it when you reserve your own hang gliding adventure at www .kittyhawk.com or 1-877-FLY-THIS.

Photos this column courtesy Advance

In the PWC ranking, Chrigel and Andy are fi rst and second, Ewa and Karin first and third, as some tasks are in front of Randy’s custom Predator are Eves, erased. These ADVANCE pilots are ex- Posing Randy, Joey III and Joe Jr. cited to hold these high standing in the beginning of this competition season.

Joey’s first fl ight was on the 4th of July You can find all the rankings, the in 1980, at Dockweiler Beach, on Joe Jr.’s Seagull III. The 16-year-old, impaThe Sigma 6 in Rio tient to fly with his elders, was guided and mentored by his father and his uncle, and before long he graduated to his dad’s Moyes Mega 172. “We have been flying together ever since,” says Joe Jr. “We don’t always go up together. Sometimes we meet in the LZ, sometimes we meet in the air.”

“Zipping forward to 1994,” Joey says, June 2006: Hang Gliding & Paragliding – w w w.ushga.org

Photo: Jonathan Blair

details of each task, information about “my first fl ight at Yosemite was on the News from ADVANCE Perhaps to celebrate the anniversary of upcoming PWC events, as well as some Raven 229. I weighed only 130 pounds the world champion title that ADVANCE excellent photos (arachnophobes beware!) with ballast at the time. Even though the fl ight was only about 15 minutes long, I pilot Steve Cox won a year ago in at http://www.pwca.org. fell in love with Yosemite.”

Governador Valadares, ADVANCE As soon as he landed, Joey approached team pilots Chrigel Maurer and Ewa Father-Son Flying Teams Make Hang site monitor Ernie Reguly and asked him Visnierska won the first task of the 2006 Gliding History in Yosemite Valley how to become a Yosemite site monitor.

PWC, also in Brazil but in Castello, “I don’t think he took me seriously at the which is north of GV. Six tasks were time,” recalls Joey, “but a year after that flown, with Andy Aebi, ADVANCE’s I was trained as a site monitor by Eves new R&D Tall Chief and Breck and Lois Betts. I’ve Team pilot from been going to Yosemite every year since, Switzerland and now have 42 fl ights at Yosemite.” winning two Meanwhile, Joe Jr. continued to fly; of them. Final even after flying many sites and holdstandings in the ing an intermediate rating for about 18 comp ranking: years, he had never felt the need to move Chrigel took first Joe Jr., Joey III, Randy and Eves on launch beyond his H-3. One day his son asked place, followed by two Czech Joe Fresquez, Jr. (USHGA #39619) him, “Dad, why don’t you get your H-4?”

“What for?” asked Joe Jr. pilots flying flew his first hang glider – a Seagull III “To fly Yosemite,” Joey replied. Before Macpara, then – in 1977. Joey Fresquez III was part of Chrigel Maurer A D V A N C E this hang gliding scene almost from the long, both Joe Jr. and Joey were enjoying pilots Helmut Eichholzer and Andy very beginning. “I was driving for my the brief but spectacular early-morning Aebi. In the female ranking, ADVANCE dad and uncle at age 15, without a license, fl ights from Yosemite’s Glacier Point.

“Glacier Point possess a magical qualpilots took the top two places, with just to be around hang gliding,” says Joey.

Ewa Visnierska in first place and Karin “I would listen to them for hours talking ity for those who can only go left or right,” Appenzeller second. ADVANCE placed about their fantastic 10-minute fl ights at Joe points out. “But for the pilot who can second in the team ranking, behind Simi Valley or Sylmar, or the long cross- truly fathom the quality of the third diMacpara. country fl ights from Gunther to Janie’s mension, flying Yosemite is a religious Ranch (in the Owens Valley) in their experience.”

PWC winners Moyes Mega 172 and Raven 229 gliders.”

Eves Tall Chief flying near a rainbow in Yosemite Falls, 1984

Eves Tall Chief, USHGA #25316 and senior monitor at Yosemite, has been flying in the park “since the other half of Half Dome was there,” he quips. Trained and mentored by Yosemite ranger Rick Romero, Eves now has nearly 300 fl ights from Glacier Point, and has also flown from Sentinel Dome and Washburn Point. He’s been featured on TV shows with Dan Rather, and in National Geographic both on the air and in print.

Recently Eves and other Fort Funston pilots participated in the production of Big Air, a HDTV fi lm made in Yosemite.

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When others started producing similar gliders it was suggested to Ben that he change the name of the contest, but he didn’t, because “the Falcon had really started it all.” However, the contest name will be altered if necessary to reflect the big distance winner of the year, and this year, Ben points out, it “almost became the (North Wing) EZY XC contest.”

There are three classes: Pro (H-4/5), Amateur (H-3), and Recreational (H2), and five regions: West Coast (west of Interstate 5 in regions 1, 2, 3), West (regions 4 and 5, and regions 1, 2, and 3 east of Interstate 5), Central (regions 7 and11), East (regions 8, 9, 10 and 12) and World for the rest of the world (but which is being used for the longest fl ight in the contest).

Prizes are available in all regions for all classes. There could potentially be a confl ict in World class but so far it’s never happened.

Ben has a guestbook/log for the contest attached to his Web page (http:// www.tekfl ight.com/falconxc.html) that shows many of the fl ights from the last few years. In the early years, a fair number of H-2 and H-3 pilots were entering and competing, but that number has been dropping and in 2005, the only fl ights logged were by “Pro” class pilots.

Ben suggests that instructors and schools could motivate their advancing students to enter the Falcon XC Contest, and maybe offer some prizes for those in their community who are venturing out for their first XC. 2005 Falcon XC Contest Winners “I purposely did not show the winners’ Each season, Ben Davidson of Tek Flight in Connecticut promotes XC flying miles as I don’t want to discourage newer on single- pilots from entering,” Ben continues. “I surface gliders used to post my short XC fl ights just to through the tell of the fun from having gone someFalcon XC where.”

Ben’s wife Alegra makes the trophies.

Contest. The original pur- The 2005 winners of these lovely etchedpose of the contest, which was started glass tankards are: Tom Pierce (World) soon after the Wills Wing Falcon came Sunny Jim Fennison (West) out, was “to have XC fun and show Tony de Groot (West Coast) newer pilots that they’re not second-rate Pete Lehmann (East) citizens because they’re flying a singlesurface glider,”Ben says. “We’ve seen too many pilots ‘upgrade’ and quit because USHPA – A Call For New Store they weren’t having fun anymore flying Merchandise a stiffer glider. At that point, the Falcon USHPA is looking for new store merwas the only modern single-surface glider chandise. Our goal is to maintain a qualaround.” ity line of products for sale through our

Eves’s son, Randy Skywalker, made his first fl ight in Yosemite in 1993. “It has become an all-time favorite place for us to do some good old-fashioned fatherson bonding, while having the time of our lives!” states Randy. Following in his father’s footsteps, Randy is a Yosemite hang gliding monitor, and has assisted more than 100 pilots from all over the world, and logged almost 20 fl ights of his own from Glacier Point since 1993.

On June 25-26, 2005, by sheer coincidence, the father-son team of Joe and Joey Fresquez showed up to fly at Yosemite while Eves and Randy were there for a bit of that father-son bonding.

For the first time in the history of hang gliding at Yosemite, two two-generation teams of pilots launched from Glacier Point and shared the air over Yosemite Valley. “We’ve all flown there in the past,” says Eves, “but this was the fi rst time we’d all flown together. We enjoy having too much fun!” He hints at a big party to come when he celebrates his 300th fl ight from Glacier Point, hopefully some time this season.

“It was a pleasure and an honor to fly with Eves Tall Chief and Randy,” says Joe Jr. The photos were taken on Glacier Point and in the Yosemite Valley LZ at their historic fl ight last summer.

Yosemite is open for hang gliding from Memorial Day to Labor Day. Go to yhga .org to sign up to fly your hang glider in this magical spot (you must be H-4).

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online store. Product review is ongoing.

If you would like your product to be reviewed for distribution and sale through our retail store, please send an email to martin@ushga.org. Product samples and summaries including pricing information should be sent to USHPA, Attn: Martin Palmaz, P.O. Box 1330, Colorado Springs, CO 80901-1330.

USHPA Paragliding Calendars Recently Placed on Endangered Species List Each year, USHPA displays some of the best hang gliding and paragliding photographs in big, beautiful, functional wall calendars. With a long tradition of loyal support, the hang gliding calendar always operates in the black. A relative newcomer, the paraglider calendar has, unfortunately, yet to make a profit. For that reason, USHPA is considering no longer producing a paragliding calendar after the 2007 edition.

In 2005, 1500 copies of the 2006 paragliding calendar were printed. Of those 1500, only 754 had sold as of the end of March 2006, at a loss of $2600.

Printing fewer calendars seems like a reasonable solution, but would in fact not save money because of quantity discounts from the printer.

Para pilots (and hang pilots) who would like to see a paragliding calendar in 2008 and beyond need to rally to the support of the paragliding calendar and reverse the pattern of red ink. Clubs and individuals are urged to purchase this yearlong celebration of paragliding for both personal use and as gifts for family, friends, landowners, or anyone who would appreciate a daily reminder of the beauty and excitement of paragliding.

The 2007 calendars for both hang gliding and paragliding will be available soon. Time is running out for the USHPA paragliding calendar. We won’t be sending out little “Save the PG Calendar” stickers, or interrupting your dinner with phone calls asking you to contribute to this worthy cause. Calendars are available at the USHPA online store (ushga .org) – please make the paragliding calendar part of your annual tradition, and help avert its extinction.

June 2006: Hang Gliding & Paragliding – w w w.ushga.org

current level of experience might not be quite up to the task, and I decided to save it for another day. I was confident I could have “pulled it off,” but that was my intermediate syndrome talking.

Thanks to Matt for that “head check” – I am still flying today, currently at Woodrat Mountain in Oregon.

Robert Gillisse, USHPA #38398

Linknife’s Inventor Recants Statement RE: Ceasing Production (email, 3/26)

The opinions expressed in the letters pubThanks for sharing your experience, Dan. lished in this column are those of the authors We can never read too many reminders that and do not necessarily reflect those of the “ it” could happen to us – as you point out, magazine staff or USHPA officials. While vigilance and redundancy are mandatory every effort is made to verify facts stated in for safe flying. letters, readers are urged to check the accuracy of any statement before taking action or forming an opinion based on the contents of Looking For An Ideal Retirement/Flying a letter.

Site (Web site, 3/17)

It Almost Happened to Me… (email, 3/13)

I am writing in response to Bill Shepard’s article “I’m Not Hooked In!” in the March issue of Hang Gliding & Paragliding magazine. Th is accident almost happened to me. Sometime in the ‘80s I was the last one to take off and no one was around to give me a hang check.

As I walked to launch I thought, I know I’m hooked in and nothing has changed so I don’t need a hang check. Then I thought I had better practice what I preach and I always preach doing a hang check so I steadied the glider with one hand and lay down. To my surprise I was much lower that normal with my chute rubbing the basetube. I backed off, and found my ‘biner not hooked into my harness main. Seems one of the instructors had borrowed my ‘biner for a student and didn’t replace it properly.

From then on I always run a small rope thought the loops of the harness main, backup, and chute bridle. This will make sure the ‘biner has secured all lines when replaced.

Dan Guido, USHPA #27352 Susquehanna Flight Park

Where would be a good site for a guy that wants to retire and get a lot of evening glass-offs?

Loren E. Culp, USHPA #17183, lculp-mckee@2willow.com

A “Head Check” Decades Ago Still Evokes Grateful Memories (Web site, 3/30)

Regarding the article written about Matt Taber in the March Air Mail column, I have to relate a story about Matt’s concern for pilot safety that may have saved my life (or at the very least prevented premature graying on my part). In 1984, Lookout Mountain was my main flying site after I became certified there. It was my first mountain site and I loved the “elevator launches” as I became more proficient.

On one particularly strong day I set up my glider (Demon 175) and contemplated the 20- to 30-mph winds the local sky-gods were punching off into (“Curly” Dunn comes to mind). I thought, I can do that! and continued stuffing battens.

When I was done, Matt came over to me and as we sat on the ramp he began a conversation about the conditions and what I could expect at the moment of launch. I then came to my own conclusion that my

June 2006: Hang Gliding & Paragliding – w w w.ushga.org

On February 1, my reluctant decision to cease production of the Linknife Tow Release was publicized on several email lists. The news brought an immediate barrage of calls and notes that related severe displeasure at the decision. Then on March 18, at the USHPA Board of Directors meeting, I was honored as the recipient of the National Aeronautic Association Safety Award! WOW! Incredible! So I have reconsidered and entered into an agreement with Stuart Caruk of TowMeUp (towmeup.com) for machining of the release bodies.

Thanks to everyone who bashed me over the head for such a foolish decision, and to the NAA for such a prestigious award. Please rest assured that my earlier decision was not a cheap promotional stunt and that I am truly humbled by the outpouring of support from the towing community. (Now for the unabashed promotion: please see http://www .birrendesign.com/linknife.html for full information on the Linknife.)

Peter Birren, USHPA #40741

Large Membership Means More Clout (email, 3/30)

I suggest we not encourage our members to leave for other organizations because of differences such as insurance, noisy engines, or even the USHGA/ USHPA name or history.

What is important at this time and for the future is having as large a membership as possible to have the political clout to maintain our status of being pilots of unlicensed flying machines.

Toward this end we might consider taking steps to merge with other organizations with similar interests.

Dan Leahy, USHPA #44845

11

R.I.P. USHGA (email, 4/3)

I am saddened at the news that USHGA has dried up and blown away.

Since the day I began lessons 30 years ago, I have been an active member of USHGA. I have always felt that this club is responsible for our ongoing enjoyment of self-regulated fl ight. I find it phenomenal in these times to have been privileged to fly as much as we do without any direct FAA involvement. Although many of you may see the name change as only that, the USHGA is GONE. Or…. is it?

The name of the non-profit corporation will remain the same and only the “club” name has been changed by this recent vote. Why, in all their wisdom, did the board make this decision? I believe that it is because of the fact that our corporate name has more credibility and “brand awareness” than can be justified by a complete name change. As a parallel situation, just try to find a can of “new Coke” at the store tomorrow.

It is interesting to look at the vote results that brought us to this juncture. The approval of a name change by only 16% of the total membership was all it took to kill a longstanding brand name for our club. Of the total membership, 27% took the time to vote and 10.5% were not in favor of making the change. It comes down to a difference of 6% (576 votes) of the total club active membership to make the “name change.” Although 16% of the total votes received is a majority, it is pretty hard to construe as a majority of those members who have paid dues to USHGA, in the continued hope of supporting the group that has kept the FAA at bay. In that regard I think that this vote will backfi re badly in the short term.

As the non-voting and apathetic members find out that the name of the club was changed, I think that there will be an actual decrease in overall membership (unless something like power operations is added to the club mixture). The club will have to add powered operations to grow the membership and the FAA will feel compelled to take a greater role in our fl ight operations. In order to recognize those new members, it will be deemed politically correct to add them to

12

the name of the club as well, and we’ll was flying. We borrowed money from my wind up with unrecognizable alphabet sister, got two gliders and the rest is hissoup for our moniker (and we thought tory.

USHGA was bad enough)! At any rate, What does the bulk of the 300,000,000 a paraglider is already classified as a type of the U.S. population know about hang of hang glider! gliding? They hear it talked about as an Well, maybe we would have seen extreme sport and a few have seen it. good old USHGA die off anyway. The Around here, even though there is a soardemographics show us adding a year to able site within 30 miles, most have not the average hang glider pilot age per year. seen flying. Virtually none of the 0.1% The AARP dropped their minimum age that might have the degenerate flying to 50 to grow their group, and I joined gene have any idea of what they are missbecause I recognize the AARP brand as ing. being a group that works hard as advoNow IF there were a good, short cates for older people. “documentary” showing flying at a major AARP was not about to dilute their site with good launches, good landings, brand awareness to include a “B” for pilots working thermals and going up – boomers. USHGA should not have shots from ground and in the air showing added a “P” for their paragliding mem- a number of pilots in the air and working bers either. thermals to cloudbase, and just maybe David Schy, USHGA #18966 August 1976 a quick XC shot, and much of it being until the end of USHGA, April 2006 done in that same glider that the new pilot would fly, and IF this showed how we really are in total control of our safety, We Need an Upbeat, Factual that flying safely is a real pilot option and Documentary Film to Promote Our we are in control – well, just maybe we Sport could start to get pilots out of that mi(email, 3/14) For the last year, I’ve been trying to nuscule percentage of the population that sell (to Davis, various BOD members and want to fly. Hey, 0.1% of 300,000,000 is others) the idea that a good “documen- 30,000.

A local cable TV company did a really tary” video showing hang gliding today needs to be produced. Unless somebody lousy show here about 10 years ago that lives near a major flying site where flying showed training-hill fl ights. They are so is going on nearly daily, most of the hungry for stuff to air that I’m told they public have no idea of the potential (and air it a couple of times a year. If Jayne (or safety) of hang gliding. Nearly all of the someone) could approach public TV and new students that come to us have never get them to accept a good “documentary” seen hang gliding. Nearly all are shocked of what and how we fly today, the public to hear that cloudbase fl ights are a norm would maybe start to get some idea of and that cross-country flying is possible. where we are. A few years ago public TV We actually have to be careful about how had a thing on hang gliding that showed we introduce the concept to them as we pilots in rogallos plunging off places don’t want to scare them with sudden (did they have rope harnesses?) and only impressing people with our optimistic shock.

Back in the early ‘70s, when Alegra insanity. I actually wrote and yelled at had me watch a TV show showing glid- them for having such an outdated thing ers leaping off Torrey Pines and gliding shown as though it was current.

Again, most of the small local cable down, I was less than impressed and had no desire to fly. When my sister called TV stations are hungry for media but and said that they were flying hang glid- they typically prefer things that relate to ers at a local ski slope, Alegra dragged their local area. We could probably get me away from my running stock fence our local one to air something that didn’t and we went. Again, I was less than im- show Winsted, Connecticut, but it would pressed UNTIL I saw somebody launch have much more attraction if there were and I perceived him to go UP. Actually, a clip or two of fl ight off a training hill. it was just the angle but... That was it. I If the documentary were done in such could not sleep. All I could think about a manner as to allow addition of a local June 2006: Hang Gliding & Paragliding – w w w.ushga.org

some information to educate us on be- no wind. Thanks anyway, Rob! We headed up over the Cajone Pass on coming wiser pilots. Thank you Matt and Hwy. 15 to the high desert in Hisperia. I the rest of the crew.

Adriano Warjabedian, USHPA #71202 grabbed the fi rst piece of desert off the 15 freeway I could find. I set up my Exxtacy, prefl ighted and promptly powered up to SoCal Snowstorm Didn’t Keep This 1000’ AGL where I was treated to an Pilot On the Ground 800fpm ticket to cloudbase. My bud(email, 3/18) I drove down to SoCal on March dies from Fresno hung out by the truck 13th to meet my friend Bob Soares and as I flew power-off for the better part of his flying buddy Dwayne from Fresno, an hour. I dropped the flaps, stuffed the California. My friend/driver Ken and I bar and touched down with my landing met them at the Andy Jackson LZ below skid marks criss-crossing my launch skid Marshall in San Bernardino with the marks!

Needless to say, I was the only one of intention of flying Crestline. The conditions were quite good early on as we sat us to fly this day.

Thank goodness a year ago I was openin the LZ watching the local hawks and vultures gaggle up to cloudbase. Only minded enough to explore and finally one small problem...we were informed by join the ranks of PH pilots. Since then Rob McKenzie that the road to launch at I have tripled my airtime with power Marshall was closed due to seven inches OFF! My friends were blown away by of snow, and there was nowhere to park the whole scene.

It is a shame there are so many hang up at Crestline because of the plowed gliding pilots missing out on this incredsnow near launch.

Not to worry. As I was taught in Boy ible launch method for attaining freeBen Davidson, USHPA #19783, Scouts, “Be prepared.” I was! I’d had the fl ight altitude. And make no mistake, Ben_ Alegra@tekflight.com foresight to throw my X1 power harness from where I’m sitting, it is indeed hang (gasp) into the truck along with my free- gliding.

Weather Wiser fl ight harness when I left Las Vegas. Rob (email, 4/12) Matt Dettman, USHPA #32640 I don’t usually have anything to say McKenzie (who also fl ies trikes) told me tige_matt@yahoo.com about how you guys do things, but I there was a nice field just a few miles couldn’t be silent about this. The article north of the LZ that might be a good written on “Reviewing Meteorological place to launch my power harness and Factors to Avoid Missing the Best XC fly up into the abundant lift. We headed Days” by Matt Gerdes was absolutely over to the field only to find it knee-deep fantastic. We need more of that whole- in wire-grabbing weeds and with little or fl ight, it would be more attractive. The glory of technology comes through with digital editing not degrading the original, so if done cleverly the original could get edited to show a local fl ight or two.

The whole thing is that “you” want to market hang gliding and the audience has no idea about the serenity of fl ight, the joy of tweaking a glider well in a thermal and really, the fact that it is as safe as you make it. Marketing a Frizbee is hopeless if nobody knows how it frizzes and that it just costs a buck or two.

We are going to work on putting together a good video this summer – we have a number of pilots who are going to help but we don’t have the latest, greatest equipment and I’m not at all sure that the quality of the video itself, never mind our amateur editing, will stand the test. We might get local cable to air it but we have close to tapped out the .1% of the 10,000 locals so all we’ll be doing it for is to educate: WE GO UP (safely, quietly).

OK, I’m done…

June 2006: Hang Gliding & Paragliding – w w w.ushga.org

13

2007 USHPA Regional Director Nominations Solicited Deadline July 14th.

USHPA is issuing its annual call for nominations to the national Board of Directors. Nine positions are open for election in October 2006 for a two-year term beginning January 2007.

Nominations must be received at the USHPA office by July 14, 2006.

Nominations are needed in the following regions. The current directors whose terms are up for re-election in 2006 are: Reg# 1 2 3 4 5

Current Director Bill Bolosky Jim Macklow David Jebb Steve Mayer Nominations are not needed in Region 5 for this election.

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

6 7

As of January 2006, Region 6 and Region 11 were combined into Region 11.

8

Gary Trudeau

9

Felipe Amunategui

10

Steve Kroop

11

Nominations are not needed in Region 11 for this election.

Paul Voight

12

Tracy Tillman

Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Wisconsin, North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota New Hampshire, Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Vermont Washington DC, Delaware, Kentucky, Maryland, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico Texas, Louisiana, Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, Nebraska, Arkansas New Jersey, New York

Ballots will be distributed with the October issue of HANG GLIDING & PARAGLIDING magazine. USHPA needs the very best volunteers to help guide the safe development and growth of the sports. Send candidate nominations for receipt no later than July 14th to USHPA, PO Box 1330, Colorado Spring, CO 80901-1330.

Biographical information about nominees should be received no later than August 6th, for inclusion in the election issue of the magazine. Th is should include the following information: name and USHPA number, photo and resume (one page containing the candidate’s hang/paragliding activities and viewpoints, written consent to be nominated and willingness to serve if elected).

Make a nomination by mail or via the USHPA Web site, at http://www.ushga.org/emailrdnomination.asp.

You may nominate yourself if you wish. ******************************************************************************************************************************************** REGIONAL DIRECTOR ELECTION NOMINATION FORM

I nominate NAME

as a candidate for Regional Director for Region # USHPA#

.

REGION#

(Send to USHPA, PO Box 1330, Colorado Springs CO 80901-1330)

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June 2006: Hang Gliding & Paragliding – w w w.ushga.org

Right-of-Way at Towing Operations

By Steve Kroop

other pilots (this applies to all forms of towing).

• A tug pilot towing a glider would have to divert around a free flyer. This can create a hazard for the pilots involved in the tow.

• There is a safety issue in the event the tug pilot must make an emergency landing. Free-flying pilots are, in almost every case, unaware that a tow pilot has had an engine out or some other emergency.

This issue was presented to various ground-based towing and aerotowing experts for comment. The consensus is that, when in the tow pattern, free-flyers should give the towing operation a wide berth. Some concerns were raised that if right-of-way was given to tow planes, some tow pilots might abuse the rule.

However, tow operators/fl ight park managers and public humiliation should be able to prevent this.

In the interest of safety the following rule was drafted and approved: Whenever possible, free-flying hang gliding/paragliding pilots should stay clear of the towing pattern as defined by the tow operator/flight park operator/airport manager, unless in an emergency situation. When in the tow pattern, all free-flying hang gliding and paragliding pilots must stay well clear of gliders under tow, tow planes, and tow lines.

It should be noted that this rule, with respect to aerotowing, is consistent with current FAA rules since tow planes will become certificated under Sport Pilot, and Light Sport Aircraft have right-ofway over all Part 103 aircraft.

Whenever possible, free-flying hang gliding/paragliding pilots should stay clear of the towing pattern as defined by the tow operator/ flight park operator/airport manager, unless in an emergency situation. When in the tow pattern, all free-flying hang gliding and paragliding pilots must stay well clear of gliders under tow, tow planes, and tow lines.

June 2006: Hang Gliding & Paragliding – w w w.ushga.org

Photo: Karla Windels

At the spring BOD meeting an issue was brought to the attention of the Towing committee: Apparently there is some confusion regarding right-of-way between a tow plane and a free-flying pilot. Part 103 offers very little guidance and is actually contrary to safe and efficient tow park operations, and does not take emergency situations into consideration. Section 103.13.C is the only relevant rule regarding right-of-way. Section C is as follows: Powered ultralights shall yield the right-of-way to unpowered ultralights.

Clearly the intent was that powered craft are more maneuverable and have more options than unpowered craft.

However, if we strictly adhere to this right-of-way rule, the following problems are created: • A pilot scratching in the tow pattern could indefinitely suspend the towing of

15

USHPA Dues Increase 17%, Effective June 2006

By Mark Forbes, USHPA treasurer

At the March Board meeting, the directors voted to raise annual dues from $59.00 to $69.00 starting in June 2006.

International mailing surcharges were also raised to cover higher postage fees.

Two factors are at work. First is inflation; each year the dollar decreases in its purchasing power. USHPA pays for salaries, materials and services, and these costs increase over time. In Figure 1 – USHPA Dues History, you can see the value of USHPA dues discounted for inflation since we began. The dashed line shows that dues of $69 today are the same “value” as $15 back in 1972.

The other factor is the need to invest in our future. The board adopted a strategic plan to increase active participation in our sport. We’ll need money to fund programs that move us toward that goal.

We’ve been able to shave expenses and improve our financial position, but we’re

running out of choices on the expense side. The dues increase provides the operating cash we need to fund programs to promote our sport and improve our image in the public mind. Attracting new members should provide revenue to further develop programs, and spread the fi xed costs of our association over a larger base of pilots.

At $59, USHPA dues are as low as they’ve been since 1984 in constant 2006 dollars. The last dues increase we had was in January 2000, a 9% rise. That increase made up about half of the loss due to inflation, since the previous change in January 1994. Inflation from January 2000 to June 2006 was 18%, so the 17% rise almost makes up the loss to inflation since then.

USHPA has been able to avoid a dues increase and remain financially stable over the past six years through fundamental

changes in how finances are managed, aggressive cost-containment and careful attention to profit and loss in different facets of our business. We’ve focused on getting our finances in order, so we can have a stable business structure that reliably provides the core services that pilots need to fly. Our bills are paid on time, and we have a proper level of assets to support our operations. This wasn’t the case until recently.

USHPA was almost bankrupt in the late ‘90s. While we had some cash in the bank, it wasn’t nearly enough to cover the promises we had outstanding. Bills were piling up, and we were paying last month’s bills with next week’s income. This was not a model of a business that had a longterm future. Figure 2 – Income-Expense 1990-2005 shows our income and assets over the years.

We created new policies for cash

Figure 1 – USHPA Dues History

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June 2006: Hang Gliding & Paragliding – w w w.ushga.org

for a new home when the opportunity arose, and since the sellers were looking for a fast all-cash sale we were able to obtain the building for about $120,000 below market value.

Owning our headquarters building has several benefits. We’ve been forced to move when landlords increased rent or changed their policies.

Most recently, our former Figure 2 – Income-Expense 1990-2005 landlord decided to convert our office to a condo, management and hired a new executive and quoted us a very high price to buy director with a mandate to take control of our share. As owners, we decide our own our finances. We developed a cash target fate. We also have two tenants renting policy, and that is reviewed every month most of the space in our building from to keep track of how we’re doing. We’ve us, which gives us monthly rental income. developed budgets and we use them as We no longer pay rent, so that saves us a tool to measure success. With careful significant cost every month. Overall, we financial management our association expect the building to pay for itself in now has a healthy level of assets, carried savings in about eight years. as a mix of cash in the bank and equity in Another investment we made in 2004 our headquarters office. was to provide some initial seed money We finally reached our cash target in to the U.S. Hang Gliding Foundation. early 2004 and began to increase expenses This is the charitable foundation that is as we came out of cash-saving mode. In dedicated to site preservation, education, early 2005 we found a remarkable deal safety and competition funding. Your taxon an office building, and transferred deductible donations go directly to fund our bonds and money market funds grants that preserve flying sites, promote into that investment. We were looking the development of our sport and support our competition USHPA Financials 1999-2005 teams. The donation that we made to the Foundation was possible because we had an unexpected one-time savings due to the departure of several employees, and a time lag before we could find qualified replacements for them. In the interim, their budgeted salaries accumulated as a surplus. We had already reached our cash reserve target, so we moved the surplus to the Foundation where it could be used for June 2006: Hang Gliding & Paragliding – w w w.ushga.org

direct support of our sport. We’re now seeing the first results of that investment, as the seed money makes it possible for the Foundation to market itself and attract additional donations. Donors can target their money for specific purposes like competition or site preservation, or contribute to the general fund which serves any needed purpose. The bulk of the USHPA donation forms the base of a planned endowment that will provide a continuing stream of investment income to fund future projects for our sport.

We could have held onto the surplus, and deferred a dues increase for perhaps another six to nine months. We felt that an investment in our future was a better use for the money.

USHPA needs to hold some cash reserves because we have some large expenses that come up periodically. The insurance premium is over $110,000 per year, for example, and we’ve seen that price double in the past. We need to have the reserve cash to cover sudden changes in the cost of our insurance. Magazine printing costs have been stable recently, but we’ve seen sudden increases in the past in costs for paper, printing and postage.

Since dues come in gradually over the course of a year, we can’t instantly raise money to cover a “surprise” cost increase.

We also need to carry enough cash and assets to cover the promises we make to members. When you renew your membership, you expect 12 months of services from USHPA for your money. If we’ve already spent your money on last month’s bills, it’s not there in the bank to cover the promise we made to you when you renewed. The cash reserve is not money we can spend; it’s money that we need to keep as reserves to cover our promises to you, and to run the business prudently.

If you have questions about how we spend our money, income sources or financial details, visit the Web site (ushga .org). In the Members Only section you’ll find monthly and yearly financial statements and lots more detailed information on USHPA finances.

17

USHGF Assists Tree Toppers with LZ Land Trust

By Dan Shell

Photo: Dean Funk

Mr. Woerner’s preservation interests and calls through which this understanding finding in the conservation easement was achieved, the USHGF agreed to some protection from potential litiga- offset completely our expenses assocition for which this new acquisition could ated with establishing a land trust inmake us a target. Our agreement was volving the total area enclosed by Davis written into the purchase contract.

Loop Road, Henson Gap Road, and East To be honest, although it kept coming Valley Road. up in board meetings, the idea lanThe Tennessee Tree Toppers would guished for years after the purchase. In like to express their deepest gratitude to that time we discovered that what we ac- the USHGF for their support of this imFrom the early history of our club, tually sought was a land trust agreement, portant step for our club. Although we when the original Tennessee Tree overseen and enforced by a third party would have managed to bear the expense Toppers northwest launch at McCarty’s agency. We also discovered that legal fees without assistance, their help enabled us Bluff on Lookout Mountain became a and other associated expenses were going to continue saving for the purchase of a commercial fl ight park, the Tree Toppers to substantially dent our budget. When landing zone at Whitwell, our southeast have been convinced of the wisdom of all was said and done and our application site, or other southeast-facing launch and site ownership by the club. Shortly after submitted by our attorneys to Tennessee landing combination, especially importhe pioneer work of members Don Guess, Land Trust, we had a bill for more than tant considering the relationship between our revenue and local real estate prices.

Dick Stern, Brian Burnside, Chris $3000.

It was around this time that we began Thanks to the USHGF, the TTT has Smith, and others at Henson Gap, the club stretched to take advantage of the reading about the work of the newly taken another step and will continue opportunity to buy that launch. But we formed USHGF, and hoped they would stepping toward permanent hang glidwere still landing in the pasture below by be able to relieve some of the financial ing site acquisition in The Hang Gliding impact. Upon contacting them, we were Capital of the East. Join us over the beaupermission.

In 1990, the owners of our LZ ex- excited to learn that support for site pres- tiful Sequatchie Valley and we’ll... pressed an interest in selling the entire ervation efforts such as ours was a major See you in the sky! area contained within Davis Loop, part of their mission. They were very Henson Gap Road, and East Valley Road. concerned about understanding all the Much more than we could use for landing, details correctly, but after our submission about half was sparsely wooded and iso- of a written application and a few phone lated by large power lines. Furthermore, this was attached to a densely wooded and hilly area across Henson Gap road obviously unsuitable for landing area. All that property at all that price seemed like too great a challenge for the Tree Toppers, until a few quick-thinking members devised a solution.

Hank Hughes, Rick Jacob and Charlie Yowell approached Erich Woerner, a neighboring farmer in the valley, about a partnership. Mr. Woerner was interested in owning the scrubby section across the power lines from our landing area, which was of little interest to us. We could keep all the clear area we found so convenient for returning to earth. Wishing to preserve this unique little spot in the valley, Mr. Woerner proposed we grant each other permanent “conservation easements,” which would substantially restrict any development of the enclosed area. The Tree Toppers agreed, sharing The USHGF assisted the TTT with a land trust involving the area enclosed by East Valley, Davis Loop, and Henson Gap Roads.

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June 2006: Hang Gliding & Paragliding – w w w.ushga.org

Turbulence One-Oh! Oh!-One Watching the Mechanics Copyright©2006 by Dennis Pagen

Perhaps the reason we refer to the sky as the “wild blue yonder” is that it can truly be wild. High winds and high adventure abound in that seething ocean of air, but perhaps the most familiar “wildness” to the average pilot is turbulence.

We tend to learn about turbulence early on in our training and get continued updates every time we venture out in our frail craft on windy or thermally days.

But in the course of teaching more advanced pilots and just hanging out with the elevated set, I have found that there are some misconceptions which may lead to miscalculations. Miscalculations in aviation often lead to mishaps. So we propose here to begin a tour of the onerous world of turbulence by investigating mechanical turbulence.

WATERWORLD

All through our discussion we can think of carrying on riverside chats. The reason is: The action of water is the best way to actually see how a fluid in motion behaves and interacts with its surroundings. Once we see how it behaves we can imagine how it behaves when it is invisible. The air and water behave exactly alike, except that the top of the air dwindles to nothing with altitude, while water has a defined top surface. No matter, the lesson is still valid. Water is, of course, much denser than air, but that factor just changes the velocity at which the different effects occur.

If we don’t have a stream, river, lake or ocean near at hand, we still can see the effects in our mind, for most of us have seen moving water all our lives. So let’s peer into our pool.

Here we list the main types of turbulence: shear, thermal and mechanical.

Taking shear first, we can observe two flows with different velocities meeting in anything but perfect harmony. In water, a stream flowing into a river or lake represents a shear. Two rivers meeting or even a rip tide in the sea is a shear. The flows

can meet head on, or at any angle. While we will cover shear turbulence in a later piece, the main thing to note here is that where the flows meet there is often some rippling effect (if the difference in velocity is great enough) and even some upwelling of the water (think convergence lift). The rippling represents turbulence and would be felt as such by a little boat sent into its midst.

Thermal turbulence can be easily visualized by watching a pan of boiling water, or better yet, the bubbles rising in a swimming pool or Jacuzzi. There are random movements left in the wake of the bubble as well as flows both horizontal and vertical as the bubble passes.

Finally, mechanical turbulence can be readily observed by watching water flow past rocks, logs and other solid features in the water. It is this behavior we are most interested in here.

uted over a larger volume. Now we can put a rule in our brain fi le: The largest and strongest turbulent eddies are closest to the point of their formation.

Downstream of the formation point, the eddies are smaller and more spread out.

Now let’s look at a practical situation in the sky. In Figure 1, side view, we have drawn a solid object disrupting the air’s flow. Note how the swirls tend to emanate from the top of the object. That’s because the flow behind the solid is blocked, so the point of maximum stress in the air is right at the top. Also see how the area of eddies spreads out in the downwind direction. Eventually the eddies spread all the way to the ground. (In the case where the solid object is a high mountain, the size of the eddies may diminish to insignificance before ground level is reached.)

If the object is not too wide perpendicular to the direction of flow, the turbulent SWIRLS Air and water – any fluid – is so, uh, eddies will spread inward from the sides fluid, that a bit of it moving indepen- as well as down from the top (see the top dently will start everything in its vicinity view). This effect has implications for our moving. But because a fluid doesn’t have flying: Narrower objects – houses, hills, a fi xed shape, it rolls and flows in the tree lines – may often exhibit more turpath or rather shape of least resistance. bulence near the ground on their downInvariably a disturbed fluid begins to wind side than a long ridge. However, a rotate in a swirling manner. A large mass of fluid can exhibit a smooth (laminar) flow, but where it meets solid objects or has disturbances move through it there will be swirls, whirls, rolls and eddies (all interchangeable terms here).

A swirl in the free stream of a fluid doesn’t last long (rotors are a special case and do last long, as we see below).

A swirl gets rubbed by neighboring fluid and gradually breaks down into smaller swirls. The process continues with time until the swirls are so small they are lost in the general manic mayhem of molecular motion. While the eddies get smaller, they also influence the surrounding fluid to start swirling, so the eddies spread and lose energy as the momentum is distrib-

June 2006: Hang Gliding & Paragliding – w w w.ushga.org

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long ridge is more apt to exhibit a significant rotor (see below).

The real complication or danger mechanical turbulence of this nature presents to our form of flying is stalls and loss of control up to and including rolling or pitching a wing upside down (hang gliding) as well as stalls and total collapses (paragliding). Look at Figure 2 to see how this happens. Here we see a turbulent eddy or swirl forming off the edge of a building. If we assume a 15-mph wind and that the building slows the wind to zero right at the rooftop, we have a gradient as shown. Then the shearing forces in the moving air result in a rolling effect that may produce the eddy shown. The result can be thought of as a wheel rolling along the surface. In this case, the top of the swirl is moving with the free wind (15 mph) while the center moves only about half the speed. But in the real world, as soon as the eddy begins moving downstream, internal stresses and friction

start breaking it apart into smaller swirls. Once an eddy starts to break apart, it spreads its effect to the nearby flow as shown.

The slower parts of the eddy lower down will get up to speed with the main flow once they are out of the influence of the building’s blocking effect. The energy for all this change of flow is already in the moving wind, and the force to alter the flow comes from the building working against the wind.

With this little illustration, we can see how eddies are formed, but what do they do to us? The answer is clear if you imagine the swirl depicted to be about the size

of a glider. No matter how we encounter it we would experience violent heart palpitations as it alters our airspeed locally by a significant fraction of our stall speed.

If just a portion of our glider entered the swirl, a sudden lifting or dropping of the affected wing would occur along with possible stalling or collapse as noted above. If we center-punched the swirl,

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June 2006: Hang Gliding & Paragliding – w w w.ushga.org

ROTORS

and it is quite strong, we may be turned over or balled up as we roll with the flow.

Such a result has happened on occasion.

Here we have shown eddies with horizontal axes, and perhaps they all have such an axis when formed by a horizontal surface (especially running along the ground). But in the real world, there are vertical surfaces as well, and even more to the point, as an eddy breaks up it doesn’t do so in an orderly fashion, so even those with vertical axes will produce smaller eddies with axes in all orientations. The point of this fact is to note that turbulent swirls can hit our wing from the top, bottom, sides and everything in between.

It is fortunate indeed that eddies break down into smaller sizes as they age, but even eddies one-tenth the size of our gliders (say three feet in diameter) can present control problems. Only by being far enough downwind of a solid object producing turbulence can we remain safe from its serious effects. Take a look at a leaf or wood chip floating along in a swirling stream to see how mechanical turbulence can alter our path, slow or accelerate a wing, or completely tumble it. Those of us who kayak have enough experience with the deleterious control effects of turbulent flow to know we don’t want to experience the same thing in the air.

There is a special sort of eddy that is important to all pilots of light wings.

These are standing eddies or rotors. In Figure 3 we depict such eddies behind various shapes. A rotor is a standing eddy because it more or less stays in one place. When conditions are right, rotors form close in on the lee or downwind side of a solid object. Rotors occur most often when the general flow of the air is fairly steady and the shape of the solid blocking that flow is abrupt enough to prevent the air from easily making the direction change to flow down the back side. Anyone spending a bit of time on the top of ridges or mountains with an awareness of the wind will have experienced an upward flow along the lee side slope in the opposite direction to the over-all wind flow. This is the rotor. In the early days of hang gliding we were caught launching in such a rotor flow before we learned (the hard way) of the dangers and realized that rotors existed.

The size and shape of a rotor is determined by the wind strength and the shape of the solid producing it. A solid object will exhibit a typical rotor – if it was there once it should be there again in similar wind conditions. Rotors may remain in a steady state in the same place and dimension as long as the wind re-

June 2006: Hang Gliding & Paragliding – w w w.ushga.org

mains steady, but often they move a bit or even get shed from the slope and travel downstream as shown. You can watch this process in a strongly flowing river disrupted by a bridge abutment or jetty.

The main dangers of rotors are serious: Because they are so organized, they can absolutely throw us out of control. Even a very large rotor with light flow can exhibit mixing turbulence at its edges, as shown in Figure 4. If a rotor breaks away from the hill forming it, it will gradually break apart as does any swirl, but it usually is very organized to begin with and may be mega-sized compared to typical mechanical eddies. So, for the good of our heart, health and future we give rotors wide berth.

WIND SHADOW

Wind shadow is a blocking of the wind by a solid object as shown in Figures 1 and 2 above. It is really not a form of turbulence, but it goes hand in hand with turbulence and should be understood for complete safety. The problem with wind shadow is illustrated in Figure 5. Here we see that a solid blocking the wind causes a dramatic change in the wind speed on its downwind side. Th is change is called a gradient. A severe gradient can stall an aircraft approaching upwind because in the higher wind the craft has a certain airspeed which is lost as the craft descends into the slower headwind. It is as if the wind suddenly stopped. The result can be a severe stall with no chance to recover since as the craft falls it enters a region of even less headwind.

Wind shadow can extend downwind several times the height of the solid object, as shown. You can easily

21

experience wind shadow by simply standing behind a building in a noticeable wind. Walk downwind away from the building and you can get an idea how far the shadow extends. While you are at it, spend some time in the lee side feeling the turbulent gusts. How far downwind to they exist? How strong are they compared to the ground turbulence upwind of the building? Can you detect a rotor effect? Would you want to land in the turbulent area?

be contemplative.

Our turbulence/ rotor/wind shadow rule is: Remain away from a solid on the downwind side a distance equal to the height of the solid in feet times the number value of the wind speed in miles per hour.

OK, that may seem complicated, but SAVING PILOT RYAN not once we explain it. For example, if By now you probably know how to we have a ridge with a height of 1000 avoid the type of turbulence we have feet and the wind is 10 mph, we multiply been discussing: Simply go where it ain’t 1000 by 10 and get 10,000. So we should and avoid where it is. It really is a matter remain 10,000 feet or almost two miles of being aware of the wind direction downwind of the ridge to avoid ill effects. and strength, then imagining where the In a 15-mph wind the formula gives us downwind side of all solids – trees, build- almost three miles (15,000 ft.) and four ings, hills, ridges, mountains or whatever miles (20,000 ft.) in a 20-mph wind.

– is and avoiding that area.

From 32 years of flying in and around the We like to use rules of thumb to sim- ridges of the eastern U.S., I find these plify the thinking, especially when we numbers to be appropriate. are on the wing and don’t have time to In higher mountains, we don’t have to quite apply the formula.

For example, a mountain standing 5000 feet above the valley wouldn’t have to be cleared by 10 miles behind it (as the formula says), because as we pointed out before there is a limit to scale and turbulence dies out downwind before it reaches the ground in high mountains.

But as a minimum, remaining five times the height of the mountain downwind in 10-mph winds and 10 times the height in 20-mph winds will provide an ample safety margin.

22

Trees blocking the wind are a special case. A thin tree line can strain the wind and actually break up the turbulent rolls moving over the ground. However, normally trees produce their own turbulence and should be treated like any solid.

Having landed behind many a tree line, I can attest to their roiling effect on the flow. They may not need as much clearance downwind as other solids, but a wall of trees often extends farther in a landing situation than say a building or a small hill, and thus the trees present a greater turbulence threat.

So the first defense against mechanical turbulence is avoidance (and is the only sure way of remaining safe). In addition, each pilot must know the way to fly his or her glider to best cope with turbulent gusts. For a hang glider the proper technique is to fly faster since speed gives better control and helps prevent an inadvertent stall. With a paraglider, the technique is to get off the speed bar and on the brakes to best pressurize the canopy and avoid collapses. For both types of gliders, expert technique means catching control excursions quickly and accurately to offset the thrashings of errant turbulent eddies. The sooner you make the correct correction, the less your wing will deviate from the straight and true and the less chance of a mishap. But be forewarned: At some level of turbulence none of us can remain in control. We are just along for the ride and usually the ride has a distinct downward trajectory.

We don’t have to fear turbulence abjectly, but we must respect it as we would an alligator. Learn as much as possible about the wildlife out there and you’ll feel comfortable adventuring into the wild blue.

June 2006: Hang Gliding & Paragliding – w w w.ushga.org

USHPA President Lisa Tate – Who Is She, Really?

By Amy Ray Photos provided by Lisa Tate

Lisa enjoying a sunset flight at Red Rocks, Nevada, after the Reno Air Races finished for the day, 1988

“No one knows Lisa, not really. She’s Ken Cavanaugh, one of Idaho’s top gliding dealer.” The instructor called to the woman that gets the job done.” – Marc pilots, has known Lisa for over 20 years. arrange the lessons one day when Lisa Lowe, 1998 “I think hang gliding has been near the was in school. Her father answered the top of importance in her life. It has led phone and told the instructor NO WAY! When interviewing Lisa Tate’s to friendships and has molded her per- “I was surprised because I was an active friends, colleagues, and family, I sonality to become more robust. Lisa rock climber and skier. The thought of couldn’t help but wonder if I was writing has had a profound influence on hang my parents objecting never crossed my about just one person. USHPA’s presi- gliding. We owe her a lot. She has man- mind.” Lisa didn’t let that stop her. She dent is incredibly diverse, with one, ob- aged to hold together one of the larg- purchased a hang glider from the newsvious constant: hang gliding. Friend and est and most sought-after meets (King paper when the seller told her he would fellow USHPA regional director Urs Mountain in Idaho) through trying teach her to fly it. “It was a Fledge 2B Kellenberger sums it up: “Hang glid- times. She also has contributed from the and I never saw the guy again. I bought ing’s impact on every pilot is different. artistic side with her glasswork.” a couple of other gliders the same way. I Its impact on Lisa and me is the same Lisa first became interested in hang would go to the LZ every chance I had – it consumes us and makes us want to gliding in her early teens. “I saw it while and would watch and listen. Eventually share our experience of free fl ight. It’s riding horses on Mount Sentinel in I was able to buy an appropriate glider our first thought when we wake up and Missoula, Montana, and wanted to do and take formal lessons,” Lisa said.

Long-time friend Beck Lowe rethe last thing we think of before going it. I was always interested in fl ight so I signed up for lessons with the local hang members when Lisa fi rst started flying. to bed.”

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sort of silent grace that one can’t help but notice. She can be a very powerful and motivating individual.”

Boise pilot Dean Tiegs has known Lisa for 20 years and puts it another way. “Lisa is extremely even-tempered. One might be tempted to say she’s sweet, simply because she’s a woman, but when you get to know her you begin to see the steel she’s made of. She thinks.

She plans. She gets things done.

And…she don’t take no shit.

But she does this in a straightforward and unemotional way.”

Montana pilot Dan Gravage states: “I think Lisa has a very easy-going personality, the type that attracts many friends.

Lisa and Pasta relax at an airstrip in central Idaho where Lisa had And while easy-going, she also towed up and landed for a mountain flying airshow. is very comfortable in a take“I met Lisa at the University of Montana charge situation. No matter the type of Law School, but I really got to know her personality or task she deals with, I have from rock climbing. She was an extreme- always observed her to be polite, to the ly good climber. When she started hang point, and come out smiling in the end.” gliding it was all she talked about. Flying Regarding her impact on the sport, Dan this and flying that, on and on non-stop. continues, “I’m sure that when the Idaho She gave up climbing, college and I think Hang Gliding Association first asked eventually everything else for hang glid- Lisa to be the meet director for the King ing. It was like a drug addiction. Her Mountain meet in 1997, they had no idea unrelenting passion for it finally inspired the impact she would ultimately have.

There’s a large number of flyers that come me to take up the sport – then I got it.”

Lisa eventually went on to obtain a to King Mountain and experience comMasters degree in non-profit manage- petitive hang gliding at a unique level. ment and ethics, which gives her a strong Her format allows less experienced flyers foundation for leadership in USHPA. and first-time competitors to compete Lisa has many years of non-profit expe- and compare and learn skills right alongrience, working in the industry for over side the more experienced pilots. She in20 years. Claire Mirahande, director of cludes prizes and tasks for all that come philanthropy for the Dobson Foundation to the meet, whether they fly or drive or and Lisa’s former colleague, gives insight are just there to support their pilot. Th is into her leadership style: “Lisa has a very has left a lasting impression on everyone unique way about her. She is a skilled that has ever attended one of her meets. diplomat and has a very intuitive nature. Now she has taken her involvement anHer background in ethics allows her to other step and is doing what she can to see problems from their root causes – she help the USHPA to grow and survive knows how to develop long-lasting strat- and be a viable component in the aviation egies for success, being very approach- world. Her impacts will now reach much able yet tough when necessary. Lisa is no farther, and I have every confidence that pushover. She takes challenges head-on it can only be positive, and the level of and doesn’t give up. Her passion and impact could reach intergalactic proporeloquence surrounding the issues she tions.”

Lisa’s lifelong commitment to hang believes in always put her at the top of my list for tribunal or congressional tes- gliding can’t help but be noticed by her timony. Lisa walks through life with a non-flying friends and family. Her older

24

sister, Shawna Tate, writes, “Hang gliding has had a huge impact on Lisa’s life; she has been interested in it since she was a kid. In hang gliding I know she has found many kindred spirits and many people as rare and special as she is that have become life-long friends. While there are both positive and negative aspects to all we participate in during our life, I believe that hang gliding, for Lisa, has been overwhelmingly positive. I feel that the positive influences that hang gliding has on Lisa’s life are numerous and far-reaching. There are numerous issues facing the sport of hang gliding, both internally and externally. One of the greatest obstacles is widespread dissension within the ranks. Of all the challenges facing Lisa as president of USHPA, one of the greatest is balancing her love of the sport and commitment to doing what is in the best interest of the club while creating a unifying culture within the organization. Lisa is such a rare and multi-talented individual that any organization that she gives her time and energy to should count itself fortunate.”

Lisa’s younger sister, Stephanie, goes on to say, “Lisa has always been and continues to be a great inspiration in my life.

Her adventuresome nature encouraged me to learn how to ride sport motorcycles, and hang gliding has had a HUGE impact on her life. She is very adventurous by nature and likes to live her life to the fullest. She gives hang gliding her full attention and continually does her best to grow the sport. She is truly among the top few people who care about the sport enough to go to great lengths to

Lisa and her faithful horse (who is 27 this year) heading out to a peak north of launch to serve as a pylon judge for the Sun Valley regionals – a 3-hour ride each way

June 2006: Hang Gliding & Paragliding – w w w.ushga.org

Her work is held in museum and private collections in the U.S. and abroad. Her commissions include celebrities and corporate leaders.

Glass-blowing partner Mike Evans describes Lisa’s work: “She is very creative and is making her mark in the glass-blowing world. She specializes in Lisa at Melba Ridge, outside of Boise Lisa launching at St. Joe Baldy, 1987 a unique glass form called cameo glass. see it grow. She spends hours upon hours This glass art form is very complex and nothing but the power of nature propelworking to build the sport. As president hard to replicate around the world. Lisa ling us. of the United States Hang Gliding and is continually amazing me with all the “The decline in our numbers is starParagliding Association, her greatest irons she has in the fire. “ tling,” she continues. “Given the inBesides being an artist, Lisa is the creasing age of our pilot population, it challenges to overcome will be apathy of other members [who are] not willing to former ethics director for an international is critical to reverse this trend now, but invest enough time to realize high goals.” non-profit foundation for which she still no one person can do this. It’s going to Friend Meaghan Leonnig shares a does grant writing and reviews. She also take all of us. One of the best summers time Lisa first exposed her to the sport: works in the zoo industry by managing I ever had I drove around the U.S. in a “She once took me, a non-flyer, up to programs to help maintain genetic diver- pick-up with a dog and a hang glider on Pickle Butte so I could watch the awe- sity for endangered species including the top (OK, there was a boyfriend in there, someness of hang gliding and paraglid- West African black-crowned crane. Her too, but that’s a whole other story). I had ing. Instead, I watched a storm system love of animals was obvious at her Boise, 100 fl ights before my birthday in April. roll in, heard lots of talk about thermals Idaho, farm where she has bred show I want to do that again, over and over… and other large words, and hung out with horses, several different species of birds and I want other generations to have the some of her cool friends. While the only and has worked on programs for rare same experience.” part of hang gliding I got to see was the monkeys including African lemurs.

Large aviaries unexciting waiting part, I got a better appreciation of just how close-knit a com- and a big horse famunity it is and how down-to-earth the cility were recently people who are intrepid enough to throw left behind in a themselves off cliffs in nothing but a move that took her sleeping bag attached to some man-made into what she calls wings really are. She is one of the most the next chapter.

Interested in joining USHPA? fun and funny people I know, while at “My life was too Download an application at www.ushga.org/forms, the same time having a level of serious- big,” she says. “I RU FDOO DQG ZH¶OO PDLO RQH WR \RX ness and professionalism that I really needed to get unlook up to. She loves the sport and takes twisted from that it seriously. I hesitate to call hang gliding game and moving was a first step in a ‘hobby,’ as she’s so dedicated to it.”

When asked what she does besides a bigger project to hang gliding, Lisa struggles. “I hate it simplify my life. when people ask me that question,” she Some people view says. “I never know how to answer. It de- my dedication to pends on the day of the week.” Lisa is a USHPA as a kind working glass-blowing artist. She mod- of self-sacrifice. I estly describes herself as “pretty good,” don’t. I want hang paragliding but in 2004 and 2005 she was recognized and as one of the top 10 women in the arts. to thrive so that I have places to fly and like-minded friends to fly with.

If your USHPA membership expires on 06/30 I want to be able we must receive your renewal BY June 14th to share this secret or you will miss the July magazine. that we all know If your USHPA membership expires on 07/31 while flying thouwe must receive your renewal BY July 14th sands of feet above the earth with or you will miss the August magazine.

Lisa launching at Mt. Sentinel in Missoula, Montana,

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June 2006: Hang Gliding & Paragliding – w w w.ushga.org

25

Hang Gliders Vs. the Airlines: Tips on How to Make Travel Less Traumatic for Wing and Pilot

By Rob Kells

Photo: George Sturtevant

your glider so they won’t be tempted to use a forklift. The reason we don’t use a shipping tube or box is to keep the glider as light as possible. Packing materials should be available from your local hang glider dealer.

It’s not uncommon for the airlines to cause damage to a glider while transporting it. Usually the damage is in the form of small dings or dents, so it’s important that you do a careful inspection when reassembling your glider upon arrival. On a trip to Germany, Lufthansa broke every tube on a Condor we shipped.

Harness and Instruments

You’ll want to check your harness bag and not carry it on the airplane with you.

Since 9/11, the airlines are more nervous than ever about parachutes on board.

Stow your instruments inside your helmet for extra protection. If your harness has a back plate, pack some clothes around its edges to reduce the chance of damage.

C.J. and Kari Castle taking well wrapped, short-packed gliders home from Budapest after the 1998 Women’s World Meet

Flying with your hang glider on the airlines can present a number of challenges. Unless you’re fortunate enough to own one of the special short-pack gliders from Aeros, Finsterwalder, or the new Wills Wing Falcon 3, just getting the airlines to accept your glider as excess baggage can be difficult.

It’s a good idea to call ahead before booking your fl ight and ask the airlines if they have “hang gliders” in their computer as excess baggage. I’ve found United to

be particularly glider-friendly.

If the airline doesn’t have a rate for hang gliders in their computer, tell them your glider has a smaller dimensional weight than a windsurfer. Usually a domestic fl ight charge is $75.00 and interHave a good trip! national is $150.00. Plan to arrive at the airport two hours before your fl ight deI welcome your comments at Rob@ parture. If you arrive much earlier than WillsWing.com that the airline may suggest that you take your glider to the freight terminal.

The experience at check-in can vary greatly depending on the customer service agent you get. If the agent refuses to accept your glider, ask for a supervisor and explain that you called ahead to be sure they would take your glider.

Glider Packing

Brett Hazlett’s glider meticulously short-packed for the trip home from Mexico

26

You’ll want to pack your glider as short as possible. Your owner’s manual should cover the procedure for glider breakdown.

It’s a good idea to tape a large cork in the end of any tubes to keep them from being crushed. We normally use bubble pack and a 10-mil plastic sleeve to protect the glider bag during transport. Tie two webbing loops slightly larger than the glider’s diameter and tape them in place on each end of the glider. This will give the baggage folks handles to move

Short-packing a glider: the wrong way (pilot’s name withheld to protect his reputation)

June 2006: Hang Gliding & Paragliding – w w w.ushga.org

More Tips and Techniques From the School of Hard Knocks

By C.J. Sturtevant

Over the years I’ve learned several airline travel tricks that have made my trips with my hang glider relatively stress- and damage-free. ° If you travel with your hang glider frequently, try to establish a relationship with the head baggage handler/manager of your preferred airline at your usual point of departure. If you can call this individual and get your glider entered into the computer ahead of time as legitimate baggage, excess or otherwise, it’s much easier. ° Assume that your glider is going to be dropped and dragged, and pack accordingly. If possible, pad the nose end with a sweatshirt or other soft clothing. Use Rob’s corks-in-tubes tip, and put your heavy socks over the tube ends for additional protection. Once your glider is totally wrapped in bubble wrap and the plastic “condom,” find a cardboard box that fits tightly over the nose, and tape the box securely in place as extra protection for that most vulnerable area. ° If it’s possible to remove the Mylar from your leading edges, do it. My technique was to punch a hole in the tip end and nose end of the Mylar, tie a long string into the tip hole, pull the Mylar out from the nose end, and tape the ends of the string to the nose and tip openings of the leading edge pocket. Roll the Mylar up tightly and pack it somewhere it won’t get crushed. When it’s time to reinsert the Mylar, tie the string back into the tip hole and gently feed the Mylar back through the LE from the nose while pulling the string from the tip. Rob suggests buying a 10’

June 2006: Hang Gliding & Paragliding – w w w.ushga.org

piece of narrow PVC tubing when you get to your destination. Tape a small bolt or “pin” to the end of the tubing, insert the bolt into the hole and gently push the Mylar back into the LE pocket. Each glider has the Mylar fitted into the LE pocket differently, so you’ll need to see if one of these methods will work for you. Leaving the Mylar in place is an option also, but the risk of having it permanently creased or crunched is significant. ° Use lots of bubble wrap/socks/T-shirts for padding around everything that looks like it could poke into something else (kingpost, control bar brackets, VG hardware, anything hard or angular). ° Be sure your battens are packed so they won’t be tweaked by rough handling. Consider inserting them into the LE pocket with the curved ends at the nose plate (with lots of padding), if there doesn’t seem to be room in the central part of the glider. ° Don’t wait till the last minute to start packing your glider – this is a meticulous process, and can take several hours to produce a bombproof package (probably not the most appropriate choice of terms these days, but you know what I mean).

In my dozen or more airline trips with my glider, only once did I have damage to tubing or sail. The new reduced weight limits may make extensive padding a less viable option. Check with your airline, and pad up to the limit.

27

U.S. Paragliding Accident Summary

USHGA received only 50 paragliding accident/incident reports in 2005, which is the lowest number of reports in the past five years. Eleven of the reports (22%) were incidents, which are defined as any outcome of a fl ight that was not intended by the pilot but did not result in an injury. Thirty-nine of the reports (78%) were for accidents, which are defined as any event resulting in an injury or death to the passenger or pilot.

It is important to recognize the limitations of these data. Because reporting is voluntary, many incidents and minor injury accidents don’t get reported.

Conversely, all fatalities and most serious injuries get reported. Therefore, these statistics tend to overestimate the severity of injuries. You can help us improve the safety of our sport by reporting every incident or accident. It takes only a few minutes to report accidents using the online form at http://www.ushga.org/ emailacc.asp.

This year we will be analyzing the data over the past five years, looking for trends over time. By combining data across the years, I hope to provide more meaningful analysis of the factors that lead to accidents, and eliminate some of the random statistical variances that occur with voluntary reporting.

By Jim Little (JimLittle@mac.com)

previous few years.

Two of the fatalities in 2005 were newer P-2 pilots who were doing wingovers over the landing zone. In one of the fatalities, the pilot was doing wingovers under radio instruction from the ground. After several poorly timed wingovers, he experienced a large collapse, and entered into a steep spiral dive from about 700 feet above the ground. He impacted the ground after just three revolutions. Pilots did not witness the second fatality, but non-pilot witnesses describe the pilot doing what sounds like wingovers and then entering a fast spiral. In a steep spiral, the rate of descent can be well over 1000 feet per minute and the rotational velocity of the pilot can exceed 60 miles per hour resulting in a high-energy impact with the ground. Neither pilot deployed his reserve.

Newer pilots in particular should recognize that poorly executed wingovers may result in large collapses and steep spiral dives. Wingovers may look easy to perform, but they are difficult to perform well. Pilots should treat all aer-

obatic maneuvers with respect. If you are going to learn aerobatics, it is best to learn them with a good instructor, over water, with proper rescue equipment.

Performing any aerobatic maneuver over ground, even one as apparently simple as wingovers, should be done with sufficient altitude to recover from a spiral, and if that is unsuccessful to deploy your reserve.

The third fatality was a P-3 pilot who impacted trees bordering on the landing zone and fell to the ground. The initiating event wasn’t witnessed, but it was speculated the pilot either misjudged final glide or encountered turbulence along the tree line. One reporter described the conditions as mild at the time of the accident, but another reporter stated there were strong thermal conditions and wind.

Between 1991 and 2005 there have been 53 known paragliding fatalities in the United States. This includes foot- and tow-launched fatalities, but not powered paragliders. For calculations of accident rates, it would be helpful to know the number of active pilots, the number of fl ights, or the number of fl ight hours each year. Since those data aren’t available, USHGA membership data is the best available denominator to calculate accident rates. The average fatality rate per thousand USHGA members per year

Fatalities

There were three paragliding fatalities occurring in the U.S. in 2005. This is a slight decrease in the number from the

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June 2006: Hang Gliding & Paragliding – w w w.ushga.org

over this 15-year period is 1.33. In other words, for every 1000 USHGA paraglider members, 1.33 paraglider pilots die each year in paragliding accidents. If you exclude the years 1991-1993 when paragliding equipment and training was in its infancy, the fatality rate per 1000 members drops to 0.88.

Location and Severity of Injuries

Reports were received on 32 pilot or passenger injuries in 2005. Of these, 31 received medical treatment, and 15 were hospitalized overnight.

Over the five years from 2001-2005, reported injuries were distributed as shown below. Note that since many accidents involve more than one injury, the total number of injuries exceeds the number of accidents reported.

Not surprisingly, leg and ankle injuries are the most common, accounting for 104 (32%) of the reported injuries. Back injuries were the next highest category, with a total of 95 back injuries reported, or 29% of the total. Of the back injuries reported, 63 of the 95 were fractures of the vertebrae. Spine and leg fractures remain the most common causes of longterm disability for pilots.

By far, the most common injuries reported were fractures. There were 179 fractures reported from 2001-2005, which is 68% of the reported injuries. It is likely that selective reporting skews these data. Injuries less severe than a fracture are less likely to be reported, and a pilot who fractures a bone will likely list that injury, but may not report more minor

bruises and lacerations from the same accident. The peak in fractures reported in 2003 is accounted for by the increased number of reports received that year.

Phase of Flight

Over the past five years, the only phase of fl ight that has seen a significant increase in accidents is aerobatics. If you take into account the diminished number of accident reports in 2004 and 2005, this trend is even more pronounced. In 2001, only one out of 81 accidents was due to aerobatics (1.2%). But in 2005, seven out of 50 accidents (14%) involved aerobatics, including two fatalities. In addition, there were two serious injuries occurring in 2005 during aerobatics training sessions over water. In both cases, the pilots impacted the water at high velocity. One pilot dislocated his shoulder, the other may have passed out prior to impacting the water due to g-forces from the ma-

June 2006: Hang Gliding & Paragliding – w w w.ushga.org

neuvers. Attentive tow crews rescued both. Although performing aerobatics over water is safer than over ground, there are still significant risks involved and having a trained crew available in the event of emergency is essential. The spike in in-fl ight incidents is mostly accounted for by variation in the total number of reports received.

Contributing Factors

The following are the 25 most commonly cited factors contributing to accidents from 2001-2005. Keep in mind that most accidents have more than one cause.

Thermal Turbulence 69 18.25% Strong Wind 52 13.76% Asymmetric Deflation 48 12.70% Too Close to Ground 46 12.17% Rotor 45 11.90% Outside LZ 40 10.58% Poorly Inflated Takeoff 39 10.32%

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Stall Under Instruction Obstacle in LZ Spiral Dive Aerobatics Negative Spin Turning in LZ Prefl ight Error Blown Back Hill Collision Power Lines Turning into Ridge Line Tangle Lack of Pilot Currency Panic Mid-Air Collision Dragged by Wind New Equipment

29 29 28 27 26 23 22 18 18 15 14 14 14 14 12 12 12 12

7.67% 7.67% 7.41% 7.14% 6.88% 6.08% 5.82% 4.76% 4.76% 3.97% 3.70% 3.70% 3.70% 3.70% 3.17% 3.17% 3.17% 3.17%

be prepared for this scenario. Providing adequate ground clearance to deploy your reserve is the best safety policy. When this isn’t possible, limit your time at low altitude.

so reserves appear to be highly effective safety equipment if they are deployed at adequate altitude. In 2005 there were three reserve deployments reported; all were injury-free.

Pilot Rating and Rating of Wing

Tandem Accidents

There were five reported tandem accidents in 2005, resulting in injuries of two tandem instructors and four student passengers. There were no tandem fatalities in 2005, and there has only been one known tandem fatality in the U.S. in the past 15 years.

Passengers are more likely than the instructor to be injured in tandem accidents.

Since the passenger is in front of the instructor, they often fall to the ground with the instructor landing on top of the The most commonly occurring accipassenger. This cushions the instructor dent scenario is an asymmetric collapse from injury, but may increase the risk to leading to a spiral while flying close to the passenger. Tandem instructors and the ground during takeoff, landing, or equipment designers may want to focus ridge soaring. The one “predictable” thing some energy on figuring out how injuries we know about weather is that conditions Here are the ratings of wings from to students can be prevented. are unpredictable, so pilots should always 2001-2005 for incidents and accidents.

Development of new safety equipAbout one-third ment or changes to prefl ight briefings of the reports might improve this. Tandem flying in received don’t general is safer than solo flying because include informa- the tandem pilots are more experienced, tion on the wing tandem wings are generally more stable rating or model, in flight, and the flights tend to occur in unfortunately, as milder conditions where risk is lower. those data would It has been a gratifying and educabe helpful for us tional experience to write these reports to have. for the past five years, but it is time for DHV 1: 56/15% me to pass the torch. Mike Steed, an exDHV 1-2: 112/30% perienced pilot with a strong engineering DHV2: 65/17% background, has agreed to take over the DHV 2-3: 20/5% accident stats job next year. I look forward to reading his articles… but we truly need your reports to make accident analysis Reserve meaningful! You can easily and quickly Deployments From 2001- report online at http://www.ushga.org/ 2005, there were emailacc.asp. Report your accidents and 39 reported re- incidents, no matter how minor. We all serve deploy- learn from each other’s mistakes. ments, which is Jim Little is a paraglider and sailplane 10% of the total accidents report- pilot, family physician, and FAA Medical ed in that time. Examiner who lives in Portland, Oregon.

Tw e n t y - s e v e n of these reserve deployments resulted in minor or no injuries,

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The Lookout Experience

By James McLoughlin

After a failed attempt to gain my Hang 2 back in ‘97, I drifted into paragliding.

Seven years later I thought it time to have another attempt. Coincidently, about that time my partner landed a job in North Carolina and after some investigation, I discovered Lookout Mt. Flight Park. The following diary chronicles my daily lessons at the park, and my return to hang gliding.

Day 1, morning I arrive at the training hills at 7:30 as instructed. The training hills consist of a big hill (300’) and a small hill (150’), each offering 180 degrees of launch options. Hill training is from 7:30-10 a.m. and 6-8 p.m., so all initial foot exercises are nil-wind.

Gliders are dragged up the hills using ATV’s and carts – this came as a big relief!

My fi rst six fl ights on a training glider known as “The Condor” focused on straight-and-level flying, hook-in checks, pre-fl ighting the glider, setting the correct angle of attack and progressive accelerations during the launch run.

The next four fl ights were on a modern Falcon II 195 single-surface novice glider.

Day 1, afternoon My first aerotow, tandem on the Falcon II, had the agreed-upon objective “to see what this baby can really do.”

I had suggested that I’d like to experi-

by students, all in all a very steep learning curve.

Day 3, morning Finally atop the big hill, my first fl ight was a straight-and-level just to get into it. The second and third fl ights covered 45-degree turns to the right and left, the fourth and fifth fl ights 90-degree turns to the right and left. At this point the wind went cross at 4mph, so we covered crosswind launches.

Day 3, afternoon Tandem tows #4 and #5: The instructor talked me through the takeoff, I flew the glider off the wheels, during the tow and landing. All the time the instructor was giving guidance, occasionally making additional or corrective inputs to ence a full stall and a diving turn – both the glider. During the fifth tow, I finally were interesting experiences. From a kept the glider in the sweet spot without release at 2500’, the tandem provides a prompts from the instructor. Before I fl ight time of about 15 minutes. During could rest, lockout simulation and recthis first fl ight we also covered the land- ognition began, and the learning started ing approach pattern, turning the glider, once again! staying in position behind the tug (the sweet spot), and the importance of where Day 4, morning the pilot looks during fl ight.

My final day on the big hill started with a straight-and-level fl ight. Next I Day 2, morning added 45- and 90-degree reversing turns, I logged an additional nine fl ights and finally a speed run down the slope. from the small hill using the Falcon II The speed run is intended to ensure the 195. The criterion to progress to the big student is able to land the glider safely hill: The pilot must demonstrate four through a wind gradient. consecutive straight-and-level fl ights, with a good flare and on-the-feet landing. Day 4, afternoon This achieved, the big hill beckoned!

After aerotow #6 it was suggested that I could solo tow perhaps after one or two Day 2, afternoon more tandems. I really focused, sensing Tandems #2 and #3: The instructor that soon I’d be on my own. The fl ight really worked me hard, no free ride this went well, no instructor inputs were time. I had the bar during take-off, tow needed at any phase of the fl ight. After and landing, all the time under orders pin-off we covered mushing turns, stallthat at the instructor’s “my glider” I must ing turns (dropping a wing), slipping quickly remove my hands and relinquish turns, min sink flying and 180-degree control. reversals.

While on tow my instructor had me make small bump corrections as needed Day 5 to stay in the sweet spot behind the tug.

I took the day off – my legs were shot, Once off tow, instruction on turning and I was mentally drained! commenced: “Pull in, bump, ease out, let it carve the turn now.” After covering Day 6, morning 45- and 90-degree turns we started the I studied and passed the Hang-1, landing approach, fi rst boxing the field, Hang-2, aerotow and mountain tests rethen turning downwind, base and final. quired to solo.

During the entire fl ight inputs are made CONTINUED TO PAGE 70

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Fly Where Twilight Lasts Until Dawn!

Photos and article by Russell Agnew

Flying at midnight over Girdwood en route to landing in Max’s Bar LZ

If you have been looking to explore a new flying site in North America, look no further! In the summer Girdwood, Alaska, has everything the adventurous pilot is looking for and more. Ready for some 24-hour daylight?

The Arctic Air Walkers (www .arcticairwalkers.com) host the annual “Ten Days of Solstice” Fly-In at Alyeska Ski Resort in Girdwood, spanning the two weekends surrounding the summer solstice (June 21).

Alyeska is a P-2 site and requires 75 logged fl ights and a site orientation. It is serviced by a tram from the Prince Hotel. Girdwood sits at about 250 feet above sea level; launch is about 2000 feet over the LZ, which is a huge open meadow. The hotel tram takes you right to the top and you can be back on launch in 20 minutes.

The mountain features several lee-side house thermals that offer extended scenic fl ights over snowcapped mountain peaks, and incredible views of Turnagain Arm where you can see beluga whales and the second strongest bore tide on the continent.

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Bring clothing for temperatures ranging from 55-80°F. It is usually hot and sunny, but you’ll need cold-weather gear if you plan to do the glacier fl ight. The drool-worthy view from the mountain top is rated among the top 10 in U.S. ski resorts and it only gets better at 6000 feet over. Cross-country fl ights are a possibility for those willing to adventure away from the hill. Top land on Max’s mountain or fly over to the bar for that after-fl ight brew.

The glacier fl ight is a 5000’ vertical glide from the highest peak over Girdwood. The 30-minute glide is a smooth fl ight in the midnight sun.

Yep, around solstice pilots in polar latitudes can fly after midnight as civil twilight lasts until dawn! Fly for hours, then take a hike or go out for some wildlife viewing, then come back and fly for many more hours.

Chris Santacroce hosts a threeday towing clinic at Horseshoe Lake for pilots of all skill levels. The clinic includes camping, and at least three tows a day. Spots are limited and must be reserved early through Midnight Sun Paragliding (see this month’s Calendar of Events).

June 2006: Hang Gliding & Paragliding – w w w.ushga.org

The event organizers suggest coming as a group and sharing expenses for a rental car and condo.

Other expenses to expect are the tram pass ($95 for the summer or $14 for a day pass), the Arctic Air Walkers membership fee ($20), and registration for the Ten Days of Solstice event ($30). Included in that entry fee: a long-sleeve T-shirt for the event, a BBQ on the second weekend, a drawing for more door prizes and the opportunity to win many prizes in fun competitions (spot landings, time aloft, etc.).

For info on previous Ten Days of Solstice events go to Midnight Sun Paragliding’s Web site, www .midnightsunparagliding.com. All the information you need on Girdwood can easily be found on the Internet.

If you plan to make the trip, Russell Agnew offers himself as a point of contact via email (flygraphics@ girdwood.net).

Summer Solstice Soaring Not four a.m. and already dawn tickles the meadow awake.

Summer’s song sifts in through the window screen Chickadee awakening Robin calling Let’s go flying...let’s go flying...let’s go flying...

Fifteen summer daylight hours Last chance before the apex Weight-shifting against the inevitable Long sled ride into winter oblivion Like turning forty But today flying seems forever Chickadees don’t remember tomorrow Their joyful morning wake up calling Let’s go flying...let’s go flying...let’s go flying...

Setting up for the midnight sun glacier flight on Goat Mountain

June 2006: Hang Gliding & Paragliding – w w w.ushga.org

Murdoch Hughes

33

Unofficial U.S. State Cross-Country Distance Records Updated April 6, 2006; Last revised April 6, 2005

By Steve Roti

34

Salmon, where he spent the night sleeping in an orchard. He was flying an Edel Millenium purchased in 2003 for $250, which probably gives him the highest MP$ (miles per dollar) of any fl ight on this state distance record list.

Honza’s comment: “I am hoping for 150 miles this summer.”

Georgia: Todd Nate Scales in Sun Valley Weigand (no relation to Hawaii record- fl ight at all. I thought I was going to do holder Troy Weigand) broke Mike a 5-10 minute tow and that was it, didn’t Milliron’s previous 22.7-mile record have 25 cents with me, nothing, but with a 41-miler in February of this year. couldn’t help but try to go as far as I could This is the only February record on the with the new Gradient Aspen 2 (which I list and proves that it is possible to fly liked a lot). Very light conditions, got low cross-country during the winter in the two times, used the birds to get back up. mainland USA. I had a pretty good breeze blowing me Todd writes, “I along in the light thermals. I landed 10 am working with miles short of the North Carolina-South Luis Rosenkjer at Carolina border. Next time we will fly his new school in from Georgia, across South Carolina and Georgia and we land in North Carolina!” have some high hopes for the area.

I wasn’t here more than a week when we had a nice day and I flew 41 miles into South Carolina and almost to North Carolina. I wasn’t prepared for this

Photo: Honza Rejmanek

This is the tenth edition of the paragliding state distance record list, and there are six new straight-line distance records to report since the last edition: Idaho, Georgia, Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, and South Dakota. All distances shown below are straight-line distances from launch to landing unless stated otherwise.

Idaho: Honza Rejmanek broke his own previous record of 101 miles from King Mountain with a 115-miler from Baldy in Sun Valley. Things heated up in Sun Valley last August when Nate Scales broke the Baldy site record by flying 92 miles. Honza and Jamie Messenger both upped the site record to 99 miles, then Honza pushed the site and state record to 107; he finished off an amazing month with his 115-mile fl ight. On the record fl ight Honza flew for six hours 45 minutes and landed eight miles north of

June 2006: Hang Gliding & Paragliding – w w w.ushga.org

Update received as this issue is going to press: On 3/15/06 Luis Rosenkjer

flew 59.3 miles (95.4 km) in 3 hours and 24 minutes to break Todd Weigand’s new record. Luis also launched from the Atlanta Flight Park and his glider was a Gradient Aspen 2. Luis says, “Todd and I are trying to beat each other every day here with long distance fl ights. I am pretty sure Todd will break my 95km mark again.”

Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, and South Dakota: During a six-

day road trip, Paul Greenwood and Gary Leach managed to set four paragliding disGary Leach tance records in states that didn’t have any previous records.

They might have set all four records in four days if it weren’t for the ferocious winds in South Dakota that kept them on the ground for two full days. Paul set the Oklahoma record of 32.3 miles on the first day, Gary took over and set the

Kansas record of 5.7 miles on the second day, back to Paul for the Nebraska record of 33.5 miles on the third day, and finally, after waiting for the wind to calm down to (barely) flyable speed, Paul set the South Dakota record of 3.0 miles on the sixth day. They launched all four fl ights using the V-tow hydraulic winch system designed and built by Paul. Good job Paul and Gary! There isn’t room for the details in this article, but you can read all about the road trip and the fl ights at this URL: http://www .bodysci.com/paragary_GandPrecordtrip .htm.

The full table of state distance records is at http://www.ushga.org/

June 2006: Hang Gliding & Paragliding – w w w.ushga.org

Side view of the V-tow hydraulic winch that Greenwood and Leach used to launch all their record flights

pgstaterecords.asp.

If your fl ight should be listed here and it’s not, it’s only because I wasn’t aware of it. Send me information about fl ights that should be on the list and I’ll update it periodically. You can email cross-country fl ight reports to me at steveroti@hotmail .com, or send them by U.S. mail to 1081 NW Stannium Road, Bend, OR 97701, or phone them in to (541) 385-7184. Be sure to include your name, miles flown, duration, takeoff site, fl ight date, and make/model of glider.

35

Straight Distance Pilot

miles

km

duration

launch site

date

wing

Rick Ray

38.3

61.7

3:27

Eagle River, AK

5/02/05

Advance Sigma 6

Pav Dygas

78.0

125.5

4:30

Miller Canyon, AZ

9/01/01

Nova Xenon

Tom Truax

145.0

233.5

8:10

Walt’s Point, CA

6/16/01

Gin Bonanza

Jeff Cristol

120.0

193.1

8:00

Telluride, CO

?/??/00

Advance Epsilon III

David Prentice/T

89.8

144.6

5:45

Quest Air, FL

3/24/03

Ozone Proton GT

*Todd Weigand/T

41.0

66.0

2:41

Atlanta FP, GA

2/16/06

Gradient Aspen 2

Troy Weigand

29.9

48.1

2:30

Makapuu, HI

12/?/02

Windtech Quarx

*Honza Rejmanek

115.0

185.2

6:45

Bald Mtn, ID

8/28/05

Edel Millennium

Mark Lukey/T

5.0

8.0

?:

Brownstown, IN

5/23/03

Swing Mistral

*Gary Leach/T

5.7

9.2

0:35

Elkhart, KS

7/14/05

Airwave Sport 2

David Morris

22.0

35.4

1:00

Mt. Tom, MA

5/11/01

Airwave XMX

Paul Lundquist/T

53.0

85.3

3:35

Spring Hill, MN

6/15/97

Edel Saber

Andy Macrae/T

125.0

201.3

6:00

Shelby, MT

5/15/05

Gin Zoom Airwave Sport 2

*Paul Greenwood/T

33.5

53.9

2:15

Ovid, NE

7/15/05

Jim Maze

43.6

70.2

3:16

Del. Water Gap, NJ

4/11/98

Edel Saber

Will Gadd/T

179.9

289.6

6:00

Hobbs, NM

5/30/98

Firebird Cult

Kevin Biernacki

62.8

101.1

3:41

Goodsprings, NV

8/23/00

Gin Bonanza

Charles Warren

79.4

127.0

4:13

Hammondsport, NY

6/08/01

Apco Simba Airwave Sport 2

*Paul Greenwood/T

32.3

52.0

3:20

Hwy 385, OK

7/13/05

Jeff Huey

111.0

178.7

5:51

Pine Mountain, OR

7/02/04

Gin Boomerang III

Jim Maze

89.7

144.4

4:12

Little Gap, PA

8/08/02

Ozone Octane

*Paul Greenwood/T

3.0

4.8

0:15

Vivian, SD

7/18/05

Airwave Sport 2

Will Gadd/T

263.0

423.4

10:38

Zapata, TX

6/21/02

Gin Boomerang

Bill Belcourt

154.1

248.0

5:55

Snowbird, UT

9/15/00

Ozone Proton

David Morris

41.5

66.7

3:30

Burke Mtn, VT

6/29/02

Gin Boomerang 1

Mark Telep

120.0

193.5

6:15

Chelan Butte, WA

8/02/97

Swing Ventus

Jon Hunt

111.0

178.7

5:00

Phillips Ridge, WY

8/02/03

Advance Sigma 5

/T indicates a tow-launched flight

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* indicates a new record

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Going Lightweight This Season:

It’s Not Just for Atkins Addicts

By Bob Rinker Photos by Mark Heckler

scale at 30 ounces!

Bob asked me if I would give the wing its first fl ight in the U.S. I probably had other commitments on that flyable afternoon – but I could hardly pass up the opportunity for a hike-and-fly with a kit that weighs one-third of what I normally carry!

Light is nice, but how does it fly? I have flown other mountain wings and they are all light. For me, however, safe and easy launching is the number-one most important characteristic. Many of the mountains we fly off in the Pacific Northwest are a bit dicey. Often the pilot has only a couple of steps before the slope turns into talus. Some hike-and-fly pilots choose to fly a smaller wing that Everything is “skinny” on this wing except the chord – this is the planform of an easy-launching, will fit through a launch slot in the trees. docile-handling recreation wing, perfect for most of the flying that most of us do.

And most of us try to launch early in the At long last, it is spring. In Seattle, and backup GPS. I do hike with this 60- morning, in very light conditions before Washington, that means that most of us pound portable flying machine (when the valley winds come up. Was the Air have recently scraped the moss off our I get to the site early enough); it is, of Light Extreme up to the task? I was gear, had a fresh repack on our reserve course, a handful to fly. In addition to about to find out.

The first trip up Tiger Mountain was and are finally headed out to fly. Spring 80km triangle fl ights it has also given typically brings lots of new wings to our me two reserve rides, and it requires easy, no surprises except that the rig local site, Tiger Mountain. Most of the the attention span of a neurosurgeon to was so light; I checked it twice to make new gear will be skinnier than last year. fly. After a particular rowdy week at the sure I was not leaving anything behind.

Skinny lines, skinny wings, skinnier har- Owens Valley a few years back, I needed Launch conditions were quiet, three or nesses, all designed to go faster and far- a day on a DHV 1 wing at Torrey Pines four mph straight in. Perfect. I was pleasther. One of my wings is like that. For a to “decompress.” Is there a better way? antly surprised to find that I could kite paraglider, it is a blade. I joke with my Fortunately, the answer is yes. this extra-light wing in such calm condihang gliding friends that it glides nearly That answer comes in the form of tions. It came up straight and even, withas well as a Falcon. a “mountain” wing. Last April, Bob out hanging up at all on inflation. After I My usual kit consists of that skinny Hannah of Paraglide Washington sent launched, conditions allowed me to ridge competition wing, a pod harness, four me an email about a new mountain wing soar for 20 minutes. Nice. All too soon liters of water, the biggest GPS/vario that he will be importing and distributing it was time to head to the LZ to meet around, full-face shielded helmet, radio, in the U.S. Called the Air Light Extreme friends for a second hike up the hill. extra battery, cell phone, tree rescue kit from Dudek, this wing was conceived in The usual suspects were starting to France and is manufactured in Poland of show up at the Tiger LZ for some flying. new super-light materials. It’s reported to be the lightest production wing on the market to date, the size 27 (weight range 85-110 kilos all up) weighs eight pounds – this is half the weight of most wings! The medium size 25 (70-95 kilos) is a mere six pounds! In addition, Dudek combines this feather-weight wing with Minimalist approach to risers – full strength but the all-in-one Rip-Air reversible bag and made of Spectra line, with half the weight. Note the The Air Light Extreme just off south launch at Sup’Air Everest harness – tipping the size of the packed wing next to a normal-size mounTiger Mt. tain helmet.

June 2006: Hang Gliding & Paragliding – w w w.ushga.org

37

Photo: Mark Heckler

launch right after me so we could compare fl ight characteristics.

We found our sink rates to be similar, and since we were not going XC, the only benefit he derived from his extra 40 pounds of gear was a better workout on the hike up. I smiled as Bob sank out first in The Air Light Extreme comes up straight and clean, essential for unthe light lift, and folimproved mountain launches. Rinker demonstrates a standing reverse in lowed him into the LZ 4mph wind. for a photo op.

My bright orange-and-red wing drew a Hike-and-fly number three was in crowd with questions like, “Where are pleasant soaring conditions on the north the risers?” (they are made of Spectra side of the hill. After four top landings, line) and, “Nice backpack – where do you it was time to head down and feed my keep the harness?” (the Sup’Air Everest family. A five-mph breeze from the north has a built-in pack that converts from was perfect for spot landing in the LZ. I bag to harness in less than five seconds). I kicked off a shoe on my downwind leg packed up my gear for another 1700’ ver- and touched down a couple of one-footed tical hike for fl ight number two. hops from where it landed. My four-yearBob joined me for this fl ight with his old son found this spot-landing demonDHV 2 full kit. The plan was for him to stration hilarious.

In the end, we all have to decide why we fly. If you are looking for a light, simple rig with DHV 1 characteristics that thermals and ridge soars just fine, consider the Air Light Extreme and Sup’Air Everest Harness. Bob Hannah of Paraglide Washington in Seattle is the U.S. importer. You can walk away with a harness, backpack and wing for under $2500. I was able to enjoy 5000 vertical feet of hiking and three soaring fl ights on this day, and I still made it home for dinner on time. In my book, this will ensure that I get to go out and play again tomorrow.

Bob Rinker teaches and flies at Tiger Mt., near Seattle. He’s hiked up and flown off more mountains than he can keep track of, competed in Red Bull’s Divide and Conquer in the Colorado Rockies, and was actually disappointed that he was unable to participate in last summer’s grueling Red Bull XAlps event.

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Mountain Wings For Mortals?

lightweight wings with true soaring capabilities to be available in a large size. Manufacturers just don’t sell enough to make larger sizes normally available. As you can see in the photo, we are talking about small pack size! With wing (8 pounds), combination harness/bag (2 pounds), LARA Gold reserve (4.5 pounds), Kevlar helmet, wind jacket and pants, tree kit, water, cell phone and vario, it adds up to about 18 pounds complete! Most nominally fit pilots can hike up with this – and with the “normal person” size wing, a 15-pound pack is well within reach.

Bob and Bob on the trail up to Tiger Mountain 2. People at the office will get used to your launch – Rinker is the one with the guilty look leaving early taking work home in your briefcase and the lightweight pack.

– containing your paragliding gear, of course!

While they’re nice to dream about, most of 3. You can tell your hang gliding fellow pilots us would not normally consider adding a moun- that this is the latest in highly steerable and matain wing to our quiver of paragliding equipment. neuverable reserves. It goes into the boot of a But there are sound reasons that can be used hang gliding harness, and beats a hacky sack to convince yourself or your spouse you “need” for launch entertainment while waiting for the to get one. Try one (or more) of these: thermals to pick up.

1. “I can hike up without a wing at my favor4. We are talking true airline carry-on with ite flying site, but not with gear! And the truck your paragliding gear. Recent reduction of was going up anyway…” Forty to 60 pounds weight limits from 70 to 50 pounds of checked of gear is too much for most of us to hike with baggage makes weight savings on trips imporconsistently. The Dudek wings are the first tant. Now you don’t have to choose between

bringing your gear or bringing home all those great souvenirs. Weekend trips without checked luggage are a realistic option.

5. Convince your local club to buy a lightweight kit, and rent it out for those mountain ascents when it is your turn. Your “dues” would only go up a little…

6. “I really do enjoy the hike (and it’s good exercise).” With a lightweight kit it will stay enjoyable. And, in the event it is not flyable, the hike down with gear will no longer be dreaded.

Hard choices in marginal conditions will be easier, and your knees will thank you.

7. In fact, do you really “need” that heavy high performance wing for enjoyable flights?

The Air Light Extreme wings, with docile handling and soaring capabilities, even come with a 150-hour airtime guarantee – many troublefree hikes’ worth!

Bob Hannah, a Master-rated paraglider pilot with over 5000 accident-free flights, is an instructor, a tandem administrator, and a lazy hiker.

Photo: Jake Kilfoyle

Photo: Tom McCune

By Bob Hannah

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An empty beach south of Rome provides the ideal vantage to an Italian sunset.

Photo: ©Martin Scheel, courtesy Swing

Awareness, Accidents and Airmanship

(Part three of a three-part series)

By John Matylonek

This third article on accidents continues into the realm of personality and culture and how they affect our flying.

Personalities are coping behaviors and dispositions that we have used successfully in dealing with life challenges. Some of these work to our flying advantage, some do not. Some of these quirks inter-

act with our culture in negative ways.

Our “culture” can be defined as the organizational support structure that provides the privileges of free fl ight. The collective responsibility for our flying privileges trumps self-interest. Thus, the FAA has made us all responsible for keeping the public and our membership

safe through our own certification, proficiency and regulation programs. Our clubs, composed of members of USHPA, have the right to refuse access to regulated sites. Yes, you – we! – are USHPA, and thus we all share the responsibilities and repercussions that arise from our collective actions or inactions.

HAZARDOUS ATTITUDES

ANTIDOTES

1. Anti-Authority: Joe is an expert pilot who takes his friends tandem every chance he gets despite not having the rating, or following the specific FAA and USHPA rules for tandem flight. He takes his girlfriend’s friend and a major accident occurs. Her family complains to a lawyer who calls the FAA. USHPA loses the tandem exemption.

Follow USHPA and site rules. They are usually right. Listen to your trusted instructor’s or sponsor’s judgment. Resolve parental issues.

2. Impulsivity/Excess Enthusiasm: Tom wants to fly now because everyone else is and he has had enough of the training hill work.

Not so fast. Think first. GATHER!* Wait for appropriate conditions.

3. Invulnerability: Steve is not worried about an accident since he has top landed here in all conditions many times before and he has not had any problems.

This time he does have a problem.

Think: It could happen to me. Observe a large fly-in with various skilled pilots. Have a small accident! Increase your margin for error.

4. Macho or Ego: John often brags to his friends about his skills as a pilot and how close to the trees he flies. During a particular flight he buzzes the launch slot and clips a tree.

Taking chances is foolish. Don’t attach self-worth to flight. Find smooth air and an unregulated dune to practice on. Try yoga.

5. Resignation: Jim finds a problem in the stability of his canopy. It keeps collapsing and self-correcting. He ignores the dynamic and just wants to get down rather than search for the cause and solve it. It collapses 20 feet above the landing

Think: I’m not helpless. DECIDE!* I can make a difference during every phase of flight. Don’t resign, get fired (up).

6. Laziness: Martha hasn’t flown for over two years. She dreads the idea of going to the training hill and walking up the hill multiple times to get the needed review.

She tries launching at the local mountain site and blows the launch.

The body and mind can be honed to the needed levels of skill through a little work. Live with the Amish for a while.

7. Lack of Empathy: Sam likes to gossip about and judge other pilots because it bolsters his self-concept. A new pilot in the group senses all this group talk and tries to prove himself by performing something radical. It doesn’t work.

Our behavior affects other pilots’ performances whether we like to admit to it or not. Study the Golden Rule.

8. Complacency: Brad has flown these same sites over and over again with no incidents. His casualness peaks when he stops doing his preflight and forgets to hook in properly.

Keep a beginner’s alertness throughout your career by staying in the moment. Provide yourself more safe challenges. See No. 3

9. Excessive Frugality: Bob wants to get into the sport as inexpensively as possible. He values this over instruction and purchasing the appropriate equipment.

Rather then working for a time to save the money for complete instruction and a beginner glider he purchases a cheap advanced glider and tutors himself. He crashes, destroys his investment and has medical bills.

You get exactly what you pay for in foot-launch flight. Of all the activities to be cheap on, free flight is not the one!

10. Timidity and Lack of Commitment: Harry trains or practices only sporadically because of irrational fears, conflicts, or focus. His progression is spotty. This keeps him on a perpetual skill plateau that restricts his versatility. He is known as “Hairy.”

“Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it. Begin it now.” – Goethe

Adapted from The Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge, FAA * For details on the GATHER and DECIDE models, see pp. 13 and 14 in the December issue of this magazine.

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Photo: Joe Gregor

“Solo” flight often involves a group effort

Attitude Management and Blocks to Awareness

Our attitudes and behaviors are often a complex mix of conscious and unconscious motivations. We can easily fool ourselves into all sorts of unsafe behaviors. Sitting still for some moments to determine to what degree the following attitudes apply can be helpful.

We are often susceptible to the above behaviors in certain situations or moods.

Oftentimes, they surprise us when we least expect them. If you ever wondered where this “surprise” arises from, you are one step closer to realizing that “you” are bigger than these habits of mind and you have a choice about participating in them.

The more you recognize these risky attitudes, the more practiced you become in catching them before they catch you.

This is the essence of any kind of personal transformation.

These traits may also create some group dynamics that lead to accidents.

great fl ight, and so they want to provide some benefit of the doubt. This seems only polite, and often enough the new guy turns out to be a great flying buddy.

This interaction between skill level, the site challenges and the relationship with local pilots can lead to unintended supervisory errors.

An accident is supervisory error when a pilot had been encouraged or ignored by the pilot community despite the pilot’s specific or general disqualifications to fly. Note that this situation is often a subtle unspoken collusion between the pilot and community.

Unconscious incompetence on the part of the pilot and unfamiliarity with what the pilot can handle allow the unquali-

fied pilot access to launch. Other situations that arise from our interaction with pilots may include: • Those who have prematurely left a certified instruction program and are now trying to learn through the varying attention of experienced pilots; • Newly graduated pilots who have not found competent mentors and organizational support; • Those who are seeking their first altitude fl ights or soaring fl ights and are dealing with the intensity of desire to fly; • Those without special skills ratings attempting these skills for the first time without instruction; • Those who have recently “taught” themselves and are now on launch; • Casual communities of pilots who question no one, don’t “card” newcomer skill levels and don’t encourage formal instruction or preparation; • Pilots who attempt to instruct despite their lack of current certification.

Everyone and no one is at fault here.

The values of self-reliance reinforce the collective value of personal responsibility and casual fun for fl ight, even at the expense of safety.

This dynamic is often switched at regulated sites because of the potential for bad publicity or endangering site privileges in case of an accident. Qualified new pilots may be given a hard time by those who lack first-hand knowledge about the new pilot’s skill level. Also, many experienced pilots project their own fears unto new pilots. They remember how challenging those first fl ights were and don’t want to feel responsible for the new guy’s mistakes.

Local sponsoring pilots can have only a rough idea of a new or visiting pilot’s ability to handle any specific challenges.

Locals can only act as a check in the most obvious mismatches. On the other hand, local pilots often like the enthusiasm of newcomers and want to see them have a

Rodger Hoyt at Port Orford, Oregon

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Photo: Alan Mitchell

Supervisory Errors

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Photo: Rob Sporrer

John Clor launching at Chief’s Peak in Ojai, California

Ideally, all visiting and new pilots challenges at the site. Experienced locals would provide honest information must expect some mistakes from new regarding their experiences and freely pilots and should always be impressed offer their USHPA member cards. Site with appropriate corrective actions and members honor this by providing advice, attitudes displayed. corrective feedback and respect for newcomers. Instructors should never provide Violation Errors H-2 or P-2 ratings until high-altitude The decision to break the rules of flying strategic skills have been taught (which – physical or regulatory – often has serious is not required in the current rating consequences. For instance, Joe Oblivious system). is accustomed to flying at unpopulated The best situation is a newly rated pilot sites. His response to an imminent headwith good mentors at his side. Being a on collision at a fly-in is to swerve left mentor can be a satisfying contribution instead of right. Unfortunately, the other to the sport. In all situations, local pilots pilot follows the right-hand rule and a can smooth introductions by asking to see midair collision results. the USHPA member card, by conductSometimes violation error and strateing friendly interviews regarding specific gic or procedural error are closely related. skill-based experiences, by agreeing on Consider the case of Jane Hotdog, who “no surprise” fl ight plans, by refraining continually buzzes launch to wow the from gossip and by providing easy first spectators despite the no-buzz site rule.

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Or, the guy who exceeds VNE or Gloading every chance he can get. Flying rules, regulations, site protocol, placarded equipment limits all exist for a reason.

They serve to circumvent problems that arise from the collective actions of people or multiple uses of things. Since violations don’t always have consequences and the reasons for the rules don’t always apply in specific circumstances, pilots are continually tempted to break them. Why should we follow the rules if it means we can’t let our spirits soar and earn the bragging rights to our grandchildren?

That is why we got into FREE fl ight in the first place, isn’t it?

Here is the reason: Breaking a rule serves as a bad example to pilots less enlightened or lucky than you. The consequences for other pilots, the site, and the sport could be dire if they duplicate your

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actions. Some instructors use wheels, fly easy gliders and wear full-face helmets just to provide a good example. In a similar vein, since the law of averages is at play here, performing the same violation will eventually get you, too, either through enforcement, an accident, or loss of flying privileges for everyone. It always takes special preparation or circumstances to break a rule. Make sure they exist.

Waivers, permission, special training or modifications should always be pursued.

Always act responsibly when you choose to break a rule.

Airmanship in Free Flight

We would like to promote free fl ight as simple, easy, forgiving and casual.

However, we know better. Free fl ight takes discipline to perform in a consistently safe manner. Managing the variables that lead to safe flying should be the first goal of every pilot. Once this management is achieved, we can set our sights on amazing feats and records. Any time this preparation isn’t performed, accidents are more likely to happen. Pilots can avoid the most common mistakes through incremental training based on fundamentals, review and preparation for new experiences.

But accidents can happen to the most advanced, meticulous and experienced of us. It is these accidents that especially rattle everyone. Are we crazy doing this?

The answer is no. The risks in free fl ight can be managed during every phase of our flying careers. But, we are dependent on almost perfect preparation and decisionmaking during every fl ight. At the very least, we must make more good decisions than bad ones, and resolve the latter quickly. Technique, procedural, strategic, violation and supervisory errors can all result from blocks to awareness. This fact emphasizes how much on the edge of human skill and technology free fl ight is.

Our clubs and our culture should foster the attitudes and behaviors that increase awareness. Management of risks requires refining our sense of ourselves and how our aircraft fly, what the limits are, and the safe choices we make on the flying site regarding the possible.

This set of perspectives and habits forms the definition of airmanship.

Here is the grand summary of the kinds of errors that lead to accidents we covered in this three-part series of articles: • Control technique errors are those motor skills and muscle memories resulting in the inability to maneuver, maintain attitude or direction of the glider. They result from violating personal limits and lack of training.

• Strategic errors are those of planning, placement and followthrough. They are caused by ignoring margins of safety and ineffective flight plans.

• Procedural errors are those of "assembly" – putting the aircraft together properly – and of "actual use or operation," using the aircraft properly in flight. They are caused by inattention.

• Supervisory errors are those due to interactions of students, instructors, mentors, and the flying community. They are caused by the lack of effective cooperation of all concerned.

• Violation errors are those caused by disregard for free-flight laws, ratings, site regulations or placarded equipment limits. They are caused by lack of respect for agreements or standards made for the good of all concerned.

• We could add one more to this list, but the implications and solutions are way beyond the scope of this series of articles and the control of the average pilot.

Airworthiness Design errors are those of invention or manufacturing or obsolescence.

Part one of this three-part series appeared in the September 2005 issue of this magazine, and part two in December. Author John Matylonek operates the Oregon Hang Gliding School with centers of operation in the Willamette Valley and on the northern Oregon coast. You can contact him at john@ oregonhanggliding.com or (541) 913-1339.

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8 01. 2 5 5 . 9 5 9 5 45

The Airborne Planet Expedition Part 1: Colombia

By Kris Coppieters, with translation assistance from Matt Gerdes, staff writer

The Airborne Planet Expedition Series, a Prelude

The seed of this yearlong round-the-world expedition was planted in my head during a voyage through the Andes in 2002. At the time, I was a new pilot with only one month’s experience from a course in New Zealand and was traveling from southern Patagonia to central Peru with my trusty Ozone Atom DHV 1. Looking back, the situations I put myself in were often times a bit insane, but during this sevenmonth adventure I accumulated hundreds of hours of airtime in the high Andes of Argentina, Chile, Bolivia and Peru. The local pilots along the way were very helpful and my progression was fast and, quite fortunately, injury-free. It was on this trip that I realized paragliding is the perfect vehicle for me to see the world from, and I can no longer imagine traveling without my wing.

After landing in small mountain villages and meeting the kind and enthusiastic native people in the Andes, I promised myself that one day I would return with a tandem paraglid-

46

er so I could share the joy of fl ight with these people who wanted so badly to fly with me then. With this promise, the Airborne Planet Expedition was born!

I joined forces with Aude Piercy of France and Kym Fielke of Australia, and we rallied support from a great team of sponsors for our 12-month adventure. Our plan was to travel around the world from Europe in a westerly direction, visiting native people in tropical countries and sharing paragliding with them.

Ozone outfitted us with four new gliders: the Geo (lightweight DHV 1-2), Buzz (DHV 1-2), Rush (Performance DHV 1-2) and the McDaddy Tandem. Sup’Air supplied us with harnesses and reserve parachutes, and IceBreaker set us up with a great range of clothing. With our bags full of shiny new gear and our bloodstreams rich with champagne from the night before, we boarded our fi rst international fl ight.

First destination: Colombia.

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Colombia – January/February

Flying above the Cocaine Trail, from Colombia to the north Understandably, our friends and family were not fond of the idea of us beginning our journey in Bogotá, which is considered one of the more dangerous cities in the world. And, to be honest, we were a bit apprehensive as well until we heard about the Pre-World Cup at Roldanillo; surely if there was an international comp there then it would be safe enough, right? The government provided about 600 soldiers for the Suddenly optimistic, we decided to head protection of the competitors. for the Valle de Cauca and begin the ad- us up to launch. In 1978, Augusto built venture. himself a hang glider out of bamboo and jacket material, and he’s been flying hang Bogotá gliders and paragliders since. On this day, We soon realized that overall, he was flying tandem with a policeman Colombia is a relatively safe country, al- in order to “maintain a good relationship though it began badly with a couple of with the local authorities.” close calls in Bogotá. There, I experienced the unique feeling of a cold knife Roldanillo held to my throat, which I wouldn’t recSite of the Pre-PWC, the Valle de ommend to anyone. While I was board- Cauca is an XC paradise. More than ing a bus in the city, I felt the sharp edge 180km in length, the valley is bordered beneath my chin and quickly tossed my by the Sierra Occidental and the Central camera bag onto the bus as I felt hands Massif. Each day the tropical sun beats rummaging in my pockets, removing my down on the valley, heating it and brewcash. The knife retreated, and as I turned ing massive thermals. It’s only possible around the criminal sneered and made to launch until about 1:00 p.m., when a motion with his knife as if to kill me, the sea breeze sweeps inland from the while his friend walked slowly into the Pacific. House thermals abound, and a crowd, casually counting my money. This nice collection of predictable climb areas seemed to be more a symptom of a large gave us thermals of up to 12m/s – that’s city than a dangerous country however, 2400fpm! The air was turbulent, but my and the rest of our travels in Colombia Ozone Buzz took good care of me. were largely uneventful.

Cloud development during the event was good, and cumulus clouds guided La Calera us down the valley each afternoon. On Just 30 minutes from Bogotá, the vil- the third day the clouds got to be a little lage of La Calera is a sleepy town near a too much and rain fell, but pilots still good flying site, where we met an entire climbed to over 2000m and completed flying family! A man named Augusto saw the tasks!

Xavier Murillo, the PWC meet direcus carrying our Ozone bags and immediately recognized us as pilots. Two hours tor and a well-spring of positive energy, later, he and his brother were driving talked to us about organizing the event

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Top landing at Bucaramanga

Kris with a tandem passenger at Bucaramanga

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8 01. 2 5 5 . 9 5 9 5 47

forbade us to fly. Just then, vultures soared overhead in the perfect breeze and we finally convinced the guard to let us go – we promised him that we would just follow the birds, nothing more. He relented, and we carefully laid out our tandem on the sharp volcanic rocks. Five minutes later we were airborne again, cruising down the glacier and then over the massive moraines and into the forest.

Other “can’t miss” sites in this area are in Medellin and, to the north and east, Bucaramanga, where pilots can soar all day long.

Mamancana

At Mamancana, a great thermal site in the northern part of Colombia near the colonial Carthagena, we attempted to organize a fl ight in the Sierra Madre de Santa Martha, where the highest peak towers above 6000m! This area is home Aude and Kris preparing to launch from El Ruiz to the legendary Kogi Indians whose first with Carlos, the man responsible: The After a week in Roldanillo we bid contact with “civilization” was as recent Colombian government supported the goodbye to the excellent group of pilots, as the 1990s. Just 10 years ago, an elder event with 600 soldiers on constant patrol who gave us lots of good information descended from his holy mountain to tell in the mountains surrounding the event! about more places to fly in Colombia. the world that the earth is in danger of We had meant for this fi rst leg of the One of the info nuggets they passed on wars, pollution, deforestation and overjourney to be a test run, where we’d settle was that no one has ever flown from El population, which he had seen during a into the traveling and test the new wings, Ruiz (5300m), one of the highest vol- trance-ritual. but the gang of helpful happy kids in the canoes in the country. When we heard This mountain range is also hiding LZ got the better of us and we began of- that, we went straight to the municipal many drugs plantations that are now fering them tandem fl ights. Some of the office of the nearest town to look for controlled by the paramilitary, who children have been folding gliders here maps. The municipal staff were kind, and signed a friendship agreement with the for five years, but have never been flying. sent us to the volcanic research center at government. For our security, we needed They were overjoyed to be airborne above Ingeominas, where the scientists gave special permission from a military boss their home village, and screamed with us a detailed topographic map of the in Medellin which, to our great surprise, we easily obtained. However, bad weathglee as we flew over the forested moun- Nevados. tains and sugar cane plantations. Soon, Our plan was to summit El Ruiz, and er blew away our plans of flying with the the parents were begging us for fl ights to fly from there to the base of Santa Kogis and instead we turned our attenand we got a few fathers airborne as Isabel (5100m) for another climb, and tion to the desolate Guajira desert of the well. In return, they overloaded us with then glide on to Villamaria. However, Wayuu Indians. There, we entered a comgifts and food and enthusiastic thanks after calculating the glide ratio of our pletely different world of a hostile nature: from all. wings, supposed wind strengths, wind dry, hot and very dusty! directions and the topographic lines, we realized that we’d Los Nevados/El Ruiz (5300m) have to change that plan. We opted to launch from El Ruiz, and see where we ended up!

The next day we were straining under the weight of our glider bags in the gradually thinning air. Conditions looked perfect, and as we neared the summit we encountered a national park officer who, seeing our bags, formally El Ruiz from a distance

48

The mother of our Wayuu family

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Wayuu woman

The Wayuu have no political identity, only a tribal, matriarchal society.

Transportation is very rare in the Guajira desert, which makes us easy prey for the few and greedy car owners. Luckily, we met a friendly family near the ocean who took us in and allowed us to sleep in hammocks in a beach hut fenced by six-foottall cacti. We flew tandem with a Wayuu girl in the rocky hills above the sea, and afterwards the whole family, wearing traditional dress, piled into a huge truck with us and drove to their ancestral burial site below the nearest mountain. A huge stereo system in the back of the truck blared wild Wayuu music, and it was a hilarious moment. That same evening, they prepared the catch of the day: delicious lobster. The life of the poor can be very tasty!

At the end of each installment of this series, we will leave you with a small piece of advice for traveling in the country we have written about. Enjoy your travels, fly only for fun, and be safe!

Our advice for travelers/paraglider pilots in Colombia: Listen to the locals’ advice, and you’ll be safe! Aside from our criminal encounter in Bogotá, the only attack we experienced was on Aude when she was brutally assaulted by an eagle in the impressive Chiquimani canyon. The rural regions were more beautiful, friendly, and less expensive than Bogotá (as is often the case) but be aware of changing political situations.

If Pablo Escobar had discovered paragliding instead of his white gold, we think he would have flown higher than he ever did with his best cocaine. Finally, with friendly people, amazing mountains, and thermals so large and plentiful, our opinion is that no paraglider pilot can rest peacefully without at least one visit to this freeflight mecca: Colombia!

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Speed Is Life

By Brad Spencer

and anything else, can be summed up to As an old fighter pilot adage goes: to over 400 knots indicated airspeed!

“Holy crap!” I thought. “That can’t be determine the extent and direction of that “Speed is life!” But speeding to my point right! Full afterburner? Pointing straight motion (Newton’s second law). may take a while.

Slower speeds would be nice, but slow It was back in the summer of 1980, down? Are you nuts?” I didn’t say that and I was sitting in an auditorium in aloud, of course – I was a respectful means we have less g available. Key phrase Yuma, Arizona. At the time, I was a 1st Marine. here: “g available.” There is a direct correAnyway, a simplified version of the for- lation between airspeed and the amount of Lieutenant in the Marine Corps, training to fly the F-4 Phantom. The Phantom was mula is sort of like this: g available. OK – quickly – you know that R is the radius of the turn, V repre- stall is a factor of the angle of attack (AOA) a great airplane – a little dated and due to be replaced by the FA-18, but at the sents velocity in feet per second, and g is and has nothing to do with airspeed. (You time it was still the premier fighter for the do know that, right?) Therefore, if we V2 R Marines. pitch the wing to its maximum AOA, the g The squadron’s executive officer (or wing will produce the most lift. Holding second in command), Major Brad Baird, the gravity force you feel in the turn. (OK, that AOA constant and then speeding up was giving a lecture on aerodynamics maybe g is the centrifugal or centripetal you have this: – boring. He then scrawled out a formula force, but let’s not get too bogged down to calculate the turn radius of an airplane in technicalities. I use g because most air° more speed = more lift for the turn and tried to explain how it applied to our plane manufacturers will tell you the posi° more lift in the turn = more g protype of flying. Sitting in the back of the tive and negative structural g limits for duced auditorium, my friend and I wrote down their airplane, and that’s what’s important ° more g = smaller turn radius. this equation and joked to each other here.) Actually, the major’s formula was about how we computed it every time we much more involved and included sevTo sum it up, the faster you go, the started a turn. Of course we were smart- eral other factors. He’s a smart man, but more g you get. The more g you get, the alecky and cocky. Hey, we were Fighter I don’t have my notes any more and this tighter the turn. Compute the minimum one will suffice.

Pilots, and that’s just part of the job. speed (for a smaller turn radius) that it Toss around some numbers in this takes to attain the maximum g that you or Then the major posed this question: “What would you do if you were strapped equation and you will see that the larger your airplane can sustain (again for smallin to an F-4, at 10,000 feet, pointing the g, the smaller the R. Easy enough! er turn radius), and – bingo! – you have straight down, and only had 200 knots Slower V, smaller R. Again, easy enough! your best turn performance. This is the indicated airspeed?” An point where you want to be unlikely situation, I guess, flying when you’re pointing but theoretically it could straight down, or chasing a “Holy crap!” I thought. “That can’t happen. Now, a little info MIG for that matter. about those delta-winged So here we lieutenants be right! Full afterburner? Pointing fighters – 200 knots is very were, extracting numbers slow and very dangerous, from the graphs in the back especially if you are pointof the F-4 manual and instraight down? Are you nuts?” I didn’t ed straight down. With a serting said numbers into wing area of 530 square feet, the equation as best we a mere four times that of a could. We were startled; say that aloud, of course – I was a hang glider, it must carry it seems the old man was over 55,000 pounds. That’s right! Gosh, how we hate respectful Marine. a wing loading of over 100 that! Pushing the throttles pounds per square foot, up and accelerating before compared to only two to three pounds per The g factor though, is really the force that trying to recover would get us back to a will cause a change of direction (as per level attitude with more air between us square foot with a hang glider!

Major Baird went on to say that to re- Newton’s first law), and that’s the whole and the ground than would keeping the cover from such a situation it would be idea in this problem. We are wanting to throttles at idle and bringing the nose up best to go full throttle, even full after- turn the airplane away from the ground gently. As best as I can remember it was burner, and accelerate towards the earth, with the least amount of altitude lost. Lift, thousands of feet difference, too. then start your pull-up after accelerating bank, thrust, drag, rudder, roll, flatulence, Gee, that’s all great, but what does all

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June 2006: Hang Gliding & Paragliding – w w w.ushga.org

that have to do with hang gliding, you ask? Relax – I’m about to get to that!

Skip ahead about a year. It’s the summer of ’81, and now I’m standing on the launch overlooking Lake Elsinore, California. It’s a beautiful day. Strapped into my trusty Raven 206, I’m ready. It’s my second high altitude launch, and today I’m looking for some ridge lift to play in. The wind is rather light on top, but I’m in great physical shape, and by running forcefully I make the launch look easy. (Thought I’d go ahead and throw in Newton’s third law while I was at it.)

I cruise beside the slope, just having a wonderful day. I slow, and I slow, riding some of that great ridge lift. It sure is getting quiet…

In reality there was no ridge lift because there was little wind to hit the slope – I was just trading off airspeed for altitude. Well, I finally slowed too much and the inevitable happened: I stalled the left wing – the one closest to the mountain, of course. The laws of physics worked to rotate my glider to the left and nose-down toward the ground.

Finally, I have rambled around to the topic I wanted to talk about all along: “What would you do if you were strapped in to a hang glider, less than 100 feet above the dirt, pointing straight down at the mountain, carrying little airspeed, and without an ejection seat?”

Gads, how do I come up with these great original ideas? You know, it’s kind of funny how things of great importance pop into your head at just the right time.

The late Richard Pryor once said, “When I jumped into the swimming pool, just like that I remembered: ‘I can’t swim!’” And just like Richard Pryor, when he realized in a sudden poignant moment that he couldn’t swim, I realized that I couldn’t fly.

Trying to point the Raven skyward now would do no good, seeing as I’d already lost control of it and all. With such little airspeed, pushing out on the control bar would’ve merely kept me in the deep stall until impact. Not good.

Now this wasn’t some made-up scenario or some improbable theoretical machination that was conjured up for a discussion group among professors and students.

This was life or death! My life or death! I hate when that happens.

Being SDI (Sudden Death Intolerant), a condition I’ve had since childhood, I figured it was time to thumb through the years of flying stories I had stored up and see if anything matched this predicament.

Luckily, sitting right on top was that thing

amazing, agile, and maneuverable machines when flown properly. Wish I had done that…

Looking back and thinking about what had happened, I figured that the left wing stalling is what started my turn and descent toward the hill. (I should run for Congress. Notice how I left out my I cruise beside the slope, part in that?) Since I was perpendicular to the slope and flying so slow, the left just having a wonderful day. wing may have stalled because the air was rising quicker nearer the slope, creating a slightly greater angle of attack on that side.

I slow, and I slow, riding I also might have been in a slight turn, or the glider may have had a tendency to stall some of that great ridge lift. left wing first. I’ll never know.

A year or so later, from the ground, I It sure is getting quiet… witnessed this very same event happen to another pilot. The glider stalled, and the wing nearest the hill dropped. Then the about the F-4 pointing straight down. glider nosed down and rotated directly How handy to have that there! Divine in- toward the hill, just as I had done. The tervention? Yes, and God knows I need all pilot pushed out on the control bar trying the help I can get. to recover, but it just perpetuated the stall.

Well, since I didn’t have an afterburn- Whack! Straight into the hill! He was ing engine or ejection seat to worry about, lucky in that he was rescued rather quickI could save time and skip over those parts ly by friends. Had I not had that formula of the checklist. Working that turn radius pounded into me the year earlier, I probformula real hard now, I realized I still ably would have done exactly the same needed some way to increase my speed thing. in order to have the g available to make Now, you must take all this with a a tight turn. Realistically, the only way I grain of salt because you may not have could increase my speed was to dive at the the altitude to trade off like I did. Stalling very rocks I was pointed at. Hmm. into the hill might be better than accelerating into it. There is never one correct Let’s review: answer for every problem. As my professor ° Deeply Stalled Wing: ; once said before the exam, “This test has the same questions as the 9 a.m. class, just ° Pointing Straight Down: ; the answers are different.” ° Low Airspeed: ; As an old hang glider pilot’s adage ° Low Altitude: ; goes: “Speed is life!” And, thanks, Major ° Hard Steep Rocky Surface: ; Baird – I doubt you’ll ever read this, but, in a roundabout way, you saved the very Yes, I had it all going for me now.

Learning quickly that the glider was posterior you had to kick a few times. basically uncontrollable in a stall, I opted After eight years and 19 days in the Marine to pull in on the control bar and accelerate toward the hill. I needed to gain speed to Corps (but who’s counting?), Brad opted for the humdrum life as an airline pilot. He now gain control.

“Holy crap! Pulling in on the control is an international captain for American bar! Pointing straight down? Are you Airlines flying 767s and 757s. A couple of years ago he took up paragliding and, at the nuts?” Maybe I did say that aloud.

Well, it worked! I sped up, had the g urging and with the help of former USHGA available, and made a tight turn – and re- president Dave Broyles, Brad rediscovered covered with air to spare. I then bee-lined hang gliding. After a 20-year hiatus from it for the LZ, shaken and stirred. But at the sport, he will soon regain his H-2 rating. least I wasn’t walking to it, or riding in an ambulance! Hang gliders are really quite

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Paraglider Pilots World Rankings Article and photo by Greg Babush

these experienced competition pilots. I’d recommend to anyone unfamiliar with comps to check out some of the great events planned in the USA or abroad this summer.

The Paragliding World Meet takes place next March in Manilla, Australia.

Nations bring teams of up to seven pilots (the number is determined by the country’s ranking). Country rankings are formulated by adding the points of the top four pilots in each country. USA is currently ranked 8th in the world in XC paragliding competition, and right now we have 10 pilots in the top 100. This is the best result for the USA I’ve seen since I became aware of competition flying two years ago.

To get an international ranking you’ll need to obtain an FAI sporting license number; you can purchase the sporting license online at http://www.naa.aero/.

World Ranking of Top 10 U.S. pilots as of the April 2006 update:

23 Eric Reed 36 Nicholas Greece 46 Josh Cohn 49 Tom McCune 76 Brett Zaenglein 85 Len Szafaryn 89 David Prentice 93 Brad Gunnuscio 94 Todd Weigand 94 Jeff Huey Top U.S. Female pilot 379 Kari Castle Links: Pilots on task at the Bright 321, Bright, Victoria, Australia, February 2006

I remember saying to myself a couple years ago that I didn’t think I’d ever compete in a paragliding competition. At that time I didn’t know anything about competitions, I didn’t see any attraction to paying to enter a competition and I was content just flying around.

I’ve recently returned to the USA after traveling, flying and competing in South America and Australia over the past five months. I look back on the pilot that I

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once was and smile, because the past two years of flying in competitions has made me a much better pilot and allowed me to form friendships with pilots throughout the world.

For me, flying in competitions is a great learning experience and a chance to see friends again. Where else does one get to fly with the top pilots in the world? It’s amazing the things one can learn from talking to and flying with

Check out upcoming events/ competitions in USA: http://ushga.org/calendar.asp Get your FAI sporting license: https://www.naa.aero/ See a list of FAI competitions: http://www.fai.org/ View FAI rankings: http://www.fai.org/hang_gliding/ paragliding View U.S. rankings: http://kurious.org/

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Max Peterson from Greenland climbs out above Mt. Borah, Manilla, NSW, Australia before the Kiwi Open, February 2006.

June 2006: Hang Gliding & Paragliding – w w w.ushga.org

Photos: Greg Babush

Photos: Greg Babush

Pilots launching from Mt. Borah at the pre-worlds, Manilla, Australia, March 2006

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The USHPA NTSS Ranking System

By Len Szafaryn Photos by Brett Zaenglein

The west launch of Mt. Borah, Australia, during the March 2006 Pre-World Championships

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June 2006: Hang Gliding & Paragliding – w w w.ushga.org

The World Paragliding Championships are held every two years and the pilots who comprise the U.S. team are selected based on the NTSS (national team selection system) rankings 120 days before the first day of the world championships.

This year the selection process will be in November as the world championships for 2007 are in March. The top three to five men and the top two women in the NTSS rankings generally make up the U.S. team. Whether the U.S. gets three or five slots for the men depends largely on our international standing in November.

The purpose of the NTSS is to provide a selection process for pilots vying for the privilege of representing the United States in the world championships. In addition to the team pilots, a team leader is chosen by the pilots to participate in almost all team decisions and functions from initial preparation of the team schedule all the way through the awards ceremonies.

The team leader is a volunteer position and is usually fi lled by an experienced comp pilot with exceptional organizational and leadership skills. In previous years the paragliding team has been lucky enough to have noted pilots like Paul Klemond, Brett Zaenglein, Kevin Biernacki and Jeff Huey as the leader.

It’s a lot of effort, but all who have been involved think it’s a fun and rewarding experience that many individuals look forward to repeating.

Most of what follows is taken directly from USHPA’s competition rulebook. A very dedicated core group of pilots spent many hours developing these rules and they’ve done an excellent job in providing us a fair and understandable framework in which to evaluate performance and provide a fair selection process.

NTSS points are obtained in two ways; the first is by participating in competitions in the United States that are sanctioned by the USHPA. The second is by participating in competitions in foreign countries attended by internationally ranked pilots. The international rankings are separate from the NTSS and go by the acronym WPRS (world pilot ranking system). There is a relationship between the two systems, which we’ll expound upon later.

How is the point value of each competition determined?

Every competition has two values that determine its overall net worth to the NTSS. The first value is a number that represents the quality of the competition field and is called the “points brought” number. Each ranked pilot in the field brings a certain value to the competition total “points brought.” The value each pilot brings depends on his position in the current NTSS rankings. The maximum allowable value for this number is 600 and is calculated by adding the total number of points brought by the 15 highest ranked competitors entered in the competition.

Values brought are according to the following table: Ranking

Points Brought by each pilot

1-10 11-20 21-30 31-40 41-50 51-60 61-70 71-80

45 30 20 14 9 6 4 2

As an example, if all of the top 15 pilots in the current NTSS rankings participate in the competition, the points brought value is (10x45points) + (5x30points) or 450+150=600. That’s where the 600-point maximum comes from. Few competitions have a 600-point value, but most large comps like the U.S. Nats have a value somewhere between 500 and 600 points.

One more example: Let’s say eight of the top ten pilots show up and the next highest ranked competitors have rankings 12, 13, 17, 18, 41, 45 and 61. The competition’s value would be calculated as follows: NTSS Ranking

8 of the top 10 12, 13, 17, 18 41, 45 61

Points Brought Totals

45 each 30 each 9 each 4

340 120 18 4

Total value of the competition: 482 NTSS points

ings. These rankings are maintained in the world pilot ranking system (WPRS).

The WPRS reflects the position of the world’s best pilots. Therefore the NTSS allows WPRS rankings to be spread over a wider range in order to calculate the “points brought” to competitions by foreign pilots. Simply put, we double the ranking ranges of the WPRS and attach the points brought in the following manner: WPRS Ranking

Points Brought

1-20 45 21-40 30 41-60 20 etc. to 160 following the same scale as the NTSS. Once we have the competition “points brought” value, we need a system to insure that competitions with five full flying days do not award points at the same level as comps with one or two flyable days. We do that by obtaining a “competition validity” percentage, which is determined by dividing the total number of points obtained by the winner at the end of the comp by a fi xed value. In paragliding comps the value is 3000 points, in hang gliding comps it’s 3600. On most valid competition days, the winner will be awarded close to 1000 points. So generally speaking, three good valid PG days and four good valid HG days will result in a competition with near 100% validity.

Let’s take a sample competition and go through the entire scoring process.

Top 15 Ranked Pilot 1 Pilot 2 Pilot 3 Pilot 4 Pilot 5 Pilot 6

Entered Pilots Ranking US 1 US 2 US 3 US 4 US 5 WPRS12

(NTSS equivalent 6)

Pilot 7

WPRS16

45 (NTSS equivalent 8)

Pilot 8 Pilot 9 Pilot 10 Pilot 11 Pilot 12

US 11 US 12 US 13 US 17 WPRS22

Pilot 13 US 23 The other variable occurs if the com- Pilot 14 US 24 US 25 petition has pilots with foreign rank- Pilot 15 Total points brought:

June 2006: Hang Gliding & Paragliding – w w w.ushga.org

Points Brought 45 45 45 45 45 45

30 30 30 30 30 (NTSS equivalent 11)

20 20 20 525

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If the competition has three valid days of flying and the winner of the competition receives 1000 points on day 1, 920 points on day 2, and 850 points on day 3, for a total of 2770 points, and if this is a paragliding competition, the meet validity would be 2770/3000 or .92 (92%). The total points brought (525) is multiplied by 92% to calculate the winner’s score.

So 525x.92 = 483 points for the winner – but as an additional award, the winner of the competition gets a 10% bonus added to his score. In this case, the pilot will get the 483 points plus a 10% bonus (48) as an additional reward for winning the competition for a grand total of 531 points. Everybody else gets a score that is based proportionally on the winner’s base score. So if pilot 2 ends up with a total score of 2640, his overall points obtained will be 2640 divided by 2770 (winner’s score) times 483(winner’s points) = 460 points for 2nd place.

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National Rankings Each year on the first of January the NTSS calculates the pilots’ scores over the past two calendar years to obtain the rankings that will be used to calculate the points brought for the remainder of that year’s competitions. Though pilots may compete in numerous competitions over a two-year period, only a pilot’s top four scores are used to calculate the national rankings. The objective is to prevent pilots from becoming highly ranked just by accumulating a high quantity of scores as opposed to a high quality of scores.

While this system is explained in depth in the USHPA NTSS rulebook, we’ll review the system briefly in order to provide a quick overview of how everything works. As previously mentioned, the four highest scores a pilot achieves in competition over the past two-year period are counted in his total. Of those

four competitions, only two can be results from competitions outside the U.S. Also, of the pilot’s top four scores over the two-year period, a maximum of two from the earliest comp year can be included. So if a pilot’s results looked like this: 2005 Comp Name

Points Earned

U.S. Nationals Rat Race Chelan XC Monarca

500 525* 500 575*

2006 U.S. Nationals Rat Race Chelan XC Monarca

400* 300 250 460* * Used for total

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The total points for the January 1, 2007, ranking would be 2000. The pilot can use his two highest scores from 2005 and the two highest comps from 2006.

Of course if all the pilot’s scores in 2006 were higher than his scores in 2005, then he would only use the 2006 scores in figuring his total, providing of course that no more than two foreign competitions were included in the 2006 scores.

Interim rankings are published after each major competition, but only the initial rankings created on January 1 of each year are used to calculate the points brought by the pilots to each meet.

Other countries have modified versions and use different selection criteria, and there have been discussions and varied opinions about which system is best. To date, however, our system has worked well and has shown itself to be one that allows pilots equal opportunity to earn a spot on the national team.

Len Szafaryn was the U.S. national paragliding champion in 2002 and 2004, and been a member of the U.S. paragliding team multiple times.

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The gaggle gliding out toward the start and first turnpoint during the PWC in Castelo, Brazil, last March

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A 100-Mile Weekend

By Tad Hurst Photos by Jerry Gillard

Horse Canyon set-up area full of hang gliders

The 2005 edition of the annual Laguna Fly-in was scheduled for Aug 20-21 at Mount Laguna, in eastern San Diego County (California). On Saturday I had to terminate my fl ight early because of a faulty radio. Prudence dictated that I go back and land at the last place that I had positive radio communications. Ironically, it was still my longest fl ight at 34 miles, but it could have been much longer.

I was bummed out. I got over it. The next day.

Sunday morning I got out of church at 10:30 and made the frantic drive back

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to Laguna. Everyone was there and there were gliders set up everywhere. Now this is what a fly-in is supposed to look like!

Except for the windsocks – the sea breeze had clearly already come through, and it was blowing over the back fairly hard, with occasional thermal gusts upslope. The convergence line of clouds was clearly to the ESE out in front of launch.

I had one advantage over most of the guys there. I was so late in arriving that my glider was still packed on top of the truck. I bailed to Horse Canyon.

As I got my vario out, I noticed that the ON/OFF switch was missing – it had apparently been punched into the inside of the instrument. Another equipment problem! Since I had gotten a ride to the top, I had no good place to put the broken vario, so I went ahead and mounted it on the glider. It stared at me with its blank face the rest of the day.

I was dressed for altitude, and it was hot on launch. The guy in front of me was hesitant about launching – probably because of the short fl ights of the previous two pilots, both of whom had 10-minute sled rides. When he stepped aside, I decided to just go. I couldn’t take the heat anymore. If I sank out, at least I could shed the extra layers.

I didn’t sink out. I didn’t really go up, either. I spent about 20 minutes trying to get back up to launch level. The lift then got better, and I soon found myself

slightly higher approaching a 13,500’ MSL cloudbase – 9000’ over launch. By this time many of the other guys from Laguna were arriving, and the launch area was a scramble of activity.

I drifted back over the Laguna range, eyeing the convergence line off to the northeast. I did not have a vario, but I did have a GPS, a cell phone, an altimeter watch, and a WORKING RADIO. What I didn’t have was a prearranged retrieval – I thought this was a site-flying day. And I was alone below those clouds. I wandered back out in front of launch, and lost thousands of feet of altitude. Others were now in the air. Lots of others!

Soon a bunch of us found ourselves back near cloudbase. Among those with me were David Whitehall, Jeff Brown, and Floyd Fronius. I saw David on his rigid wing take off to the northeast and said to myself, What the heck! I might be able to bum a ride back with one of the other guys. I went for it.

Following the convergence line to the northeast, I could clearly see on my left the Laguna launch and club LZ. The line took me directly toward Whale Peak. I got down to about 6000’ before I caught the lift to cloudbase again over Whale. I could see Borrego Springs to the north, and realized I had a good shot at it. I headed that way, but I kept an eye on the Earthquake Valley LZ to my west (left).

I did not want to land in that unknown mess below me.

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I was sinking rather fast, and it was not clear that I could get over the ridge into Borrego Springs for a safe landing. I was about to bail back to Earthquake Valley when my glider did a little “shimmy.”

Was that lift? Remember, I had no vario, and this was weak stuff if it was anything. I turned gently, and watched my watch. It updates the altitude about every millennium, but sure enough, I was gaining a few hundred feet over many minutes. Finally I had a clear shot into Borrego Springs and I took it.

Now descending into the flat Borrego Springs area, I was concentrating on picking an LZ that was not too far from a road. I had the Casa del Zorro resort in easy reach, but I thought I could glide closer to the center of town. I couldn’t see anyone else in the air. Whitehall had disappeared out in front of me on his rigid wing long ago.

I was about 1000 feet off the deck when – yes! – another “shimmy.” This one got a little stronger, and I was soon several thousand feet up. It was then that I saw

Tad Hurst (foreground) waiting for his turn at launch at Horse Canyon

Tad Hurst launching at Horse Canyon June 2006: Hang Gliding & Paragliding – w w w.ushga.org

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Tad Hurst launching at Horse Canyon Background Image: Sunset on Mount Laguna, facing north

Jeff Brown coming from the west to join over the Pegleg ridge, and he didn’t even me in my thermal. He was well below me, pause. He continued directly over the dry but we were still going up. My “shimmy” lake to the ridge I now know as the Roses turned into a cloud, under which we both – the extension ridge of Santa Rosa peak climbed to about 13,500’ MSL. that descends into the low desert. Jeff was I had no idea where to go from here. well ahead of me, and when he reached To the east was terrain that looked hor- the Roses, he turned and headed along rifying – they would never even find my them to the northwest. I had expected body in there! There is a little ridge to the him to follow the obvious convergence northeast at Pegleg Junction, but I had line to the northeast. When I arrived at never been there. I had always considered the Roses, I was under good cloud-lift in Borrego Springs as a destination, not a the convergence line, and Jeff was quickly waypoint. moving off to the northwest. He was not I radioed Jeff and asked him for sug- high over the range, and I was going up. gestions. He replied, “Follow me,” so I So now another dilemma – up toward did, and that was the rest of my fl ight. cloudbase, or follow the expert? I chose Easier said than done as well, as Jeff was the latter, and I tried to chase Jeff up the on a topless, and the performance differ- ridge toward Torro Peak.

This was sweet! The ridge had good ence was soon noticeable.

Jeff headed to the southeast directly consistent lift all the way up from 5500

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feet to over the top of Toro Peak at 8500 feet. This I did in a straight line with 1/3 VG and slightly pulled in. Did I say sweet? This was sweet.

I crossed Torro peak at 10,500’ and I was once again in familiar territory over Pinion Pines. I couldn’t see Jeff anymore, but I could hear him on the radio. Also, Floyd Fronius and Curt Johnson were in the area.

Floyd was flying his GOAT – an ultralight, foot-lauchable sailplane (see the the story in the March 2004 issue). He and Curt were somewhere off to my east and approaching Thermal. I couldn’t see any of them.

I passed over Vista Point and caught lift again to 10,500’. There was a wispy convergence line heading to the northwest that I thought could take me out

June 2006: Hang Gliding & Paragliding – w w w.ushga.org

Tad Hurst launching at Horse Canyon

to Pioneer Town (above Desert Hot Springs) – that would be about 100 miles.

Jeff had tried this line. As I looked at it, it simply disappeared, the result of the strong westerlies coming though the pass at Palm Springs.

I was between the Thermal and Palm Springs airports, so I headed out toward I-10 to find a landing near the highway.

I turned over I-10 and followed it to the northwest, checking off LZs as I went.

When noticed that I was not making much headway, I got on VG and pulled in to make sure that I had the next LZ. I landed in Desert Hot Springs in a 30mph, 110ºF wind in a motorcycle area.

Seventy-four miles total, 5.25 hours.

David Whitehall, who sank out (10,000’ down in 10 minutes!) at Pegleg, and had been retrieved, appeared 10

minutes after my landing.

The best part of my 100-mile weekend was this: Within a minute of landing, three 10-year-olds on motorcycles appeared. They asked, “Where did you come from – an airplane?” I told them that I started in San Diego. They peered around me at the glider – clearly it has no motor – and asked, “On THAT?” Did I say sweet?

Jeff Brown landed a few miles farther out than I did, thus recording the longest fl ight from San Diego County for 2005.

Now the irony. I clearly and blatantly used the expertise of Jeff Brown to get to Desert Hot Springs. The San Diego club rules for the yearly XC contest, however, award a bonus factor to newer pilots.

Because I had only been a Hang-4 pilot for a year and a half, I got a 1.75 bonus

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factor. Jeff would’ve had to have gone about 129 miles to beat my flight.

So I used Jeff to get to Palm Springs, then I took the XC award away from him.

I feel kind of bad about this – kind of.

It helps that Jeff won the award last year.

And I did find that thermal over the flats at Borrego Springs.

My name now appears where it doesn’t really belong – on the perennial plaque for SDHGPA XC winners with the likes of Jeff Brown, David Whitehall, Glen Volk, Rich Burton, Jerz Rossignol, and others far more experienced and better than I am. And Jeff Brown helped me get there. And David Whitehall helped me get back. Thanks guys. I won’t forget this for a long time.

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Jon Hunt captures a fellow Jackson Hole pilot admiring a Wyoming sunset.

Pages 62-63:

Photo: Jon Hunt

Randy Skywalker over Cottonwood, Arizona, after launching from Mingus Mt.

Another glorious Maui sunset

Pages 64-65: Top row, L to R:

Photo: Matt Gerdes

Could there be a better vantage point for watching the Maui sunset?

The “red” in the Red Bull Huckspedition

A perfect ending to a Maui flight

A sunset on Whidbey Island, Washington, beckons to a solitary paraglider pilot.

Photo: Gordon Goddard

Photo: Dexter Clearwater Photo: Dexter Clearwater

Arthur Markiewicz enjoys another sunset flight at Torrey Pines.

Photo: Jerry Gillard

Hawaiian flying at its finest

Photo: Dexter Clearwater

Middle row, L to R:

Mike Küng catching the sun’s last rays above the Jordanian desert

Bottom row, L to R: Photo: ©Christian Pondella/Red Bull

Photo: Dean Cook

Mike Paige and his Klassic 144 making the most out the last flight of the season, Fort Funston, California

Photo: courtesy Mike Paige

A sinking sun witnesses the final flight of the day.

Photo: Walter Rowe

Pilot Dave Brose on a late afternoon flight at Woodrat Mountain, Oregon

Page 66:

Mike Meier burns his way into a Marshall Peak sunset on his Wills Wing Talon.

Photo: Adam West

Photo: J Patrick Cudahy

Photo: Gene Atkins

Bill Bellcourt hangs on a Beacon SLC, Utah, sunset.

Photo: Chris Santacroce

66

Photo: Dexter Clearwater

Breakdown after sundown

Page 66 (inset): Starting a new day with a pre-dawn setup

Photo: Christian Pondella

June 2006: Hang Gliding & Paragliding – w w w.ushga.org

Farewell to Ron Young

By Aaron Swepston

Photo: John Heiney

socially driven guy who possessed lifelong loyalties once befriended. When you see people once or twice a year, and strike up as if no time has passed at all, it’s a wonderful treat.

I have several great stories about Ron that would be fun to share, but there’s not room enough to do it here. Each one would take pages, and I’d be laughing or crying as I told each of them. Ron Young started out as an inspiration to watch and learn from, then became a good friend that I will always miss. His contributions to hang gliding in general, and aerobatics more specifically, will likely never be realized by those who did not have the pleasure of knowing him, nor knowing what his influences have been. Like so many who have come before us, we all owe him a debt of gratitude. Fly free, brother.

I

Pilot: Ron Young Event: 2002 Masters of Freestyle Contest at Mission Bay, San Diego Glider: Predator 142

n my earlier days of learning about aerobatics in hang gliders, there were several people who stood out as pioneers and leaders. Dan Racanelli was the first of that very small group to leave us. Now Ron Young has as well. I was not fortunate enough to get to know Dan very well, only while he was helping judge an aerobatic contest in Vancouver, B.C., the year before he died. Interestingly enough, that was also the place that I met Ron in person for the first time, although we had been communicating via mail prior to that.

Ron had been an inspiration to me since I learned about his flying exploits.

He was the first to perform loops in a flex wing in an aerobatic contest, and was always standing out with his huge personality (and voice) wherever he was. He flew for UP, back when there was a UP. He flew for Wills Wing. I paid attention to those companies in part because Ron was featured in their advertising, and if Ron was looping their gliders, if Ron was choosing to loop their gliders, then they must be good.

Later, when Ron and I became friends, I realized that he was just like so many other pilots we all know: very human, with every kind of human trait. He could be bold and very cocky, and yet at the same time be very insecure and selfconscious. I understood Ron to be a very

Ron Young, self-portrait of an aerobatic pilot in action

June 2006: Hang Gliding & Paragliding – w w w.ushga.org

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Calendar of events items WILL NOT be listed if only tentative.

Please include exact information (event, date, contact name and phone number). Items should be received no later than six weeks prior to the event. We request two months lead time for regional and national meets. For more complete information on the events listed, please see our Calendar of Events at www.ushga.org.

SANCTIONED COMPETITION June 4-10: Highland Aerosports, Ridgely, Maryland. East Coast Hang

Gliding Championships. Registration opens March 15. Entry fee $225, after May 20 $275. More information at www.aerosports.net.

July 10-15: Chelan, Washington. Chelan XC Open paragliding com-

meet will be included as part of the CXCC. Hang glider pilots who do well in the CXCC are eligible for reduced entry fees in the Single Surface and Sport Class Nationals (August 6-12, Leakey, Texas). Contact tommyp_25@yahoo.com for more information.

July through September: Intermountain League Paragliding Series July 28-30: Salt Lake City, Utah August 4-6: Jackson, Wyoming August 11-13: Warm up for the U.S. Nationals in Sun Valley, Idaho September 22-24: season finale at King Mt., Idaho Date TBD: Bozeman, Montana (put on by Andy Macrae) Entry $25, all goes

to drivers and prize money. This year Super Fly has generously offered to sponsor the Intermountain League, providing beer and support for thirsty pilots who want to brag about great days of flying. Contact info for each meet at leaguemeet.com.

Class Nationals and Flex-Wing Pre-Worlds. Flex-wing advance registration opens March 15 for top 30 U.S. NTSS-rated pilots and top 50 CIVLrated pilots, and all rigid-wing pilots. Flex-wing general registration opens April 1. Entry fee $350 during first month of registration, add $100 after.

Reduced fee ($195) for Single Surface and Sport Class. More information at Flytec.com.

July 5-9: King Mountain Hang Gliding Championships, near Moore, Idaho. Five days (Wednesday-Sunday) of serious but fun XC competition with open, recreation and team classes, handicap scoring, bonus LZs, staff and sportsmanship awards plus driver awards. $60 registration includes full-color long-sleeve shirt with collectible Dan Gravage design, maps, awards party, movies, pilot briefings, prizes and more. Event is a fund raiser for the Idaho Hang Gliding Association. More information and pre-registration packet from Lisa Tate, meet director/organizer, 1915 S. Arcadia St., Boise, Idaho 83705, (208) 376-7914 or email to lisa@soaringdreamsart.com.

August 27-September 2: Sun Valley, Idaho. U.S. Paragliding Na-

September 15-17: Seattle (Washington) Aerobattle. A mix of cos-

tional Championships. Registration opens February 15. Entry fee $325, after July 15 $400. More information at www.flysunvalley.com.

tume flying, aerobatic demonstrations, friendly competition. Lots of airsports-related activities, as well as music, food, fun! See June Pilot Briefings column for details. $300 for competitors, donation to cover cost of tows requested from costumed and demo flyers. More information at www.seattleparagliding.com or contact Chris Santacroce at chris@ superflyinc.com.

petition. Registration opens April 1, $275 through June 10, $375 after.

More information at www.chelanXCopen.com.

August 6-12: Big Spring Open. Includes Single-Surface and Sport-

COMPETITION June 10-11, July 15-16, August 12-13, September 1617, October 6-8: Northern California Cross-Country League week-

ends, location to be decided three days before the weekend. All sites will be within a four-hour drive of the San Francisco Bay Area. Cost: $5 per race. More information: Jug Aggarwal, jaggarwal@es.ucsc .edu, or check the Web site for the Northern California XC League at http://www.sfbapa.org/ and follow the link for the XC League.

FLY-INS June 2-4: Moore Mountain, North Carolina. The Buzzard Hang Glid-

ing Club “30 Years of Hibriten Mountain” Fly-In Celebration. For more information contact Vince Furrer at (704) 398-2303 or by email at zweimoon@aol.com, or David Smith at (828) 758-7590.

June 2-8: Mt. Yamaska, Quebec, Canada. Canadian Paragliding Nationals. More information at http://events.dowsett.ca/?q=2006/pgnats/ June 14-18: Albuquerque, New Mexico. JOIN THE MILE HIGH CLUB! yamaska.

Five days of fun hang glider XC flying from 10,678’ Sandia Mountains.

See USHGA Feb. 2006 mag for last year’s event write-up. No entry fee June 10-17: 2nd Annual Ozone Chabre Open, Laragne, France.

Serial-class cross-country paragliding event, with lots of extras. Entry but must be a SSA member. Contact Andrew Vanis at vanis13@yahoo fee 130 Euros includes transport to launch, retrieves and entry to all of .com, (505) 304-5306, www.flysandia.org. the organized events including skills seminars and parties. Limit of 120 June 16-25: Alaska’s fourth annual “10 Days of Solstice” Fly-in, pilots. Registration opened in December, www.flylaragne.com for more hosted this year by the Arctic Air Walkers and Midnight Sun Paraglidinformation. ing, LLC. Fly Alaska’s premier sites of unsurpassed beauty and take June 18-24: Vulcan, Alberta, Canada. Canadian Hang Gliding Nation- part in contests, prizes, and camaraderie. Chris Santacroce will inals. Aerotow. More information at http://events.dowsett.ca/?q=2006/ struct an over-the-water safety clinic on days 7-10. More information at www.midnightsunparagliding.com. hgnats/vulcan.

June 23-25: Rone Cliffs, Rifle, Colorado. Paraglider XC competi- July 1-4: Seventh Annual Winds of a Hurricane Fly-In, Hurricane Ridge, tion, spectacular spring flying! P-3 minimum requirement for comp en- Utah. Last year’s intermediate and advanced hang glider and paraglidtry, strong P-2s welcome for fly-in. $40 entry fee plus local club fees er pilot participants got above 14,000’ and flew more than 80 miles!

– transport, retrieval, beer and camping included. For more info contact Intrigued? Contact Grant Hoag for more information: ghoag@brwncald .com.

Pine at www.adventureparagliding.com or call (970) 274-1619.

June 26-July 1: Chelan, Washington. Chelan Cross-Country Clas- July 28-30: 2006 Texas Open/USHGA National Fly-In, Leakey, sic. XC competition for hang gliders and paragliders. Entry fee $75, af- Texas. It’s been so much fun before, we’re doing it again! Hang glidter June 10 $90. No racing – pilots call their own tasks and are scored ers, paragliders, rigid wings, whatever! Come on down. Aerotow, truck on their best 4 of the 6 days. A Single Surface/Sport Class hang glider tow, even foot launch, we’ll get you in the air! Fun competitions, great

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June 2006: Hang Gliding & Paragliding – w w w.ushga.org

Hill Country soaring, cash prizes, family fun, real Texas BBQ, excel- August 5-12: Snowbird, Utah. Snowbird-to-Colorado XC record atlent XC potential. Plan your trip now – don’t wait until it’s too late to tempt. For event description and prerequisites go to www.twocanfly.com find lodging (Leakey is a Hill Country vacationing mecca). More info at or contact Ken Hudonjorgensen, (801) 572-3414, twocanfly@gmail http://flexwing.org/txopen. .com.

August 31-September 4: Steamboat Springs, Colorado. Second

Annual Wildwest Airfest and Airmen’s Rendezvous, Storm Peak Hang Gliding and Paragliding. Get hours of high-altitude airtime and let your family bike, soak in hot springs, horseback ride and shop. Vintage airplanes, RC activity, balloons, skydiving, town BBQ, HG and PG awards party, Fly to Pig Roast and Disco Party (possibly). Spectacular altitude gains, over-the-Divide XC, awards for course flying, Harry Martin T-shirt.

Launch 10,400’ MSL, numerous LZs (6660’ MSL). All site rules apply, H-4/P-4, call to get your place and approval. Lesser ratings with sponsor on a case-by-case basis. Storm Peak HG/PG contacts: Ken Grubbs, (303) 888-1255, kengrubbs@msn.com; Mark Cahur (970) 846-3824; Tom Wood (970) 846-4427; Roberto Frias (970) 870-8873. Camping and conventional lodging contacts: http://www.steamboat-chamber .com/.

August 31-September 4: Macedon, New York. Fourth annu-

September 9-10 (11 rain date): Paragliding tandem instructor clinic with Bob Hannah and Jeff Greenbaum, at a non-coastal location in the San Francisco Bay Area. Applicants seeking a T-3 (tandem instructor rating) should have achieved, prior to this clinic, requirements stipulated in Part 104 guidelines including minimum 25 flights as a T-1. Pilots can also attend to pursue a T-1 rating. Please review Part 104 for full tandem requirements. Contact: jgreenbaum@sftandem.com.

September 22-24: Point of the Mountain and Utah flying sites. PG thermal clinic. For clinic description and prerequisites go to www.twocanfly.com or contact Ken Hudonjorgensen, (801) 572-3414, twocanfly@gmail.com.

October 7-8: Utah flying sites. PG mountain flying clinic. For clinic

description and prerequisites go to www.twocanfly.com or contact Ken Hudonjorgensen, (801) 572-3414, twocanfly@gmail.com.

al Flaming Fall Foliage Festival and Fly-In, Labor Day weekend at the Finger Lakes Aerosport Park in upstate New York. $75 per pilot includes Sunday dinner and all festivities. For further information go to www.fingerlakesaerosportpark.com and click the bar for the 2006 FlyIn information.

October 20-22: Point of the Mountain and Utah flying sites. PG

CLINICS, MEETINGS, TOURS

structor re-certification clinic. For clinic description and prerequisites go to www.twocanfly.com or contact Ken Hudonjorgensen, (801) 572-3414, twocanfly@gmail.com.

June 2-4: Tandem Certification Clinic – Presented by tandem admin-

istrator Scott Harris at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, Wyoming, last year of Aerial Tram! More information: www.jhparagliding.com or (307) 690-8726.

June 3-4: Utah flying sites. PG mountain flying clinic. For clinic de-

instructor training clinic. For clinic description and prerequisites go to www.twocanfly.com or contact Ken Hudonjorgensen, (801) 572-3414, twocanfly@gmail.com.

October 20-21: Point of the Mountain and Utah flying sites. PG in-

October 28-29: Point of the Mountain and Utah flying sites. PG tan-

dem (T-2 and T-3) clinic. For clinic description and prerequisites go to www.twocanfly.com or contact Ken Hudonjorgensen, (801) 572-3414, twocanfly@gmail.com.

scription and prerequisites go to www.twocanfly.com or contact Ken Hudonjorgensen, (801) 572-3414, twocanfly@gmail.com.

November 12-December 2: Fly Iquique (Chile) and Mendoza (Argentina) this November with Luis Rosenkjer and Todd Weigand. Luis June 9-11: Jackson Hole, Wyoming. Instructor Certification Program is a multiple Argentinean Champion and owner of Atlanta Paragliding. presented by instructor administrator Scott Harris. More information: Todd is a top internationally ranked competition and acro pilot from Oregon and has been seasonally guiding, instructing and perfecting his www.jhparagliding.com or (307) 690-8726. acro and XC skills in Chile since 2001. Multiple tours available. Choose June 18-25: Midnight Sun tour, Alaska. Peak to Peak Paragliding’s your week at www.atlantaparagliding.com. Contact Todd at (541) 475Kay Tauscher will lead a group of pilots to Alaska’s beautiful mountain- 6935, wallowaparagliding@gmail.com or Luis at (404) 931-3793, info@ ous countryside for long days of great flying. Primary destination is Aly- atlantaparagliding.com. eska Resort, but other sites may be visited as well. $750 for guiding and advanced instruction for one week. A flight from Eagle Glacier on the November 12-19: Phoenix, Arizona. Escape the winter cold – fly evening of the summer solstice is available at an additional cost. Accom- three drive-up sites minutes from the airport and more sites around. Demodations and food not included. info@peaktopeakparagliding.com or tails at http://www.parasoftparagliding.com/travel/phoenix.php.

(303) 817-0803.

December 3-10: Southern California and the Baja Peninsula. Fly July 7-9: PG maneuvers (SIV) clinic with Chris Santacroce and Ken where it is still warm - we pick you up at the airport and handle the rest.

Hudonjorgensen. For clinic description and prerequisites go to www Details at http://www.parasoftparagliding.com/travel/Southwest.php. .twocanfly.com or contact Ken Hudonjorgensen, (801) 572-3414, January 3-14, 2007: Valle de Bravo, Mexico. Thermal and XC twocanfly@gmail.com. instruction tour. For more information and prerequisites go to www July 20-23: Chelan Flats, Washington. Paragliding Towfest 2006 – .twocanfly.com or contact Ken Hudonjorgensen, (801) 572-3414, 100-mile flights possible! Three or more tow winches operating. Free twocanfly@gmail.com. on-site camping, swimming pool, DJ music, outhouses provided. Hotels January 7-14: Mexico with Parasoft Paragliding School. We’ve been available in Chelan and Wenatchee. Towing fee of $100/day includes taking pilots to fly in Mexico since 1991. We have been to Valle de Bravo unlimited tows and retrieves. Instruction available from Chris Santaand Igualla, but Tapalpa is world–class. The P–2 week focuses on long croce and Nik Peterson. To secure your spot contact Mike Zuchetto, easy flights. Mexico P–2 pilot details at http://www.parasoftparagliding (509) 951-5308 or Even Von Ranson, (509) 220-9839. More info at .com/travel/tapalpa%20_mexico.php. upsessionparagliding.com.

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69

January 14-21: Mexico P–3 week. We tailor our weeks to your pi-

lot level; second week focuses on thermaling. P–3 pilot details at http:// www.parasoftparagliding.com/travel/colima.php.

February 10-17, 2007: Southern California tour. For more information and prerequisites go to www.twocanfly.com or contact Ken Hudonjorgensen, (801) 572-3414, twocanfly@gmail.com.

21-28: Mexico P-4 week. Geared towards flying XC from four sites. http://www.parasoftparagliding.com/travel/ iguala%20_mexico.php.

January

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 31

Day 6, afternoon My first mountain solo! I flew a glider called “The Raven.”

The instructor supports the keel so new pilots can’t “pop the nose.” The mountain launch is really a cliff ramp at 1350’ above the LZ, essentially a 10-minute top-to-bottom – awesome!

Day 7 I took the day off.

Day 8, afternoon and evening The training hills behind me, I prepared for my first solo aerotow. On my final tandem (#7) I focused on a clean launch, staying in the sweet spot and landing on my feet. Throughout the fl ight Eric was priming me for the looming big one.

From the beginning I perceived aerotow to be risky, so needless to say I was very nervous. After my pre-fl ight of the harness, dolly and glider I clipped into the Falcon II 195 and prepared for a launch: Take up slack, the rope goes tight, signal to rock n’roll, whoosh! The glider goes light, release the base tube safety rope, you’re flying behind the tug.

To my surprise the glider responded fast, and after 5 seconds I knew I was gonna survive the experience.

At 7:00 p.m., with sunset approaching, I clipped in, ready for solo #2. The whole valley lifted off, I soared for 30 minutes, a

nuclear red sunset. It’s all paid off – what a day!

After 14 days I was Hang-2, had five solo tows, four mountain launches, seven tandems, had been signed off as aerotow rated and had a cliff launch rating. Looking back I would say the ATVs at the training hill made light work of the learning process. The quality of instruction from the dozen or so instructors was second to none. If you’re serious about hang gliding, Lookout just might be the key!

Useful information Cabin accommodation at LMFP is available for $240/ month, which includes a fridge, microwave and half bathroom.

Lookout’s Web site, which is very informative: www.hanglide.com Best time to visit: spring and fall Facilities: pool, showers, camping, clubhouse and a good “cookout” on most Saturdays

Farewell to Les Taff: Hang glider and trike pilot Les Taff departed the planet on April 1. Pilots and friends are invited to attend a memorial service arranged by her family in Los Angeles on June 4th, and another arranged by her aviation family on June 17th at Lookout Mountain Flight Park. Contact Judy at (423) 902-3651 for more information.

70

Photo: ©Christian Pondella/Red Bull

June 2006: Hang Gliding & Paragliding – w w w.ushga.org

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— Kari Castle Kiting Addicts shadow-dancing in the late-day African sun Photo: courtesy Ozone

72

New Pilot Ratings Ra t i n g s i s s u e d d u r i n g F e b r u a r y 2 0 0 6 Hang Gliding Division Paragliding Division Rating Region Name City H-1 2 Anthony Brooks Oakland H-1 3 Justin Weiler Encino H-1 3 Daniel Sunshine Pasadena H-1 3 Joel Walker Long Beach H-1 3 Malcolm Aziz Oceanside H-1 3 Michael Holzl Marina Del Rey H-1 3 Chris Lentz Los Angeles H-1 10 Stephen Gruber College Park H-1 12 Patricia Randolph-clark Saranac Lake H-2 2 Seokhan Ryu East Palo Alto H-2 4 James Prall Salida H-2 4 Alex Robbio Bountiful H-2 9 Thomas Wilson Virginia Beach H-2 10 Joel Harrison Murfreesboro H-2 10 Shaun Bryan Orlando H-2 13 Eric Saunders Edmonton H-3 2 Donald Macomber Lompoc H-3 2 Mike Wilson Danville H-3 4 David Conners Prescott H-3 5 Christopher Gibisch Missoula H-3 9 Peter Kane Sandston H-3 12 Katrin Parsiegla Fairport H-4 3 Kendall Steinmetz Valley Center H-4 10 Mark Vanderwerf Hendersonville H-4 13 Bernhard Herrmann Interlaken

Aerotowing at The Florida Ridge Photo: Susan Flaitz

State CA CA CA CA CA CA CA GA NY CA CO UT VA TN FL CA CA AZ MT VA NY CA NC

Rating Official Patrick Denevan Lynden Vazquez Paul Thornbury Paul Thornbury Paul Thornbury Paul Thornbury Paul Thornbury Christian Thoreson Malcolm Jones Michael Foy Rob Mckenzie Peter Cj Anderson Malcolm Jones Daniel Zink Robert Lane Tommy Thompson, Sr Yves Bajulaz Michael Foy Greg Berger Jeff Shapiro Steve Wendt Karl Fanghanel Steve Stackable Peter Cj Anderson Gregory Mick

Rating Region Name City P-1 1 Gabriel Evans Portland P-1 2 Vincent Borel San Francisco P-1 2 Julien Borel Menlo Park P-1 3 Patrick Sullivan Thousand Oaks P-2 1 Edward Miller Jr Redmond P-2 1 Jason Cromer White City P-2 2 David Royer Pacifica P-2 2 John Hanan Morro Bay P-2 2 Fred Bayon Benilia P-2 2 Hausammann Philipp El Sobranie P-2 2 Erik Rocklin Morro Bay P-2 3 Chinchien Huang San Marcos P-2 3 Chip Bartley Somis P-2 4 Antonios Printezis Scottsdale P-2 4 Scott Anderson Greeley P-2 4 Daniel Beck Murray P-2 4 Russell Obrien Sandy P-2 5 Christopher Niccoli Mccall P-2 8 David Bowles Ferrisburg P-2 10 Russell Mortensen Ramrod Key P-2 12 Joseph Tong New York P-3 1 Stephen Crozier Anchorage P-3 1 Irina Starikova Issaquah P-3 1 Dirk Boschek Richland P-3 2 Wai-kit Yuen San Francisco P-3 3 Paul Macdonald Kula P-3 3 Garrett Scott Kula P-3 3 Chad Luttrell La Jolla P-3 3 Maegen Trawnik San Diego P-3 3 Joseph Popper Iii Mountain Center P-3 3 Kwang Jung Kim San Diego P-3 3 Tuan Ta Graden Grove P-3 4 Aaron Bybee Colorado Springs P-3 5 Torr Borgerson Teton Village P-3 5 Jules Danford Belgrade P-3 5 Kevin Swanson Belgrade P-3 7 David Mcwhinnie Skokie P-3 8 Lyle Hazel Arlington P-3 8 Michael Brooks Arlington P-3 9 Flovent Fumey Pittsburgh P-3 11 David Walker League City P-3 12 Adam Berger New York P-3 12 Yung Wong Purchase P-4 1 Matthew Rucando Eagle River P-4 1 Mitchael Bogden North Bend P-4 2 Brian Kerr Dunsmuir P-4 2 Celia Pender San Francisco P-4 2 Thomas Brand Truckee P-4 2 R. Craig Gamma San Jose P-4 3 David Erickson Highland P-4 3 James Chen San Diego P-4 3 Paul Ezelle Chino Hills P-4 3 Raimar Van Den Bylaardt Ii Aiea P-4 4 Doug Cubanski Lafayette P-4 12 Paul Villinski Long Isl City P-4 12 Nicolais Toussaint Lainate, Mi

State OR CA CA CA OR OR CA CA CA CA CA CA CA AZ CO UT UT ID VT FL NY AK WA WA CA HI HI CA CA CA CA CA CO WY MT MT IL MA MA PA TX NY NY AK WA CA CA CA CA CA CA CA HI CO NY AE

Rating Official Kelly Kellar Jeffrey Greenbaum Jeffrey Greenbaum Claude Fiset Steve Roti David Binder Matthew Gerdes Patrick Eaves Wallace Anderson Jeffrey Greenbaum Patrick Eaves David Jebb Rob Sporrer Jim Eskildsen Kay Tauscher Jonathan Jefferies Carson Klein David Prentice Rick Sharp Rob Sporrer Robert Hastings Scott Amy Rob Sporrer Jaromir Lahulek Jeffrey Greenbaum David Binder David Binder Robin Marien Robin Marien Robin Marien Robin Marien Rob Mckenzie William Laurence Thomas Bartlett Andy Macrae Andy Macrae Irene Revenko John Gallagher Granger Banks Allen Sparks Bill Heaner Rob Sporrer Gabriel Jebb Gabriel Jebb Marc Chirico Kevin Lee Gregg Hackett John Van Meter Juan Laos Roman Pisar Gabriel Jebb Gabriel Jebb Pete Michelmore Kay Tauscher Ken Baier Gabriel Jebb

73

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.

NORTH WING DESIGN – is accepting applications for metal shop/wing and trike airframe mechanic. Also accepting applications for sail maker and sewing machine operator. Send application to: 3904 Airport Way, E. Wenatchee, WA 98802 or Fax (509) 886-3435 (www .northwing.com).

PARAGLIDING ADVISORY: 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.

HARNESSES – 5’0”-6’5”. Cocoons $125+up. High Energy Cocoons $200+up, Pods $200+up. Inventory, selection changes constantly. Some trades accepted.

(262) 473-8800, info@hanggliding.com, www.hanggliding .com, http://stores.ebay.com/raven-sports.

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.

PARAGLIDERS

FLEX WINGS 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, www.hanggliding .com, http://stores.ebay.com/raven-sports.

FALCONS CLEARANCE SALE – School use, one season. Falcon 1s and 2s. All sizes $1250-$2500. (262) 473-8800, info@hanggliding.com, www.hanggliding .com, http://stores.ebay.com/raven-sports.

FALCON 195 with harness and helmet, all bought new in 2000. Red and gray. EXCELLENT (LIKE NEW) CONDITION! Less than 5 hours airtime! Prefer selling together. $3000 for everything OBO. Glenn (435) 840-2697 or glenn@tvsc.aros.net.

MOYES SX5 – Good condition w/wheels, $1000. jamesthecop@hotmail.com.

PAC-AIR 154 FORMULA – High Energy Pod with BRS PDA chute. Under 20 hrs. Excellent condition. $1500 OBO. (719) 687-1280.

GIN BEETLE – Tandem 130/280 kg, best offer. (805) 276-1852.

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

SUP’AIR EVO-SIDE, med, red, hardly used $275. LARA 175, 20-gore PDA, never thrown, $200 each. Ball variom19, $150. Edel Quantum med. $300 OBO. (310) 3781180.

MISSION SOARING CENTER – Largest hang gliding center in the West! Our deluxe retail shop showcases the latest equipment: Wills Wing, Moyes, AIR, High Energy, Flytec, Icaro. West Coast distributor for A.I.R. Atos rigid wings including the all-new VX Tandem Atos. Parts in stock. We stock new and used equipment. Trade-ins welcome. Complete lesson program. Best training park in the West, located just south of the San Francisco Bay Area. Pittman Hydraulic Winch System for Hang 1s and above. Launch and landing clinics for Hang 3s and Hang 4s. Wills Wing Falcons of all sizes and custom training harnesses. 1116 Wrigley Way, Milpitas, CA 95035.

(408) 262-1055, Fax (408) 262-1388, mission@ hang-gliding.com, www.hang-gliding.com, Mission Soaring Center, leading the way since 1973.

RIGID WINGS MISSION SOARING CENTER – Distributor for AIR Atos, world’s most popular rigid wing. New! Atos VX tandem or powered harness, incredible sink rate with a solo pilot.

(408) 262-1055, www.hang-gliding.com.

ULTRALIGHTS DRAGONFLY AEROTUGS – For up to $10,000 off the price of new ones! Enclosed trailer available for pickup/ delivery. www.hanggliding.com, info@hanggliding.com, http://stores.ebay.com/raven-sports, (262) 473-8800.

EASY RISER KITS – $2200. Retro hang gliding is here.

Fun and adventure from the ‘70s. Information $10. Larry Mauro, Box 374, Mulberry FL 33860.

EMERGENCY PARACHUTES

SCHOOLS & DEALERS

INSPECTED RESERVES – For HG or PG $199+up.

Used Quantum, all sizes $475+up. Some trades accepted. info@hanggliding.com, www.hanggliding.com, http://stores.ebay.com/raven-sports, (262) 473-8800.

ALABAMA

MOUNTAIN WINGS — New York’s oldest HG school is looking for both advanced and basic HG instructors.

Not yet certified to teach? We’ll train you. For more information contact Greg Black at (845) 647-3377 or mtnwings@hvc.rr.com.

FLY ABOVE ALL – Year-round instruction in beautiful Santa Barbara! USHGA Novice through Advanced certification. Thermaling to competition training. Visit www.flyaboveall.com, (805) 965-3733.

EAGLE PARAGLIDING – SANTA BARBARA offers the best year round flying in the nation. Awardwinning instruction, excellent mountain and ridge sites. www.FlySantaBarbara.com, (805) 968-0980.

QUICKSILVER SPRINT II ULTRALIGHT KIT – ready to build. Wife threatens divorce. Best offer. (805) 276-1852.

FLORIDA RIDGE PARAGLIDING SCHOOL FOR SALE – www.floridaparagliding.com. Contact Arnie for details, (954) 846-8186, arnie@arvp.com.

DREAM WEAVER HANG GLIDING – Competitive prices, state-of-the-art equipment. Complete lesson programs.

Northern California Mosquito harness dealer. Ideal training hill. tandem instruction. USHGA Advanced Instructor Doug Prather, (209) 556-0469, Modesto, California. drmwvrhg@softcom.net.

FOR SALE 2005 SOL “BIG BOY” TANDEM PARAGLIDER – Fine condition, orange, with less than 20 hours flight time. $1450. Call (209) 602-2701.

RAMAIR 154 – Excellent condition, $450. AT 154 – Flown once, brand new. $450. Ken, (303) 888-1255.

EMPLOYMENT

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HARNESSES

AIRJUNKIES PARAGLIDING – Year-round excellent instruction, Southern California & Baja. Powered paragliding, clinics, tours, tandem, towing. Ken Baier, (760) 753-2664, airjunkies@sbcglobal.net, airjunkies.com.

LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN FLIGHT PARK – The best facilities, largest inventory, camping, swimming, volleyball, more. Wide range of accommodations. hanglide.com, 877-hanglide, (877) 426-4543.

ARIZONA FLY HIGH PARAGLIDING.COM – over 10 years of experience, offers P-2 certification, tandem flights, towing, new and used equipment, the best weather to fly in USA. (480) 266-6969.

CALIFORNIA

O’CONNOR FLIGHT SCHOOL – Specializing in Safety In-Flight Training & Maneuvers Clinics and Aerobatic Instruction. Enhance your knowledge, increase your level of confidence, take your piloting skills to new levels. Overthe-water safety and aerobatics clinics. Enleau and Ann O’Connor, www.oconnorflightschool.com, (530) 2274055 and reserve your clinic.

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 fullservice repairs. Bring your family for our amazing sunsets and dining at the Cliffhanger Cafe. Importers for Para-tech and Independence gliders. We also carry AustriAlpin, Center of Gravity, Crispi and Sup’Air. 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 9-11:00 a.m. (PST).

WINDSPORTS – 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

June 2006: Hang Gliding & Paragliding – w w w.ushga.org

sand and in a thorough program with one of America’s most prestigious schools for over 25 years. (818) 367-2430, www.windsports.com.

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

Wills Wing, Moyes, Altair, Aeros, High Energy, Ball, Finsterwalder, Flytec, MotoComm and much more. Call (303) 674-2451, Evergreen, Colorado. AirtimeHG@aol.com.

GUNNISON GLIDERS – Serving the western slope.

Instruction, sales, service, sewing, accessories. Site information, ratings. 1549 County Road 17, Gunnison CO 81230. (970) 641-9315, 1-866-238-2305.

PEAK TO PEAK PARAGLIDING LLC – THE Front Range paragliding school, located in Boulder. Offering excellent state-of-the-art instruction. Equipment & tandems. (303) 817-0803, Info@peaktopeakparagliding.com, www .peaktopeakparagliding.com.

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 minutes. 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-ofthe-art. F.H.G. INC., flying Florida since 1974.

GEORGIA LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN FLIGHT PARK - Discover why 5 times as many pilots earn their wings at LMFP. Enjoy our 110-acre mountain resort. www.hanglide.com, 877hanglide, (877) 426-4543.

FLORIDA FLORIDA RIDGE AEROTOW PARK – 18265 E State Road 80, Clewiston, Florida, (863) 805-0440, www.thefloridaridge.com.

GRAYBIRD AIRSPORTS – Paraglider & hang glider towing & training, Dragonfly aerotow training, XC, thermaling, instruction, equipment. Dunnellon Airport, (352) 245-8263, email fly@graybirdairsports.com, www.graybirdairsports.com.

LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN FLIGHT PARK – Nearest mountain training center to Orlando. Two training hills, novice mountain launch, aerotowing, great accommodations. hanglide.com, 877-hanglide, (877) 426-4543.

MIAMI HANG GLIDING – For year-round training fun in the sun. (305) 285-8978, 2550 S Bayshore Drive, Coconut Grove, Florida 33133, www.miamihanggliding.com.

QUEST AIR - FROM 1ST FLIGHT TO 1ST PLACE – From your first tandem to advanced XC racing, fly with the innovators of aerotowing and champion instructors.

No-wait lessons. Higher tows = more airtime. 7 Dragonfly tugs. Safer carts. Huge LZ. Demos. Rentals. Storage. Sales & repair of everything HG. Clubhouse with kitchen, PC, satellite TV, cool toys, kegs, snakeboard races. Pool. Hot tub. Shade. Free wireless. Private lake. Rooms. Bunkhouse.

Tent camping. RV hookups. Indoor/outdoor showers. Laundry. Bobby Bailey sightings. Flytec Championships. 2006 Worlds. Largest U.S. HG record/comp sponsors, helping to keep it all going for YOU. Minutes from Orlando in Groveland, FL. www.questairforce.com, questair@mpinet.com, (352) 429-0213.

SEMINOLE-LAKE GLIDERPORT – We specialize in hang gliding/paragliding transition to sailplanes. Located between Quest and Wallaby in central Florida. (352) 3945450, www.soarfl.com.

WALLABY 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

HAWAII FLY HAWAII – Hawaii’s hang gliding, paragliding/ paramotoring school. Mauna Kea guide service. Big Island Hawaii, Achim Hagemann (808) 895-9772, www.aircotec .net/flyhawaii.htm, flyaglider@yahoo.com.

ISLAND POWERED PARAGLIDING & THERMAL UP PARAGLIDING – The Big Island’s source for USHGA certified instruction. Power or tow from a private 25-acre ranch. Guided site and flight tours. Equipment rental, service and sales. Call Yeti, (808) 987-0773, www.IslandPPG.com, www.ThermalUp.com.

fields as far as you can see. Only 1 to 1.5 hours from Rehoboth Beach, Baltimore, Washington DC, Philadelphia. Come Fly with US! (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 and accessories.

Cloud 9 Field, 11088 Coon Lake Road West, Webberville MI 48892. Cloud9sa@aol.com, http://members.aol .com/cloud9sa. Call for spring tandem lessons and flying appointments with the Draachen Fliegen Soaring Club at Cloud 9 Field. (517) 223-8683, DFSCinc@aol.com, http://members.aol.com/dfscinc.

TRAVERSE CITY HANG GLIDERS/PARAGLIDERS – Put your knees in our breeze and soar our 450’ sand dunes.

Full-time 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. www.mosquitoamerica.com.

NEW YORK AAA E-VILLE OUTFITTERS, MOUNTAIN WINGS INC. – Aeros, North Wing (845) 647-3377, mtnwings@hvc .rr.com , www.evilleoutfitters.com, Ellenville, N.Y. FLY HIGH, INC. – Serving New York, Jersey, and Connecticut areas. Area’s exclusive Wills Wing dealer. Also all other brands, accessories. Area’s most INEXPENSIVE prices! Certified instruction/service since 1979. Excellent secondary instruction! Taken some lessons? Advance to mountain flying! www.flyhighhg.com, (845) 744-3317.

PROFLYGHT PARAGLIDING – Call Dexter for friendly information about flying on Maui. Full-service school offering beginner to advanced instruction every day, year round. SUSQUEHANNA FLIGHT PARK COOPERSTOWN – 160’ training hill with rides up. 600’ ridge – large LZ. (808) 874-5433, paraglidehawaii.com.IDAHO Specializing in first mountain flights. Dan Guido, 293 Shoemaker Road, Mohawk NY 13407. (315) 866-6153, IDAHO dguido@dfamilk.com.

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

INDIANA CLOUD 9 SPORT AVIATION – See Cloud 9 in Michigan.

MAINE DOWNEAST AIRSPORTS – Paragliding and hang gliding instruction, quality equipment sales.

Extended training/tour packages with lodging available. www.downeastairsports.com, in_a_cloud@hotmail.com, Marc (207) 244-9107.

MARYLAND HIGHLAND AEROSPORTS – Baltimore and DC’s fulltime 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

June 2006: Hang Gliding & Paragliding – w w w.ushga.org

NORTH CAROLINA KITTY HAWK KITES – FREE Hang 1 training with purchase of equipment! The largest hang gliding school in the world. Teaching since 1974. Learn to fly over the East Coast’s largest sand dune. Year-round instruction, foot launch and tandem aerotow. Dealer for all major manufacturers. Ultralight instruction and tours. (252) 441-2426, 1-877-FLY-THIS, www.kittyhawk.com.

OHIO CLOUD 9 SPORT AVIATION – See Cloud 9 in Michigan.

PUERTO RICO FLY PUERTO RICO WITH TEAM SPIRIT HG! – Flying tours, rentals, tandems, HG and PG classes, H-2 and P-2 intensive Novice courses, full sales. (787) 850-0508, tshg@coqui.net.

TENNESSEE LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN FLIGHT PARK – Just outside

75

Chattanooga. Become a complete pilot – foot launch, aerotow, mountain launch, ridge soar, thermal soar. hanglide.com, 877-hanglide, (877) 426-4543.

TEXAS AUSTIN AIR SPORTS – Hang gliding and ultralight sales, service and instruction. Steve Burns (512) 236-0031, sburns@austinairsports.com. Fred Burns (281) 471-1488, austinair@aol.com, www.austinairsports.com.

GO...HANG GLIDING!!! – Jeff Hunt. Austin ph/fax (512) 467-2529, jeff@flytexas.com, www.flytexas.com.

UTAH 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 1-888944-5433 or www.paragliders.com.

VIRGINIA BLUE SKY – Full-time instruction at Blue Sky Flight Park near Richmond. Scooter, platform and aerotowing available. All major brands of equipment, with Mosquitos and Doodlebugs in stock. Steve Wendt (540) 432-6557, (804) 241-4324, www.blueskyhg.com.

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

WASHINGTON AERIAL PARAGLIDING SCHOOL AND FLIGHT PARKAward-winning instructors at a world-class training facility.

Contact Doug Stroop at (509) 782-5543 or visit www.paragliding.us.

WISCONSIN RAVEN HANG GLIDING, INC. – Now booking reservations for training hill and tandem aerotow lessons at two locations! www.hanggliding.com, info@hanggliding.com, http://stores.ebay.com/raven-sports, (262) 473-8800.

WYOMING JACKSON HOLE PARAGLIDING – A perfect flying day: Launch the Jackson Hole Mountain Resort Aerial Tram in the morning, tow at the Palisades Reservoir in the afternoon. Contact: scharris@wyoming.com, www.jhparagliding.com, (307) 690-TRAM (8726).

INTERNATIONAL MEXICO – VALLE DE BRAVO and beyond for hang gliding and paragliding. Year-round availability and special tours, winter 05-06. Fly the extinct volcano, vagabond tours for those with wanderlust and more sites in the Valle area. Standard package in and out on a Sunday, $895 PG $1095 HG - includes all transpo, lodging, guiding and HG rental. www.flymexico.com, 1-800-861-7198 USA. VOLER PARAGLIDING - Argentina, Chile, Brazil Guided tours with certified instructors info@ volerparapente.com.ar - Transportation, lodging, guiding.

More Info www.volerparapente.com.ar.

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PARTS & ACCESSORIES

PUBLICATIONS & ORGANIZATIONS

ATTACH ANYWHERE SUPERLIGHT HG INSTRUMENT MOUNT – $30ppd! Replacement mount bands: $10 pr.

Flat-folding harness packs: $25-50. Harness zippers?

Straps! Varios. Gunnison Gliders, 1-866-238-2305.

*NEW* AND THE WORLD COULD FLY - And the World Could Fly tells the story of how piloting for the masses became a possibility and then a reality. This is a tale of free flight in every sense of the term. Edited by Stéphane Malbos and Noel Whittall, And the World Could Fly contains contributions from many parts of the world as well as much new writing. Together, the editors have more than fifty years of undiminished enthusiasm for foot-launched flight. And the World Could Fly is produced by the International Hang Gliding and Paragliding Commission (CIVL) to celebrate the centenary of FAI. It is a book which will appeal to anyone with an interest in free flight, whether an old-stager who can remember the early California days or a newcomer who wonders where it all came from. Call USHGA 1-800-616-6888 or order off our Web site, www .ushga.org. PO Box 1330, Colorado Springs CO 80901.

BIG EARS PTT – $99.95. Includes speaker and microphone, radio connection, sealed finger switch. Choose the full-face or the open-face model. www.bigearsptt.com, (805) 965-3733.

CLOTHING – Embroidered and screen-printed shirts and hats with sharp hang glider artwork. Raven, Wills, TTT, and other brands. (262) 473-8800, www.hanggliding .com, info@hanggliding.com, http://stores.ebay.com/ raven-sports.

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. www .hillcountryparagliding.com, 1-800-664-1160 for orders only. Office (325) 379-1567.

GLIDERBAGS – XC $60! Heavy waterproof $100. Accessories, low prices, fast delivery! Gunnison Gliders, 1549 County Road 17, Gunnison CO 81230. (970) 641-9315, 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. (949) 795-0421, MC/Visa accepted, www.mallettec.com.

OXYGEN SYSTEMS – The world-class XCR-180 operates up to 3 hours @18,000 feet and weighs only 4 lbs. Complete kit with cylinder, harness, regulator, cannula and remote on/off flowmeter, only $400. 1-800-468-8185.

RISING AIR GLIDER REPAIR SERVICES – A full-service shop, specializing in all types of paragliding repairs, annual inspections, reserve repacks, harness repairs.

Hang gliding reserve repacks and repair. For information or repair estimate, call (208) 554-2243, pricing and service request form available at www.risingair.biz, billa@ atcnet.net.

TANDEM LANDING GEAR – Rascal™ brand by Raven, simply the best. New & used. (262) 473-8800, www.hanggliding.com, info@hanggliding.com, http:// stores.ebay.com/raven-sports.

WHEELS FOR AIRFOIL BASETUBES – WHOOSH! Wheels™ (Patent Pending), Moyes/Airborne & Wills Wing compatible. Dealer inquiries invited. (262) 473-8800, www.hanggliding.com, info@hanggliding.com, http:// stores.ebay.com/raven-sports.

WINDSOKS FROM HAWK AIRSPORTS INC – 1673 Corbin Lake Rd, Rutledge, TN 37861, 1-800-826-2719. Worldfamous Windsoks, as seen at the Oshkosh & Sun-N-Fun EAA Fly-Ins. Hawk@windsok.com, www.windsok.com.

BIRDFLIGHT – Otto Lilienthal’s genius in scientific observations and analysis, documented in this work, became the basis for the experimentation of the early pioneers in aviation. The “hero” of the Wright brothers, Otto is considered to be “The Father of Gliding Flight.” Lilienthal’s definitive book has been out of print for almost a century, but is now available to everyone for a wonderful and absorbing journey into aviation history. 176 pages, 16 photographs, 89 drawings and 14 graphs. $19.95 (+$5 s/h) Call USHGA at 1-800-616-6888 or order off our Web site, www.ushga.org. PO Box 1330, Colorado Springs CO 80901. *NEW* CONDOR TRAIL, PARAGLIDING THE CENTRAL ANDES – the guidebook to paragliding and traveling in the Central Andes. It’s packed with 256 pages of maps, site descriptions, local lore, free-flight contacts and photos, all the information you need to plan your own Andean paragliding adventure. Most of the launch and landing access throughout the Andes is done with cheap public transportation. Condor Trail gives you bus routes to catch, areas to avoid, traveler tips, and contacts for the local flying communities throughout Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Northern Argentina, and Northern Chile. Call USHGA at 1-800-616-6888 or order off our Web site, www .ushga.org. PO Box 1330, Colorado Springs CO 80901.

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 that will not swamp the reader with a 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). Call USHGA at 1-800616-6888 or order off our Web site, www.ushga.org. PO Box 1330, Colorado Springs CO 80901.

SEMINOLE-LAKE GLIDERPORT – We specialize in hang gliding/paragliding transition to sailplanes. Located between Quest and Wallaby in central Florida. (352) 3945450, www.soarfl.com.

SOARING – Monthly magazine of The Soaring Society of America Inc. Covers all aspects of soaring flight. Full membership $64. SSA, PO Box 2100, Hobbs NM 88241.

(505) 392-1177, ssa.org.

TOWING TANDEM BOAT TOW HG SYSTEM – Complete w/boat, June 2006: Hang Gliding & Paragliding – w w w.ushga.org

TOW SYSTEM – trailer mounted, MK III, by Tow Launch Systems. 3000’ line, remote control/readout system.

Custom extras, 600 successful tow track record. $1000.

(208) 237-9157.

VIDEOS & DVDS VIDEOS FROM USHGA – WWW.USHGA.ORG *NEW* DARE DEVIL FLYERS – The 94-minute digital video docupicture covers all thirty years of hang gliding and all seventeen years of paragliding. It begins with the Bob and Chris Wills story – they founded Wills Wing, the only surviving American manufacturer/distributor of hang gliders and paragliders. Two legendary pilots guide the audience through these extreme sports with their narrative. The docupic features competition in the extreme sports of aerobatic hang gliding, speed hang gliding and high-altitude cross-country paragliding. Wingmounted POV cameras provide the docupic with an inthe-air thrill ride from the Rocky Mountains to the Pacific coast. Narrator Bobby Carradine threads us through the three decades. Call USHGA at 1-800-616-6888 or order off our Web site, www.ushga.org. PO Box 1330, Colorado Springs CO 80901.

PURA VIDA FLYING – By GW Meadows. 3 pilots, 3 weeks, 1 jungle, no rules. A trio of competition hang glider and paraglider pilots discover the true meaning of “pura vida” as they enjoy the jungles and beaches of Costa Rica. Hang gliding, paragliding, ultralight towing, kiteboarding and more. Awesome flying. $24.95. Order yours at www.ushga.org/store.

RISK & REWARD – By Jeff Goin. This 70-min. DVD exposes the risks and rewards of powered paragliding in a fun, action-packed adventure. You owe yourself this inside look that could easily save your life. Three years in the making, Risk & Reward gathers wisdom from a long list of instructors. Spectacular video from around the world sheds light on essential concepts with clarity and realism. $29.95. Order yours at www.ushga.org/store. *NEW* USHGA MAGAZINE ARCHIVE 1971-2004 – The DVD set holds the history of our sport, from the earliest days of bamboo and plastic to the present. Within these pages you’ll find the evolution of foot-launched flight from the first days of bamboo dune-skimmers to the modern variety of hang gliders, paragliders and rigid wings. Each PDF file is one complete magazine, just as originally published. Pages with color are produced as color scans, the rest scanned as black and white images. Future issues will be available on an update disk. Each disk includes Adobe Acrobat Reader Version 7 for Windows, Macintosh and Linux systems. $30 for members and $90 for nonmembers. Call USHGA at 1-800-616-6888 or order off our Web site, www.ushga.org. PO Box 1330, Colorado Springs CO 80901.

MISCELLANEOUS “AEROBATICS” POSTER – Full color 23”x 31” poster featuring John Heiney doing what he does bestLOOPING! See www.ushga.org under store/misc for example. Available through USHGA HQ for just $6.95

(+$5.00 s/h). USHGA, PO Box 1300, Colorado Springs CO 80933. (USA & Canada only.

Sorry, posters are NOT AVAILABLE on international orders.)

DVDS-VIDEOS-BOOKSPOSTERS – Check out our Web store at www.ushga.org.

WORLDWIDE INTERNET PARAGLIDING TALK SHOW – WWW.WORLDTALKRADIO.COM. Listen live or to the archives! Live Tuesday 9-11:00 a.m. (PST). Call toll-free, 1-888514-2100 or internationally at (001) 858-268-3068. Paraglider pilots and radio hosts David and Gabriel Jebb want to hear about your stories, promotions/events or insight; they also take questions!

INDEX TO ADVERTISERS ACE SIM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59 ANGLE OF ATTACK . . . . . . . . . . . 6 CRITTER MOUNTAIN WEAR . . . 22 FLYTEC USA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80 HALL BROTHERS . . . . . . . . . . . 32 HIGH ENERGY SPORTS . . . . . . . 13 JUST FLY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 MOYES AMERICA . . . . . . . . . . . 20 NORTH WING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 O’CONNOR FLIGHT SCHOOL . . . 30 OZONE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

SPORT AVIATION PUBLICATIONS . . . . . . . . . . . 36 SUPER FLY ADVANCE . . . . . . . . 35 SUPER FLY . . . . . . . . . . . 45,47,49 TORREY PINES . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79 TRAVERSE CITY HG&PG . . . . . . 34 USHPA DVD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 USHG FOUNDATION . . . . . . . . . 39 USHPA RENEW . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 WILLS WING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

MARKETPLACE ADVENTURE PRODUCTIONS. . . 71 CLOUD 9 SOARING CENTER . . . 71 FLIGHT CONNECTIONS . . . . . . . 71 FLYINGEST FLYING . . . . . . . . . . 72 FLYTEC USA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71 JUST FLY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71 KITTY HAWK KITES . . . . . . . . . 71

LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN . . . . . . . . 71 OZ REPORT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72 THEWINDYPLANET.COM . . . . . 71 USHGA BOOKS . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72 USHGA XC FLIGHT AWARDS . . 72 X1 HIDDEN MOUNTAIN . . . . . . . 72

CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING RATES – The rate for classified advertising is $10.00 for 25 words and $1.00 per word after 25. MINIMUM AD CHARGE $10.00. Phone number=2 words. Email or Web address=3 words. AD DEADLINES: All ad copy, instructions, changes, additions & cancellations must be received in writing 2 months preceding the cover date, i.e. March 15th is the deadline for the May issue. ALL CLASSIFIEDS ARE PREPAID. If paying by check, please include the following with your payment: name, address, phone, category, how many months you want the ad to run and the classified ad. Please make checks payable to USHPA, P.O. Box 1330, Colorado Springs, CO 80901-1330. If paying with credit card, you may email the previous information and classified to ushga@ushga.org. For safety reason, please call your Visa/MC or Amex info to the office. No refunds will be given on ads cancelled that are scheduled to run multiple months. (719) 632-8300.

Fax (719) 632-6417

STOLEN WINGS & THINGS PRO-DESIGN TITAN II – Stolen mid-December 2005 from a locked car in Honolulu, Hawaii. White, yellow at back of bottom sail with Pro-Design MOVE harness, Kiwi helmet. $1000 reward for recovery of gear in good condition. Contact Ken Berry (808) 479-2115.

SKYWALK CAYENNE – Stolen mid-December 2005 from a locked car in Honolulu, Hawaii. Black with yellow and white striping, with Pro-Design Jam Pro harness, Kiwi helmet. $1000 reward for recovery of gear in good condition. Contact Ken Berry (808) 479-2115.

STOLEN WINGS ARE LISTED AS A SERVICE TO USHPA MEMBERS. NEWEST ENTRIES ARE IN BOLD. THERE IS NO CHARGE FOR THIS SERVICE, AND LOST-AND-FOUND WINGS OR EQUIPMENT MAY BE CALLED IN TO (719) 632-8300, FAXED TO (719) 6326417, OR EMAILED TO 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.

June 2006: Hang Gliding & Paragliding – w w w.ushga.org

End-of-the-day soaring in Colombia

Photo courtesy Airborne Planet

glider, winch & floats. New and ready to go. $20,000. hangglidewithjames@msn.com, (360) 671-3037.

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June 2006: Hang Gliding & Paragliding – w w w.ushga.org

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&ue!i!i what'!i new at Flytec Cut out and rearrange the pieces

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Rytec.com

~~~~ FlyrEc---~ 352,429·8600 • BDD·66i!·i!449 • www.flytec.com