Hang Gliding & Paragliding Vol38/Iss09 Sep 2008

www.USHPA.aero

SEPTEMBER 2008 Volume 38 Issue 9 $4.95

G L I D I N G

MAGAZINE STAFF USHPA, Publisher: info@ushpa.aero Nick Greece, Editor: editor@ushpa.aero Greg Gillam, Art Director: art.director@ushpa.aero Martin Palmaz, Advertising: martin@ushpa.aero Staff writers: Alex Colby, Steve Messman, Dennis Pagen, Mark “Forger” Stucky, Ryan Voight, Tom Webster Staff artist: Jim Tibbs Staff photographers: John Heiney, Jeff O'Brien, Jeff Shapiro OFFICE STAFF Paul Montville, Executive Director: paul.montville@ushpa.aero Rick Butler, Information Services Director: rick@ushpa.aero Martin Palmaz, Business Manager: martin@ushpa.aero Erin Russell, Office Manager: erin@ushpa.aero Michelle Burtis, Member/Instructor Services Administrator: michelle@ushpa.aero USHPA OFFICERS & EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE Lisa Tate, President: lisa@lisatateglass.com Riss Estes, Vice President: parariss@yahoo.com Rich Hass, Secretary: richhass@comcast.net Mark Forbes, Treasurer: mgforbes@mindspring.com REGION 1: Rich Hass, Mark Forbes. REGION 2: Dave Wills, Urs Kellenberger, Paul Gazis. REGION 3: David Jebb, Rob Sporrer, Brad Hall. REGION 4: Mark Gaskill, Jim Zeiset. REGION 5: Lisa Tate. REGION 6: Gregg Ludwig. REGION 7: Tracy Tillman. REGION 8: Gary Trudeau. REGION 9: Felipe Amunategui, L.E. Herrick. REGION 10: Dick Heckman, Steve Kroop, Matt Taber. REGION 11: Gregg Ludwig. REGION 12: Paul Voight. REGION 13: Dick Heckman.

DIRECTORS AT LARGE: Leo Bynum, Riss Estes, Mike Haley, Jon James, Dennis Pagen. EX-OFFICIO DIRECTOR: Art Greenfield (NAA).

The United States Hang Gliding and Paragliding 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 USHPA supervision of FAI-related hang gliding and paragliding activities such as record attempts and competition sanctions.

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P A R A G L I D I N G

HANG GLIDING & PARAGLIDING magazine is published for foot-launched air-sports enthusiasts to create further interest in the sports of hang gliding and paragliding and to provide an educational forum to advance hang gliding and paragliding methods and safety. Contributions are welcome. HANG GLIDING & PARAGLIDING magazine reserves the right to edit contributions where necessary. The Association and publication do not assume responsibility for the material or opinions of contributors.

HANG GLIDING & PARAGLIDING editorial offices email: editor@ushpa.aero.

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

M A G A Z I N E

lengthy items. Please edit news releases with our readership in mind, and keep them reasonably short without excessive sales hype. Calendar of events items may be sent via email to editor@ushpa.aero, 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@ushpa.aero, (516) 816-1333.

DISCLAIMER OF WARRANTIES IN PUBLICATIONS

The material presented here is published as part of an information The USHPA is a member-controlled sport organization dedicated to the dissemination service for USHPA members. The USHPA makes no exploration and promotion of all facets of unpowered ultralight flight, warranties or representations and assumes no liability concerning the and to the education, training and safety of its membership. Membership validity of any advice, opinion or recommendation expressed in the is open to anyone interested in this realm of flight. Dues for Rogallo material. All individuals relying upon the material do so at their own risk. membership are $270. Pilot memberships are $75 ($90 non-U.S.). Dues Copyright © 2008 Hang Gliding & Paragliding magazine. for Contributing membership and for subscription-only are $52 ($63 nonFor change of address or other USHPA business U.S.). $15 of annual membership dues goes to the publication of Hang call (719) 632-8300, or email info@ushpa.aero.

Gliding & Paragliding magazine. Changes of address should be sent six weeks in advance, including name, USHPA number, previous and new address, and a mailing label from a recent issue. You may also email your request with your member number to: info@ushpa.aero.

HANG GLIDING & PARAGLIDING (ISSN 1543-5989) (USPS 17970) is published monthly by the United States Hang Gliding and Paragliding 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.

POSTMASTER: Send change of address to: Hang Gliding & Paragliding magazine, P.O. BOX 1330, Colorado Springs, CO 80901-1330. Canadian Post Publications Mail Agreement #40065056. Canadian Return Address: DP Global Mail, 4960-2 Walker Road, Windsor, ON N9A 6J3

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

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

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. News releases are welcomed, but please do not send brochures, dealer newsletters or other extremely

Photo by Dean Stratton

H A N G

0809 EDITOR

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PILOT BRIEFINGS

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AIRMAIL

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USHPA

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SAFETY BULLETIN

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EVENTS

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CENTERFOLD

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DISPATCH

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RATINGS

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USHPA STORE

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HANG IN THERE | GOTTA KNOW WHEN TO FOld 'em Forger's at it again.

by Mark "Forger" Stucky . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

SHORT PACKED Fold up your Falcon 3 and hop on an airbus. John demonstrates.

by John Wright. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

YOU SHOULD GO TO A COMP You're unlikely to rule the roost, but going to a comp can be more rewarding than you ever imagined.

by Patrick Harper . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIPS Hang gliders fill the skies over the Alps.

by Dennis Pagen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

JAPANIMATION Sometimes things don't go as planned.

That's when you see what's around you.

pston.

Aaron Swe y b to o h p Cover

by Matt Gerdes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

September 2008 | Hang Gliding & Paragliding | www.USHPA .aero

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IQUIQUE A tour load of hopefuls hit the highs in the perfect skies of Chile.

by Lindsay Matush . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

LARAGNE Getting there and back is half the fun.

Well, not really.

by Jeff Obrien. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

AGUA Learn some lessons from a wet and weedy trip to a mystery LZ.

by Tom Webster . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50

BAY AREA FLYING Snapshots.

by Theresa Epperson. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52

GALLERY Peter Volf Page 54

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A

s another summer of flying wanes and winter approaches, thoughtful pilots tank up before the last thermals carry us back to earth. When I went to a competition recently, and I realized, like everyone else, that my equipment has really evolved. A few years ago, I used a pen to mark flying sites in a tattered 2002 Rand McNally Road Atlas as I drove out West. Some I hit, some I didn’t—but they’re all marked for future reference. At that time I had a harness, a wing, a reserve, and a helmet. Life was simple and easy—just grand.

Fast forward to 2008. I’m being led by a talking GPS named Eileen who can only sometimes mark flying sites as waypoints. My gear weighs at least 70 pounds, and I can’t fly unless I have 15 pounds of water ballast. The flights are more complex, and certain innovations have increased my performance dramatically. I’m flying better than I ever have, and all the bells and whistles complement my deeper experience.

However, with the more advanced technology, I’ve also lost some agility.

Now, to hike-and-fly takes a huge feat of strength. Eileen, along with her requisite baggage, has severely limited the ability to trail-blaze across rarely traveled terrain and more efficient routes. And many of those indelibly marked peaks are unobtainable with a 70-pound pack.

It’s not all bad though. My pod harness is surprisingly warm and, without the glide calculator, I probably would not pick out the lifting lines as efficiently. The car GPS is amazing for finding houses in towns and cities, even if it can’t find the fastest way to Woodrat from Jackson. And without my supply of ballast water, I would have been circled by vultures the last time I landedout and had to hike.

In such a gear- dependent sport, the search for better equipment is endless. I couldn’t be happier with how my flying has progressed, but I sometimes wonder if all that glitters is gold? One thing is certain. I still feel like the kid on the cover of the Rand McNally Atlas every time I launch.

New | Improved | Buzzworthy

PilotBRIEFINGS  

 ADVANCE EASYPACK 2 The EASYPACK 2, which now comes with every ADVANCE paraglider, excels because of its superb comfort, slender shape and outstanding design.

Ergonomically shaped, the EASYPACK 2 unites all the advantages of its popular predecessors. In addition it is ergonomically designed and sits better on the back because of its slender and compact shape.

The basic trapezium design makes packing and closing easy, even for bulky harnesses with foam protectors.

The trapezoid back shape gives the EASYPACK 2 the volume where you need it, namely in the small of the back, where the main support strap is widest and thickest. An internal compression strap in the same place also allows the harness foam protector to be compressed effectively, and this works especially well with the ADVANCE SUCCESS 2+ and IMPRESS 2+ harnesses.

The main zip can then easily be closed without a struggle.

Every ADVANCE paraglider will now come with the new EASYPACK 2. These can be chosen in sizes S (90 l), M (150 l) and L (185 l) (at no extra cost).

 X-ALPS APPS OPEN From July 15, 2008, athletes

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can apply online via the official website, www.redbullxalps. com, to be part of the next installment of this incredible event which starts on July 19, 2009. Applications will close on September 30, 2008 and a selection announcement will be made shortly after.

A total of thirty international athletes will be chosen to race over an 850km route through the Alps, which is expected to take up to 20 days.

“We are looking for the best competitors, most interesting sportspeople and athletes who are fully motivated to push their limits and make it to Monaco,” says Race Organizer Hannes Arch.

Organizers are currently finalizing the route, which will take athletes through turnpoints in Austria, Germany, Italy, Switzerland and France before finishing on the Mediterranean Coast.

Promising to be as tough as ever, the new course will require an intelligent strategy and should allow for some very long flights should athletes get their planning correct.

Competitors must carry their equipment at all times, but can nominate a supporter to provide food, clothing and navigational advice. The race continues day and night until

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the first athlete reaches goal.

2007’s event was considered the most exciting yet, with Switzerland’s Alex Hofer reaching the final turnpoint, after some stunning last-minute flying, just a few hours ahead of Toma “Running Man” Coconea (ROM).

A huge amount of fans followed the action via the Live Tracking service on www. redbullxalps.com. The exact position of each athlete was pinpointed on an interactive map, showing whether they are hiking, flying or resting as well as allowing site visitors to view performance statistics and diary entries.

 TREE TOPPERS FUND RAISER For many years the Tennessee Tree Toppers have been socking away every extra dollar possible for the eventual purchase of an LZ at Whitwell. Here’s a way you can help this dream come true, and get a very cool TTT license plate for your chase vehicle. For a donation of only $20.00 (OR MORE!) plus $5.00 for shipping, you receive a beautiful ‘FirstEdition’, collector’s item, license plates to show everyone you are proud member and supporter of the Tennessee Tree Toppers.

Wherever you go, you will serve as a mobile billboard spreading the word about “The Best Hang

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Gliding Club in America”. For more information email Keith Atkins at blumonkeyglider@ gmail.com. You can also send payments to Keith Atkins, 1765 North Parkway, Memphis TN 38112.

 BAMBOO CHUTES RECYCLES Attention pilots! Ever wonder what to do with your old reserve or paraglider? Now you can recycle them and help shrink landfills, clear storage space, and receive a free bag from your old canopy. They even cover shipping. Join the green revolution and recycle your glider with Bamboo Chutes. They even cover shipping. For more information contact Janice Lineberger at (541) 301-3101, or info@bamboochutes.com.

NEW EDITORIAL CALENDAR In hopes of boosting contributor submissions to Hang Gliding & Paragliding, there’s a new Editorial Calendar online at www. ushpa.aero, under the magazine section. It outlines topics for inclusion in each issue—for the next six months. We believe this will help immensely in guiding the magazine effectively. Please let the editor know if you have any ideas for interesting topics to add to the calendar.

September 2008 | Hang Gliding & Paragliding | www.USHPA .aero

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 

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Rants | Raves | Ramblings

AirMAIL

The opinions expressed in the letters published in this column are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the magazine staff or USHPA officials. While every effort is made to verify facts stated in letters, readers are urged to check the accuracy of any statement before taking action or forming an opinion based on the contents of a letter.

AIRFOILS FOILED  With regard to the Airfoils article by Tom Webster (July 2008), there are too many misleading statements to address in a letter. Just one issue will be discussed here.

The Coanda effect is the tendency of a fluid to follow an adjacent curved surface.

Density, viscosity, speed and curvature all play a part. For different conditions a different pri-

© Devonyu & Visionarts | Dreamstime.com

mary cause explains the effect.

The Coanda effect with regard to air smoothly flowing over a wing is a result of differences in pres-

sure. It is not due to viscosity of the fluid.

Air flowing over the top of a hang glider wing speeds up and simultaneously has a reduction in pressure. The relationship between velocity and pressure was discovered and formulated by Bernoulli. Since air moves from relatively high pressure regions to relatively low pressure regions, the nearby air moves toward the wing as quickly as it can. For a nicely shaped airfoil, the flow ends up following the wing surface.

The air does not “stick” to the wing. Yes, air has viscosity, but its viscosity or “stickiness” has essentially no effect on air flowing smoothly over a hang glider wing. The inviscid form of the Navier Stokes fluid flow equations can be solved to obtain the fluid velocity very accurately. Unfortunately, this is not easy to do. Aircraft companies spend millions of dollars using high speed computers to solve those equations. Alas, the fantasy of equal transit time, and any other simple scheme, to guess the velocity leads to wildly incorrect answers. With a correct

velocity calculation the Bernoulli equation can be used to obtain pressure along a wing fairly accurately.

The picture showing water following the shape of a spoon does show the Coanda effect but does not apply to a wing at flying angle of attack. It is the viscosity and surface tension of the water that causes it to follow the spoon.

Submitted by Bill Helliwell Author Tom Webster responds: The point of my article was to present a technical concept to a nontechnical audience in a useful way. To do that, I used some terms, approximations and mental models which, while not precise, are harmless in their imprecision and lead the mind in the right direction.

For example, I used poetic license when I said that air sticks to the top of a wing. No, it doesn’t stick in a literal sense, like a booger would, but imagining that there is a “stickiness” to the air helps flesh out the concept that air must follow the contours of an airfoil for lift to occur.

The picture of the spoon was there to illustrate the basic idea of the Coanda Effect, and was not meant to imply that airplanes fly because of viscosity and surface tension.

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September 2008 | Hang Gliding & Paragliding | www.USHPA .aero

Mission | Policy | Membership | Involvement

ScooterTowCLINICS

FUNDING NOW AVAILABLE ď ľ Scooter-tow instructor clinics sponsored by USHPA in 2006 and 2007 were well-attended and well-received by participants. Teaching instructors to build and use this low-cost and flexible training system helps USHPA expand training opportunities and generate more students, which, in turn helps grow the sport, meeting one of the goals of USHPAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s strategic plan.

USHPA has approved funding for these clinics that maintain high standards and good results. The new plan makes it easier for providers to schedule clinics with more

flexibility, and simpler for them to receive USHPA approval for funding as well as payment after the clinic.

The towing committee of our organization has determined that funding for the clinics should primarily support USHPA Rogallo members who want to become scooter tow instructors, and secondarily support USHPA pilot members who can immediately benefit from learning scooter tow methods and may then consider becoming instructors. Offering clinic funding for both Rogallo and pilot members will generate greater interest in the program and increase

September 2008 | Hang Gliding & Paragliding | www.USHPA .aero

the likelihood that potential providers will schedule clinics in various regions across the country.

Requests for funding can be sent to the Towing Committee Chairman, GreggLudwig@aol.com, or directly to the USHPA Executive Committee. Approval will come from the Executive Committee. Your Regional Director can assist with your application as needed.

The Request for Scooter-Tow Instructor Clinic Funding requires evidence from the provider that he/she is experienced and appropriately credentialed, the clinic must be held in an US location, date(s), schedule for the clinic, and a promotion/advertising plan.

Providers schedule their own clinics where and when they want, charge whatever they wish (or nothing at all), and collect/ keep fees charged (if any) directly from participants.

Funding is provided to attendees in the form of scholarships for each attendee, paid directly to the clinic provider. Rogallo members receive $100 per documented day of attendance. Pilot members receive $50 per day per documented day of attendance.

Providers can schedule one, two, or three day clinics, with a maximum funding amount of $1000 per day, with a maximum of $3000 per clinic.

To receive payment of funds after the clinic, the provider must submit a report to the Chair of the Towing Committee, including: (a) A list of names of attendees, (b) A sign-in, sign-out sheet for attendees for each day of the clinic, and (c) Post-clinic evaluations provided by each attendee.

A curriculum and/or syllabus on how to teach scooter-towing along with examples of the course materials must be given to the students by the provider. Assistance is available from your towing committee to meet these requirements.

Submitted by Gregg Ludwig

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Analysis | Preparedness | Incidents

SafetyBULLETIN The following account was written by an advanced-rated pilot with 15 years of injury-free hang gliding experience who had a bad landing at one of his local mountain sites. This occurred at a site, and while flying a glider, that the pilot had flown on numerous occasions in the past. He was flying on a day forecast to be similar to many other days he had successfully flown in the past. This particular flight ended badly however, and serves as a valuable, if costly, lesson to all who think it won’t happen to us.

It was spring-time in the Northeast. Over the years I had slowly become a tow-head.

But I decided this season to make a concerted effort to fly the mountains on a more regular basis. I had spent a week the prior month flying my brains out in Mexico and had a great time. Since my topless glider was unavailable, I borrowed a singlesurface Falcon 195 and headed out hoping to find conditions reasonable for flight. I could not readily locate the monster safety

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wheels we used for flying on the training hill way-back-when, but didn’t think twice about flying without them. After all, who needs wheels on a Falcon, right? As it turns out, on that day, I did.

The forecast was a bit strong, but not horrible; in fact, conditions at this particular site were often found to be significantly lighter than forecast. So, off I went.

Arriving around noon, I found strong winds at launch with reports of strong thermal conditions and strong turbulence consistent with a shear layer about 1000-ft over launch. People low on the ridge seemed to be getting their butts kicked (even as they reported having fun). A highly experienced pilot had just blown his launch a little while earlier. Not my cup of tea. I pushed the 7 battens required to set up the Falcon and prepared for a long wait to see if things would mellow out near the end of the day.

Around 4:30 pm, conditions started to back-off at launch. I remember thinking that this was a bit early for things to be

backing-off, but that’s the weather for you.

It was supposed to be lighter the next day, so the trend was consistent. I also noted that the clouds had not changed much in appearance. But a radio call brought a pilot report that conditions aloft were civilized. And the cloud-pattern was not typical of a high-wind day. And the local paraglider pilots had begun to suit-up in preparation for flight. I decided that I had run out of excuses.

I goofed with my harness and camelback for a while, and by the time I was ready to hook-in, conditions on launch were still looking good—straight in at 10. I had a picture-perfect launch sometime around 5 pm. There was no weirdness coming out of the tree-lined slot, indicating that the winds were indeed coming straight-in to the mountain. I kept an eye on the GPS as I climbed several hundred feet and stayed well out front and below 1000 over, so as to avoid any high wind issues. It was blowing about 10-13 mph at 900 over and even though I actively searched for better fields to land in, just in case the normal LZ proved rowdy later on, I felt that conditions were quite manageable.

Up until this time, I had been fixated pri-

September 2008 | Hang Gliding & Paragliding | www.USHPA .aero

marily on the launch conditions, since the majority of my takeoffs the past few years had been via air towing. As a result, I had less concern about conditions in the LZ. This oversight was about to cost me bigtime. Fifteen minutes or so after launching, I noticed that I was backing up to the ridge.

And my arms were locked. A quick glance at the instruments showed that I was now going 36 mph through the air, apparently my max speed on this glider. The GPS showed I had a 3-4 mph groundspeed. A radio call down to launch brought back a report that it was now blowing stink on the mountain. Decidedly un-good.

My plan to hang out on the ridge for an hour or two, so as to land in smooth end-of-day conditions, was totally blown.

Perhaps 15 years ago I could have pointed with my arms locked in a Falcon 195 for an hour or two while waiting for things to back off, but those days were long gone. I decided to get down while I was still fresh enough to control the glider, when things got rowdy at treetop level. I began to penetrate out toward the main LZ, hoping to luck into a lift-line that might allow me to make a better field further away from the ridge. No way, Jose, not in a Falcon 195 going full bore. I was committed to the main LZ—a sloped field surrounded by rolling hills and tall trees.

I flew away from the ridge as far as I could before it was time to turn back and commit to the main LZ. In the field just upwind of the LZ, a large group of trees were getting trashed about by some disturbance. Terrific. Arms locked to get down before all of that nonsense drifted into the LZ, it seemed for a moment that I just might live through this after all. The winds felt significantly lighter this far below ridge-top level. I turned on a left base, high and reasonably early, to avoid being blown downwind of the field, planning on making S-turns to get down if required. Shortly after rolling out on final, I found myself in the Mother of All Uncommanded Turns. I camped out on the left side of the bar as the glider went through 180 degrees of right turn. At this point I decided it would be better to go with the turn, and switched to full right roll input.

By the time I rolled-out, back into the wind, I was on the wrong side of a lower tree-line separating the LZ from a river at the base of the mountain. This was one of

those “there I was, thought I was gonna die” moments you hear about in all the better war stories. Still reasonably high, I made a stab for the LZ while continually assessing my glide, prepared to turn away from the tree-line if I couldn’t clear it safely. I really had no viable plan after that, since there was nothing very landable-looking on my side of the tree-line given the conditions. I just knew I couldn’t afford to clip the trees if there was no assurance of sticking in them. As it turned out, I was able to clear that tree-line with a little room to spare.

Upon clearing the tree-line, I pulled in

“At the very, very end my indicated airspeed went from 28 mph to 0 mph in a single 1-second update. There was no time to get upright before impact.” to get the heck down before something else happened. The next thing I can recall was looking at the windsock on top of the hill and seeing it blow greater than 90-degrees off from its previous direction. I was now on short-final, flying up-hill with a quartering tailwind. I think that I tried to initiate a left-turn to get myself pointed at least crosswind, but then had to immediately abandon it and level the glider while pushing-out all the way - still prone on the basetube. I noted, as the right corner bracket dug into the earth, that I had no wheels on this glider. I also had time to note that it seemed as though the ground was going by awfully fast for a Falcon. At this point the flight was over. An examination of my instruments after the accident show that I went from the 80-100 ft treeline to terra firma in a matter of a couple seconds. At the very, very end my indicated airspeed went from 28 mph to 0 mph

September 2008 | Hang Gliding & Paragliding | www.USHPA .aero

in a single 1-second update. There was no time to get upright before impact.

I ended up sitting with my back against a downtube, flopping my right arm back into place, thankful to be alive and on the ground. I quickly discovered that in addition to my right arm there was something incorrect about my left wrist, as well.

Unable to unzip from my harness or raise anyone on the radio, I waited patiently until pilots already present in the LZ figured out that something was wrong. The resulting damage to the glider amounted a broken right downtube. That’s it! The resulting damage to the pilot turned out to be considerably more extensive, and surgery was required to make an effective repair. An entire year of flying was lost, and a great deal of angst was inflicted upon my family and friends. All-in-all, not one of my most shining moments.

I hope this report serves as a warning to those who might make the same mistakes that I did. I looked at what other pilots were doing and figured that I should be able to do that too. I failed to factor in the possibility of the weather conditions changing for the worse. I chose to fly without safety wheels. And I failed to maintain an adequate safety margin based on the equipment I was using for this flight. I flew too close to the edge of the envelope and, in the blink of an eye, found myself on the outside looking in. The results were less than satisfactory.

As with most accidents, this one was the inexorable result of an unbroken chain of events. The links in this chain include choosing to fly without safety wheels; choosing to fly a single surface trainer in the mountains on a strong spring day; missing and/or ignoring cues indicating that the winds could still be strong; implicitly assuming that the winds would continue to moderate as the evening came; and being unlucky enough to land just as a monster thermal or rotor was moving through the LZ. All of these links, save one, were forged by the accident pilot from the decisions he made on that day.

Had any link in that chain been broken, this pilot would have gone home with all of the others that flew that day (some of them Hang IIs landing earlier in the same field) confident that he had succeeded because he was good, not just plain lucky.

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Competition | Gathering | Clinics

14

SalutingRVHPA

by Sean Remnant

RUCH, OREGON  To be a paraglider pilot is to be a traveler. If you are lucky enough to have a local cliff or mountain, and you are also lucky enough to get to fly so often that you grow tired of your local site, it is inevitable that you will eventually venture out in search of the next great flying venue . While some go to Europe to fly the Alps, or Brazil to fly Rio, my group of friends and I choose to go a little more local. Our choice: Ruch, Oregon, to fly the celebrated Woodrat Mountain during the Rogue Valley Hang Gliding and Paragliding Associations’s (RVHPA) Starthistle Fly-in. While Oregon doesn’t have the same “wow” factor as the aforementioned sites, it by no means fails to deliver.

All four of us have been flying just short of two years, logging our time on the cliffs of Torrey and frequently venturing up to Marshall for thermal flying. But, one can only tolerate so many elderly nudist volleyball players (Blacks Beach hosts the nudist club appropriately named the Bares) and brown mountains. That is why, when my friends suggested we travel over Memorial Day weekend, Woodrat Mountain immediately popped into my head. I had heard so much about events like the Rat Race, whose name elicited the buzz word “epic,” that I thought we had to visit! Well, 814 miles and what felt like thousands of dollars in gas later, we were there registering for the event.

The first day brought partly cloudy skies in the morning that developed into mostly cloudy with the occasional rain shower late in the day. Even though thermals were almost non-existent, winds were sufficient that pilots managed to get a bit of ridge soaring in during our sled rides down. Thanks to a brilliant shuttle system ($10 bought you all the rides to launch you needed) trips up the mountain were a not a problem. Since our ridge soaring had previously been flown along the coast at Pacifica, Sand City and Torrey, it was a new and pleasant experience to be soaring over pine-covered mountains. I know what you’re thinking, but I am happy to report that no tree-rappel kits were necessary!

On the second day, a low and expansive cloud-base had us worried that we might be in for another day of sled rides. Luckily, by late afternoon the ever-changing Oregon weather evolved into partly cloudy skies, offering us our first chance to thermal the site.

While no altitude or distance records fell, it was a treat for us to land at the vineyard approximately three miles from launch. The vineyard’s owner was a gracious host and immediately offered us wine upon landing.

I’m not sure if it was the high of the great flight or the just-consumed wine, but we walked away with more than enough wine to last us through the summer. Doing my part to support the good will of locals has

never been so easy!

Something that was very apparent during our visit was the RVHPA’s commitment to the local area. They not only were active participants in a children’s art auction to benefit the local school but also made a charitable contribution on behalf of the family who owns the LZ. After watching spectators in countless cars pull over to watch the flying, offer grounded-out pilots a ride, or just to chat, it also became clear to us that the local residents love having the flying community there. It is a model that we should all strive to duplicate.

The third day proved to be the best of the three. While the day was partly cloudy again, thermals were abundant, sending many pilots out for XC flights. I enjoyed a great one- and-a-half hour flight until the weather became a bit too turbulent for my taste, at which point we all landed and grabbed a bite at a local restaurant. After lunch, we headed back up to launch and continued to wait for the clouds to get a little less...dark. Again, Mother Nature smiled as the winds abated and the sky lightened up. After launching for what I expected to be an extended sled ride, we headed out over the valley expecting a gentle glide to the LZ. What we found was a ticket up!

While I had yet to make cloud base, suddenly it didn’t seem difficult to reach with nothing but 700 feet per minute climbs up everywhere. Concerned about increasingly stronger lift above, I took a couple of quick photos before spiraling down to a more comfortable altitude. Whadaya know...I guess clouds do suck!

We thank all the organizers of the Starthistle Fly-In. Your warmth and hospitality made the trip one we will fondly remember. See you next year.

September 2008 | Hang Gliding & Paragliding | www.USHPA .aero

September 2008 | Hang Gliding & Paragliding | www.USHPA .aero

15

Competition | Gathering | Clinics

SpanishFlyingPARTY

TENERIFE, SPAIN  How hard is it to be a rock star? Here’s a hint: there’s more to it than choosing the right energy drink. But if you want to feel like one for a few days, all you need is a paraglider and a ticket to the Spanish island of Tenerife. Every year in late spring, the Tenerife Tourist Board holds an event that’s very unusual, if not unique, in the free-flight world: a state-sponsored, participatory, well-organized and totally insane air festival called FLYPA. The aim of the festival is to promote tourism in the Canary Islands, a Spanish archipelago in the eastern Atlantic that is Europe’s answer to Hawaii. If you’re an American, you might not know the Canary Islands from the bird flu—but your ancestors certainly did. For centuries, Tenerife and its neighbors were the jumping-off point for westbound sailing ships. In the Canary Islands, they stocked up on supplies, built new masts from the arrow-straight Canary pines, and relaxed on the beach for a few days before riding the strong and steady trade winds directly to the New World.

The trade winds still blow, of course, and they combine with Tenerife’s peculiar geography to create a perfect theater for footlaunched flight. The island is shaped sort of like a fat cookie with a high peak in the middle. On the north coast there’s a wide trench, caused by an ancient geologic collapse, that ramps down to the beach from

16

by Tom Webster

7500 feet and has a near-vertical side wall that faces the trade winds. Pilots can launch from the back of the trench at the Izaña launch and glide over the terraced farms and vineyards, just above kite height, on an eight-mile run to the beach. Or, they can spend their time at the primary flying site, La Corona.

La Corona is a village perched on the edge of that big trench, about 2000 feet above the ocean. Los Realejos, the largest nearby town, has developed a launch ramp there with artificial turf and plenty of room to run. Under normal weather conditions, the trade winds blow straight in to launch

every day and create lift for thousands of yards in every direction. The winds tend to be strong, though, so good launching skills and heavy wing loadings are helpful.

The main landing zone for La Corona is El Socorro beach, which might be the most interesting LZ at any flying site, anywhere.

The black volcanic sand is soft, and the water is great for swimming. There’s a consistent surf break just offshore, one that’s good enough to host surfing championships. There’s a good seafood restaurant at one end of the beach, and a beer stand at the other. And, if you’re interested, plenty of topless Spanish babes to chat with while you drink your beer. Really!

The organizers of FLYPA (not an acronym, by the way—it’s a pun on the Spanish verb flipar, which means “to go crazy, to hallucinate, to flip out”) spare no expense to make the most of this flying paradise. The festival is four days long, and for 50 Euros, visiting pilots get free transportation to launch every day, three rock concerts (one with free beer), three guided day trips for non-flying companions, drastic discounts on local four-star hotels, and, of course, a giant paella for everyone on the beach at the event finale. There were three fireworks shows during the 2008 event, including one three-hour display that was rumored to be the largest in all of Europe. The Spanish Army participated too, sending acrobatic parachute teams and an F-18 Hornet to do a stunt-flying routine every day. FLYPA also brought in paragliding acro teams from around the world, such as SAT, Ozone, the Green Twins, and the Renegades, to show off their latest moves over El Socorro beach.

September 2008 | Hang Gliding & Paragliding | www.USHPA .aero

And this year, they brought in champion paramotor pilot Mathieu Rouanet to launch from the beach twice a day and give the surfers free haircuts.

Tenerife may be unknown to Americans, but it is well known to Europeans. It’s only two hours by air from Madrid, and the climate is perpetually mild: seventy-five degrees by day, sixty-five by night, a few hours of shade every day, and many hours of sunshine. The north side of Tenerife has the Orotava Valley (the previously mentioned “trench”), which is rural and probably best known for wine-making and paragliding.

The south end of the island, about an hour’s drive from the Orotava, is “party-central.”

They have more sunshine there, more hotels, and more nightlife. Above all this sits Mount Teide, a 12,000-foot high volcano that is also the highest point in Spain. And surrounding the entire island, of course, is the ocean. What do you like to do in the ocean?

Whatever it is, you can do it here.

But Tenerife is not totally perfect. The island, like all mountainous islands in a trade wind area, is a cloud factory. The northeast winds are forced upward every morning to form a thick cloudbank from about the 2,000-foot level to about the 6,000-foot level. This is good news for the massive pine forest in Teide National Park and for the grape growers in the Orotava Valley. It’s not so good for the paragliders, who must either launch before the clouds form, wait till they dissipate in the early afternoon, or simply fly right into them. Surprisingly, many of the local pilots choose the third option. When you combine the pendulum stability of a paraglider, modern GPS tech-

nology, and an adventurous attitude, cloud flying might seem less than deadly. I’m still chicken to try it, though. You go first.

Even with its clouds, Tenerife has a lot to offer the traveling pilot. It’s a world away from the barren deserts and lonely mountaintops to which we fruitlessly try to drag our significant others. But if you must fly from lonely, barren mountaintops, Tenerife has those, too. There are more than a dozen launches outside of the Orotava Valley, offering strong desert-like conditions and cross-country potential. Most of them are in the wind shadow of Mount Teide, so flying can be very technical, and a local guide is mandatory. “Local,” in this case, often means a guide from the Spanish mainland or even Britain, but luckily there are plenty of them to choose from, and there are also a few instructors based right there in Tenerife.

FLYPA is essentially a big flying party, with all the organization of a big competition but none of the obligations. It is certainly the best way for foreigners to fly in the Canary Islands for the first time. If you’re interested in trying it next year, here are some tips: 1. Tenerife may seem like a long way from the US, and it is. But if you’re in New York, it’s closer than Hawaii.

2. It’s a European resort area, so you can get by with English, but speaking Spanish will guarantee un tiempo mejor.

3. The Canary Islands sit at sub-tropical latitude, just off the coast of Africa. Wear sunscreen.

4. FLYPA usually happens around the first week of May. Check the website, www. flypa.es, for dates and details.

September 2008 | Hang Gliding & Paragliding | www.USHPA .aero

And for the Google Earth geeks, here are some key coordinates: La Corona Launch 28.3786 deg. N, 16.6005 deg. W El Socorro LZ 28.3944 deg. N, 16.6027 deg. W La Izaña launch 28.3290 deg. N, 16.4914 deg. W

17

Technique | Safety | Training | Flights

HangInTHERE GOT TO KNOW WHEN TO FOLD 'EM  We all take a bit of a gamble every time we engage in a high risk activity. Dr. Paul MacCready, the late aerodynamicist and arguably the greatest mind in the field of low-speed flight, wrote an illuminating article, “Micro Meteorology and Hang Gliders,” regarding the safe limits of turbulence. It was originally published in the January 1975 issue of Ground Skimmer and is available on the USHPA Hang Gliding Magazine DVD Archive. The article reported the effects of wind, flight speed, and terrain roughness on the controllability of a hang glider. The analysis used for the article was based on hang glider designs and wing loadings of the time and although designs have evolved since then, MacCready’s analysis remains germane today (although it is optimistic for

by Mark “Forger” Stucky paragliders). The original article might only be fully understood by those with technical backgrounds but some salient points can be comprehended by those of us who have the perspective of a layman: “… a hang glider cannot be flown really safely unless the turbulence is considerably smaller than its lowest flight speeds. This would limit flight to winds of ten knots, and sometimes even less.” “twenty knot winds, which are often utilized to permit slope soaring, turn out to be beyond the safe limit for all but the most conservative flying at ideal sites.”

As our flying skills improve, it is natural to want to increase our flight time by flying in stronger winds. In order to ridge soar we need a usable vertical wind component of about 3 mph; on common slopes

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this equates to a wind of around 12 mph.

MacCready understood this and the point of his article was not that you would crash if you ever flew in stronger winds but that such flight was statistically unsafe—especially at inland sites. In his own words: “By unsafe we do not maintain that you cannot do the flight, but that the flight will be uncomfortable, and that if you give nature many opportunities to cause you severe trouble, she will eventually oblige you.”

There is a saying that good judgment comes from experience, and experience comes from bad judgment. As I steadily increased my personal wind limits over the years, I gained valuable experience by exercising poor judgment. The strongest wind I ever flew in was a steady 40 mph gale at Wilson Lake, KS. Nobody was flying when I arrived at the site (red flag #1). A veteran pilot (who must have had it in for me) suggested that it would be OK for me to fly since I flew a standard Rogallo while everyone else had graduated to higher performing wings. His rationale was that the hot ships would get higher and thus expose themselves to even stronger winds. That seemed like stupid logic to me since the newer wings also had much better penetration capabilities, but I succumbed to the macho challenge (red flag #2).

A standard Rogallo had a completely flexible sail and a single wireman could control the glider in virtually any wind by lowering the nose until the sail was flapping wildly and no longer generating lift. When I gave him the nod, he pulled me forward and let go. The glider leapt upward like an uncaged tiger. I felt a big POP as the webbing that attached the lines to my knee hangars ripped from my harness, leaving me supported only at the hips. I managed to hover my way down for a landing and called it a day.

I attended naval jet training in the flatlands of southern Texas where the closest flying site was Packsaddle Mountain, a 400-ft tall bluff northwest of Austin. In the spring of ’82 I launched into 25 mph crossing-winds and climbed quite high. But hovering high overhead in the stiff breeze eventually got boring, so I decided to jump the gap and fly to the rugged cliffs that were one hill to the west. I lost almost all of my altitude crabbing my way there, arriving below the top of the cliff. As I was working my way in close, the winds became

September 2008 | Hang Gliding & Paragliding | www.USHPA .aero

even more cross, and the inside wing suddenly dropped, turning me toward the face of the cliff. I threw my body to the side and got the glider turned back around in the nick of time. No longer enjoying the gamble, I decided to cash in my chips and tried to penetrate forward to the closest field. A lone tree blocked my approach. I kept my speed up, only flared as required, and literally ran though the treetop before diving into the LZ. My pants were covered in leaf stains, but I was thankful to have gotten off with just a scare. If I had taken MacCready’s article to heart, I might have thought twice about transitioning from the relatively smooth Packsaddle slopes to a rugged pockmarked cliff face in strong crossing-winds.

A few months later I received my gold naval aviator wings and was transferred to Yuma, Arizona, to learn to fly the mighty F-4 Phantom. For the first time in my eight years of hang gliding I was actually going to live somewhere that had mountains on the horizon! I was even more ecstatic when I met John Running, another Marine pilot who had just arrived for A-4 Skyhawk training and was a hang glider pilot, too!

Unfortunately, the nearby mountains were mountains that only Satan could love—treacherously rugged, scorchingly hot, and devoid of vegetation. Even the normal Arizona cacti knew to avoid the area. After a bit of searching I discovered Black Mountain, a 2100-ft MSL volcanic ridge located across the California border with a hard surface road running up the spine to the summit. It faced the prevailing southwesterly summer winds, and I found the 1,000-ft drop inviting despite the gradual slope and long glide over multiple ravines to reach what looked like the safest bet for landing, a winding wash that spilled into the desert floor. It was getting late and I didn’t have time to check out the LZ, but it looked good from the mountaintop. I launched as dusk approached, only to discover during my landing approach that the wash was not only strewn with boulders, it was also the one place that had trees! I successfully slalomed my way through the minefield to land but decided there was a reason that the SW slope of Black Mt. was not an established flying site. I still, however, held out hope for the backside.

The northeast side of the ridge was a 500-ft cliff overlooking a valley that was too ominous for me to consider landing in. I thought, however, that this side might be safely soared in the winter, the plan September 2008 | Hang Gliding & Paragliding | www.USHPA .aero

being that I would get high enough to fly laterally down the shallow spine to land on the road near the base of the hill. One such day I headed up the hill with John Running. The cold winter wind was blowing straight in at 30 mph, stronger than I wanted, but at least it wasn’t cross. I had no problem assembling my glider in the windshadow on the lee side and began carrying it towards the launch spot with John on the nose and my wife Joan on a side wire.

Like the cliff top at Torrey Pines, the northeast side of Black

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had a very shallow slope leading to the cliff’s edge. The glider was lifting hard, so I stopped and hooked in to help weight it down. We then started moving forward with me helping hold the nose down by walking in front of the control bar while holding both nose wires. We were about thirty feet from the edge when a tremendous gust hit.

The Comet strained to fly despite John’s 200 pounds at the nose and my 170 pounds as far forward as my harness straps would allow. We were so light on our feet that we were unable to hold our position and began an inexorable and horrifying slide towards the edge. The closer we got to the edge, the worse it became. Our slide transitioned to a jerky moonwalk, both of us leaving the ground momentarily as the glider lurched forward erratically. Somewhere during this macabre dance of death, Joan decided that her services were either no longer needed or that the situation had exceeded the scope of her marriage vows, and she let go of the side wire.

John’s and my moonwalk became a moon hop, the both of us now unwitting tandem pilots—he suspended from the nose facing backwards with me still stand-

20

ing upright in front of the control bar. We touched down lightly, John’s feet literally on the cliff edge. I knew our perch was only momentary and that our next hop would be “the big one.” John had done all that I ever could have asked of a wireman. I saw no reason to sacrifice both of us, so I loudly commanded him to let go. He did. My realworld-personal-horror movie then began rolling in a strange, jerky sequence of slow and fast motion clips. I remember being shaken back and forth as if I were in the jaws of a great white shark. I remember touching down again off-balance with a wing dropping. I remember screaming for John to grab the nose. And I remember a curious stream of red liquid flying about me.

Then it was over as suddenly as it began.

The glider and I were upside down behind the edge of the cliff, and the wind was now securely pinning us against the sharp lava.

John was somehow still holding the nose wires; it was then that I noticed his prominent nose was lying flat against his cheek and gushing blood.

I found out later that as I was flailing about and screaming for him to grab the wires, I was also kicking him in the face

with my size-10 steel-toed boots, fracturing his nose. On that day, while taking a beating from me, John Running literally put his life on the line to save mine. There probably would need to be an enemy grenade involved for the Marines to give a Medal of Honor for a wireman, but in my mind John’s selfless actions in the face of near-certaindeath were as heroic as it comes.

That day I came to the realization that even if I survived, I never truly enjoyed flying in strong winds. Now I only would consider flying in winds above 20 mph if it were a gust-free breeze at a coastal site known for its extraordinary beauty and friendly reputation. In other words, I follow what Dr. MacCready suggested over thirty years ago.

In order to make the prudent decisions required to fly safely for the long haul, you first need to be able to understand the interactions of the weather, the terrain, your glider, and your abilities. Look for the signs that the odds are stacking against you and in the words of a famous gambler, “... know when to fold ‘em, know when to walk away, know when to run…”

Fly safe.

September 2008 | Hang Gliding & Paragliding | www.USHPA .aero

Technique | Safety | Training | Flights

ShortPACKED

AIRLINE TRAVEL WITH THE FALCON 3  Like Bullwinkle pulling a rabbit out of his hat, I recently reached into my airline baggage and pulled out a Wills Wing Falcon 3. The analogy ends there, as no lions roared at me and there were no flying squirrels within earshot. My wing had taken the redeye with me from So Cal and soon provided a weekend’s worth of hootin’ and hollerin’ at Morningside Flight Park in New Hampshire.

On the flight back to LAX, I carried a hang glider in the cargo hold and a few thoughts about short packing in my noggin.

As my memory is as reliable as a baggage handler is gentle, I decided to document the process by typing up a walkthrough for myself (that may also help other Falcon owners). Later, launching back home at Crestline, I was surprised at how much better I knew my glider and, consequently, how much more comfortable I felt in it.

Wills Wing designed a Falcon 3 Short Pack Transport / Storage Container that is completely functional as airline baggage.

The case for my Falcon 3 (195) is seven feet

by John Wright

by thirteen inches by eleven inches, with the cases for the 170 and the 145 being six inches and a foot shorter, respectively.

While the container is soft-sided, it is reinforced with a plastic, similar to cardboard, that provides protection and stability. The wing fits with enough room that one does not have to pack it with absolute precision, but not so much that it might lead to shifting. Handles on four sides and wheels on one end make the case surprisingly easy

September 2008 | Hang Gliding & Paragliding | www.USHPA .aero

to maneuver, though I would hesitate to recreate an OJ Simpson Hertz commercial with it. Getting the short pack case into the terminal is more like a Ford Bronco chase.

Short packing the Falcon 3 has many steps, but it is straightforward. No personal judgment is required and there are no variables. The process requires only a few tools that come with the short pack bag (plus a few more for only the first instance), the ability to read and follow directions, basic knowledge of hang glider part terminology, and a clear head.

The Falcon 3 short pack manual’s text is without error and tells you everything you need to know to get the job done, but the pictures are hard to see and there are a few additional tips I figured out. So, as I disassembled and reassembled the wing, I took pictures and wrote up a walkthrough, based on the manual. It can be found on the web at http://www.hanggliding.org/ wiki/Falcon_3_Shortpack. An ancillary benefit of the web walkthrough is that it spares you a granular retelling of my experience. Here, I will only sketch out a few highlights and share a few of the lessons I learned.

The most important variable in undertaking the task was my attitude. The angel on my right shoulder exhorted me to be patient and methodical until the very end of the process. Family distractions gave the devilish guy on the other shoulder a small victory. I completed almost the entire process successfully, but as I hurriedly put my battens in the case, the bridle pigtail fell out of the kingpost and remained in my yard for my whole trip. Fortunately, the ever-helpful staff at Morningside bailed me out, in turn stimulating the imported spirits’ sector of the local economy.

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SHORT PACKING

REASSEMBLY

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September 2008 | Hang Gliding & Paragliding | www.USHPA .aero

KEEP YOUR EYE ON ASPEN. Wills Wing offers an easy solution to the only part of the whole process that gave me pause: cutting my four longest battens and putting in inserts for reassembly. If you buy the wing and the short pack bag at the same time, Wills Wing will pre-prepare the battens for short pack. I bought the Falcon 3 Short Pack Container after I bought the wing, so with a hacksaw in my hand and a knot in my gut, I successfully cut 12 inches off my longest four battens.

The case came with inserts that allowed me to screw the battens back together.

As if OPEC weren’t making our lives hard enough already, rising fuel prices make taking this short pack bag across the country potentially very expensive. Were I to book the flight today, I would carefully research the prices for additional, oversized baggage before buying the ticket. Some airlines have specific rates for hang gliders. My budget got abused at LAX, as I was charged a fee almost equal to my ticket, but a sweet agent at Hartford International took pity on me and only charged me a slight “extra bag” fee. My round-trip expenses were not bad, but I do not intend to rely on good luck again.

Despite walking into the airport with a case that could have held fully assembled RPG launchers, the Transportation Security Administration and baggage handlers handled my bag well and carefully. I doubt they even opened it. Your experience may vary, but whatever they do to it, you are able to find any damage before your next flight, as your wing is fully disassembled.

After the first breakdown and setup, the process becomes easier and faster by at least an order of magnitude. A week before

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the trip, short packing the Falcon 3 and transporting it consumed my thoughts. A week after, reassembling it at my home site was a mere matter of scheduling and I only allotted myself two hours.

The first breakdown and reassembly took me an entire afternoon each. The second rounds were much faster—an hour and a quarter for breakdown, an hour and three quarters for reassembly. An informal poll of other owners knocks another half-hour off those times, for those who are used to the process.

In the end, I was surprised at how much I learned. On the second reassembly, I understood the process well enough to grasp the pointers that my very helpful dealer gave me. My wing is no longer a mystery to me, as I have handled each of its parts and seen what is normally hidden under Dacron and Mylar. I encourage all Falcon 3 owners who short pack it to do as much of it themselves as possible right off the bat. It’s a fantastic learning experience. Of course, test fly it carefully after getting your dealer or an experienced pilot to give it an extra preflight check.

On a side note: should I leave a divot in my LZ, get turtled on launch, or maltreat my glider in any other way (err… again), I would be quite comfortable conducting my own sail-off inspection, thanks to my short packing experience.

As you look over single surface wings, the short pack option of the Falcon 3 is a feature well worth considering. Taking advantage of this capability, a process that gets easier each time, can be done by a pilot of moderate mechanical aptitude.

In New Hampshire, as I knocked out a couple dozen flights from the Morningside “450” launch, the purchase of the wing and the effort to bring it out were well worth it. I dealt with the variable of a new site, but I did not have to cope with another variable—an unfamiliar hang glider.

September 2008 | Hang Gliding & Paragliding | www.USHPA .aero

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words by PATRICKHARPER photos by DEANSTRATTON

L

ast winter while reading the USHPA magazine and watching the snow accumulate on my deck as my thoughts wandered towards bluebird flying days, I came across the WCPC (West Coast Paragliding Championship) info and decided I should enter. You may ask why…since I am not an experienced comp pilot, but a recreational pilot who mostly flies with one or two friends.

I live in a small town, and there are only two other pilots in the county as far as I know. But we have some great sites if you are willing to hike— which leaves me the only pilot in the county.

Nevertheless, for many years I have flown with some amazing pilots, some of whom I feel are the best mentors in the sport. I owe a great deal to them for all that they have taught me. And bolstered by their instruction, I felt ready to meet the challenge of a comp. Three hundred twenty-five dollars and permission for a week off from work later, with a beautiful (pregnant) wife cheering me on, I signed up to compete in my first- ever paragliding competition.

I took my first flight in 1991 at Riggins, Idaho. A friend who was a hang glider pilot was given a very old and unstable paraglider, and we put it to the test in one of the deepest canyons in the US. The flight went well, and I was hooked. I’ve done a lot of flying since then and finally feel like I am willing to learn more about competition flying.

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September 2008 | Hang Gliding & Paragliding | www.USHPA .aero

I loaded up and headed to Ruch, Oregon, home of the infamous “Woodrat” launch site. If you have never been there, you should go. The community has so much to offer; it’s very beautiful, even if you’re not a pilot. On arrival, the hosts, Mike and Gail Haley, were very welcoming and the event ran as if it had been held for years.

When I asked for advice about competition flying, my good friend Nate Scales told me, “Get high and stay high and when you think you are at the top, try harder to get higher.” On Day One, I threw the above info out the door and was astonished at the mistakes I made. First, I didn’t know my equipment well enough and struggled to get it all in working order. Second, I was on a DHV 1-2 wing that I now know is like a turtle in the sky. Last but not least, I was not familiar with the local site. Since I do not have a comp or a better performing wing, which I now know is essential in order to fly fast in competitions, I set my sights on flying better, not faster.

As the days went by, I watched and listened to many of the more accomplished pilots and stored it in my head for future reference. I wasn’t afraid to ask any questions regarding weather, good places and not-so-good places to be, how to fly in a gaggle—you name it and I asked it. The knowledge I gained in just the first day has made me a more confident pilot.

I asked several other first-time competition pilots September 2008 | Hang Gliding & Paragliding | www.USHPA .aero

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their thoughts and why they entered the comp, what they learned and how it will help them in the future.

One new pilot said, “I never made goal and can’t really tell if I’m any better at flying, but I’m much more confident and now know so much more about XC flying than I did before. Even just hanging around after the tasks, listening to all the comp pilots talk probably improved my flying.”

Faiz Kayem pointed out some interesting ideas.

“The WCPC—unlike the Rat Race—is targeted to pilots who have competed before, so I thought I might get in the way or negatively alter the point structure or in some way disrupt the competition process, for example, by landing out and diverting 28

the retrieve vehicles unnecessarily. None of these reservations turned out to be relevant, as there was plenty of room in the sky. I landed where others were landing and usually found my own ride back anyway. Also, I was told by some ranked pilots that my lower altitude helped them by marking some thermals when I was scratching and trying to stay in the game. Apparently, my new higher performance Airwave Sport 4—as the only DHV1 / 2 glider in the competition—was easy to spot from above.”

A.J. Frye, a pilot from Jackson Hole, Wyoming, was there for his first competition and flew outstandingly well, making goal most of the days. He commented:

September 2008 | Hang Gliding & Paragliding | www.USHPA .aero

“I’ve always wanted to be a better XC pilot, and I was told that racing was a good way to practice XC. Our local and informal intermountain league meets piqued my curiosity about authentic competitions.

The most important thing I learned at the WCPC was to fly fast and pay attention. It’s always important to keep up with the lead gaggle—smash the bar, and don’t be afraid to leave lift if you need to keep up. Always keep an eye on every glider in the air for signs of lift and wind direction.”

Most pilots that I spoke with said that the competition was of great benefit to them. What had concerned them most was aggressive flying in a big gaggle, especially in the start cylinder when everyone’s trying to top out and be the highest glider.

If your head isn’t there, you might as well wait and follow.

Equipment is very important in competition.

Most new comp pilots mentioned that they eventually found a new and better relationship with their electronic equipment. “I became more versed in my GPS and witnessed a lot about racing, like tagging cylinders, when to go on final glide to goal, and pushing hard to win. I got a taste of racing strategy,” said Frye.

One of the questions I asked the pilots was whether they would recommend that more recreational pilots compete in order to become better pilots. Most of them agreed that flying in a competition improved their skills a great deal and made them better pilots and observers of conditions.

Flying in Ruch, Oregon, and for that matter, any new site helps anyone better understand weather.

Of course, we can sit around and watch Youtube videos and wonder what it’s like to fly with the best, but that doesn’t teach us anything. All of us want to know what it’s like to fly in a gaggle, compete with experienced pilots and accomplish difficult tasks, but are we willing to try? If you want to become a better pilot, it’s time to get out there and push your skills to gain confidence in your flying by entering local competitions!

September 2008 | Hang Gliding & Paragliding | www.USHPA .aero

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The

European

Championships words and images by DENNISPAGEN

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ragedy and triumph. The sportscasters love to titillate us with those words, but rarely do they mean much. However, at the European Hang Gliding Championships in Greifenburg, Austria, we saw plenty of both.

Tucked away in the isolated Drau Valley in the Gailtaler Alps, Greifenburg lies just 20 euro-kilometers north of the Italian border and an hour northwest of Slovenia. Green is the predominant color, and farming is the favored occupation, except for those who cater to the whims and wants of pilots of portable aircraft. By the second week of June, ninetyeight competitors, plus team leaders, wind dummies, family members, drivers, officials and spectators, not to mention free flyers of both persuasions, had swelled the town and filled its restaurants, cafes and coffers. We had gathered from 21 countries to test the mettle of Europe’s best over the rugged mountains and grassy valleys.

And then it rained. We froze too. I had left home in 90-degree heat, so I only packed one pair of long pants and four pairs of shorts for the two-week affair. Despite record heat in the northeast US, in Greifenburg it was in the 50s and 60s until the last few days. But we did get a total of three valid

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rounds—a 25% completion rate—and a new champion.

The first flight was set at 105 km (68 miles) west along the high peaks, then back across the valleys towards Slovenia, with a return trip to the north followed by a quick juke east, then home to land near Greifenburg. The pilots who didn’t get lost enjoyed the tour. The typical gaggle of top pilots worked their magic and seemed to flit effortlessly from thermal to thermal. After the round was scored, the animated flight display showed the track of each pilot with his or her relative position and height (sped up 50 times).

I counted only six thermals used by the winners.

Efficiency is the name of the gambit.

In the end, the guy with the 1000-point day was that perennial performer, Gerolf Heinrichs. It took him a little over 2 hours to take the whirlwind tour.

Other pilots got stuck in the nooks and crannies along the course and tended to flounder until lift and luck ran out. In fact, it was time that ran out, since thunderstorms threatened and the task was stopped.

In such a case, pilots are scored at the point they were located when the stop occurred. In all, 26 pilots made goal. Notably absent was the current female world champ, Corinna Schwiegershausen. She had good company with the former world champs, Alex Ploner and Oleg Bondarchuk.

On the second task pilots had to cross the start line below a certain altitude to help prevent cloud flying. Then they raced east to the end of the valley and onto another north-south range. They went up and down this range a couple of times and ended at goal 95 km (60 mi.) from the start. A large castle on a high tor guarded the goal field. This castle was well-known since it houses a raptor aviary and flight show with dozens of hawks, eagles, vultures and a lammergeier—a bird we saw one day climbing in front of launch. You had to wonder what all those captive birds thought about the free wings zooming overhead.

Austrian pilot Thomas Weisenberger won this day, with teammate Michael Friesenbichler just seconds

September 2008 | Hang Gliding & Paragliding | www.USHPA .aero

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behind. Gerolf had found himself a personal hole and barely crawled out to be 18th in goal. Thomas leaped into first overall with Michael second.

But all these contest considerations were put aside when we returned to base and heard the real tragic news. Shortly after the start gate, Swiss pilot Richie Meier had tumbled in the strong turbulence over rugged Stagor Mountain. His glider broke as he slammed into it. It was a fast spin down and, unfortunately, his tossed parachute didn’t open. Richie died on impact and a pall settled over the competition.

Previous to this sad day we (CIVL officials) had been measuring sprog settings of all pilots in order to see how competition pilots have altered their gliders.

Lowering sprogs (washout or twist tubes) may gain a bit of high-speed performance, but compromise pitch stability. This is a big subject; you can imagine the discussion that took place. In fact, we held several formal talks, with the last one attended by the DHV (the German hang and paragliding standard-setting body). The outcome of all this give- and-take will be reported in future articles, but the short of it is, there is sufficient concern amongst the pilots and organizations to look for possible new approaches.

The only bright spot during this dark time was the evening music sessions that consisted of one guitar, with three guitar players who passed the instrument around like a shared bottle, 32

four Russian girls with beautiful voices, and an interested gallery of clapping pilots. Besides the flying, it is these moments that we live for.

After days of gray skies, the competition reheated with the weather. It was still overcast, but the weatherman was hopeful. However, by 2 pm the solid overcast induced the meet director to can the day. Then, of course, the sky began to open up and by 2:30 it looked much better. Unfortunately, a few competitors had flown off, so the round was toast. A perfect day developed by 3pm and most pilots soared around in disappointment. However, the next day was a go with a 154 km (95 mi.) task set. It again headed along the main peaks on the north side of the valley, back down to the east, then north to a particularly tough turn point and up the valley to goal.

We thought only a few would make such a long, hard run, but in all, 66 pilots zoomed across goal with a few others just a wingspan short. The winners arrived in 2 hours 50 minutes. Three Italians came in first: Alex Ploner, Elio Cataldi and Filipio Oppici. If you weren’t at goal, you missed the party.

The real party came the next day, when once again the round was cancelled on launch due to threatening thunderstorms. The winning teams and pilots knew who they were, so the celebration started.

The Austrian team took first, followed by Italy and Germany. The top three pilots were Elio Cataldi (It), Thomas Weissenberger (Aust) and Michael Friesenbichler (Aust). The top three women were Corinna Schwiegershausen (Ger), Natalia Petrova (Rus) and Christine Aichner (Ger). The party lasted into the night, but it didn’t slow down the pilots the next day at the awards ceremony. Competitors collected their loot—great trophies and 4000 euros

September 2008 | Hang Gliding & Paragliding | www.USHPA .aero

in gifts. Then it was on to Laragne, France, for the pre-world competition.

GEEZERS AND GLIDEMEISTERS  You’ve got the Russians in hockey, the US in basketball, the Swiss in skiing, the Italians in food—but the powerhouses to beat in hang gliding are the Austrians. As we know, they bred the three-time world champion, Manfred Ruhmer, but also there’s Gerolf Heinrichs, Thomas Weissenberger, Robert Reisener, Seppi Salvenmoser, and a few others tearing up the skies. Last year Michael Friesenbichler won the pre-European Championships and took third in this year’s meet (Thomas was second and Gerolf was fourth).

How they manage to be so good year after year and continue to bring new pilots up is a mystery.

Must be something in the air. I asked Thomas about this at the closing ceremony and he said, “Well, you wrote it in your book!” So I had to go back and look.

Yep, it begins on page 167 of Secrets of Champions and Gerolf continues the discussion in subsequent pages. No doubt other teams should take it to heart.

But the real story here is the new “boy” on the team. His name is Johann Sultzbacher and he is 63 years old. He is the current Austrian champion, having won the Austrian Championships in early

May against the likes of the aforementioned pilots.

Johann has been flying since 1983 and competing close to ten years. Previous to this win, he always placed 5th to 10th in the Austrian Championships.

Johann knows Greifenburg well, since he competes every year in the Masters meet there. This meet is open to all pilots aged 50 and older. I have thought of entering it myself, but when I found out Johann has won three times, I figured I wouldn’t have a chance against Austria’s best. But I don’t care, for Johann has showed us all that we are not too old to dream and have those dreams come true.

September 2008 | Hang Gliding & Paragliding | www.USHPA .aero

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by MATTGERDES

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September 2008 | Hang Gliding & Paragliding | www.USHPA .aero

All photos courtesy flyozone.com

Japanimation

© Aelita | Dreamstime.com

I

t’s 2001, and Felix Rodriguez is a terrorist for a day.

The Japanese immigration authority has detained him in an isolation room at Narita Airport outside of Tokyo, and Felix will not be seeing any more of Japan in person. This is what happens when you arrive in Japan on a flight from Colombia with a Spanish passport, two bulging filthy glider bags, a limited amount of money, and only a promise that you really won’t be staying long or looking for work: you get sent home!

Fast forward a few years. I’m passing the health checkpoint at Narita airport arrivals, and I have SARS. Or bird flu. I’m actually not sure which. All I know is that I’m running a fever that has made my forehead so hot that it’s actually uncomfortable to touch, and if a coughing fit arrives at any point before I clear immigration, Felix and I will be able to compare notes on what it’s like to be deported from Japan. A large black and white sign surreptitiously invites passengers who feel ill to stop for an examination. Another sign behind some special-forces-looking equipment announces, “We are scanning your body temperature.”

Serendipitously, the machinery is unmanned and only one officer is in the adjoining office. I look away and scurry past.

Three hours later, I’m standing beneath a Mt. Fuji sunset. Blanketed with a fog of illness and jetlag, the bullet-train ride from Tokyo was literally a blur. The lone volcano looms overhead, a static reminder of where I am and what I’m supposed to be doing: Japan, work, photos, video, a story.

I’m arriving four days late, well into the Ozone

Team’s trip. The crew has been to Nagano for the ParaWorld Festival as well as Tokyo city, and they have circumnavigated the base of Fuji. Felix and his fiancée, Charlotte, have been here the longest, having visited the Japanese half of her family prior to everyone’s arrival. Mike, Russ and Dav all left France together and met Loren Cox, our videographer, and Oka San and Maeda San of Falhawk International / Ozone Japan, in Tokyo. After only four days, Oka San and Maeda San are already, I imagine, reaching the limits of their tolerance for the mob of Gai-jins following them around Honshu Island. Indeed, apart from being able to order at restaurants that feature color photographs on the menu, we’re pretty damn useless.

But we have purpose. And Fuji calls us to work. A day of vehicle reconnaissance research revealed that although all roads which lead to the midpoints of Fuji are still closed for winter, one road is closed only with a simple wooden barrier that can be moved easily by two weak men. Oka San, tainted by many years of life in the French Alps as a ski bum, is not averse to moving this barrier and driving up the road until the snow stops us and forces us onto our feet.

We arrive at the barrier and slip it aside with a chuckle, then drive up the road and around a corner, where our chuckles degenerate into mirthful and sarcastic laughter; massive concrete blocks span the road, large enough to stop a Panzer tank, let alone our Mitsubishi minibus. The day’s plan momentarily grinds to a halt. Unable to drive past the treeline, we realize that the summit is a shocking distance away, with snow covering the entire trail. But for what else

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“Saturday morning dawned clear and crisp, with wind blowing perfectly over the back of launch—which certainly didn’t stop us and one-hundred other Japanese pilots from launching into the lee...” did we wake up at four-thirty in the morning?

Deciduous birch trees mingled with sub-alpine fir on the low-angle slopes to create an Appalachian feel as we trudged upward. As we ascended, the trees shook more and more and the chances of the Ultralite coming out of my backpack decreased proportionately.

When we cleared the trees and emerged onto the black and white upper slopes of Fuji, the gusts were strong enough to force us (especially me, in my running shoes) laterally across the icy flanks of the mountain.

As the landscape turned lunar, our thoughts of flying completely evaporated; we drank in the view and marveled at the volcanic violence of the geology.

With Fuji behind us, we passed Tokyo and made it to Ibaraki, home of two PWC events and a hotbed of Japanese flying clubs. Saturday morning dawned clear and crisp, with wind blowing perfectly over the back of launch—which certainly didn’t stop us and one-hundred other Japanese pilots from launching into the lee, climbing out, and having a look at the area from above while wrestling our wings in the turbulence. Sunday was similar, with the wind even more over the back, but again our launch faced the other way—that’s just the way it was. So, we did it just the way it is done— launch, climb out in the lee, and head downwind.

The Ashio XC Challenge in which we were participating was an open-distance comp, scored simply as kilometers from launch to landing. As we climbed out, I was half-tempted to just land at the bottom of the hill after shooting some video, but when Russ waved me downwind, I couldn’t resist the pull of the unknown.

I had no phone, no map, no vario or GPS, no radio. I 37

didn’t even have a general picture of the towns that were downwind. All I knew was what I could see from my harness a thousand meters above launch… perfect.

At cloud-base, I crossed paths with Felix, who was flying an FLX (18m acro wing). “Felix!” I screamed, “Do you have a vario?” My hope was that we would be better equipped to stay airborne if we struck out over the trees and houses downwind. “No man, nothing,” he yelled back. He shrugged, I shrugged, and we pointed it downwind. The thought of landing out, clueless, was nagging me. If I made the team late for our departure south, we could feasibly miss the ferry to Kyushu Island. Without a map or ability to communicate in Japanese, not to mention the countless

intersections and turns in the road between us and launch, it could be a long time before I found my way home. But then I put my situation in perspective: I had money in my pocket, Oka San’s business card in my wallet, and close to fifty pilots marking thermals in the air ahead of me. I stayed with Felix for over an hour as we thermalled with the gaggle, which was moving painfully slowly and turning in every little piece of lifting air. No one was in a hurry, except Felix and I who were underdressed for the frigid air and prone to becoming bored with XC flying. At one point Mike passed beneath us, flying low and fast, literally averaging 10km more than the gaggle. I knew I wouldn’t stay with him and his Addict 2 so I hung out with the pack. After losing Felix for the second hour, I found him in a thermal 45km out; we yelled to each other again and immediately decided to land and warm up.

A few wingovers over the LZ of a local school that we

“The thought of landing out, clueless, was nagging me.”

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September 2008 | Hang Gliding & Paragliding | www.USHPA .aero

just happened to be near brought a mob of Japanese who wanted to shake my hand. But I needed my hand, and a little privacy, to take a pee—so I pointed and said, “Hey, that’s FELIX RODRIGUEZ!” The crowd instantly vaporized, and I was left in solitude to do my business as Felix (facing the bushes, shaking off) looked warily over his shoulder at the approaching hoard.

Oka San, tireless leader, led us south to our destination: Kyushu Island. After a day’s drive, we rolled onto the ferry, snuggled into a ten-bed berth and awoke to the sound of the ferry engines backing up against the dock on our new island.

Kyushu, evidently volcanic, rose out of the Pacific covered in a mottled blend of sparse evergreen trees and dry grass. Within minutes, we passed steam vents and the smell of sulfur, signs of the island’s abundance of natural hot springs.

As the day wore on, the wind decreased from a terrible howl to light and variable, and by two o’clock we were winding our way up the road to the Mt. Aso cable car, which departed from a monstrous 1950’s concrete terminal. A friendly tram operator let us out near the smoking caldera at the top, and we hiked the rest of the way to the summit of Mt. Aso. On top, the east face beneath us folded into shadow as we scrambled to launch while the wind was still light and favorable.

Oka San expressed awe and pleasure that equaled ours as he launched with us into the smooth evening air tinted with the sulfur gasses spewing from the caldera behind us. After gliding along the rim of the smoking crater and over a Shinto temple, the smart half of our

group landed cleanly in a grassy schoolyard. Intent on getting a closer look at the temple, I nearly fried myself in a set of power lines before gliding down the middle of a narrow gorge in order to set down on a hillside near the road, hoping no one actually saw how close I was to ruining my own trip.

We finished our trip on Kyushu with a sunrise soaring session on the cliff above town and set north again for Tokyo. Temples, castles, sushi and bullettrains… green tea and shochu (kenpai!), seaweed and epic hospitality… in the end the flying trip isn’t really about the flying; the lasting images and experiences are the ones between people, in the medium of a unique culture.

September 2008 | Hang Gliding & Paragliding | www.USHPA .aero

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Lanika'i, O'ahu, Hawai'i | Photo by Peter Volf

September 2008 | Hang Gliding & Paragliding | www.USHPA .aero

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CHILE

Iquique

Twenty-four pilots.

Four instructors.

Four Toyota Delicas.

Two weeks.

395 hours of flying.

254 hours of kiting.

This is The Iquique Chile Tour 2007.

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ake twenty-plus pilots of varying levels, with only a few flights to years of experience, and send them to Iquique, Chile—one of the most consistent flying sites in the world. Put them in a first-class hotel, round them up, load them in vans, drive them up to a launch site overlooking

by LINDSAYMATUSH

a colorful city on the vibrantly blue ocean, and see what happens. Add two great tour guides, Luis Rosenkjer and Todd Weigand, endow the group with great organization, patience, loads of encouragement, group enthusiasm, hours and hours of flying, smooth retrieves, great food, excellent wine, lots of laughter—and you get days of fun and incredible flying!

This tour had an incredible group of pilots with a diversity of experience and a wealth of personality. It was broken up into two weeks—week one was geared towards ridge soaring, thermalling, and kiting, and week two was formatted for cross-country.

Several pilots stayed for both weeks. The trip could not be described accurately from just one person’s perspective, so a few vignettes from some of our pilots follows.

JIM, DEB, AND LINDSAY MATUSH, P-1  Just over

a year ago, we decided to take up paragliding as a family. We had earned our P-1’s and were well on our way to P-2 status when Luis suggested that Iquique would

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September 2008 | Hang Gliding & Paragliding | www.USHPA .aero

be a phenomenal place for logging hours and advancing our skills. We decided to celebrate our 25th anniversary in Iquique and bring our 24-year old daughter along to carry the bags (yeah, right)! Before our experience in Iquique, we had each logged less than 10 hours of airtime, and because we are such novice pilots, we arrived a few days early to improve our kiting skills and learn the area. After we met Todd, we began a three-day grueling adventure in the world of kiting. The three of us have collectively never been so sore, frustrated, and sunburned—ever. Thank goodness for Todd’s patience, kiting prowess, and dual ability to whip us into shape and inspire us to kiting greatness (or at least kiting competence). We met and were encouraged by pilots from all around the world, and within three days (we still can’t believe it), were able to keep our wings in the air for 30 minutes or more, control which direction we were headed, kite with the A’s, and learn to feel the glider. We went from dreading kiting and hurting in places we didn’t even know we had muscles, to enjoying kiting and spending our free time on the beach refining our skills!

After our three-day kite-fest we were joined by the rest of our group—an incredible group of men and women who would spend the next week encouraging and teaching each other, telling stories, and bonding like siblings as we all fell in love with the Iquique skies. Awaking every morning to an incredible view in first class accommodations, we ate our fill at breakfast and drove to launch at Alto Hospicio, where we were greeted with a sign that says, “Bienvenidos Pilotos”: “Welcome Pilots.” It was wonderful to fly in a place that is so welcoming to pilots. The locals watched as we flew, cheered as we landed, and even helped straighten our wing as we learned to kite.

We started the week with 15- minute sled rides down to the beach in front of launch, and by the end of the week were soaring for one to two hours at a time, catching thermals (a new and incredible adventure for us!), and traveling down the ridge to landing zones further up the beach. By the end of the week, we had been dubbed “The Flying Matushes.” During the afternoon, we often drove to Palo Buque where we kited up the dunes until we could launch middune, benched up to soaring altitude, and

Iquique was an amazing city to visit, and the flying was beyond our expectations. We look back on Iquique as the true beginning of our love affair with free flight!

landed back where we started, only to begin again. As a result, we felt that our launching, landing, and overall piloting skills improved every day. At night we ate incredible food at local restaurants and watched video clips from the day’s flights to pick up new technique and learn from our mistakes (aka laugh at our bloopers).

We met such a kind, generous, and diverse group of people—and they were quick to help anyone shake the sand out of his wing (not everyone can kite upside down Todd!), offer advice for us newer pilots, film our bloopers, and be gracious as we learned to practice the rules of the ridge. We went from being nervous and uncomfortable in the air with a very limited skill-set, to being confident enough to handle varying conditions and grow leaps and bounds in the basic skills of launching, landing, thermalling, kiting, and judging the conditions.

The Chilean people were absolutely delightful, the accommodations were incredible,

September 2008 | Hang Gliding & Paragliding | www.USHPA .aero

DOUGLAS LAPOINTE, P-2  My experience on the Iquique trip was nothing short of transformational. I am an infrequent pilot (with a demanding job and two young children) and came into the trip with 18 hours of airtime collected over about 18 months. By the end of the two-week trip I had increased my airtime to 43 hours, and could easily have logged twice that if I had wanted to. For me, these were high quality, productive hours.

Here is a list of all the “firsts” that I experienced on this trip: Flying in lots of traffic, flying in challenging turbulence for an extended period of time, flying more than two days in a row, flying over the ocean, landing on the beach, flying with zero penetration, landing in big sink, roadside cliff launching, 6 meters/sec of lift and 6 meters/sec of sink, a 50% collapse, and finally flying cross-country.

I found I was extending my skills on so many levels and was able to push my skills in a new area every day. The first skill I had the opportunity to extend was flying in traffic. I knew the right-of-way rules and had practiced some ridge-soaring with a half dozen gliders at a time, but 30 or more gliders in a mixed ridge-soaring and thermal environment was a whole new level. At first, the challenge was just staying out of everyone’s way, but as I got more comfortable, I worked on sharing the thermals with other

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pilots. What a thrill to enter a thermal correctly and circle your way up directly across from a fellow pilot! I just can’t describe how useful it was to be able to work a thermal, get kicked out, and then simply find another thermal and try again.

Another skill I was able to extend was flying in turbulence. I had flown in turbulent air before but had never been able to fly in turbulent air as long as I wanted, so I could practice, practice, and practice my active piloting. I also now have a great appreciation for how important active piloting is, and how much more practice I need to get good at it!

I learned how to “bench up” a ridge without any appreciable ridge lift. I learned this one the hard, sweaty, and frustrating way. I spent an hour and a half one day trying to scratch thermals along the ridge to gain enough altitude to start the crosscountry trip. I never sunk out, but I never got to the top of the ridge, and I made so many turns in that time that I made myself airsick! Exhausted and head swimming, I headed for the road to get picked up by the chase van. After getting some expert advice, I went out the next day determined to make more 360’s and less 180’s without getting too close to the ridge. The instruction was right on the money, of course, and I added yet another skill to my bag.

I learned the importance of making sure that my wing and all equipment are packed “ready to fly” when launching at a mountain thermal site. Conditions develop fast, strong thermals come up unexpect44 44

edly, and good flying conditions can leave just as quickly, so you have to be ready to go without leaving yourself exposed to sudden thermal gusts.

The list goes on….launching, kiting, making efficient use of your wing’s energy in turns….

The best part was that I got to do all of this great flying in a fun location, with a fascinating landscape, and a great group of fellow pilots to share it with. I highly recommend that all P-2 pilots take an extended paragliding “vacation” some place with consistent, challenging conditions. The investment is easily worth it. The high quality, consistent airtime will boost your skills and increase your confidence. Personally, I found that my appreciation of my limits and how much I still have to learn increased along with my confidence. Iquique was a long list of firsts for me, as well as a whole lot of laughs, and a wealth of wonderful new friendships.

SUSAN KENT, P-4  I had heard that the flying in Iquique was unbeatable and would offer up some great cross-country, and I knew that Todd and Luis were reputable guides, but one question remained as I packed my bags and headed for Northern Chile: “Is this any place for an experienced P-4 pilot?”

And after the fact, I can only say, “You bet it is!!”

Prompted by recommendations from three different pilots, ranging from a novice to an experienced XC competitor at the 2007 Rat Race, I signed up for two weeks

of flying in Chile. I wasn’t sure what to expect—I knew the first week had a lot of lower airtime pilots, so I was a bit anxious about whether it was the place for me. I needn’t have worried.

Besides getting to share in the joys of newer pilots having personal bests and whooping it up at their first XC, I got to fly in a mix of thermal and ridge-soaring, with eight-miles of ridge to play on to the north, and another ten or twenty-miles of more challenging flying to the south. I loved taking off from the main launch, Alto Hospicio, getting high enough, then leaving the ridge to fly over the multi-colored buildings, skim the top of high-rise apartments and hotels, (sometimes with people waving from their balconies,) and, finally, land on the beach next to local restaurants with cold drinks, located a short walk to the hotel.

For an experienced pilot, it was delightful, still challenging and very satisfying flying.

In the afternoon, we went to Palo Buque to practice high-wind kiting and to soar that end of the ridge. I thought I had decent kiting skills, but as it turned out, I had a lot to learn—and learn I did. This learning was sweaty work—thus, the fond nickname, “Palo Boot Camp.” On a good day, I could kite up just 50-feet, turn, take off and soar the ridge to my content or take short XC flights to the little town of Los Verdes. Afternoons were full of kiting, flying, watching sand-skiing and expert kiting demos, kiting wars and races, and kicking back with a cold Chilean beer while viewing the warm oranges and pinks of the spectacular sunsets. Our daily routine was fly, land, eat lunch, kite, fly, eat, share stories, laugh, sleep, and repeat. I thought this simply couldn’t be beat, but then the second week started...

Geared toward more experienced pilots, the second week was strictly XC flying, and this is what I wanted. I’ve flown several local XC Comps, including the Rat Race, but to date my personal best was around 36 km—not bad, but I was hankering for more.

We flew two main sites: Chipana and Patillos. From Chipana, flights of 35 km were the norm, usually landing on a secluded rocky beach by the ocean. Patillos is on the side of a road partway up a mountain and is a tricky launch because you pull up your glider in rotor. The mountains

September 2008 | Hang Gliding & Paragliding | www.USHPA .aero

are barren, steep, and great thermal triggers, but it took patience and some decent skills to work your way up. For those needing extra help, Todd and Luis would lead, marking thermals, telling us where to avoid sink, giving encouragement, or herding the latecomers along the way. It was at Patillos that I had my best flight. I came close to sinking out, had the lowest save of my life, and made it all the way to Iquique—60 km!

We landed on the beach by a restaurant with waiting pilots, pizza, and beer!

The whole trip exceeded my expectations.

During the XC week, I flew three 35 km flights, one 48.6 km out and return, and one 60 km flight for a personal best!

For me, guided tours are the way to go because my husband doesn’t fly and doesn’t like paragliding trips. I love the convenience of airport pickups, good lodging, language interpretation, transportation to launch, retrieves, and local site knowledge.

Add to all of that the personality of the tour leaders, consistency of flying and weather, and group dynamics, and you have a trip to remember! Luis and Todd are a great combination, and because of them, the consistent conditions, and funloving other pilots, everything came together to create a trip of a lifetime—this is the best and most fun paragliding tour I have ever attended.

Iquique delivered!

LINDSAY MATUSH, P-1  I am a new and infrequent pilot, and I reside in the flatlands of Joplin, Missouri (which, unlike Iquique, is, unfortunately, not famous for consistent winds and incredible flying.) Iquique was my first paragliding tour and was an incredible opportunity for me to explore the realm of free flight. I could not have asked for a better group or better terrain to learn, grow, and fly to my heart’s content.

Eat, sleep, and fly – this is what we came for and this is what we got. Iquique was an incredibly challenging, enriching, and wonderful experience for all of us. Many of us set personal bests, all of us racked up the hours, and we all were blessed with new friends and new stories. Thanks to the amazing individuals who taught me, challenged me, laughed with me, inspired me, and made Iquique such a treasured memory!

Pictures, video, and more stories can be viewed at www.paraglidingtrips.com.

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FRANCE

I

Laragne T

n late June the southern French village of Laragne hosted 117 pilots and their crews from 24 countries for the hang gliding Pre-Worlds. Six US pilots mixed it up with the world’s best in the Haute Alps. Getting there and back was half the fun.

by JEFFOBRIEN

raveling internationally with a hang padded and short-packed. Despite the best glider is an exercise in logistics. We planning, getting stonewalled at the gate began planning months in advance, or arriving abroad with a glider damaged scrutinizing airline baggage require- in shipping is a feared possibility. ments and looking for non-stop flights to The diverse US group took varied paths European cities. In the days leading up to Laragne. Davis Straub and Belinda to departure, gliders were meticulously Boulter departed from the eastern seaboard and enjoyed southern France before arriving early in Laragne and setting up our team headquarters. Jeff Shapiro started the journey from Missoula. He did two eighthour driving legs, picking me up in Salt Lake City before continuing to Denver.

We flew out of Denver in order to try to avoid glider damage by booking a direct flight to Munich.

During our road trip, we heard sporadically from Zac “Zippy” Majors. He’d been stuck in LAX battling with obstinate airline personnel. (It was his second day at LAX after having been told it was impossible to transport his glider on his booked flight.)

Our anxiety level also rose a bit when we discovered that our plane out of Denver

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was a small-sized Airbus. We arrived three hours early at the airport, exhibiting wide smiles and a gracious accommodating demeanor. After paying the $250 baggage fee and a five-dollar tip, we watched our gliders board the plane without incident. In the meantime, Zippy called to say he’d been re-routed but would make it to France along with the glider. And our anxiety faded with a celebratory shot at the bar before boarding our flight.

Across the country, Jack Simmons, Nicole Schwenninger, and Jamie Sheldon were on their best behavior “snakecharming” airline personnel with strange, oversized baggage of their own. Derreck Turner, who was encouraged to attend the Pre-Worlds after his recent success at the Santa Cruz Flats Competition in Arizona, and his daughter Sonia completed the US team.

Most of us met in Munich after sleepdeprived travel, sorted a rental van, and made an all afternoon drive to Griefenburg, Austria. Jamie had arranged rooms for us at a bed-and-breakfast in a well-kept farmstead house adjacent to a church and landing zone. As we unpacked our gliders on the farm’s lawn, we heard the church bells tolling and saw paraglider pilots floating over the valley in the late evening light.

After a quintessential European breakfast the next day, we headed up to the Emberger Alm launch. The vibes were amazing as we ascended the steep paved road with the van’s sliding door open and felt the cool pine-scented air wafting in.

We were in Europe with undamaged hang gliders, and we were about to fly the Alps!

When we arrived at the launch area beside a mountain top café, we found fifty hang gliders and a couple- dozen paragliders setting up. Although it looked like a competition scene, it was just the locals out on a Saturday afternoon. The good feelings continued as we set up in the sun and prepared to launch.

The flight was epic. We ran up and down the range, thermalling with sailplanes, dancing in the clouds, and enjoying the rugged scenery. After landing at the bed-and- breakfast LZ and packing up, we stopped for a dip in the town lake with a few hundred locals while we watched more flying machines float down from the sky.

After cooling off, we downloaded driving

[main] Racing across the stunning blue lake | photo by Jeff Obrien. [opposite bottom] Scott Barrett, meet winner, over the Alps | photo by Scott. [below] Via ferrata climbing | photo by Jeff Shapiro. [right] Swimming hole on the way to launch | photo by Jeff Obrien.

directions to France and hit the road.

Somewhere in Italy, near midnight, at the base of the Italian Alps, we spent an hour trying to find a bed for the night.

Since Roadside Motel 6’s don’t exist in Europe, we continued to drive over the Alps, taking turns resting in the back of the van.

As we crossed into France at 4am, I took the wheel. We descended narrow switchbacks through French villages in the predawn light, listening to opera on the radio to complement the scene. At daybreak, we continued to wind through the countryside outside of Laragne, eventually arriving at the narrow concrete archway that leads into the village itself. The town was just coming to life, but we desperately needed rest. We’d done a lot of living and laughing in our first two days abroad.

direction, and the prevailing light winds allowed a pilot to explore areas they otherwise wouldn’t. Diving into the lee of ridges, flying close “behind” terrain usually yielded lift and not the expected rotor slap. The flying was technical and would only become more technical during task days.

After the opening ceremony’s evening of pageantry in the town square, we began THE SITE  We had two practice days of the business of flying tasks. The directors flying from the Chabre’ launch, a ridge-top of the meet threw us a change-up the first site just west of Laragne. The site boasts day, sending us away from Laragne to a site north and south launches, each requiring called Aspres. The unknown site caused attention. The south launch is somewhat some apprehension until we arrived at shallow, with a mostly forested area in launch where we could see a mountaintop front. The north launch is steep but ends meadow large enough for a thousand glidwith an overhanging cliff that drops sever- ers to set up. A large 137km semi-circular al hundred feet. We heard stories of blown task was called. We’d be flying near famed mountains, across a large lake, with a launches leading up to the practice day. thousand-yearold citadel for a turn-point During the practice days, I began to make sense of the flying in the area. There along the way. were mountain ranges and valleys in every At the pilot’s meeting that first day, everyone seemed to be taking things very seriously, and I found my anxiety level rising.

Rather than stew in the tension on the ground, the weather looked easily soarable, so I launched early and avoided the dense gaggles for over an hour, taking photos and sightseeing at a leisure pace. The field of pilots flew with large vultures and sailplanes around the clouds—waiting for the start.

As the start approached, things got serious and being vigilant about traffic was imperative. Most took the same start. The first two thermals were harrowing with everyone’s trying to out-climb others in the active air. As the task continued and pilots chose their own line, the traffic eventually thinned out.

September 2008 | Hang Gliding & Paragliding | www.USHPA .aero

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[right] Arriving in Munich with gliders. [below] Flying in the Austrian Alps. Photos by Jeff Obrien.

During the meet there was almost always a tactical choice about whether to deviate far off of the course line to stay above the mountain ridges and high ground with better lift, or follow a direct route across the valleys with lighter lift. Deviating away to the mountains was usually the faster choice, but there were additional choices about which mountain range to follow.

Sometimes going even further off course to take advantage of better clouds or wind conditions over a different range rewarded a pilot with a faster line. You had to think unconventionally.

The first task was filled with tactical choices. After making a large deviation to a rugged range, I was rewarded with a strong climb that allowed me to make the valley crossing and get a turn point. There was one more secondary ridge to work before crossing a large, stunning blue lake.

Beyond the lake and the third turn-point, there was another prominent range to get on to, with great looking clouds above.

Most of us took the direct route toward the next turn point instead of deviating very far off course line in order to stay on the mountains and in the sun. This was a mistake. A high cloud band came over and suppressed the lift.

During the briefing, we had been told about a couple of densely forested areas with terrain not suitable for landing. I was still shocked when I followed other pilots around the shoulder of a mountain to find only a river gorge on the other side with no apparent roads and fields. Landing/crash-

ing in the riverbed was the only option.

After a quick survey of the riverbed, I vowed not to look down again, knowing I had to get back up. Eventually I gained enough altitude to continue. We were beating into the wind now, and with the lighter lift, the day was getting tough.

Past the fourth turn-point, pilots were getting caught in the lee side of ridges we had to cross on the final leg. I was barely able to squeak over a forested ridge into the wind, with Zippy just behind me. When he saw me sneak over to the windward side, he got on the radio and said, “How happy are you to be over that ridgeline?” I replied, “Uh, not very. Wait until you see what’s on the other side.” The terrain on the other side was practically void of places to land.

Once again, I spotted a clearing next to a small creek where it might be possible to avoid the trees and vowed not to look

down again. The meet staff had been clear about un-landable areas, but the lift at the end of the day was getting light, so we were all taking “competition” risks.

We managed to avoid landing in the forest, but for me the day just didn’t have enough energy to bring me in. I landed 9km short of goal with Zippy just 3km back. Seven pilots made goal, with Australian Scott Barrett winning by an astounding twenty-minutes. He’d taken a different line than most, and it paid off.

After a day cancelled due to high winds, we flew a 70km task where reigning world champion, Attila Bertok, had the fastest time, but Andreas Olssen got the day win due to leading points. However, Scott Barrett retained the lead. The next two days were called due to thunderstormson-course after the field had taken to the sky. Most flew away from the storms and enjoyed free sightseeing flights. This also gave us time to explore activities in the countryside.

THE SURROUNDINGS  Laragne boasts a lot

of culture and activities in the immediate area. Every Thursday morning a farmers’ market and bazaar takes place in the center of town—a perfect place for people-watching and purchasing local wares. In the town of Sisterone, just 20km to the south, there’s a large, historic 2000-year-old citadel to tour. Local swimming holes abound, with the nicest one situated in a river gorge on the way to launch. Pilots often congregated around a waterfall with a deep pool conducive for cliff jumping. Then there are the ubiquitous countryside villages with narrow, romantic alleyways to explore and

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September 2008 | Hang Gliding & Paragliding | www.USHPA .aero

[clockwise from upper left] First flight over the Alps.

The processing up to launch. Aspres launch first day glider lineup. Photos by Jeff Obrien.

Thirty-eight pilots made goal, with Attila Bertok taking a late start time and flying through gaggles to win the day.

Scott Barrett made a mistake by taking the first start time, but despite his 21st place finish on the last day, he held off Balazs from Hungary for the meet win. This was a great accomplishment for Scott, Airborne Gliders, and Australia. The team title went to the British “A” team who flew cohesively throughout.

THE VERDICT  Taking into account all the

get lost in.

The area also offers some renowned rock climbing, as well as several via ferrata climbs for tourists. If you’d like to construct one, the concept is simple: Drill and glue re-bar ladder rungs several hundred feet up a cliff-face and pepper the course with cable bridges and tightwire traverses. Along the re-bar rungs there must be a cable to clip into. As one climbs up, he moves from anchor to anchor, providing safety in case of a fall.

We joined three French pilots on a free afternoon to experience a via ferrata.

At the tourist office we paid our 15 Euros for harness rental and site fee. There was no paperwork to sign or guide to show us the way—only a smiling woman behind the counter who provided the climbing gear and a directive to have fun. The climbing was intensely fun. We ascended the buttress in a zigzag route and after topping out, began our descent back down the cliff another way, arriving at a plank bridge a couple-hundred feet above the ground. As we reached the opposite side of the bridge, a storm was approaching. We spotted a sign that said: The path to the right leads out, the path to the left requires both mental and physical strength!

We went left. The course took us across an awkward tight-wire bridge followed by a sheer-cliff-ladder exit. Fantastic!

speed. It was necessary to wait, while over the mountains, for a particularly strong thermal before beating upwind across a valley. Getting the last turn-point was problematic because it sat in rotor. Many of us were slapped out of the sky. I fell short of goal by 700 meters, even though I had a 6-to-1 glide downwind to goal. Scott Barrett edged out Balazs Ujhelyi for the day win. Twenty-six pilots made goal.

The stage was set for a final day’s showdown between Scott and Balazs, and a 98km crosswind zigzag task was called.

Again, the flying was super technical as we flew over a variety of terrain. At times I was ridge-soaring thermic bubbles on cliff-faces less than 100ft. off the terrain. The latter portion of the course was out on the flats over lavender fields and countryside that the Tour de France would pass through a couple of weeks later.

logistical concerns, cost, and effort—was it worth it? ABSOLUTELY! For me the experience was like living in a fantasy. A lifetime highlight. The flying was technical, scenic, and fun.

But a flying trip is so much more than the flying alone. It was an ineffable pleasure to share time over home-cooked sunset dinners with the folks on the US team and others in our group. The meet organizers did a great job in every respect and the convivial social gatherings throughout the competition fostered many new friendships. If I qualify for the team, I’ll certainly be back in 2009!

US TEAM. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7th

JEFF O’BRIEN. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10th DAVIS STRAUB. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17th JEFF SHAPIRO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48th ZAC MAJORS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51th DERRECK TURNER. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88th JACK SIMMONS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99th

http://chabre2009.com/

THE REST OF THE COMPETITION  The last twoout-of-three days we flew challenging tasks.

Day seven was a multi-hour “bar fight” into a strong headwind back and forth across the valleys. Patience was paramount over

September 2008 | Hang Gliding & Paragliding | www.USHPA .aero

49

The lake LZ in Valle de Bravo, Mexico | Photo

by Josh Cohn.

AGUA

by TOMWEBSTER

F

ebruary, 1992, Valle de Bravo, Mexico–we had just reached the first waypoint of an absurdly long road trip. David, Will and I were hang gliding instructors who, having little else to do in the winter, decided to drive from the eastern tip of North Carolina to a mountain town in Guatemala and fly as many sites as possible along the way.

After nearly a week on the road, we made it to Valle de Bravo, the Mexican Mecca of foot-launched flight. Valle served as base camp for our trip because of its convenient location right in the center of the country, its ultra-consistent flying conditions, and the community of pilots who lived there and could point us in plenty of good and interesting directions.

We got there in the evening—early enough to get a quick flight, but too late to bother looking around town for a proper site guide or even finding the landing zone. We blew through town and headed straight to launch since David had detailed directions, and after all, what could go wrong? La Torre, the evening launch site, was considered suitable for novice pilots, and the winds were always smooth and perfect just before sunset.

Finding our way through the forest behind launch took about an hour, so when we finally stood on the launch ramp,

50

it was about two hours to sunset. Things were looking up, though. We located a steep concrete ramp to run off of, a generous slot cut out of the forest, and most important, a steady and soarable breeze coming straight up the hill. What gave us pause was uncertainty about the landing zone. We could see a corner of it from launch, and even spotted a windsock that showed a good wind direction. But I knew for sure that there were characteristics about it that I didn’t like: the LZ was small and bordered by obstacles on two sides and a lake on the other two.

As I was stuffing my #4 batten, another person arrived at launch—a Mexican paraglider pilot, the first flying human we had encountered since we left Georgia. His English was good enough to give us the low-down on the landing. He confirmed that we were looking at the right landing zone and that hang gliders used it on a regular basis. Then he added a key piece of local knowledge: The field was indeed very small, and missing it would mean landing either on top of a house or in the water.

But the good news was that, if you went a little beyond the margin of the field, the lake would only be a few inches deep and you could simply wade back to shore without even getting your knees wet. Fine, I said. David and I launched.

Stepping into the smooth evening lift and soaring over Valle’s landscape, we saw Spanish Colonial architecture with red-tiled roofs, pine forests at high elevations with tropical trees down low, and a picturesque lake in front of us. We smelled the ever-present campfires that dot the Mexican countryside. The entire scenario was refreshing and interesting to me. After about twenty minutes, though, it seemed wise to head out and land while there was still plenty of light. The flight was soon to become more interesting, but much less refreshing.

I got to the lake with plenty of altitude, allowing a good two or three minutes to float around and think about the landing. The field looked to be about 250 feet from north to south and about 150 feet from east to west, with water on the south and west sides, trees to the east, and a high chicken-wire fence to the north. In other words, it was about the size of a football field. Should have been a piece of cake for any Hang 2, except for two details: the wind was coming from the west, straight across the narrow axis of the field, and the water was starting to worry me.

Even though this field was technically big enough for any certified hang glider pilot to land in, it posed some new chalSeptember 2008 | Hang Gliding & Paragliding | www.USHPA .aero

wind

lenges: The wind was blowing about 90 degrees to the long axis of the field, and the field sloped down to the water along the short axis, requiring a crosswind final approach.

The north end of the field ended in a 20-foot high fence, beyond which sat about a dozen trailered sailboats, so overshooting to the north was not an option.

The ideal landing approach would require entering ground effect right at the water’s edge on the south end of the field or maybe just offshore.

An aircraft approach with a high-speed, long-ground-effect final like I was used to would have worked here, but would have seemed strange with the new variables in place. First, since the final glide had to be crosswind, I had to rotate the entire approach 90 degrees from downwind-base-final (DBF) to crosswind-base-final (CBF). Second, entering ground effect with deep water beneath me ( I knew it was deep off the south end of the field) would be logistically correct, but would feel very scary. And third, even though I was used to landing crosswind at the beach, I had just launched from a mountain. The mountain-flying mindset, for me, did not include crosswind landings.

The landing technique we used back in Virginia involved judging altitude by tree height, so at about three-trees-high I entered the landing pattern. Having been warned that a crosswind landing was required, I planned to try a CBF approach.

But I didn’t catch on to an important difference between the two types of approach: the CBF doesn’t include an altitudewasting headwind leg, and the base leg isn’t very “adjustable,” so it must be started at a lower height. In the DBF, you lose

“A rigid mindset is a dangerous thing.

Quick thinking and creativity are required to land any kind of glider.”

September 2008 | Hang Gliding & Paragliding | www.USHPA .aero

very little height on the downwind leg, a little more on the base leg (or a lot, if you do figure-eights), and you lose the most of all on the final glide. In the CBF approach, these proportions are all different. You lose a moderate amount of height on the crosswind and final legs but almost none on the base leg.

You can probably see where this is going. As I turned left, transitioning from base to final, I was about 70 feet high, going fast, and 200 feet from the middle of the field. Too high and fast to burn off the altitude, too low to do any more turns. A brief moment of concern turned into relief when I remembered the paraglider pilot’s advice: the water is only ankle deep to the west of the field, easy to walk out of. It seemed plausible, since that area was much darker than the rest of the lake. Problem solved.

I swooped over the landing field at about 30 feet, checked the windsock, and lined up for a nice into-the-wind landing in the lake. About 200 feet past the shore, as the glider settled into trim speed, I arched my back and pushed up into a beautiful flare. My feet touched the surface of the water, and I felt for the lake bottom. Hmmm, the dark stuff seems to be some kind of aquatic weed bloom. Knees wet, now. Waist, chest, shoulders, neck... neck. The weeds, while giving me a false sense of security seconds before, saved my bacon by suspending the glider high enough to keep my head out of the water, allowing me to think calmly about the situation.

David undoubtedly felt more stress during this incident than I did. By the time he spiraled down, landed properly, and swam out to help, I had managed to worm out of my pod harness and flag down a passing fisherman. After a few minutes, the three of us were able to detach the glider’s nose wires, clear the weeds off of the lower rigging, and tie a rope to the nose plate. The fisherman towed the whole mess back to shore for us, and a few days later all my gear was dry again and ready to fly. As far as I know, that glider is still being flown to this day, somewhere in Wisconsin.

LESSONS LEARNED 1. Whenever you have an opportunity to see your landing field in advance, do it.

2. A rigid mindset is a dangerous thing. Quick thinking and creativity are required to land any kind of glider.

3. Hang gliders might float, given the right circumstances.

4. The town of Valle de Bravo did the hang gliding community a huge favor when they enlarged the landing zone a few years ago.

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BAY AREA FLYING

by THERESAEPPERSON

S

an Francisco Bay Area flying sites offer a wide range of flying opportunities for hang gliding and paragliding pilots. Pilots can encounter scenic red woods, oak woodlands, unique rocky terrain and rolling grasslands. As one can extrapolate from the photos, there is a variety of majestic views, ranging from the Pacific coast, to the delta waterways.

On a clear day, just by standing at various launches, one can see views that range from the Golden Gate Bridge to the Farallon Islands, Point Reyes, Santa Cruz Mountains, Mount Saint Helena, Mount Lassen, the Sacramento River and the crest of the Sierra Nevada.

Along with ridge soaring, San Francisco Bay Area pilots are able to find thermal flying with XC potential. The featured locations are a compilation of wisely rated hang 4 sites mixed with forgiving beginner locations. In 2007, I took these photos of my husband, Matt Epperson, for whom I have been driving over the last six years.

Matt has his hang 4 rating; he was flying a Wills Wing, Sport 2.

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ED LEVIN

MOUNT TAM

September 2008 | Hang Gliding & Paragliding | www.USHPA .aero

Mosquito Power Harness

Pilot: Paul Farina Photo: Greg Dewenter

Two New Options Available

New tank pictured above

• Internal Fuel Tank • High Performance Exhaust with Silencer

Dealers across America & Canada

www.mosquitoamerica.com Traverse City Hang Gliders/Paragliders Bill Fifer • Traverse City, MI

231-922-2844 phone/fax • tchangglider@chartermi.net

MOUNT TAM September 2008 | Hang Gliding & Paragliding | www.USHPA .aero

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MISSION PEAK

MISSION PEAK

MOUNT DIABLO 54

September 2008 | Hang Gliding & Paragliding | www.USHPA .aero

MOUNT DIABLO

September 2008 | Hang Gliding & Paragliding | www.USHPA .aero

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GALLERY | PETER VOLF

[previous page] Ryan “RT” Taylor and a passenger soaring over warm waters of Windward side. May 2008, Makapu’u, O’ahu, Hawai’i / Gradient BiGolden. [above] Ryan “RT” Taylor exploring a sailing canoe at Lanika’i Beach. May 2008, Lanika’i, O’ahu, Hawai’i / Gradient Aspen 2. [opposite] Brian Howell and myself over the Hawaiian jungle. December 2007, Kahana Bay, O’ahu, Hawai’i / Ozone Buzz.

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[opposite] Dave “Fireman” Taratko sideways over coral reef. November 2007, Makapu’u, O’ahu, Hawai’i / U-turn G-force. [below] Superman by Karl Steslicke, at Jackson Hole’s finest playground, Curtis Canyon. June 2008, Curtis Canyon, Jackson Hole, Wyoming.

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[above] Pete “Suicide” Arroyo getting ready to walk on a cloud. May 2008, Kahana Bay, O’ahu, Hawai’i / Ozone Mantra M2. [opposite] Fish spotting over crystal clear waters of Kahana. March 2008, Kahana Bay, O’ahu, Hawai’i. [next page] Canopy walking practice with Claude “Scrappy” Phillips and Brian Howell. December 2007, Kahana Bay, O’ahu, Hawai’i / Ozone BuzzZ and Ozone 69.

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Micky Von Wachter | photo by Josh Cohn.

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The thermal pushes its way through, screaming, ripping, reaching upward to the expansive release of cloudbase and the refreshing heavens on high.

Making a break for the blue.

Twisting, joyous flight.

Along the way, it bumps into the struggling wing headed for earth below. A vaguely familiar shape, reminiscent of a shadow. The thermal takes pity on the creature, knowing intimately the insufferable heat and smothering weight under the blanket.

by GREGGILLAM

A hole in the blanket.

Hole in the Blanket

S

un baked and blistered, a captive thermal strains under the weight of the entire atmosphereâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;full of explosive potential. A child in a church pew. It roams, looking for a way up; an escape from the fiery ground behind the passing of a tractor or in the wake of a sudden breeze. Anything to punch through the blanketâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;miles of heavy, satisfied air lying lazily on its back.

Then, a shadow. A black knife cutting cool, thin slits through the heat. Slicing open the mass. The thermal squirms and struggles in anticipation of release.

Above, close, a wing connected to the shadow by shape and trajectory. She is locked in her own struggle to find... something. To connect. She turns, cuts back, is almost ready to relent when the crisscross of her cool trail opens up a rift.

It reaches out to repay the favor and together they turn, laughing.

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DISPATCH CALENDAR 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, see our Calendar of Events at: www.USHPA.aero 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. AD DEADLINES: All ad copy, instructions, changes, additions & cancellations must be received in writing 2 months preceding the cover date, i.e. September 15th is the deadline for the November 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 809011330. If paying with credit card, you may email the previous information and classified to info@ushpa.aero. For security reasons, 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) 6328300. Fax (719) 632-6417 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.

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.

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 USHPA CERTIFIED INSTRUCTOR.

Sanctioned competition PG September 14-20  Bishop, California. Owens Valley US Paragliding Nationals. Registration opens April 1. Contact: Kevin and Kristen Biernaki. More information: www.2008USParaglidingNationals.com.

Competition PG September 6-7, October 4-6  Dunlap, Potato Hill and Owens Valley, California. 2008 Northern California XC League. $10/task for pre-registered pilots. Prizes awarded on Saturday nights. For more information email Jug at scpjka@gmail.com, or go to www.santacruzparagliding.com.

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HG

September 28 - October 4  Dunlap, Tennessee. The 2008 Tennessee Tree Toppers Team Challenge. Pilot check-in and registration starts Saturday September 27. Competition strategies with a focus on mentoring, and fun. More information: treetoppers.net.

HG PG October 31- November 2  Puebla, Mexico. Vuela Puebla 2008, Paragliding and Hang Gliding Open Championship. FAI/CIVL Category 2 Events.

Competitions will occur at same time at two different launches. Great flying, and cool colonial city. 75$ entry fee. More information: www.vuelapuebla.com.

Fly-Ins HG PG AUGUST 29 - SEPTEMBER 1  Steamboat Springs, Colorado. Please join the Storm Peak Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association for the fourth annual Airmen's Rendevous - Wild West Airfest. Fabulous flying, parties and awards. Bring the family to enjoy the many activities available in Steamboat Springs (hot springs, gondola rides, river activities, mountain biking, etc.). Tasks, T shirts and lots of airtime. Please contact any of us for info:; Mark Cahur, paramark1@ msn.com; Roberto Frias, robfrias@gmail.com; Debbie Funston, dkfunston@yahoo.com; Ken Grubbs, kengrubbs@msn.com; or look to links at rmhpa.org.

PG August 30 - September 1  Bend, Oregon. 18th annual Pine Mt. Fly-In. Pine Mt. is located 25 miles East of Bend Oregon. Come enjoy free flying, good food, a huge raffle, live music and your fellow pilots. Demo gliders, free camping, reliable conditions and fun daily tasks. For more information go to www. desertairriders.org or Contact Wade Holmes at wade. holmes@gmail.com.

HG PG SEPTEMBER 20-21  Miller Canyon, Arizona. The 2008 Miller Canyon fly-in. The Southern Arizona Hang Glider Association will host the 2008 Miller Canyon Fly-in on September 20th and 21st 2008. This is a fun fly-in for hang glider and paraglider pilots, with XC, duration, and spot landing events, and cool trophies.Miller Canyon is a big-air mountain site, even in the fall. Minimum H3/P3 and USHGA membership are required for this event. For details see the Miler Canyon site guide at http://www.sahga.com/miller.html. Dry USFS campground is available near launch, and hotel/motel accomodations are available in nearby Sierra Vista, about 10 minutes away from the LZ. The registration fee includes the fly-in tee shirt and is $40 in advance, $45 on-site. For online registration go to http://www.sahga.com/FlyInSignUp/FlyInRegister.html.

HG

September 25-28  Chattanooga, Tennessee. Lookout Mountain. 2008 Women’s Hang Gliding Festival. Join us for a celebration of women in hang gliding. Beautiful mountain and aerotow flying, clinics, discounted training, fun flying tasks, raffle prizes, food, parties and camaraderie. Lots of non-flying activities for family members. Registration is Thursday afternoon. All female and male hang glider pilots welcome. More information: www.hanglide.com. Contact: Jen Richards, 706-398-3541 or fly@hanglide.com.

HG PG October 9-October 14  LA SALINA, BAJA Mexico. Third Annual Full-Moon “Fiesto Del Cielo” Fly-in at La Salina Flying Ridge. Intermediate equivalency ( and above) paragliding and hang gliding pilots welcome (others check first).

La Salina is Baja’s most diversified airsport venue with various glider launches and LZ’s. Launch from 700’ ridge, located 1⁄2 mile east of Pacific Ocean.

Soar for hours, climbing 2000 ft+ in strong thermals, and land on big/beautiful sandy beach, or cross country 30+ miles into wine country. Event sponsored by TEAM FLYLASALINA.com, and Bajabrent who will handle accommodations at his sandy beachfront B & B (complete with carpeted target LZ), or elsewhere. XC comp and flying task competitions Fri-Mon. More information: www.

FLYLASALINA.com or www.BAJABRENT.com , or call Bajabrent at 760-203-2658 or 01152-646155-4218 or email bajabrent@msn.com.

clinics, meetings, tours AUGUST 29-31, SEPTEMBER 26-28  Villa Grove, Colorado. Distance cross-country clinic.

This place is simply amazing. The Sangre De Cristo Mountains run NW to SE, with peaks to 14,000 feet, and face the prevailing winds. Come and hone your thermal skills and reach your personal best distance. Lots of hot springs, great camping, and a quaint town close by, make this place a perfect venue for a supper weekend of flying. We will have retrieve, and instruction through the whole experience. Contact Greg Kelley at 970-376-0495, or paraglidevail@gmail.com.

SeptEMBER 6-8  Utah. Thermal Clinic at Utah flying sites with Ken Hudonjorgensen. Phone (801) 5723414, or email twocanfly@gmail.com. More information: www.twocanfly.com.

September 13-16  Ridge Soaring Clinic, near Grand Junction, Colorado. Otto's Ridge is an undiscovered ridge-soaring paradise. We soar above our tents in the morning, midday we tow up in building thermals, and in the evenings we enjoy glass-off flights. P-2 pilots will learn to ridge soar and tow up into thermals.

Details at http://www.parasoftparagliding.com/lessons/ridge _ soaring _ clinic.php.

September 2008 | Hang Gliding & Paragliding | www.USHPA .aero

September 23-28  Santa Barbara, California. Instructor Certification Clinic with Rob Sporrer of Eagle Paragliding. This three day clinic is open to basic and advanced Paragliding instructor candidates, and those needing recertification. More information: www.paragliding.com.

SeptEMBER 26-30  Bishop, California. XC GO FAR. Have you been dreaming of achieving your personal best flight...this might be the time to do it!!! Let me me help you. FLY THE OWEN’S VALLEY WITH KARI CASTLE. Three time world champion, umpteen time National Champion pilot in both hang gliding and paragliding. The fall is my favorite time of year for flying the Owen’s, let me show you around my backyard!! More information: karicastle@telis.net, or (760) 920-0748.

SeptEMBER 27-28  Utah. Mountain Flying and learning how to pioneer new sites with Ken Hudonjorgensen. Phone (801) 572-3414, or email twocanfly@ gmail.com. More information: www.twocanfly.com.

October 3-5  Santa Barbara, California. Instructor Certification Clinic with Rob Sporrer of Eagle Paragliding. This three day clinic is open to basic and advanced Paragliding instructor candidates, and those needing recertification. More information: www.paragliding.com.

OctOBER 8-12  Bishop, California. Welcome to the Owens 1. Site intros, thermal and XC coaching. Great time of year for mellow conditions open to strong P2 - P4. FLY THE OWEN’S VALLEY WITH KARI CASTLE. Three time world champion, umpteen time National Champion pilot in both hang gliding and paragliding. The fall is my favorite time of year for flying the Owen’s, let me show you around my backyard!! More information: karicastle@telis.net, or (760) 920-0748.

October 10-31  Tapalpa, Mexico. Fly south this winter, Tapalpa offers world class, mellow to moderate thermal conditions. Improve your thermal and x-c skills with David Prentice. Lodging,transportation, and guiding included. More information: earthcog@yahoo.com, or (505)720-5436.

OctOBER 16-20  Bishop, California. Welcome to the Owens 2. Site intros, thermal and XC coaching. Open to strong P2 to P4. FLY THE OWEN’S VALLEY WITH KARI CASTLE. Three time world champion, umpteen time National Champion pilot in both hang gliding and paragliding. The fall is my favorite time of year for flying the Owen’s, let me show you around my backyard!! More information: karicastle@telis.net, or (760) 920-0748.

OCTOBER 23-25  USHPA Board of Directors Meeting. Visit www.ushpa.aero for more info.

OctOBER 25-29  Bishop, California. Welcome to the Owens 3. New to thermals and flying XC this is for you. Enjoy some mellower and light XC conditions. FLY THE OWEN’S VALLEY WITH KARI CASTLE. Three time world champion, umpteen time National Champion pilot in both hang gliding and paragliding. The fall is my favorite time of year for flying the Owen’s, let me show you around my backyard!! More information: karicastle@telis.net, or (760) 920-0748.

OCTOBER 25-NOVEMBER 1  Nicaragua.

Join Nick Crane and Paracrane for the third annual paragliding tour to Nicaragua. This is the best time of year to fly Nicaragua, a little known and great place to paraglide with tons of potential.

You’ll fly beautiful Laguna de Apoyo, near the historic Colonial town of Granada, as well as Mombacho Volcano. This is a trip for experienced pilots comfortable with top landing, small LZ’s and XC flights. More information on this trip and others to Costa Rica: www.paracrane.com, or call (541)840-8587.

November 5-30  Iquique, Chile. Join Luis Rosenkjer and Todd Weigand to fly the never ending thermals where the Atacama Desert meets the Pacific Ocean! As Co-Chilean Open Distance record holder (193 km) and Iquique Open Competition Champions, Luis and Todd have over 11 years of combined guiding experience in Iquique. Multiple tours for all levels and USHPA certified instructional courses available. Fly every day or get money back! Don’t believe us…. check out our program for more details! www.paraglidechile.blogspot. com www.atlantaparagliding.com.

NOVEMBER 6TH- 25TH  Iquique, Chile. Join Luis Rosenkjer and Todd Weigand to fly the never ending thermals where the Atacama Desert meets the Pacific Ocean! As Co-Chilean Open Distance record holder (193 km) and Iquique Open Competition Champions, Luis and Todd have over 11 years of combined guiding experience in Iquique.

Multiple tours for all levels and USHPA certified instructional courses available. Fly everyday or get money back! Don’t believe us…. check out our program for more details! www.paraglidingtrips.com.

USHGA stickers in

USHPA limited supply so...

Stock up!

Order online at www.ushpa.aero/store or call 800-616-6888

November 7-9  Florida. East Coast SIV clinic. More information: earthcog@yahoo.com, or (505)720-5436.

November 8-16  Phoenix, Arizona. Come to warm Phoenix for some last flights before winter. Parasoft offers pilots rated P-2 and higher a chance to improve your skills in warm thermals. Fly into Sky Harbor on these dates and we will take you flying nearby. We have hotel, transport and guiding all arranged. Details at http://www.parasoftparagliding.com/travel/phoenix. php.

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November 10-15  Florida Ridge. First annual East coast X-C team challenge. This event will be based around a X-C clinic to help pilots improve thermal, and X-C skills. Format: Five pilot teams will be formed to compete in classic task and open distance tasks. Each team will have an experienced mentor pilot. This is a tow launch event. Limit if 50 pilots. More information: earthcog@yahoo.com, or (505)720-5436.

NovEMBER 8-15 &/or NovEMBER 15-22  Iquique, Chile. Flying sites w/Ken Hudonjorgensen , Bill Belcourt and local guides. A great trip to what many pilots consider to be the best place to fly in the world.

Phone (801) 572-3414, or email twocanfly@gmail. com. More information: www.twocanfly.com.

November 21-23  Florida. East Coast SIV clinic. More information: earthcog@yahoo.com, or (505)720-5436.

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December 5 - January 16  Valle De Bravo, Mexico. Fly south this winter! Improve your thermal and X-C skills with David Prentice World Class El Penon site, which is the launch for the 2009 world championships. Lodging, transportation, and guiding Included. More information: earthcog@yahoo.com, or (505)720-5436.

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.

COCOON HARNESSES - Custom Fit. UV Protective Topless Glider Covers. Protect your sail while glider is assembled. Chris Smith - Cloudbase Harnesses. Since 1972. Email: ihangglide@hotmail.com, (423)-6530922 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.

SCHOOLS & DEALERS ALABAMA ATLANTA PARAGLIDING - 20 years of experience, top instructors, top pilots and very consistent weather conditions all year around, make us your best choice on the east coast. www.atlantaparagliding.com (404) 9313793 LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN FLIGHT PARK - The best facilities, largest inventory, camping, swimming, volleyball, more. Wide range of accommodations. hanglide.com, 877-hanglide, (877)-426-4543, hanglide.com.

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

FALCONS CLEARANCE SALE - School use, one season. Falcon 1s and 2s. All sizes $1,250-$2,500. (262)473-8800, info@hanggliding.com, www.hanggliding. com, http://stores.ebay.com/raven-sports.

AIRJUNKIES PARAGLIDING - Year-round excellent instruction, Southern California & Baja. Powered paragliding, clinics, tours, tandem, towing. Ken Baier (760)-7532664, ` airjunkies.com.

UV PROTECTIVE TOPLESS GLIDER COVERS - Protect your sail while glider is assembled. Custom Cocoon Harnesses also. Chris Smith - Cloudbase Harnesses.

Since 1972. Email: ihangglide@hotmail.com, (423)653-0922.

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

WILLS WING XC 132 - Awesome glider for small pilot. Thermals beautifully. Excellent condition. Like new.

White Upper. Blue/White Under. Fin included. (423) 653-0922, ihangglide@hotmail.com

PARACHUTES INSPECTED RESERVES - For HG or PG $199+up.

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

BUSINESS & EMPLOYMENT 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 App. To: 3904 airport way, E. Wenatchee, Wa. 98802 or Fax 509-886-3435 (www.northwing. com)

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HARNESSES

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

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

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. Pitman 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@hanggliding.com, www.hang-gliding.com, Mission Soaring Center, leading the way since 1973.

September 2008 | Hang Gliding & Paragliding | www.USHPA .aero

TORREY PINES GLIDERPORT - Come soar in San Diego! This family-owned and operated flying site offers USHPA 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 Paratech 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 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 and service Colorado’s most experienced! Offering foot launch, tow and scooter tow instruction. Wills Wing, Moyes, North Wing, AIR, Altair, Aeros, High Energy, Finsterwalder, Flytec, MotoComm, and more sold and serviced. Call for more info (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, Colorado. Offering excellent state-of-the-art instruction. Specializing in over the water & safety training. Equipment & tandems.

Phone 303.817.0803 Info@peaktopeakparagliding.com www.peaktopeakparagliding.com.

FLORIDA ATLANTA PARAGLIDING - 20 years of experience, top instructors, top pilots and very consistent weather conditions all year around, make us your best choice on the east coast. www.atlantaparagliding.com (404) 9313793 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.

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 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, stateof-the-art. F.H.G. INC., flying Florida since 1974

GEORGIA ATLANTA PARAGLIDING - 20 years of experience, top instructors, top pilots and very consistent weather conditions all year around, make us your best choice on the east coast. www.atlantaparagliding.com (404) 9313793 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.

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

ALOHA! ISLAND POWERED PARAGLIDERS/THERMALUP PARAGLIDING - The Big Islands only choice for USHPA certified instruction. Both free flight and powered tandems year round. Dvd of your flight included.

One on one lessons from our private oceanside launches and training facilities. Contact Yeti, (808)-987-0773, www.ThermalUp.com or www.IslandPPG.com. Aloha PROFLYGHT PARAGLIDING - Call Dexter for friendly information about flying on Maui. Full-service school offering beginner to advanced instruction every day, year round. (808)-874-5433, paraglidehawaii.com.

INDIANA CLOUD 9 SPORT AVIATION - See Cloud 9 in Michigan

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MAINE DOWNEAST AIRSPORTS - paragliding & hang gliding instruction using tandems & scooter towing for easy safe learning. Quality equipment sales. 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 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)-6342775, 24038 Race Track Rd, Ridgely, MD 21660, www. aerosports.net, hangglide@aerosports.net.

MARYLAND SCHOOL OF HANG GLIDING - Sales, service, instruction since 1976. Specializing in Foot Launch. www.mshg.com (410)-527-0975 Proudly representing Wills Wing, Flytec & Moyes

for Airfoil

WHEELS

Basetubes

Raven Hang Gliding LLC (262) 473-8800 www.hanggliding.com

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 summer tandem lessons and flying appointments with the DraachenFliegen Soaring Club at Cloud 9 Field. (517)-223-8683, DFSCinc@aol. com, http://members.aol.com/dfscinc.

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 MOUNTAIN WINGS INC. - New location at 77 Hang Glider Road in Ellenville next to the LZ. We service all brands featuring AEROS and North Wing. Contact (845)-647-3377, mtnwings@verizon.net, www.mtnwings.com, 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.

LET'S GO PARAGLIDING LLC - Paragliding flight school offering USHPA-certified instruction for all levels, tandem flights, tours, and equipment sales. More information: www.letsgoparagliding.com, (917) 359-6449.

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SUSQUEHANNA FLIGHT PARK COOPERSTOWN NY - 40 acre flight park. 160’ training hill with rides up. 600’ ridge-large LZ. Specializing in first mountain flights.

Dan Guido mailing address 293 Shoemaker Rd Mohawk Ny 13407 Home (315)-866-6153 cell (315)-867-8011 dguido@dfamilk.com

NORTH CAROLINA ATLANTA PARAGLIDING - 20 years of experience, top instructors, top pilots and very consistent weather conditions all year around, make us your best choice on the east coast. www.atlantaparagliding.com (404) 9313793 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)-4412426, 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.

SOUTH CAROLINA ATLANTA PARAGLIDING - 20 years of experience, top instructors, top pilots and very consistent weather conditions all year around, make us your best choice on the east coast. www.atlantaparagliding.com (404) 9313793

TENNESSEE ATLANTA PARAGLIDING - 20 years of experience, top instructors, top pilots and very consistent weather conditions all year around, make us your best choice on the east coast. www.atlantaparagliding.com (404) 9313793 LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN FLIGHT PARK - Just outside 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)-2360031, 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.

September 2008 | Hang Gliding & Paragliding | www.USHPA .aero

UTAH CLOUD 9 PARAGLIDING - Come visit us and check out our huge selection of paragliding gear, traction kites, extreme toys, and any other fun things you can think of.

If you aren’t near the Point of the Mountain, then head to http://www.paragliders.com for a full list of products and services. We are Utah’s only full time shop and repair facility, Give us a ring at (801)-576-6460 if you have any questions.

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, (804)-241-4324, www.blueskyhg.com.

WASHINGTON

GLIDERBAGS - XC $75! Heavy waterproof $125. Accessories, low prices, fast delivery! Gunnison Gliders, 1549 County Road 17, Gunnison CO 81230. (970) 641-9315, orders 1-866-238-2305.

HALL WIND METER – Simple. Reliable. Accurate.

Mounting brackets, control-bar wheels. Hall Brothers, PO Box 1010, Morgan, Utah 84050. (801) 829-3232, www.hallwindmeter.com.

MINI VARIO - World’s smallest, simplest vario! Clips to helmet or chinstrap. 200 hours on batteries, 0-18,000 ft., fast response and 2-year warranty. ONLY $169. Mallettec, PO Box 15756, Santa Ana CA 92735. (949)-7950421, MC/Visa accepted, www.mallettec.com.

OXYGEN SYSTEMS – MH-XCR-180 operates to 18,000 ft., weighs only 4 lbs. System includes cylinder, harness, regulator, cannula, and remote on/off flowmeter. $450.00. 1(800)468-8185

INTERNATIONAL

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.

BAJA MEXICO - La Salina: PG, HG, PPG www.FLYLASALINA.com. by www.BAJABRENT.com, He’ll hook you up! site intros, tours, & rooms bajabrent@bajabrent. com, (760)-203-2658

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.

COSTA RICA - Grampa Ninja’s Paragliders’ B&C (Bed And Coffee). Rooms, and/or guide service and transportation. Lessons available from USHPA certified instructors. Open January thru April. If enough interest, December. USA: 908-454-3242. Costa Rica: 506-2664-6833 www.paraglidecostarica.com

WHEELS FOR AIRFOIL BASETUBES - WHOOSH! Wheels™ (Patent Pending), Moyes/Airborne & Wills Wing compatible. Dealer inquiries invited. (262)-4738800, www.hanggliding.com, info@hanggliding.com, http://stores.ebay.com/raven-sports.

AERIAL PARAGLIDING SCHOOL AND FLIGHT PARK - Award winning instructors at a world class training facility. Contact Doug Stroop at (509)-782-5543 or visit www.paragliding.us

MEXICO - VALLE DE BRAVO and beyond for hang gliding and paragliding. Year round availability and special tours. Gear, guiding, instruction, transportation, lodging - all varieties for your needs. www.flymexico.com 1-(800)-861-7198 USA

PARTS & ACCESSORIES ALL HG GLIDERBAGS, harness packs, harness zippers and zipper stocks. Instrument mounts and replacement bands. Mitts, straps, fabric parts, windsocks, radios.

Gunnison Gliders. 1-(866)-238-2305 FLIGHT SUITS, FLIGHT SUITS, FLIGHT SUITS, Warm Flight suits, Efficient Flight suits, Light weight Flight suits, Flight suits in twelve sizes. Stylish Flight suits www.mphsports.com (503)-657-8911 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.

STOLEN WINGS AND THINGS 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)632-6417, or emailed to info@ushpa.aero for inclusion in Hang Gliding & Paragliding magazine. Please call to cancel the listing when gliders are recovered. Periodically, this listing will be purged.

GPS GARMIN 76 CSX. The last day of the Rat Race, after the track log information was downloaded, someone picked up my GPS from the table. It had white tape in the upper left corner with my pilot number 326 written on it.

If you discover that this GPS in your possession, please contact me at USHPA. Martin 800-616-6888. This GPS was borrowed from a friend, so it would be an enormous relief to have it returned.

HANG GLIDING INSTRUMENT FOUND on Tennessee Tree Topper site. Identify for return. JamesPAnde@aol. com STOLEN FROM THE ANDY JACKSON AIRPARK CALIFORNIA, MAY 14TH 2007. FALCON 195 #25038. Silver leading edge, red bottom surface white trailing edge. If found please contact Rob or Dianne through www.flytandem.com or (909)-883-8488.

GEAR STOLEN FROM MEXICAN PILOT IN MEXICO NIVIUK HOOK XXS (45-65Kg) wing, in orange and white, s/n C20664, and an Ava Sport XS harnes, in blue and black. The reserve is a Firebird R5 S; I don’t have the serial number of these last two. If this equipment is found, contact me pupitetris@yahoo.com or her directly: Vinda Levy, vindalev@yahoo.com +52(312)3097665

WINDSOKS FROM HAWK AIRSPORTS INC - 1673 Corbin Lake Rd, Rutledge, TN 37861, 1-800-826-2719.

World-famous Windsoks, as seen at the Oshkosh & SunN-Fun EAA Fly-Ins. Hawk@windsok.com, www.windsok.com.

PUBLICATIONS & ORGANIZATIONS 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.

MISCELLANEOUS ATTENTION PILOTS! Bamboo Chutes recycles grounded paragliders and parachutes into enviro friendly tote bags. We pay shipping and send you a tote! 541301-3101 or info@bamboochutes.com 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, 1-888-514-2100 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!

September 2008 | Hang Gliding & Paragliding | www.USHPA .aero

NEW BO $3 OK! 2.9 !

5

Order online at www.ushga.org/store or call 800-616-6888 73

HANG GLIDING RTNG REGN NAME

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

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

Rebekah Keene Victoria Knight Eli Nir Tommer Wizansky Brandon Essex Oscar Arias Will Beaumont Daniel Gilles Udo Rehberg James Menees Averell Gatton Dylan Vest Adrian Dybwad Joseph Vanasco Sayulita Storm Robinsong Deborah Good Roger Simon Cathleen O`connell Thomas Lutz Megan Kymer Tyler Fitzpatrick Rebekah Keene Brett D`aquino Eli Nir Will Beaumont Travis Hall Victor Fresco Lilian Rudicaille Dylan Vest Adrian Dybwad Joseph Vanasco James Seaton Wayne Bezner Kerr Fabiano Nahoum David Carroll Elijah Porter Arnel Sanchez Damien Dykman Gary Goddard Ryan Coppola Jonathan Boarini Paul Harrison Wayne Whiteman Brian Eberle Adrian Dybwad Wayne Bezner Kerr Paul Paszkowski Donald Banas Steven Danielson Tim Markley Peter Hammett Paul Harrison Adrian Dybwad Brian Boudreau

CITY

STATE RATING OFFICIAL

Bellingham Albany Palo Alto Menlo Park Berkely Long Beach Albuquerque Piedmont Bristol Portland Mclean Foley Champions Gate Riverien Lancaster Dallas Fort Worth Princeton Rockaway Rockaway Rockaway Bellingham Santa Cruz Palo Alto Albuquerque Stillwater Charleston Charleston Foley Champions Gate Riverien Marrero London, Ont Rio De Janeiro Forks Nikiski San Francisco San Francisco Oakland Chester Springs Doral Davenport Decatur Newnan Champions Gate London, Ont Calgary, Alberta Long Beach Star Prairie Jom Thorpe Rising Fawn Davenport Champions Gate Meteghan Ns

WA CA CA CA CA CA NM OK CT ME VA AL FL FL SC TX TX NJ NJ NJ NJ WA CA CA NM OK SC SC AL FL FL LA

WA AK CA CA CA PA FL FL GA GA FL

CA WI PA GA FL FL

James Fieser Kurtis Carter Kurtis Carter Patrick Denevan Arturo Melean Paul Thornbury Gordon Cayce Thomas Baumann Alegra Davidson Steven Prepost Andy Torrington Gordon Cayce Malcolm Jones Malcolm Jones Eric Froehlich Chris Price Thomas Graham Greg Black Greg Black Greg Black Paul Voight James Fieser Michael Jefferson Kurtis Carter Gordon Cayce Jon Thompson Gordon Cayce Ron Knight Gordon Cayce Malcolm Jones Malcolm Jones Gordon Cayce Gregg Ludwig Gordon Cayce Larry Jorgensen Larry Jorgensen Eric Mies Michael Jefferson Patrick Denevan Steve Wendt David Koehn Malcolm Jones Matthew Taber Daniel Zink Malcolm Jones Gregg Ludwig Christopher Valley Joe Greblo Larry Jorgensen Jeffrey Nicolay Ron Knight Malcolm Jones Malcolm Jones Gary Trudeau

September 2008 | Hang Gliding & Paragliding | www.USHPA .aero

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M

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PARAGLIDING RTNG REGN NAME

CITY

STATE RATING OFFICIAL

RTNG REGN NAME

CITY

STATE RATING OFFICIAL

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

Bothell Redmond Lake Oswego Bend Ashland Hood River Beaverton Tualata Portland Oregon City Hillsboro Portland Sacramento Berkeley Oakland Oakland Los Altos Pasadena Laguna Beach Santa Barbara Corona Thousand Oakes Salt Lake City Provo Boise Idaho Falls Westland Somerville Somerville Stamford Millers Falls N Richland Hills Bothell Seattle Ridgefield Bend Hillsboro Ellensburg Sacramento Tahoe City San Francisco Burlingame Portula Valley Sunnyvale Berkeley Pasadena Laguna Beach Huntington Beach Santa Barbara Santa Paula Prot Hueneme Montrose Thousand Oakes Evergreen Gilbert Scottsdale Chandler Cottonwood Salt Lake City Provo Evergreen Boise Idaho Falls Jackson Boise Webb City Willowbrook Westland Charlestown Somerville

WA OR OR OR OR OR OR OR OR OR OR OR CA CA CA CA CA CA CA CA CA CA UT UT ID ID MI MA MA CT MA TX WA WA WA OR OR WA CA CA CA CA CA CA CA CA CA CA CA CA CA CA CA CO AZ AZ AZ AZ UT UT CO ID ID WY ID MO IL MI MA MA

P-2 P-2 P-2 P-2 P-2 P-2 P-2 P-2 P-2 P-2 P-2 P-3 P-3 P-3 P-3 P-3 P-3 P-3 P-3 P-3 P-3 P-3 P-3 P-3 P-3 P-3 P-3 P-3 P-3 P-3 P-3 P-3 P-3 P-3 P-3 P-3 P-3 P-3 P-3 P-4 P-4 P-4 P-4 P-4 P-4 P-4

Somerville Plymouth Roanoke Roanoke Nashville Hoover St Petersburg N Richland Hills Southampton Hamilton Monterey, N. Leon Seattle Seattle Bellevue Seattle Sacramento Sacramento San Francisco Mountain View Oakland Culver City Waianae Pasadena Paia Makawao Boulder Grand Junction Thornton Crested Butte Albuquerque Nampa Plymouth Bridgeport Winsted Middletown Boston Austin New York Monterey, N. Leon Medford Medford Miranda Pasadena Charlottesville Sparta Ontario

MA NH VA VA TN AL FL TX NY

Ed Harris Joshua Harbick John Ellis Williams Mark Powell Levi Willmeth Mark Thompson Tim Hallrud Stacy Rustad Greg Hooper David Williams Leonard Guler Chris Anderson Dennis Stallings Aaron Cohn Kamal Shah Sandra Linke Spencer Arton Klaus Wunderlich Brian Jacobs Mark Crane George Tillery Morgan Englund Travis Nay Jon Low Robbie Gillespie Trond Bjornard Scott Mills Dr Martin Zech Melanie Ramm-zech Virginia Meza Victor Brizin Brian Mcadoo Ed Harris Glenn Walter Tom Nosack Mark Powell Leonard Guler Nicholas Giguere Dennis Stallings Paul Evander Andrea Deley Andrea Mucignat Alex Gould Marco Pontil Aaron Cohn Klaus Wunderlich Brian Jacobs Larry Blades Mark Crane Simon King Basey Shane Evgeniy Sklyanskiy Morgan Englund Mark Denzel Kenny Grimm Thomas Desjardins Marc Mccool Murari Bishop Travis Nay Jon Low Alex Gilmer Robbie Gillespie Trond Bjornard Bob Mclaurin Nate Backus Lindsay Matush Mantas Makaras Scott Mills R Lynn Iii Dr Martin Zech

Roy Zaleski Kevin Lee Maren Ludwig Bruce Kirk John Ivey Maren Ludwig Maren Ludwig Kelly Kellar Kelly Kellar Kelly Kellar Maren Ludwig Maren Ludwig Ray Leonard Bruce Kirk Jeffrey Greenbaum Jeffrey Greenbaum Jeffrey Greenbaum Rob Mckenzie Marcello De Barros Chad Bastian, Flyaboveall Rob Von Zabern Bruce Kirk Ken Hudonjorgensen Ken Hudonjorgensen Peter Hammett Rob Sporrer Kevin Hintze Rick Sharp Rick Sharp Ciaran Egan Jeffrey Nicolay Kevin Hintze Roy Zaleski Lan Chirico Kelly Kellar Bruce Kirk Maren Ludwig Douglas Stroop Ray Leonard Jeff Warnes Wallace Anderson Jeffrey Greenbaum Gabriel Jebb Jeffrey Greenbaum Bruce Kirk Rob Mckenzie Marcello De Barros Bill Armstrong Chad Bastian, Flyaboveall Kevin Mcginley Gary Begley Kevin Mcginley Bruce Kirk Granger Banks Carlos Madureira Carlos Madureira Carlos Madureira Carlos Madureira Ken Hudonjorgensen Ken Hudonjorgensen Granger Banks Peter Hammett Rob Sporrer Scott Harris Chris Santacroce Todd Weigand Darius Lukosevicius Kevin Hintze Gary Trudeau Rick Sharp

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

Melanie Ramm-zech Greg Maggi John Robinson Taylor Robinson Richard Amend Sammie Akio Robertson Algimantas Krikscikas Brian Mcadoo Ruediger Lemp Terence Madeiros Hans Erwin Resendiz Sarah Doherty Matt Cone Craig Brewster C. J. Brockway Richard Staudinger Dennis Stallings Gary Beach Jens Uwe Langer Erik Nilsen Steven Brieske Jeffrey Mccloud Klaus Wunderlich George Merk Jon Malmberg Christoph Schoettle Rick Baars Janel Williams Bo Thomsen Daniel Harrison Bruce Hughes Mat Nowakowski Dalton Ghetti Robert Trueworthy Robert Krasowski Gasser Basil Dan Bishop Henry Berger Hans Erwin Resendiz Rena Scott Ronald Scott Debbie Vosevich Klaus Wunderlich Peter Thompson Alex Berardi Carlos Olivera

WA WA WA WA CA CA CA CA CA CA HI CA HI HI CO CO CO CO NM ID MI CT CT CT MA TX NY OR OR CA CA VA NJ

Rick Sharp Ciaran Egan Dwayne Mc Court Dwayne Mc Court Kari Castle Jeffrey Greenbaum Darius Lukosevicius Kevin Hintze David Koehn Granger Banks Miguel Gutierrez Denise Reed Denise Reed Lan Chirico Denise Reed Ray Leonard Ray Leonard Rob Sporrer Juan Laos Wallace Anderson Steve Stackable Pete Michelmore Rob Mckenzie David Binder Douglas Stroop Ron Peck William Smith Kay Tauscher Steve Stackable Christopher Grantham Peter Hammett Norman Lesnow Ciaran Egan Christopher Grantham Ciaran Egan Bianca Heinrich Bill Heaner Denise Reed Miguel Gutierrez Jaromir Lahulek Jaromir Lahulek Kevin Lee Rob Mckenzie Kevin Hintze Kay Tauscher David Jebb

Hot Springs Mountain Minden, NV | Photo by Mary Doyal

1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 2 2 3 3 3 3 3 4 4 5 5 7 8 8 8 8 11 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 5 5 5 5 6 7 7 8 8

75

Call your order in to 1.800.616.6888 Or enjoy reduced shipping charges when you order online at

www.USHPA.AERO/STORE

BOOKS | FILMS | APPAREL

ADULTS & KIDS TEES | $8.00-$18.00

2009 HG & PG CALENDARS | $15.00 The presses are warming up. Which photos have been selected? Who will grace the cover of your favorite wall calendar?

Make sure you're among the first to know by preordering your new and improved, freshly designed 2009 paragliding or hang gliding calendar today.

THERMAL FLYING | $52.95

?

?

PLAY GRAVITY DVD | $41.95

We know you have many choices in tee shirts, and we appreciate you choosing us.

The inspirational message on the sleeve reads "Looks good, you go first." Adults in Stratus. Kids in Sky & Fog. All sizes listed online.

FLEECE JACKET | $35.00 - 45.00

Thermal Flying is a compre-

Speedflying, paragliding, BASE

So you just made 10K and

hensive guide to the art of

jumping. A plethora of multi-sport

sent it over the back. No

thermaling and XC flying. This

action packs this slickly produced

retreive? Why let that stop

260 page book is packed with

DVD with more great moments

you? Be prepared for a

clear diagrams, photos and the

than a Mariah Carey holiday spe-

chilly hike out. Signal for

knowledge you need to make

cial. Buy "Play Gravity" and hide

help with the big USHPA

the most of each flying day.

your copy of "Glitter" inside.

logo. In Zero Viz Black.

UNDERSTANDING THE SKY | $24.95

FLEECE VEST | $35.00

SWEATSHIRT BLANKET | $20.00

If you own one weather

Your mama told you to in-

Sucked up into a cloud? Nuts.

book, this is the one you

sulate your core. But if you

After you've landed and

want. Dennis Pagen's

want the top of the stack

emptied the hail out of

famous tome will arm you

to know you're IN the core,

your pod, snuggle up in

with knowlege and cool

send them an odiferous

a 100% cotton sweatshirt

message by setting your

blanket, complete with the

pits free. In Zero Viz Black.

USHPA logo in Zero Viz Black.

WEATHER TO FLY DVD | $39.95

DENIM BRUISER | $30.00

APRES-VOL CLUB POLO | $30.00

Join Dixon White for an

sketches of invisible stuff.

Big air taking you for a

Now you can wear the

enlightening discussion

rodeo ride? Oh, forget the

same polo shirt

of how the weather affects

silly cowboy/pilot metaphor

we wear to

free flight. Don't believe

- you know what this is,

the country

thermals are like bubbles?

because your dad wears

You will. Don't understand

one. Keep it real. In High

work our second

Pressure Blue denim.

jobs. In Dusk & Dune.

lapse rates? You will.

76 76

PRE-SALES

club. Where we

September 2008 | Hang Gliding & Paragliding | www.USHPA .aero

PUBLICATIONS A RISK MGMT MANUAL. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $9.95 AND THE WORLD COULD FLY. . . . . . . . . . . . $32.95 AVIATION WEATHER. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $24.95 BIRDFLIGHT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $19.95 CONDOR TRAIL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $24.95 CLOUDSUCK. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $17.95 FLY THE WING. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $12.95 FUNDAMENTALS/INSTRUCTION. . . . . . . . . . . $12.95 HANG GLIDING TRAIN. MANUAL. . . . . . . . . . . $29.95 INSTR. MANUAL (HG or PG). . . . . . . . . . . . . $15.00 THE ART OF PARAGLIDING. . . . . . . . . . . . . . $34.95 TOWING ALOFT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $29.95 PG-PILOTS TRAIN. MANUAL & DVD. . . . . . . . . . $39.95 PERFORMANCE FLYING. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $29.95 POWERED PARAGLIDING BIBLE. . . . . . . . . . . $39.95 SECRETS OF CHAMPIONS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . $29.95 THERMAL FLYING. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $52.95 UNDERSTANDING THE SKY. . . . . . . . . . . . . $24.95 FLIGHT LOG BOOK. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $2.95

be sure to ch out our en eck selection tire at online sto the re!

BROKEN TOE ACRO DVD | $44.95 Join Enleau O'Connor and friends as they examine the ins and outs of SIV and acro.

Get out your airsick bag and call the attendant because you're in for a ride. A full 2 hours and 20 minutes!

HG & PG MAGAZINE ARCHIVES ON DVD | $30.00 33 great years of free flight

DVD'S BORN TO FLY. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$34.95 BROKEN TOE ACRO. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $44.95 DARE DEVIL FLYERS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $24.95 FLYING WITH EAGLES. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $45.95 FLYING OVER EVEREST. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $41.95 FRESH AIR RIDERS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $22.95 GROUND HANDLING & THE ART OF KITING. . . . . . $36.95 HANG GLIDING EXTREME. . . . . . . . . . . . . . $34.95 INSTABILITY II. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $41.95 LIFTING AIR. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $39.95 NEVER ENDING THERMAL. . . . . . . . . . . . . . $41.95 PARAHAWKING. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $35.95 PARAGLIDING:LEARN TO FLY. . . . . . . . . . . . $44.95 PARAGLIDING: GROUND HANDLING TECHNIQUES. . . $35.95 PARAGLIDER TOWING. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $24.95 PARTY/CLOUDBASE. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $24.95 PERFORMANCE FLYING. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $42.95 PLAY GRAVITY. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $41.95 RED BULL X-ALPS 2005. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $41.95 RED BULL X-ALPS 2007. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $45.95 PURA VIDA FLYING. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $24.95 RISK & REWARD. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $29.95 THE PERFECT MTN. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $36.95 SPEED TO FLY/SECURITY IN FLIGHT. . . . . . . . . . $48.95 SPEED GLIDING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $24.95 STARTING PARAGLIDING. . . . . . . . . . . . . . $29.95 STARTING HANG GLIDING. . . . . . . . . . . . . . $29.95 STARTING POWER PARAGLIDING . . . . . . . . . . $36.95 TO FLY: HANG GLIDING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $7.00 TO FLY: PARAGLIDING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $7.00 WEATHER TO FLY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $39.95

fun are packed into these digital archives. Watch technique and technology evolve. Learn how sites have opened and closed.

Get to know the old school.

RED BULL X-ALPS 2005 DVD | $41.95 The race designed to kick your butt and take no prisoners. The 2007 edition, last year's race, is also available below. Grab a bag of chips and watch people hurt. It's fun!

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Aspen Paragliding Cloud 9 Soaring Center Critter Mountainwear Flytec USA Foundation for Free Flight Gin Gliders USA ITV USA North Wing O'Connor Flight School Ozone Paragliders Sky Wings Magazine Soaring Society of America Sport Aviation Publications Superfly Thermal Tracker Paragliding Traverse City HG & PG USHPA Bank of America Credit Card USHPA 2009 Calendar Wills Wing

23 6 17 80 12 9 19 10 53 2 20 74 55 15 15 53 79 18 5

DISPATCH Adventure Productions And the World Could Fly Aerolight Flygear LLC Flytec USA Flytec USA Kitty Hawk Kites Lookout Mountain Moyes Parasupply Raven Hang Gliding LLC USHGA stickers USHPA XC Award

72 73 71 71 69 70 70 69 72 70 72 69 71

RED BULL X-ALPS 2007 DVD | $45.95 Americans Nate Scales and Honza Rejmanek tested themselves at last year's edition of the Alpine torture device known as X-Alps.

Epic flights. Monster hikes.

Determination. Inspiration.

FLYING WITH EAGLES DVD | $45.95 ACCESSORIES

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You've considered taking your pet monkey flying so someone can panhandle while you steer. But monkeys aren't nearly as cool as eagles, so drop the banana and buy this DVD.

Slovenia | King Mountain | Bold and Cautious

The Law of Beer and French Fries

By Steve Messman

78

Colour59 | Dreamstime.com

Photo by Dennis Pagen

W

e had just finished a day of tremendously active flying. It was truly wonderful, a complete day full of the thrills and spills associated with midday mountain thermals. Now, to bring this great day to its official end, the six of us sat around an outdoor table at the local watering hole watching the sun set, throwing back a couple of ambers, and sprinkling salt on ketchup-soaked French fries. So, as my mind drifted, I found myself wondering—again; really, why do we fly? I gave this dilemma quite a bit of thought for the umpteenth time.

To me, it always had seemed a quandary that we normal, perfectly rational human beings take potentially dangerous leaps of faith into that invisible, yet, oh-so-powerful, flowing air. Why do we do that, and why do we call it fun? This time I believe, no, I am certain, that I definitely have probably formulated the answer. I’m sure we fly because of the beer and French fries. It all makes perfect sense.

My mind migrated, quite naturally, back to that table that was surrounded by friends. We all sat there talking, laughing, reviewing our flying technique, snickering about that single, semi-safe launch that one of us (luckily) pulled out by the seat of his pants. We talked about our other friends, the ones who couldn’t make it that day.

We talked about our families, and

we wondered what they were doing right then. We talked about……. Well, you get the idea. And what were we doing while we were talking and laughing? We were drinking beer and munching French fries.

Did we talk about all these things while we were actually flying? Of course not.

We were flying. So, why do we fly? The answer is, quite simply, so we can enjoy what comes so naturally afterwards— beer and French fries.

Think about it. What do you do when your (of-age) son or daughter comes to you with that occasional request for a relatively large sum of money? You go out for beer and French fries so you can talk about it.

What do you do when your aging father comes to you and asks to move in because he is old enough to fear falling down? You go out for beer and French fries so you can talk about it while your spouse readies the spare bedroom.

What do you do when your spouse comes to you and asks for a divorce be-

cause you are spending far too much time drinking beer and eating French fries (in other words, flying) with your friends?

Okay. So, by now, you know the answer.

In science, theories can eventually become law, but only after they withstand certain tests. The short version is that theories become scientific law only if proven true in every applicable situation. So, while waiting for more thorough testing, I will consider my theory complete, and I probably will give it no more thought. I think I am certain that we fly because of the beer and the French fries. As with any theory, I have to admit that this one, too, might require modification after full consideration of other forces at play. Taste, for example, might be a hugely driving force. “Beer?

No Way!” some might say. “I’ll take wine, instead.” You might even substitute diet Coke and rice wafers, but I believe the basic outcome will always be the same.

You will find that my theory is basically correct.

September 2008 | Hang Gliding & Paragliding | www.USHPA .aero

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