Hang Gliding & Paragliding Vol43/Iss11 Nov 2013

NOVEMBER 2013 Volume 43 Issue 11 $6.95

HANG GLIDING & PARAGLIDING MAGAZINE

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HANG GLIDING & PARAGLIDING MAGAZINE

WARNING

Hang gliding and paragliding are INHERENTLY DANGEROUS activities. USHPA recommends pilots complete a pilot training program under the direct supervision of a USHPA-certified instructor, using safe equipment suitable for your level of

ON THE COVER, Becky Brim banks it up

after releasing from tow | photo by Beck Brim.

MEANWHILE, Air it out! Photo by Bruce Borchers.

experience. Many of the articles and photographs in the magazine depict advanced maneuvers being performed by experienced, or expert, pilots. These maneuvers should not be attempted without the prerequisite instruction and experience.

HANG GLIDING & PARAGLIDING magazine is published for foot-

ADVERTISING ALL ADVERTISING AND ADVERTISING INQUIRIES MUST BE

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.

SENT TO USHPA HEADQUARTERS IN COLORADO SPRINGS. All advertising is subject to the USHPA Advertising Policy, a copy of which may be obtained from the USHPA by emailing advertising@ushpa.aero.

SUBMISSIONS HANG GLIDING & PARAGLIDING magazine welcomes

HANG GLIDING & PARAGLIDING (ISSN 1543-5989) (USPS 17970) is

editorial submissions from our members and readers. All submissions of articles, artwork, photographs and or ideas for articles, artwork and photographs are made pursuant to and are subject to the USHPA Contributor's Agreement, a copy of which can be obtained from the USHPA by emailing the editor at editor@ushpa.aero or online at www.ushpa. aero. HANG GLIDING & PARAGLIDING magazine reserves the right to edit all contributions. 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 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.

published monthly by the United States Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association, Inc., 1685 W. Uintah St., Colorado Springs, CO 80904, (719) 6328300, FAX (719) 632-6417. PERIODICAL postage is paid at Colorado Springs, CO and at additional mailing offices.

POSTMASTER Send change of address to:

Martin Palmaz, Publisher executivedirector@ushpa.aero Nick Greece, Editor editor@ushpa.aero Greg Gillam, Art Director art.director@ushpa.aero

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

C.J. Sturtevant, Copy Editor copy@ushpa.aero

COPYRIGHT Copyright (c) 2013 United States Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association, Inc., All Rights Reserved; no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise without prior written permission of the United States Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association, Inc.

Staff Writers Christina Ammon, Dennis Pagen, C.J. Sturtevant Ryan Voight

Jon Stallman, Advertising advertising@ushpa.aero

Staff Photographers John Heiney, Jeff Shapiro

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BRIEFINGS

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CENTERFOLD

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LOW SAVE

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RATINGS

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CALENDAR

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CLASSIFIED

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USHPA STORE

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NOVEMBER2013

EDITOR

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A Foundation for Free Flight Success Story Wyoming's Sand Turn ������������������������������������������������� by C.J. Sturtevant

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Focus on Safety The Forrest Service ����������������������������������������������������������������by Andy Pag

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Elections 2013 Regional Director Candidate Statements

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FEATURE | Midlife Physiology An Introductory Lesson ������������������������������������������ by David C. Hurlburt

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Flying the Island in the Sun Jamaica . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . by Jurgs & Annk Von Dueszeln

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FEATURE | Saving Sand Turn Patience and Perseverance ������������������������������������������ by C. J. Sturtevant

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FEATURE | Cross Country Karma Leaving Good Vibes �������������������������������������������������by Christina Ammon

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Thinking Outside the Blocks Part I: Weathering Heights ��������������������������������������������� by Dennis Pagen

Photo by Jerome Daoust

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HANG GLIDING & PARAGLIDING MAGAZINE

EDITOR I

n October of 1945 personal aircraft briefly appeared in the Macy’s New York City flagship department store as the next great thing in modern travel for not only the elite, but envisioned as a working-class solution for efficient transport. At that time American aviation stalwarts such as ERCO believed mass consumption had arrived, especially with the return of so many trained airmen returning from the war. Hang gliding, and paragliding to a degree, also witnessed periods of growth where hope lay in large numbers of free-flight pilots who would create sustainable and viable markets. But similar to personal aircraft in the 1950s, free flight has settled into a steady state of consumption by a select few. Aviation is not for everyone. And while it would certainly be beneficial to have huge numbers of pilots across the country, there is also a benefit to being a tight-knit community of kindred spirits. Having the ability to reach out and get answers on flying sites wherever you may be is a familial feeling that I wouldn’t trade for 10,000 more pilots in the organization. We can travel anywhere in the world and get connected with a community of pilots with very minimal footwork.

Aviation is a divine pursuit that appeals to a certain type—those who dreamt of flight from a young age, enjoy thrill-seeking activities, or are called to the sky to be able to spend even a moment among the clouds. As in general aviation, a much greater number of people choose to fly along with master pilots, on tandem flights, to taste what the dedicated live, but ultimately these people enjoy the landing as much as the flying. It is only a select group, that group including the members of the United States Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association, who will know what it means to fly with birds. As Neil Armstrong put it, “Gliders, they’re wonderful flying machines. It’s the closest you can come to being a bird.”

The risk is high to leave the ground below, and it doesn’t always go well, but to us the reward is worth it. We are not as crazy as non-flying friends often quickly label us. We are inspired.

The November issue starts with Becky Brim capturing a moment of bliss after being towed up by her husband over the Utah flats. C.J. Sturtevant reports in from the Sand Turn fly-in in Wyoming where the Foundation for Free Flight has saved yet another site from extinction. Andy Pag talks to Forrest Brault about what to do after landing in a tree, and Christina Ammon focuses on Matt Cone’s amazing project, Karma Flights.

Jurgs and Annk Von Dueszeln sent in a piece about an island known for good times, Jamaica, and the burgeoning flying scene. Dennis Pagen is back with a piece titled “Thinking Outside the Blocks,” and Dan Bruce sends in a witty commentary titled “Remember Back When.”

It is time once again to vote for a regional director to represent you at the national level, and to help you coordinate on a regional level. Please take the time to consider the candidates carefully and vote for someone who will work diligently for free flight for the coming two years.

HANG GLIDING & PARAGLIDING MAGAZINE

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BRIEFINGS

PILOT

enjoyment when interacting with the equipment, and offers a treasure trove of functional, sound, and highly refined product designs to the paragliding community.

Mcc Aviation offers a full range of gliders from entry-level EN A certification up to a high-performance EN C glider to include an ultra-lightweight mountain glider. Mcc Aviation also offers a full line of highly stable, light-weight and ultra-light-weight reserves.

For more information go to www. pikespeakparagliding.com

 NEW USHPA iPAD PARAGLIDING APP USHPA's new app focuses on preflight safety and sound decision-

MCC AVIATION COMES TO THE USA

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HANG GLIDING & PARAGLIDING MAGAZINE

making for all levels of paragliding pilots. USHPA’s art director, Greg

Mcc Aviation and Pikes Peak

Gillam, worked with Marty DeVietti

Paragliding are pleased to announce

and other reknowned instructors

that Mcc Aviation will be entering the

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and founder, Alexandre Paux. Mcc

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phasis on functionality and the pilot’s

able in the App Store for free.

HANG GLIDING & PARAGLIDING MAGAZINE

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Wyoming's

Sand Turn A Foundation for Free Flight Success Story

by C.J. STURTEVANT with ADAM GRAHAM

S

and Turn, Wyoming, has been a premier hang gliding site since the ‘80s. About 10 years ago, we nearly lost the Turn when development threatened the LZ. Local pilots reacted with fast, focused, action; their efforts, along with an unwavering faith that they WOULD prevail against humongous odds, and a generous grant from the Foundation for Free Flight, changed what had appeared to be an

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HANG GLIDING & PARAGLIDING MAGAZINE

inevitable loss to a resounding success.

The whole messy story is outlined in one of this month’s feature articles. You may find yourself inspired to visit this little section of Wyoming. Anticipating that, Adam Graham has provided this guide to everything a pilot needs to know about Sand Turn.

You may also be inspired to contribute to the Foundation for Free Flight’s site preservation fund—without the

Foundation’s assistance, the following information would be mostly irrelevant to pilots. Go to www.ushgf.org to learn how your tax-deductible contribution can help preserve other threatened sites around the country.

Getting There Sand Turn is located in the Bighorn Mountain Range of northeastern Wyoming. Following I-25 north out of

LEFT Lynn and Gretchen building the new steps to the walk-in gate | photo by Adam Graham. RIGHT CDS

Sand Turn launch.

Excavation starting the hole for the culvert | photo by Gretchen Ulrickson.

Local Pilots/Chapter Membership

Sheridan, Wyoming, continue north to the Ranchester exit. Travel five miles west on Highway 14 through Ranchester, to the tiny town of Dayton, Wyoming. Continue another five miles west on Highway 14, and you will notice a large pullout on the right, with a windsock in the field to the north of the pullout. This is LZ One. Wind your way up Highway 14 another three or four miles to a large scenic pullout on the left. This is the

USHPA membership is required to fly at Sand Turn, and for paraglider pilots, a P-4 rating is required for this launch. It is recommended, as with any new site, that you check in with a local pilot and find out the nuances of Sand Turn before you fly. Johann Nield (wyomingwings@wyoming.com) has been a local Dayton resident and pilot for over 30 years. He is always ready to provide information about the site and the surrounding area. Although Adam Graham is not a local, he is the point man for the Sand Turn preservation

Martin Palmaz, Executive Director executivedirector@ushpa.aero Eric Mead, System Administrator tech@ushpa.aero Ashley Miller, Membership Coordinator membership@ushpa.aero Jon Stallman, Communications Manager communications@ushpa.aero Beth Van Eaton, Program Manager programs@ushpa.aero

USHPA OFFICERS & EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE Rich Hass, President president@ushpa.aero Ken Grubbs, Vice President vicepresident@ushpa.aero Bill Bolosky, Secretary secretary@ushpa.aero Mark Forbes, Treasurer treasurer@ushpa.aero

REGION 1: Rich Hass, Mark Forbes. REGION 2: Jugdeep Aggarwal, Josh Cohn, Pat Hajek. REGION 3: Corey Caffrey, Dan DeWeese, Rob Sporrer.

REGION 4: Ryan Voight, Ken Grubbs. REGION 5: Donald Lepinsky. REGION 6: David Glover. REGION 7: Paul Olson. REGION 8: Michael Holmes. REGION 9: Felipe Amunategui, Dan Tomlinson. REGION 10: Bruce Weaver, Steve Kroop, Matt Taber. REGION 11: David Glover. REGION 12: Paul Voight.

REGION 13: TBD. DIRECTORS AT LARGE: Dave Broyles, Bill Bolosky, Steve Rodrigues, Dennis Pagen, Jamie Shelden. EX-OFFICIO DIRECTOR: Art Greenfield (NAA).

The United States Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association Inc. (USHPA) 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.

For change of address or other USHPA business call (719) 632-8300, or email info@ushpa.aero.

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

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LEFT Aemelia testing out the depth of Adam’s first

posthole for the walk-in gate | photo by Gretchen Ulrickson.

project, and a knowledgeable source for site information. Email him at sadamg@hotmail.com or call 406-4938269 and he’ll fill you in.

The Dayton Buzzard Squadron is the local chapter. Pilots should touch base with Johann prior to flying the Turn, get chapter membership, and sign the waiver. Donations are always welcome to help out with annual site insurance.

The annual Memorial Day and Labor Day fly-ins are a great time to fly Sand Turn, as there is always a good turnout of pilots, and potlucks and barbecues for socializing.

Camping/Lodging/Meals Dayton is a very small, quaint town.

The local restaurant, on Main Street (the only street through town), serves breakfast, lunch and dinner, and is

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often the meeting place in the morning prior to driving up to launch at the Turn. The Connor Battlefield in nearby Ranchester has RV/tent spots for $11 per night, and the coolest stone buffalo you have ever seen, for some evening bouldering in the playground. A few campsites are also available in the beautiful Tongue River Canyon.

Site Specifics Hang gliders launch from a small asphalt ramp over the guardrail at the Turn. The ramp is very steep, and is essentially a cliff launch. The paved turnout is huge, and can accommodate 20-30 set-up gliders. The actual ramp has only room enough for one glider, and pilots must line up and take turns moving into position for launch. The LZ has a very gradual downhill slope, and hang gliders typically come in

across the topography of LZ One, in order to avoid overshooting.

Paragliding launches at the Turn are challenging, and excellent groundhandling skills are a must. Paragliders set up to skiers’ right of the hang glider ramp, where there is space to lay out one glider. The rotor activity on launch can make tip collapses pretty common.

LZ One is a very easy glide from launch, even in zero lift conditions.

The Turn faces east/northeast, and is generally good with winds out of the northeast to southeast. Launch is 1700 feet above LZ One, and the Turn itself is approximately 6500 feet ASL. LZ One is 5.29 acres, with a large wind sock in the center. There is a walk-in gate through the fence line, and the breakdown/folding area is directly adjacent to the walk-in gate. Although there is no fence around the five-acre LZ, the remainder of the surrounding property is privately owned; please respect this and stay within the five-acre landing zone. The land to the south of Highway 14 is private property, and must be avoided.

LZ 2 is on the south side of Highway 14, midway between Dayton and LZ One, and is not reachable on a glide from launch. There is excellent xc potential from the Turn, and pilots have flown many miles from the site, typically heading south toward Sheridan, or east toward Gillette The flying season at the Turn opens officially with the Memorial Day weekend annual fly-in, although spring weather is a bit unpredictable.

The Labor Day weekend fly-in offers more consistent weather, and the XC potential is good. Because the launch is a drive-up, and the road is open all

year, hardy pilots can fly the Turn yearround, if they can stand the cold.

Alternate Sites/Training Hills There are two small training hills within five miles of Dayton, ideal for kiting and sledders, and are often soarable when the wind is strong enough.

These hills are on private property; contact local pilots and obtain permission before flying them. Another site, called Red Grade, near Big Horn, Wyoming, is approximately 1500 feet above the valley floor and is used mainly by paraglider pilots. The launch is wide open, grassy, and easy for beginner pilots, and is accessed via a short hike up from the road.

Other Activities Near Dayton The Bighorn Mountains of Dayton provide a venue for multiple outdoor activities, including fishing in the Tongue River, exploration of the Tongue River cave system five miles from Dayton, mountain biking, climbing, hiking, camping, and much more. The Chamber of Commerce in Sheridan is a great source of information about the area, as is a Google search for Sheridan Wyoming or Dayton Wyoming. The flying is only one part of this wonderful place, and now that the LZ is secure, free-flight at Sand Turn will always be a part of the Bighorn Mountain landscape.

Read the story of how Sand Turn went from critically endangered to totally secure, starting on page 36 in this magazine. Other articles about the Foundation’s role in preserving this site are in the 2/05, 4/06 and 12/07 issues of HG&PG magazine.

You can be an essential participant in rescuing the next endangered site. Go to the FFF website, www.ushg f.org to find out how.

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HANG GLIDING & PARAGLIDING MAGAZINE

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FOCUSED ON SAFETY

by Andy Pag

THE FORREST SERVICE Hanging from a 300-ft redwood?

Who you gonna call?

F

orrest Brault has been climbing trees since high school. While helping his dad with the family tree-pruning business, Brault collected and adapted a unique set of skills that led him to become the go-to guy for rescuing paraglider pilots who make what we generously call a “tree landing” at his local site in southern Oregon.

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HANG GLIDING & PARAGLIDING MAGAZINE

Of course, no one chooses to land in a tree. But the option can become appealing when the only other choices are power lines, fast-moving rivers, a high-speed freeway, or an approaching freight train. If you’re coming down under reserve, without directional control, you won’t have much choice in the matter. But if you’re piloting, you do have last-minute options that can increase your chances of a safer outcome. The insight Brault has gained from safely extricating

people out of branches hundreds of feet above the ground hold some valuable lessons to anyone who flies over forests.

After a stint in the U.S. Navy, Brault returned to the tree-climbing industry and discovered ropes had replaced ladders. So he enlisted a climber to teach him everything he needed to know about ropes and knots. And when Brault took up paragliding in 2008, he found a new outlet for his skills.

For a while, the local fire service called on Brault when they had to rescue a stricken pilot, but when he

retired from tree work and no longer held the license or the liability insurance of a professional, they stopped using him. Now, if a pilot is hanging from a branch in the Applegate Valley, where Brault lives, pilots know a better option than dialing 911. They call the “Forrest Service.”

Solairus

Light Soaring Trike

ATF

Light Soaring Trike

Rescue “First, I have to get up to them,” says Brault, describing the multi-stage process of recovering a pilot and his/ her wing. “The lower part of the trunk usually has no branches.” In order to ascend, Brault fastens spurs to his feet and arms himself with a flip line, a length of rope that loops around the tree and allows him to lean back in the harness and dig in his spurs.

“A tree-climbing harness is different from a mountain-climbing harness,” he explains. “It has three attachment points: one in the middle for the top line and one on either side for the flip line.”

He uses a throw line (a long thin yellow cord) with a throw ball (a weight attached at one end) to hook his climbing rope over the lower branches, and doesn’t think much of the idea that pilots should carry a roll of dental floss so they can lower it down to pull up his climbing line.

“From the bottom of the tree I usually can’t see the pilot. He’s normally way too high up and hidden in the branches, so how is he going to be able to pass down some floss?” he asks.

Once he’s up to branch level, Brault can make good progress to the spot where the pilot is stranded, while always maintaining three points of contact with the tree and staying attached to a securely fastened rope above.

Brault has some advice for pilots who realize they are destined for a tree landing. “Always aim for the top

Climb to cloudbase shut down engine and soar!

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HANG GLIDING & PARAGLIDING MAGAZINE

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SELF-RESCUE “No one’s ever going to rescue me,” says Brault, clutching a handful of cord. He isn’t bragging about his prowess as a pilot, but about his knowledge of the techniques of self-rescue. “You can’t just read how to do this in a magazine,” he says firmly. “Self-rescue is something one has to practice with supervision, and one has to know about ropes and knots.”

The 80-foot rope he’s holding is only 6mm diameter but has a 1200-pound breaking strain. “I’d only use this for one rescue,” he explains. “After that, this rope only would be good for use as a washing line.” He also chooses his knots carefully. A clove hitch (as seen on page 17) doesn’t weaken the rope as much as a bowline and, therefore, allows him to get away with using the weaker, lighter, rope, which he stores in his flight deck.

The rope weighs less than a couple of pounds and, surprisingly, is the only piece of kit Brault carries for self-rescue.

“I’ve seen commercially available tree-rescue kits,” he says, “but that stuff can be dangerous in untrained hands. It’s important to practice and understand what you’re doing.”

Rigging up a demonstration, Brault quickly demonstrates the principles of a belaying system. Using a top-line hitch, he slows a descent to the ground and maintains control by rope friction. The comfortable ease and speed with which he ties the knots reveal his practiced skill and knowledge. Brault is open to sharing his experience with other pilots. If you’re interested, contact him via email: boatguardian@hotmail.com, and he’ll arrange a training session Several commercially available self-rescue kits are small enough to stow in your flight deck and light enough to not weigh you down. One such kit, www.selfrescuekits.com, allows you to escape even if you are dangling far from the trunk in mid-air. It includes a small descender suited to the thin lightweight line it comes with and has a simple strap harness that helps you descend in your own ejector seat. A little bit of time with Google will throw up other websites that tell you how to make your own tree kit, but all of these options require some skill. All of them recommend practicing in a supervised environment before you need to use the kit for a real rescue. The local climbing school is a good place to find an instructor who can help novices sort their “bent gate” from their “belay eyelet.”

of the tree,” he says, citing three good reasons. “First, that’s where you get fresh soft growth that won’t damage your body or your wing. Second, your wing will drape over the top of the tree and hold you in place. And, finally, if you don’t aim for the top, you won’t land securely in the tree.

Being out on a branch is risky—it might break.”

But that doesn’t mean one should aim for the tallest tree. Picking the top of a short tree instead of a tall one makes the rescue operation quicker and safer. Brault is also a fan of choosing Douglas firs over pine trees, as they are softer and have fewer dead branches. “Dead branches are sharp and will put holes in your wing. A dead tree is the worst tree to land in.

If you have a choice, pick the greenest, bushiest tree you see,” he advises.

LEFT Forrest's tools of the trade. From top, spurs,

flip rope, pruning tools, tree harness, climbing rope, throw line.

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“I’ve never seen a wing that will let a pilot fall, once it’s wrapped in a tree,” he points out. “The danger comes when pilots try to rescue themselves. As soon as they step out of the harness, they have no safety line and no reserve. If they fall, they plummet like a stone. There’s nothing to stop them.” Brault is genuinely concerned that people don’t fully think through the risks of a self-rescue. “After a tree landing, they probably aren’t in a state of mind to make good decisions and mistakenly think that the danger is past. But they are not safe until they get their feet on the ground.”

“Their faces light up when I get up to them!” says Brault. The 58-yearold engages the stricken pilot in conversation as he climbs up towards them, instilling calm in pilots who are understandably shaken.

Once he reaches the pilot, Brault attaches his climbing rope above him and uses it to lower the pilot down in his own harness, using the

riser carabiners as a secure attachment point. He ties a Munter hitch or uses a figure-8 descender, in the same way climbers belay each other.

Disconnecting the harness from the wing can be tricky, as it’s holding the pilot’s weight, so Brault carries a ratchet strap to withstand the strain, while he disconnects the wing.

With his 120-foot rope, Brault is able to lower the pilot 115 feet. If the tree is taller than that, he doubles over the rope and lowers the pilot in 60-foot stages, tying the pilot’s harness off after each section, and pulling down the rope to repeat the process.

He uses a half-inch climbing rope rated at 5000 pounds. In the industry, they stay within a working load of 10% of the breaking strain; Brault says that some knots, like a bowline, can reduce the rope strength by 45%.

So a 5000lb. rope is only good for pilots and harnesses that weigh up to 275 pounds.

Brault is happy to rescue people for free, but to recover their wings he charges between $100 and $350, depending on how long he estimates it will take. Only twice have people not wanted the wing rescued. Once, the dead tree was cut down to get the wing back, but the damage from the landing made the wing a write-off.

The other time, the pilot’s boyfriend said he could get the wing out of the tree for her. “However, the next day they called and asked me to retrieve it for them,” says Brault, with a twinkle in his eye.

To free the wing, Brault uses a stuff sack; he starts at one end of the wing, untangling the lines and shoving them into a stuff sack as he goes, so they won’t get re-tangled in the tree. This process can take several hours and requires careful footwork, rope work and, always, three points of contact with the tree.

TREE TIPS Bali Beverage If you wrap your wing around a tree on a launch site in Bali, the local farmers will come to your aid with a unique tool they’ve developed over the years that is tailor-made for the purpose. They use a long stick with an empty plastic drink bottle covering the end. Using the stick, they are able to push the wing up and off the tree, and the bottle on the end of the stick prevents damage to the wing during the rescue.

Upside Down The lines of the paraglider present the most difficult problem for getting a wing out of a tree.

They wrap themselves up in every branch. It takes patience, requiring you to free them methodically.

And it’s extremely frustrating when lines you’ve already freed get tangled up again. Brault avoids this by using a stuff sack, but another technique you can try, if you don’t have an available stuff sack, is turning the wing upside down as you clear the lines, so it’s lying with the top surface face-down.

This way, you can throw the lines onto the fabric as you clear them, so they can’t make contact with the branches and tangle again.

Another suggestion is to ball up lines in the fabric as you untangle it. This is a technique that works well, especially on low bushes.

Elections 2013 Regional Director Candidates 1

Mark Forbes

2

4

Ken Grubbs

5 & Canada

Josh Cohn

6, 11 & International (except Canada) 10

Josh Pierce

David Glover

Matt Taber Bruce Weaver

3

9

Corey Caffrey Alan Crouse Bob Kuczewski Rob Sporrer

Larry Dennis Hugh McElrath Patrick Terry Dan Tomlinson Wayne Smith

Take a minute to read campaign statements from each of the candidates for this year's regional director election. Vote for the one you feel best represents your views. These statements are the un-edited positions of the candidates, and should not be taken as the official positions of USHPA or its staff and officers. Please note the election runs from 11/1 to 12/16. Also,region 2, 3 and 10 members need to vote for two candidates. Region 1, 4, 5, 6/11, and 9 members vote for one only candidate. Not all Regional Directors are up for election in this cycle. To vote online please go to http://www.ushpa.aero/elections.asp

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Region 1 Mark Forbes Greetings, Northwest pilots! I’m asking once again for your vote to continue as regional director for USHPA. It has been an interesting couple of years with some challenges that we’ve dealt with successfully. I’d like to continue my work on projects that benefit our sport and keep us all flying.

The big concern over the past two years has been liability insurance; getting it renewed, keeping the claims rate down and elevating the focus on safety, particularly as it relates to spectators at our flying sites. We can’t let our attention stray away from this, but so far we’re holding the accident and claims rate down, and that will help us keep our policy and premiums stable.

My responsibilities over the past couple of years are these: - Chairman of our Elections committee, overseeing the annual election process.

- Chairman of our Insurance committee, responsible for the pilot and instructor liability insurance programs and risk management. I answer questions from pilots all over the country about the details of how our insurance program works, and obtain advice from our legal counsel when needed.

- Radio committee chair, responsible for our FCC radio license and for answering “radio geek” questions from members.

- Treasurer of USHPA, responsible for

monitoring our finances and reviewing our budget and performance through the year.

As Treasurer, I also serve as part of the Executive Committee, which manages USHPA’s affairs along with our Executive Director in the time between board meetings. We meet monthly by conference call to review the financials and make any decisions that can’t wait for the next full meeting.

Site preservation and development of new pilots continue to be at the top of my list of concerns. Membership has been stable with slight growth over the past two years. I’m seeing steady interest in learning to fly, both HG and PG, but availability of instruction remains a problem. I hope we can find a solution, but it’s not a simple thing to fix.

Please take a minute to vote, either for me, or for another candidate if you’re not happy with how I’m doing the job.

Voting is all-electronic this year; you’ll receive a voting password by postal mail, and you can vote on the secure ballot website following the instructions. Don’t throw it out as junk mail!

If you’d like to work as a volunteer on a committee or special project, contact me and I’ll help you get started.

Thanks! Mark G. Forbes, mark@ mgforbes.com

Region 2 Josh Cohn Looking at my candidate statement from the election two years ago, I’d like to think that I’ve come through on the promise to mainly try to do no harm.

After that, I promised to seek incremental change in consultation with stakeholders.

To that end, I’ve been part of the Strategic Planning committee, which revised the USHPA mission statement and prioritized issues on which to spend our limited resources. I’ve been part of an ad hoc committee that proposed a revised NTSS system (adopted by the Comp committee and Board) to avoid some pitfalls and improve its speed in adjusting to changes in the field of competitors.

I’ve also been fortunate to get to know more of the long-time USHPA volunteers on and off the Board as well as the office staff. They are a talented and dedicated bunch. And I like to think that I’ve been responsive to constituent concerns.

I’d be honored to receive your vote again. –Josh

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Region 3 Corey Caffrey My name is Corey Caffrey and I love flying. My first flying experience was when, as a one-month-old baby, my dad strapped my car seat into his singleengine airplane and took me for a flight. I obviously don’t remember that flight, but I’m pretty sure that’s when I got hooked. Years later a friend of mine learned to paraglide; listening to him talk about the sport piqued my interest, and by interest I mean obsession. I was soon a P-2, and by the end of my first year I had logged more than 250 hours.

I was addicted, not just to paragliding, but to anything that flew. In my third year of free flight I learned to hang glide. Now I love to fly both hangs and paras, and love the opportunities to fly that are created by being biwingual.

USHPA needs youth. I am not the candidate you should vote for to fight the same old tired battles. My desire to remain involved in USHPA is to create an organization focused on growing free flight and creating a positive impression of paragliding, hang gliding and speed flying in the public.

You should vote for me is because I am the ideal candidate to accomplish the two things we must focus on to grow and succeed as an organization. (1) We must continue to grow the sport of free flight. I am currently the director of corporate development at a tech/interactive advertising startup called SocialVibe. My focus

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at SocialVibe is to increase people’s awareness of the company through strategic partnerships with the biggest websites on the Internet (Facebook, Pandora & Zynga to name a few).

I believe that my experience can be leveraged into opportunities to generate massive public awareness of our sport and ultimately drive new pilots into schools across the country. (2) We must run the organization in an efficient and effective manner. Prior to my career at SocialVibe, I was a finance guy, focused on the restructuring of distressed companies. When a company is in a financially or operationally distressed state, it is imperative that the company rally around core values, and make efficient and effective decisions to ensure any chance of survival. While USHPA is not a distressed company, I do believe that now is a great time to truly evaluate the current state and direction of the organization and make the (sometimes) hard decisions that best position this organization to succeed into the future.

Region 3 Alan Crouse Your “No Surprises” Candidate Hello Fellow Pilots! I am an H-4/P3 pilot who has been flying in southern California since 2002. My “day job’” is in management, serving a variety of governmental and private agencies over the past 30 years with a background in computer science and management.

The folks at Crestline and Soboba saw fit to have me as treasurer (both sites, including currently at Soboba) and president (two terms at Crestline). My membership dues support SDHGPA and SHGA . I am also the treasurer for a national information technology group. Finally, I operate the Soaring Predictor www.soaringpredictor.info for southern California and beyond.

Being a USHPA regional director and board member is a tough, unpaid position. Why would anyone, in particular me, want it?? Well, it has been my observation that this group is out there trying to do good things for our sport and making the same mistake over and over again. The board is lousy at communications. Board meetings are held, decisions get made, THEN get communicated and the members go nuts. Can you say: Observers; “Fly Safe” wristbands; Clubs not allowed to criticize USHPA (this one got rolled back); or (most recently) speed mini-wing restrictions? Every time the opportunity to see and comment on the proposal came after the fact.

Now I am not the only one concerned about this problem. In fact, our current president, Rich Hass, was key in getting the USHPA criticism thing reversed. But, these folks need help and that’s what my platform is all about. If elected, I will: Establish an e-mail list through a standard service (ConstantContact, VerticalResponse, etc.) and include all instructors and club officers in our region (yes, I will be spamming you); Any other USHPA member in our region can opt-in to the list (yes, you too can vote for more spam); BEFORE each meeting, list members will get a preview of items on the agenda (there may be “closed session” items on litigation or personnel issues that cannot be included); If an item comes forward that was not provided to the board in advance, it gets an automatic “No” vote from me.

If it wasn’t important/critical enough to get to the board, it is not critical/ important enough to vote on; After the meeting I will place how I voted on a website set up for our region.

What other board members do is up to them; you will know how I voted.

Staying with the “no surprises” theme, I am not independently wealthy, and do not operate a hang gliding/paragliding business to write off expenses against, so I will accept the airfare and hotel expenses associated with Board meetings. I will fly Southwest, stay the minimum number of days and provide receipts.

We have an awesome sport that has been a big part of my life for the past decade. With your vote, I hope to make its governance more transparent and accessible to the membership. “No More Surprises!”

Region 3 Bob Kuczewski My name is Bob Kuczewski, and I am running for regional director because I want to return control of USHPA to the pilots.

A former USHPA insider once told me that USHPA was a “regional directors’ club” paid for by the members. I think that’s been true. Too many of our directors have conflicts of interest and are only directors so they can manipulate USHPA for their own benefit. Rob Sporrer fits that description, and he should be replaced. That’s why I am asking for your vote and that’s why I’m also endorsing Alan Crouse (you get to choose two directors on your ballot).

I could give many examples where Rob Sporrer has put his own interests ahead of the interests of our members, but I’d like to focus on the most important one: Open voting records for regional directors.

The basic principle of representational government is that we (the people) vote for representatives, and then we watch over their shoulders to see what they do. If we like what they do, then we re-elect them. If we don’t, then we fire them. It’s that simple. But that only works if we can SEE what they’re doing. In USHPA, that means seeing exactly how our elected directors vote on the USHPA Board. That’s when they make the decisions that the rest of us have to live with. Both the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S.

Senate publish voting records going back 20 years or more ( see http://clerk. house.gov and http://www.senate.gov ).

Why won’t USHPA do the same?

In 2009 and 2010, I pushed for an “accountability amendment” which would have opened up the voting records on the USHPA Board. Rob Sporrer was on the board at that time and he refused to endorse that amendment and he refused to second my motion because he wants to keep our members from knowing how their own elected directors have voted—including himself.

The bottom line is simple. If you want an open voting record for all regional directors, then mark your ballot for the two candidates most likely to support it: Bob Kuczewski and Alan Crouse. While you may not find “open voting records” listed among Alan’s top priorities, I have spoken to him and I believe he would support that issue if it came up for a vote. Neither of the other candidates (both incumbents) have been willing to make that commitment.

For more information on my other positions (national pilots forum, fair processes, HG/PG committees, open EC meetings, open board meetings, etc.), please contact me by phone or by email or visit: http://ushawks.org/USHPA2013 Thanks for your time, Bob Kuczewski, H-4/P-4, aeronautical engineer, private pilot, former director, Phone: 858-204-7499, Email: bob@ ushawks.org

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Region 3 Rob Sporrer Hello Region 3 pilots (Southern California & Hawaii). I’m nearing the end of my third term as a Region 3 director, and asking for your vote in the upcoming regional director election.

Please take the time to vote.

Serving pilots and the free flight community is not a hobby, it is my life. I make a living as a paragliding instructor, and have worked to educate myself on the challenges hang gliders and paragliders face. I firmly believe participating in the decisions USHPA has made and is making will help move free-flight in a favorable direction.

All directors volunteer their time to serve the organization. I volunteer for action items, committee work, and new programs like the Wheels Up program, helping those bound to wheelschairs to get up flying solo on paragliders. I am a very active participant on numerous committees and work groups aimed at helping USHPA achieve its strategic plan.

I’ve put in countless volunteer hours of work on USHPA projects; I have also volunteered two weeks of my time coaching the National Paragliding Team at the world championships in Mexico, Spain, and Bulgaria.

My biggest asset to our region is being in touch with the pilots. I spend a great deal of time with hang gliders and paragliders since I fly, teach, and run clinics all year long. I have a broad

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scope, and have a great deal to contribute on many topics instead of being focused on one particular issue.

I promise to continue my efforts on your behalf if elected for another term.

We have to work to keep our flying sites open and operating. We need to be proactively defending our rights as pilots, and integrate mini-wing flying in a manner that preserves our flying sites.

I have the experience and knowledge to participate with the USHPA Board, and work together to make a difference.

Thanks for taking the time to vote.

Region 4 Ken Grubbs Hello to all Region 4 pilots, those of you who I have met and those I hope to meet. I am your current Region 4 director running for re-election in 2013.

I have been an active hang glider pilot in Region 4 for 39 years and would rate myself as a beginner paraglider pilot with an advanced desire to learn. I have been an examiner/observer since the 1980s and have been working hard to promote and support safe and memorable hang gliding and paragliding in CoIorado and the rest of Region 4 all those years. I currently serve as USHPA vice-president and as the sec-treasurer of the Storm Peak Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association in Steamboat Springs, Colorado. I also serve as the chairman of the Membership and Communications committee (the one that brings you the magazine, and does its best to not stand in the way of our superb editor, Nick Greece).

The most important goals I have as a director of the United States Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association are to promote the safe growth of our sport and to encourage our membership to take an active role in the USHPA’s active support of the flying community.

I have had a successful 30+ year career as a geophysicist which I hope can aid in bringing the complex issues facing our organization down to manageable levels. Public education and outreach, membership growth in both hang

gliding and paragliding, safety and competition are all very important right now and I have spent the five years bringing myself up to speed on these and many other issues so as to become an effective director on your behalf.

I am excited about the future of our sport and look forward to many more years of friendships and enjoyment that flying can bring.

I first became aware of hang gliding after seeing the famous Popular Mechanics ( or was it Popular Science?) article from the early ‘70s, which tells me that popular exposure to our sport is the most important issue we face for the future. Please support our organization and me as your Region 4 director in effectively getting our message out to the public to help them understand the beauty and benefits flying can bring.

Get out and vote for your chosen candidate this year. Participation in your organization is more important than ever.

As a postscript to this statement I would like to add one comment. The most important issue we face as an organization right now is bringing new pilots into the sport. It is imperative that all of us actively seek, encourage and support any and all people who are interested in HG and PG and decide to pursue the free flight lifestyle. We are responsible for being ambassadors and mentors to ensure these folks choose and remain in our sport. My job as a director is to make sure you have all the tools you need. kengrubbs@msn.com

Region 5 Josh Pierce Flying over the Montana landscape is a free feeling, one that worldwide, pilots feel on beautifully varied terrains.

I am lucky enough to call paragliding my favorite pastime. I grew up in Washington State, sailing the waters of Puget Sound and skiing the Cascades.

I then obtained my BA in education and made Montana my home, where the endless recreational possibilities drew me and where I met my incredible wife, Jenny, a long-distance runner and geologist. After teaching elementary school, I obtained my masters in business administration with a focus in strategy and management, and have a very rewarding job as a paramedic/firefighter in Livingston, Montana. I love taking full advantage of Livingston’s playground; skiing, fishing and floating and getting up to high places; but it’s flying that keeps my eye on the weather and my head in the clouds (hopefully).

As a regional director my goal is to represent you not only locally in access and other issues but also bring your concerns and opinions to the USHPA board meetings. My dedication to the preservation of free flight will ensure that all board member responsibilities are efficiently met and all region 5 members have the resources they need to enjoy the sport to its fullest.

Region 6/11/Int'l David Glover I love flying, but I like the people involved in our sports even more. I am proud and humbled to continue to represent Arkansas, Kansas, Louisiana, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Texas and the international pilots (except Canada, eh?) in the USHPA. I live in Oklahoma City, crossroads of America.

Call me if you ever pass through.

Together we can ensure the future of free flight!

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Region 9 Larry Dennis I have been flying a paraglider since 1998 and love it more than any other sport I have participated in over the years. I have been an active local club member since early in my paragliding years and have been an official USHPA Observer for a number of years.

While I love to fly, my interests in serving as the Region 9 director would be in the areas of site acquisition and retention, assisting in improving landowner relationships, increasing the number of active pilots and working towards continued safety for pilots, students and spectators. I look forward to being of service to our pilots, Region 9, and the USHPA. email—ks3h@hotmail.com

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Region 9 Hugh McElrath I have been flying hang-gliders for a dozen years, paragliders for nine, trikes for 7, sailplanes for five and airplanes for 35–but my favorite is still foot-launched unpowered aviation! I served as regional director in 2010-11, filling an unexpired term, but did not stand for re-election due to an overseas assignment. So this is my first time presenting myself to the Region 9 membership for election. If elected, my focus will be on maintaining the relative freedom to fly for which part 103 was created. The board has to steer a fine line between risk avoidance and letting hang- and paragliding become so lawyer-ridden and rule-bound that it’s no fun anymore. I will also undertake to visit widely in the multi-state region to fly the sites and hear members’ concerns.

Region 9 Wayne Smith Wayne Smith here from Region 9. I have been in hang gliding since 1974, built my first glider from plans. I sure am glad we don’t have to do that anymore! I would like to see more activity and promotional work done in our region. The Hyner hang gliding club is a good example of what this region needs more of. Also, the tow operation at Ridgely, Maryland. Let me serve you as your director, and communicate what you, the members need. I will work hard for your best interests.

What does “wait for the boom” mean?

Respectfully submitted, Wayne Smith

Region 9 Patrick Terry I am running for regional director because, (1) I love flying, (2) I want to support further national grown of the flying community, (3) USHPA should be at the forefront of securing flying facilities across North America, (4) I travel the world to fly and have experienced many great locations and communities committed to the sport. There is a real difference when you can move free flight from the fringe to a recognized sporting activity. I would like to work to grow this sport and secure flying sites for generations to come.

Region 10 Matt Taber As an industry professional running Lookout Mountain Flight Park for the last 33 years and having served as a USHPA regional director for many years, I have unique and valuable insights on the very issues that face both our national organization and you, the pilot.

These issues in order of priority are: 1) how to grow the sport ; 2) fiscal responsibility—how to spend your money wisely—what can be done and what is too fiscally risky; 3) insurance, legal issues and site preservation; 4) communication—letting you the member know what is going on and what challenges we as an organization are facing.

We as directors should be focused primarily on guiding the organization as to how to keep our current members and how to attract new members.

Hang gliding and paragliding’s future depends on this. A lot goes into these two objectives. There are a number of important pieces and there is a diversity of members’ needs, so it is a complex equation.

In my business, I have experience with these same issues and have created successful solutions. As a director, I can pull from my parallel experience and help guide the organization in a positive direction. As your director, I have always been available to help with your needs. This is still the case today and will be in the future.

Region 10 Bruce Weaver We are a fortunate few who get to experience the joy of flight. I started flying in 1986, became an instructor in 1987 and have been managing a hang gliding school since 1991. During this time, I have had the privilege to work with many great pilots and instructors in our region and throughout the country.

Region 10 has some of this country’s premier teaching and flying sites: from the dunes of North Carolina to the Appalachian mountains, down to the towing operations of Florida. Our pilots are as diverse as our sites and we each have individual challenges, needs and goals. The one thing we all have in common is a passion for flight and a desire to see our sport flourish. It is incumbent upon all of us to share this passion in order to continue to improve and to grow. I have dedicated the last 25 years to introducing people to hang gliding and paragliding and I believe that in order to grow, we must address the needs of the individual as well as the challenges of our sport as a whole.

I look forward to continuing my role as Regional Director and pledge to address the needs of Region 10’s pilots and instructors, as well as strive to enhance all aspects of our sport for the future.

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An Introductory Lesson

to Midlife Physiology

by DAVID C. HURLBURT

I

n the autumn of 2012, hang gliding went from an idea that had been lying dormant in the back of my mind for nearly 30 years to an activity that would satisfy a lifelong dream—to fly. Subconsciously, a life change was occurring. And although I didn’t realize it at the time, I was not only ready, but eager for it.

I live in Brooklyn, New York, among beautiful brownstones, tree-lined boulevards and the best pizza in the country. Although it’s a great place to call home, it is not, needless to say, conducive to hang gliding.

Mountain Wings Hang Gliding school in Ellenville, N.Y., by contrast, rests quietly at the eastern base of the Catskill Mountains among bald eagles, clean air and

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lush forest, and is exactly what I needed to begin my hang gliding odyssey.

Day One. I step out of my car into perfect flying conditions. A gentle breeze is blowing in from the west, and colorful hang gliders are circling effortlessly in the deep blue sky filled with fleecy cumulus clouds. I know I am going to love this.

I am given a training harness and helmet and hooked into the “simulator,” an old hang glider frame from days gone by, suspended above a treadmill. Greg Black, the owner of Mountain Wings and a H-5 pilot with over

“Now, here I am, pushing 53 years old, sprinting into the wind while trying to balance a huge training glider on my shoulders.”

39 years of experience, stands a few feet in front of me, giving commands: faster, slower, left turn, right turn, and stressing a loose touch on the down tubes, as a tight grip will not only inhibit feedback, but will impede the pilot’s ability to adequately control the glider.

Practice begins with my balancing a training glider on my shoulders, then walking, and, finally, running across a flat field at the base of the training hill. This is particularly unpleasant. I am not a runner; I’ve never liked it. Even when I was a little kid, my running days ended as soon as I learned to ride a bicycle.

Now, here I am, pushing 53 years old, sprinting into the wind while trying to balance a huge training glider on my shoulders. After each student has his or her turn, we proceed halfway up the training hill and point the glider into the wind. I hook in, run down the hill and— launch! What a truly magnificent feeling! I manage a few flights that are little more than short hops, a foot or two off the ground. This is the humble beginning of something I have dreamed about and wanted for almost my entire life—to fly.

Later…

After I returned to Brooklyn, I realized my experience had been far more physically demanding than I could have imagined. For three days, I slowly limped around as if I had been kicked by a mule. I soon learned that all the running, launching, and landing, without prior stretching and warm-up exercises, had thoroughly abused every joint, muscle, and ligament from the waist down. But my rectus femoris muscles got the worst of it, leaving me with an epic charley horse in each thigh.

By the end of the week, the soreness had faded, and I returned to Ellenville to resume training. But it was a tough trip. The Brooklyn Bridge was closed, and the congestion put me an hour behind. Consequently, I didn’t eat breakfast, and, once again, I didn’t warm up.

I thought I would go straight to the training hill, but, to my surprise, every step from the previous week had to be repeated: simulator, balancing, walking and running.

At this point, I developed problems with the running portion, resulting in serious pain after two short runs on level ground. I didn’t give up; I thought I could work through it. However, as I began my first launch attempt from the hill, the pain in my thighs and hips was excruciating. I botched the launch, bellied in, and practically needed to be carried away. I have never felt such severe pain in my legs; I was in agony. I swallowed a handful of Aleve and sat motionless in a chair, watching the other students make their first glorious little flights.

OPPOSITE Learning the meaning of the word control.

By this time, I was depressed and ABOVE The author. Photos afraid that, at age 52, I was too old and

by Robert Ghiraldini. had “missed my chance.” My only hope was that I had not sustained permanent damage to my muscles or ligaments. When a H-3 level pilot arrived, I related my fear, and he stated that my experience was typical; he, too, had strained his legs at the beginning of his training by overexerting his hamstrings to the point that the backs of his legs were black-and-blue from deep bruises. I also recalled that during the previous week, another student, presumably suffering a similar fate, had complained of extreme pain in his legs that forced him off the hill.

Consoled, I went home to Brooklyn beaten up, but not conquered. After researching my condition and the causes that led to it, I resolved that I would fly off the mountain and proceeded to set up an exercise and conditioning program to prevent my hang glide training from ever again being disrupted.

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Start with the Basics.

First, I bought quality hiking boots. They are as light as a feather, have great arch support and a lot of traction.

(Tip: Never try to launch off a training hill in old steeltoed work boots; it will only end badly.)

Stretch and Warm Up. I now realized my ligaments were not as elastic as they once were and needed proper, loving care, if they were going to survive the rigors of the training hill. I remembered that Greg had mentioned the importance of stretching, which is crucial for long-distance runners.

But having been a lifelong cyclist, I didn’t think it was necessary for me. I was wrong. Different muscles, different action.

A good friend recommended yoga, so I took a class in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. But “it’s not my bag, baby,” as Austin Powers might say. As soon as I opened the door, a powerful “funk” hit me in the face, reminiscent of a high school gym locker in August. Since so much of yoga, as far as I could tell, was about deep breathing and stretching, breathing deeply was impossible in that environment. (I can appreciate the benefits of yoga, but preparing myself for hang gliding with a bunch of sweaty hipsters in a hot windowless yoga studio that at one time had been an industrial machine shop, hardly seemed like a good idea.)

So I began a daily routine of basic stretching and warmup exercises I was able to do on my own, at my own pace, while drinking plenty of water, and I was just fine. I also bought a foam roller to massage my leg muscles; it works great.

Walk Before You Run. Like it or not, I knew I was going to have to run if I was ever going to fly. But even short runs needed to begin gradually. After I stretched and warmed up, I took daily three-mile walks, interspersed with moderate jogging in my new boots. Basically, I established a routine that has been recommended in countless articles about exercising.

The Launch Run. As winter gave way to spring, I practiced a launch run exactly as described in the Official Flight Training Manual of the U.S. Hang Gliding Association, by Peter Cheney: “Start out smoothly, using small steps, then taking longer strides as your speed increases. Keep your eyes aimed well ahead.” (3rd Ed., pg 46, published by

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Matt Taber/Lookout Mountain Flight Park.)

I began completing this run weekly, then, twice a week, three times per week, and, finally, daily. This process did not come without its challenges, most notably, time. My average workweek was between 70-85 hours, which was great, as I had been eyeing a very sexy candyapple-red hang glider, but practicing the launch run was not what I wanted to do after working a 16-hour day.

Nevertheless, there I was, dog-tired but sprinting down the sidewalk, sometimes at two o’clock in the morning, in front of my brownstone apartment in Brooklyn.

When I returned to Ellenville to resume my training, I did so with more than a little anxiety. It was a pivotal day for me, a day that could possibly determine whether I would remain in the program or give up my dream of free flight because it was beyond my physical ability.

I began the day with a full breakfast, arriving early enough to stretch and warm up. Unfortunately, the

wind was inconsistent, and I was unable to launch from the training hill. So I spent the entire day in the flat field, running into the wind with the training glider gently lifting off my shoulders. The following two days, I experienced sore muscles, as expected, but I was not completely incapacitated. The months of conditioning and a good warm-up in the morning had paid off. I was so confident, in fact, that I bought that beautiful new wing: a 2012 North Wing Freedom 150 with all kinds of kick-ass options.

During my days and nights of walking, stretching and running, the memory of that first day back in October was the inspiration that kept me going. After the first training lesson, I had gone up to take a look at the launch site. The view was breathtaking; the thickly wooded hillsides opened to the landing zone in a green field in the valley floor far below. I watched an advanced student assemble and pre-flight his glider. Then he

hooked in and waited patiently for a good cycle. Even as an observer, I found the launch to be absolutely thrilling. The pilot spent about 10 minutes doing figure-8s in the ridge-lift, then dropped out and headed for the LZ. It was an awe-inspiring finale to a new day in the next phase of my life.

ABOVE The humble beginning | photo by Robert For me, the training hill is more than Ghiraldini. a place to learn how to launch, fly and land a hang glider. It has come to represent the first step in a process that transcends discipline and alters one’s awareness. What at first seemed like nothing more than a cool thing to do has become a series of steps to a lifechanging course towards better health, physically as well as mentally. Perhaps it is even a calling, not just to soar, but to experience life from a new perspective.

To be continued...

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Flying

the Island in the Sun

by JURGS & ANNK VON DUESZELN

J

amaica is well known for Reggae music, warm, turquoise water with white sand beaches and blisteringly fast sprinters. With 300 days of sunshine and 7400-foot mountains, the island also offers an exotic paragliding winter destination only an hour and a half by air from South Florida.

This island in the sun is one of the

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Caribbean’s leading vacation destinations. It’s especially well known for pioneering the development of popular all-inclusive resorts, many of which are dotted along the well-traveled north coast. There are, however, a collection of gems tucked away off the main tourism routes, welcoming the more adventurous traveller who’s interested in seeing the other side of the island.

Jamaica has two international airports: Montego Bay, the tourism magnet on the north coast; and Kingston, the capital in the southeast, the commercial and cultural center of the island.

The entire island—144 miles long and 50 miles wide, at maximum— would fit easily into Lake Ontario.

Its population of 2.6 million is less

than that of Chicago. Its lush Blue Mountains top out at 7400 feet asl and dominate the eastern region of the island. They roll westward into a series of ranges that create a spine the length of the island with altitudes up to 3500 feet asl, eventually melting into the mysterious and infamous Cockpit Country.

The majority of the island is accessible by regular car, but many remote areas, especially in the interior, require a four-wheel-drive or a rigorous hike.

Luckily, most popular flying sites are within easy reach, but to explore the full potential of the island and survive the inevitable potholes, 4x4s are a better choice.

Paragliding is still in its infancy in Jamaica, but after seven long years of mostly flying alone, our flying community has started to grow in the last few years. My chief motivation for becoming an instructor was completely selfish: I love free flight and wanted friends with whom I could share it. It is prohibitively time consuming and costly to travel off the island to take a course in the US or Europe. I realized the only way to achieve our dream—of a free-flight community and a lifestyle that would include hanging out in a local LZ while enjoying a landing beer with our pals—was to teach. Today, our flying community counts two handfuls of active pilots who are as dedicated to the sport as pilots in any other location.

All members of our paragliding group live in Kingston. We feel lucky to have one of Jamaica’s best flying sites, Skyline, located in our neighborhood; it’s on the outskirts of Kingston at the foot of the Blue Mountains.

Skyline, Kingston Skyline has been our home site for over 10 years. In 2001, with the assistance of German instructor and XC expert Claus Vischer, we established our first

“Paragliding is still in its infancy in Jamaica, but after seven long years of mostly flying alone, our flying community has started to grow in the last few years.”

launch site from Skyline Drive at 1400 feet asl on one of the hills surrounding Kingston. Skyline is a lee-side thermaling site that is not for beginners. The launch is short and steep, only inches off the road. The official LZ is at the UTECH sports field, where Olympian sprinting star Usain Bolt earned his first laurels. There are several other landing options, all of which are relatively tight and require good landing skills. At launch, the view of the city is appealing and at 3500’, the mountains to the northeast and the coastline to the south are striking.

Pilots from Britain, Canada, USA, Germany, Brazil, Lithuania, and Poland have visited us over the years, especially during the winter months when the cooler climate provides more attractive temperatures for visiting Jamaica. While the locals mostly fly in

long pants for sun protection, visitors often take off in shorts and T-shirts, as they can’t seem to get enough sun.

Malvern (aka John Crow Hill), St. Elizabeth The SW parish of St. Elizabeth is known as the breadbasket of Jamaica.

The view from the dominant Santa Cruz Mountains (2000 feet asl) looks like a patchwork of small farms bordered by the southern coastline. The residents of St. Elizabeth (or St. Bess, as it is affectionately called) are curious and hospitable people who make their living mostly from agriculture, not tourism.

On a warm, sunny morning in January 2010, Jurgs, along with local pilots Dale and Conall, prepare for OPPOSITE Soaring at Malvern. ABOVE

Approaching the Spur Tree LZ.

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Skyline, Kingston (1400 feet asl) Lee-side thermaling site.

Vertical: 800 feet Launch: 1400 feet asl, facing S, easy drive-up Landing: restricted landing fields at 4:1 glide (not for beginners) Retrieval: 15min

Malvern, John Crow Hill (2000 feet asl) In vicinity of Treasure Beach, 1.5 miles W of Malvern village, 10 miles N of Treasure Beach; gravel road to site accessible with normal vehicles; easy site with ample landing space, XC potential, beach in 10 miles distance Vertical: 1800 feet Launch: 2000 feet asl, facing SW, driveup, gentle slope next to farm road, suitable for beginners. good thermaling site with XC potential, launchable S to NW. Landing: at the bottom of the hill on cattle land; farmers are generally very co-operative. Note: when top landing make sure NOT to land on vegetable plots of local farmers!

Retrieval: 20min on narrow paved road.

Spur Tree (2100 feet asl) New site SW of Mandeville, only flyable in W conditions.

Vertical: 1000 feet Launch: 2100 feet asl, facing WSW, drive-up with heavy 4x4 Landing: huge landing at the bottom of the hill (not visible from launch) Retrieval: 20min with 4x4

Pen Hill (2600 feet asl) New site N of Mandeville (Watch out for high tension wires below launch) Vertical: 1300 feet Launch: 2600 feet asl, facing SSE, driveup with heavy 4x4 Landing: at big sports field upwind; bailouts in reach Retrieval: 30min with 4x4

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their first takeoff from John Crow Hill, a new site only 10 miles north of Treasure Beach, a sleepy little beach village. (“John Crow” is the local expression for our turkey vultures, which work very reliably as thermal indicators.) Even in January, the sun is hot.

At 10:30 a.m. the three pilots launch into a steady anabatic breeze. A few steps to accelerate through the grassy, shrubby vegetation on launch and an 1800-foot vertical opens up below their feet, lush and green. It seems a little too early to be able to stay up, but they are enjoying every minute of the extended sled ride from this new spot that offers a choice of endless landing spots, even with the self-imposed restraint of always setting down without disturbing animals or damaging crops.

“Wat plane you jump from, Sar?” asks a young boy, when Dale lands his glider first on a cow pasture in the middle of the small farming community of Mountainside. For the children it is a big event. They have never seen a “parachute” land right in front of their eyes. Minutes later, Conall lands as well. The news spreads fast, and in less than 15 minutes genuinely curious village residents who have only seen a “parachute” on TV surround the pilots. “We don’t jump, we fly...” explains Dale, a proud ambassador of the sport, who grew up only a few miles from this flying spot. “...and this is NOT a parachute, but a paraglider.

We flew from that big hill behind you and hope to do it more often in the future.” The kids, anxious to touch and help carry the bunched-up gliders, get tangled in the lines. Innocent laughter and excitement fill the air as these curious youngsters pelt us with questions: Are we afraid so high up in the air? How does it feel to be up there? Can the thin lines hold up the pilot? Reasonable inquiries.

We are equally excited to have found and successfully tested a new flying site and take some time to revel

ABOVE Dale at Malvern LZ. OPPOSITE The

authors with some of their local flying friends.

in our experience. Eventually, we walk to a little roadside kiosk to buy water and “bulla” (a Jamaican sweet bread) as well as some “sweeties” for the kids.

A domino table, staple of the Jamaican establishment, provides us with a diversion to shorten the wait for our shuttle back up to launch.

After two more flights, we are pooped from sun and dehydration and decide to drive to our accommodation for the night in Treasure Beach, half an hour away. With an ice-cold Red Stripe beer in hand, we hang out at the beach in front of our little hotel watching the sun go down. After introducing this experience to visiting pilots, some of them have been unsure which they like better—flying in shorts in January or a cold post-landing beer in swim trunks at the beach. After sunset, we walk to Jack Sprat for conch soup, jerk fish and pizza. What a day!

Malvern is our favorite out-of-town site. Its easy launch and unending landing sites are perfect for beginners, and the cross-country potential makes it a challenge for more advanced pilots.

The launch was recently carpeted and we maintain it regularly. Conditions

are normally very gentle. The lush green vegetation provides for smooth thermals of 2-4m/s, and makes the countryside look fresh and benign.

Due to the high humidity, cloudbase in Jamaica is generally below 4000 feet asl.

Spur Tree, Manchester Prevailing wind conditions at Jamaica’s latitude (18°N) are from the east, called trade winds, and normally turn southeast on the southern part of the island at midday due to the sea breeze.

However, recently westerly conditions were just right to test the potential of Spur Tree, a new site near Mandeville.

This site normally has tail conditions, but allows ridge soaring in westerly breeze (SW to NW). With our strong 4x4, we crawled slowly along an overgrown farm road to the launch at 2100 feet asl. For the last few steps, we carried our glider bags up to a grassy spot that seemed picture-perfect as a W launch. Jurgs, Conall and Vivian took off, fighting a bit in 10-mph NW crosswind conditions. We landed on a huge green field, a rehabilitated bauxite mine. (In the past, Jamaica produced a lot of bauxite, a raw material for the aluminum industry. Now most mines are closed.) Retrieval was

easy after a quick walkout to the road.

If trade winds are too strong, Spur Tree and even Malvern can be blown out. However, near Mandeville there is another site, Pen Hill (2600 feet asl), which seems more robust in easterly winds. It’s a drive-up with a heavy 4x4 through small farming communities, but needs further exploration.

If the weather is not flyable, many other outdoor activities wait to be explored. Within easy reach of Treasure Beach, you can go on a crocodile safari from Black River or to the beautiful YS Falls. In the east of the island, the Blue Mountains are a popular hiking destination. On the north coast, there are many waterfalls (Reich falls, Somerset falls, Dunn’s River falls), and activities, such as diving operations, kite boarding (Bounty Bay), horseback riding, and fishing. Did we mention that Jamaica also has beaches?

Xaymaca, as the indigenous Tainos called their island, means “Land of Wood and Water”—’nuff said!

Jurgen is a USHPA basic paragliding instructor and a P-4 pilot (USHPA# 73815). He grew up in Germany but has been living in Jamaica for almost 20 years. He met his wife, Anna Kay—a native of Jamaica and a P-3 pilot—in

Jamaica, and they started flying together in 2001. To this day he is the only instructor in Jamaica.

Jurg’s website: http://paraglidingjamaica.com facebook, Paragliding Jamaica: https://www.facebook.com/ groups/137209962957956/

Fly Costa Rica at Grampa Ninja’s B&B

grampa@paraglidecostarica.com US: 908-454-3242 Costa Rica Cell: 8-950-8676 B&B: 011-506-2-200-4824 (Between January - April)

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PHOTO BY REBECCA BREDEHOFT

GRETCHEN ULRICKSON

Saving Sand Turn A Story of Patience and Perseverance 36

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by C.J. STURTEVANT with ADAM GRAHAM

L

ike little kids with fairy tales, we pilots love stories of how a flying site—be it our best beloved or one we’ve never heard of—is saved from annihilation by the free-flight equivalent of a knight in shining armor. In almost every case, there’s a convoluted path from peril to salvation. The twists and turns, pitfalls and moments of despair, in the Saving Sand Turn story are as drama-filled as any fairy tale.

And the happily-ever-after ending should be particularly satisfying to the many pilots who, as USHPA members and supporters of the Foundation for Free Flight, have played a major role in Sand Turn’s rescue.

Adam and Lynn Graham are the visionaries who have tenaciously clung to their dream of securing landing rights at Sand Turn, through almost a decade of setbacks, unpleasant surprises, frustrations, stalemates, even moments of apparent lunacy. Finally, as of late summer 2013, there’s a bright light at the end of the tunnel. Adam provided me with a detailed chronology of the seemingly interminable, complicated process— we’ve exchanged numerous emails and phone calls to be sure I understand all the twists and turns in this fascinating account of what exactly was involved in saving Sand Turn from extinction. Here is a much-condensed version of the backstory of Sand Turn’s rescue.

2004, summer: Sand Turn LZ was first identified as

critically endangered, when a “for sale” sign appeared in the middle of the LZ One property. That evening around the campfire in Tongue River Canyon, pilots lamented the possibility of losing the site to development. Adam says, “I will never forget my wife’s innocent statement: ‘Well, why don’t WE buy it?’ ” Before morning, Adam and Lynn had conceived the idea of somehow purchasing the 39-acre parcel, or at least an LZ-sized portion of it, to preserve the Sand Turn flying site.

2004, fall: The Sand Turn Trust was created, with the

trust, stipulating LZ status in perpetuity.

2005: The Sand Turn Trust applied for a matching

grant from the Foundation for Free Flight in the amount of $17,500 to purchase the LZ and place it into the trust.

The application was approved, but funds would not be distributed until the FFF was assured that the LZ would in fact be protected from development.

2005, late summer: At the suggestion of the landowner who kept cows in an adjacent field, a perimeter fence was built around the entire 39-acre LZ One parcel, using volunteer labor and whatever materials they could scrounge or purchase, thus assuring there’d be no unwanted pilot/cattle interactions during landings.

Adam recalls, “Lynn was eight months pregnant with our first daughter (now almost seven years old) when we were fencing the property in nearly 100° heat with the help of several local pilots and supporters.” You can read the fencing story in the April 2006 issue of HG&PG magazine.

2005 through 2007: Adam and Lynn, with significant

assistance from pilots and friends both local and from afar, relentlessly pursued the legal and financial aspects of this project. This included establishing a 501(c)(4), hiring Wyoming-certified engineers and surveyors and lawyers, dealing with turnover in professionals and politicians who were supposedly working through the process of getting the LZ property placed into a trust, and securing prizes and selling tickets for a fundraising

“Sand Turn LZ was first identified as critically endangered, when a “for sale” sign appeared in the middle of the LZ One property.”

goal of placing five acres of LZ One into a permanent

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raffle.

2007, Labor Day fly-in: The raffle, with a grand prize of a new hang glider or paraglider and a huge assortment of lesser prizes, culminated several years’ work of fundraising to accumulate the funds to match the FFF grant.

Adam, in the December 2007 issue of this magazine, optimistically stated, “We hope that by the end of 2007 the piece will be officially separated, the plat finalized, and we will be moving on to writing easements/deed restrictions, and putting other final touches on the project.”

He was such a dreamer! In retrospect, it was probably a good thing he and Lynn didn’t realize how far they still were from goal!

started looking for someone else. We were frustrated, and furious that essentially four years have been wasted.”

To add insult to injury, the Grahams’ personal financial commitment to purchase the land came due in late 2008, and they scrambled to work a deal with the bank to refinance for a reasonable interest rate and payments they can afford. “Dodged a bullet…” says Adam.

2009: Centennial Collaborative Engineering took on the

project, and it began to move forward. A 2008 rezoning required all new permits/approvals from (mostly irrelevant, but still required) utilities, phone, cable, etc.

Amazingly—finally!—everything seemed to be going along smoothly, albeit still slowly.

2010, fall: In order for the subdivision—the five-acre

2008, winter: Sheridan county rezoned all the land at

the base of the Bighorns, to prevent further subdivision of property and preserve the open space. What should have been good news for the project ended up creating further hassles, as the engineering firm that had been working with Lynn and Adam had been sold, and the new personnel apparently had absolutely no knowledge of any prior documents or progress. “We found out later that we were not the only project that got lost in the mix,” Adam says. “We re-gathered our resolve, and

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LZ parcel in the middle of the larger 39-acre parcel—to be approved, access to the parcel needed to be constructed. Many of Centennial Collaborative Engineering›s people had become financially and emotionally invested in seeing this project succeed, and they donated thousands of dollars of time, and comped a number of bills, much to the relief of the cash-strapped Grahams.

An access site was chosen and approved by WYDOT, although, Adam pointed out, “it will require a ridiculous amount of dirt removal to meet site distance require-

ments from WYDOT.” The Grahams› second child, Lilly, was born in October.

2011, December: “We got our first quote for building

access, and we started crying: $18,500,” recalls Adam.

Undaunted, he and Lynn began researching other contractors, and exploring how much of the labor could be done with unskilled labor—friends and family and fellow pilots—to save money. “Although finding the TIME will be an issue…for everyone,” Adam lamented.

2012, spring: The pace accelerated when a new county planner took over the project, and seemed excited about bringing this long drawn-out affair to completion. She and WYDOT met with Adam and Lynn on site, and sorted out the finer points of where and how to finally build the access to meet the county requirements to subdivide out the LZ. The revised plan was submitted to Wells Fargo, and within a week or two, the bank signed off on everything.

2012, May: WYDOT returned the approved application

and changes to the Grahams and Centennial, allowing the construction to proceed. Adam recalls, “I freaked out, and decided we›d better get it done before anyone

changed their mind. I called the Foundation for Free Flight and started begging for the original grant funds once again, as we were now closer than we had ever been to completing this project, if we could just meet requirements for subdivision. Lynn and I decided that regardless of any grant money, we were building the access, even if it meant putting it on our credit card—we had long abandoned the OPPOSITE Muddy and cold fence-builders| photo by idea of offsetting any of the cost to us Gretchen Ulrickson. ABOVE personally, and were just going to donate Gliders in LZ One during the the five acres for easement and to the 2013 Labor Day fly-in | photo trust.” The Foundation came through

by Lucy Stilson. with the grant money, and the Grahams found a local excavator in Dayton who was willing to help out with the project, and who agreed with their plan to reduce costs by using volunteer labor.

2012, Memorial Day weekend: The fly-in provided pilot labor for ground-breaking for the entrance and the new walk-in gate, and getting the culvert in— things were coming along well enough, although Lynn recalls, “It was pouring rain and cold and Adam got hypothermic and sick for one afternoon and evening before diving in again the next day….still wearing his Chaco’s…hmmm.” They all put in some very long days to offset costs of hiring laborers for the project; even

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some local residents showed up to help out. The majority of the FFF grant money was used for excavation, building the road and entrance and walk-in gate, and repairing the perimeter fence that had been damaged by a lightning-started wildfire, and the fire-suppression vehicles, in 2010.

August 2, 2012: Adam and Lynn traveled 450 miles

from their home in Plentywood, Montana to Dayton for the Sheridan The LZ One turnout, spring County planning and zoning meeting.

2012. Afternoon soaring at The county planners were very gracious, Sand Turn. The Sand Turn LZ, and were completely in support of the outlined in white. Photos by Gretchen Ulrickson. project, as they could see that it will benefit Sheridan, Dayton, and the overall community for years to come. They approved all the variances, and said they›d finalize the subdivision as soon as the access was completed. A small crew accomplished the required clean-up and cosmetic fixes, and WYDOT signed off on the final entrance.

OPPOSITE, TOP DOWN

September 4, 2012: Lynn and Adam went back to Sheridan for another County Commissioners meeting. Adam made a presentation to the commissioners,

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once again explaining the project and its overall benefit to Sheridan and the surrounding towns, as well as to the hang gliding and paragliding community across the nation and internationally who come to fly the Turn. The commissioners were, Adam recalls, “very complimentary, and grateful for the preservation of this 35-year-old site—photos of hang gliders appear in all of the county literature for tourism—and they approved the subdivision!”

September 12, 2012: Adam and Lynn received the

final letter from WYDOT, stating that the site has been inspected and it met all requirements for a residential access. “They signed off on the permit!” Adam exclaims.

“It is done! Are we dreaming? Nope! Finally, it’s REAL!” Summer 2013: Adam and Lynn worked with an attorney to set up a conservation easement granted to USHPA and FFF, Sand Turn INC, and T.C. Hyalalite (the Grahams incorporated, a legal shield for the surrounding property in case of an injury on the property outside the five-acre LZ proper).

Now, and in the future: The Sheridan community as

a whole knows and loves the flying at the Turn. On any given day, if there are set-up gliders or cars with hang gliders on top in the turnout, tourists and locals will pull up and settle in their camp chairs near the guard rail to watch the action and talk with the pilots. Hang gliding is definitely a vital part of the local ambience. Adam is working on having a steel sign, “as bulletproof as possible,” he says, listing all those who were instrumental in bringing the project to completion. It should be ready to install inside the walk-in gate in LZ One by next spring.

A few after-words: “Slow and steady won the

race,” Adam muses. “Lynn told me when we started this project that she estimated it would take 10 years. She had watched her dad, Larry Monfore, work for a decade to preserve Spirit Mound, a Lewis and Clark historical site that was falling into private hands and about to be lost forever… anyway, it’s been about that—10 years, and here we are! I don’t care if Lynn tells me ‹I told you so› as long as it is PAST TENSE, and our project is COMPLETE!” And so it is. The 5.28-acre Sand Turn LZ One has been set aside through an easement granted to United States Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association and the Foundation for Free Flight, keeping this area as a permanent open-space landing zone for paragliders and hang gliders flying from the Turn. Adam and Lynn express huge appreciation to all pilots, friends, government officials and hired professionals who helped bring this project to closure. They especially thank the Foundation for Free Flight for the grant, and the folks at Centennial Collaborative Engineering who embraced the project and were hugely instrumental in making it all come together. It will, Adam concludes, “now be up to future pilots to be the stewards of this and many other sites that have been preserved, with the help of dedicated individuals and the Foundation for Free Flight.”

G

eorge and I hadn›t flown at Sand Turn for decades, but my research on fall fly-ins for the August issue of HG&PG magazine enticed us to do a road trip from Washington to Wyoming for the 2013 Labor Day fly-in. We had a blast! We camped and hung out with a couple dozen hang pilots, many of whom we hadn’t seen in decades. We pigged out at the potluck picnic in the park, verified that the hang pilots’ assessment of the paraglider launch at the Turn (“not ideal…”) is accurate, flew at Red Grade (a perfect paraglider site!), hiked up Steamboat Point for a fabulous view that included hang pilots skying out at the Turn, checked out the scenery in Tongue River Canyon, where

this story begins—in short, we thoroughly enjoyed our vacation. Thanks to Johann Nield for being the major motivator for all the flying events, and to all the pilots who suggested hiking and exploring options, and sent us to Red Grade to fly our paragliders. Due to recent eye surgery Johann was unable to get airborne during the fly-in, but Jim Bowman launched and soared Johann’s glider, assuring Johann’s glider’s record of getting in the air during every Sand Turn fly-in remains unbroken.

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Cross-country Karma

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Living a Wake of Good Vibes

by CHRISTINA AMMON

I

n late February, the usual factory flying that dominates the house thermal in Pokhara, Nepal, shuts down. During the week of the Russian Open, there would be no OPPOSITE Nick Greece flying above Pokhara, Nepal. tandems. Non-competing pilots—like Photo by Jamie Messenger. me—were asked to steer clear of the main launch site, Sarangkot.

There were plenty of other adventures to be had around Pokhara—a hike to the Peace stupa, a visit to Devis Falls, or a tour of the Tibetan refugee camp. But the pilots who couldn’t bear to skip a day of flying organized a trip to Diki Danda, a hilltop village just a 40-minute drive from Pokhara.

On most days, Diki Danda is approached from the air. Pilots launch from Pokhara, glide across the valley, and then soar over this village in hopes of catching the crucial boost they need for the next leg: the crossover to the famed Green Wall. At the Green Wall, pilots top up before squeaking back over the ridge to Pokhara and completing the classic three-leg journey.

From the air, Diki Danda looks like a small cluster of buildings among trees, with a white stupa that marks a reliable patch of lift. “It’s easy to forget there are

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people actually living down there,” says pilot Matt Cone, director of Karma Flights, a philanthropic organization that courts donations for children with tandem flights.

“There is a school there and the kids see us fly over—a big distraction from their studies.”

KarmaFlights has assisted with the scholarship projects already underway in Pokhara (led by KEENsponsored Jeff Shapiro, Nick Greece, and Isabella Messenger). To complement these projects, Karma Flights expanded its efforts this year to procure funds for projects at the main outlying XC destinations, namely Sirkot and Galem, as well as ABOVE The new uniforms that Diki Danda.

Matt Cone's KarmaFlights bought Each of these villages is within a for all the kids at the launch. three-hour drive of Lakeside, and they Opposite Banked up over are places where pilots launch and, not launch and the school where KarmaFlights helped with uniforms infrequently, land out. Inevitably, they and a yearly food program. Photos return with stories of kindnesses—how

by Nick Greece. the villagers offered them cups of masala tea, or rides back to the main roads. Assisted by translators and village elders, Cone and project director Pha-li Thomachot visited each of these villages to discreetly assess their needs and enlist local partners in the projects.

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Diki Danda Coordinates: 28˚ 29 ˝ N 83˚ 97 ˝ E Elevation: 1431 m.

On the first day of the Russian Open, I joined Cone and Thomachot on a trip to Diki Danda. When the taxi arrived, they loaded two boxes filled with 50 cinnamon rolls to take to the school—a festive way to mark the emerging relationship between the pilots and this crucial flying destination.

We ducked into the taxi and navigated through Pokhara before proceeding slowly up the rough road to Diki Danda. Some speculate that with increased crowding at Sarangkot, more and more pilots will start using Diki Danda as a primary launching site. But as the taxi banged up the washboard road, it was hard to imagine.

The infrastructure was definitely not in place—access was difficult and there was a lack of opportunity to buy food and beer.

But cresting the hill, it was clear that none of this was much of a deterrent on this day: About 15 pilots were unpacking wings on the dirt slope. The launch was so close to the schoolyard that it was easy to see why the kids might have trouble getting their heads around the Pythagorean theorem, when a colorful collection of en-

thusiastic pilots was alighting just outside the classroom window.

From the school officials at Diki Danda, KarmaFlights learned that the students—many who are from the lowest caste—were in need of uniforms.

School uniforms are traditional and encouraged in Nepal in an effort to reduce the effect of caste prejudice.

KarmaFlights purchased 49 uniforms and delivered them to the school. They also plan to fund a lunch program.

The view of the Annapurnas from the schoolyard was commanding, but we dropped our gliders and went into the office, where we were greeted with blessing scarves and smiles. Then we toured the rooms, greeting the students and distributing rolls, which were received with great excitement.

After the celebration, Cone launched and battled his way up a thermal, illustrating a point he’d made earlier: “The area is known for turbulent flying, so it’s probably good to have good karma here.”

Galem is another popular spot for XC pilots, especially during the annual “Highland Games” in which pilots face off with villagers in games of tug-o’-war, musical chairs, and shot put. After seeing pictures of my friends winning goats and chickens in seasons past, I decided to attend.

The paragliding community’s relationship with Galem began when Nepal paragliding pioneer Adam

Galem Coordinates: 28˚ 10 ˝ N 83˚ 51˝ E Elevation: 1739 m.

Situated two hours from Pokhara, the village of

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Hill stumbled across the village while scouting for new launches. That’s when he met Major Dil Bahadur Gurung, a retired Gurkha from the British Army who lives in the village. Hill has obviously ABOVE Flying XC from made a great impression there, as we Diki Danda puts you on the were received with out-sized respect: backside of the main launch blessed with tikas, scarves, and reserved for Pokhara | photo by Jamie front-row seating.

Messenger. OPPOSITE TOP Namaste. BOTTOM The villagers beat us in every game, Prem runs the Keen to Learn but we enjoyed the feast afterwards, house in Pokhara and helps raksi, and music around a fire late into oversee all the community the night. projects set up by the flying In his retirement from the Gurkhas, community. Photos by Nick Greece. the major dedicated himself to improving the lives of the villagers. In addition to restoring footpaths and setting up a health clinic, he made educating the village children a priority. Other Gurkhas pitched in, as well as a pair of Italian doctors who volun-

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teered to construct the modern school that now stands in Galem.

To assist, KarmaFlights made a first-year commitment of $750, which will help sponsor seven children and fund a teacher’s salary. The children’s sponsorship covers buying shoes, stationery, school bags and snacks.

The morning after the Highland Games, several pilots launched from a slope above the village, caught a thermal and made an easy glide back to Lakeside.

Sirkot Coordinates: 28˚ 02 ˝ N83˚ 43 ˝ E Elevation: 1551 m.

Sirkot is a three-hour jeep ride from Pokhara. Aside from its staggering views of Himalayan peaks, Sirkot might be best known as home base for Sano “Babu” Sunuwar, the Nepali pilot who was designated the 2012 National Geographic Adventurer of the Year for piloting

a tandem off the peak of Mt. Everest.

Babu has purchased property in Sirkot and opened a hostel to house pilots while they take clinics or prepare for long XC flights. The focus of his hostel will be to benefit the local villagers and to educate pilots about Nepalese culture.

Babu is in dialogue with the school in Sirkot to assess their needs. The project is in its early stages, but KarmaFlights will assist Babu in his efforts.

All of these projects are dependent upon the efforts of the paragliding community—especially the tandem pilots who raise money for KarmaFlights. Local companies like Frontiers Paragliding in Pokhara have also contributed. Cone has a few pilot friends from Seattle who have not yet been to Nepal, but are inspired by the projects there and regularly contribute money.

Thomachot is encouraged by these shows of goodwill: “We have more and more pilots registering from the

West, so it looks promising to maybe start soon another project in another country.”

To learn more, or to support any of these projects, visit www.karmaflights.org.

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Thinking

Outside the Blocks

by DENNIS PAGEN

PART I : Weathering Heights

O

ne reason we like personal flying is that there are few hoops to jump through compared to other types of flying. The only legal matter we have to obey is airspace limitations.

The ratings or licenses are essentially self-imposed. The result is that we are mostly an experience-based activity.

Pilots learn some important information in schools, but continued learning takes place through experiment, observation, a bit of reading, scary episodes and beery discussions. There is no real control over this breadth of knowledge, and different pilots acquire different amounts of learning and skill. We often find that information, as well as misinformation, gets codified and passed along as gospel—without too much thought process being involved. We all need security in flight, so we grasp at any branch that seems to offer support, even if it turns out to be a straw.

In this series, we are going to present some of our ideas about flight with an interest in helping pilots dispel mental blocks and the confines of the concept box. We will look at weather factors and matters of flying technique and design.

Hopefully, it will be a fun journey, if not educational. In general, these articles will appeal to both hang gliding and paragliding pilots, although in later parts the emphasis will be on hang gliding (sorry, rainbow crew).

This month we begin with some weather factors.

IT AIN’T NECESSARILY SO. Ira Gershwin, who wrote the song “It

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Ain’t Necessarily So,” probably didn’t know a thermal from a bean fart, but he did have an inkling of misguided misconception. Just because a lot of people believe something doesn’t make it true.

Here’s a case in point: I’ve often heard pilots say, “It was really cold last night, and it’s going to be sunny today, so there will be good thermals (or a good lapse rate or strong lift, etc.).” This idea arises from evidence that the air mass gets cooler after a cold front passes, usually resulting in good thermals because the air’s lapse rate (temperature profile) is good (unstable). But after this hopeful prognosis is given, more often than not the next day doesn’t turn out to be good for thermal production. In fact, some days are complete duds, with nary a wayward thermal gust stirring.

Here’s what happens: During a high-pressure episode, the sky tends to be clear, and the night air gets cold due to the radiation of the heat. (When there are clouds, the heat is trapped, and the night air doesn’t get as cool.) The result is a ground inversion, which is very stable. It is true that the next day’s solar heating can dispel this ground inversion, but high pressure systems tend to have stable air masses. That is because the air is slowly falling over a wide area in a high-pressure system, and sinking air becomes more stable. So what’s important is not how cold it gets at night, but what the actual lapse rate of the air mass is.

In mountainous areas, the cold-airat-night phenomenon is more pronounced, because mountains trap the

cold air in the valleys, thereby allowing more cold air to accumulate as it slides off the peaks. In deserts, the clear air and high transmission of heat from the dry, sandy soil allow the air to cool off dramatically (and uncomfortably). In the western regions of the US, even with powerful solar heating, thermals can be anemic in a high pressure. In the Owens Valley epic flights are accomplished during a relative low. (We talk more about this next month.)

So don’t tell me that thermals are going to be great because there is good heating, and the air was very cold last night. It ain’t necessarily so.

WONDERFUL WINDS There’s a flying condition we call wonder winds. Hang glider pilots in the late ‘70s came up with this name to describe a condition during which the wind picks up, and lift seems to be smooth and bulletproof over a wide area. (You won’t find this term in the weather books, except those by a certain author.)

Essentially, wonder winds are a widespread upwelling of lift. (Sometimes we use the term magic air, but this term usually refers to widespread lift with little or no wind.)

Throughout the ‘90s, a series of hang gliding meets in the Sequatchie Valley near Chattanooga, Tennessee, were called the East Coast Championships (the Team Challenge now takes place there every fall). Launch access is limited, so an ordered launch is necessary.

And when it was a pilot’s turn to go, he almost hadta go. There tended to be

many bomb-outs on weak days, but re-flights were allowed. When it got late, pilots often waited around for the wonder winds, which are common at this site. In the early days of this meet, some pilots made a habit of waiting around until late, then cruising to goal easily on the buoyant, abundant wonder-wind lift. Eventually, the organizers added a rule that required pilots to launch before a set time, so they wouldn’t sit on launch all day.

But even when wonder winds were a viable option, pilots sometimes got skunked, because no one really knew how to predict them. Now we know more about wonder wind genesis and prediction.

Looking at figure 1, we see a cross section of a valley. During the day, the solar heating may send an anabatic (upslope) flow up both sides of the valley, unless the overall wind is strong enough to create a leeside downslope flow on one side. The result of evacua-

tion of the valley by this anabatic flow is a slow subsidence (sinking in the valley). This subsidence may be strong enough to suppress thermal production, but often there still are valley thermals, especially if the valley is wide. Hwever, they may be weaker and fewer than those up along the mountainsides. As the sun progresses across the sky, one side of the mountain may eventually begin to shade in. The result is a cooling of the surface on that side, which, in turn, cools the air so it flows downhill (since it becomes denser) and flows into the valley. This cooler air pushes under the warmer air in the valley, lifts it and helps produce a steady upflow of lift— widespread anabatic flow, with light thermals interspersed within it.

Wonder winds result from a large area of the valley lifting by the undercut of the cooler air. If the valley wall has various gaps or ravines, the flow of cooler downslope air may be accelerated in the gap area; therefore, the wonder

wind may be variable or suddenly come on strong. If enough cool air fills the valley, all of the overlying warm air may be lifted, and the entire valley of air may auto-convect—that is, it may get less stable, resulting in the whole mass going up as if it were one big thermal. This is the magic air condition.

Now, let’s look at the prerequisite for the development of wonder winds.

It helps if the site is an enclosed valley, so we get a buildup of heat in the valley.

It also helps if one slope cools before the other to send cooler wind into the valley. A roughly north-south oriented valley is, thus, better than one aligned east-west. But even open stand-alone mountains can experience wonder winds. In that case, downslope cool air from the mountain itself cuts under the light, prevailing wind into the mountain, accelerating the upslope flow. The crucial condition we need, however, is the presence of a slightly stable air mass.

When the air is stable, thermals are

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weak or non-existent, so heat builds up in the valley. Thermals are nature’s most efficient way of distributing heat away from the ground, but in stable conditions they barely get “traction,” so the temperature of the whole airmass rises.

Thus, it is primed to turn into massive areas of lift, once it gets an initial boost from the undercutting cool air.

In conclusion, we need a somewhat stable day with weak or non-existent thermals for wonder winds to occur.

Wonder winds can be weak—not even soarable—or very strong. They are usually quite smooth and, incidentally, are the source of the proverbial glass-off conditions. They can go up both sides of a valley but, in that case, may not last as long and are usually weaker. Typically, wonder winds begin between 5:00 and 7:00 p.m., depending on the site orientation, its altitude and the time of year.

When the day turns out to be duff without a thermal around, but the sky is blue, hold out hope for wonder winds.

When you find them, rejoice—they are wonderful.

UNDER AN OVERCAST We all know that a solid overcast of clouds is a thermal assassin (well, maybe Southern California pilots don’t know this, since they’ve never seen an overcast). Or is it? A couple of months ago we were at a site at a time when a depressing gray-on-grey overcast covered the entire sky. Fear and loathing in three-part harmony. Well, we were there and nearly set up, so we had to fly. We did, and much to our joy, there were thermals everywhere. It was a normal thermal day, with thermal strengths more than 300 fpm at times, despite a coolness in the air.

So what’s happening to create such a voodoo day? First, the airmass itself had an unstable lapse rate (see Understanding the Sky for details on lapse rate). It was coming from the northwest, special delivery from Canada, where they must specialize in cool summer airmasses, eh?

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The other factor was the warm ground’s heating for days, like money in the soil bank. The warm ground created warm air layers on the ground that just had to relieve the imbalance by bubbling upward. This same process causes thermals over water when cold air crosses a large lake or sea. The reason for the overcast was the thick cool air moving in slowly and pushing up the humid air that had been lying around for days, until it formed the widespread cloud layer. The breakout messages: not every cloud cover is deadly to thermals; not every condition is predictable; exploit the surprises and relish the serendipity.

DOO-DAH DAYS Stable days are the bane of all thermal pilots, because a stable day is one that doesn’t readily produce thermals. Or does it? There are several causes of noor low-thermal production. The first is no solar heating. Perhaps there is a total cloud cover, or the ground is covered with snow, or you’re in the Yukon in January (bad timing). Second, there can be an inversion right at the ground or low enough to stop thermals from reaching launch. Finally, the entire air mass can have a stable lapse rate. This situation often occurs in high-pressure systems, since the air is gradually sinking in a high and becoming more stable.

Inversions can be caused by a number of conditions. One such condition is warm air pushing over cold air, as in the approach of a warm front.

Sometimes in a weak front, the warm air doesn’t push away the cooler air, but simply sits on top of it to put a lid on thermals. Another important inversion source is the very presence of thermals distributing heat up to the cloud layer.

A thermal releases a lot of latent heat when it changes to cloud. When the cloud evaporates, it does so through mixing and the sun’s direct heating of the cloud, so a net increase of heat occurs at the cloud level. As this process continues all day long and, often, day

after day, a warm layer, or inversion, forms. It is interesting to note that in areas where thermals are dry—as in the American Southwest—the thermals top out at different heights without clouds, so inversions are less common or intense.

But don’t tell me not to go flying in stable conditions, or that there won’t be any thermals on those days. Stable conditions often do not stop thermals.

They just slow them down or keep them smaller, with turbulent edges (classic high-pressure thermals). In the Northeast, we often fly in stable conditions. Due to the general high humidity, clear days arrive after a cold-front passage, which is followed behind by a high-pressure system. The really unstable post-cold-front day(s) are short-lived.

(In the past, we could rely on three days of great thermal soaring after a cold front; now we’re lucky to get one).

Imagine a day with a very stable air mass. But sunny. The sun heats the ground intensely, and a warm bubble builds up at the surface. This surface air is much warmer than air above it, so it’s lighter and wants to rise. It will push up through the surrounding stable air as a thermal. Its initial buoyancy will be slowed down if the surrounding air is sinking, but it will not be stopped. In fact, thermals have such great momentum that they often buoy up past the level where they are warmer than the surrounding air.

In the case we are describing, the thermal is initially warmer and lighter than the surrounding air, so it rises.

But when it reaches the level where the surrounding air is warmer, it slows and eventually stops. See figure 2. This level depends on the intensity of the heat of the surface air and the actual nature of the current lapse rate. The height of thermal rise may be a couple hundred feet or as much as a thousand feet or more. If your launch is above the height of thermal rise, you may never find a thermal to launch into; if your launch

height is below the thermal tops, thermals will still be fewer, since some will typically stop lower.

As a thermal progresses in such high-pressure, stable conditions, it often becomes anemic and erodes to a smaller size. The reason high-pressure thermals tend to be smaller and often turbulent little bullets is that stability works on sinking pockets of air just as it does on rising pockets (thermals). That is, once a shot of air starts sinking on an unstable day, the surrounding air is always warmer than it is, so it has negative buoyancy—it wants to keep sinking.

On a stable day, however, any pocket of air displaced downward by the rising thermal will not have a great incentive to sink, but, instead, gets entrained by the thermal, thereby mixing with it and reducing its size and rise.

Figure 3 illustrates this matter.

A few interesting observations: From my ultralight flying days, I often recognized the conditions described above.

We typically fly ultralights on stable, light-wind days. (The purpose is sightseeing, not thermaling.) But often, as

the day wears on, we can feel the top of thermals pushing up through the stable air. It may be smooth as baby pabulum aloft, but as one descends, one hits the lower thermal layer and has to contend with turbulence.

A very stable situation often occurs in humid areas. The hot, still days of summer evaporate so much moisture into the air that the sun barely heats the ground. The water vapor scatters the incoming sunlight, so it heats a thick layer—up to 2000 feet or more— and the lower layer becomes warmer but stable. It is typically quite still.

However, at the top of this very thick, warmed layer, the temperature drops rapidly (see figure 4), so it is extremely unstable. If you can get above this heated layer, thermals are abundant. In flat areas or areas with lower mountains, towing aloft is the only way to reach the thermals. Watch out for thunderstorms when you are in humid conditions.Thunderstorms often develop in the evening or even at night, after the sun’s heating is absent, for a couple of reasons: First, the thermals are auto-

convecting beacause of the unstable top of the layer—they don’t need the direct sun; secondly, any downslope evening flow lifts the warm surface layer and accelerates the convection at the top of the heated layer.

Finally, several flying buddies and I frequent our favorite thermal site, Hyner View, especially when the winds are light and our lower sites are not likely to be soarable. We are often there on stable or semi-stable days. I have spent more than an hour below launch scratching in weak, sparse thermals. Such practice really hones one’s thermal skills. I find it rewarding to be able to work my assets off and stay up when it’s almost un-stay-up-able. I don’t want to fly like that every time, but, hey, in the immortal words of Shel Silverstein, “After you’ve been eating steak for a time, beans, beans taste fine.” Variety and challenge are what jazzes us ADHDers.

Don’t tell me not to go flying on iffy, stable-looking days. I would miss a lot of fun flying. That’s thinking outside the blocks.

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by Dan Bruce inter is a good time to reflect on the past year and meditate on the lessons learned.

Or, since time flies by so fast, one may choose to look back over a number of years and make an assessment of the then-and-now. If we don’t do so from time to time, it’s easy to forget just where we came from and how far we’ve grown in many areas—our flying skills, our interaction with other pilots, our inner person, and so on. We also have the opportunity to take a look outside ourselves and see the progress made by others in our intimate group of friends who share the same passions.

W REMEMBER BACK WHEN

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This topic is of interest to me, because now that I have become snowbound in my mountain town, I have undertaken the above-mentioned tasks and found enjoyment in the process. Thus, I share them with you and encourage you to do the same, hopefully resulting in the same satisfaction and maybe even some lessening of the “winter blues.”

One of my decisions resulting from meditation on the past is to be more understanding and patient toward those perceived to be on the lower rungs of the ladder of learning, and even toward those assumed to be much more advanced than I. From time to time, I’ve found myself a bit

“We all have varying strengths and weaknesses, and there are plenty of pilots out there who can shore up our weak points, while we’re helping out others with the tools we have learned to master.” impatient with some pilots on launch who seem to take forever laying out, organizing their lines, and then standing and waiting to launch—for what I consider an excessive amount of time—through multiple cycles. Some of the pilots were people I knew were much more experienced and seasoned than I was, further fueling the fire of exasperation.

To my credit, however, I didn’t just leave it at that. Trying to understand,

I spoke with friends of the afore-mentioned pilots and gained insight into why things weren’t going according to my conceived plans. In one instance, a pilot wasn’t feeling well physically and blew four attempts to launch at a comp. In another case, a pilot was enduring stress from family matters that were weighing heavily on his mind and affecting his performance.

These productive conversations helped me develop empathy for others. Since we’re not always in the same state of mind, the amount of focus we have for the task at hand at any one time varies.

An inward examination of my own bumbling and fumbling has also helped. I recalled times when I’ve demonstrated subpar performance for similar reasons—work issues, family stresses, financial woes, etc.

Remembering my behavior during these situations helps me in the quest to develop kindness and patience towards others.

Self-criticism is an easy offshoot of being a critical person in general. If we find it easy to criticize ourselves, we probably find ourselves criticizing others around us. I am making a serious attempt to be less critical, but it’s a difficult struggle at times. It rears its ugly head still, especially when it comes to driving in a vehicle. If you don’t have a problem with others’ driving skills (or lack thereof), kudos to you. But if you’re one who feels like shooting out the driver’s tires in front of you to “get the idiot off the road,” then you may need to take my wife

Sherri’s advice. She’s a great angel to have on your shoulder when the devil on the other shoulder is inciting you to start WW III. She always tells me, “Honey, give the driver the benefit of the doubt. Maybe they’re having car trouble, or perhaps somebody just died in the family, or...” You get the picture. It’s especially hard to argue with her logic, when I think about my old truck and remember praying to make it through an intersection with a failing fuel pump. Sometimes, I just hate her logic. But that was the old me.

Anyway, it’s becoming apparent that inner peace truly hinges on being a little less critical. My selfcriticism and the resultant turmoil usually appear when I’m comparing myself with others. And I always make a comparison with those who are much quicker than I at picking up a new skill, who advance quickly and seemingly effortlessly as pilots.

Pretty silly when you think about it.

We’re all different in so many ways.

Some are quicker on the draw, while others are a little slower and methodical. Why be critical of ourselves or others because of these differences? If one looks at our collective group of pilots, it appears that most are pretty laid-back when it comes to everyday flying. Competitions are a bit more ramped-up, but that’s to be expected, due to larger numbers of individuals trying to get off launch quickly.

Speaking earlier about people laying out their lines and taking forever to launch, I am reminded of

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my earlier days doing the exact same things. I had a patient instructor, but I could sense a little of his exasperation while he was watching me not quite “getting it.” It took some time for me to visualize where all my lines would be once I turned around from the reverse launch position. And there was also some fear that the lines may have crossed up somehow since I had last flown. So, I proceeded s l o w l y when getting into position.

Then, once I launched and the wing was overhead, it would go to this side, then that side, then forward, then backward, and I’d be staring straight up at what the wing was doing, rather than feeling it and making the slight corrections needed.

Multiple times, I was told to stop looking at the wing, but I didn’t have the faith/trust that it would behave itself. Once we’d be in position, ready to launch, the wing would again vacillate from side to side, then pull backward, yanking me back and forcing me to turn around and try to kite it again back to launch. It took what seemed an eternity to truly feel the paraglider overhead and to make the slight corrections needed to maintain control.

Since I’m on a roll confessing my shortcomings, shall I continue and cleanse my soul? Yes, you insist. OK. Another difficulty I had initially was figuring out how to make the wing go to either the right or left while kiting. My instructor would say, “left brake,” or “right brake,” as the wing dipped to one side or the other. In my head I’d be talking to myself and asking: “Since I’m reverse kiting, does he mean my right hand is controlling what is now the left side of the wing, or would it be my left hand, since it’s now connected to the right side of the wing?” It took a while to sort it out,

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but a tip from another pilot came in handy and immediately clicked. He said: “Don’t worry about which hand controls what. If the wing dips to the right, turn your hips to the right and apply pressure with the toggle in your right hand. And if it dips to the left, turn left and use the toggle in that hand.” It worked great, and my feeble mind grasped the concept right away (there I am being self-critical again).

Actually, looking back at those first days helps me have empathy in another way—realizing that pilots learn with varying inputs. Some are more visually oriented, others audible, and some need hands-on experience to make an impression that lasts and can be repeated. There is no right way or wrong way. It’s just whatever works that matters. I’m grateful to the pilot who saw me struggle and offered his advice.

That story brings me to my final

509.682.4359 point. We all have information/techniques/maneuvers we can share with others that will make us better pilots.

When seeing someone struggle, some may shy away from saying something to them, worrying about hurting their feelings. If the above-mentioned pilot had done that with me, I’d have missed out on a lasting and valuable lesson. So take a chance and go outside of your comfort zones every once in a while. With a tactful and friendly approach, you may just offer a tip that can make a real difference.

We all have varying strengths and weaknesses, and there are plenty of pilots out there who can shore up our weak points, while we’re helping out others with the tools we have learned to master.

That’s it. Perhaps some of these reflections resonate with your thinking or experiences. Or maybe you have your own insights that have developed

from your time as a pilot. It may be of more benefit than you imagine to share these with other pilots. Most of the pilots with whom I have interacted over the years share a hunger for learning. This includes not only the new students eager to master the skills that enable them to get into the air, but also the comp and acro pilots looking for a little better glide ratio, or that new trick.

Maybe one of the reasons you love this particular magazine is because some of those experiences, suggestions, thoughts, and lessons end up being published in these pages.

Perhaps one day you’ll pick up paper and pen and share your insights with all of us. We’re all in love with our time in the air and want to extend it as much as possible. If we share what we can with one another, it will just keep getting better, and better, and better, and . . .

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Philip Rossoni MA James Crocker MD Lincoln Harris OH Jorge Larrauri FL Alexander Goetz FL Matthew Schlesinger NC Charles Trentacosti TX Cathleen Oconnell NJ Yury Pritykin NJ Naseem Torakai NJ Stanley Defisher NJ Lee Snodgrass NY Ryan Brooks NY Anthony Evans Jil Baltes Mohamad Ali S Al-hammadi Mohammed Ahmed Alyafei Hamidreza Ghandchi Habib Dezhagah Erik Haight Tony Siu-yan Au Andrew Bresler Nishesh Upadhyay Adam Berkfors John Davis WA John Michael Fife OR Artem Belkine WA Marvin Perrin WA Leah Van Kirk AK William Dancil AK Kevin Mcdaniel AK Carlos Pena OR Jon Reynolds AK Andreas Presthofer OR Nathan Fligge OR Ed Sea OR Mark Rogers WA Scott Geuss AK Joshua Murray OR Matt York WA Cameron Brailey AK Brett Lystad AK John Bailey OR Arjang Hourtash CA Mark Arnold NV Konstantin Aptekarev CA Robert Shaeffer CA Sakan Yoo CA Sophie Bourgoin CA James Mcpherson CA William Ferris CA Tyler Clifford CA Elwin Parr CA Jeff Clancy HI David Hogan CA Kaled Kayed CA C Britton Bluedorn CA

Joseph Seitz Douglas Stroop Scott Harris Luis Ameglio Mike Steen Michael Appel Rob Sporrer Terry Bono Benoit Bruneau Terry Bono Terry Bono Christopher Grantham Ray Leonard Ken Hudonjorgensen Christopher Grantham Murat Tuzer Murat Tuzer Seyed Alireza Amidi Namin Seyed Alireza Amidi Namin Steven Yancey Steven Yancey Steven Yancey Steven Yancey Rebecca Bredhoft Wallace Anderson Steve Roti John Kraske Cody Olson Denise Reed Denise Reed Jake Schlapfer Maren Ludwig Frank Sihler Maren Ludwig Marcus Santos Steve Roti Steven Wilson Jake Schlapfer Steve Roti Marc Chirico Steven Amy Max Marien Samuel Crocker Jeffrey Greenbaum Christopher Grantham Jesse Meyer Klaus Schlueter Klaus Schlueter Jesse Meyer Mike Fifield Jesse Meyer Brian Kerr Jesse Meyer Abhay Morrissey Rob Sporrer Bob Hammond Jr Christopher Grantham

RTNG NAME

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

STATE RATING OFFICIAL

Catrina Benson CA Mel Glantz NM Catherine Rios CO Emilio Dones CO Dj Osborne UT Gabriel Beninati UT Emmanuel Avalle UT Jason Markel CO Mike Miller CO Evan Barger CO Brian Alexander UT Doug Agren UT Jacobus Venter CO Greg Smith CO Grant Payne CO Brandon Cox ID Joseph Glinka WY Jeremy Lupp WY Neal Patrick WY Ryan Stanley WY Ryan Madenford ID Frank Baca WY Leon Schatz WY John Stontz MI Adam Serafin IL Luke Weaver IL Jeremy Langejens MI Jeremy Nickerson MA Michael Fredericks MA Daniel Higgins MA Michael Macdonald MA Christopher Nicosia MD James Crocker MD Lincoln Harris OH Jorge Larrauri FL Alexander Goetz FL Charles Trentacosti TX Cathleen Oconnell NJ Yury Pritykin NJ Joseph Robinson NJ Naseem Torakai NJ Greg Martin NJ Lee Snodgrass NY Anthony Evans Kathryn Jackson Jil Baltes Mohamad Ali S Al-hammadi Mohammed Ahmed Alyafei Hamidreza Ghandchi Habib Dezhagah Erik Haight Tony Siu-yan Au Adam Berkfors Lars Jacobsen WA Christel Cherry WA Artem Belkine WA Steindor Hardarson WA

Christopher Grantham William Purden Jr Gregory Kelley Gregory Kelley Patrick Johnson Brad Gunnisco Bill Heaner Granger Banks Granger Banks Mike Steen Stephen Mayer Stacy Whitmore Etienne Pienaar Granger Banks William Laurence Marc Chirico Rebecca Bredhoft Rebecca Bredhoft Rebecca Bredhoft Rebecca Bredhoft Brad Gunnisco Rebecca Bredhoft Andy Macrae Steve Sirrine Jaro Krupa Stephen Nowak Anthony (bud) Wruck Joseph Seitz Joseph Seitz Christopher Grantham Jonathan Jefferies Rob Sporrer Douglas Stroop Scott Harris Luis Ameglio Mike Steen Rob Sporrer Terry Bono Benoit Bruneau Michael Appel Terry Bono Terry Bono Christopher Grantham Ken Hudonjorgensen Steven Yancey Christopher Grantham Murat Tuzer Murat Tuzer Seyed Alireza Amidi Namin Seyed Alireza Amidi Namin Steven Yancey Steven Yancey Rebecca Bredhoft John Kraske Douglas Stroop John Kraske Marc Chirico

RTNG NAME

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

STATE RATING OFFICIAL

Joel Rude Michael Underwood Jeffry Seals Alex Neigher Bill Davis Kaled Kayed Robert Pitts Jr Daniel Dewitt Mark Hillier Derek Mazur Todd Bement Abraham Heward Emmanuel Avalle Brent Shober John Stontz Peter Krupa Catherine Niles Ronald Santos Laurent Mescola Mohamad Ali S Al-hammadi Mohammed Ahmed Alyafei Artem Belkine Jeffry Seals Jose Alexandre De Lacerda Delia White John Mcmahon Loren Dumont Daniel Tea Michael Trottier Lee Wyckoff John Stontz Peter Krupa Timothy Stahl Petrus Van Oevelen Matthew Ingram Laurent Miossec

WA WA AP CA CA CA AZ UT NM UT UT AZ UT MT MI IL CT CT

WA AP NV CA CA CO UT UT UT MI IL WI DC VA

Marc Chirico Marc Chirico Jonathan Jefferies Jesse Meyer Philip Russman Bob Hammond Jr Brad Gunnisco Mike Steen T Lee Kortsch Mike Steen Ken Hudonjorgensen Max Marien Bill Heaner Jeremy Bishop Steve Sirrine Jaro Krupa John Gallagher Davidson Da Silva David Hanning Murat Tuzer Murat Tuzer John Kraske Jonathan Jefferies Mitchell Neary Christopher Grantham Rob Sporrer Gregory Kelley Jonathan Jefferies Ken Hudonjorgensen Mark Gaskill Steve Sirrine Jaro Krupa Bill Heaner Laszlo Lovei Laszlo Lovei Murat Tuzer

ARIZONA: Shelli Lyn Maddox received her P2 rating from Sean Buckner in April but didn't make it into the magazine.

Congratulations, Shelli!

HANG GLIDING & PARAGLIDING MAGAZINE

57

CALENDAR ITEMS will not be listed if only tenta-

tive. 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 CLINICS & TOURS 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. For more complete information on the Clinics & Tours 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) 632-8300. Fax (719) 6326417 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.

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HANG GLIDING & PARAGLIDING MAGAZINE

CALENDAR clinics & tours NOVEMBER 8-26  Iquique, Chile. Where can

you ride thermals everyday of the year? Only in Iquique! Soar endless sand ridges high above the Pacific Ocean, then land on the beach next to our 4 star hotel! Your guides, Luis and Todd, have been multiple Iquique XC competition champions and have pioneered many new sites and XC routes over the last 15 years. Join them on a paragliding trip of a lifetime where most pilots gain more airtime and flying skills in one week than they normally would in an entire year! Instructional days available at the start of the trip focusing on building pilot skills. With amazing XC potential, many clients have flown 100 km flights! With over 18 years of combined guiding experience in Iquique, they guarantee you will fly everyday, or get money back! More information: Todd Weigand, wallowaparagliding@gmail.com, or www.paraglidingtrips.com.

NOVEMBER 8-26  This year we have divided

the tour into 4 different segments: Instructional Days, Iquique Days # 1, 2 and 3. Our Tour leaders are: Todd Weigand, Luis Rosenkjer and Ken Hudonjorgensen. The entire tour will be packed with instruction for all levels of paragliding (including P1thru P4). For anyone wanting to fly this is the tour to join. The last tour will focus more on XC. Phone: 801-572-3414, or email: twocanfly@ gmail.com, www.twocanfly.com .

NOVEMBER 8-10  Santa Barbara, CA NInstruc-

tor Certification Clinic with Rob Sporrer of Eagle Paragliding in Santa Barbara, California. This three-day clinic is open to Basic and Advanced Paragliding Instructor candidates, and those needing recertification. We invite you to apprentice with us anytime to get as much hands on experience as possible before the clinic. More information: Rob Sporrer, 805-968-0980 rob@ paraglide.com, or www.paragliding.com.

NOVEMBER 8-10 & 12-14  Yelapa, Mexico. SIV/

maneuvers clinic. Join us for another great learning and fun experience in beautiful tropical Yelapa. Tow up and land on the beach in a warm friendly location with lots of great places to stay and eat. Brad Gunnuscio, world-class xc, acro pilot and USHPA Instructor of the Year will be teaching the courses. Cost: $750 for three-day course with an extra day for weather. More info: www.ascensolibre.com, brad @paraglideutah.com, 801707-0508 or Les in Yelapa at: 011 52 322 2095174, or stingertail23@cs.com.

NOVEMBER 11-12  Santa Barbara, CA.Tandem

Paragliding Clinic with Rob Sporrer of Eagle Paragliding in Santa Barbara, California. We will be doing classroom and practical training at the best year round training hill in North America. More information: Rob Sporrer, 805-968-0980, rob@ paraglide.com, or www.paragliding.com.

NOVEMBER 8-10 & NOVEMBER 15-17  Sebring, Florida. Over-the-water maneuvers training course at one of the best locations in the world. Advanced instructor David Prentice, with over 21 years experience, guides each pilot at their own pace, from the basics to the most advanced maneuvers over white sand beaches and crystal clear water, just seconds from downtown Sebring. More information: David Prentice, 505720-5436, earthcog@yahoo.com, or earthcog. com.

NOVEMBER 15 - MARCH 15  Valle de Bravo, Mexico. Daily hang gliding and paragliding at the winter flying paradise in Central Mexico—Valle de Bravo. Base packages $895 PG, $1195 HG. Sunday to Sunday includes airport transportation, lodging, flying transportation and guiding.

20 years of providing service. FlyMexico! More information: Jeffrey Hunt, 512-467-2529, jeff@ flymexico.com, or http://www.flymexico.com.

DECEMBER 1 - JANUARY 31  Valle de Bravo, Mexico. Fly south this winter! Come fly the worldclass air of El Peñon in Valle de Bravo. Advanced instructor David Prentice, with over 21 years of experience and 14 years guiding tours in Valle de Bravo. World-class lodging and logistics, the best valued tour in Valle de Bravo, airport pick-up, local transportation, in-air guiding and XC retrievals included. We fly twice a day every day. More information: David Prentice, 505-720-5436, earthcog@yahoo.com, or earthcog.com.

DECEMBER 6-8  Santa Barbara, CA. Santa Barbara Thermal and Cross Country Clinic with Eagle Paragliding. Santa Barbara offers some of the best winter mountain flying in the USA. Our mountain flying season starts in September and ends the beginning of May. More information: Rob Sporrer, 805-968-0980 rob@paraglide.com, or www.paragliding.com.

December 7-13, January 11-17, February 8-14 & MARCH 8-14  Costa Rica. Come

fly over the tropical forest of Costa Rica! For the 8th year advanced paragliding instructor Nick Crane will be leading paragliding tours for pilots of all levels. We have pioneered and have unique access to many of the best sites in the country, some of the most beautiful sites anywhere. Transportation, rooms, guiding and coaching for all levels, from P-1 to P-4.

Prices are $1295 for one week, with discounts for couples or two-week tours. More information: 541-840-8587, nick@paracrane.com, or www. costaricaparagliding.com.

January 8-12, 2014  Southern California.

Let’s go warm up and get ready for the spring flying season with Ken Hudonjorgensen . Phone 801-572-3414, email twocanfly@gmail.com, or www.twocanfly.com.

JANUARY 18-26, JANUARY 26 - FEBURARY 3, FEBRUARY 8-16 & 16-24  Roldanillo, Colom-

bia: Eagle Paragliding and Paraglide Utah are teaming up to offer four weeks of unforgettable flying in Roldanillo, Colombia. This is the worldclass site where the paragliding pre-worlds will be held just before our tours. These tours are for pilots of all levels. We will be offering coaching on thermaling, XC flying and tandem XC flying, and will be setting race-to-goal tasks daily for those interested. We have been offering tours for over a decade all over the world. The number of highcaliber staff members supporting pilots at Eagle clinics and tours is unprecedented. Let Rob Sporrer, Brad Gunnuscio, and the rest of our staff of instructors support you in achieving your goals for the week. Visit www.paragliding.com, or contact us directly at rob@paraglide.com, or 805968-0980.

January 19-26  Tapalpa, Mexico. P-2 pilots

will fly word-class sites with 2500-foot vertical near Guadalajara. Enjoy four different drive-up sites within an hour of your luxury hotel room: Tapalpa, San Marco, Jocotopec and Colima.

Avoid Valle crowds! Airport pickup, private hotel room, breakfast, site fees, guiding and coaching for six days of incredible flying for $1600. More information: Granger Banks, granger@parasoftparagliding.com, or http://parasoftparagliding. com/tapalpa-mexico-trips/.

JANUARY 25 - FEBRUARY 16  Medellin - La

Pintada - Roldanillo, Colombia Looking for experienced pilots who want to have fun paragliding in Colombia and don’t want to spend a lot of money on a “clinic.” This is not a trip for newbies or those wanting training. If you have mountain thermaling and XC experience, this is the trip for you. From $450 a week, including daily transport, hotels, and more. Choose from 1 to 3 weeks. Fly around Medellin (Week 1), Road trip to La Pintada (Week 2), and XC in Roldanillo (Week 3). More information: Mark Gilliam 312-857-4455, bot@botbotbot.com, or http://www.botbotbot.com.

JANUARY 29 - FEBRUARY 17  Roldanillo-Me-

dellin, Colombia. Join one of our most accomplished South American and now US established pilots, Luis Rosenkjer, as he leads you on an epic adventure in a marvelous land of friendly people and consistent flying weather. We start in Roldanillo, a worldwide known paragliding Mecca due to its amazing flying conditions and then to Medellin, a large modern city with world class restaurants and nightlife also recently named city of the year, http://online.wsj.com/ad/cityoftheyear, surrounded by numerous paragliding options.

Our trips are distinguished by the personal attention of our guides and by our luxurious accommodations. More info: Luis Rosenkjer, 404-9313793, luis@atlantaparagliding.com, or www. paraglidingtrips.com

FEBRUARY 2-9  Tapalpa, Mexico. P-3 pilots

will fly word-class sites with 2500-foot vertical near Guadalajara. Enjoy four different driveup sites within an hour of your luxury hotel room: Tapalpa, San Marco, Jocotopec and Colima.

Avoid Valle crowds! Airport pickup, private hotel room, breakfast, site fees, guiding and coaching for six days of incredible flying for $1600. More information: Granger Banks, granger@parasoftparagliding.com, or http://parasoftparagliding. com/tapalpa-mexico-trips/.

6030

CLASSIFIED FLEX WINGS A GREAT SELECTION OF HG&PG GLIDERS (ss,

ds, pg) -HARNESSES (trainer, cocoon, pod) -PARACHUTES (hg&pg) -WHEELS (new & used).

Phone for latest inventory 262-473-8800, www. hanggliding.com

HARNESSES FLY CENTER OF GRAVITY CG-1000 - The most affordable single line suspension harness available. Individually designed for a precise fit. Fly in comfort. www.flycenterofgravity. comflycenterofgraity@gmail.com, 315-256-1522

ULTRALIGHTS North wing ATF trike for sale with stratus wing 182,MZ 34/35 engine,electric starter and emergency parachute. Asking $7200. Obo no shipping. Call Robert at (661)240-5328

SCHOOLS & INSTRUCTORS ALABAMA 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.

ALAska AK Paramotor - Paragliding & Paramotor School. Year-round: USHPA+USPPA certification. Novice, Refresher, Training, Equipment.

Frank Sihler 907-841-7468 www.USAparagliding.com

ARKANSAS RIVER VALLEY PARAGLIDING - Year-round

paragliding and paramotoring school on the Arkansas/Oklahoma state line in Fort Smith. More information: www.RvPPG.com

HANG GLIDERS FLIGHT SUITS ULTRALIGHT SOARING TRIKES

509.682.4359

northwing.com HANG GLIDING & PARAGLIDING MAGAZINE

59

TORREY PINES GLIDERPORT – Come enjoy

coastal San Diego flying year-round! We have live music and BBQ festivities every Saturday during the summer months. We offer USHPA-certified instruction for all ratings, as well as Tandem, Instructor and SIV clinics. Call us for details on our domestic and international clinics and tours.

We have expanded product lines to include Ozone, SkyWalk, Sup Air, Independence, Little Cloud, Woody Valley, Niviuk, Paratech, MacPara, Dudek, Plussmax Helments, Crispi Boots, GatorZ, GoPro, Flytec, FlyMaster, Ki2Fly and much more! Speed flying your thing? Come test fly our new mini wings from Little Cloud. Our full-service shop offers reserve repacks, annual glider inspections, repairs and more. We also carry an extensive used inventory of certified gliders and harnesses. Check us out at flytorrey.com or give us a call at 858452-9858.

WINDSPORTS - Don’t risk bad weather, bad

CALIFORNIA PARAGLIDING - Year-round excellent instruction, Southern California & Baja.

Powered paragliding, clinics, tours, tandem, towing. Ken Baier 760-753-2664, airjunkies.com.

AIRJUNKIES

EAGLE PARAGLIDING - SANTA BARBARA offers

the best year round flying in the nation. Awardwinning instruction, excellent mountain and ridge sites. www.flysantabarbara.com, 805-968-0980

FLY ABOVE ALL - Year-round instruction in

beautiful Santa Barbara! USHPA Novice through Advanced certification. Thermaling to competition training. Visit www.flyaboveall.com 805-9653733.

THE HANG GLIDING CENTER - PO Box 151542,

San Diego CA 92175, 619-265-5320.

Mission Soaring Center LLC - Largest

hang gliding center in the West! Our deluxe retail shop showcases the latest equipment: Wills Wing, Moyes, AIR, High Energy, Flytec, Aeros, Northwing, Hero wide angle video camera. A.I.R. Atos rigid wings- demo the VQ-45’ span, 85 Lbs! 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@ hang-gliding.com, Mission Soaring Center LLC, leading the way since 1973. www.hang-gliding. com

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HANG GLIDING & PARAGLIDING MAGAZINE

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 GUNNISON GLIDERS – X-C to heavy waterproof

HG gliderbags. Accessories, parts, service, sewing. Instruction ratings, site-info. Rusty Whitley 1549 CR 17, Gunnison CO 81230. 970641-9315.

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

GRAYBIRD AIRSPORTS — Paraglider & hang glider towing & training, Dragonfly aerotow training, XC, thermaling, instruction, equipment.

Dunnellon Airport 352-245-8263, email fly@ graybirdairsports.com, www.graybirdairsports. com.

LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN FLIGHT PARK - Nearest

mountain training center to Orlando. Two training hills, novice mountain launch, aerotowing, great accommodations. hanglide.com, 877-HANGLIDE, 877-426-4543.

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

Quest Air Hang Gliding - We offer the

best instruction, friendliest staff, beautiful grounds with swimming pool, private lake and clubhouse, lodging, plus soaring in our superfamous, soft, Sunshine State thermals. Come fly with us! 352- 429- 0213, Groveland, FL, www. questairhanggliding.com

WALLABY RANCH – The original Aerotow flight park. Best tandem instruction worldwide,7-days a week , 6 tugs, and equipment rental. Call:1-800WALLABY wallaby.com 1805 Deen Still Road, Disney Area FL 33897

GEORGIA LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN FLIGHT PARK - Discover

why 5 times as many pilots earn their wings at LMFP. Enjoy our 110 acre mountain resort. www. hanglide.com, 1-877-HANGLIDE, 1-877-4264543.

HAWAII PROFLYGHT PARAGLIDING - Call Dexter for

friendly information about flying on Maui. Fullservice 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

MARYLAND HIGHLAND AEROSPORTS - Baltimore and DC’s

full-time flight park: tandem instruction, solo aerotows and equipment sales and service. We carry Aeros, Airwave, Flight Design, Moyes, Wills Wing, High Energy Sports, Flytec and more. Two 115-HP Dragonfly tugs. Open fields as far as you can see. Only 1 to 1.5 hours from Rehoboth Beach, Baltimore, Washington DC, Philadelphia. Come Fly with US! 410-634-2700, Fax 410-634-2775, 24038 Race Track Rd, Ridgely, MD 21660, www. aerosports.net, hangglide@aerosports.net.

MICHIGAN Cloud 9 Sport Aviation (hang gliding equipment), North American Soaring (Alatus ultralight sailplane and e-drive systems), Dragon Fly Soaring Club (hang gliding instruction), at Cloud 9 Field, Webberville, MI.More info: (517) 223-8683, Cloud9sa@aol.com, www.DFSCinc. org.

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

UTAH

AAA Mountain Wings Inc - New location at

CLOUD 9 PARAGLIDING - Come visit us and check

77 Hang Glider Rd in Ellenville next to the LZ. We service all brands featuring AEROS and North Wing. 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, 845-7443317.

Let's Go Paragliding LLC - Paragliding flight

school offering USHPA-certified instruction for all levels, tandem lessons, tours, and equipment sales. www.letsgoparagliding.com 917- 359-6449

SUSQUEHANNA FLIGHT PARK - Cooperstown New York Serving the North East since 1978. We have the best training hill in New York. Dealers for Wills Wing and others. Trade-ins welcome www. cooperstownhanggliding.com 315-867-8011

Super Fly Paragliding – Come to world famous Point of the Mountain and learn to fly from one of our distinguished instructors. We teach year round and offer some of the best paragliding equipment available. Get your P2 certification, advanced ratings or tandem ratings here. We have a full shop to assist you with any of your free flight needs. 801-255-9595, info@superflyinc.com , www.superflyinc.com.

WINGS OVER WASATCH HANG GLIDING - Salt

NORTH CAROLINA

Lake / region 4 area. Certified HANG GLIDING instruction, sales, service. World class training hill! Tours of Utah’s awesome mountains for visiting pilots. DISCOUNT glider/equipment prices. Glider rentals. Tandem flights. Ryan Voight, 801-5992555, www.wingsoverwasatch.com.

KITTY HAWK KITES - FREE Hang 1 training with

VIRGINIA

purchase of equipment! The largest hang gliding school in the world. Teaching since 1974. Learn to fly over the East coast’s largest sand dune. Year round instruction, foot launch and tandem aerotow.

Dealer for all major manufacturers. Ultralight instruction and tours. 252-441-2426, 1-877-FLYTHIS, www.kittyhawk.com

OHIO CLOUD 9 SPORT AVIATION - See Cloud 9 in

Michigan

6020

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.

Daily lessons, scooter, and platform towing. AT towing part time. Custom sewing, powered harnesses, Aeros PG , Flylight and Airborne trikes. More info: (804)241-4324, or www.blueskyhg.com.

New York State’s Finger Lakes Good News–The flying’s great here!

Start by landing in your ideal home with New York’s leading REALTOR®

BLUE SKY - Full-time HG instruction.

WASHINGTON AERIAL PARAGLIDING SCHOOL AND FLIGHT

Photo courtesy of SkyDogSports.com

Timothy Alimossy

Real Estate Salesperson | NYS Lic. No. 10401238145

(607) 351-4755

talimossy@nothnagle.com TimothyAlimossy.com | TimARealEstate.com H2 Pilot

PARK- Award winning instructors at a world class training facility. Contact: Doug Stroop at 509-7825543, or visit www.paragliding.us

PUERTO RICO FLY PUERTO RICO WITH TEAM SPIRIT HG! -

Flying tours, rentals, tandems, HG and PG classes, H-2 and P-2 intensive Novice courses, full sales.

787-850-0508, tshg@coqui.net.

TENNESSEE LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN FLIGHT PARK - Just

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TEXAS FlyTexas / Jeff Hunt - training pilots in

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Lessons available from USHPA certified instructors. USA: 908-454-3242. Costa Rica: (Country code, 011) House: 506-2200-4824, Cell: 506-8950-8676, www.paraglidecostarica. com.

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New/used parts, equipment, tubes. 1549 CR 17 Gunnison, CO 81230 970-641-9315

HANG GLIDING & PARAGLIDING MAGAZINE

61

JEROME DAOUST

HALL WIND METER – Simple. Reliable. Accurate.

Mounting brackets, control-bar wheels. Hall Brothers, PO Box 1010, Morgan, Utah 84050.

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SERVICE CLOUD 9 REPAIR DEPARTMENT - We staff and maintain a full service repair shop within Cloud 9 Paragliding; offering annual inspections, line replacement, sail repair of any kind (kites too!), harness repairs and reserve repacks. Our repair technicians are factory trained and certified to work on almost any paraglider or kite. Call today for an estimate 801-576-6460 or visit www.paragliders. com for more information.

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Call or email for details and more information.

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HANG GLIDING & PARAGLIDING MAGAZINE

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.

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63

USHPA STORE

B O O K S

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HANG GLIDING & PARAGLIDING MAGAZINE

O R D E R

O N L I N E

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U S H P A . A E R O / S T O R E

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HANG GLIDING & PARAGLIDING MAGAZINE

65

the1

by Greg Gillam

W

e know there was a day when it all worked for you. When your training clicked, the conditions were perfect, the stars aligned, and you soared to new heights (real or imagined). Send in your tale of "The 1" flight you'll never forget, and we'll print it right here. You'll be entered into the annual drawing for a USHPA soft shell jacket!

It was my eighty-somethingth, so

one would think I'd be excited about launching into a glass off, but in truth, half of my flights were 30-second cone hops from a training hill. I'd only been up for more than a few minutes a dozen times, and those flights were more I-think-I'm-having-fun panic than anything. In retrospect all of this seems silly because it was 6pm in Valle de Bravo, and though the wind was kissing the upper limit of my just-barely-earned P2 rating, it was as smooth as El Patron. I twiddled around, talking to my fellow pilots about wind velocity limits and penetration concerns. They politely supported me in my shaky-kneed stalling. I sorted the lines. Jiggled this. Checked that.

Tossed grass. Kicked dirt. Analyzed smoke columns. And I tried not to look up at the pilots parked hundreds of feet over launch, laughing all the way to the bank.

On top of everything, Rob Sporrer, a mentor and top pilot, had just launched and snapped a line. It sent my thoughts back to my equipment, because I was about to fly with a new harness–new to me, anyway.

I'd been working a sloshy UP Everest from the beginning. Great harness, but so big that I was constantly tossing left and right, sliding across the seat in tiny moments of terror. This new competition harness was tight. It hugged my hips and felt far too small by comparison.

But I had to try something, the sloshing was really freaking me out

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HANG GLIDING & PARAGLIDING MAGAZINE

during morning flights (and making it hard to thermal). Rob had graciously traded his harness for mine. I know what you're thinking–I had no business flying a competition harness.

But paired with my DHV1 wing and the glass off, I felt like it was time to try something different.

I checked the impossibly low hang points again and shook out my glider.

Waited for a lull, pulled it up, turned and ran like crazy into that favorite moment when the ground rushes away.

I cut left. Worked the ridge lift as best I could, managing a few turns in light traffic. It was then that I finally knew what it meant to be in touch with the wing. That harness locked me into my glider so tightly we felt like one. No sloshing, no sliding. Weight shift was effortless. Finally, I was really flying!

And sinking.

As everyone else climbed up to the parking lot, I was, bit by bit, losing altitude on my turns and gaining nothing on my passes. That's when Brad Gunnuscio came on the radio.

"Greg, follow me. Do what I do." If you ever hear Big Bad Brad command you to follow, don't think twice–it's your lucky day. I followed. He took me in tight to the hill, showing the way with agressive turns. I'd never been this close to the terrain. I stopped thinking and started feeling. I got the hang of countersteering against my weight shift. I climbed steadily, gaining back altitude.

The sun dipped lower, lighting up the mountainside in hazy gold. I

hadn't switched on my vario, thinking I would end up in another reluctant sledder, so it was just the rush of wind and wacky bird calls to and from the others. The pines swished and swayed just below my feet, wind rippling through the carpet of green like ocean swells undulating through a kelp forest. I was so happy that I was leaning ridiculously far forward, almost out of my seat. Later I figured out that's just the way it feels in a comp harnes–more butt cup than recliner.

But never mind that–for the first time I was really flying. In fact, I wasn't just flying, I was flying with style.

I milked it for half an hour, laughing over the radio in a breech of protocol, unable to resist blabbing on to whoever would listen about my new harness and my new world. The sun gave up and one by one wings made for the LZ. I hung on as long as I could.

When I came in for my twilight landing, I was so ecstatic that I didn't think to check the windsock. It had blown so steady, so straight, that in my mind it would never change.

So my best flight ever ended in a cornfield, sent flailing by a katabatic tailwind that taught me a valuable meteorological lesson.

I crawled out of my tangle of lines, knees banged up a bit, smile undaunted, and I thought to myself, "Yeah... that's what I signed up for."

I would come to have higher, wilder and longer flights, but none have eclipsed my sky surfing that evening.

I never gave the harness back.

My CArT

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