Hang Gliding & Paragliding Vol44/Iss02 Feb 2014

FEBRUARY 2014 Volume 44 Issue 2 $6.95

HANG GLIDING & PARAGLIDING MAGAZINE

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ON THE COVER, Matjaz Klemencic

in Slovenia | photo by Samo Vidic/Red Bull Content Pool. MEANWHILE, Billy Baker cloud hopping along the Snake River near Jackson, WY | photo by Drew Rush.

WARNING

YEARS

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 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 footlaunched 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.

ADVERTISING ALL ADVERTISING AND ADVERTISING INQUIRIES MUST BE

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.

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

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COPYRIGHT Copyright (c) 2014 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

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Staff Photographers John Heiney, Jeff Shapiro

FEBRUARY 2014 FLIGHT PLAN

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PILOT BRIEFINGS

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ASSOCIATION

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PILOT REPORT

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CENTERFOLD

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RATINGS

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CALENDAR

60

CLASSIFIED

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THE 1

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22 Love is in the Air

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Full Moon Fly-in Randolph, Utah

Lovebirds share thoughts on sharing thermals, kids and advice.

by CHRISTINA AMMON

by LOREN COX 36

Pushing Out  HG401 Techniques and Concepts

by RYAN VOIGHT

30 Members for Life

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Iquique, Chile A Place for Personal Bests

What does $250 get you?

by DAWN WESTRUM

by KATRINA MOHR 44

2013 Chelan XC Classic Chelan, Washington

by LENNY BARON

56 Remember Back When...

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Thinking Outside the Blocks Part III: Feel the heat

On reflection and criticism.

by DAN BRUCE

by DENNIS PAGEN

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FLIGHT PLAN T

he February issue, like a perfect day of free flight, is filled with a variety of topics. We strive to replicate thisdiversity in the USHPA magazine, which serves as a communal fireplace or firepit? for our members. Now is the time to consider what tales you want to tell next fall when we reminisce about shared experiences of the 2013 flying season.

This issue starts with an article by Andy Pag and Dick Heckman alerting us to an upcoming foe in the sky—the unmanned drone—a potential threat that could spell trouble for flying the “friendly” skies.

Gene Gleason reports, in retrospect, on mistakes that were made in a botched landing, and Loren Cox recountsthe wildly successful first annual Full Moon Fly-In at Randolph Ridge, organized by Becca Brederhoft and Cade Palmer.

Christina Ammon interviews a number of couples in the free flight world to uncover what keeps them chasing air together year-after-year. It is not easy to fly with a spouse, or girlfriend/boyfriend, but here are examples of those who seem (mostly) to revel in their togetherness.

Katrina Mohr describes a time when USHPA offered members the opportunity to buy-in for life! 32 members spent 250 dollars each, when membership dues were

normally ten dollars a year. For those still flying, it was a “Yahtzee” decision!

Ryan Voight sends in his monthly column on advanced flying techniques, and Dawn Westrum relates a great travel account from a tour to Chile, where airtime abounds over the long North American winter months.

Lenny Baron reports and sends in the results from the longest running bi-wingual competition in the USA—The Chelan XC Classic. Set in one of the best flatland sites on the planet, this fun and competitive event is not to be missed.

Pagen is back with his monthly academic installment. Over the years he has created a deep catalogue of educational and entertaining works to help improve the free flight community. He is the best in the world at this, and weare honored and lucky to have such a mind willing to divulge so much on our staff.

And, finally, Henry Baker writes in with his tale for the newest section of the magazine—The 1. Baker explains what it is like to unknowingly glide into goal so far ahead of the others that he thought he had gone to the wrong spot.

Think about what is on tap for you next year. And when we are gathered around the USHPA magazine fire-pit after this flying season, what tales you will tell.

Evening session over Curtis Canyon, Jackson, Wyoming | photo by Drew Rush.

left

HANG GLIDING & PARAGLIDING MAGAZINE

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PILOT BRIEFINGS

FLYMASTER TAS PROBE

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423.5 km: new World Record to a declared goal in Brazil ABAC Team pilot Honorin Hamard set a ratified new world record to a declared goal flying 423.5 km on the Icepeak 6. After some amazing flights in the area, Honorin finally broke the previous mark of 420.30 km established in October 2012. Hamard reported,”In the beginning, the idea was to break the distance world record of 502.9 km set by Nevil Hulett (RSA). However, the weather was quite wet and the sky would get dark after flying 300 km. In addition, some flight-restricted zones didn’t allow us to fly directly west; therefore, we changed our minds and we decided to break the world record to a declared goal.” After six +300 km flights (327 – 425 – 342 – 345 – 324 – 369), 2,132 km in the air and 56 flying hours, the seventh flight was finally the big one! A new world record, 423.5 km to a declared goal!”

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ASSOCIATION

by Andy Pag with the help of Dick Heckman

O

ur skies are about to be filled by flying robots. The invasion of drones is now inevitable. The Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) estimate that by 2030, 30,000 commercial drones could be flying around American airspace. Compare that with the 50,000 aircraft that cur-

legally controversial bombing raids in Pakistan and Yemen. Drones have also raised the ire of the ACLU with their potential to invade our privacy. But the UAS definition also includes benign model planes.

Drones aren’t currently allowed to fly in the US, but remote controlled models are flown under a special exemption granted to the Academy of

use drones.

Currently there’s no legal way to make money from flying your drone in the US. Even the military and government agencies need to have their robo-craft and pilots certified by the FAA as part of the process of applying for a special waiver that allows them to bypass the no-drone rule. The FAA doesn’t grant this waiver easily.

Free Flying Under Attack from Drones rently use it and you get a sense of the scale by which our airspace is about to change.

As the FAA alters air laws to accommodate the winged robots, the consequences may herald changes that, at best will have a significant impact on our sport, but at worst could result in the end of our free flying in the US. So, in readiness to go head to head with the drones, here’s a guide with all you need to know about the skybots and what we can do about them.

Drones and model planes An aircraft that flies without an onboard crew, either by remote control or controlled by a pre-programmed onboard computer, is an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle or UAV for short. The FAA calls them UAS’s for Unmanned Aerial Systems because the FAA includes an operator and a communication link as a mandatory part of the system.

(If three-letter acronyms—TLAs— make your head spin, take some Dramamine before you read on.)

The most famous examples are the Predator drones used for politically and

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Model Aeronautics (AMA) as long as the pilots meet certain criteria: They must be AMA members, have insurance, fly at approved sites etc., but the most important rule is that they can’t fly for commercial purposes.

The AMA has recently been tasked with policing its pilots, and of chasing down those that flout its rules, reporting them to the FAA where they face legal action. A Minneapolis-based aerial-cinematography company was shut down by the FAA for operating a commercial aerial-photography service taking pictures for real-estate developers.

No drones yet These little aerial butlers could be employed to do all sorts of useful jobs, from painting your house to surveying pipelines or searching for stolen cattle. Some even suggest they may be a cheaper, more efficient way of delivering your mail.

But at the moment none of this happens because (with the exception of a couple of oil companies working in remote areas) private businesses haven’t been granted permission by the FAA to

Drone time Under instruction from Congress to open the airways to drones, the FAA is searching for a way to keep the skies safe while creating what they call the Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen) which will allow drones to share the airspace. This is currently in a consultation phase, but the clock is ticking and by September 2015 the FAA is due to publish a plan that will allow drones to take off soon afterwards.

It promises to be the biggest upheaval of air law and the way we use airspace since Wilbur and Orville started tinkering in their shed.

Megabucks transponders At the moment one of the proposed key changes to airlaw, which could really impact on hang gliders and paragliders, hinges around how aircraft detect each other and avoid colliding in the sky.

In the controlled airspace of the future, all aircraft will have to carry an Automatic Dependent SurveillanceBroadcast (ADS-B) machine which uses a GPS to figure out where it is and then transmits that information on

Making ADS-B compulsory for paragliders and hang gliders would effectively kill our sports because it’s probably technically impossible, and even if it can be done, it would make free flight prohibitively expensive.

1090Mhz or 978Mhz to other planes.

For effective transmission at those frequencies the tuning and mounting of the antenna is critical, and has to be done by a certified technician, adding cost, and the need for regular service inspections.

The cheapest certified system for free-flyers, if one existed, would probably run to about $4-5000, but so far no one has managed to solve the technical challenges of how to mount one on a fold-away paraglider or hang glider, how to provide them with enough power in an aircraft that has no engine, and how to stop them from irradiating the pilot’s innards.

Happily, because hang gliders and paragliders are governed by a set of rules specifically written for aircraft with no electrical systems, we don’t currently need a traditional transponder and should be exempt from needing the new ADS-B. But thanks to the drone industry, things may be changing, and this exemption is under threat.

Lawyer up Under Visual Flight Rules (VFR), the onus is on every pilot to “see and avoid” other aircraft. This guiding principle informs all the details of airlaw that affects us. For instance, VFR keeps us far enough away from clouds so we can see

other aircraft in time to avoid them.

For drone-makers this “see and avoid” philosophy presents a significant technical challenge, which will add massive expense to their development costs, without any certainty they can solve it to the satisfaction of the FAA. Making a computerized flying eye that can reliably identify other aircraft and avoid them just by looking out, is a pretty tough challenge. It would be far easier for drone designers if all aircraft carried an ADS-B, transmitting their whereabouts so the drones could use sensors to avoid them.

The drone industry is lobbying hard to make “sense and avoid” the new compulsory mantra, because they feel it would make development of drones easier and cheaper, and open the possibilities to them being used for more applications. But if they get their way it would mean we’d all be mandated to carry an ADS-B. Making ADS-B compulsory for paragliders and hang gliders would effectively kill our sports because it’s probably technically impossible, and even if it can be done, it would make free flight prohibitively expensive.

Thankfully, the FAA seem to be leaning away from making ADS-B compulsory for everyone, but worryingly they were due to rule on this specific

Martin Palmaz, Executive Director executivedirector@ushpa.aero Eric Mead, System Administrator tech@ushpa.aero Ashley Miller, Membership Coordinator membership@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, Jon James. REGION 3: Corey Caffrey, Dan DeWeese, Alan Crouse.

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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.

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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.

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part of the NextGen plan 18 months ago, and (possibly under pressure from the well funded drone industry who are leaning on their congressmen) so far they haven’t even opened their public consultation on the subject.

Currently the public consultation, where everyone can offer their opinions on this matter, is scheduled for January 2014 (although it’s likely to be pushed back again), at which point free-flight pilots will be going head to head with the lobbyists from the drone industry.

Healthy alternative The under-55lbs. class of drone is the size that is most likely to be used for applications in class E and class G airspace, where we fly.

It’s thought that the FAA is leaning towards a policy requiring that drones under 55 pounds are only used in lineof-sight of the operator. This means

Liberty

that there is a person keeping a lookout for possible aerial collisions, so that other aircraft, like ours, wouldn’t be required to have ADS-B transmitting their position. This proposal limits the potential for drone applications, so the industry is fighting it, but the FAA’s primary concern is safety, and the risk of collisions with other aircraft is a very strong argument for keeping small drones in line-of-sight of their operators.

Voluntary instruments Paraglider and hang glider pilots could also opt to carry a device that receives the ADS-B position signals emitted by other aircraft and by drones, to warn us when they are on a collision course.

This “ADS-B IN” device is much simpler than the “ADS-B OUT” transponder mentioned above, and it wouldn’t require certified installation or main-

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tenance checks. It would use much less battery power, and potentially it could cost as little as a vario. It may even be possible to integrate it into a vario or with some hardware that works with a smartphone app. This approach would mean we free flyers would be aware of drones and other aircraft in the vicinity, but they would only be aware of us if the pilot saw us. This puts the onus on us to get out of the way when our ADS-B IN device detects something.

Swiss sailplane and hang glider pilots have voluntarily adopted a similar system called FLARM which transmits and receives aircraft positions, and warns of collisions with sailplanes, which can be very hard to see when they’re flying straight at you. FLARM works on different frequencies from ADS-B and sadly isn’t compatible with the ADS-B system, which the FAA has already committed to for general

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aviation. Nonetheless there might be a good lesson in this story for pilots here in the US. The principle of voluntary adoption of instrumentation is seen by the authorities in Europe as a sign that Swiss free-flyers can be trusted to responsibly play their part along with all the other airspace users.

What next?

To some extent our ability to be heard at the decision-making table, and resist crippling regulation, rests on our track record.

The FAA was the first national aviation authority that entrusted the licensing of free flying pilots to an association (then USHGA, now USHPA) in the mid-1970s. Other countries have since followed suit. The FAA likes us and trusts us. Showing that we respect airlaw and airspace regulations, and understand the complexity of how the skies work, helps maintain that trust and means our perspective is taken into account when decisions over airlaw changes are made.

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ccording to airlaw, we only have the right of way over ultralights and powered paragliders; nothing else, so if we find we’re on a collision course with any other aircraft it’s down to us to get out of the way, even though we are slower. Checking aircharts of your proposed crosscountry route to see where the traffic is likely to be provides useful information for keeping out of the traffic.

Proving we pilots have these good airmanship skills and that our association is doing a good job training and regulating free-flight pilots, as they have done over the last 40 years, means the FAA will trust us to continue doing so over the next 40 years, and that’s our best weapon in avoiding this draconian regulation that the drone industry have their sights on.

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PILOT REPORT

by Gene Gleason

P

ilot reports help us all learn.

On reviewing this report Dave “Preacher” Norwood, our new Accident Review committee chair for paragliders added a few thoughts:

Sounds like a spin, possibly induced by a thermic release (read: dust devil); in any event there was clearly very active air and a small LZ. My suggestion for “ lesson learned” is as follows.

1. Cool spring days can make for some of the most energetic thermal conditions of the year. Cool air and bright sun make for hard, fast thermals.

2. When deciding to launch into thermic conditions both launch and landing safety need to be considered. Landing in active thermic conditions presents added risk, and landing in a very tight LZ in the springtime at 2:00 on a thermic afternoon is putting yourself in the wrong place at the wrong time. It is a lesson learned at great cost to Gene. I hope we don’t squander the cost of this lesson next spring. Thank you, Gene, for sharing.

Floating thousands of feet over the ground is an experience I find hard to explain to those who have not been up there looking down. I can still remember flying around my room in my dreams as a child, until my mom yelled at me to come back down.

I have 60 years of life experience: six years of hang gliding in the early 1980s and five years of recent paragliding, with a P-3 rating, for a total of over 70 hours in the air. I’ve also completed two SIV courses and flown in Mexico, Colombia, Costa Rica, Florida, and New Mexico, as well as

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at my local launch sites in N.Y. and Pennsylvania. This does not make me an expert, but it implies that I have some idea of what’s going on.

But on April 21, 2013, around 2:00 p.m., I fell from the sky from about 170 feet. In the long ride to the hospital I had a lot to think about.

My sister Maureen and a fellow pilot came to the emergency room, offering support and providing me with the comforting feeling that I was not alone. I spent the next night in the hospital, and, although I was urged to stay another day, I assured them I was fine to go home.

Three compression fractures in my lower back and several months later, I’m writing to tell you what happened.

I learned two things that I hope will help if you find yourself in a similar situation, as well as how to deal with the aftermath.

The day was beautiful, clear and cool—in the high 50s. About eight of us pilots drove to the trailhead and started our hike up to Little Gap. Twenty minutes later, we arrived

there, around 11:30 a.m. The wind was gusting more than expected, about 10-15mph, so we started our favorite pastime, para-waiting. As conditions improved, I took off with a good launch, headed straight out and went up. First, a hundred feet over launch, then 1500 feet, hitting climbs of 400-900fpm. I could have headed over the back, but decided to head east toward Blue Mountain. I wanted to see if anyone would join me. It was beautiful flying along the mountain ridge. The colors were the base brown of a winter landscape, with touches of lime greens and bright reds of new leaf buds that were breaking through, creating the overall hue of spring colors with clear blue skies. The air seemed to be smooth and filled with lift.

Some 30 minutes into the flight, my fingertips were freezing, so I decided I’d had a great flight and it was time to head down. Putting this idea into effect, however, became more of an effort than I had anticipated. This was a spring day on the East Coast.

We expect these challenging condi-

tions in the summer, not in spring.

I flew away from the mountain to get out of the lift. This helped, but I was still getting popped up. So I turned a few 360s to increase my sink rate, which helped. Keeping in mind the gravel lot where my car was parked, I moved in that direction.

I’ve landed there many times from the south; it is a tight LZ with trees on three sides and a road and power lines on the remaining side. As I approached the LZ, I used my vario instead of my instincts (as I usually do) for wind direction. It indicated east, but then switched to north, causing me to question my approach for the first time. I headed east, in close to the corner of the LZ. Weeks later, I spoke with the legendary XC pilot David Prentice, with whom I had completed an SIV course in Florida. He suggested I might have picked the worst spot to come in from, stating “…that corner of that LZ acts as a collection point for all the wind, thermals and turbulence.” He felt my approach should have been more to the middle of the tree line. He also noted that doing my “S” turns over the tree line was a good tactic to use, because “…if you do have a collapse, the trees can help soften the landing and maybe save your ass.”

On my final approach, I started my “S” turns and, pop, up I went.

No big deal. I just needed to take my “S” turns deeper back. Then, my approach would be about 50 feet over the final tree line, and I could drop in, flare and land. Everything was looking good. As I began to stand up in my harness, I was halted by another pop, sending me up again.

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No big deal; third time’s the charm, I thought. But here’s where the s##t hit the fan. Seconds later: I lightly pull down on my right brake to distance myself from the LZ, so when I start my final left turn approach, I’ll be at the right height. I hear a ripple sound emanating from my upper right wing and look up. It’s not firm; but it isn’t fully inflated.

I look down and to my left to check my approach and pull down on my left brake. The air is a bit turbulent.

Boom! Something has happened!

In front of me, my lines are twisted, maybe one or two times, just as they would be on a playground swing.

Chris Santacroce of Superfly, under whose guidance I flew at Valle De Bravo, commented on my predicament: “This had to be a spin event.

You must have been heavy on brake and shy on weight shift as you made the last few turns. At some stage, you over-braked one side and it spun.

Naturally, you let off, but that’s the formula that acro-pilots use to make a helicopter. In the future, you need to use more weight shift and less brake (except to defend against deflations).”

I’m dropping fast; I say to myself: “Oh s*&#t. This is not good.”

As I think about tossing my reserve, I notice that I’m heading for the trees. The left wing is inflated, the right wing is flapping, and I’m accelerating. I do not try to throw my reserve, because I think I am too low; it will never open in time.

I remember saying to myself, hands up, as my instructor Terry Bono at Pennsylvania Paragliding had pounded into our heads as a tactic to use if we were not sure what to do. For a moment my kite looked as if it was trying to re-inflate.

I’m crashing through the trees and can see and hear the branches snapping. I can also see my wing

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catching part of the tree on the right, which slows me down a little, but not enough.

The kite lets go completely, as I free-fall and hit the ground, square on my butt. In the future, I might try standing up sooner in my harness. I remember getting ready to do so, but when all hell broke loose, I must have been preoccupied, forgot or didn’t have time.

Never losing consciousness, I hit the ground and felt an excruciating pain in the base of my spine that is hard to describe, so perhaps it’s easier to leave that up to your imagination.

I rolled over on my side and this time I moaned, “Oh s*#*t. This is not good!”

I hope what I learned can help a fellow pilot. You will recall I considered tossing my chute but thought it was too late. We have all heard that if you throw your reserve at a certain height, it will open. But if you’re too close, it won’t.

When I reviewed that decision afterwards, it became clear to me that if I had thrown my reserve when I was

just above the treetops, it might not have opened fully, but it might have fallen on the other side of the tree, caught hold and reduced my fall. The reserve does not have to open to save your life when you’re near the ground and over trees.

Brad Gunnuscio of Paraglide Utah, an acro pilot and a past SIV instructor of mine, told me he saw a friend throw his reserve close to the ground, and it opened so quickly that it saved him within feet of the ground.

So my advice: When near the ground, throw your chute, no matter how low.

Don’t think; just throw!

A final thought I want to leave with you: A week later, I’m driving in NYC, not very comfortably, and come to a stoplight. I see a man get hit by a cab. He’s lying on the ground, and bystanders run over to hold him down while they await help. You can hear the siren two blocks away.

That’s when I thought that if he had stopped for two seconds to look at a beautiful woman, he never would have been hit. Some have told me I should have gone over the back or not decided to land near my car. I was clearly in the wrong place at the wrong time when the air was unpredictable. If only I had been higher or made a right rather than a left… But I can’t go around wishing I had made a right rather than a left; I’d drive myself crazy. Bad things sometimes happen. Deal with the situation as best you can; try to learn from it and move on.

P.S. My kite is back from Cloud 9, totally repaired. My three months are up, and I took my return maiden flight: a tow up from Terry and 30 minutes of heaven on earth. Good luck and happy flying.

Full Moon Fly-in Randolph, Utah

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by LOREN COX

OPPOSITE Cade palmer pushing off the repeater. TOP Becca Bredehoft isn’t afraid of the cold. BOTTOM LZ crowd about to board one of the two large retrieve vehicles.

W

e often talk about “risk management” in paragliding and hang gliding: knowing your limits, calculating your risks, asking if “it,” whatever that might be at the time, is really worth doing in spite of the potential consequences. Is it going to feel good enough upon landing to go that last 10 miles, despite numb frozen fingers and a painful near-bursting bladder? Sure! Are those last few centimeters of speed bar really necessary in this much turbulence to eke past your buddy on glide to goal? Obviously. Should one risk hosting a fall fly-in for 50+ people at a wind-finicky location with no accommodations that is considered to be the coldest place in Utah, just because there will be a full moon, and irritate a whole lot of iced-over, bummed-out buddies? No, thanks!

It’s good that people who are seemingly much better at risk management than I are willing to put the effort and stress into believing with all their hearts that the wind and weather will cooperate with them on scheduled days. Because without these optimists, events like the 2013 Randolph Full Moon Fly-in would never have happened. Cade Palmer and Becca Bredehoft decided to throw down, pioneer, and host that event in an interesting format, and the risk was well worth it.

Crawford Ridge, located in the northeast corner of Utah west of the Wyoming border, overshadows the town of Randolph, population 464.

This west-facing 1500- foot ridgeline overlooks the snaking Bear River and has been well used by hang gliders for decades. There is a dirt/rock road all the way to launch that is twowheel-drivable for the daring. The ridge is well known for mosquitos, flat tires, two giant passive microwave repeaters, and frequent blown-out

conditions. But those who risk the mild calamities are often rewarded with quick-turnaround speed-wing flights, mini-wing soaring, smooth ridge lift peppered with large thermals, and epic sunset glass-offs—as was the case for this lucky weekend.

The fly-in was held October 18 and 19, 2013, with a $50 registration fee, which provided pilots with $5 rides from the LZ to the top as fast as you could lap it, tasty Jackson Hole BBQ and microbrew, raffle entries, and the always popular event T-shirt. Judging by the size of the turnout, this was a great deal, especially for speed-wing pilots and those looking to get in a lot of sledders quickly.

Friday began with dead winds during the early part of the day, so those with speed wings took advantage of the two large vehicles cycling as fast as possible from launch to LZ, with some pilots pulling off over ten 1500-foot laps through the jagged jaws of lichen-covered rock outcroppings along the ridge. The wide-open LZ at the base made for safe landings for those attracted to the grass, while the gravel road provided long, swooping slides for the daring. The winds increased as the day progressed.

As late afternoon approached, full-sized paragliders and hang gliders came out and began enjoying the slightly south, but otherwise tremen-

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dous, ridge lift and thermal activity.

Everything—from the latest comp ship to tandems to EN A students to super-hot acro wings—flew through to the glass-off. Top landings were abundant, as were long, high glides to the north and south and quick refill acro runs. We flew until FAA restrictions grounded all of us, after the sun struck the western horizon and the pie-plate moon rose to the east. I’m fairly certain some colors only exist in sunsets such as these,

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and seeing the entirety of the horizon from the air topped off the day in proper form.

As the last group of pilots returned on shuttle from the LZ, the grill was fired up to warm the brisket and pulled pork provided by CJ Drews. Sometimes the parawaiting training we get applies to other areas in life, and this was one of them; the patience of saints was demonstrated during the warming process, but none would argue it wasn’t worth the

wait. Maybe the Roadhouse Brewing “family vacation homestead ale” microbrew helped warp time a bit as well. Regardless, I don’t think anyone went to bed hungry.

As mentioned, accommodations are few-to-none in Randolph and what does exist is booked well in advance, thanks to a bountiful hunting season in the area. Consequently, camping and RVs were the name of the game. There aren’t many spots that afford one the luxury of park-

ing and camping on launch with little-to-no restrictions, so most of the attendees spent the evening up top, happily huddled amongst friends around propane heaters and burn barrels provided by the organizers, before retiring chilled, tired, satiated, and adorned with perma-grins.

Saturday morning was chilly and brought lighter conditions, with a number of extended sledders for the paragliders and more laps for the speed flyers. The west wind picked up

quickly; only the cowboys who were left for the afternoon braved some choppy conditions. Everyone cleared out by evening, and the event came to a close with lots of satisfied pilots.

Let’s hope the event seems worth the risk again next year, because these seemingly rare gatherings of multi-disciplined pilots don’t and can’t happen enough. Hosting events like this is rarely profitable and generally thankless, hard work, but when they are successful, the smiles

Evening Emelie glass-off rally. Top to bottom: Becca Bredehoft, Justin Brim, Marshall Miller. ABOVE Kevin Hintze give a beautiful tandem flight over the bear river. left

and memories make the risk of failure seem insignificant. These are the types of events that knit our community together. They are extremely beneficial, not only for learning in a relaxed environment but also for meeting more enthusiastic flying friends.

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L VE AIR is in the

by

C H R IS T I N A A M M ON

Lovebirds share thoughts on sharing thermals, kids, and advice.

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We were supposed to take turns flying, but he always seemed to find a willing lady on the hill to watch the baby when it was his turn.

-Tina Jorgensen

E

xpressing her joy at being part of a flying couple, pilot Milly Wallace says, “There is no better person out there to be thermaling with, wingtip to wingtip, than the love of your life!” Most agree that sharing the magic of flight with a loved one is a huge privilege. Logistically, you can easily sync up your lifestyles around flying, and emotionally, you both just “get it.”

But it’s not without complications. How do you reconcile different skill levels? How do you share advice? Who will watch the children? And, perhaps most important, who is going to drive retrieve?!

For this article, I found seven couples willing to disclose their successes and struggles with sharing the flying life. But before I delve into their answers, I’ll make my own admission: I nearly break into an allergic rash upon hearing flying advice from my partner. My basic credo is that unless I’m about to launch with my legstraps unbuckled, it’s best for him to keep quiet.

I was relieved to learn I’m not alone. “There is some weird chemical process in our brains that makes it hard to accept advice from someone you love,” Ivan Ripoll explains.

Perhaps we know too well our partner’s foibles, or perhaps we just consider ourselves peers. For myself, I know too well the way my decision-making gets dangerously distorted when I mix flying with my need for love and approval. After buckling in, I must exhibit a sense of full-on Go-Girl independence.

Still, I envy some of these couples who have figured it out, those who freely give and take advice and rarely bump heads.

For some, it hasn’t always been that way—which gives me some hope that I’ll eventually lose The Attitude. But until then, I’ll just enjoy all the other pleasures that surround the shared flying life: hiking together to launch, the post flightBBQs, and the traveling.

At the end of the day, there isn’t a right way to be a flying couple. It’s whatever works.

Wayne ♥ Paula Wayne and Paul Sayer met at a hang gliding meet in Slovenia. Wayne was a wind dummy and slightly intimidated

by Paula, who was one of the officials. A couple of years later, they met again in Europe when Paula offered Wayne a ride.

Screaming over the clatter of her old Nissan diesel van, they spent two weeks sharing their life stories and, as Wayne puts it, “something happened.”

Does flying enhance your relationship?

Wayne: It helps that we’re both passionate about the same thing. It’s really just a part of our lives that we share, like skiing and biking. On those rare spectacular days, there is more of a connection when you share them with your partner.

Paula: It’s good to have the same interests up to a point, especially when they can be as time-consuming as flying. It’s nice to be able to discuss an amazing flight afterwards. Also, we travel places to fly and there often isn’t much else to do.

Do you share advice with each other?

Wayne: We often discuss different techniques, outcomes, and options. We’re always both looking out for each other and not afraid to let each other know.

Paula: Flying is a personal act, so whatever decision I make is only mine. When flying in the Owens Valley, Wayne has got up by thermaling low over the back, and that’s not something I’m often willing to do. Luckily, Wayne knows better than to tell me what I should have done. If I ask him something, he’ll tell me, but mostly he either consoles or congratulates me.

Do you accept risk differently?

Wayne: I think we’re both more risk-averse than we used to be. Age helps that happen, too. If one of us thinks the condi-

LEFT Tina and Larry Jorgenson in Chelan. The couple has been flying hang gliders together for 33 years.

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tions are too big, they’ll let the other one know, and it will prompt a discussion.

Paula: I’m not sure how much of my lack of risk-acceptance is because I’m female, or because I don’t feel experienced at paragliding, or because my local site is in the Owens Valley.

I flew hang gliders for nearly 20 years and and accepted the risks on those wings more than on a paragliding wing, which seems more affected by apparently random conditions.

Are there challenges to flying as a couple?

Wayne: Flying is just another one of the fun activities that we like to do. We usually fly together, but are happy to let the other fly separately. Sometimes one will land to get the car, while the other goes XC. Paula: Who looks after the dog? As long as both are sensitive to the other, it’s great if we can share the experience.

I probably wouldn’t fly for three hours if he bombed out— unless conditions were really good.

What advice would you give to other flying couples?

Wayne: Respect the other’s different view of what they’d like to get out of the sport. Don’t push the other partner to always want the same thing you do.

Paula: Only fly if you really want to, not because your partner does. Make your own decisions.

Billy ♥ Milly Billy Purden and Milly Wallace (aka Bimilly)met at Point of the Mountain in 2006 at a party in one of those cool back-

yards that border the North side. Two-and-a-half years later, Milly started taking paragliding lessons, and their friendship progressed. They say they’ve “been inseparable ever since” and I believe it. They couldn’t even keep their names and answers separate!

Does flying enhance your relationship?

Bimilly: Yes. We are “paraholics,” and we weight-shift driving in the car, so dating a pilot was a necessity. The hours of parawaiting and flying vacations don’t go so well with a nonpilot partner. We both can’t commit to plans, because what if it is flyable?

Do you share advice with each other?

Bimilly: Billy has been flying 13-14 years, while I’m a newbie. He swooped me into his flock as I got my P-2 signoff and has been my personal instructor. I have the most knowledge a pilot can have at my level.

We are both hardheaded people and have bumped heads only a few times on launches in over three years. We always communicate and grow stronger afterwards. He admitted he sometimes tells feedback to a fellow pilot to relay to me, because I just need a different voice for a minute.

Do you accept risk differently?

Bimilly: Billy is willing to accept more risk, but he has the experience and skill set to do it safely. When neither of us is flying, it’s because we agree that the conditions are unsafe.

Are there challenges to flying as a couple?

Bimilly: Who is driving the truck down? Also, Milly needs

ABOVE Wayne and Paula Sayer. OPPOSITE Billy Purden and Milly Wallace fly side-by-side in Valle de Bravo.

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to get her tow tech rating so she can tow Billy up! Also, you must be patient when the one is flying and the other is not.

What advice would you give to other flying couples?

Bimilly: Communicate through any hiccup and be willing to quickly forgive. Know you are lucky people. There are a lot of divorced or single pilots out there, because their partner was not cool with fly time. Invest in a good camera so you can take cool photos of each other. Lastly, if one has a tandem rating, fly together. A kiss in the sky is always magical!

Aaron ♥ Kerie Kerie and Aaron Swepston met 25 years ago when she landed from a tandem flight at Dog Mountain. Kerie recalls the moment: “ I got to talking to this cute, friendly guy in the landing field, and he told me that if I was interested in learning to hang glide, he could take me tandem for free. Within two months we were engaged, and within five months, we had packed up and moved down to California to work for a manufacturer.”

Does flying enhance your relationship?

Kerie: Absolutely. How many people can say that their spouse is their best friend AND that they get to play together doing the most incredible sport? Aaron encourages me and challenges me. When I hit new milestones, he is as excited about it as I am. I view him as one of the best pilots ever, so the fact that he’s mine makes him pretty hot.

Aaron: We can take lessons from flying and apply them to relationships. With flying, you live in the moment, and I try to keep that philosophy in mind when it comes to Kerie and me. We’ve had a good time, a good life, and we reflect on that

all the time.

Do you share advice with each other?

Kerie: We’ve had 25 years of practice with giving advice. It’s much easier to take now than it was in the beginning. It’s all part of growing up and learning how to take criticism. I know he respects me as a darn good pilot, but we are constantly trying to improve, so we can keep doing this without incident.

Aaron: Kerie is an awesome pilot and sets a fantastic example. She is solid on all scores. There’s a common saying at our local sites, mostly stemming from people watching Kerie and Tina: “Fly like a girl!” In some places, that would be an insult, but not here. If they fly like a girl, they’re doing pretty good!

Do you make decisions/accept risk differently?

Kerie: I tend to make more conservative decisions, but that doesn’t mean he is taking more risk. He is just more calculated about it, and I am more emotional. Over the years, I’ve learned to calculate risk rather than let the initial emotion take over.

Aaron: I’m more of an adventurer. I like to explore and push my limits more assertively. I do the loops; she does the high thermal flights. She’s comfortable chalking up miles, while I race around because I don’t have the patience or bump tolerance that she does. She’s like the hunter who walks the line through the field, and I’m more like the birddog running this way and that. We both get to the same end point; we just take different routes to get there.

Are there challenges to flying as a couple?

Kerie: Our biggest challenge was when our kids were younger. We either took turns or had to find a driver or sitter

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and what we do. The flying culture is a healthy community— almost tribal—and we believe that it’s a great place to raise children. Having kids made me a better pilot. I can’t leave a kid an orphan, so if I’m going to do loops, they have to be really good loops.

C.J. ♥ George

so we could fly together. But that came with a good side effect: Our kids grew up with a huge advantage over other kids their age, because they were around the flying community and learned how to appreciate people from all different walks of life.

Aaron: Whose gonna drive?

What advice would you give to other flying couples?

Kerie: Don’t skip out on the kid part, if you were going to because of your flying. Things work out. Also, never take for granted how special it is to be able to have a partner that you can share something so awesome with.

Aaron: We’ve seen some people give up flying in favor of personal relationships or when kids are born. That’s a personal choice, but for us that wasn’t an option. Flying is what we did

George and C.J. Sturtevant met at a rockclimbing site long before they’d even seen a hang glider. Ten years later they took lessons together, bought a hang glider that was a bit too small for George and a bit too big for C.J. and took turns flying it at the training hill. Then they got their own gliders, learned to fly paragliders, and eventually were celebrating their 30-year anniversary while flying a 40-mile paraglider flight within shouting distance of each other in Iquique, Chile. “For us, there couldn’t have been a more perfect way to celebrate our years together,” says C.J. Does flying enhance your relationship?

George: When we first took hang gliding lessons, we had lots of activities to keep us busy. But the scuba diving, motorcycle touring, mountain climbing and other stuff just disappeared into the hang gliding addiction. So I guess you could say that a lot of our relationship is flying.

C.J.: Flying has been a focal point of our recreation for 32 years. I’m not sure it has “enhanced” our relationship, because we had a strong “togetherness” bond before we started flying, but it certainly introduced a new element of adventure that neither of us had ever anticipated.

Do you share advice with each other?

George: I think we’re pretty secure about being able to share, but I’ll be interested to see if C.J. agrees with that assessment.

C.J.: Our flying skill levels have advanced pretty much at an equal pace, so we can discuss issues without either of us feeling like we’re being talked down to or lectured. George is stronger on the technical things—he fixes my PTT, downloads our tracklogs, and scopes out sites on Google Earth.

I tend to be the one who suggests trips or events, bakes the cookies, and makes the social connections.

Do you accept risk differently?

George: C.J. is more willing to push the envelope; how else could she make the U.S. women’s hang gliding team four times? And she’ll fly in those killer comp gaggles—when my reaction to more than one other glider near me is to go find some other part of the sky.

ABOVE C.J. and George Sturtevant accepting the Cloudbase Country Club award for 30 years of service to the NW hang gliding community, April 2013. OPPOSITE Becky and Justin Brim celebrate landing at the lake in Valle de Bravo.

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C.J.: I seem to have greater bump tolerance than George. He likes scratching close to the trees; I prefer to be stinkin’ high.

He’s not interested in competition, but was a fabulous support crew for me and the US women’s hang gliding team. George tends to be a bit braver than I am about going XC over treecovered terrain with the closest decent LZ a long way away.

Are there challenges to flying as a couple?

George: It’s always been hard not to voice my concern for C.J. when she is willing to launch and fly in difficult conditions. Mostly I’ve managed to keep my mouth shut and just be the best ground crew I can be.

C.J.: Keeping our equipment reasonably current (I still fly a hang glider as well as a paraglider) is a financial challenge.

Regarding time investment, we’re lucky that our individual “passion” for flying seems to have evolved pretty much in sync, so rarely does one of us have a compelling need to fly while the other would rather do something else.

What advice would you give to other flying couples?

George: I’d be concerned if they weren’t equally “in” to flying, or if one was critical of the other. Support for each other in the sport is equally as important as the support that each spouse exhibits for other aspects of the relationship.

C.J.: Don’t be so passionate about getting airtime that you lose sight of what you’re really passionate about: Doing things you enjoy together. We were quite focused on flying for 20 years or so, but we’re diversifying more now, and returning to some of the activities we’d set aside when we started flying.

Justin ♥ Becky Becky and Justin Brim met in college and later learned to fly.

They moved to the Point of the Mountain to be able to raise their daughter near the place they love to play.

Does flying enhance your relationship?

Justin: We relate to each other on a level that not many couples get to do. Sharing thoughts about the day and replaying moments can be a fun way to connect.

Becky: There aren’t really good adjectives to describe the feeling of coring a thermal looking right at Justin next to me; we fly super-close to each other because we trust each other.

I’m not sure I share a thermal experience with anyone else the way I do with him. Working together to get Cloud Street Winch going over the last six years has helped us develop a team mentality.

Do you share advice with each other?

Justin: Feedback is always touchy with your significant other, especially when you learned at the same time. At first, I learned that tips were not all that welcome, and it was generally better to watch her struggle than to risk saying something that might make it seem as if I knew more.

But these days we share all kinds of advice. The more feedback you can take in without making it a competition of ego, the better pilot you become.

Becky: As a general rule—no. In the beginning, I’d get frustrated when he tried to help, because I was on the short bus for learning to fly. As the years have gone by, I’ve gradually accepted more feedback, because he is a talented pilot, his advice is good and I look up to him. But he still treads lightly.

Do you accept risk differently?

Justin: Over the years, we have excelled in different areas at different times. Becky was totally afraid of flying for the first year. Then she went towing a few times and, boom!, she was doing dynamic stalls and spins. Meanwhile, I spun my glider once and was scared to death of it. I wanted nothing to do with it for years.

It’s not a whole lot different from flying with your friends, although it’s easier to leave behind your bro than your wife who bombed out. There is a little more to that equation, especially if they’ve gotta retrieve you. I do think that since we’ve

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had a kiddo, we look at flying a little differently.

Becky: Luckily, our risk acceptance is pretty similar, since we fly the same sites at the same time of day and are both working on acro. We do keep each other in check and question each other if something doesn’t seem right.

Are there challenges to flying as a couple?

Justin: Trying to find a balance between work and flying can be tricky. With a three-year-old daughter, it can be especially tough. Living at The Point has helped, but there are still those epic mountain days with no daycare that seem to come up.

Becky: Trying to make our family work and tend our mutual desire to fly is quite the challenge. We are definitely still finetuning that one.

Advice to other flying couples?

Justin: Avoid trying to keep up with your significant other all the time. There is pressure that can lead to some bad decision-making. Also, if you find yourself skying out while that special person is setting up for a landing, you might wanna consider inadvertently bombing out occasionally, rather than hitting send and expecting a stoked retrieve driver.

Becky: I have no idea about advice...

Larry ♥ Tina Larry and Tina Jorgensen met at a 4th of July party back in 1980. “I had too many beers, tried to put the move on her,” Larry remembers. “ She said ‘no,’ and I thought ‘this is the one!’” They hiked, climbed, camped, and as soon as Larry

mentioned hang gliding, Tina was in.

Does flying enhance your relationship?

Larry: It brings our whole family together. Both of our daughters and son-in-law hang glide as well. The girls started going tandem with me when they were four years old.

Tina: We celebrated our 30th wedding anniversary August 20, 2013, and we believe that “if you play together, you’ll stay together.”

Do you share advice with each other?

Larry: I worried a lot in the early years, but Tina has proven to be an excellent pilot. Tina has helped me with my goals and loves to drive for me when she is not flying XC. Tina: To be a good and safe pilot, you should be willing to take constructive criticism. I trust Larry’s advice above all others. He knows how I think and what my strengths and weaknesses are. I give him advice when he does tandems, and he has implemented a few of my ideas.

Do you accept risk differently?

Larry: Even though Tina has amazing skills for soaring, she is content to hang around the site, while I need to be pushing the backyard more. At the end of the day, we both had great flights. I’m a very lucky man!

Tina: I’m more cautious, and sometimes that bothers Larry.

At times, he’s felt that I should compete, but I think he appreciates that I only fly for myself and for the beauty of the flight.

Are there challenges to flying as a couple?

Larry: In the early years, we were raising a family and Tina

ABOVE Tina and Larry Jorgensen. OPPOSITE Jessica Love takes Ivan Ripoll for a tandem flight.

made me a better dad. We had great times—flying, camping , and doing the normal stuff of raising kids. We have kept flying recreationally and love it more than ever. You know you have arrived when you go to the airport, jump in the Cessna, go have breakfast, jump in the Dragonfly for some towing, then go to Dog for some afternoon soaring. We call it the Triwingle.

Tina: I think the only challenges were when our daughters were babies. We were supposed to take turns flying, and he always seemed to find a willing lady on the hill to watch the baby when it was his turn.

What advice would you give to other flying couples?

Larry: If your wife wants to fly at all, encourage and help her. Helping Tina load and unload equipment is a big one.

Tina is not as mechanical as I am, so helping keep her equipment in shape is a big one also. The payback is huge as we get to go flying all the time. Did I say how lucky I am?

Tina: Respect each other’s different reasons for flying and skillset. Encourage each other to fly as much as possible to keep up your skills and to increase the safety factor.

Jessica ♥ Ivan Jessica Love and Ivan Ripoll are quick to drift into reverie when recalling their first meeting in the Himalayas. “I was touched immediately when I saw her,” recalls Ivan. “She was an adventurer, traveler, and a pilot surrounded by these magnificent mountains.” As for Jessica, she remembers seeing him at the chai shop on launch and doing her best to avoid falling for him.

But with the help of his friends on radio, he tracked her and landed in the same spot to kick off their love story. “Flystalking?” he wonders. “Maybe.”

Does flying enhance your relationship?

Jessica: Absolutely. Paragliding allows us to travel together for tandem work, competitions, or just free flying. We get to share amazing adventures.

Ivan: Flying puts a common direction to our lives. There are almost no doubts what we want to do on our free time (flying), where we want to live the next months (in a PG spot), what we want to buy next (more paragliding equipment, of course).

Do you share advice with each other?

Jessica: Ivan taught me to fly tandems and he was a remarkable teacher. He’s great about giving me advice—just enough to help me. Like any couple we have our misunderstandings, but for the most part we listen to and respect each other.

Ivan: We share feedback and tips, but not so much advice.

We just listen to the paragliding advice coming from the masters.

Do you accept risk differently?

Jessica: We have the same idea of what an acceptable risk is.

On our first date flying XC from Bir to Dharmsala, we flew well together, and I took that as a great indicator of what our relationship could be like.

Ivan: We fly differently, but have the same risk levels when we fly on our own. If we fly together, we mix our decisions and fly more conservatively. We don’t push to do any personal best, but maybe a “couple best.”

Are there challenges to flying as a couple?

Jessica: Who is going to drive the car?

Ivan: Pets? Going to a family dinner on the best XC day of the year? Anything that requires a lot of time on the ground is a challenge for flying couples.

Any advice to other couples?

Jessica: Know how lucky you are.

Ivan: Make clear to your partner what your paragliding level is and that safety is your priority. Then you’ll feel relaxed and confident when flying.

Christina Ammon writes from The Crash Pad at Woodrat Mountain in Oregon. She can be reached at woodratcrashpad@ gmail.com

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YEARS of

Members for

LIFE by

Lifetime membership in the United States Hang Gliding

and Paragliding Association was only offered for a few years.

Initially, it cost $250, a seemingly huge amount at the time, when yearly dues were only $10. During the time period it was offered, 32 pilots bought a lifetime membership. Of those 32, 21 are current USHPA members.

USHPA remains America’s only nationally recognized free-flight governing body of hang gliding and paragliding. It is incredible that a few of our pilots have been flying for more than 40 years. Some of their stories are related below.

Tommy Thompson USHPA #2531 (Lifetime) In 1971, I saw a photo of a guy 10 feet in the air above a sand dune, so I started building my own bamboo-andplastic sail hang glider with a hang cage. The following year, there was enough interest in my area to start the North Carolina Hang Glider Society. We had about 50 members and published a monthly newsletter called the Albatross.

In 1973, I flew my first mountain flight off Fancy Gap, Virginia, on my own design, a home-built aluminum-frame Rogallo with a Dacron sail. After three years in the Army, serving in the 82nd Airborne Paratroopers, I returned to North Carolina and pursued hang gliding on the local mountain slopes.

In 1981, I flew for an hour to win the prestigious Order of the Raven Award #160 at Grandfather Mountain, near Linville, North Carolina. This was an advanced-rated flying

K AT R I N A MOH R

site that had been the location of the US Nationals on several occasions and was notorious for strong conditions, a small landing zone, and lots of turbulence.

In 1986, my wife Robbie and I purchased a home and soon cleared a launch on Sauratown Mountain in Stokes County, North Carolina. Six years later, the sky gods were good to me. I flew a personal best soaring flight of eight hours 35 minutes out of our backyard from a slope launch called Alligator Rock. I still fly there on warm and sunny south-wind days, in my Wills Wing 195 Attack Falcon with a semi-transparent Mylar sail.

My adventurous trips to flying sites, such as Crestline in California, Mt. Whitney in the Owens Valley, Point of the Mountain in Utah, Mt. Yamaska in Montreal, Canada, and aero-towing in Florida, have been fun. However, most of my flying has been on the East Coast, especially when it’s northwest conditions at Big Walker Mountain near Mechanicsburg, Virginia. The 3200-foot MSL slope launch and LZ are both owned by Jim Bogle. He maintains the site and oversees the Soar Big Walker Sky Pirates Club on his property. Hang glider pilots have flown there for 40 years.

I became a USHPA member in 1973, a lifetime member in 1980, and a 20th-anniversary charter member in 1991.

It’s hard to believe I have been a member for 40 years.

When I sent in the $250 for lifetime membership, dues were only $10 a year, and I remember thinking I would have to be a member 25 years to break even at that rate.

LEFT Tommy Thompson with his granddaughter, Haylee, in 2011 at Sauratown Mountain, North Carolina.

ABOVE Dan Poynter on a foot-launched Barish Sailwing.

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My wife and I have been married 37 years, and, from day one, she has been driving for me. Both of our kids are in their 30s now, and it is good to see our granddaughter Haylee on the mountain with “Pa,” enjoying the sport as well. She swings on the glider as if it’s playground equipment, and that’s OK, too. I say it’s kid-tested and wifeapproved.

Dan Poynter, USHPA #1103 (Lifetime) In 1965, I designed, tow-tested, and jumped numerous gliding parachutes, such as the Barish Sailwing. In 1967, I tested

limp wings by foot launching them from very steep hills. I also wrote the first book on the sport HANG GLIDING: The Basic Handbook of Skysurfing in 1973. Both words were included in the title because hang gliding was used on the West Coast and skysurfing was the East Coast term. Bill Allen, other early writers on hang gliding, and I all agreed to use aviation terms for the sport. Nautical terms were being used at the time, because the wings were made by sail makers. But hang gliders are flying devices, and we wanted to be part of the aviation community.

For 13 years, I was on the board of directors of the US Parachute Association, serving as chairman of the board.

During that time, I observed that we were getting more accomplished on the board because we had broken the discussion subjects down into committees. So I set up the committee system for the Hang Gliding Association. This

is why many of the committees in each association have the same names. I helped USHGA apply for membership in the National Aeronautic Association, the aeroclub of the United States.

In 1974 and 1975, I judged the Cypress Gardens Tow-launch Kite Championships. In 1975, I served on the competition jury at the first Alpine Hang Gliding Championships in Austria.

Then I was sent to Paris to take part in the inaugural meeting of the CIVL, part of FAI (now relocated to Switzerland). Because everybody knew me through my books and because I represented the United States, I was elected president of the CIVL. I knew everyone internationally, and more important, every international hang glider pilot knew me. I went to competitions in Austria, the UK, South Africa, and other exotic places.

Back in the US, at a board meeting, I made a motion to establish lifetime memberships. The board voted approval and came up with a figure, probably $250. (That was a lot of money at the time.) At that point, I wrote out a check and handed it to the Executive Director, making me USHPA Lifetime Member number 1.

So far, I have written 133 books. The hang gliding books came along at the right time, sold well, and enabled me to move back to California and buy a house on a hill in Santa Barbara. In addition, the books are credited with helping the sport grow and guiding it in the right direction. As a pilot and skydiver, it has been an honor to be in on the ground floor of hang gliding and to help with its initial growth.

Ken de Russy USHPA #5114 (Lifetime) Growing up, I was unremarkable athletically and academically. In 1973, age 25 and fresh out of Vietnam, I saw hang gliding for the first time. I had zero on my resume and nothing at all in my life that gave me a sense of self-worth.

My brother, a notorious liar, told me people were jumping off cliffs while holding a big kite. I didn’t believe him, but I had to see for myself.

When I saw those guys hang gliding, I thought it was breathtaking, otherworldly and exciting. I’d never heard or seen anything about it before that day, and I immediately wanted to try it. A few weeks later, I did get to try. I kept having a good flight and then another good flight and another. It’s as if I had been given a magic carpet. I was utterly infatuated, and nothing else mattered more or was more life

ABOVE Dan Poynter on a foot-launched Barish Sailwing. RIGHT Miles Fagerlie in 1975 at Merriam Crater near Flagstaff, Arizona, on a 17-foot standard Papillion made in 1974 by the long-defunct company, US Hang Gliders Inc. The purchase price at that time was $395 including the swing-seat harness and a day of lessons.

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changing to me, except being in the war and meeting my wife.

Needless to say, I kept flying. The idea at that time that hang gliders were death traps was overblown. People like me, without preparation or background, could fling themselves into the air and do something that was seen as fundamentally impossible. In the 1970s, hang gliding was foreign to the vast majority of people. When I told people about my flights, they thought I either was making things up or doing something insanely stupid. If someone was horrified or reacted disbelievingly, I responded, “Yeah, man, we jump off cliffs, SEE!” It was a way for me to thumb my nose at convention.

Dan Poynter told me about the life membership. The $250 it cost seemed like so much money at the time, but it also meant never having to confront the issue of writing a check again, even if I’m feeling distant from the sport. I think I’m the only active dual division, dual instructor (hang gliding and paragliding) life member. I’ve become less active since my wife and I moved to Washington in 1998. Santa Barbara was so perfect. It was easy to get airtime there.

My most active 25-or-so years in the business of flying and teaching other people how to fly was the most magical.

Throughout those years, I was conscious of a feeling of gratitude that I was able to do something so extraordinary. But I had nowhere to direct that gratitude.

Now, however, I do, because I know the guy who launched the sport into popular existence. I met John Dickenson in 2004 or 2005; we talk every couple of weeks and have formed a strong bond. He’s a wonderful, charming, clever man who has an incredible story. Editor’s Note: Australian John Dickenson invented the Ski Kite in 1963, and this wing became a template that many other successful gliders expanded on. Dickenson is credited with helping hang gliding become a viable sport, opening the sky up to those who wish to fly.

For me, this is the end of the story. I’ve come full circle.

My becoming friends with the man who made it possible for me to fly all these years seems like the happy ending of a Hollywood movie. Editor’s Note: Ken de Russy says that it’s not really an official museum and perhaps two people a year come by, but he has the largest collection of hang gliding history and artifacts at his home in Anacortes, Washington. If you are ever in the area, it’s worth a stop. Visit www.united-stateshang-gliding-history.com for more information.

Miles Fagerlie USHPA #11140 (Lifetime) I taught myself to fly in 1974 with a 17-foot standard glider and worked my way through four generations of gliders, up to Hang 4 and Basic Instructor status. I even did four drops from a hot air balloon. I bought the lifetime member-

“The $250 it cost

seemed like so much money at the time...”

ship in 1980 or 1981, figuring I’d never stop being interested, and that was a correct calculation.

However, my family of three kids, my church, graduate studies, and my career as an aerospace engineer sucked up my time in the late 1980s. I hung up my glider when I felt I wasn’t flying often enough to be proficient. It’s still in my garage, since I never officially “gave up” the sport. I was never injured and wanted to keep it that way.

It’s been many years now, but I am constantly feeling the tug to resume hang gliding. This past Labor Day, I went to watch the flying at Mingus mountain in Arizona. I’ve soloed in two different ultralights, in a Cessna, in a sailplane, and in a powered paraglider, but hang gliding ruined me for any other flying activity.

Every day I study the land and sky for thermal activity.

Flying hawks and buzzards are scrutinized as long as they’re in sight. Every high place and ridge is evaluated for takeoff and soaring potential. I read the Oz Report daily and can’t wait to see the new issue of Hang Gliding & Paragliding magazine each month. I may not be actively flying, but my life is still way different because of my hang gliding days.

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Horacio Llorens Roldanillo, Colombia

PHOTO COURTESY RED BULL PHOTOFILES | www.redbull.com

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HG401

Advanced Techniques & Concepts

Pushing

OU T by

I

t’s easy to define the (only) two times when less experienced pilots should push out—when they want to land (flare) and when they want to crash. Pushing out reduces airspeed by raising the angle of attack of our wing, which drastically impacts the roll response of our glider and hinders in-flight lateral control. New and low-airtime pilots should be flying forgiving single-surface wings, which do a great job of finding the appropriate “trim” position and speed for nearly every situation.

R YA N V OIG H T

attack and fly faster, more of the wing actually sees a negative angle of attack, shortening the effective wingspan of a glider.

This is pretty complex and something fairly unique to hang gliders. But changes in effective wingspan can have a HUGE impact on handling. In simple terms, shorter wings roll easier.

Loss of lateral control isn’t even the biggest risk in pushing out. The more you push out, the easier it is for your glider to tumble. Again, the cause is two-fold. First, pushing out changes the center of mass of the wing. There is a direct

“As we decrease our angle of attack and fly faster, more of the wing actually sees a negative angle of attack, shortening the effective wingspan of a glider.”

However, some advanced techniques involve pushing out. I will describe a few, but first, I would like to identify some risks involved. The first and most obvious is the greatly reduced lateral control that accompanies pushing out. The cause of this is two-fold: The more air we have flowing over our wings, the more force the same amount of “deflection” is created in the sail. (Easy example: sticking your hand out the car window at 20 mph compared to 80 mph: more airflow, more force.) The less recognized factor comes from flying tail-less aircraft and having swept wings with washout, where the tips are at a much lower angle of attack than the center of the wing. When we push out and fly very slowly, more of the wing is at a positive angle of attack, making the effective wingspan of the glider larger. As we decrease our angle of

relationship between center of mass and pitch stability. A simple example is a dart (heavy at one end, very light with lots of drag at the other). No matter how you throw a dart, it will eventually stabilize in a “nose down” orientation. The opposite example is a sheet of paper; each side is balanced, with equal weight and equal drag. Hold up a sheet of paper and drop it, and it will not stabilize in any particular orientation at all. Pulling in, in a hang glider, drastically increases pitch stability, while pushing out reduces it considerably. It does not matter if a glider is certified to be “pitch stable”; when you push out, you alter the stability.

The other factor that increases the risk of tumble comes from the very low airspeed associated with pushing out and how our pitch-stability systems work. Pitch-stability systems

OPPOSITE Pushing out on a high-performance glider, especially with a lot of VG on, can easily result in a tip stall and even a spin entry. Spins are THE most dangerous aerobatic maneuver because of their unpredictability and the minimal airspeed, which can keep the pitch-stability systems from being effective in preventing a tumble.

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create a nose-up restorative force, which we experience as bar pressure. When you pull in to lower the nose, the wing “fights” that input. With limited airflow over the wing, the twist of the wing and the low angle of attack of the tips produce minimal nose-up force. Worse still, without airflow over the wing, there is very little resistance to a nose-down “tuck” rotation. The problem can arise because we hang well below the wing and weigh much more than our wings. In a low-airspeed, nose-up stall, or when falling out of a thermal while pushing out, the pitching-forward rotation can happen so quickly that the inertia of that rotation can continue past vertical and carry you into a tumble. The glider’s swept wings and pitch systems work against this by damping—not preventing—that pitching rotation. The more airflow over the wing, the more those systems can slow that nose-down rotation, limiting the amount of inertia that builds up.

These days, a hang glider tumble is very, very rare. Most of today’s gliders are designed, tested, and certified for strength and stability. Today, there is no reason to risk flying a wing that hasn’t been tested and certified. In smooth air, a pilot would have to do everything just right (or is that just wrong?) to cause a tumble. But when we start flying in soarable conditions, we need to be very careful not to unwittingly facilitate a tumble. The more soarable (read: turbulent) it gets, the more careful we need to be. The key here is to fully understand that pushing out and flying slowly comes with significant risk.

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After reading all of this, why would anyone want to push out other than when they are landing? Well, when doing 360s, flying slower reduces the diameter of our 360s for a given bank angle. In small and light lift, the art of staying up is keeping the glider in that lift. Flying too fast can make your 360s too big. If your glider is trimmed correctly, trim speed should be right about where you get your best sink rate, so pushing out will actually increase your sink rate. Sinking a bit faster in rising air can be better than sinking slower in still air, or, worse still, sinking slower in the sink surrounding the thermal. In this situation, pushing out is both a managed risk AND a compromise. How much pushing out is relatively safe, or even beneficial, is highly dependent on the situation— which only veteran pilots have the experience to evaluate accurately.

What’s a bit safer than flying around pushed out and slow is using short pitch inputs as a tool, when trying to position your glider in a thermal. In a bank, a quick-but-smooth push out can help tighten that side of your 360. If you are in a thermal and you recognize that the strongest part is behind you, speeding up your direction-change can make the difference between turning in light lift at the edge of the thermal or turning in the big sink just outside of the thermal. Of course, the risk, if you time it wrong, is that you’ll be exiting the thermal pushed out with low airspeed/energy, which is, again, why this is something only advanced pilots should even

consider. It takes an advanced pilot’s expertise to know when it’s an acceptable risk and when it’s a really, really bad idea. It’s important to note that this technique is NOT pushing out and holding it; it is just a quick pitch input to change direction faster and then return to the speed at which you were originally climbing.

Another time when an advanced pilot might choose to push out is when a very quick roll input is needed. Pushing out momentarily increases our G-loading, essentially making one’s body weigh more. Because we fly weight-shift wings, weighing more means more control. The catch with this technique is that in smooth air we already have plenty of roll control, so this technique gets used more in strong thermals or rougher air. In rough air, you don’t want to get caught pushed out and slow, so this technique works best if you’re flying a little fast to begin with (which we usually are in rough air) and are using a quick stab in pitch combined with roll inputs, only when needed. Again, this is a risk-management scenario, where pushing out can be pretty risky when timed wrong— but if a thermal turns you toward the hill, this technique can save your bacon. Back in the day when gliders were much

harder to turn, this was commonly called a “J turn,” where you pull in first to gain speed, shift your weight to the side, and then push out to load up the wing, moving your body in the shape of the letter J. Modern wings don’t need this excessive input on a regular basis, only in crucial or dire situations.

There are more scenarios where pushing out might have some benefit, but they always comes with risks, as described above. Expert pilots can draw from their experience to evaluate each situation’s risks and potential rewards and then decide if pushing out not only suits the situation but also is worth the additional risks. I, once again, urge newer pilots to keep it simple and only push out when they want to land or want to crash.

My final request regarding this topic: If you see someone pushing out and feel they are not being wise about it—since many don’t grasp the risks associated with pushing out— please, please educate them. We’re all in this together, and keeping each other safe and flying well benefits all! Variable center-of-mass and pitch stability is a topic every tail-less aircraft (hang glider) pilot needs to understand.

OPPOSITE Flying slowly with the bar out past your face, especially in big mountain air, is most often a big risk not worth the minimal reward. ABOVE Pushing out—when you want to land, or when you want to crash?

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IQUIQUE CHILE

a place for personal bests by

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Dawn W E S T R U M

W

e were nearing the end of our three-week paragliding tour in Iquique, Chile. The beginners had come and gone during the first week, making great strides in their skills and confidence. Those of us staying for the entire tour were almost sated with flying, having gotten as much airtime every day as anyone could have wished.

But we were still hungry—for distance. Several times we had made an attempt to fly our way up the coast, but each time we were grounded, due to circumstances and crosswinds, rotor over the difficult sections.

On our last possible day to do some cross-country flying, conditions looked good as we drove up to launch. There was higher cloudbase than on previous days, with light SW winds, and a feeling in the air that this would be a good day.

Eleven of us launched together, sending the drivers back down the long road to the ocean. It took a long while and a struggle for everyone to thermal up to cloudbase, but for a short time all 11 of us were moving down the ridge together.

We could see vans traveling back down the sand roads to the ocean, as a pilot here or there began to call it a day. The rest of us carried on, letting the air currents pull us up and over and around the never-ending sandy hills of red, orange and white LEFT Ken Hudonjorgensen and Dawn Westrum bump wingtips over the ocean. ABOVE Jim Sorensen and Dawn Westrum on their final glide.

Photos by Todd Weigand.

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ridges that are northern Chile, with their dunes and dry riverbeds, mining holes and stray cacti, soaring buzzards and an endless supply of sand.

I was flying a new wing this tour, having virtually worn out my sturdy orange-and-blue wing. This one was green and blue, looking like eagles’ eyes, making me happy when I looked up at it.

I started ticking off distance on my GPS: 20 kilometers, then 40, then 60. Dare we hope to make that elusive 100?

At midday the thermals got stronger. We paused to let the vans check a difficult crossing; the winds were our friend, and we flew around the point without issue.

I was now into new territory. Our guides, Ken Hudonjorgensen, Luis Rosenkjer, and Todd Weigand, were above, behind, below, and ahead of us, checking for lift and ensuring a safe line through tricky sections. The ridge got lower, making a loss of altitude more likely to put us on the deck. The wind got stronger, forcing us to stay farther away from the venturi winds on the ridge-tops. We didn't care.

We got high, higher than we had been all day, and carried on, at three thousand feet above the ocean. By then we were

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just five small wings in a big sky. I tried to keep everyone in sight and stay high.

At this point I knew nothing was going to stop me from reaching the goal—a beach landing in front of my hotel, and the longest XC flight of my life. But the graveyard—a section that has put so many pilots on the ground it has a name, a life of its own—still beckoned. I started over it high, with plenty of altitude. Or so I thought. Sink, then more sink. Crap. Time for full speed bar; the sand dunes that can save me are still far away.

I hit the dunes with barely seven hundred feet of altitude.

The changeable winds rip up the slope and bounce me around. At one point, I have my feet out ready to land; I'm that close to the ground. I don't dare go away from the hill or I'll sink out completely. Slowly, slowly, I start working my way back up the hillside. The others wait for me, confident that I'll make it back up.

Jim and I are the only tour participants left flying. The three guides flying with us have gotten us this far, and the end is almost in sight. Both of us get a ripping thermal and climb thousands of feet higher in a minute or two. Then we

are over our normal afternoon soaring site, and I call out on the radio that we have made it—100 kilometers!

The vans race ahead of us to check for whitecaps on the ocean around the last point, before the town comes into view. I don't care what they see. Nothing is going to stop me from making the last turn and heading to the beach. We fly over the golf course, which in this parched land is nothing more than white lines painted around more blankets of endless sand. (I think each fairway looks like dirty socks laid out to dry in the sun.) But I’m not concerned with that now.

Just as we locate the town, the ripping thermals suddenly become quiet. The lift softens and we make gentle turns up into the blue sky. No longer do we need to hug the hillsides.

From three thousand feet, we head straight over the open ocean for our beach. The air is soft now, and we can shout,

laugh, and take photos of our brightly colored wings soaring over the blue water. Ken and I carefully bump wingtips. We look down and spot seals playing in the water below us.

As the beach comes ever closer, I wiggle stiff legs and fingers, preparing to touch the earth again. I'm not ready, but the earth is ready for me. My legs wobble, my head bobs as if I'm flying a spaceship, and I'm grinning from ear to ear.

We've been in the air for five hours, and suddenly I'm thirsty.

Congratulations are in order from the whole crew, hugs all around. I'm delirious, and I'm happy.

View our complete route at XContest (http://www.xcontest.org/ world/en/flights/detail:westrumd/24.11.2013/14:45).Thanks to Ken, Luis and Todd for giving Jim Sorensen and me the chance to do the longest XC flight of our lives!

LEFT Jim Sorensen, Dawn Westrum, and Ken Hudonjorgensen (L to R) make their final glide to Brava Beach in Iquique. ABOVE Successful arrival on the beach! L to R: Luis Rosenkjer, Jim Sorensen, Ken Hudonjorgensen, Dawn Westrum, and Todd Weigand. Photos by Todd Weigand.

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2013 Chelan XC Classic Chelan, Washington

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by LENNY BARON

The plan is to launch from the 3800’ Chelan Butte and see how far we can fly.

T

he 32nd annual Chelan Crosscountry Classic was held June 30 to July 5 in beautiful Chelan, Washington. I agreed to share the position of meet organizer with Lori Lawson, accepting the responsibility of keeping this legendary meet going. It’s a low-key, inexpensive, fun, biwingual meet with plenty of glider classes that allow pilots to compete against like-performing gliders.

Perhaps the most important meet attributes are its positive learning environment and goal of giving fledgling XC pilots a bigger taste of adventure through mentorship with seasoned XC veterans.

Prior to the meet, Lori and I updated the rules, adding some waypoints closer to the Butte to encourage lessexperienced XC pilots to try small triangles, as well as some new mountain waypoints for paragliders to attempt, should the weather on “the Flats” go flat. We changed some waypoints and eliminated others to avoid busier airports and keep our small, quiet machines away from those big, loud, spinning-propeller flying machines.

We removed a bogus rule that allowed top pilots to do a safe, small triangle and then go back out for more; instead, top pilots would have to dream big and fly big. We really promoted the meet to both hang and para veteran XC pilots LEFT Davidson DaSilva.

looking to battle for air superiority, as well as to intermediate XC pilots who provide the new blood and energy essential to keep this meet going. And, by the way, I also decided to compete in the meet… Hey! Even meet organizers are entitled to some fun, eh?

The plan is to launch from the 3800’ Chelan Butte and see how far we can fly. Each pilot chooses his/ her own task to maximize his/her score. Our playground generally is the Waterville Plateau (the Flats), between the Columbia River to the west and Banks Lake to the east. Ten points are awarded per mile flown for a straightout, open-distance flight. Thirteen points are awarded per mile for an out-and-return and 15 points per mile for a triangle. For out-and-returns and triangles, the points are awarded only if the pilot completes more than half of the final leg. A 100-point bonus is added for landing back in Chelan (the drivers really like this rule). All flights are scored based upon each pilot’s GPS track log. A really good score for the day is 1000 points, which is equivalent to a 100-mile straight-out flight. The meet consists of six days during which each pilot’s best four-day scores are added to determine final scores and standings. Pilots are separated into classes according to the performance of their gliders, including two paraglider classes—Sport and Serial—and three hang glider classes—Kingpost,

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ABOVE Davidson DaSilva on glide after

Mansfield. BELOW Davidson, Joe and Steve– the locals.

Topless, and Rigid.

About 40 pilots registered for this year’s Classic, with pilots from as far away as Massachusetts, Hawaii, Alberta (Canada) and California making the pilgrimage. Several Canadian paraglider pilots who were driving home from the Woodrat Rat Race, held the week before, decided to check out Chelan. So they just competed for one or two days, as drive-by pilots.

Saturday, June 29: Warm-up Day It was too windy for any of us to attempt warm-up flights. All pilots would have to begin the meet the following day from a cold start.

Sunday, June 30: Day 1 The first day was a rocker, but perhaps one that slept in a bit. Launches were later, and the lift was weak but steady. For those ready to go XC, points were available. In the Topless class, Jeff Beck and I flew identical, 73.4-mile triangles—Farmer, Sims

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Corner and a return all the way back to tag the Chelan Butte waypoint.

Another Topless competitor, Wayne Michelsen, knocked out the nearly equilateral 49.9-mile triangle— Farmer, Mansfield, Soccer Field LZ. John Taylor set a personal best by flying Farmer, Mansfield and almost to the halfway-back line. Still others on their second flights used the new waypoints at Lamoine and the Knee to put points on the board. Mike Daily in the Rigid class also flew Farmer, Sims and back, but his pri-

mary GPS went kaput and his backup GPS only could prove that he did an out-and-return to Sims Corner— bummer! Frederick Bourgavalt, one of the drive-by Canadians in the paraglider Serial class, knocked out a 61.3-mile out-and-return to Sims corner with enough altitude to fly farther west up the lake and get a good view of the new Chelan wineries.

His flight was the longest paraglider out-and-return flight of the week and Frederick’s only flight of the meet.

Matt Senior flew a 44.7-miler to the

northwest along a scenic route to Winthrop. All in all, a pretty great start to the meet.

Monday, July 1: Day 2 The weather on top of the hill was awful! At the 11:30 pilots’ meeting we saw strong gusty ground winds out of the northeast, along with an approaching large, dark cell from the south bringing rain showers. The meeting was abruptly cut short as marble-sized raindrops pelted unprotected pilots. Later that afternoon, the weather cleared for those hardy pilots patient enough to tough it out. Launches began at 2:30, with landings following shortly thereafter. Fly-downs through the hot, thick, moisture-laden air, followed by cold beer and refreshing swims in Lake Chelan were the most common pilot-called tasks. The longest flight was only 5.5 miles, by Tom Johns to a landing at the wild asparagus field below the Chelan Airport.

Tuesday, July 2: Day 3 Just after the pilots’ meeting we called for a fire drill. About 14 pilots and drivers produced the same number of fire extinguishers and shovels. It was a bit of a staged show for the benefit of the visiting Department of Natural Resources’ (DNR) manager, and it worked. He was impressed.

The weather was problematic— strong winds from the SW above a sheer layer at 3000 feet looked promising, but provided very little

in the form of useable lift—a “Green Monster” day. Rigid-wing pilot Mike Daily initially sank 1500 feet below launch, but patiently worked a thermal up and onto the Flats. Zero sink in a thermal in strong winds is still making progress, and, using that philosophy, Mike kept going until he eventually was able to land in Nespelem, for a 61.2-mile best hang glider flight of the day. Davidson DaSilva, in the paraglider Sport class, found his way out beyond Leahy for a 38.6-mile best paraglider flight of the day. Another paraglider, Reavis Sutphin-Gray, won the unofficial endurance award. He spent over three hours in thermals over Chelan Butte and above Farnham Canyon, but only netted 6.2 straight miles. His track log ought to be placed on canvas and entitled “Two Plates of Spaghetti” and put in a gallery of modern art.

That evening, the meet organizers hosted a “Back in the Day” informal chat session with two of the veteran pilots and meet launch directors, Danny Uchytil and Steve Hollister, who have a combined hang gliding experience of over 75 years. Flying tips and tales of lore (some of them even true) were enjoyed by all.

Wednesday, July 3: Day 4 The weather forecast called for strong west winds. Upon climbout, it became clear that this was going to be an open-distance, straight out to the east type of day—a classic Classic day.

Tallyho! Most of those who made it to

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BREWSTER PATEROS BRIDGEPORT 4TH OF JULY MTN

LEAHY

FOREST MTN

JUNKYARD LZ

BUTTESOCCER FIELD LZ KNEE

MANSFIELD

SIMS

LAMOINE WITHROW WATERVILLE FARMER

the Flats quickly covered the 31 miles to Sims Corner. Crossing Banks Lake is always intimidating, for seasoned veterans as well as for the first timers.

After crossing the lake, pilots then landed at locations sprawling from Hartline to Creston. Wayne Michelsen cranked it out much farther to land near Edwall, for a 4.5 hour, 105.8 miler, making it the longest straightout flight of both the day and the meet.

Just as important, Wayne avoided the terminal airspace at Spokane by purposefully heading south and around it. Mike Daily got out beyond Creston (72.8 miles), I landed short of Creston (69.8 miles), Tom Johns landed at Wilbur (64.5) miles, and Matt Senior went 53.4 miles. In all, 16 out of 20

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pilots who flew on Day 4 went over 20 miles. Many set personal bests.

Thursday, July 4: Day 5 As a meet organizer, I planned a “Hike the Butte” event for 8:00 that morning and invited all pilots and drivers to join in the four-mile, 2600-foot vigorous physical-training march to the Butte summit. To my astonishment, only two participants—my son Kevin and I— showed. Hey, I tried!

Once again, the weather called for strong westerly wind. The thermals were disjointed bubbles, not continuous columns, making us feel as if we were inside a washing machine. For those bold and patient enough, lift was out there. Mike Daily proved his

SR17 & HWY2

COULEE CITY

mastery by knocking out a 102-mile straight flight to Reardon, and Kelly Harrison was not far behind, with a 94.4 miler. Cliff Schmitt managed 55.4 miles. Many paragliders did well in the difficult conditions. Morgan Hollingsworth scored a 73.2-miler beyond Creston that became the farthest paraglider flight of the week.

Matt Senior, Roberto Cardosa, and Reavis Sutphin-Gray all had flights over 50 miles; Reavis set a personal best of 51.8 miles.

Friday, July 5: Day 6, Final Day The table was set. Mike Daily had essentially cinched up the Rigid class. In the Topless class the competition was a tossup between four pilots, in order

LEFT Map of the Waterville plateau and the 2013 Classic waypoints.

from the top: myself, Wayne, Kelly, and Jeff. Only 400 points (equivalent to about 40 miles) separated the top score from the fourth-place score. Tom Johns was well on his way to securing the top Kingpost position. Matt Senior was on top of the Serial paraglider class.

Another battle raged for the Paraglider Sport class with Morgan on top, followed by Davidson and Reavis, not far behind. Only 460 points separated the top three. Day 6, the final day, was shaping up to be an aerial dogfight and a horse race to the finish.

At the pilots’ meeting we took time to recognize and thank our drivers for their hard work for the week. Weather predictions called for lighter winds.

Switching wind directions made choosing the right launch a bit tricky.

By noon, pilots had begun to launch, climb, and cross to the Flats. On the previous days, the wind strength had made it really easy for pilots to decide which type of task and which direction to go. For this final day it was a bit more difficult, since winds were not as strong and triangles were perhaps still possible. Each pilot’s flight-choice assessment on the final day became the deciding factor in determining the final scores.

For the Rigid class, neither pilot flew! Did they both sleep in? Mike Daily won the class; Dave Little came in second.

For the Topless gliders: I flew directly to the junction of SR17 and Hwy2, then north to Leahy and nearly all the way back, scoring a 75.6-mile triangle. Wayne and Kelly both flew straight out, both landing beyond Davenport with 77.4 miles and 84.2 miles, respectively. Wayne’s primary GPS track log didn’t show all of his completed flight, but a few days later we determined his actual LZ by interrogating his backup GPS and

were able to confirm his flight. Jeff flew first to Farmer, continued east to the SR17-Hwy2 junction, then up to Sims Corner and all the way back to Chelan. His flight path track looked like an outline of Oklahoma. Per the rules: His 5.25-hour flight was scored as a triangle, and a very good one, 77.8 miles—the longest completed triangle and the highest scoring flight for the meet. I remained in first place. Jeff’s great triangle moved him from fourth, passing both Wayne and Kelly to second place. Wayne took third and Kelly ended in fourth. Cliff Schmitt cranked out an 89.2-miler and finished in fifth.

For the Kingposted class, Tom Johns flew to the SR17-Hwy2 junction and made it almost back to Chelan— 62.6 miles. His flight furthered his lead over second-place Konrad Kurp and third-place Brian Foster.

In the Serial paraglider class, Matt

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Senior took his wife Heather for a tandem and flew to Mansfield, then Withrow, and partway back. Their flight secured his top finish. Roberto Cardosa finished the meet very strongly by flying three consecutive days over Banks Lake and increasing the mileage each flight: Day 4, 46.8 miles; Day 5, 57.4 miles; and Day 6, 64.6 miles.

His effort paid off with a second-place finish. Frederick Bourgavalt’s one flight on Day 1 was enough to secure third place. It makes one wonder how well he would have done had he flown for the full week!

In the Sport paraglider class, Morgan didn’t fly, leaving the door open. Reavis cracked off another personal-best flight of 57.2 miles and moved from third to first. Morgan finished second. Davidson DaSilva secured a third-place finish. Paulo Miranda was not far behind in fourth place.

The meet-organized barbeque at the Chelan Falls soccer field LZ provided a tasty end to the awesome Day 6 flights.

Saturday, July 6: Awards At the sparsely attended awards ceremony, I took the opportunity to thank all of the volunteers: Lori Lawson,

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co-meet organizer; Tom Johns, weather (Tom and Lori’s home also served as meet HQ); Ron Barbera, safety and BBQ; Aaron Rinn, scorekeeper; Danny Uchytil, Steve Hollister, C.J. and George Sturtevant, launch directors; Larry Majchrzak, water-wagon maintenance and site coordination; Stacey Beck, registration; Debbie Casey, BBQ; Kelly Munro, graphics and website; Stas Zee, website; Kevin Baron, pilot-orientation guide book editing; and Chris Culler, scoring computer program support. A special thanks to all participating pilots; competitors, and free flyers! Your entry fees and donations went not only towards the cost of running the meet but also to the Chelan site fund which allowed year-round flying this year and will continue to do so for many more to come.

T

his year’s weather, unfortunately, wasn’t great. None of the days deserved to be called epic. Only a handful of flights ever got over 10,000 feet. But despite the sketchy and challenging weather conditions, we safely flew every day, and flights over 60 miles were scored on five of the six days. A number of personal

bests were achieved, and that’s what this meet is all about.

On a personal note: I’ve been flying Chelan for 25 years, competing in the Classic for 16 of them, and I finally won my class! Simultaneously helping run the meet and flying competitively took a lot of work and physical and emotional energy. I spent a good portion of Saturday with drink in my hand and my toes in the sand, all the while suffering through the pain caused by smiling with chapped lips. After a final swim in Lake Chelan, I relaxed and enjoyed a long afternoon nap.

Chelan Butte is not volcanic; Lake Chelan is very clean and refreshing.

The wineries, the restaurants, the bars that are so inviting, and the fine dust that serves as thermal markers, a result of land regularly tilled for our benefit by the Waterville Plateau farmers, will all be here for sure in 2014, and the annual Chelan Cross-country Classic—the 33rd in 2014—will be here, too. We’ll see you then!

ABOVE After cross country near Banks lake.

RIGHT Roberto C. on his R12.

RIGID HANG GLIDER

TOPLESS HANG GLIDER

KINGPOST HANG GLIDER

SERIAL PARAGLIDER

SPORT PARAGLIDER

Pilot

Glider

Day 1

Day 2

Day 3

Day 4

Day 5

Day 6

Best 4

1

Mike Daily

Axxess

911

0

612

728

1020

0

3271

2

Dave Little

Extacy

215

23

141

330

0

0

709

698

79

1134

3112

1

Lenny Baron

Wills T2

1201

37

76

2

Jeff Beck

Wills T2

1201

24

23

438

84

1267

2990

3

Wayne Michelsen

Laminar

848

0

23

1058

23

774

2703

4

Kelly Harrison

Wills Fusion

326

19

58

541

944

842

2653

5

Cliff Schmitt

0

25

23

24

554

892

1495

6

Aaron Rinn

315

20

24

512

260

23

1111

7

Kurt Hartzog

172

0

0

0

362

123

657

8

John Taylor

386

0

0

0

23

0

409

9

Steve Alford

23

23

23

23

0

0

92

10

Chris Valley

23

0

23

0

0

0

46

10

Jim Pratt

23

0

0

23

0

0

46

12

Russ Gelfan

23

0

0

0

0

0

23

12

Doug Doerfler

23

0

0

0

0

0

23

530

55

73

645

68

814

2062

1

Tom Johns

Wills Sport 2

2

Konrad Kurp

Bautek Fizz

32

23

23

111

24

113

280

3

Brian Foster

23

0

23

120

23

0

189

4

Jeff Koehler

23

0

0

0

0

0

23

1

Matt Senior

Ozone R11

447

35

28

534

614

362

1957

2

Roberto Cardoso

Ozone R12

23

23

23

468

574

646

1711

3

Frederick Bourgavalt

Ice Peak 6

897

0

0

0

0

0

897

4

Steve Thibault

0

0

0

274

0

0

274

1

Reavis Sutphin-Gray

Ozone Delta

116

28

62

51

518

572

1268

2

Morgan Hollingsworth

Access Vega

183

0

52

243

732

0

1210

3

Davidson DaSilva

Gradien Aspen

50

24

386

276

103

147

912

4

Paulo Miranda

48

25

0

314

313

35

710

5

Pamela Nichols

23

23

23

0

0

0

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51

Thinking Outside the Blocks PART IV: A DAY IN THE LIFE

by DENNIS PAGEN

L

ast September I had the first flight on my new Moyes RX. I took off, got relatively high and landed. All in a day’s work.

But on the drive home I reflected on the hundred little observations, decisions and choices I made that affected the flight’s outcome. I thought it would be a good review of the many factors that come into play in a successful flight. Perhaps the reader will pick up a few new tricks or relearn some old lessons. Perhaps the discussion will spark some reflections on your own flights that you can share with others. Perhaps you can point out things I missed or mistakes I made on this flight.

The site chosen for me by conditions and the price of gas was Hyner View, along the Susquehanna River in north-central Pennsylvania. The launch is 1280 feet above the landing field across the river. The mountain is steep and the launch is steep with a large bowl in front of it. A long gorge runs back immediately to the right of launch and a forward extension to the left of launch descends to the “point” (see figure 1). Then the ridge takes an abrupt left turn to form a low, 250-ft. ridge about 1/2 a mile long. In the immediate vicinity of launch there are slopes facing from south to north, although west to north are most usable.

These slopes accommodate various wind directions and thermal drifts, as

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we shall see. All the variations mean this site is more complicated than one with one face, one direction.

Hyner View is mainly a thermal site because it sits above a fairly narrow valley and we don’t fly it in winds over 15 mph. All the thermals that get generated in the valley areas tend to give at least a passing howdy to launch. Because Hyner is our only hope on light-wind days, we are sometimes there by default when air-horniness overcomes our better judgment.

As a consequence, we frequently find ourselves scratching through the nooks and crannies, seeking salvation from dreaded gravity with any errant erratic thermal we encounter.

The 2:1 glide to the landing means we can scratch nearly to the deck. There are occasional saves from a couple hundred feet up—or less.

With that picture in mind, imagine my mixed emotions to find myself on launch to get my prescription filled on my RX, with only about 3 to 6 wafting in. I was fully prepared to just go down on this virgin glider, simply to break the ice. Now imagine my smile when a bald eagle migrating down

the river hooked a weak thermal right below launch. I picked up, on my toes like a fundamentalist preacher ready for heaven, but as so often happens in light winds, the thermal changed the launch winds to cross. I don’t mind a 30-degree cross at this steep site, but only if it is a steady wind, not a thermal draw. Thermals harbor turbulence that can greatly compromise safety. Certainly we launch into thermals, but only in their heart when the wind has straightened (lesson 1).

Unfortunately, the eagle was above me by the time the wind straightened enough for high-percentage launching. I motored off, wanting maximum speed for maximum control. I found the remnants of that thermal and wallowed around for a couple 360s trying to find the core—any core— but it really didn’t work. I saw the eagle wander off above me and wished him luck even though he suckered me off the hill. I was in the bowl, the first place to hunt thermals at the site, but all I found was too much of nothing.

OK, I had already resigned myself to a glide-to-ground and I was finding the RX’s handling to be delightful. I

Typically on a weak day you have to wring a thermal out for every last drop of lift so you can survive the dead cycles...

cruised over to the point, the secondsave house thermal after the bowl.

There were 10 pilots flying that day and several had already dabbled in teasing bubbles at the point.

I wallowed around looking for leaf disturbance (lesson 2) and leaked off about 450 feet of precious altitude.

Call it luck, call it paying for performance or just perseverance, but I hit a hint of lift. With nothing to lose, I cranked up that little wing. I knew the lift would be small—we were under a high-pressure system clocking around westerly winds, so I was ready (lesson 3). I was below the point, which in some ways was an advantage because the slope channeled the thermal up along it—it was easier to stay in it.

Also, I could judge my progress without looking at my altimeter in such a 50-50 thermal—fifty feet per minute, 50% of the time. Normally, only your altimeter or a slope alongside can reveal if you are making progress in such a weak thermal (those are lessons 4 and 5, I believe). Using the slope to judge climb allowed me to focus with

mind, body and soul on the anemic lift. Focus in scratching conditions is of utmost importance (lesson 6).

After a while of working, I rose above the point and the thermal began to coalesce and gather in strength, but drift a bit more. I redoubled my resolve to focus, but did notice with satisfaction that the eagle joined me, although he was still above me. The lift was only about 100 feet per minute. The drift was from the west-northwest and I imagined the feed from below breaking off from the point. I tried to keep the trajectory in mind and was careful not to drift in front or behind the thermal.

Thermals often accelerate downwind once they clear the terrain, so the tendency is to drift out the front. But with tilted thermals, the tendency is to drift out the back (lesson 7).

Since this was my first thermal, it was anyone’s guess what the day’s characteristics were, so I concentrated on each 360 to keep the climb as steady as possible. A couple of times the lift weakened, but I could get it back by

adjusting to center on the area I just left (lesson 8 or more) Some instruments can help you track where the thermal core was, but after exploring and exploiting ten million thermals I can fairly well re-find a wandering core.

After minutes of struggle, all of it fun, I was a little above the top.

Another pilot launched and flew directly to the point. He had been waiting on launch—too long in my opinion. On an iffy day, if someone is climbing, it is imperative to get off the hill and join her, coming in above like the eagle, if possible (lesson 9). In fact, on a scratchy day, the best policy is to have two good pilots as ready as possible so they can get into the air at nearly the same time and really up the odds of someone finding whatever is out there (lesson 10). Of course, it is our nature to wait for a sure (or surer) thing, but sometimes we over-wait; sometimes we miss the boat.

Now I began to watch two things: the other pilot working about 200 feet below me and the wind indicators at launch (several streamers and a flag at the peak). I still wasn’t home free—far from it. On these high-pressure days, thermals are often short-lived and inversion layers can plug up the cores.

I was using my fellow pilot as an indicator of any hot spots or shots of lift surging up. He was making larger circles than I did when I was at his level. I felt this was a mistake, because although tighter circles give you an increase in pure sink rate, every time you exit the best core area the losses are greater (lesson 11). From my perspective, it looked like he was climbing slowly, although I was gradually pulling away. After the flight he said he only gained about 100 feet above

HANG GLIDING & PARAGLIDING MAGAZINE

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launch.

I was looking at the wind indicators to determine where the thermals were feeding. The site tends to pull up thermals from multiple points and as each one combines with or replaces the previous feed, it can change the wind flow at launch. When I noticed the wind shift right (counterclockwise), I expected lift more to the left as the flow pivoted (see figure 2). I was by no means in a steady thermal and had to constantly adjust to the wandering lift (lesson 12) until I was about 600 feet above launch.

Typically on a weak day you have to wring a thermal out for every last drop of lift so you can survive through the dead cycles between thermals (lesson 13). Height is your salvation.

On this day there were more or less constant light feeds that buoyed me gradually higher. At that 600-foot level it seemed that I broke through lower stable air (typical in a high) and the core came together in a solid 200 fpm, eventually building to 250 fpm. I

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was happy and climbed content until I reached about 1000 feet over (3000 MSL). Then the thermal slowed and began to get bumpy and iffy. I had hit an inversion. Again I tightened my circles to stay in the smaller cores and to drift with the lift. Often an inversion layer has differing wind conditions and this one showed a northerly flow (lesson 14).

I became a bulldog, horsing my glider around when necessary to snake it through the lift patches. I was still climbing in shots from 100 to 200 fpm. Nothing was steady, but I was smiling because, after all, the whole flight was an unexpected gift. The fun got funner when I broke above the inversion at 1600 feet over. The thermal got stronger and the flight got longer. I then had no trouble climbing to 2400 feet over launch.

At that topping point the lift died, no matter how I caressed and cajoled it. Maybe there was a stronger inversion there, or maybe the thermals were exhausted (there were no

clouds to promise greater height).

But the wonderful thing was I could fly around at will and find additional lift to maintain my perspective from 2000 to 2400 over. Hyner often offers such conditions, and in fairness to the previously mentioned pilot, a couple weeks later he had two flights when he climbed to 4200 feet over and boated around at will.

After about an hour, the lift suddenly died. I slowly sank beneath the inversion. The reason, in my judgment, was the day was getting on and the thermals were getting weaker, so they no longer penetrated through the inversion. Such a shutoff often happens abruptly and can occur at any level. As I got below 1000 feet I felt weak lift, but couldn’t really put it together. Eventually, I floated down to just above launch height. I worked what I could, carefully noting the wind direction to determine any possible thermal rotation. When the wind crosses a slope, thermals generally rotate, at least lower down.

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Turning opposite the rotation increases climb rate significantly (lesson 15).

There were still pilots launching and I saw a tandem go off. I watched him like a vulture, hoping to feed off any thermal carcass he would find. We got lower while hunting in our favorite spots. Sure enough, the tandem pilot—a good one—began turning below me. I joined him and noted that if he was climbing tandem I could surely get up also. We were along the little ridge, about 300 feet above the landing field—barely surviving. I suddenly realized he was solo on his glider. I shouldn’t have been so cavalier about the “sure thing” he was showing (there must be lesson 16 here somewhere).

We worked that sporadic lift and climbed in stutters to about 500 feet over the ground. All the while I was watching the windsock in the landing field (lesson 17). It shifted counterclockwise and I felt the lift dying, so I headed north a bit. It is always

gratifying when theory and nature coincide to pay off your hunches. I was straight downwind from the sock and hit a weak but solid climb. Another pilot launched just then and flew towards me. Rather than meld with my circle (clockwise 360s) he flew around the opposite direction outside and never did find the thermal. How much better it is to judge your thermal entry, join another pilot cleanly and work up together (lesson 18). Two can always do it better than one in thermals and other prone endeavors.

Eventually I tracked that thermal above launch, but the day was dying.

There was a little bit of restitution— excess heat coming up as wonder winds—but it was weak, short lived and just a tease. After one and a half hours I sank to the inevitable landing.

This site only offers a landing to the north or the south. In such a weak wind day, thermals determine how it blows in the landing area. I saw very light winds, but they were wandering.

There was a trickle from the north,

then the southwest, then it was dead.

So I hedged my bets. I circled off to the edge of the field so I could choose a direction at the last moment (lesson 19). When altitude was scarce I saw the indicators hanging limp, so chose to head north, the direction favored for most of the day. I carefully dove my glider—it was my first flight on it—for approach speed, rounded out, bled off the speed and punched out a full flare for a one-stepper in nil wind.

The flight was over and I was grinning from the unexpected airtime.

Maybe I need a lesson to be ever optimistic (make that # 20). I had nearly a flawless takeoff, blundered well into thermals and landed cleanly on that inexperienced glider’s first flight. As I drove home reflecting on the fun I had, I realized how many little details there are that influence a flight. Certainly there are times in weak conditions when I don’t get up, so I should mention perhaps the most important lesson: It always pays to be lucky!

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Remember

Back When...

W

inter is a good time to think back on the past year and meditate on the lessons you have learned. Or, since time flies by so fast, we 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 as we do.

This topic is of interest to me because now that I have become snowbound in my mountain town, I have undertaken the abovementioned tasks and have 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 made from meditations 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 impatient at some pilots on launch who seemed to take forever laying out, organizing their lines, and then standing there waiting for what I considered an excessive amount of time through multiple cycles. Some of the pilots were people that 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 some friends of the pilots in these circumstances, and gained some insight into why things weren’t going according to my conceived plans. In one instance, a pilot wasn’t feeling too well physically, and blew four attempts to launch at a comp.

In another instance, a pilot was enduring some stress from some family matters that were weighing heavily on his mind and affecting his performance. These were certainly productive conversations that helped create some empathy for what others may be going through at any given moment. We’re not always in the same state of mind, and that will impact how much focus we have for the task at hand.

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by

DA N B R U C E

An inward look at my own bumbling and fumbling also has helped. I remember times when I’ve demonstrated subpar performance due to the very same reasons: work issues, family stresses, financial woes, etc. Dwelling on these is helpful in the quest to develop some mildness, kindness, and longsuffering .

Self-criticism is an easy offshoot of being a critical person in general. If we find it easy to criticize ourselves, we most probably will find ourselves criticizing others around us. I am making a real 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 other’s driving skills (or lack thereof), then kudos to you. But if you’re one that 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 WWIII. She is always telling 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 back on 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 self-criticism and the resulting turmoil are usually the result of comparing myself with others. And it is always a comparison with those who are much quicker than me 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, and others a little slower and methodical. Why be critical of ourselves or others over it?

Overall, if you look at our collective group of pilots, it appears that most are pretty laid-back when it comes to our everyday flying. Competitions seem to be 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, it reminded me of my earlier days doing the exact same things. I had a patient instructor, but I could feel a little of his exasperation watching me not quite “getting it.” It took a while to visualize where all my lines would be once I turned around from the reverse launch position. And there was also some fear that somehow lines may have crossed up somehow since I had last flown. So, I’d take things s l o w l y getting into position. Then, once overhead, the wing 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 just feeling it and making the slight corrections needed. Multiple times I was told to stop looking at the wing, but 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 to 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 was initially 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 controlling what is now the left side of the wing, or would it be my left hand since it’s connected to the right side of the wing now?” It took a while to sort it out, but a tip from another pilot came in handy and immediately clicked. He suggested, “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 seeing me struggle and offering his advice.

That story brings me to my final point. We all have things we can share with each other that will make us all better pilots. When seeing someone struggling we may shy away from saying something to them, worrying about hurting their feelings. If the abovementioned pilot had done that with me, I’d have missed out on a lasting and valuable lesson. So, take

“Self-criticism is an easy offshoot of being a critical person in general. If we find it easy to criticize ourselves, we most probably will find ourselves criticizing others around us. ”

a chance and go outside your comfort zone 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.

So 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 might imagine sharing these with other pilots. Most of those whom I have interacted with over the years share a hunger for learning. This includes not only the new students hungry to get the skills to get into the air, but also the comp pilots and acro pilots looking for a little better glide ratio, or that new trick. Perhaps one of the reason you love this particular magazine is because some of those things end up being published in these pages. Maybe 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. By all of us sharing what we can with one another, it will just keep getting better, and better, and better, and . . .

HANG GLIDING & PARAGLIDING MAGAZINE

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RATINGS ISSUED IN OCTOBER HANG GLIDING

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RTG RGN NAME

STATE RATING OFFICIAL

RTG RGN NAME

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

OR OR WA WA OR CA CA CA CA CA CA CA UT CO OK IN IN ME MA VA KY SC GA GA NC FL FL FL TN GA TN NC NC NC LA NY OR OR WA WA OR CA CA CA CA CA CA CA CA CA CA

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

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Andrew Persoon James Evans Bryan Hughes Shahroukh Kazempour Kate Mckercher Nick Belenkov Simon Lee Ryan Gillespie Shawn Murphy Sanjay Tibrewal David Donofrio Michael Bock Neil Hansen Sean Pummill Daniel Wilson David Halsmer David Ervin Chloe Dietrich Irek Mirgaleev Annette Evers Kirk Anderson Philip Clauss Jeff Hill Pat Sullivan Cheryl Morgan Jennifer Bryson Reinout Merret Van Dam Robert Denney Scott Erickson Andreas Bloch Zachary Baum Stephanie Seemel Jacob Hardes Karl Deking Terry Lee Greenwood Daniel Sullivan Andrew Persoon James Evans Bryan Hughes Shahroukh Kazempour Kate Mckercher Pere Monclus Demian Quesnel Alex Brozdounoff Stewart Chen Michael Dunham Edward Ashak Irvin Bough Tri Huynh Duane Devecchio William Sprague

John Matylonek John Matylonek John Matylonek John Matylonek John Matylonek John Simpson Robert Booth John Simpson Michael Macdonald Patrick Denevan Eric Hinrichs Michael Macdonald Rob Mckenzie Thomas Galvin Jr Jennifer Copple Christopher (kit) Martin Andy Torrington Jennifer Copple Thomas (tj) Baumann Christopher (kit) Martin Christopher (kit) Martin Christopher (kit) Martin Christopher (kit) Martin Jennifer Copple Christopher (kit) Martin Christopher (kit) Martin Malcolm Jones Malcolm Jones Christopher (kit) Martin Christopher (kit) Martin Jennifer Copple Jennifer Copple Jennifer Copple Jennifer Copple Christopher (kit) Martin Greg Black John Matylonek John Matylonek John Matylonek John Matylonek John Matylonek John Simpson Eric Hinrichs Eric Hinrichs John Simpson Michael Macdonald Eric Hinrichs Eric Hinrichs Eric Hinrichs Eric Hinrichs Eric Hinrichs

HANG GLIDING & PARAGLIDING MAGAZINE

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

STATE RATING OFFICIAL

David Donofrio CA Richard Verkaaik CA Neil Hansen UT Sean Pummill CO Daniel Wilson OK Michelle Pierce IA David Halsmer IN Mark Getty NH Chloe Dietrich ME Christopher Bruno PA Ric Caylor PA Annette Evers VA Kirk Anderson KY Michael Stein NC Robert Williams NC Philip Clauss SC Jeff Hill GA Pat Sullivan GA Cheryl Morgan NC Jennifer Bryson FL Reinout Merret Van Dam FL Robert Denney FL Scott Erickson TN Andreas Bloch GA Zachary Baum TN Stephanie Seemel NC Jacob Hardes NC Karl Deking NC Terry Lee Greenwood LA Brian Scarpati NY Liviu Victor Rusu NY Chris Tarnawski WA Garrett Speeter AK Eric Book CA Alvin Fernandez CA Melissa Axen UT Zane Clement ID James Picton CT Jeremy Armstrong FL Gordon Ponsford GA Michael Cushing GA Sebastian Domingo AL Reinout Merret Van Dam FL John (david) Templeton TX Luis Herrera-tiatoa NJ Richard Selgrad Iii NY Joseph Villaflor CA Wilbert Hill NH Jeremy Armstrong FL Reinout Merret Van Dam FL Edward Jowett NY

Eric Hinrichs William Dydo Rob Mckenzie Thomas Galvin Jr Jennifer Copple Christopher (kit) Martin Christopher (kit) Martin Thomas (tj) Baumann Jennifer Copple Randy Grove Randy Grove Christopher (kit) Martin Christopher (kit) Martin Christopher (kit) Martin Alex Brewer Christopher (kit) Martin Christopher (kit) Martin Jennifer Copple Christopher (kit) Martin Christopher (kit) Martin Malcolm Jones Malcolm Jones Christopher (kit) Martin Christopher (kit) Martin Jennifer Copple Jennifer Copple Jennifer Copple Jennifer Copple Christopher (kit) Martin Rhett Radford Eric Meibos Larry Jorgensen Rob Mckenzie Eric Hinrichs Joe Greblo Kevin Koonce Alan Paylor Greg Black Kevin Koonce Oswaldo Lopez-armas Matthew Taber Matthew Taber Malcolm Jones David Broyles Greg Black Greg Black John Simpson Eric Meibos Kevin Koonce Malcolm Jones Ronald Kittredge

PARAGLIDING RTG RGN NAME

STATE RATING OFFICIAL

P-1 P-1 P-1 P-1 P-1 P-1 P-1 P-1

1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1

Bianca Wulff Stuart Ronk Bret Conant Christina Kurtz Jeff Trembly Peter Powers Namara Brede Fedor Zhdanov

WA OR WA WA OR OR WA WA

Denise Reed Steve Van Fleet Michael (kim) Smith Steven Wilson Kelly Kellar Denise Reed Jonathan Jefferies Jerome Daoust

P-1 P-1 P-1 P-1 P-1 P-1 P-1 P-1 P-1 P-1 P-1 P-1 P-1 P-1 P-1 P-1 P-1 P-1 P-1 P-1 P-1 P-1 P-1 P-1 P-1 P-1 P-1 P-1 P-1 P-1 P-1 P-1 P-1 P-1 P-1 P-1 P-1 P-1 P-1 P-1 P-1 P-1 P-1 P-1 P-1 P-1 P-1 P-1 P-1 P-1 P-1 P-1 P-1

1 1 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 5 5 5 5 6 6

James Dukes Henry Cook Aries Dela Cruz Steven Hanley Andrey Ulanov Irina Ulanov David Grimes Ron Sand Jason Peyton Bryan Mosley Jessie Draper Dmitry Chichkov Mark Zinkel James Mccray Reid Nolan Viktor Lidholt Jack Menzel Emily Moxley Matthias Annefeld Raleigh Bettiga Jason Cook Ilija Djurkovic Felix Molina Jonathan Pascual Cody Gibson Sebastian Rivas Alexa Caskey Barry Holubeck Mark Schaefer Katelyn Strickland Matt Fox Liz Freeman Daniel Borrero Barry Ries Robert Cooper William Stites Will Rawstron Samuel Sanderson Johnny Gunn Todd Ruby Nicholas Matisse Matthew Picard Art Pitman Claudinei Pizetta Alex Obrien Chad Jahn Martin Rhett Matthew Puglia Sonja Coleman Miller Resor Jason Mullins Daniel Plotnick Anthony Hart

OR AK WA WA WA WA CA CA CA CA CA CA CA CA CA CA CA CA CA CA CA NV CA HI CA HI HI CA CA CA CA HI CA CA UT CO CO UT AZ AZ CO UT CO AZ AZ UT AZ ID ID WY ID

Brad Hill Steven Amy Brad Hill Denise Reed Jerome Daoust Jerome Daoust William Laurence Kevin Lee Daniel Ribas Jesse Meyer Wallace Anderson Jeffrey Greenbaum Shigeru Harada Mitchell Neary Mitchell Neary Wallace Anderson Jeffrey Greenbaum Jeffrey Greenbaum Jesse Meyer Jesse Meyer Tom Morris Christopher Grantham Marcello Debarros Robert Edwards Justin Boer Robert Edwards Marc Chirico Troy Hartman Marcello Debarros Jonathan Jefferies Philip Russman Carson Klein Max Marien William Purden Jr Stephen Mayer Kay Tauscher Gregory Kelley Chris Santacroce Nik Peterson Carlos Madureira Jonathan Jefferies Chris Santacroce Stephen Mayer Carlos Madureira Nik Peterson Ken Hudonjorgensen Nik Peterson Matthew Beechinor Matthew Beechinor Scott Harris Matthew Beechinor Rob Sporrer Christopher Grantham

RTG RGN NAME

P-1 P-1 P-1 P-1 P-1 P-1 P-1 P-1 P-1 P-1 P-1 P-1 P-1 P-1 P-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

6 8 8 8 9 9 9 10 10 10 10 11 11 12 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2

Chan Sui Man Simon Bill Champagne Micheal Smith Mark Perrault Brian Biggerstaff Kristin Rokos Brandon Tarr Austin Miles Mason Coriell John Gerlach William Turner Marty Lewis Carroll Carter, Jr Joaquin Hachey Bianca Wulff Stuart Ronk Bret Conant Christina Kurtz Craig Sundquist Peter Powers Namara Brede Fedor Zhdanov Henry Cook Steven Hanley Andrey Ulanov Irina Ulanov David Grimes Bud Heishman Ron Sand Jason Peyton Bryan Mosley John Hill Reid Nolan Matthias Annefeld Raleigh Bettiga

STATE RATING OFFICIAL

CT VT VT PA PA PA GA FL FL SC TX TX NY WA OR WA WA WA OR WA WA AK WA WA WA CA NV CA CA CA NV CA CA CA

Alex Tang Chi Vi Benoit Bruneau John Dunn John Dunn Benoit Bruneau Benoit Bruneau Terry Bono Luis Rosenkjer Carson Klein Patrick Johnson Christopher Grantham Jeffrey Hunt Shane Denherder Rick Sharp Denise Reed Steve Van Fleet Michael (kim) Smith Steven Wilson David Norwood Denise Reed Jonathan Jefferies Jerome Daoust Steven Amy Denise Reed Jerome Daoust Jerome Daoust William Laurence Mitchell Neary Kevin Lee Daniel Ribas Jesse Meyer Mitchell Neary Mitchell Neary Jesse Meyer Jesse Meyer

RTG RGN NAME

STATE RATING OFFICIAL

RTG RGN NAME

STATE RATING OFFICIAL

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

CA NV CA CA HI CA HI CA CA CA CA HI CA UT CO CO CO UT AZ AZ CO UT CO AZ AZ UT AZ ID ID WY AR

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

MA CT PA PA PA PA NC SC NC GA FL FL SC TX NY WA AK WA CA CA CA CA CA CA CA HI CO CO CO AZ AZ

2 2 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 5 5 5 6 6 6 6 8

Jason Cook Ilija Djurkovic Felix Molina Weichun (eric) Lin Jonathan Pascual Cody Gibson Sebastian Rivas Barry Holubeck Mark Schaefer Katelyn Strickland Matt Fox Liz Freeman Barry Ries Robert Cooper William Stites Molly Theda Will Rawstron Samuel Sanderson Johnny Gunn Todd Ruby Nicholas Matisse Matthew Picard Art Pitman Claudinei Pizetta Alex Obrien Chad Jahn Martin Rhett Matthew Puglia Sonja Coleman Miller Resor Alan Smiley Daniel Plotnick Anthony Hart Chan Sui Man Simon Matthew Waller

VT

Tom Morris Christopher Grantham Marcello Debarros Max Marien Robert Edwards Justin Boer Robert Edwards Troy Hartman Marcello Debarros Jonathan Jefferies Philip Russman Carson Klein William Purden Jr Stephen Mayer Kay Tauscher Gregory Kelley Gregory Kelley Chris Santacroce Nik Peterson Carlos Madureira Jonathan Jefferies Chris Santacroce Stephen Mayer Carlos Madureira Nik Peterson Ken Hudonjorgensen Nik Peterson Matthew Beechinor Matthew Beechinor Scott Harris Britton Shaw Rob Sporrer Christopher Grantham Alex Tang Chi Vi Joseph Seitz

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

Peter Skowronski Bill Champagne Brian Biggerstaff Izumi Hopson Kristin Rokos Brandon Tarr Alex Brewer Jonathan Fitzpatrick Charles Kincaid Austin Miles Mason Coriell John Gerlach William Turner Carroll Carter, Jr Joaquin Hachey Tom Keefer Pryce Brown Brent Taylor Cliff Hacker Lukas Marti Thomas Waclo Felix Molina Robert Manthey Allen Thoe Trevor Davids Jacques De Rham Dean Martinson William Stites Jerry Patton Johnny Gunn Martin Rhett Vincent Christian Timothy Buck Ulric Leblanc William Stites

MI UT CO

John Dunn Benoit Bruneau Benoit Bruneau Terry Bono Benoit Bruneau Terry Bono Michael Appel Luis Rosenkjer Luis Rosenkjer Luis Rosenkjer Carson Klein Patrick Johnson Christopher Grantham Shane Denherder Rick Sharp Marc Chirico Jake Schlapfer John Kraske Kari Castle Jesse Meyer Mitchell Neary Marcello Debarros John Ryan Jerome Daoust Max Marien David (dexter) Binder William Laurence Kay Tauscher Kay Tauscher Nik Peterson Nik Peterson Alex Tang Chi Vi Mike Steen Patrick Johnson Kay Tauscher

2014 USHPA CALENDARS ARE HERE! ORDER YOURS TODAY for ONLY $20.

WWW.USHPA.AERO / STORE HANG GLIDING & PARAGLIDING MAGAZINE

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CALENDAR ITEMS will not be listed if only tentative. Please include exact information (event, date, contact name and phone number). Items should be received no later than six weeks prior to the event. We request two months lead time for regional and national meets. For more complete information on the events listed, see our Calendar of Events at: www.USHPA.aero 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 80901-1330. 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) 632-6417 HANG GLIDING ADVISORY: Used hang glid-

ers 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), reused 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 SANCTIONED COMPETITION MAY 18-24 > Souther Field, Americus, GA. Fly-

tec Americus Cup. More Information: Jamie Shelden 831-261-1544 naughtylawyer@gmail.com, orflytecamericuscup.com.

JUNE 1-7 > Highland Aerosports, Ridgely, MD. East Coast Hang Gliding Championship. Open fields as far as you can see; free camping; competitive sport class; and a great social atmosphere. More information: Adam Elchin 410634-2700 hanglide@aerosports.net, or www. aerosports.net.

JUNE 22-28 > Woodrat Mtn, Ruch, OR. 2014

Rat Race/Sprint Paragliding Competition. Twelfth Annual Rat Race/Sprint Paragliding Competition.

June 22 - 28th, 2014. Practice Day June 21st.

Two parties, daily lunches, retrieve and mentoring provided. Join the experience, travel southern Oregon, bring your family and see why the Rat Race is more than the largest paragliding festival in the USA. Go here and see what southern Oregon has to offer: http://southernoregon.org. Registration opens Feb 15, 2014 - $450.00 until 4/15/2014.

Sign up at MPHSports.com. More Information: Mike and Gail Haley 1-541-702-2111, mphsports@charter.net, or www.mphsports.com.

JULY 12-19 > Chelan Butte, Chelan, WA. Chel-

an Flats Nationals. 2014 US Paragliding Nationals, Race-to-goal, Chelan, WA More information: Kimberly Phinney, 707-508-5431, info@whiteowlpg.com, or whiteowlpg.com.

AUGUST 3-9 > Big Spring, TX. Big Spring Nationals. Strongest, smoothest, most consistent conditions of any US competition. Air-conditioned pilot lounge, hangar, paved runways, ice cream, water, all facilities. More information: Belinda Boulter and Davis Straub, 1-863-2067707, belinda@davisstraub.com, or http://ozreport.com/2014BigSpring.

SEPTEMBER 14-20 > Francisco Grande Golf Resort, Casa Grande, AZ. Santa Cruz Flats. More Information: Jamie Shelden 831-261-1544naughtylawyer@gmail.com, or santacruzflatsrace. blogspot.com.

clinics & tours THROUGH 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.

FEBRUARY 1-7 & 22-28, MARCH 15-21 & 22-28 > Costa Rica. Come fly over the tropical

forest of Costa Rica! For the 8th year advanced paragliding 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: Nick Crane 541-840-8587 nick@paracrane.com, or www. paracrane.com.

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 26 - FEBURARY 3, FEBRUARY 8-16 & 16-24 > Roldanillo, Colombia: Eagle Paraglid-

ing and Paraglide Utah are teaming up to offer four weeks of unforgettable flying in Roldanillo, Colombia. This is the world-class 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 raceto-goal tasks daily for those interested. We have been offering tours for over a decade all over the world. The number of high-caliber 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 805-968-0980.

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-Medellin, 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 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/.

APRIL 4-6, 11-13 & 18-20 > Sebring,

Florida SIV: Over the waters maneuvers training,guide/coach David Prentice over 20 yrs experience. Sebring is a world class SIV destination with white sand beaches and crystal clear waters just minutes from downtown.

From basic to advanced maneuvers each pilot advances at their own pace. Boat tow to 3,000 ft and gain priceless knowledge and experience under your wing. More information: David Prentice, 505-720-5436, or earthcog@yahoo.com.

APRIL 7-13 > Honduras. Come fly with Nick Crane and Paracrane in Honduras. Help support the growth of our sport and the growth of low impact tourism in a beautiful rural mountain community. In conjunction with Karma Flights, Nick will be teaching some local pilots to fly before this tour. Your participation in this tour will help these local young pilots in their learning process and help finance their dream. Prices are $1295 for one week. More Information: Nick Crane 541840-8587 nick@paracrane.com, or www.paracrane.com.

APRIL 27 - MAY 2 > La Belle, Florida. NeverLand flight park. The 9th annual Spring Fling XC clinic and fun comp. Hosted by David Prentice, this is a 6 day XC clinic/fun comp for newer pilots who want to improve thermal and XC skills.

Entry fee is $300 and includes daily briefings and XC releated clincs covering everything from GPS to flying skills. We’ve averaged 5 out of 6 days flown, and many pilots fly personal bests. Scoring, prize money and awards ceremony included.

40 pilot limit. Registration opens Feb 1st. Check out USPG comps.com for more information or contact David Prentice, 505-720-5436, or earthcog@yahoo.com.

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MAY 4-10 > La Belle, Florida. NeverLand flight park. This is the 10th annual East Coast Paragliding Championships(ECPC) Come enjoy the world class flats of Florida, with many 100Km tasks. Strong lift and epic cloud streets, have drawn top pilots from around the world to Florida for more then 75 yrs! 40 pilot limit: Entry fee is $300. 10% goes to prize money, includes xc retrieval, scoring, awards ceremony dinner. Tow fee is $150. Registration opens Feb 1st. More information: David Prentice, 505-7205436, earthcog@yahoo.com, or earthcog@yahoo.com.

MAY 9-19 > Owens Valley, CA Geared for Very Strong P3/H3 pilots and above that are ready to fly XC in pretty sweet conditions.

Owens Valley with Kari. Fly one of the best sites in the US with one of the best pilots in the world.

Let Kari’s 33 years of flying and 26 years of living/flying the Owens Valley, be your guide! We work on anything that has to do with high altitude mountain flying from launching thru record setting XC flights and everything in betweenâ?¦the sky is the limit!!! More Information: Kari Castle 760 920 0748 kari@karicastle.com, or KARICASTLE.COM. SEPTEMBER 20-28 > Owens Valley, CA Geared

for Very Strong P3/H3 pilots and above that are ready to fly XC in pretty sweet conditions.

Owens Valley with Kari. Fly one of the best sites in the US with one of the best pilots in the world.

Let Kari’s 33 years of flying and 26 years of living/flying the Owens Valley, be your guide! We work on anything that has to do with high altitude mountain flying from launching thru record setting XC flights and everything in betweenâ?¦the sky is the limit!!! More Information: Kari Castle 760 920 0748 kari@karicastle.com, or KARICASTLE.COM.

OCTOBER 1-5, 10-13 & 17-20 > Owens Val-

ley, CA. Owens Valley with Kari. Fly one of the best sites in the US with one of the best pilots in the world. Let Kari’s 33 years of flying and 26 years of living/flying the Owens Valley, be your guide! We work on anything that has to do with high altitude mountain flying including launching to record setting XC flights and everything in between. The sky is the limit!!!

More information: Kari Castle, 760-920-0748, kari@karicastle.com, or KARICASTLE.COM.

HANG GLIDERS FLIGHT SUITS ULTRALIGHT SOARING TRIKES

509.682.4359

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DON’T MISS OUT. RENEW ONLINE.

OCTOBER 24-27 > Owens Valley, CA Women With Wings- The Third Annual gathering of women pilots! Geared for P2-P3’s but all are welcome!

Owens Valley with Kari. Fly one of the best sites in the US with one of the best pilots in the world. Let Kari’s 33 years of flying and 26 years of living/flying the Owens Valley, be your guide! We work on anything that has to do with high altitude mountain flying including launching to record setting XC flights and everything in between. The sky is the limit!!!

More information: Kari Castle, 760-920-0748, kari@karicastle.com, or KARICASTLE.COM.

CLASSIFIED 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

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HANG GLIDING & PARAGLIDING MAGAZINE

RIVER VALLEY PARAGLIDING - Year-round

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

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

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

AIRJUNKIES

CENTRAL CALIFORNIA HANG GLIDING FLIGHT SCHOOL - WW Dealer offering year round positive

FLEX WINGS

Be sure to renew your USHPA membership online to participate in the USHPA Green initiative.

Online renewal is only available to current members, and members who have been expired less than 3 years. Members who have been expired more than 3 years will not have access to online renewal.

ARKANSAS

and encouraging teaching with smaller class sizes allowing for quality instruction. Discounts for servicemen/students.

(209)543-4617 glendecoshanggliding.com

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.

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

GEORGIA

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

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.

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.

6020

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 AAA Mountain Wings Inc - New location at

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

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

HANG GLIDING & PARAGLIDING MAGAZINE

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FLY HIGH, INC. - Serving New York, Jersey, and

Connecticut areas. Area’s exclusive Wills Wing dealer. Also all other brands, accessories. Area’s most INEXPENSIVE prices! Certified instruction/ service since 1979. Excellent secondary instruction!

Taken some lessons? Advance to mountain flying! www.flyhighhg.com, 845-744-3317.

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

NORTH CAROLINA KITTY HAWK KITES - FREE Hang 1 training with purchase of equipment! The largest hang gliding school in the world. Teaching since 1974. Learn to fly over the East coast’s largest sand dune. Year round instruction, foot launch and tandem aerotow.

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

OHIO CLOUD 9 SPORT AVIATION - See Cloud 9 in

Michigan

PUERTO RICO FLY PUERTO RICO WITH TEAM SPIRIT HG! -

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

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

TENNESSEE LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN FLIGHT PARK - Just outside

Chattanooga. Become a complete pilot -foot launch, aerotow, mountain launch, ridge soar, thermal soar. hanglide.com, 1-877-HANGLIDE, 877-426-4543.

TEXAS FlyTexas / Jeff Hunt - training pilots in Central

Texas for 25 years. Hangar facilities near Packsaddle Mountain, and Lake LBJ. More info: www.flytexas. com, (512)467-2529

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HANG GLIDING & PARAGLIDING MAGAZINE

UTAH CLOUD 9 PARAGLIDING - Come visit us and check

OXYGEN SYSTEMS – MH-XCR-180 operates to

18,000 ft., weighs only 4 lbs. System includes cylinder, harness, regulator, cannula, and remote on/off flowmeter. $450.00. 1-800-468-8185.

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 801576-6460 if you have any questions.

SPECIALTY WHEELS for airfoil basetubes, round basetubes, or tandem landing gear.(262)473-8800, www.hanggliding.com.

VIRGINIA

SOARING - Monthly magazine of The Soaring

BLUE SKY - Full-time HG instruction. Daily lessons,

scooter and platform towing. AT towing part time.

Custom sewing, powered harnesses, Aeros PG , Flylight and Airborne trikes. 804-241-4324 , www. blueskyhg.com

PUBLICATIONS & ORGANIZATIONS Society of America Inc. Covers all aspects of soaring flight. Full membership $64. SSA, PO Box 2100, Hobbs NM 88241. 505-392-1177, ssa.org.

SERVICE CLOUD 9 REPAIR DEPARTMENT - We staff and

INTERNATIONAL BAJA MEXICO - La Salina: PG, HG, PPG www.FLY-

LASALINA.com. by www.BAJABRENT.com, He’ll hook you up! site intros, tours, & rooms bajabrent@ bajabrent.com, 760-203-2658

COSTA RICA - Grampa Ninja’s Paragliders’ B&B. Rooms, and/or guide service and transportation.

Lessons available from USHPA certified instructors.

USA: 908-454-3242. Costa Rica: (Country code, 011) House: 506-2200-4824, Cell: 506-89508676, www.paraglidecostarica.com.

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

PARTS & ACCESSORIES Gunnison Gliders – X-C, Factory, heavy PVC

HG gliderbags $149 Harness packs & zippers.

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

Paragliding Hang Simulators-$150-$175.

Durable aluminum, handmade by certified welder, female pilot! Also, hitch hangers-$150+. See kufadesigns.com/parasim.html for info.

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.

RISING AIR GLIDER REPAIR SERVICES – A fullservice 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.

WANTED WANTED - Used variometers, harnesses, parachutes, helmets, etc. Trade or cash. (262) 4738800, www.hanggliding.com.

Wanted to buy- 1980's ball deck clamps.

Contact: biopzea@gmail.com

Photo by Drew Rush HANG GLIDING & PARAGLIDING MAGAZINE

65

THE 1

by HENRY BAKER

We 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!

After four days of rain, task 1 of the Sprint group at the 2013 Rat Race was called: 42.3km—a long one, via turnpoints Squires, Burnt, SugarLoaf, Burnt, Cemetery, and goal at Donato’s.

We were advised not to race, but just to fly the course, which was excellent advice for us Sprint pilots.

As I was standing in line on launch, I could see Fiasco wineries, the spot where I had landed out on a sled ride the day before. In the LZ, I hadn’t been able to find the exit gate. So I stepped over the wire fence and received a startling shock that went through the family jewels. I didn’t know it at the time but I would soon discover that shock had unleashed an unsuspected super power, that would last for exactly one day.

Here was my simple plan for the Rat Race tasks: 1. Launch late to conserve energy and brain power. 2. Don’t push hard. 3. Top out on every thermal.

After launching, I hooked a small thermal as it was drifting back fast over launch. I could feel the lee-side thermals mixing, creating an extreme up-anddown carousel. And with so many pilots in the air, I needed to see everything. I didn’t get as high as some, but my ears were popping and it was getting cold. I knew I was high; my mouth was dry, so I started sipping water.

It seemed time to head toward the start cylinder. I watched my Flymaster count down, as I went on glide with 1/3 bar. As I approached the start cylinder, pilots were turning around and leaving.

They were headed straight at me from different heights and angles, reminding

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HANG GLIDING & PARAGLIDING MAGAZINE

me of the Star Wars movies. As long as they didn’t realize I was coming at them and try to avoid me, I could maneuver in between them. Hint: Don’t follow close behind a gaggle when approaching a waypoint.

On my way to Burnt, gliders surrounded me, and all were doing their own thing. I could kind of make out two gaggles, one on the left and the other on the right, both with a cloud developing behind them. As I was climbing, other lower gliders were pushing out to SugarLoaf, but not gliding well.

Consequently, I decided to take a different line, one that was deeper and curved, following the higher terrain.

On my way back, I was a tad low over Rabies Peak when I saw another cloud start to develop in front of me. I needed more altitude to reach it safely, so I started milking the first thermal that found me and rode it as high as I could. Then I was off to the cloud and traveled up again. This time, several gliders joined me, and we became a happy gaggle, in the large, smooth lift.

As we approached cloudbase, I drifted downwind, where I needed to be.

I could taste the cloud. As I approached the edge, I pushed full bar to escape and leaned my head back to look back and forth, but nobody was above or below.

Did those other gliders get sucked into the cloud? Nothing I could do but follow my navigation pointer.

On glide, 1/3 bar, to Burnt again, and below me were several other gilders in a small gaggle; it was the race group.

I flew over them, searching for one more

climb before going over the back. I didn’t find a thermal, so I sped off on 1/3 bar.

I needed a climb to make Cemetery.

My glider kept turning left, so I weight shifted right to correct. Am I being sucked into another thermal? Is a convergence pushing me out? I glanced at my risers and noticed only my right riser was on speed. I laughed at myself and corrected my bar.

While still on glide to the Cemetery turnpoint and over the Cascades, I noticed a big house atop a knoll in the center of a small valley; I flew towards it, and found the thermal I needed. I was climbing slowly but didn’t care, especially since there was no one with whom to race or compare better climbs.

I topped out and went on glide, 1/3 bar to Cemetery and then on final glide to goal at Donato’s field.

Only a few kilometers away from goal, my glide to goal was 15-to-1 with a mountain ridge in the way. I needed one more climb and had no problem finding it. Again, I was not in a hurry; I hadn’t seen anyone for half an hour. After getting an 8-to-1 glide to goal, I was off again. Guess how much bar?

As I approached goal, no one was there, just a windsock, a port-a-potty and some ice chests. I had screwed up.

Jug had checked my Flymaster before launch so, of course, I was cursing him.

Then I realized it: I had just completed the one perfect flight—I won the task by 20 minutes!

Check out the task simulation by Iain Frew: http://vimeo.com/m/69631385

Sharing its DNA with both the Boomerang 9 (competition class) and the Atlas (easy intermediate class), the Carrera is a performance wing that offers sporty handling and real-world performance in a highly accessible package. The Carrera replaces the Tribe (EN C) in our paraglider range.

Featuring Equalized Pressure Technology (EPT) from the Boomerang 9 and Atlas, everything about the Carrera is designed with maximum efficiency in mind. An exceptionally clean sail provides precise handling and progressive, "gentle-but-firm" feel, ideal for those long thermalling flights. Great informative feedback in thermals and transitions, helps you pick the best lines. Yet at the same time, it damps out turbulence very effectively, allowing you to concentrate on your next move.

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