Hang Gliding & Paragliding Vol44/Iss12 Dec2014

DECEMBER 2014 Volume 44 Issue 12 $6.95

HANG GLIDING & PARAGLIDING MAGAZINE

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HANG GLIDING & PARAGLIDING MAGAZINE

of

ON THE COVER, Jeff Shapiro

flying near the Annapurna range in Nepal. MEANWHILE, Everard Cunion at Bel Hill.

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.

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

POSTMASTER Send change of address to: Hang Gliding & Paragliding magazine, P.O. BOX 1330, Colorado Springs, CO 80901-1330. Canadian Post Publications Mail Agreement #40065056.

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

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.

Martin Palmaz, Publisher executivedirector@ushpa.aero Nick Greece, Editor editor@ushpa.aero Greg Gillam, Art Director art.director@ushpa.aero C.J. Sturtevant, Copy Editor copy@ushpa.aero Beth Van Eaton, Advertising advertising@ushpa.aero Staff Writers Christina Ammon, Dennis Pagen, C.J. Sturtevant Ryan Voight Staff Photographers John Heiney, Jeff Shapiro

DECEMBER 2014 FLIGHT PLAN

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PILOT BRIEFINGS

8

AIRMAIL

9

CENTERFOLD

34

RATINGS

58

CALENDAR

60

CLASSIFIED

61

THE 1

66

26 Photos by Rebecca Bredehoft

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Rising Star Cory Barnwell

by Adam Bain

Gallery

by Rebecca Bredehoft

The Sky is the Limit

12

A New USHPA Committee ARC: Accident Review

by C.J. Sturtevant

38 European Adventure

18

Creative Strides for the Greater Good

by Patrick Joyce

Italy, Slovenia, Turkey, oh my!

by Shad Coulson

Off the Beaten Path

22

HG401: Advanced Tips & Techniques Sky-god Status

by Ryan Voight

46 Hanging in Laragne

50

Hang Gliding in Annecy

by Jamie Shelden

It's worth the trip

by Andy Pag

2014 Women's World Championships

54

Thinking Outside the Blocks Part XII: Thermal Trixz

by Dennis Pagen

ss

500 West Blueridge Ave Orange, CA 92865 www.WillsWing.com | 1.714.998.6359

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HANG GLIDING & PARAGLIDING MAGAZINE

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FLIGHT PLAN T

sat at lunch with Ken Grubbs recently during the annual fall United States Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association’s board meeting, talking about flying for the long haul or a flying career. I marveled at Grubbs, who has logged thousands of hours over his career, almost exclusively in the Rocky Mountain West. We traded stories about flying in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, and possible lines through parts of the country we both knew.

A salient point resonated when Grubbs discussed the risk involved in each flight and the vigilance needed to fend off a real danger— complacency. Even after countless flights and over 25 years of flying, Ken cautioned me to remember that each flight, no matter how experienced one may be, is just as consequential as the first flight. Unlike skiing, a sport where one can pull over and regroup during a bad run, we cannot put our sport on “pause.” Once a pilot’s feet leave the ground, the consequences for not succeeding are exactly the same for one’s second flight as for the thousandth.

Many of us dodge bullets from time to time when we become complacent, thinking our experience can carry us through any unforeseen circumstances. But Grubbs contends that to have a long and healthy career, one must not let experience mitigate risk but must teach one to engage in considered action at every decision.

If you can fly every flight with the vigilance and concentration of your first flights and focus on a long flying career without meteoric highs and lows, you will be well on your way to taking one of the most dangerous factors— complacency—out of free flight and headed to as many blissful hours in the air as Ken Grubbs.

left From front to back - Dave Miller, Rex Lisle, Brain

Patrick (pilot,) and “Mongo” himself at Lookout Mountain Flight Park | photo by Adam Bain.

he December issue begins with a piece submitted by a new staff contributor, Adam Bain. Adam sends in a profile of Corey Barnwell, a rising star who describes the metamorphosis he has undergone as a result of his enthusiasm for hang gliding and reveals what has contributed to his success.

Jamie Shelden reports on the participation of the Women’s US Team at the World Championships in Annecy, France, this year, while Andy Pag updates us with an account of flying hang gliders in Laragne, France, which was the site of recent hang gliding World Championships.

Shad Coulson recently returned from a whirlwind trip, flying classic routes in the Alps.

He reports that his having saved for years to have the opportunity to experience the Alps was well worth the wait. If you haven’t had a chance to fly in Europe, start saving!

Ryan Voight and Dennis Pagen once again provide us with valuable information in their educational columns. This is the last installment in Voight’s master class on flying hang gliders, but he will return with other features to inspire and educate.

Patrick Joyce sends in a report regarding the Cloudbase Foundation’s projects involving support of the Morton Teen Center in Morton, Washington, and KEEN shoes.

Keen is partnering with pilots from all over the world who wish to recycle their old wings by making them into backpacks which will be sold to benefit the Foundation. The Cloudbase Foundation is a non-profit created for all hang glider and paraglider pilots to encourage them to work with communities that surround our flying areas. Check out www.thecbf.org if you would like to apply for a grant or partner with the organization.

Finally, check out C.J. Sturtevant’s article on the new Accident committee chairs and the new accident report format that USHPA will publish for the benefit of the members.

HANG GLIDING & PARAGLIDING MAGAZINE

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Thank You!

PILOT BRIEFINGS

USHPA wants to thank you for being a part of the organization for another year. Best wishes for happy holidays and a successful new year!

PRECAUTIONARY RECALL AustriAlpin Steel Carabiner DELTA A potential defect has been advised by the supplier of the “Delta” carabiner that Moyes uses on all of their harnesses.

From their records Moyes have identified the ‘biners in question to have been purchased from February 26 2013 to date. If you

OZONE EXOCEAT 

OZONE FORZA

purchased a harness or carabiner

This missile-sofa is a low-drag, high-

Ozone’s newest harness is an XC

from Moyes from between January

performance harness for serious XC

pod-harness designed for everyday

1 2013 to October 14 2014 you need

or competition flying. It is the result

XC flying. With a similar chassis to

to carefully check the carabiner for

of a multi-year development process

the now-popular Ozium, this new

the batch number.

that included extensive testing, wind-

harness is a “standard” weight (but

For the safety of all customers

tunnel research, and a prolonged

not heavy!), durable and dependable

AustriAlpin is issuing an immediate

beta phase involving the world’s top

harness for intermediate to expert

voluntary recall of certain batches

competition pilots. The Exoceat is the

XC pilots. If you’ve been looking for a

of the AustriAlpin DELTA carabiner

perfect complement to Ozone’s high-

solid option for real XC flying, this is

delivered after October 2012. If

est performing wings. With a techni-

the daily-driver harness that you’ve

you own an AustriAlpin DELTA

cally advanced foot-support system, a

been waiting for.

carabiner that was purchased after

never-before-seen style of bomb-bay

October 2012, please read this

reserve deployment, and super-low-

OZONE ATOM 2

notice carefully and follow the in-

drag fairing that was developed from

This incredibly safe and solid new

structions. (see Austrialpin_recall_

aerodynamic research, the Exoceat is

design is based on what Ozone’s

DELTA_carabiner.pdf)

truly a next-generation design.

designers have learned during more

Affected are DELTA carabiners,

OZONE F*Lite 

batch numbers 00001 and Ø0001.

The F*Lite is an ultra-light harness for

the safest and simplest-to-use wings

If you have one of the sus-

hike-&-fly pilots and para-alpinists.

that we have ever flown, but it is com-

wing R&D. The Atom 2 may be one of

pect carabiners please complete

The current version, which has now

plex in its simplicity, with a serious

the AustriAlpin recall order

passed EN Load tests for 100kg,

amount of design research and test-

form and post together with the

weighs in at 99 grams. The F*Lite’s

ing invested in it. There is no better

carabiner directly to AustriAlpin.

load-bearing structure is made from

wing for a pilot’s first flights!

(see Austrialpin_recall_DELTA_

Dyneema thread and webbing, and

carabiner.pdf for details)

carbon compression bars. Orienting

They will replace the returned

the Dyneema thread pattern was

carabiner as quickly as possible

achieved via an algorithm that de-

and as a compensation for the

termined the stress patterns on the

shipping cost, they will send a

harness. The thread pattern was then

complimentary AustriAlpin cara-

specifically designed to cover these

biner.

areas. Although it has now been

Moyes and AustriAlpin thank

successfully load tested, this harness

you for your due diligence in re-

is still in beta testing phase. Ozone

gards to this recall.

expects to begin production of the F*Lite in 2015.

8

than 15 years of basic and student

article number FD00A with the

HANG GLIDING & PARAGLIDING MAGAZINE

AIRMAIL SKYWALK ARRIBA 3 Skywalk released the Arriba3 as their lightweight model based on the TEQUILA4. Light material and thin lines reduce the weight by more than one kilogram compared to the TEQUILA4. The ARRIBA3 boasts even slightly better performance thanks to the lower drag of its thinner lines.

Arne Wehrlin, head of Skywalk’s paraglider division, says: “The ARRIBA3 was designed not to max

OZONE SWIFT 4 

out the lightweight category, but rather to remain 100% suitable for

I

want to add something to Dennis Pagen’s October 2014 article, Thinking Outside the Blocks, Part X, Emergency! Procedures.

When landing on your basetube (or wheels, for that matter), flare using the heels of your hands (all four fingers plus the thumb ABOVE the basetube).

In the event of a sudden stoppage of the base tube/wheels/glider, this prevents the basetube, which is normally between your thumb and fingers, from shoving your arms backwards which sometimes results in the dreaded spiral fracture.

- Roger M. Tubbs, USHGPA #80036

The Swift 4 is based on the Rush

daily use. Our goal was to create the

4 design, which is now a landmark

ideal glider for all pilots who like to

design in the sport-intermediate class

hike up to launch, or who prefer a

(to maintain clarity as to which Rush

lightweight glider for XC flying, or

the Swift evolved from, Ozone has

who like to travel with lightweight and

skipped the Swift “3” in the series).

compact equipment.” For more info:

Regional Director Candidate Statement

The new Swift 4 contains all of the

www.skywalk.info.

Correction from Jugdeep Aggarwal

performance-enhancing details of the Rush 4, packaged into a very light and low-volume travel /vol-biv package. For pilots who want a dependable yet highly efficient wing in this class, the Swift 4 delivers real XC capabilities, to go!

OZONE MOJO 5 The Mojo 5, the 5th in the series, is completely new, designed from the ground up. The Mojo 5’s handling is

A

s part of my statement for regional director I made an incorrect statement about Hat Creek and the chapter that has been managing it. The chapter (Shasta Sky Sailors) is still around but I incorrectly assumed that they had disbanded. This was incorrect and I apologize to members of the club for the incorrect statement.

In addition, I'd like to thank the Shasta Sky Sailors for their many years of service and site management at Hat Creek.

even more compact and user-friendly than any of its predecessors. Passive safety is even further improved over the Mojo 4, and at the same time the

 U-TURN INFINITY 4

Mojo 5 offers refined launch behavior

U-Turn released the Infinity 4, their

and increased glide performance.

low-end EN B glider redesigned to

From new school graduates to re-

appeal to pilots looking for easy flight

laxed paragliding veterans, the Mojo

characteristics. The wing comes certi-

5 provides the most relaxing platform

fied from small (55-80kg) to large

in the Ozone range for all-around fun

(95-125) and an uncertified extra-

flying and basic XC missions.

small. For more information: www.uturn.de.

HANG GLIDING & PARAGLIDING MAGAZINE

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CORY BARNWELL: THE SKY IS THE LIMIT

by Adam Bain

S

tellar—that’s one of the adjectives most often used to describe Cory Barnwell, this year’s #1 ranked Sport-class pilot. Literally, on a wing and a prayer, this rookie pilot has become one in a long line of kite pilots to “live to fly.” Cory launched off Lookout Mountain for the first time November 23 of 2012, and in doing so, unintentionally began the process of a complete lifestyle change. This evolution from dreamer to #1 has paid off for Cory a thousand times in life experiences over the last two years. Cory is living his dream right now. His humble nature and precision flying are characteristics

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HANG GLIDING & PARAGLIDING MAGAZINE

that people who know him mention every time his name is brought up.

Cory’s continuous thirst for knowledge and his positive attitude make him hard to beat.

When I asked Cory about his life before hang gliding, he responded: “The two years before I started hang gliding were two of the lowest years of my life. I had grown fat and depressed and wasn’t sure what the point of everything was. The things that used to interest me no longer interested me, and I didn’t know what to do. I needed a passion, something to focus on, but I couldn’t find anything.

Hang gliding saved me from that low point. I finally had a passion. It excited me and consumed my thoughts. I was

excited to be alive again. Hang gliding gave me a purpose.”

Cory went from 240 pounds to a lean 180 in just a couple of months, bought a van, and quit his job in pursuit of happiness. Cory said, “After I started flying, I began to question my current lifestyle. I was working a fulltime job and making good money, but I didn’t know why I was doing that. I didn’t have a family to provide for, a mortgage to pay off, or anything like that. I decided I wanted to fly more.”

After leaving his job in May of 2014, Cory’s first stop was Quest Air. Cory spoke highly of Mark Frutiger who helped and encouraged him to experience cross-country flight, A.K.A. open distance. When Cory told Mark about his fear of XC flying, Mark simply started the plane, said, “Go for it!” and picked him up later 10 miles down the road.

Cory surrounded himself with experienced pilots who he refers to as his “lifelines,” who mentored him and helped him out by offering advice and taking him flying. Cory talked about these “lifelines” as if they were members of his family.

The following week, Cory traveled

LEFT Cory Barnwell, photo by Adam Bain.

to Americus, Georgia, for the Flytec Competition Camp. He remarked, “I got to fly with and learn from some of the top pilots in the world. On consecutive days I set a new personal best flying, first, with Zac Majors and then, Mitch Shipley. I had an amazing time at the Americus Cup and ended up coming in fifth. I never would have done that if it hadn’t been for my friends Brian Morris, Adrian Sanchez and Kelly Myrkle, who convinced me I should stay.”

In Maryland for the East Coast Championships, I met up with Cory after he had been a flying nomad for a couple of months. I also had a lifestyle choice to make. I had been on the road a lot and was missing my family. When I sought advice about my desire to return home early, Cory listened, but never tried to impose his thoughts on me. He simply told me to “go with what I feel,” a statement that meant a lot to me. Twenty minutes later, I started the 12-hour ride back home to spend some time holding my daughter.

Cory is not only a great pilot, but also a kind soul. On his way back and forth across the country, I imagine many people, whether pilots or not, have been touched by Cory’s warm heart. I’m glad to call him a friend.

Between the ECC and Big Spring Nationals, Cory traveled up the East Coast and flew in Pennsylvania at Hyner View and Pleasant Gap, and at Ellenville in N.Y. Then he went back to Lookout and, finally, to Arkansas. He said he experienced some of the best

conditions in which he had ever flown in Big Spring, where strong thermals and good flying allowed Cory a new personal best of 80 miles XC. He walked away in 2nd place, wanting more West-coast air.

Sandia Peak in Albuquerque, Mingus Mountain in Arizona, and Cedar City in Utah are just a couple of spots Cory flew before going to Villa Grove, Colorado, for the Colorado Fly Week.

He competed and received second place at Mountain Flyer Championships 2014 with much more air to fly and the ability to do so.

Cory stands as a testament to the power of flight. I asked him how had he achieved his extreme weight loss in jawdropping time. He laughed quietly and said honestly, “Well, I looked at the best pilots, and not many were large guys.”

Cory not only wants to be a pilot; he seeks to live in a way that we all should, by never doing anything halfway. Cory is fully locked into a bright future with the attitude he brings to the altitude.

He leaves every site he visits better than when he found it, which is what we all need to do for our sport and the communities built around them. At the Santa Cruz Flats Race 2014, Cory took first place and, with it, earned the spot as the highest ranked Sport-class flyer.

Cory is currently in California flying wherever it’s flyable. Next year, he is open to anything and eager to go where the winds take him. Knowing Cory, the winds will be with him, blowing straight to his goal, perhaps simply because he wills it.

Martin Palmaz, Executive Director executivedirector@ushpa.aero Beth Van Eaton Operations Manager & Advertising office@ushpa.aero Eric Mead, System Administrator tech@ushpa.aero Ashley Miller, Membership Coordinator membership@ushpa.aero Julie Spiegler, 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.

REGION 4: Bill Belcourt, Ken Grubbs. REGION 5: Josh Pierce. REGION 6: David Glover. REGION 7: Paul Olson. REGION 8: Michael Holmes. REGION 9: Felipe Amunategui, Larry Dennis. REGION 10: Bruce Weaver, Steve Kroop, Matt Taber. REGION 11: David Glover. REGION 12: Paul Voight. DIRECTORS AT LARGE: Ryan Voight, Bill Bolosky, Steve Rodrigues, Dennis Pagen, Jamie Shelden. EX-OFFICIO DIRECTOR: Art Greenfield (NAA).

The United States Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association Inc. (USHPA) is an air sports organization affiliated with the National Aeronautic Association (NAA), which is the official representative of the Fédération Aeronautique Internationale (FAI), of the world governing body for sport aviation. The NAA, which represents the United States at FAI meetings, has delegated to the USHPA supervision of FAI-related hang gliding and paragliding activities such as record attempts and competition sanctions.

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

The United States Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association, a division of the National Aeronautic Association, is a representative of the Fédération Aeronautique Internationale in the United States.

HANG GLIDING & PARAGLIDING MAGAZINE

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Co-chair Mitch Shipley (L), with Safety & Training chair Greg Kelly

ARC: THE NEW USHPA COMMITTEE

by C.J. Sturtevant

I

f you’ve been a member of USHPA for more than a couple of years, you’ll remember the “Accident Reports” column in HG&PG magazine. Once a monthly feature, the reports dwindled to a few columns per year, then disappeared entirely. You may have concluded that the accident reporting program had been abandoned, but in fact it was merely “on hold” and is now being re-introduced with a new format, a new focus and new leadership. I’ll leave it to the USHPA’s president and executive director to explain the nuances of the new reporting system; my assignment is to introduce to you the Accident Reporting committee (ARC)—cochairs hang glider pilot Mitch Shipley and paraglider pilot Josh Pierce, biwingual committee members Frank

FRANK DREWS 12

HANG GLIDING & PARAGLIDING MAGAZINE

Hang gliding co-chair Mitch Shipley has always loved intensely outdoor, sensory activities, typically ones that don’t require a lot of “stuff” or other people to do—scuba diving, backpacking, skydiving , flying a private plane. He encountered hang gliding in July 1987, when a three-year assignment on the Navy Nuclear Propulsion Examining Board brought him to Virginia. A visit to the Outer Banks, and the opportunity to try hang gliding at Jockey’s Ridge, changed his life. “I was instantly hooked,” Mitch says. “I went every weekend until I got my H-2 and have never looked back.” Twenty-six years

later, “I have no one favorite flight, but rather a smorgasbord of experiences doing the 3-D chess game of surfing the invisible waves that give me a lifetime of good memories. The places, the people, the gear, the exercise, the challenge—hang gliding is the only thing that has captured my full attention for so long.” Mitch has been competing for a good bit of those years, “flying with the best and reaching for the edge of the possible,” he says. In January 2013 he competed on the silver-medalwinning US National Team in Forbes, Australia: “Competing for the US in a World Championships—a lifelong goal of mine finally achieved!”

Josh Pierce, the paragliding cochair, first saw a paraglider flying while he was in college in Bozeman, Montana. Instantly intrigued, he found a bookstore that had a copy of The Art of Paragliding and devoured it in

JOSH PIERCE

ROLF BIENERT

Drews and Neil Hansen and paragliding member Rolf Bienert—and to let them fill you in on the details of their job and why they’re the ones taking it on.

Who are these guys?

less than a week’s time. As a typically broke college student, he couldn’t afford lessons or gear at the time, but soon after graduating and landing a job he contacted Andy Macrae with Bozeman Paragliding, finally realizing his dream of flight in 2011. “The flying was absolutely captivating” Josh says, recalling his early days, “but the group of pilots in the greater Bozeman area was even more so. These people have become some of my closest friends.” Josh’s tastes in paragliding experiences are eclectic; his list of favorites includes traveling to fly in Valle de Bravo, Mexico; hike-and-flies on peaks in Montana and dune soaring on the Oregon Coast.

Committee member Frank Drews learned to hang glide in 2001 at the Point of the Mountain in Utah.

Although he loved flying at the Point, he found the time investment in hang gliding to be problematic. In 2008 his wife suggested he check out paragliding, partly to reduce the set-up/breakdown time, but also because there’s a paragliding mountain site much closer to home than the Point. Frank credits Ken Hudonjorgenson’s patient instruction for helping him make the transition from bones to bags.

Committee member Neil Hansen is another biwingual pilot who first got airborne at “the Point”—he started with Cloud Nine Paragliding in the fall of 2008, and since then he’s been mentored by some of the big names in paragliding: Chris Santacroce, Brad Gunnuscio, Ken Hudonjorgenson. Last fall he took hang gliding lessons from Rob McKenzie at Marshall, in California. “I fly a lot,” Neil admits; since 2008 he’s logged about 1300 flight hours “in all kinds of conditions in the Utah mountains, Iquique (Chile), Valle de Bravo, and all over Colombia.” A recent highlight: gaggling up with many of his friends and flying over 100 miles at the 2014 PG nats in Chelan.

Rolf Bienert served on the USHPA Paragliding Accident committee in

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2008, and has agreed to join the new incarnation of the committee to share his expertise. He learned to fly in Europe, moved to the US in 2000 and eventually became a tandem instructor and the safety director for his local club. “Since starting a family and taking a job that requires a lot of international travel, I don’t have as much time to fly as I’d like.” Rolf was not available to provide input specific to my questions before this article went to press.

What skills or training or personality traits or background experiences do they bring to the table that make them well qualified for this position?

Mitch says, “I’m an engineer geek with an interest in what makes us do the things we do. I have 21 years’ experience in the US Navy nuclear submarine program and lots of statistical/ engineering education and degrees. I’ve spent much of my life training myself and others, which involves a lot of figuring out why we do what we do and how things work. Most recently I’ve been training pilots in many aspects of flying hang gliders—launching, landing, thermaling, racing, XC. All of that makes me current in the sport and interested in deriving lessons learned from the experiences of others.”

Josh is a relatively new pilot—he learned to fly paragliders in 2011—and he admits that his brief career has not provided him with the experience needed to analyze accidents in our sports. He perceives his role as co-chair as a coordinator, and for that he’s highly qualified. “I work as a captain in the fire/EMS services,” he explains, “and that gives me a unique understanding of accident reporting in general.” Many of the skills needed to coordinate accident reporting in his day job translate well to this committee. He also has a strong background in education—a BA in education and a MBA in strategy and manage-

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ment, which, he points out, will prove valuable aids in accident reporting, particularly in the organizational aspects. “Since accident reporting is all about education,” he points out, “my background as a teacher will help to make the transition from information collected in ARC to publishable reports aimed at educating pilots.”

Both Mitch and Josh feel strongly about the value to the community provided by careful and insightful analysis and reporting of accidents, so when USHPA president Rich Hass approached them, they agreed to take on the task. Mitch says, “From both my professional and personal lives I know the type of effort it takes to run an organization like USHPA, which is done mostly by volunteers. The people and experiences in hang gliding have added great value and joy to my life, and I feel it is time for me to give back.” One way to do that, he feels, would be to help facilitate a process that would allow pilots to learn from their own past mistakes and the mistakes of others.

Josh concurs, adding, “When it was brought to my attention that a void in accident reporting was present and needed to be filled, I was happy to accept the position of co-chair.”

Frank was recruited as a committee member by USHPA’s executive director Martin Palmaz. “After a long conversation,” Frank recalls, “Martin convinced me that I could contribute to the work of the committee. I think that my background as a cognitive psychologist working on human error and safety can help guide the committee’s work. I’ve also had some personal experiences during my paragliding and hang gliding career that were not quite safe. So, I have been on the dark side and experienced what it takes to get there.”

Neil suspects that he was asked to add his insights to the ARC process “probably because of a reflective post I placed on our club website about risk

and flying.” His 35 years of military leadership—planning exercises and managing associated risk—are also relevant. “Plus,” he adds, “I am objective, and I know how to find and put forward the best ideas regardless of personal reward. My personal priority for this committee is to facilitate open analysis of accidents by the best experts in our community for all to see and learn from.”

In the past, there’s been reluctance on the part of some pilots to file accident reports, due to various concerns (embarrassment, fear of reprisals of one sort or another, confusion about confidentiality, etc.) How is the new Accident Reporting committee, and the new reporting method, addressing those concerns?

In the past, the Accident Review committee was a sub-committee of Safety & Training. Now a separate committee, the Accident Reporting committee is interested only in learning from the accidents, not in taking action or assigning responsibility or blame. Mitch says, “This thoughtful and fundamental change removes any conflict of interest between reporting on accidents and taking disciplinary action. The reports we receive can only be used for lessons learned that might help other member pilots avoid similar mistakes. We are also hoping the new online reporting system will make it easier to make a report.”

More information about the online reporting process will be sent to members once the Accident/Incident Reporting System (AIRS) website is up and running.

Josh agrees that anonymity is key.

“AIRS gives the reporter the ability to report without fear of reprisal,” he reiterates, and adds, “ That, in combination with a very competent accident review team will provide meaningful accident reporting with a high likelihood of pilot participation.”

Frank points out that reluctance to report is not specific to our community.

“In my professional life I see similar reluctance to reporting of adverse event in other contexts. Fortunately, there are many other activities where accident and incident reporting has become standard, and we can learn a lot from these areas. By implementing the lessons learned in these other domains we can work on creating a reporting culture that will allow all of us to benefit.”

Expand Your Horizons

Some people don’t file a report because it’s difficult to gather all the info to complete the form, or they’re not comfortable writing about the experience. Does the new system provide a way for those who are intimidated by the form-filling process to file a report?

“A great question that is spot on!” says Mitch. “The reporting process has to be easy and quick to at least get the basics of the accident report filed, and that is task one we are working on with the USHPA staff: designing that easy online report. The reporter will put in the basic facts (who, what, where, when) that gets captured as the summary and is a five-minute process.

Once we have that, we can follow-up and help with the rest, or the reporter can continue on to a more detailed, well designed online report. Or, the truly intimidated form-writer can just call one of us on the committee and we will take and input the info.”

Frank concurs that reporting should be almost a no-brainer although, he believes, “The amount of work that goes into filing has to be enough to make the report meaningful. I also encourage every pilot to write down a description of an incident or accident if they encounter one, independent of their reporting to USHPA. Spelling out the sequence of events is a good way to think through the incident or accident, and will facilitate learning, which can

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help avoid a similar situation in the future. In addition, by writing down a description of the event you make sure that later on you will not incorrectly remember what happened. Finally, I perceive reporting an accident or incident to be part of every pilot’s responsibility to our community, to assure that others benefit from mistakes made, and do not have to repeat them.”

What kinds of accidents should be reported? How about “incidents”?

And who should be filing reports?

What exactly is an accident, and what is an incident? Frank provides some clarification, although not an official definition: “In both accidents and incidents, a sequence of events led to a dangerous situation. The difference is that in the former there are losses (i.e., injuries or damages), whereas in the latter someone got lucky and walked away unscratched.”

The committee encourages reports from anybody who witnessed or participated in either an incident or an accident. Instructors must report their students’ incidents as well as accidents.

If it could have been worse but wasn’t, they’d like to hear about it. The hope is that eventually reporting will become a regular event when something adverse happens; patterns—or surprises—revealed through reporting can be useful in guiding the development of best practices in USHPA’s training and education process.

Mitch suggests, “One way to decide whether or not to report is to ask yourself, ‘Did I do (or witness) something that caught me by surprise and led to (or almost led to) an injury to me or others?’ If the answer is yes, then your fellow pilots might learn from it. Multiple reports provide multiple perspectives on the same accident, and are welcome—trends do sometimes emerge from many seemingly insignificant and trivial things.”

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As for respecting privacy or avoiding embarrassment, Mitch reminds us, “When something happens within our free-flight community, thinking that ‘nobody else is going to find out’ is generally unrealistic. Word gets out through a variety of sources, many not very fair, factual or experienced. Your Accident Reporting committee is fair, factual and experienced—we have no other stake in this fight other than to learn and share helpful information to our pilot community. What is eventually shared will be carefully considered, and will typically consist of the lessons learned from a trend in several accident reports. First and foremost we need to make sure we get the whole story of the what/why/how’s of the entire accident before that information is lost.”

If the pilot directly involved in the accident or incident isn’t willing or able to file a report, should somebody else who was witness send in a report, even though it might not be totally accurate, and certainly won’t contain some of the most relevant first-hand components of the event?

“You bet!” says Mitch. “If we have a starting place or person, we can pull the string and see if something positive can be derived from the incident.”

Frank adds, “No report is ever totally accurate. The person who experiences the event perceives it in a particular way, while a knowledgeable bystander may see things differently.

All of these observations are parts of a puzzle that needs to be put together to understand the causes of an accident or incident.”

The bottom line is, the more information or perspectives the committee receives on an incident or accident, the better. There’s always something to be learned from even small incidents, whether they’re skill- or gear- or conditions-related.

What’s the benefit to USHPA as an association, and/or to members as individuals, in reporting an accident?

USHPA hopes that members’ reports of accidents and incidents will help build a more robust database that will allow meaningful analysis that could uncover patterns of behavior, equipment usage, and equipment failure. Identifying those patterns and disseminating that information to the pilot community could mitigate or prevent future accidents.

Frank sees the reporting process as beneficial to the community on many levels. “As an individual, the reporting helps the reporter think through an event. Also, the report serves as a document that, unlike our memory of the event, is not going to change. These are important benefits, in addition to the benefit that we serve our community by reporting. The way we think about what is safe in paragliding or hang gliding today is a result of experiences, accidents and incidents other pilots were willing to share in the past. Thus, we have an obligation to help our peers and those who follow us in the future.

“For USHPA, one benefit is that we can slowly change the public image of our sport from a high-risk activity to something that involves manageable risk. Our insurance rates might benefit directly from that; another benefit might be that our focus on safety may help with securing flying sites in the future.”

In Conclusion Mitch offers as summary of the ARC’s program a quote that was passed to him from the last hang gliding accident-report chair, Joe Gregor: “The ultimate goal of accident reporting is to arrive at lessons learned that can help other pilots avoid a similar fate.”

With that goal as strong incentive, the ARC will be publishing updates on the reporting process as it gels.

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Off the Beaten Path

Creative Strides for the Greater Good by

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PAT R IC K JO Y C E

REPURPOSE FOR A PURPOSE

I

t started as a simple idea: Save material from landfills and create new products. This concept led KEEN to begin making retail bags from pre-consumer automobile airbags that had failed to meet specifications. Now the concept is looking skyward, repurposing old paragliders into bags and slings, as part of their “Harvest Collection.”

The beauty in this project is the call to action and consequential response from the flying community. Over 120 wings were donated from around the country. Two sewers working in the Chico, California, bag-manufacturing plant pumped out about 30 bags a day, making a total of 450 for the beginning phase of the project.

The bags were first released at KEENFest, which was held in a giant tent across the street from the annual Outdoor Retailer (OR) show in Salt Lake City. The OR show is made up of manufacturers, including KEEN, who launch their new products to retailers.

With this year’s theme of “Create with KEEN,” KEENFest offered a place to unwind, grab lunch, make a t-shirt, check out a gigantic nine-piece mural about a life well-lived by Drew Brophy, and a get-in-on-the-custom-bag-making station with bags sewn onsite, all with a paraglider suspended from the ceiling.

Sales from the initial release of the bags totaled over $10,000, with sales of leftover bags slated to bring in over $20,000 for the Cloudbase Foundation.

But a lump sum donation isn’t where KEEN stops. David Munk of KEEN, known as “Munk,” explained, “We want to share a message of long-term sustainability, generating slow, longterm effects.” A perfect example is the current Malawi project: KEEN is supporting the Cloudbase Foundation and KEEN Ambassador Nick Greece, who

LEFT

Bags | photo by James “Q” Martin.

is working with Godfrey Masauli to enact his dream of creating a flight and inspirational school that will tour the country and work with the children of Malawi to establish an adventure tourism economy in his home country of Malawi. A simple cash donation, while beneficial, is not the end goal.

Godfrey has become an example of how anything is possible, by becoming Malawi’s first paraglider pilot. By supporting development of a local site and empowering Godfrey to build his dream, the project seeks to create a sustainable tourism economy, while allowing Godfrey to do what he does best: inspire. Godfrey began working with Benjamin Jordan, who taught him to fly. The two men traveled the country giving inspirational talks to kids and encouraging them to work hands-on in kite-building workshops. The sound of hundreds of children returning his chants of “NDIZOTHEKA!” (“It is possible!”) invokes powerful emotion.

Another project receiving backing is “KEEN to Learn” in Nepal, a co-ed school created to allow girls as well as boys to get an education. Very few girls in Nepal receive an education. Rather than create a school specifically for girls that might be considered inferior to a boys’ school by the culture, the co-ed school was established to level the playing field. The intent is to keep this school running for years to come, supported by the local flying community, allowing graduates to serve as examples of the rewards of an education and plant seeds of a desire for learning among the entire community. The next class of graduates will donate time and income from their first jobs back to new students who enter the program.

It’s projects like these—Repurpose for a Purpose—that act as a mechanism to turn the engine of greater good in projects like Malawi and KEEN to Learn and bring together the donating pilots, the Cloudbase Foundation members, KEEN, consumers, and

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recipients of support. Munk doesn’t think only about next year; he is in for the long haul. “We’re focusing on about 10 to 15 years down the road, when we hope to be able to celebrate an increase in jobs and the development of a selfsufficient economy,” he says. “It’s the give-back drug that keeps us getting up in the morning and coming to work.”

More wings are needed to keep this wheel turning! Of the 450 bags made for the Cloudbase Foundation, 250 were sold at OR. The remaining bags are available at the USHPA store, with 100% of the proceeds going to the Cloudbase Foundation. If their supply is exhausted, check keenfootwear.com.

KEEN plans to launch the next wave of bags in February 2015 (with a percentage of proceeds continuing to go to the Cloudbase Foundation) and has aspirations to begin utilizing old hang glider sails (stay tuned). If you have an old paraglider you’d like to donate, please contact cloudbase@keenfootwear.com.

KEEN will cover the cost of shipping, and a receipt can be provided for tax

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deductions. So what’s stopping you?

The risers and lines are not used, so it’s the perfect time to make that simulator you’ve always wanted. Clear out some space in your closet and give new, farreaching life to an old wing.

Morton Teen Center What do you get when you mix a Dragonfly tug plane, an excavator, and handmade dishcloths? In a pictureperfect example of a grassroots fundraising effort, the event dubbed as a “Fly-in/Fundraiser/Para-Hang Social” was a complete success in raising over $3400 for the Morton Teen Center in Morton, Washington.

Like Repurpose for a Purpose, this project also started as a simple idea. When Washington pilots Jenn Kaatz and Dave and Diana Auman put their heads together, the Morton Teen Center was a clear choice for a fundraising benefit. The Teen Center is already a community-supported effort in the little logging town of Morton.

The industry has largely left the area,

ABOVE View of Area 151 from launch. RIGHT

Custom repurposed-paraglider bag-making station at KEENFest | photo by James “Q” Martin. leaving the town’s economy generally depressed. Many storefronts are empty, and teens often have nowhere to go.

Since 2002, the Teen Center has been working to change that. When the property on which the Teen Center was located was sold, 20 citizens of the town purchased an entire building to permanently house the Teen Center.

Operating out of a former grocery store, the Teen Center currently provides local teens with a place to hang out, do homework, use the Internet, play pool, and generally socialize in a cool spot. Staffing is provided by AmeriCorps, which means young and excited people are providing moral support and leadership to local teens.

What does this have to do with flying?

That’s where the magic happened.

The Aumans own a 151-acre plot of land outside of Morton, known as Area

151. The land is a former Christmas tree farm that has been converted into a flying oasis with a large, grassy landing field and a soarable launch that also serves as a great training hill. On the day of the event, KarmaFlights pilots were out in force providing tandem flights for donations, and Larry and Tina Jorgensen, from nearby Dog Mountain, brought in a Dragonfly tow plane, giving exhilarating rides around the valley, also for donations. Pilots travelled from near and far to take part in the event. Several who had courageous launches from the nearby Bremer site were rewarded with long, high flights, landing at Area 151.

Donations didn’t stop at flying, however. Community members supported the effort by donating goods for a charity auction, with items like wine, handmade jewelry, camping gear, and crocheted dishcloths (the word is they clean well). Locals streamed in all day and hangies, after flying Dog, came out to share the dinner and enjoy the revelry. On the morning of the event the

music had bailed, but pilots and friends came through with two bands gracing the stage (or, should I say, the back of an old Army truck with speakers).

In one day it was possible to take an outdoor shower under the pines, fly a paraglider, cruise to the mountaintops in a Dragonfly, be flung into a pond by the Redneck Rope Swing (A.K.A. an excavator), discuss the finer points of ultralight flying with a two-time UFC world champion, feast in fine company, buy a camp heater or handmade dishcloths at the auction, and dance into the night to the groovy sounds of the funkadelic rock band DBST (watch out for them; they’re going big).

Those involved with the Teen Center and the community could not have been more grateful and impressed with the event. The Center was in dire need of a new carpet, and plans to use this boost in the budget for new flooring, develop and launch new activities and programs, train the staff, get supplies like music and computer software, and continue to fund the operating

budget, which comes totally from donations. The Aumans are looking towards the future and hope to increase the number of locals involved next year, creating an engine to turn the wheel for years to come.

Interested in putting on event such as this at your site in your community?

Contact the Cloudbase Foundation at cloudbasefoundation@gmail.com to discuss the possibilities. Area 151 is also available for camping, flying, and training. Contact Dave Auman at area151@wildblue.net.

USHPA Store www.ushpa.aero/store KEEN Follow Your Feet www.keenfootwear/followyourfeet The Cloudbase Foundation www.thecloudbasefoundation.org KarmaFlights www.karmaflights.org

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HG 401: Advanced Techniques & Concepts Performance Handicap and Sky-god Status 22

HANG GLIDING & PARAGLIDING MAGAZINE

by Ryan Voight

LEFT Photo by Jonathan Dietch.

I

’ve noticed a pretty reliable constant in hang gliding and paragliding: Great pilots consistently have great flights. Even on marginal days where maybe one in 20 pilots will be lucky enough to get up, it seems like that one out of the 20 is always the same couple of people, and it’s hardly “luck.”

What doesn’t seem to matter, though, is what these pilots are flying.

Wills Wing, Moyes, North Wing, Aeros, Icaro—single-surface “floater” or high-performance rocketship, hang glider or paraglider—the same people go up, and the rest of us collect our egos in the LZ. I think it’s a natural human tendency to want what they have. We want those flights! We want to get higher, stay up longer, go farther! In a nutshell, we enjoy flying and we want more-more-MORE of it!

I’d like to help. In this final installment of the “HG401” series, I’m going to share all the secrets to getting what those other pilots have. Are you ready?!

First, we need a tremendous understanding of micro-meteorology. When our sky-god idols walk up to launch, they see so much more than we do. The information is there—if only we knew where to look and what meaning to take from the things we see. To develop this almost super-human ability to sniff out lift, we must study. I know studying is boring. But so is sitting in the LZ on a scorching hot day while your hero is literally chilling at cloudbase. There are many sources for micro-meteorological study, but I’d start with Dennis Pagen’s Understanding the Sky. It’s a pretty dry read (sorry, Dennis), but the content is spot-on and it WILL make you a smarter pilot with consistently better flights. I re-read it every couple years and learn more every time through.

With our thermal-snooping instincts sharpened, we’re going to have to work

on our climbing skills. Thermals don’t tend to stick around for slowpoke climbers, so when a thermal presents itself a sky god capitalizes! There are some great resources of study in this department as well (another DP book, Secrets of Champions, for example) but more than anything else, practice and experience are the keys to unlocking these skills.

Every day, and even every thermal, is uniquely different—and yet they share many similarities, too. Some climbing techniques work well in everything, and some have to be more selectively applied.

Experience is how those sky gods seem to clairvoyantly know where to go, when to turn, and how steep to bank. (Hint: This constantly changes even within a single thermal!) The bad news is that experience takes time to develop, but the good news is that the avenue to getting there is doing something fun you already love—FLY FLY FLY! Get out as often as you can. Feel out different conditions, and even different sites if you’re able. Flying at different times of day at the same site on the same day can teach you volumes. Every trip into the sky isn’t just a joyride, it’s another serving of delectable experience!

By now you’re probably thinking I’m an idiot, promising to unlock these extravagant flying experiences and then advising you to read some books, go fly and be patient. A bit of false advertising perhaps? Well, now that I have your attention…

The biggest key to learning to be a better pilot is embracing learning opportunities and feedback. Feedback in the form of advice from others (but make sure they know what they’re talking about!), feedback you feel from your glider, and the feedback you glean from observation of cause-and-effect. Just about everyone learns to fly on docile, forgiving, easy-handling single-surface gliders. At some point, most people get

LEFT Moon Baby. Mathieu Bérubé (H-3) at Lookout Mountain Flight Park | photo by Adam Bain.

the notion that a “higher-performing” wing will improve their overall flying experience—after all, a lot of the sky gods we aspire to be like fly higherperforming wings. But what about the times they kick our butts on lowerperformance wings, too? Thinking about it objectively, the wing has far less impact on the quality of a flight than the skill of the pilot driving it.

I’ve written a lot about the safety concerns with moving to “higherperforming” wings. I’ve talked about the only thing “higher performing” is their glide, and it comes at the cost of launching and landing safety margin and forgivingness, weight, set-up time and complexity, stall speed, delayed handling, and at the cost of cost itself— they’re much more expensive! This article isn’t about ANY of that. This is about becoming a sky god yourself.

You see, these so-called “higherperforming” gliders are more challenging and require more skill to maneuver in lift to maximize your climb, which can really hinder your ability to gain experience (a key to being a sky god).

Yes, they are capable of climbing faster in some conditions, but only if the pilot possesses the skills and knowledge to do so. Unfortunately those skills are either there or not, and are best learned on easier wings.

A great example of how these “higher-performance” gliders stifle learning can be seen even looking at what they do well: GLIDE. It seems strange, but yes, even the very nature of a higherperforming wing is actually a handicap to becoming a sky god! I’ll explain with a simple scenario: You’re climbing in a

thermal, and you top it out or drift with it as far as you’re willing. Either way, it’s time to go. First, you need to figure out where the next thermal might be—this is where that reading and study pays dividends. Once you have an idea where you’re headed, going about getting there on a “high-performance” glider usually consists of pulling the VG to full-on and keeping the glider pointed that way.

Dang, that sounds fun and easy! So why is that a bad thing again???

Well, let’s think about this same example flying a simple single-surface glider. Now it’s not so easy to just pointand-go, is it? I mean, you could still just point-and-go, but you’re probably going to lose a ton of altitude that way. Since you don’t have the glide, you’re better off picking a more strategic route than just straight-lining A to B. You’ll probably have to fly slower, too. Flying slower gives you more time to process if your route is working, or if sliding over to the left or right might be better (looking for lift lines). Also, because of the “low” glide performance, you get more instant and recognizable feedback as you watch the horizon on your journey.

If you’ve ever wondered how those sky gods do what they do, here’s your answer: They’re paying attention to the little details. In our simple glide-fromA-to-B example, they might be flying a hot wing and pulling that VG, but they’re flying strategically just as they would on a lesser gliding wing. They’ve learned how to efficiently get to that next thermal (straight lines are fast, but usually less efficient unless you’re racing). They’ve learned how to use the information from their instrument or

If you’ve ever wondered how those sky gods do what they do, here’s your answer: They’re paying attention to the little details.

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watching the horizon, and the feedback felt from the wing, to feel out the best way to get there. And they can intake, process, and act on all of this information fast enough to make use of it at the speeds used on performance equipment. They can do this because they’ve practiced this over and over and over, on lower-performing gliders that give much better feedback as to whether a strategy is working or failing. They’re not trying to learn if the strategy works or not on their high-performance gear, they’re doing what they’ve already learned works well.

I am not a sky god, but I aspire to be.

I have a Falcon and a T2C, and while I love my topless, I learn immeasurably more every time I fly my Falcon. I’ve been hang gliding for 25 years (started at age four flying tandem with my dad), and I train toward sky-god status on a single-surface glider. Both my Falcon and T2 are the same exact colors, and

I know when I do a good job when I land and people are surprised to find out I was on my Falcon and not my topless. I won’t claim I can consistently do it yet, but when I’m having a good day apparently I can make my single surface appear to perform as well as my topless—which tells me how little the glider performance actually matters.

Don’t performance-handicap yourself by thinking a better gliding hang glider will improve your flying experience—only YOU can improve your flying experience (by improving yourself). Moving to a “higher-performance” glider too soon, or making too big a jump when you do switch, might initially help your flying, but in the long run it definitely, without a doubt, handicaps your future learning and progression.

If you want to be a sky god and have those amazing flights, you need to embrace the moments where you feel like your glide performance is holding you

back! Rather than buy a new wing, ask yourself what you could do differently, what you could be doing better. If you don’t know where you could improve, that speaks volumes in itself! Seek an advanced instructor or mentor to keep making progress. Try lots of different strategies, on lots of different days, and use the instant feedback your glider provides to continue improving. A glider with a VG and a pointy harness might get you to that next thermal quicker and easier, but it’s a dead-end in the journey to sky-god status.

I hope everyone has enjoyed the “HG401” series, and I have helped you to better enjoy the sport of free flight. I would like to thank everyone for taking the time to read and improve themselves as pilots. By lifting ourselves individually, we also raise the flying community as a whole—which helps everyone get more enjoyment every time they fly!

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Photos by

Rebecca Bredehoft I started flying solo in 1998 at the Point of the Mountain after being introduced to paragliding on a tandem flight in New Zealand at the age of 12. Now, I am 30 years old. I don’t have a steady job, children, or a TV (thankfully). I don’t have a house or even a physical address. What I do have makes me much happier than those things ever could.

I have a 1998 Chevy Astro van with a custom chalkboard paintjob. We spent a few hundred dollars converting the Astro into a livable campervan before driving it from Jackson Hole, WY, to Costa Rica and back last winter. I’ve got a mohawked little black dog in the back seat that would pick the van over a house any day and probably loves exploring even more than I do. He’s been to seven countries. I’ve got the best partner-in-crime ever, Cade Palmer, who is currently behind the wheel, navigating us down I-84 toward Salt Lake City.

Behind the van we have a small cargo trailer containing the remainder of our worldly possessions. The majority of those possessions are composed entirely of ripstop nylon and string.

These days I’m a tandem pilot and advanced instructor, a photographer, a traveler. I get in the air almost every day.

When I’m not paragliding and speedflying, you might find me skydiving, kitesurfing, hot air ballooning, sailplaning, hang gliding, and now flying small planes. I’m an adventure-sports and documentary-style photographer. In addition to expanding my love of the sky to a variety of aerial sports, I’ve been exploring a passion for birds of prey for the past few years by volunteering for raptor conservation organizations and donating my photography to their educational and public awareness programs.

We are between seasons, transitioning from our summer home of Jackson Hole and en route to here and there. Since

graduating high school in Billings, MT, I’ve moved a lot.

Travel has become the norm and I haven’t called any one place home for longer than six or nine months at a time. I haven’t seen a winter in five years. Adding to the instability of my nomadic nature, my daily life depends almost entirely on the weather. If it rains I might have time to do laundry or make dinner with a non-flying friend. We’ve been wandering far and wide, chasing wind and seeking out wonderful places to fly, working as we go to fund the next leg of the journey.

And along the way, I’ve been documenting our adventures, attempting to capture the moments of pure brilliance that are born of this lifestyle. These adventures would be nothing without the global network of air junkies who make it all possible (and fun!). These people offer up their couches, driveways, and kitchens. They contribute their local knowledge and share their earth and sky.

There is nothing that makes me happier than crisscrossing the globe, floating in the sky with friends new and old—the joy of playing with air over incredible landscapes with incredible people. I strive to let these experiences shine through in my images, hoping that a single captured moment will tell the story of the hours and days and years that it took to get to that place in time. I love that technology allows me to share these moments with an international network of friends and family, keeping us all close even when we’re far away. I’m so very fortunate to be a part of this global community of flying people and can’t wait to see what the next chapters bring. This winter I’ll be combining my passions for flying, photography, conservation, and birds of prey as I join the Parahawking team in Pokhara, Nepal. If you’d like to follow along on the adventure, you can find me on Facebook. Happy flying!

LEFT Rebecca | photo by Sofia Jaramillo.

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ABOVE Cade Palmer searching for the brightest autumn leaf, Teton Village, WY. TOP RIGHTCade Palmer jibbing a California coastal rail. BOTTOM Cade Palmer narrowly escaping the deadly jaws of a wild sand beast, Baja California, Mexico.

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TOP LEFT Jon Hunt, Jackson Hole legend on and off the snow, winging over Rendezvous Bowl.

BOTTOM LEFT Scouting for our next perfect campsite, Baja California Sur, Mexico. ABOVE Cade Palmer soaring the slopes of Volcan Atitlan, Guatemala. LEFT David Robinson crossing Ranyon’s route on an evening XC adventure, Jackson Hole, WY.

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OPPOSITE David Robinson crossing Ranyon’s route on an evening XC adventure, Jackson Hole, WY. ABOVE Cade Palmer chasing his shadow to the ground, Bonneville Salt Flats, UT. CENTERFOLD Cade Palmer taking a break from the evening commute, Jackson Hole, WY. LEFT Photo is by Sofia Jaramillo.

$24M $23M $22M

Value Still Climbing

$21M $20M $19M

Market Value of Saved Sites $20,000,000

$18M $17M $16M $15M $14M

The Foundation for Free Flight has, with your tax deductible contributions, awarded 38 site preservation grants totaling $186,000.

Together we have protected millions of dollars of pristine flying sites across the USA.

$13M $12M $11M $10M $9M

Market Value of Saved Sites $10,000,000

Your contribution today will have a profound effect on the future of Free Flight.

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Foundation for Free Flight PO Box 1290 Windsor, CA 95492 www.ushgf.org FFF is a 501c3 non profit and your gift is tax deductible.

Gifts include: Year end charitable contributions, Gifts of Real Estate or Stock, Life Insurance, Legacy gifts/include FFF in your estate planning.

Steep Mountain (Point of the Mountain North-side)

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European ADVENTURE by

S H A D C OU L SON

S

tanding in the passenger pickup area of Venice International Airport, I found myself surrounded by people eager to greet friends and family. I had arrived the previous day to obtain transportation for the pending road trip to Kobarid, Slovenia. While observing the warm embraces and smiles of strangers, I was eagerly anticipating my adventure. I had been organizing this trip for nearly six months, while one of those joining me had been dreaming of it for nearly a decade. I searched the crowd for a glimpse of paraglider bags among the droves of passengers emerging from the luggage carousel and customs area of the airport. And I was thrilled when, eventually, Jeff, Derek, and Jaime emerged with gliders and baggage in tow. A few short moments later, the truck was packed, and our adventure began.

Following a scenic drive from Venice, we arrived in Kobarid, a charming little town nestled in the picturesque Soca Valley of Slovenia’s Julian Alps. We quickly unpacked and settled into our rooms above a local pizzeria named “Picerija Fedrig.”

The surprisingly modern rooms were conveniently located near the town square (read local bars). Staying above a pizzeria makes the primal need for finding food extremely easy! We headed downstairs to meet my friend Simon Konavec, a local pilot and operator of Come Fly Slovenia, for a family-style dinner. Simon informed us the weather forecast for the next few days was less than ideal, but flying could still be possible. Our spirits and hopes for long flights remained high as we discussed, over a few bottles of wine, ideas on alternative activities, should the weather opt not to cooperate.

The next three days played out as predicted, with overcast skies and strong north winds. Our aspirations for flying were not completely lost. We did manage a few short sled rides from the peaks of Stol, Kobala, and Lijak, which are located near the towns of Kobarid, Tolmin, and Nova Gorica, respectively. Each day we found ourselves “para-waiting” among serial-class comp pilots who had also been stymied by the bad weather and had yet to run a task during the five previous days of competition. Needless to say, we were all eager to hook a thermal.

On our fourth and final day in Slovenia, we woke to clear blue skies and southerly winds. Spirits were high, and the launch at Lijak was abuzz with pilots ready to take flight; the sound of waypoints being added to instruments filled the air. Not long after the first glider showed the group that conditions were ripe for XC, we LEFT Oludeniz, Turkey | photo by Shad Coulson.

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began leaving the mountain in colorful waves of nylon. Our flight that day was what we had dreamed and expected all along, with each of us logging flights of two or more hours.

We worked our way along the range, following thermals perfectly marked by cumulus clouds and comp pilots working to complete their task. Upon landing, our reflection on the day’s flights was short-lived. We quickly packed and hit the road; Jaime had a plane to catch in Venice!

Following a quick detour back to the airport, Derek, Jeff,

and I were bound for the mighty Dolomites of Italy. We arrived in Campitello di Fassa long after the sun had set. The full majesty of our surroundings would have to wait to be discovered until morning. We checked into our apartment for the week and immediately went on a quest for food. Luckily, a short distance from our apartment we stumbled upon the Mini Restaurant, a quaint little (as the name implies) place with only seven tables that has been owned and operated by the same family for three generations. The food and wine

ABOVE Derek Black over the Dolomites. OPPOSITE Jeff Howard over Kobarid, Slovenia. Photos by Shad Coulson.

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of the Sella group, Sass Pordoi, Rosengarten, and Marmolada are breathtaking from the ground and unmatched from the air. Observing the clouds and gliders already in flight during our ascent, it was apparent the day was just beginning to build and not quite ready to sustain XC flying. We decided a quick sled run to familiarize ourselves with the launch, surroundings, and landing area was a sound idea.

Shortly after 10:00, the three of us were airborne; not long after that, we quickly abandoned our plan for a “sledder”! We found ourselves in a beautiful smooth thermal and cored it up to cloudbase. Nearly three hours later our feet returned to earth, and we retired to the apartment for the evening.

The next six days played out much like the first. Late mornings and early afternoons were spent beneath paragliders exploring the stunning beauty of our alpine surroundings in smooth thermals—the duration and distance of our flights averaging between two to three hours and 40-70 km, respectively. Our evenings were spent enjoying the view from our balcony, the local cuisine, the company of friends, and a LOT of wine. Our conversations were filled with the recollection of the day’s events, thermaling and XC techniques, and the many platitudes of life.

We recounted the events of one particular flight on numerous occasions. Derek and I each, individually and unintentionally, experienced the phenomenon of “cloud suck.” We discussed at great lengths ways to prevent such an experience in the future and compared notes on what led up to it and how we handled the event. I encourage every pilot reading this

were indescribably good. Normally, I would not bore you with details of where we eat. However, should you ever visit Campitello and the Dolomites, make it a point to visit this place (we did, four times); you won’t be disappointed! The three of us sat around that evening drinking and strategizing about our impending flights. We collectively agreed to be on launch around 11 a.m. and headed off to bed.

The following morning Jeff abruptly woke Derek and me from our slumber at 9 a.m., yelling like an excited little boy on Christmas day: “They’re already flying—get up, boys!” We were out the door and on the Col Rodella lift not long after.

But it wasn’t until we began our ascent to launch that the magnificence of our surroundings became evident. The views

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to repeatedly take a maneuvers course. Regularly refreshing and adding to your quiver of skills and experience is invaluable! We spent Derek’s and Jeff’s final night in Europe at the home of my friend Alan, near Venice. The evening was once again filled with hearty laughter, loud singing of the Bohemian

Rhapsody in public, and—you guessed it: wine!

The following morning, Jeff and Derek were bound for the US, and I set out on my own for Oludeniz, Turkey. Not long after I began paragliding, I discovered pictures of Oludeniz and swore I would fly there one day. The view of the Blue

ABOVE & RIGHT Unreal sunset over Oludeniz, Turkey | photos by Shad Coulson.

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Lagoon and Mediterranean from the air is as impressive in person as it is in the many photos we’ve all undoubtedly seen. I spent the next five days cramming in as many laps as possible, 12 in total. The 45-minute ride from town to the launch at Babadag lends pilots the opportunity to plan their next flight.

Launching can be tricky at times, so patience is a must as clouds routinely inhibit the ability to take off. Arriving over the water with as much as 3000’ of altitude AGL, pilots take advantage of the opportunity to progress and hone their skills in a safe and conducive environment for learning.

I made sure to include a handful of flights with the sole purpose of enjoying the surrounding beauty, with one very memorable flight occurring at sunset on my birthday. And no “flycation” to Oludeniz would be complete without a few beers at the Cloud 9 bar right on the beach.

Reflecting on the wonders, experiences, and lessons learned over the last 18 days filled my mind during the long journey home. In Slovenia, we were reminded of our need to find joy in “para-waiting,” and fulfillment in even the shortest flights.

In Italy, we were reminded of our common bond and passion for our sport regardless of our nationality, while observing two pilots discuss an aspect of flying in their native language.

The specifics of the conversation were unclear to us, while the context was easily picked up, given the vario-mimicking “beep, beeep, beeeep,” and the twirling/rising motion of one pilot’s index finger. Lastly, Turkey reminded me of our need to ceaselessly explore.

Whether in a group or alone, the knowledge gained from stepping into the unknown is invaluable. Wishing each of you blue skies and soft landings!

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Hanging in Laragne by

F

riendly banter often occurs among hang glider and paraglider pilots on the Laragne launch in the French Southern Alps. But on the day I’m there, it’s silenced once and for all by a comment from an English bi-wingual pilot who simply says, “Paragliding is better in every way,” adding a mischievous pause before

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A N DY PA G

concluding, “except the flying.”

Laragne appeals to paraglider pilots, but its history and big draw actually are linked to hang gliders, with good reason.

It has been home to that sport’s early pioneers, who, since the 1960s, have been launching from this hill. In those days, they sank straight out on the 3:1 glide to the landing cut out

of the forest below.

Nowadays, however, the site delivers recordbreaking flights, like the 180-mile triangle flown by my British pilot friend Mark Haycraft earlier this year, and the flights of the pilots who launched from here and overflew Mont Blanc—at over 16,500 feet—two years ago.

Of course, shortpacking your rig and shipping it halfway around the world for a flying trip to France is a big undertaking, but when given a bit of time to play with, Laragne makes it worth considering.

The terrain, climate and infrastructure ensure that this is a place where hang pilots can improve their abilities and convert those skills into kilometers.

And the journey needn’t be that difficult. Manufacturers and schools in the region may be persuaded to rent you a glider, but don’t expect them to hand over the keys to an Atos.

(If you are persuasive, they are only likely to part with a lowerend school glider.) But it’s worth a call to Ellipse, a nearby hang glider manufacturer, or Bernard Kurtz at Delta Sud, a well-respected local instructor who runs progression courses in French and English. Prevol at St Hilaire is also worth contacting. Some will need a letter of medical fitness from your doctor to keep their insurers happy, so check what they need.

Keep in mind that doctors are much cheaper in France, so it might be worth getting a checkup after you arrive.

The Southern Alps is a relatively low range of mountains.

It’s a dishevelled collection of valleys and peaks around 4-5000 feet high. From launch at Laragne, you can spot the higher snowy peaks that spread down from Mont Blanc.

The valley floors are wide and flat, with seasonal agriculture, meaning you can always find a comfortable place to put down, even in light conditions. The farmers are friendly and the local culture of hitchhiking in the area makes it incredibly easy to catch a ride back to collect your car. The result is an extensive playground perfect for free flying, buts it’s technical, too, requiring some local knowledge of conditions. And although

conditions are never scary or unpredictable, they do sometimes behave in totally counter-intuitive ways.

Weather The Ecrin Mountains to the east act as such a big draw of air as the day builds that small valley systems are overwhelmed, causing wind to blow down a valley instead of up. This westerly airflow can make launching and conditions down low on the Laragne launch uncomfortable, but the site starts working before the usual daily switch.

The other major meteorological condition to be aware of is the mistral. This is a strong northerly wind caused by extreme pressure differential between the Bay of Biscay and the Gulf of Genoa, and which blows out most of the sites in the region.

But despite these weather conditions, the site and region can deliver 90+mile flights from as early as March, when the drive up to takeoff is still snowed in. The big selling point of Laragne, though, has been its bulletproof consistency for the whole of June, July and August. If you can stretch your stay to the end of September, the flying gets mellower but less reliable. But at that time, you can take in the famous Coupe Icare flying festival just up the road at St Hilaire.

Unfortunately, over the last three years, conditions at Laragne haven’t lived up to their reliable reputation, perhaps a sign of a changing climate or maybe just bad luck.

Nonetheless, when using Laragne as a base, you can find a number of other accessible takeoffs within a one-hour radius, meaning you won’t ever be grounded for long by the weather.

Out to Launch The launch at Laragne is a long ridge that runs east-west.

A couple of good ramps are situated on either side, so the regular north or south winds make for comfortable takeoffs.

Locals advise pilots to get off as soon as it’s working, because not long after, the wind will switch west, making takeoff and climbing out miserable at best, and at worst, dangerous. In

LEFT Banking it up in Laragne | photo by Jeff Shapiro. ABOVE Jeff Shapiro in France | photo by Zac Majors.

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practice, this means getting up early in order to set up and be ready to go, but also to be prepared to wait.

In the days when the mistral is blowing, the air breaks into smithereens, and all pilots within a 100-mile radius head to St Vincent-les-Forts on Lac de Serre-Poncon, about an hour’s drive from Larange. Protected by a large range to the north, the entire area around the lake can be flown up to 7500 feet, without feeling the effect of the 25-40mph winds above. This cap means you’re unlikely to clock up big distances, but the tour du lac (tour of the lake) is a tough ~45-mile triangle challenge which will keep you on your game, without stretching you too far from easy bailout options.

On northerly days there is a lot of traffic, since it’s the only place that works. So expect to be jostling for space with solo paragliders and commercial tandems, as well as other hang gliders.

An alternative to Laragne’s takeoff is Sederon, located 30 miles from Laragne, which can be launched in almost any direction. There’s also a soaring ridge for evenings when the westerly is really pumping.

ABOVE Launch queue | photo by Andy Pag.

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Guide Given the complexity of the terrain and the multitude of launches, it’s worth participating in some local events here to get the most from a stay. The campsite in Laragne is a hotbed for pilots. It’s also home to a 600-yard landing field, so you can flare right beside your tent. And chalets are available for those who are with a family or not looking to rough it.

Every year, Laragne is home to a series of comps and training events that provide all the infrastructure and socializing you could possibly dream of. It’s worth checking the European competition calendar for the Belgian, British, Italian, Dutch, French and Czech national championships that descend here back-to-back for almost the two whole months of June and July during certain years. Even when there is no racing, national teams turn up to train, and it’s sometimes possible to hitch a ride to launch and retrieve with them.

If comps aren’t your thing, a couple of English-speaking guides organize logistics for visiting groups. Typically, they only spring into action for a minimum of four pilots and

prefer that the group comes with an instructor, but they are friendly and approachable. It’s well worth contacting Dave and Rachel at Allez-Up to see what they suggest.

Also, it’s worth contacting Alan Chauvet, a three-time French champion who runs high-level training courses along with his English-speaking colleagues.

Bring the Family The tourist office is incredibly helpful to pilots in Laragne.

Situated in the heart of town, they run a free shuttle to takeoff four days a week. Simply let them know the day before you need their service, and they’ll make sure the shuttle has a rack for your hang glider. Alternatively, there’s a shuttle from the campsite run by a rather charmless lady who charges about $10, but sometimes leaves pilots stranded.

The tourist office can also help you find accommodations and recommend activities for family or bad-weather days. This includes great hiking, mountain biking, and swimming holes in a landscape reminiscent of Oregon.

Getting There The nearest airport is Grenoble, but it’s a relatively small regional airport. From the US, you might find cheaper fares to Marseille, where there are also more car rental options. Fuel and motorway tolls are expensive in Europe, so you’ll save money by going for the smallest, most fuelefficient car you can cram into. Foreigners from outside Europe should ask about claiming back the sales tax on car rentals, before booking.

Alain Chauvet. Advance training cuicuinet@wanadoo.fr Prevol Delta. Gear, school and local advice in St Hilaire www.prevoldelta.com Ellipse Delta. A possible lead for renting gear www.ellipse-delta.com Bernard Kurtz. Delta Sud. Gear and guiding +33 4 92 66 46 22 deltasud@free.fr General info in English www.facebook.com/FlyLaragne Dave and Rachel. English speaking guides www.allez-up.com Campsite www.camping-monteglin.com Tourist Office www.tourisme-laragne.fr/en

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ABOVE US team “at,” not “on” the podium ;-)

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2014

Women's

Hang Gliding World Championships by

O

ne of the best aspects of women’s hang gliding competitions is the sense of support and camaraderie shared by female pilots all around the world.

This is the primary reason many girls participate.

The Women’s World Championships in Annecy, France, this summer was no exception. There are plenty of objections to the fact that a separate women’s championship exists in the first place; many think it’s sexist or just plain wrong. I guess I was of the same opinion until I attended my first women’s worlds in Chelan, Washington, back in 1994. When I experienced the completely different atmosphere and sense of global kinship among women pilots, I realized that having a separate women’s event was well worthwhile.

FAI Section 7 and the local regulations of many international competitions start with a purpose statement. It reads something along the lines of “The purpose of this event to is to have a fun, safe and satisfying competition and to encourage friendship among pilots and nations.” Linda Salamone and I just returned from two weeks of exciting flying and global friendship in Annecy, thanks to the generous support and donations from the US and international pilot communities and the Foundation for Free Flight.

For those who haven’t been to Annecy or heard of the flying there, this area in eastern France is a spectacularly scenic place to fly, with high alpine mountain peaks overlooking Lake Annecy. Even without the great flying we had, when one considers the scenery, the hot meet director with a sexy French accent, and the endless supply of the best croissants in the world, it would have been a wonderful time to connect with women pilots from all over the world.

Most tasks for the women’s class consisted of zigging and zagging between beautiful mountain peaks and across

JA M IE S H E L DE N

Lake Annecy and the city of Annecy. I have to admit there was quite a pucker factor for me as I negotiated the turnpoints up ridges with teeny landing fields and dodged the hundreds of paragliders around the launch and start areas, so it was actually an achievement for me to get through the competition without scaring myself to death.

Annecy is known for being one of the most popular paragliding sites in Europe and, unfortunately, has a reputation for being completely overrun with paragliders to the point where few hang gliders fly there these days. Luckily, the organizers of the women’s worlds were able to get assurances from the paragliding instructors and tandem operations that no launching would take place during our launch window each day, so paraglider traffic was kept down to a somewhat reasonable level.

It was also incredibly nice—from a girl’s standpoint—to have other women who understood the fear issues that many female pilots face. When a task was finished, another understanding and empathetic pilot was always there to share the ups and downs. Indeed, if you’re one of those guys who wants more women in the sport, there’s no better way to get them involved and keep them actively flying than to help send them to an event like this.

Both Linda and I have more experience in the flatlands than the mountains, so I guess we’ll blame our less-thanideal performance on that. But I can honestly say that the aim of organizers of this event was achieved. Twenty-three women from eleven nations participated in the competition and, along with the three other classes–Sport Class, Class 2 (Swifts) and Class 5 (Rigid Wings)–and the flying and many social events, our time in Annecy was amazing. We are incredibly grateful for all of the financial and moral support that made this trip possible for us.

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TOP LEFT 2014 meet in Annecy.

BOTTOM Flying in front of the " Children's Teeth" in Annecy.

ABOVE Launch in Annecy. Photos

by Nicolas Assael. LEFT Friendship amongst the nations, left to right: Linda Salamone, Francoise Dieuzeide-Banet (France), Jamie Shelden (US), Kathryn O’Riordan (Australia), Hadewych van Kempen (Netherlands).

Thinking Outside the Blocks Part XII: Thermal Trixz

A

fter decades of flying I can look back and see some milestone learning experiences, such as my first soaring flight, my first thermal, my first cross-country. I can remember each of these wonderful experiences like it was the day before yesterday.

But there have been many other bits of learning that were subtler, yet perhaps more important to my overall development as a pilot. I learned these techniques and tricks by observation, trial and error, copying other pilots or simply asking a thousand questions.

The funny thing is, after many years of accumulation, sometimes this human forgets some of the tricks. If you’re human, you probably will, too.

Just the other day I was flying with only one other pilot. It was a weak day on a weekday. He was way up and back; I was low and feeling neglected by the lift angel. She must have felt my pain, for soon I hit a mild thermal and began coring. I was thinking how I really needed to max the climb since there were long pauses between thermals; altitude meant survival.

I was turning as efficiently as I could in that lonely thermal, then I remembered the trick. I guess I haven’t been flying competition so I haven’t been focusing on best-performance procedures. But as soon as I applied the trick, my climb rate increased and I wrung that thermal out like a pair of worried hands. Of course, there are many tricks

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by Dennis Pagen

to effective flying, but I call this one the trick because it seems to work like no other in needy situations.

MAXIMIZING MINIMUM SINK What I call the trick has also been called maximum turns or spinning up.

No matter what it’s called, it works. I first became aware of it in the late ‘80s when I saw the well-known ace, Larry Tudor, winding up through gaggles at a Brazilian comp. He did it more than once against pilots with the same glider.

I wasn’t the only pilot observing Larry, and some of us discussed the technique, but it took a while to parse it out. Now, most top pilots use the trick and newer pilots have the benefit of reading about it and learning faster.

Essentially, the trick involves setting a bank angle in a thermal and pushing out until the inside wing is kissing a stall. If it does stall it will tend to drop down and back. But by levering yourself to the high side of the glider (outside of the turn) you fight the glider tendency and produce the most efficient thermal turn possible while still maintaining control over your bank and circle configuration.

When you are in this turning mode, your inside arm is nearly straight, pushing hard to keep your body to the high side. Your outside arm either pulls or pushes as needed to keep the glider rotating smoothly around the circle.

Figure 1 illustrates the positioning.

Note we have shown about a 30-degree bank. I find that if the bank angle is much less than this, the inside wing stall is so abrupt or severe that it is hard to overcome with high siding and the circling becomes erratic or you drop out of the thermal.

We should all be aware that the steeper the bank, the less we have to use roll force to control bank angle, and the more pitch can effectively tighten or widen our circle. Many pilots get fatigued when they thermal for an hour or more because they bank too flatly and have to use a lot more force controlling roll, especially in rowdy thermals.

On the other hand, this maximizing technique is also tiring. In general, good pilots only use it when they need a save or a jump of some sort. Also, in competition, pilots use it in the last thermal or two before final glide to try to top out the gaggle.

Here’s more: In general, curvedtip gliders are more adaptable to this maximum turn technique than square tippers because the flexible tip wand allows the glider to wash out (twist) a bit more when you push out beyond the normal stall point. But I saw Larry Tudor doing it on a square-tip Wills Wing HP AT. In fact, here’s another wrinkle: Some pilots use this technique to perform a fairly flat half spin with their glider when they want to turn right now in a little thermal blurb.

This method is discussed by Gerolf

Heinrichs on pages 173 to 176 in my book Secrets of Champions. In order to do this turn, however, these pilots are altering their glider somewhat by flattening the tip battens to make the stall/ spin easier to achieve. I don’t recommend this approach, but I do recommend every pilot learn the trick.

An important factor helping you achieve the maximum-efficiency turn we are describing is having the glider set up so some high siding is needed in a normal turn. Every top pilot I ever interviewed had his or her glider set up this way (you can adjust most modern gliders for roll balance by turning the tip attachment system or more importantly, the inboard leading-edge eccentrics on gliders so equipped). There are several reasons for this setup, including being able to assure the glider tends to wind into the turn when you push out.

If it doesn’t require high siding, then the whole process is less efficient. Part of the benefit comes from having the wing itself making a smaller diameter circle since the circle described by the main mass (your body) is what creates the centrifugal force to offset the force

of the lift pointed inward to the center of the circle (see page 175 of the forementioned book).

So this technique really has three advantages: It gets the wing making a smaller diameter circle, it slows the glider down more than in a normal coordinated turn at the same bank angle and often allows you to make a quick bank or positioning adjustment with your wing. The disadvantage, as mentioned, is the extra strength required. But using it for a thermal or two or even just part of a thermal can bring big benefits, especially if it means the difference between clinging to weak lift to barely stay up or succumbing to miserable gravity.

We advise all pilots to learn this technique away from traffic with plenty of ground clearance. Also, start out in rather smooth thermals, and then graduate to more vigorous and rowdy characters. What can go wrong? If your technique is ham-handed you can high side too much and flatten out of the turn or you can stall and wind down in the sink. In the worse case, if you’re overzealous, you may make your glider

spin (pushing out and high siding is the normal method of spinning a flex wing, although most are resistant to the maneuver).

CAUTION: This maximumefficiency technique is not safe in very strong or turbulent thermals. Such thermals can stall you no matter what type of control you are making. It is dangerous to be close to a stall when the thermal strength is high. In fact, I do not like the term “spinning up,” because it implies stalling the inside wing, which is not safe in turbulent thermals, especially close to the ground.

Although it is beyond the scope of this article, every pilot should know that steeper banks and faster flying speed are the safety procedures when flying in strong, rough or sharp-edged thermals.

But you don’t have to be horsing the glider around in rough thermals to learn maximum turns. Simply enter into a mild thermal and go into your normal thermal turn, then slowly start applying a little more pitch up (push out) while counteracting any tendency to drop a wing with a control

towards the outside of the turn. Pretty soon you’ll get a feel for your glider’s behavior and reaction to your control inputs. Eventually learn to perform the technique in a variety of thermals at different banks. Note, however, I find that my glider has a “sweet range” bank angle that works best (about 30 to 40 degrees). After time you should find yours. When you are in the groove it feels like you are pushing your glider inward into the thermal. Some have described it as “poking the wing into the core.” Any way you visualize it, it sure feels good once you have mastered the trick and especially after you have used it to save your butt from premature grounding.

THE PREMIER THERMAL By the repetitive discussion of maximizing performance in weak conditions, perhaps you can guess what I have been flying in lately. Here I want to focus on what you do when you are squatting on launch on a doodah day waiting for your magic cycle. Maybe the wind is so light that you are sure to need to launch into a thermal in order to get up. What should we do to maximize safety and performance?

My first step in such a situation is to try to observe how fat the lift is. Birds, other pilots in the air (or who have attempted to stay up) and possibly the extent of disturbance of ground cover or trees can give you an idea of how far out the lift extends. If it looks narrow, I plan to launch into the strongest cycle I can find and scrape back and forth with figure eights (for a short ridge or peak) or close passes (for a longer hill or ridge). Once above and clear of the terrain, I begin turning in thermals when they present their warm bodies. If the thermals are simply too small or the lift band too narrow, you cannot expect to launch and turn in a thermal right away. In fact, with very weak thermals,

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sometimes it is only the added upslope breeze or general wind component that makes your flight sustainable.

On the other hand, if the lift seems to extend out a bit further, I plan to ride it straight away from the launch point (or towards a turning glider, bird or obvious ground disturbance) in order to gain clearance to begin turning. It is this case that is of most interest, mainly because it requires the most judgment and skill. You have probably heard the old rule when you began to thermal of counting to three (three seconds) in lift before you begin to turn. Well, that amount of time is often too long in smaller cores in the free sky, but in this case it is a good safety rule, because even if you are in lift (unless it’s the boomer from heaven or the punch from hell), when you perform a 360 soon after launch you are pointing back at the hill with a tail wind in what can easily turn into sink or turbulence (or both) on the downwind border of that thermal.

Here’s my method in this case: I try to perform a perfect launch into the best cycle possible (all my previous observation while setting up and heckling launch potatoes helps this assessment).

If the cycles are weak, it is reasonable to launch just as soon as an incoming thermal starts increasing the wind, or even just before it arrives at launch if the thermals aren’t squirreling the wind. However, normally thermals will alter the wind—make it less reliable— so it is best to wait until the initial thermal wall with its attendant turbulence has passed before launching into it.

When I do launch I try for maximum energy and an initial speed just above

best glide, but as soon as I clear the hill and feel no pitching or rolling, I’ll slow down to just above minimum sink (I leave a control margin there since I know I will soon be turning).

As I fly away from the hill I note the strength of the lift and the amount of turbulence. This awareness is essentially an automatic process—I don’t have to think about it. If turbulence is bad or lift is very weak, I might revert to plan A, which is proceed with figure-eight turns. But if everything is fine, when I have enough clearance, I begin my turn.

As the turn goes through about 45 degrees of heading change, I will have slowed to the appropriate speed for the bank I have initiated. The whole time I am looking over my shoulder back at the hill to judge my clearance. As I come around I make an assessment as to the safety of continuing the turn into a full 360. Even before the 90-degree heading change point I have made the go/no-go decision, because of the lag time in my glider to roll control (an intermediate glider may respond quicker, so the decision may be made a bit later).

If it is safe, I continue around.

However, by the 90-degree mark I have already pulled in a bit to provide more control speed. I use this speed to make my bank steeper and then coordinate the turn just before the 180-degree heading point (when I am aiming at the hill). This coordination requires me to push out, which brings the glider around faster and whips me around and provides clearance from the terrain.

Then I level out a bit, while slowing to min sink to max my climb away from the hill. The process is repeated as long as I am gaining altitude until I am high

Maybe the wind is so light that you are sure to need to launch into a thermal in order to get up. What should we do to maximize safety and performance?

enough to perform a more normal, steady thermal 360.

Figure 2 provides a picture of this procedure. Note that because of the presence of the hill the thermal is not drifting much downwind, so the center of my turn needs to be essentially stationary. This practice is similar to making a turn to stay over a point on the ground in wind. You can’t make a 360 evenly banked all the way around or you will drift with the wind. So we have to make a steeper bank on our downwind leg to remain in front of the hill.

It should be clear that a safe thermal turn low in front of takeoff is not a steady, uniform process. The obvious reason is that you need more control to handle the unexpected near the terrain. Another reason is that thermals bulling up a steep face are not generally uniform. The presence of the ground tilts them and also turbulates their downwind border as shown in figure 3. The upwind portion of your turn tends to take place in lift that is getting stronger, while the downwind portion is usually in diminishing lift. We should all recognize that it is easier to turn a hang glider in building lift than in steady air, while it is harder (slower to react, heavier forces) when the lift is diminishing. This is another reason for gaining airspeed when you pass into the downwind portion of the 360.

To be sure, using this turning technique is not apt to result in as much height gain as a turn that is at minimum speed all the way around. But, the severe (as severe as you can imagine) consequence of hitting the ground going downwind in the back side of your turn trumps performance any day.

I have never come close to hitting the ground with this technique, although I know I have come closer to the hill with comfort than some pilots who aren’t aware of the benefit of carrying extra

maneuvering speed.

As with all our learning, all pilots should learn this variable-turn technique well away from the terrain. You can try it in a thermal up high. Simply determine the upwind direction and go slow upwind and faster with a steeper bank downwind. Practice until you have the timing down and are intimately familiar with your glider’s response.

The first time you try it nearer the hill, use a wide thermal so you can be well clear. Eventually you will be able to make a safe decision when to turn in the first thermal with ample safety margin. Remember, you are judging a dynamic situation in three dimensions with a bit of unknown—the sink and turbulence at the downwind points are not necessarily the same every time around.

Of course, if you boat out off launch and the lift is gentle and widespread, much to your joy, your 360 may be a normal leisurely circle. In this case, you will probably be above launch by the time you are on the back side of the turn anyway. Go in peace. But when the lift is weak or broken or small or turbulent or any combo of these characteristics, you need to use the variedcircle trick.

Sometimes I find that I can get two or three 360s in a weak thermal that I may have latched onto below launch, but the drift takes me too close to the hill to keep circling. In this case I make my last leg into the wind and make a quick turn to drift along the face, but just as quick I turn back to regain the thermal and continue to figure eight until I am above and clear enough to circle. If that process doesn’t get me up I may linger in the thermal area, hoping that another thermal shot comes through (as it often does). But many times, once the thermal has passed sink fills in the immediate area, and then it is best to go someplace else that is

a likely thermal producer. Often on a scratchy day this whole process may be repeated numerous times until we get above and sigh in relief, or we slowly fight our way to the ground. In any case, we will have done our best and remained safe to fly again on more prosperous days.

T

o be a consummate pilot we need many tricks in our repertoire.

One-trick ponies soon exhaust their possibilities. Versatility can often bring success because if we know one thing, we know that the sky and its smaller-scale features are always changing. If thermals rule your passions, you will maximize your pleasure by being able to use all the available lore we have developed over the decades. I won’t fool you, but I might trick you.

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CALENDAR & CLASSIFIED

CALENDAR

CALENDAR, CLINIC & TOUR LISTINGS

clinics & tours

HOW TO USE

can be submitted online at http://www.ushpa.aero/email _ events.asp. A minimum 3-month lead time is required on all submissions and tentative events will not be published. For more details on submissions, as well as complete information on the events listed, see our Calendar of Events at www.ushpa.aero CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING RATES - The rate for classified advertising is $10.00 for 25 words and $1.00 per word after 25. MINIMUM AD CHARGE $10.00. AD DEADLINES: All ad copy, instructions, changes, additions & cancellations must be received in writing 2 months preceding the cover date, i.e. September 15th is the deadline for the November issue. All classifieds are prepaid. If paying by check, please include the following with your payment: name, address, phone, category, how many months you want the ad to run and the classified ad. Please make checks payable to USHPA, P.O. Box 1330, Colorado Springs, CO 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.

60

HANG GLIDING & PARAGLIDING MAGAZINE

DECEMBER 1-3> Phetchabun, Thailand. This

3-day clinic is open to basic and advanced paragliding instructor candidates and those needing recertification. Phu Thap Boek is the best flying site in exotic, far-east, Thailand. For more information: www.paraglidetandem.net, or pchumes@gmail.com.

DECEMBER 5-7> Phetchabun, Thailand. Tan-

dem paragliding clinic with Pete Humes and Matty Allen. This 3-day clinic is for P-4 pilots who want to learn tandem flight. We’ll be flying Phu Thap Boek, Phetchabun, the highest and best flying site in exotic Southeast Asia. For more information: Pete at pchumes@gmail.com, or www. paraglidetandem.net.

JANUARY 11-17> Phetchabun, Thailand.

Mountain flying/thermal clinic with Pete Humes.

This 7-day clinic is for P-2 pilots who want to learn mountain/thermal skills. Also P-4 pilots who want to set new XC records. We’ll be flying Phu Thap Boek, Phetchabun, the highest and best flying site in exotic Southeast Asia. For more information contact Pete at www.paraglidetandem. net, or pchumes@gmail.com

JAN 1 - FEB 8, FEB 8-16, FEB 21 MAR 1 & MAR 1-9> Roldanillo, Colombia.

Eagle Paragliding is running 4 tours over 4 weeks.

We guarantee unforgettable flying in Roldanillo, Colombia. Read about our Colombia Tours in the August 2014 issue of the USHPA magazine.

The Paragliding World Championships will be held before our tours at this world-class site. The tours are for pilots of all levels. We offer coaching on thermaling, XC flying, tandem XC flying, and race-to-goal tasks 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 our highly qualified staff of instructors support you in achieving your goals for the week. Visit www.paragliding.com, or contact us at rob@ paraglide.com, 805-968-0980, and www.http:// eagleparagliding.com/?q=node/27.

JANUARY 16 - FeBRUARY 6 > Anserma and

Roldanillo, Colombia. Escape the winter and join us in sunny warm Colombia. Light winds and good thermals allows excellent conditions for students to learn and improve their thermal and XC skills. Great from the beginner to the advanced pilot. We fly multiple sites around Valle del Cauca including world-class Roldanillo and Anserma Nuevo. Fly with Terry Bono, advanced instructor and guide with over 12 years of experience. Our focus is your thermal and XC skills using visual and radio contact, air-to-air guidance, and analyzing your flights in a 3-D flight program. Options to come for one week, 10 days and two weeks. maria@pennsylvaniaparagliding.net, 610-3920050. http://www.pennsylvaniaparagliding.com/ Pennsylvania _ Paragliding/Colombia _ Tour. html

january 18-28 > Governador Valadares, Brazil. One of the best known South American World Class flying sites. All your flying needs provided by Adventure Sports Tours. Master rated advanced instructors make your trip worthwhile.

Whatever your goals from novice to comp. GV is a fun, flying friendly town with all the conveniences. Close to the Mt Ibituruna site of world championships as well as epic days of local and x-c flying. Tour includes; pick up at GV airport, hotel accommodations, rides to launch and retrieval, local guiding. In addition we will help with travel planning such as Brazilian Visas, best airline prices as well as local accommodations to suit your individual lifestyles. Contact Ray at skybirdwings@hotmail.com, 775-883-7070, or www. skybirdwings.net JAN18-25&FeB1-8>Tapalpa, Mexico Fly Week Parasoft has been guiding pilots to Mexico in January since 1990. In 2002 we discovered worldclass Tapalpa, with four other sites close by. With big launch and landing areas this is the best in Mexico! Tapalpa is a 2500’ vertical drive-up site located one hour from the Guadalajara airport. To prepare for the 2004 World Cup competition, a restaurant and bar were added. Our trips include six days of flying. We see these as both a fun flying vacation and a learning experience. To guide our clients well, we limit group size to four clients and offer tandem flights to improve flying skills. More info: granger@parasoftparagliding. com,303-494-2820, or http://parasoftparagliding.com/mexico-flying/.

January 20 - february 15 > Valle del Cauca, Colombia. 7 to 14 days “Vol-Tel” tours while flying the epic sites of the Valle del Cauca, Colombia. World-class lodging and logistics. Roldanillo, La Union, Anserma Nuevo and beyond. Improve thermal and XC skills with inair radio guidance from advanced instructor/ guide David Prentice with over 20 years experience. Airport pick-up, local transportation, lodging included. More info: earthcog@yahoo.com, or 505-720-5436.

january 20 - february 15 > Valle del Cauca, Colombia. 7-14 day tours, south to north and back south again. This is a vehicle- and hotel-supported vol-biv style tour. Pilots will fly daily from one of the epic sites along the Valle de Cauca landing at the next site with nice accommodations and XC retrievals. Advanced instructor/guide David Prentice with over 20 years experience will guide pilots along this crossing of the Valle del Cauca. Great XC conditions and breathtaking views make this tour worthy of your vacation time. More info: earthcog@yahoo.com, or 505-720-5436.

February 5-20 > Medellin, Colombia. 2015

Colombia Top Pilots Paragliding Tour. Colombia Dream! We will paraglide in SEVEN wonderful sites around Medellin, Cali and Bogota including Sopetran, Jerico, Damasco, Anserma Nuevo, Roldanillo, Piedechinche and Sopó. We will stay in fincas or traditional farms. Breakfast and ground transportation included. $2,000 two weeks. For more information contact Sofia Puerta Webber at sepuerta@yahoo.com.

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

Powered paragliding, clinics, tours, tandem, towing. Ken Baier 760-213-0063, airjunkies.com.

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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 805-965-3733.

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 World famous historic TORREY PINES

GLIDERPORT: Incredible Flying – food – fun.

Come enjoy coastal San Diego flying yearround! We offer USHPA-certified instruction for all ratings, as well as tandem, instructor, and SIV clinics and local flat land towing. Call us for details on our domestic and international clinics and tours or join us in our 4x4 12-passenger tour van for 15 other flying sites opportunities in SoCal and Baja California. We have expanded product lines including Ozone, Skywalk, Sup Air, Independence, Woody Valley, Sky, Gradient, Niviuk, Paratech, Plussmax helmets, Crispi boots, Gopro, Flytech, Flymaster and a lot more.

Come test our new mini wings from Ozone. We have a huge selection of Demos on site. Our full service shop offers reserve repacks, annual glider inspections, repairs and more. We also carry an extensive new and used inventory of certified gliders and harnesses. Check us out at flytorrey. com, facebook.com/flytpg, info@flytorrey.com, or call us at (858) 452 9858.

NORTHWINGSPORTS.COM

HANG GLIDING & PARAGLIDING MAGAZINE

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INDIANA

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. 818-3672430, www.windsports.com.

MICHIGAN

FLORIDA RIDGE AEROTOW PARK - 18265 E State Road 80, Clewiston, Florida 863-8050440, www.thefloridaridge.com.

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.

LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN FLIGHT PARK - Nearest

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

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

WALLABY RANCH – The original Aerotow flight

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

GEORGIA LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN FLIGHT PARK - Discover

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

HAWAII PROFLYGHT PARAGLIDING - Call Dexter for

friendly information about flying on Maui. Fullservice school offering beginner to advanced instruction every day, year round. 808-874-5433, paraglidehawaii.com.

HANG GLIDING & PARAGLIDING MAGAZINE

HIGHLAND AEROSPORTS - Baltimore and DC’s

FLORIDA

glider towing & training, Dragonfly aerotow training, XC, thermaling, instruction, equipment.

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

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MARYLAND

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.

GRAYBIRD AIRSPORTS — Paraglider & hang

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.

Michigan

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 410-6342775, 24038 Race Track Rd, Ridgely, MD 21660, www.aerosports.net, hangglide@aerosports.net.

COLORADO

DON’T MISS OUT. RENEW ONLINE.

CLOUD 9 SPORT AVIATION - See Cloud 9 in

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 HAMPSHIRE Morningside - A Kitty Hawk Kites flight park. The north east's premier hang gliding and paragliding training center. Teaching since 1974.

Hang gliding foot launch and tandem aerowtow training. Paragliding foot launch and tandem training. Powered Paragliding instruction. Dealer for all major manufacturers. Charlestown, NH. Also visit our North Carolina location, Kitty Hawk Kites Flight School. (603) 542-4416, www. flymorningside.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

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

Connecticut areas. Area’s exclusive Wills Wing dealer. Also all other brands, accessories. Area’s most INEXPENSIVE prices! Certified instruction/ service since 1979. Excellent secondary instruction! Taken some lessons? Advance to mountain flying! www.flyhighhg.com, 845-7443317.

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

UTAH CLOUD 9 PARAGLIDING - Come visit us and check out our huge selection of paragliding gear, traction kites, extreme toys, and any other fun things you can think of. If you aren’t near the Point of the Mountain, then head to http://www. paragliders.com for a full list of products and services. We are Utah’s only full time shop and repair facility, Give us a ring at 801-576-6460 if you have any questions.

VIRGINIA BLUE SKY - Full-time HG instruction.

NORTH CAROLINA Kitty Hawk Kites - The largest hang gliding

school in the world! Celebrating our 40th year!

Teaching since 1974. Learn to hang glide and paraglide on the east coast's largest sand dune.

Year round instruction, foot launch and tandem aerotow. Powered Paragliding instruction. Dealer for all major manufacturers. Fly at the beach!

Learn to fly where the Wright Brothers flew!

Located on the historic Outer Banks, NC. Also visit our New Hampshire location, Morningside Flight Park. (252) 441-2426, 1-877-FLY-THIS, www.kittyhawk.com

OHIO CLOUD 9 SPORT AVIATION - See Cloud 9 in

Michigan

PUERTO RICO FLY PUERTO RICO WITH TEAM SPIRIT HG!

- Flying tours, rentals, tandems, HG and PG classes, H-2 and P-2 intensive Novice courses, full sales. 787-850-0508, tshg@coqui.net.

TENNESSEE LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN FLIGHT PARK - Just

outside 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

Daily lessons, scooter and platform towing. AT towing part time. Custom sewing, powered harnesses, Aeros PG , Flylight and Airborne trikes. 804-2414324 , www.blueskyhg.com

INTERNATIONAL 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

CLINICS & TOURS 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: 506-8950-8676, or Kathy @ 506-89180355 www.paraglidecostarica.com Spring, Summer, Fall - Woodrat Mountain, OR. Hostel / Camping / Rooms below launch.

Heated pool, hottub, internet. Shuttle/guide service. ravencyte@hotmail.com, 541 951-6606 or Facebook-Raven's Landing

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

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

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

RISING AIR GLIDER REPAIR SERVICES – A full-

service shop, specializing in all types of paragliding repairs, annual inspections, reserve repacks, harness repairs. Hang gliding reserve repacks and repair. For information or repair estimate, call (208) 554-2243, pricing and service request form available at www.risingair.biz, billa@atcnet.net.

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.

SPECIALTY WHEELS for airfoil basetubes, round basetubes, or tandem landing gear.(262)4738800, www.hanggliding.com.

HANG GLIDING & PARAGLIDING MAGAZINE

63

Happy Holidays!

From L to R: Martin Palmaz, Executive Director, Beth Van Eaton, Operations Manager & Advertising, Eric Mead, System Administrator, Julie Spiegler, Program Manager, Ashley Miller, Membership Coordinator.

2015 DARS 2015 2015 CALEN

ciation ing Asso Paraglid & g in d g Gli ates Han g Association United St g & Paraglidin in id Gl g an H United States

have arrived

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HANG GLIDING & PARAGLIDING MAGAZINE

ONLY $20

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HANG GLIDING & PARAGLIDING MAGAZINE

65

The 1

by Richard Nakai

Congratulations to Nate Scales whose name was drawn out of a hat containing the names of the 12 generous authors who conributed to "The 1" over the past year. Nate will receive a USHPA soft shell jacket for his May, 2014 story.

Let's do it again! 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 and your story will echo through the ages!

T

he Owens Valley in California evokes many stories for me, one of which is the time my wife, Cindy, and I hooked up with Don Taber and his wife, Danusia. The following day, Don and I launched from Walt’s Point and headed north. Since we were flying with a mission to make tracks northward, I didn’t dilly-dally at Mt. Whitney, even though this time my camera had film. (The last time I was at the summit, I had run out of film while circling over and down to the level of three dozen hikers on the summit and talking to them and wishing them a nice hike down!)

Anyway, at the last peak and ridge before crossing the stunning Onion Valley, I spotted a small cloud NW of us, just beginning to form over the top of the Sierra Nevada. Don, who was a couple of hundred feet below me and heading north directly across Onion Valley, got hit by massive westerly winds and flushed out into the Owens Valley miles below and landed. I dared to venture WNW over this westerly monster in hopes of connecting with that forming cloud.

My vario was silent with only an occasional beep. My toes were pointed.

I carefully watched my glide, knowing the westerly monster was just below.

I pushed on deep into the Sierra, at which time the beeps began to get louder and louder.

I relaxed as I got sucked up to cloudbase and arrived in a different

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HANG GLIDING & PARAGLIDING MAGAZINE

air mass over the westerlies. Since my wife and I were heading to a family function in Placerville on the western side of the Sierra, I pushed north to Bishop, rather than cross the Owens Valley to the White Mountains.

At Bishop, an immense plateau, Coyote Flat, makes it awfully convenient to cut the corner and hold a straight northerly line and fly deep into the Sierra over Lake Sabrina behind the plateau. I had heard of pilots doing that. But it looked awfully intimidating. By local mountain standards, I had tons of altitude, but this was the Sierra Nevada. I didn’t have altitude to spare in the event of monster sink.

So I pushed NE to the foothills and then ran into a washing-machine wall of turbulence. From wind reports, I knew the wind north of Bishop was WNW, and south of Bishop it was SE. From flying Pine Mountain, California, where the northern desert air can collide with the coastal southern air, I knew I was in convergence turbulence and needed to simply hold on tight. After about 1000 feet of climbing in that washing-machine turbulence, I popped out into strong, smooth convergence lift and climbed fast.

I pulled in and headed north along Highway 395. I topped out my altitude before crossing Round Valley just north of Bishop. The westerlies in Round Valley bled all of my altitude, until I was below the level of the

spine to Tom’s Place. The westerlies weakened northward and, eventually, were nonexistent. The SE wind must be holding them back, I reasoned.

Therefore, I ventured back in leeside of the spine, with no westerlies blowing over the top. From flying with mentor Tom Truax in Ventura County along Santa Paula Ridge, I knew to get to the top of the spine to catch the flow coming up both sides. I skimmed onto the top of the spine, and glided north along the spine to the very end, where I hit a booming thermal rocketing me to 16,500 feet.

By this time, my wife had caught up with me along Highway 395 and asked where I was. I replied I was at 16,500 feet directly over her. I watched as my Pathfinder pulled off the highway, and I saw my wife get out and look up. I was probably about 12,000 feet above her. I circled, waved to my wife, and then headed north again. By now, the terrain had changed from steel granite majesty and emerald blue lakes to the green forests of Mammoth Mountain, with Lake Crowley below. I could have ventured east of Lake Crowley downwind in search of the convergence line, but I had dinner plans. So, instead, I went on final glide from 16,500 feet and landed along Highway 395, north of Mammoth, for about a 110-mile flight.

By dinnertime, we were at my wife’s cousin’s house in Placerville, California.

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