Hang Gliding & Paragliding Vol46-Iss6 Nov-Dec 2016 by US Hang Gliding & Paragliding Association

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2016 Volume 46 Issue 6 $6.95

HANG GLIDING & PARAGLIDING MAGAZINE

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USA

WARNING

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

SUBMISSIONS HANG GLIDING & PARAGLIDING magazine welcomes 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.

HANG GLIDING & PARAGLIDING MAGAZINE

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.

ADVERTISING ALL ADVERTISING AND ADVERTISING INQUIRIES MUST BE 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.

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

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PLAN

FLIGHT I

t has been a game-changing year at the association—full of surprises, successes, failures, changes, and new courses. The association continues to work to improve the new programs focused around insurance and instruc-

tion. On behalf of USHPA, I would like to thank you for your patience, understanding and commitment to keeping free flight viable here in the USA.

Some good news: At the time of printing we as a group of pilots and friends have lowered our accident rate dramatically in 2016 and while we celebrate this, we must simultaneously start planting seeds for next season to individually strive for perfect safety records. Here at the magazine Greg Gillam and I are celebrating our 100th issue delivered to your door. None of these magazines could be produced without our contributors. This magazine has always been a communal firepit for our stories, a community bulletin board, and a source of inspiration. I recently stopped by to visit with Bob Drury, who wrote a story in Cross Country magazine 15 years ago that inspired me to pack up my wing and go on the road for a year. There was one photo in particular that showed a long ridge in Morocco that I decided I must fly, and with that photo in hand I headed out to the Sahara desert to attempt to experience what I’d read about. It is also why I got into publishing, and I hope something in these 100 issues has inspired you to seize an opportunity and get a little bit deeper into the sport, and the life surrounding it. I would like to use a bit of ink to thank Greg Gillam, who is absolutely instrumental in delivering the magazine each month, and even more importantly, in the evolution of the layout and design, which he masterminds. I often get significant credit for his additions so would like to take this opportunity to put praise where it is due for his tireless efforts to keep the magazine fresh and the design relevant. I would also like to thank C.J. Sturtevant for taking on a larger role copy editing over the last several years; Beth Van Eaton for keeping the band marching forward month after month; Martin Palmaz, the captain of the ship, for his great guidance, oversight, and desire to push the magazine forward every year; and our staff contributors like Dennis Pagen who year after year make up the backbone of the publication. This issue has great examples of amazing trips, adventures, epic photography, safety advice, and education. These are the things, among many others, that we cherish as pilots and all are equally a part of our membership’s drives and goals. Some of us like to fly at the coast, others in the mountains, or in the flatlands after being towed up, and while at times we, as the intensely passionate people that we are, split hairs about which we think is best, it is the collection of these tales and styles that make our association, and its magazine, great. Here’s to the next 100!

Martin Palmaz, Executive Director executivedirector@ushpa.aero Beth Van Eaton, Operations Manager office@ushpa.aero Galen Anderson, Membership Coordinator membership@ushpa.aero Julie Spiegler, Program Manager programs@ushpa.aero

USHPA OFFICERS & EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE Paul Murdoch, President president@ushpa.aero Jamie Shelden, Vice President vicepresident@ushpa.aero Steve Rodrigues, 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: Ken Andrews, Pete Michelmore, Alan Crouse. REGION 4: Bill Belcourt, Ken Grubbs. REGION 5: Josh Pierce. REGION 6: Tiki Mashy. REGION 7: Paul Olson. REGION 8: Michael Holmes. REGION 9: Felipe Amunategui, Larry Dennis. REGION 10: Bruce Weaver, Steve Kroop, Matt Taber. REGION 11: Tiki Mashy. REGION 12: Paul Voight. DIRECTORS AT LARGE: Paul Murdoch, Steve Rodrigues, Greg Kelley, Jamie Shelden, Mitch Shipley. 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.

LEFT Tyr Goldsmith launching in Iceland | photo by Bruce Goldsmith.

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Flymaster's Cloud The Cloud is Flymaster’s unique online log-book for your flights. Using the Cloud you are able to access more data that your unit has been recording, including altitude, ground height, heart rate, speed, vario, true airspeed and G-force. It is very cool to be able to see these along your track as it is displayed over a Google map. This now means you are able to analyze your flight in more detail than before. If you have a LIVE, LIVE SD or GPS SD+ your flights will automatically be there.

REGIONAL DIRECTOR ELECTION STATEMENTS how USHPA is responding to the myriad

goings on behind USHPA. I’ve got a lot to

issues out there, well, let me know about

learn when it comes to the inner workings,

that, too. If you appreciate the work I’ve

but I have faith in free flight and another

done as your regional director, please

30 years of flying and helping out will help

consider giving me your vote of support.

fulfill my bucket list. Vote for me and I’ll

Thanks!

buy the beer.

in our insurance program. USHPA mem-

Region 2 | Jugdeep Aggarwal (I)

Region 4 | Bill Belcourt (I)

bers have stepped up big-time to support

During my tenure as a Regional Director

Hello Region 4. I’ve been flying since 1989

USHPA by raising capital to fund the insur-

for the last 4 years I have been fortunate to

and living in Utah since 1991. In the last

ance risk retention group and help get our

deal with many issues that keeps our sites

25 years, I have witnessed a lot of positive

insurance program up and running but

open. This has included helping form the

change and growth of our sport and the

there’s much more work yet to be done.

new Hat Creek Rim Pilots Association to

organization, and have made many great

The challenge now, is to work through the

ensure continued access to this site, hold-

friends because of it. For many years I have

remaining issues; making sure we are ac-

ing town-hall meetings for instructors at

been actively involved with USHPA on the

complishing what we set out to do.

Ed Levin to ensure continued instruction

competition committee and am currently

there, amongst many other bigger picture

the president of a 501c non-profit that

lenges is to help instructors and schools

issues facing the association. I am stand-

raises money for the US paragliding team

continue to have access to good insur-

ing again for election to spearhead keeping

and the US X-alps team.

ance on a cost-effective basis. Part of this

our flying sites open and improving access

challenge involves helping instructors and

to all pilots to sites.

Region 1 | Rich Hass (I) For the past ten years, I’ve served as a regional director here in Region 1. For five of these years, I’ve also served as USHPA’s president. During the past decade, we’ve experienced quite a few challenges, most recently brought about last year by changes

One of the most critical remaining chal-

schools work through the application pro-

I do my best to volunteer my time and knowledge at national competitions and local events.

cess without unnecessary red tape and pro-

Currently, I work in the outdoor industry

cedural documentation. While this process

and find that the challenges facing that

may not directly affect member pilots as a

industry, (in regards to access, regulation,

whole, it will have a direct bearing on the

and liability), to be similar to our own and

future of our sport because without good

that I can provide some valuable insight for

instructors, hang gliding and paragliding

our future.

will not thrive. Some of the responsibilities of a regional

For these reasons, I believe I have a

Region 3 | Pete Michelmore (I)

pretty good grasp on the issues facing

director involve helping chapters deal with

Aloha. Having spent the last 30 years huck-

USHPA and the region in the years ahead

challenges keeping sites open and working

ing and plucking paragliders it has been a

and would make a good regional director.

with chapters, instructors and members to

great pleasure of mine to have represented

I would be deeply honored to have this op-

help resolve problems when they arise—

Region 3 as their director the last couple

portunity to represent you.

and they do arise from time to time. My

of years. Although I still feel I could have

objective is to continue to be available to

done more, what I have done I did from

help with these issues and, if elected, I will

the heart. I have always been fair and

continue to do my best to be sure members,

respectful of my fellow man and given my

schools and chapters are treated fairly and

all to helping others to help themselves. I

equitably in their relationship with USHPA.

sometimes come off as being brash and I’m

Regional directors are your representa-

not always the most eloquent but I believe

tives to the organization. If you have questions about USHPA’s goals and priorities, please let me know. If you have issues with

in the truth. Its easier to remember. I hope to represent Region 3 for another two years and get even more involved in

Region 4 | David Cox Hello everyone. I’m a Colorado PG pilot

HANG GLIDING & PARAGLIDING MAGAZINE

who loves free flight. I’ve done a lot of

bring positive attention to the sport and

Raven Sky Sports in my mid 30’s, I was

things in this wonderful life and flying has

cultivate its growth through marketing,

the second pilot in the US to purchase a

certainly been a life affirming experience

training and one-on-one conversations

Mosquito Powered Harness in 1998, started

like no other. Free flight has allowed me,

around the campfire with a cold brew in

Scooter Tow Hang Gliding School in 2007,

like you I’m sure, to challenge the mind,

my hand. I believe in informal leadership,

became a BFI in 2011, T3 Spring 2012, June

body, and intuition in the most amazing in-

shared visions and a healthy sense of

2011–quit the “golden handcuffs” day job

visible medium. We are a global tribe that

urgency (our membership isn’t getting any

and went full-time with the Scooter Tow

no matter where we go we have friends

younger). The Region 7 area’s growth poten-

Hang Gliding School which I sold in 2016,

with whom we can share an understanding

tial is huge. The Whitewater Hang Gliding

December 2011–starting tandems over

of all things free flight from the sublime

Club which I am a member of since the

the winter at Sonora Wings Hang Gliding,

to the terrifying. One thing that I think

beginning, 27 years ago is smack dab in the

Maricopa, Arizona.

threatens the culture of free flight is elitism

middle of over 10,000,000 people (Chicago,

and localism. What I am concerned about

Madison and Milwaukee) within 1.5 hours

is when the necessary rules are not applied

driving time of us. With my graphic arts

fairly in a manner in which they were ad-

background I assist the club with bro-

opted by local organizations. This results

chures and I’m actively participating in

in factions and divisions in our small com-

social media (for the WWHGC club and my

munity which weakens it for everyone and

hang gliding school). The club sometimes

creates ill will. It makes it hard for the little

gets over 1,000 views on a FaceBook post.

guy to enjoy free flight and it makes it hard

What does the future of hang gliding (and

Region 7 | Doyle Johnson

for organizations to gather support for im-

paragliding) look like? We are already

As your regional director, I will work

portant issues that affect us all and in fact

seeing it at Twin Oaks Airport, where

diligently to represent all region 7 pilots

puts organizations in legal risk. I learned

our club is based out of, just north of

at the national board meetings. A priority

to fly on an uninsured site where no one

Whitewater. Every year we see improve-

of mine will be to increase awareness and

checked anything other than your ability

ments to the grounds and every season we

understanding of what our region’s needs

to bring it up, run it off, and land it on two

see an increase in flying-related activities

are through increased communication

feet which we did almost every time. It was

with the addition of another DragonFly

between our state’s pilots. The goal being

truly free flight. Let’s keep our interactions

in 2016. You can’t do much better than to

to support each local club through a forum

reasonable, fair, inclusive, and profes-

have an on-site tug pilot/owner Our club

that addresses regional needs that are

sional. Let’s not allow elitism and localism

members have a wide variety of skill sets

familiar and important to all of us. Some

to put at risk what we love about free flight.

including welding, carpentry, landscaping,

examples of what I would like to see us ad-

I’ll do whatever I can to insure that we keep

engineering…the list goes on and combined

dress are a region wide site directory, site

the free in free flight.

with a shared vision of making things

development initiatives, site preservation,

better, it’s a winning formula. Looking even

access to instruction, instructor support

further into the future (actually the future

and collaboration and the development of

is already here) - having live webcast video

more recreational regional Fly-In’s to con-

from tandems so friends and relatives

nect with pilots.

Region 5 & 6/11 – No Election This Year

can watch the action on a monitor below.

first flight (ok really, fall) after I built a

The bigger the impression we can give to

hang glider out of bamboo and plastic at

“in-and-out” Discovery Tandems and new

age 12 in 1974 and jumped off the roof of

students the better chance they will tell

our house. After some glider reconstruc-

their friends about their experience, and

tion with duct tape, my second flight was

Region 7 | Paul Olson (I)

that is the best and least expensive form of

achieved by a 15 mph wind lifting me

My qualifications include business experi-

advertising. I would like to think that other

straight up and then flying backwards. The

ence with three successful entrepreneurial

hang gliding sites are moving forward with

glider, well let’s just say the duct tape didn’t

start-ups and many years in the academic

their own plans, maybe even new opera-

hold, but I had tasted flight for the first time

environment. I am blessed for the last six

tions are in the planning stages. As a club

and have been hooked ever since! I became

years with a life style that allows me to

member and director, I would be interested

a private pilot in 1984 but found the joy of

be involved in hang gliding full time with

in assisting in any way I can.

flying again in 1987 when I learned to fly

winters in Arizona and summer in good old Wisconsin. My main focus would be to

My flying experience began with my

Or a live video stream on our website?

HANG GLIDING & PARAGLIDING MAGAZINE

Hang Gliding Career, #54416: Started lessons in 1989 with Brad Kushner at

hang gliders at Kitty Hawk Kites, where I also have great memories of later being an

While we are doing great in Region 8,

instructor! In 2014 I opened Blue Water

Colorado Boulder, a Master of Business

Hang Gliding School in Minnesota where

Administration with honors from the

nationally I am concerned for our future. I

I currently instruct April through October

University of Vermont, and I’m the Vice

am extremely grateful for all the effort put

and am in the beginning stage of forming a

President of a small (28 employee) mail-or-

into creating the RRG. I believe in the RRG

new club.

der and ecommerce business. As Regional

concept, I contributed more than my fair

My qualifications outside of flying

Director, I will leverage my flying experi-

share to it, and I am keen to see it succeed.

are 30 plus years working in education,

ence, education, and business experience

But now that we have avoided the immi-

two master’s degrees, one in counseling

to benefit USHPA and New England pilots.

nent disaster, I think we need to revisit the

psychology and the other in educational

Region 8 pilots, if you’ve yet to meet

details to avoid a long, slow demise. The

administration/leadership. I have started

me, chances are you have at least seen my

slow death I fear comes from the loss of

and operated two small businesses and

frequent online posts offering to observe

small-scale instructors (solo and tandem)

built six homes and speak 5 languages (just

novice PG pilots in Vermont. I invest

all over the country who have given up or

kidding about the languages). What I bring

significant time and energy into observing

reduced instruction because of the new

to the table on the regional and national

and site guiding because I want to have as

insurance landscape. Many pilots fear

level is an ability to keep difficult conver-

many flying buddies as possible. In collabo-

this loss of instructors will result in less

sations open, inclusive, and productive in

ration with other Observers, Instructors,

new pilots coming into our sport and may

order to find sustainable solutions. If given

and Morningside Flight Park, we have dra-

eventually threaten our long-term viability.

the honor to serve I will bring a strong

matically increased the number of interme-

As Regional Director, I will work towards a

commitment to the continued development

diate and advanced PG pilots actively flying

solution that restarts small-scale instruc-

of flying and instructional best practices

in New England. Our efforts to train new

tion nationwide.

that will keep free flight a reality! My son

pilots have paid off! Just a handful of years

recently earned his hang II and I am excited

ago, I often struggled to find anybody to fly

ment. Please take the time to fill out your

that his first flights were much more

Burke Mt. with me. This year we have con-

ballot and mail it in. See you in the air!

productive than mine and he now has the

sistently had 10-25 pilots flying Burke when

opportunity to know what it is like to soar

the weather cooperates. What a success!

with the eagles. My hope is that through

I aim to improve the Observer system to

our collective work as a region and as an

ensure novice pilots have a strong support

organization that we continue to develop

network while flying towards Intermediate

systems that help protect free flight for

and Advanced ratings.

generations to come.

Thanks for reading my candidate state-

Hang glider pilots, fear not! If I become New England’s first Regional Director with no “bones” that only flies “jellyfish-bag-

Region 8 | Michael Holmes

wings”, I promise to represent HG pilots

It’s been an interesting journey for the past

with as equal passion and effort as PG.

6 years as Regional Director. In general our

I know that PG would not be where it is

region has been in good shape. I’d like to

today without HG; from safety to sites, PG

continue as Regional Director for another

owes a huge debt to HG. I have been trying

term. I’m currently an H4 / P3 and the

to give back to the HG community through

President of the VHGA as I’m sure you all

Region 8 | Calef Letorney

my work as Site Director at Sugarbush. We

already know. As always there are some re-

I’m running for Regional Director because

load PG on the ski lift at Sugarbush, which

pairs that need to be made both locally and

I care deeply about the future of hang glid-

makes it an easy “PG only” site. Not wanting

nationally and I’d like to be there to help.

ing and paragliding and wish to contribute

to leave out my HG friends, I’ve arranged

to the long-term success of our sports. I’ve

with Sugarbush Mountain Ops. to shuttle

been an USHPA member since 2005, and

HG pilots to launch on UTVs with padded

a P4 since 2007. I’m an Observer, Tandem

racks. I am excited to help more HG pilots

Instructor, Basic Instructor, and the Site

fly this incredible site, which offers some of

Director of Sugarbush. Flying credentials

the best XC potential in New England. I also

aside, I think Regional Directors need to

work to further inter-sport harmony and

be prepared for the business of running

cooperation because there are few things I

a nonprofit organization. I am ready! I’ve

enjoy more than coring a thermal with my

Region 9 | Daniel Lukaszewicz

received a bachelor’s degree with honors

HG friends; both figuratively and literally,

Hello, my name is Dan Lukaszewicz and I’m

in Economics from the University of

we all get higher if we work together.

running for a seat on the USHPA Board of

HANG GLIDING & PARAGLIDING MAGAZINE

First off... I’d go to the board meetings

Directors representing Region 9.

regardless of being a director.... just to (try

I’ve had a lifelong love of aviation which started in the Civil Air Patrol and

to) make sure nothing “unnecessary” gets

progressed to an education in aerospace

voted in. (And I like to take trips!) I enjoy

engineering followed by service in the US

being on the board, and looking out for the

Air Force. I’ve flown military planes and

pilots and instructors in my region, and protecting their best interests.

general aviation aircraft but for me nothing compares to the experience of free flight.

Region 10 | Steve Kroop (I)

the USHPA just rolled out… is a source of

now and split my flying time between Blue

since I attended my first meeting in 1995. In

concern and confusion for the moment…

Sky, situated in the outskirts of Richmond

that time I have served on various USHPA

and some refinements are sure to follow.

VA, and mountain sites in western Virginia

committees including Towing, Safety &

I’d like to help steer the ship in that area.

and lower Pennsylvania that are main-

Training, Tandem and Competition, all

I’d love to help find a way to make the

tained by the Capitol Hang Gliding and

of which address issues that are impor-

program more attractive to all instructors.

Paragliding Association.

tant to Region 10 and the overall health

It is a very complex situation, and a difficult

of hang gliding and paragliding in the

goal to achieve.

As an entrepreneur and business owner I

There are a number of directors from

know what it takes to run a successful busi-

U.S. I also serve on the board of the

ness and have been dismayed to see flight

Cloudbase Foundation and the Recreation

all over the country who, like myself, have

parks closing and experienced part time

Risk Retention Group so I am neck-deep in

been at it awhile... and we therefore have

instructors giving up because of difficul-

all aspects of our sports.

some continuity from meeting to meeting.

ties maintaining solvency in the current

Because of my association with Flytec

We also have some exciting new blood on

climate of rising administrative hurdles

USA I regularly speak to and exchange

the board. I enjoy working with these folks

and operating costs.

emails with many Region 10 members,

as well.

Reducing the availability of quality

as well as members from all over the

My “stats” are: Master H.G. pilot, and

instruction is limiting the number of pilots

US. Those members who have come in

advanced P.G. pilot. Certified instructor in

entering the sport and cuts off vital sales

contact with me know that I am readily

both. Instructor program administrator for

and support pipeline to existing pilots. I

accessible by phone and email. I have a

both, and Chairman of the USHGA Tandem

believe reversing this trend is at the core of

long history of working closely with execu-

committee. I also chair the Financial Re-

preserving our sport.

tive director, executive committee and

distribution committee. I own and manage “Fly High Hang

To start, what I propose for USHPA is:

President. I am not a leader by nature but

Increased transparency and communi-

I am certainly not a follower, this means I

Gliding, Inc.” .... a hang-gliding school and

cation of current USHPA operations and

want to hear all sides of the issues and act

retail shop... since 1985..... and look forward

future plans.

with the the best intentions for the sport

to retiring a wealthy man from this pur-

and USHPA. In short, I am dedicated to

suit....eventually. (I did retire for 18 months

pilots and growing the sports of hang glid-

the USHPA and the survival and long-term

recently…. but alas… I’m back!)

ing and paragliding.

health of hang gliding and paragliding in

Developing a plan for retaining existing

Developing a comprehensive risk management plan as a tool to anticipate, evalu-

My main objective in going to board

the U.S. and would like to continue to repre-

meetings is to minimize the making of

sent Region 10.

unnecessary new rules, regulations and

ate, and plan responses to threats to our

rating requirements beyond what is neces-

sport rather than being strictly reactive.

sary to keep everyone safe and the organization solvent. Along with several other

Creating stock business plans, budgets, and other resources for instructors inter-

fine board members/friends… we do our

ested in starting new schools so they can

best to make sure the board doesn’t waste

be successful.

time fixing things that aren’t broken. And that’s about all I can think of for

I appreciate your vote. I’ll see you out there..

Region 12 | Paul Voight (I) Hello region 12, Paul Voight here. For those

In conclusion, my long standing election

of you who don’t know me... I’m your current regional director. It’s election time

portunity arises… I’ll buy you a beer.

for the position.... I’ll campaign for why you might choose to vote for me.

HANG GLIDING & PARAGLIDING MAGAZINE

now. Perhaps you might vote for me. offer is, ….. If you vote for me, and the op-

again, and just in case someone else runs

The RRG self insurance program that

I have not missed a single BOD meeting

I’ve been flying hang gliders for ten years

LISTEN to your HEART by Jugdeep Aggarwal & Michael Vergalla Being aware of one’s heart rate can help pilots improve their flying and enjoyment of it. Jugdeep Aggarwal and Michael Vergalla explore how they use instrumentation to better understand their body’s physiological reaction to flying and work with this information for increased performance in flying.

JUGDEEP: I’ve been flying paragliders

my gear, the rate often increased to

heart rate in real time, along with

120 beats per minute. On launch, it

breathing exercises and calming

sometimes rose to 140, even before I

thoughts, I can actively reduce fatigue,

went into the air. When I recently took

increase enjoyment, and fly farther.

an over-four-hour flight out of Dunlap

for 20 years and enjoy cross-country

in California (during one of my league

MICHAEL: For the last three years, I

flying. For the last 10 years, I have

meets), I was surprised (not really)

have worked on a method to control

run a series of informal competitions

to see that my heart rate fluctuated

motion sickness based on work done by

through the Northern California Cross-

between 110 and 150 for the duration,

NASA for astronauts and pilots. I wrote

country League. I organize the entire

as viewed on the Flymaster Cloud that

an article that appeared in the May

event; this includes arranging drivers,

downloads all of the flight data from

2014 issue of HG&PG magazine regard-

vehicles, tasks, and weather briefings

the unit.

ing this topic (see sidebar.)

as well as ensuring that all pilots are

Why do we need to talk about this?

safely retrieved. Although the process

How do you feel after you have landed?

process you can focus on and control

can be quite stressful, I have never

Are you tired, exhausted, exhilarated,

your own body’s reactions. The more

thought it was too much for me to

happy, relieved, and desperate for a

you realize that you are able to exert

handle. (I also fly the tasks.)

pee? I experience all of these condi-

control, the more this technique works.

tions, but I would like to feel less tired

It’s a bit of “mind over matter.” I played

and more exhilarated.

with the idea of making all sorts of

So when Flymaster came out with the Heart-G a few years ago, I decided, as the importer, I should test myself.

Knowing what my heart rate is in

Through an almost meditation-like

sensors for myself, but then I figured

On my first flight, it revealed that my

flight gives me a tool with which to

I should try to control the things they

heart rate was over 120. I called the

work. I am now trying to teach myself

say are controllable. It takes practice.

factory and told them the unit must

how to become more relaxed in flight,

You focus on reducing heart rate,

have been doubling my heart rate.

by breathing through my nose and

calming your breath, and perspiring

Could they do a firmware fix? After a

thinking thoughts that will calm me

less. You manage the progression of

day with no response, I decided to wear

throughout my flight. I have watched

symptoms. The earlier you catch your

my Heart-G while watching TV, in order

my heart rate drop when I get into soft-

discomfort, the easier it is to control.

to get a LIVE-showing heart rate, and it

edged fat thermals, but this is not good

recorded 55 beats per minute. Did this

enough for me. I need to remain calmer

the article for my website (www.

mean that when I flew, my heart rate

through the entire flight by using more

MichaelVergalla.com).

was over 120? Really?

meditative exercises. My aim is to

Last March, I wrote an update to

Every time I fly, I practice the method

land less tired, which may allow me to

above to stay calm and manage motion

elevated heart rates ranging from

fly longer and make better decisions.

sickness. In October 2014, I started

110 to 140. Of even more concern to

Without knowing your heart rate, you

flying a Skywalk Arriba 3 and couldn’t

me, though, was the indication that

are none the wiser and unable to figure

be happier. I had not gotten sick since

my heart rate began to increase from

out what tactics might work for you.

changing wings until January of this

Subsequent flight tests produced

the time I jumped into the car on the

So with a combination of the

drive up to launch. While unpacking

Flymaster Heart-G to show me my

year. At that time, I was flying in Colombia.

HANG GLIDING & PARAGLIDING MAGAZINE

tant to note that the max vario in the SIV is from tow and not thermal. The data from three of the four test flights in SIV are not shown, because of significant dropouts. On my third flight, I misjudged a cloud

slowly to 132 bpm, but when I entered

After SIV, I wanted to investigate

and spent a couple of minutes in the

another mild spiral, it rose slightly to

my reaction to normal thermal flying.

white room. I exited the cloud by pick-

140 bpm. During straight and level

Where did my heart rate spike? Would

ing my heading to the closest edge and

flight, I calmed down to 117 bpm, while

I be able to reduce my baseline by

going full bar. Upon exit, I had a lot of

just before landing, my heart rate rose

using the same technique I use for

adrenaline pumping through my blood.

again to 133 bpm. That was followed

motion sickness?

I thought maybe I should head over the valley, because I was concerned

by a settling- down period of 117 bpm,

during, launch, my heart rate spiked.

that the conditions might be changing.

During the April 24th flight tests, I

When the adrenaline flushed, I missed

had some data dropouts. These were

During the flight, as I became comfort-

the opportunity to stay on top of my

most likely due to the device’s losing

able and more relaxed, my bpm fluctu-

physiological state, ended up getting

contact with my skin. The flight instru-

ated around what could be considered

sick, and vomited on my approach to

ment data recorder was in my harness

average. But just before landing, my

the dried cane field.

in an open freezer bag, in case I landed

heart rate would rise again.

After I took off the next day, I had to

in water. (It was impractical to think I

The baseline lowered during the

top land to fix a tension knot, because

could seal it.) It was worth the risk to

flight. It looked as if it took about a

my heart was pumping so hard after

get the data.

minute of flying for the launch effect to reduce. This is a critical minute when

landing. But after I launched again and

Above is a table of four test flights

continued my journey north, I had the

comparing the high-G spiral from SIV

pilots need to catch the thermal off

best flight of my life and was able to

and three thermal flights. It is impor-

launch and safely get away from the hill. It is interesting that many acci-

manage and suppress motion sickness. In early April, I started working on a project called the Free Flight Research Lab. One of the goals was to continue my work on human factors in paragliding. I contacted Jug about the Flymaster Heart-G, because I was about to attend an SIV course and thought it would be a perfect opportunity for instrumented test flights. He had an instrument that he brought to my house, since I was leaving in a couple of days. After a 12-hour drive to Point of the Mountain, we settled in, and I prepared the gear for SIV and my flight experiments. The next day I did four tows. I selected one of the flight tests with a high-G spiral to discuss here, as it has interesting Heart-G data. I also used it for a Dashware/Gopro overlay video. During the launch and tow, my heart rate was elevated to the range between 125-147 bpm. As I entered and peaked in the spiral, my heart rate rose to 175

MOTION SICKNESS SYMPTOMS Salivation Sweating Drowsiness Increased Warmth Dizziness Headache

STOMACH SENSATION STAGES EPIGASTRIC AWARENESS Not nausea or uncomfortable, but aware of stomach, i.e., hunger

EPIGASTRIC DISCOMFORT Not nausea, but increasingly uncomfortable, knot in the stomach or throat

NAUSEA

bpm. After exit, my heart rate dropped

Definitely aware and discomfort, the next level

HANG GLIDING & PARAGLIDING MAGAZINE

Present or not

VOMITING

From looking at the trends in the data, I noticed that just after, and

after landing.

dents happen at, or just after, launch and during landings. I enjoy the process of launching and landing, but it’s a moment where you have to be on your toes, always. I normally try to calm myself, before raising the glider. It’s clear from the data that there is still room for me to improve. One of my goals will be to try to reduce my launch and landing reactions and see how that affects catching that first thermal. I repeated the test flights three days in a row. Each day, I tried to become calm quickly. It’s now July, with summer conditions here in California. My flights are better when I am calm, allowing me to focus on small details like wind in trees or grass. While conducting test flights, I noticed that I was becoming more comfortable in punchy conditions, as my baseline heart rate started to lower. During the May 29th flight, I tried

to see how low I could make my heart rate go during the flight. I was able to reduce it to 96 bpm. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m looking forward to continuing this work and adding additional sensors, like ones for respiration and skin conductance. I was amazed to see the data while using the motion sickness method, because for three years I did it with no feedback. The original method developed by NASA is called Autogenic Biofeedback. The whole point is that it allows you to see the data, giving you ability to control your state. I probably could have made faster progress if I had instrumented myself at the beginning of this research, but I am happy to have experienced this rapid benefit from the heart rate sensor, after working so long in the dark. Smooth, controlled breathing and intentional focus on reduction of heart rate allows one to calm down and focus on the texture of the air and shape and movement of the thermal. I think this self-awareness is beneficial in many situations, beyond motion sickness or flying. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s always helpful to have tools for dealing with turbulence in our lives. The overall goal of this work is to increase safety and enjoyment of free flight through science and technology. If I can help one person have a better flight and land safely, the project is a success.

HANG GLIDING & PARAGLIDING MAGAZINE

a m ro true— f ay e w t a com a o ” o fl ream do. t ble s a d nt to a g in i ea n i a m “Be ount was m at I wh

e l t s a C i r a

HANG GLIDING & PARAGLIDING MAGAZINE

D N E G E L e h t

MS LLIA I W OUG by D

n the days leading up to the 2002 Women’s World Hang Gliding Championships at Chelan Butte, Washington, Claire Vassort flew for several days with U.S. teammate

Kari Castle, who had already had won two world titles.

OPPOSITE Kari Castle has dominated free flight

competitions for decades | photo by Anna Kay von Dueszeln. BOTTOM Kari Launching Mammoth Ski Area | photo by JK Smith.

Vassort watched intently, hoping to learn something from her friend that might make her a better pilot. Claire laughs now, saying it was a mission impossible, because there was no special technique or formula that made Castle the best women’s pilot in the world at the time. What Castle had, she says, couldn’t be studied, duplicated or deciphered by a computer. “She was just a natural,” says Vassort, who would finish in second place that year. “She had an amazing instinct while in the air to make the right decisions.” When they flew together that week, Vassort recalls catching a handful of thermals with Castle, but the experience was rare. Castle always knew ahead of everyone else when to make the next move that would keep her ahead of the rest of the pack.

lives and teaches in Lookout Mountain, Georgia. “It was as if she were waiting for a while, and then simply said, ‘OK, I’m going now.’ She was that instinctive and efficient.” After one pre-competition tune-up, Vassort says Castle complimented her on her flying. Vassort was flattered but realistic, and said to her: “Well, you’re going to win,” Vassort recalls. To which Castle responded: “I’ll take one and you take two. Is that a deal?” At the time they both laughed, but that’s exactly what happened. And Castle earned her third world title. Today, Castle, 55, ranks as one of the all-time greats in her sport. Although she’s stepped away from elite competition

“It was a pleasure to watch her and hang with her but,

in hang gliding, Castle continues to fly both hang gliders

sure enough, I could only hang so long,” says Vassort, who

and paragliders, while working as a teacher and coach in

HANG GLIDING & PARAGLIDING MAGAZINE

Bishop, California, and doing stunt-double work in movies and television. Aside from her three world championships, she’s won second twice. She’s also won 20 national championships and has been selected to join the six-person (usually allmale) national team three times. As if that is not enough, she’s won seven paragliding national championships. Kari has traveled the world, seen gorgeous sights, and flown over the Alps and Andes. Along the way, she’s set five World Sports Federation Women’s World Records in hang gliding, three of which still stand: longest-distance flight (250.7 miles), longest straight flight to a declared goal (219.6 miles) and longest dogleg (one-turn) flight (181.5 miles). “She was amazing,” says Vassort. “What she was for the longest time was the best woman in the world.” One might think that Kari is fearless. But that is the last word Castle would use to describe herself. She claims she’s no daredevil. “I’ve always said I’m a gutless coward,” she says, laughing. In fact, she reports that the first time she took hang gliding lessons, back in 1981, she was too terrified to leave the ground. She’d strap into the glider, get a running start at the top of a 200-foot hill, and then crash, time after time. She’d abort the moment she felt the wing lift. “It scared the crap out of me,” she says. “So I pulled the bar in to make it stop, and I’d crash. I did that all day. I couldn’t allow myself to fly. I couldn’t trust the glider. At the end of the day I was sore and beat up and tired and humiliated.” Yet somehow she continued to want to soar like an eagle. She went back the next day, started with a crash, got up, charged down the hill again … and lifted off. “When I finally got in the air, I was like, ‘Oh, that was easy,’ ” she recalls. “I couldn’t believe how easy it was, once I just let it do its thing. … Then I couldn’t be stopped.” Over the 35 years since, Castle has made her home in the clouds. After thousands of hours in the air, suspended only by straps and wind, Castle feels completely comfortable in the sky, but still can’t explain why “a gutless coward” can step off a high, rocky ledge and trust that she’ll fly. She surmises it’s just too much fun and too beautiful for her not to ascend. She trusts her equipment, takes every safety TOP Kari and David Cleeland hanging out in Ghana | photo

by Loren Cox. LEFT Kari hiking in the Owens Valley, a place where she has lived and guided for decades | photo by David Bradford. RIGHT Kari in Ghana with Antoine Laurens, Chuck Smith, and Nick Greece in 2012 | photo by Loren Cox.

HANG GLIDING & PARAGLIDING MAGAZINE

“Castle always knew ahead of everyone else when to make the next move that would keep her ahead of the rest of the pack.” precaution, and steps off the mountain every time. “I can’t climb a ladder without being afraid, but I can soar

for hours, longer than any other woman. “That’s what I was good at,” she recounts.

10,000 feet above the ground, look down, and feel at ease. It

The victory set the competitive hook in her. In 1988 she

feels good,” she says. “It is too good to be true. Being able to

moved to Bishop, one of the hot spots for the sport. Nestled

float away from a mountain is a dream come true—what I

in the Owens Valley between the Sierra Nevada and White

was meant to do.”

Mountains, the Bishop area has the right combination of

Castle moved to California in 1982 from her native Michigan to attend community college. Hang gliding wasn’t a priority; it ranked behind school and becoming

wind and peaks to be a hang-gliding magnet. That year she found her perfect home, a place where she could be outside and perpetually active—hang gliding,

a lifeguard. She worked as a lifeguard and an aerobics

hiking, climbing, mountain biking and skiing (downhill

instructor, before eventually graduating to a 9-to-5 job at a

and Nordic)—while also winning her first women’s na-

technology marketing research firm in the Bay Area.

tional hang gliding title.

In the interim, Kari found one of the state’s best hang-

Her new home also provided the motivation for her

gliding schools, just minutes away from her home in

to become a teacher, coach and guide, because she saw

Fremont.

so many people who had taken lessons but still seemed

The school was expensive, so they cut a deal with her:

unable to progress or really know what they were doing.

work for lessons. She did whatever was needed, includ-

“They were learning just enough for their instructor

ing setting up a simulator in malls and selling lessons

to say, ‘Go out and fly now. These are the restrictions; be

to others. So, she was flying, working at the school, and

careful; don’t fly in these conditions, etc.’ And the students

having a great time. When a local hang gliding club

would go out and, hopefully, get taken under someone

needed a woman for a competition, they called: “Kari, we

else’s wings, someone who would help them along during

need you to enter. We need a chick,” she recalls. And she

the next part of their journey,” she says.

won the women’s division.

But many didn’t know where to

Kari says she couldn’t do a 360-turn that was required, but she nailed her takeoff and landing and stayed up

HANG GLIDING & PARAGLIDING MAGAZINE

go to get that mentor. Kari filled that niche. Now, too, she

with another hang gliding/paragliding group, Wings of

coaches top-echelon hang glider pilots.

Kilimanjaro, in Africa

Castle no longer is driven to compete in hang gliding,

By the time Castle moved to California, she was living

although she says she’s not officially retired. She continues

a healthy life. Inspired by a friend, she quit smoking, cut

to enter some paragliding competitions. But at this point,

down on alcohol, took up cycling, and lost fifty pounds.

it’s not all the championships she’s won or the records she’s set that are most dear to her. What’s most important, she says, is the life she’s been able to lead. Today, she’s engaged to be married and still flying and giving back to the sport as an official (she helped

She says it’s not necessary to be an athlete to be a top hang glider or paraglider pilot, but believes it’s helped her. She’s always active. Mostly, though, hang gliding is a mental and skill sport, she says. Elite competitions last from four to 12 days. The

organize the 2015 national championships). She splits time

fastest pilot who takes his or her glider over a set course—

between Bishop, Baja California, and Hood River (where

around designated turn points—becomes the winner of

she kite-boards). Recently, she traveled to Europe.

each day’s route. Daily results are averaged for an overall

Now, Kari is giving back to others. She’s part of The Cloudbase Foundation, an organization of free-flight pilots that raises money and completes projects in com-

champion. “You must be accurate,” she says, “and within a 400-meter radius of the turn point.” When Kari first started competing, pilots wrapped maps

munities across the U.S., South America, Africa, and Asia,

around their basetubes (the bars held by the pilots to

where competitions are held. She’s doing similar work

control the hang glider, along with weight shifts) and used

LEFT Kari on the training hill. TOP 2006 Women's US World

point, they took pictures. The race organizers then devel-

them for navigation. To prove they’d flown over a turn

Hang Gliding Team featuring Kari Castle, Linda Salomone, Lauren Tjaden, Raen Permenter, and Judy Hildebrand. BOTTOM Kari and Ken Hudonjorgenson at the Rat Race Super Clinic, which she helps run | photo by Kimberly Phinney.

HANG GLIDING & PARAGLIDING MAGAZINE

oped the film to verify their location. Now pilots use GPS, allowing race officials to track their flights in detail. The evolution of the sport has been amazing. These days, hang gliders can soar over flatlands such as Arkansas or Texas. It isn’t necessary to go to a place like Bishop, be-

“Holy moly, I’m still doing this. I’m still in one piece.” cause pilots and their craft can be towed skyward and catch the winds. But whether it’s 2016 or 1988, two things have remained

But she can’t imagine not flying for fun. “On almost every flight, I look around and think, Holy moly, I’m still doing this. I’m still in one piece. I know way too many people

constant: the thrills and the dangers of the sport. Castle

who aren’t. … But, yeah, just the simple act of running off

has had just enough of the dangers to make her cautious.

a mountain and flying—how many people do that? Not

She takes no extra risks.

many.”

Kari has had to deploy her reserve parachute twice—

As she describes her life, Kari becomes emotional. The

once, in the Owens Valley in 1988 (from 15,500 feet) and

champion who laughs often and pokes fun at herself feels

the second time, in the Alps, just a few years ago. In both

blessed. “The fact that I’ve been able to live my dream, I

cases, her glider was caught in dangerous wind shifts

feel, is an accomplishment,” she says. “Without even real-

and tumbled out of control. Both times, she didn’t think

izing the direction I was going, I was wondering what I was

she’d survive. In the Owens Valley, she had a hard landing,

going to be when I grew up. I knew I had to do something.

injured a foot, cracked her tailbone and some vertebrae, and lost a tooth. In the Alps, which occurred during a

“But it’s taken me a long time to accept that what I’ve done is OK. I kept thinking I should be doing something

competition, she had a soft landing with no injuries. But

(more conventional) with my life. But then I’ve seen so

this mishap helped her decide to cut back her competition

many people who have led that serious-working-life and

schedule.

say, ‘Damn, I wish I would have followed my passion or

“I was tumbling like a leaf falling out of a tree, flipping, tumbling,” she recalls. When she finally was able to deploy her chute, she felt lucky. “After that experience, I thought, I don’t want to play anymore,” she says.

what I was meant to do.’ ” Which is what Castle is doing—and finally appreciating. “I remember a friend a few years ago, saying, ‘Gosh, Kari, you live the life of a millionaire, but you have no money,’ ” she quotes, laughing. And Kari agrees.

Chase Your Dreams HANG GLIDING & PARAGLIDING MAGAZINE 21 W W W. W I L L S W I N G. C O M

HANG GLIDING & PARAGLIDING MAGAZINE

WONDER WOMEN 2016 Who They Are, Where They Went, and Why They Did It by C.J. STURTEVANT

his past summer’s comp season

pilot and a successful competitor.

felt pretty insecure comparing myself

served up some unique treats:

And both amazed themselves at how

to all the other sport-class pilots, all

Two women pilots, one hang

much they DID learn from competing,

with a bunch of XC experience and flying intermediate wings,” she recalls.

and one para, blasted through the

surprised and delighted with flights

gender barrier in US national compe-

they’d never dreamed possible. I

titions to share the podium and the

asked them a bunch of nosey-reporter

and forget about the scores. Each day I

medals with their male competitors.

questions, and they responded with

gained a new personal best, and even

Not since Kari Castle won the 1993

candor and humor. Here’s what they

made goal on the fourth day! I was

Sandia Classic has a woman pilot

had to say.

“Finally, I told myself to just have fun

very pleased to place fifth in a field of 14. My confidence exploded as well

beat the entire mixed-gender field in a hang gliding comp; last April, Niki

as my addiction to flying; I wanted to

Longshore outflew 15 men and one

continue to compete!” Lindsay learned to paraglide in

woman to take first place in the Green Swamp Sport Klassic kingposted

2012. “It took me three and a half

division. Lindsay Holden is our 2016

years to get 125 hours,” she admits

US National Fun (EN-B) Class para-

ruefully, but adds, “A huge turning

gliding champion, and was narrowly

point was spending two months

edged out of the EN-C class title (on

living and flying in Valle de Bravo,

her EN-B wing) by former US National

Mexico, last winter, where I doubled

Paragliding Champion Len Szafaryn.

my lifetime flight hours!” Armed with strengthened skills and a big boost

You may not have heard these names previously, but you’ll certainly

in confidence, Lindsay dove right into

be hearing more about these women

her first comp: the 2016 Rat Race—not

in the future, so let me introduce

Getting into flying and competition:

the scaled-down Sprint but the full-

them to you.

Niki took her first aerotow tandem,

on Race—where she accomplished a

Lindsay and Niki have a lot in common: Both began flying less than

somewhat reluctantly, in 2013 at the

respectable finish on her EN-B Rush

urging of her hang-pilot husband

4 (“It got re-named the ‘Crush 4’ after

five years ago. Both won their titles

George, and was immediately hooked

it helped me fly so well at Rat Race,”

flying a lower-performance wing that

on the “magical experience” of being

she quips), against the country’s best

is usually considered “not competi-

airborne. By 2015 her skills had

pilots on the world’s most competitive

tive.” Both jumped into their first com-

progressed to where Bart and Tiki

wings.

petition with minimal XC experience,

of Cowboy Up Hang Gliding encour-

expecting to learn on-the-fly what one

aged her to enter a sport-class comp

needs to know to be a more skilled

on her single-surface Icaro Orbiter. “I

Why compete? “Because ‘everyone’ says it’s how you

LEFT Rat Race 2016 Women winners, L to R: Lindsay, Bianca Heinrich, Lisa Dickinson | photo by Gabriel Schwarzmann. ABOVE

Lindsay launching at the Chelan Nats | photo by Martina Machackova.

HANG GLIDING & PARAGLIDING MAGAZINE

learn to fly better!” Lindsay points out. “Having rides to launch, retrieves, and a bunch of people to fly with make it appealing, too. And it turns out that having pilots everywhere marking thermals makes XC flying a very different experience! It’s not nearly as intimidating as flying solo at a new site, and gives you immediate feedback on what’s working, what’s not, and exactly what you (and your glider), are capable of.” Niki concurs, and elaborates: “Every time I join a competition my confidence grows and the learning curve expands.” The biggest challenge in competition: “PATIENCE!!!” Lindsay says, emphatically. Case in point: “I’ll never forget or forgive myself for coming up 200m short of end-of-speed in the recordbreaking Chelan task. Yeah, that’s right, I landed .2km outside of end-ofspeed after flying more than 220 km. I simply thought I had glide to goal. I’m not planning on (ever!) making that mistake again! After so many hours in the air and watching the distance count down on my flight instrument, I was ready to finish the task. I also knew I’d flown the task quickly, and was excited to make goal and see if I’d managed to stay in the top third or so of the field. But I have to remember that I don’t have the glide of an Enzo (Ozone’s top-of-the-line comp glider), so I have to get higher than most others to start big crossings, and often I have to stop and climb mid-crossing while the higher-end gliders just race on. Patience, again, is key, and something I sometimes run out of.” For Niki, the big challenge is “trying to stay relaxed. I have to tell myself to just have fun and forget about the points or what others are doing in the BELOW Lindsay en route to cloudbase in Chelan | photo by Martina

Machackova. OPPOSITE Niki and her Gecko.

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air. I really want to do well so I put a lot of pressure on myself.”

Heroes and friends and family:

as well as she does someday. She and

Mentorship, mindset, keys to success:

Niki gives a shout-out to “Mark

I cored a rowdy thermal together in

When I asked her to reflect back to the

Moore, the guy who taught me how

Rat Race, whooping and laughing the

start of the 2016 comp season, Lindsay

to fly. Thank you for always believ-

whole way up—I was stoked to fly that

says, “Wow! Well. I really didn’t know

ing in me,” she says. Also on her Hero

closely with someone who flies so con-

what to expect going into Rat Race or

roster: “Tiki Mashy, because she is

sistently! Kari Ellis, who I just met in

Chelan. Each day I’d launch with the

one of the toughest pilots I know, and

Chelan—I admire her ability to stay fo-

intention of keeping an open mind—I

is definitely a strong woman like I

cused over the long tasks and consis-

really felt the days were mine to ‘lose.’

aspire to be. Mick Howard, because

tently fly fast and far! Cody Mittanck,

I’m not sure how to explain it exactly,

he always keeps a positive attitude.

who sent some crazy deep lines in

but I remember kind of shaking my

Bart Weghorst, because he sets big

Utah recently and whose podcast with

head in disbelief as each day’s task

goals and goes after them. Of course

Gavin McClurg inspired me to spend a

was announced and thinking, ‘Well,

there is Robin Hamilton who is a sky

month in Europe learning some basic

let’s see what I can do with this.’ Most

god and I think that explains enough.

acro over water this summer. Mitch

of the tasks were longer distances

I look up to these pilots because they

Riley, as he works towards the X-Alps,

than I’d ever flown, and I had no idea

have been inspirational influences

and who’s always been available to

how far I could go. I reminded myself

while I have been learning how to fly.”

answer questions and has helped

to take each flight one thermal, one

me work through some frustrating

move at a time, and to try to stay in

plateaus in my mental flying game.”

the air as long as possible. I hoped to

my flying partner all summer, and

Knowing that her family is behind her

complete at least one task at Rat Race.”

my biggest supporter at both Rat

endeavors is important to Lindsay;

Luke Waninger tops Lindsay’s list of heroes and supporters. “Luke was

Race and Chelan. He definitely talked me back into the game after some

“My mom supports my flying in an ‘I can’t look because it’s my child up

(She made goal in three tasks and was very close to finishing a fourth of six total tasks). “For Chelan, I basically

really frustrating flights early in the

there but I’m also really proud of her,’

re-set my goals since it was a new site,

season.” And then there’s “Bianca

sort of way. My dad is also quietly

and flatland racing was a new style of

Heinrich—I remember thinking, not

proud, although I suspect they both

flying for me. I hoped to finish at least

that long ago, that I’d be lucky to fly

think I’m a little crazy…”

one task; I made goal in two tasks, and

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BELOW Niki dusting off at the Santa Cruz Flats Race. OPPOSITE

Niki at Villa Grove 2016. performance and passive safety tends a bit more towards the safety side. Her accomplishments this past year indicate that her “Crush 4” was a perfect fit for her first comps, but having realized that “the Rush just doesn’t have the glide or aspect ratio to push into strong wind,” she’s already looking ahead to a new wing—perhaps Ozone’s Alpina 2—that will allow her to further expand her competition skills.

very far, I left Zapata breaking a huge

five total tasks). The days I had good

learning curve and put that new-

Klassic on an Icaro Orbiter, but has

task starts I did much better—flying

found knowledge to the test at Big

since switched to the Moyes Gecko.

WITH the gaggle is infinitely easier

Spring, which helped me land third

Both are intermediate wings, but “I

than playing catch-up, which is

place. Robin has really helped me

was in Gecko-love from first flight,”

almost impossible on an EN-B wing.”

become a more confident pilot by in-

she says, pointing out that “the Gecko

Niki cites “strong mentorship” as

spiring me to accept new challenges.”

has excellent performance, and really shines in the climb and is what I find

the biggest factor in her competition successes. Specifically, “Sometimes

Recreational flying and competing:

most important in a hang glider.” She

we don’t know what we are capable

Niki views her recreational flights as

proved her point by winning the

of until a mentor offers knowledge

training for the comps. “When one

Moyes Gecko Challenge last July 12;

and safely takes us out of our comfort

competition ends I am already think-

read her story on page 66 of this issue.

zone. With Mike Barber and Robin

ing about the next one. I fly every fly-

Lindsay is still working on finding

Hamilton as mentors, my flying style

able day with a focused mind because

is constantly improving because I get

I want to continue to learn and im-

to learn from the best!” She spent the

prove. It is very important to me to be

winter and spring months in Florida

aware of the lessons presented while

shows optimized line of flight and

training with Mike Barber. “His

free flying, because those cards often

waypoint cylinders is key,” she says.

ground school and in-flight training

come in use during competition.”

Currently she uses a Flytec Element

took me from having one-hour flights

Lindsay laughingly describes her

the instrument that best fits her style. “For competition flying, having an instrument with a map display that

for the vario audio and as a backup task computer. For the Rat Race,

to three-hour flights, and landing by

free-flying style as “conservative with

choice, not because I had to. Training

moments of bravery. I don’t make

Flyskyhy on her iPhone proved to be

with Mikey improved my decision-

moves unless I’m really, really sure

a “good app, but with a TINY display,”

making dramatically. I put to use

I’ve got it. And I don’t leave myself

and has since switched to a Samsung

everything he taught me and found

without options. It’s just not worth it.”

tablet with XC Track. “The tablet gives

myself in first place at the Green

She reiterates the advantage of having

me a larger screen and XC Track has a

lots of thermal markers in a comp,

customizable display that shows ter-

allowing her to better evaluate her

rain maps, waypoint cylinders, etc.,”

Swamp Sport Klassic!” Her sky-god hero, Robin Hamilton,

alternatives in venturing into risky-

but she’s still in search mode for her

expand my limits, mentoring me

appearing territory that she might not

ideal flight instrument.

from afar while I travel. Just when I

dare explore when on her own.

“is always pushing me to find and

Niki has found hers: “The Flytec 6030 vario is definitely the most

get comfortable, he offers new chal-

Niki won the Green Swamp Sport

was VERY close to goal on a third (of

useful instrument during competi-

lenges I wouldn’t normally take on.

Wings and instruments:

For example, he suggested I should try

Lindsay’s Ozone Rush 4 is a state-

tion. For me, the most important

for a women’s world record in Zapata

of-the-art Intermediate/Sport class

functions when I’m competing are

over the summer. Though I didn’t go

glider, meaning its balance between

final-glide calculations, wind speed,

HANG GLIDING & PARAGLIDING MAGAZINE

and airspace, but the best function of any vario is the beep. When I’m flying I keep my ears open and eyes on the sky.”

“When one competition ends I am already thinking about the next one. I fly every flyable day with a focused mind because I want to continue to learn and improve.”

Last season’s memorable flights: light, scrappy lift for 20 minutes until

where I learned/flew as a very new

flight almost to goal in the longest

the day finally turned on. Nearly five

pilot. I would love to see what I can do

task in a paragliding comp, and

hours and 212 km later, I landed feel-

in those places now…”

Niki’s successful quest in the Gecko

ing like I just won a competition. The

Challenge. Like most of us, though,

most rewarding thought was knowing

the limits of what she and her Gecko

they weren’t willing to be pinned

I did it alone.”

can do together, and lists her hang

You’ve already read about Lindsay’s

Niki is looking forward to pushing

gliding goals as “setting new records,

down to ONE favorite memory! Looking ahead to the 2017 season:

achieving personal bests, and moving

started last November when I went

These two young women have high

up from Sport Class to compete in Open Class!”

Lindsay: “I think my ‘season’ to Mexico. I did a long flight there in

aspirations for their future in the air.

late December, about 72km, which

Lindsay hopes to trade her “Crush 4”

I was happy about because I’d never

for a new, higher performing para-

These two women, both relatively

flown that far. It was my first real

glider that will support her goals of

new to paragliding/hang gliding

cloudstreet flight, and I was chasing

“flying farther and faster.” She expects

Those are lofty goals for any pilot!

and still novices to long-distance XC

a group of pilots on Enzos and M6s.

to explore the Pacific Northwest in

flying, have focused a spotlight on

After everyone landed, I learned that

greater depth—her mentor Owen is

women in the free-flight communities.

the town we’d flown over isn’t an ideal

one of the local leaders in laying down

However the future plays out for their aerial aspirations, during this 2016

landing area, and that the particular

new routes deep into the Cascades,

route we took is rarely followed. Had I

and Lindsay believes “there’s so

flying season, Lindsay and Niki have

known these things prior, my deci-

much to learn from flying there.”

provided true inspiration to all of us

sion-making may have been different,

Additionally, she’d like to “revisit Sun

who fly, whatever our gender or wing

but it was such an awesome flight!”

Valley and Salt Lake City, both places

of choice.

That flight also marked the beginning of Owen Shoemaker taking her under his wing, providing much appreciated mentorship. “It’s made a huge difference in my flying to have Owen encouraging me to push my limits, introducing me to new flying sites in the Pacific Northwest, and answering my many questions!” Niki: “It has been an incredible year for me! There were many great flights, but my favorite was when I flew my first 100 miles”—which she did on her way to claiming the Moyes Gecko Challenge title. “For about two weeks in July we had incredible XC conditions in Texas. Every day was another attempt to go 188 km (the Challenge distance), and every day I landed short”—until one day she didn’t. “That flight was a struggle from the start,” she recalls, “and I drifted along in

HANG GLIDING & PARAGLIDING MAGAZINE

Second

Shots

Five years after her haunting crash, adventure photographer Krystle Wright returns to the mountains of Nepal. words & images by KRYSTLE WRIGHT

HANG GLIDING & PARAGLIDING MAGAZINE

am experiencing déjà vu, as I hike up the Sherpa trails

My tandem pilot, Ferdy, reassures me, but the memories

that weave across the steep hillside above the village

begin flooding back. It’s hard to ignore the boulder field to

of Hushé, Nepal. I keep thinking… How on earth did no

my left, including the precise rock I hit, that was pointed

one fall while they were evacuating me off the mountain on a

out to me earlier by Hussein. I remind myself that having

stretcher?

fear is good, because it prevents me from becoming com-

As I arrive at the takeoff, I reacquaint myself with the discomfort of having to dress in multiple layers for high-

placent. However, I realize that I have not only the natural fear that should be protective, but also the gut-instinct

altitude flying, as I feel sweat running down my dirt-

fear that can be overwhelming. The two seem entwined.

covered skin. I remember a time when I always had blind

I know I am most fearful of repeating the mistakes that

confidence in my tandem pilot and gear before I was about

resulted in my tandem paragliding accident in 2011. Was

to take off and charge down the mountain. But now, I

I letting the motivation to erase an image overshadow a

stand at launch feeling the onset of an anxiety attack.

more genuine reason to be standing there to simply appre-

TOP Horacio Llorens folds his glider away under the watchful eye of curious bystanders on the shores of Shyok River.

ABOVE (L to R) Portraits taken immediately after landing from a long flight of Tom De Dorlodot, Horacio Llorens, Hernan

Pitocco. OPPOSITE In the heart of the Karakoram Range, Tom De Dorlodot flies in front of Drifika Peak (6447m). PREVIOUS PAGE Hernan Pitocco sits on take off patiently waiting for the conditions to improve in Hushé.

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BELOW Below: Horacio Llorens high fives the children from Hushé as every landing the pilots would be surrounded by

curious kids. BOTTOM Young children from the village of Hushé peer through the window of the NGO guest house. OPPOSITE TOP Hernan Pitocco explores the terrain of the Karakoram Range in the valley of Hushe as Tom De Dorlodot soars to higher altitudes in the background. LEFT The crew hiking the local sherpa trails that eventually lead to the only take off area. RIGHT Young children from Hushe look up and watch the pilots come into landing. CENTERFOLD Hernan Pitocco explores the ridge lines that run down from Masherbraum in the Karakoram Range. photograph my friends Tom, Horacio, and Hernan flying in what I consider to be one of the most breathtaking and magical landscapes I’ll ever see. There’s a theory that our minds aren’t very good at thinking of how to deal with risk. We often find ourselves afraid of things we shouldn’t be and not afraid of the things we should be. As an adventure photographer, I lead a unique lifestyle that does carry a lot of risk, but my ultimate motivation for tolerating the risk is to be educated. I know I can only achieve knowledge through experience. ciate and enjoy the opportunity of flight? I stare at the ground and try to picture where my feet are going to go. But as Ferdy launches the glider, I immedi-

windburn the eyeballs and take two days to recover. I wish

ately fall backwards. I hadn’t prepared myself properly for

I could remove the anxiety attacks that build up inside me

the sudden energy that pulls us uphill. I immediately get

on takeoff and return when I’m about to come into landing.

back on my feet and, after a few steps forward, we begin to

But understanding what my strengths and weaknesses

soar away from the mountain, and a huge wave of excite-

are is crucial to understanding who I really am.

ment and relief set in. This launch was easily my most awkward, but being in the sky again is worth it. I had waited five years to return. I just wanted one magical flight during which the sun would drop low enough that I could

On this flight, I also learned that flying without ski goggles at altitude and 50km/h winds for five hours will

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Pakistan | photo by Krystle Wright USHPA PILOT MAGAZINE

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Ager, Spain

Nothing but Fun & Sun by JOHN W. ROBINSON “It looks good for the time being; feel free to get an orientation flight if you’d like.”

minute walk to the village. Ager is a

over 30 years. Statistically, during the

classic Catalonian town with architec-

months of August and September, the

ture to match, including a fantastic,

Ager Valley averages only one day of

hus ended the site introduction

centuries-old church, a few cafes and

precipitation. During the last nine

given by our co-guides Toby

restaurants, a bakery, and an ATM.

years of Toby’s and Brett’s guiding

Colombe and Brett Janaway.

What more could you want? Perfect

in the Ager area, there consistently

We’ve finally arrived at the Col d’Ares

weather. And that’s what is topping

have been six-out-of-seven full days

launch, after touring two official LZs

the draw of free-flight pilots from

of flying.

in the valley and getting a briefing on

throughout the world, as it has for

normal flying conditions at each spot, as well as good local and XC routes in the valley and among the peaks and ridges in this part of the Pyrenees. Unfortunately, we don’t have “normal” conditions today, because

Today, however, is not one of

“The flying scene in Ager features spectacular thermal and ridge soaring, suitable even for novice pilots, and expansive XC potential for more experienced ones.”

today’s normal is “awesome.” Today we have unbroken gray sky as far as I can see and cloudbase flirting with launch. Wind speed is at the upper end of launch comfortable. Hmmmm. My mates and I—12 of us in all— are in Ager, Spain, on the first of a 10-day flying holiday guided by the experienced UK-based duo of Toby and Brett. They’ve been leading trips to Ager for nine years and certainly have the system down. We’re going to enjoy this week, no matter what the weather decides to do. The flying scene in Ager features spectacular thermal and ridge soaring, suitable even for novice pilots, and expansive XC potential for more experienced ones. Campground and bungalow accommodations are located right next to the spacious, grassy, main LZ, which is only a five-

OPPOSITE Mont

Rebei Gorge. ABOVE Soaring above l’Ermitage de Pedra.

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Farm LZ. The launch is 3000 feet over

those days, even if it is the middle of

launch. It looks reasonable, so soon

September. And the forecast for the

my Gin Atlas XAlps is tight overhead,

the valley, so even a sled ride affords

next few days doesn’t look much dif-

and I step off into the void under the

lots of room to maneuver and revel in

ferent. We’ll see.

gray ceiling. My friend Phil is right

the sights of the beautiful landscape.

But, just as they said, it does look

behind me. I’m feeling the childlike

And beautiful it is. The rugged

suitable at least for a short flight. We

joy that flying paragliders induces in

Montsec Massif is topped by a long

scurry around, laying out gliders and

me. Others join us as we play in the

rocky spine of a ridge aligned east-

getting flight-ready on the super-

air around launch for a few minutes,

west. The remarkably straight ridge

spacious takeoff area. Brett launches

before heading out over the valley to

runs for 20 kilometers, with each end

first and explores the air around

sort out our first landing in the Pig

terminating in a deep gorge. Skilled and lucky pilots occasionally jump these gorges to rack up impressive XC flights, but more often, XC flights involve going over the back, working intricate terrain to end up, for instance, at the lakeside town of Tremp. No big XC flights for us today; that’s for sure. However, most of us do get that orientation flight to the pig farm, and another one, too—where we glimpse the setting sun through the clouds—to the LZ by our bungalows. Oh, I’m thinking, as I land on the soft grass, it’s good to be here! And the dinner on the patio of La Torres Cafe, where a sliver of moon peeks through the scudding clouds, only increases that good-to-be-here feeling. Our week rollicks on. We dodge

LEFT Ager

main launch, Coll d’Ares. RIGHT Soaring above the almond orchards, Val Ager. ABOVE Expedition vehicles, Gabriella launch.

HANG GLIDING & PARAGLIDING MAGAZINE

unflyable weather—too much wind, or wind over the back, or drizzle—and

manage to fit in many memorable

shouting about how good it is to be on

flights. Some are cut short, due to de-

the ground today.

teriorating conditions, but we always

When the wind is from the east one

The Pyrenees are snaked with hiking trails of all description. As a mountain runner, I love exploring the paths on the flanks of Montsec. Many

land well with minimal drama. OK, so

afternoon, we are able to fly from the

there was the guy who bounced off

Gabriella launch. Launching from

lead to thousand-year-old mountain

the roof of the barn while landing at

this tight, rocky spot delivers us into a

chapels, or the ruins thereof. Most

the Pig Farm: no harm done. Anyway,

space over a dramatic, craggy land-

mornings I’m up early and out of the

we keep having fun, in spite of the

scape that features an amazing view

bungalow for a few hours to try a new

lack of perfect flying conditions.

of the mountainside sanctuary of

running circuit, and am easily able

l’Ermitage de Pedra.

to be back before the day’s preflight

Three in our group are from the United States, but most are from England, with a few zany Welshmen thrown in for good measure. We get to know each other well and laugh at the antics of the more outlandish characters among us. One day the launch is blown out with gale-force winds, so Toby suggests that we hop in the Passionwagon, the Passion Paragliding van, and set off to hike the Mont Rebei Gorge, the deep cleft that incises the western end of the Montsec ridge. This spectacular four-hour hike takes us on a path cut out of the solid rock of the gorge; at one point the two-thousand-foot wall opposite seems only spitting distance away. We’re caught by a brief thunder-shower and hunker down under an overhang, laughing and

LEFT Over

the village of Ager. RIGHT Heading west along the Montsec ridge. ABOVE The American teaching the guides exotic sign language.

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meeting at 10:30 or so. On a day when the flying ends early, some of us are off to locate and hike the ruins of a no-kidding section of

already a memorable scene, and as

everywhere, among the pastures and

I head out to land, the bells start to

almond and walnut orchards. Phil’s

ring. Bong…bong...bong. The valley offers impromptu LZs

cial rock back at the bungalow.

Via Romana. That’s right: the remains of a carefully laid roadbed installed

On another day that gets shut

by the Romans 2000 years ago. I am

down after an early and sweet top-

in awe as I walk the kilometer-long

to-bottom flight, we pile in the vans

remnant and imagine the world at the

and head to the famous mountain

time it was built. I stoop and caress

near Barcelona called Montserrat.

the stones with my hand, feeling the

Jutting out of the plains west of the

connection through the ages to those

city, Montserrat consists of a jagged

kindred souls who made the most of

ridge composed of a jumbled collection of stone monoliths reaching

their lives then, as we do now.

a few thousand feet into the air. A

I bet they dreamed, like so many since, of flying like a bird. We still

curvy 11-mile road leads to a village

dream it today, and some of us lucky

based around a basilica and monastery. These days it’s become a huge

fools actually get to experience it.

destination and tourist trap; every-

Later in the week, I take a delightful air tour of the valley, my beautiful

where are tour buses from Barcelona.

sapphire and ruby-red Atlas soaring

We find, however, that one can easily

over my head. Flight conditions (sur-

escape the crowds by taking the trails

prise) aren’t perfect (it’s rather gray)

that lead further up and away. In

but who cares? I’ve been in the air for

fact, in my journal of the trip I have a

50 minutes and all is right with the

star scribbled next to my description

world. Before I set up to land, I take

of hiking in my shorts and sandals

a lazy loop over Ager town and look

high on Montserrat, among the stone

straight down the church steeple. On the dusky stone walls of the church, colorful flags flap languidly in the breeze. I shake my head in amazement as I peer down on it all. It’s

been collecting fresh almonds for us daily, bashing them open with a spe-

HANG GLIDING & PARAGLIDING MAGAZINE

ABOVE Life

at the bungalows. TOP, L TO R Catalonian flag in Ager. A quiet side street in Trent. Via Romana. Sky over Val Ager. Sign at Coll d’Ares launch.

towers and hermit refuge ruins, in the howling wind under the bright blue sky. When we’re treated to more flying on the last day, we find ourselves in

a major surf session above the rocky

paragliding, we’re already mulling

signed up to go next summer. “What do you think, Phil?”

ridge of Montsec. More gray than blue,

over where we might go fly next, if we,

we flirt with cloud flying; I see big

you know, can stack our cards right.

ears blossoming, wings folding like

Brett leads trips to Slovenia, and

his head, that dreamy, far away look

petals of flowers. We’re all friends

some of our new friends have already

in his eyes.

“Hmmm,” he grins and slowly nods

now, and we know which “flowers” belong to whom. We hoot and wave to each other when our flight paths converge. The trip draws down. On the last night, Toby and Brett treat us to a paella banquet. A regional and national favorite consisting of rice sprinkled with meat, prawns, shellfish, and distinctive seasoning, paella is definitely worthy of special banquet status. We give toasts, offer special gag awards and, in general, celebrate our week of fun and flying in this wonderful part of Spain. I can barely stay awake for the signature provincial dessert, Creme de Catalonia. But no, I wouldn’t miss that. Back at the bungalow, Phil and I pack up, stuffing dirty clothes and souvenir T-shirts into our glider packs and chuckling over funny things that happened during the week. We muse over how, in the face of imperfect flying weather, we still had one of the best trips ever. And being jazzed as ever about

HANG GLIDING & PARAGLIDING MAGAZINE

Playing

Marco Polo by ANNETTE O'NEIL

HANG GLIDING & PARAGLIDING MAGAZINE

After drawing a 1400-kilometer line through Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan, Kirscha Berlinger and Jakub "Kubo" BeĹ&#x2C6;o set out on an unprecedented adventure high above the Silk Road.

HANG GLIDING & PARAGLIDING MAGAZINE

rischa Berlinger, a half-German Swiss national who

Krischa’s back-of-the-hand knowledge of the Swiss Alps

Pass, took a few years to launch from the rocks he had

would make him an invaluable asset on an X-Alps team. He asked. Krischa quickly responded. Supporting Turner in his

been obsessively climbing since age eight. “I thought I was slowly getting too old for downclimbing,”

X-Alps bid immediately whetted Krischa’s appetite for more. “I’d wanted to fly in the Himalayas ever since I started

he laughs. In 2012, at age 32, he and his climbing partner did some-

paragliding,” Krischa says, “But I actually started planning

thing about it. They picked up matching P-2s in South Lake

for it immediately after the X-Alps. I mean: the Himalayas

Tahoe.

are the absolute pinnacle. You can’t go higher. You can’t go

“I didn’t know about cross-country when I started flying,” Krischa remembers, “but as soon as I started to understand the possibilities, I wanted to do XC more than anything else.

more extreme. That’s what I wanted, and the X-Alps taught me it could be possible. Hard, of course, but possible. “I wanted to do something that massively exceeded my

As soon as I could thermal properly, I never stopped work-

comfort zone,” he continues. “The idea appealed to me,

ing towards flying XC.”

precisely because I was really afraid of it and because it

The new pilot’s first verifiably cross-country flight was from a site snuggled up against the legendary Owens Valley,

seemed to be an impossible dream.” At first, Krischa thought he could follow a path from Tajikistan to China and then cross over Pakistan into India.

close to Yosemite, on the eastern side. “It was late in the season, but up there, you don’t have a

But he soon realized that was not possible, because the

choice about whether to do cross-country. You get blown

border of Pakistan and India was (and remains) rife with

cross-country anyway. I launched, took one thermal and

active conflict. The final route he chose followed a straight

followed the clouds. Eighteen kilometers later, I landed in

line, covering a distance of 1400 kilometers over two way-

the field of a school and thought it was the best thing I’d

points, with one border crossing: Tajikistan to Kyrgyzstan.

ever done. I wanted to repeat the flight as soon as possible.”

The planned route stretched along the ancient Silk Road,

So he did—again and again and again. Krischa not only flew

including parts of the route of Marco Polo. With Krischa’s

all over the States but also all over his home mountains in Switzerland, gobbling up the hours. ABOVE Last launch of the trip at 4000 meters. RIGHT

around 4800 meters.

Dave Turner, a close friend of his instructor, knew that

grew up clambering around Switzerland’s Grimsel

HANG GLIDING & PARAGLIDING MAGAZINE

itinerary complete, he reached out to Slovakian pilot Jakub “Kubo” Beňo to join him.

Krischa and Kubo. FAR RIGHT At the end of the Zerashan valley at

“They told us we were lucky not to have gotten shot, because we were in a militarized border zone between Uzbekistan and Tajikistan–and we weren’t even flying yet.” Then Krischa had just one more crucial step to take: approaching his sponsors for backing. “When I asked my first sponsor—Ozone—they said, ‘OK! We will send you a wing.’ And there was no turning back,”

“I had the premonition we were going to run into issues regarding water,” Krischa grimaces. “And I was right.” Krischa and Kubo walked for two days. On the second day, they drank water given to them by a farmer and realized,

he laughs. “Actually, as soon as I talked to someone about

too late, it was unfiltered river water. Unsurprisingly, they

my idea or even thought about it, there was no turning back

caught something. It was bad. Whatever was in that water

for me in my heart. But once someone agreed to pay for it, it

stayed with both pilots for the entire expedition. And in a

was definitely a done deal.”

situation where they were already going to face hydration

Preparation for the expedition was, of course, arduous.

issues, working their way across a Tajikistan that had just

Because much of the planned route sat at breathlessly high

reported the least snowfall in its recorded history was not a

altitude, Krischa, accompanied by his intrepid girlfriend

good situation.

Sarah, headed to the Indian Himalayas three months ahead

After thoroughly drying themselves out in their initial

of the trip. The plan: to trek Krischa into fighting shape, to

overland trek through totally unflyable conditions, the

revive his flying skills from their atrophy over a long winter,

two men ran into a couple of military patrollers. “They

and to get him properly acclimatized. He and Kubo weren’t

told us we were lucky not to have gotten shot, because we

going to be carrying any supplemental oxygen.

were in a militarized border zone between Uzbekistan and

And then the day arrived. Krischa kissed his girlfriend goodbye in Delhi, hopped on a direct flight to Tajikistan, and waited for Kubo. Game on. “We had to take a taxi to the location where we were going to start the journey,” Krischa says, “at which point we were

Tajikistan,” he says. “And we weren’t even flying yet.” The pilots determined that the militarized border zone continued for about 80 kilometers, so they stuck out their thumbs and hitched their way out of it. They hopped out of the truck, thanked the driver, and named the spot where

given the classic introduction to Tajikistan: a royal screw-

they were standing the new starting point— essentially

ing over by a taxi driver. That taxi ride cost us more money

scratching the first two days from the record.

than the entire rest of the trip.” They were dumped at the Uzbekistan border at mid-day

Finally, Krischa and Kubo were able to get out their gliders. “The wind was very strong,” Krischa remembers, “But

onto a stinking hot desert, full of lenticulars. There was no

we really wanted to fly. We skyrocketed straight up to 5000

option for flying, and it was dry.

meters, and conditions were extremely turbulent. Neither

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BOTTOM South of Issykkul, Seifi rides out a turbulent convergence at 5000 meters. RIGHT

of us had been flying for a couple of weeks, and we couldn’t identify anywhere to land a reserve if we needed to.” After 60 kilometers, the surrounding thunderstorms

The pair had been flying right along the border between Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan and had been mistaken for foreign agents who had jumped out of an airplane to infiltrate

started frothing at the mouth. The two top-landed on a

the territory. After a few minutes, the mistaken identity

ridge at 3600 meters, and “pretty much prayed for our lives,

was sorted out, and the soldiers kindly shared their break-

like little puppies” shortly thereafter, because the night

fast and water with the ragged pilots.

was well below freezing, the lightning kept striking on the

The weather was miraculously good that day, but the

ridge right next to their flimsy tents, and the parasite they’d

flight they got was a short one. They were both so weak-

picked up kept sending them out into the maelstrom.

ened by illness and sleep deprivation that they simply

“I was, like, OK, if we survive this, it will be awesome, but if

couldn’t continue flying. Ironically, that day was one of

I don’t, please tell my girlfriend I love her very much,” Krischa

the best weather days of the entire trip; it was going to be

laughs. “And Kubo was, like, I am not going to survive if the

touch-and-go almost every day thereafter.

lightning strikes you, idiot. I am right next to you.” They did survive that night, albeit in an extremely ex-

“We always flew as much as we could,” Krischa explains. “But we were often stopped, or prevented from taking off,

hausted and totally dehydrated state, only to be awakened

because the winds were too strong, or the overdevelopment

by a metallic clatter familiar to anyone who has watched a

was already happening at, like, 9 o’clock in the morning.

Schwarzenegger movie.

And, of course, we only had a certain number of days re-

“We both ran out with our hands over our heads, like, chill out, everyone!,” he remembers. Outside of the tents stood three pissed-off Tajik military men who had been searching 15 hours in the thunderstorms for Krischa and Kubo.

Final glide towards Chatyrkul.

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maining and needed to get a certain number of kilometers done per day.” The next day wasn’t too bad for weather, either, but, close to the end of the valley, they faced their first crisis. Krischa

and Kubo were still very high above the valley floor, getting

Muslim family. “They wouldn’t take money, even if we

ready to jump it and fly south, when they smacked right

shoved it down their throats,” Krischa explains. “It was hard

into brutal glacier winds that stopped them dead in their

to get them to take anything for all they gave us.”

tracks and then started to shove them backward. “We realized we were going to go badly backwards into

The next day, as luck would have it, was “the best day of the whole trip.” Krischa and Kubo were able to fly over the

the valley,” Krischa remembers. “So we side-hill landed in

Rasht Valley—around 120 kilometers—all the way to the

rocky mountains. I got lucky; I found a relatively good spot

entrance gate of the Pamir Mountains. Krischa remembers

to land, with only a couple of rocks that smashed my knee

it as “the only time we had no horrifying moments in the

open.”

air, or landing.” It was a perfect day. After an easy valley

Kubo didn’t fare as well. Krischa watched him impact

crossing, cloudbase wasn’t high enough to cross over the

from a hundred meters overhead, fearing the worst. He saw

range, so they scratched by 20 meters over the glaciers that

Kubo being dragged relentlessly over rocks in a steep sec-

crowned a high mountain pass.

tion of the slope, swiss-cheesing his wing, ripping his harness and smashing an alarming amount of his equipment. “It was a miracle that he escaped without broken bones,”

“It was one of the best feelings,” Krischa grins. “That flight continued for five hours or so, and it was absolutely mindblowing. We ended up with a lot of footage of our flying

Krischa grimaces. “I knew he was going to be OK when I

next to each other, howling with joy, looking around, clearly

saw him bunching up his glider and heard him swearing in

amazed at everything we saw.”

Slovakian.” At first, it looked as if there would be no chance of continuing the trip, but closer inspection revealed that Kubo’s

Once they arrived at the entrance gate of the Pamir, the challenge was on. The monstrous Pamir, after all, is the “roof of the world,” and has well earned its nickname. This

kit was repairable. The pilots took two days off to put the

region is utterly unpopulated, dizzyingly steep, and inacces-

gear back together with climbing tape and superglue, while

sible for suppliers. Conditions that are notoriously strong,

enjoying the astonishing hospitality of a deeply religious

with extreme altitudes, make crossing the Pamir no easy

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feat. The next leg required a very good day to fly successfully (or, more likely, two or three hard days with good

“We got closer than we wanted,” Krischa recalls, “because

windows). This was the scariest part of the trip on paper,

we got dropped down really low to the valley floor. We were

and both men felt it keenly.

moving downwind very fast, toward the glacier, and land-

They replenished their supplies and waited nervously for weather, living on updates from weather-guru, Louis Tapper, in New Zealand. The good forecast finally came in. The men missioned up the difficult trail to launch, weighed down with 30 kilo-

ing was not an option. There were only crevasses on one side and rivers and rocks on the other.” At this point, safe landing was survival; there was no practical emergency retrieval from the heart of the Pamir. As if with an enormous stroke of luck, the mountain

grams each. Then Krischa snapped several lines on the first

stood ready to save them. They reached it and soared “with

launch attempt, which took two obscenity-laced hours to fix.

six meters a second” up the face to 6000 meters, with tears

“When we were done, I didn’t even look at my watch,” Krischa says. “I was, like, come on, let’s do it. It had to have

in their eyes. “We were crying, because we couldn’t believe we’d made it,” Krischa says, “And also because of the sheer

been 2 o’clock. It was way too late, but we still launched.

beauty. It was a magical hour in this incredible world,

There was this moment when we were still at the front,

where there are no people, no roads, no signs of civilization.”

with villages and civilization below. And then, there was nothing. But no turning back.” The pair punched 6000 meters up into the Pamir, cupped

in the world, outside of the polar regions.

Krischa and Kubo had one more challenge to overcome that day: a 5000-meter mountain pass that had to be crossed. The winds had picked up again at altitude, and the

in yawning, empty, dust-storming valleys by 7000-meter

two wings were clocking over 80 kilometers an hour, which

peaks that twinkled with glaciers. Before long, the two

wasn’t a good sign. The pilots hoped beyond hope that it

wings came over the Fedchenko Glacier—the longest glacier

was just winds aloft and that things had calmed down on

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camp, where they ate their fill of yak meat and passed the bitter-cold night in a tent. The next morning, both Krischa and Kubo broke their personal altitude records. After they launched from the 5000-meter pass, Kubo got to 7250 meters; Krischa got to 6884. That flight could have lasted hours longer than it did. It only stopped because they’d reached an artificial end— the Tajikistan/Kyrgyzstan border. After such a remarkable, landmark flight, the two weren’t in the mood to be shot out of the sky. Another really ferocious wind on the ground dragged them over the flatlands for a couple hundred meters, before they handed over their passports. The cadre of jolly 20-year-old Tajik border guards they encountered insisted that Krischa and Kubo overnight with them. Predictably, there wasn’t much sleeping on the agenda. “We had to drink bottles of vodka,” Krischa winces. In the early morning, the guards went out to look for drug smugglers. After hearing the far-off whoops and gunshots in the air, it seemed to the pilots that the guards just continued their party in the desert. The next, bleary day was spent on the ground, as was the following week. Krischa and Kubo were forced to slog for days: along the highway, across the vast flatlands, down to the Kyrgyz border and then across a moonscape valley. These were 12-hour days, tromping 50 kilometers with really heavy backpacks, under a weather forecast that was, according to Krischa’s memory, “absolutely shit.” The jet stream had installed itself above the country and had no intention of budging. the ground, but it didn’t look good. That’s when the nightmare began. Krischa got into a rotor, dropped into the 4300-meter pla-

“We were really trashed,” Krischa says. “Bleeding toes, heels, blisters. A mess.” They huddled in a yurt for a couple of days, praying for

teau behind the peak, and got pummeled. This time, Kubo

a good-weather day. Finally, they had a 50/50 chance to fly.

watched the landing, and it was not good.

The men knew it was going to be risky; the flight would in-

“I faced into the wind and looked at my GPS that said I

volve crossing another high, technical range, for one, and a

was moving at 15 to 25 kilometers an hour,” he explains. “I

wind-wracked plateau, for another. True to form, the winds

was relieved, but when I looked at the ground, I realized I

picked up and up and up after launch, and, at some point,

was doing that speed backward.” Krischa got dragged 200

the terrified pair was soaring backwards, 5000 meters up

meters, though yak dung and mud, to arrive in an inglori-

the walls of a dead-end valley in extreme turbulence.

ous pile of goo and nylon. Kubo’s landing was so hard that he was nearly knocked out. Unbelievably, there was nothing to hit, other than a smattering of tiny rocks along the way—and the landing depos-

Once over the range, the adventurers caught another lucky break: a wave that washed them super-smoothly across the plateau at 5000 meters. “It was beautiful,” Krischa remembers, “We were flying

ited them next to what might have been the only nomad

across this plateau and both of us were screaming at each

camp in the region. Both emerged stunned, but utterly un-

other, please, please, no backwards landing! Finally, we got

scathed, and were welcomed immediately into the nomads’

lower, and the thermals disappeared. We just had to go

OPPOSITE At 6200 meters over the Pamir plateau, lake Karakol in the distance. TOP BOTTOM

Landing in the Zeravshan valley. One of our 'support teams'–the generous families inhabiting the high-altitude route.

HANG GLIDING & PARAGLIDING MAGAZINE

LEFT Kubo hit hard by a parasite picked up from a dirty water source. RIGHT

land. And then, suddenly, we spot two trucks in the middle

sibility of reaching Bishkek on schedule dwindling every

of this perfect flat plateau that was about 40 kilometers

day, and the weather soldiering on with determination to

across.”

stop all flying, grumpiness was at an all-time high.

The pilots made their way over to the trucks. The land-

After a sled ride, the two determined to walk up and

ings had been perfect—not backwards. That was fortunate,

onward from that landing and at least gain a crumb of

because the men in the trucks would not have been helpful:

distance. However, they found a launch a little ways up, and

They were all hammered drunk. What lay ahead was the pilots’ goal of Bishkek, the capital

from that launch they spotted tiny, miracle gaps in the low cloudbase pushed on by what seemed like force of will, as

of Kyrgyzstan— the last technical flight of the trip. The

there wasn’t any sun to speak of. After the suffering of the

route was relatively easy, with clear lines to follow. The

past two weeks, Kyrgyzstan offered up a gift: a gap between

team’s Kiwi weatherman had his doubts that the conditions

the clouds that crowded over the mountain pass. They went

would be right for the final push, but the pilots lined up at

for it. They made it.

launch anyway. After a violent, near-immediate blowback,

“We thought it was over,” Krischa smiles, “but it wasn’t, be-

the two landed and packed up their bags for another long

cause there was a big flat area in front of us. Suddenly, there

walk—one that lasted six days—in the wailing, screaming

were thermals in the middle of the valley, so we started

wind and rain. In the morning, it snowed. Krischa’s toes

flatland flying, very slowly. It took us two hours of very tech-

were frostbitten; he wouldn’t feel them for a week after.

nical, very slow flying—like 10 inches a minute of upward

The pair received endless hospitality from the smiling residents of the yurts along the way, so all was not lost. Their bellies stayed full of warm tea, fermented horse milk and sheep intestines. “At this point,” Krischa deadpans, “We thought that the country of Kyrgyzstan was simply unflyable.” With the pos-

150km home stretch towards Bishkek.

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movement. We reached the next mountain range, and we got over that, too. We were extremely happy.” Over that range, the two saw thunderstorms lurking nearby, so they settled in to the Kyrgyz grasslands, near

Kyrgyzstan’s great central lake, under a mantle of sunset

the pass in the moonlight, and they knew if they managed

sky. When they looked at their position, the pair knew they

to jump over to the next mountain range from there, they’d

would probably be able to make Bishkek. That was good,

have it in the bag.

because the pilots’ exit flight from the Bishkek Airport was to take off in 10 days. Krischa and Kubo had a 20-kilometer walk ahead of them

That’s exactly what happened. The final push took under two hours in clouds and thunderstorms, after which they triumphantly glided into

to the next launch. A big convergence at 5000 meters—”the

the flatlands. The pair landed and reached Bishkek on foot,

type that wants to rip your glider to pieces,” according to

40 hours before wheels-up on their departure flights. They

Krischa—added to the stress, as did an ugly miscommuni-

washed the blood from their brutalized feet and luxuriated

cation. Kubo had understood that the next flight was meant

in the first proper shower in seven weeks. Neither man

to be out towards the lake. He was out front, and, without

could believe they’d made it.

walkies, there was no way to correct his assumption. Kubo landed in beautiful, calm, evening air, giddily happy at such a buttery conclusion to the burly challenges of the trip. He was startled to face a spitting-mad Krischa. Soon, the two were friends again, walking not-entirely-

he final total: In 43 days, the pilots logged 1140 XC kilometers of flying and 740 kilometers of walking, with about 35 of those land miles being vertical.

“I would never, ever again do anything of this magnitude,”

bitterly back to the beginning of the valley they had just

Krischa laughs. “For sure not. I have it out of my system now,

soared through. The next day’s strong winds kept them

and I am very certain that I am never going to even dream

down, and after a freezing night on a glacier, they were off

about it, because the suffering we went through was just

to cross five different mountain passes, plowing through

too much.”

massive clouds and whistling at each other to avoid a col-

“I sometimes thought that this might be the last thing I

lision. At the end of the flight, they landed in a soccer pitch

would do, ever,” he continues. “We used four or five of our

in the middle of the town of Karakul. From there on, they

lives on this trip. I am only 35. I still need a couple.”

knew they had a decent chance to make their flights in Bishkek. But the path to their final destination was filling quickly with thunderstorms. For the next three days, the winds were eerily quiet. Towering overdevelopment and basement cloudbase made the way soggy, slow, and technical, but they slogged through the distance, regardless. Kilometer after kilometer, listening to the storms roaring in the (sometimes nonetoo-distant) distance, Krischa and Kubo stubbornly pushed

Krischa would like to thank his sponsors, without whom the mission would not have been possible. Ozone Paragliders contributed an Alpina 2 (“the perfect solution of safety and performance”). Kortel Designs and High Adventure contributed the Vol-Biv harness Kolibri. GoPro contributed cameras and mounts. Rescue-me.ch, the European distributor of the DeLorme InReach rescue beacon, contributed a device and subscription.

their way onward. The night before the expedition’s final flight, the pair walked up into the mountain darkness to 4000 meters, spun up in the snow globe of a meteor shower. They made

HANG GLIDING & PARAGLIDING MAGAZINE

How to Avoid Airplanes

by Chris Rancont

e fly our gliders in uncontrolled (Class G) and also controlled (Class E) airspace, where we share the airspace with other aircraft. By following cloud clearance rules and understanding flight rules, it is possible to reduce the chances of conflict with other aircraft and make our sport far safer for us as well as others with whom we share the sky. The vario sings as you approach cloudbase and choose the direction to head out on your XC flight. Then you hear the hum of an aircraft engine in the distance, sounding like it is west of you and getting closer. You continue to scan the sky, but see nothing. The sound gets louder and louder, but when you look up, down, and around, you still can’t find it. Where is it coming from? Well, if the aircraft is in cruise flight and following the rules, it should be located on the odd altitude, or the odd plus 500 feet. So check your altimeter, adjust your altitude to maintain distance from these altitudes, and watch the airplane safely pass by with adequate separation. By understanding the basic international flight rules, we can do due diligence to maintain a safe distance from an aircraft in cruise flight. Remember that as a basic rule, EAST-bound aircraft are at ODD altitudes, and WEST-bound aircraft are at EVEN altitudes. “East is Odd, West is Even odder” VFR versus IFR. Pilots flying

HANG GLIDING & PARAGLIDING MAGAZINE

under visual flight rules (VFR) over 3000 feet above the ground and in cruising flight, are supposed to fly at odd altitudes plus 500’ (3500, 5500, 7500, etc.) on east-bound headings (from 0-179 degrees). And VFR traffic flying west-bound headings (from 180-359 degrees) are to fly at even altitudes plus 500’ (4500, 6500, etc). IFR traffic (Instrument flight rules) is flying on the altitudes; East-bound (3000, 5000, etc.), West-bound (4000, 6000, etc). These are the altitudes at which airplanes are required to fly during cruising flight. Of course, there can

be aircraft climbing to their cruising altitudes or descending from these altitudes any time and in any place, but the majority of the flight is spent cruising at these altitudes. And IFR traffic is required to be within 100 feet of their assigned altitudes at all times. Big jets, including almost all commercial operations, fast corporate aircraft, and anyone flying in or through the clouds should be flying under IFR; these are the aircraft that pose particular risk to gliders flying near or around the clouds. This is because these aircraft are flying fast, with faster

closure rates. Also they are flying by their instruments, probably NOT looking outside, and certainly NOT looking for a glider near the clouds. The good news: They are required to fly at the right altitude; it is a violation for them to be more than 100’ above or below. So that means WE KNOW RIGHT WHERE THEY ARE, or at least where they should be when we hear an approaching aircraft—depending on the direction of their flight. The major exception to aircraft flying at the altitude dictated by the rules of direction of flight is when they are climbing or descending. This is the main reason the rules are different for cloud clearances above or below the clouds. “I made cloudbase!...I mean, of course, 500 feet below cloudbase” Remember: you are not to fly closer than 500 feet below, 1000 above, or 2000 feet horizontal to clouds in most circumstances. This number increases to 1000 feet above or below, and 1 mile horizontal to clouds above 10,000 feet MSL (mean sea level). Airplanes flying through clouds are flying by instruments and NOT looking outside the window for other aircraft while in the clouds. When climbing up through the clouds, aircraft pilots also are expecting anyone else in their airspace to be on an instrument flight plan and in contact with ATC. That’s why 1000 feet above clouds is deemed adequate to see and avoid other aircraft, when climbing up

through the clouds. When descending through the clouds, pilots still are flying by instruments, but are aware there could be VFR traffic below. Consequently, they should be more vigilant about looking for traffic when descending out of a cloud, indicating that 500 feet below the clouds is deemed adequate for them to see others and avoid them. An aircraft descending at 1-2000 feet per minute out of a cloud, however, is not expecting a glider to be “at cloudbase,” so there would not be adequate time to react in order to avoid a midair collision, without at least the required 500-foot cushion mandated by FAA regulation. Horizontal distance of 2000 feet from clouds is mandated in all but Class G airspace. This distance increases to 1 statute mile above 10,000 feet, because aircraft that are popping holes in the clouds, while flying in and out at cruising altitudes, are flying by instruments and probably NOT looking outside. So when they are popping out of a cloud at cruising speed, 2000 feet is deemed a minimally safe distance to see and maneuver to avoid other aircraft or gliders. Below 1200 feet above the surface in most locations (except around some airports), we are flying in Class G (uncontrolled) airspace. And in Class G airspace, cloud clearance requirements are simply to stay clear of clouds. But above 1200 feet in most locations, we are flying in controlled airspace (Class E above 1200’ or above 700’ when there are magenta circles over many airports on sectional charts). The cloud clearance requirements are as outlined in the table above.

AIRSPACE CLASS A CLASS B CLASS C

CLASS D CLASS E Less than 10,000 feet MSL CLASS E At or above 10,000 feet MSL

Flight Visibility Distance from Clouds Not applicable Not applicable 3 statute mile Clear of Clouds. 500 feet below. 3 statute miles 1,000 feet above. 2,000 feet horizontal. 500 feet below. 3 statute miles 1,000 feet above. 2,000 feet horizontal. 500 feet below. 3 statute miles 1000 feet above. 2000 feet horizontal. 1000 feet below. 5 statute miles 1000 feet above. 1 statute mile horizontal.

CLASS G 1200 feet or less above the surface 1 statute mile Clear of clouds. (regardless of MSL altitude) CLASS G 500 feet below. More than 1200 feet above the surface 1 statute mile 1000 feet above. but less than 10,000 feet MSL 2000 feet horizontal. CLASS G 1000 feet below. More than 1200 feet above the surface 5 statute miles 1000 feet above. and at or above 10,000 feet MSL 1 statute mile horizontal.

HANG GLIDING & PARAGLIDING MAGAZINE

For many of us, our sport is all about making cloudbase and cruising XC. But we need to understand the danger of flying near clouds, and we need to commit to memory the regulations. Flying to actual cloudbase, or in or close to clouds, is not only a violation of FAA Regulations, but also dangerous, and puts the glider pilot and everyone else sharing the sky at risk. An aircraft pilot flying by instruments through the clouds might not be able to maneuver in time to avoid a catastrophe, when encountering a glider that is breaking the rules. Don’t post photographs of yourself violating FAA regulations! Seeing photographs of gliders playing around in the clouds is terrifying to an instrument pilot. Flying through the clouds by instruments at 200mph with an autopilot on, as I often do, means there is little I could do if I suddenly saw a glider filling my windscreen. We all probably would go down in a tangled mess of metal and nylon and Dyneema lines. (I assure you that other commercial pilots and the FAA don’t like seeing these photos, either.) We can minimize our risk of encountering other aircraft by being aware of the direction of their flight and remembering the rules. In and around clouds, most aircraft will be flying IFR and on the altitude corresponding to the direction of their flight. So stay off the exact altitude by at least 100 feet. Below clouds, there could be a mix of IFR and VFR traffic, so stay off the altitudes, or the 500’s when possible. The only caveat: the airplanes are flying barometric altitudes, so set your vario to proper barometric altitude before takeoff, and you’ll be golden. Safe flying, my non-feathered friends!

HANG GLIDING & PARAGLIDING MAGAZINE

References

flight level.

§91.159 VFR cruising altitude or

Unless otherwise authorized by ATC,

flight level.

the following rules apply—

Except while operating in a hold-

(a) In controlled airspace. Each

ing pattern of 2 minutes or less, or

person operating an aircraft under

while turning, each person operat-

IFR in level cruising flight in con-

ing an aircraft under VFR in level

trolled airspace shall maintain the

cruising flight more than 3,000 feet

altitude or flight level assigned that

above the surface shall maintain the

aircraft by ATC. However, if the ATC

appropriate altitude or flight level

clearance assigns “VFR conditions

prescribed below, unless otherwise

on-top,” that person shall maintain

authorized by ATC:

an altitude or flight level as pre-

(a) When operating below 18,000 feet MSL and— (1) On a magnetic course of zero

scribed by §91.159. (b) In uncontrolled airspace. Except while in a holding pattern of

degrees through 179 degrees, any

2 minutes or less or while turning,

odd thousand foot MSL altitude +

each person operating an aircraft

500 feet (such as 3,500, 5,500, or

under IFR in level cruising flight in

7,500); or

uncontrolled airspace shall maintain

(2) On a magnetic course of 180 degrees through 359 degrees, any even thousand foot MSL altitude + 500 feet (such as 4,500, 6,500, or 8,500). (b) When operating above 18,000 feet MSL, maintain the altitude or flight level assigned by ATC. Doc. No. 18334, 54 FR 34294,

an appropriate altitude as follows: (1) When operating below 18,000 feet MSL and— (i) On a magnetic course of zero degrees through 179 degrees, any odd thousand foot MSL altitude (such as 3,000, 5,000, or 7,000); or (ii) On a magnetic course of 180 degrees through 359 degrees, any

Aug. 18, 1989, as amended by Amdt.

even thousand foot MSL altitude

91-276, 68 FR 61321, Oct. 27, 2003;

(such as 2,000, 4,000, or 6,000).

68 FR 70133, Dec. 17, 2003

(2) When operating at or above 18,000 feet MSL but below flight

§91.179 IFR cruising altitude or

level 290, and—

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290 and above in airspace designat-

vehicle within Class A, Class B, Class

degrees through 179 degrees, any

ed as Reduced Vertical Separation

C, or Class D airspace or within the

odd flight level (such as 190, 210, or

Minimum (RVSM) airspace and—

(i) On a magnetic course of zero

230); or (ii) On a magnetic course of 180

degrees through 179 degrees, any

lateral boundaries of the surface area of Class E airspace designated for an airport unless that person has

degrees through 359 degrees, any

odd flight level, at 2,000-foot inter-

prior authorization from the ATC

even flight level (such as 180, 200, or

vals beginning at and including flight

facility having jurisdiction over that

level 290 (such as flight level 290,

airspace.

220). (3) When operating at flight level 290 and above in non-RVSM air-

310, 330, 350, 370, 390, 410); or (ii) On a magnetic course of 180

Amdt. 103-17, 56 FR 65662, Dec. 17, 1991

degrees through 359 degrees, any

space, and— (i) On a magnetic course of zero degrees through 179 degrees, any

even flight level, at 2000-foot inter-

§103.23 Flight visibility and cloud

vals beginning at and including flight

clearance requirements.

flight level, at 4,000-foot intervals,

level 300 (such as 300, 320, 340,

No person may operate an ultralight

beginning at and including flight

360, 380, 400).

vehicle when the flight visibility or

level 290 (such as flight level 290,

Doc. No. 18334, 54 FR 34294,

distance from clouds is less than that

Aug. 18, 1989, as amended by Amdt.

in the table found below. All opera-

(ii) On a magnetic course of 180

91-276, 68 FR 61321, Oct. 27, 2003;

tions in Class A, Class B, Class C, and

degrees through 359 degrees, any

68 FR 70133, Dec. 17, 2003; Amdt.

Class D airspace or Class E airspace

flight level, at 4,000-foot intervals,

91-296, 72 FR 31679, June 7, 2007

designated for an airport must

330, or 370); or

receive prior ATC authorization as

beginning at and including flight level 310 (such as flight level 310,

§103.17 Operations in certain air-

350, or 390).

space.

(4) When operating at flight level

required in §103.17 of this part. Amdt. 103-17, 56 FR 65662, Dec.

No person may operate an ultralight

17, 1991

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Torrey Pines | photo by Ryan Miller

Thinking Outside the Blocks

Part XXIV: Anatomy of a Mid-Air by Dennis Pagen

idair collisions are a bad scene,

site that looks like Mont Revard to

gliders were pointing. Perhaps he

but perhaps they are the one

me, a well-known site in the northern

wanted a position more to the right of

type of accident that is totally

French Alps, just north of the famous

the mountain, because if this is Mont

due to pilot error. No outside factors,

St. Hilaire. The camera pilot is on

Revard or some other site, it looks as

such as sudden gusts, camera distrac-

the left and flying an Icaro Laminar

if they are at the end of the mountain.

tion, or politicians, can be blamed.

topless glider. The pilot on the right is

The other pilot (who we’ll call the

Pilot error is human error, of course,

flying a topless Aeros Combat. Other

right pilot or RP) appears to be head-

and humans are errant. Let’s look at

pilots in the air, including both hangs

ing straight into the wind, although

one aerial error to see what hap-

and paras, seem to be distributed far

we only see him for a few seconds

pened and figure out how to prevent a

and wide and high and low (which

before they collide.

similar occurrence in our own flying.

is why I called the lift “fat”). In other

The accident in question was

alarmed, looks right at the RP on his

posted on Google Drive at https://

pilots to fly close together. However,

right and starts to yell (as useless

drive.google.com/drive/folders/0B-

sometimes it happens that pilots

as a Bible at a biker rally in a hang

Te3zxMMRp-REpwNTUzSmwyZ2c.

work the same thermal in close

glider, because of the wind noise,

It shows a midair collision of two

proximity and end up very near one

but a very natural reaction). The CP

hang gliders, as well as the after-

another once the thermal is done

inputs a sudden control to turn left,

math. However, nearly everything we

with them.

discuss here also applies to a midair

words, there was no reason for the

At some point, the CP becomes

The pilots appear to be located

away from the RP, but the two gliders collide within 1.5 seconds of the CP’s roll control. Both gliders are damaged

between a hang glider and a paraglid-

slightly behind the front of the

er or two paragliders. There are some

mountain. Perhaps they had carried a

beyond fly-ability, so both pilots im-

good lessons to be learned.

thermal back a bit and were making

mediately toss their parachutes and

WHAT HAPPENED

their way out to the front. The camera

appear to land safely, although we

pilot (who we’ll call CP from now on)

only can see the CP all the way to the

In case you can’t (or won’t) see the

was looking around both left and

ground.

video, I’ll briefly describe the accident.

right, all the while sidling to the right,

Two pilots were soaring fat lift at a

from the direction most of the other

HANG GLIDING & PARAGLIDING MAGAZINE

NOT SEEING AND AVOIDING

again with growing alarm. Had he

was a victim of mis-perception. This

This video and discussion would be

stopped his progress to the right at

well-documented matter—of seeing

of little value if there were not some

that time, he would have avoided the

large, distant objects that appear not

obvious maneuvers we can point out

accident.

to move, until they suddenly appear

that could have changed the outcome.

The second point relates to the RP

to “loom,” becoming very big, very

Let’s begin with the RP. After watch-

and the fact that he appears to be

close, really fast—is often discussed

ing the film repeatedly, I am fairly

oblivious to the CP’s presence. Since

in aviation. In the video, we see the

convinced that he never turned his

they were so close, that’s scary to

CP looking at the RP, yelling, then

head towards the CP, especially just

contemplate. But “them’s the facts”:

finally trying to turn away. Even if his

before the collision, which is when

Some pilots are in their own big

glider had been a softie and turned

you would expect him to be looking

world up there. Add one demerit to

immediately, it might have been too

out for number two, literally and figu-

the RP. Never assume the other guy

late. By the time he tried to turn his

ratively. I believe he never saw the CP,

sees you when the two of your are

by-its-very-nature more lethargic

but was intent on flying forward to

close and getting closer. All of us need

glider, it was too late.

the front of the ridge and clearly did

to pledge to put our head on a swivel

not make an avoidance control.

any time there are lots, or even a few,

This behavior is not uncommon, which brings up our first learning point: Never assume the other pilot

To be sure, first we must be aware of the looming effect. In a nutshell, it

pilots working the ins-and-outs of lift

is the effect of an angle in which an

on a hill.

object moving towards us fills our

It should be mentioned that the

field of vision and barely seems to

is aware or watching out for you,

RP had right-of-way, since he was on

change. But as it approaches, that

unless he definitely looks directly at

the right. But being “dead right” is

angle suddenly widens, much to our

you, and, even then, be cautious and

wrong-headed in my book (all of them,

surprise, even though the object has

suspicious. The CP had plenty of time

in fact).

not increased its speed of approach.

during the filming. He did look right

THE SURPRISE

about looming; the topic appears in

before looking left, then looked right

It appears clear to me that the CP

both my books, Hang Gliding Training

to avoid this midair when we see him

I have written articles in the past

HANG GLIDING & PARAGLIDING MAGAZINE

the lone tree in the landing field. It

with illustrations. Since most of us do

happens up in the air, too, and the

that he was fairly experienced. What

not get a lot of practice flying close to

CP’s seemingly delayed emergency

happened in the mind that caused

another pilot and do not regularly ex-

response indicates he may have been

him to revert to an ineffectual pseudo

perience two gliders coming together,

fixating and fate baiting.

control? He probably panicked. His yelling is

it’s likely that we are susceptible to

We cannot tell for sure what was

being fooled by the looming effect.

addling the CP’s mind, but it is abso-

an indicator, but surely the inability to control his glider is a definite sign

For that reason, we all should take a

lutely clear that he was addled, and

vow to leave a bit of extra space be-

the big reveal is a pretty big deal. As

that he went into neuron overload.

tween us and any other semi-solid up

my friend, Will Perez, pointed out,

Makes ya shudder. How can you avoid

there that shares the air with us. For

it is easy to see that the CP did not

such an overload? One way is to prac-

Minerva’s sake, make a decision to

actually input much of a turn control.

tice emergency turning when there

turn away sooner than did our friend

In fact, he cross-controlled. You can

is no emergency. When you are far

in the video.

clearly see that once he decided he

from the hill and even farther from

needed to turn away—RIGHT NOW—

other gliders, suddenly tell yourself to

THE BIG REVEAL

a topless glider, we must assume

Manual and The Art of Paragliding,

he performed barely a whit of roll

turn immediately, and do it with no

Another factor that may have come

control. What he did do was move his

hesitation. A few of these exercises

into play is “object fixation.” In this

shoulders left, while his feet swung

will keep you on your toes and well

case, a pilot focuses on what he wants

right, and his center of gravity re-

prepared to turn effectively when fear, fate and physics demand it.

to avoid, while unconsciously flying

mained largely unmoved. No weight

right towards it. We have all heard

shift, no roll input. This is a begin-

of the inexperienced pilot hitting

ner’s foible. Since the pilot was flying

HANG GLIDING & PARAGLIDING MAGAZINE

Here’s an even more important point. Rolling away from an immi-

nent collision is not the maneuver of choice. For one thing, no matter what your wing of preference, it takes a while for your glider to react. That goes for both a paraglider and hang

“Many gliders take at least two seconds to alter course. Will you have space and time? You don’t have to ask Einstein; you have to leave more room by acting sooner.”

glider. If two pilots have a closing my analysis is speculation, but I’ll

speed of 30 mph (each one drifting to-

see this sometimes in competition

wards the other only at 15 mph), they

where a new, excitable pilot thinks

bet the farm that most of it is close to

are coming together at 44 feet per

that the way to winning is combat

reality. Think about how much less

second. Many gliders of any ilk take

flying (why ever did they give that

we would learn from this accident

at least two seconds to really alter

name to that Aeros glider??). But

without the vid.

course. Will you have space and time?

experienced pilots know the name of

You don’t have to ask Einstein; you

the game is “cooperate and elevate.”

Frenchman, because when he crawls

I believe the camera pilot was a

have to leave more room by acting

Usually an overly aggressive pilot

out of the wreckage I think I hear him

sooner. Better yet, don’t try to roll.

gets taught a few lessons by the old

use a French word you wouldn’t want

Dive radically, immediately (at least

crows. If not, others gang up on him,

your grandma to say. Be that as it may,

when hang gliding). A dive will sepa-

and if he doesn’t amend his ways,

I wish I knew who he is so I could

rate you from the other pilot much

leave him behind. Nobody wants

thank him for sharing his plight. We

quicker and safer than trying to roll.

near-misses in comps.

all can learn from it and fly more

A dive is better for another reason:

Be that true, there still are some

safely, but only if we take it to heart,

Another problem with rolling is that

close calls. When you consider that

pay more attention and begin to act

it raises the wing on the side you are

50 to 120 pilots are trying to stay up

before we think we need to begin to

rolling away from. If you are slightly

in one thermal near the start gate in

act.

below the other pilot, your wing may

large comps, there are bound to be

come up and hit his. With a dive, you

some close passes. However, in my

avoid raising a wing, even if you

hundreds of competition flights as

put in a simultaneous roll control.

well as hundreds more serving as an

Instead of the close wing rising, the

official on major meets, I have heard

wing away from the potential contact

of very few near misses and fewer

falls in a diving turn. If both pilots

hits. This result is due to experienced

dive, they still can roll away from one

pilots remaining vigilant and keeping

another more effectively. This is the

their heads on a swivel. Furthermore,

maneuver I recommend for hang glid-

once you gain experience flying in

ers. I have used it myself on several

gaggles, you can track several pilots

occasions.

at once, even though you are all going

For paragliders, it is probably better to bury the control on the side away from the potential collision, while

around in circles. It’s loads of fun, unless someone gets hurt. No pilot is totally immune from the

weight shifting as much as your little

multiple psychological effects that

butt allows. The slower approach of

contribute to midairs: ego, hubris,

two paragliders usually allows more

recalcitrance, inattention, looming,

time to judge and control, but I have

object fixation, panic, human error,

seen paragliders hit, a couple with

improper emergency reaction, and

hard consequences.

an overzealous insistence on right-

OTHER FACTORS

of-way. But we can understand them and shore up our defenses by think-

Perhaps one of the biggest contribu-

ing about how to avoid them in our

tors to midairs is a pilot who thinks

own decision-making.

he owns the airways and does not cooperate and dance with others. We

We are fortunate to be able to view a video of an actual midair. Some of

HANG GLIDING & PARAGLIDING MAGAZINE

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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.

clinics & tours

JAN 13-15, 20-22, 27-29 & FEB 3-5> Thailand. Winter SIV courses in Thailand with legendary Himalayan pilot Debu Choudury. The course includes radios, life jackets, motorised rescue boat, transport, radio guidance, theory classes, & reserve repack. $895 includes the course and transport to/from Bangkok airport, plus self-catering villa accommodation for 3 nights. More info: info@300peaks.com, or 300peaks.com.

OCT 15 - NOV 13 > Iquique, Chile. Paragliding Trip.

JAN 17 - FEB 26 > Valle del Cauca, Colombia. Fly

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Colombia! The Valle del Cauca, Colombia has quickly become one of the most popular winter paragliding destinations. Valle del Cauca offers consistent world-class xc potential with breathtaking views. Improve your thermal and XC skills with advanced instructor and master guide David Prentice. More info: David Prentice, 505-720-5436, or www.flycuervo.com.

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Northeast'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. Located in Charlestown, NH. Also visit our North Carolina location, Kitty Hawk Kites Flight School. 603-542-4416, www.flymorningside.com

NORTH CAROLINA KITTY HAWK KITES - The largest hang gliding school in the world, 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. Learn to fly where the Wright Brothers flew, located at the beach on NC's historic Outer Banks. Also visit our New Hampshire location, Morningside Flight Park. 252-441-2426, 1-877-FLY-THIS, www. kittyhawk.com

VIRGINIA BLUE SKY - Virginia's full time, year round HG School.

Scooter, Platform and Aero Tow. Custom sewing, paragliding, powered harnesses, trikes, representing most major brands. 804-241-4324, www.blueskyhg.com

INTERNATIONAL BAJA MEXICO - La Salina Baja's BEST BEACHFRONT

Airsport Venue: PG, HG, PPG: FlyLaSalina.com. by BajaBrent.com, He’ll hook you up! Site intros, tours, & rooms. bajabrent@bajabrent.com, 760-203-2658

EXOTIC THAILAND X/C CLINIC - Phu Thap Boek,Thailand's most awesome,highest flying site 5,200ASL.Open to P-2 and above.Come learn how to fly high and far! Very inexpensive! More info: pchumes@ gmail.com FLYMEXICO - VALLE DE BRAVO and beyond for HANG

GLIDING and PARAGLIDING. Gear, guiding, instruction, transportation, lodging - www.flymexico.com 512-4672529 / 1-800-861-7198 USA

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.

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 TEAM - training pilots in Central Texas for 25

years. Hang Gliding, Paragliding, Trikes. Hangar facilities Lake LBJ, Luling, Smithville www.flytexas.com 512-4672529

HANG GLIDING & PARAGLIDING MAGAZINE

WINGS & HARNESSES A GREAT SELECTION OF HG&PG GLIDERS (ss, ds, pg) -HARNESSES (trainer, cocoon, pod) -PARACHUTES (hg&pg) -WHEELS (new & used). Phone for latest inventory 262-473-8800, www.hanggliding.com FLY CENTER OF GRAVITY CG-1000 - The most

affordable single line suspension harness available. Individually designed for a precise fit. Fly in comfort. www.flycenterofgravity.com; flycenterofgravity@gmail. com; 315-256-1522

Make a $250 donation to the USHPA General Fund today and receive a Free Flight Forever t-shirt as our thank-you gift! Super soft 100% combed cotton tee that's light and comfortable to move in. Available in Blue or Gray. Make a $1000 donation to the USHPA General Fund today and receive a Free Flight Forever jacket as our thank-you gift! 100% polyester soft shell with bonded fleece interior, light snow and water resistant. Visit ushpastore.com to purchase yours. (Logo placement on jacket may vary from photo.)

Take your ratings and expiration date everywhere you fly. Download from the Members Only section of the USHPA website. Print, trim, and store in your wallet. Great for areas without cell coverage.Always available at www.USHPA.aero Save the PDF on your mobile device for easy reference.

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RATINGS ISSUED JUNE 2016 RTG RGN NAME

STATE RATING OFFICIAL

RTG RGN NAME

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

AK CA CA CA DE PA NC TX WA OR OR CA CA CA CO CO VT OH MD PA GA GA GA TN TX NY NY NY NY UT WI MA UT FL GA WA WA WA OR WA OR OR WA OR OR CA CA CA CA CA CA CA CA CA CA CA CA CA CA CA UT

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

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

Benjamin Staheli Sarah Ingram Jeff Odle Sujata Sen Noak Baker Brook Dyer Tyler Mills Brent Enniss Chi Tang Pete Hamre James Rockett Daniel Maclennan Steven Brown Corey Gemme Randall Cone Stephen Remillard Christopher Lysonski Michael Grecol Ricky Fitzpatrick Gregory Wallowitch John Stuff Grace Powers Cahir Geraghty Terry Davis (barefoot) Bob Sherrill Matthew Helm Joshua Spain Jordan Spier Dave Mcgrath Ian Mitchard Jordan Stratton Boaz Stossel Peter Cj Anderson Marco Scarfalloto Cj Giordano Rachel Roberts Charles Fuda Brian Simmonds Willliam Brown Philippe Chantreau Asa Weiss Ethan Vella Ema Robinson Adrianne Decotes Scott Ruyle Matthieu Schavsinski Evan Hoyt Ryan Hanson Charles Reis Brian Hsu Sindhura Alluri Vijayaraj Gopinath Naya Sawah Austin Blue Michael Hart Joseph Hart Alexander Lim Olivier Lim Rene Falquier Glenn Ryan Michael Alexander Yee Ming To Kris Harrington Eugene Boisvert Suzanne Asel Jennifer Austin

NH NH NH SC

Lyndon Thomas Andy Torrington Greg Dewolf Greg Dewolf Matthew Taber William Umstattd Billy Vaughn Jeffrey Hunt John Matylonek John Matylonek William Dydo Eric Hinrichs Patrick Denevan Joe Greblo Rusty Whitley Cj Giordano Josh Laufer John Alden Josh Laufer William Umstattd Cj Giordano Cj Giordano Scott Schneider Scott Schneider Scott Schneider Daniel Guido Amy Roseboom Rick Brown Rick Brown Jeff Shapiro Jon Thompson Patrick Denevan Kevin Koonce John Bilsky Scott Schneider Marc Chirico Maren Ludwig Marc Chirico Brad Hill Maren Ludwig Kelly Kellar Kelly Kellar Maren Ludwig Maren Ludwig Brad Hill Jeffrey Greenbaum Jeffrey Greenbaum Bill Heaner Jeffrey Greenbaum Jordan Neidinger Jesse Meyer Jesse Meyer Jordan Neidinger Jordan Neidinger Giuseppe Free Jordan Neidinger Jordan Neidinger Jordan Neidinger Jordan Neidinger Rob Sporrer Ronald Allmon Yuen Wai Kit John Dunn Heath Woods John Dunn David Hanning

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

STATE RATING OFFICIAL

Savannnah Ferland NY Nancy Coltom WA Sean Culver OR Bjorn Bjornstad WA Margaret Walsh WA Brad Knowland WA Ray Gu WA Will Sherman OR Dylan Skeffington WA Paul Mattingly OR Benjamin King CA Julie Blacklock CA Zachary Boucher CA Tyler Clark CA Russell Cohen CA Gregory Putnam HI Charles (cruser) Putnam HI Ankit Shah CA Gururaj Bagepalli CA Eric Favilla CA Alexander Lim CA Olivier Lim CA Nicholas Dorsano CA Tom Ryan CA Sarah Wilson CA D Patrick Mcguinness UT Brian Schaefer CO Christopher Kulish UT Cyrille Gosse UT Quinn Hess CO Dane Abruzzo NM Katy Lee UT Ian Schudel UT Brian Valle UT Brian Hestetune UT Brandon Kolk CO T. Alex Halstead UT Felicia Sturgeon UT Chad Henderson CO Joshua Heater UT John Kear NM Andrew Ledvina AZ Robert Stone CO Jondavid Hertzel AZ Parker Jardine CO Joe Stone MT Andrew Kollmar Meghan Brown MT Dakota Ramus WY Richard Roche MT Travis Mcclinchey Devin Mcglamery MT Shane Hay Nesta Chapman Joyce King Chi Sze Cheung Grace Stansbery MO Jaleah Allen Mariusz Sulewski IL Penny Hietala MN Johannes Ziegler VT Carl Sourdiff VT Nathan Conley WV Kyle Mccullough VA Thomas Johncox MD Nader Javan OH

John Dunn Marc Chirico Kevin Lee Marc Chirico Owen Shoemaker Travis Potter Marc Chirico Jonathan Jefferies Denise Reed Samuel Crocker Jesse Meyer Jesse Meyer Harry Sandoval Rob Sporrer Jesse Meyer Paul Schaller Franco Paul Schaller Franco Jordan Neidinger Jordan Neidinger Philip Russman Jordan Neidinger Jordan Neidinger Richard Kennedy Rob Sporrer Hadi Golian John Dunn Granger Banks Dale Covington Jonathan Jefferies Patrick Johnson Chris Santacroce Chris Santacroce Chris Santacroce Jonathan Jefferies Patrick Johnson Granger Banks Chris Santacroce Jason White Jason White Jonathan Jefferies David Prentice Stephen Nowak Granger Banks Chris Santacroce Jonathan Jefferies Chris Santacroce Jordan Neidinger Denise Reed Scott Harris Andy Macrae Jonathan Jefferies Andy Macrae Justin Boer Justin Boer Yuen Wai Kit Tung Ng Marc Radloff Murat Tuzer Jaro Krupa Stephen Mayer Rick Sharp Rick Sharp Jaro Krupa Jordan Neidinger David Prentice Hadi Golian

RTG RGN NAME

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

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

Erik Grabowski Mayon Hight Walter Schaatt David Keaton Paul Judson Benjamin Beale Brian Engleheart Slawomir Pasieczny Emma Dionisio Julie Coulter Michael Coppock Keyvan Yousefian Bryan Friedrichs Steven Carter Theresa Fielding Eduardo De Angelis Mark Zeleznock Aron Kormout Lee Suring Reid Nolan Katie Myers Bunok Kravitz Svetlana Kozak Jesse Kozak Khalid Chalouan Mike Lester Jeffrey Pitman Robert Destefano Mark Bramwell Jason Lombard Braden Holgate Jonathan Adsit Matthy Van Zyl Scott Alden Brandon Barlow Steve Johnson Andrew Mckinlay Shelley Mckinlay Kambiz Rouhi Noah Weber Marjorie Dejongh John Atwood Mark Perrault Denize Guimaraes Steve Vaneerden Jacob Glass Josh Alger Kelly Myrkle Zachary Greenbaum Chris Dunlap Pujan Shrestha Urs Morgenthaler Morgan Venable Justin Boyd Reid Nolan Russell Detwiler Kia Ravanfar Jacob Hildebrand Mevlut Altiparmak Walter Hines Robert Cantuaria Mariyan Ivanov Erick Sampaio Michael Odaniel Greg Launt Jonathan Potter

STATE RATING OFFICIAL

TN FL AL FL TX LA NJ NY WA AK WA WA AK OR WA WA CA CA CA CA CA CA CA CA CA CA AZ AZ UT CO UT UT UT UT WY WY

MN WI VT VT MA PA MD NC GA FL GA NY NY CA CA CA CA CA CO IN MA NH MD VA VA PA

David Hanning Douglas Brown Granger Banks Jonathan Jefferies David Broyles Nathan (alex) Taylor Benoit Bruneau Philippe Renaudin Marc Chirico Jordan Neidinger Maren Ludwig Marc Chirico Jonathan Jefferies Nick Crane Jonathan Jefferies Marc Chirico Jeffrey Greenbaum Soren Braddock Aaron Cromer Mitchell Neary Jerome Daoust Jordan Neidinger Jordan Neidinger Jordan Neidinger Stephen Nowak Jerome Daoust Jerome Daoust Jerome Daoust Brad Gunnuscio Rob Sporrer Chris Santacroce Jason White James Griffith Jonathan Jefferies Thomas Bartlett Jonathan Jefferies Nick Crane Nick Crane Peter Humes Steve Sirrine Jordan Neidinger Calef Letorney Heath Woods Davidson Da Silva Rolan Yang David Hanning Marge Variano David Hanning Joshua Winstead Jordan Neidinger Jonathan Jefferies Ciaran Egan Fred Morris Soren Braddock Mitchell Neary Len Szafaryn Hadi Golian Kay Tauscher Murat Tuzer Jaro Krupa Luiz Fernando Costa Heath Woods Peter Humes Peter Humes Carl Dennis Brad Hill

RATINGS ISSUED JULY 2016 RTG RGN NAME

STATE RATING OFFICIAL

RTG RGN NAME

H-1 H-1 H-1 H-1 H-1 H-1 H-1 H-1

3 3 3 4 4 7 7 7

Jason Signorelli Benjamin Barrett Hector Realubit Joshua Marcus Yosi Keshet Paul Jursik James Fraser Paul Coleman

CA CA CA UT CO MN MN MN

Rob Mckenzie Greg Dewolf Greg Dewolf Patrick Denevan David Yount Doyle Johnson Doyle Johnson Doyle Johnson

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

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

Olivia Brecheen Eric Damasca Ethan Ryan Alex Bogatko Augustino Przygocki Kevin Pendergraft Michael Rapp Jeffrey Lord Tristan Maddux Douglas Bebensee John Uchytil Dave Ferrante Paul Johnson Michael Sawyer Rikki Walters Solomon Peachy Rudder Pearce Javier Figueras Patrick Carey Alex Carey Joshua Carey Preston Waldrop Fred Kappel Roger Bullard Elena Neumann Bob Kral Mike Lazzara John Conger Karl Richter John Hudnall Chelsea Clark Scott Untiedt Saul Richard Jordan Neidinger Mark Wheeler Karl Hranka John (sterling) Burnett Ronald Waclawik Dds Robert Mitchell Robert Skinner Douglas Gillson Jim Black Korbet Mceniry Lauren Pedrazzi Randall Cone William Gottling Chip Doherty Ryan Welch Paul Edwards David Ching J. Vincent Tranquilli Joshua Deare Dwayne Deskins Alexander Vogt Luke Johnson Ginger Blackburn Logan Francavilla Paula Williams

NH MA NY CA CA CA CA CA OK KS MN MA VT PA VA FL FL FL GA GA GA TN TN FL GA GA FL TX TX LA NY CA CA CA MT IL CT PA GA NY NY NY OR CA CO NH FL FL TN OR OR OR WA CA CA NV CA CA

Josh Laufer Robert Stewart Ii Andy Torrington John Simpson Michael Jefferson Joe Greblo Rob Mckenzie Rob Mckenzie Jeffrey Hunt David Broyles Joshua Mcmillan Josh Laufer Josh Laufer Matthew Taber Scott Schneider Malcolm Jones Spencer Kindt James Tindle Cj Giordano Cj Giordano David Andrews Matthew Taber David Andrews Malcolm Jones Philipp Neumann Scott Schneider Scott Schneider Jeffrey Hunt Theodore Hurley Theodore Hurley Cj Giordano Mark Lilledahl Robert Booth John Ryan Paul Roys Michael Van Kuiken Josh Laufer James Kolynich Matthew Taber Daniel Guido Daniel Guido Daniel Guido Raymond Berger Karl Allmendinger Mark Windsheimer Michael Holmes Eric Meibos Malcolm Jones Scott Schneider Daniel Randall Maren Ludwig Daniel Randall Brad Hill Giuseppe Free Mitchell Neary Jerome Daoust Jeffrey Greenbaum Jesse Meyer

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

3 3 3 3 3 3 6 7 8 8 8 8 8 8 10 10 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 5 5 5

STATE RATING OFFICIAL

Carl Atchley CA Yakub Mohammad CA Jonathan Hofmann CA Lea Turano CA Chris Logan CA Jason Signorelli CA David Aguado Ronnie Corbu MI Rodrigo Guedes MA Nancy Black NH John Lahey MA Erik Davitt CT Gordon Black NH Fabio Lourenconi CT Jay Phelps AL Chelsea Phelps AL David Fitzwater OR Morgan Hurtado WA Matthew James WA Matt Van Cleave WA Brian Simmonds WA Asa Weiss OR Ethan Vella OR Taran Morgan WA Hale Hanaway WA George Barta WA Jennifer Cohoon OR Lonnie Burns OR Sarah Collins OR Chelsea Bauer AK Casondra Seim WA Gavin Seim WA Deric Claypool WA Ricardo Byers WA Gared Hansen CA Sarthak Ray CA Joshua Jeffery CA Michael Downey CA Valentin Doering CA Lisa Harrison NV Valeria Gonzales CA Carl Atchley CA Jiri Rutner CA Joseph Hart CA Shane Brock CA Rene Falquier CA David Cronkwright CA Hudson Southey-gordon CA Joshua Pighetti CA Tim Smith CA Dan Brex CA David Geske CA Nikolas Hawks CA James Brown Iv AZ Kristopher Holub CO Julia Kammel UT Darren Verploegeen UT Robert Warden UT Iris Frye CO Sean Rice CO Farman Ahmed AZ Tim Tormey CO Preston Spaulding UT Gerald Gallagher WY Alexander Hamptman WY Ben Adkison MT

Jerome Daoust Jordan Neidinger Jerome Daoust Jordan Neidinger Jordan Neidinger Jason White Steven Yancey Keith Riemersma John Dunn John Dunn John Dunn John Dunn Joseph Seitz John Dunn David Hanning David Hanning Samuel Crocker Michael (kim) Smith Denise Reed Kelly Kellar Marc Chirico Kelly Kellar Kelly Kellar Marc Chirico Denise Reed Marc Chirico Chris Santacroce Daniel Randall Daniel Randall Chris Santacroce Nathan (alex) Taylor Nathan (alex) Taylor Daniel Randall Jordan Neidinger Jeffrey Greenbaum Wallace Anderson Jesse Meyer Jeffrey Greenbaum Jeffrey Greenbaum Stephen Nowak Rob Sporrer Jerome Daoust Jordan Neidinger Giuseppe Free Stephen Nowak Jordan Neidinger William Purden Jr Rob Sporrer Christopher Grantham Rob Sporrer Rob Sporrer Stephen Mayer Wendy Schuss Brad Hill Kay Tauscher Joshua Winstead Joshua Winstead Jonathan Jefferies Christopher Grantham Rob Sporrer Brad Sander Rob Sporrer Jonathan Jefferies Scott Harris Stefan Mitrovich Jonathan Jefferies

RTG RGN NAME

STATE RATING OFFICIAL

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

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

Neal Baggett Duncan Macintyre Laura Tatemura Thomas Schuch Antonio Gonzalez Cecilia Quijano Alex Deyoung Robert Wiley James Anderson Kerry Vess Brian Morris Eduard Goretoy Michelle Helms Richard Gardner Grant Morgan Alexander Khadykin Kirill Selitrennikov Oleg Gundorin Joshua Mcmillan Casey Peifer Tod Wooldridge Mikhail Levitskiy Markley Hug G G Salvatierra Rain Conrad Jasper Bruinzeel Dillon Stucky Chloe Bureau-oxton Justin Farrer Stephen Esslinger Jace Meng Justin Caulfield Dennis Mackey Robert Hall Richard Elder James Crocker John Brouillard Kyne Marshall Stasia Burroughs Jack Langerman Varick Stringham Iii Emily Mistick Charles Glantz Vann Larimore Roman Uskovits Bob Mclaurin Rob Curran James Raniolo Oleg Ace Franco Locher Paulo Gusman John Atwood Micheal Smith Robson Da Silva Glenn Quanbeck

IL MA MA PA PA AL NC GA SC GA FL MS FL NC NC NY OR OR CA CA CA CA CA CA NM UT AZ MT MA NH WV VA MD GA TN LA NY NY CA NM AZ CO WY ID WY

MA VT VT MA PA

Chris Santacroce Rob Sporrer Denise Reed Jason White Benoit Bruneau Benoit Bruneau Jonathan Potter Jonathan Potter David Hanning Marco Stelter David Hanning Marco Stelter David Hanning David Prentice William Purden Jr Gregory Bryl Jonathan Jefferies Jonathan Jefferies Steve Sirrine Justin Boer Steve Roti Jeffrey Greenbaum Chris Santacroce Rob Sporrer Stephen Nowak Jordan Neidinger Mark Stucky T Lee Kortsch Jonathan Jefferies Jonathan Jefferies Andy Macrae John Gallagher Calef Letorney Phil Givens David Hanning Peter Van Oevelen David Hanning David Hanning David Hanning Benoit Bruneau Benoit Bruneau Charles (chuck) Smith T Lee Kortsch T Lee Kortsch Gregory Kelley Scott Harris Charles (chuck) Smith Scott Harris Wallace Anderson David Hanning Paulo (alex) Miranda Calef Letorney Calef Letorney Davidson Da Silva Rolan Yang

HANG GLIDING & PARAGLIDING MAGAZINE

Gecko Girl

Moyes Gecko Challenge by NIKI LONGSHORE “The first Gecko to beat Jonny Durand’s record flight and fly a straight-line distance of 188km will win a new Moyes custom-made harness of their choice!” —Moyes Gliders

The morning skies promised another long day, another chance to

very rowdy tow, expecting to turn and

decked it only a few fields downwind.

zoom straight up, but the lift was not

Just as I was getting concerned, I

there. My best option was to pull VG

found my XC ticket. A solid 400fpm

and drive upwind to find lift, but after

climb took me to 4000 feet, and the

burning precious altitude over shaded

sky ahead was looking great. By the

ground, I decided to land and tow back

time I topped out my climb, I was well

up for another shot at the record. Take two, 30 minutes later, and

claim the Gecko Challenge. I’d been

nearly the same problem. My friend

at the World Record Encampment in

called me on the radio to tell me he’d

Zapata, trying repeatedly to get the 188-km task done as well as break my personal record of 111 km, but each attempt ended with my being only halfway or less. I never let it get me down, but I was eager to claim the challenge. Today I was in Wharton at

beyond glide back to the airport. I was on my way to knock out the Gecko challenge! It was tough and slow going at

“Behind me was not promising, the cloud to my west was far and too risky to reach, east was blue, and the condition of clouds ahead made it look like I was going to miss the lift train up.”

Cowboy Up Hang Gliding, where I’d done most of my early solo flights, and I was confident that this was the day I would finally go the distance. Cloud streets started forming early in the morning and continued to develop and rise as the Texas sun baked the land. The forecast predicted 15mph southerly winds all the way up and at a comfortable heading that would neither push me into Houston nor College Station airspace. As I waited outside the Cowboy Up hangar for Bart and Tiki to arrive at 1300, I gazed at the sky and watched the clouds cycle. I set a waypoint 244 km out, which would provide good guidance, but also act as a dangling-carrot reward. I launched at 1340 and got off from a

HANG GLIDING & PARAGLIDING MAGAZINE

ABOVE Niki Longshore, also known as Gecko Girl. OPPOSITE

Chasing the record high over the World-record Encampment near Zapata, Texas.

first. I had a decent glide to the next

me to relax for a few minutes. That

losing altitude at about 2500 feet, I

good cloud, but lost nearly half of my

being said, I still was not on a beeline

focused on three options for lift. The

altitude along the way. I flew through

to goal. I had to cross cloudstreets on

first was the landfill, and it worked.

beeps and struggled to find the solid

multiple occasions, go backwards just

There were birds galore—all the way

climb like the one I had just left. My

to stay up, and even hang on to lighter

up from the bottom to cloudbase—as

friend radioed that he raced to the

lift, as I noticed the day had started

I turned in 600 fpm. My drivers, who

ground while hunting for the good

cycling. The Gecko did well in getting

were cheering me on, told me I had

stuff, and advised hanging on to what-

me to where I needed to go, usually

just passed the 188km mark to win

ever I could find. After doing a quick

with more altitude than I would have

the challenge! Woo! hoo!

search under the cloud, I realized he

expected. Most climbs were averaging

was right. The 50-100fpm—the best

400 fpm, sometimes 600.

I could do—would keep me aloft for nearly 20 minutes while I drifted. As the cloud started dying, I searched for my next climb. Behind

When I finally reached College Station, a plethora of emotions was

But, why stop there? I was still climbing, and the sky had dissolved all but two beautiful clouds just ahead. I left my bird thermal and topped out as

running through my head. I was very

high as I could, before going on final

happy to have broken my personal

glide into a blue sky. The tailwind

me was not promising, the cloud to

record of 69 miles and to have come

returned, increasing to 16mph, and I

my west was far and too risky to reach,

close to flying my first 100-mile flight.

covered miles very quickly, eventually

east was blue, and the condition of

The Gecko challenge still was waiting

having my best final glide ever. Nearly

clouds ahead made it look like I was

for me on the horizon.

five hours later, I settled on a field 210 km from my starting point, and

going to miss the lift train up. I chose

But the little happy dance I was

to charge ahead, with a watchful eye

doing in my harness turned out to

came in for a beautiful landing. Wow, I

on the blue. Sinking rapidly and now

be premature. Wind speed dropped,

made it! Gecko Girl did it!

down to 1000 feet, I could sense a ther-

climbs became slow, and the sky start-

mal close by. Now in ground-trigger

ed drying out. I had been in the air for

and flying it is always fun. I am very

mode, I glanced down at the earth and

nearly four hours and could see the

confident my Gecko can go even far-

The Gecko continues to amaze me,

spotted a beautiful thermal rolling

sky’s energy winding down to produce

ther—if I could have launched earlier or had not been chased by sea breeze,

through the tall, silky grass. Sure

a beautiful sunset. Blue holes were

enough, the thermal was feeding a

expanding, as the sea breeze chased

I am sure I would have left the 244km

brand new wispy forming in the blue.

me, and I still had about 50 km to go. I

waypoint behind. I look forward to

was so close, yet still so far away.

many flights and long miles on the

Topping out my lift in a pleasant 400fpm climb, the sky ahead allowed

Getting a little nervous, as I was

Gecko.

HANG GLIDING & PARAGLIDING MAGAZINE