WINTER 2025
Briefings 6 Editor 7 Association 8 Calendar & Classifieds 59 Ratings 60
Clearing the Air by Erika Klein 10
Speedmo by Jayme Kogel 16
Redefining alpine adventure racing
Conrad Agte by Eric Engerbretson 24
The making of a Northwest legend
Soaring into the Classroom by Dan Olsen 30 How paragliding turned me into a middle school math teacher
Swoop n' Slide by Julia Lieberman 34 A speedwing fly-in
From the Backyard to the Big House by Victor Figueroa 40
XC paragliding takes you to the unknown
Embracing the Unexpected by Kubi & Luki Jacisin 44 Moroccan skies to sands
Lakeview Fly-in Revives in 2024 by John Saltveit 52
Beginner's Stroll down 'Cloud Street' by Jesse Hughes 54
Columbian Valentine's Day adventure
The Ghana Paragliding Festival by John W. Robinson 58
Cover Photo by Mack Lambert Spencer Allen flying an Ozone R3X coming in to land on Cherry Logging Trail.
HANG GLIDING, PARAGLIDING, AND SPEEDFLYING ARE DANGEROUS
USHPA recommends new or advancing pilots complete a pilot training program under the direct supervision of a USHPA-certified instructor, using equipment suitable for their level of experience. Many of the articles and photographs in the magazine depict advanced maneuvers being performed by expert pilots. No maneuver should be attempted without appropriate and progressive instruction and experience.
©2024 US HANG GLIDING & PARAGLIDING ASSOC., INC. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise without prior written permission of USHPA. POSTMASTER USHPA Pilot ISSN 26896052 (USPS 17970) is published quarterly by the United States Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association, Inc., 1685 W. Uintah St., Colorado Springs, CO, 80904 Phone: (719) 632-8300 Fax: (719) 632-6417 Periodicals Postage Paid in Colorado Springs and additional mailing offices. Send change of address to: USHPA, PO Box 1330, Colorado Springs, CO, 80901-1330. Canadian Return Address: DP Global Mail, 4960-2 Walker Road, Windsor, ON N9A 6J3.
MORE PERFORMANCE, MORE RELAXATION
The SIGMA DLS teamed with the LIGHTNESS 4 is the perfect combination for long and relaxed crosscountry ights. The well-proven SIGMA is now available as a lightweight glider in DLS quality with performance-enhancing front mini ribs.
Distributor: super yinc.com, info@super yinc.com, 801-255-9595
Photo: Adi Geisegger
OZO 2 REVERSIBLE HARNESS
Ozone’s lightest reversible harness provides an incredible amount of comfort and versatility in a 550 g total weight including the 30L pack volume. It is ideal for the Ultralite series, and three harness sizes ensure a comfortable fit. The Ozo “naked” version is non-reversible and offers the same comfort at only 270 g (size medium). Ozone also offers the very light but highly supportive Ultrapack 2, which is a pack only. www.flyozone.com
AIR CONNECT HEATED GLOVES
The Air Connect Heated Gloves are designed for the coldest conditions, from alpine winters to high cloudbase. Constructed from robust softshell material and premium leather with high quality Fiberfill insulation, the gloves include reinforcement patches on the index finger and the side of the hand to prevent wear and tear from lines. Long lasting batteries power the R-Warm® heating system which ensures comfortable fingers on the longest flights. The gloves can be controlled from the app, or from the smart button. www.flyozone.com
Liz Dengler EDITOR
: Editing this issue had me grinning all quarter. The diversity of stories has made working on this issue refreshing and inspiring. Beyond a quality blend of stories featuring hang gliders, paragliders, and speedwings, our contributors for this issue bring together unique backgrounds and diverse experiences that will keep you reading from cover to cover.
Erika’s expert words work to build bridges among the free flight community through mutual understanding. Eric crafted an excellent narrative on hang gliding legend Conrad Agte, while John recaps the revival of a local favorite fly-in at Lakeview.
Meanwhile, little wing pilots will be glad to see more content and get-togethers geared toward them. Jayme and his organization inspire little wing pilots to get out and explore the world of adventure racing while keeping things safe and within their skill sets. Julia’s tale delights flyers and spectators alike by making a splash on the little wing fly-in scene.
Dan brings a unique twist to our free flight world with his ability to combine his passions for paragliding and teaching math. Math is not my favorite, and even I was inspired. Victor also brings some creativity to our world by regaling us with tales of unique landing experiences after XC flights in the Northeast.
Finally, Kubi and Luki, Jesse, and John take us around the world from Morroco to Ghana to Colombia. Their tales of travel, fly-ins, and education inspire and entertain—perfect for those who can’t get away during these cold winter months.
Keep the great stories coming! I’m always pleased to see stories from regular and new contributors alike.
To pitch a story, send an email to editor@ushpa.org
To send a completed story and accompanying photos, read our submission requirements and how-to here: https://www.ushpa.org/Public/PilotResources/contributors.aspx
Liz Dengler Managing Editor editor@ushpa.org
Kristen Arendt
Copy Editor
Greg Gillam
Art Director
WRITERS
Dennis Pagen
Lisa Verzella
Jeff Shapiro
Erika Klein
Julia Knowles
SUBMISSIONS from members and readers are welcome. All articles, artwork, photographs as well as ideas for articles, artwork and photographs are submitted 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. org or online at ushpa.org. We are always looking for great articles, photography and news. Contributions are appreciated.
Do you have questions about USHPA policies, progra ms, or other areas?
EMAIL US AT: info@ushpa.org Let us know what questions or topics you’d like to hear about!
Interested in a more active role supporting our national organization? USHPA needs you! Have a skill or interest and some time available?
VOLUNTEER!
ushpa.org/volunteer
For questions or other USHPA business +1 (719) 632-8300 info@ushpa.org
ASSOCIATION James
: We’ve been very busy, with exciting progress on many fronts.
Soon we’ll release USHPA’s first-ever online course, ground school and theory for P1 students. Version 1 will be a testing release that instructors and students can try out and give us feedback. Next will come P2, P3, P4, then H1-H4, S1-S4, instructor training, and on-hill guides, until we have consistent curricula for every rating, at every site, and in every part of the country.
By late this year, we’ll be processing nearly all waivers and memberships digitally, using a commercially robust system that’s easy for members and instructors. Chapters will also be able to use USHPA’s infrastructure to process their own waivers, renewals, and verifications of USHPA membership, and easily make a website hosted by USHPA using a template. In 2026, we’ll be offering similar options for event organizers.
We’ve launched a new USHPA website. It’s completely rebuilt under the hood to be more responsive, and with new navigation and functionality, it’s more intuitive. We’ve created Telegram groups for instructors, admins, and chapter officers, and by the time you read this, we’ll have rolled out a new USHPA online store, with a better selection of products and garments (USHPA.org/store). And, the FAA has approved the renewal of our tandem exemption for another two years.
Finally, it was a pleasure to work closely
Bradley, Executive Director
with Recreation RRG last year, and continues to be this year. I’d like to highlight some of their achievements in 2024:
1. Froze 2025 chapter and landowner premiums at 2024 rates, with no inflationary increase.
2. Worked with us to provide chapters early access to the renewal portal and establish clear roles and timelines.
3. Provided panelists for an extremely informative instructor webinar on insurance that we put on last fall. If you’d like to watch the recording drop us a line.
4. Enhanced out-of-country liability coverage for USHPA members flying recreationally abroad.
5. Added an option for members to raise their third-party liability coverage from $500,000 to $1,000,000.
6. Held USHPA’s 2025 premium increase under 7% for General and Professional Liability, far below industry norms.
7. Began processing insurance applications for 2025 competitions (in 2024).
8. Streamlined event insurance so competition organizers and tour operators can obtain coverage directly from Recreation, reducing rates.
9. Secured the higher excess limits required for chapters operating at ski resorts.
10. Rolled out a parasailing operator insurance program, expanding the member and premium base and strengthening the company’s financial position.
Well done!
Through it all, we’re focused on being
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), 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. 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.
responsive every day. Please reach out if you have an issue. If you’d like to talk with me, go to USHPA.org/meetwithjames to book a 15-minute Zoom meeting. I look forward to speaking with you.
Emblematic of our disposition, I’m delighted to present our restatement of USHPA’s mission and vision, which has been approved by the board.
Mission
To deliver programs and services that support all our members, foster a community of skilled and knowledgeable pilots, and promote and protect the freedom to fly.
Vision
A vibrant free flight community across the United States.
Core values & guiding principles
Adventure
Celebrate the spirit of discovery and the joy of being in the outdoors.
Learning
Support ongoing education, development of skills, and acquiring of the judgment that comes from experience and attention.
Preservation
Be stewards of our natural places, our flying sites, and the future of our sport.
Integrity
Act ethically, take 100% ownership, communicate clearly, respond effectively.
Respect
Foster a considerate community free from harassment and abuse.
REGION 1
NORTHWEST
REGION 2
Bill Hughes President president@ushpa.org
Charles Allen Vice President vicepresident@ushpa.org
3
SOUTHWEST
Julia Knowles Secretary secretary@ushpa.org
Pam Kinnaird Treasurer treasurer@ushpa.org
SOUTHEAST
James Bradley Interim Executive Director executivedirector@ushpa.org
Galen Anderson Operations Manager office@ushpa.org
Chris Webster Information Services Manager tech@ushpa.org
Anna Mack Program Manager programs@ushpa.org
Maddie Campbell Membership & Communications Coordinator membership@ushpa.org
5
NORTHEAST and INTERNATIONAL
BOARD MEMBERS (Terms End in 2024)
Bill Hughes (region 1)
Charles Allen (region 5)
Nick Greece (region 2)
Stephan Mentler (region 4)
James Bradley (region 5)
Joseph OLeary (region 5)
BOARD MEMBERS (Terms End in 2025)
Julia Knowles (region 1)
Nelissa Milfeld (region 3)
Pamela Kinnaird (region 2)
Clearing the Air
by Erika Klein
: Paraglider and hang glider pilots fly together all the time, but many of us don’t know much about the other aircraft.
“I had no idea hang gliders could do that!” is a common response to my social media content—especially from paraglider pilots. My videos, many of which focus on low-altitude dune soaring (complete with landing on posts and moonlike bouncing launches, often done wearing flip-flops), aim to show that hang gliding doesn’t have to be fast or scary.
This idea often surprises friends who paraglide, but it’s not just paraglider pilots who make incorrect assumptions about hang gliding. Even though we routinely fly together, I’ve found that hang glider pilots often don’t know much about paragliding, either.
Here are a few common misconceptions about both sports that I’ve heard from pilots (we won’t go into non-pilot questions here as I have a word count to keep). Even if you never plan on flying the other wing type, understanding both gliders a bit better can help all of us fly together with more mutual respect and safety.
Common hang gliding misconceptions from paraglider pilots
Hang gliders take an hour to set up. Hang gliders usually take about 10 to 20 minutes to set up, depending on the type of hang glider (more advanced ones are generally on the longer side) and the chattiness of the pilot. A hang glider pilot friend once told me she enjoys racing paraglider pilots to set up, and that she often wins.
Hang gliders always fly fast. Hang gliders can and do fly fast, especially the more advanced ones, but that’s not the only option. Get an oversized floater hang
glider, and you can fly as slow or slower than a paraglider if, like me, that’s what you enjoy. The main safety disadvantage to flying an overly large hang glider is
The author landing a Condor 330 on a post at Dockweiler Beach in Los Angeles. Slow dune flying is one of the most fun ways to fly a hang glider! Photo courtesy Erika Klein
that it will react more slowly to turn inputs, but on the upside, it will land more slowly, too.
Hang gliders collapse like paragliders do. I’ve heard this one from multiple paraglider pilots. So, no: Hang gliders have a rigid frame and do not collapse in normal flight. It’s possible for hang gliders to come apart or break if they weren’t set up or maintained properly, but this is very rare and, hopefully, an issue the pilot would catch in the preflight inspection. It’s also possible for hang gliders to tumble in extreme turbulence, but this is also rare. The most likely way to break a hang glider mid-flight is by doing aerobatics, which hang gliders aren’t officially rated for.
Hang gliders are very heavy. Beginner hang gliders weigh about 50 pounds, while advanced models weigh around 75 pounds. Many pilots fly lighter-weight beginner or intermediate wings, and all of them feel weightless once the wind lifts them off your shoulders.
Hang gliders are very difficult to transport. A paraglider pilot once asked me if we had to transport hang gliders to launch on flatbed trucks. Luckily, it’s not that
bad. Hang gliders fold into long, tube-shaped bags that can be carried on almost any car with a suitable roof rack. Yes, it’s still inconvenient, and the invention of a hang glider that quickly folded down to fit inside a vehicle would likely be a game-changer for the sport.
Hang gliders are much more expensive than paragliders. I was shocked to learn that paragliders cost a similar amount as many hang gliders (around $900 for a used beginner hang glider, $5,000 for a new beginner glider, and about $7,000 for a new intermediate hang glider). Fortunately, appropriately maintained hang gliders remain airworthy for years or even decades, making them very cost-effective.
Stalling a hang glider is dangerous. Unlike paragliders, stalls are normal maneuvers that hang gliding instructors regularly practice with tandem and new solo students. Beginner hang gliders quickly recover from a stall on their own, so they’re generally not dangerous
Beginner hang gliders weigh around 50 pounds, but they feel weightless once the wind lifts them from your shoulders. Photo by RJ McKeehan
to try as long as you have enough clearance from the terrain.
Hang gliders crash all the time. I guess this depends on what you mean by “crash.” In my experience, paraglider pilots often view the hang glider’s nose hitting the ground during landing as a crash. However, it’s actually a relatively common, if ungraceful, move (the closest comparison might be a paraglider pilot landing on their butt and their glider falling in front of them). It’s annoying and something we try to avoid, but usually, there’s no negative outcome besides some dirt on the nosecone and a loss of pride. Similarly, while I’ve appreciated paraglider pilots’ concern when watching hang gliders occasionally flip over near launch or in the setup area, this is usually also not an issue unless something breaks on the glider. Of course, we try to avoid this scenario as well, but most of the time, we
just flip the glider back over, do a quick inspection, and carry on.
Common paragliding misconceptions from hang glider pilots
Paragliders collapse constantly. I’ve learned that modern paragliders (especially beginner models) collapse much less frequently than many hang glider pilots think they do. Collapses are unlikely in smooth air, and it’s impressive to see the level of turbulence some paraglider pilots fly in without issues.
Paraglider pilots throw their reserves all the time. Compared to hang glider pilots, this isn’t completely wrong since you can’t throw a reserve on a hang glider for practice like you can in a paragliding SIV, and most hang glider pilots never throw their reserve in their entire flying career. Still, most paraglider pilots aren’t
“A hang glider pilot friend once told me she enjoys racing paraglider pilots to set up, and that she often wins.”
The author setting up her Wills Wing MX Sport 3 in Monroe, UT in 2023. Setup takes around 15 minutes. Photo by RJ McKeehan
The author bought her Falcon 2 170 used around 2008 and still enjoys flying it over 15 years later. Photo by RJ McKeehan
throwing their reserves very often either, despite many reserve toss videos on social media suggesting the opposite.
Paraglider pilots just use brakes to turn. When I’ve mentioned weight shifting in paragliders to hang glider pilot friends, I’ve often gotten surprised expressions in return (I’ll admit that I also had no idea paraglider pilots used weight shift until a couple of years ago).
The brake toggles appear to be the obvious way to steer the glider, and it seems some, if not many, hang glider pilots never look more closely. As a hang glider pilot, this is actually useful to know because if you see a paraglider pilot start to lean one direction (like a hang glider pilot pulling their body toward one side of the
Hang gliders and paragliders flying together at the Point of the Mountain, Utah. Photo by RJ McKeehan
Mutual misconceptions
control frame), you can anticipate their turn without needing to see their hands.
Paragliders have much lower performance than hang gliders. This is true for some paragliders, but it’s no longer true for all of them, especially compared to beginner or lower-performance hang gliders. Look at some of the paraglider distance records to see how much the wings have advanced.
Kiting a paraglider is safe. Kiting, also known as ground handling, a hang glider tends to be very low risk, especially if you’re not standing on launch. On the other hand, I’ve learned that while kiting a paraglider you run the risk of getting dragged across the ground in wind or plucked into the air if it’s thermic, neither of which are generally concerns with hang gliders, even in strong conditions.
The other wing type is more dangerous. Hang glider pilots tend to think paragliding is more dangerous because paragliders can collapse, especially at critical times near the ground. Paraglider pilots often say hang gliding is more dangerous because of the typically fast speeds on landing. The reality is that both wing types have come a long way when it comes to safety. However, both activities are dangerous, and accidents do happen in both.
The flying position looks uncomfortable on the other wing type. Paraglider pilots have told me that holding the head up in a prone position while hang gliding looks uncomfortable. Some hang glider pilots have said holding up the arms for hours looks tiring. I know pilots in both sports who
Unlike hang glider pilots, paraglider pilots can practice reserve throws. Photo courtesy Erika Klein
Hang gliders can be transported on almost any car with a suitable roof rack. Photo by Erika Klein
have these issues and others who don’t, so I think it comes down to personal preference and resting when necessary (flying with both brake toggles in one hand for paragliding and switching to an upright position when desired for hang gliding).
Tips for flying together
Beyond clearing up some misconceptions, let’s look at a few practical tips for safely flying together.
Understand that paragliders can turn left and right quickly but have limited movement up and down. Hang gliders are the opposite: left and right turns are more delayed, but they can quickly dive if needed. With their tight turning radius and slower speed, paragliders can often stay up in lighter lift. On the
other hand, hang gliders can typically fly in stronger conditions.
Hang gliders have a limited view right above the wing, so keep this in mind when thermaling together or flying above a hang glider. Try to move off to the side so the pilot can look up and see you.
Paragliders can land in smaller fields but may be more affected by rotor near the ground. Hang gliders may also be turned or potentially stalled by rotor, but the wing won’t collapse, and the glider can recover from a stall with sufficient altitude.
To follow Erika's hang gliding adventures, check out her Instagram or YouTube channel @erikajklein
Hang gliders and paragliders flying together at the Point of the Mountain, Utah. Photo by RJ McKeehan
Speedmo
Redefining alpine adventure racing by
: In the heart of the Wasatch Mountains, a new era of alpine racing is taking flight. Speedmo, a shorthand name for speed mountaineering (like skimo for ski mountaineering), blends trail running, scrambling, climbing, and ski/splitboard touring with the exhilarating sports of paragliding and speedflying. Speedmo is also the registered name of the organization that manages the Speedmo website (www.speedmo.org) for adventure races, events, and route information on the sport of speedmo.
The organization’s ultimate goal is to redefine how athletes navigate mountainous landscapes. Incorporating flight into alpine activities unlocks unprecedented opportunities for speed and safety. Modern wing technology offers an exceptional balance of minimal added weight and enhanced passive safety features. Mountaineers across the globe have started to opt for flying as a safe and more efficient method of descending mountains after major summits. For alpinists yet to embrace the skies, learning to fly is an evolution of their craft. As athletes strive to traverse mountainous terrain more efficiently, speedmo.org has emerged as a hub for tracking records, hosting events, and sharing new achievements like fastest known times (FKTs ) as well as captivating videos and media.
Origins in the Wasatch
Speedmo was born amid the peaks and valleys of the Wasatch Range in Utah. Local athletes were already timing their ascents and descents, sparking discussions about the speed of their efforts while navigating popular flying lines. Recognizing this burgeoning interest, I initiated a small group chat and organized an unofficial race up the Cherry Canyon Logging Trail—a cherished hike-and-fly route for speed flyers. The twist: Participants had to complete two laps, testing
Jayme Kogel
both their endurance and their proficiency in transitioning between packed wings and flight.
What began with a modest group of about 10 pilots soon ballooned to over 100 eager participants. Our inaugural event saw 60 athletes compete over two weekends. Local brands caught wind of our initiative and generously sponsored prizes for podium finishers. To maintain an inclusive and fun atmosphere, we also incorporated a raffle, ensuring that even those not vying for the top spots had a chance to win. After all, what’s better than hiking and flying with friends than doing so with the added thrill of potential prizes?
Expanding the competition
Our second event took place at a local soaring site and introduced two distinct categories: a trail running race exclusively for runners and a combined race where pilots flew portions of the course. This format allowed for close proximity and visibility of all athletes, enhancing the spectator experience. The course was strategically designed so that swift runners, unburdened by flying gear, could potentially outpace the pilots—a dynamic that added an exciting layer of strategy and competition.
Safety prioritized
Competitions in alpine environments demand a high skill level to ensure safety and efficiency. At Speedmo, safety protocols are of paramount importance. Volunteers at launch sites assist pilots with pre-flight checks, while personnel at landing zones ensure clear and secure areas. We also prioritize athlete well-being by providing hydration stations stocked with water and supplements. Pilots must understand that the race is
Brennan Crellin flying an ultralight single skin.
Photo by Mack Lambert
on the ground—the flight is purely for transportation. We strongly discourage attempting new or risky maneuvers during descent flights in our events.
Synergy with USHPA
The United States Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association (USHPA) has recently embraced speedwings within its certification program. This development perfectly aligns with Speedmo’s mission to expand alpine athletes’ toolkit. With wing technology advancements producing flying kits as light as 1.5 kilograms, mountain enthusiasts now have a viable means to move swiftly and safely through challenging terrain. Being involved with USHPA is paramount to the growth of free flight. Our goal at Speedmo is to
help drive more registrations for USHPA and have more alpinists who are interested in learning to fly go through the USHPA rating system for whichever discipline they decide to start with.
Inclusive categories and podiums
At Speedmo, inclusivity is at the core of our events. We offer equivalent categories for both men and women, with podium placements for first through third place in each. By providing equal opportunities for all athletes to compete and excel, we foster a welcoming environment that celebrates diversity and encourages participation from everyone, regardless of gender or background.
Sterling Warnick swooping in on landing on a Fluid Wings Thor. Photo by Mack Lambert
Sustainability and environmental stewardship
An integral part of Speedmo’s philosophy is our commitment to sustainable, human-powered adventure. By incorporating paragliding and speedflying into alpine racing, we reduce our environmental footprint. Flying allows athletes to traverse landscapes with less physical impact on trails and natural habitats compared to traditional trail running or descents on foot. The minimal weight of modern wings means that athletes can rely solely on human power without needing motorized assistance, leading to lower emissions and promoting a more sustainable approach to mountain sports. Flying descents result in less wear and tear on natural trails and ecosystems. Spending less time on the ground during descent minimizes erosion and disturbance to wildlife habitats. This eco-friendly aspect of speedmo preserves the beauty of the mountains we cherish and supports a precedent for responsible outdoor recreation.
Growing the team
As Speedmo continues to grow, we are thrilled to announce the addition of Brennan Crellin to our team. Brennan is a high-performance mountain athlete and an accomplished endurance competitor with a wealth of experience in alpine sports. His business experience, multisport passion for the mountains, and dedication to shaping a platform for speed mountaineering make him an invaluable asset to Speedmo. Together, we aim to elevate the race series, expand our reach, and inspire more athletes to explore the possibilities that flying brings to alpine adventures.
Looking ahead
The momentum behind Speedmo is undeniable. We’ve captured the attention of athletes locally and globally, with plans to host more events in the Wasatch and an exciting invitation to bring our race series to the Alps in 2025. Our growing list of sponsors reads like a who’s who of outdoor adventure brands: Black Dia-
Hikers near the beginning of the course. In front, is Azalea Thompson. Photo by Mack Lambert
MIDDLE Jayme hugging Karan after he finished his second and final lap.
BOTTOM Jayme congratulating Calvin Freeman after he finished his best time for two laps.
mond, The Feed, Arc’teryx, Gnarly Nutrition, Hoka, Pit Viper, and Speedfly.com, alongside wing manufacturers like Ozone, Swing, Level, Fluid, and Niviuk.
We feel responsible to do everything right as we serve the free flight community. We’re structuring Speedmo as an organization to endure as a steward of speed mountaineering, collaborating with exceptional athletes and a passionate community. We’re refining our events, ensuring they challenge participants while maintaining the highest standards of safety, inclusivity, and environmental responsibility.
We want to bring people together. There is a vibrant community of pilots using speed wings to mountaineer faster than ever. We’re in this community, and it’s a dream to assemble these athletes for races. As we bring some structure to things like routes, records, and race results, we look forward to creating pathways for pilots to pursue the sport, tell their stories, meaningfully connect with brands, and safely foster upcoming pilots’ ambitions. Events, especially races, require the organization and coordination of many parties (e.g. insurance, permitting, etc.) which needs to be done and done right. As stewards of the sport, the Speedmo organization is committed to this responsibility.
How to get involved
As we explore new horizons in alpine adventure racing, we invite you to be part of our journey. Whether you’re a seasoned pilot, a trail runner, or an alpinist seeking fresh challenges, Speedmo offers an exciting platform to test your skills and share your passion with a community of like-minded adventurers.
To learn more about upcoming events and opportunities, visit us at www.speedmo.org. We look forward to reaching new heights together—both on the ground and in the air.
Pilot on left Byron Encarnacion proxy flying while traversing the final approach to landing Photo by Mack Lambert
TOP Joseph Ledo-Massey running out his landing
Photo by Isabelle McJunkin
Photo by Isabelle McJunkin
Photo by Mack Lambert
Karan Johnson coming in for landing with a beautiful flare on his Ozone R3X. Photo by Mack Lambert
Conrad Agte
The making of a Northwest legend by Eric Engerbretson
In the little remaining light, Conrad could make out the gigantic V-shape of the high-voltage power line angling up from either side of the nose plate of his glider. His hang glider and body emulated the knock of an arrow in a bow, with the archer’s fingers able to let the arrow fly at any moment. He was in the middle of every pilot’s nightmare—helpless and hanging from power lines. He realized his feet were dangling only a few feet off the ground, and he knew enough about electricity to know that if there was still power in the lines and his feet touched the ground, his body could instantly be hit by thousands of volts.
: Conrad Agte had always dreamed about being in the sky. In 1974, after only a couple of years of being married to his wife Jean, he told her he wanted to explore the sky (maybe skydiving). “Skip Cook (the ordained
minister who had married them) flies hang gliders,” Jean replied.
The next thing Conrad knew, he was barreling down the sandy hills near the old Kaiser plant in Mead, Washington, in a standard Rogallo with nothing connecting him to the glider but the nylon blue-white ropes holding up his plastic swing seat. Skip wasn’t an instructor, but his unabated zeal kept Conrad going when he was battered and bruised from nose-ins of all sorts. This zeal transferred to Conrad and would one day make him dearly beloved to dozens of his future hang gliding students.
After a few days of training, Skip took him for a high flight from the residential bluff on the east side of Spokane, Washington, where mansions overlook the Hangman Valley. For the next year or so, Conrad, Skip, and new friends flew Steptoe Butte, Tekoa Butte, and
even Mt. Spokane on skis over the gorgeous rolling hills of the Palouse region of eastern Washington. At that point, hang gliding was just ridge soaring; getting to cloudbase and going cross country was unheard of. But this group of friends in the inland Northwest milked their time in the sky for all it was worth. This group would eventually start the Center of Lift Club, which today holds events and maintains and improves flying sites all over the region.
Conrad has an infectious spirit and a joyous personality, and he wanted to pass on the joy of flying to others and promote the sport. In 1976, Conrad started a business out of his garage selling hang gliders and became a certified instructor with USHGA. He taught using a new Electra-Flyer Cirrus III, a forgiving and wonderful slow-flyer.
By this time, some regional competitions were popping up in the Northwest, and Conrad made the rounds. He competed (and did well) in the 1976 Nationals hosted at Dog Mountain in Morton, Washington. The competitions were partly based on sheer luck because the pilots flew one at a time, and the wind could, and would, be different for each pilot. Conrad continued to compete through the years and flew in the 1982 and 1983 Nationals at Crestline in Southern California and Dunlap Flight Park near Fresno. Conrad’s irresistible personality and ready laugh won him countless friends at each competition, and he became a sought-after pilot and friend to many.
In 1985, Conrad moved his family to Missoula, Montana. Here, Conrad fell in with some local pilots and quickly found himself in a group flying the Alberton Gorge, about 30 miles northwest of Missoula. Many had tried to fly from the gorge back to Missoula, but it still had never been done. (By today’s standards, this may not seem like much of a cross-country flight, but 40 years ago, it would be a significant accomplishment.) The flight from Alberton Gorge to Missoula crossed true tiger country, involving flying over dense forests with nowhere to land but the river.
As the new guy in town, Conrad was eyed curiously by other pilots eager to see how a guy who had flown in the Nationals would do on his first flight at their cherished site. Conrad was stoked about his new Attack Duck and eager to fly, with no thoughts of anything like flying to Missoula. He launched smoothly and quickly caught a thermal and began climbing.
After a bit of soaring, he caught a strong one that took him up to 13,400 feet (a personal record). He found himself mulling over oxygen deprivation and wondering at what altitude he might start to feel its effects. At his high point, he realized it was about 15
Conrad flying his Comet in 1983. Photo by Jean Agte Pilot posting at the 1982 Nationals. Photo by Bob Baldeck
Conrad flying the author’s Falcon 2. Photo by Eric Engerbretson
miles back to the LZ or 15 miles to the Missoula golf course, just a stone’s throw from his house; he decided to go for Missoula. He was able to maintain altitude along his flight path, and when he got to Missoula, he was still at 12,000 feet. He soon discovered he was almost directly over the Missoula airport, watching planes thousands of feet below coming and going.
Conrad called his wife Jean on the ham radio and asked her to call the control tower at the airport to get some advice. When she radioed him back, he asked what they said. She replied, “They said, ‘Get the heck outta there!’” Obligingly, Conrad flew over Mt. Sentinel, with its famous 125-foot “M,” and was still thousands of feet up. He now had to make some choices. He was so high that he could have gone another 20 miles up the river, making his flight more epic. However, realizing he had never even driven in that area, he wisely decided not to risk finding a landing spot in a completely unknown area that was so heavily wooded. So, he flew back and made a perfect landing at the golf course near his house. It is easy to imagine the adrenaline and exhilaration he must
have felt. Needless to say, the Missoula pilots were impressed.
When asked about his other favorite flights, Conrad mentioned one in 2015. He and a couple of friends (Mike Bomstad and Jorge Cano) flew from Tekoa Butte to Steptoe, another marvelous launch in the middle of the gorgeous, rolling Palouse hills, about 20 miles southeast of Tekoa. They took off, flew to Step-
Conrad flying a tandem with Joanna in 1983.
Photo by Jean Agte
T2C over Chewelah. Photo by Conrad Agte
toe, soared peacefully around it, and then flew all the way back to Tekoa; it was about a 3.5-hour flight. The flight was generally unexpected when they launched. But as they soared, the thermals happily presented themselves in a way that made it possible. Flying between two distinct sites and back again was quite a feat. The camaraderie and the views were the cherries on top, making the flight memorable for Conrad. Conrad, an experienced broadcast engineer working on the huge antennae towers atop numerous mountains of the Palouse, had access to a perfect launch point on Kamiak Butte near Pullman, Washington. He had a smooth launch and was peacefully ridge soaring when a huge bald eagle pulled up beside him like a Blue Angel pulling into formation. With a wingspan of probably six to seven feet, it glided under Conrad’s wing. At one point, it slowly turned its head and stared directly into Conrad’s eyes with a fierce mien that chilled Conrad such that he immediately looked away. It seemed that the eagle was trying to determine if Conrad was the wing or was a separate being—and it had just figured out the answer.
The eagle flew with him for fifteen to twenty minutes, then pulled away and soared straight up in spiraling circles as if to mock this human’s awkward and feeble attempts. Conrad will never forget that day. Hang gliding is one of the most truly profound interactions of a human with nature—and this moment was an ultimate symbiosis to encounter, a true marvel that only a handful of humans have ever, or will ever, experience.
: Perhaps now would be an excellent time to finish the story we started—where we left Conrad dangling from a high-voltage power line. Though many would never want the story to see the light of public day, Conrad is humble. He appreciates that one of the purposes of USHPA Pilot magazine is to educate and, thereby, produce safer hang glider pilots, and he agreed to let this story be told.
During the interview, I asked Conrad about tips for beginner pilots; he said that once you master glider control skills, the rest of your career is about learning judgment and that safety entirely hinges on proper judgment. When experienced hang glider pilots are humble enough to share their mistakes and bad judgment calls with us, we neophytes should perk up our ears like a labrador when the cookie jar gets bumped. This incident was in 1977, and Conrad was only three seasons into the sport—a brave and exuberant young man. He was setting up to fly in the smooth evening air, and it was getting closer to dusk than he would have preferred. Upon having initial reservations, he made a classic dangerous beginner mistake and decided it wasn’t worth packing up the glider and that things would probably work out fine. He put his reservations on the back burner without giving them full consideration and launched. When he hit the sky at the top of the hill, it seemed light enough, and visibility was good. But what he didn’t yet know well enough to prepare for
Conrad flying in the 1982 Nationals at Crestline. Photo by Jean Agte
Conrad in 1974 on a homebuilt Rogollo with an Expo74 sail.
Photo by Skip Cook
was that it was much darker in the valley below. As he flew toward the LZ, it began to get dark faster than he expected. Deeper into the valley, he soon realized that it was so dark that he could not see much at all, let alone the power lines and towers he knew were there. He began repeating to himself like a mantra, “Where are they… where are they…?” Suddenly, there was a bang, a huge flash, a jolt, a falling sensation, and then peace.
He found himself hanging with his feet dangling a few feet from the ground. Thousands of volts had burned the coating off his control bar wires and blasted huge, black-edged holes into the aluminum keel. His glider was hanging from the high-voltage wire and dragging it down like an archer’s fingers on a bowstring. It was eerily quiet, but Conrad knew that if there was still voltage in the wire, and he was to touch the ground and his glider at the same time, he would complete the circuit and get to meet Jesus. As lovely as that would have been, he decided to put it off.
He grabbed the hangstrap
with both hands, pulled himself up, and launched his body, ensuring he was clear of the glider. He did a backward parachute roll on the ground, and as he did, there was a loud woosh, and he watched the glider shoot toward the sky, bank off to the side, and land with a thwump. When Conrad considered the miracle of still being alive, it occurred to him that, perhaps, this was a residual advantage of being taught to hang glide by a pastor.
This almost shocking lesson in judgment about when to fly was logged into the myriad of other lessons and wisdom that have kept Conrad in the air for 50 years. There is much to learn from Conrad’s amazing career as a pilot. If you find yourself at a fly-in in the inland Northwest, look up him and his compatriots on the website for Center of Lift, and take the opportunity to fly with and learn from this marvelous human being, who is one of the flames that lit and maintained the sport of hang gliding.
The author with Conrad in 1980. Photo by Dave Stahl
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Soaring into the Classroom
by Dan Olsen
How paragliding turned me into a middle school math teacher
: I grew up skiing the icy slopes of New England and was not a particularly good student in school, especially in math. My father was a mechanical engineer who worked for companies like GE and Raytheon, so math came relatively easily for him. Having him help me with my math homework at the kitchen table was never a pleasure as he always had another way of showing me how to do what my teacher couldn’t quite drill into my head in the first place. “I don’t even understand the teacher’s way of solving this, Dad. Please don’t confuse me with your method,” I could be overheard saying nearly every weekday evening. My father had pushed me into the advanced math class in middle school, and I never could seem to do any better than a C on my report cards.
Massachusetts’s public school system was notoriously rigorous at the time. Though I struggled, I still graduated with an excellent education, something I didn’t appreciate those evenings in the kitchen. I eventually earned a bachelor’s degree in computer science with mathematics as a minor. There is no way my 7th grade math teacher would have believed that!
In the fall of 1994, I took my first paragliding lessons from Dixon White at the craters, close to Flagstaff, Arizona. During my first lesson, I did a bunch of kiting, some moon walking down a small hill, and even a short flight. That was all it took, and I was hooked on flying. I handed over my brand-new credit card and bought a very used Pro Design Challenger and a neon-colored harness. In early 1995, I joined USHPA (#63824) and my journey began. I soon left Flagstaff and moved to Jackson Hole, Wyoming, where I had the privilege of flying with a great paragliding club. I had the mentor-
ship of amazing pilots and had a solid group of friends to fly with every time the winds were right and I wasn’t working.
After living in Jackson, I moved to the smaller town of Wilson, located closer to Jackson Hole Ski Resort and Teton Pass, which leads to Idaho. Teton Pass provides easy access to epic backcountry powder skiing. Having hiked to the top of Glory Bowl numerous times, it finally struck me that Mount Glory would make for an excellent paragliding launch. As far as I knew, nobody had ever flown from it. I spent my evenings staring at the launch from Wilson, dreaming of the possibility. Pioneering a new paragliding launch is risky enough, so I thought if there was an opportunity to prevent future mistakes while on the ground, why not take advantage? Maybe some math I learned years ago might be useful. I soon found myself pulling out a good contour map and starting to do some research.
Looking at the map, I determined the vertical and horizontal distances that I would be flying if I were willing to take this chance. My Pro Design Challenger had a glide ratio of 1 to 7, meaning that for every one vertical unit, the glider should fly seven horizontal units (diagram #1). In other words, for every 100 feet I hiked up, I should be able to fly 700 feet away. Of course, that is assuming still air with no thermal activity or lee-side rotors, and Mount Glory is located on the east side of the Teton Mountain Range with a predominant westerly flow. I busted out a rarely used pencil and a piece of scratch paper and started doing some middle school math: proportions!
If I could achieve a 1:7 glide ratio, and the vertical distance was nearly 4,000 feet, then my proportion proved
I should be able to fly out about 28,000 feet, or roughly 5.3 miles (diagram #2). The map legend informed me that 1 mile is 13/16 inch (0.8125 inch). My following proportion told me that if I did fly out 5.3 miles from the top of Mount Glory, it would equate to 4.3 inches on the map. But I only need to go 3.25 inches on the map to make an open landing zone (diagram #3).
Not making the LZ was not an option. This is Wyoming! Jackson Hole Resort borders Grand Teton National Park, home to countless grizzly bears, mountain lions, and 50-foot-tall pine trees that I need to stay far away from. Luckily, Mount Glory is launchable in the national forest, with the wilderness boundary placed
solidly over the back.
I felt confident that this theory of launching from Mount Glory and safely making an LZ in Wilson was possible. Then I remember my middle school report card, specifically the poor grades I received in math. I decided I had better check my work and do some proportion work backward. If I only have to fly out 3.25 inches, how many miles would that be (diagram #4)? Okay, that was only 4 miles when I knew I should be able to fly out 5.3 miles. Everything was still looking good. I wondered what glide ratio I would need to make the landing zone. So, if I had 4,000 vertical feet, and the 4 miles out is 21,120 feet, I would need a glide
ratio of about 1 to 5.28 (diagram #5). That was reasonably less than 1 to 7, so again, this seemed doable. When I stared out my window again, I realized I failed to consider something important. Phillips Ridge runs between the launch and the landing zone! This smaller mountain is one of the more popular launches with the local club, and I have flown it numerous times. It is a lee-side thermal site protected to the west by the larger mountain range right behind it.
From the top of the ridge, the mountain falls both to the east (flyable side) and the west, meaning that if I didn’t clear the top of Phillips Ridge, I could slam right into the west side of that mountain, or more probably, be left hanging from a pine tree for the grizzlies to play piñata with before devouring me. Back to the drawing board; I needed to do this math again with another triangle (diagram #6). I ultimately determined that the required glide ratio from the top of Mount Glory to the top of Phillips Ridge is 1 to 6.74 (diagram #7). Yikes! That was getting close to my glider’s ratio of 1 to 7. Then it hit me. I was sitting at the kitchen table, all by myself, doing math. How strange. Nobody asked me to do this, not my boss, math teacher, or father, yet here I was, doing math…for fun? That was when I fully realized that math is important! It is useful. It is helpful. And thank goodness my father helped me learn it. Here I was, using math to make something I enjoy safer. That day changed my outlook on many things. Those poor middle school students don’t care about proportions, yet they have no idea how useful they are. They have no idea they should be paying attention to their boring old math teacher. Thankfully, Dixon taught me always to keep a flight log so that today I have a record of precisely what I did all those years ago. On November 30, 1997, at 11 a.m., I took my 325th flight on my 169th day of flying, having already spent 123 hours in the air, paragliding from the top of Mount Glory on my Pro Design Challenger. Some guy named Peter was there to witness this. Because it is a substantial hike with plenty of snow in late November, I decided to try my first snowboard launch. This decision was mostly based on the fact that
it is much easier to hike with snowboard boots than my typical ski boots, especially with the extra 40 pounds on my back.
Launching with two feet strapped to one board was something I hadn’t done before, but I don’t recall being worried about it. Skiing and riding Jackson Hole gave me a lot of confidence.
I recall a beautiful launch, staring way out at my landing zone, hoping that my math was correct and that I would make it. But almost immediately after getting into the air, I knew something didn’t feel right. I was sinking way too fast. I stared up at my old glider and saw a big sunspot on the bottom surface of my glider. That was not supposed to be there! I must have ripped the top surface of my glider open on launch, and the hole was almost two feet long. I can only surmise that when I laid my glider out on the snow, a branch or the top of a small tree was sticking out, and must have ripped my old glider wide open. I didn’t notice until it was too late. Way too late.
At this point, it didn’t matter how it happened. I was in the air, sinking like a parachute, and there was no way I would make the landing zone. Having done my research, I knew there were no other options. I turned back to the mountain, heading back to the Teton Pass Road, where my car was parked. My only option was to land on the side of the road, in the deep snow, on the edge of a cliff, with cars driving by. Fortunately, the drivers saw me; some even waved and honked, not knowing that I was falling from the sky and did not have a good plan for a landing. I proceeded to land downwind, tumbling head over heels while tangling myself in seemingly endless lines. Cars stopped in the middle of the road, and people jumped out to see if I was alive. I waved them off like I just sunk out at Torrey Pines. I pretended it was all planned, rolled my glider into a ball that I stuffed with my harness into a bulging backpack, and started hiking up to get my car.
Wow! That was not what I had envisioned on my pre-flight while standing on top of Mount Glory five minutes previously.
That could be the end of the story, but I was not going
to let all of my math work go to waste. I would have to try again someday and prove whether my math was really correct.
The old Pro Design Challenger was done for good now. There was no point in getting it repaired; its time was up. My second paraglider was an Airea Shape, which undoubtedly had a better glide ratio than the Challenger. I don’t know why it took so long, but I did not return to Mount Glory until March 19, 1999, at 4 p.m. It was flight number 449, with 202 total hours in the air by then, on my 252nd day of flying. I launched without a snowboard this time and was again staring off in the distance at my landing zone, wondering if I would make it.
The numbers were still bouncing around in my brain, but I was confident until I started getting closer to the back side of Phillips Ridge. That was when I realized I based my numbers on the ground’s elevation (contour map) without considering the tall trees on top of Phillips Ridge that I would soon be flying over—or through! It wasn’t looking great. I remember being nervous, legs dangling, probably sitting too upright, a flying starfish, but I made it! Once over Phillips Ridge, I knew the landing zone would be no problem and promptly un-puckered. My 20-minute sled ride was a success! I was thrilled with my beautiful flight but most proud of my prep work—the math I did allowed my brain to be convinced that this flight was possible.
In the years following, I enjoyed the camaraderie of the paragliding competition scene, became a tandem pilot, and soon after
an instructor. But I always remembered how good I felt about math and how bad I felt for middle school math students.
I went back to college, became a licensed math teacher, and now share this story with my students at the end of every school year. I call it my “Why I became a math teacher” lesson. We spend a day in the classroom reviewing my proportions while I tell this story and show them a short paragliding video.
I have taught math for over 20 years in public schools in Massachusetts, Telluride, and Aspen. I have introduced over 2,000 students to our wonderful sport of paragliding. We as pilots need to take care of each other; we are all special people, crazy enough to fly but smart enough to know when it is safe, thanks, in part, to the math.
Aspen Middle School 7th grade math class with Mr. Olsen.
Dan Olsen over the San Juan mountains, Telluride, CO.
Swoop n' Slide
A speedwing fly-in
by Julia Lieberman
: What makes an event truly epic? It’s the blend of a welcoming community, innovation, competition, and talent. The Swoop n’ Slide, held at Rock Canyon Park in Provo, Utah in early September 2024, had all these elements in abundance.
First hosted by Sam Mourik in 2018, the Swoop n’ Slide has become a legendary gathering for speed pilots. Participants lay out hundreds of feet of tarps in a vast field, drench them with water, and hike up to the Rock Canyon launch. From there, they push out high above the landing zone and perform a swoop—a dramatic turn into landing that converts altitude into horizontal speed—gliding across the 400-foot slip n’ slide.
With Sam busy fighting fires in recent seasons, the event needed a new host to keep the tradition alive. This year, the community came together to ensure the Swoop n’ Slide continued to enchant, inspire, and entertain.
It was time for Women of Speedflying to step up to the plate. This organization is about building community and making the sport more accessible for women through international gatherings, scholarships, and connecting experienced pilots with newcomers. This event would serve as the next step to encourage more women to participate in a wellknown tradition. But what would bring that special sauce to the event? What could we do to make it even more epic?
It started with a LinkedIn ping. I wanted to collaborate with Red Bull, a company well-known for sponsoring exciting and engaging events. After a quick search for “aviation athlete manager Red Bull,” one thing led to another, and Red Bull became a surprise event sponsor.
With the help of community leaders Jayme Kogel and Carl Weiseth, consultations with Sam, and the work of enthusiastic volunteers (shoutout to Kara
Marshall Allen begins a dive to build energy for his swoop. Photo by Jän Verhaeren
Lesia Witkowsky takes the gold with a perfect swoop n' slide landing. Photo by David Ritz
Glynos), we organized this year’s event with a particular focus on bringing more women into the fold.
To add a unique twist, we also brought in some friends from the world of aerial arts. Ashley Diane, co-founder of Cirque du Salt Lake, rallied a talented crew of aerial artists to perform. The goal was to seamlessly celebrate and showcase the diverse and exhilarating ways athletes can play in the sky.
lined the competition guidelines. We emphasized that this event was not about achieving the most epic swoop; safety was paramount. A safe landing is far more impressive than a rad one ending in disaster.
Speedflying, while still somewhat controversial within the canopy piloting community, is gaining popularity. As the sport grows and events increase,
this event was not about achieving the most epic swoop; safety was paramount. A safe landing is far more impressive than a rad one ending in disaster.
By 5 p.m. on September 7, everything was meticulously arranged: 400 feet of tarp securely staked to the ground, Red Bull umbrellas forming gates on either side of the slide, a judge’s tent, complimentary food, a table overflowing with swag for prizes and raffle awards, and a massive cooler filled to the brim with Red Bull.
As the competition start time approached, dogs frolicked in the landing zone, and participants and spectators decorated their costumes with body paint. The field was abuzz with excitement as pilots stood at the ready with their hike-n-fly kits on, eagerly anticipating the flight.
While the winds were lining up and the thermals were settling down, we conducted an orientation and out-
it is crucial to prioritize safety and establish a strong record of responsible practices to ensure its continued support and longevity.
The competition criteria were 3-fold:
Costume: wear something funky and fresh
Accuracy: land and/or slide directly on the tarp
Style: add a little finesse to the slide
With that, the pilots were off! Twenty-six pilots began the hike in the sweltering 90-degree Fahrenheit heat, including fifteen female pilots, the highest number ever for this event.
: Bystanders gathered at the landing zone to watch, and we received confirmation that the pilots were ready, with perfect conditions: a light headwind on launch and no wind in the landing zone. The ground crew wet the slide, and FPV drone pilots Jän and Arias and photographer David prepared their cameras. We then radioed up
to signal that the pilots were good to go.
Darren was the first to launch, building energy with a big diving spiral, turning the energy into flat barrel rolls, and finishing off with a beautiful 90-degree turn to land precisely on target, finishing with a toe drag that transitioned into a butt slide all the way to the end of the tarps. The crowd cheered— not just our crew but all the spectators on the field. One by one, pilots descended in graceful arcing spirals and rolls, weaving their own roller coasters through the sky, eating up the laminar air before executing beautiful and safe landings. Meanwhile, the acrobats were a twirling blur of color and sparkle as they spun upside down on lyra and silks, in dazzling counterpoint to the Swoop n’ Slide hijinks.
Lesia pushed out high over the LZ, dumped trimmers, and leaned to one side with her hands barely touching brakes, keeping just enough contact to have a feel for the wing. The subtle weight shift was enough to dive her 9-meter R3X and come around in a perfect 270-degree turn, planing out to flat and level flight right at the start of the tarps, slowly flaring as she gently touched down and slid all the way across the tarp in a flowing purple robe, her blonde hair streaming behind her. The crowd went wild; I’ve never heard a group of speedfliers make so much noise!
Then came Bridger, an Ozone pilot and local legend on his 6.8 m R3. Our breath caught in our throats, our hearts forgetting to beat as he executed a pro-level swoop. He came in with the speed of a bullet and the grace of a ballerina, dragging his toe across the slide and sending up a shimmering spray of water. But the show wasn’t over yet.
Dante did a 450-degree turn, and time stood still as he expertly dove his wing with a perfectly timed recovery arc, pulling on rears to swoop all the way across the slide and beyond to a roar of applause.
Each pilot brought something unique: Dani looked like he was coming in for a James Bond audition as
Dani Oxyuk takes work from home to a new level. Photo by David Ritz
Bridger Henriksen sends up a spray coming in at mach 5. Photo by Jän Verhaeren
he landed in formal business attire; Ben flew a Fury with fury, and Arie came in softly on her Moustache. While the more experienced pilots gracefully nailed the swooping and sliding, it was impressive to see some newer pilots apply their newly learned skills while keeping it in their margins. Uniting seasoned pros with pilots with less than a year of experience offered a fantastic opportunity for learning and inspiration. This is what community-building is all about!
Then the wind started to pick up; we felt the gust front coming from the north from a single cloud that had overdeveloped and dropped out. We instructed the pilots on launch to hold off. Unfortunately, as soon as the front had passed, the shade hit the field, and the wind turned katabatic, growing
Ashley Diane making pretty shapes on Lyra. Photo by David Ritz
stronger by the minute. The 12 remaining pilots on launch waited, wings at the ready, praying for a few more good cycles, but the wind gods did not oblige.
The east wind intensified as the canyon drained, and the hopeful, costumed pilots had to pack up and hike back down in the remaining glow of the sun. Such is the nature of weather-based sports. Be prepared for a beautiful flight, but if conditions are questionable, always make the wise decision to engage your down-hiking muscles and fly on a better day.
Meanwhile, back in the landing zone, the judges tallied the scores, and participants snapped up raffle tickets to win swag donated by Women of Speedflying, Speedfly.com, Superfly, and Cloud 9. The Swoop n’ Slide winners were announced and award-
ed medals and Third Eye Pinecones. To nobody’s surprise, Lesia Witkowsky took home the gold, with Ben Peck coming in second and Darren Ve in third. Lucky raffle winners delighted in their swag, and as the east wind picked up, pilots started to kite at the edge of the field.
The evening concluded with many smiles, excitement for more events like this, and new partnerships between Red Bull, the speedflying community, and the aerial arts community. The vibes were immaculate. For those who missed it, fear not, for we shall Swoop n’ Slide again!
Pilots, acrobats, and spectators lined up for a group photo.
Photo by David Ritz
From the Backyard to the Big House
XC paragliding takes you to the unknown by Victor Figueroa
: XC hounds know that there is no easy answer to a question often asked by non-pilots: “Where do you land?” That is one of the attractions of XC flying—we don’t know! This unexpected outcome often creates the best XC flights—and the best stories about XC flying. The stories below are about some of my adventures of landing out—whether in someone’s backyard or, maybe, in jail.
A windy day in Ellenville, New York
It was a windy day, and many pilots were discussing the low cloudbase and their low expectations of an epic day. Several launches were erratic, but all pilots managed to get into the air safely. After launching, I saw in my peripheral vision quite a few pilots barely
moving due to the strong wind. I dealt with some turbulence and had to step hard on my speed bar to prevent the wind from winning the battle. Attempting to turn in a thermal would have been suicide, so I simply pushed forward enough to get some altitude. The best option seemed to be to move toward the north, where the winds should have been easing off.
After 30 minutes, many pilots were on the ground or still fighting to stay aloft, and I soon found myself alone in the sky. Suddenly, the magic happened. First 0.5 m/s, then 1 m/s, then 1.7 m/s … beep, beep, beep, and my vario sang that loving tune. Up I soared, high enough to see Minnewaska State Park Preserve and the other side of the mountain, an area that was new for me. I noticed that I was high enough to go over the
back, and so over the back I went. On the way, instead of losing altitude, I just kept going higher—the vario didn’t stop singing.
I felt some lift as I crossed the Hudson River, so I decided to continue the adventure. After a few hundred feet, the lift was gone, and I sank like the Titanic. The land below me to the northeast looked like the Amazon, with no potential LZs. I decided to go crosswind (southeast), where there were more landing options. I passed on a place that looked like a private club and seemed like a perfect LZ, as I was still high and saw other options. Ahead, I saw perfect green terrain with few trees and an inviting, refreshing pond, so I prepared to face the wind and flare.
Once on the ground, I heard someone yelling, “Are you okay?” To which I replied I was. As I was packing, the owner of this mansion and the many acres around it came to greet me as if I were an alien, asking where I came from. He was astonished when I told him I glided from Ellenville, 60 km away. We enjoyed a long chat while I finished my packing ritual, after which he invited me to his house, offered me some refreshments and the bathroom, and asked a lot more about our sport. I told him my story, and then another, and another, but the one he loved most was when I landed
in the Fishkill Correctional Facility, a few miles from his place. Later, he drove me to the Poughkeepsie train station, 20 minutes away, where we exchanged phone numbers, and I was glad to have made another friend.
My jail time in New York
In 2023, I had my first big XC from Ellenville, crossing the Hudson River. That day started with a depressingly short XC attempt, so I tried again around 2:45 p.m., hoping to have a longer flight. Unexpectedly, I managed a 45 km XC, including legal passage through Class D air space around Stewart International Airport. What excited me even more was that I had gained enough altitude to cross the historic Hudson River. I had dreamed of flying across this majestic river for many years and was thrilled to finally do it.
Right after crossing the river, I found nothing but sink. There were no LZs visible to me except for one possibility. It looked like a castle, and I thought it might be a high school due to the nearby baseball, football, and soccer fields. As I neared this building, I was quite low as I was preparing to land, and I quickly realized this fenced-in property was a prison. For my safety, I held to my plan to land in the green field, outside the facility and fencing, and beyond the range of any illegal entrance.
Two guards quickly approached me as I touched down, one yelling, “What are you doing!?” I’m not usually welcomed this way by people who see me land, so I realized something was amiss. The guards ordered me not to touch anything and to stay away from my gear. When I asked them what was wrong, they explained that I had landed at a correctional facility. Even though there were no fences or anything to suggest that my LZ was in the prison’s perimeter, the guards informed me that I had landed on the prison property.
I pondered how this beautiful, mile-long green grass strip could be on prison property, especially since I was outside the fencing and there was a school next door, while the guard asked me to turn off my GoPro. I explained that the battery died during the flight, and when he wasn’t convinced, I showed him to put his mind at ease. Soon, a New York state police car arrived, and I realized they had also witnessed my landing. The troopers asked for my ID and told me to
The author crossing the Hudson River.
The author flying Ascutney.
stay put while they checked my identity.
The correctional officers donned gloves and started searching through my gear, presumably for drugs and weapons. I alerted them to the fact that I kept a knife for safety reasons, and I explained what those reasons were. I left them to their task but did ask that they not pull out my reserve. To my surprise, they agreed.
After a while, the state trooper returned with my ID and started his interrogation. I patiently explained my flight route and described my new XC accomplishment, and he gradually became a bit friendlier and allowed me to pack my glider. When the other guards and troopers were not around, one of the guards came closer and whispered that he knew what I was but he had to follow procedure. He congratulated me on my landing and told me I had made his day. In fact, it was his dream to become a pilot.
State trooper Uber to Brace Mountain
So, there I was, soaring off Brace Mountain on a balmy summer day, riding the thermals on a fresh southeast course. Suddenly, the roar of automotive engines filled the air—the Lime Rock Race was in full swing below. “Bingo,” I thought, “that’s gotta be a thermal jackpot.”
And sure enough, as I floated above, the thermals were kicking off, just as I’d hoped. I had snagged the ultimate skybox seat, chilling at 4,000 feet AGL with a killer view of the car race. But after a few spins over the revving engines, it was time to press on.
Along my journey, though, I hit a snag; I needed to land, and LZs were scarce, almost like a no-fly zone. Then, like an oasis, I spotted it: lush green grass, a shimmering pool, and a parking lot. “That’s the spot,” I decided. Gliding in for the touchdown, I was greeted by a fan club of kids and a couple of grown-ups. Applause and cheers erupted. “Aww! Wow! Awesome,” is always nice to hear.
One woman, full of curiosity, peppered me with questions: “Where’d you jump from? Missing a motor, aren’t you? And how’re you getting back to your wheels?” I confessed I was banking on a buddy rescue, but it was up in the air—literally. She offered a ride, but she had errands to run first. “No sweat,” I said, “I’ve got to wrangle my glider anyway.” Once packed, I walked over to the pool and chatted with a local. Turns out, I’d landed at the Falls Village Recreation Center. With my bearings set, I treated myself
State trooper shuttle ride.
A triangle to Skinner and back to Mt Tom, Holyoke, MA.
Another XC backyard happy ending with the author, John Gallagher, Tom McCormick, Eric, our backyard host.
to an ice cream and kicked back poolside. Then, a plot twist: a cop car rolled up, and the officer rushed to the lifeguard, then to me. My heart sank. This is it, I fretted—the paraglider crackdown.
The officer’s tone was all business: “Pack up, you’re coming with me.” My mind raced, I should’ve known the race was a no-fly zone! But as we walked to the cruiser, her stern look cracked into a smile, “Relax, I’m your chauffeur back to your car.” It turns out that the kind woman I’d spoken to had called in a favor, and the cop insisted on playing taxi. And just like that, what started as a flight over roaring engines and a surprise landing turned into an unexpected lift from local law enforcement.
Most of my XCs have happy endings, like the one in the backyard of a house in Bennington, Vermont, when the couple who owned the home drove me 45 minutes to my car. Or when I did a tandem XC with my wife from Burke Mountain, Vermont, and the
owner of the house where we landed drove us back to the top of the mountain where our car was parked. Or after a flight from West Rutland, Vermont when I landed in a field where some kids were practicing baseball, and their coach drove me 30 miles back to my car because he said, “You made the day for my kids.” Or just recently on a flight from Mount Greylock, Massachusetts, when four other pilots and I landed at a field and the owner called some neighbors to come see us. Later he gave us a video of the landing on which you can hear comments like, “Hey, come see this, there’s a Russian invasion!”
Of course, sometimes we encounter more interesting LZs, like the one in Massachusetts whose land owner said he wished that I and the other pilots flying with me had landed on the other side of the fence where he had a bull. But no matter the outcome, going XC will always take you to an interesting, and yet unknown, LZ.
online course fulfills the 8-hour in-person ground school requirement. Spend your valuable time on the hill practicing, not studying! Also includes P2 checklist and flight log tools for tracking your progress, and a student management portal for instructors.
Embracing the Unexpected
Moroccan skies to sands by Kubi & Luki Jacisin
: The winds whispered secrets of adventure across the Atlantic, so we headed to Morocco.
Our mom had decided to take a trip for her birthday and generously took us along on a tour of Morocco. As a travel agent, she’s a super planner and loves seeing as much as possible in a short time. Though we planned to witness the country’s scenic landscapes, sample its culinary delights, and immerse ourselves in its culture with our mom, we also wanted to find time to fly. After all, what better way to experience the beauty of Morocco than from the sky— at least that’s what we eagerly told our mom as she rolled her eyes and started reading from a 5-page, jam-packed travel itinerary.
We would be staying in most places for less than 24 hours and traveling with a small tour group. How could we find time to paraglide? True to our adventurous spirit, we were determined to make it happen. With each passing day, we found ourselves scheming and strategizing, analyzing wind forecasts, and intensely looking at hills, determined to carve out
moments for free flight.
Aguergour was our first target. A legendary spot among Moroccan pilots, Aguergour beckoned with its drive-up launch, vibrant clubhouse, and stunning vistas of the North African Atlas Mountains. Armed with our adventurous spirit, our mom, and our trusty taxi driver, we set off from Marrakech, eager to finally soar the skies.
We arrived at the base of the mountain at a paragliding HQ. Our driver got out and started talking with the local paragliding instructor, who pointed wildly into the sky and said something unintelligible, leaving us to decipher the mysterious signals. Our driver assured us everything was good, so we loaded into the taxi and headed for the summit. On the 45-minute drive up, we passed through rural mountain villages until we reached the end of the road; undeterred, we got out and told our driver to stay put and wait for our mom (who was accompanying us to launch) to return for the ride down.
Kiting for a moment on launch in Aguergour, Morocco. Photo by Dasa Jacisinova
Warn the West flying in Morocco. Photo by Dasa Jacisinova
After a quick 30-minute hike, we reached the summit to find a stunning scene: a beautifully painted clubhouse, a pristine white launch pad, and perfect wind conditions. But why was nobody there on a great flying day? We didn’t ponder for long; the time was now to seize the flight. A farmer came by to collect his local tax, and some children watched us set up. We kited on launch for a moment before running off together, twin style. Our Gin Explorers painted the sky with hues of red and orange against the backdrop of the burgundy sand landscape. As we thermaled above the launch, taking in the view of the Atlas Mountains behind us, we couldn’t help but marvel at the beauty of Morocco from above. Eventually, we pushed out and sledded
down the mountain passing villages, a castle, and even an outdoor concert, revealing some rich history and untold tales of the land.
We landed safely at the LZ stoked from the flight, and the driver pulled up, congratulating us while he opened the door to an empty taxi—where was our mom? The driver, misunderstanding, had left our mom by herself at the top of the mountain in a rural Moroccan village. Talk about a language barrier. We rushed to pack our gear and hopped into the taxi to find her.
Relieved, we saw her walking down the mountain with a local who said he was a paraglider pilot. The pilot informed us with a startling revelation that the government had closed the entire paragliding site due
Luki Jacisin sliding like a penguin on ice in Erg Chebbi.
Photo by Dasa Jacisinova
Kubi Jacisin soaking in the magic in Erg Chebbi. Photo by Dasa Jacisinova
Warn the West launching from Aguergour. Photo by Dasa Jacisinova
Kubi Jacisin flying over a rural village in Aguergour. Photo by Dasa Jacisinova
to a paraglider’s near miss with a plane. Why had the paragliding instructor, driver, and farmer not told us? We suspected good intentions; they didn’t want to let us down after we had traveled across the world to fly. As we turned to leave, the local pilot invited us to go for another flight. We laughed and dared not tempt fate further, thanked him, and made our way back to Marrakech.
In the following days, we ventured east toward the edge of the Sahara Desert, where the sands tell tales of adventure and mystery. The Sahara Desert is the largest hot desert in the world, and we wanted to see it. We
arrived at Merzouga, a small village on the western edge of the Sahara surrounded by a sea of sand—the Erg Chebbi dunes and its towering star dune known as Lala Lallia. We had hoped to fly the dune, and when we saw it, we started drooling in anticipation. We were traveling on a tight schedule again and only had one day to pull off a flight. We plotted the best way to get to the top of Lala Lallia: Camel? ATV? Guide? Walking was not an option due to the size of the head dune and its distance from us in the waves of sand.
We checked the weather again—not good. During the day, the wind was blowing from the back of the dune
Setting up to kite in the Sahara Desert, in Erg Chebbi. Photo by Dasa Jacisinova
Reflecting on our time in Morocco, we realized that life, just like paragliding, is full of plans gone awry, but it’s how we adapt and make the most of the situation that truly defines our journey. So, here’s to embracing the unexpected, staying flexible, and finding humor in the chaos, even if it means sliding down sand dunes instead of soaring through the skies.
on the Algerian side. Algeria has been hotly debating Morocco about who owned this edge of the Sahara, and tensions were high. It seemed our dreams of soaring the dunes of the Sahara had been vaporized. We debated our options, and there was really only one choice; if we can’t fly, let’s kite! We woke up in the darkness and hiked under the faint stars into the desert playground. The wind was extremely light coming up the dune and as the sun rose, we started kiting and taking mini flights. We slid around like penguins on ice, filling our hungry wings with the ancient sand, as we kited up the dunes, glider battling, enjoying the unique moment in time. Covered in sand, we called it a win and hiked out of the dunes.
Follow Kubi & Luki’s flying adventures on Instagram @WARN.THE.WEST
Warn the West kiting in the Sahara Desert, in Erg Chebbi. Photo by Dasa Jacisinova
LAKEVIEW FLY-IN REVIVES IN 2024
: Lakeview, Oregon, has been the site of innumerable great flights over the last 50 years. Many 100-mile flights have flown there, and people have come together for annual fly-ins since about 1972. The U.S. Nationals have been held there in both hang gliding and paragliding. Despite the Lakeview Fly-in being held for many consecutive years, after 2016, the Chamber of Commerce stopped holding fly-ins because there weren’t any locals to run the meets. The Chamber of Commerce members had certainly seen free flight, but they didn’t know how to run an event. However, in 2024, they decided to revive the fly-in, and it went really well.
Lakeview is a great place to fly. There are many different sites to fly in the region, and each takes different wind directions, making it easy to find an accommodating launch. The cross-country
by John Saltveit
flight potential is excellent, and there are obvious routes, so people unfamiliar with the sites or flying cross-country can find an easy connection back to their vehicle. As such, many pilots have their first big cross-country flight in Lakeview. Since there aren’t many people who live in the area, there are many open fields to land in and not much crowding or competition for space. Some pilots who come from heavily regulated and crowded sites like those in the Bay Area enjoy the ample space and lack of regulation. The local community is very supportive of pilots and is generally excited to hear about our flying.
The Lakeview Fly-in doesn’t have the stress or worry that some other meets do. In the unlikely event of a no-fly day, there are other things to do in the area. There are many lakes nearby for swim-
The author, John, with his boys at Black Cap. Photo by Gail Saltveit
ming and fishing, and you have an excellent chance of seeing wildlife. I have landed among herds of both pronghorn and bighorn sheep.
Each year, the fly-in is different than the last. This year, there was a trophy dash speed race for paragliding and hang gliding, a cumulative distance contest for paragliding, a spot landing contest for each, and a Golden Hammer award for the worst decision a pilot walked away from, which usually involves a bad landing or launch.
On the first day, people flew from multiple sites. Some had cross-country epics and some had shorter flights. There was a pizza party in honor of long-time hang glider pilot Mike Tingey, who died within the year. We hung out and told stories about his life. He was a great guy and a superb pilot, with many 100-mile flights.
On the second day, paraglider and hang glider pilots alike flew from Hadley Butte. People racked up
their big flights for the speed race and the cumulative distance awards on this day. At night, there was a party with a band at a local establishment, the Neon Cowboy, which also has a hot springs pool.
On the third day, various pilots again had long cross-country flights, mostly in town from Black Cap, the site located within Lakeview. A new launch site was dedicated to Mike Tingey. At night, there was a free buffet dinner and an awards ceremony with prizes. Jimmy Feeley, a local resident who has helped with the fly-in for years, was awarded with a celebration of his 50 years in hang gliding.
All-in-all, the 2024 event was an excellent weekend of flying and community building in this quiet town. If you are looking for a fun place to fly with a cooperative group of people, come to the fly-in on July 4 next year at Lakeview. You will have a great time!
Beginner's Stroll down 'Cloud Street'
A Colombian Valentine's Day adventure by Jesse Hughes
: “Man, that’s a lot of sink,” my instructor Johannes Rath said calmly, to the tune of both varios buzzing in that most obnoxious noise that only varios make. We were out front of the range looking for lift, birds, dark earth, and any hints that rising air was nearby. An hour into our unhurried lingering over the Valle del Cauca, we found a cow pasture mostly free of its regular occupants (but full of proof of frequent visitation).
“Right hand on yellow,” continued Rath, introducing
the game of Twister® into the mental calculus of aerial frameworks. “We know we can make that LZ, so keep it in the glide area as we look around. If we can find lift while keeping our hand on that spot, then we’ll keep playing.” However, out of signs and options, we rode the vario buzzers into the pasture at the end of our cloud street.
A lone bull watched as we packed the tandem wing. It’s one thing to profess that bulls are colorblind; it’s another thing to question where you heard that
Johannes Rath under his purple tandem wing. Photo by Ashton Jackson
information, if it was credible, and if it applied to Colombian bulls, all while you’re staring at one 20 yards away folding a purple paraglider. A few minutes later, we were under the fence and walking down a bucolic
lane under a Spanish moss canopy and bluebird skies. (Our respective partners later teased us about having the most romantic Valentine’s Day of anyone in the group.)
The tandem flight was day three of the adventure, and the first break I had from the overwhelming amount of learning and experience from the first two days that my brain struggled to absorb. The first day of flying doubled my total air time since getting my P2 rating. Doubled. In a day. The focus was on thermalling, but I also had to deal with the basics such as harness position, comfort, and flight deck set-up. On the second day, I had sorted some of the issues from day one, but then came more fundamentals like hydration and food in addition to flying in thermals with more pilots than I had ever seen in one spot. All of that along with the theory and application of thermalling.
It was a lot in the first two days, especially coming into the experience with a low number of flight
A plethora of pilots in Piedechinche. Photo by Ashton Jackson
hours. My head was cooked. There’s nothing intuitive about free flight for a human; we didn’t evolve with a significant vertical component to our experience, we don’t spend our time operating in three dimensions for movement, and we certainly don’t count on the unseen forces of physics and obscenely thin bits of nylon to keep us alive very often. It’s a lot to process, absorb, assimilate, and apply while flirting with gravity, weather, and other pilots.
The tandem flight with my instructor allowed me to process the expanse of new knowledge while staying engaged in the experience. It also provided the opportunity to witness how another human manages the overwhelming amount of information. Johannes’ style is incredibly chill, matching his laid-back personality (which is decidedly not mine). It struck me how emotionally accepting he was of the conditions and the situation. Sure, we had goals for the flight (e.g., let’s see if we can get to the next town and back), but when we couldn’t quite make the hop, Johannes calmly accepted the situation and didn’t force risky
moves. It was a powerful lesson for me. My instinct would have been to push, which would likely have led to a less-than-ideal situation.
My beginner’s paragliding journey continues. The trip to Piedechinche, Colombia was a great primer that generated momentum for a fantastic season back home in the Rockies. The experience also offered new perspectives. Trips aren’t just for the advanced pilot; they are how pilots advance. Tandems aren’t just for tourists; they are a full-immersion learning opportunity. Cows are colorblind (probably) and really big (actually); the potential energy in that situation is more than I want to handle.
The best lesson I took away from my trip to Colombia was the stoic and zen-like approach of my instructor: see things as they are, not as you want them to be. So, I will continue to study the specifics and learn as much as I can about the weather, wing dynamics, and piloting techniques, but all of that specific knowledge will be kept within the perspective of flying the day as it presents itself.
A memorable Valentine’s Day stroll, with the bull. Photo by author
The Ghana Paragliding Festival
by John W. Robinson
: The drums—the sonorous rhythms, the deep-into-your-very-being thrum—are unlike anything I’ve ever experienced. The drums are what makes this all particularly surreal. We aren’t in Kansas anymore; we’re in Ghana, West Africa.
I’m soaring the Kwahu Ridge aboard my Advance Epsilon paraglider, 200 meters above the mountain top. The ageless beat of the drums is muted in the breeze but insistent nonetheless.
The landscape below me is verdant and ancient-looking, the limestone rock formations of the cliffs lending a prehistoric feel to the place.
I’m at the Ghana Paragliding Festival. It’s the first such event held in the country. A few years back, a visiting French pilot pioneered paragliding here, and the word has gotten out to international pilots. The area around Nkawkaw, the town where the event is based, is especially good for paragliding due to its topography and consistent conditions. Additionally, the town is only a few hours drive from the coast and the Ghanaian capital of Accra.
A few motivated and hard-working free flight enthusiasts collaborated with the Ghana Tourism Authority to create the festival. One aim of the event
was to introduce the country to paragliding, but the broader goal was to further enhance Ghana’s lure as an international tourist destination.
My trip here started with a transatlantic flight to Accra. A driver from the Tourism Authority picked up Matt “Farmer” Beechinor and myself, and we fell into the fray of helping to iron out the myriad of festival details yet to be worked out. We got to Nkawkaw the next day and hit the ground (read: air) running (read: flying).
Twenty-two paraglider pilots from around the world were invited to share and demonstrate the sport to the local citizenry and, in general, to help celebrate the beauty of life in Ghana. Besides all those amazing drums and several hundred spectators, the raucous opening ceremony consisted of loudspeaker-broadcast speeches by local officials and tourism board members. There were also a lot of meet-and-greets among pilots and event organizers. The leader of our group of pilots was Sabrina Krewin, and she did all she could to keep us straight. We were off to a good start.
On the first flying day of the festival, Simon, Manfred, and I (all solo pilots) were in the air for a while, soaring the lovely ridge, feeling the air, and getting the lay of the land. Others soon launched behind us, adding their own blades of vivid color and graceful movement to the azure midday sky.
A modern communications tower situated in a clearing at the highest point of the mountain ridge was the logical paraglider launch and where the festival headquarters was located. The juxtaposition of that piercing steel tower to the contingent of drums was compelling; after all, tribal drums have been used for communication for centuries in this part of the world.
The Kwahu Ridge is a beautiful, lushly vegetated, cliff-rimmed escarpment that runs for miles in a north-south direction. A light breeze from the east creates ideal ridge-soaring conditions, and we took advantage. Above Church Rock, we spiraled higher in a reliable house thermal. Later, we landed in the designated landing zone, a soccer field in Nkawkaw,
in the valley below.
Most of the pilots in attendance were tandem-rated and equipped with passenger-carrying wings. As part of their mission of sharing the joy, they provided passenger flights throughout the festival.
business people, and, of course, local Nkawkaw residents—farmers, shopkeepers, and even kids. There were way more folks desiring flights than we would ever have time to provide during this brief event, but no one seemed disappointed. There was a kind of wild air of jubilation among all the participants— spectators and flyers alike.
The Ghanaian people were extremely welcoming and friendly to us visiting pilots, from the happy, screaming kids running up to me after I landed to the wise older women asking me intelligent questions about paragliding. More than that, we shared our stories, compared our different cultures, and embraced what binds us, such as love of family and friends and curiosity about novel pursuits like… paragliding.
A local guest house in Nkawkaw, The Rojo, put pilots up for the duration of the festival. In our off-time, we would meet outside on a veranda. The wood frame of its roof was composed of gnarled old tree limbs that aged like driftwood. Details like this reminded me that this place, this culture, is ages old.
Our pilots and crew ate well at the Ghana Paragliding Festival. The jovial chef at the guest house and his trusty assistants kept us happy with Ghanaian staples like Jollof rice, peanut soup, yam dishes, and Red-Red (a stew featuring black-eyed peas). Also laid out on the sideboard for us was angwamu (oil rice), fufu (cooked cassava), bofrot (fried dough), and koko with koose (a cornmeal dish). I was deeply impressed by the culinary exoticism.
After four days of pandemonium, the sun was
There was a kind of wild air of jubilation among all the participants—spectators and flyers alike.
The tandem pilots worked like one big, well-oiled machine. When flying conditions were right, they would go go go, getting as many passenger-carrying flights as they could. As solo pilots, our role at the festival was to help “assess the air” for the tandem pilots and provide general assistance with launching and landing by laying out the tandem gliders and helping move things efficiently along in the process.
The glider passengers at the festival ran the gamut: local officials, Peace Corps volunteers, international
setting on the Ghana Paragliding Festival. Eight of us took one last flight as the western sky blazed scarlet and the foliage below rippled in the light evening breeze. The air over Kwahu Ridge was butter-smooth as the day cooled. The next day, our motley band of pilots would go their separate ways, and life would return to normal in Nkawkaw. Hopefully, the folks here will look to the sky and smile as they remember the days that the colorful gliders and the souls who fly them came to visit.
CALENDAR
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CLASSIFIED
WILLS WING ALPHA 235 > Flown four times. Yellow with lime trim. Would prefer to meet in TN, NC, GA, or VA for pickup. $3,000 or best offer. Email rfoy11@hotmail.com for details.
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P2 1 Aaron Piotrowski WA Chad Uchino
P2 1 Gage Polonsky WA Denise Reed
P2 1 Luis Ramos WA Denise Reed
P2 1 Darren Rust MN Alex Peterson
P2 1 Michael Schiehser WA Matt Senior
P2 1 Nicolae Schirliu WA Matt Senior
P2 1 Jerry Sharp OR Jordan Neidinger
P2 1 Benjamin Soukup WA Jesse L. Meyer
P2 1 Michael Sperle ID Denise Reed
P2 1 Geoffrey Telford OR Samuel Crocker
P2 1 Bradon Thomason ID Stephen J. Mayer
P2 1 Paul Tutokey MT Andy Macrae
P2 1 Rose Wall HI Paul Gurrieri
P2 1 Christian Werdier WA Denise Reed
P2 1 Jason Westbury MT Andy Macrae
P2 1 Zachary Wiesenthal WA Austin Cox
P2 1 Travis wilder OR Brian Kerr
P2 1 Dylan Williams AK Chris Reynolds
P2 1 Kurt Yeager WA Luc Lachapelle
P2 1 Kuanny Yin WA Matt Senior
P2 1 Riley Maximus Baby Dorito Yongkim Todd HI William Purden-Jr
P2 2 Shiqi Ai CA Jeffrey J. Greenbaum
P2 2 James Anderson UT Damion Zane Mitchell
P2 2 Sarah Armstrong NV Robert Black
P2 2 Porter Bankhead UT Stacy Whitmore
P2 2 William Batiz NV Kimberly Phinney
P2 2 Joseph Bennett UT Eric Stratton
P2 2 Jason Blickenstaff UT Brian Clark
P2 2 Allison Brady CA Jesse L. Meyer
P2 2 Lee Bryant CA Robert Black
P2 2 Iris Chang CA Jesse L. Meyer
P2 2 Brendan Charles UT Jonathan Jefferies
P2 2 Stephanie Cook UT Nathan Alex Taylor
P2 2 Brad Crooks CA Robert Black
P2 2 Kevin Delgado CA Robert Black
P2 2 Joseph Fletcher UT Stephen J. Mayer
P2 2 Jason Forbush UT Stephen J. Mayer
P2 2 Jeff Gubler UT Jonathan Jefferies
P2 2 Mau Guerrero Gaona CA Jeffrey J. Greenbaum
P2 2 Adam Guerrieri CA Jeffrey J. Greenbaum
P2 2 Evan Hartzell UT Chris W. Santacroce
P2 2 Nathan Hatton UT Chris W. Santacroce
P2 2 Richard Hollingworth UT Nathan Alex Taylor
P2 2 Fei Jiang UT Patrick Kelly
P2 2 Spencer Johnson CA Jeffrey J. Greenbaum
P2 2 Davis Julian NV Mitchell B. Neary
P2 2 Aishwarya Ketkar CA Robert Black
P2 2 Asa King UT Nathan Alex Taylor
P2 2 Harley Klemme UT Stacy Whitmore
P2 2 Fanyun Kong CA Robert Black
P2 2 David Leydet UT Eric Stratton
P2 2 Jin Li CA Jeffrey J. Greenbaum
P2 2 Stephen Lucas UT Nathan Alex Taylor
P2 2 Paul Mathieu CA Matt Senior
P2 2 Steve McGee UT Harry Sandoval
P2 2 Emma Miller UT Jonathan Jefferies
P2 2 Juan Mosquera CA Cynthia Currie
P2 2 Adam nomura CA Ryan Patrick Kerschen
P2 2 Marta Nowotka CA Robert Black
P2 2 Semen Pantuev CA Robert Black
P2 2 Chiara Pontil CA Jeffrey J. Greenbaum
Take your ratings and expiration date everywhere you fly. View from the Members Area section of the USHPA website. Print, trim, and store in your wallet. Great for areas without cell coverage. Always available at www.USHPA.org Save the PDF on your mobile device for easy reference.
P2 2 Kiki Qi CA Dustin Miller
P2 2 John Roach CA Ryan Patrick Kerschen
P2 2 Carlos Roca CA Wallace K. Anderson
P2 2 Eric Rodriguez UT Stephen J. Mayer
P2 2 Rohitash Singh CA Chris W. Santacroce
P2 2 Rachael Stene NV Robert Black
P2 2 Ryan Tippetts UT Nathan Alex Taylor
P2 2 Fatma Tuncer UT Dale Covington
P2 2 Saied Vasseghi CA Robert Black
P2 2 Zhehong Wang CA Mike Fifield
P2 2 Meghan Wellner UT Brian Clark
P2 2 Paul Winterton UT Chris W. Santacroce
P2 2 Tianyi Zhao CA Jesse L. Meyer
P2 3 Sean Abel CO Johannes Rath
P2 3 Cody Adair CO Austin Fisher
P2 3 Prithvi Reddy Akepati NM Harry Sandoval
P2 3 Kalon Baird CA Christopher Grantham
P2 3 Siri Bakke CO Austin Fisher
P2 3 Ethan Ball AZ Manuel Seubert
P2 3 Maxwell Brand CO Austin Fisher
P2 3 Isabella Bussian CO Christopher Gulden
P2 3 Spencer Clark CO Mauricio Fleitas
P2 3 Jared Deaton CA Jordan Neidinger
P2 3 Nathan DeVader CA Emily Wallace
P2 3 Sterling Ellis AZ Chris W. Santacroce
P2 3 Robert Felts CO Johannes Rath
P2 3 Peter Ferraro CO Gregory Kelley
P2 3 Darryl File CA William Purden-Jr
P2 3 Kyle Fisher CO Austin Fisher
P2 3 Maya France CA Max Leonard Marien
P2 3 Dimitry Friedman CA Emily Wallace
P2 3 Kyle Ganzer CO Misha Banks
P2 3 Chandler Garrison CO Mauricio Fleitas
P2 3 Grzegorz Golba CO Mauricio Fleitas
P2 3 Joshua Grafton CO Austin Fisher
P2 3 Taylor Grafton CO Austin Fisher
P2 3 Dustin Held CA Christopher Gulden
P2 3 Kaitlyn Hilton CO Johannes Rath
P2 3 Chi Huynh CO Rio Mackey
P2 3 Keith Jahnke CO Misha Banks
P2 3 Jeff Johnson AZ Christopher Gulden
P2 3 Kyle Juszczyk CO Chad Uchino
P2 3 Joe Kalafut CO Misha Banks
P2 3 Rick Keffer NM T Lee Kortsch
P2 3 Saman Keshmiri CO Johannes Rath
P2 3 Troy Ketsdever CO Nathan Alex Taylor
P2 3 Jillian Kirchner CO Austin Fisher
P2 3 Evsei Kovalev CA Christopher Grantham
P2 3 Claire Kurschner CO Austin Fisher
P2 3 Aaron Lamar CA Christopher Gulden
P2 3 An Lan CA XING LIN
P2 3 Cason Lane CO Mauricio Fleitas
P2 3 Wyatt LaPage CO Johannes Rath
P2 3 Seth Livingston CO Johannes Rath
P2 3 Vanessa Logsdon CO Dustin Miller
P2 3 Patrick Lusk CO Mauricio Fleitas
P2 3 John McConnell CA William Purden-Jr
P2 3 Grant Riley McConnell CA William Purden-Jr
P2 3 Shawn meier CO Rio Mackey
P2 3 Daniel Melnick CA Christopher Grantham
P2 3 Matthew Miller CO Nathan Alex Taylor
P2 3 Rebecca Mozafaripour CA Ryan Patrick Kerschen
P2 3 Hitomi Sarah Naito CA Max Leonard Marien
P2 3 Brett Nelson CO Nathan Alex Taylor
P2 3 Esa Oittinen CO Rio Mackey
P2 3 Sean Jeremy Palmer CO Austin Fisher
P2 3 Andy Petersen CO Ernesto Martinez
P2 3 Cousteau Reinig CO Johannes Rath
P2 3 Brianna Roselles CO Austin Fisher
P2 3 Richard Rothery CO Misha Banks
P2 3 Jayden Simisky CO Austin Fisher
P2 3 Stephen Simpson AZ Chris W. Santacroce
P2 3 Aaron Sokolik CO Ryan Patrick Kerschen
P2 3 Alex Summers CA Christopher Gulden
P2 3 Sol Summers CA Christopher Gulden
P2 3 Alexa Taylor CO Austin Fisher
P2 3 Paden Tuggle CO Misha Banks
P2 3 Christopher Williams CO Mauricio Fleitas
P2 3 Douglas Williams II CA Jesse L. Meyer
P2 3 Nathan Willis CO Misha Banks
P2 3 Bryan Wilson CO Misha Banks
P2 3 Mason Woods CO Johannes Rath
P2 3 Magdalena Zimmermann AZ Chris W. Santacroce
P2 4 Gerard Biss FL David Hanning
P2 4 KaLeigh Biss FL David Hanning
P2 4 Stephen Boyle TN Alejandro Albornoz
P2 4 Alex Coslow GA David Hanning
P2 4 Ralph DeSimone VA Jonathan Jefferies
P2 4 Eder Espejo Jara GA Alejandro Albornoz
P2 4 Sandie Gaskins GA Chris W. Santacroce
P2 4 David Hanken MS David Hanning
P2 4 Chris Hipgrave NC David Hanning
P2 4 Peter Hull FL Andy Macrae
P2 4 Joanna Idlibi SC Jay Whiteaker
P2 4 Craig Kautsch TX Jonathan Jefferies
P2 4 Adam King AL David Hanning
P2 4 Adam Malcom VA Jonathan Jefferies
P2 4 Michael Miranda FL David Hanning
P2 4 Aatish Neupane TX Patrick Kelly
P2 4 Esteban Parchuc FL David Hanning
P2 4 Scott Presbrey FL David Hanning
P2 4 Jeffrey J. Shapiro VA Alejandro Albornoz
P2 4 Nathan Sprinkle NC David Hanning
P2 4 Jayme Stabel TN David Hanning
P2 4 Reilly Teigen GA David Hanning
P2 4 James Thompson NC David Hanning
P2 4 Tony Torres KY Steven Taylor Couch
P2 4 Jordan Winter KS Christopher Gulden
P2 4 Ludger Wocken DC Steven Taylor Couch
P2 4 Charles Wright FL Arias Anderson
P2 4 Joe Yeazitzis AL David Hanning
P2 5 Grace Bonson VT Paul Gurrieri
P2 5 Manuela Boyer Mestre PA Christopher Garcia
P2 5 David Coppola RI Patrick Johnson
P2 5 Jan Drgona MD Denise Reed
P2 5 Harold English CA Robert Black
P2 5 Zach Gordon UT Harry Sandoval
P2 5 Wenhao He NY Marcello M. DeBarros
P2 5 Max Kelderman WI David Hanning
P2 5 Peter Laing MI Ken W. Hudonjorgensen
P2 5 Nick Laroche MA William H. Gottling
P2 5 Megan Kymer Lutz NY Christopher Grantham
P2 5 Kory Markel MA Max Leonard Marien
P2 5 Pawel Mergist IL Jaro Krupa
P2 5 Devin Murray MA Ryan Patrick Kerschen
P2 5 David Plemons IN Jaro Krupa
P2 5 Oleksii Pshenychnyi IL Robert Black
P2 5 Brent Sheehan MA Salvatore Scaringe
P2 5 NATHANIEL SIMON PA Jesse L. Meyer
P2 5 Michael Soroka MD Andy Macrae
P2 5 Jacob Sourdiff VT William H. Gottling
P2 5 Luis Suqui NY Esau Diaz Guerrero
P2 5 Ryan Tangi Guam Christopher Gulden
P2 5 Franz Tavella CA Jesse L. Meyer
P2 5 Nathaniel Ward NJ Stephen Nowak
P2 5 Lindsay Wencel MD Andy Macrae
P2 5 Jiawen Zhang CT Salvatore Scaringe
P3 1 James Bialczak MT Andy Macrae
P3 1 Chris Blatchley WA Matt Senior
P3 1 Jonathan Brown WA William Pardis
P3 1 Dan Burton WA Denise Reed P3 1 Austin Chart OR Brad Hill
P3 1 David Christopher HI David Dexter Binder
P3 1 Rodger Duncan MT Jennifer Bedell
P3 1 Westy Ford WA Denise Reed
P3 1 Matthew Glass OR Matt Senior
P3 1 Samantha Hinckley WA Denise Reed
P3 1 Laura houghton OR Samuel Crocker
P3 1 Joshua Krohn WA Denise Reed
P3 1 Peter Landerholm WA Matt Senior
P3 1 Chad Nelson WA Matt Senior
P3 1 Peter Reinhardt WA Nathan Alex Taylor
P3 1 Jan Vandenkieboom WA Nathan Alex Taylor
P3 1 Gabriel Wicke WA Nathan Alex Taylor
P3 2 Laura Anderson UT Jonathan Jefferies
P3 2 Garrett Barclay CA Mitchell B. Neary
P3 2 Jackson Chou UT Dale Covington
P3 2 Cameron Digman UT Josh McVeigh
P3 2 Craig Evans CA Robert Black
P3 2 Johnathan Lomas NV Mitchell B. Neary
P3 2 Robert W. Maccione CA Robert Black
P3 2 Emre Olceroglu CA Robert Black
P3 2 Leo Parsley UT Jonathan Jefferies
P3 2 Jeremy Preedy NV Jeffrey J. Greenbaum
P3 2 Elaina Thornhill UT Stacy Whitmore
P3 2 Dylan Turner UT Jonathan Jefferies
P3 2 Loic WEI YU NENG CA Jesse L. Meyer
P3 2 Paris Williams UT Stephen J. Mayer
P3 3 Anthony Battaglia AZ Emily Wallace
P3 3 Norman Bloom NM T Lee Kortsch
P3 3 John Paul Bonn AZ Stephen Nowak
P3 3 Ian Burgess CA Emily Wallace
P3 3 Hannah Burnett CO Christopher Garcia
P3 3 Gunnar Cantwell CO Douglas Brown
P3 3 Victoria Castillo CA Emily Wallace
P3 3 Patricia Connor CA Christopher Garcia
P3 3 Giancarlo Dasilveira CA Emily Wallace
P3 3 Ryan Dossey CA Emily Wallace
P3 3 Brett Edgerly CO Misha Banks
P3 3 Chase Frantz CO Misha Banks
P3 3 Cierra gray CA Emily Wallace
P3 3 Alan Guthals CO Brian Doub
P3 3 Caleb Hobbs CO Stephen J. Mayer
P3 3 Will Jarvis CO Douglas Brown
P3 3 Srivatsav Kunnawalkam Elayavalli CA Emily Wallace
P3 3 Alex Lowe CA Emily Wallace
P3 3 Andrew Mariano CA Jordan Neidinger
P3 3 William McCarthy NM Kelly Myrkle
P3 3 Ryan Miller CO Christopher Garcia
P3 3 Utah Murray CO Misha Banks
P3 3 Albert Nazander CO Don Hillmuth
P3 3 Brendan OShea CA Emily Wallace
P3 3 Svend Axel Petersen NM T Lee Kortsch
P3 3 Andrew Petrash CO Dustin Miller
P3 3 Greg Reinhart AZ Charles (Chuck) Woods
P3 3 James Roberts CO Dustin Miller
P3 3 Miguel Solorio CA Marcello M. DeBarros
P3 3 Juan Jose Thomas Moreno CA Marcello M. DeBarros
P3 3 Mary Wilcox AZ Jesse L. Meyer
P3 3 Seneca Wolman CO David Kissane
P3 4 Wes Aycock TX David W. Prentice
P3 4 Brandon Brantley TX David W. Prentice
P3 4 Nick Carusi VA Gregory Kelley
P3 4 John Chamales TX Jonathan Jefferies
P3 4 Nickolas Conde FL Paul Gurrieri
P3 4 Marciano Correa FL Esau Diaz Guerrero
P3 4 Ben Dillon NC Thomas McCormick
P3 4 Austin Guthery AL Austin Kasserman
P3 4 Anandatirtha Nandugudi TN David W. Prentice
P3 4 Robert Plunkett TN Austin Kasserman
P3 4 Eduarda Rodrigues Souza GA David Hanning
P3 4 Dalvo Villela FL David Hanning
P3 4 Shichu Zhang KS Misha Banks
P3 5 Pablo Arias PA Chris W. Santacroce
P3 5 Thomas Bligh IL Matt Senior
P3 5 Patrick Bonson MA Paul Gurrieri
P3 5 Brent Bumgardner IN David Hanning
P3 5 Irfan Cinel MA Matt Senior
P3 5 Hadrien Dyvorne NY Zoe Sheehan Saldana
P3 5 Christian Eaton NH Salvatore Scaringe
P3 5 Dionatan firmino de souza MA Davidson Da-Silva
P3 5 Liam Hanson NH Chandler Papas
P3 5 Ashley Hefner MD Chris W. Santacroce
P3 5 Jardeson Nilvan PA Esau Diaz Guerrero
P3 5 Aleksey Panas VT Calef Letorney
P3 5 Benjamin Raley NH Calef Letorney
P3 5 Marcelo Souza MA Davidson Da-Silva
P3 5 Andrei Stuliy NJ Andrey Kuznetsov
P3 5 Ishan Tewari MA Mike Fifield
P3 5 Brendan Vaughn CA Jeremy Bishop
P3 5 Lucas Vieira PA Esau Diaz Guerrero
P3 5 Kevin Zeininger NY Thomas McCormick
P4 1 Ryan Kent WA Matt Senior
P4 1 Julian Larrea OR Kevin R. Lee
P4 1 Bronson McKinley WA Matt Senior
P4 1 Richard Rosman WA Matt Senior
P4 1 Mykyta Sokolov WA Andrey Kuznetsov
P4 1 Kenny Sokolowski WY Scott C. Harris
P4 1 Hiram thornton WA Christopher J. Pyse
P4 1 James Willis WA Matt Senior
P4 2 Michael Bobbe UT Chris W. Santacroce
P4 2 Denis Fitts CA Jason Shapiro
P4 2 Jason Moledzki UT Jeff Shapiro
P4 2 Raul penso UT Josh Waldrop
P4 2 Ghalhang Rai CA Jesse L. Meyer
P4 2 Ratesha Roberts UT Stacy Whitmore
P4 2 Christina Whittle CA Jesse L. Meyer
P4 3 Richard Amend CA Emily Wallace
P4 3 Charles Bell CO Matt Senior
P4 3 Lam Chi Keung CA Andrey Kuznetsov
NAA Encourages pilots of all levels of experience to set records. Dozens of records are established each year. Know the rules before you fly.
Your FAI Sporting license must be valid.
Your Official Observer must not only be a member of USHPA, they must be independent and not be perceived to have a conflict of interest.
Initial notiication of a record claim must be filed via the NAA web site within 72 hours of the attempt.
Learn more at naa.aero/records
P4 3 Chyna Denney CA Emily Wallace
P4 3 Robert Duvoisin CA Jordan Neidinger P4 3 Tom Lekan CO Misha Banks
P4 3 Steve Mayers CA William Purden-Jr
P4 3 Joshua Moore CA Christopher Garcia
P4 3 Aaron Morrissey CO Gregory Kelley
P4 3 Henry Palmaz CO Alejandro Palmaz
P4 3 Todd Quigley CO Christopher Garcia
P4 3 Eric Rasmuson CO Misha Banks
P4 3 Beat Rychener CO Johannes Rath
P4 3 Jim Sharpe CO Chris W. Santacroce
P4 3 Yurii Skrypnyk CA Jerome Daoust
P4 3 Orlando Suárez NM T Lee Kortsch
P4 3 Paul Yates CO Brian Doub
P4 4 Yandy Allende nunez FL Davidson Da-Silva
P4 4 William Byrum NC Alejandro Palmaz
P4 4 Baltazar Capela FL Alejandro Albornoz P4 4 Justin Crane NC Chris W. Santacroce P4 4 Melissa Hickson TN Thomas McCormick P4 4 Joe Horner NC Max Leonard Marien P4 4 Cory McDonald TX Steven Taylor Couch P4 4 Diego Patino GA Julian Carreno
5 Matthew Foster MA Peter Williams
5 Hiroaki Kobayashi OH Matt Senior
5 James Murphy IL Christopher Garcia
5 Cathleen OConnell MA Thomas McCormick
P4 5 Juan Sarria PA Joachim P. Roesler P4 5 Jose Sergio Werner CT Davidson Da-Silva
S2 2 Leo Parsley UT Jonathan Jefferies
S2 2 Sang Pham CA Jeff Katz
S2 3 Gunnar Cantwell CO Douglas Brown
S2 3 Will Jarvis CO Douglas Brown
S2 3 Miles Jones CO Jeremy Bishop
S2 3 Kelsey Lewis CA Jeremy Bishop
S2 3 Solomon Radlauer CA Jeremy Bishop
S2 3 Wesley Smiley CO Jeff Katz
S2 4 Bethany Greene FL Jeremy Bishop
S3 1 Erik Schnelle WA Jeff Katz
S4 4 Ian Cherteiny NC Jeff Katz
“Understanding both gliders a bit better can help all of us fly together with more mutual respect and safety.”
-Erika Klein
Hang gliders and paragliders flying together at the Point of the Mountain, Utah. Photo by RJ McKeehan
