Papalotes 2153 Vol 5 Issue 22 June-August 2019

JUNE-AUG 2019

_PAPALOTES 2153_ VOLUME 5 ISSUE 22 August 2019 Cover- The Moon Right- Johnny Thompson Over Wright Brothers Memorial Center Spread- Jerry Meibos Strawberry Reservoir Back Cover-Francis Rogollo Wind Tunnel Stencil Editor Note: Papalotes 2153 is a campaign to promote the growth of hang gliding and other endeavors of free flight aviation. Papalotes 2153 is NOT an company, organization, association, or corporation.

There are no officials, chiefs, directors, board members or annual elections. There are no club meetings, no membership renewals or fees. There are no ratings, sanctioned or unsanctioned competitions, or awards. There’s no points system or regulations. It’s not a Fly-In or skills clinic. It is not a report, network, Think Tank or facebook group. It is not government funded, crowd funded, or funded or a charity. It’s not a religion, or a “state of mind”. There are no admissions or initiations. It can not be bought or sold.

LANDING

Pull in

Push out

RUN!

What is PAPALOTES 2153?

Rumor has it that

in early high speed wind tunnel research it was determined that approx. three and a quarter times the speed

(Mach 3.25)

or 2,153 knots, of sound is probably too fast for a flexible wing.... ....inside Earth’s atmosphere

photo: NASA Langley Hypersonic wind tunnel

PILOT PROFILE

Johnny Thompson

Adv and Tandem Instructor and Examiner, Observer and Administrator, Tug Pilot, Certified Flight Instructor...

Found Flying mostly @ Cotton Gin Flight Park and Fly St. Croix as well as many other flying sites Home: Kill Devil Hills, NC Hang gliding since 1975 Current wing (besides Dragonfly and all Tandem gliders): Moyes Litesport

D ATA

Did you know the First Man on the

Moon flew a Rogollo Wing first?

Not only flew it but helped design and build it too.

The Parasev Wing Area: 179 Sq ft (16.6m2) Gross Weight: 600 lb (270 kg) Max Speed: 65 mph (100 km/h)

Neil Armstrong also a photographer

Armstrong eventually flew the Parasev in 1962, the same month he had joined the NASA astronaut corps. Gus Grissom AND Deke Slayton were other NASA pilots to fly the Parasev.

Even the Rogollo wing was not incorporated into the Gemini space flights Thompson and Armstrong demonstrated that a Rogollo wing could be fully pilotable. Less than 8 In 1961 Milton Thompson, a pilot and engi- years later Armstrong walked on the Moon. neer at Edwards Air Force base and inspired

by Francis Rogollo himself, Recruited Neil It’s a little sad that 50 years later there hasn’t Armstrong to help him build a Rogollo-Gem- been too much more progress in human flight, but aviation is more accessible to evini test vehicle. It was called the Parasev. eryone than ever before. So as we look back The first aircraft was built mostly from parts and recognize the incredible feat of landing found laying around the Air Force base, and on the moon let’s remember that the First from chalk lines drawn by Thompson and Man was also one the early pioneers of hang Armstrong on the workshop floor. It cost gliding and Free Flight. about $5000, so similar to that of a modern hang glider today.

Milton Thompson was the first to test fly the aircraft first towed behind a truck and then behind an airplane. In fact Neil Armstrong was one of the early tow pilots.

Learn more Links: Smithsonian The Flying Tricycle Vintage Space

In the L Z

Fly until sunset