USHGA Hang Gliding July 1978 by US Hang Gliding & Paragliding Association

JULY 1978$1.50

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end $4.95 per shirt plus S 1.00 per shin for postage & hand ling. Send check or mone y order to Aerie Design . P.O. Box 36. Asheville. C 28802.

EDITOR· Gil Dodgen ASSIST ANT EDITOR LAYOUT & DESIGN: Jonie Dodgen SfAFf PHOTOGRAPHERSA Allen. Le roy Grannis. Be ttino Gray Stephen M c c a rroll

ISSUEN0. 66

CONTRIBUTING EASTERN EDITOR: Poul Burns

Hang Cliding

OFFICESTAFF MANAGER Carol Velderroln Janet Meyer (Ad vertising). Wendi Tuttle (Membership), Kit Skradski (Renewals) Amy Gray [Hong Ra ti ngs) USHGA OFFICERS· PRESIDENT Lloyd licher VICE PRESIDENT· Dennis Pogen SECRETARY· Jon Cose TREASURER· Alex Duncan

CONTENTS FEATURES

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE Lloyd L,cher Alex Duncan Jon Case USHG A REGIONAL DIRECTORS REGION 1 Joy Roser. M ichael Pringle REGION 2 Jon Co se. Wa lla ce And erson REGION 3: Tom M ilkie. John Lake. M icha el Riggs REGION 4 Lucky Compbelt. Ken Koerwitz. REGION 5 none REGION 6 Jim WIison REGION 7: Thomas Haley. Ron Chrislenson. REGION B· Don McCa be. REGION Q Denn;s Po gen, Bob Mo rtin REGION 10 Dick Heckma n. Jero ld Welc h REGION 11 David Broyles. REGION 12 Craig Ma vis, Horry Sudwischer DlRECTORS-AT-LARGE REGION 1 Alex Duncan REGION 2• Lloyd Ucher REGION 7 Dovtd Anderson REGION 10 John Horns HONORARY DIRECTOR Hugh Morton EX-OFFICIO DIRtCTOR of USHGA as we ore a d ivfslon of NAA Vic Powell CIVL DELEGATE: Horry Robl;). The Un1led Stoles Hong Girding ASSOCIOlion, Inc., Is a d ivision o f the No l lonol Ae ro na utic Assoclalion (NAA) whic h 1s the o fficial U S representative of the Federo lion Aeronouliqlle ln!ernolionole (FAIJ, the world governing body for sport ov,otlon The NAA. whic h rep resents the U.S a t FAI m eetings. hos d elegoted to lhe USHGA supervision of FNreloted hong gliding activi ties such as record attempts and compefil1on sonct,ons HANG GUDING ma gazine ts pvbhsheo 1or hong glid lr,g 5r,or1 en1hvs,o<~ lo ,:rPole lu rir,e, tn1e,es1 ,n lhP spor1. by o mean~ 01 o pen commun1co11r,n

o nd lo ad ;onco tioflg QIIOir,<:, me1h0d~ onct ,;olefy Con1r,buho n s ore welcom n Anvone ,~ 1nv1leo 10

con lribu1e a rllc le~. pholos onu ,11us1to llor,s conce1n1n1;i hong gliding ochvlt1e, 11 lh(> moler,o l 15 10 ,,., ral.,mad. o stomped ~ell-odor<,,>ed 101utn envelope musl be enciosoo HANG GLl~NG mo go11ne resetves lhe ng h1 lo ed•l contr1o ut1ons where neces,ory lrm As,.,c1a w:1~ and publt,;n hon do not ossl.Jr/>e res~•ons101litv lot the ma1eno l r.tt Of ·Inion\ 01 COl'llrll'.l\Jlor< HAN"- GUDIMG m0Jo/1ne 15 p u l,hshed mon1hty t>v Iha Unlleo Sro1es · Yong G110,ng Assoc,a11on Inc whose rr,n ,llng o dore$s ,s P tJ Box 66306 Los Angeles Coll! 90066 and whose olflces o re •ocored 0 1 11312' · Vttr.rce 8111'1 L •, Ac,geles Calif 00066 IPl"phonP (2 13J 390 .1065 Second· c1o ss p ,sla qe ,s pa,d 0 1l,?s Ar,getes Calli HANG ,l IDING mogmlne ,s pr,nt@ct b y S,ncloir Prir kg II l•l~o Alhambra Cai.I Th1> L1Sl-1GA 15 o ml"mh e, con trolled edu o l1onot ond souan l1llr o rg':l"11ar1on de(l,co•ed to e,µ 1oi1ng ou ra cets 01 u 1110 ight lllghl Memoe,srr,p IS open to ocvoue interested ,n ltw ren1m ol ,11gn1

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mem be,sh,r:, 0 ,0 S20 rer veo• (S21 tor torelgr> 1Jdd1<>sses1. \Usc11pt,of't :ate\ o•e S15 tor one veo, S26 lor 11110 veo«. 536 tor lhree /OO!S An ,ntrOduc 101y s,x-monlii l r1ol 1s o vallOb e fo, S7 50 Ctio nges of o doress st>ould no sent s,x We<'>ks on od,n<iee ,ncluctlng n('Jrne USHGA men,b e,,mp n umber p m v101is ono new odd r.,,s O'ld o mo111ng IObal frorn a ,.,.cent ,ssue

12 13 18 24 27 33 39 40 45 53

FLYING IN ITALY by the Delta Flrenze Club FLYING IN NEW ZEALAND by John Walls CONDO SOARING by Jeff James HANG GLIDING IN by Bert Olson SOUTHEASTERN WASHINGTON KNOXVILLE EASTER 1978 FLY·IN Article and photos by Paul Burns THE LOOKOUT WINDOW by Doris Walker HAWK'S PORTAL by Jon Bastian IN THE SKY: Part Two RECENT DEVELOPMENTS IN HARNESS DESIGN by Peter Rost! ACCIDENT REVIEW: LEVELING byR.V. Wills OUT ON FATALITIES TECHNIQUE TIP: FLYING THE SOARMASTER by Larry Newman

DEPARTMENTS 6 6 15 16

20 52

58 64 67

ULTRALIGHT CONVERSATION INDEX TO ADVERTISERS CALENDAR USHGA CHAPTER NEWS edited by Bill Allen NEWS AND NEW PRODUCTS CARTOONS by Jackie Duggan CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING STOLEN WINGS FLYI NG BULL by Bill Allen

COVER: Silty Armour soaring Manta 's new double-surface Fledge II al Fort Funston, Son Francisco, CA. Photo b y Le roy Grannis. CONSUMER ADVISORY: Hano Gilding Mogozlne and USHGA, Inc., do not endorse o r toke any responsibility for the products advertised or mentioned edilorlolly within these pages. Unless speclflcolty explained, performance figures quoted In advertising are only estimates. Persons considering the purchase of a glider ore urged to study HGMA stondords. Copyright © United Stoles Hong Gilding Assoclotton. Inc. 1978. All rights reserved to Hang Gliding Magazine and lndlvtduol contributors.

DELTA WING

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The HIGHSTER design is a formulation that dates all the way back to September 1975! Back then, Mike Giles, owner and cksigncr of HIGHSTER AIRCRAFT succssfuUy adapted the PRINCETON THEORY Co a hang glider ... made wind tunnel tests , .•and then built a production model which has been a\'ailahle since April 1977. At the heart of his wing is a uniquely designed 90% DOUBLE-SURF ACED Sail ... enclosing the cross-spar • . . which utilizes pre-shaped ribs for both top and bottom surface! The HIGHSTER 164 airfoil gives you the immediate rol[-response you need ... low stall speed with a parachute mode ... floating truncs .. . positi,•e pitching .. . high speed capability .• . penetration for cxtendM 1./D ..• and a balanced 50/50 yaw-roll coupling. Some people will talk about bringing you the future ... GET IT NOW ... from HIGHSTER AlRCRAFT. HIGHSTER-pron•n design innovationwith a reason!

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nobody had lho11ght of ii before. The logical possibility or a low alt'ilmlc crash safety device inlrignecl me, along with !'actual data l'rn111 R,V, Wills, abonl low allilude accidenls. l thought about lhc conccpl for awhile and then decided to write a letter lo Rocket Research Company, manufactmer of' :mlornohik crnsh inflatable air bags, I requested any lighl they could shed on Ilic subject and this was 1hcir reply, "The siluation problems yon have clescribecl in your lcltcr and your idea of how 10 alleviate these problems is leclmically feasible. However, I believe the design and dcvclopmcnl cosls involved wo11ld be prohibi1ivc, The automobile crash restrain! syslcms Wl: have developed arc technically more simple am! many millions have been spent by incl11stry on the dcvclopmcnl " J,J, Galbreath Dircclor ol' Marketing Still, the idea has merit and maybe in lhc ruturc, the demand ror low :illiludc safely measures will outweigh lhc supply, Until then, just be careful when inilialing low allilll(le maneuvers, Ron Cady Tacoma, Wa,

Dear Editor, The Flying For Fun gallery at the National Air and Space Musc11111 i1 being assembled, Two hang gliders will lie among the items clisplayecl, an Lipper Cumul11s 10 and a Valkyrie, When this picture was taken, March 31, 1978, the overhead displays had just !Jcrn hung, Shown in the picture is the Fippcr, and lo the rear is the Valkyrie. Above is one of the two sailplanes cxhibi1ed, The gallery is the far west end DI' the building and is visible fro111 011tside ol' the building, The Fippcr sail is 11mlli ·rnlorcd and should prove lo catch visitor allcntion as won as the main con, course ol' the lmilding is entered, It is also one of the few full-hcighl galleries, Schednlcd to he dis played arc hang gliders, sailplanes, paracln11c model aircrafl, rrisbccs, boomerangs, kites, etc, Mnsc11m curnlors expccl it 10 be one of the mosl popi!lar galleries, Ekvcn million people wcnl lhrough the museum in 1977, li is the most popu lar a11raction in Washingl011, Hang gliding should get a good boost from iL hll'thcr, l believe being m1 display with historic aircraft will add to hang gliding's image and rcspcclabilily. I've bccu talking wilh museum personnel since the l';1cility opened lo have Jiang gliding displayed, 'Tho,sc who wrote in response lo my plea f'o1 kiters c:111 take crcdiL The gallery is scheduled to open M:1y 15, Sincerely, Vic Powell

Dear Fditor, With the recent trend toward motorized hang gliding, several new problems arc emerging, Foremost, the glider pilot am! the motorized pilot now find they becoming antagonists, The conflict arises mainly due to public backlash and limited facilities, Many glider pilots, myself inclndcd, feel the 11101 orizcd phc11ome11011 is jeopardizing mnch or what has been ,1ccornplishccl in public acceptance, With tile advent of power, it appears the sport must painfully repeat its lro11bkd infancy, The implications or another era of lcsling by the aver, pilot arc obvious, Parallel lo the possibility of damaging hang gliding's hard earned credibility is 1hc concern of preserving f'lying sites, All those i11volvcd motori1,cd hang gliders are ·msuff'tc'1cntly tested and too noisy. The precarious availability of many flying siles could be unalterably denied because or motorized hang gliding. Therefore, 1 propose that every orµaniza1ion involved in managing a site adopl a policy of preservation and restrict Ihe use ol' powered era i'f. Gliders need Io launch l'rnm high places, Motorized hang gliders do noL I he mountains and ridges lo those who prefer lo fly without power Leave the mo10ri1cd contingent 10 their own (not our) rcsourTcs, Mark Hauschild

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N Dear Editor,

Dem Editor,

Several rnonlhs ago, Hang (;fiding magazine published an interesting article by Tony R11si, Tiger Min. Wa, on pilot carriablc inl'Jatablc air bags. rl1c idea struck me as odd, because

rhc Spiril Club of Elmira is holdint; meet, our rirsl in two Aug. and 6. We have been succer,sful in oh1aining backing from local radio slation and the station has hopes

HANG GLIDING

1978 CATA!.OG

or promoting an annual meet in om area. Because we have so many unrated flyers in our area we have decided to hold this year's mccl as an unsanctioned cvcnl 10 allow umatcd rlycrs lo compete. We hope to have a purse 01· over $1,000 and radio sta lion WFLM has already donated $900 for pri1c money. Tile site for the meet is slightly over 400 ft. with a11 easy launch. Free camping will be provided by our club al the l:rnnch site. Because of the low altitudes involved, events will probably be limited lo lime aloft and spot landings. The 1':lmirn area has long been a favorite of sailpl:rnc enthusiasts, who fly al I larris Hill, a premier sailplane site. We hope om meet will promote lhc rag wing pilots as intelligcnl sports· men. We have cslahlishcd the respect of 1hc sailplaincrs at Harris l lill, :rnd our members frequently share thermals with them, but hang gliding can use all the good press we can get. Club members arc putting a 101 of time and effort into h:1ving a good meet, and club president Chip Van I lorn and lrcasurer Reid C,oodman will he losing a Joi of sleep over the ll('XI few months to put things logclhcr. Elmira is only ahoul an hoi1r', drive from l!yncr, Pa., and Nationals competitors will be welcome 10 wind down :1r1er a tough week all lyncr View Tom Dodge Member, Free Spirit HG Club

will not do unless PROPFRL Y 11ESICNFD." It is possible to properly design a flat plate mount, bul using go earls is a poor example. Just witness the fatigue problems lhcy incur with broken clamps, broken brackets, clc. Also witne" the broken nrnfflcrs and throttle clamps 011 some rlat plale engine inslallatiom on ullralight aircraft. True, these arc succcssf'ul installations, bul successful is a relative word. I can succcssl't11ly hang a pic111rc by driving a spike through the center of ii or by properly hanging it with the hook provided. Both cases arc successful in that the picture is hung, but one mclhocl is preferred. Since I was designing an aircraft mount, I chose to use aircrafl mclhocls; not gocarl methorb when considering my design. (Sec Fi\/\ P11blica· lions: "Tips on Aircr:1fl Fatigue," "Cuslolll i\in:raf't Engines" Vols I and and "Designers <.uidc 011 Vibration, Shock, Noise, Co111rol and Motion Accommodation," published hy Lord Kinematics). I have not seen Larry's 111011111 for his Fagle! but if it is designed as well as his airplane is I'm s11rc it has been properly clesigncd. I hope I have clarified a few things in this reply and have OJll' request lo make. Ir anyone is inlcrcslcd in the data on our unit in rcgar 1ls to 11:ilural frequency, crilieal frequency and vibralio11 attc11ua1io11, send a scJf..addresscd stamped envelope to C< iS for a copy of this data. Incidentally, while you arc at it, :1lso write to the rial plate manufac l!lrcrs for their data in this rcgmd. Hang On and Fly Safe, Cl flJCK'S C,l .IDFR SUPPLIES Chuck Slusarczyk, Pres.

Dear Fdilor,

•

WINDHAVEN HANG GLIDING SCHOOLS, INC. Fernando Rd. Sylmar, CA 91342 12437 NAME ADDRESS .. CITY

Just a kw lines in response to l ,arry l laig's lcltcr lo the editor in lhc May issue of Hang Gliding, concerning my power pack article in the :vi arch issue. Virst, I apprccialc his kind words and am glad he enjoyed the article. Secondly, l would like to respond to the two points he brought 0111. When writing an article 01· 1his lypc, possibly 90°/o of lhc readers would be bored to dcalh with a highly tcclmic:11 prcscnlatirn1 filled with formulas and terms like "frequency ml io, damping coefficient, ampli ricat ion, at ten. 11ation, feed through, etc." Unfortunately, analogicc; must sorncl imcs be used. It was 1101 my intent to mislead, but graphically dc111onstra1c the difference bc1wcc11 two systems of 111om1ting. Larry's stalcmcnl in regards lo amplitude halving and frequency doubling is e;;scntially corrccl, lml, like analogies, ii also is misleading without further cxplanalion. Y011 can rest assured thal the natural freq11cncy of om engine mounting system is well below thal of the normal frequency of the normal operating range of lhc engine. Our 111ou111i11g system is by definition a sort one. llcc:111sc it doesn't sl1akc like jcllo when 1ouchcd, ii doesn'I alter lhe f:ict that ii is slill a soft system. Bonded rubber sprin/!S (lord mounts) of the type used IJy myself and the flat plalc manufacturers arc stiff in one direction and soft in a11011icr 11101rntinp 011 only one plane, one might make supposedly soft system ;i hard one in another plane. This where design is important Which brings me Ill my next poinl. Concerning my '1atcment "Just ho Iting to a flat plate will not do," I probably should have qualified the statement by saying "jusl bolting lo a lbt plate

Dear Editor, There is a chance that Escape Country will be opened again as a flight park. All the dream needs is a little support, our support. Unfortunalcly for us, the world goes on despite hang gliding. I ,anding areas become developed, roads to launch areas become 4·whccl and worse, fire season closes many sites, people litter, people start fires, people cause traffic problems, lawsuits, . , , insurance , .. and the list goes on ... and the sites arc gone. The time has come and gone when we can denounce flight parks as unnecessary and capital· ist ic. They arc havens and deserve the support of the flying commmlity. 111 Southern California the loss is still being felt since Escape Country was forced lo close. perfect beginner, intermediate, and expert site was virtually given away through lack of support, and it is impossible to cxaggernl e the need for safe beginner and intermediate rlying Maybe this is I he I imc when hang glider pilots, corrnmmity, will pull together for the benefit of lhe sport. This nol one of those times when we can sit back and let lhc energetic few carry the load. flyer must believe in dreams .. and here is one that can come true with a little support. If you and to do something aboul ii, HANG GLIDING

Country, Tmwrite: Jim Robinson huco Canyon, Calif. 92678. Let him know how you f'ccl. Voice your support for hang gliding and for its fut me. Please take 1he time, it's important! Barry Gordon

Dear Editor, l just finished rcadine "Safety Forum" in the May issue or Hang Gliding and must take strone exception to the article by Mike Meier, Good Instruction May he Dangerous. It would have been a good article if he hacl started with the third paragraph and had changed the title to something like "If you're a turkey, it's your own fault." To imply that if yon get into trouble because .. you won't be listening" to yom instructor, in some way the result of his instruction, totally ludicrous. In addilion, it demeans the nrnny l'i11c prof'cssional instrnctors across the country, and just might lead some aspiring bird man to try and leach himself. i\l'tcr ,.111, isn't it a logical progression that if " the harder vou work al it, Ilic more likely vou arc to end up a slalistic one ' that self instruction must be the best way 10 keep l'rom grtting in over your hr:ad'i l'crsonally, I have no desire to go hack to the day', when you found out about 360° turns and stalls hy slamming yom body into a mouniain. (iood inst met ion precisely wh:.11 will keep st udcnts from linv. into situations where the go.for-its overcome good judgment If you don't listen to his advice, ii smc isn't his fault I believe that thl' inslrnctors ol' !his country :ire clue an apology.

Dick Kurt; Fditor, the Fl OCK!·R

Dear f'dit or,

top-quct!ity cotton blPnd & will not shrink

In no way did mean to imply that the in structor is to blame because former student rails to good judgment Nor did I mean to imply thal sclf,im.truction prcf'crnblc to lcarnin~ from a compc1cn1 professional. I had assumed that everyone by now had rcali;,cd tlrnt either of these assertions is ahs11rcl. Thi,; was, pcrllaps, a poor assumption. My article was 1101 written for instruc10rs, nm dircctccl al them, and 10 any who have taken offense or reel demeaned by it, l certainly apologi1.c. In writing lhl' article l was, in part, expressing my own l'ruslrntion an instruclor, at being 1m·

:1blc to teach the skills of caution ancl good judgmenl as easily nnd cffec1ivcly as I have been able to teach 1hc technical flying skills. I had hoped that by making a completely absurd and 0111 ra)!cons opcninµ statement (my original title frn lhc artick was, "Your Hang Gliding Instructor Is Going To Kill You!"), l would be able to get someone's attention and induce them to try to figure 0111 exactly what it was l was 1ryinµ to sav. I still believe that today's more competent and professional instruction, co11plccl with the easv advancement into soaring offered by tocla/s high-performance trainers, is creating a serious safety problem. The solution dol·sn't lie in a ret11rn to self teaching in 1hc old standards, b11t in somehow making new pilots aware of the potential dangers and the need for exercising good judgment. This was the intent of my article. I could indeed have started with the third paragraph as you suggest, b11t my father used to say," First, you've gol to get their attentio11." Mike Meier

Dear Fditor, a means or advancing lhc science and art of flapping wing flight (ornithoptry) we a1111oum-e I lie following aw:ml. The cash prin: offered i1 only a 11ominnl one - c11011gli to buv material, if the cnlrant wants to build a device. The real reward will he lite pleasure of helping ma11kind lo reach this long sta11ding goal. The award will be an annu;tl pri;c of $100 plus a trophy (The Flap Happy Award) for the greatest co111rihution 10 the art and science of' flappin[! wing l'ligltt rl1c sta11r'i of' entries ,h of I each vcar will receive the comidcrntion of' the judges, altl1011glt priority mav be ci,tablished by no1ice received at anytime. i\w:nds will he an11011nccd Dec. I !'he entry m:1y be a device built and/or rcvcalccl, a patent applied for, a paper published, a record attained, an organi1ation l'ormccl, etc. rite donor onlv reserves the right to publici;c any ent to impire others. We will cooperate with al\Y indivicl11al or group trying to solve the problc1m or !'lapping wing l'light. Our articles in Grmmrl Skimmer, .Tulv 1976, aml in Sport Aviation, August 1976, mav be rnmultcd in this regard. On Stmt!ay, Julv 30, 1978 at HUO the donor will give the fourth annual forum on Flapping Wi11g Fligltl at the ( ·onvcntion of the r·:speri· mc11tal Aviation ;\"ociation at Oshkmh, Wisconsin. Walter Carnahan

Dear hlilor, The schccl11lccl Mitchell Wing Meet l'or tht· Bishop area of California has been moved to i\uy11st 19 and 20 in the Hemet, Calif. area. The meel will be organi1ed and directed by Mitchell Wing of Southern Calif President Brad White. He can be conlacted at (714) 997-7405.

M Company HANG GLIDING

•••

chine." quite u11succcssful killed,

At that tirne Kevin Wilson the Waikato Club look off and after out numt~rnus it was decided lo abandon t ion and allow Ron Hanley in Nimbus was Cirst off and after cloud turned and headed dow11wind. radio those in the take·o ff cont roller

ated

over the the kite

However, because of wrong or missed turns around the

US,

started downwind from

headed downwind. Tim Snow, how and off down Middle Road after them Ron and Rob had lm1ded at the side of the road the time arrived at a st linedistanccof7.8km(43/8 and 8.4 km (5 1/8

cloud street lift was encountered downwind both of' them were

from the then shimmering in the late afternoon sun, shine. After together in an isolated Terry Delore and thermal to

and Murray able maintain several small 1hermals for 10 minutes before Class I then to fly

the gale at utilize any maneuvers and spot Todd was f'irs1 off

don Pilots rushed back to the take-off but the above 10 to country. eondi1ions to the

task no one then commenced the same task, but with 1he seven fliers required to round, had to be abandoned because wind switch mack unsafe. Of those who the task Rick Poynter made l 360° turns··-sevcn more than anyone else and Daigncaull su l'fered a sail collapse downwind after around the last dis1anee marker-after re· eovery his pace hack to the fault line was far more sedate!

Air

,IULY D 10, I owinq Clinic 1.1,;ino new winct1

131'11

m Ha11cJ 111 Wriqlil Bm

inq clinic,

1hurs 751t1 /\nn1ve:rsary

Orville Wriqlit 1911 Orvillu

Snaqull Motor

clinic fly in

rado, f111rd A11111,al lal,or IJ:1y iu'1 Fly 1,, Cruf>t>-Cour 1 try JULY I Fourtl1 An111111I July 4th Off1c1al Compnt1t1on, f-lrc>rnq1strat1on Fleqtiirud

Ilea[)

1'.J 8- 20, Worncr,,ln, (FOi Women

TN :l/401

Utn::;;1

,n Con1unct1011 w1ti1 Haer,

tlw

Hollowenn Costume Fly-lr1: Un11suill cnmpnt1t 1rn1

AUG US I

Moail World lnv1tat1ur1,ll Hanq To11mamont, Monll Utal1

Snrrnnar wllh

Pilots of l1<Jl1tor W1r1q l11ad111q r;uas1on)

tflu

" iahilily Relief" (2,3/78 issue) or Regardless of your own convictions, jmlicc, or common sense, 1hc courts lrnvc sel precedent that landowners responsible !'or all activilics on their property, There co1111tlcss ridiculous examples of pcr1011s suing the land, owner for injuries which arc entirely the fa11lt of Ilic lrcspasscr The comls arc essentially saying lhat the landowner has the obligalion lo make his properly safe for such activities or prevent them from occurring on his property, in the it11eres1 o/ !he persons participaling in !he aclivily, Pressure ,::rn lw brought to bcm 011 clccled judges and lcgislalor1 10 correct this injustice, One measure a new bill (California Assembly AB 1241) lo extend lhc current law protccling l:mdowncrs from ,;uch suits (Civil Code 846), This new bill extends prolcctio11 to landowners who allow use of their properly for lactivilics i11cl11di11g winter sporls aml] could be amended lo spcciri present form it] cally include hang glidi11g, fin has passed Ilic Assembly and sitting in a cubbyhole, "Thv Sylmar Landing Rome Dodson issue) During lhc past several the landinp al Sylmar, Ca,"-, "thermal capitol of lhc world" -has been relocated lwicc and we arc now facing slill anolhcr cviclion [Goes on to explain letter campaign and promises SI IGA's conlinucd efforts toward "pinning down once and for all a Svlm:ir Flighl Park can call our ow11, eel .J "Prcsidcnl's Rcporl" by Tom Milkic (5,78 issue) I recently liacl 1hc opport11flity 10 at1cnd meeting or 1hc Certific:1tion Committee of the Valle, Tom 11(,MA, II appears lhat and Bob Keeler have clone an cxcelknl job in getting 1hc certification program going, and 1he ma1111facturcrs really putting a lot of efl'orl inlo completing the 1es1ing, Almost every manu, facturcr was represented and showed films of flighl and vehicle lcsls [requiring! cxtcmivc wmk and lhc of many a glider Fxccpl for an cxcdlcnl presentation by Mania on 1hcir new fledge tho11gh, lhc rigid wing 111:11111facturcrs were noticeable by their absence, The ccrtit'ication rcq11irc111c11Ls arc not wri11c11 exclusively for flex wings, and some rigid wing companies arc rar more capable or certification program than some of lhc lkx wing m:rn11fac., tmers who l1avc ob1ai11cd ccr1il'icalirn1, I hope that thc,,e m:mufacturcrs will begin to take an inlcrcsl in the program

"Local (iliclcr Shops: Riches or Rags" by Donald i\poclaca ( 5, 78 issue) Do you want 10 1rn1kc money ras1'> Then don't open a hang glider shop, Al least thal i.s the en mens us or I he ,ire a hang glider shop m:magcrs and owners I talked to recently, Besides the 11smli delay in any small hll',incss out of the red, hang glider shops mmt contend wi1h slow deliveries, damaged Iraining gliders, seasonal host of oilier major inclement weather and and minor problems 1ha1 all add up to more debits, less credit,, 01' course after an initial six months to a of set ting up business and keeping Ilic wolf 1·rom the door, those shops that do survive can do q11ilc well According to Dick Snyder, owner of Sports, hang gliding currcnlly growing al !00 1'1o a year, so future growlh possibilities :ire cxccllc11t And or course 011cc a shop's doors open lhcrc nolhing to keep it frorn hrnnching into olhcr fields, Perhaps Bird Builders Shop is Ilic hcsl example or lhis lactic; their Malibu store currcnlly ,;ells ocean kayaks, lwo-linc scoot kilcs and ,shirts, and ac:t11ally makes more money from these supplcmc11tal divcrsirications than from lrnng gliding. Some factors more important than products, l1owcvcr Trip Mellingcr's shop at the fool ol' Sylmar, and John Ballantyne\ branch or tl1c So, Calif. School of Hang C,liding near Playa dcl Rev arc lmlh excellent examples of what real eslate cxpclls say is lhc number one more imporlant faclor involving property value location, Since each hang glider business is an entity to itself I contaclccl several local shops to obtain first hand inl'ormation. Overall business seems to be good, but with definite ups and downs, But if you arc thinking of jumping into 1he business yourself, perhaps you should l'irst conternpl:.11c the words of John Ballantyne: "Opening ,1 hang glider shop financial suicide." !Ballantyne crn11mcuts furthcrl "It wo1ild be' almost impossible to start into , unless you have some this business j11s1 cold 1rick,-,Jike being al right location." Offering some advice to would ,be hang glidinp, ent rcprcneurs, Dick Snyder comments the Small i\dminislration has clone a lot of research, and, according Io I heir stalistics, small shouldn't cxpccl to break in :my given 1110111h until after the l81h monllL llowevcr I would expect that well,nm hang glider business should be able lo pay off its debt,; totally and be back to break even ground 011 a cmi111lativc basis al the end of lhc 24th to 30111 monlh, and should break even on a monlhly basis by lhe 12th 111011111,'' "Minutes of Board Meeting" (5,78 issue) Mike Kelsey of lnl:rnd !LG.I\. met with city officials i11 San Bernardino, regarding a new

law ba1ming hang glidi11g within cily limits. Idea by Bill We could get a lot of free mecl in 1984 during, Ilic publicity if we held Olympics l1crc in

(two letters direct

I !G)

I l'l:ms were well underway for the Condors 2nd Annual FJy,a,I hon in late May al Labrador with pilols Pond Cam psi I cs near Tully, bringing donations, pledges, or entry fees for Ilic Retarded 'hildrcns Assn , c(LJ Last year 30 pilots and friends raised $1,500 [and hadJ good 1m:" coverage, large numl,crs ol' spectators, some good soaring and a lot of fun,

Hif~hlamls, MA 02161

Until/rd

78 iss11e)

The Connecticut !L(LA. helmet pro, gram is now in effect, !Is purpose is to idcntil"y piloh having adcquale rlying proficiency ror each sile and who know t lie land owner's or manager's site use rC'quire111c111s. The CHCiA Board elected six people to distribute lhc slickers, Each is an active pilol and is familiar with the silc, You musl have a sticker to fly al Brace Min,, Race Mtn., Talcotl Min,, Mcridan West Peak and Walker HilL With the exception of Walker, open only fm observation of Hang Rating tasks and glider lrimming, all siles arc classilkd as high allitudc USl!(iA Hang rating minimum required, You must show a valid ( ISHGA Hang Ra1i11g card 10 oblain a sticker and pre, sentation of log book may be required "[ifl & Sink" (:l,7R im1c) To anyone contcmplaling a trip 10 Chaltanooga: By wriling to Airspace, Inc. al P,O. Box 886, ( 'lrnttanooga, Tenn, 3740 I, you can oblain a free hook lei entitled "Pilots Ciuicle to Lookout

Mounlain " Airspace is :1lso offering advance rcgistrnlion by mail Across the valley al the Crystal Jiliglit Resort (Raccoon Min,), Dave Braddock recently a site record of with a Moyes Midi, Don McCabe informs 11s 1ha1 Ml Cranmore (No. Conway, N.!L) aboul 10 undergo a change of ownership and managcmcnl, Herb Schneider !whose falhcr brought alpine skiing to the from just before WW II ed.] has been very friendly with hang gliding over the years but is going to sell 0111

HANG GLIDING

Nu1c,'" ( ,liding 011 Aptil

011' fc:1rkssly in ,J;1,hcd by ,aholcm Sh:1u11 ,orn1 ,afclv rL·,1clwd lrickv control l,;1r \\Olk, Ilic pnnmd al1c1 ,huwinp the t'ilm rnakn\ gn,111>1 ch:illc-111•1· hang pliding lol)k hopelc•;,lv difli J101Clllltil Cl)J1[e,1a111, llll(l/rn ,pu.'li\lOI\ fm the 1978 N:11io11;ih, 1 :1 lica111irul t1 I I hc I of I he

rnllo, :md into llw membership file which previomly impcrvio11S lo w111hc1ic comp1rumh 1ml j11\I co11ld11'1 hold IIJ) IO l\J:11urnl', Jellv, and tn make lo11p vhorl, vognrl vaved, 11111 ,omconc al1' the rile: box and nihbcr 'clamp pad (colorl'd him·). 1'11c culprit ha, blue mo111h a11d flea in lhat order know who clt1b would like to hy 1!11,;,c whose duce. to do so. Remember, llicrc'c; something 1llll llicrc a flc:1 collar hrc:11ltirw hli1c ink reading Rollim, and l'illcd wi1l1 yom address a11d telephone

I Iv a Tho11 Wrnp-llp" hy Jun lla,1 i:m 78 iss11e)

,upi11c hul I er

pri1c. Thi, real Iv the liP,I hang gliding at Ilic motrnlain of :111v lir,1 flew here ;1 ,,hml IO tire lop hv 1'1 climb 10 from the l:mdinv. co111c,1 was, ,imply one ol clma1io11 a11d ,pol lanrli1w. Malcolm lone, h:1d Ilic poi111 Iola! :md lhc lonµcvl i'lighl l'qd1i11v, Scan M11lli1'.i\11 aml Al ( ·opcrlino [a principal 01 \vllo'->c name mi',vpclled i11 Ilic ,·tLJ ,lwrccl lhc Bill JU vi 111i"l'd tile pa1 king !01 lalc on Salunlav :md i1110 Ille pond, 1111d l<ay111011d vhowcd thal ii clirnli d,m 11 i'ro111 Ilic

in the parking 101 and much 1hank, dl!e Ilic 1:1dio kndcr, 1111d I he biggc,1 111othe1 of 1hcrn all, Na1111c.

7H iYYuc) ;1111101111ced thal Shop :ii lll:mch:m.! will 1101 he opened I hi, [relornlcd IO Wilton, N. cd and illill tile wil Ii 1he ,ki 1111ld, Dun';iahk, being workt:d

Thon chair· Thirly-fivc piloh t1111chcd rlow11 i11 llw l:rndi11µ :m:a, J'ivc walked :1rcrn11d Ilic knee, t111d one pilot drove lo Ilic l:mdin?, h111 lhvrc were 110 111i,haps exccpl for t lie 1mlv rumored injury of Sll'.vc who, it Ila, ilcc11 rcliahlv f'ahricaled, cut a fi11gcr lhl' beer in Ilic hullv·cyc when he "wrnt llvmpi:1) )',olrl." I didn'I ,ccm to 1,e pain i:Jlcr thal nigh! 111 rl1e top pledge getter., frn th,: a Thon [lo l,c11efi1 :;:mla Barbara lmndicappcd cliildrc11 ed.[ $476. 1)0; Holf Spingkr, $240. The Vc11t11rn

Mawr,

1'11011 and for collccl ivclv in pledge gch. Seag11ll flyers lo p:1r1icip:1l1'. ts flyers 1·011trih111cd Seagull the onlv 111crn11fac1111"1:r ol'fici:illv c11ternl picked up bv three newspaper-, cd I 78 ivsuc)

ll is hoped 1hat lhc , will rerngni1t' and his pcri,rmal witho111 proper training or s11fficic11t Thi, 1 the quesliou, ,hould lhl' seller of the power 11ni1 be rc,pomihlc for deicrniining whclhcr IIIL' ill(livirl11al i, vafc risk al the cml of lming

Ull

78 iv,11e)

18 iY\111')

10 ii lale· llipJ1t/ rnor 11ing or 111ayh1' Sunday a!'icrnoon aCl'i tle111, mobil like blobbivh mound of' purple boy,cnhcr1y.11ll:illahcrrv yogurl nrnd ,;lidc ,lipped

'hallcngc, 111 hi A1m11;il Smoke 0111 The Vc111111·:1 (iliding A"ocialion clrnllcngcd the Santa l\arb:m1 mcm!Jcrs to a lim, al , with Ilic sccoml day of lo he l'lown lro111 !heir Topa ,i1c. The conics! Ii the disclaimer· "The to fil the whims of the You all have yom ehance now, so speak you make 110 eomplai111, aflt:r· wlrnp you. You Sa111;1 11p and like to help flyinv, mighl ';cl yo111 11:Kh \lr:iighl am! vou'II become good ,, or thic. a general rcslatemcnt

of' the challc11gc. lrt:11\l'CI I t lie linr". Turkcv of This liighlv tradi1io11:1I and lrnnori l'ic ,ilmml landed in Ihe lap of prcviom rccipicllt., lrnl in tile praclicc ro1 Ilic 11pcominv. 110 .. Jmld, baned, cal Ilic

"Board Mcc1i1w" J'opa Rcporl [compclition with S1md:1y Top,1 Top:1 lhe called off hccau,c Ihe loo i11consis1c11t, ,o :1 run 110 held Al11rns1 cvervom· gol an Imm

note ihrnci111ion name. /1pri! ii was Airwave,, Skylimes enrirled lnvenlnr ol !he r!i.1'j1m11/J/e news/el/er name anrl holder of pos1·ihly the .w1·ond wont 1cnse of humor hang gliding (he rlocsn 't tell emmgh /J/111\' /() /Ji' )VOr\ /)

.snow cover 1cmpcral111e, kept :1ho11t

void

occ;1,,io11ally filled bv !lip m1111111ai11, wilh pa';sabll'

Then· l'cw cxceplirrns to Ille 1111d Mike ·:mo11 and Jon idlcm·s,. Milc.s :11tcmpted to overcome the silm1tion liv tnaking an acritll a\saul1 on the rnountain\ around ·11at1:111oop,a., rm 11ircc i11 lkccrnlll'r Jon Miles, of ll11rnt lills, N lcrt lhi, area wilh appro~in1a1clv 101111 flying ho11r'> 10 hi, ncdil ,111d earned ten addi1io11al hour,; "liat1111111oga only lo f•.o oil 10 C:ilif. and 11p Ilic co11,1 lo Oregon :1rlding ;111 11ddi1iollal :rn hours lo hi, log hook Oil Ilic way say'; lhal he will come home when he 100 hour,. II ,,omclimc, 11ml I Nmlhc:1,1 is 1101 lhc place 10 live if you w:1111 101 01· air time. l'IH.' tm'mhers of thi, ch;1plcr avvai!ing the coining '>Cason of 1nutu11ain The I rc",,pmhihlc for rcg1Jlati11g 1·om rlyi1w silc, ranging from a 2()0.fl 1111i11i11g hill 10 ,600 ft. a11d 1111'; lcntalivc plane; to liml IWO YllllllllCI lllCCI,.

"April

Noles"

Our exalted Mavis is attempting to rcspcrtablc moustache again f'ail11rc isn't enough ror you, Lip? mall directions to the upcoming meets-

snake Ridge

Thanks :1 lot, !'its the directions

.ocal News"

issue)

Bill Merker decided to play both sides or "the

thrill of victory am! the agony of defeat." week his first soaring flight olT the Ha1nmonclspon fire depart mcnt hi!L llc wa,,

picker" bucket and came

in one

piece - wl1ich i,, more than you ca11 say I'm his kite. Bill Jehle [newsletter editor has had

Since my very first slcps into the air, r have dreamed of with 1hc seagulls the man made cement of i:torida's Gold Since returning to my home on Island from the and the mountains of' North Carolina, Ille need and the 10 method I'm our flatlanders innovation, /\II one needs is some rope, two devoted at hlclic mech anisrn, l a sui!ahlc condo. /\II these

powered l'lights on fom clil'J'crcnt days with the So:mnaster, with total rlieht time getting close to an hour Total altit gai11 has been clmc to zero however-loo s111nll a kite or too hi)>, pilotl Tliat\ wliy the kite 110w I'm the pilot is too la1y to lose weight April l:n111d1i11g in 1111! of mpli with to t , l:11111chcd into a thermal off of l lammomlsport wilh bar tucked down lo his anklc.1, while you people were looking silly sitting on lop of l'adgham's !ill waiting for the winds of the Rochester to calm dow11 the' Needless to min11tcs later and after 111m1crous readings of 800 1,000 l'mp up, this fcarks\ pilot managed to land his glider alongside l'ric11dly herd VOWS, Nobody :ICC'llSCd I sip" of too li!llc comagc or too many

Our Hang Glickr's/1.andowncr's .aw passed Ilic New York sl:tlc lcgi\laturc. We hope to have more cktaih next month, fl yo11 'vc read this fc1r, you just might be interested enough in cluh news to take over the jol! of' editing column. l lang Gliding Pdilor (;ff nodgen is c11rrcn1/y looking for a new Chaplrr News" ediror lo replace retiring Bill Allen. Writing or newsletter expcr icncc would he a l>ig help, hut the main tale/11 n!'eded is the al>ilily to recognize and edit inll! interesring form the small f!Ortion <d' ea('/J c!uh newsle/ler which will he oj' interest to llang (;lfding's national reader1·hip, It is rewarding work Some of' the /Jest wriring and most inlr'rcsting anccriote re/ling heing done today in hang glidin 1: appl'a/'.\ in these s11111/l-circulario11

brains!

puhl/i·111ion1·.

nmeh more lh:rn a 150 lb,

decent until

about the roof where my decent stopped,

down

weekend when

begin spelll Ilie

arrangement on

out the s111001h,

1,000 i'L of

It wasn't looking down from 800 ft at my well bricl'ed two-man/power low motors who later confirmed that could not main

earlier portion flown with the Mountain ovl'r lmlh land and water and

rnotorizcd over the local terrain, couldn't believe that I was actually soaring like the at to some extent by man power. The endless panorama of hath bcautic;;, beaches, hoals ancl beautiful bl11c water Somehow the minu almost fast a, my two, lir, vent me on our which was visible 20-fL natural to the north, It seemed that a flat 180,fL 120-f'L condo would produce so nrncli vertical component. there was escapement venturi, this hori10111al rtow didn'I seem to affect the lifl band I remained above and within the lirnits or the strncturc ilsclL Needless I lot or condo al the tall, bowl

....

HANG GLIDING

Ill

v:1riomctcrs and the Both will li<' avail:1hlc soon.

Protcclivc head for all l s,rnclirnwd competition, bcgi1111ing witl1 Ille 1978 Na1io11al Championships, 11111sl be ANSI or be or cq11ivalcn1 quality. llowcvcr, l'cw helmets curre111 ly in lrn11g gliding w,c have such ,I ra1i11g. The safety director will lhcrcl'orc consider ,1hlc lccw,1y in allowing helmets for 11sc al the Natio11als. l lowcvcr, helmets will he rejected if' I hey do 1101 co11tai11 crushable (11011 flexible) for example), ii' Ilic foam liners (while shell is not rn1c piece ,111cl smool h, or ii Ihe strap system is 1101 sccmc c11011gh 10 provide a strong all,1chmc11t 10 lhc pilo1',; head llicyclc and hockey helmets will be rcjccl(:d

3 competition wing gliders; dynamic co111roh pcrmi11cd) will be held ;11 1l1c· National lang Gliding 'Jiampionships at I !yncr View, PA, July l I However, due to the lack ofparlicipation in previous rigid wings will 1101 be compel ing int he regional qualification mccls, but will be admitted 10 lhc Nationals 111xrn appliea1io11. llow,,vcr, limited number of posi· lions should send their number and the $JO Clll

1978.

l'rol'icicncy level ·llllcnncdiatc) and gliders must have a certificate with the I !(;MA Program.

L Due lo conflicl with local events lhe for Ihe Telluride nianu fact urcrs meet has been rnovcd lo August apologies to the 'hicagu low mccl with which we now conllict

is Palmont's power mmlil'icalion our Mi1chcll Wing. Sieve "One in every

WIN(;

Linptv Weight Weight Stall Speed Top Speed .

liabilily insunmcc im:n:ascd lo $500,000 single limit. ;1pplics chapter site increase i11 coverage will not d11cs. The policy slill rnntaim the $500 dcd11ctable.

Take off (no wind)

Bcsl Sink

ll lO lbs. lbs. .... 20M.P.H M.P.11.

conlrnlkd in

.... I l't 100 ft lip to 450 fl. per min. 3!, M.l'.H M 1'.H

wind

F11ll stick and rnddcr cmllrol 'TUN"

Ulirfi111; Manual

Dan

transla1ccl inlo llil' Russian h1nµ11agc.

Konstantin Kobi1<:v, 61 old retired pilot·p,iraclnnisl., made the 1ransl;11ion of Poynter\ basic 111a1111al. One of the major forces in 1hc devclop111enl of Ilic sport of hang gliding in the Sovie! Union, Kobi;cv has pivcn 1lrc book wide circulalion. f'ogcther, they contrih111i11ti 10 the order Iv dcvclopmcnt of' Ihe sporl.

The following Ccrtifica1cs or Alba I ross Regular [(ippcrformancc 'umulus JO Hppcrformancc Fkxi 20'

20'

Flyer Olympus 160

'irrus ,D Manta l'rnd11cts l·kdgling JIB Moyes Maxi Ill (wi1h tip modification) Moyes Midi Aviation Owl fl, HANG GLIDING

llJO Sunbinl l!l1rali1c Products Ultrnli1c l'rod11c11 Firclly 150, I Wills Wilh

i.1 ',11ggc11i11g to the I al lhc next meeting 1ha1 additional load 1c11i11g he done 10 discover can he done IO t'urtlicr prevent such i11cidc111s from happc11i11g.

Alpha

11ltrnliµlr1 airpl:111c ha, a highly ,i111plil'icd ,trnv1111T, incorporalc'; tricycle l:111di11g gear, twn :tc'lrlrlvn:imic controls, ,1ccrahlc nmc wheel and wi11g ,1rnc1urc. 1'11c k ii dcsi,,.ncd to be huill wit Ii ailsol111c

up system which lowc1cd him safclv wns rlying the 11or1h side

ilL

long, be i11scr1cd inlo the leading edge so 1ha1 prnlrndcs into the I 8 in 1 i11, lube.

I I I

I I

I I I I I

I I

I I I

I I

I II

I I rJ

mininrnm ha"le. /\II hrndinl' ;111d m:1cl1i11iny done. All diffi,·1i11 drilling j<; dom'. I he onlv 1001' needed Mc ;111 clcc1ric drill, lwck saw, Ji;1111111cr and a crn1pk or wrenches. The pilot',, low pmilirnr aml 1 " dihedral provide comidcrablc srnbilitv rl1c wide, low landi11g gear good cro:;swiml handli11p even withoul :1ilcrn11s. mirier co111rnl ,,ombi11cd 11 dil1cdr:il prnv1clc1111100111 coordi11a1ecl 1urn1. The excellent j'rn1111d h:1mlli11g. lricvck Mo1111ti1w tile c11pi11c in rrnnt lmb111n's the empty plam· at lire propc1 point 10 rly, 1111d sirn·c Ilic pilot ,it, al the hala11cc point, hi, doc, not affect Ille hala11cc of tire ;1irpL111c. Mo,1 ultra .sensi1ivc lo ,111:ill cl1:111)?cs i11 light pl:i11c, arc lire pilot', weight.

flack I )Y popular cJcmamJI n,r) stm or ti 1c I 97il srlasor1

11 l,vcn 1110 bnsl must 11nprove lo ll1roughout tile ynm Now a series

on top. Seagull 11,1s conti11urxl msemch rmcJ developr,1T1r-mt irnprovcrnenls thorouglily tested R11CI proven aro rcacJy for you

I\ lotally 1mw appl1ccl lec1cling cr1gn pocket cJrarnntically Ille ·1 O Meter's Glroc1c1y remarkable pcrforma11co The 2:i% double surface in tl,o uiticnl 1/4 cllord provides big gairis al boH1 rmds of lt10 speucJ mr1go This. comtiinucl w1tl1 many 1rnprovrm1m1ts i111110 fully cmnllcrcxi a11rj ba1tcned msults in an evcm lowm sink Slow to crawl, float upwmds in 1110 wmi<Dsl thormal, and thrm to the noxt. Once aqain till: Seagull 10 Meter !Im sl1ip evrnyone will look up lo 111 1978

Cet l1iql1 and enjoy do11l(J ii' A subtle leqor1rJi1ry Hnqcrt1p 111\nn m,d1iltn to nxporl pilot

of tlm floil1inq l,()el pockot will make our already farnow, handlin(J ar1cl u11c1quallm1 stab1l1ty pul 1hr, lun !Jack i11 fly111r1 for llm

You'll not1cu otlmr improvement,; for tliu 10 Meter this year A complololy mcfo1sqnmJ and strmml1ned dollexor will1 1ntomal ad1uslmrn1t muan:; fc1ster sot-up and rlmg nm turnl>ucklres also qono from t11e top Ouir:k fastonin[J lnss t1rm) prnp,111110 or1 11m qrouricl, rnom l1mr, pmforrn111,·1 in tile rnr Tim

Meler. ll10J

now <)vcn lx,tter

1m:mcl1l1lc p1:rlm1T1ci

/\flrn qrr;:11 pmlorin:111u· l1:1vc: IH:rl11 rnarlr:

h:1:: llr,cn ldd ovm for I !l7fl ll11I many 11T1por1;in1

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We like the nc,ir our home town or Pullman. The beginner learns 10 handle Ilic hills bcca11Sc !here arc no inlcr course type hilh mediate hills. There arc and then !here arc hill, with a I ,()(){).ft vcrlical drop like S1cp1oc Butle. Slcploc is an eroded conc·shapcd gra11i1ic remnant of previous geological and juts out of the rolling farm lands like a redwood tree in Nebraska. The Bulle a natural for most wind directions and has pro. vidcd advanced basic t for dozens of pilol The launch areas from the Slate Park lands on lop of the But tc could he on the south ,ide where one occasionally gets a bit apprehensive after missing a boulder by cenlimeler or two, The soaring potential is limited b<> cause the moving air masses will lake the palh or least resistance and flow around,

rnthcr than over, hill or lhis sorl. casionally the more experienced pilot can do some 1hcrmal 011 lhc air Clll'·· renls coming from 1hc darker fields al the 01· 11ic Bulle. A lhousand feel of altitude gain has been achieved. had 100 flights or so, Ahoul lhe time Dodgen suggested we l'ly a 6,000·fl hutlc (aptly named ll,1ld Mountain) near SI. Maries, Idaho, 90111ilcs or so to the northcasl. We \Vas~'

mad looked down over miles of rock, forested land aJJd 4,()00 vertical 1'1. to Ihe paslmc land in the of the St. Joe River. Arter hits of conversation, we lmmchcd our glidns off a rock slide and the hawks J'or the ride lo lhc St J remember thal i1 would lrnvc· been nice if' I'd adjusted the at·

1i1m!c ol' my old kite because I had lo do a hand stand on the control bar to lhc under knots. Whrn I got 10 the landing area I was greeled wilh ions from (.ii and I Brock· man about at oplimurn speeds. I was more concerned with the fact that my arms seemed ahoul two inches shorter than when left 1he mountain top. had soared at Tekoa which is an 1,300 f'I .·high geologic southwest into lhc winds. We had OIi occasion, become bored wilh 1he smooth steady winds llrnl send the view of the cars, and friends on 1hc launch area below. we hacl Iurned vary the downwind to the northeast and had learned valuable lessons ng I he cha racier of the lmbulcnt condilions on the HANG GLIDING

,ation with !'arm couple who walked out or rrom door lO look cm11rapti011," and 10 ask l'rnttL ii

combinal ion of rnl

around t Ile or We ilad, believe, rca,;oncd co1n'l:I to 1hc rntrn i, had soared high enough to go over the lop oi' it Jwd not cve11 con,iclcrcd the po,sillility ol movc>mcnt around the end of tlw 1m1il c'm:ounlcrcd ro1ating cddic': which rotated om glidns much I from om flight path, had gone 011 Io 01 l1cr Canyon of the , 10 We had experienced 1 he launch 011 Ihe rim or the canyon flying 1ow;m!s la11di11g fl, lJclmv tlll I he ba11lc had rnrrcnls flow rim, in 1hc canyon mm:h like the that then: had 10 he

or wing 011 columns out 01· the canyon 011 summer ,,v,'111111,is walchcd abo he struggled macltinc dowll to the landing still had hit or daylight.

wanted ,,,01nething and had heard or the pos.sihilitics in Mountains or miles rnuth or Pullman, W,L a11cl decided it 011 thi'i loaded our gliders on ~,cplcmhcr day, ,o the minilms and headed ror the gondola Ii It which ,1,800 rL allow I he of came in too late lo fly Wallowa in the cvcninp, although we did mnkc mcnts to 1·1y tile mounwin the next lllDrning. Mr the superintcmlent /or the happy Io ( iondola we'd had ;1 lcismcly sunrise hreaki'ast

that I op,

Dorion and Jim Faul l'rom Lewiston, Ida., with the same idea 011rs. So after dis, the wind, turhulc11cc and on a steep c,rnyon the gliders next 10 a loose rock zone. bcg;m to why Thconi was enthusiastic about om flight as it pro, vided a break m the for 100 tourists that gathered lo watch. have to confess tlrn1 I was a lit I le apprehensive as l up rny Scailawk glider and looked down that canyon, apprehension didn't last long because ol' past experiences al other sites and the acquired ability to think l,w,u"dlu during the evaluation of new site. There may he some m.:w lessom to learn, but l rntivdy believed the lessons would not he ones. Because of the mild wind conditions, we thought lhc only thing of consequence that we might encounter would be some thermal activity from the large cliff and talus rock over which would fly, My launch and 30 minute ride turned out predicted; smooth and easy even when going over a sleep ridge or lwo that projected up ,000 feet from the canyon floor. L1rry found it otherwise, he hooked wingtip on takeoff and destroyed the control bar on his high Wills l haven't really discussd the launch with II may have been that he did not consider the: fact that the takeoff speed is about J()O/o higher for this elevation. My altitude was slill a hair mile as noalcd oul over the lake. l fonnd time 10 explore the lake i;horc and watch the water skiers from below he fore I spiraled down to sandy beach at lhe head of the lake. I may have Ileen glad to sec that beach had half hour to consider the because need for an emergency parachute jusl in case l hadn't learned all I should have learned, like: How well docs a kite fly when one of' the battens rails out? (l have discovered that a Seahawk J'ly,; when the third batten is 0111), .,..

HANG GLIDING

the most ion, support st rap and lool intc1ct ill in thermal turlrnlcncc, Joe related later Jll

on 1he bar to maintain proper whenever he· did, the

for

out from the top of the wise sl!ould sufficient; if your harness bowline knots, secure them of ha! hitches. Through these knots 1101

this cJCC01llll of I he freakish situation will prevent similar

$20

the commencement of

and of paramount interest to 1he promo! and officials. The officer stationed at the launch

Only $145.00

Low

violation to launch only ftc1 support systems. Unfor·· involved in l he not in the main sup· voiced thdr

HANG GLIDINC:i

re You know how don't stori H1ere. Add the system test eel in of st ructu rat fail· urn, mid·air collosion, extrnmo cold or Fol low tlrn leacl of tlw professionalc; only TFSHD & COM Now Available In Two Models

lines to skirt Fits all

I inclucjing inner envelope and container

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orocht>re, HANG GU DER TOOLING,

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HANG GLIDING

the Often the sludio cool, and the clear 50,milc view has been and valley or "stars," the moon, coyotes howl for people, Sometirnes Wood's echo or upon the beauties of a site; somclimes they solve an architectural or light "The Lookout" window functions as a

copper his work known southern California. It also finds its way into such classic the Laguna Beach Festival of Arts and Los Center, as well museums admirer of Wood's creations, and also an enthusiast about lhe local scenery, Barbara Shca-han reminisces about the way she was innoeen11y drawn into the sporl of since she and her husband, Tom, the hand hewn .ookoul '' 10

winds in the Shca-han's

hill And bric!'

owners below, whose r,roperty the would sail, to get their approval. One with reason, and had a pilot had landed in his chicken house, 1hen flew the !'or the

But "The Lookout" had established its fame; it had been written up in Illustrated" and "Newsweek. The pilots continued to and wave . , and to make it their hangout on lhe

came into purposes, "The Lookout" bceame a speetcd } and its owner became an official observer. "l learned I could about lhe sport l could '' she

dinners of lobsler, crab, abalone and steak lo travelers the movic·-set-,likc "Palms ·IO·l'incs" Not in the unbroken marks its location knows where we arc, Barbara 1s prone! to realize. And now everyone to know Ron Wood's stained window. "Wow!" the way she summarizes on her customcrs-···"rlycrs or uot

her business to and to each new 20-mimite chalk talk Oil the safety rules and conditions. "Some of them were out there with those thermals; my hear! in my throat and I couldn't watch, !mt harlto look I couldn't

5 !,,

"One day in this guy emnes up to me and says: 'Barbara, how would you feel about a off your what that whisl Three asked the same favor of Barbara: believe how fast the guy vouched for thern all, and we them up. And weekend, the number doubled! Well, it looks Ii ke

"But on zoo! the wilderness fouud. "l mean, all 1hese from throughout had never

out the

erashed---at least once," the awed observer remembers. ''They were all I he first names in the sport, but everyone hit the bushes sometime or never

. .. and om even get in to And that

OU(·

and her indoor tablc---that holds the window,---beeame headquarters. "What neat that all the guys knew one another and each knew the others' " she explains. ' to 100 the first year. , . some from back cast small close-knit group. The had to contend with turbulent thermals m the summer and Santa Ana 36

country ran;;e in 10 the capture ;;real white based in Dana Point, where the Who in the West" rnerican Women''

agony. But the blem and found alternate takeoff sites up-

HAN<'.:, GLIDING

birds that the

Specifieati<:ms 110° 1"

110' I"

B to I

8 to 1

FPM

IG,10 MPH

16·\D MPH 1b0·220 50 Lbs Ft Hl'9"

10'6"

14fl, 2200 Copenhaoen N Denmark 01 a:1

the

during the middle o1 the would he Olli :111d he would be able to focus the stars conccnt ir vi,ion became,

facial outline, and now it seemed 10 an aura of /\n hour !al er in the we reached takc,ofL 11d the star lit mo! hliic skv could looked like dome nvc·rhcad sleep, and only with grcal n:l11c1 climbed hack into the hm for ,omc

V critas ,tm chart or the flight hcca11se Jack had seen hawks soar in that vector for horns at a time withuut to scan:h for other lift fad patiently watclH:c! the hawks soaring t 011cc he claimed to disappear into the air. oil Imm Vcritas 2,000 from a rnllinv hill that seems to hlc11d right You out toward n Ihe wash bed of the round, giant hollldcrs that have like he l11diam mil them pumpkin rocks, 11aturnlly, scheduled at dawn or

,fou t

When awoke at dmrn immcdiat unloaded tl1c glider, and sci up on takc . ,off, he Ko,liarc had a pun: white sail with royal golden keel wasn't a visible wrinkle, and it wciEhcd !cs, than .l6 Jack ,\cl his vario :i-hccpi11g, and hc adjusted hi-, and his watch wi1l1 timer I thl'JJ he climhccl i1110 hi, supine Imme,, and adjusted his hclmcl lo 111c, he sig11 smiled and mi1111t hooked in am! Then he la1rnchcd The flight plan tlrn1 had dis1.:mscd earlier in1c11dcd !'or me 10 la1111ch alt it became clear that Jack wa,, able to c,oar lhcn should l:rnrn:1! If both or m could som, tl1cn we would he able to land hack 011 top and at our 1ra11spor1a1ion, 11',ll,Ji ill \\LI' t U di,,:11,, altcrnal land a llll pickup, 11,1 about the time I that

had al dawn, why al1it11dc, bu1 said he had seen up anrl liill and into the i/!!J/

{)/1/l{l'.'I'

I•

much attention and have hccn focused on the evolution or modern harness has received rnorc scanty attention. designers, l!owcvcr, have !'cit that there remains room for much improvement in comfort, convenience and

upon suspension. ff the weight of the body is carried mi too few suspension points, the load is concentrated at those points, and these arc experienced as uncomfortable pressures by the pilot. This is dealt with in two remarkably different ways in the two harnesses discussed here.

at with contributions by Raymond. It is direct descendant of the Sundance Harness, which was developed by Jeff , and which hm, for several years

rcp111 at ion for ext rcrnc corn fort.

such comfort hy collecting the load over the entire body and gradually co11cc111 it onto a cmivcntional number of suspension lines. The interior of the harness with thick roam. The load is carried through to the exterior fabric and collected onto wide The rear portion of the harnarrow ness (the "bag") carry forward Very wide also nms around each , allowing a somewhat distributed load launch and and also allowto without extreme JS

onto the in such a way as to only a very light load under normal conditions. t up more load under rare, conditions. With s11eh careful collect ion of' Ihe load his inthcharthe no distinct pressure if' lines custom fit to the pilot length, however,

must pi lot

to the height of the

further enhanced by the insulativc or the thick foam. This harness is unbeatable in warmth for cold. weather Another, unrelated, feature of this harness a complete body

to the airstrcmn, is reduced to a minimum. A aspect of this has caused some concern. ting f11lly kicked must launch into it can he tricky. The and land with the rear porlion not fully . Frie demonstrates 1he kick in procedure on a clirf launch. He begins wilh the forward over the control bar, of' the

to the rear lie catches the rear upper of Ihe harness one would catch a stirrup but this is the tricky part. Note tllat his knee out to the side. lf his knee were away, forward it would push the HANG GLIDING

The

and t this

the essential in aclticv-

rnstomcr with ing body measurements, Women vidcd with a custom-tailored chest no more discomforts for them in harnesses for !llCll,

along

pick up the loads pair of st al forward I he pilot, flight, hut prevent 1hc pilot from up head down, condition which wnuld he clisas1rous, They arc placed in such with any or the comfort in this harness

has a potential for lines on a launch than other harnesses with top rigging, which should bl: part of eccl me anyway, will prcvcn t Cll!TCllCC',

La1mchinp, with this harness Rmming not inhibited at all, and

full support

Each or these harnesses sells for arol!nd

arc reflect ini;ulation purposes, the: lining or ripstop nylon is pro

vclcro closure, thus be rilled between the

these well worthwhile to any serious soaring

Phot11 by fH 11 INA (lflAY