USHGA Hang Gliding September 1979 by US Hang Gliding & Paragliding Association

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THE MOST TALKED ABOUT NEW DESIGN OF 1979

"I originally bought the 260 OMEGA primarily for tandem use and flying in marginal conditions . After getting a few hours on it, I /ind I've underestimated its abilities . I'm amazed that so large a glider rolls so easily , yet feels so stable at high bank angles . I had so much fun thermo/ling my 260 last weekend that my other glider probably won 't leave the house for awhile ." - Wally Anderson USHGA Region 2 Director

" The 220 OMEGA can be flown at ve ry slo w speeds with no sacrifice to its light roll response . This lo w speed handling makes soaring in m arginal lift a breeze." - Dave Rodriguez Owner - Wasatch Wings - Draper, Utah Winner of 1978 Masters Championship

"Hav ing flo wn the Condor, the Mo yes Mark I and Mark II, and the Wills W ing OMEGA, I find the OMEGA offers more control auth ority across the entire speed range , which , if the y'd let me fly one more often , would probably give me a sign ificant advantage in effective soaring performance ." - Chris Price "I flew the OMEGA 180 for the first time at the "E" at Elsinore , and was able to easily climb above a nd stay above all the other gliders in the air." - J im Handbury Designer of the Advanced Air Sports Emergency Reserve System

EDITOR: GIi Dodgen ASSISTANT EDITOR LAYOUT & DESIGN Jonie Dodgen STAFF PHOTOGRAPHERS: Leroy Glannfs. Bettina Gray, Stephen Mccarroll ILLUSTRATIONS· Brigitte Groom

ISSUE NO. 80

USPS 017-970

OFFICE STAFF: MANAGER: Carol Velderraln Tina Gertsch (Adverti$ing), Kit Skradski (Renewals), Arny Gray (Hang Ratings)

Hang Gliding

USHGA OFFICERS: PRES1DENT David Broyles VICE PRESIDENT: Dennis Pagan SECRETARY Joy Roser TREASURER- Hal Spivak EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE: Devid Broyles Alex Duncan Jon Cose USHGA REGIONAL DIRECTORS REGION 1: Michael Pringle, Doug Hildreth REGION 2: Wallace Anderson. Jon Cose REGION 3 Tom Mllkie. Bill Bennett. John Lake. REGION 4· Ken Koerwlt7, Lucky Campbell REGION 5: None REGION 6: Jim WIison. REGION 7: Ron Christensen. Dovld AndeC11on REGION B: Ho11y Toylor REGION 9 Dennis Pagan. Les King. REGION 10: Jerold Welch, Richard Heckman. REGION 11: David Broyles. REGION 12: Paul Rlkert. DIRECTOR~AT-LARGE Alex Duncan. John Harris. Jay Raser. Horry Robb. Hal Spivak EX-OFFICIO DIRECTOR: Vic Powell HONORARY DIRECTOR: Hugh Morton. CIVL DELEGATE· Horry Robb. The United States Hang Gliding Association. Inc.. Is a division of the Notlonol Aeronautic Association (NAA) whfch Is lhe ottlclol lJ.S representative ot the Federation Aeronautlque Internationale (FAI), the world governIng body for sport aviation. The NAA. which represents the U.S. at FAI meetings, has delegated to the USHGA supervision of FAlreloted hong gilding activities such as record attempts and competition sanctions HANG GLIDING magazine Is puQIIS!l6d fO( hong gliding sport enlhU$lOsls to create further Interest in lhe sport by a means of open cummun,catton and to advance hong glldlng method~ and3afety. Contributions are welcome .l\nyone Is Invited to contribute articles. photos, end 1llustrahons concernrng hong glkllng oclllllHes. If lhe motenor is to be returned. o stomped selJ-oddressed return envelope mus! be enclosed Nollficotlon must be mode of submlsslon lo other hong glldlng publlcattons. HANG GLIDING magazine reserves the nghl to edit contributions where necessary TheAsS0ciOtion or,d publlcotlon do not asSIJlne responsibility for the molerlol or opinions of contributors HANG GtlDING mogozlne is published monthly by the United States Hang Gliding Ass:oclatlon. Inc. whose ma,llng oddress ls P.O. Sox 66306. Los Angeles. Calif 90066 c;,nd whose ofllces ore located al n:112',', Venice Blvd.. Los Angeles. Calif 90066; telephone (213) 3QQ.306S. Second-class postage Is cold al Los- Angeles. Calif liANG GLIDING mogoz,ne Is printed by Sinclair Printing &. llthO. A/hombre. Cohl The typesetting IS p(OVlded by 1st lmpresS!on Typi3settlng Se,vice. Cypress. CoJif. The USHGA Is a membef-coolrolled educahonol on<:1 scientific organization dedicated to ewlorlng ol1 facets or ultralight fUght Membership Is open to anyone lnteres1ed In this realm of flight Dues !0< full membership are S20 per year ($21 for foreign oddresses): sut>scripllon roles are Sl5 ra one yeai. $26 for two years. S36 tor three veers. An lntroductorv _six-month trtol IS ovo1loble for $7.50 Changes of pddress should be sent slit week~ In 00\lance. In eluding name. USHGA membership number previous and new address. and o maiing label from o recent issue.

SEPTEMBER 1979

CONTENTS FEATURES

CROSS COUNTRY CLASSIC 1979 X-C Competition with on International flavor

THE PITCHOVER QUESTION ·

Part II

GROUSE BY A WHISKER 1979 Grouse Mtn. Invitational at Vancouver. B.C .

by George Worthington Photographed by Bettino Gray

by Pork Photographs by Leroy Gra nnis

BLOWN OUT!

by Phil Stonebrook

Trapped in 60 mph winds at Elsinore. CA

THE LAND OF THE WORLD RECORDS

by George Wo rthington

Owens Volley produces nine FAI world record claims

GETTING AWAY FROM IT ALL· Article a nd photog raphs MOSCOW STYLE Flying In the Soviet Union

DEPARTMENTS 4 ULTRALIGHT CONVERSATlON 4 INDEX TO ADVERTISERS 10 BIRD'S EYE VIEW by Lauran Emerson 12 NEWS AND NEW PRODUCTS 16 CONSUMER INFORMATION 48 USHGA REPORTS 53 CALENDAR 56 CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING 62 STOLEN WINGS COVER: Phil Ray. 1978 Telluride champion. pilots his Highster against Colorado's rugged backdrop. Photo by Leroy Grannis. CONSUMER ADVISORY: Hang G li d i ng Magazine and USHGA. Inc.• do not endorse or toke any responslblllty for the products advertised or mentioned editorially within these pages. Unless speclftcally explained, performance ftg ures quoted in advertising are only estimates. Persons considering the purchase of a g lider a re urged to study HGMA standards. Copyright © United States Hang Gliding Association, Inc. 1978. All rights reserved to Hong Glid ing Magazine and individual contributors.

by Jim Ste il

CJLTRALIQtlT CONVERJATION Tandem Warning Dear Editor, Due to an accident in our area which resulted in the death of a tandem passenger and severe injury to the pilot, we at Southland Hang Gliding Assn. would like to express some collective thoughts about "dual flight." The FAA has clearly and repeatedly stated that carrying passengers cannot be tolerated. Further, our USHGA insurance is completely void if two people are aboard during a mishap. These two agencies, both knowledgeable about our form of flight, would certainly speak against a pilot if he were involved in an accident that resulted in some form of liability law suit. You, the tandem pilot, are extremely vulnerable to law suits stemming from everything from a passenger's death to a stubbed toe. If, however, you still feel that two-at-a-time is best, it seems that some obvious safeguards should be taken. Of course each occupant needs a helmet, knee pads, and/or gloves (depending on the terrain) and an extra measure of general caution is appropriate. The pilot-incommand should be an advanced rated pilot and the passenger should have reached novice. A good place to start would seem to be the old training hill. None of us really knew how we would react to altitude and turbulence. How can you know your passenger wouldn't freak out at such a flight without the training you've had? Before each flight the pilot should clearly explain the potential dangers to the passenger so he can decide if he wants to rely on your judgment. What you want is an informed partner who has gradually gained the experience necessary to adequately deal with the problems of advanced flight. You also need some knowledge. Dennis Pagan has written about tandem flying. Read it. Ask local pilots who fly dual to describe best techniques for take-offs and landings. You also have a responsibility to your fellow pilots to not foolishly create a situation that involves the news media, FAA, or site owners. You other pilots should make sure that reasonable precautions have been taken before allowing a tandem launch. Remember, we are still trying to remain self-regulated. John Ballantyne, President Southland Hang Gliding Ass'n. Los Angeles, CA

Near Miss Dear Editor, About two years ago I had an experience that I would have thought impossible. I was flying a site called Point Sal, near San Luis Obispo,

CA. There was a wind shear that day and I had been up for about an hour and a half just cruising around about 1,200 feet over the top of the ridge. It was such a mellow flight that I had my arms folded on the bar with my chin resting on my arms. I was watching a herd of deer freak out as my shadow passed over them, when out of the corner of my eye I spotted something. Off to my left was a big red-tailed hawk flying at the same altitude I was with his head pointed in the same direction I was. He was moving to his right and I to my left. I saw that we were on a collision course but figured that with "eyes like a hawk" he would see me and move out of my way. We rapidly approached each other and I suddenly realized that he wasn't even aware of me so intent was his gaze on some critter dow~ below. I was more than a little indignant. Who was this fellow flyer who had no more sense of responsibility than to fly blindly along, expecting others to move out of his way. I mean, after all, didn't I have the right of way? I was bigger! So I did the only thing possible; I yelled, "Hey, look out!" Talk about a freaked-out hawk. He made an unbelievable move. His head turned towards me, at the same time he twisted his body sideways exposing his underside and, most importantly, extended his talons towards me. I hadn't realized how fast we were approaching each other and how big he was; if I had, I would have yelled sooner. He passed under my left wingtip by no more than three feet. About a year later a friend of mine, Ric Lee, was telling me about his flight above Westlake, near San Francisco. He was soaring the cliffs when he spotted a hawk directly below him, so doing what any friendly hang glider pilot would do, he decided to sneak up (or down as the case was) and shake his tail feathers, which he promptly did. Another case of a freaked-out hawk! Since this time I have encountered several hawks in a thermal who don't seem to see me until we almost collide. I have always been under the impression that there are no finer eyes than those of a hawk, yet these incidents lead me to believe that either they have tunnel vision, or they are so preoccupied with what they are staring at on the ground, that they are oblivious to anything else. Are there any bird people out there who know something about hawks and could enlighten me on this problem? Peer Suhr Editor Wings of Rogollo Newsletter 257 Watson #2 Campbell, CA 95008

Factory /Dealer Test Flying Dear Editor, For several months we have been hearing how Wills Wing wants all gliders factory test flown. They suggest that their dealers may not be competent to do this testing and that they "know that every glider that leaves their shop has been tuned and tested ... and handles the way it was designed to ... and tuned to within a few percent of its optimum performance and handling configuration."

INDEX TO ADVERTISERS Advanced Alr Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . .. 11 Aerial Techniques ............................ 59 Aerie Design ................................. 14 ATS Systems .................................. 26 Bennett Della Wing Gliders ............. 28, 29, 54 DAR Enterprises, Inc ........................... 47 Duncan ..................................... 59 Eco-Nautlcs Inc ............................... 53 Elpper ...................................... IBC Electra Flyer Corp ............................ IFC Elzion ........................................ 46 Flight Designs ............................. 7, 60 Glanforte .................................... 53 Glider Rider . . . .. . . . . .. . . . .. . . . . . . . . .. . . . .. .. . 61 Golden Sky Salls ............................. 58 Hall Wind Meter ........................... 45, 53 Hang Glider Sall Repair ....................... 45 Highster . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 Kite Enterprises . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 Kitty Hawk Kiles .. . .. .. . .. . .. .. . .. . .. . .. 46, 53, 63 Lancer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Lilek ......................................... 52 Mania Products . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Mehll Enterprises . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56 U.S. Moyes ................................... 49 Ocean Pacific ............................... BC Odyssey ..................................... 6 Pagen ....................................... 58 Poynter Books .. . . . .. . . . . . . . . .. . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . 56 Price Company .............................. 48 Scott's Marine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56 Seagull Aircraft ............................... 15 Skysalllng .................................... 26 Sky Sports ................................... 27 Snyder Ent .................................... 17 Soarmaster . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 Striplin Aircraft . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Sunblrd......................................

The Hang Gliders Bible ........................ 26 Ultimate HI ................................ 57, 59 Ullrallte Products ............................. 37 USHGA ................................ 53, 55, 64 Volmer ...................................... 39 Wills Wing, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2, 48 Wlndhaven ......................... 1, 13, 45, 60

AD DEADLINES All ad copy, instructions changes, additions and can~ cellations must be received in writing l Y2 months preceding the cover date, i.e. Feb. 15 for the April issue.

HANG GLIDING

1979

ODYSSEY has everything for the hang gliding enthusiast! Our huge inventory includes gliders, instruments, harnesses, safety equipment and accessories. We are distributors for name brand hang gliders like SENSOR, WILLS WING, SUNBIRD, MANTA, and FLIGHT DESIGNS. And quality instruments like the fine LITEK V ARIOMETER and the new GISCHARD ALTIMETER; both carry one year warranties! We can finance any glider, with approved credit, and VISA and MASTER CHARGE are accepted, of course! Now, you can see it all together in the colorful new ODYSSEY PRODUCT PORTFOLIO. Send name, address and zip code with one dollar (refunded on purchase) to:

Unfortunately I know of more than one Alpha that has been given to the customer in unsafe condition, far from properly tuned. In one case the customer, a young lady, finally had two expert pilots (one a Wills dealer) spend several days trying to tune the glider. After many tries they finally found the sail had been mounted improperly. When they contacted the factory, they were told that, "Wills didn't have a lightweight test pilot and when a heavier pilot flew that glider it should have a spin tendency." Therefore they figured it was all right to ship it. I have seen these same problems with another manufacturer that didn't have a test pilot for every size glider they produced. On the other hand, I have sold more than a hundred gliders, from one manufacturer, that I have personally test flown and they were all hands off trim from the factory. They expect their qualified dealers to check on their already excellent production methods and I prefer it this way. Perhaps Wills should spend more energy on factory quality control, and a qualified dealer network, and less on factory test flights that obviously haven't eliminated out of tune gliders from getting to the customer. Their method isn't working, so please let's not inflict it on the rest of the industry. Michael P. Circuit Infinity Flight Schools Salt Lake City, Utah

Rebuttal Mr. Circuit has advanced, both by direct statement and by implication, a series of misconceptions regarding factory test flying, and its relation to factory quality control and the manufacturer/dealer relationship. Let's identify the statements and implications in Mr. Circuit's letter and compare them with the facts: Misconception: If manufacturer quality control is adequate, test flying of production gliders is unnecessary. ("I have sold more than a hun-

dred gliders from one manufacturer that I have personally test flown and they were all hands off trim from the factory.") Fact: No manufacturer with whom I have discussed this matter would support this statement, and no manufacturer has claimed that good quality control can eliminate the need for test flying of each production glider. In fact, there is currently in effect an HOMA requirement for the test flying of each production glider prior to delivery to the customer. The only point of contention is whether the dealer or the manufacturer is the more appropriate agent to perform the first test flight of each production glider. Misconception: Dealer test flying is preferable to factory test flying. Historically two arguments

have been used to support this contention:

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IJ A glider's tuning may be changed after the factory test flight by shipping. 2) A factory may not always have a test pilot of the appropriate weight for the glider being tested. Fact: Number (I) above is a good argument for encouraging dealer test flying in addition to factory test flying, but the fact is most gliders sur-

vive the shipping process pretty much unchanged. The obvious response to number (2) above is that if the factory doesn't have a pilot of the right weight for each glider, what hope is there that each dealer will have a test pilot the right weight for each glider? Was Mr. Circuit in the appropriate weight range for each of the JOO gliders which he personally tested? The fact is that the discrepancy between test pilot weight and customer weight is only occasionally a problem, usually only when dealing with an extremely small glider designed for a pilot much smaller and lighter than the designer. Most manufacturers avoid this problem by not marketing extremely small gliders. Should a designer choose to design a glider for very small pilots, he is extremely dependent on feedback from small pilots to know when the glider is flying properly. In this case a comprehensive factory test flying program is more essential than ever, as it provides a means by which the designer can continually correlate this type of feedback with his own impressions of the glider's flying characteristics when flown by the designer. The fact is, most manufacturers believe it is the responsibility of the manufacturer to perform the first test flight on each production glider, and most professional dealers agree, and in no way see manufacturer test flying as an indication of any lack of competence on their part. They realize, as do the manufacturers, that no matter how qualified or experienced a dealer is, he or she cannot possibly be as familiar with the flying characteristics and tuning procedures of a glider as the factory pilots and designers who put several hours a week on that design. Most manufacturers have a program for factory test flying of each production glider, and Wills Wing is not trying to "inflict" anything on the rest of the industry. However, there are two major manufacturers who do not factory test fly each production glider, and it is because of this and in order to standardize factory test flying procedures for the industry that Wills Wing has pursued an HOMA requirement for factory test flying of production gliders. Two of our dealers, who are also dealers for a manufacturer which expects the dealer to perform the only test flight of each glider, have told us that they have never received adequate training from the manufacturer in the methods and procedures for tuning that manufacturer's gliders. Wills Wing has begun an extensive program of dealer tuning clinics to train dealers how to tune our gliders, yet we don't expect that this will substitute dealer test flying for factory test flying. Rather we expect that it will a/low our dealers to more professionally service our common customers. Misconception: Wills Wing's factory test flying program isn't working. Fact: The evidence we have supports exactly

the opposite conclusion. Since we began campaigning for factory test flying we have received a tremendous amount of support - from pilots, from dealers, from other manufacturers. Many pilots have written to tell us that one of the main reasons they decided to buy a Wills Wing was our comprehensive factory test flying program. Many of our dealers have decided to stop promoting gliders from manufacturers who do not test fly each glider, and have told us so. Two HANG GLIDING

When New Zealand's top designer-sailmaker develops a third-generation glider with supership PERFORMANCE, easy HANDLING, and proven STRENGTH and SAFETY, that's good news. When the new glider turns out to float as well as the monster wings with 80 sq. ft. more sail, yet fly as fast as 1978's most successful contest glider, with a better LID, give it a headline. And when the same wing is certified in several foreign countries as the safest, strongest glider they've ever tested. stop the presses! But when you find out that the glider is selling at 1976 prices. with an honest 2-4 week delivery, well, you're getting the idea. It's time for a new Front Page ... with the name LANCER IV at the top. Check it out.-

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manufacturers have stated publicly and others have told us privately that they support the concept of factory test flying. Mr. Circuit is not nor has he ever been a Wills Wing dealer, and consequently is not really in a position to pass judgment 011 Wills Wing's test flying program. He draws his conclusion from one incident, involving a 155 Alpha, with which the customer indeed experienced some problems. These were solved through a cooperative effort by her dealer and Wills Wing. I could easily write down a dozen verifiable incidents regarding problems experienced with gliders from other manufacturers, including the manufacturer for whom Mr. Circuit deals, but I don't really see the point. There is really very little disagreement in the hang gliding industry about the need for factory test flying as well as dealer test flying. It remains only to work out the optimum means for implementing and administering such programs, and to decide whether such programs should be required by the HGMA. Wills Wing's position on that subject is well known. Mike Meier Wills Wing, Inc.

''World Record'' Sled Run Dear Editor, It is my opinion that George Worthington, in the July issue of Hang Gliding, abuses the term "world record" by attempting to monopolize it. He may very well have the FAI officially recognized world records, and he may criticize the quoted article (Powder magazine) for not having specified "FAI" when a record was FAI recognized. The term "world record" however, is a term which, be it in English or in any other language, signifies a universal concept and is in the public domain. Anyone can claim it and his credibility depends on his ability to prove it. I, myself, assert that I hold the world record "sled run" (no ridge lift and no thermalling; 29 kilometers, foot-launched from an I I ,800 ft. AGL volcano, in a Sirocco II). We all have a lot of fun in Guatemala trying to beat this world record and, with all due respect to the FA!, we don't care to call it by any other name. Fernando Linares Guatemala City

Quibble Dear Editor, George Worthington's performance tests, as reported in the July '79 issue, would seem to definitively prove that bowsprit kites outperform crossbar kites and that supine harnesses do indeed drag more than prone ones. With the first conclusion, I would be the last to quibble, but I don't think the time has yet come for violin music, flowers, and black armbands in memory of the supine harness. Quibble one: The pilot who flew the comparison test was probably a lot more experienced flying prone than flying supine, and may not have been using a properly adjusted harness. He may have been Hang 4 in his old familiar prone harness but only Hang 3 in the supine.

Quibble two: All modern hang gliders are designed with prone pilots in mind, and are thusly equipped with large control bars to give the pilot freedom of movement for lateral control and give him longer suspension lines for a lower C.G. and less effort in control. When such a glider is set up for supine, the only change is to swing the bar back a few inches. The supine pilot then finds himself suspended a foot lower than he needs to be and the kite is top-heavy on launch and has possibly inadequate pitch control. A supine pilot with a long bar is definitely hanging farther out in the wind and can't use the glider's full speed range without sitting up for more push. However, by simply snipping about a foot off the downtubes, shortening the basetube to match, and shortening the lower rigging (all changes which reduce weight, frontal area, and the possibility of column instability), the problem can be corrected. I had a terrible time with my Zeke-II prototype, which had a very poor glide and inadequate pitch control, until I realized that the problems stemmed from my large control bar, which had been recycled intact from a Rogallo. I shortened the bar and my pitch control problems vanished and the glide flattened out remarkably. It's now operational with an ancient Eipper supine harness, and I've only landed short once since the change to a shorter bar. Steve Moore Santa Barbara, CA

Kossen Error Dear Editor, As usual, I have been reading with great interest each issue of Hang Gliding which always contains outstanding features. However, in the article Kossen '78 in the May '79 issue, there seems to have been some confusion in the ranking list of the European championship (page 33). My Swiss colleagues appear on this list as being of Czechoslovakian nationality! It sounds as if the author had confused the CH abbreviation (Confederation Helvetia = Switzerland) with the CS one (Ceskoslovensko = Czechoslovakia). The classified Swiss pilots are as follows:

pedestrian. An accident such as this has never occurred in the six years of hang gliding activity in the park. I have seen some close calls but nothing a few simple rules of the road wouldn't clear up. Our safety record is clean and that's without any regulation in the park. Fortunately, due to a great deal of community support and support from people such as Mr. Morton, the ban was lifted pending further study on Friday, June 29 just before it was to be initiated. We have won the first round but there is a long battle ahead. The primary reason we won the first round is because we had a good record. For this reason the non-flying public got behind our plea for the ban to be lifted. Hang gliding and hang glider pilots have a good image on the Outer Banks. Thank you for making it that way and please help us keep it that way. We must have the support of the non-flying public to keep any site open since we as pilots are a minority. Here's what you can do to help. The State Government needs to know how many people enjoy hang gliding at Jockeys Ridge State Park either watching or participating. The more letters they receive, the more they will come to realize how important the issue is to so many people. Please write to: Secretary Howard Lee Dept. of Natural Resources and Community Development P.O. Box 27687 Raleigh, NC 2761 I Thank him for rescinding the ban and ask for his help to keep Jockeys Ridge State Park open to hang gliding. Send a copy of your letter to: James Stevens, Director Division of Parks and Recreation P.O. Box 27687 Raleigh, NC 27611 Also, please send a copy to me. John Harris Kitty Hawk Kites Nags Head, N.C.

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Saving Jockeys Ridge Dear Editor, Recently, hang gliding was banned on weekends for the summer in Jockeys Ridge State Park. The reason stated for the ban was the "potential danger" of a glider hitting a

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BREAKAWAY! NOVA 230 FLOWN 26 MILES X-COUNTRY FROM 330 ' HILL July 8, 1979 at 3:30 in the afternoon, Howard Vandall clipped into his NOVA 230 and launched from the 330 1 high site at Cochrane Hills near Calgary, Alberta. Approximately one hour later, after an incredible soaring flight across the Canadian prairie an elated Vandall landed near the town of Crossfield ..... 26 miles notheast of his improbable starting point. Several large altitude gains were achieved during the flight, the largest taking the pilot to 10,800 1 6,400' above his 330 1 take-off. Fourteen miles out, a very weak thermal 500' off the deck was all there was to work - Vandall went up, a friend of his flying another U.S. built glider was forced down. No doubt the excellent sink rate and superior handling of the NOVA were key factors that enabled Vandall to use his pilot skills to maximum advantage. BEFORE BUYING ANY OTHER GLIDER, TEST FLY THE NOV A, THE PACESETTER OF THE FOURTH GENERATION DEFLEXERLESS GLIDERS. AVAILABLE AT THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS: LEADING EDGE AIR FOILS 331 South 14th Street Colorado Springs, CO 80904 (303) 632-4959

WINDHAVEN 12437 San Fernando Road Sy Imar, California 91342 (213) 367-1819

SUNBIRD OF UTAH 9786 Kristin Drive Sandy, Utah 84070 (801) 572-0678

ARCADIA AIR SPORTS 695 E. Villa n7 Pasadena, CA 91101 (213) 449-6233

BEARTOOTH HANG GLIDERS 543 Yellowstone Ave. Billings, MT 59101 (406) 248-4383

BOOTWORKS 515 Main Street Boise, Idaho 83702 (208) 344-3821

CRYSTAL AIR SPORTS Route 4. Cummings Hwy. Chattanooga, TN 37409 (615) 825-1995

CHANDELLE SAN FRANCISCO 10 Hillside Boulevard Daly City, California 94014 (415) 756-0650

DESERT SUNBIRD HANG GLIDERS 1518 Marshall Richland, WA 99352 (509) 942-3207

LEE GARDNER 348 Carmel Ave. Marina, California 93933 (408) 384-3107

GLIDERS & GADGETS 5913 Creekview Drive l<ansas City, MO 64152 (816) 587-1326

GOLDEN SKY SAILS 572 Orchard Street Golden. Colorado 80401 (303) 278-9566

HANG GLIDERS WEST 1011 Lingoln Ave. San Rafael, CA 94901 (415) 453-7664

HANG GLIDER SHOP 8887 N. Ventura Ave. Ventura, CA 93001 (805) 649-2470

KITE ENTERPRISES 1403 Austin Irving, Texas (214) 438-1623

KITTY HAWK KITES P.O. Box 386 Nags Head. N .C. 27959 (919) 441-6247

DAN MCMAHON 5814 Asquith n3 Memphis, TN 38118 (901) 794-6352

MISSION SOARING CENTER 43551 Mission Boulevard Fremont, CA 94538 (415) 656-6656

MULLER KITES. LTD. 3443 12th St. N.E. Calgary, Alberta T2E 6S6 (403) 277-2606

PRAIRIE FL YTE CO. 2004 Karen Court. Unit 1 Champaign. ILL 61820 (217) 351-5908

SKI & SEA HANG GLIDERS 2604 N.E. 61st Street Portland, Oregon 97213 (503) 281-1484

STAN SMITH 23 Old Duck Hole Road E. Orleans, MA 02643 (617) 896-5515

S.E. MICHIGAN HANG GLIDERS 24851 Murray Mt. Clemens. Ml 48043 (313) 791-0614

SUNBIRD OF MIAMI 8786 S.W. 133 Street Miami, FL 33156 (305) 596-0503

ULTRALITE SPORTS OF AMERICA 14800 Westminster Way No. Seattle, WA 98133 (206) 363-6364

U.S HANG GLIDERS 10250 N. 19th Ave. Phoenix, AZ 95201 (602) 944-1655

W.W. HANG GLIDING 2083 Woodway Road S.E. Roanoke, VA 24014 (703) 345- 7518

ATLANTA HANG GLIDERS •4 Aviation Way DeKalb-Peachtree Airport Chanblee. GA 30341

ALLE US GLIDER 7920 Heidenheim Sudetenstrabe 2. West Germany Tele 07321/45425

RANDY COBB 1286 Via Pavion Santa Maria, CA 93454 (805) 937-4152

JOSEPH LAIZURE 4208 Folkston Drive Charlotte, N.C. 24205 (704) 334-1724

NORTHERN SUN 628 W. Larpenteur Ave. St. Paul. MN 55113 (612) 489-8300

DEAN CALDWELL BEAVER HOLLOW INT'L AIRPORT 4524 S.E. Nael Road Milwaukie. OR 97222 (503) 653-5103

SO. CALIF. SCHOOL OF HANG GLIDING 5219 Sepulveda Blvd. Van Nuys, CA 91414 (213) 789-0836

ODYSSEY SAILS P.O. Box 60 Wilton. N.H. 03086 (603) 654-6155

WINGS & THINGS 1407 C Angie Ave. Modesto. CA 95351 (209) 538-3156

SUNBIRD GLIDERS

12501 Gladstone Ave. # A4 Sylmar. California 91342 (213) 361-8651

Gary Kiser, Hugh and I were the first

ones set up. I kept looking over the backBird's Eye View side of the butte, and seeing that rain com-

90 Minutes Before the Storm by Lauran Emerson When it came right down to the nittygritty, I was more than a little bit nervous. We'd talked about flying before a front. We'd read the section on Frontal Lift in Dennis Pagen's Hang Gliding and Flying Conditions. We'd often scoured the skies for the right conditions. But when the right conditions found us, I started hoping they'd go away. It was our third day at Big Southern Butte, which is an old volcano that juts 2,600 feet above the 5 ,O<Xl foot floor of the Idaho desert. The hot morning had driven us to shady Webb Spring on the north side of the mountain. As we finished a picnic we could see the black cloud in the distance. It was coming in from the mountains 30 miles north, sending down a curtain of rain which streaked into mist and evaporated before it could reach the desert floor. We drove to the summit. The front looked relatively small: no big thunderheads, and just a few streaks of lightning in the cloud. It had come about 20 miles in the hour it had taken us to reach the top. The rest of the sky was clear, with a few small cumulus clouds preceding the front. There was a steady south wind on top. As we set up, we talked about the flight ahead. We ruled out the possibility of flying back to our base camp, since that would have meant flying north into the oncoming storm. We knew that wherever we headed, we had to land as far in front of the front as possible. We set up a rendezvous point at the Midway Bar in Atomic City. 10

ing, and wondering what it was going to be like, and half hoping the wind would switch so I wouldn't have to find out. The wind became intermittent as the clouds got within a few miles of the butte. The lift band had been passing, and already we were at its trailing edge. Hugh took off in the next good puff, got some lift out front, then began sinking. Off to my left, Gary took off and found steady lift. Jack Olsen helped me off as soon as the wind came up again. For a minute or two I flew straight out, just maintaining altitude. There was some sink, and soon I was at 7,200 ft., 400 ft. below takeoff. Then the lift found me. I circled in rough air in front of the butte to 9,0<Xl ft. It got smooth, and I headed out. I could see Hugh scratching to get up a few thousand feet below. Gary and I were in the same air, and we flew together for a few miles. We were flying straight and fast and climbing at a steady 400 fpm. Gary was above me, but falling behind. I kept an eye on my altimeter so I could tell him how high he'd been. Five or six miles out, I was at 14,600 ft. and he was a couple of hundred feet higher. After that, I lost him. I was headed southeast, following the dirt road to the American Falls Reservoir. For awhile, I concentrated only on where I was going and on staying well ahead of the front that was getting me there. Then a plane appeared, tiny in the expanse below. Suddenly I realized how high I was. I looked around. In every direction I could see the popcorn tops of little cumulus clouds spread over the earth. My altimeter registered 15,400 ft. A bluish haze covered the world below. In the distance behind me, Big Southern Butte reached towards the haze from the desert floor. A straight glide ahead, the American Falls Reservoir looked like an inviting little lake. "This must be a dream," I thought. I couldn't believe it. I was up there, on my own, doing exactly what I'd always dreamed of doing. I had gained on the black cloud, and I was free. For miles, I hadn't seen another soul. I watched two more airplanes headed along the flight path for Pocatello, and gloried in the solitude of my quiet airspace. Then I became aware of how cold I was. I was under-dressed, and my hands were numb. I didn't want to go any higher. I had been flying fast ever since take-off, but now I pulled in even more to lose altitude. Slowly the altimeter began to unwind. At 14,0<Xl ft. my hands began to thaw. I flew along with tears of pain running down my cheeks and a smile etched on my face. I was so high, and it was so beautiful up there, that nothing could dim my spirits.

The cloud shadows along the desert floor showed the direction of the front, and I changed course and flew across it towards Blackfoot. After an hour of flying at 14,0<Xl ft. or above, and with civilization in easy reach ahead, my thoughts began to turn to sunshine and warmth. I got to 12,0<Xl ft. and thawed out completely, but 10,0<Xl ft. seemed even better as the warmth flooded through me. Now I was flying over farms and cultivated fields. The effects of the cold and fast flying were beginning to tell. I flew straight before the front to find some sink, and welcomed the falling air when I reached it. Just ahead was the town of Moreland. Below was a little farm next to the old highway. Someone was plowing across the road, kicking up dust for a good wind indicator. The sink was smooth, and I put my wing into a steep bank and just let it cruise on down. I set up a landing approach and kicked my legs around to make sure they were working. Closer to the ground, I could see there was no wind. "Get ready to run," I told myself. I came in, flared and landed on my nose. My feet wouldn't budge. I lay there with my face in the dirt, and a big old shaggy dog appeared and barked at me. A mile away, unknown to me, Hugh was landing at the same time in a field on the outskirts of town. We had reached the same destination, but Hugh had stayed at about 12,0<Xl ft. for the entire flight. At one point in his journey, he had flown past the lift. Realizing he would be short of Moreland, he had turned around and flown back into the lift to give himself the altitude to make a final descent to town. Twenty miles behind us, Gary had landed in severe sink and turbulence at Well No. 2 in the desert. He hadn't stayed ahead of the front, and the violent ground wind left him with a few broken tubes on landing. Thirty-two miles away, Bob and Roby had packed up their gliders at the top of Big Southern Butte. The front had come through before they could get off, and they had stood in the tailwind and watched us disappear up and out over the desert. I sat up and unhooked. It was hot and calm: the calm before the storm. The shaggy dog kept barking at me. I told him about my flight, and still he barked. I walked to the house with a foolish grin and a bloody nose, and told the man there about the flight. He was just as amazed as his dog, but more hospitable. He helped me get rid of the bloody nose, but nothing could wash off the foolish grin. The grin still surfaces when I think of those 90 minutes in the sky. In that hour and a half, I had made an altitude gain of 8,200 ft. (no barograph - sorry, George). I had flown 32 miles, and spent most of that time almost two miles above the earth. Pretty neat. ~ HANG GLIDING

ALL THESE SKYDIVERS

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DISTRIBUTED B Y: Flight Designs P.O. Box 1503 Salinas, CA 93902 ( 408) 7 58-6896

Ultralite Products, Inc. P.O. Box 582 Rancho/Temecula, CA 92390 (714) 676-5652

Wills Wing 1208-H East Walnut Santa Ana, CA 92701 (714) 547-1344

Advanced Air Spo rts Products, Inc. 990 East Lakeshore Drive Lake Elsinore , CA 92330 (714) 674-1494 Formerly Free Flight Enterprises Lake Elsinore, Calilomia

NEWS AND NEW PRODUCTS WINGS AND THINGS A new toy flying wing has just been announced by Wings & Things of Modesto, California. Called the "Wing Thing," it is made from light, durable polystyrene foam and is said to have the combined aerobatic qualities of both a frisbee and a boomerang. Because of its unique, patented, aerodynamic design it has the ability to fly straight forward, make tight loops, soar like a seagull or return like a boomerang,

say Gary Miller and Bob Hibdon who head the company. The "Wing Thing" is approximately 18 V2" long by 41/i" at its widest point and weighs one ounce. Good indoors or outside, it is launched by hand with an overhead toss into the breeze and can fly 50 feet or more on a single toss. Priced to sell for under $2.00, a dealer/ distributor network is now being organized. Contact: Wings & Things, 1407 C Angie Ave., Modesto, CA 95351, (209) 538-3156.

BIG SUR/SEAGULL FLY-IN Big Sur will be the location of a Seagull pilots' Fly-In on 8 and 9 September, 1979. Factory representatives will be on hand for this informal, non-competitive meet, and will answer questions regarding maintenance and tuning. Flight Designs, a northern California Seagull distributor, will bring hamburgers, hot dogs, watermelon, etc., for a picnic dinner on Saturday evening. Pilots and families are invited to bring salads, desserts, drinks, and other potluck additions to Flight Designs' fare. Flights from the 3,000 ft. mountain site often last in excess of two hours, but more often are glides of, perhaps, fifteen minutes duration. Coastal redwoods, pounding surf, steep hills and green meadows - Big Sur is a perfect place to relax and enjoy some low-key flying. For more information, call Flight Designs or Seagull Aircraft. Inclement weather date is 15 and 16 September.

26-MILE FLIGHT FROM 330-FT. HILL On July 8, 1979 Howard Vandall flew his Nova 230 from Cochrane Hills, near Calgary, Alberta to Crossfield, Canada. Straight-line distance for the flight was 26 miles, maximum altitude gained was 6,400 ft. above his 330 ft. take-off. Time for the flight was approximately one hour.

FLEDGE UPDATE A new sewing technique that allows camber to be carried full-span, has made possible the use of an extra rib located in the wingtip area of all A & B models built since February I, 1979. The addition of this extra rib (cambered and reflexed) effectively adds 9% more working area to the 1979 Fledge 2, and increases overall efficiency of the wing without any changes to the sail's planform, structure or actual airfoil shape. In addition, the entire rear spar, from keel to tip rib, is now enclosed and streamlined. Chord-wise sail tension has also been adjusted to eliminate sail drape between ribs, allowing the airfoil to more closely follow rib form. These changes result in a lower stall speed, an improved minimum sink that occurs at a lower speed, the ability to turn flatter in a smaller radius and automatic pitch coordination in turns with a bank 12

HANG GLIDING

angle of 30 ° or less. Overall control effort required has been reduced. High speed capabilities and characteristics are unchanged.

U OF LOWELL FLY-IN The University of Lowell's second annual Inter-Collegiate Hang Gliding Competition and Fun Fly-In will be held on October 6-8, 1979 (Columbus Day Weekend) at the Morningside Recreation Area, Claremont, N.H. All pilots must be USHGA members. The tasks for competition will be the ones required to give you your Beginner, Novice, Intermediate or Advanced rating. Intermediate and Advanced pilots will also be allowed to participate in a Region 8 Qualifier warm up. A $15.00 fee will pay for camping and flying on the three-day weekend. First briefing will be at 9 a.m. October 6. Contact Bill Blood at (617) 452-5000 ext. 477.

Raven is higher than a comparable conventional design such as the Alpha, but, unlike most deflexorless gliders, the Raven features good static balance, making it easy to ground handle and launch. Sink rate and L/D performance of the Raven are comparable to best of the current flex wings. Projected retail price for the Raven is $1,275, with general release of the 209 and three additional sizes expected around September 15. SPECIFICATIONS

Leading Edge Keel (tube) Span Area Pilot Weight Nose Angle Billow Aspect Ratio Glider Weight

20' 12.6' 34.5' 209 ft.2 165 to 210 lbs. 115 ° 10 5.7 62 lbs.

ANEMOMETER NEW FROM WILLS WING Wills Wing, Inc. of Santa Ana, California has completed HOMA certification of their latest design, the Wills Wing Raven. The 209 Raven was certified at the July 19th meeting of the HOMA. As with the Wills Wing Omni, Wills decided to certify the design prior to its general release. The Omni and Raven are now undergoing evaluation by a number of pilots and dealers who have received pre-production models on a limited release basis. Wills Wing believes that eventually all new designs will be certified prior to release, and has set a precedent for the industry with the pre-release certification of the Omni and Raven. According to Mike Meier, design consultant to Wills Wing, "Any new design must be thoroughly tested and evaluated prior to release, and the HOMA Airworthiness Standards provide an excellent format for the conducting of such testing. We have therefore decided to perform and document testing on new designs in accordance with the HOMA standards prior to releasing the design.'' Wills Wing describes the new Raven as "an all around high performance flex wing, with simplicity of construction and assembly, and easy and forgiving handling characteristics." The Raven features a quick set up design, and assembly of the glider is accomplished with two clevis pins and two wing nuts. Wills Wing is recommending a Level II pilot proficiency for the Raven, but feels that it will be an excellent glider for the student pilot under the supervision of a qualified instructor. As with many deflexorless designs, the weight of the SEPTEMBER 1979

A California based firm introduces a new wind speed indicator for general application. There is a flourescent pointer for reading over four scales: 0-65 knots, 0-35 meters/sec., 12 Beaufort, and 0-120 kilometers/hr. Price is $89.50. Contact: Horizons International Co., 716 Willow Rd., Menlo Park, CA 94025.

INDHAVEN HAS IT ALL IN CATALOG 1979

INDHAVEN 1979

~ <( u -FREE-

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• Engines • Suspension

• Systems • Accessories • Full Price List Don't Wait! We Have What You Want

-SEND TODAYWINDHAVEN HANG GLIDING SCHOOLS, INC. 1 2437 San Fernando Rd. Sylmar, CA 91342 NAME _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ ADDRESS CITY-----------~ STAT.___ _ _ _ _ _ ZIP

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1160 Mark Ave, Carpinteria, CA (8051 684-8331

CONSUMER INFORMATION Kingpost Reinforcement This notice is to inform all Fledgling II pilots of Manta's decision to increase the kingpost wall thickness on their stock Fledge II's, from I" x .058 to I" x .083. Some of the Fledge II's already have this increased-wall kingpost. You can check by finding two punch marks on the cap at the bottom of the kingpost itself. If there are no marks, or the bottom of the kingpost has a wood dowel, then Manta will make I'' x .083 kingposts available free of charge, upon presentation of proof of ownership; in the form of an original sales receipt, airframe number, sail pattern, etc. If you have since sold your Fledge II, please contact that person and inform them of this change.

Grafspan Retrofit Kits For the past several months a company known as "Orafspan" has been heavily promoting the use of graphite reinforced aluminum spars in hang glider airframes. In the course of such promotion, particularly with regard to "leading edge retrofit kits," Orafspan has seriously misrepresented the facts on several occasions. Out of concern that the hang gliding community not be misinformed on subjects which bear on the safety of pilots, Wills Wing, Inc. has issued the following: Wills Wing has not authorized the production of grafspan retrofit kits for any Wills Wing glider, and does not recommend that such retrofit kits be installed on any Wills Wing design. Claims by Orafspan that replacing stock parts with retrofit grafspars will "double the strength" of the glider and 16

"eliminate the (possibility) that the glider could break" are in total conflict with all of the extensive load testing that Wills Wing has conducted and documented during HOMA certification. Neither Wills Wing nor Orafspan has conducted actual load tests on a grafspar-equipped Wills Wing glider, but from an analysis of failure modes which Wills Wing made during testing for the 1979 HOMA certification of the Alpha, Omni and Omega, we strongly suspect that the effective structural strength of a grafspar-equipped Wills Wing will not be significantly greater than that of a stock glider, and may in fact be less. A Wills Wing glider fitted with grafspars will not retain its HOMA certification. Claims by Orafspan that grafspars can dramatically increase the speed range, aerodynamic efficiency, performance, roll response, etc. of a glider are in complete conflict with all of our design and performance testing experience. Additionally, if there were even, say a modest 200Jo increase in the top speed of a glider such as the'215 Alpha mentioned in Larry Whitney's article in the July-August 1979 Whole Air Catalog, (in which Larry claims the speed range on his grafspar equipped Alpha "has literally gone off the scale!"), the structural strength of the glider would have to be increased by 440Jo merely for the glider to retain the same effective structural strength relative to its speed range, which is how load factors are specified in the HOMA standards. In fact, the effective structural strength of Larry's Alpha is probably no better than it was when stock, and Larry's implication in the article that he is now flying an unbreakable ultra-performance, fully aerobatic glider is in total conflict with all of our empirical design and testing experience. The above statements are made on the basis of Wills Wing's analysis of the retrofit leading edge which Orafspan has installed on Larry Whitney's 215 Alpha, which was inspected by Wills Wing's design department at the May 15th meeting of the HOMA, as well as on the basis of several conversations between Wills Wing and representatives of Orafspan. Wills Wing has made numerous attempts to obtain sample leading edges from Grafspan for testing and evaluation, and has also made numerous attempts to offer suggestions to Grafspan on how to modify the retrofit design so that the structural balance that was designed into the glider could be maintained and the overall strength actually improved. Orafspan has declined to take advantage of such opportunities, and Wills Wing can in no way endorse or recommend

a product which we have not fully tested and evaluated. We do believe that graphite has a significant future in hang glider design, and are actively developing designs employing graphite in a number of structural applications, but we will not release or endorse any such design or product until we have conducted the full range of appropriate analysis and empirical testing as specified in the HOMA airworthiness standards. Wills Wing has taken the above stated position on Grafspan retrofit kits on the basis of a lengthy process of analysis and only after pursuing every reasonable opportunity to work with Grafspan on resolving what we considered to be serious problems with both the product and the promotional claims being made for it. Anyone wishing further specific information on this subject is asked to please contact Wills Wing.

Cable Fatigue It has recently come to our attention that there has been accelerated fatigue on prone/seated flying wires on gliders over one year old. The fatigue has shown up on the short adjustor links between the two middle nico sleeves. Investigations have shown the fatiguing to be related to the common practice of coiling the side flying wires at the shackles when folding up the glider. This practice allows the cables to "twist and flop" around in the wind during travel, causing excessive flexing and fatiguing of the cable strands immediately adjacent to the nico sleeves. Fatigue in the short adjustor links may not be perceptible. It is therefore recommended that all owners with prone/seated rigging replace their flying wires before further flight. The most expedient course of action is to have your dealer replace your rigging. They have been informed of the problem and are prepared to help you. If this is impossible, send us your flying wires indicating preference for seated or prone rigging. Also include glider model, size, and year of manufacture. We will send you replacement rigging at the cost of $26.50 (400Jo off retail value). Customers who have purchased 1979 models may have their rigging replaced at no charge. Additionally, we re-emphasize the importance of a thorough inspection of all cables during every preflight. Finally, it is recommended that all wires be secured to the folded glider inside the travel bags, rather than coiled at the control bar. For further information contact your nearest Seagull Dealer, or Seagull Aircraft at (805) 684-8331. HANG GLIDING

Sound familiar? Without an altimeter, you really don't know exactly how high you are or, later, how high you've been. Stop guessing by taking an Altimaster II along. It's precision built so it's light, rugged and reliable. It has an easy-to-read face that can be zeroed to any ground elevation.

And the Altimaster mounts practically anywhere - on your hanglider, your harness or your wrist. (It's so small that you probably didn't notice the Altimaster worn by the pilot above.) So stop guessing. Use the coupon below to order your Altimaster II today.

m-s·a·o1·M·a·g-no·l-ia·~-v~-~-ue·-~-pc_en·?-sa·~-~-n~-N-~-o-a1·:-9-~-(-60_9_)6-6·3--2-23·4-·

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$89.95 Please rush me an Altimaster II. (We ship within 24 hrs.) C Enclosed is my check or money order for $89.95

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•

?,, 1979 SSE, Inc. Alli master is a lradcmark. Photo by Carl Boenish .

----891flrlPll1r 9&A8111tfl by George Worthington Photographs by Bettina Gray

This year's Classic presented a ch:,tllc:ngc. Could the British team of six of their 1nost experienced and competent pilots match the Americans in the real world of cross eoun-try performance? And what about the Australians? They also sent six pilots all the way to the U.S. to test their skill and talents against the Americans. Canada sent three very pilots. The Classic is truly the international showcase of cross country co1rnp,etition. There were individual and chttllengi~s and questions to be decided in the nine days of this Classic. Would Greblo, Stoll, and Tudor dominate as did last year? Would Bob Calvert and Bob who arc the cross country champions (currently Bailey holds the British record of 50 miles) of Great Britain, step in and grab the Bailey has more than 3,000 flights, and Calvert more than 4,000! July 1979 From the triumph of (in the to the agony of defeat. I went to the The task was an open distance Andy Starkey was the first cornpeti· lion pilot lo take off at I: 10. It seemed ear· SEPTEMBER 1979

ly. He gained about 2,000 ft. of altitude above take·off while drifting slightly in back of the launch site. Then he stayed up there for 30 minutes, not being able to get sufficient altitude to safely depart on his At I :25 a large group of 20 gliders took off in a ten-minute period. They had no trouble sustaining above take-off but none could gel over about nine or ten thousand feet (with Gunter take-off at 8,200). We thought the lift conditions would improve. We were wrong. Between about 1:40 and 2:40 conditions worsened. Only three con· testants flew. The wind had increased. Two of the three were awfully low when last seen and probably only made it to Don's ranch four miles away. One pilot, a contestant named Dick Farnsworth, crashed as he stalled on take-off. JJis orange colored slid sideways down on one wingtip,

buckling the leading edge. Dick was unhurt. An Australian contestant flying a Moyes also crashed on take-off. He only got about three feet off the ground before hitting a seven foot pine tree with his body. IL would have made a great photo. As the pilot and glider came to a halt, the pilot had both his arms all the way around the tree as if hugging it. He was unhurt and took off again, rather more successfully the second time. Another Moyes pilot stalled his takeoff with the result that one control bar upright had a 90 ° bend in it. ABO VE LEFT: Rich Pfeiffer, 19 79 cross coun· try champion. TOP: The White Mountains make a rugged backdrop for a limitless landing area. ABOVE: Tim .Joseph and witnesses outside Mina, Nev.

more buoyant. it wasn't a carbon copy of the relatively poor conditions of At I :08 the first of the 57 contestants took off. Three wind dummies followed in the next five minutes. all were climbTheir climb was slow but at least were going up. The remaining 56 pilots on the ground had their eyes riveted on the tion in the sky, and each was whether what they were would affect their time of take··Off. task was a race. Sure it was important to get to .Janies. But it was even more important to get there faster than anybody else. And that meant for stronger conditions so that the thermals would carry the pilot up fast. The effect of the four who had climbed up so was to convince most of those that it was best to wait a long hour or two more, and to wait for more wind proof of strong conditions, So most wailed. It took one hour 23 minutes for three more pilots to take off. did not complete the task. The good conditions at launch came at 2:40 and lasted for two hours until 4:40. Pilots who launched during this had the best chance of a fast time. The statistics verified this. Larry Tudor, who won the took off at 2:44 and landed at .Janies one hour and 45 minutes lat er. Ilis average was 19 mph. finished the task and the leaders quite a bit. Now the list read: I st 2nd 3rd 4th

Keith Nichols Larry Tudor Rich Pfeiffer and Jerry Katz Bob Calvert (Great

5th

Graham Slater (Great

6th

Peter Brown and Alan Reeler John Brant Tom Krcychc and Bob Britain) Jeff Scott and DeGrool Steve Moyes (Australia)

7th 8th flettina Gray's 300 mm lens capturos throe pilots climbing into the clouds at "18,000 fl.

seventh and Jarman

Australian, Ian All this was and the fast, with

two British and three Australians in the top places. Very July The task was an time race, to Janie's Ranch, distance of 33 miles. The lift conditions which had been very poor in of the fact that a few flew very far, were very much on mind as they arrived at the takeoff site abont 11 :00. pilot was to solve the of when the take-off time would be. But differences noted in the behavior of the wind from the before and the mood grew

9th 10th

As one can the British Australians were very well, have nothing like this type of in their homelands. from either of these two countries was close to the top to win.

The Third Day July 9th By the time the contestants had arrived on top, the wind there was about mph which is strong for l :00 a.m. The pilots were informed of the weather forecast (24 mph at 14,000 and H/\NG GIIDINC:;

mph at 18,000) by Don Partridge who put on a serious face for the occasion. The pilots voted 45 to 12 to have a no-contest day. Fifty-five of the contest pilots drove down to the valley. Two staunchly independent pilots decided to test the wind situation in the only effective manner possible - fly and see. Butch Peachy, in a Mosquito, was one of these pilots. Butch hurried his preparations and took off at 12:20 because he was worried that the wind velocity would probably increase. He had no trouble getting 500 ft. above take-off almost immediately. But it took another 20 minutes before a thermal lifted him high enough to cross the forbidding and dangerous Coldwater Canyon. Three hours later, we learned that Butch had been forced to land on top of the mountain at 12,500 feet at a point 17 miles north of take-off. His situation was far different from John Johnson's. John had landed South of White Mt. Peak where there are good dirt roads and a scientific research station. Butch had landed five miles north of the Peak where there are no roads, no trees, no lakes and no people. Butch had a CB and it became exceedingly important. It allowed his retrieve driver to notify everyone of Butch's location. Otherwise all-night searches and dawn helicopter rescues would have been necessary. Butch's CB worked only because, luckily, he had landed only 100 yards from a north-south ridge. From the top of this ridge he had line of sight vision of the whole valley. CB is "line-of-sight" equipment. Butch radioed from the top of the ridge that when and if the 30 mph winds died down to under 18 or 20 he would launch from the ridge and fly down to the valley. The winds persisted and Butch spent the night on the mountain top. Matches, and the skill to build a fire out of poor fire materials, saved him from the risk of freezing. He had brought food and water with him on his glider. At 7:00 a.m. the following morning, Butch had a beautiful serene 28 minute flight to the valley. This was probably the world's first hang gliding overnight XC camping trip. Some years hence, this type of "flying-camping trip" might be the ultimate challenge of hang gliding. Butch, the pioneer! The Third Contest Day - July 10. Shortly after arriving at the launch site there were weather clues and signs that this day was nothing like yesterday. The wind at take-off was zero much of the time. When a thermal came through and the wind rose to six or seven mph, it was mostly from the north. The task was announced as a 16 mile elapsed time race to Zack's Ranch. A wind dummy launched at 12:45. He found lift. It was a sweet sight. And today, SEPTEMBER 1979

which was about 200Jo of normal use, to control the glider. Without this 200Jo use, the job of thermalling would have been virtually impossible. And can you believe it, he placed first for the day! Today's task demoted a few and promoted others. The biggest news was the advancement of Steve Moyes from 14th to 9th, and the descent of Larry Tudor from 2nd to 8th. Jerry Katz dropped from 3rd to 10th place. The standings of the top 10 were as follows:

The author, keeping track of the day's scores.

this was a sweet site. Between 1:00 and 1: 15 three more wind dummies launched. They went straight to the Pitts. Somehow the lift had apparently vanished. At 2:00 another wind dummy launched and found good lift right at take-off. Like a bunch of startled pigeons, 10 contest pilots quickly took to the air. The lift was excellent. Three of the 10 pilots in this group reached Zack's, using only three thermals to do so. The other seven unaccountably landed somewhere in between. These first three pilots to reach Zack's waited almost an hour before another glider was sighted in the air. These three had landed in calm conditions, but during the intervening hour, a strong headwind had come up. It was 20 to 25 mph in the valley and the sight was something! More than half of the gliders, which had first appeared as specks in the sky, due to their extreme height, were descending quickly and advancing over the ground slowly and landing short (in some cases, miles short) of the landing area. Rich Pfeiffer flew over our heads at the landing site at 100 feet, and yelled down: "Help me, help me, my shoulder is dislocated." He had one arm dangling dramatically below the control bar. He made a mild crash landing on his stomach without injury. We unhooked him and he walked over to the crowd asking if anyone could pull his arm and get it back into its shoulder socket. Rich has had a history for the past six months of shoulder dislocation. But it had never before happened during his flights. Today it had gone out just as his feet cleared the ground on take-off and as he reached for the bottom of the control bar. Thereafter, his harness put extra pressure and pain on the shoulder. He thought constantly of landing at the first opportunity, but he didn't. His ambition to win wouldn't let him. He could and did use the bad arm, in a crippled sort of way,

1st Keith Nichols 2nd Rich Pfeiffer 3rd Alan Reeter 4th (tie) Jeff Scott Tom Kreyche 6th Peter Brown (Aust.) 7th Graham Slater (GB) 8th Larry Tudor 9th Steve Moyes 10th Jerry Katz

4+3+5 = 12 9+3+% = 12¥. 2+21 +2 = 25 18+8+4 = 30 12+13+5 = 30 5+18+9=32 3+18+13 = 34 10+ 31. +24 = 34% 11 + 16 + 10 = 37 8 + 4 + 26 = 38

(Pilots receive points equal to their place for the day, with the exception of the winner who receives V. of a point.)

Last year's first and second place winners were Greblo and Stoll. Now they were in 21st and 23rd place respectively. July 11, 1979 - A 15 mph wind was blowing from the north in the valley at 10:00 a.m. Don cancelled this day's contest. The pilots seemed glad. The Fourth Contest Day - July 12. This day's task was announced to be a goal and return flight to White Mt. Peak, then back to take-off, then back to Don's Ranch. The total distance is 22 miles. At 10:00 the wind in the valley at the Pump House was blowing in a disturbingly similar manner to the wind yesterday. Would Don cancel again today? Some of the pilots felt that we should have flown yesterday. Four pilots did fly Ray Dean Hill which is very close to Gunter. They said that the wind was not heavy and that it swung around to the west when a thermal passed through. This suggested that we could have flown yesterday and that perhaps it should have been a contest day. Don quickly sensed that the pilots were in no mood for a second consecutive cancellation, even though the wind was very similar. He sent us up the hill to fly. The first wind dummy took off at 1: 15. He got a low, low save. It was another mysterious day. There were many signs that the lift should be strong. Dust devils came through regularly. Thermals frequently announced their presence with gustiness and changes in the ground wind direction. The surface winds in the valley were near calm. All of these clues suggested powerful lift conditions.

But they were not powerful. The flights of the wind dummies showed that thermals were conspicuous by their absence. Accordingly the contestants waited. At 2:36 Tom Kreyche could no longer contain his patience. We watched him with great interest because Tom was currently in fourth place. For Tom, it was sort of a disaster. He found no lift until he was very low over the Pitts. And then it was zero sink, just keeping him 200 feet or so above ground. He was there for a long time. He was mindful, as we were also, that he was in a race, and every minute he spent circling and squirming in zero sink meant a poorer and poorer score. Painfully, 100 feet at a time, Tom climbed up. One hour after takeoff he had climbed up 800 feet above the take-off site, and then had lost the lift. He finally finished the task and got 18th for the day. On this day the average pilot launched later than on any other previous day of the contest. Twenty-nine contestants launched after 4:00 p.m. Eleven of those launched after 4:30. Thirty-six pilots finished the task. Larry Tudor captured first place for the day with a time of one hour 29 minutes. Andrew Barber-Starkey took off 14 minutes before Larry and it took him 3 hours 18 minutes to complete the task. Andrew is a very competent pilot. I believe that there had to be a great deal of luck involved. This goal and return task is. fun. I've never seen pilots having so much fun. A new list of the first 10 places read as follows: 1st Rich Pfeiffer 2nd Keith Nichols 3rd Jeff Scott 4th Larry Tudor 5th Alan Reeter 6th(tie)Steve Moyes (Aust.) and P. Brown (Aust.) 7th Jerry Katz 8th Tom Kreyche 9th Rich Grigsby 10th Bob Calvert

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The Fifth Contest Day - July 13 (Friday) The announced task is open distance. Only two contestants have dropped out of the contest. Fifty-five are still in. Last year at this point more than 18 had dropped out and we had only about 26 contestants left. Weatherwise, it was the same old story. The conditions seemed perfect from all the signs. But at 2:00 an expert wind dummy took off, fought courageously for 25 minutes and still landed in the Pitts. The first contestant took off at 2:50. He got up to 14,000 feet quickly. But only a couple of pilots took off in the next 20 minutes. Finally they started taking off in rather rapid succession at 3 :20. It was a

strong day with most pilots able to go as high as they dared. Four or five had oxygen and for the most part the equipment seemed to work well enough. Many without oxygen went to 17,000 and 18,000 feet. The distances flown were impressive. For example, more than 29 pilots flew farther than 40 miles. Eighteen gliders flew more than 48 miles. There were scattered cumulus clouds over the entire route. I. Jarman of Australia flew the farthest. The standings were now:

1st Keith Nichols 26 2nd Rich Pfeiffer 26!/i 3rd Jeff Scott 36 4th Steve Moyes (Aust.) 49 5th Tom Kreyche 50 6th Larry Tudor 55Yi 7th Rich Grigsby 57 8th Alan Reeter 58 9th Jerry Katz 59 10th I. Jarman (Aust.) 68~ Notice that at this point there were no British but two Australians in the top 10. continued on page 41

Higbster Aircraft, lac. The Highster is the highest performing intermediate glider on the market today, and probably the highest performing wing of all gliders certified last year.

Top View of Sail

Gentle handling and stability (easy to fly), are mated with excellent sink rate, exceptional L/D at high speeds, and one of the quickest roll rates in production (highly maneuverable). Due to extensive research by Michael Gi Jes, the tips have been imp roved in 1979, increasing sail area allowing the Higbster to achieve its maximum performance in lift conditions, whether ridge or thermal. All models of the Higbster now have much better slow speed capabilities and take-off characteristics. Higbster sti 11 has the highest speed range of any glider tested. _11 _:/_L/_

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THE PITCHOVER QUESTION PART II © Copyright by Dennis Pagen Last month we went "over the falls." This term is used by thermal pilots to describe the sudden down pitching that can occur when exiting a thermal. It was shown that the cause of this maneuver is a sudden apparent rearward gust that originates within a thermal's unique geometry. ln this article, we will see why a glider takes a dive in a thermal induced stall. Later, we will see the effect of glider stability and pilot control. Blowing In The Wind

Let's assume that we have just been gusted from behind in a raucous thermal. Also assume this rearward gust is exactly equal to our forward velocity, so we no longer have any horizontal airspeed. Our glider is now a falling object and it reacts in a disconcerting but consistent manner. It dives suddenly. To see why this is so, look at figure I (a). There is a greater amount of area behind the pilot than in front. Since gravity is pulling the pilot downward, the effect is to tilt the glider into a dive like a weather vane as in l(b). The more sudden and total the stall is, the faster the downward pitching motion is. If this motion is too fast to be counteracted by the glider's stability, a pitchover will result. What is this magical force we call pitch .SA I L I N FTZD ~J,-o F Pl LO",-- -

(a.)

Fi&URE

stability? There are two types, static and dynamic. Both play a role in preventing pitchovers. Static stability refers to the tendency of a glider to return to level flight from a nose high or low position. For example, if your glider is statically stable, it should want to slow up (positive bar pressure) when you pull in to dive, and speed up when you approach a stall (negative bar pressure). This can be represented in graphical form. A typical hang glider stability curve is shown in figure 2. The horizontal axis represents the angle of

up force as the rear of the sail again causes a weather vane action in the inverted sense (point D). The dip at point C can be controlled through the use of fixed battens and a reflex support bridle. The conclusion we should draw from the graph of glider static stability or pitching moments is that good static stability will help keep a glider from pitching downward too much if the air is meeting the wing at a reasonable angle of attack. For this reason, the 1979 HOMA regulations require a Cm of at least .05 at zero angle of attack, as

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attack and the vertical axis represents the nose- up or nose down force (the moment coefficient Cm is used instead of moment force to eliminate the difference in wing loadings, air density, glider sizes, etc. However, the graph can be read as positive or negative bar pressure). At point A we have the trim angle of attack. lf the pilot pushes out, the angle of attack increases and a negative bar pressure is felt. The nose wants to drop. If the pilot pulls in on the control bar, the glider speeds up and exhibits a positive bar pressure. As the angle of attack decreases, this nose up tendency gradually gets greater until the defined tips start working at point B. The glider is now at a fairly low angle of attack, so the air is blowing down on the tips, but not on the center of the glider, resulting in a strong nose up force. As the angle of attack is further reduced, the forward part of the sail suddenly inverts, reducing the positive moment considerably (point C). A further lowering of the angle of attack starts increasing the nose

shown . Unfortunately, a glider in an incipient tumble may never see a relative wind since it may be in sinking air or a large eddy as demonstrated last month. ln this case, we can't rely on strong static stability at all. This is a job for dynamic stability. When a system of forces reacts to a sudden disturbance with an oscillation that gradually dies out and returns to the equilibrium condition, that system is said to be dynamically stable. In our situation, the distrubance is the rapid nose down motion precipitated by a stall. Two factors contribute to dynamic stability. One is negative feedback, and the other is damping. There is not too much negative feedback in the case of a glider approaching a pitchover since the original input is in the form of an impulse. However, damping is an important factor. Damping refers to any force that tends to stow a given motion down. Drag and inertia are the forces here. Unfortunately, once a glider is pitching down rapidly, inertia tries to keep it going. HANG GLIDING

Thus, the only thing that comes to our rescue is the drag force. How does drag damping prevent a glider from tumbling? A very simple example should suffice to answer this. Take a business envelope and try to flip it about an axis through the long dimension. You'll find it tumbles easily. Now, try to flip it around an axis through the shorter dimension. You probably can't even get it to turn over when you release it, let alone tumble. The reason for this is that there is much more area distributed away from the axis of rotation in the second case. This means more mass of air must be pushed around when the envelope rotates. The same is true for a hang glider rotating nose downward. The drag of the air on the sail will tend to damp the rotation or slow it down. Before we draw any conclusions, we should look at one more factor. This is center of gravity placement. First, we should realize that any body rotating in space will revolve about its center of mass in the absence of external forces. In the case

forms. The gradual reduction of sail area reached a critical point in 1978 when a rash of pitchovers occurred. This is when defined tips and anti-luff lines really began to become popular. Some designers are again widening nose angles and increasing aspect ratios in an attempt to achieve more performance. They are retaining pitch stability through the use of reflexed airfoils. A reflexed airfoil has a neat little upturn at the tail that produces a very strong nose up force at low angles of attack. Defined tips are less effective on these wide-nosed gliders, since the tips are not placed much behind the pilot. Also, due to their low rotational damping, these designs require a lower center of gravity placement than the more swept conventional designs in order to take advantage of the reflexed airfoil effect. Motion as in figure 3(a) is more desirable with ultra-wide nosed gliders, while conventional designs will benefit from a higher C.G. placement. The placement of the center of gravity in the vertical direction is only about 1/10 as

the weight of the pilot is way back, so that if a vertical dive occurs, the large area in front of the weight will tend to flip the glider upside down. On the other hand, if the weight is placed at the nose as in 4(b), the glider will not flip over, but will dive until lift is again established and a pull-out ensues. You can try this with models. Figure 3 stops at the critical point for both cases. The pilot feels weightless since he is falling at the same rate as the glider. What happens next depends on how fast the glider is rotating and, of course, what the air is doing. As the glider continues past vertical, the pilot tends to fall toward the sail. If he falls into the glider, catastrophic failure can occur.

Standard Remedies What can we learn from the preceding analysis? First, we would prefer to have a glider that didn't stall too radically. The sudden gust from the rear would then not cause so rapid a nose down rotation. Secondly, static stability at low and

Ca)

(b)

FIG-UR..E

of a hang glider tumbling, the aerodynamic thrust on the glider causes rotation to occur initially about the pilot's body. In figure 3, we depict two cases. The first is with a low C.G. placement and the second shows a high C.G. placement. Both of these gliders are assumed stalled in the initial condition. Each subsequent step shows the glider progressing through a nose dropping, stall recovery action. Notice the difference in the rotation of the two gliders. The low C.G. model in 3(a) follows an arc that causes the wing to meet the air at a zero angle of attack throughout the entire maneuver. Thus, the only thing stopping this rotation is the parasitic drag the wing produces at zero angle of attack. The model in 3(b) experiences quite a different motion. Here, the rotation is about a point on the glider itself, so the full effect of drag damping takes place as with the business envelope. The further back the center of gravity is placed, the worse the situation is. To see this, look at figure 4. In the first drawing, SEPTEMBER 1979

negative angles of attack should be as good as possible so that when the glider does pitch down, upward pitching forces counteract the motion. Finally, drag damping should be good. A glider pitching down actually undergoes a complex motion that is a combination of figure 3(a) and 3(b). Fixed airfoils, defined tips and reflexed airfoils can be employed to slow up the motion shown in 3(a), along with sail area distributed away from the axis of rotation to slow up the motion shown in 3(b). The latter point should be well understood. Standard Rogallos and today's intermediate gliders have not demonstrated a severe tumbling problem. The reason is, the large amount of sail area placed behind and in front of the pilot makes a pitch down rotation as slow as a swinging barn door. The difference in rotational velocities of different designs can be seen in Table 2 in Gary Valle's article (March, 1979 Hang Gliding). Tumbling as an art began with the advent of wide nose angles and high aspect plan-

critical as fore and aft C.G. location. Thus, the most important consideration is to keep the weight forward. This brings up the pilot's role in preventing pitchovers. The Dauntless Pilot

A pitchover can be a lightning quick maneuver. Witness: one pilot was testing a high performance glider for pitch stability by performing a series of whipstalls over the Pacific Ocean. Suddenly, the glider tumbled with a flash of metal and a rush of Dacron. It was all on film. When the movie was developed, it was found that the first revolution was completed in two frames. At a film speed of 18 frames per second, this is a tumble in I/9th of a second. One cannot even count to nine in one second, so reacting to such a sudden flip is impossible. Incidentally, the pilot swam away from the wreckage, unhurt. It should be obvious from the foregoing that we need a plan of action that is in effect long before the pitchover begins. Here it is: whether you are seated or prone, clasp

the bar to your chest as firmly as possible. You are trying to accomplish two things: first, you are pulling your weight forward and secondly, you are trying to avoid falling into the sail. Remember, a sudden push out when a stall breaks can be a dangerous mistake. A general plan for flying thermals takes into account safety as well as performance. When you enter a thermal, keep a good maneuvering speed to prepare yourself for a turn in the core. After you sense the turbulence and strength of the thermal, you can slow down to maximize the lift. When you exit the thermal, pull in to prevent a stall as you encounter the "falls." This prepares you for a fast run to the next thermal

(remember speeds-to-fly) as well as gives you good maneuvering speed to hook back in the bubble you just left. Remember, if you feel the air get quiet, pull in no matter where your nose is pointing. The stronger the general wind or the thermals are, the more chance you have of encountering pitchover conditions. Wind greater than the stall speed of your glider should be avoided like a sleeping tiger when turbulence abounds. Pilots who fly in horrendous conditions miss the subtle effects of thermal lift and thus limit their skills. Performing whipstalls is crazy unless you are getting paid well as a test pilot and you have a few back up systems. All this is a matter of judgment. A wise

pilot can prevent pitchovers by choosing his conditions and being prepared. Thermals are the usual cause of pitchovers, but with a stable glider and sensible control actions, we can thermal safely and efficiently. We don't know everything there is to know about pitchovers. However, we know enough to significantly reduce the frequency of their occurrence. It is encouraging to note that individuals at NASA are interested in testing a hang glider in their wind tunnel. This should provide us with much valuable data. As we acquire information through study and research, we learn more about hang glider stability. Eventually, the mysterious pitch dragon will be rendered harmless like the hapless Jabberwock. - . ,

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/lroccom How do you improve a glider that had the most successful competition season of 1978? You listen to pilots, then calculate and experiment until you have an even better design. The Sirocco II showed up in the winners circle more than any other glider last year, so it would be easy to sit back and let the rest of the industry try to catch up. However, we couldn't resist the challenge to develop the best all-around glider possible. The results of our modifications and refinements is the sleek, new Sirocco Ill. We concentrated on two design factors: pitch stability and handling. With the addition of a keel pocket, luff lines and stronger defined tips, the Sirocco Ill becomes one of the most "anti-tuck" gliders on the market. By virtue of the shifting sail, liberated tips and relocation of the batten cables, the Sirocco Ill turns as fast as any glider available. Of course, we have retained the super low sink rate, flat glide and speed range that made the Sirocco II a winner. In fact, we have improved the sink rate by slightly increasing the sail area while maintaining the glide and speed capabilities by reducing parasitic drag. Wonder how we manage these feats of magic? The illustration below shows some of the Sirocco Ill's fine details.

A. Double surface for high performance at fast speeds. Cross-bar drag is eliminated. Think of where you want to be, then go for it! B. Super strong control bar breaks down for quick storage in the cover no fumbling with cables. C. You can't see it, but the Quick-Slide mechanism lets you set up and be soaring while your friends are still fussing with nuts and bolts. D. Ram air vent carefully designed to inflate the sail to form the perfect airfoil. You'll like the way the glider lifts immediately on takeoff. E. A differential deflexor system which allows the leading edges to flex in a limited amount to promote fast turning. F. Stronger deflexor posts add to the overall structural integrity of the glider. G. Leading edges are specially constructed of 13/4 inch tubing to increase strength and allow breakdown to about 3V2 meters. H. The defined tip is now connected to a supporting cable. These firm tips help keep the glider more pitch positive. I. New tip design increases the performance as well as adds flexibility for handling.

J. Lines from the kingpost create a large amount of reflex at negative angles of attack, improving pitch stability tremendously. Note how the batten is held down in flight by a cable which reduces washout and increases performance. K. New curved keel permits the sail to shift which greatly improves the roll rate. L. The only thing missing is a pilot. Why don't you put yourself in control of a Sirocco Ill and enjoy the freedom of the sky with safety, performance, and response. See your dealer soon and become part of a continuing success story. Test fly a Sirocco Ill.

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It wasn't that John Davis won the Grouse Mtn. Invitational this year; in the top ten at the Vancouver, mccl last yl:ar. were Glenn lockctt, Dever and Larry Tudor All in the 1op ten as well. What was unusual was that Davis beat I lockett and fifteen hundred dollars loU1l of more scored between between the Portlander and the Santa Barbaran was so close that the Glenn for 480 for Davis to arrive he calculated that John needed only to get into the target's outer to beat Hockett score by one . When at las1 Davis appeared and descended, he did so from the from an unusual soccer field below and south of the landing zone, and was fortunate to down inside the of chalk that his score from lfockctt one Davis became favorite in the meet. His MK II Maxi seemed to offer him advan··

in a meet and obstrueted target of honest-to400 pound boulders, and trees c:rcated Few

As lhc third round on 28th, the mect's second day, Scan was in the lead. Davis was in second and Mike flying his Condor was iu third. I'm out in front and going for the goose ,, ... ,,,,-.. Dever as he waited for the chair lift to take him the final few hundred feet to the top. Sean was threshed out of first in a later flight by Jeff Scott's Phoenix 6-D, but Scan climbed back into the to retrieve fourth With David clambered into first and there like a fly on a molasses bottle. of the sixth and With the seventh rounds the competition was nm in two-man heats, with 3,250 flight points for the winner and corresponding percentage of that score for the loser. A total of 850 was possible on the target, which made points irnportant near the end of the meet, when pilots to twenty were first cut to thirty, and for the final round. Don Whitmorc's meet and executed nearly by his assistants Richard and Blackmore. Few pilots complained about likely indicating for work well done by Whitmorc's sizeable staff of Canadian volunteers. The mechanics of 1bc meet came off well it hard to beat a modern tram for getting to the top of a three thousand foot mountain. The Grouse Mtn. were helpful to the pilots, too. It off for the mountain with 5,500 ticketthe tramway to spectators watch the last flight on Many of the best Canada were there, and the flying was cxcitand for the most part fun. The middle

rounds saw

between Dever and Tudor and Rob Kells, Mike and Malcolm Jones. Narrow separated a number of tense comEileen DcRauchc had a trcmcn· with her new MicroMaxi, one of two white gliders in the meet. Larry Tudor's Condor was the other. Eileen did so well that one of her opponents observed, just been through her. Moore gave the a second among the women. missed the cut to thirty in the sixth round. Eiken made HANG GLIDING

SEPTEMBEP 1979

that cut, but closely missed the final cut to twenty A great showdown between Larry Tudor and Mark Schwinge went on over the top of to1·cp,ealk, where the trams halt at very tight banked 360's, the feat of on top of thermal king Larry Tudor, but later Mark suffered the misfortune of connecting with the trees lining the of the which him hack in the Meanwhile Glenn Hockett put on a steady show of fine tanctirtgs, himself in close contention. Rob Kells offered his best to date, from 12th to 4th at one Croome of lnvermere, B.C. Canadian to finish in the the admiration of the for his skill with his MJ-6 Birdman Croome's teammate Richard Saffold demonstrated the unusual tech. by his rear flying Scan Dever, clr<)pJJed way back a horrendous defeat by Jeff Scott, made his way back to an eventual fourth place by impeccably and getting the most he could out of each Sean couldn't hold his Condor up when he got to bulllseyc, but stuck a foot on the marker 34

every time. Burke Ewing suffered a trouncing similar to the one Scott gave Dever from John Davis. It was a tenminute time loss, and effectively put Ewing's Seagull out of it. But Burke made the crowd in the landing area roar with the last afternoon, when he flew Vr,,rrnnin,111' Marot on his Wills I 10-G tanto a light landing in the center of the circle seconds after Hockett made his final landing of the meet, also near the center of the bull. every pilot had at least one landing that would be called bad at any other place. The scoring system offered a who was willing to fall on the target a full percent of his landing points, but no at all for a standup touchdown outside the circle's outer ring. Even so, not all the pilots eould reach the circle or the itself. Official J .J. Peterson was walking down the paved road outside the LZ one morning when he looked up to see his friend Luke Charet turning above him. J.J. called up howdy and continued ~trnllinu with his friend. They heard a whoosh·· noise, so they ducked. J.J.'s lady friend avoided the collision, but LI. took a direct hit that left his right side sore, as Luke elected for the road rather than the trees. Another pilot flew his Moyes head-on into

a commotion Mike Ireland's Condor was too to repair quickly after an en· counter with the roadside ditch, and he was forced to finish on another Condor. Schwinge's tree-induced landing brought incident totals to four for Friday. The course's upper end had a clean record though, as no pilots blew a launch during the whole meet, possibly a record in itself. Like last year the tasks and conditions favored big with light loadings. Staying aloft in marginal air and getting in on the obstacle-guarded target called for machines with low sink rates and high maneuverability. Gliders from seven different companies finished in the top ten, de1mcmstra.tin.g that no one factory had a lock on those qualities. Most of the top twenty pilots were well-known competitors, pilot skill and knowledge to be equally important factors. Winner John Davis gave credit to his wife Mary, pointing out that she also helped Glenn I-fockclt. "Having a ground crew really makes a difference," said John. He was flushed and happy with this having recently found himself upside down on another glider at Cerro Gordo, where he threw his chute only to watch it drift away, apparently severed by friction when the chute cords HANG GLIDING

wires. The dn111J:ed across the recovered and Davis landed intact, but he said he'd thought seriously about quitting His at Grouse bolstered his confidence enormously. After Sunday sixth round, the twenty grew in(:reasingly concerned about the last flight. t·n~c-111v11111 was allowed the who'd been eliminated. Promoter Don Whitmore wanted as many gliders as he could get into the sky between rounds, and the tram cars humrned up the mountainside packed with

sta1v-,u p--w1 tllH t' s-o ver first man off be the winner, autornal ic:'lllJ(/ The Blackmore brothers, ott1rnlln:1g launch, pondered this. Twenty waitmg stewed beside their gliders, each wanto be the first to launch. The cloud over the peak began to lighten and dissipate

Free-flying was halted for the final round. Was it still soarable? Canadian John Duthie felt it was. "I think I'll go away for two reasons," he stated. "I think the first person off will get up, so that's one. The other is that I hell of a long way to get home, and I as well have it over with. This momgot all the way up the clouds twice. The tops were about fifty meters above launch. Once I came out over Lake Capilano. But I'm not looking forward to a three hour The sun broke out over the area. Richard Blackmore called the to the ctumgcs for launch 1,.,.. " " " " found acthe last The final round would be for a maximum 21/2 hour with the usual 850 extra for dead center without any part of the on the ground. The grace period for down was extended to 15 minutes, after which the overstayer would SEPTf:MBEI< 1979

be docked at the rate of a hundred points per minute. Order of launch was deter··· mined by the twenty pilot's names from a hat. Glenn Hockett drew number one. Before hundreds of onlookers shouting encouragement, Hockett launched his eleven meter He was followed in short order by Steve Pearson, Croome, Larry Tudor, Roh Kells and Scan Dever. No one lost more than three hundred feet before he found lift under the cloud, and as launches continued rapidly, the first pilots began to enter it and pear. "Where's Tudor?" someone said. "With thal white he's like a ghost in there." John Davis took a seasick pill, anticipating a two and a half hour flight at cloud base, a couple of hundred feet above the launch. When Chris Bennett, the twentieth pilot launched, a cheer followed him from both spectators and officials. All 20 were up and in and below the cloud. The

hilltop was spotted with upturned faces as announcer Pete Brock how fortunate and unusual it was to have such con-ditions for the final round of a competition. A line formed for the chairlift down as watchers hurried as there were couple of hours to go) for the landing area, to see the ending of the tension-laden story now floating in the sky.

OPPOSITE PAGE, CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT" Dan Racanelli in a steep wingover in his bowsprit Stratus V Malcolm Jones with a view of Vancouver, B. C. On the last day of the meet, pilots soared into the clouds during competition Sean Dover gives us a bird's eyo view from his Condor. THIS PAGE, TOP: John Davis flares his Moyes Maxi for a first place and $1. 5 00. LEFT: Glenn 1-/ockett's Seagull silhouetteci against carpet of pines. f?/Gf-/T: View from takeJ-off.

$1 1 ]

lines on both ends of the tramway. ernned their necks to the swarm under the cloud cap. Pilots in and out of the cloud so often it was hard to tell who was who up there. Jarman flew off into the under different cloud. John Duthie and Malcolm Jones flew back above launch. Others remained over the at the end of the spurtop. The air over Vancouver but the cloud remained at the top of Grouse Mtn. It was now obvious that the would determine the winner of the meet, and several were do it if could get close Davis and Hockett. When Glenn Hockett landed 480 round, ly to what Davis would do. John had launched and would be one of the last to come down. First to descend was Steve

up, so he Steve was forced by lack of space to make most of his from the open soccer field below the and he did well, that direction was cross or downwind. Chris Bennett came down second. "I just lost the lift," he said. "It lulled a bit, and when I got lift l couldn't get back up. is it cold up there!" The rest of the of the 9,000 pu,,aiun, time. Larry Croome landed his MJ-6 500 and advancement in the past Sean Dever by 150 or so. Then Davis' green Maxi appeared, and the crowd of several hundred around the of the area stirred Davis flew in great circk around the the wind. It was and seemed to come from the northfrom west, so Davis set up his Grossrock's the unusual apfrom the soccer field. John in his harness, stalling his Moyes the wind turned and began to come from behind. His last maneuver with the should have carried him past the target circle and first but John cranked on it hard, off the and got but inside. to Davis was the mild and modest Glenn Hockett. "I knew if he into the circle John would beat me by '' Hockett said to the "and that's what he did. Davis and lfockett and Whitmore were interviewed for national TV, and the n:mainthcir gear in the warm late The of Vancouver

was the ships in the into the seabrecze. It was still soarahlc, hut no one was A tired hundred or so rode the tram one more time beer for the award of the cloud cap burned away, the top, and the fresh forest.

HANG GLIDING

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It was a typical Southern California Saturday morning: clear skies, a soft breeze, with a hint of the noon day heat to come. This morning the breeze was out of the east and building slightly, hinting at a hot, dry "Santa Ana" wind off the desert. Marilyn and I were driving north on I-15 up into the mountain pass which eventually opens up to Elsinore Valley and some of the best hang gliding areas anywhere. We had repeated this drive more times than we can recall, but today seemed to hold an unexplainable excitement, almost tangible. As we drove on, the "Santa Ana" kept building. I had made arrangements with my

original hang gliding instructor, who brought me through the long process from fledgling to Hang 3, to try out a new glider. Mike and Katie Miller, owners, operators and instructors at Elsinore Valley Hang Gliding Center, had answered my probing questions patiently time after time about which kite to go to for better performance, after flying my trusted trainer for more than a year. After test flying various gliders over many weekends, today was my turn on the Phoenix 6D. As we pulled up in the landing area below the 1,500-ft. launch at Edward's Canyon, two of my close flying friends, Tim Jansen and Ray Wright, rambled and stammered

on about their early morning ridge soaring flight with glassy smooth 18 mph easterlies. They were still two feet off the ground as I looked up at the launch and noted with disappointment the line of gliders taking their routine 5-minute sled rides. It was 10 a.m. and I was still hoping for some ridge lift to evaluate the 6D's sink rate. As we strapped the kite on my car and drove up the mountain my spirits rose. The easterly was holding and even building slightly from the southeast. Twenty minutes later, on top, the winds had increased to a steady 12 mph. I was feeling much better as Katie checked me out on the 6D and its new, but simple set up procedure. Next was a pre-flight on the glider, my hang check which included a once over of my chute, and then I was in line to launch. A red SST with a pilot unknown to me took off into a glassy 16 mph easterly, Marty Myers launched in his 193 Firefly, then Terry Caudill in his 185 Phoenix 12. As I watched Terry crab up to the Lookout and return, I knew this was going to be a day to remember. Little did I realize the drama that was soon to occur! Tim held my front flying wires and advised me of air traffic as Marilyn readied the 8MM camera. There were only the three gliders flying above the ridge, with an Antares and a Seagull down below the crest, well out in front of the ridge. I made my last minute hook-in check as I readied to launch. The wind was good at 16 mph and I felt ready. I yelled, "Nose down slightly Tim, neutral, clear," and I was off! The smooth easterly Santa Ana lifted me from a two-step launch up to 800 ft. I hung above and slightly in front of launch as I got the feel of the new ship. It felt absolutely rock solid with very light bar pressure as I crabbed to the left going north along the ridge for half a mile. As I crabbed back south along the ridge I looked down and saw Marilyn with camera in hand shooting my return. I could feel the kite's performance lifting me through 1,000 ft. up to 1,500 ft. above take-off. It was fantastic to get all this altitude while still flying at 22 mph indicated airspeed, since I didn't feel at home enough with the conditions and a new kite to explore its absolute minimum sink speed. I pulled the bar in and flew well over 30 mph indicated airspeed out in front of the ridge to check high speed handling and penetration. I eased the bar forward as my indicator fell to 20 mph and I drifted back on top of the crest again. I was pleased as I noted I was at the top of the stack and still not flying under 18 mph indicated airspeed. As I continued crabbing across the ridge I noted an increasing headwind which I compensated for to hold the front of the ridge. HANG GLIDING

Within seconds headwinds built up to a level which caused me to leave the ridge and go for the landing area out in front. As I pulled the bar in I penetrated out about 500 ft. and then lost all forward ground progress. For the next 10 minutes I did everything but climb out on the flying wires just to hold my position in front of the ridge, but the Santa Ana kept building! I realized I was fighting a losing battle as I glanced quickly at my airspeed indicator which showed 38 mph indicated airspeed. A quick mental conversion told me I was flying 40 to 45 mph. A feeling of doom came over me as I looked at the ridge, now 800 ft. below me, and saw I had a reverse ground speed of 15 to 20 mph. The mental impact of a 60 mph wind was awesome. Instinct told me to try to hold the ridge, but my tiring arms eventually gave out. I let the bar go forward to an indicated 17 mph to get all the altitude I could get. I was back to 1,500 ft. above take-off when my reverse progress took me behind the crest. I turned downwind and flew 15 mph to minimize my sink rate in an attempt to fly over what I knew was the world's biggest rotor. After smooth flying for the first mile downwind my returning confidence gave me a small flicker of hope. But, what of my friends who were flying below me? What had been their fate? 1 picked out a wild grass field for a landing spot at what looked like a 60 to 1 glide, but within seconds I could see I was going to well overshoot it. I estimated the wind to still be in excess of 40 mph as I turned upwind, but I had overshot this field. I turned downwind again and saw another field, smaller this time, at about the right glide angle, and turned upwind in time to land. I had about 200 ft. of altitude as I started slowly settling down to the field. Again, I had to pull in as far as I could and I was still flying backward over the field. As I quickly glanced back I saw low power lines next to a cabin with a row of trees beyond. I had to hold forward progress above this field and burn off my last 50 ft. of altitude! As I was setting up for a total prone landing, a violent ground gust flipped me into a left wingover. I went up, over, and downwind with it in an attempt to get over the power lines. As I cleared the lines, I counted the strands on the wire. I banked for the last time to bring her into the wind and managed to park her between two trees. I heard the limbs breaking and felt a painless IO ft. vertical drop into a freshly plowed field. I could hardly believe I was down at last! Within seconds, the owner of the property was next to me, helping me up, and seeing if I was OK. Amazingly, I was alive, nothing was broken and my injuries amounted to SEPTEMBER 1979

nothing more than several scraped knuckles. The owner, Jim, whose last name I missed in the adrenalin let-down after the experience, was fantastic. He seemed to understand as I continued shaking his hand for the l ,OOOth time for his help. We went to move the glider away from the trees and for the first time I noticed my right crossbar and sail panel were pierced by a metal fence post only three feet to the right of my prone position. This last hazard, after the 60 mph winds, giant rotor, ground gusts, power lines, and tree landing was too much. Jim liberally applied Coors for a remedy, and my knees finally reduced their knocking to a gentle double-time beat. As I finally started to relax, a sense of urgency came over me to get back to take-off, let Marilyn know I was OK, and hopefully find Terry and Marty all right as well. As Jim drove me back, it seemed like an awfully long way. I discovered I had come down more than three miles downwind. I found Marilyn quickly and after our reunion, I also discovered that the other three gliders in the air with me had gone over the back. Marty and Terry had used their chutes and landed hard but were OK. A feeling of dumbfoundment overtook me as I realized I had not even thought of using my chute! I couldn't find out any details about how the SST and the unknown pilot had gotten down, but I did hear later from the Forestry Rescue, which kindly stopped to check me out as I was folding up the 60, that everyone had been found and was all right. Later, everyone met at Mike and Katie's house to piece the whole story together. The freak wind was apparently caused by a mild Santa Ana condition combined with a major 800-acre fire outbreak in Riverside and a 100-acre fire in San Bernardino. It lasted about 40 minutes and then the winds returned to a smooth 16 mph Santa Ana condition. We continued swapping notes for several hours to learn as much as we could about our mistakes, our successes and our alternate techniques. In the end, we agreed that all of us had been lucky. The structural integrity of the gliders and the emergency backup systems speak very highly of the manufacturers and the ongoing efforts of the HOMA. The most credit of all goes to Mike Miller and his excellent training class. His expertise and continual effort to safely prepare hundreds of students of widely varying backgrounds for the rigors of hang gliding flight, was proven again that day. It allowed all of us to act in a crisis situation according to the varying conditions we each experienced, and to make the right decision. I'm sure the three of us share the silent gratitude that in this situation, our best was good enough. ~

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Pfeiffer and Nichols were a fantastic battle in the Nichols got 12th toand Pfeiffer 13th. they were 18 and 18 \I;, ahead of their nearest rival. Now they were only about nine points ahead. There are two more contest If they their lead at someone will beat them on the last The Sixth Contest D11y .July 14. The task was announced open dis·· tancc. Cu's over the spine in back of take··Off at 11 :00! This and other clues and made everyone think that if

the smallest number yet. today changed the least, of in the contest. The first ten were still in the first ten after to .. Keith and Rich lengthcnccl their lead over thircJ .. plaec Jeff Scott. The Seventh Contest Day .July 15. This is the final clay of the contest. It's been a dramatic race ever since the end of the second when Nichols and Pfeiffer were first and third respectively. As we go into the final clay they are only 2 Y2 points apart. Nichols is a player. He is

Pilot awaiting retrfrwe vf111ic/e near G11bbs, Nev.

would be even better than 'l'wo wind dummies were able to sustain 500 feet above takc .. off at 11 :00! This, and other the first 10 contestants to take off earlier than on any other By I :50, at least JO had launched. The left about 2:50. altitudes of the pilots were very There were reports of 18,500 feet. Cu's made a "street" north for a hundred miles. of ! a point 50 miles out, was S()Cn at about 15 ,(X)O feet high. It was unbelievable. flew over I miles . .Joe Greblo, the winner, flew 80! four pilots

SEPTEMB[JI 1979

ant, acts normal, and his inner thoughts to himself. Pfeiffer is emotional, enthusiastic and obviously very ambitious. "I can beat " he says. The announced task is an elapsed time race to Zack's a distance of 16 every sign of being the same as when we first observe it at 11:00. But it's not the same at all! There are to tell us this. The valley wind below take-off is south at I The wind al take-off is stronger and more from the south. These are the only clues of di ffercnce discernab!c to us. The big clue (normally) is the CU's. form just like over our heads and in back of us, over the

spine, at noon. The first contestant takes off at 2:00 and finds that although he can sustain at the take-off area, he cannot climb more than 300 feet above it. He tries for 30 minutes. Finally he loses even this meager amoun! of lift and is forced to turn toward the pilots watch in fascination. He fights to stay up for 30 more minutes, over the last 200 foot cliff before the Pitts.

minutes. This display of lift conditions causes a real reluctance on the part of the 45 or so pilots. seem determined to wait until they can plainly sec that other pilots arc climbing away and zooming toward Zack's. A new record is made in the lateness of takc .. offs. Twelve pilots take off after 5:00! One of these pilots is the winner. He is Butch Peachy, and his takeoff time is 5:04. IL takes him 44 minutes to reach with a ground of mph. Don has published a rule that only the top 20 in the Open and the top 20 in the Classic have a priority to be in next Classic. The other 60 pilots will come from other nations. was well over 20th before But with this fine mancc he gets a final of 18th and the privilege of in the Classic of 1980. The real interest, of course, is on Pfeiffer and Nichols. Pfeiffer is the first to take off. The time is 5:05. Nichols doesn't follow un· ti! minutes later. The statistics indicate that Nichols waited too to take off. He gets I l th for the All of the pilots who beat him took off at least 30 minutes before he did. The day, liflwise, does die. Twenty· nine pilots finished the task. Pfeiffer got 6th for the (in a tie with Katz) and Nichols got I Ith. Pfeiffer needed 2.ll.i points to win and he got In this Classic one wind durnmy, flying on his own, showed great lack of skill by performing a down .. wind stall 50 feet above ground, after he had been in the air for a couple of minutes. He dived into the ground and was seriously injured. This was evidence, and it will be used, that Gunter can be dangerous to uncontrolled and incxglider pilots. However, those who have worried and wondered about the of risk when gliders fly in the Owens Valley area (Gunter, Cerro Gordo, etc.) can breathe a sigh of relief. Over one hundred and contest pilots, plus 15 wind dummies flew this year in the two contests. There was one death, because the pilot reportedly flew into a dust devil. 'I'here was one serious injury because the pilot was obviously unskilled in hang gliding. There were no other serious injuries, even though probably more than 41

15,000 miles were flown in

you who wonder if some took undue risks, the answer is the nature an international contest. II was us to have the British and the

year more nations have indicated that they will also send a team. It is there· fore of great interest that the Brit.ish pilots had some strong and definite opinions about the Classic. They were interviewed in when the late afternoon of the final their and emotions might have been a bit high. Here are their comments.

Keith Reynolds: "At this moment in time, I believe that none of the British pilots will want to come back to compete next year. I don't think that Owens Valley (Gunter) is a competition site. encourages pilots to do things wouldn't normally do. I think that pilots should be encouraged to fly ,•m,c,•nrn whereas competition encourages just the opposite. You should not 'play' with moun· tains, you should respect them. It's a great site for but not for compe tition.'' Geof of Great Britain said he with this view. Bob England said he thought that conditions in Owens Valley

TOP: The ruggedness of the White Mountains makes expert pilot ability a must. FAH LEFT: Keith Nichols checks out his oxygen supply, LEFT: Don Partridge, Cross Country Classic host and meet director. ABOVE: f'/ich Grigsby pulled off a sixth place.

could be too radical for hang gliders: "I could not relax enough to optimize my pilot skills. Survival takes too a priority with me." Bob of Ureat Britain commented: "The conditions here arc the abso· lute limit. of conditions which are safe for When competition comes into is easily pushed beyond the safe before he knows it." Bob Calvert stated: "l recommend to any glider pilot to nol fly at Gunter. Everyone has their limits. Owens Valley is beyond mine. It is too dangerous here.'' I showed these comments lo some of the Australian pilots. Here are their replies. Colin Barry (Anstralia): "I believe they arc wrong, because, although I agree about the here, the fact is that with a group of the foremost fliers in the world, people "feed" on each other's talents and learn what needs to be learned at a much faster rate. It's only the individual who puts himself in danger. It is not the competition such. I find it really strange that the British pilots did not themselves, be-

cause the Australians did." Steve Moyes: "I agree with Colin Barry. l think it is a great competition because one gets to compete with pilots "in-the-air," especially in the Distance task." Bob Knox (Australia): "! think it's the best competition I've ever been to, because it's pure flyThere were no hassles with the rules. You either flew further or your dicln 't. The best came out on top. Because of the selection system, in this contest, they are all pilots of good judgment. They know their limitations. They knew enough not to push themselves too far. The best part is that a pilot learns a lot about his own skill, and has some truly great " Andrew Rennie (Australia): "I foci that this is the most challenging flying site in the world. For this reason, it is vitally important to hold XC competitions here. I feel that the winner of this competition is cffecthc world's best cross country pilot. Obviously this site attracts only the mosl experienced pilots. Every flight is a test of the capabilities of the pilot and glider. To every

Australian pilot here it has been the best flying we've ever .,...

l. Rich Pfeiffer Keith Nichols 3. Jeff Scott 4. Larry Tudor 5. Steve 6. Rich 7. Alan Reeter 7. Katz 8. Peter Brown 8. Tom Kreyche 11. Ian Jarman 12. Joe Greblo 13. P. VanHoff !4. Graham Slater l R. DcGroot 16. T. Wilson 17. Bob Calvert 18. Butch Peachy 19. Chris Arai 20. T. Joseph

Mosquito Floater Lazor

Lazor Lazor Moyes Mosquito Moyes 10 Meter Moyes

10 Meter Mosquito Floater II Meter

ABOVE: Stove Moyes, who p/aco(t fifth in the Classic, flares for landing after the longest flight of the day.

Where gliding is concerned, Owens has a very unique distinction. It the small area on this earth where 900/o of all the FA! world record hang flights have been established. In fact, at present, !000/o of all the current world records (includiug pending claims) were made in the Owens Valley area. 1979 has been a banner year for world record gliding flights and the summer, as this is being written (July 18, 1979) is only half over. Nine flex wing world records arc now by representatives of the FA!. They were all flown the first 17 days of July l 979.

Page Pfeiffer Page Pfeiffer Page Pfeiffer Rich & Matros Rich & Becky Matros Rich & Becky Matros Alan Reeter Rich Pfeiffer

George Worthington

Page Pfeiffer, holder of three world records.

19 mile goal & return in Mosquito 52 mile distance in a Mosquito 10,800 foot altiwde gain in a Mosquito 35 miles straight distance in an Alpha 245 (this is a "tandem" record) 35 miles to a in an 245 8,900 feet altitude gain 245 in an 19 mile & return in a Mosquito 75 mile straight distance in a Mosquito 50 mile & return in 10 Meter

In my Page Pfeiffer's three records arc the most and important of all of these. Page was one of the very first pilots to enter this Cross Country Classie. She was the only girl to enter. When the Classic got started she did relatively poorly for the first few heard her say then: "There's no way compete with these gnys, arc good!' Somehow, in spite of real dis, couragement, she kept At about the middle of the contest the task set for the day was a 19 mile goal and return Page did her FAI-code and performed all the and carried a barograph. She was one of the last three pilots (out of 57) to take off that day. It was around 5:30 or so, very late. She finished the task. Her time was very slow, but there was a reason. her flight she saw a chance to make a world record altitude and she climbed very At about 7:30 p.m. we saw a so high over the site that it was ridiculous. H was over I0,000 feet above HANG GLIDING

our heads. It was Page. On that one flight she claimed two world records. On the next to last day of the contest, the task was open distance. Page accidently left her gloves in the truck. So she had to fly without gloves. Pilots that day were routinely getting up above 17,000 feet. Page could not go much above 12 or 13 thousand, because her hands got too cold. So, with that altitude restriction she had a definite disadvantage. She really persevered and suffered (from the cold) and I'm proud to say she flew two miles farther than I did that day. I had no altitude restriction and I did my very best. There is a special distinction about Page's records because she is a woman. Women have gotten a relatively slow start in hang gliding. They have needed a sort of heroine. A leader who could show what could be done. A catalyst around which all the women pilots could gather emotionally and spiritually. We've had women pilots in hang gliding who have been very good, but now I believe we have the beginning of a new era for women fliers. It began when Page flew her world record flights. I feel equally enthusiastic about the three world records claimed by Rich and Becky Matros. I saw Rich at Gunter during the contest (Becky was in the background). He told me that Becky was bugging him to death about making a world record. I

thought he meant that she wanted him (solo) to make a world record. I didn't even know they had flown "tandem." But she didn't mean him. She meant "the two of them." They tried a two-place flight late that day at Gunter during the middle of the contest. They flew late because they unselfishly didn't want to interfere with the flying of the contestants. They ignominiously went to the Pitts. A day or so later they made a wise decision. They learned about another take-off site about three miles farther north called Piute. They knew that at Piute they couldn't interfere with the contest flying and could take off at any time they desired. Chip Creech and Dan Miller were their wind dummies. It was a very strong day. They got to 18,000 ft., where they were exceedingly cold in spite of heavy ski-type clothing. The turbulence was rather severe. Rich had thoughts of Becky passing out from hypoxia or perhaps getting severe frost bite on her hands or feet. Their glider, with its 245 square feet, was carrying more than a 300 pound payload. When they reached their intended goal, Rich wanted to fly further. They were still very high. Chip, however, was on the ground, having landed there a few minutes earlier. He insisted that Rich land because the area was so "landable, '' and he felt that otherwise Rich might land in a difficult area. The rest is history.

One flight. Three claimed world records. The first official F.A.I. tandem records ever claimed. Certainly their achievement will inspire others to break the records already set. This, in my opinion, is good for hang gliding. I cannot close this story without a word of warning. The area of Owens Valley, where these records were made, is for experienced and expert pilots only. The place is terribly unforgiving of mistakes. For life's sake, make sure you are ready before trying to gather one of those world records for yourself. Good Luck! ~

GLIDER TRADE-IN w SPECIAL w Windhaven takes trade-ins on new gliders from anywhere in the country. Ship or deliver your glider. and we will apply it to your new purchase. We sell: Electra Flyer Novas Seagull Wills Wing

U.F.M. Mitchells Wing Delta Wing Eipper-Formance

INDHAVEN HANG GLIDING SCHOOLS. INC. 12437 San Fernando Rd. Sylmar. CA 91342 (213) 367-1819

CONTROL BAR PROTECTORS

Please send _ _ Control bar protectors at $20/pair c- 1" - 1-1/8" UPS ~ Parcel Post

TAKE HANG GLIDING WITH YOU

Check or money order enclosed C.0.D. You pay shipping

DON'T MISS THE LATEST ISSUE BY FAILING TO NOTIFY USHGA OF YOUR CHANGE OF ADDRESS!! NAME

___ _

CITY

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NEW ADDRESS CITY

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LAST ISSUE RECEIVED _____________ _ (PLEASE ALLOW FOUR WEEKS FOR PROCESSING)

Notify USHGA Early! Please Note: You must notify your post office that you will pay forwarding postage on your second class mail or you may miss an issue. USHGA, Box 66306. Los Ange.Jes, CA 90066.

SEPTEMBER 1979

Send to: Hall Brothers, Box 171, Morgan Utah 84050 C.O.D. phone orders welcome (801) 829-3232 Dealers invited

_ _______ USHGA # _ _ __

OLD ADDRESS ___________ __

• Rugged 5" dia. wheels feature special flush mounting hub that clamps onto control bar. • Tough ABS plastic Light weight - only 10 oz. ea. Fits 1" or 1-1/8" control bars Name Address City _ _ _ State _ _ Zip _ _

HANG GLIDER SAIL REPAIR PROFESSIONAL SAIL REPAIR WORK DONE BY A QUALIFIED SEAM· STRESS WITH OVER FIVE YEARS EXPERIENCE SEWING FOR LEADING HANG GLIDER MANUFACTURERS. •

HOLES, RIPS AND SMALL TEARS PATCHED AND SEWN GROMMETS REINFORCED AND REPLACED BATTEN POCKETS STRENGTHENED PROTOTYPE SAIL SEWING DONE ALSO • • •

YOU WILL BE ASSURED OF: QUALITY WORKMANSHIP FAST DELIVERY AFFORDABLE PRICES

CALL OR WRITE FOR FREE INFORMATION, SHIPPING INSTRUCTIONS AND GENERAL ESTIMATE OR SEND IN YOUR SAIL ALONG WITH DETAILED INSTRUCTIONS.

HANG GLIDER SAIL REPAIR 1124 ALICE, RAMONA, CALIFORNIA 92065 [714] 789-5312

LOOKING FOR GOOD SERVICE?

~""':""l\

AGUR Gliders prone harness

$31*

LOOK NO FURTHER.

DEALER PRICE

WE WANT YOUR BUSINESS . . . . AND HERE'S WHAT WE'RE DOING TO GET IT!

THE SAME AS THE OTHERS, BUT:

** *

WE OFFER:

* A large inventory of gliders so that you can select the model and color that's right for you, and take it home with you the same day.

* A large inventory of parts for the gliders we

sell, so that you don't lose any flying time waiting on parts or pay $75.00 freight bills to get the parts.

* A large inventory of helmets, harnesses,

parachutes, variometers, altimeters, and many other accessories.

safer more comfortable Better looking

Harness is made of the best materials. Maximum comfort. Three layers, for safety and comfort. Six points of attachment. •Six different ways of assembling the harness, as you choose. Minimal weight. Available in two sizes.

* A brand new building in which we can provide you with a year round repair and tuning service.

* Stability-We'll be here next year and the years after that. * Professional instruction (as we have since 1974) through the advanced rating and including towing.

* Free seminars throughout the year covering anything having to do with flying (watch the calendar).

* A number of full time professionals eager to serve you. * A network of professional dealers throughout the east. Ask us for the dealer nearest you.

*-STIRRUP IS NOT INCLUDED STIRRUP PRICE-$4.20

P.O. Box340 Nags Head, N.C. 27959 (919) 441-6247

Dealers wanted.

ETZION METAL WORKS Kibbutz Kfar Etzion, Tel. 02- 742852, Israel. Telex 33499 (Techen, E.M.W)

HANG GLIDER EMERGENCY DESCENT SYSTEM KEY FEATURES

Elephant ear handles (sure-grip) Envelope deployed. The envelope is part of the throw away container cover. One Step Deploym ent Container will open in any direction. S ys tem is designed in a one step, one hand moUon, using either hanci

Life Saver 24 $325.00 Life Saver 26 $350.00

DESIGNED AND MANUFA CTURED BY PEOPLE WHO KNOW AND CARE. Rich Piccirilli - Designer ·Designer of one of the first back-up systems. ·o ver 8 years active hang glider pUol.. ·Approximately 2000 sport parachuling jumps.

Joan Anlen - Production Manager (Picture below) ·Past e,cperience In the supervision and manufacturing of several hundred back-up systems and government parachute related equipmen t. ·Active sport sky diver.

ENT ERPR ISES, Inc. Pos O ,ce Box 3044 , e ,. por• Beac Ca lifornia 92663 714 642-7881

USHCA REPORTS

COMPETITION COMMENTS COMPETITION RESULTS

by Tom Milkie The 1979 Regionals turned out to be relatively successful. For the first time, every region held a Regional Qualifying meet, and there was also a meet in Alaska. I received word on many of the contests, and found that many of the problems encountered are similar throughout the country. First, problems seem to crop up most where the rules are lacking. While the rules are being slowly improved at the national level, nevertheless each meet has to determine and publish the details of its own particular event. For example, a number of regions ran into bad weather and other delays. The meet rules must include such information as the dates of the meet and alternate weather dates, if any. If the meet will continue on until a number of rounds are flown, or will move to a new site, this information must be told to pilots before the competition. When pilots know what is expected of them, arguments about when the meet is complete or whether the meet is "adequate" will not tarnish the final results. It is seldom possible to carry any meet on until the winners are undeniably the best pilots in the meet. Exact procedures for breaking ties should also be spelled out, even to the ridiculous level. It may be quite arbitrary, but at least it becomes possible to fairly break ties, since everyone knows how this will be done. This is especially important in qualifying meets, where the final results must be ranked. It can be important to know how the ties will be broken. For instance, if raw scores are used in some form, then pilots can plan on maximizing their scores when normally they might win a heat handily and

not want to risk anything by going after raw scores. Perhaps more detail on breaking ties can be added to the USHGA rules. Another problem area is that of officials competing in the meets. While it is difficult to get people to volunteer to run a meet, the primary officials should not compete. Even if these officials are extremely honest, their honesty will be questioned, they have an unfair advantage in the understanding of the competition task and scoring, which may not be completely explained to the other pilots, and these officials are really needed to devote full time to the operation of the meet. Perhaps a well-organized region can require pilots who compete one year (or perhaps who qualify for the Nationals) to run the meet the next year. Or maybe the names of all entries can be put in a hat to draw for the officials, who will not fly.

RULE CHANGE The Competition Committee has approved a minor change in the 1979 rules. Controlled landings (perfect landings) may now be awarded even when the glider keel or wingtip touches the ground on landing. COMPETITION COMMITTEE Any current USHGA member may become a member of the Competition Committee by sending several selfaddressed, stamped envelopes to Tom Milkie, Chairman, 5645 Ave de Vinedos, Anaheim, Calif. 92807. However, inactive members of this committee are automatically removed. There will be a meet of the committee at the 1979 Nationals, at the USHGA Board of Directors meeting in Los Angeles, Sept. 7, 1979, and at each semiannual Board meeting. WORLD TEAMS The U.S. World Team has undergone a number of changes. As of departure time the team consists of: Sterling Stoll, Rich

Grigsby, Joe Greblo, Tom Haddon, Tom Peghiny, Chris Price, Mike Arrambide, Keith Nichols, Rex Miller, Tom Vayda and John Brant. The team leader is Bill Bennett. The American Cup Team has been started with Rich Grigsby, Sean Dever and Dennis Pagen. The remainder of that team will be selected, based on qualification points at the completion of the Masters of Hang Gliding Competition at Grandfather Mountain, N.C., in September. A Pan-American Team, to compete in Columbia in October will also be selected soon. Your donations to the World Team fund keep up support for these representatives. ~ Region

2 3 4

7 8 9

11 12

Meet Dog Mt. Wash. Elk Mt., Calif. Pine Flats, Calif. Crested Butte, Colo. Buffalo Mt., OK Hokah, Minn. Hanes Hill, NH Hyner View, Penn. Air Space/ Crystal, Tenn. Buffalo Mt., OK Ellenville, NY XC Open, Bishop, CA XC Classic, Bishop, CA

No. of No. of Rounds Entries

PRICE PRONE HARNESS The most comfortable, most versatile soaring harness available!

Available through dealers worldwide. Contact

Wills Wing for the dealer nearest you. WILLS WING, INC. 1208-H E. Walnut Santa Ana, CA 92701 (714) 547-1344

No Mountains? Soar Anyway!

FLY THE FLATLANDS! Tow Systems for All Makes of Hang Gliders. Tow system w/top and bottom release and flotation $350 $ 10 with spread. shackles additional 2 point pulley bridle $ 30 Boat release with carabiner $ 35 All orders require 50% deposit. Texas residents add 5% sales tax. Send $1.00 for information package to; KITE ENTERPRISES Telephone Inquiries Invited; 1403 Austin Street Dave Broyles Irving, Texas 75061 Evenings (214) 438-1623

HANG GLIDING

#1 IN EARNINGS IN THE USA Let's talk dollars and some sense, a nice chunk of prize money-this was the amount taken home by Moyes pilots for the '78 season. S15,000 in only three meets. The MOYES MAXI has come a k>('lg. way since its introduction three years ago. It still has the best)ipk .rate, making it a great floater, but it also has the best L/D. Wtie~;t¥J~i~(:t.picks up and the other floaters can only go .d,<;>)Nn, or m b~ b,,c;ic~wards, the Maxi can penetrate out because o~)q,!-!:JPel"i<?. tqp/speed. Which brings us around to safety. ~,ecqus ~ 'if.fly~ b · ,'rf i falso lands better. Nobody likes turbuleoh:ondi nsJ:bu ' ~r/or later we end up flying in them. TheM#;'.~i~ ' { ·_ck/.:. . . ~, cile handling seems

to be less disturb. ·i;•. . _.n·itd.ing areas.lose When other gliders aree.d.-.~.qy~r'Q-~. gefti g "ed-.~.\ d,. doesn't its co~posure. An~ spe~ki'A, o( ciJer'-1. , ~ ·heen putting Hang · · · · · II pilots on Maxi~. '. i So it's riot a \t; ;nd t . is dest .f the rnost copied in the world and ·is · the 'yar . /by whic )h'e•(fodustry measures · ; . l. performance. Whether YQ.•. rir c~ .licjrfol t'or one that is serious about winning, · · ·· i ' _e'.re do .;;:Go MAXI-it is still the I are! best above all, a \ ·.'a_ ...

.,.,./:.l /,r

Jim

From potato chips and corn flakes to Tom and and Lassie reruns on televifrom snowmobiles and go-carts to in door tennis, the Soviet Union has almost everything the West has; the only trick is to know how, where and when to find them. After having spent more than four years there, the last three mainly in Moscow an American company, I was well aware of how, when and where, and therefore was not surprised to learn of several hang gliding spots within about 30 minutes of our downtown office.

BELOW: Several weekends on the banks of the Volga River were enfoyeci by the author. BOTTOM: The most energetic Soviet pilots spend hours dying their sails or sewing

insignias.

HANG GLIDING

about in liang for the past several years, Moscow's sites arc fairly low But after heads with the famous Soviet bureaucrats all week, over details of contracts and equipment specifications and rigorously observing the details of East-West was nicer than to literally get away from it all on a few short down some grassy ago carved by the Moscow River and its tributaries. With the of Windhaven Hang School, I was able to get Phoenix 6 to Moscow without much trouble, via Stockholm. Not so for the several thousand Soviets who fly, however. First of all, use of western currencies is controlled by the state Soviet ruble is non-convertible) and therefore citizens arc in most cases restricted from individual purchases outside the country. Furthermore, there is no orga1ruz:ec1 marrnfacturer of hang gliders in the Soviet Union as yet. This is due to the uniqtieness of the system. No individual cnltre11,rene11.11"Lal allowed and no ""'tPrnri<" manufacture of any new product that has not been approved in some way in the wellknown Five Year Plan the basis of the economy. But to get srnmc,th1ing may take from five to fifteen years. Prnduc·· tion of new is for scarce resources with hundreds of other items. Production qnotas for everything from toothbrushes to are determined well in advance and their allocation and distribution are fixed. So one can im·· that to start something nt'.W, it has to be taken from somewhere else some· one else's quota) or be the result of an in·

SEPTEMBER 1979

prepares to fly at a Typical launch site transportation

This not only to products and their components but to their of manufacture as well. Anyone who has worked for the government or some other very large immediately realizes that this rise to a certain amount of behind,,the-scene activity and trade-off. And at this stage, this is ge11er.allv how hang parts are obtained in the Soviet Union. Helmets destined for or helicopter pilots turn up. for curtains or clothing gets sewn for the sails. destined for who knows where gets and used for crossbars, etc. No one seems to mind it's all part of the adventure. Furthermore, in this and in many similar cases, the Soviet government approves not stopping it. In fact, never one to miss a trick, they have found con siderable value in publicizing (alth<mµ:h not their inability to nr,rnn,,,,,, their manufacture) as one or the outcomes of the "New Soviet Man" born and raised under communist In reality though, the I

have seen hang arc no different from those in the U.S., Europe or Japan. Due to the fact that so many parts have to be obtained and assembled, most of the arc group efforts at this stage, much like the stages of gliding in the lJ .S. It is said that 5,000 pilots share 1,000 Soviet officially recorded 1976 as the birth of hang gliding in the Soviet Union with a held in although of course people were ing well before that. Nowadays, on any given weekend around Moscow, one can see to with their pilots and "crew" in great number. The most energetic spend hours their sails by hand or sewing on their sails. There is great competition for the few Eastern European and Western and m2tga:lim~s that filter through, since these are the source of basic a design and innovation. from a in a magazine, without detailed is not very safe and there have been several injuries and a few deaths. This has caused a reaction elsewhere in the world, and there are now steps being taken to formalize the relationship between as it is called in the Soviet Union, and and Clubs and pilots are and sites are being matched to pilot ability. Contests or meets are held in several parts of the Soviet Union throughout the year. Around Moscow, the competition flights are a minute at the although on wind limited for up to about two hours has been recorded. Keeping this in mind, l wasn't about to step out on the hill with no like the new kid on the block with the shiniest toy, embarrass myself and discredit American 51

Therefore, several weekends were spent about 100 miles outside of Moscow on the banks of the River. The central part of the Soviet Union is so llat tha1 river banks offer the may be. With and warm winds, I had boned up enough lo try one of the 1wo sites around Moscow that arc used most. They arc called "Krilatskoya" and "Tushina. From the Krilatskoya hills one can look back into Moscow on clear and sec some or 1he not far from the Kremlin. It doubles as a bunny for skiers in the winter and is about a ten minute walk from the canals and in· track that will be used for the year round, and on cold win1cr near zero it's quite a feat to get assembled. This is true because smaller Soviet cars and storage space that most of I he be made to break down in six-foot or so, the adding considerable Yet this is

Union. In fact, there have come Soviets for their with system which this didn't invent for themselves. Visitors to 1he who have time to look around will find this out for themselves.

TOP: Krilatskoye doubles as a "bunny slope" in winter. ABOVE: 1/ydrofoils cruise the Volga Fliver near popular flying sites.

Dear Chuck: This past" surnmPr [ bought one your variomct:C'rs ... I rc!all.y love it, and used iL on daily basis up uni: j l Augus L 18 1978, when T wns in the TcellurLdc J:nvHatioual. At llOO'AGL off 111 Gold 11111 12,253 ASL) my gLiclcr pil:chcd ov,•r when [ <!ncount0rcd n massive negat.i_vc gust· load. broke up upn:i.dc down nnd uprighted i.tsC'lf as Lt foll, My barcory was jarred from 1.tn clip and ln seven seconds or so I crnshcd Lnnde:d on top o[ Gold fllll a[t liaving clccLecl noL to use' my parachu1·.c

(Loo much wind). My

was destroyed but by some

miracle Twas OK even mor<' nmc12.Lng st:itl worki'd. I used iJ the next day

vari.o scv01:a·1 t:Lrncs

1tlC(:,, ••

BILL 'MCl0lLLllR Mack JlLll Rd Amherst NH 03031

J I (J'I Love I ·1 Ave,. , CampiJ,, Ll , Ca Ii r. , USA (/10B)3/9--67?.2

The Model D IlummLngblnJ

$1'59.00

HANG GLIDING

SEPTEMBER 7-9. USHGA Board of Directors Meeting to be held in Los Angeles area. Location to be announced. All USHGA members are welcome to attend.

USHGA CERTIFIED INSTRUCTORS NEEDED

OCT. 6. Fly-in at Ridgeland, S.C. in conjunction with the annual Sgt. Jasper festival. Sponsored by EAA chapter 330 of Savannah, GA. Pilot contests, riders, balloon riders, static displays, and ultralight air-

craft. Contact: Frederick E. Warth, 109 Suncrest Blvd., Savannah, GA 31410 (912) 897-1140. OCT. 13-21. American Cup Team Championships. Lookout Mountain, TN/GA. Defending champion -Great Britain. USHGA sanctioned; Awards: American Cup, Francis Rogallo trophy, prize money. HGMA certification required for American team gliders.

TO WORK IN A RESORT AREA. IFYOU ARE NOT ALREADY CERTIFIED, WEWILL TRAINANDCERTIFYYOU.

~ ~ P.O. Box340

SEND YOUR RESUME TO:

Nags Head, N.C. 27959 Attention: RALPH BUXTON

OFFICIAL USHGA FLIGHT LOG

THE HALL WIND METER A precision.instrument for the serious pilot. Rugged, dependable and easy t.o read.

The new official USHGA flight log is now available through your national organization. In addition to the log itself it contains: Intermediate, Advanced and Special Skills sign offs, glossary of terms, Lilienthal Awards, competition record and Master rating points record. $2.95 ppd.

$18.50 postpaid in U.S. Foreign add $1.00. Prone bracket $5.50. Seated brqeket $4.50.

HALL BROTHERS Box 771-M, Morgan, Utah 84050 Dealer Inquiries Invited

C.O.D. Phone Orders Welcome (801) 829-3232

Please send me: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ USHGA Flight Log(s) at $2.95 each.

Prone

NAME _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _~ ADDRESS _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ CITY _ _ _ _ _ _ _ STATE _ _ _ ZIP _ __ Price includes postage and handling. Californians add 6% sales tax. Dealer inquiries invited. Mail check or money order to:

USHGA P.O. Box 66306 Los Angeles, California 90066

INSTRUMENT BRACKET Tired of the hose clamp hassle?

Mount your instruments where you can see them! ' Easy on off rubber padded wing nut clamp ' Adjustable 6-10 inch telescopic extension ' Durable polished aluminum ' Fits all I inch control bars (specify if different size) ' Adaptable to any instrument Satisfaction Guaranteed $10.00 plus $1.00 postage JAY GIANFORTE Ridge Rd, Cazenovia. N.Y. 13035

SEPTEMBER 1979

new and exciting world awaits the largest cross section of in the history of hang gliding. Regardless of your piloting.-aldlllit -beginner, intermediate, even professional competitor-Delta 11Vlntf Phoenix 6D has something for your own individual seasoning.

From its fully adjustable roll response to its wide range of speeds, the 60 will surprise you with its versatility and undemanding flight characteristics as you climb to heights you never before thought possible in such an undemanding glider. World record holder Gary Patmor was shocked to find himself with a 6000-foot altitude gain in his Phoenix 60. Watch for both him and world record breaker Jerry Katz to be flying their 6Ds in professional competition. Unequaled as the one-step machine that beginners to experts are enjoying, the Phoenix 6D's colorful performance is brilliantly reflected by the beautiful colors in which it's available. Fine sailcloth is crafted into aerodynamically perfect wings which house Delta Wing's most important engineering and design accomplishment: an uncomplicated, rugged airframe built with aircraft-quality alloys (6061-T6) that sets up in minutes, thanks to Delta Wing's quick breakdown feature (no wires or bolts to remove, no deflexors). Phoenix 60 is sure to give you the speed and convenience you demand, as well as the safety and durability that you require.

e Post Office Box 483 • Van Nuys, California 91408 • (213) 7SS.2474 • Telex No. 65-1425

USHGA MERCHANDISE ORDER FORM

B-1

B-2 8-3 8-4 B-5 8·6 8-7

B-8 8-9 8-10

B-6

8·11 8-12

PRICE

BOOKS

QUANTITY

_____ THE COMPLETE OUTFITTING AND SOURCE BOOK FOR HANG GLIDING. by Michael Mendelson H1stor1. mode's. accessories. publications. organ1zat1ons. schools. sites ________ fLY. THE COMPLETE BOOK Of SKYSAILING. by Rick Carrier Basic 1nformat1on on lechniques and 1nstrucl1on ______ HANG GLIDING ANO SOARING. by James Mrazek Flight theory and meteorolog,cal data ______ HANG FLIGHT. by Joe Adleson and 8111 W,11,ams Third ec,t,on Flight ,nstruct,on manual 100 pages _ _ _ _ _ HANG GLIDING. by Dan Poynter Revised ed,t,on The Dasie handbook for skysurt,ng ______ MAN-POWERED FLIGHT. by Keith Sherwin History and modern flying technology. design and cons1derat1on ----HANG GLIDING AND FLYING CONDITIONS. by Dennis Pagen M,crometeorology for pilots. 90 illus by author NOT SHOWN: ------HANG GLIDING AND FL YING SKILLS. by Oenn,s Pagen A complete instruction manual for beginners to experts _______ GUIDE TO ARIZONA. by Wilson Baker 50 pages. Sites. maps and conditions for llymg m Arizona -----GUIDE TO ROGALLO FLIGHT BASIC. by Bob Sk1oner and Rich Finley A handbook for teg,nn,ng pilots. 30 pages -----HANG GLIDING. THE FLYINGEST FL YING. by Don Deoera Pictorial history. pilot comments Photos by Stepnen McCarro11 ________ MANNED KITING. by Dan Poynter Handbook or tow-launcn flying

AMOUNT

S 7 95 S 7 65

S 7 65 S 3 50

S 6 50 S 6 50

S 6 50

S 650 - - - - S 5 50 - - - - - - - S 2 75 $10 95

S " 35 S 2 20 -

8-13

--------SIMPLIFIED PERFORMANCE TESTING. by Jack Park

B-1'

-----HANG GLIDING LOG BOOK. 32 pages Oes,gne,J especially 101 pilots 4,,-· x S 3 25 _ - - - - - -----HANG GLIDING MANUAL AND LOG. by Dan Poynter For beg,nners An asset to instructors of hang gl,d,ng 4- X 5·· S 1 50 - - - - - - - _____ FA! SPORTING COOE FOR HANG GLIDING Proviaes the requirements ior records. achievements badges. and World Champ,onsh,ps S 1 00 - - - - - - - - -

B-15 8-16

ITEMS 1-1 1-2 1·3

----USHGA EMBLEM T-SHIRT. 100% cotton. h,gn qcal,ty. orange only Men's s11es S. M. L. X-L (please circle size) ------USHGA EMBLEM CAP. One s11e fits alt Baseba I tyi,2 w USHGA emblem. l<AVY or ORANGE (please circle color) _ _ _ _ USHGA SEW-ON EMBLEM. 3". diameter. full color tred and orange on a yellow-orange background w black printi

1-4

_ _ _ _ USHGA DECAL 3,,· diameter. full color

1-5

_ _ _ _ USHGA EMBLEM PENDANT chain

S 5 50 - - - -

S 1 00 25 - - - -

diameter Pew1er w sdver

S 3 00

1-6

-----USHGA BUTTON PIN 1•,· d•ameter. iull color

1-7

-----LICENSE PLATE FRAME ··,-d rather be hang gl,d1ng· Blue and white

S 4 00 - - - -

50 - - - - - -

USHGA PUBLICATIONS P-1

S 2 00 - - - - · · - -

------USHGA INSTRUCTORS CERTIFICATION MANUAL

MERCHANDISE SUB-TOTAL - - - Cal1forn1ans add 6°,o tax HANG GLIDING/ GROUND SKIMMER BACK ISSUES No tax on magazines

Sr;ecify by circling issue number

MAIL WITH CHECK OR MONEY ORDER TO: USHGA, Box 66306, Los Angeles, CA 90066

PRINTED COPIES: 19. 20. 21. 22. 23 ("75 calendar I. 24. 25. 27. 28. 29. 30. 31. 32. 33. 34 36 ("76 calendari

NAME __________________ USHGA # _ _ ADDRESS ____ _ CITY, STATE, ZIP __ _

PRINTED COPIES 37. 38. 39. 41. 42. 43. 44 45 46 47 48 ["77 calendar! 49 51 52 53 54 56 57 58. 59 60. 61 62. 63 64 through cu,renl ,ssues

------------

40 - · - - - - _

75 - - - - - -

S 1 00 - - - - - · $ 1 50 - - - - - - - -

MAGAZINE SUB-TOTAL

·SUPPLY LIMITED

TOTAL ____ - ---NO CHARGE ITEMS

ORDERING INFORMATION: Enter quantity and price of each item ordered. Allow 3-4 weeks for delivery. Thank you for your order!

____ USHGA MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION FORM 1•41 ____ ACCIDENT REPORT FORM 1~ 151 USHGA MERCHANDISE ORDER FORM I• 141 USHGA LILIENTHAL AWARD FORM (•121

_ _ _ FILM REQUEST FORM tNo foreign orders please, - - - · - SOURCES OF DEALERS. SCHOOLS ETC 1#81 Spec,ly stale _ _ __

--· __ BASIC SAFETY REGULATIONS (PART 1001

ALL PRICES INCLUDE POSTAGE AND HANDLING. (Prices subject to change without notice.)

_ _ _ USHGA PILOT PROFICIENCY PROGRAM (PART 1041 Consumer advisory Opm,ons axpressed by authors ol listed books do not necessarily reflect USHGA pol,cy nor does sale of merchandise constitute endorsement

Schools and Dealers ARIZONA THE BEST IN ULTRALIGHT SOARING EQUIPMENT AND INSTRUCTION. U.S. Hang Gliders, Inc., 10250 N. 19th Ave., Phoenix, Az. 85021. (602) 944-1655. ARKANSAS

CONSUMER ADVISORY: Used hang gliders always should be disassembled before flying for the first time and inspected carefully for fatigue - bent or dented tubes, ruined bushings, bent bolts (especially the heart bolt), re-used Nyloc nuts, loose thimbles, frayed or rusted cables, tangs with non-circular holes, and on Rogallos, sails badly torn or torn loose from their anchor points front and back on the keel and leading edges. If in doubt, many hang gliding businesses will be happy to give an objective opinion on the condition of equipment you bring them to inspect.

Rogallos CAN'T AFFORD A NEW OR USED GLIDER? With only 10% down we will finance the balance or take anything in trade. 10% off of any new glider, power pack or parachute with this ad! Contact LEADING EDGE AIR FOILS, INC. (303) 632-4959. CAN WE HELP YOU GET INTO THE AIR? Do you want to fly, but are short of funds? We will trade anything to help you fly. Contact Delta Wing Kites & Gliders, (213) 787-6600. CIRRUS SB. Excellent condition. Colors keel out: full panel white, split panels: gold, orange, red, blue, full panel white. Leading edge brown. $800. Extras include: SS Supine, helmet, parts, etc. Wayne (301) 239-7959. LOOKING FOR A USED GLIDER? Trying to sell your old wing? FREE listing on our used glider board, Mission Soaring Center, 43551 Mission Blvd., Fremont, CA 94538. OLYMPUS 160. Like new, dark blue applied leading edge, rainbow sail. $700. (213) 835-4583. PHOENIX VI. Only flown six times. Marriage forces sale. Excellent condition. Best offer. Gary Dean, 3973 S. 2700 E. Holladay, Utah 84117. (801) 272-5102. PHOENIX 12 205. Perfect shape - few hours. Custom sail, windows, fairings, bag. $695. (408) 842-9705. SEAGULL IO.Sm. 1978, 15 hrs. only. WILLS WING XC-220, late 1977, new cables, 25 hrs. Both complete with tow system and large floats. Call days Benny (305) 525-7611 or John (305) 442-3784. SST 100 B. Very clean, very little use. Great performing first kite. Novice or intermediate. 1st offer $525. Harness and bag available. (213) 374-0640.

WESTARK! Call or write the professionals. Parts, gliders, all major brands (new and used), flight schools, accessories. Catalogs available. Dealer inquiries invited. See Earl Fritchie, Rt. 2 Box 418 A, Fort Smith, Ar. 72904. (501) 646-3575.

tion with USHGA Certified Instructors. MOTORGLIDING - Sales, demos and power instruction available. 5219 Sepulveda Blvd., Van Nuys, Ca. 9141 l. (213) 789-0836. MISSION SOARING CENTER Dealer of Seagull, Eipper, Manta, Sunbird and Electra Flyer. With other major brands available. Fly before you buy. End blind loyalty. Demos available. Complete lesson program. USHGA certified instructors, observers. 43551 Mission Blvd., Fremont, Calif. 94538. THE HANG GLIDER SHOP - For the largest in stock inventory. USHGA certified flying instruction and much, much more! Call (213) 943-1074. 1351 Beach Blvd., La Habra, Ca. 90631. WIND HA VEN HANG GLIDING SCHOOL, INC. Serving Southern California. Complete line of gliders, beginner to advanced instruction. USHGA certified instructors. Write or call, Windhaven, 12437 San Fernando Rd., Sylmar, Ca. 91342 (213) 367-1819.

CALIFORNIA ARCADIA AIR SPORTS. Featuring Sunbird, Seagull, and Electra Flyer (other brands available). Personalized instruction in small groups. Lesson programs based on the USHGA Pilot Proficiency Rating System. Certified, experienced instruction at all levels. 695 E. Villa, No. 7, Pasadena, CA. 91101. CHANDELLE SAN FRANCISCO. Since 1973 the largest center of Sky Sailing in Northern California. Run by people who love flying! Complete lesson program with USHGA certified instructors, beginning to advanced! Visiting Pilot Program; Fledgling Lesson Program: Vast parts and accessories supply. New and used gliders in stock. '79 demo gliders. Featuring Seagull, Wills Wing, U.P. Bennett, Sunbird, Electra, Stratus V, Manta Fledge and Windjammer, with other brands available. Top o' the hill, overlooking Fort Funstun. Contact Jan, George, Ken, J. Fred or Tom. 10 Hillside Bl., Daly City, CA 94014 (415) 756-0650. ELSINORE VALLEY HANG GLIDING CENTER. Certified, experienced instruction, sales for all major manufacturers and repair facilities. Call (714) 678-2050. FREE FLIGHT OF SAN DIEGO. Expert instruction utilizing modern, safe equipment. (714) 560-0888. HANG GLIDERS OF CALIFORNIA, INC. USHGA certified instruction from beginning to expert levels. All brands of gliders, a complete line of instruments & equipment are available! For information or catalog, write or call: Hang Gliders of California, Inc., 2410 Lincoln Blvd., Santa Monica, Ca. 90405. (213) 399-5315. HANG GLIDERS WEST-DILLON BEACH FLYING SCHOOL. We sell and service all major brands, parts, accessories. USHGA certified instructors, observers. Free lessons with purchase of a wing. After the sale, it's the SERVICE that counts. Hang Glider West, 1011 Lincoln Ave., San Rafael, Ca. 94901. (415) 453-7664. Hours 10:00 - 5:30. SOUTHERN CALIF. SCHOOL OF HANG GLIDING Largest and most complete hang gliding center in Los Angeles. Featuring Bennett, Seagull, Electra Flyer, Sunbird, all other brands of gliders available. Come demo. '78' model gliders today! Beginner to advanced instruc-

THE BEST BOOKS ON THE SPORT HANG GLIDING, the first book on the sport has been updated 9 times and now includes a special section on motorized flight. 186 pages, 350 illustrations, over 125,000 sold! The complete flying, designing, building handbook and buyer's guide. $6.95 postpaid (Californians add 42ip sales tax}. HANG GLIDING MANUAL with Log. The most authoritative. compact. concise, complete and least expensive basio flight manual available. Used as a training text by schools worldwide. $1.50 postpaid (Californians add 9¢ sales tax). MANNED KITING. Fly the flatlands with the only book on tow launched hang gliding. Step-by-step instructions carefully guide the novice through taxi practice, towed flight and release to free flight. $3.95 postpaid. (Californians add 24¢ sales tax). SEND FOR FREE DESCRIPTIVE BROCHURE

DAN POYNTER, Box 4232-G, Santa Barbara, CA 93103

AIR SPEED INDICATOR FOR FLIGHT CONTROL IF OTHERS ARE FLYING HIGHER ANO LONGER THAN YOU ARE, MAYBE YOU NffD BETTER CONTROL OF YOUR AIR SPEED. ASK YOUR DEALER ABOUT THE MEHIL AIR SPEED INDICATOR TYPE .............. Direct acting vone wilh variable exit port

ACCURACY ........ Calibrated to laboratory standard to 3 % RANGE. ........... 0 to 38 miles per ho..r WEICHT ........... 2 ounces less mounting hardware

SIZE. ............. 3-1/4 ;n x 3-1/4 ;n x 1-3/16 ;n CONSTRUCTION .... High strength impact resistant plastic case, aluminum alloy mechanism Air Speed Indicator. Guy Wire Brocket. Control Bar Brocket.

MEHIL ENTERPRISES

. .... S22. 50 . ... 3. 00 . 7. 50

Please specify type harness,glider ,& m(gr .

7883 Flight Place, Westchester, CA. 90045 HANG GLIDING

NEW FOR 19791/2 STARSHIP 124 U.H. OFFERS COMPLETE SERVICE

* Repairs available for most gliders.

* Training for beginners & intermediate pilots. * Custom sail design and artwork. * Acomplete line of accessories, chutes &instruments. * Motorized packages. * Manufacturers for Phase A, B & C.

Starship 170 Nose Angle .... , .... 124° L.E ............... 19' Root Chord ......... 8' Tip Chord .......... 42" Sail Area .......... 170 sq. ft. Aspect Ratio. : ...... 6.1 Billow ............. 1° Glider Wt.. ......... 52 lbs. Battens . . . . . . . . . . . 7 per side Pilot Wt.. .......... 120-180 lbs. Span ............. 34'4" Price ............. $1,200

Starship 190 124° 19'6" 8'6" 4' 190 sq. ft. 6.0 10 55 lbs. 7 per side 150·220 lbs. 35' $1,225

Starship 220 124° 20'1 O" 9'4" 4' 220 sq. ft. 6.2 10 58 lbs. 8 per side 180-250 lbs. 37'4" $1,250

(Includes custom cover bag)

14328 LOLIN LANE POWAY, CALIFORNIA 92064

714-748-1739

These new Starships are light years above the 100 and 108 series in both handling and performance.

U.H. NOW CARRIES A COMPLETE INVENTORY OF PARTS FOR THE OWL A, 8 & C ALL GLIDERS TEST FLOWN BEFORE SHIPMENT

CANADA

06517. Or call Ben or Alegra in Winsted, (203) 379-1668.

HANG GLIDING SCHOOL OF THE UNIVERSAL SPORT. Canadian and USA certified school. Beginner and advanced instruction. Sale of major gliders, sale of Szirony Harness (the only of its kind in the industry). Built-in quick release mechanism. USA and Canadian certified instructor John Szirony, P.O. Box 227, Yarrow, B.C. VOX 2AO Canada Vancouver (604) 298-4389, 823-4273.

THE HANG GLIDER CENTER. "Sooner or later you'll be our customer." Rt. 66, Exit 28, 1-84. (203) 628-8853.

Chuck's Glider Supplies. The only complete sales, training and repair facility in the greater Kansas City area. USHGA certified instructors and observers. 5935 Merriam Dr., Merriam, Ks. 66203. (913) 262-661 l. MASSACHUSETTS

FLORIDA

THE AURORA COMPANY - Distributor for Seagull Aircraft, UP Inc., Manta, UFM, Soarmaster Engines, Harness, varios, parachutes, and all hang gliding accessories. In Vernon call John Huddart, 542-8098, Victoria-Les Sairsbury, 382-0004, Vancouver-Robin Pedersen 922-7275, P .0. Box 91176 West Vancouver, Canada V7V 3N6.

MOTORIZED HANG GLIDERS OF FLORIDA-North Florida, Georgia dealer for Manta kits, ready to fly. Easy Riser, Landing Gears. Largest stock of kites and accessories in the south. Free instruction for our customers. Financing available. Information $4. Box 50961-H, Jacksonville Beach, FLA 32250 (904) 246-2568.

Try a FREE practice run at Aeolus Flight Training Center, Groton Hills Ski Area, Groton, MA. Aeolus instructors can teach you to fly safely and easily, and are certified by USHGA. Open Saturdays and Sundays. Weekday instruction by appointment. To enroll, contact AEOLUS HANG GLIDER, INC., Box 184, Littleton, Ma. (617) 486-8278.

GEORGIA

MICHIGAN

ATLANTA USHGA certified beginner and novice training using wheels and radios for your safety. Rentals, sales, service. UP - Bennett - Wills - Electra Flyer -UFM - Soarmaster - Seagull - Manta. AHO, P.O. Box 48163, Doraville, Ga. 30362. (404) 458-4584, 448-3516.

COLORADO LEADING EDGE AIR FOILS, INC. USHGA Certified instructors. Distributors for Chuck's Glider Supplies, Sunbird and Bennett. Dealers for Electra Flyer, Wills Wing, U.P. Easy risers, Manta and Seagull. 331 South 14th St., Colo. Spgs., Colo. 80904.

IDAHO MOUNTAIN AIR GLIDER SALES. Serving the Idaho area with the best in ultralight soaring equipment and certified instruction. 1144 N. Grant, Pocatello, Idaho 83201. (208) 233-8179.

GOLDEN SKY SAILS, featuring Electra Flyer, J&L, Delta Wing, Leaf, Manta, Mitchell Wing, Seagull, UFM, Ultralite Products, Wills Wing, and Highster. Expert repair and custom work. Huge inventory of parts and accessories, including Chandelle and Sun replacement parts. Power packs available. A complete harness line. Fast mail order service. We offer regular, advanced, high performance, and tow lessons. All USHGA Certified Instructors. Ratings available. We use the most modern techniques and gliders, two-way radios between instructor and student. Located just west of Denver at the foot of Green Mountain. Call or write for free information (303) 278-9566, 572 Orchard St., Golden, Colo. 80401.

IOWA THE FOUR WINDS! New and used gliders. Power units and complete powered flex wings. Dealer for Bennett, Manta, Soarmaster (we take trade-ins). USHGA Certified instruction with flight simulator Hang Ratings I-IV. Come see our showroom. It'll be love at first flight! 2708 Mt. Vernon Rd. S.E., Cedar Rapids, IA 52403. (319) 365-6057, 366-3989.

AERO FLOAT FLIGHTS. Powered ultralight specialists. We carry Easy Risers, Quicksilvers, and the Mitchell Wing, along with the best power systems on the market. We carry only the best and proven products. Manufacturers & developers for the safety-pro harness line & power muzzler tuned muffler. For info pack send $3.00 to: P.O. Box 1155, Battle Creek, Mi. 49016. Phone (616) 965-6455.

KANSAS MONARCH FL YING MACHINES. The Kansas City area source for all major brand gliders, power packs, parts, accessories, repairs. USHGA Certified Instructors. 10301 W. 77th No. 109, Shawnee Mission, Ks. 66214. (913) 268-6499.

CONNECTICUT TEK FLIGHT Products, Inc. Featuring Electra Flyer and Sky Sports. Also a complete line of parts and accessories in stock. Personalized lessons by experienced USHGA certified instructors. Call: (203) 288-5430. TEK Flight Products, Inc., 2583 State St., Hamden, CT.

ECO-FLIGHT HANG GLIDERS, Now with 2 locations, one serving southeast lower Michigan, and our new shop in the Frankfort area, home of Michigan's prime flying sites. We sell and service most major brands of gliders and accessories, including U.F.M.'s "Easy Riser." We will custom build your "Riser" and motorize it too. USHGA certified instruction using 2-way radios. Lessons from beginner to advanced.

VOYAGEUR'S. Distributors for J.L. Enterprises (dealer inquiries invited). Dealers for Eipper, Wills, Sky Sports, Sunbird, Moose, LEAF, Windhaven and

Golden Sky Sails, lnco

PILOTS! LEARN TO FLY SAFER, HIGHER,FURTHER

Introduces

The Golden Cocoon I

~-'-;;'.,' ::~:~~~-fi }.~_:_~-~-~~~-:._:' ,..

'."':;,ni~czst?ri ~---'j....

~::;:)~;;~,~~;;//' /; '.::i/~'.·i;:,:~~ To lm/Hm•1• \'our F/yi11g. l!'ri/11'11 /ly .·/ L'SHG.-! 111/rnctor.

* NEW * HANG GLIDING FOR ADVANCED PILOTS - DETAILS ON: COMPETITION * MOTORIZING * EFFICIENT TURNING * POLARS* SPEEDS TO FLY* THERMAL TECHNIQUES* DISTANCE SOARING* PERFORMANCE TUNING* DESIGN CONCEPTS * INSTRUMENTS * ADVANCED EOUI PMENT * SPOT LANDING. $6.95 + 45.e POSTAGE.

* Adjustable for length & shoulder pressure. * Spreader Oars to eliminate hip & foot pressure. * Positive retention bocl~ & thigh strops.

The Golden Cocoon 1 1 ,35°0

The Golden Prone

·1

: Super Testedsimple. 6,000 lb-s.~----Golden Prone 75 _,_- /-~=-.::::_~~The ~ __:), * Comfortable. // ~,.... ORDER FROM, . DEALER INFORMATION UPON REQUEST

_. -

Golden Sky Sails, Inc.

I~',-·

572 Orchard Street

' ,. ·/ /~~ Go ld en, Co lora do · :tiJtifrc,-Y~, ~~~~·-. 80401

HANG GLIDING AND FLYING SKILLS -A COMPLETE TRAINING MANUAL - DETAILS ON: BEGINNING FLIGHT* INTERMEDIATE SKILLS* ADVANCED MANEUVERS * SIMPLE AND ADVANCED AERODYNAMICS * GLIDER DESIGN* GLIDER REPAIR* SELECTING EQUIPMENT* THERMALLING * HANG GLIDING HISTORY• CROSS-COUNTRY* TANDEM FLYING• TOWING AND MUCH MORE. $5.95 + 45.e POSTAGE. HANG GLIDING AND FLYING CONDITIONS - THE ROAD MAP TO THE SKY - DETAILS ON GENERAL WEATHER * TURBULENCE * ROTORS * WIND SHADOW * SEABREEZES ' WIND GRADIENT * SOARING CONDITIONS * THERMALS * WAVES * WINDS ALOFT * LOCAL WINDS * CLOUD TYPES * SITE READING AND MUCH MORE. $5.95 + 50.e POSTAGE. $10.95 + 55.£ POSTAGE FOR ANY TWO $14.95 + 75.e POSTAGE FOR ALL THREE. DENNIS PAGEN, 1184 ONEIDA ST., STATE COLLEGE, PA 16801 DEALER INQUIRIES INVITED

HANG GLIDING

FLY ONE.

THE 6~~ ~~~51iS5 r .·

Here are Y2 dozen good reasons: 1. Red

11.

2. Blue 3. Grey

4. Brown 5. Navy 6. Black

THE ULTIMATE HI BAR HARNESS ALLOWS THE PILOT TO SOAR IN COMFORT ,OR HOURS BY DISTRIBUTING WEIGHT EVENLY THROUGHOUT THE HA,MMOCK, THERE ARE NO PRESSURE POINTS IN THE HAMMOCK WHICH IS SUSPENDED FROM 2 BARS, ONE AT EACH SIDE OF THE HARNESS, THESE BARS ARE PREDRILLED AND BY MOVHIG 2 SUSPENSION BOLTS THE PILOT IS ABLE TO SELECT THE BALANCE HE PREFERS, THE BAR HARNESS LOCKS INTO PRONE POSITION WREN THE PILOT STEPS INTO THE STIRRUP AND HE WILL REMAIN PRONE EVEN IN TURBULANCE, TO LAND HE STEPS OUT OF THE STIRRUP AND SITS IN THE LEG STRAPS, THE PILOT CAN CHANGE FROM SEATED TO PRONE AND BACK AGAIN DURING FLIGHT,

* Comes complete with D-rlng, knee hangers and stirrup. * Six sizes: standard, large and extra-large

They're hand-crafted in 100% nylon ( durable, washable, water-resistant) with velcro closures. And, they're so trim and lightweight that they contour to your body! Wallets - $7.95 Key Cases - $6. 95 Checkbook Covers - $7. 95

in regular length or long. * Available 1.n a rainbow of colors. • Custom features available. To order, send your height, weight and color choice. C,0,D, ACCEPTED 14328 LOLIN LANE POWAY ,CALIFORNIA 92064 714-74 8 • 1739

Price: $95

Postage & handling Included.

duncan Box 33441-K Seattle, WA 98133 Dealer Inquiries welcome.

OUTE 209 SOUTH EW YORK 12428

AERIAL •SALES•

RUCTION

"Balloon Ascension Division"

optimum reliability demo and repack for our

• FAA certified instruction • FAA certification for balloon drops

"Avian" ultralite high performance balloons • Aerial displays • Champagne charter flights

• SEAGULL, U.S. MOYES, HIGHSTER . ~ , F , h ~ - n s Wing, Manta, Electra Flyer, Delta Wing,. d, Skysports, Ultimate Hi

Dealers invited to participate in SEPTEMBER 1979

·RETAIL ONLY

Parts, supplies, repairs. P.O. Box 188, Benzonia, Mich. 49616. (616) 882-5070 or 17390 Redman Rd., Milan, Mich. 48160. (313) 459-4545.

gliders and enjoy the sites. 628 W. Larpenteur Ave., St. Paul, MN 55113 (612) 489-8300. MONTANA

UTAH

FLY WITH BEAR TOOTH HANO GLIDERS, 543 Yellowstone Ave., Billings, 59102. (406) 248-4383.

THE KITE SHOP AT NATURE'S WAY. Our ECO FLIGHT SCHOOL is Utah's oldest and most experienced, with USHGA Advanced certified instructors. Complete parts and service for Electra Flyer, Manta, and Eipper. Distributor for the new STRATUS 5. 898 So. 900 E., Salt Lake City, Ut. 84102. (801) 359-7913.

NEW MEXICO SKY-HIGH, INC. New Mexico's Soaring Center. Certified instruction: beginning-advanced and rigid wing. Seagull, Electra Flyer, J.L., UP, Bennett, UFM. Parts, repairs and all accessories. 3324 Alvarado NE, Albuquerque, N.M. (505) 883-0391. NEW YORK

MID-WEST SCHOOL OF HANG GLIDING. Subsidiary of U.S. Moyes, Inc. USHGA Certified Instructors. All levels of instruction - foot launch, tow, and motorized. Located ll.i mile from Warren Dunes. We are the oldest school and offer the most professional training in the mid-west. The owners placed !st and 2nd in Open Class and 2nd in Class I at the '77 U.S. Nationals. We sell and service all brands of kites and motorized units. If you're thinking of moving up - check with us first, your used kite may be worth more than you think. Come fly before you buy. 11522 Red Arrow Hwy., Bridgman, Mi. 49106. (616) 426-3100. SOUTHEAST MICHIGAN HANG GLIDERS.Dealer for UP, Bennett, Sunbird, Electra Flyer, Eipper and Soarmaster. Now featuring powered Quicksilvers. We have kites in stock and take trades or will sell your used glider for you. See us for ratings, repairs and USHGA certified instruction. 24851 Murray, Mt. Clemens, Mich. 48045 (313) 791-0614. MINNESOTA NORTHERN SUN HANG GLIDERS, INC. Dealer for all major non-powered and powered brands. USHGA certified instruction. Owners/managers of the Hang Gliding Preserve, soarable ridge with tramway lift. When in the North Country stop by and test our line of

GLIDERS, 2200 "C" South Smithbarry Rd., Arlington, Tx 76013. Metro. (817) 469-9159.

AERIAL TECHNIQUES - at Ellenville. The east coast's largest hang glider shop. USHGA Certified instruction, dealers for all manufacturers, most equipment in stock from our tremendous inventory. A.T. is where it's up ... Rt. 209 -- in Ellenville, N.Y. 12428. (914) 647-3344. OKLAHOMA WESTARK! Call or write the professionals. Parts, gliders, all major brands (new and used), flight school, accessories. Catalogs available. Dealer inquiries invited. See Earl Fritchie, Rt. 2 Box 418 A, Fort Smith, Ar. 72904. (501) 646-3575.

WYOMING CENTRAL WYOMING HANG GLIDERS - Sales and services. Electra Flyer, Seagull, Seedwings. USHGA instruction, Basic and advanced. Box 4206, Casper, Wy. 82601. (307) 266-3731 or 265-7292.

Foreign Schools & Dealers JAPAN

TENNESSEE TRUE FLIGHT -- Mid-America headquarters for motorized ultralights. All brands of gliders and motor pacs. 3832 Guernsey, Memphis, Tn. 38122. (901) 324-8922. TEXAS ARMADILLO AVIATION. Motorized fixed wings (CA-15 now available). All brands - power units - accessories. Call or write for prices. "We have your wings". 703 North Henderson, Ft. Worth, Tx. 76107. (817) 332-4668. ELECTRA-FL YER DISTRIBUTORS. South MidWestern distributors for: Electra Flyer Corp., UFM Products, Sky Sports, Seagull Aircraft. Now accepting dealership inquiries. Call or write: LONE STAR HANG

FLIGHT DESIGNS

WASATCH WINGS INC. - Salt Lake's Hang Gliding Center. Located minutes from the Point of the Mountain. Featuring a fully stocked repair shop, USHGA Instructors, 2-way radios, lessons beginning to advanced, new training gliders, pilot accessories, and glider sales and rentals. 892 East 12300 South, Draper, Ut. 84020. (801) 571-4044.

Yanaba Hang Gliding School ... 3 day pack system Mt. Kuruma Hang Gliding School ... 3 day pack system Osaka Hang Gliding School ... 2 day lesson ASO Hang Gliding School... l day lesson Beginner to advanced instruction by JAA, JHA certified instructors. We offer a complete line of hang gliders, rentals, sales and accessories. JAPAN HANO GLIDERS ASSOCIATION 1-16-9, Uchikanda Chiyodaku Tokyo 101 Japan. (03) 292-0756.

Business Opportunities DEALERS: Add a wind information service to your line. Set up an automatic wind measuring system at your favorite site ... complete with telephone hook-up. Then

Presenting

VARIOMETER

INST ANT RESPONSE AUDIO UP ONLY SINK ALERT 700 FPM/DWN LIGHTWEIGHT SWING DOWN ARM AV AIL.ABLE s 14995 . i'

~r~~?

FLIGHT DESIGNS P.O. BOX I so~ S1\UNAS, CA o:-mo2 (408) 758-6800

:...'....,.,.-""

DEALER INQUIRES INVITED

th;wlNDHAVEN sky-sailing

Helmet $35.95 ppd. • Especially manufactured for sky sailors. • Light weight and comfortable. • Rugged and durable for years of service. • Available in orange and white . • Small, medium, and large

INDHAVEN

HANG GLIDING SCHOOLS, INC. 12437 San Fernando Rd. Sylmar, Ca. 91342 (213) 367-1819

California residents add 6% sales tax. Dealer inquiries invited.

HANG GLIDING

·------- ---------- ---Me

For The Best In

News And

Name Address [J1 Issues for only $12 []24 Issues for only []

MASTERCHARGE

Enclosed DBill Me Later Credit card # Interbank# Card Hold!lr Name

Expiration Date.

U.S. Money Only@ Write us for foreign rates

I I I I I

I I I I I I I I

your customers can find out when it's soarable by just calling up the machine. The prototype of this system has been on the air now for over two years in the Salt Lake City area. For free info on how to get one like it installed at your site, call or write: Ken Maulden, 121 W. 600 S., Sandy, Utah 84070 (801) 561-3885. STARTING A HANG GLIDING BUSINESS!! For a complete line of gliders, parts and accessories contact: LEADING EDGE AIR FOILS, INC. 331 South 14th St., Colo. Spgs., Colo. 80904 (303) 632-4959. WEST ARK! Let us get you off the ground and into your own HANG GLIDER business. Call Earl Fritchie, Rt. 2 Box 478-A, Fort Smith, Ar. 72904. (501) 646-3575.

Emergency Parachutes THE HANG GLIDER SHOP - now distributes Free Flight Enterprises' reserve parachutes and harnesses. Dealer inquiries invited. (213) 943-1074. 1351 Beach Blvd., La Habra, Ca. 90631. WINDHAVEN EMERGENCY PARACHUTE SYSTEM meets rigid TSO testing. The best available! Easily adapted to your harness and glider. Write for free details. Windhaven Hang Gliding Schools, Inc., 12437 San Fernando Rd., Sylmar, Ca. 91342.

W!NDHAVEN. The ultralite power center of California has complete facilities and information on power packages and adaptations. We sell completed Easy Risers and Mitchell wings too. Call or write: 12437 San Fernando Rd., Sylmar, Ca. 91342 (213) 367-1819.

Miscellaneous We print your message, team, club name or organization on a quality T-shirt. Tan or blue front or back, 25 letters maximum, s-m-1-xl $6.95 each. $1.00 postage to S. Clark Company, Dept. 8, P .0. Box 3648, Arlington, Texas 76010. TORREY PINES 1979. Text by Don Belts. Photos by Bettina Gray. Pictorial review of hang gliding at Torrey Pines. 40 pages of photos, maps, flying regulations, and history of the area. Excellent booklet for those who have only heard of Torrey Pines. Booklet can also be purchased at site. $2.50 each (encl. pstg.). USHGA, P .0. Box 66306-HG, Los Angeles, Calif. 90066. PATCHES & DECALS - USHGA sew-on emblems 3" dia. Full color - $1. Decals, 3 'h" dia. Inside or outside application. 25¢ each. Include 13¢ for postage and

Parts & Accessories

Ultralight Powered Flight NORTHERN SUN INC. The industry's most experienced rigid wing builders offer the following: Custom built COS powered Easy Riser, $2,590. Custom built unpowered Mitchell Wing, $2,690. Call or write: NSHG, 628 W. Larpenteur Ave., St. Paul, MN. 55113 (612) 48.9-8300. POWER SYSTEMS, INC. Gliders from Eipper, UP, Manta and UFM. Power packages, landing gear for Easy Riser and Quicksilver, instruments, helmets, and hardware. $1 info package Power Systems, Inc., 39 B Cooledge Ave., Ormond Beach, FLA 32074. (904) 672-6363. ULTRALIGHT FLYING MACHINES OF ATLANTA. COS powerpacks, landing gear, Soarmaster, tune pipes, harnesses, instruments etc. Pre-built by A&P and kit form. Immediate delivery, free instruction. Other kits include Mitchell, VJ, Quickie, Hummer, Weedhopper, Catto. (404) 458-4584. #4 Aviation Way, PDK Airport, Chamblee, GA 30341. MOTORIZED HANG GLIDERS OF FLORIDA. Factory authorized dealer for "WEEDHOPPER" - a high performance ultralight rigid wing, tricycle gear, stick control. Complete "WEEDHOPPER" information $5.00 to: Weedhopper of Florida, Box 50961, Jacksonville Beach 32250. (904) 246-2568.

The rate for classified advertising is 30¢ per word (or group of characters). Minimum charge, $3.00. A fee of $5. is charged for each photograph. Art discount for display ads does not apply to classifieds. AD DEADLINES - All ad copy, instructions, changes, additions and cancellations must be received in writing 1 Y, months preceding the cover date, i.e., Feb. 15 for the April issue. Please make checks payable to USHGA: Classified Advertising Dept. HANG GLIDING MAGAZINE Box 66306, Los Angeles, Ca. 90066

TYPE: Wills Wing XC 185 #2277 WHERE: Lauden, Tenn. DESCRIPTION: All blue color panels, white leading and trailing edges. CONTACT: Mel Charles, Rt. 2 Box SIA, Oliver Springs, Tenn. 37840. Reward.

Instruments, propellers, engines, landing gear, helmets, fuel tanks, hardware etc. POWER SYSTEMS INC. 39B Coolidge Ave., Ormond Beach FLA 32074.

SOARING - Monthly magazine of The Soaring Society of America Inc. Covers all aspects of soaring flight. Full membership $20. Info kit with sample copy $2.00. SSA, P.O. Box 66071, Los Angeles, Ca. 90066.

METAL LICENSE PLATE FRAMES "l'D RATHER BE HANG GLIDING". White lettering on a blue background. $4.00 including postage and handling. Californians add 60/o tax. USHGA, Box 66306, Los Angeles, Ca. 90066.

FEATURES: Flybox set-up, vario bracket, CG Falcon V in ripstop on right wing. Blue bag, red flag (#0491). WHERE AND WHEN: San Diego, CA 92120. (714) 265-0455.

EMBROIDERED EMBLEMS, CUSTOM DESIGNED CLUB PINS, Medallions, Trophies, Ribbons. Highest quality, fastest delivery, Lowest prices anywhere. Free info! ND! Box 6665 DD Marietta, Georgia 30065.

Publications & Organizations

TEE-SHIRTS with USHGA emblem $5.50 including postage and handling. Californians add 60/o tax. Men's sizes, S, M, L, XL. Orange only. USHGA, Box 66306, Los Angeles, CA 90066.

TYPE: 1977 Seahawk 170. SAIL PATTERN: Keel out Black, orange, yellow, orange, yellow, black. Black leading edges. Red bag with blue tip. WHERE AND WHEN: May 17, 1979 from Virginia Beach, VA. DISTINGUISHING FEATURES: Upper wires, deflexors and bolts not taken. Mount for Chad unit on right down tube. CONTACT: Bob Hayman, 1029 Cordova Rd., Ft. Lauderdale, FLA 33316. Phone toll free: (800) 327-5826.

ODYSSEY has 24' and 26' emergency parachu.tes for the hang gliding pilot. Lightweight and inexpensive. Dealer inquiries welcome. Don't fly without us! Send for free details. Odyssey, Box 60, Wilton, N.H. 03086.

ODYSSEY PRODUCT PORTFOLIO. Has everything for the hang gliding enthusiast. Gliders, emergency parachutes, instruments, harnesses and accessories. Financing available. Visa and Master Charge welcome. Dealers, inquire on letterhead for discount information. For PORTFOLIO, send $1.00 (refund on order) to Odyssey, Inc., P.O. Box 60, Wilton, N.H. 03086.

handling with each order. Box 66306, Los Angeles, Ca. 90066.

TYPE: COS Falcon Five Plus, quick set-up. SAIL PATTERN: Keel out - Light blue, dark blue, red, black, white. No cover bag. WHERE AND WHEN: Lexington Reservoir near San Jose, CA June 7, 1979. CONTACT: Mike Ziaskas, 200 Hollis Ave. #30, Campbell, CA 95008, (408) 379-6500, or Art Markiewicz at (714) 968-6129. TYPE: Oly 160, #1046. SAIL PATTERN: Red keel pocket, dk. blue leading edge, white sail, gold/red tips. Yellow bag with red tips. WHERE AND WHEN: San Jose, CA near Lexington reservoir, Dec. 22, 1978. CONTACT: Tom Jensen, 1418 Helmond, San Jose, CA 95118 (408) 264-6406. TYPE: Mini Strata. SAIL PATTERN: Keel out - dk. blue, It. blue, yellow, gold, red. Kite bag - red with yellow star sewn over a rip. WHERE AND WHEN: From home in Glendale, CA, Dec. 21, 1978. DISTINGUISHING FEATURES: Sleeves (outside) on crossbar (right side), and leading edge (left side). CONTACT: Lynn Miller, 515 Chester #6, Glendale, CA 91203 (213) 244-4503. TYPE: Pliable Moose Zipper. SAIL PATTERN: Red applied leading edge, white with orange and gold half panels, blue bag. CONTACT: Charles Warren, 842 N. St. Joe #3, Hastings, N.E. 68901 (402) 463-4092 TYPE: Dragonfly MK!. SAIL PATTERN: Purple leading edges and center, red wing. DISTINGUISHING FEATURES: Bennett tensioners, 1/8" wing wires. CONTACT: Bob Henderson, 10842 NE 68th, Kirkland, WA 98033 (206) 828-0570. TYPE: Cumulus IO WHEN: May 12 SAIL PATTERN: Center out, white, yellow, brown. Blue bag. CONTACT: Mike Adams (805) 967-2448 TYPE: COS Falcon V. SAIL PATTERN: Black leading edges and keel. Keel out: orange, yellow (three panels), tips: orange, yellow, orange. DISTINGUISHING

TYPE: Phoenix 6D 155 SL #36 WHERE AND WHEN: Salt Lake, July 8, 1979. SAIL PATTERN: Red keel panel, split gold, remainder black. CONTACT: Diann Ferris, 334 4th Ave., Salt Lake City, Utah 84103 (801) 322-3712. TYPE: Phoenix Super 8 Reg. SAIL PATTERN: Keel out; black, red, orange, yellow, black tips and leading edges. WHERE AND WHEN: 10 miles north of Poncha Springs Colo. on US 285 on July 11, 1979. DISTINGUISHING FEATURES: S/N 340. CONT ACT: Jim Zeiset (303) 539-3335. $100 reward. TYPE: Two Soarmaster power packs and one Moody motor package with Rotec prop and muffler. SERIAL NUMBERS: Soarmasters: engine 24857. Soar master serial 78150-engine 24389. Soarmaster serial 78145. The Moody pack has redrilled engine mounts. CONTACT: Trip Mellinger at Windhaven, 12437 San Fernando Rd., Sylmar, California 91342 (213) 367-1819 TYPE: Wills Wing XC 185 #2250. IDENTIFYING FEATURES: No fixed tips, control bar is mismatched, new downtubes, used basetube with vario bracket. CONTACT: Bruce Bardo, P.O. Box 8543, Missoula, Mont. 59807 892-3094 TYPE: Cumulus 10, 20' WHERE & WHEN: Denver, Colo. night of Sept. 12, 1978. SAIL PATTERN: Keel out; white, red, white, purple, white, blue leading edges. Orange bag. Serial no. 619. CONTACT: Doug Keller, 304-237 Kearney St., Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada R2M 485 (204) 257-6492. $100 reward for info leading to arrest of thief. TYPE: Phoenix 68 serial no. 182. SAIL PATTERN: From tips in; black, gold, orange, lime, dark blue. Black patch on one wingtip. CONTACT: Scott Hunter, 220F West Tujunga Ave., Burbank, CA 91502 As a service to the hang gliding community, HANG GLIDING Magazine is publishing (free) information on stolen gliders. If your glider is missing, send us a complete description along with your address and phone number to: USHGA, Box 66306, Los Angeles, CA 90066.

HANG GLIDING

(Dealer' s Invited)

N.C. RES IDENTS ADD 4% SALES TAX TOTAL AMOUNT

P.O. BOX 340 NAGS HEAD N.C. 27959 (919) 44 1-6247

NAME : ~~~~~~~~~

ADDRESS: ~~~~~~~~~

I support the USHGA because it is the only organization that represents our sport, not only on the national level, but on state and local levels as well. Hang Gliding magazine is something everyone looks forward to every month. The Pilot Proficiency program and the Instructor Certification program have been extremely important to the safe growth of the sport. With the sponsorship of meets and fly-ins, and the insurance coverage, a membership in the USHGA would be a bargain at twice the price." Tom Peghiny

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Tom Peghiny is one of the great pioneers of the sport, glider designer, sponsored professional pilot and past USHGA director. He was the 1977 Masters champion and holds 29 first places.

ISN'T IT TIME YOU SUPPORTED YOUR NATIONAL HANG GLIDING ORGANIZATION? The United States Hang Gliding Assn., Inc.: • Offers $500,000 pilot liability insurance. • Offers site insurance to chapter clubs. • Publishes HANG GLIDING magazine, the largest circulation hang gliding publication in the world. Beautiful color photography.

I include my check or money order as follows: D $20 FULL MEMBER (21 foreign) - As a full member you receive 12 issues of HANG GLIDING magazine, pilot liability insurance, and all USHGA membership benefits. D $15 SUBSCRIPTION ($16 foreign) for one year. D $26 SUBSCRIPTION ($28 foreign) for two years. D $36 SUBSCRIPTION ($39 foreign) for three years. D $7.00 TRIAL SUBSCRIPTION ($8 foreign) for six months. NAME PHONE _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ ADDRESS _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ AGE CITY _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ STATE _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ ZIP _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ Send check or money order to USHGA, Box 66306, Los Angeles, CA 90066

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