USHGA Hang Gliding January 1980 by US Hang Gliding & Paragliding Association

FREE PARACHUTE

DOVE We started off designing a beginner glider ... a glider with static balance, slow speed flight and positive aerodynamic stability. We built a glider that is easy to land and versatile with removable luff lines and washout tubes ... a glider that can take you from first flight through intermediate. We accomplished our goals. What we also accomplished, by coincidence, is a glider that performs well in the slow speed realm. Its sink rate is so outstanding it stays aloft in the most marginal conditions, much like gliders costing three to four hundred dollars more. If you're getting into hang gliding and looking for a first time glider or for that matter, even a high performance slow flyer, you should consider the DOVE. Buy our DOVE and you've saved enough to buy a parachute. It's like getting one free.

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Dan Povnter, u past director of USHGA and past President of the Commis-sion International de Vol Libre (han:;; :;;tiding), has written sevrral books and magazine articles on the sport.

J I

issues

new and exciting world awaits the largest cross section of in the history of hang gliding. Regardless of your pilotin -beginner, intermediate, even professional competitor-Delt Phoenix 60 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 himseJf 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.

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EDITOR: Gil Dodgen ASSISTANT EDITOR LAYOUT & DESIGN: Janie Dodgen STAFF PHOTOGRAPHERS: Leroy Grannis, Bettina Gray, Stephen Mccarroll ILLUSTRATIONS: Brigitte Groom CONTRIBUTING EASTERN EDITOR: Paul Burns OFFICE STAFF: MANAGER: Carol Velderrain Tina Gertsch (Advertising) Kit Skradski (Renewals) Amy Gray (Ratings) Janet Meyer (New Memberships) USHGA OFFICERS: PRESIDENT: David Broyles VICE PRESIDENT: Dennis Pogen SECRETARY: Jay Raser TREASURER: Bill Bennett EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE: David Broyles David Anderson Jay Raser USHGA REGIONAL DIRECTORS REGION l: Michael Pringle, Doug Hildreth REGION 2: Wallace Anderson, Jan Case REGION 3: Tom Milkie, Bill Bennett, John Lake. REGION 4: Ken Koerwitz, Lucky Campbell. REGION 5: None. REGION 6: Dick Turner. REGION 7: Ron Christensen, David Anderson REGION 8: Harry Taylor. REGION 9: Dennis Pagen, Les King. REGION 10: John Harris, Richard Heckman. REGION 11: David Broyles. REGION 12: Paul Riker!. DIRECTORS-AT-LARGE: Alex Duncan, Jay Raser, Harry Robb. EXOFFICIO DIRECTOR: Vic Powell. HONORARY DIRECTOR: Hugh Morton, Lloyd Llcher. The United States Hang Gliding Association, Inc., is a division of the National Aeronautic Association (NAA) which is the officio! U.S. representative of the Federation Aeronautique Internationale (FAI), the world governing body for sport aviation. The NM, which represents the U.S. at FAI meetings, has delegated to the USHGA supeNision of FAlrelated hang gliding activities such as record attempts and competition sanctions. HANG GLIDING magazine is published far hang gliding sport enthusiasts to create further interest in the sport, by a means of open cummunicallon and to advance hang gliding methods and safety. Contributions are welcome. Anyone is invited to contribute articles. photos. and Illustrations concerning hang gliding activities. If the material Is to be returned. a stamped. self-addressed return envelope must be enclosed. Notification must be made of submission to other hang gliding publications. HANG GLIDING magazine reserves the right to edit contributions where necessary. The Association and publication do not assume responsibility for the material or opinions of contributors. HANG GLIDING magazine Is published monthly by the United Slates Hang Gilding Association. Inc. whose mailing address is P.O: Box 66306. Los Angeles. Calif. 90066 and whose offices are located at 113121/, Venice Blvd., Los Angeles. Calif. 90066; telephone (213) 390-3065. Second-class postage is paid at Los Angeles. Calif. HANG GLIDING magazine is printed by Sinclair Printing & Litho. Alhambra. Calif. The typesetting is provided by 1st Impression Typesetting Service. Buena Park, Calif. Color separations by Scanner House of Studio City, Calif. The USHGA is a member-controlled educational and scientific organization dedicated to exploring all facets of ultralight flight. Membership is open to anyone Interested in this realm ot flight. Dues far full membership are $20 per year ($21 for foreign addresses): subscription rates are $15 for one yeor, $26 for two years, $36 far three years. An introductory six-month trial is available for $7.50. Changes of address Should be sent six weeks in advance. including name. USHGA membership number. previous and new address, and a mailing label from a recent issue.

ISSUE NO. 84

JANUARY 1980

Hang Gliding CONTENTS

FEATURES

THERMAL LAND EUGENE, OREGON

Article & photos by Michael Pringle

THE ROAD TO TELLURIDE

FIRST ANNUAL PANAJACHEL HANG GLIDING INVITATIONAL

Article & photos by by Andrew B. Duvall Ill

by Rob Kells Photos by Rob Kells & Chris Burke

THE FOURTH ANNUAL PITT OPEN

by Robert Ridgerocket Photos by Marsha Holliston

DREAM COME TRUE

1979'5 LONGEST FLIGHT

FLYING IN THE CANADIAN ROCKIES

by George T. Awaliani Photos Courtesy Aerial Techniques by George Worthington

Article and photos by Graydon Tranquilla

DEPARTMENTS 4 INDEX TO ADVERTISERS 4 ULTRALIGHT CONVERSATION 10 NEWS AND NEW PRODUCTS 41 SAFETY FORUM 42 BIRD'S EYE VIEW 44 CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING 50 STOLEN WINGS COVER: Jeff Campbell supines it over Telluride, Colorado. Photo by Leroy Grannis. CENTERSPREAD: Looking out over Lake Atitlan from launch at the First Annual Panajachel Invitational. Photo by Chris Burke. CONSUMER ADVISORY: Hang Gliding Magazine and USHGA, Inc., do not endorse or take any responsibility for the products advertised or mentioned edllorially within these pages. Unless specifically explained, performance figures quoted In advertising are only estimates. Persons considering the purchase of a glider are urged to study HGMA standards. Copyright © United States Hang Gliding Association, Inc. 1978. All rights reserved to Hang Gilding Magazine and individual contributors.

Dear Editor,

You can't get hurl in the air ... that is how the saying goes, but after last weekend in Telluride I feel lucky 10 write this lc11cr and question lhc saying, "You can't get hurt in the air." I have been flying since May of 1976, when I bought a standard and taught myself. I learned, flying around the Four Corners area, almost always in the mountains. Saturday, Sept. 29, I decided to drive up to Telluride to join in the fun with the many pilots who had gathered for the fantastic thermal fly. ing. I flew Saturday afternoon about 4:30 p.m. after watching many pilots sky out earlier. The air was bumpy with rny vario reading between 800 fpm up, to J ,000 fpm pegged down. l decided to go down with that air not to my liking.

and the left crossbar about two feet from the control bar. At this time the nose of my kite went straight down and I pushed out all the way to keep !'rom going over. I never went over, but went into a severe spin. I let go of my control bar to get to my parachute. I was spinning so fast that it look both hands lo open the chute. I looked down and cvcryt hing was clear, so ! pulled my Benn cit pack open and watched my chute fall away to a very strange happening; it stayed below me. The chute was falling at I he same speed I was, and the bridle chord was getting wrapped around by control bar due to the spin. I now stood on my control bar and untangled the chord and held it out of the way as I was spinning. I thought my kite and chute were going to tangle together but finally I slipped off sideways and passed up the cute and it opened. Finally I stopped spinning and was under full parachute coming down very slowly (26 foot chute, I weigh 150 lbs.). My next problem was landing on the side of a cliff. As it turned out, I landed very gently in a tree on the side of the cliff. l 11nhooked and climbed down the tree and waved at other pilots that I was alright. After I got back to Telluride I was feeling very dizzy and nauseated and one car was ringing. After getting sick ahout ten times and not being able to stand up, I went to the hospital to find out that due to a whiplash in the air I had damage Io my brain stem causing my siclrncss. I could have very easily been knocked out in the

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Sunday seemed to be a repeal of the weather the day before. I took off after about 20 other pilots were already high above takeoff. We were taking off into Bear Creek as the thermals came up. My takeoff wind was only about five mph, hut sufficient for a good, clean launch. I flew down 1he canyon to where I could just see I he landing area at the baseball park. There I worked few weak thermals, about 200 fpm up, and the down air was not more than 400 fpm down. Soon that big thermal rolled through and I was reading 800 fpm up and staying in it. At about 15,000 ft., I slipped out of the thermal with a slight pitch down. I leveled my kite and made a slight turn lo my right doing about a 120 ° turn. Now l was tlying wings level with my vario reading zero; I was also flying at best sink, about mph in my kite. At this time I got hit from above by what felt like a boulder falling from the sky. I had flown into sink that was so strong that it snapped the front part of my left leading edge 4

air, but everything worked out fine. I am now a little hard of hearing in one car; but am glad to be alive. l had a good takeoff, a good landing, but got hurt in the air.

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Dear Editor, On October 14 l was soaring over the sand ridges near Elberta, Michigan. The area is known for very smooth air and conditions were near perfect the wind was straight in from Lake Michigan at 15-18 mph. In preparation for a trip to Chattanooga, I was practiciug a thermaling technique I learned from an English pilot. This involved traveling upwind (over the water) then doing flat 360's while drifting with the wind.

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There were 6-8 gliders in the air on a section of ridge 3/8 to 1/2 mile long. Prior to the execution of my maneuvers I would glance over both shoulders from my supine position. On several occasions I delayed turns to allow other gliders to pass down the ridge. On the last maneuver there was a CSA flying exactly in my "blind spot" (straight behind me). I started a 360 to the left. At about 200 degrees into the turn, I spotted the CSA flying straight into the center of my turn. Before I got to 250 degrees, we impacted. At this point we had 150-175 feet of altitude. The CSA struck at my right wing bolt, shearing off my single deflexor. The next four seconds passed as a blinding flash. My Moyes Maxi II was spinning wildly. I ripped my parachute from its pack, not knowing which way was up, but conscious of extreme airspeed. I gave the bridle a tug as the chute was deploying. When I saw the canopy full, I attempted to spot the ground. Before I could focus, I was down. The ridge lift had helped to deploy the chutes more quickly. Both pilots had full deployments and escaped without injury. The parachutes used were a Bennett B.U.S. II, and an Odyssey. Several pilots rushed to our aid. When they realized we were unhurt, some started to affix blame for the incident. This wouldn't bother me except my feeling is that both of us were quite guilty, since it takes two gliders to have a collision. If you are flying in someone's blind spot, expect them to not see you. Always wear your parachute, it works even at low altitude. Robert Newcombe Southfield, Michigan

Competition and Glider Design Dear Editor, Poor frustrated Chris Price - he just can't quite understand why the U.S. team made such a poor showing in the 1979 World Championship. Really, Chris, why should this event be any different than any of the other recent international competitions? At the end of your article you said that the foreign pilots thought their "gimmicks" helped them win, but that you, yourself, wondered whether it was the "American pilots' competitive skills or the tasks at the world meets" which needed more improvement. Obviously you, and apparently quite a few other people, have completely missed the point of this potentially valuable learning experience. It is not the American pilots' skills that are at fault (sure, anything could be improved), because our pilots as a whole have just as much if not more experience, talent, and training than those from the other nations of the world. Nor is it the tasks that are at fault, because the tasks were the same for the foreign pilots as for the Americans. Nor is it just "dumb luck," or else the U.S., by pure chance, would have had its fair share of winners. Nor is it the technique used to choose the American team, for even the poorest conceivable technique of selecting the "best" pilots from the vast American hang gliding population is bound to choose two or three of the top pilots, pilots who could hold their own against the foreign competition which was 6

selected from a smaller number of candidates. No, the real reason that we Americans cannot compete against the foreigners is that we are flying obsolete equipment, and the reason we are flying obsolete equipment is because of our own USHGA regulations. Look at the facts! In the Class II competition, where Americans were flying competitive equipment, two of the top five places (including first place) went to the U.S.A. But in Class I where the foreigners were using all their "gimmicks," the best the U.S. could do was 18th. Really, Chris, do you have any doubts that such "gimmicks" give the foreigners that (apparently not so little) "racer's edge" that they need to win? But why blame USHGA regulations, rather than the manufacturers, for this "obsolete" equipment? Because it's true! It has been proven time and again that regulation (and it does not matter whether it's government or "self" regulation) stifles competition, creativity, and innovation, and that the effect of regulation is frequently directly opposite its stated purpose. Now the stated purpose of the HOMA certification program is to insure that those gliders sold to the general public are as safe as possible. This program was established partly to "keep the government off our backs" and partly because there are certain persons among us who really do believe that such regulations actually promote safer hang gliding. In an attempt to force compliance with their certification program, USHGA has effectively limited all U.S. competition to certified gliders. This reduces the quality of competition in the U.S. in two ways: (I) It restricts the number of competitors. How many potentially great pilots have never even tried competition because their gliders were uncertified? (2) It eliminates the opportunity for creative, original, and innovative designs to prove themselves. In essence, the U.S. pilots are preselected from an elite group and required to train and race using highway legal, last year's model stock cars, while the foreigners get to use their latest racing specials. And you wonder why the U.S. is number 18 in world competition. But I am not writing this letter just because the U.S. is losing a few world meets. What really upsets me is the fact that the glider I buy tomorrow will be inferior to the state of the art simply because its manufacturer has had no opportunity today to observe how the ingenuity of others has paid off, and to incorporate some of these improvements into his own design. Let's face it, there are only two ways in which we in the U.S. can insure that our home products are as "good" as those manufactured overseas: (I) Increase international regulations (such as forming a powerful International Hang Gliding Association) so their products will be no better than ours, or (2) Reduce the U.S. regulations (such as permitting safe but uncertified glider competition) so our products will become as good as theirs. Personally, I prefer the latter, for in the long run it will provide better hang gliding equipment for everyone and could eventually save my life.

Dr. L.D. Hewett Physics Department Texas A & I University Kingsville, Texas

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 GIS CHARD 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:

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· You think of yourself as an average pilot, a weekend nyer whenever . possible. Or you ny the competition circuit from Canada to California. Or maybe you've just had a few lessons and it's time now to own your first glider. You want the same things, and you'll find them on a Moyes. Here's what you want, and what you'll get from Moyes: 1. SAFETY OF DESIGN. Moyes gliders are U.S. Certified and win the most competitions, worldwide. 2. STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY. Moyes has always been among the very strongest. You don't win towing championships with weak gliders. Moyes has won more than anyone else, winning the World Cup at Cypress Gardens again this year. 3. SINK RATE. Go to any hang gliding site. It's a daily demonstrated fact that Moyes gets higher faster and comes down slower than any other Rogallo hang glider. 4. SPEED AND REACH - LID. Every manufacturer makes hard-to-verify claims. Moyes simply offers the widest usable speed range, with long reach and penetration through its entirety. S. STABILITY AND HANDLING. With a long root chord of proved design, the Moyes can safely be dived, mushed and parachuted. It will not easily slip, spin or tip-stall. It will do a flatter turn than anything else, preserving its sink rate and energy. Positive bar pressure and "feedback" from the glider make it safe for any pilot with basic skills, and a pleasure for the experienced flyer who wants extra performance combined with the security of complete control and solid response. Few pilots fly well when they're nervous. "The Moyes is a very reassuring glider," "says George Worthington, owner of a Maxi MK III. George knows, and so do you, pilot, that there's no better all-purpose hang glid~ than a Moyes. The proof is in the sky.

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Th e Maxi continues to give competition pilots on edge. Here ore recent meets won by Moxi pilots :

Region 1 Qualifier Region 7 Qualifier Region 8 Qualifier Region 10 Q ualifier Jockeys Ridge Meet Florida Tow Chompionship East Co ost Championship Storthistle Meet Frankfort Championships Cypress Gordens Grouse Mt-Vancouver 1979 Nationals (Rogollo wing )

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Dear Editor, Congratulations on another great issue - the October one. I found all sorts of fascinating things in it, like the holes in the sails to control tip stall and the pulleys for sail tension on the Australian Scout. Loved the center spread, Just look at all those different nose angles and trailing edge cuts! Verily it would appear that hang glider evolution is running free despite Richard Miller's dour forecast that sailwings would become as alike as peas in a pod, like competition sailplanes. I totally agree with Casey Heeg about the necessity for increasing the strength of the vehicle rather than trying to decrease the pilots' exuberance to match the surprisingly low G-ratings currently in vogue. I was recently shocked to discover that a local manufacturer had certified a glider that could only take a three G negative load and thus would be practically guaranteed to collapse in any inversion. I actually suspect the HOMA of a massive plot to sell parachutes through the continued certification of such gliders. Tell Laszlo Ruzsa that I have long ago solved all the problems he refers to in his satirical letter about a certain famous flyer attempting to convert to supine. I wear noseplugs to keep the bugs out, I tuck my cape into my undershorts to keep it from flapping, and to solve the visibility problem I scragged one of those big round wide-view mirrors from a supermarket (the kind they use to intimidate shoplifters) and bolted it on my bowsprit. The mirror reduces my glide to 1. 7 but the sacrifice is worth it in view of the increased safety. I fall out of the sky so fast that I never have time to hit anybody else, and I always land way out in the bush away from spectators and valuable vehicles. Actually, I never claimed that a supine harness would offer better control, although in a glider specifically designed to be flown supine (such as my Zeke series) control is equal to "normal." I fly supine because it is more comfortable (anyway, I think so) and safer, especially in a kite with a low negative G rating. If you fly long enough you will eventually find yourself upsidedown regardless of how many add-on stabilizing devices with which your kite is equipped, and when this almost inevitable event occurs, wouldn't it be nicer to fall only a few inches onto the control bar rather than several feet into the sail? Steve Moore Santa Barbara, CA

Seller Beware Dear Editor,

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I would like to bring to the attention of all manufacturers, distributors, etc., the unethical and sometimes nearly illegal activities of a certain Italian importing company. I personally have regretted every transaction with them and have incurred considerable loss as

a result. Their required method of shipping is entirely "shippers risk" and several companies have already suffered in one way or another by doing business with these people. If you are being or have been approached by an Italian distributor, I urge you to contact Delta Wing Kites & Gliders, Inc., Windhaven or C.G.S. Aircraft to check if you are dealing with the same company. Bill Bennett, President Delta Wing Kites & Gliders, Inc.

Carolina Clarification Dear Editor, In reference to the letter to the editor "Carolina Flying" in the November issue of Hang Gliding, the takeoff site at Pennicale Mountain in western North Carolina is not owned by the South Carolina Hang Gliding Association, but by a member of the association. Permission must be obtained from the owner to fly that site. Joel Lewis Cola, S.C.

Supine Performance Dear Editor, Steve Moore, in the Ultralight Conversation department of the September issue was unable to resist the alluring temptation to assume. On the question of whether or not the supine harnesses cause more drag than the prone harnesses he states, "The pilot who flew the comparison test was probably a lot more experienced flying prone than supine and may not have been using a properly adjusted harness. He may have been a Hang 4 in his old familiar prone harness but only Hang 3 in the supine." Tsk, tsk, Steve, You should have asked me about that. It was the other way around. The pilot is very experienced in the supine harness, especially at Torrey. He's been flying exclusively supine for over three years. At the time of the test, he had flown prone only five or six flights and said that he didn't believe he had nearly the excellent degree of feel and touch in the prone harness, due to the vast difference in his experience with the two types. He told me after the tests that there was no question. He will definitely shift to the prone harness. Sorry Steve. I personally have never flown a Rogallo supine. I feel, from long observation and thought about the question, that supine may offer better visibility and be less tiring. Where safety and degree of control are concerned, however, I believe that prone is probably better. I have noticed that two pilots with whom I fly frequently, and who have flown supine for over three years each, have shifted to prone in the last four months, and are very enthusiastic about the change. I know of no one who has gone in the other direction. George Worthington San Diego, CA

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NEWS AND NEW PRODUCTS SSA CONVENTION

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The 1980 Soaring Society of Americanational convention will be held in Seattle, Washington February 27 to March 2. Featured will be many internationally known speakers and 24 sailplanes on exhibit. Contact: 1980 Soaring Convention, P.O. Box 1117, Bothell, WA 98011 or call (206) 255-9488.

EAGLE Soarmaster Corporation announces the Eagle, which will be partially built by Electra Flyer. The motorized hang glider will weigh 80 lbs. complete. The craft has been flown extensively but no photographs hav.e yet been released. Manufacturer's specifications include: takeoff roll of about 75 ft., foot-launchable in a 5 mph wind, 300 fpm rate of climb, cruise speed 35-40 mph.

RAVEN AWARD Cyndee Lewis Moore of Paris, Texas is the first female pilot to qualify for the "Order of the Raven" award by flying her hang glider for more than one hour (1 hour 23 minutes) above the peaks of 6,000 ft. Grandfather Mountain in North Carolina. Previously 103 men had qualified, but no women. Only 200 of the limited edition Raven certificates, featuring a painting by wildlife artist Ray Harm, will be issued.

WIND CHILL METER The "wind chill and wind speed meter" is a light-weight hand-held instrument designed to measure wind speed, air temperature and wind chill factor. The air temperature is measured by a bimetal coil thermometer in the top of the instrument. A white ball in the clear center tube measures the wind speed. A wind chill graph showing equivalent still air temperature is printed on a rotating cylinder. Contact: LEAF, 331 South 14th St., Colorado Springs, Colorado 80904.

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~"1·i;1I 'l"~l111i1111"~ ROUTE 209, ELLENVILLE, N. Y. 12428 (914) 647-3344 Open Thursday thru Monday 9:00 A.M. - 6:00 P.M. ·oealer inquiries invited HANG GLIDING

"Oh, Suzanna, don't you cry for me ... ;" a song sung by many se1tlers on 1heir way to the promised land in the West. And for hang Oregon is, indeed, a promised land. The Willame1te Valley was named by the Indians. It means, ' of the Smoke" and was so called because of 1heir of the scrub brush and small trees on fire from lime to 1imc, so they could sec where 1hey were and Io expose game for hunting. When !he white man came, he made them stop the But now Ihe farmers do the same thing to selected areas or farm land. While many Weslern resi· dents in and around do 1101 appreciate the smoke, ii makes the area a 's heaven. The burnt black, crcale fantas1ic thermal which allows one to launch from a 1 ,000foot hill and soar to 5,000 feet and more. The Mountain north of town, is the basic stomping ground for Eugene pilots. There, one finds "Peterson," a 450-foo1 AGL hill which, when soarablc, enables to fly up to a 1,50() .. foot . 11 a southcasl to southwest wind. Located just outside the town of Brownsville, miles north of it is the dcstina1 ion for flyAlso in ,ooo.foot and Takeoff," 1,750-foot launch from which many pilots rouclimb to 5,500 feet (No map of the area's sites has been before visiting

Brncl Goosela at (503) 747-8217 to learn of the parlicular agreements with landowners of the diffcrccnt landing areas.) Mike Geihcr has logged 25-milc cross country flights in this range, ending up over the town of Eugene itself, which Mike rcporlcd as reaffy being thermal city (he maintained 2,000 feet ACil over the city until he was ready to come down). On this particular rlying day we were on our way to Peterson. As we passed other peaks in the Coburg Range I was reminded of flights I had made during an earlier sum· mer at Washburn and Prairie (a site in the range visible to the west) which is 3,000 fee! and requires a north wind. I rem cm bcrcd that 1he pleasant aspect the thermal activity in this area was were the jnsHight .for.hang· weren't big boomcrs in which 747's could soar, or that break or cause them to do somersaults. These were 2()() .. 600 feet per minute thermals that conveniently cycled up the meticulous scratching and arc excellent for 1he '' rioatcr'' type common This isn't lo say the thermals don't get stronger than 600 feet up at times, hut you don't feel like you've been flying the workparts of an beater all day, as you might at some of the ol her well-known thcr··· ma! sites around the country. chatted with Brad Gooscla in the van on the way to Peterson, my mind wandered back to a previous flight we had made al Prairie. After aboul an hour of circling in the l hermals blowing up Ihe face of Prairie, we headed out over "Biker's Land,, so called because the adjacent farm house is owned a biker (in the true sense)

who often throws parties for his friends on the farm. This day a party was in full and in exchange for the beer we had been promised after flying over, we were going to glide over the farm and a bit of a per·· formance to those in atlenclancc. The landing area we were using was about a half mile upwind from the party. I played around uni ii l was only about 200 feet AGL over Biker's Landing before heading upwind to the landing area. To my happy amazement, I was able to work my way to the landing area by turning in the heated air from the plowed, bum! fields ancl gaining 100 feet or so at a time. l rec01ml the story now because it is an indication of the greal possibilities of flying in this area and because this was our first encounter with the friendly bikers who now have a landing site named after them. By the time we pass by 1he Brownsville Tavern my thoughts have turned to the

THIS PAGE: Dick Burleson flies out over the valley. Burnt fields offer good thermals in summer. OPPOSITE PAGE, TOP LEFT: St. Gcmnain (left) and Brad Goose/a in front of the Brownsville touches Tavern. TOP RIGHT: Reed down in the /andin\1 area. RIGHT· Dick Burleson /aunchc~s at Peterson. The peak in the is 1,500 ft. and can lJe reached from the 450··ft. Peterson launch.

HANG GLIDING

is sunny with scattered clouds and the winds arc proSince wc arc the winter season, we arc phase or I he dent mostly 011 lift. this time of year, the sun remains too low in the sky to su fficicnt ly heat up the land and create the thermals which, in the summer, br-cak off Ilic lmrnH>rf lands like bubbles off the bottom of a of 7-Up. Brad and l arrive at the top or Peterson to rind Recd ,ray, Paul Welch, Dick Burleson and on top and in various stages of set up I heir The wind is at 8-l mph Most arc out for at least a The la1111ch area is soarable at that wind although it takes about a 20 to be certhe 1,500 foot tain of to the cast. Greg Olyn drives up to meet us later. the first person to this all of these area and to more than five years ago. Al one t Kiwanda, a locally famous site on the Paci fie Coast, had section called "Greg's named after Olyn who there almost I pilots. got John Davis

in it?" replies another. One of the favorite passtimcs in this area is these funny lilllc mushrooms in the landing areas while waiting for I he vehicles to get back down. A field is chosen, the wind gets up to a steady 1 and every. one decides it probably isn't going to get launches his much better Reed red Floater and turns immediately upwind Brnd Goosela is next with his 11 Meter, followed Paul Welch cm a blue and white Wills. Paul !urns downwind past me and toward the landing rca. Dick Bmll:son waits on lop with his multi colored 245-sq. ft. "l wish ii would get up to Finally he too is in the air, scratching out a few passes in fronl of the launch before also !urning downwind toward the landing. By now the sky is clouding over and the sun looks like a six-volt flashlight shining down I a heavy mist. From the lop or Peterson, the landscape turns to muted shades of green and black with rectangular

colors or yellows, oranges, reds and greens; the cloud cover now dulled overhead. We didn't hit Peterson on an exceptional There wcren 't even any mushroom, in the landing area! But I here was still the Brownsville Tavern to look forward to on the way home. I remembered this tavern from the last time we flew at Washburn. Then it was a time to relax after a satisfying of flying. I had spent about an hour milking the constant thermal activity floating up the 1,000-foot hill rrom the valley below. Mike Gcibcr had gotten con" siderably more than 1,000 feet above takeoff in his Condor, and everyone had a good day of mild thermal flying. Today al the tavern we consoled each oilier and ourselves with popcorn, beer and pool. Not offers exceptional conditions, but the Brownsville Tavern has beer.

at have brought an assortment of glider brands with low-encl range of either lighl or both. This is

, gains altitude and heads downwind over the back side, never to be seen "Where are we one JANLJ/\PY 1980

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LEFT: Del /-Jarmon prepares to launch at

Te/luric/e. OPPOSITE PAGE, LEFT. in Ven tura County. RIG/-IT: The author, soaring Point of the Mountain, Utah

doesn '1 look as though it is soarable, but it has great possibilities as a thcrmaling site. There were no other there to help us out. We feel it should be rated at lcasl an intermediate sit under the

Ill It was hard to believe tlrnt after more

home. was one pair of down out. It was an adventure would like to share with you. whole started at our Oklahoma doesn't have so when Steve Harmon, wife Anita, and get

West to sec how the other half does il.

vertical with The Sandia Peak is only for advanced rated You drive to lhe You tram it to the were fliers there every and we received warm were all most informative about how to fly the thanks to Brown!) If you haven'! flown there, don't until you get information from the locals. It could 16

rnean 1he difference between a or an unfortunate Remember that the question is an unasked one. all averaged 30 to 40 minute sled rides from the top. really weren't super pilots and saw that understanding t hermals made a great di ffcrence in up or down. We watched lots of two and three hour flighl with the kites well above the top of the mountain. The best lime to fly the mountain is from late to fall. It is too cold in the winter to do much unless you arc a skier, and then you go to Taos. We . In the area we recommend the Coranado Campsite in Bernalillo. It has nice restrooms, large and the Rio Grande River for the the sun plays beautiful patterns on the mountains. Merriam Crater was to be the next site. It located near , Arizona. Merriam is an extinct volcano, I ,2(X) feet high and in any direction. It has great if' you have a 4WD vehicle. We didn't. It is to drive about one quarter of' the way up the crater, but from there it is one hell of a walk. The mountain

of minutes, after the clouds in the southwest overdevelop and float slowly over our thrashed heads. We weren't up for around so when lhc came, we left I don't know what the locals would say, but it appears to me that the crater would be best from the time the snow leaves the until it covers it . That leaves open. lot of flying We at the hasc of the crater. l 'm sure there arc lots of in the area, but we wanted to get an start. If you do camp, it is best to leave only yom footprints. We wouldn't want to lose else's site. From Merriam Crater we headed west. After another easy drive we stayed in Creek Canyon. It is beautiful spot lo camp and there arc many campsites if you arrive early. There arc state maintained ones and ones. There arc showers, clean restrooms and a bcantiful, cold, clear stream in which you can fish and swim. Oak Creek Canyon is on the scenic route southwest from It on the way to

to the local airport there, let them know you and will tell you area is. Check it out, it's on the small side. The launch is found by tonwood up the mountain .Jerome. The turnoff is to the left just past the general store at the top of the mountain. The launch is a vertical cliff with little runroom. It has a drop of about 200 feet, so with careful launch, it could be a great . The mountain has 5,000-foot vcrancl an easy five to one to the area. We were told that the best time to fly the mountain is in the We did not fly because the winds were down but the mountain certainly has a Jot of HANG GLIDING

poter1trnLL I think the mountain would have to be rated al least advanced intcrmcdiat e with cliff launch "v'""'''"'"''' was to take us across the desert. When there's nothing else around, we like to stay in Tile one at Blythe, is nice and the swimming is great in the Colorado River. After one night and an early start. to beat the heat, we headed for Elsinore. Just the sound of the word Elsinore made my heart flu1ter. Two years I had stood at the top or Elsinore and watched the wind blow down for ten days. never unpacked my kite. We were ready. Elsinore is a I escarpment with a seven.mile, 20-minute turnaround. The area has hcen sectioned off for housing development. It may not he I here much There arc two sites to fly at Elsinore. Then: is the regular one the

on great and what seems 10 be miles below him the valley floor stretches. lt is far to the valley floor that the trees seem to he specks on the ground. Wonders of Those tiny specks are tiny Newly planted avocado trees dot the valky floor. The ridge is 500 to 600 feet and usually soarablc in the afternoon. To find Hidden Valley it is best to go to Elsinore Valley Hang Gliding Center. Go to the landing area and cheek it out first, or have a local who will fly it first. As we sat, ate lunch and waited for it to become soarablc, Tom Maw was nice enough to come along wil h his Condor and tell us all about the intricacies of Hidden Valley. He was nice enough to he launch technician (wind dummy) and he was nice enough lo meel up with us later at Crestline. After sled rides to the bottom we were off to Black near Ramona.

,rnrlm,·~""' and up the dirt road. When you make the right turn to head up the moun· tain, look at the streamers in the area. It looked to us as though we were in the middle of the landing. Horse Canyon is a 1,200.foot ridge that looks as though it could be very thermal· able. The winds were too cross for us to find out. Look at the streamers in the land· ing area. The road to the top is a hear. isn't worth the drive if you aren't going to fly. But what the hell, at least you can say you were there. That's what we did about Torrey Pines. We arrived late in the afternoon. There were a few kites flying. The wind was really light The other kites were soaring. We watched. The other kites were We watched. We set up. We watched. Steve finally decided to go for it. It was obvious lhal he didn't turn soon enough. He didn't

first one you come to on the dirt road and there is the Big The first one is a sled ride unless the Santa Ana winds are in. We have all read about them. The E is the '".....,... hlunch. If you are an adwmced intermediate, I think you can fly it with no My at Elsinore left bad taste in my mouth. The at Lake Elsinore is great; there are few bugs, nice and super There are great campsites all over Southern California. Make sure you there early enough to get one. We were told that the best time to fly in Southern California is in the spring, fall, or winter. Wouldn't you know we were there in the later summer. Oh, well, it's nice place to visit. Our next flight came on the same our Hang II sled ride. With 30,,minute drive, we were into Hidden Valley. Maybe you rememher Electra adver· tisemcnL J.C. Brown tests the New Electra Floater at Hidden Valley. J.C. pictmed

Big Black is a bcaut.iful site. It wasn't soarnblc for us because an inversion layer

get in close and landed at the bottom. wasn't going to make the same mistake. knew I had turned instantly. My right was just inches from tht; cliff. knew I was going to go up. You know, the only benefit of on the bottom of Torrey Pines is that there all kinds of nude hathcrs on Black's Beach. I almost blew my landing because I was paying too much attention to something else. Anyway, those cliffs are steep. It is lot of work to carry a 70·pouncl kite to the top of a 3()0.. foot cliff that is straight up and down. It was a welcome sight when Del and Anita appeared on their way down with kite and beer. Without the help I probably would be still drooling at the bottom. Torrey easy to find. It right behind the Salk Institute. Just north of San Diego, going north on Torrey Pim,s Road it will be on your left. If you come to the golf course you have gone too far. There are Jots of rules and to read, but if you qualify the site can be worth it.

JANUARY 1980

covered Southern California. We tried twice anyway. Before launching from the it necessary to go to the farm house al the hottom of the hill, in, and pay a two·dollar fee for trespass insurance. You should also look al I he landing area. The site should be flown with someone who has flown it before. Lucidly Del had. If you don't have someone to fly it with you the family at the farmhouse will probably call the president of the UFO club, Chip The dirt road to the top can he driven in a 2WD, but it is prelly rough. It about an hour so plan your time aeOur sled rides lasted about 20 minutes each. told about a site called Horse Canyon. It is further inland and usually out of the inversion layer. To find it lake in· terstatc 8 east to I he Ruckman exit. Make sure you have vehicle with a high center and preferably a 4 WIJ. Go under the

Our next little hill was Crestline. You've

all heard about it. Tom Maw met us there and we had two really enjoyable sled rides to the bottom. (Thanks to the inversion . ) Lots has been written about this site so I'm not going to do it I would like to comment that the Califor-nia pilots us. No wonder they arc so good. They don't have to drive four hours for five or six cighHninute sled rides a There's always the chance of at least a 20--minute flight. We did have one interesting meeting at Crestline. Two pilots with UP kites were set up when we arrived. One of them hooked in, and I asked him if he wanted a harness check. I was amazed when he looked at me and said, "I don't need a harness check. Do you think my harness fell apart overnight?" Both he and his friend laughed. They were skilled They made swooping passes, dives, wingovers and low skirnming passes at or slightly above launch. In the area one of them did a 360 at about 40 feet off I.he ground. He almost stuck a tip in 1hc spot. arc (or were) excellent pilots. Personally I wonder whether the pilot who takes unnecessary chances isn'I detrimental to the sport of hang gliding. From Crestline we drove to the Bennett We all had questions about our kites, got some answers, and had a good tour. Next stop was After looking over the and launch, we decided we weren't too anxious to fly. Luckily we nm into Dr. Lawrence Mace of Santa Monica. He told us there were all kinds of flying sites all the transverse range. He took us to Canyon. It wasn't soarable thanks to the inversion layer, but it was a 20-minute sled ride. The landing area there is a giant compared to the one at Sylmar. If you are 18

ABOVE: 1-lidden Valley, CA. Note miniature trees. BELOW: Fort Funston, near San Francisco .

thinking of flying the area, I recommend that you get in touch with Dr. Mace. He is an excellent guide, and very informative about where and how to fly the site. Thanks for the assist, Dr. Mace. We continued our trek north. In Ventura County, camping on the beaches is free. The place where we camped was clean and not overcrowded. Thanks, Ventura County. Our next stop was La Cumbre. It is a 3,385--foot high site overlooking Santa Barbara. The landing area is rather tight. It is right beside a water purification plant. It would be best to fly this site with someone who knows it. We were told that winter fly. ing is the best. We didn't fly, because by the lime we got to the top it was blowing down.

While we were waiting for the wind to do something good, we met Randy Cobb. Randy agreed to meet us the next day and take us to another site nearby called Plowshare. Plowshare is almost like Elsinore in the way it reacts to the offshore breeze in the afternoon. After noon it becomes touch and go. You can find the mountain by go-ing cast from highway 101 on highway 166 for 28 miles. Take Sierra Madre road to the south and up the eight miles to the radar station. The landing area is 1.9 miles past Sierra Madre road along the River. Plowshare is a great mountain to fly. You have to hit it just right and stay high along the ridge, catch the first thermal you can and hang on. It is either Ii ft or sink here. There wasn't any inbctween. I had a sinky flight from the 2,400--foot launch. The people who launched after I did got really high. The mountain has great possibilities. l think you would have to fly it more than once in order to max it out. Try this one out; you '11 like it. Our northward journey continued. We were told about a few more sites but we wercn 't able to fly them because of the They look as though they are winter sites also. Twen1 y-six miles north of Point is a campsite called Pacific Valley. There is plenty of landing area on the other side of the road. One quarter mile south of the landing area is a road which should take you to Questa Pass. We didn't fly it, hut it could be good. Another site we didn't fly because the was too thick was Sand Dollar Beach. This site is 2,200 feet high and looks out over the ocean. We couldn't find the road to the top, but there is one there somewhere. There is one property owner who has his land posted. Do all you can lo avoid this property. We stopped in to sec the Pterodactyl Pflcdge Pfactory. It was but

HANG GLIDING

could have beeu more so if they hadn't been in Oshkosh. On up the coast to Santa Cruz, the hang glider shop there doesn't answer the phone. 011 well, we only wanted information. We wouldn't have bought anything. Fort Funston! This is the first site we have arrived at and the winds arc blowing in at 20 to We can't believe it. This site is a national recreation area set aside for gliding! Thanks Uncle Sam! There are some "·"·"""'c,11, to abide by, but if you arc an intermediate pilot you will probably get in some great We the flying and the with Jeff Scott and the Chandelle gang. Thanks for the super soar,, ing! We needed it. Our next stop was Hull Mountain. Hull is 5,000 feet above a small runway which serves as a landing area for small planes too. It is a highly soarable thermal site. We all had great flights. Hull is a rather mountain to find. Jt is well worth the trip. From Ukiah on route JOI go north six miles to Capella. Turn east and go 22 miles to Upper Lake. Turn north and follow the to Lake Pillsbury or Hullville. Once there you will find great camping, fishing, swimming and the !lying from Hull. One word of caution. As you look off the launch (three railroad tics tied together) the patches of green in the distance are not a place to land. We were told those patches were part of an estate owned by Jackie Gleason and the perimeter is guarded by nasty men with guns and doberrrnms. Also Lake Pillsbury generates some pretty stiff surface winds in the afternoon. They could cause some penetration problems. Reno, Nevada is the home of Free Air Ron Rhodes was most rudely awakened as we set off his burglar alarm. We learned that in Nevada the people fly early in the morning or late in the cv,:111111,l. because the thermals get radical in the heat of the We learned of two flying sites. Time was short so we couldn't fly them, but we did go look. The two sites are Peavine Mountain and an 80().foot These sites are year round. There have been some tremendous altitude gains made from Peavine. Go to Free Air for information before you fly either of these sites. It would be best to fly with a local the first time. Utah was the we were really looking forward to flying. Everyone told us that Utah had the best sites. Everyone told us that the best in the world could be found in Utah. Without a doubt, Point of the Mountain has some of the smoothest anywhere. From dawn to noon the wind is smooth and solid lift. Often in the the wind switches

JANUAr:<V 1980

and comes from the north. When it does, Widow Maker becomes soarablc. Widow Maker is the other side of Point of the Mountain. All the beginners train at the base of Point of the Mountain while all the better fliers soar above them and land baek on top. Most major brands of kites are rP,,r,,,,,mtNi on the hill almost everyday. Jf yon want 10 try different brands, this is the place to do it. Go see the people at Freedom Wings, Wasatch Wings, or the Kite Shop at Nature's Way. Del and l got our advanced ratings at Point of the Mountain. Steve still hadn't had enough time on his intermediate ticket yet. l must admit that he's a better flier than we are. I guess that's one of the inequities of the system. In the neighboring area you can fly Frances Peak, Willard, Camel Pass, or

some great soaring areas around Moab. Check with the tourist information center. They will put you in contact with the fliers iu the area. The flying is usually done in the evening. There are some radical thermals in midday. TEI LlJRIDE! Herc was the place where I had first seen a kite take to the air. Four years had elapsed between the time of the Coonskin carnival and my return to try to fly the area. My sister Florie and her hus· band Charlie live in the Telluride area and we wanted to visit them. We had hopes that they would put us in touch with some of the fliers and we could get a ride to the top. Thanks to Richard Zehm, who provided us with the means lo reach the top and Jack Carey, who provided us with much information about what to expect and where to expect it 10 happen, Del and I had no

Coronado campground. Sanciia Peak in the background.

Little Mill. These are big mountains. We didn't fly them. It would be best to try to rope a local to go with you for the first flights. Our ropes weren't long enough. Go to Point of the Mountain first. All the peoare very helpful there, particularly the at Freedom Wings. They were great. Thanks Dana and Ernie! We left the Point wishing we could have had more time, but school was soon to start and Anita and I had to get our classrooms ready. We pressed on to Dead Horse Point. It is a really impressive site. We didn't fly there. There are regulations. It will be a really memorable flight. You can't miss Dead Horse Point. It is north of Moab. Take route 313 off route l 63. Take 153 to the end of the road. Even if you don't fly the point the view is spectacular. Stop in at the information center and register. You must be an advanced pilot. There are also

qualms about launching from the grassy slope of Gold Hill. I was off on the most spectacular 45-minute sled ride of my life. I still trip out when I think of the scenery. It was breathtaking. If you plan to go to Telluride to fly, l certainly recommend that you get in touch with Jack first, by mail. He can be reached through General Delivery, Telluride, Colorado. It is really essential that he brief you on the intricacies of flying the mountain. He will welcome you warmly, and thoroughly explain all you need to know in order to have a safe flight to the landing. There is a small fee for flying the mountain, but if you fly once you arc hooked. You must be an advanced rated pilot. Some of the stuff you ean get into can be rather violent. Telluride is easy to find. There is only one road there. There are lots of campsites 19

available. The bars are great. Our favorite is the Floradora. Go in and say "Hi" to Howie. He won't you a free drink, but if he's in he'll say, "hi!" On our way to our final flying site the next morning, we all reflected on the and how super ii had been. We reflected all the way to Crested Butte. We arrived in time to find our way 10 the top and off in mellow thermal lift. Del and I had 45·minutc llights, hut Steve had taken his helium pills and floated over the town for more than an hour. Crested Butle is not a beginner's area. You should be at least ad· vanced/intermediate or better. Be aware of the altitude. You are really and can go If you can fly wHh sorneone who has flown the site before, do it The trip was over. I lie in bed and dream about all those fantastic flights. Each night was in and of itself. Each flight could not have been made without my wife. i\nita has put up with a lot from me, but this was her crowning glory. She was cook, mother, coach, driver, confident, gobctwecn, and generally indispensable. If any of you out there arc going to be through Oklahoma City accidental· ly or on purpose, give us a call. Maybe we can go fly srnncthing.

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It was seven o'clock in the when we pulled up in front of the Pan Am ter· minal at Los International Mike Nash, Brad Lewitzke, and I small group of who had ar·· rived before us. There were twenty-five and a mound of and harness sitting in front of the v«is 6 ,, 6 " check counter. I suddenly had a very sick my harness WHERE IS IT? A call to the shop confirms my fears. Mike Meier to try to race through L.A. rush hour traffic to it to the air· port. W c're off to a great start! W c were to be at the by 7:00 a.m., which meant that most arrived between 7:45 and 8:00. Chris Burke, the trip , had made move, attitudes of most pilots, and set the arrival time an hour earlier than necessary. Evenwe all got our checked, but .Ian Case, Jack Strei!, and Collard

and dash to Meier showed up with my harness at the last minute, and we were off. Another group of was at JANUAFN 1980

the Atlanta airport the same rnorning, and I'm sure similar chaos prevailed there. The 747 was practically empty except for our group of pilots. We generally that w,: felt safer in our gliders. The flight went off without a hitch, and movies, drinks and lunch had us all awake and alert when we arrived in Guatemala five hours later. Customs seemed to be present· some problems until Arthur Kennedy showed up to meet us. Arthur, the president of the Guatemala Hotel Association, was for meet organization in Guatemala. He lashed out some sharply to a customs officer and and pilots were out the front door in less than ten minutes. A stake truck and an army.green school bus were our to Forty minutes into the trip, Chris stood up and " The bus announced a pulled up in front of a small cantina. The seemed somewhat surprised to see so many white faces in his establish·· meeting" turned out to rnent. The be a fifteen minute of tequila and beer, after which we hit the road again. We

had several more the way, and the normally 21h-hour drive turned into a five-hour trip. Aside from a few people who overdosed at the safety meetings, the group spent most of the trip engaged in sing-alongs, and a fine time was had by all. The next morning we woke up to find ourselves next to a beautiful lake amidst lush green surroundings. We walked to the Linda Hotel to sign in. After assembling our gliders while surrounded by we loaded up on three 6x6 armed army troop transports for the ride to the launch site. Apparently the of Guatemala, who had thrown his full support behind the meet, wanted to everything well under control, because we had a fully equipped armed military cseort for the duration of the contest. We arrived at the launch referred to as "The

TOP LEFT: Chris Burke gives us an aerial view of "The Nuns." RIGHT: The Guatemalan army provided takeoff transport.

to convince the nuns to allow us to launch

cil from the front yard of their convent, but we ·t

<5 were finally granted permission after we

i promised not to trample their roses. The §~· 0

The author, Rob Kells (left) and passenger.

Repeater," and were met by a large group of cheerful local Indians of all ages. They all seemed to be enjoying our presence, in spite of the fact that we were trampling their corn crop. The "Repeater" is a 1,620 ft. vertical site, about 6,000 ft. MSL, with about a 4/1 to the landing area. We had been told to bring "floaters" as the conditions were supposed to be very light ridge lift with little thermal activity. To our pleasant surprise, we found some of the smoothest light wind thermals we'd ever flown. The view from launch was spectacular, with Lake A titian spread out below, and volcanoes on three sides. Winds on launch were very light, and we all watched as Brad Lewitzke slowly climbed to cloudbase in a smooth but very marginal thermal. About twenty of the pilots found enough lift in the marginal and cycling conditions to join Brad, and everyone enjoyed their first flight at this truly beautiful site. A welcoming ceremony and a pilots' meeting were held that evening, and the pilots were briefed on the rules, tasks, and matrix for determining opponents. Keith Nichols, meet director, had worked out a very complete set of rules and procedures for the meet. The first day of competition began with a demonstration flight and then breakfast with the president. As before, the military was ever present, including a jeep with a fifty millimeter machine gun, and several helicopter gun ships. The task for the first day of competition had three parts: a twenty minute duration, a speed run between two pylons, and spot landing. An entire round of twenty one-onone heats was run in several hours. Cloud-

task for the flight was 20 minute duration and spot landing. The early rounds were flown in very marginal conditions, but many of the later rounds found enough lift to max the duration. A second flight was run that afternoon, with a "speed run" task. The problem was that you were required to round a pylon out away from the ridge, and from there your shortest path to the landing area was across the bay. Several pilots tried the long glide across the bay and came up short, landing in the water. Other pilots returned to the ridge and soared back to the landing area. Time for the "speed run" stopped when the pilot crossed the landing area pylon, and then spot landings were scored. During this round, the clouds descended on launch, and the completion of round three was postponed until the following day.

The competitors at "The Nuns."

base was very low, and several pilots thermalled into the clouds and then had to deal with a frightening lack of visibility. Gene Blythe flew his Mosq_uito into the clouds and didn't come out for some time, ending up several miles downrange from the landing area. Another "safety meeting" was held that night at Roger's Bar, where drinks were being discounted to all pilots. The second day of competition was flown from a new site. When we arrived at launch, instead of Indians, we found nuns. This site was hereafter referred to as "The Nuns." It took a great deal of negotiating

The meet was running smoothly at this point, with the exception of a few minor judging errors and one major flaw in the scoring system. In the one-on-one heats, if your opponent landed out, you scored the maximum possible score of 1,500 points. This gave a great advantage to those pilots whose opponents landed out. After this was pointed out to Keith Nichols, this part of the scoring system was changed. The next day began with a surprise. Four or five of us were in the Del Lago having breakfast when suddenly the table and floor began to shake violently. Water was spilling from our glasses as we looked at each other

HANG GLIDING

in amazen1ent. The tremor, the strongest ! have ever felt, continued for seconds or so. That afternoon another trernor sent for their launch, and to take off if got worse. The third round was comi:,le1led and over the next few days, three more rounds were flown. After six rounds, the field was cut to for the finals.

ABOVE: Meot diroctor, Keith Nichols. 11/GHT: Chris Burl<e's personal transportation during tho maet. BOTTOM: I/acid Sac/< gama

After the preliminaries, the meet orga· nizcrs declared a day off for people lo rest up, shop, sightsee, etc. Glenn Hockett took a hotel owner for a tandem flight, the first ever in Guatemala. I took up the major in comrnand of the special forces, and both passengers were extremely entlmsiaslic about their 11ights. Round one in the finals was flown at the Repeater. This a 15-minutc duration, speed run to the landing area, and spot 1m1,l111l!g. The best bet was to max your duraand then go into the clouds, then Ihat stopped your duration ancl started your speed nm and get there as high as so you could really make it in the speed portion. The result that JO to I completely whited out at the same time. whistles and shouts coming from the white darkness above, below and on all sides. H was fortunate that there were no mid·-airs for it was identical to thermal· with our eyes closed. The second flight of the finals was done from new site called the Mirador: 1,800 ft. flyable and 12/! glide to the This site miles further down range from is about the Nuns. Obviously with a 12/1 it was that it he soarahlc to make the us from lannching for several hours. It was at best, and JANUMY 1980

Brown, while wind dummy, was forced to shoot a area 20 fl . by 20 fl. on the lake shore. He overshot into a were, for the most tree. Diver and part, unhurt. When the clouds would clear cnongh for a heat lo launch, they would fly out and disappear into the cloud bank. Gene and I were last off and we scrambled around in front of launch trying to find lift.. Scvc~ral miles clown the in front of the Nuns rive or six pilots were circling so we headed towards them. By the time we gol to the howl there was no lift and all of those we saw circling were setting up appnJac;ll(:s in the bay below, several miles from their intended We had no choice hut to them. Some of the earlier rounds had enongh lifl to complete the task. It would have been a good contest task for an open launch window, but with no choice over launch lime, many pilots could not comthe lask. Malcolm Jones caught a side wire on launch, yawed sideways, flew 20 ft. down the steep embankment, and broke his . It seemed as if an upset in the stand,, ings would occur, that a large number of pilots didn't complete the task

and that Malcolm had crashed. Keith had forseen this problem, however, and it was stated in the rules that if three consecutive one-on,one rounds did not complete the task, the entire round would he thrown out. That did indeed occur, so Malcolm's crash, and all the out landings turned into a prac,, tice flight. Pilots were scattered all over the countryside, hut the trucks managed to find all of us in time to make a wild dash for another flight. This was a time accuracy run from yet another site. San Jorge is 800 ft. above the lake and a different landing area was required. The task was time accuracy; launch was one-and-one because the takeoff did not have enough room for a dual launch. Conditions were calm for the most part and the round went smoothly until Gene launch. A healthy run was and on the most critical step Gene had the rnisfor. lune to trip on his fu11-length harness, stall and crash into the bushes below. Fortunately he was unhurt, but his was clam-· aged beyond for the remainder of the meet. When the scores were the follow-· ing it as if there was an error. Eleven hundred points was the most you

LEFT: Landino aroa and pilots' accommoda· tions. ABOVE: JC. Brown, winner of tfrn Montezuma's rlevenge Wind Dummy Award.

could get if your opponent landed 0111, but it turned out the one person Keith did not tell about the foul line in the area was Malcom's opponent. Keith had to score her as in, but she did not do well on the task Malcolm got him well in the lead after the second official

rotor tlll'·· bulence, but the nm first, then duration, got us away from the turbulence number of ex·· ccllent and didn't area, but three con·· seculive heals never landed oul, so 1he round counted. That third round ended up our last clue to weather conditions and the contest was over. Problems and gripes? Sure there were some, but fewer than usual. The unfor·· lunate circumstances as i saw them were: too many flights and not final's flights, and the fact that the selection and elimination system allowed a number or in the finals who were 1101 The result was that if you to draw "easy heats" for the finals, you would win but not be the best As this meet turned out, a did win. Malcolm Jones flew con· sistcntly well (with the exception of his and won all nine of his flights. Keith was firm in his and stuck to his guns, yet was to make on several issues that were unfair. The meet most commodations were with a number of free meals and one hell of a time. Total cost of the meet was estimated at $250,000.

conditions days in row, but as usual the weather got worse. In the to follow we had a number of to various launches time time lo be that On one such truck ride the heavens let loose an incredible . Somehow we eoneluded that Keith was

tain. His retaliation in with him I was in the face with wet sock when he got out oft he lake. He was sport about it, he t hreatencd to not scores for the next several A few beers later the scores

nm with !O to I mph wind blowing over the back. Several

The British team showed up at the awards ceremony decked out in red and white suits and hats. An open bar was provided for all pilots and judges and the final of the contesl was under way. An honr later we inside to watch the top ten handed out. The Guatemala had donated $4,8(X) worth of silver for the top three places and the best woman pilot. Five thousand dollars in cash was also awarded. Brown ran into some bad food during the and missed too many rounds to make the finals; so he was awarded the Montezuma's revenge wind . Linda Tracy flew the con·· test and netted the silver for top woman . It was Malcolm's turn to wet he ended up in the We all sat down to a fine buffet dinner after the ceremony. The mood seemed unanimous that this had to be the nwst outrageous meet ever: a guys like Phil Mathewson and Graham Slater to us in stitches, and great as a bonus to a super vacation, instead of the reason for The only injury was some minor cuts and abrasions when Jim Cobb fell through a tile roof while taking Well, wc How do you get in nexl were told that the top 20 will come back the remainder selected on the basis of the Grouse Mountain meet, The Masters, The American Cup and safety endurance.

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The Fourth Annual Pitt Meet was held on October 6 and 7 "'"'""""'' WA. It was the best Pitt ever. There was better more sun· shine and fewer complaints than ever before. Pitt Mountain rises 820 feet above the landing area and is about 1,200 feet ASL. It is situated in a narrow canyon with the can·· yon walls up 2,000 feet above the floor. There is a limited landing area on top and a area at the bottom. The top soarable year with good six months out of the year. On an average soarable 500· to 1000-foot can be ex1,ectect 1,000 to 2,500 feet is Bartholomew has 7,500 feet and flown 15 miles. We all wish there were more of those. The tasks and rules of our meet were very duration at one per second up to 15 minutes; and a target at 100 for bullseye and one less point for each foot was scored from the first away. The point of contact. If the pilot could plant one foot on the bull and it on, then it If he bent the glider, was worth 1.50 or flew out of the 20().foot foul no were awarded in either category. One feature of the meet was that a pilot could make four and throw out his worst one, the luck factor. dawned with warm temperatures, cloudiness and light winds. There were 43 entries and the kites had a definite The wind increased throughout the and by

two p.m. everyone was skying out, with the hot dogs 1,200 to l ,500 feet above. When the hill was closed for competition at five p.m. most of the pilots seemed tired but happy. Bob Holliston in a Condor and John Davis in a Maxi took first and second, in duration. Virgil Dahrens nailed the bullseye and held it for 150 points and first on the target. morning the hill was soarable before daylight and it appeared that it would be blown out by noon. It turned into a hustler's meet as the object became to max your time, try to hit the spot, and blast back to the top of the hill for another flight. The wind increased and it got very turbulent in the landing area. Of the last ten contestants none made the foul line. One of these pilots was Virgil Dahrens, and the bad

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luck cost him firsl in category. A bad landing also put John out of contention. At two p.m. the hill was closed to llying as the wind had picked up to mph ut takeoff. In 1he end Mike Rabe, better known as "Mad Dog," took first in target. }Ie has been flying for a little over a year and over 100 honrs last summer, mostly at Pill. Virgil, who has taken trophies from three out of four Pitt meets, ended up with second. Scott Rutledge, who seemed to be the only contestant able to make a touch and go on the frisbce, took third. In the duration category Rob Holliston, Cliff Daniels and Scott took first, second and third The winners received beautiful hand-carved wall plaques made by Sue Bartholomew. Nearly all or the pilots seemed happy with the way the meet was run and many personally · their thanks to Sue and Alba Bartholomew, who do 90 percent of the organization and work each year. This year it was great, 11ex1 year it will be even bciter.

Standards l. Bob Holliston Cliff Daniels Scott Rutledge 4. Mike Rabe Reed Gleason 6. Tim Perryman 7. Kerry Doherty 8. John Davis 9. Rick Pclerson 10. Virgil Dahrcns

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JANUARY 1980

The first Hot Air Balloon and Hang Gliding Festival was held in N.Y. on the weekend of

and and about pilots showed up for what had to be the most miserable weather of the year. You really can't do much with a 500-foot ceiling and rain. Of the balloons, two took off with Kenny Mar· ehuk and hoping the rest would follow. one did. Meanwhile, an im· promptu spot landing contest was in pm·· gress. The objective was to nail the three .. foot nothing else counted. Of course, the flyboys of Wills Wing and Rob Kells and John Brant, took the honors with Chris Gonzales of upstate N. Y. picking up the third bull. Maybe the flying was less than ideal but let it be known that the partying antics of the Aerial crew are second to none. Michael Jones once wrote that the motorized convention in Cali· fomia could not stand up to the chicanery of the sport club. J invilc them to any aerial techniques party. Dan Chapman,

by himself, willingly takes on all comers. I must confess though, Chapman used to be a sport parachutist. Nest Bar A short trek to the resulted in more partying. At 4 a.m. Chap·· man, still going strong, capped off the by standing on the bar top counter and suggesting that everyone band together aud caravan down to New York for breakfast. Everyone was to go. van and car with roof racks was to join in. Estimated count was 150 strong! Aerial it was rumored, would pick up the bill. But, it was too much! The balloon·· ists surrendered, the boys of Wills, Seagull, and submitted, and just the local pilots were left standing (in a stupor no less). The next morning arrived with the rain and the meet was called off. And so ended the First Annual Hot Air Balloon and Gliding Festival. Aerial Techniques and Kenny Marchuk, hot air balloon director, decided to try ! Date October 13 .. 14, 1979 a date for the record books. Saturday was a A few pilots, a few balloons, lift. But Sunday! Sunday opened up beautifully with ten hot air balloons lift-

ing off in the early though? When I called flight service in the they said we would have strong winds before 11 a.m. and it would taper down to below ten knots afterwards. Once flight service goofs. Balloons only fly in no wind, generally speaking. By 9 a.m. though, the wind increased dramatically. My partner Bruce Chapel and I drove to the 1,000' top knoll of Ellenville and set up amongst about four or five other pilots. I wind dummied and caught the 9:35 a.m. flight. The air was absolutely riotous! The lift was unusable; the air had more of a horizontal component than a vertical one, and the landing zone was no man's land

TOP: Landing area for the festival. Takeoff in uppor right. CENTER: LI. Young. ABOVE: Chris Gonzales on the bull.

HANG C::}UDING

ing in, either we land right now or we shoot the back!" I immediately screamed, "That's no choice we definitely shoot the back!" One last look yep, that gray front sure is let's go! So in typical black squadron fashion we peeled off over lhe back. Meanwhile, Rich Williams, an instructor down from New Ifampshirc, a 10 Meter, took off and within moments was engulfed in a hailstorm that tossed him around like a rnaple leaf. George, 3,000' is a bit low to cross over the top of this range. In fact, it is the lowest successful lo date. We flew TOP L.EFT: !'lob /(ells sets up on launch. TOP RIG/IT: Peter Wevmout/1, f/oxwinQ cfuration winner, in a Moyes. ABOVE: ,./on Brant and an 11 ·Meter. II/Giff· "Yosomito" Goorqo Whitehill

enter at yom own risk. I did, and lost. One nrf'-t7f'IP1l control bar. "Hey man, when arc you up?" In typical fashion he answered, "I'll be up later." I arrived back at the take-off and lo and behold it was a zoo! There must have been two dozen kites stacked up in the set· up area but nonetheless, no one was flying. After a short while, few hardy souls took off. Tony DiPrenzio in his Oly 160, Bruce and 190, and 11 man Mike Storr flew but decided to head on out and land. It took them half' an hour to get down with the last 100' pure terror! Gofull speed, bar to knees, for a 1«11l11J1J)',, these pilots were up. I heard later that one guy kissed the ground upon uu.,ullll)s, Symbolic huh! I knew it rough but it looked smoother than it did before, so my and entered the air and worked up to 2,500' And who do meet but Young Moyes Maxi on its maiden test flight. We worked up to an even three out in front of the and then flew a bit close to me. I love formation but to in rongh air is WOW! T . .J. yelled, "There's front mov··

JANUAPY 1980

SST and Maxi one above the other, circling in IOO' /min. lift lo gain all altitude. I thought we'd probably go five to six miles but no, the miles rolled on. The air was so much smoother here. Whatever lift we got, we could work. T.J. constantly had about 500' to 800' on me. above. Then the bottom dropped out, sink city! Pinebush was about three to four miles ahead and I had about 2,500', T.J. about 3,(lOO', but we also had a great 20 + mph tailwind us out. W c flew over Pinebush and l had to make my approach; all J had was 1,000' with T ..I. above and behind with about 2,000'. A few 360's over a school parking lot got me nowhere and I was down. Two youngsters ran over to help break down my Wills Wing in what had to be a 20 mph surface wind. After the disassembly, we spotted

T.J. al 4,000' AGL, circling in lift, under a cloudstrect above Walden. And I thought he was behind me! I knew then and there that the Jong-standing distance record was about to be broken. A quick call informed Aerial Techniques to 1his possibility and had Mary Kaknes on her way to us up. Two years ago, George Emmerthal flying a U.P. Dragonfly rose to about 5,500' AGL at Ellenville. had a reputation for always going cross country. That day prov. cd no different. back over the he lost altitude but to cross Stewart. Airport in Newburgh with the required 3,000' minimum. The Hudson River lay ahead but with 3,000 + feet AGL the one-mile posed no problem. A few minutes later George landed in Beacon, N. Y. in the parking lot of a catering rest aurant which was throwing a wedding party. Emmcrthal was awarded a hero's welcome and was invited in for the festivities. A fit .. ting encl for a remarkable night. Up until Sunday, October 14, 1979, this record stood. Many have tried to break it hut failed. Pilots were beginning to think that it was impossible to beat. But I he real thorn in the side was the fact that George Emmcrthal was a Connecticut boy. A local pilot, an Ellenville regular, did not own the record. It hurt! Bing Ellenville pilot, holds the duration record 5:40, Vinny Matassa, Long Islander, has the alti7,200' AGL, but Connectituclc record cut has the coveted record distance flight 27 miles. H's like the British winthe American So here I am on the ground observing T ..L Young at 4,()0()' above Walden. Cloudbase this day was at 4,000' so time and time I would sec T .J. very misty, then disappear. I found out later that T.J. rose to clouclbasc and then pulled the bar to his knees streaking downwind but still climbing. Finally he broke free of lhc cloud suck. Newburgh was crossed along with Stewart Airport with the minimum to avoid the wrath of the F.A.A.

Dennis Pager, eyes the spot.

""""""''d planes passing far below him. The Hudson River now lay ahead but on·· ly 2,500' remained. What to do? Cross the Hudson's one.mile gap of water or call i1 quits. Dreams die hard and T.J. never quits. wanted that record real bad and after for two years it was within -····-··-·······

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The Hudson River was crossed and now dead ahead. All he had to do Beacon

was land to tie the record, but to achieve what was achieved before meant nothing. II had to be beat. Two thousand feet re· mained to carry on this journey, not much, but T.J. managed to zero sink it for awhile and landed about six miles from the Newburgh-Beacon Bridge at the Dutchess County Shopping Center alongside a phone booth. Thirty,six miles to Fishkill, N. Y. a new local record and one hell of a happy pilot. And so closed the second weekend of the Hot Air Balloon and Hang Gliding Festival. Celebration was in order and boy oh boy, the beer sure flowed that night! We toasted T.J. Young over and over again; we were so proud of him. Pilots have gone farther than 36 miles but one must realize the facts to really appre· ciate this story. The Ellenville mountain stands at about 2,000' AGL. It was crossed at 3,()0()' AGL. For the next 26 miles it is flat terrain, then a one-mile river to cross, and again flat lands. This is real cross country flying. Paralleling a ridge is fun, but skipping over the backside of a mountain separates the rnen from the boys. I salute T.J. Young, the most respected pilot in .,.., Ellenville, N.Y.

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Brown of Australia flew a measured in a line, of 8 facts about his how. of the United

is an present official world distance record is miles. was set in California. California has been the site where at least over miles have been flown in the past four years. The Eastern U has had one or miles to Peter Brown's flight. The

much greater in California and in the Southwest the

men's and women's and the five first the next most likely months for strong thermals to basis for

the

in all kinds of vehicles, know that the present out-anclrcturn World Record in !000 miles occurred in Mountains of !he Eastern months. However,

JANU/\fN 1980

Peter Brown and sponsor, Tut Woodruff.

used thermal lift. Now the ' Incentive is vital in the and sophisticated mix! urc of dienls which combine to record The basic incentives behind most arc(!) and (2)a Certificate of Diploma from the F.A.I. tellthe whole world tha1 a flight is an official World Record and (3) money. In case it appears that money was the chief incentive. (That's basically why all of us toil, isn't it?) Tut Woodruff, a very well known enthusiast, to pay Peter $20 per mile, for each mile that he the ' Sequatchie Valley record of 24 miles. As you can quickly calcu lat Peter will get over $1, I 00 for his brilliant Peter didn't carry a and therefore if he had flown his rcrnrd would not qualify as a . World Record. But eleven hundred dollars is st irnulus enough for a person to do his very best. And the "how." Peter 1ook off in a Moyes Maxi at 1:00 p.m. from the difficult southwest launch site in area. The takeoff wasn't normal. .Just as he got airborne, a tlw lifted it up so was in a sudden, unwanted, 30 ° bank to the left. Peter tried to correct. thought he would crash, but he was skillful and His left cleared some outcropping rocks by two feet. Fifteen minutes later another Australian who was also airborne, watched as Peter was chance with little altitude and no immediately available to land. He decided it was OK , but too for him. So, as you he

might guess, it wasn't a piece of cake for Peter. He had to sweat, work, and risk. He new along a in winds of about 18 mph, coming toward the in a perpendicular direction. But the going was tough. There were gaps 10 cross. His ground only 1 l miles per hour. Finally, after 3 hours and 10 minutes, he covered all of the available to a pilot flying a rogallo hang the next gap was impossibly wide. He had flown niiles. At this point, he was high enough to utilize some classic conditions. The air was beautifully unstable. It contained a great deal of vertical action. Also, there was a cloud st.reel overhead, which was oriented in the same direction as the wind. Peter turned downwind, and climbed up to cloud base in a thermal. The cloud base at that time was 5,500 feet above ground. The tcrfrom the point where Peter left the ridge and turned downwind, was flat, comof forests, towns, and a few farm fields. Peter's altitude for the 60 mile "dash" downwind varied from about 3,000 feet above ground, to 5,500 feet, at cloud base. There were periods of up to IO minutes at a time when he could fly ahead with a very slight loss of alt itudc and sometimes no loss at all. These arc the con· ditions we all dream about. Peter 11cw the 60 mile "second of his journey in two hours, 30 miles per hour. About half of this time was spent at 10 p.m. Peter was forced to land. The great lif1 conditions suddenly ended and he could continue no further Peter is He comes from New South 4th in the Australian National 1979 he took 8th (in cross-country pilots) in the Cross Classic. Also in 1979, he l st in the La Chens Cross Country Meet in France. Peter holds the Grandfather Mountain, North Carolina, distance record of 7 miles. He flies a black Maxi Mark Ill which friends have nicknamed "The Black Death."

FLYING IN THE CANADIAN ROCKIES Highlights from 1979 Article and photographs by Graydon Tranquilla

The summer of 1979 represented a dramatic change within the sport of hang gliding in Canada. Popularity soared and records were broken almost weekly, as Canada's best pilots took advantage of some excellent thermal conditions. In Alberta last summer, Howard Vandall thermalled to 10,000 ft. ASL from a 330 ft. hill in Cochrane, to fly a distance of 26 miles over flat prairie to land in a Crossfield schoolyard. Meanwhile in British Columbia the Canadian distance record was broken four times in one month . The final record was set by Andrew Barber-Starkey with a distance of 72 miles from Mt. Swansea in lnvermere, to Golden, B.C. On one weekend alone seven pilots flew distances of 20 miles or more and set distance out and return records in both north and south directions simultaneously, thanks to a large cloud street on the mountain range. None of the pilots had plans to go cross country before launch, however the north/south highway at the foot of the mountains extends for over 100 miles in each direction, providing easy return access without a special need for chase vehicles . Swansea is shared by the locals with minor restrictions and each summer the Swansea meet is held with competitors from

OPPOSITE PAGE, TOP: Meet organizer, Joe Kile, discovers the difficulties of running a competition. Despite the facial expression all went well. LEFT: Larry Groome, 19 79 Canadian national champion, flies his Seagull 11-Meter over Fairmont Lodge, B.C. Canada. ABOVE: Graydon Tranquil/a, author and photographer, pilots his Oly 180 over Canadian Rockes. RIGHT: A hang glider chase scene in an upcoming movie, "The First Hello."

the U.S. In of each year an event only local pilots is held and called "Calcutta." In this event about a dozen pilots arc auctioned off as slaves, for as much as $350. The following they fly from the mountain to a bullseye in the lake in front of a local tavern. The 1,200 specta· tors on hand get to sec some spectacular each goes for the inner tube in the lake. The $2,000 raised is divided between donations, win· and the slave-niasters. In Sicamous, the Canadian national were held from August to September This was an even! from which emerged the Canadian national champion, Larry Croome, and the Canadian team to be sent to the American Cup in Tennessee. All clays except one were and the before the meet provided excellent conditions. Small crowds were on hand as well an occasional news, phot,og1rar,hc:r and radio announcer. TV cov<:rage was no1 available due to the previous event at Grouse Mountain. Next summer the Cana· dian nationals will be held in Saint Pierre on the Gaspe Peninsula in This is an excellent site, is Sicamous. An movie is filmed in part in Invermere, and is called, "The First Hello." I was very fortunate to be on hand to parts of the chase scene. The three were directed from the ground walkie talkie, as were the helicopters. At one Dean Kup. ehanko nearly hit the movie cameras when instructed to fly closer. The formation fly .. was impressive the movie will be loo. We were eventually allowed to off and soar l ,000 ft. above the crews, cameras and and watch they took off and landed many times below us. somewha1 uncomfortable above ch,oppe11·s we headed north to the next cou· pie of mountains to by ourselves in strong ridgelift. We returned when lhe crew had left, to fly with a half dozen other pilots until dusk.

TOP: A bullseye landing by Pete /10/den at the 19 79 Canaclian Natiom1/s at Sicamous. B. C. Canada. ABOVE: Barry Gordon, right ancl Stewart Midwinter break down in tho landing area at Sicamous.

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FORUM Winter Flying in Snow Country by Richard Annis To a fair weather pilot, an attempt to fly in the winter months is the act of an insane person. To an "air-junkie" the cold is only a slight inconvenience. Winter flying, although sometimes disappointing, can be very rewarding with the proper preparation and caution. Cruising above a snowwhitened ridge surrounded by a sparkling landscape can be a most memorable experience! There are three basic ingredients needed for an enjoyable day in the sky: protection from the cold, access to the site, and good weather. By good weather, I mean a day with no threat of storms or sudden snow squalls capable of stranding you and your party in an isolated area. For protection against the cold, an outfit normally used with other winter activities may not provide the necessary warmth for more nomadic pilots. Since pilots spend much of their time in breezy areas, whether setting up or flying at 20 mph, a suit covering most or all exposed flesh is needed. The head is one of the biggest sources of heat loss, and therefore should not be considered lightly when selecting the proper cover. A construction helmet "hard liner" is very efficient. The price for one is less than five dollars. A wrap-around face mask sold at snowmobile shops provides excellent protection for the face and ears. These cost less than ten dollars. Whether using both the hard liner, or just the wrap-around mask, no real problem should be encountered when strapping on your regular helmet. However, care should be taken to retain your hearing ability. For your eyes, wearing tinted goggles or large-frame ski sun glasses will serve two purposes. Besides protecting the eye tissues from the freezing wind, a good quality lens will lessen glare from a snowy field. This glare could be hazardous when making an approach over a sunlit field of snow, where much of your depth perception is lost. JANUARY 1980

Before attempting to fly with a mask, and your choice of eye protection, make absolutely sure that your combination will not allow the lens to become fogged up. The moisture will instantly freeze, which will instantly prevent you from seeing anything a most undesirable situation, to say the least. To protect the body, a layer of good quality thermal underwear is a necessity. Considering the possibility of working up a sweat while hiking in your glider, or shoveling snow, a layer of wool should be applied next. Wool has the amazing ability to retain heat even when wet. Of course, working up a sweat should be avoided. By using layers, you can avoid that easily. Between the wool layer and the outer layer, a wind-breaker will prove very effective in containing the inner heat. For the final layer on your body, a snowmobile suit or a pair of skier's warm-ups will prove very effective. They are both excellent protection from the windchill and allow maximum movement. For the feet, which seem to get cold first and stay cold the longest, a good pair of snowmobile boots are both warm, snowproof, and waterproof. A thin pair of rubber boots over work boots are just as effective, but do not have a good seal on your leg to keep the snow out. "Moon boots," an a pres-ski item, seem ideal for keeping warm feet warm, but not all brands are waterproof. A small scarf should be worn to keep your neck warm. As for the hands, the only truly effective solution is to spend the extra money on the better quality ski gloves. If you feel adept enough to wear mittens you can save some money with their purchase. They will keep you warmer, but digital dexterity is greatly hampered. The ideal alternative is a pair of mountaineering glove liners such as the type Damart sells. They sell for approximately ten dollars and are well worth the price. Silky and tight fitting,

they fit under anything and are useful for wingbolt assemblies, or other times when heavier gloves are removed. The single most important factor in keeping warm is to keep DRY! The second most important factor is to keep your head covered. If your feet are dry but cold, cover your head. Now you have presumably outfitted yourself for the worst temperatures. The next step is to get to the site. Any site that is

Physiological Signs of A Decreased Core Temperature (Hypothermia) 98. 6 ° - 96 ° Shivering begins 96 ° - 91 °

Violent shivering, difficulty in speech

90 ° - 86 °

Shivering decreases, muscles become stiff, erratic or jerky movements, thinking not clear but maintains posture

85 ° - 81 °

Victim irrational, loses contact with environment

80° - 78 °

Unconsciousness

Below 78 ° Death

accessible by four-wheel drive only, in the warmer months, will probably be totally inaccessible in the snow time. A hike through even a quarter mile of snowcovered ground, while shouldering a sixtypound glider (and equipment), is enough to drain most people of the energy needed for an active day of flying. Therefore a good site for winter flying must be easily accessible by a vehicle. This also applies to the landing site. A launch slope covered by more than six inches of snow must be at least partially 41

cleared before attempting to launch. Remember that your running speed will be slowed by the added layers of clothing. A snow shovel should be carried for clearing the launch area. While setting up, place battens or other light objects on the ground carefully since they might otherwise disappear into the snow, or go sliding downhill. Veteran winter pilots always carry plenty of spare wingnuts and other small parts. Before launching, the landing should be inspected for deep snow. Although deep snow is no reason not to land in a particular area, a long hike through it will drain considerable amounts of energy. Valleys will accumulate more snow than ridge or mountain tops due to drifting and lee rotors from higher winds. With warm clothing and access to the sites, the only remaining ingredient is good weather. This may prove more difficut. Good soaring days are not too common. Since cold air is more dense, a lesser velocity will be needed for a safe flight. With higher velocities, penetration problems will increase. There was a time when a five mph breeze coming up a cliff face almost sup-

ported an extended arm. In this particular instance the temperature was below zero, but altitude gains of 1,500 feet were recorded! Thermal soaring is possible, but the thermals are often very weak. Ridge lift is most often used for extended flights because the lift is generally smoother, possibly due to the lack of foliage. A few words on the dangers of frostbite and hypothermia. Frostbite occurs when the skin tissues freeze due to either exposure or lack of proper warm covering. Frostbite also occurs as your body reacts to the cold. If your torso gets cold, your body centralizes the heat by slowing down circulation to the extremities. Frostbite may be hard to detect since the exposed parts have already gone numb. While flying, this condition may occur, and be initially ignored, during periods of intense concentration. To avoid frostbite, keep your head, hands, and feet well protected. Hypothermia is a condition in which the body cannot maintain its normal temperature due to an intense exposure to extreme cold. It can be fatal. (See chart.) The lowering of your body

to hang around on the ground, I'd Bird's Eye View excuse fly first.

Formulas for Flying by Lauran Emerson To fly or not to fly: the decision must be made every time we stand on top of a mountain. The years have changed my criteria for making that decision. I'm getting more conservative. Much of my daring of the past was due to my old Flexi II. That glider was so easy to set up that I was always ready to go before anyone else. With no wind dummy to make me nervous about the conditions, and no

There was another advantage in those early days; as one of the less-experienced flyers in almost any group, I could use someone else's judgement about whether conditions were flyable or not. My companions were good and aggressive pilots, so I flew more often, and in stranger conditions, than I might have otherwise. But, inevitably, there came a day when I had to make the flying decision all by myself. That day came three years ago, at a new flying site called Mt. Morell. It took most of the day to get organized and find the way to a launch site. The top of the mountain was snowed in, so we couldn't check for true wind direction at the summit. We found a launch area by the road, with the wind coming up. I had flown at quite a few different sites, but Morell was new and scary. The breeze fluctuated and there were indications that the predominant wind was across, not up, our section of the mountain. We were at the head of a small valley, with no landing areas in sight. On the way up, we had passed meadows and clearcut areas for landing at the base of the mountain. The other flyers didn't seem to have any misgivings about the conditions. Bruce Bardo set up quickly and launched. He sank quite a bit on his way out the valley, but made it around the corner and disappeared. Another pilot followed. Then Hugh went

temperature leads to a decrease in coordination of motor skills and mental judgement. The body will try to keep its core temperature as warm as possible as an automatic survival mechanism. If you find yourself shivering while becoming increasingly cold, get warm quick! A particular trait of hypothermia is stiffness and intense concentration needed for simple tasks. This condition is ideal for a serious accident. Cross country flying should not be attempted if there is any chance of a forced landing in an isolated area. A tree landing is probably the most undesirable situation since the windchill is much greater up in a tree than it is lower to the ground. Also, the rescue party will arrive much later than in the summer months. You don't have to wait for the spring when a picturesque winter landscape can be experienced from the sky. With these three ingredients: protection from the cold, access to the site, and good flyable weather, the winter season can be most enjoyable. And for all you ex-skiers, the term "liftline" may take on a whole new meaning! ~ Sky-out!

and found better lift, and worse sink, than the first two. There was no telling if he'd made it to a clearcut area to land. There were two flyers left at the top; an inexperienced pilot who'd come for his first high-altitude launch, and I. I had been ready to go, but those other flights weren't encouraging. Hugh was flying his new ASG-21. My Flexi, rigged for seated flight, would never make it out if I hit the type of sink he'd encountered. The other pilot was uneasy, and waited for me to make a decision. The pros and cons sifted through my mind. Finally I decided. The risk was too great for such a slim chance of a good flight. I started packing up. My fellow non-flyer packed up, too. That was the first time I'd decided, completely on my own, not to fly. It was a hard decision. My whole day had been geared toward that flight, and it was no fun taking the Flexi down the mountain the same way it had come up. It is seldom easy, and never fun, to decide not to fly. But it is sometimes smart. Most flyers develop their own methods for making the flying decision. For those pilots with a good head for numbers, the essence of the decision can be reduced to a simple formula, eliminating the need for subjective data. All the pilot has to do is plug the available information into the formula, and he'll know whether to go for it, or pack it up. The formula is this: HANG GLIDING

X = ((V + ID- HI ) 2 +v AL/PAc) (2HR/ AR) e

As a word equation, the elusive "X" is equal to the square of the wind velocity (V) plus the directional degrees off an exact headwind (absolute value of D-H), plus the square root of your altitude (AL) divided by the pressure altitude at cloudbase (PAc). This sum is multiplied times twice your hang rating (HR) divided by your aspect ratio (AR). When you have arrived at this product, divide the whole business by how many eggs you had for breakfast (e). If X is less than 10, you should go for it. If X is greater than 250, you should pack it up. If Xis between 10 and 250, you'll have to decide for yourself. For those flyers who didn't make it through algebra, there is another fail-safe method for making the decision to fly or not to fly. The method consists of forming an imaginary chart in your brain. Each characteristic of the day is considered and assigned a value showing its importance as a factor for or against flying. Each pilot must choose the specific criteria for his own chart. In the final analysis, the decision is an individual one. But I do have some examples to head you in the right direction. The following serve as illustrations of why you should not fly; The wind dummy tucks, deploys his parachute, and disappears up into a black cloud; The wind dummy gets blown over the backside; Your van gets blown over the backside;

You forgot your helmet; You forgot your harness. The values assigned to these factors must be strong enough to outweigh any favorable characteristics of the day in question. For instance, even if two flyers have just launched and gained a smooth 2,000 feet, you should not fly if you forgot your harness. On the positive side, some reasons for flying may be as follows; This is the last chance you'll have for the next three months; It's been all day since you've eaten, and there's a barbecue going on in the landing area; The brakes gave out on the lift truck on the way up. These are all reasons to fly. None of these particular reasons applied to Jack Olson when he came out to fly a few days ago. He and Bob Hawkins stopped by the house, and I went with them to our bowl. The wind was strong, and a snowstorm was gradually obscuring the hills upwind of the bowl. Jack set up. The wind got stronger. The blizzard hit. Jack hauled his glider out to a launch point. He waited till the storm had reached its height, then strapped on his swingseat and went for it. Now that Jack is in his 60's, maybe the wind gods grant him a few more favors than they do the rest of us. He had his own criteria that day, and they must have been valid. He had a nice smooth flight. Jack did fine, but I still can't figure how he worked that formula out to let him fly. Maybe he doesn't have eggs for breakfast. ..

INDHAVEN HAS IT ALL IN CATALOG 1979

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JANUARY 1980

CLASSIFIED ADVERTISINCi

SUNDANCE - One demo, one new. Has soared in 8-knot breeze. Your last chance for a classic in mint condition. (915) 646-4411. VJ-23 SWINGWING with Mac 101 power set-up and covered trailer. $2,400. (203) 568-0764, call before 1:30, days.

Schools and Dealers ARIZONA 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.

THE BEST IN ULTRALIGHT SOARING EQUIPMENT AND INSTRUCTION. U.S. Hang Gliders, Inc., 10250 N. 19th Ave., Phoenix, Az. 85021. (602) 944-1655. CALIFORNIA CHANDELLE SAN FRANCISCO - Since 1973 the largest center for skysailing in Calif. Complete USHGA certified lesson program, beginning to advanced. Large parts and accessories inventory. New and used gliders in stock, Lancer, Moyes, Wills, UP, Fledge, Sunbird, Electra, Bennett, Seagull. Overlooking Fort Funston. 198 Los Banos Ave., Daly City, CA 94014. (415) 756-0650.

GRYPHON OS 160 - Latest model, nice handling, good sink rate and very fast. Excellent condition. $900. (702) 749-5298, Lake Tahoe.

FRESNO HANG GLIDER SHOP Fresno, CA 9370I (209) 264-8002.

START YOUR OWN BUSINESS or just for fun. Almost new, Soarmaster power pack, 10 hp. Excellent condition, $700. (916) 243-9493. 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.

Rigid Wings EASY RISER power package completely assembled. Easy Riser glider 7/8 completed. Both checked out by a certified aircraft mechanic/Hang IV. Also glider box. All for $1200. Roman Yanda (213) 787-1050, Los Angeles.

WINDHAVEN 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. CANADA HANG GLIDING SCHOOL OF 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 AURORA COMPANY - Distributor for Seagull Aircraft, UP Inc., Manta, UFM, Soarmaster Engines, ~•,,

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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.

PHOENIX 12 205 - Excellent condition. Beautiful colors, split panels, $800. Call (704) 568-0884 after 5 p.m.

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.

CHANNEL ISLANDS HANG GLIDING EMPORIUM - In business since 1974 representing all brands of gliders, instruments, and accessories. Complete lesson program available. Full line of gliders, varios, harnesses, helmets, chutes, spare parts, etc. in stock. Call or stop by - 613 N. Milpas, Santa Barbara, CA 93103 (805) 965-3733.

ELECTRA FL YER 16' - Standard. Excellent condition, with bag. $140. (213) 832-2680.

GRYPHON 180 - Very high performance, bowsprit glider. Excellent condition, custom sail, Bennett 26' parachute. (804) 285-9724 eve's.

'78' model gliders today! Beginner to advanced instruction with USHGA Certified Instructors. MOTORGLIDING - Sales, demos and power instruction available. 5219 Sepulveda Blvd., Van Nuys, CA 9141 (213) 789-0836.

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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, 101 l Lincoln Ave., San Rafael, CA 94901. (415) 453-7664. Hours 10:00 - 5:30. MISSION SOARING CENTER Dealer of Seagull, Eipper, Manta, Sun bird 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, CA 94538. 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 .

CALL OR WRITE TODAY! Scott Lambert, Scott's Marine, Inc. 908 Lexington Ave., Charlotte, NC 28203 (704) 376-7348

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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.

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1979 SSE, Ini:. Altimao:,ter is a trademark. Photo by Carl Bocnish.

I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I

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.O. Box 91176 West Vancouver, Canada V7V 3N6.

Seagull, Moyes, Bennett, UFM with other brands available. Parts, accessories, repairs, ratings. 826 Mich. Ave., P.O. Box 188, Benzonia, Mich. 49616 (616) 882-5070.

MINNESOTA

COLORADO

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

LEADING EDGE AIR FOILS, INC. - Write for our complete line of gliders, power packs, ultralight equipment and lessons, (powered, towed and free-flight). Enjoy our unbeatable prices and fast service. A MOST COMPLETE SHOP. 331 South 14th St., Colorado Springs, Colorado 80904. GOLDEN SKY SAILS. Distributing Seagull, Electra Flyer, Wills Wing, Odyssey and Golden prone harness. Dealing Lancer, Eipper, J&L, Delta Wing, Manta, UFM, Highster and Sunbird. Expert repair and custom work. Largest inventory of parts and accessories in the west. Power packs available. 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. CONNECTICUT THE HANG GLIDER CENTER. "Sooner or later you'll be our customer." Rt. 66, Exit 28, 1-84. (203) 628-8853. FLORIDA Unique powered rigid wing flight school. Get checked out in an Easy Riser. Quicksilver and P-Fledgling. Open seven days a week. Power Systems, Inc., 39-B Coolidge Ave., Ormond Beach, FL 32074. (904) 672-6363. 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. 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. KANSAS MONARCH FL YING MACHINES - The Kansas City area source for all major brand gliders, power packs, parts, accessories, repairs. USHGA Certified Instructors. 7624 Marty, Overland Park, KS 66204. (913) 649-1837.

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.

MONTANA

INTERESTED IN FL YING? Write: BEARTOOTH HANG GLIDERS, P.O. Box 21116, Billings, MT 59104.

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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 % mile from Warren Dunes. We are the oldest school and offer the most professional training in the mid-west. The owners placed 1st 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

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.

GLIDER TRADE-IN SPECIAL

1208-H E. Walnut Santa Ana, CA 92701 (714) 547-1344

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

MASSACHUSETTS 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. MICHIGAN ECO-FLIGHT HANG GLIDERS - Visit our shop in the Frankfort area, hang gliding capital of Michigan. Learn in the safety of the dunes or soar the many coastal bluffs. USHGA certified instruction. Wills Wing,

PILOTS! LEARN TO FLY SAFER, HIGHER, FURTHER L}-Tr,-lJf1!1 Jl/11,tr11lt'd /1,J111m11li1111 G1utro11tnd

To l/1/j!llii'r }',JIil F/_\111.J!.

l\"1111, II /h .·/ l'S/1(;_1 /1,,/1111/ul

* NEW • HANG GLIDING FDR ADVANCED PILOTS - DETAILS ON: COMPET!. TION ·MOTORIZING· EFFICIENT TURNING ·POLARS· SPEEDS TO FLY· THERMAL TECHNIQUES • DISTANCE SOARING· PERFORMANCE TUNING • DESIGN CONCEPTS • INSTRUMEllTS • ADVANCED EOUIPMENT • SPOT LANDING 36.95 - 45c POSTAGE HANG GLIDING AND FLYING SKILLS -A COMPLETE TRAINING MAN· UAL - DETAILS ON: BEGINNING FLIGHT • INTERMEDIATE SKILLS· AO· VANCED MANEUVERS • SIMPLE ANO ADVANCED AERODYNAMICS • GLIDER DESIGN • GLIDER REPAIR· SELECTING EQUIPMENT' THERMALLING • HANG GLIDlflG HISTORY· CROSS-COUNTRY· TANDEM FLYING· TOl'llflG A/ID MUCH MORE SS 95 - 45< POSTAGE HANG GLIDING AND FLYING CONDITIONS - THE ROAD MAP TO THE SKY - DETAILS ON GENERAL WEATHER • TURBULENCE • ROTORS • vmm SHADD\'/ • SEABREEZES • WINO GRADIENT • SOARING CONDI· TIONS ·THERMALS· WAVES· l'IINDS ALOFT· LOCAL WINOS· CLOUD TYPES • SITE READING ANO MUCH MORE. $5.95 - 50< POSTAGE $10.95 - 55c POSTAGE FOR ANY TWO S14.95 - 75£ POSTAGE FOR ALL THREE

DENNIS PAGEN, 1184 ONEIDA ST .. STATE COLLEGE. PA 16801 DEALER INQUIRIES INVITED

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 42,i: 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 FDR FREE DESCRIPTIVE BROCHURE

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

When New Zealand's top designer-sailmaker develops a third-generation glider with supership PERFORMANCE. easy HANDLING. and proven STRENGTH and SAFETY, rhat'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 sales/. 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 tor a new Front Page ... with the name LANCER IV at the top. Check it out:

LANCER IVS

Span Nose Angle Aspect Ratio Root Chord Weight

LANCER IV L

32' 6"

34'

120° 6.9:1 9' O"

120° 6.9:1 9' 10"

46 lbs.

50 lbs.

$1195 large

FLIGHT DESIGNS ·I

,.r

P.O. BOX lS0:1 SALINAS, CA inno2

758<;8(~;

1 Your complete Supplier for: Harnesses, Instruments, Emergency Parachute Systems,and Flight Accessories.

Jim LCM1'er1ce 15516 Bovvdoin St.

Pacific Palisades, CA 90272 213-454-5126

NEVADA FREE AIR SPORTS - Parts, gliders. All major brands (new and used). Certified instructor Ron Rhoades. 40 S. Wells, Reno, Nev. 89512. (702) 786-7329. NEW MEXICO SKY-HIGH, INC. The glider company; certified instruction, beginning - advanced. Rigid wing parts, repairs and all accessories. Dealers for Bennett, Seagull, UP, JL, UFM. 2340 Britt NE, Albuquerque, N.M. 87112 (505) 293-6001. NEW YORK 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.

Products, Sky Sports, Seagull Aircraft. Now accepting dealership inquiries. Call or write: LONE STAR HANG GLIDERS, 2200 "C" South Smithbarry Rd., Arlington, Tx 76013. Metro. (817) 469-9159. LONE STAR HANG GLIDERS. Electra Flyer, Sky Sports, Seagull, Manta and UFM sales, repair, instruction. 2200 C South Smithbarry, Arlington, Tx. 76013 (811) 469-9159. UTAH THE KITE SHOP AT NATURE'S WAY. Our ECO FLIGHT SCHOOL is Utah's oldest and most experi-

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. 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.

enced, 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.

IN THE

NORTH CAROLINA

SKY A.AC requires no plot or vehicle le.

KITTY HAWK KITES, Inc. P.O. Box 386, Nags Head, N .C. 27959. (919) 441-6247. Learn to fly safely over soft sand dunes through gentle Atlantic breezes. Beginner/ Novice packages and ratings available daily. Complete inventory of new gliders, accessories and parts in stock.

& SAFETY • Highesl LID al any Hang Glider

TENNESSEE AIR-POWER INC. - Dealer for all motorized ultralite gliders. Manta and Bennett products also available. Certified instruction. 3832 Guernsey, Memphis, Tenn. 38122. (902) 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

PIiot must oos,r;e FAA Rule 91-B

FL YING FREEDOM

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 with spread shackles additional $ 10 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

• Strong built of fiber Composite

• FaSlell powered Ultralight • Stable easy to lly and land • Safest convenlional 3 axis control • SAFE slow landing, Foot or Wheel • SIMPLE folds for Transponation • Comfortable enclosed cockpit

EASY TO OWN • Available in 2 Kits - Economy Or Fast Flight -

FLY

CLASS

Why Wait? for 20 Page Book. Color Photo & Newsletter. Send $5 U.S $7 Foreign

Striplin Aircraft Corporation P.O. Box 2001. Lancaster. CA 93534

HANG DIVING MAGAZINE BRINGS MAJOR CHANGES TO THE INDUSTRY Ding Ding Smith of Miami shows his pals at the Canadian Goose how reading Hang Diving changed his life. "I'm a lot more careful now," says Ding Ding. "I always wear my protection." You can be protected, too! Order Hang Diving today. Give us a note with your cup size and we'll send you a copy of Hang Diving anyway.

$2.50 PPD. - GRAY PRESS, P.O. BOX 32, RANCHO SANTA FE, CA 92067 48

HANG GLIDING

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

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

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

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

Prone

WOULD YOU PAY 25¢ FOR A MAGAZINE YOU DON'T RECEIVE? HELP US ELIMINATE COSTLY POST OFFICE RETURNS Your USHGA now pays a quarter for every member who moves and doesn't report his or her address to the USHGA in time to make the change on the mailing list for the next issue of HANG GLIDING magazine. The Post Office returns undeliverable magazines to us and charges us 25¢. In the final analysis we are all paying for magazines that never get read. Please remember to let the USHGA know immediately when you move. Thank you for your cooperation.

Available, compact ducted fan A.T.S. SYSTEMS engine for glider, hang gliders, EAA etc. 75 # thrust, 25# weight, 1021 ANDOVER PARK EASl TUKWILA, WASH. 98188 shrouded. Send $5.00 for info packet. Design engr. service available.

"The Only Comp/e.te Book On Hang Gliders. Transcends and Obsoletes Everything in Print!" Get the total story on:

'You're a serious hanq q/ider pHot ! That's exactly why ou ne~d to read THE HANG

• Flying Techniques • Flyer Physiology • Top Models Analyzed • Flight Perlormance • Flying Oualilies • Aerodynamics • Design Parameters • Human Factors • The Polar Curve • Dive Recovery • Winds and Weather • Structural Integrity

GLIDER'S BIBLE.''

TO RECEm YOUR OWN PERSONAL COPY, FILL•IN, THEN CUPOUH.NDMAIL THIS COUPON NOW. D01t'TDEUY. 00

1i J1JiJJ:i:1~1Jl~!!~f:. ('~.!1 l\~Jt1Th¥Efi~lr·' fl": ea:::~'.,!'~'.'.;;''.';;;::;:·;;';~;~~;,','~""'""" • Buying Yourself a Hang Glider • Plus, Seven Large Appendicies

~ I po'°'"''",,,.,,.,,,, PA""'

I took a trial flight with your vario at Ellenville NY, After gaining 3200 feet and floating around for two hours, I landed by the hang gliding shop, walked in and bought the Hummingbird, Denis Fagen State College, PA On my first flight with the Hummingbird, I saw i t on both 1000' /min up and down and flew 25 miles. Also when I landed, it took a fairly hard lick without damage, Soaring is so much easier now. I hope I never have to fly without it, Randy Newberry Bland, VA Have made several flights in mixed ridge and thermal air; worked flawlessly. The vario gives me greater confidence in hunting for lift. I like to get HIGH. The vario was worth starving for 2 weeks! Jim Cooper Toronto, Canada

THE HUMMINGBIRD VARIOMETER

See i t

at your

Write for

dealer.

brochure

Its a good vario at the right price.

Arne Lidmark

Stockholm, Sweden

Yours is the first vario I have ever tried - First day out I had some of the best ridge soaring ever and even cored a nice thermal. Like many others I didn't realize what a great help an instrument like this is in this fantastic sport. Thanks. W Richland, WA Gene Hess I just love it!! Werner Johannessen

Giettum, Norway

The first time I used it, i t helped me extend what would have been a 15 to 20 minute flight to a 40 minute flight. I'm very pleased with i t already. It helps considerably CTore than I expected. Rick Wallick Renton, WA

GLitel~ 1101 Lovell Ave Campbell, CA USA 95008

It helped me go about 10 miles last week (my first X-C flight). Dan Sutliff Salt Lake City, UT As also a sailglider variometer ·works!

pilot, I'm v.ery Joe Buttgenbach

surprised how West Gernany

sensitive

your

Foreign Schools & Dealers JAPAN 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 ... I day lesson Beginner to advanced instruction by JAA, JHA certified instructors. We offer a complete line of hang gliders, rentals, sales and accessories. JAPAN HANG GLIDERS ASSOCIATION 1-16-9, Uchikanda Chiyodaku Tokyo 101 Japan. (03) 292-0756.

Business Opportunities DEALERS OR FUTURE DEALERS; Windhavcn International has the complete line of hang gliding equipment to fit your business needs. Write for our complete catalog and confidential discount sheet to: 12437 San Fernando Rd., Sylmar, CA. 91342 (213) 367-1819. 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. ROCKY MOUNTAIN EMPLOYMENT NEWSLETTER!! Colorado, Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming!! Current openings - all occupations!! Write for free details to lntermountain-3M, 3506 Birch, Cheyenne, WY 82001.

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, POK Airport, Chamblee, GA 30341. WINDHAVEN. 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. QUICKSILVERS, Easy Risers and P-Fledges - with or without landing gear or engines. Sales and instruction seven days a week. Send $4 ($5 foreign) for our new color brochure. Power Systems, Inc., 39-B Coolidge Ave., Ormond Beach, FL 32074 (904) 672-6363.

Miscellaneous WIND HAVEN WINTER SALE - Fledge l $700: Nova 190 $995: Nova 230 $995: Nova 210 $1195: 10 Meter $1355: 10 Meter $995: Seahawk 200 $1200: Floater 185 $850: Phx 8 Sr. $500: Phx 6c $600: Easy Riser w/box $900. Will ship anywhere. Call or write Windhaven Int., 12437 San Fernando Rd., Sylmar, CA 91342 (213) 367-1819. TORREY PINES 1979. Text by Don Betts. Photos by Bettina Gray. Pictorial review of hang gliding at Torrey Pines. 40 pages of photos, maps, flying regulations, and

ODYSSEY has 24' and 26' emergency parachutes 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.

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.

Ultralight Powered Flight

TYPE: Phoenix 12. WHERE AND WHEN: Point Fermin, CA, Oct. 28, 1979. SAIL PATTERN: Blue center, leading edge and tips. Center out: white, yellow, orange, red. Two star patches on right wing. CONTACT: Johnny Gauthier, 21 E. Plymouth, Long Beach, CA 90806. (213) 422-3207. TYPE: Electra Floater 205 #001699. SAIL PATTERN: Brown leading edge and keel pocket. Panels 1 & 2 white, 3 split brown, orange, gold, 4 & 5 white, tip yellow, gold, brown. EQUIPMENT: Hummingbird vario #B1006, blue Price harness with Bennett parachute in white container, Sears walkie talkie and white helmet. WHERE AND WHEN: Fishers Peak landing field, Low Gap, N.C., Oct. 8, 1979. $300 reward. CONTACT: Randy Newberry, P.O. Box 65, Bland, VA 24315. (703) 688-3703 collect. 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. CONTACT: Jim Zeiset (303) 539-3335. $100 reward.

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.

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.

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) 489-8300.

TYPE: CGS 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.

METAL LICENSE PLATE FRAMES "I'D RATHER BE HANG GLIDING". White lettering on a blue background. $4.00 including postage and handling. Californians add 6% tax. USHGA, Box 66306, Los Angeles, Ca. 90066. 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 I Vi 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: 1977 Sea hawk 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.

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.

Publications & Organizations

PATCHES & DECALS- USHGA sew-on emblems 3" dia. Full color - $I. Decals, 3 V, '' dia. Inside or outside application. 25¢ each. Include 13¢ for postage and handling with each order. Box 66306, Los Angeles, CA 90066.

TYPE: Cumulus 10. WHEN: May 12, 1979. SAIL PATTERN: Center out, white, yellow, brown. Blue bag. CONTACT: Mike Adams (805) 967-2448.

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.

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 (refunded on order) to ODYSSEY INC., P.O. Box 60, Wilton, N.H. 03086.

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

TYPE: Cirrus 5A #1425. WHERE AND WHEN: Saturday, June 2, 1979. SAIL PATTERN: Center out: brown, white, yellow, gold, orange, white. Brown leading edge. Orange and yellow are reversed on opposite sides. Reward. CONTACT: Rod Lamborn, 4016 Ralph St., Salt Lake City, Utah 84117. Phone: (801) 278-5959.

Emergency Parachutes

Parts & Accessories

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.O. Box 66306-HG, Los Angeles, Calif. 90066.

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: Dragonfly MKI. 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: COS Falcon V. SAIL PATTERN: Black leading edges and keel. Keel out: orange, yellow (three panels), tips: orange, yellow, orange. DISTINGUISHING 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. 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 5 !A, Oliver Springs, Tenn. 37840. Reward. TYPE: Phoenix 6B serial #182. SAIL PATTERN: From tips in; black, gold, orange, lime, dark blue. Black patch on one wingtip. CONT ACT: Scott Hunter, 220F West Tujunga Ave., Burbank, CA 91502. As a service to the hang gliding community, HANG GLIDING Magazine publishes 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. New listings appear at the top of the column.

HANG GLIDING

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

Blgbster Aircraft, Inc. 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 Giles, the tips have been improved in 1979, increasing sail area allowing the Highster to achieve its maximum performance in lift conditions, whether ridge or thermal. All models of the Highster now have much better slow speed capabilities and take-off characteristics. Highster still has the highest speed range of any glider tested. 150 170 190 -

$1,395 $1,425 $1,455

Bottom View of Sail

In actual flight comparisons and during competition the intermediate Highster, in overall conditions, out performed the top gliders in the world.

JEFF i\(OTT,

Instructor at Hang Gliders West, San Rafael, CA - "In all my experience I've never run into a glider quire like the HIGHSTER. Nor only do I recommend it to my students as their firsr glider because of its predicrabiliry, bur all of us at Hang Gliders \Xlcsr, with a total of 17 years in the business, personallr own che exact same HIGHSTER rhat we sell ro our beginners. Ir's fantastic'"

Approved by

l l ~ d ~ /,<L,, Street Address City and State Sizes Available

1SOB _ Bfh ST. BERKELEY, CA. 94710

150 - 170 - 190 Scale

Date

For the Dealer in you area Phone (415) 527-1324

1 - 1 - 79

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