FUNNY, IT DOESN'T LOOK LIKE AN AIRPLANE. That's because it's not an airplane. And for that matter, it's not a hang glider either - not even a hang glider with an engine "stuck on." The EAGLE is an aerolight whose original concept was developed around existing power systems. Its design incorporates the latest in ultralight technologies to produce the following: SAFETY - the unique canard wing makes the EAGLE stall resistant. ENJOYMENT - get more air time; ridge soar those inaccessible mountains; thermal soar the flatlands; take weekend jaunts with your friends. CONVENIENCE - no tools, no trailers, no runways and no mountains required; world's first aircraft that can be carried on the airlines as excess baggage; total weight 110 lbs. ECONOMY - operating cost $1.50/hr.; low maintenance/minimum care. PERFORMANCE - requires only 150' for takeoffs and landings; equals or exceeds all others in climb rate and maneuverability; tops in thermaling capabilities. See your EAGLE dealer for a demonstration. Write for the address of the EAGLE dealer nearest you.
Manufactured By
ELECTRA FLYER, INC. 700 Comanche, NE Albuquerque, NM 87107
HINTING IEAIIN~l ll'EN are gau
USHGA has declared open season on non-members and ex-members who have not renewed in the past 6 months. WHAT'S IN IT FOR YOU?
For bringing in three new members or bringing back three ex-members or any combination of such, you get a limited edition USHGA T-Shirt with our special Red Tail Hawk on the front. This shirt is not for sale and is sure to become a collectors item. The only way you can get this shirt is to help our membership drive.* About the shirt: The Red Tail Hawk on the front of our shirt is from a limited edition series by Jerry Bishop a national known wildlife artist. He has allowed us to reproduce this beautiful pen and ink drawing on a limited number of USHGA T-Shirts. ACT NOW SEASON CLOSES NOVEMBER 30, 1980 OR WHEN SHIRTS RUN OUT.
*SEND $20.00 FOR EACH MEMBERSHIP Name _ _~ - - - -
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*Memberships may be turned in one at a time. Send check or money order to USHGA, Box 66306, Los Angeles, CA 90066
new and exciting world awaits the largest cross section of pilots in the history of hang gliding. Regardless of your piloting skills -beginner, intermediate, even professional competitor-Delta Wing's Phoenix 60 has something for your own individual seasoning.
A
From its fully adjustable roll response to its wide range of speeds, the 60 will surprise you with its versatility and undemanding flight characteristics as you climb to heights you never before thought possible in such an undemanding glider. World record holder Gary Patmor was shocked to find himself with a 6000-foot altitude gain in his Phoenix 60. Watch for both him and world record breaker Jerry Katz to be flying their 6Ds in professional competition. Unequaled as the one-step machine that beginners to experts are enjoying, the Phoenix 6D's colorful performance is brilliantly reflected by the beautiful colors in which it's available. Fine sailcloth is crafted into aerodynamically perfect wings which house Delta Wing's most important engineering and design accomplishment: an uncomplicated, rugged airframe built with aircraft-quality alloys (6061-T6) that sets up in minutes, thanks to Delta Wing's quick breakdown feature (no wires or bolts to remove, no deflexors). Phoenix 60 is sure to give you the speed and convenience you demand, as well as the safety and durability that you require.
Post Office Box 483 • Van Nuys, California 91408 • (213) 785-2474 • Telex No. 65-1425
EDITOR: Gil Dodgen ASSIST ANT EDITOR LAYOUT & DESIGN: Janie Dodgen STAFF PHOTOGRAPHERS: Leroy Grannis, Bettina Gray, Stephen Mccarroll ILLUSTRATIONS: Cathy Coleman CONTRIBUTING EASTERN EDITOR: Paul Burns OFFICE STAFF: MANAGER: Carol Velderrain Kathy Coleman (Advertising) Kit Skradski (Renewals) Amy Gray (Ratings) Janet Meyer (New Memberships) USHGA OFFICERS: PRESIDENT: Dovid Broyles VICE PRESIDENT: Dennis Pagen SECRET ARY: 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 Licher. The United States Hong Gliding Association, Inc,, is a division of the National Aeronautic Association (NAA) which is the official U.S. representative of the Federation Aeronautique Internationale (FAI), the world governing body for sport aviation. The NAA, which represents the U.S. at FAI meetings, has delegated to the USHGA supervision of FAlrelated hang gliding activities such as record attempts and competition sanctions. HANG GLIDING magazine is published for hang gliding sport enthusiasts to create further interest in the sport, by a means of open cummunication and to advance hang gliding methods and safety. Contributions ore welcome. Anyone is Invited to contribute articles, photos, and illustrations concerning hcng 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 hong gliding publications. HANG GLIDING magazine reserves the right to edit contributions where necessrny. The Association and publication do not assume responsibility for the material or opinions of contributors. HANG GLIDING magazine is published monthly by the United States Hang Gliding Association, Inc. whose moiling address is P.O. Box 66306, Los Angeles, Calif. 90066 and whose offices are localed at 11423 Washington Blvd, Los Angeles, Calif. 90066; telephone (213) 390-3065, Secondclass postage is paid o1 Los Angeles, Calif. HANG GLIDING magazine is printed by Sinclair Printing & Lilho, Alhambra, Calif. The typesetting is provided by 1st Impression Typesetting Service, Bueno 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 of flight. Dues for full membership are $20 per year ($21 for foreign addresses): subscription rates are $15 for one year. $26 for two years, $36 for 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 moiling label from a recent issue.
ISSUE NO 87
APRIL 1980
Hang Oliding CONTENTS FEATURES
16
DEALING WITH DUST DEVILS
20
YAKKING ABOUT NEPAL
22
1979 FATALITIES: AN UPDATE
by Tom Kreyche Article and illustrations by Barbara Graham
by RV Wills
28
AN AERIAL BALLET
35
THE ART AND LORE OF THERMAL SOARING - PART Ill
40 45 48
FLYING THE SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA COAST CONSIDERATIONS IN THE USE OF COMPOSITES THE WIND GRADIENT
by Veronique Marot
©Copyright by Dennis Pagen
Article and photographs by Michael Pringle
by Dick Heckman by John Lake
DEPARTMENTS 4 ULTRALIGHT CONVERSATION 4 INDEX TO ADVERTISERS 8 CALENDAR 9 CARTOON by Harry Martin 12 NEWS AND NEW PRODUCTS 26 BIRD'S EYE VIEW by Lauran Emerson 33 USHGA REPORTS 52 CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING 58 STOLEN WINGS COVER: Rob Kells and Steve Hawxhurst perform an aerial ballet over Perris, CA Photo by Leroy Grannis. CENTERSPREAD· Eric Raymond upside down over Perris, CA Photo by Leroy Grannis. CONSUMER ADVISORY: Hang Gliding Magazine and USHGA, Inc,, do not endorse or take any responsibility for the products advertised or mentioned editorially 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 Gliding Magazine and Individual contributors.
<JLTRALIQl1T CONVERJATION
Suprone Dear Editor, You are probably getting bored with the prone versus supine debate by this time, but before you close the book I'd like to chip in my nickel's worth (and we all know what a nickel will buy these days) on the subject. I've been flying "suprone" for over a year now, having been introduced to that style of flying by such worthies as Terry Sweeney, Rick Roelke and Harry Sudwischer. .. being some of the earlier practitioners of the deviant position in this part of the country. Before them there were true pioneers - Stuart Soule ', Ed Sweeney, and a crazy Frenchman who used to do inside loops for fun and profit. I've heard of another suprone enthusiast in the Chattanooga area, but haven't met him yet. As far as I know there are only a handful of us kinky types in the whole hang gliding community, a fact I find somewhat surprising considering the pleasures and advantages of the position. I came to suprone via supine out of seated, a product of the Kitty Hawk Kites School, class of summer '75, when prone was just beginning to emerge as the dominant flying position. I tried prone a couple of times early on, didn't like it, and went back under the bar, although fully cognizant of its limitations. The only real, bottom line disadvantage to supine/suprone is the admitted loss of downward vision, but this appears to be more of a problem to competition fliers than it does to recreational pilots, and it is a constant source of amazement to me that Dave Rodriguez can do so well on the competition circuit. The other problem area is in the general realm of safety. The tailbone and spine are surely more vulnerable in a hard landing, supine, than in the prone position. Suprone, on the other hand, offers all of the safety features of prone coupled with the undeniable comforts of supine/seated flying. Roll control (lateral weight shift) is somewhat limited in comparison with supine, but, like prone, does not seem to be a major problem. Pitch control is enhanced immeasurably, and I have a sneaking hunch that one would be in better shape in a tuck or pitchover than in any other flying posi4
tion. No other position ... repeat, no other position ... allows the pilot to use the great muscles of the legs for flight control. It is quite easy and convenient to fly the glider with the feet on the control crossbar while taking in-flight photographs, resting the arms on a long flight, etc. True, the downtubes must be reinforced. The easiest method is the installation of 1-1/8" oversleeves. Wheels and suprone go hand-inhand. And one of the real joys of suprone flying is the ability to make a rolling landing on a smooth field. The launch, once you make up your mind to try it the new way, is remarkably easy. Once the glider is stabilized (and clear of the launch ramp or hillside) one simply steps over the bar and sits down into the seat. .. no switching of the hands involved. It takes a couple of seconds to get into the foot stirrup, but that has never proven to be a major problem. The suprone pilot, by the way, flies his glider rigged for prone flying, a definite advantage when your glider is shared with friends who fly that funny way with their heads in front. Try it. .. you might like it. For those of you stuck with the missionary position it might prove to be an interesting and useful variant. Lastly, I'd like to hear from other suprone enthusiasts anywhere in the country. Burr Smith P.O. Box 70149 Ft. Bragg, NC 28307
INDEX TO ADVERTISERS Advanced Alr Sports . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59 Aerial Techniques ............................ 33 Alrpower .................................... 50 ATS Systems .................................. 55 Bennett Delta Wino Gliders .............. 2, 18, 25 Duncan ........................· . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55 Elpper ...................................... IBC Electra Flyer Corp ......................... IFC, 38 Glanforte . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 Glider Rider .......................... , ....... 53 Hall .. .. .. .. . .. . .. . .. .. . .. .. .. . . . .. .. .. .. . 55, 60 Hang Glider's Bible . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Hlohster . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 Kwlk Clamp ................................. 50 Kite Enterprises .. . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . .. . . . . . . . .. . . . 52 Kitty Hawk Kites .......................... 56, 60 Leaf . . . . . . . .. . .. . . . . . . . . . .. . . .. . . . .. . . . . . . 26, 34 Lltek ......................................... 55 U.S. Moyes ................................... 57 Ocean Pacific ............................... BC Odyssey . . . . . .. . . . . . . .. . . . .. . . .. . . . .. . . . . . . . . 3 7 Paoen . .. . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . 19 Poynter Books . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . 54 Price Company .............................. 22 Rotec ....................................... 19 Scott's Marine . . . .. . . .. . . . .. . . .. . . . .. . . . .. . . . 3 7
Lost Cause Dear Editor,
Seedwlnos . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 Snyder Ent. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
7
Soarmaster .................................. 51 Sport Death .. . .. . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. . .. . .. .. .. .. . 60
One of my new year's resolutions was not to write letters in defense of lost causes. However, to judge by Freel Stall's letter in the February issue, the cause may not yet be lost. I'm working on the loose-stirrup problem. My latest observation of the operational superiority of the supine harness is in the area of high-speed impacts, such as the one that just occurred on La Cumbre Peak to Andrew Hewitt, age 21. A supine harness prevents the pilot's head from striking the ground because it has suspension straps that pass in front of the pilot's shoulders. Flying supine is thus like driving on the freeway with shoulder straps, as opposed to lap belts only. Thus a supine pilot would not strike his head until the bowsprit or forward keel had already done considerable energy absorption through buckling. Andy's glider was apparently only lightly damaged, but he is probably totaled. He had a chute, but no time to use it.
Striplin Aircraft . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 Ultimate HI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56 Ultrallte Products . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
5
USHGA ............................. 1, 10, 15, 60 WIiis Wing, Inc .......................... 11, 22, 27 Wlndhaven ............................. 6, 52, 54
AD DEADLINES All ad copy, instructions, changes, additions and cancellations must be received in writing 1Y2 months preceding the cover date, i.e. Mar. 20 for the May issue.
HANG GLIDING
UP, INC. (ULTALITE PRODUCTS)
P.O. BOX 582
RANCHO/TEMECULA, CA 92390
USA TEL: (714) 676-5652
INDHAVEN HAS IT ALL IN CATALOG 1979
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I've had several sudden landings lately, including one in a tree, with absolutely no personal damage except to my hopeless reputation. My latest experimental, a canard, slammed in from about 25 feet with enough force to knock the rigging loose (it didn't quite parachute) and my only damage was grass stains on the knees of my last pair of white pants. Since I managed to overcome the undesirable habit of leaving my feet in the stirrup during the impact, my invulnerability has been a source of local amazement. J owe it all to my supine harness, an elderly Eipper model, and my Bell helmet and safety wheels. A note on canards: they are incredibly effective. The six-square-foot canard on the end of the three-foot bowsprit of the ZekeII, a simple diamond configuration with zero static billow and 57 camber at 400Jo chord in the keel pocket, proved more effective than the 18 square feet of reflexed trailing edge that had previously been supplying my slightly insufficient pitch stability. The canard was effective enough that I was able to remove all the reflex and a bit of the billow, and move the camber in the main wing well aft, and move my suspension point forward two and a half inches for a gain in effective area of at least 25 square feet. Now I have a glider that can operate efficiently at incredibly low speeds. It crashes in slow motion despite a total projected area of only 166 square feet and a pilot weight of 180. I have reinvented the tip stall problem by decreasing the effective incidence of the root of the main wing via the downwash of the necessarily closecoupled canard, but the problem will be automatically resolved in Zeke-III, which will have a six-foot bowsprit, a smaller canard, and less interaction between the planes at very high angles. Steve Moore Santa Barbara, CA
Sledride Dear Editor, In regards to the article in January's issue "The Road to Telluride," how about "Sledride to Telluride?"
-SEND TODAY-
Ken Bob Salt Lake City, Utah
WINDHAVEN HANG GLIDING SCHOOLS, INC. 12437 San Fernando Rd. Sylmar, CA 91342 NAME _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __
Dear Editor,
ADDRESS CITY------------STAT~_ _ _ _ _ _ ZIP --1~u1E
6
Eugene Exaggeration I would like to respond to the article, "Thermal Land - Eugene, Oregon," printed in the January 1980 issue. According to this article, Eugene sounds like a
thermalling heaven. This is far from the truth. Eugene, like many areas around the country, has a handful of sites within 50 miles that can be flown according to the different flying conditions. Occasionally, the conditions can become magic and altitude gains and distances are increased. There are a few rare days when exceptional feats are made at any given site in the world. Some areas are more consistent and may offer a better chance of achieving these types of flights. Eugene is not one of these areas. The author bases his opinion of Eugene on his few (less than five) flights in this area. No doubt he collected his information about these few magic flights on a nonflyable day when pilots sit around waiting for the conditions to improve. This is when the stories of altitude gains and distances become exaggerated. Mitch King Portland, Oregon
East Coast Meet Change Dear Editor, This is an urgent message to those pilots planning on attending the East Coast Championships at White Lake, N.C. this spring. Please note the following change of dates. The tourney will be held May 16, 17, and 18, 1980. This change of dates was necessary by demand of the White LakeElizabethtown Chamber of Commerce. My apologies to those pilots to whom this imposes a hardship. Tommy Faircloth Fayetteville, N.C.
Bag the Kids Dear Editor, I just read Lauren Emerson's article entitled, "Taking the Kids." Since I am still processing the F.A.I. world records which I set last summer, the thought of having anything else that is as bad or worse has convinced one very serious hang glider pilot NOT to have kids. Page Pfeiffer Elsinore, CA
Hang Gliding welcomes letters to the editor. Address your contribution to: USHGA, Box 66306, Los Angeles, CA 90066.
HANG GLIDING
Sound familiar? Without an altimeter, you really don't know exactly how high you are or, later, how high you've been. Stop guessing by taking an Altimaster II along. It's precision built so it's light, rugged and reliable. It has an easy-to-read face that can be zeroed to any ground elevation.
And the Altimaster mounts practically anywhere - on your hanglider, your harness or your wrist. (It's so small that you probably didn't notice the Altimaster worn by the pilot above.) So stop guessing. Use the coupon below to order your Altimaster II today.
{j){j){j) ______s_s_E_I_N_co __ RP_O_RA __T_E_D______• ~ 5801 Magnolia Avenue• Pennsauken, NJ 08109 • (609) 663-2234
-------------------------, Altimaster II
$89.95 Please rush me an Altimaster II. (We ship within 24 hrs.) D Enclosed is my check or money order for $89.95 D Please charge my Visa Master Charge. Acct.# _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ Expires _ _ _ _ _ _ _ M.C. Interbank# _ _ Signature _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __
I I I I I I Dt1:n~:~1~.s: I I I
N a m e - - - - - - -please - , print -----,--------~ Address _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ City _ _ _ _ _ _ _ State _ _ _ _ _ Zip _ _ ;_ 1979 SSE, Inc. Altimastcr is a trademark. Photo by Carl Boenish.
I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I
•
Women's HG Team Fellow Pilots, We are making up our 1980 schedule. Please let us know of your upcoming competitions or exhibition meets if you'd like the first American Women's Hang Gliding Team to participate. Anyone Interested in more information about the team should contact me at 2329 Strongs Place, Venice, CA 90291, (213) 822-5501. Elaine Chandler President, A WHGT
''Professional Instruction'' Dear Editor, Having been a subscriber to your magazine for several years, I find the "letters to the editor" section of particular interest. And, therefore, I should like to add my limited experience to your readers in regards to the so-called ''hang gliding school." My son and I enrolled in one of these schools which advertises in your magazine. Our experience was worthy of an absurdist drama. After having travelled hundreds of miles, we were informed that the price of the "package" deal had been increased $25 per person. I told the lady that that was not the price quoted on the telephone two days earlier. She replied that the decision was made the previous night. So much for the communication gap. Next was the field at which we were supposed to practice. Good Lord! The most agile animal in the world could not have run more than twenty feet without stumbling: rocks, boulders ... the size of baseballs, footballs ... even larger ... thousands of them. By the end of the day the group with which I was assigned was limping from twisted ankles, or groaning from stone bruises. Next came the wind factor. No wind, or at best from one to three knots. The result, of course, was a lot of running and a lot of crashing. One student asked why the session was not cancelled. The instructor said, "What, and have to refund your money?" Of the five-day package, one day was rained out, one day we were in the field about 45 minutes before the wind changed direction, resulting in cancellation; and on the last day I had hurt my shoulder the day before and told the instructor that I could not lift the kite. He said that there was no problem and that he would refund that portion of the money. Neither my son nor I 8
have received any such refund, not even for the cancelled day because of the rain. Now comes the moral of all this, readers. The fact that a particular school is accredited does not attest to its integrity, ethics or, for that matter, its professional skill. Remember, "professional instruction" is a self-designated term. As a professor who has been teaching college students how to teach for thirty years, I may say that most of these instructors (not all) were D material. So save a buck and a long trip, plus a ruined summer vacation by checking with the Better Business Bureau. Although I have not mentioned the name of this "school" deliberately, I have sent a letter of complaint to the Attorney General's Office, and the local Better Business Bureau. This summer my son and I will try for another school. Believe me, we are going to investigate for quality this time. Tom Turner North Dakota
Foreign Pilots & Gliders Dear Editor, Oh dear no Dr. Hewett, (Jan. 1980) you write prestigiously but tangentially and ambiguously; please heed what goes on in the rest of the world. Foreign pilots, in both the world championships and the more recent American Cup, beat the American pilots because they fly more harmoniously and in tune with
their gliders. As George Worthington put it, "The eight British pilots would be in the middle of the pack if all 32 Cup competitors, of all four nations, were given the same training and brilliant leadership of Brian Milton and Derek Evans as coach and manager.'' In Britain, "Airworthiness Standards and Requirements for Hang Gliders" have been produced jointly by the BHGA and the manufacturer's BHGMF. In Germany, before any glider can be sold it must pass a four-part program which involves: flight testing, a curve drop dive recovery test, dynamic pitch testing and static or dynamic load testing. These tests are administered by the Deutscher Aero Club (D Ae C). These standards are to be adopted or recognized in Austria and Switzerland. It is against this background that these foreigners have to operate and develop. They manage to be creative, original, and innovative. I, like thousands of others, believe in and appreciate the airworthiness regulations and standards. It is the best combination of pilot and glider which wins. There are great U.S. pilots, and great U.S. gliders; the combinations just are not as good as the individual parts. This will only improve if they adopt the zealous and tough training of the British, who are not racers, but who have the razor's edge.
MARCH 22 · 23. October Longview meet rescheduled for Cochrane, Alberta Canada. Registration 9:30 a.m.
cloth, 8-B Oakdale Apts., Fayettevi I le, N.C. 28304 (919) 424-4302 or 483-1971.
APRIL 4 · 6. Mitchell Wing Ultralight Fly-In, Porterville airport, Porterville, CA. Fun flying, trophies, movies, building seminars. Contact: Mitchell Aircraft, (209) 781-0778.
MAY 24 · 26. The 5th Annual Mt. Sentinel Flying Festival. 2,000' vertical, landing area is the university golf course, minimum HIii, intermediate rating required, Bar-B-Que eve of the 25th for pilots. For further information please contact: Glen Smith, P.O. Box 2844, Missoula, Montana 59801.
APRIL 12. 9 a.m. Region II Observer's meeting. Ed Levin Park. Contact: Jan Case (415) 756-0650 or Pat Denevan (415) 656-6656. MAY 3 · 4. Perris Fly-In (formerly the Diamond Meet), Perris Valley Airport, Perris, Calif. Efficiency contest, static judging, X-C flight, technical seminars, power rating workshop. $20. Steve Grant, 7942 Holt Ave. #1, Huntington Beach, Calif. 92647 (714) 848-1408. MAY 16 · 18. East Coast Championships. Fiftl1 annual east coast championship, White Lake, N.C., tow meet. 12 pilots only. Contact: Tommy Fair-
MAY 24 · 26. Fifth Annual Mt. Sentinel Fly-In, Missoula, Montana. Hang Ill required, negotiating for power facilities. Contact: Glenn Smith, P.O. Box 2844, Missoula, Montana 59801 (406) 542-2725. JUNE 21 • 22. Homecoming Meet, 8th Annual Cochrane Meet, Cochrane, Alberta Canada.
P.D. Waters A Foreigner New York
JUNE 28 • JULY 2. X-C Open Meet, Bishop, CA. JULY 5 - 6. Third annual Florida glide-in for motorized hang gliders and microlights. Perry-Foley airport, Perry, Fla. Send SASE to: Michael J. Grossberg, P.O. Box 50961, Jacksonville, Fla. 32250. (904) 246-2568. JULY 5 · 13. X-C Classic, Bishop, CA. JULY 17 - 20. Mt. Swansea Cross-Country Meet, Canada (Vernon, B.C.) JULY 24 - 27. Grouse Mt. Championships, Vancouver, B.C., Canada. AUGUST 23 · SEPTEMBER 1. Canadian Nationals, Mt. St. Pierre, Quebec. OCTOBER 11 · 19. American Cup, Chattanooga, TN.
JUNE 21 · 25. X-C Qualifying Meet, Bishop, CA. Contact Don Partridge. Open.
HANG GLIDING
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TORREY PINES by Don Bells, photos by Bettina Gray. Photos. maps, regulations and history of Torrey Pines. 40 pgs. USHGA OFFICIAL FLIGHT LOG. 40 pgs. Designed for hang glider ---pilo\s. Hip pocket size. - - - - HANG GLIDING MANUAL & LOG by Dan Poynter. For beginners. An asset to Instructors. 24 pgs. - - - - FAI SPORTING CODE FOR HANG GLIDING Provides the requirements for records, achievements, and World Championships. - - - - FEDERAL AVIATION REGULATIONS for pilots· 1979 edition. Hang gliding pertinent information.
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mancc contest, to Hemet for lunch,
awarded for least amount of fuel used per and overall least fuel used. There will be a trophy for the win· ner and for the winners in the other cate .. such static thrust, best appear ..
and .. m>\,,,,,r.,,1 Icarus V, and the entry
Who's Who of Mauro with his Solar .. Powered With all the recent advances in this year should be even better. Information is available from Steve Grant, 7942 Holt Ill, Beach, CaliL 92647 848 .. 1408.
Wills
Cali for .. announced that effective im .. all ordered for with smaller control bar
shorter, and narrower than the standard prone bar. Many pilots have out that the traditional method for of the control
With the new smaller bar, the 's will be the same prone
The Prince of Wales presents DavicJ Cook wit/J
After years of flying, David Cook's greatest moment eame last month with his feet firmly on the floor of the Automobile Club in London. David, of Hillcrest, near rnccived the Aero Club's top award for aviation achievement. He was with a medal the club's president, Prince Charles the first such award for David said that the after years of and has scored a series of international and last year made the first powered across the English Channel. He built his own glider from plans furnished called the
medal of aviation achievement.
Volmer Aircraft of California. The award follows a recommendation from the British contribu .. based on David's tion to gliding over a Jong culminating in the crossing of the Channel." In 1974 and 1975, he won the lnterna-tional Bird Man Rallies with record distances. In 1975, he also won the Distance Trophy and was a finalist in the British National Championship. He was the best British en .. trant in the 1976 British and in 1977 he won 1he event.
HANG GLIDING
photo)!.raph by Terry Loboslieft;ki
photogmph by Teny Lohosh(f5ki
The late Klaus Hill, flying his flummer.
Memorial weekend, May there will be a fly-in for motoraircraft lo pay tribute to the late Klaus Hill. Klaus one or the industry's greatest designers. was killed recently
while testing new The fly--in will he Utah, the birthplace of the held Hummer, Weed Hopper, Super floater, Humbug, and many other Klaus Hill inven1ions. Everyone is welcome to at··
Unda Liquori, Wills Wing operations manager and vice president, rtwiews ordering procedures wi!/1 dealers.
Wills
seminar at Convention Center in Anaheim, California. Wills dealers and distributors from all the United States, Mexico on the l Hh. Several advantage of recent days of flyable weather on Mc)mlay soaring at Crestline day there reception for all ing which they had the "IJIJvu,uu,.r to get to APl<ILWBO
tend this low informal get together. For further details, contact Dave or Judy at Watasch Wings, 700 East 12300 South, Draper, Utah 84020, (801) 571-4044.
Steve Pearson demonstrates tuning procedures on the Raven to Wills Wing dealers.
know another, well as th<: shop per· sonncl and number of local friends and ass:oeiat1~s of Wills The business part of the seminar and included two of classroom instruction and group discussion a wide range related to the servicing of retail customer. made on the sullliccts the rlf'1Clt'1111PS and involved in Wills Wing's
and and service procedures for the retail shop, and a preview of new for the season. Ken cleJKu:~sy Channel Islands Hang Glider gave an excellent on sales techniques for the retail dealer. Group discussions were held on the of dealer service to the retail custrnner, and related dealer programs such as replacement parts stocking, dealer test flying and customer familiarization.
programs, the HOMA certification production test flying programs, 13
1980. Desert Hang Gliders expects to have ! wo representatives travelling the country
the Certification testing for six countries is presently in profor all of the Chargus gliders. Dealer inquiries arc invited. Contact: Bob Thompson, Descrl Hang Gliders, 4319. W. Larkspur, Glendale, 85304, (602)
ch,., ""1"' welcomes a new certi ficd school its ranks: Elsinore Valley Hang Gliding Center, 1381 Riverside Dr., Lake Elsinore, 92330.
Ultirnate Hi is quiek set-up control bar which folds up with the It requires the of one wingnul and pin to complete the bar. This bar a universal block which will fit all that arc ecnJippec with a channel bracket. The block is machined from Vi'' 606 l-T6 aluminum barstock. It also doubles as or seconda1rv s11snens:ion point. The control bar is marketed as a comunit at $75 or in kit form (less at The lower side clips arc available in eye-bolt (as shown) shackle form. The system is available for l or 1-1/8" aluminum Contact: Ultimate Hi, 15931 Midland Rd., Calif. 92064.
and the Vortex. Both vortex generators (a series of holes in the sail reported to increases in J)erformance). With an excellent 1979 comrecord Chiaf)~us and Desert Gliders expect to do well in the U.S. in 14
These new comskis arc now produced by Striplin Aircraft and arc designed to slip over the axle with the tire and wheel removed. The main skis are 44" long by 61/2" wide and weigh lbs. each. The nose ski is long and 6 Vi" wide and weighs lbs. These skis arc now being tested on a in North Dakota. They will give a new season to fly in, on those beautiful, clear, of winter. Contact: P.O. Box 2001, Lancaster, 93534. The cost of the main ski is $40 each, with the nose ski at $30 each.
HOMA board of directors was held for the purpose of new HOMA officers for 1980. The results were as follows:
President: Dick Boerne Vice President: Roy Secretary/Treasurer: Mike Meier In addition, Gary Valle and Tom Price were as honorary directors of the HOMA to serve in an to the board. There was also some additional business conducted at this A motion was ,,,.,,,r,·nr,•r to send Dick Boone to Europe to a1tcnd a at which European hang glider airworthiness standards will be discussed. Dick will be trying to find out what American manufae1urers will have to do to have their gliders in European eornpetitions requiring certification. A motion was approved to present to the USHGA a plan by which it can be easily verified by pilots and meet directors whether or not a is in the ccmin which it was ccrti!'ied by the HGMA. This will involve a relatively set of measurements which the manufac turer will for each certified model, and which can easily be checked by pilots and meet officials. The firsl HGMA review board meeting was scheduled for April 9, 1980. Successive review board meetings will be held on the second of each month. Anyone with about any of the HGMA programs arc asked to contact Mike Meier, c/o Wills Inc., 1208--H Walnut, Santa Ana, California 92701.
owner of Wasatch Dave in Draper, Utah has recently signed a three-year, $30,000 contract with American Antenna. He will fly in major competitions and do special promotional with his ultralight motorized "Hummer" displaying the K-40 logo. American Antenna is a nationally renowned clcc-tronics company that in antennas. HANG GLIDING
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DEALING WITH DUST DEVILS by Tom Kreyche
While tossing a frisbee at a rest stop on I-10 near Blythe, CA a couple friends and I noticed a large dust devil approaching and stopped to watch. It came closer and centered perfectly on a compact car in the parking lot. A woman in the car started screaming while the dust devil partially lifted the car enough to shift it a few inches! U .P. test pilot Rich Pfeiffer describes a dust devil he encountered last August in Westgard Pass on a cross-country flight from Cerro Gordo. "I was hypoxic and overheated, and had been low (under 2500 feet) for the last ten miles. Also George Worthington was ahead of me. Normally I wouldn't have considered entering the medium-sized dust devil which formed in my flight path. Out of desperation, I entered it at about 300 feet AGL, about ty.'o-thirds of the way up the dust column. The glider immediately pitched up radically, my vario pegged up as I levelled out, and then fell out the back side in a full luff dive, all in an instant. The glider was slow to recover and the ground was rushing up rapidly. I managed to re-enter the dust col-
umn in a steep bank, eventually gammg 10,000 feet in generally smooth lift. After topping out, I lost all the altitude within three miles." German pilots after WW I were restricted from flying powerplanes. With the increased sailplane activity, they originally described the bubble theory of convection. Early enthusiasm for the vortex ring theory arose from observations of atomic bomb clouds. More recently, numerical experiments with computers describe a combination of the two. Once formed they are discontinuous, with no relationship with the ground. Strongest lift is in the center of the core. See Figure I. Dust devils belong to the jet or plume theory of convection, developed since WW II. They are described as a continuous column of warm air rising from a hot spot on the ground. Under proper conditions the convective process develops a vortex capable of carrying debris, outlining the thermal current near the ground. Visible characteristics are an intense rotary and vertical motion. Boundary layer air (very near
the ground) may be as much as 20°-30° F warmer than air further above the ground. This warmer air spirals in and feeds the convective process. The area in and around the dust devil is a complex arrangement of pressure and temperature gradients. Vertical wind velocities increase approaching the core. They peak next to the core, which is descending or has much less vertical velocity. Descending cores have been observed at higher altitudes. Average vertical speeds at lower levels typically approach 2,000 fpm, and rotational speeds nearly match them, about 20 mph. Velocities up to 90 mph have been measured! Electrical charges have been noted with respect to the ground, the polarity and amount of charge depend oh the type of dust particles. See Figure 2. Dust devils have no preferred sense of rotation. This has been shown by a composite of numerous surveys in Egypt, Arizona and California. Coriolis force is overcome by frictional and gravitational forces, and imbalances in local pressure. There is a lack of data on small (under 10'
Table I Approximate Sink Rates and Terminal Velocities of Various Objects High Performance Sailplane . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110 fpm Vulture ....................... 160 fpm High Performance Hang Glider . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180 fpm Crumpled Piece of Newspaper .................. 250 fpm Small Dry Leaves .............. 325 fpm Small Cardboard Box ........... 400 fpm Small Tumbleweed ............. 625 fpm Kangaroo Rat ................ 2,200 fpm Jackrabbit .................. 3,000 fpm Skydiver doing RW ........... 8,000 fpm Compact Car ............... 22,000 fpm FIGURE I -
16
Vortex ring-type thermal.
HANG GLIDING
DIRECTION OF MOTION
FIGURE II - Sloping dust devil and simplified three-dimensional field of motion.
diameter) and very large (over 100' diameter) dust devils. There is a slight possibility that these sizes prefer cyclonic rotation, as around a low pressure area. Most sightings are near washes, where loose debris is most easily picked up. High surface temperatures of local areas, and vortices downwind of obstructions contribute to triggering. They are observed only when debris is available; their existence and size is not dependent on debris. Low atmospheric stability, not necessarily high surface temperature, is most important for their formation. Peak time of day has been observed to be from 3:00 to 4:00 p.m. Most are of medium size, from 10' to 50' in diameter, reaching altitudes of 500' to 700' AGL. Typical duration is from two to three minutes. They are bent by the wind and wander with it, starting to break up with surface winds over 20 mph. In Egypt, a large dust devil was observed stationary on an embankment for four hours, consuming a large quantity of dirt. It was broken up by driving a bulldozer into it. Another on the Bonneville Salt Flats was observed to be thousands of feet high, and travelled 40 miles in seven hours. I observed one at "A" Mountain in Tucson with a APRIL 1980
base diameter of over a half a mile, carrying everything but the kitchen sink. Fortunately no gliders were prepared to launch at the time. At Merriam's Crater, a group of pilots and I observed a pair, one thin and slinky, the other fat and squat. They travelled parallel for over a mile, and eventually merged. During the passage of cold fronts through Tucson, dust columns can be seen extending to cloud base. Dust devils serve as excellent thermal locators, if you have sufficient altitude to penetrate the surrounding area of sink and enter the thermal at a safe altitude. Be prepared to compensate for rapid changes in glider attitude. "Getting up" at numerous sites depends in part on launching into a thermal. Watch cycles carefully, and don't be rushed too much by the 50 pilots behind you. In light wind conditions, beware of dust devils breaking off the back side while preparing to launch. Approach your LZ with sufficient altitude to either work or avoid dust devils. Don't come in on a long, low final approach. If forced to land near one, attempt to land upwind of and facing away from it. Don't leave gliders and lightweight equipment such as down jackets unattended. ~
Bibliography Cone, C.D. Theory of Soaring Flight in Vortex Shells, SOARING, June 1961 Cone, C.D. Thermal Soaring of Birds, AMERICAN SCIENTIST, March 1962 Cone, C.D. Soaring Flight of Birds, SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN, April 1962 Fitzjarrald, D.E. A Field Investigation of Dust Devils, J. OF APPLIED METEOROLOGY, August 1973 Ives, R. Behavior of Dust Devils, B. OF AMERICAN METEOROLOGICAL SOCIETY, 1947 Kaimal and Businger Case Studies of a Convective Plume and Dust Devil, J. OF APPLIED METEOROLOGY, August 1970 Sinclair, P .C. A Quantitative Analysis of the Dust Devil, PhD Dissertation, Dept. of Meteorology, University of Arizona, 1966
17
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YAKKING ABOUT NEPAL The following is an account of a hang gliding trip to Nepal that some friends of mine and I took last year. It all started when Bill "wang it on over" Fermann got a letter from his cousin, who was attending the annual Hashish Harvest Festival over there. Deciphering the note, with its garbled references to mountains, the Festival, and what seemed to be part of a Nepalese menu, it was determined he was trying to tell us something important. It appeared that he had seen hang gliders high over the mountains. Naturally I was skeptical, considering his reason for being in Nepal, so I checked it out further. Although details were scanty, we confirmed that there was some kind of ultralite gliding practiced by the natives. That was good enough for us, so plans were made and Wango, Russ Rickles and I began packing for the trip. Wango's cousin had sent us the name of a good guide, Yak Sam Bo. Unfortunately he was not available, as he was still recovering from the effects of the Festival, but we were able to hire his son, Little Yak Sam Bo. We found out that the yak is an animal, sort of like a hairy moose, but not really. The yak, in fact, is the VW bus of the Himalayas. To get up to the launch, we were required to perform a ritual called, "Yak Bak Pakkin," which is throwing all your gear on a couple of yak backs and making them carry it up the mountain. Since none of us spoke the local language, and their English was poor, we had a few misunderstandings with the yak boys, but nothing serious. As we were loading up (the pakyaks, not us) Little Yak Sam Bo was discussing our menu for the trip. It seemed that Yak Tow and Yak Chow would be the main dishes, as he mentioned them a lot. It was pretty cold hiking, even in the middle of summer there was snow everywhere.
20
We had on so many layers of clothes it was hard to move. The trip to the top took two days. The food was mostly a thick mush of assorted grains that tasted like parrot mix. I found a sort of dried food in one of the paks, and Wango and I boiled some up. Compared with the gruel, it was delicious! Little Yak Sam Bo caught us eating it and became quite upset. He lectured us excitedly; the only words I caught were Yak Chow, repeatedly. I thought perhaps we had eaten the Sunday dinner until he pulled us over to one of the paks and opened it. "Yak chow," he said, scooping out a handful of pellets. "Yes, yes," we said, "Mmm good." He shook his head in disgust and carried the pellets over to the front end of a yak, which ate them. "You see? Yak chow!'' he grinned. Halfway up the mountain, we came to a curious structure in the snow (see picture). I assumed it was some kind of temple, as all the Yak Boys dropped the ropes and ran up to it, uttering cries of delight. They dis-
Article and illustrations by Brb "Sky Queen" Grm
(Barbara Graham)
appeared inside for about ten minutes. When they came out, they all had SOIJ1e kind of sandwich wrapped in paper. When I asked Little Yak Sam Bo about it, he said they were a local delicacy known as a Yak Mo, or Big Yak. Apparently, all of the boys had become victims of a Big Yak Attack. Finally we made it to the launch (see picture). A ramp had been built over a deep ravine, which had a river and a small village in the bottom. The walls were very sheer, and about 6,000 feet high on our side, and at least 6,500 feet high on the other. This
HANG GLIDING
meant we would have to gain to clear the other side. It was evidently undesirable to land in the ravine; the idea was to clear the opposing ridge and glide down to land in the village we had started from. We would fly the next morning, and were all excited. I hoped we would sample the dish known as Yak Tow that night, but we got mush instead. The next morning we all found out what Yak Tow really is. Wango wanted to be wind dummy, so we set up the gliders, checked our equipment, and sat back to watch him launch. Little Yak Sam Bo moved Wango's glider way up back of the ramp, then led out a yak with a curious padded harness. He brought out a very long hemp rope, attached one end to the vak harness, and laid the rest of it out in precise folds next to the ramp. He then produced a Yak Tow Bar, which was fitted to Wango's base tube. The rope was attached to a quick release, and he was ready. Wango had that curious, intent look some of us get before launch. He tightened his helmet for the tenth time, choked, and loosened it again. "You ready?" asked our guide. He nodded grimly. "Good. You run. Rope gets tight, you count ten, then release. You understand?" Wango nodded again, looking a little pale. "Good. You not forget ... count ten, release. Hava gud wun!" And with that ancient Nepalese good luck blessing he proceeded to berate the back end of the yak with a small stick and yell at it loudly. "Ghi Yup! Ghi Yup!" he cried, as the yak began lumbering toward the ramp. The rope began to unwind. It was too long. The yak was halfway down the ramp at a full gallop, and still there was a huge pile of slack rope left. I was still wondering about that when the yak plunged over the edge. The rope began unwinding at a fantastic rate as the yak plummetted straight down. Suddenly the rope went taut, and Wango shot straight into the air a thousand feet. l heard him counting as he ascended, his voice getting fainter. Finally he yelled, "TEN!" and the rope slithered down, following the yak into the ravine. Little Yak Sam Bo came up, leading another yak. "You next?" he inquired. I refused, not wanting to be a party in what was clearly Yakicide, but Little Yak Sam Bo reassured me that the yaks would be fine; they couldn't afford to throw away such animals on a regular basis. So, the Yak Tow Bar was affixed to my glider, the rope was hooked up, and I prepared to launch. I adjusted my camera, got a better footing, and indicated I was ready. As the yak thundered over the precipice, I was having second thoughts, but it was too APRIL 1980
late. I heard our guide call, "Hava Gud Wun!" as the yak went over the edge of the ramp, and then I started counting. Believe me, you haven't felt an elevator until you try a Yak Tow. The speed of a thousand-pound yak in free fall is incredible! At the top of my arc I released. Immediately everything got quiet, and I saw the yak, still falling, far below. Suddenly, two brightly colored canopies blossomed above it, and the yak floated down toward the village. I cleared the opposite ridge with ease, and started my glide toward the town. Ahead and below, I could see Wango in his brightly colored Willfly Beezer bowsprit. The view above the snowy peaks was indescribable, so I won't try. The flight lasted about thirty minutes, and I landed in the town next to Wango, where we were greeted by jubilant natives
who plied us with the local agricultural products. Russ Rickles joined us and we were soon in the mood for a party. As we carried our gear to the inn, we saw a group just heading up the mountain, We met some local flyers, in particular the wellknown Buk Yu Wing, who has a special harness for his yak, which he takes up tandem. I had a look at the side pads on the pak yak harnesses, and found them to be parachutes, similar to our own. I asked Yu Wing about them, and he told me they were called, "Bil Ben Dit Y.U.S." or Yak Up Systems. We all had a great time during our stay, and if you can ever get to Nepal, the trip and the flying is worth it. We're planning a trip for next summer already. There's supposed to be an active volcano in Venezuela that people are soaring, and you can bet we'll check it out! ~ 21
1979 HANG GLIDING FATALITIES An Update by R.V. Wills At the request of Editor Buzz Chalmers of Glider Rider, and with the blessing of Editor Gil Dodgen of Hang Gliding, my reports on hang gliding accidents will appear in both magazines henceforth. Better double coverage for some readers than none for some others. I won't restate all of my goals and premises for Glider Rider readers, but I will identify one major catechism behind my efforts since 1974: the only way to redeem anything from the tragedy of fatal accidents is to prevent others through any lessons learned. And the only way to learn any lessons is to, first, hear about the accidents and, second, think about them. I volunteered my efforts in this direction after our third son, Eric, was killed doing his first 360 on March 16, 1974 near San Bernardino. I decided to continue the efforts after our oldest son, Bob, was blown down and killed by a helicopter on June 24, 1977. As a result of our family connection with hang gliding since 1972 - when sons Bob and Chris pioneered the sport in this area and because of world-wide connections in the sport, I believe I hear about the vast majority of fatal and unusual accidents in the Free World. By publishing fatalities in table form at least twice a year, I solicit additional data from readers, now readers of both magazines. An accident report, a letter, or even a note, from a pilot, even if not an eyewitness, is obviously more valuable than a newspaper clipping or a magazine clipping, but I appreciate anything I can get my hands on. A word about blanket requests for data on accidents, from flying clubs, journalists, students, people needing statistics on the sport, helmets, parachutes, types of injuries, etc. I read and summarize accident data on stolen time, usually weekends, and put out at least two reports a year in this form. I am not using a computer, a secretary, the USHGA office, etc. There is no way that I can answer individual requests for data, either "all available data on hang gliding accidents" or specific breakdowns of statistics. I have no buttons to push. All I
22
can do with those calls and letters is to refer the party to all prior reports published in Hang Gliding magazine since 1974. These would have to be obtained through the USHGA office in Los Angeles. In the case of a phone call from someone writing an article, all I can do is to give my opinion on statistics and trends, not take time out to work on the project. Like most people, I still have to make my fortune forty hours a week (defending doctors). What follows is a supplement to the preliminary table of 1979 fatalities published in the November 1979 issue of Hang Gliding. That table included 22 fatalities, 10 U.S. and 12 foreign. The following table includes 24 additional accidents, 14 U.S. and 10 foreign, making a total of 46 for the year. There may still be more 1979 reports to come, but it now seems highly unlikely that the total will approach the level of the past three years, which averaged 80 per year. Let me give you the fatality statistics from my files, updated recently for all years from 1971 to date. If you believe that there has been a substantial increase in the number of pilots worldwide since about 1974, I think you will see some room for optimism about the safety and education level in the sport:
HANG GLIDING FATALITIES (from RVW records)
Now to the supplementary table of 1979 fatalities (which includes further data on the Robert Conat accident on May 18). In both of the 1979 tables, we again find experienced pilots dying because they failed to hook in (two of them). We find a large number of low-altitude stalls, either on landing approach or in tight turns. We find four more "motorized" fatal accidents. We find three towing accidents. And, perhaps most important, we find 600Jo or more of the fatal accidents at such a low altitude that a parachute either would not save the pilot - or did not save the pilot. I tabulate 29 such accidents of the 46. Do your own estimate, based on altitudes given and type of emergency. Again, don't take chances with a parachute that you wouldn't take without one. You don't want to have to use it." Special thanks to Palle Christensen of Dansk Drageflyver (Denmark) for seven reports (one fatal). Also to Patrick Schwitter of Manta, Switzerland, for one report and a magazine table of six Swiss fatalities (all in three months) which, unfortunately, I can't interpret. I hope to hear further from my correspondents in Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, England, Italy, and Canada. As they say, Good Lift. And fly smart! R.V. Wills Santa Ana, California
PRICE PRONE HARNESS Year
U.S.
Foreign
Total
1971
2
I
3
1972
4
0
1973
9
1974
40
10
50
1975
33
13
46
4 10
1976
43
40
83
1977
24
47
71
1978
32
54
86
1979 (incomplete)
24
22
46
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1979 FATALITIES - SUPPLEMENTARY TABLE Date
Place
Pilot
Age
March?
Franklin Mountains El Paso, Texas
Tom?
30? Cirrus 2
Wind 40 + mph and gusty. First flight on a borrowed glider. Stalled into the face after several passes.
April 21
Hidden Valley, California (privately owned, near Elsinore)
Brian Callahan
?
?
The second known mid-air collision fatality. Four gliders soaring a ridge in fairly tight quarters. "Strong, tight thermals." Two pilots bowed out because Callahan was "glued to his vario." Callahan and the remaining pilot turned in opposite directions, from an axis, then toward each other. Callahan turned left instead of right. After the collision, Callahan dived in vertically. The other pilot deployed his chute and survived.
May?
Guadalupe Mountains, near Carlsbad, N.M.
Robin?
20 ? Cirrus 1B
Strong and gusty. Soared the ridge for 30 min., then stalled in a wingover; dived in 500'.
May 16
Western Canada, probably B.C.
Marshall Antonishak
?
Birdman MJ-6
Pilot hurt his back on aborted takeoff a week earlier (maiden flight on this glider). Control bar bent and straightened. No new parts. Takeoff into a cross and downwind "squall." Also the "upwind part of a rotor." Pilot pulled the control bar in and kept it back, with his back arched and head up. Lengthy report but mostly speculation and questions. Cause seems unknown. Uncertified glider.
May 18
Bozeman, Montana Robert Conat
29
Easy Riser, Motorized for 3 years
More input on this structural failure dive from Steve Baran and Mike Healey. All seem to agree Conat was flying in gusty wind and thermals others would have avoided. The "Easy" folded up on a strong gust or thermal pitch-up. No helmet or parachute worn. Mike questions the condition of the glider. Cables replaced six times. Motor mounted wrong once. Wing tip "repaired." Wing joiner holes all worn into oblong shape. Conat had gone through "a couple of engines." Accident not witnessed by any glider pilot.
May 28
Green Mountains Golden, Colorado
21
Phoenix 6-B
Hang 2 pilot w/3 mos. experience. Stalled after takeoff while looking for stirrup; turned left and dived into the hill. Gusty, unstable wind.
June 2
Missoula, Montana Marie Davis
17
"Leaf" (converted 1973 Manta S Standard)
Reported by her brother (at the scene) and two others. After a clean takeoff and a series of 180's and 360's, she stalled in a final approach 180, dived, recovered in a 180 the other way, dived in from 50-100'. Her brother can't explain why. No other witnesses. Hang 2 rating.
June 18
Montaud, France
Lorraine Evans (British)
20's
British Rogallo
Good flying weather, per our American reporter who flew there that day. She turned several times after launch, got crossways in a tree rotor, blown back into the hill. Experience only on lower English midlands hills.
June 20
Vacant Airport, Boundary Bay, British Columbia
Andrew Szokolay
40
Birdman MJ-5
First tow flight on a runway aborted low - premature release. Second takeoff o.k. At 700', started yaw to the left. Never corrected. Rope not released by pilot in time. Winch tension released at 600'. Glider fell over left wing into a 75-80 ° dive from 500'. Parachute never deployed.
(previously unreported)
APRIL 1980
James Haywood
Equipment
Apparent or Probable Cause
23
Date June 22
Place Steele, Alabama (Chandler Mountain)
July 7
Pilot Marvin (Sam) White
Age Equipment 20 Alpha 185
Apparent or Probable Cause A tragedy with a clear lesson. White did a harness check on himself, but then unhooked to check his cousin's gear. Forgot to hook in again. Fell 150' to a rocky ledge.
Sealand, Denmark
Orla Larsen
57
The first known Danish fatality. Larsen soared the takeoff area several times, then made a tight downwind turn. Stalled in the turn, fell into the cliff, over his down wing. An experienced pilot.
July 7
Hoher Kasten, Switzerland
Hans-Rudolph Aeschlimann
?
July 22
Montreux Switzerland
Peter Hugentobler
?
Wasp Gryphon 170 (British)
? (Have only a brief table from a Swiss magazine.)
Bora Marabu II (Swiss)
"Stalled in a turn, dived in 300' "
'!
? (Have only a brief table from a Swiss magazine.)
August 20 Gem pen, Switzerland
Jean-Louis Buschrieder
Sept. 30
Donald Jensen
29
Cirrus 3
Relative novice. On fourth pass close to the hill, stalled and fell into the hill.
October 5 Garvin, Oklahoma
Paul Ward
25
'!
Believed a novice, being towed by a pickup in a field. Crash on first flight. Glider repaired. Second crash fatal.
Oct. 10
Morgan, Utah
Klaus Hill
45
Voyager, Model C, with Chapparal engine
Experienced pilot and designer. Clear and calm. Started porpoising on climb-out, dived in with full power.
Oct. 18
Buzzard Rock, Asheville, N.C.
James Mankins
55
Cirrus 3
A "novice" flying an expert site. Dived in from 100' at a steep angle on landing approach. Possible ridge vector. APC.
Oct. 16
Schanis, Switzerland
Enrico Franco
?
?
? (Have only a brief table from a Swiss magazine.)
Oct. 24
Saleve, Switzerland
Gerard Venutolo
?
?
? (Have only a brief table from a Swiss magazine.)
Oct. 25
Saleve, Switzerland
Roland Fuchs
?
Nov. 4
Ellenville, N. Y.
Randall Jensen
26
Sky Sports Osprey I
A careful, well-logged Hang II (N. Y.C. attorney). Made several passes on the ridge, then went out to land. Flew past landing area, did a 180, came back, did a steep downwind 180, almost a wingover, dived straight in from 125-150'. Had never done a 360. Final pilot reaction a mystery.
Nov. 18
Shirley Airport, Ayer, Mass.
Paul Striplin
20
Foot Launch Air Cycle (F.L.A.C.) with 20 hp motor
Stalled or lost power at 100-150' on landing approach, drifted off to the right into a "tree pocket." Tried a radical right turn, ground-looped, overturned and burned. Striplin was from Lancaster, Calif.
Nov. 24
Coulterville, California
Harold Rice
23
Dec. 31
Lookout Mountain, Tennessee
Jerome DuPrey
?
24
Masonville, Colorado
? (Have only a brief table from a Swiss magazine.)
"Hang glider suddenly went into a nose dive ... and fell 250'." One article mentions whipstalls. Sirocco III
Hang IV Canadian pilot, with over 600 flights. Another tragic failure to hook in by a veteran. Hung on to the control bar uprights almost to the landing area, but fell from 50-75' after a 360.
HANG GLIDING
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Watching by Lauran Emerson A wonderful bird is the pelican, His bill will hold more than his belican. He can take in his beak Food enough for a week, But I'm damned if I see how the helican. D.L. Merritt
I had to listen to that clever little rhyme several times daily, all last week. The origin of the verse may lie with D.L. Merritt, but by virtue of repetition I attribute it to my husband. We've just returned from a week in the Bay Islands, off the coast of Honduras. It
was a long-planned vacation of sailing, skindiving and sunshine. And pelicans, frigatebirds, vultures, ospreys and kingfishers. It's strange; the last time I was in that part of the world, I didn't notice any birds. Either they've multiplied in the past ten years, or my bird-vision has changed. It's not that birds are anything new in my life. I've been called Birdie ever since I was the size of a pigeon. Some of my earliest memories are of the pink flamingoes on the postcards that my father always sent from his trips South. From Wazo, a parakeet who monopolized my second-grade diary, through my high school years of trying to outwit Marble, birds have always had an impact on my life. Marble was a bright yellow canary. My little sister, too young to know any better, decorated his cage with a sign that said, "Marble, The Wonderful Singing Canary." He was a good singer, all right, but he was too smart and he spent too much time living up to his sign. You couldn't sneak past that bird. When you came home late from a date, and everyone seemed to be asleep, and you thought you could sneak undetected up to your room, he always blew it. The sneakier you were, the louder Marble would sing. He loved it. The guinea pig would wake up and add his squealing to the chorus, and before you were halfway upstairs the whole family would be awake. Sheer numbers is all that saved me and my brothers and sisters during those years. There were so many of us that, by the time Marble had woken the household, no one could be sure who the culprit was. So, birds were nothing new when I began hang gliding. I had known a few, and once in awhile I'd even recognize a particular brand of feathered creature in the wild. I thought I was familiar with the species. But I never became a real bird watcher until I had my own set of wings. That changed things. I began to see differently. Before I could fly, the strange
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features and plunging dives of a pelican might have blinded me to the beauty of its flight. But last week, surrounded by these incredible birds, I realized that there was more to them than their awkward-looking forms and maneuvers. In groups of two and three, the unlikely animals cruised for hundreds of yards, a foot or two above the surface of the water, with never a flicker of their wings. Finding lift in some combination of speed, ground effect, and their neighbors' wingtip vortices, their flights seemed like quiet magic. The dives were extraordinary, too. Starting twenty or thirty feet above the water, the birds bring their wings back and hurtle headlong at their underwater prey. As they hit the water, they tuck, landing on their backs with a big splash that keeps them from going too deep. This maneuver is so smooth that it is almost imperceptible to the eye. What I mistook many times for a clumsy, noisy dive, was actually the precise, perfectly timed finish to the pelicans' search for food. Pelicans are not the only birds that thrive in the Bay Islands. Vultures abounded over the villages, working thermals from dawn till dark. A few ospreys cruised overhead. A kingfisher swooped and dived for food in a sheltered harbor. Frigatebirds sent their prehistoric shadows racing over the sand. Hugh and I spent a lot of time watching all these birds. Our skindiving companions grew accustomed to our binoculars and gracefully tolerated this character flaw. I didn't realize the extremes to which our bird-watching had taken us, until our vacation ended at the airport. We all agreed that the trip had exceeded every expectation. The company, the sailing and the surroundings had been perfect. "And I never thought I'd see such beautiful fish!," exclaimed our friend, Consuela. Bewildered, Hugh and I looked at each other. "Fish? You mean there werefish out there, too?" ~
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HANG GLIDING
Wills Wing would like to thank the following dealers, who, because of their professionalism & desire to service . the :I-fang Gliding Community, took the time & incurred the expense to attend the recent Wills Wing Dealer Service Seminar. Aerial Techniques Ellenville, N.Y.
Jerry Forburger Heavener, Ok.
Morningside Flight Park Claremont, N.H.
Aloha Hang Gliding Center Hawaii Kai, Hawaii
Frigate Aircraft Miami, Florida
Noland Hang Gliders Santa Cruz, Ca.
Arkansas Hang Gliders Springdale, Ark.
Golden Sky Sails Golden, Colo.
North Central Hang Gliders Wasau, Wisc.
Big Bird Wings Seattle, Wa.
Hang Flight Systems Santa Ana, Ca.
P & R Wings Springfield, Or.
Channel Islands Hang Glider Emporium Santa Barbara, Ca.
Hang Gliders of California Santa Monica, Ca.
Rod Snider Boise, Idaho
Mike Kendall Rancho Cucamonga, Ca.
Southern Cal. School of H.G. Van Nuys, Ca.
Kitty Hawk Kites Nags Head, N.C.
Ultraflight Systems Modesto, Ca.
Mission Soaring Fremont, Ca.
Wasatch Wings Draper, Utah
Chandelle San Francisco Daly City, Ca. Elsinore Valley Hang Gliding Center Elsinore, Ca.
the locals have seen
from stars.
once
But
on
and see a ever seen before. What saw can best be described as an aerial ballet. Five members of the Tearn, based in San world record for a free balloon drop while mercial for Horne Federal Loan of
that no one
28
To be documented for entry into the World Records, this speccolorful event features five Burke along with his pilot Richard Crawford, conceived the stunt in a moment around the kitchen table. team consisted of Bnrke team in his 245 Alpha; Eric '79 National and Great Race Rob Kells, dent of in a Raven; Steve Hawxhurst, president and owner of Flight
Guine.s~\· Book
in his Wills Realities in San Omni; and Rich Pfeiffer, '79 Cross Country Classic and '77 and '78 champion, who went for the ride tandem with Burke. "Since no one had ever done a free flight multiple hang glider drop before, we had to be sure we had our act , " Burke said. ''This involved a lot of pre-flight ning and work, from modifying and rein, forcing the balloon to machining parts for the kingpost hook up and special Schweit zcr releases. After weeks of postponement because of weather, we were set to go on second. The night before the flight all the fliers were up until midnight over the aerial plan, the sequence of events thoroughly, since we wonk! be with a jet ranger for the event." At five a.m. the groggy pilots were in the film company's motor home for the coffee and breakfast as well as the balloon to arrive. It was an awesome to sec the 165,000 rnbic .. foot balloon, the second largest in the country, fully inflated in the early light of dawn. The 1.1;,.foch nylon webbing that was to attach the to the "mother ship" looked like a spider's thread next to the balloon. After much pre . . flight and a go on the weather, the camera crews were set and the pi!ots were harnessed into their the balloonist, that the balloon temperature was the "red line." There was in his mind about whether the load was too much for the balloon and the propane was low. In the midst of much concern, the moment had arrived. "There's no way to know for sure, so let's go for it," said. The webbing drew tight the load, the anti . rotation lines restricted the from swinging and the pilots' hearts moved to a new position in their throats. Cut loose from its tethers, the balloon lifted its load and and its in the sky. Everyone realized that the l'irst 200 feet would be the true test. If release should open or if the balloon should structurally this low altitude would not be for any safe ''bailout''
ABOVE: Balloonist Gary Suozzi carries Burke Ewing, Eric Raymond, Plob Kells, Steve Hawx· fwrst and PIich Pfeiffer aloft for a promotional stunt.
HANG GLIDING
literally eamc apart and dropped Rich free of the Alpha. Rich free fell about 2,000 feel, popped his chute and pe1rtonrted spins with smoke trails following. The citizens in the Elsinore area had never seen anything like it before. Nor have the people of the San area who witnessed the event at home on their televi-· sions when it made its commercial premiere during the Olympics. Chris Price, who witnessed the event from lhe ground was heard to comment that it was one of the best aerial events he'd ever seen. Richard Crawford, who prodnced and directed the filming slates: "This is just the beginning of hang gliding flight events that Burke and I intend lo produce and film. You can watch for this event on your TV soon. The Real People producers have ap .. proached us about showing this event on an upcoming episode. The dream of flight is one l hope to share with the public th1·ou1gh specials for television, and ultimately through a full-length feature film which is now in the planning stages." The Sky Flight Team would like to give special thanks to George Stokes who provided the balloon and crew, and Dave Ledford who was first back-up pilot and ground crew chief.
Hich Pfeiffer lands after a balloon/hang glider/canopy flight.
At 5,600 feet ASL the sequence The balloon descended at about 200 feet per minute in an attempt to provide some for the as they re·· leased. Steve 1-Iawxhurst drew the number one drop No one knew for sure what attitude the would take when or what would occur to the balloon when the was released. Steve release and pulled his learned that 90 was more than geometry. Within JOO feet Steve pulled out of the dive and sailed away. Next to drop was Erie, then Rob, each with no problem, and each with a nose-down view upon release. Cameras on the and in the film, video tape, and .,. .. , u,, .. , cameras. Leroy Gran .. with Cinira Films Corp., and installed cameras for still and motion ph,oto,gn1pl11y on board the gliders. APRIL 1980
The flight plan called for aerial maneuvers at 3,000 feet where Steve, Rob and Eric an iu-flight "ballet" complete with smoke flares formbeautiful patterns in the azure blue sky. i\t that altitude, Eric Raymond had all the space he needed to perform breath-laking maneuvers which included loops, wingov,~rs, and In a later flight, Burke and Rich, having seen the others drop, wondered what attitude the Alpha would take. Soon enough knew. Viewers on the ground claimed they heard two voices from the sky shout a unison "Oh noooo ! " as they fell in a near ne:gat1ve tw,e-d.emree dive, waiting for night and control and a spectacular high-
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Burke positioned the glider for the next event. Rich Pfeiffer then pulled the qnickrelease on his breakaway harness. Jim the harness with in .. terloeking rings, which when released
29
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1 - 1 • 79
USHGA REPORTS
International Hang Gliding Committee (C.I. V .L. Report) Dick Heckman, U.S. Representative
The CIVL Committee met after the World Championships on the 13th and 14th of August, 1979. This report has been delayed until receipt of the official minutes of that meeting. The Russians were present for the first time. They had not officially applied for membership in CIVL so participated as observers only. Their representative told us that all gliders at this time were homebuilt but that there were approximately 7,000 pilots in the USSR. Considering the difficulty of getting materials for this type of activity in the communist bloc countries, most of us found the stated number of pilots hard to believe. They did say that they were planning to start glider production and passed around an information sheet on their proposed glider. France was congratulated on the conduct of the just-completed World Championships. The organizers felt that the large number of contestants affected the conduct of the contest, particularly with respect to cross-country tasks. The possibility of reducing the number of representatives from each country was discussed but no definite proposals were presented. The 1981 World Championships will be APRIL 1980
at Beppu, Japan, 1,200 km south of Tokyo. The flying site is 2,500 ft. vertical with three different takeoff sites. Uphill transportation will be by cable car. Since there were some difficulties with advertising at the last championships, Japan agreed to notify CIVL during 1980 whether advertising and sponsorship would be allowed. The CIVL recommendation was that advertising should be allowed unless prohibited on a national basis by the host country. CIVL also reiterated that there was to be no distinction between amateur and professional contestants. England made a tentative bid for the 1983 World Championships. It was formally stated that their bid would probably include some towing as a necessity to assure that sufficient contest rounds could be held regardless of wind direction. A draft of Section 7 (hang gliders) of the FAI Sporting Code was approved and is submitted to the FAI Council. The most significant change from previous rules is the following change to Championship Classes: Class I -
Hang gliders controlled by pilot weight shift only. Drag chutes and jettisonable ballast prohibited.
Class II -
Hang gliders having a movable control surface or surfaces actuated directly by the pilot.
Dennis Fagen has proposed a method of administering an international pilot rating system by Mr. Fossum of Norway. No action was taken to create an International Rating System at this time, but it was recognized that some standardization was required to assure the World Championship Competitors were sufficiently experienced to safely compete at that level. Good progress has been made in establishing world-wide insurance coverage for CIVL members. This would be liability only, similar to the present USHGA insurance. Personal accident insurance is being investigated. Action is starting on the unification of Manufacturing Standards (Certification). It is expected that this will be an ongoing process. Dr. Wolf, Poland, Chairman of the Committee, has received information only from the U.S., England and Germany. Any international system will be in metric units. Hang glider pilots may apply for CIVV (sailplane) badges as well as CIVL badges if their first flight meets sailplane requirements for a given badge. The next CIVL meeting will be at Kossen, Austria following the 1980 European Open Championships. ~
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THE ART AND LORE OF THERMAL SOARING Part III © Copyright by Dennis Pagen On Oct. 3, one day after the 1978 American Cup meet, I followed a caravan of pilots heading for Hinson's Gap, a flying site about an hour's drive from Chattanooga. The demands of the meet as well as a painful loss to the British left me with a great desire to log some hours just floating around in a wide open sky. Hinson's Gap has a reputation for offering some exciting flights. There are usually plenty of thermals rising from the patchwork fields of the broad Sequachie Valley in front of launch. Unfortunately, as I neared the top in Henry Braddock's van, I saw nothing but sled-ride conditions. Several pilots had already flown down while others were waiting for a kind sign from Mother Nature. We set up our gliders, thinking that even a glide to the landing area was worth the effort on such a brilliant fall day. Stewart Smith launched an Oly into the seemingly still air. Suddenly, a rising bubble nudged his noseplate and Stewart started carving graceful arcs with the agility of a gymnast. Soon he was above the mountain, hopping from thermal to thermal like a frog crossing a pond on lily pads. The rest of us scrambled to get off the launch ramp. As I lunged into the sky, there was hardly a whisper of air rustling the trees. However, a quick left turn brought me to some good lift and I started circling. I joined Stewart aloft while other pilots entered the sky on their own bit of lift. Gradually, the conditions built with stronger winds at takeoff, stronger thermals and a higher ceiling. At one point I flew back in the gap, then came out in massive sink. By the time I made it around to launch, I was well below the top and still dropping. About 400 feet below the takeoff point, I felt some light lift and started scratching. After about fifteen minutes, I managed to climb back up and again found abundant lift. Eventually I rose to over 3,000 feet above the mountain, weaving in and out of thermals with several other pilots. We stayed up for hours, cruising out over the flat, down the ridge, or over the back of the mountain. A couple pilots broke through the inversion layer topping the APRIL 1980
thermals, climbed a few more thousand feet, then headed downwind for impressive cross-country flights. My problem was, I flew a borrowed glider with no instruments, so I was stuck to the ridge. I had no problem exploiting the strong thermals lower down (I had been thermalling for a couple of years without instruments), but at 3,000 feet with dissipating lift, I felt a need for guidance. I soon learned to follow Don Baker around in his Seagull JO-Meter with a variometer strapped firmly to the control bar. Eventually, however, the gradually increasing wind forced most of the gliders to stay in front of the ridge, so I was left alone on my borrowed Sirocco II. It took all the skill I could muster to maintain altitude in the drifting, tenuous thermals with no other input than sight, smell and feeling. I watched the sun dropping in the west and enjoyed the great sensory experience that awaits the lucky thermal pilot. DETECTING THERMALS From the above experience, it should be apparent that one of the most important aspects of thermal flying is locating the thermal in the first place, then subsequently determining the extent of the lifting area. As indicated, a pilot can rely heavily on the physical senses when close enough to the ground (or other pilots) to detect vertical motion. However, a variometer is an invaluable asset when flying above 1,000 feet or so, or in light thermals at any altitude. The consummate pilot will use both instruments and senses in a complimentary manner to exploit thermals effectively. The sense of feel is an important asset when thermal flying. Often, the warmth of a thermal compared to the surrounding air will serve to indicate when one is inside the bubble. More readily detectable is the turbulence and surge of lift encountered when passing into a thermal. Very often, an abrupt lifting of a glider's nose or tilting of the wings will occur as the pilot flies into the thermal. Occasionally, a series of hard bumps announces the thermal's boundary, giving way to smooth air inside the bubble. On the other hand, large, weak thermals may exhibit no turbulence whatsoever, but
deliver gradually increasing lift. Once inside a thermal and heading for the core, a pilot can often feel the G forces associated with a change in vertical motion. A strong thermal will cause a great tug on the harness straps. A pilot may feel like a yo-yo in heavy thermal conditions. The problem with trying to use this sense exclusively, is that gradual changes may not be detected, and continuous lift (or sink) will not be felt since the upward force on the body returns to one G (the force of gravity) when upward motion is neither increasing nor decreasing. However, since the body also feels a reduction in G forces when lift is reduced, an overall picture of a thermal's extent can be deduced by this method in well-defined thermal conditions. As an experiment, try riding in a car on a hilly road with your eyes closed. Have the driver keep a steady speed and see if you can tell him or her when you are going up, down, or level, simply by feeling the change in G forces. The slower the car moves, the harder it will be to judge the ups and downs, similar to the case of large, weak thermals. Obviously, this technique is limited by the insensitivity of the human body, but the principle is very accurate when employed in inertial guidance systems. When exiting a thermal, turbulence and sink are again commonly experienced. This time, the nose often drops as it enters downward moving air, or air with considerably less upward motion than the bulk of the thermal. A severe case of this nosedropping, tail-lifting, diving syndrome is known as "going over the falls." Most thermal pilots can attest to the accuracy of this expression. The sense of smell is a useful indicator of a thermal's presence. Very often, a thermal will carry aloft the odors present on the ground where the thermal originated. I have personally thermalled without instruments over a large farm by sniffing for cows, as well as over a construction site guided by the scent of tar. By far, the most important sense is sight. In the same way that odors are carried aloft when a thermal rises, so too are leaves,
35
paper and other debris. Occasionally, a floating bit of trash is encountered in a thermal. More reliable is the practice of keying on birds and other pilots. Soaring birds have an uncanny ability to locate the best thermals with the best cores, so join them. They certainly will rush into your thermal if they see you outclimbing them. The presence of another pilot almost doubles the area of aerial exploration. You can watch other gliders and see the lift or sink they encounter just as readily as flying through it yourself. However, be aware of the fact that many times when another pilot appears to be rising in lift, you are actually sinking (and vice versa). Still, his or her position is at least better than yours. One of the most important visual clues to the presence of thermals is cumulus clouds. As we saw last month, these clouds are, in fact, formed by thermals. Only when a pilot is approaching say a thousand feet below the base of the clouds can they be used to judge the location of thermals. Thermals WIND
cumulus clouds. These clouds represent convection (or Bernard) cells with usable lift, but they are usually above the reach of terrain-launching hang glider pilots. The final visual clue is the thermal "tail." When a thermal lifts off, surrounding air rushes in to replace the lifting air. Very often, this rushing air is itself unstable and will follow the thermal aloft. As the thermal moves along in the wind, it may trigger the release of other thermals, so that the net effect is a continuous disturbance along the ground, tracing the progress of the thermal. Generally, the position of the thermal will be downwind of the ground disturbance, as in figure l, position A. However, my experience as well as that of others I have interviewed is that above the ridge, the "tail" tends to be ahead of the thermal. In the East, where trees cover the ridges, it is common to see branches swaying and leaves rustling as a thermal passes through. When flying on top of a ridge and spotting such a
ENTERING A THERMAL
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drift with the wind. If the wind velocity at various altitudes is unknown, it's hard to estimate the path of a thermal feeding the cloud. However, the best hunting grounds below a cumulus cloud are undoubtedly upwind. When flying at lower altitudes (3,000 feet AGL or less), the best place to be is downwind from potential ground sources of thermals (dry fields, rocks, buildings, etc.). Sometimes, a direct relationship between ground sources and clouds can be established, especially in light winds. The obvious choice is to fly between the two. Of course, thermals can be present when cumulus clouds are absent. We call these "blue thermals." In addition, layers of air lifted to the point of instability will produce a regular pattern of cumulus or strato36
rotate very rapidly as it draws together, similar to the swirling of water going down a bathtub drain. This rapid swirling kicks up dust and debris with devilish impunity. In general, a thermal will be above or downwind of a dust devil when the thermal is low. However, since a dust devil doesn't travel strictly downwind due to its rotation (similar to a "curve" ball thrown with spin), at some point the thermal and dust devil part company. A thermal will be to the right of a clockwise rotating dust devil when viewed in the upwind direction. Dust devils do rotate both ways in the northern hemisphere, although clockwise may be their preferred direction due to Coriolis effect. Next month we shall look at the dangers of flying near dust devils. For now, it is sufficient to say that the presence of a dust devil belies the presence of a thermal. With experience, thermals based on dust devils can be located quite readily.
disturbance on the slope, invariably I find the lift upwind or away from the ridge with respect to the disturbance. My theory (I have found no literature on the subject) explaining this phenomenon is that the thermal "tail" gets accelerated ahead of the main body by the upslope (anabatic) circulation as well as the venturi effect caused by the ridge. This action is illustrated in figure 1, position B. Note the wind profile at the different positions. The final visual clue to a the-rmal's presence is a dust devil. In reality, a dust devil is a specialized case of the "tail" described above. If the lapse rate is exceptionally strong, a thermal will lift off quickly, bringing fast moving air in to replace the thermal. If this air has some rotation (vorticity) - as it invariably does - it will
When a thermal is entered head on, there is little else to do, but find the core and start circling. Next month, we will investigate the use of a variometer for centering in a thermal. For now, let's look at the situation for non-instrument flight. Finding the core, or area of best lift, is a matter of exploration, using the sense of feel as explained above. Once the best lift is found, you must circle to stay in it. The big decision in most thermal flying is: how tight to circle. The steeper you bank, the smaller the radius of your turn, but the greater your sink rate. You must bank steeper to stay in small, strong cores, but at some point staying close to the core will do no good if too steep a bank is required. There is a law of diminishing returns operating here. In general, 20 ° to 30 ° bank angles are in order for the majority of thermals. Occasionally, a strong localized core will require a circle with a 45 ° bank in order to maximize upward velocity. At times, even a 60 ° bank can be applied for brief intervals to rapidly hook an elusive, tight pop of lift. The secret in all cases is to simply achieve the greatest climb rate in whatever lift distribution you encounter. As you may guess, a variometer is a great assistant for this purpose. However, practice without a vario is useful indeed, since one of the most important thermal skills is performing smooth, continuous turns and judging where you are in relation to a core. One very useful trick when entering a thermal is counting a few seconds before starting to turn. The experienced pilot is well familiar with the days when thermals HANG GLIDING
are encountered everywhere but are too small to utilize. It is often said that counting to three before turning is optimum. At 20 mph, this three-second delay will measure out almost 90 feet. This is a decent size thermal for a bank of 30 ° since flying at 20 mph in a 30 ° bank describes a circle with about a 94-foot diameter. However, for stronger l3
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cores or smaller thermals, a two-second delay with a 45 ° bank is appropriate. This latter bank angle at 20 mph results in a 54-foot diameter circle. With practice, it becomes easy to judge the optimum place to begin turning in a thermal to stay in the best lift. Often, a thermal is encountered with one wing only. The classic method of grabbing the thermal (according to sailplane technique) is to perform a 270 ° turn away from the lifted wing as shown in figure 2, path A. Since the turn is already started to the right, the pilot simply continues around to enter the thermal head on. However, with the current crop of fast-turning hang gliders, it is usually expedient to overcome the force of the thermal lifting the near wing, and turn 90 ° directly into the thermal as shown by the dashed lines (path B). Which way should you circle a thermal? Assuming that you are equally proficient at turning in both directions (which you should be), turn in the direction you started when entering the thermal. However, be aware that most thermals have multiple cores and the lift can change on the way up. Birds rarely turn in one direction more than ten circles (usually less), so learn to hunt like a hawk for the best lift even if it means breaking stride and circling the other way. One other consideration is that the lifting air in a thermal may be spinning due to the action of the inrushing air at lift-off, as mentioned earlier. If you circle in the opposite direction of the rotating thermal, you will achieve a given diameter circle with less bank and thus, a better sink rate. Sailplane pilots disregard this matter, since any significant rotation of a thermal is stopped by the time it climbs to an altitude useful for thermalling in such large craft. However, hang glider pilots often thermal near the ground, so it is useful to investigate APRIL 1980
thermal rotation. Your best bet is to try circling both ways (clockwise and counterclockwise) in a thermal large enough to warrant changing direction, to see what provides the best rate of climb. On the average, if thermals are rotating, they probably turn clockwise most often in the Northern Hemisphere in harmony with the Coriolis force. However, be aware that just as dust devils can rotate both ways, so can a thermal. Much more investigation needs to be performed on this matter. A hang glider is an ideal thermal scouting device. Eventually, I expect we will acquire considerable knowledge of thermal behavior heretofore unknown. Next month we will cover flying with a variometer, thermal centering techniques, the efficient use of thermals on a ridge and the dangers of thermalling in certain conditions. Now is the time for some of the best thermal flying. The cool, spring air bubbles up like a glass of soda. Immerse yourself in the challenge of soaring the heights with nothing but a set of wings and your wits. There's probably no other pursuit that can provide enjoyment or even ecstacy that lingers so long. Polish your thermal skills and you will be floating like an eagle with the rest of the expert pilots. ~
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FLYING THE SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA COAST Article and photographs by Michael Pringle
This is an article to keep away from your spouses and lovers if you don't want them to come along on a weekend or extended flying trip. On the other hand, you may be like many in this sport who always have to divide their time between flying and family. Even when you've tried, you've failed to create the interest in your mate to simply follow you around to any forsaken hunk of land. If, with time, she has begun to prefer staying at home and then finally, prefers having you stay home with her, then this may be just the article to show her. (Female pilots, forgive me for choosing your sex as the antagonist in this example.) Excursions to the coastlands of California, between Los Angeles and San Francisco, are scenic treats and ends in themselves, flying or no flying. It's academic to add that most glider pilots have discovered on their own that flying unfamiliar sites is a captivating pursuit in itself. I thought it was about time for an indepth reconnaissance trip for the benefit of all those pilots in Los Angeles and San Francisco who are stuck with weekend or short vacation periods in which they must cram as much flying as possible, usually ending up clogging up the same local airspace they have flown hundreds of times. Now, anyone could get this information easily by consulting the USHGA office for a few names and plodding along the coast on their own. But this should make it easier to plan a trip to these exquisitely beautiful coastal areas where flying sites abound and are each at a distance that will allow you to reach your next day's objective easily after a day of flying. Although I flew all along the way, I certainly didn't get a chance to fly every site listed. Each area has a good number of flying areas that have been developed by the local fliers, and even they don't make use of the full potential hidden in the coastal cliffs and mountain ranges. With the assistance of these local area pilots, I was able to put tQgether a substantial list of flying sites which could keep any pilot busy for a weekend or a month with outstanding and
40
challenging new flying experiences. For anyone who has traveled the coast on Highway 1 between these two cities, I wouldn't have to go into any detail about the impact of the landscape on one's senses. There may be some places as beautiful in the world, but none, I'm sure, any more so. The jagged, tough, foamy white coast line, amber cliffs, and green coastal mountains lift the senses of the sensitive or most callous traveler. This is one trip that will keep the family spellbound and your absence unnoticed while you're off flying. Starting from Los Angeles, I plotted a course that would pose from one to two and a half hours of driving time between stops. Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, Big Sir, Monterey/Santa Cruz, and ending at Fort Funston, south of San Francisco, is what I came up with. Of course, if you were starting from the North, your first stop might be Santa Cruz and you might end up at Sylmar north of L.A. But keep in mind, it's the area from Santa Cruz down to Santa Barbara that is the target of this article and the least well-known to pilots, especially to us metro-dwellers. I made this trip both -ways; south to north, and north to south. It was the area in the middle that was the most enthralling. Actually, even to blitz each area, you would need a week at full steam. If you want it to be more leisurely for the sake of family enjoyment, I'd allow two. But even for a weekend trip, one could reach some of these areas and lap up a bit of the coastal scenery from either starting point. The chart listing the flying sites in each area and the names of the people to contact for guidance and information should prove to be a useful reference. If you live anywhere in California (or come visiting) and don't make use of this information, you will have certainly made a mistake in denying yourself a most pleasurable flying vacation. The people named on this list are knowledgeable regulars in the areas, and are most willing to provide you with help finding and flying these local sites when you arrive. There is one thing that stands as a universal caution at any unfamiliar
established flying location. Most have been opened and kept open through continuous sweating and politicking and working with local landowners, park and government officials, and only the resident pilots may know who else. It is very easy for anyone who doesn't know the protocol unique to a particular site, to cause a local uproar which might easily ruin all the work done and even cause the closing of the site. So always contact the local pilots first before raping their sites. Like Eskimos who offer their wives to the friendly but throw uncouth intruders to the polar bears, pilots in any area are excited to be hospitable and share their prized flying spaces; but if you are one of the few who believe the world is exclusively yours from which to launch, and everybody else can go jump, then you might find that the attitude of local pilots could change dramatically towards you. If this caution gets to half of the two percent of pilots who need to hear it, then it was worth the copy space. I began my trip at night, up Highway 101, through Ventura to Santa Barbara. The Ventura beaches could not have been more of a sight by day. The full moon silhouetted the mountain range as shimmering yellow strands of light on the cresting waves set a pattern for the beauty to come during the next few days. Having a van was a definite plus, which allowed me to pull off anywhere and crash for the night, but there are plenty of motor hotels everywhere along the way. In Santa Barbara the next morning, I reached both Ken deRussy and Jim Woods by phone. Both were on their way to the training area just above Wilcox (or Henry's) Beach. I met Ken at the training hill at about 9:30 a.m. The wind was just cross enough to offer a good excuse to cancel class. So like true fellow flyers, we didn't wait for Woods, but instead, headed straight down to Wilcox Beach in hopes of finding a good day of soaring (the half-mile long bluffs that stretch from Moore Mesa past the Hope Range) waiting for us. When we arrived there, the wind was coming straight in at about 20. We couldn't HANG GLIDING
7'0P LEFF: Ken cieHussy launches from Santa Barbara's Wilcox Beach. TOP HIGHT: Roger Platt toucl1es clown at Big Sur. ABOVE: Unicientifieci pilot at Fort Funston. LEFT: Hoger Platt anci Mark Hanley at Big Sur landing area.
get our off !he vehicles fast enough. About the time we had finished setting up, the wi11d, in its classic of the situation, to mph and turned a bit north. What's new! spent the next three or four hours waiting on top of the bluff and talking about the other sites in the area. LaCumbrc Peak is the usual flying live. It's a 15-minutc turnaround with rcet AGL. But many have made oul and return flights from Remcro Sadie. And Santa Yencz Peak is 4,298 feet and can be flow11 on the cast or on the wind direction. stretches far past the northern and southern limils or Santa Barbara and is sl ill unexplored, even after more than five years of constanl in the area. and Ken deRussy Robert spent about an hour on in the sport and business over the last few APRIL1980
years. We all remembered a time when any landing you could walk away from was cheered as a good one and fellow pilots demonstrated concern only for the well beof other pilots. It seemed to us that there was now much more critical (if not negative) attention paid to other pilots' turns or less than perfect perform-as positive feedback to skill, but as a form of self.importance through being able to criticize someone else. We weren't in our beer as much as realizing that the shift in attitude was much less conducive to an atmosphere of learning and more con·· ducivc to tenseness and unwillingness to make mistakes, which observing pilots pounce upon like a pack ofjaekels on Finally, a more immediate and usual form of retrospect set in when Ken noted, "We should have gone to the Rincon Bluffs " Rincon is south toward Ventura.
But my travel plans were pointed north-· ward, to San Luis The two and a half hour drive to San I ,uis ended in I he dark but still in the I decided to catch San Luis on the return and cruised on lo Sant.a Cruz. Mark Hanley and Roger Platt filled me in on many of the San Luis flying sites when I later met them at Sur. I'll fill you in on San Luis now. It will lhe soul h to north trip in sequence, even though mine wasn't. I {anlcy really summed up San Luis Obispo when he told me you could stand on top or any San Luis flying site and sec fifteen other flyable sites (even if some of them might be 1,500 feet But they aren't all walkups. Cayucas is 1200 feet and flyable in anything from norlhwest to southwest winds. and Grade seemed to be the most popular. When began rattling off a list of 01 her sites, I had to stop him and ask why, then, was he at
Sur. "Nothing's as prctt y as Sm." I had to agree with him. I'm not selling San short, but then, a little Luis ways north, there is Big Sur. And it is next on the list. I'd recommend in some good flyin San Luis and then heading out to Sur in the late afternoon. For those not in their vehicles, the
Point Inn is just a few minutes south of Pfeiffer State Park (the Sur landing and seemed to be a comfortable and convenient stopping point for the night. Waiting in the parking area at Pfeiffer Stale Park, I was beginning to wonder if I was in the right place. Finally, about 9:30 Mark was the first to arrive from
San Luis Obispo. Within 45 minutes, another half a dozen San Luis pilots trickled into the parking area and we were ready to head up. While any vehicle can eventually make it up to takeoff, a four-wheeler is best. We packed into Ponsu Kccm's four··wheelcr and were at the top in 40 minutes. Ponsu was the first one off. Mike
TOP LEFT: Picturesque Hurricane Ridge, north of Big Sur, provides a sample of the scenery in this area. TOP RIGHT: Unidentified pilot at Fort Funston. CENTER LEFT: Another Fort Funston pilot. CENTER RIGHT: Aerial shot of Big Sur coastline from 2,000 feet. BOTTOM LEFT: Pfeiffer State Beach parking lot and Big Sur land· ing area. BELOW: Spectators get a close-up of a pilot at Funston.
42
HANG GLIDING ·
Brewer, Mike Smith, Bob hoemaker and I were setting up. Roger Platt, Larry Lorentz, Mark Hanley and Pat Morri ey were on their way up in the second vehicle. I was briefed on the general flight plan to make it over the rolling hill and down to the coastal mountains, and decided I would launch last, after Bob Shoemaker, so I could take my camera along and get ome shots of the flight. Most of the setup area is part of the loping hillside, which makes things a little difficult. The launch itself is an easy one, free from obstructions. You have to pay a bit of attention to your glide ratio, u ing it wisely, to negotiate the mountains below the takeoff and reach the windward side of the coastal hills. I found myself flying at about 200 feet over the tops of rolling hills enjoying the view for a mile and a half. Then the tops of the mountains fall away to a panorama of the California coastline, the cliff , and Highway 1, about 2,000 feet below . Thi particular flight was in light winds and I made several passes in front of the last mountainsides before heading out to the landing area. There are definite precaution to observe when choosing where to land. I was happy that I had taken the time to locate ome pilots experienced in flying the area and had taken advantage of their experience before the flight. On this particular flight, landing adjacent to the parking area was fine. When the wind comes up o that white caps are noticeable on the ocean, this is not a afe place to land because the rotors reach all the way back to the parking lot. I had heard several storie about pilot who had not taken the precaution to fly on down the road to an alternate landing area at such times, and had gotten first hand experience in "landing" in a strong rotor. Having established my landing area, just relaxed and enjoyed the view, and what a view! I realized at that time that probably no one but a hang glider pilot could have the experience I wa having now, at thi point in space above the cliffs of Big Sur. On a crystal clear day, I was looking north
TOP: Ken deRussy and Robert Millington " wind waiting " at Wilcox Beach in Santa Barbara. CENTER: Ponsu Keem heads out from the top of the Pfeiffer State Beach launch at Big Sur. BOT· TOM: The viewing facilities for family and spec· tators are excellent at Fort Funston .
APRIL 1980
and south. I could see the coastline twisting back in on itself creating coves and points from horizon to horizon. Even on a day of such mild winds, it's the kind of flight that reaffirms one's original purpose in putting forth the effort to learn the sport. Most of the pilots loaded up again for a second flight. I would have liked to have flown there for weeks, especially under varying wind conditions. I could tell the site held great promise for thermalling and ridge soaring. But this was no time to hold too tightly to a good thing. I still had miles to cover, other places to fly, and for the purposes of this article, we have about a two-hour drive on to Monterey and Santa Cruz. The Esalon spas and hot baths, about 30 minutes north of the Big Sur site, are another nice feature of flying in this area. At $3 per person, it's a fantastic way to cap off the day's flying, and it's right on the way to our next northern destination. Most of the time I spent at Monterey and Santa Cruz was spent indoors out of the rain. Even on those sunny days, the calm winds held little promise. Spring and summer is, I'm sure, quite a different story. There is quite a variety of sites in this area. At Lexington Reservoir, the reward for landing short is a visit to a local nudist colony. It may be an experience, but doesn't do too much for our public relations, especially if you are clothed. Then there's Lindamar (or Montera) Peak as well as a section of Sunset State Beach that's been reopened. There's also Marina, Skyline, Wydel Creek, a site in the town of Milpitas, Mission Ridge and East Bay. When flying East Bay you should call Pat Denevan for information; for all the rest, call Jerry Nolan who's president of the Monterey Bay Hang Gliding Association. Eagle Sarmont of Grafspan, in Santa Cruz, provided me with most of the information on the flying as well as the Esalon spas. Later, he also provided me with a tour of the Santa Cruz night life. Santa Cruz is an interesting, rustic area. The wharfs in Monterey are also worth a visit. There's plenty to do for the whole family around the Monterey Bay area without suffering the congestion of San Francisco, an hour to the north. Speaking of San Francisco and congestion, about fifteen minutes south of the Golden Gate Bridge is Fort Funston. This is a well-known site. Any information you might need on this area or points north can be obtained by calling Chandelle in San Francisco. For me, flying Funston was fun. Crowds don't really bother me as long as everyone is following the usual rules of the road. I ran into some old friends and flying acquaintances including Marty Alameda.
44
Marty used to be a mainstay at Seagull and is now running his own business in Carmel. New Zealand pilot Graeme Bird took time to fill me in on some of the general prospects of flying at Funston. From Graeme's account, many pilots make seven to nine mile flights south to Pacifica from Funston, but few return back up the coast. "How do they get back?" was my first comment. "Most of these chaps have their girlfriends and what not who keep track of them and drive down to fetch them back." (Another point for keeping your mate interested in keeping you company on flying trips!) It's usually from July to September that the notable wind shear soaring conditions are present at Funston. But even on marginal days, pilots come out of the woodwork as soon as one glider is visible in the air from the hills of the city. There have been articles which describe Funston flying at length, so I don't wish to belabor describing this site, even though it's a good one, especially for spectators. They have their own grandstands right on the
point near the launch, perfect for viewing the action. Besides, this is not one of the sites that needs to be made more popular. It's actually one of the sites that I hope will be partially thinned out through the encouragement of this article to head out to the middle-earth areas of the Southern California Coast. Don't think I have compiled an exhaustive list of flying locations in these areas. But I've given you a good start and some good contacts along the way. It's an easy trip to plan: a trip with no hardships, no days of flightless driving, but full of experience and information, and a chance to meet some of the old-timers in the sport who have been quietly flying this coastline for many years. I'll leave it up to you to discover the real fulfillment in planning this excursion. Of course there's scenery, fantastic flying, and a chance to give the family a thrilling vacation, but best and most important by far, there are the fellow pilots you'll meet along the way. ~
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA COASTAL FLYING SITES Starting point: Ending at:
Sylmar in Los Angeles Fort Funston in San Fr.ancisco
AREA
CONTACT
SITE
Santa Barbara
Ken deRussy Channel Island Hang Glider Emporium (805) 965-3733 613 Milpas
La Cumbre Peak Remero Saddle Santa Ynez Peak Wilcox/Henry's Beach Rincon Bluffs
San Luis Obispo
Perry Judd Shell Beach (805) 773-5292, president Slow Soaring Association. For list of all association members, write: Roger Platt, 375 Lemon St., San Luis Obispo 93401, (805) 541-2793
Cayucas Questa Grade Guadalupe Sand Dunes Point Sao Marinda Pine (many others unnamed)
Big Sur
Pacific Valley Ranger Station, Jerry Noland in Monterey, or Roger Platt in San Luis Obispo
Sand Dollar Beach Pfeiffer Beach State Park
Monterey/Santa Cruz
Jerry Noland (408) 423-4442, president Monterey Bay HG Association. For East Bay call: Pat Denevan, Mission Soaring Center (408) 353-2926
Mission Ridge Milpitas East Bay Wydel Creek Skyline Marina Sunset State Beach Lexington Reservoir Lindamar Peak (Montera Peak) HANG GLIDING
Considerations in the Use of Composites for Hang Glider Structures Richard Heckman, Chairman, Research and Development Committee Composite materials have been appearing in hang gliding design in various ways for several years now. Everyone is familiar with the fiberglass and foam/fiberglass battens used by many manufacturers. Several manufacturers have experimented with composites in structural applications (Electra Flyer with fiberglass and Ultralite Products with carbon fiber, for example). This report discusses considerations associated with the use of composites in these structural applications. First, what are composites? In engineering design terms they are structural materials created by imbedding fibers of a very high strength material in a matrix material, usually epoxy resin, although reinforced concrete is literally a composite. For recreational applications where cost is a factor, polyester resin is often used, most predominantly with fiberglass as the fiber. In the forefront of technology are the metal matrix composites, with aluminum as the matrix. I've mentioned the matrix materials. The fibers normally used are: glass, car1bon, aramid' (Dupont's Kevlar) and boron. Two other fibers being used in high temperature applications are: silicon carbide/carbon and FP Alumina, both in aluminum matrices. Each of the fibers has its own characteristics, which help to determine its uses. Unfortunately, the fiber and the matrix are not the only engineering choices required when designing a composite part. The form of the fiber and its orientation in the part are as critical, if not more so, than the fiber material itself. The fibers in a composite provide its strength. The matrix simply holds them in position. Almost all the strength comes from the fibers that are in tension at any time. It's the old push the rope trick! You've got to be pulling. It's for this reason that the form and orientation of the fibers are important. Individual fibers vary in diameter from 7 microns for some types of carbon to .008 inches for some boron fibers. Most are around .0002 to .0004 inches in diameter. These are generally treated to improve adhesion to the matrix (we'll talk a little more about that later), collected into strands and either used in this form for filament winding or fabricated into the form best suited for the manufacturAPRIL 1980
ing process and the physical properties required by the finished part. The common forms of fibers are: Unidirectional tapes - Not woven, all strands run in the same direction. Normally preimpregnated with the matrix to facilitate manufacture. Excellent strength/weight. Woven Fabrics & Tapes - Most common, found in fender or boat repair kits, etc. May be impregnated. Good strength/weight. Roving - Filament winding. Excellent strength/weight. Chopped Strand - for molding compounds, dune buggy bodies, boats. Poor strength to weight vs. others. If all your load is in one direction, then things are simple; unidirectional tape aligned with that direction should give you excellent strength to weight ratio. Unfortunately, if the load is applied across the tape, then the matrix material must carry
the load and failure will probably occur. For this reason, designers generally control the orientation of various layers of cloth or tape so that the load is distributed across fibers going in different directions. For good, lightweight design, the angles of layup and number of layers of which material are critical and must be followed very carefully during manufacturing. Extensive prototype testing is then normally performed to insure that the design is correct. Let's look at the various fibers. Glass is easily impregnated with resin and if "sized" (surface treated) properly, bonds well with resin. It is easily handled, lays up well and is the least expensive of the fibers. There are two types of glass. "E" glass is a basic silicate glass, is cheaper and is not as stiff or strong as the other fibers. "S" glass is an alumino-silicate glass, is somewhat stiffer and considerably stronger than "E" glass but is also more expensive. Carbon (graphite) fiber is formed by pyrolysis of a filament (rayon or polyacrylonitrile) or pyrolysis extrusion of tar pitch. Its properties can be varied by varying different
COMPARISON OF FIBER STRENGTH 7 6 TYPICAL ULTIMATE TENSILE STRENGTH (PSI x 10')
5 -
GLASS
D
4 -
KEVLAR
D
3 -
BORON
D
2
CARBON
D
0
10TYPICAL ULTIMATE TENSILE ~TRENGTH DENSITY
9 8 7
X 10 6
D
GLASS
D D D BORON
6 PSI LB/IN'
KEVLAR
5 4 3
CARBON
0 FIGURE 1
45
parameters during forming. Unfortunately what you gain in a given property, you lose in another so you can't assume that a given fiber will give the best performance across the board. All carbon is not the same. Carbon is more difficult to impregnate than glass, but adequate treatments and processes exist. The fibers are stiffer, so it's not as easy to layup or form and "springback" is a problem. Thus more care must be taken during layup and forming to insure a good part. Aramid fibers (Kevlar) are easy to work with and can be woven into many fabrics. It is being used as a tire cord, in flak jackets, in the Space Shuttle and the Gossamer Albatross. It has been quite expensive but the cost is dropping. It is rather difficult to impregnate and the bond to the matrix can be somewhat of a problem. It has excellent resistance to handling and abrasion. Because of its ease of handling and the many possible cloths and tapes that it can be formed into, look for it to show up in many more applications. Boron is extremely stiff and strong but is very difficult to work and is very expensive. It's available normally as a preimpregnated tape and I mention it only for sake of completeness. I don't foresee its use in hang gliders in the near future. Let's compare structural properties. Glass is the strongest fiber in tension (Fig. 1), but is rather heavy. When compared by weight, Kevlar shows up best while carbon creeps up on boron and glass. Carbon shines in stiffness however (Fig. 2). When compared by weight, it's the best. Therefore, if stiffness and light weight are what you want, carbon's your baby. In compressive strength (in an epoxy matrix) boron is best, with carbon next (Fig. 3). Composites don't exhibit exactly what in metals would be classical fatigue failure. If you compare endurance limit in terms of percent of ultimate strength (Fig. 4) boron, graphite and Kevlar look good and glass bad. But because glass has 3 to 10 times the ultimate strain capability (Fig. 5) its failure mode is dominated by failure in the matrix or matrix/fiber bond which results in a slow, gradual loss of stiffness failure mode. This provides an inherent, almost fail-safe capability which can be built into glass composites. The other materials show little warning of fatigue damage and when it comes, there is little margin between small damage and ultimate failure. In other words, one minute it looks good, the next minute, it's broken. How does all this apply to hang glider design? Composites are used in aircraft and spacecraft design when lightness, stiffness and strength are very important and therefore can justify the expense of using composites. Sometimes the characteristics 46
of the composite allow a design approach not possible with metal. An example of the latter is the present study of forward swept wings on fighter aircraft for improved low speed handling. Without the stiffness available in composite structures, aerodynamic loading at high speeds would cause the wing tip angle of attack to increase (i.e., eliminating washout) causing premature, high speed tip stall, and extremely poor handling characteristics. In hang gliders, increasing the stiffness of the leading edge would make it easier to control sail billow without deflexors. When
you do this, however, you restrict the capability of the frame to deflect to relieve higher than normal aerodynamic loads. This was the point Wills Wing made about the use of Grafspan's carbon/glass/ aluminum composite leading edges on their gliders. The higher sail loads get transferred back into the rest of the structure and will tend to be concentrated where the stiffened structure meets a more flexible one. If not considered carefully in the overall design, all hell can break loose. I am not inferring that the Grafspan leading edges would cause problems, but without structural
COMPARISON OF FIBER STIFFNESS BORON 60
D
50 YOUNG'S MODULUS (PSI x 10')
40 30
CARBON
DD
KEVLAR
20. 10
GLASS
=
0 900
CARBON
800
DD D BORON
700 SPECIFIC MODULUS PSI , 10 LB/IN' x
600 500
KEVLAR
400 300 200
GLASS
c::::J
100 0 FIGURE2
COMPARISON OF SPECIFIC COMPRESSIVE STRENGTH PROPERTIES IN AN EPOXY 6 MATRIX BORON
c:J 5
4 ULTIMATE COMPRESSIVE STRENGTH 3
DENSITY PSI LB/IN'
x 10
,
CARBON
D
2 GLASS
D
KEVLAR49
c::::J 0 FIGURE 3
HANG GLIDING
testing of the type required for HOMA certification, I can understand Wilts' concern. While we are talking about Grafspan, let me say that wrapping glass and carbon laminate on an aluminum tube is a rather ingenious way of getting composite characteristics without the cost of expensive mandrels which are normally used in aerospace applications. In this case, the tube serves as the mandrel. It's just not removed after curing. Also, the use of both glass and carbon can provide stiffness of carbon with the strength and failure resistance of glass. Unfortunately, the end result is also heavier, so that some of the advantages of lightness are lost. Also to be considered in a design of this type is the difference in the coefficient of thermal expansion between all of the materials. For the temperature range we experience in hang gliding, it may make no difference and I have made no attempt to calculate the internal stresses involved, but aluminum expands with increasing temperature while carbon shrinks. If not properly accounted for, it is possible that delamination could occur. This should only be a consideration in the low temperature range. The finished composite part is an incredible collection of decisions: What fiber, what form (uniaxial, woven, mat, etc.), what fiber angles within the part, what matrix; should a hybrid be used; what production methods and processes are best suited for the application. This last is very important in composite structural applications because each part is made up of many layers of materials. If the matrix/fiber ratio varies due to production techniques, then part strength will vary. Pre-impregnated fiber materials, where the partially cured matrix is incorporated into the tape, cloth, or other form of material, is the most common method of avoiding this problem. Extreme care must be taken, however, when layering strips of "prepreg" to keep all materials scrupulously clean. The oil from your hands, inadvertently applied to the prepreg surface, can cause the cured component to fail by delamination under load. The oil won't allow a good bond between those two layers. What these last couple of paragraphs say is that composite parts will never be cheap because extra care and testing has to go into the design and fabrication of this type of structure. In the space industry it is common practice to proof load each composite part to satisfy ourselves that no production mistakes have occurred. Just recently, we had a Space Shuttle solid rocket booster nozzle fail such a test and the failure analysis indicated that two parts just hadn't been cleaned quite as well as they should APRIL 1980
ENDURANCE LIMITS OF FIBERS IN AN EPOXY MATRIX (10 5 TO 10 7 CYCLES) KEVLAR
90
75
BORON
GRAPHITE
D
D
D
60 PERCENT OF ULTIMATE TENSILE STRENGTH
45
30 GLASS
15
D
0 FIGURE4
STRESS STRAIN BEHAVIOR OF REINFORCING FIBERS
/
500 -
S-GLASS ROVING
BORON KEVLAR 49 ROVING
400 TENSILE STRESS (PSI x 10 3 )
300 E-GLASS ROVING
200
100 NOMEX
0
20
10
30
40
50
TENSILE STRAIN(%) FIGURE 5
have been prior to layup and curing. Grafspan has performed developmental testing on their composite structures and I assume they will be continuing to work with the manufacturers to ensure compatibility between their components and the basic airframe. I would encourage the development of a proof load test by anyone entering the composite hang glider components market
to assure proper processing techniques. Lastly, it should be obvious that composite structures can affect many aspects of the aerodynamic response of a glider as well as the structural response and must be included in the certification process, as they are major modifications to any existing design. ~
47
hn L Photo·. Stephen Mccarroll
to be stronger than nose of the glider is up in stronger running a few steps, the student The effeets of wind gradients injure more glider pilots than do, yel they are mentioned. Wind gradients and their effects arc sirnplc to understand. This article is a brief in-· troduction and will a few sugges .. tions for techniques that can avoid wind gradient .. induced problems in flight. sailor will tell you that boats with taller masts hold an over boats shorter masts. The reason is with that they can carry their sails higher, where the winds blow stronger. Winds blow stronger where the tall masts reach because fric .. the winds arc not slowed as much tion with the earth's surface. A wind gra .. client is the differential a line in this case a vertical line When pilots of the arc about the near the earth's surface caused friction. ff there is any wind, the wind gra-· dicnt will be present. The more quickly the wind increases with altilude, the stronger is considered the
HANG GLIDING
Picture a training site. Ideally, it will have about a ten mph breeze with smooth, stable air. It may be surprising, but stable air tends to have a stronger gradient than unstable air. Nice, stable marine air coming onto a beach will invariably have a relatively strong gradient. The reason for this is that unlike unstable air which rolls around and around exchanging momentum within itself, stable air slides over itself and, near the surface, is left alone by the stronger winds aloft. A student hang glider pilot first encounters the effects of the wind gradient during overly aggressive flares for landings In first flights at good training sites, the stu-
20 MPH 15MPH
Fig. 2 Stall Due to Wind Gradient.
Fig. 1 Schematic representation of a Wind Gradient.
dent remains near the ground during the glide. Then, in a strong flare, he sticks the nose of the glider up even farther, sometimes enough so that the glider slides backwards to the ground, perhaps damaging the keel. For this reason it might be wise for instructors to advise the students to try to run a few steps on landing. Once a student is making flights with altitudes of 30 or 40 feet, he will encounter the best-known effect of the gradient (see figure 2). As the glider descends down through the gradient, airspeed will tend to diminish. In order to maintain airspeed, a pitch stable glider will want to descend more rapidly. The student will counter by easing the nose up, causing the airspeed to drop off. This won't be readily apparent to the student because his groundspeed will remain the same or increase. The result is often a hard mushing landing or even a stall and a bent control bar. The answer is, of course, to carry extra airspeed on final approach. But, the question is: how much extra airspeed? In a nice smooth and large landing area it is difficult to come in with too much, but not all areas allow such liberties. Other things being equal, more airspeed would be advised in more stable air, but other things are not equal. In APRIL 1980
bumpy, unstable air, a little extra airspeed is advisable for control and to make passage through rolling air quicker. A rule of thumb often heard is to add half the windspeed to your airspeed. The point to remember is that smooth air shouldn't lull you into trouble. Stable winds have the stronger gradient. So far, we have considered the effects of the gradient in straight and level flight or in a flare straight into the wind. Things get a little more complicated when we introduce the factor of turns in a gradient. Furthermore, in this case, lack of understanding of the effects of the gradient can be more serious and can lead to accidents quite capable of injuring the pilot. Indeed, it is here that we enter into situations that really have hurt a lot of pilots in hang gliding and continue to injure many because some instructors fail to properly explain the situation. It almost goes without saying that those who try to learn by themselves, without the benefit of proper instruction, will almost certainly encounter some hard knocks from mysterious crashes that they attribute to "tip" stalls. In any turn a glider must be in a banked attitude. One wing must be higher than the
other and will be in stronger wind than the wing which is closer to the ground. Furthermore, it should be evident that the high wing will be blown downwind relative to the low wing (see figure 3). This fact should be engraved into the mind of anyone who cares to be a pilot. It is one of the basic and absolutely essential concepts. Let's consider a few consequences of this fact. Suppose you are flying crosswind as part of your landing approach. Your intention is to turn into the wind and land when you get down to an altitude of 15 or 20 feet. When you attempt to bank into the turn, the glider will tend to resist the banking and, unless you have anticipated, the turn will overshoot the line you intended to follow to your landing. That's not too great a problem unless there happens to be a tree or power line in the way. Secondarily, as you go around the turn, you must start off applying a great deal of control effort, but as you turn into the wind this effort can put you into too steep a bank and even, perhaps, turn you into a crosswind or crossdownwind heading. The reason for the over control is that the gradient does not affect your banking capability when heading into the wind ... it is just the crosswind portions
Fig. 3 Turning Problems in a Wind Gradient. A. The glider wants to over-bank. B. The glider resists banking.
49
of turns where the gradient affects the banking. Now, imagine a turn away from the direction which is into the wind. This is frequently seen in spot landing contests. A glider approaches to one side of the spot and the pilot starts a turn which will give him a crosswind track to the spot. Often the glider flicks around in a steep downwind turn and ends up in either a downwind landing or crash. What happens is that the high wing tends to blow over the low wing causing a steep turn. This "blowing over" of the high wing can be very strong; stronger than is controllable when coming as a surprise. It is hard to over-emphasize the rapidity and power of this effect. The best advice is to never turn out of the wind near the ground unless it is really necessary and keep in mind that the glider will want to turn very quickly and sharply. These last four paragraphs indicate that when flying in the wind gradient a glider will want to turn downwind and stay flying downwind. When entering a 360 ° turn from a direction into the wind, the glider will snap right into a nice tight turn until pointing downwind. At that point, however, it will start to want to roll out of the turn and stay flying almost downwind and the pilot will have to apply much more control to maintain a constant turning rate. The slow turning portion of the 360 ° occurs closest to the hill when the pilot suddenly wants to get around the turn. A few years ago a large aviation magazine printed an article by two pilots, one a crop duster and the other an airline pilot. The article was over the argument (as old as aviation) about downwind turns. The crop duster argued that the downwind turn was dangerous because you tended to lose airspeed, whereas the airline pilot argued, correctly, that there is no difference in a turn due to the wind. The crop duster was basing his argument on experience. He just knew that the downwind turn was bad news. Unfortunately, he laid the source of
this very real experience at the doorstep of the wind. The fact is that his experience was at very low altitudes, where he was in the gradient. It was the gradient, not the wind itself, that was causing him to think downwind turns are different. They are different if you are in the gradient, but not if you are above the gradient. As pointed out, a turn is affected by the gradient because the high wing is in stronger wind and is blown downwind more strongly. This is the same as saying that the wing which is further from the ground is blown more strongly downwind. The fact is that you can be in straight and level flight, yet your wings can still be across the wind gradient, just as if you were banked in a turn. This situation exists when flying or soaring near to or along a ridge or slope and the
Fig. 4 Wind Gradient along a slope.
ground is banked, instead of the glider (see figure 4). All pilots who have soared along a ridge have noticed that they have to apply a banking force away from the nearby ridge. This tends to be a steady state thing and hasn't caused too much trouble except in gusts. When a gust hits, the effect of the
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gradient up the slope will intensify and act to roll the glider into the hill. Pilots have died because of this. They scratch along the edge of a steep ridge and a gust hits them, blowing them towards the lip. As they try to turn away, into the wind, the gradient is lifting their windward wing making the turn slow or impossible or, even, causing them to turn towards the cliff. A more common accident with neophyte ridge or slope-soaring pilots occurs when they turn. Sometimes this turn is the first turn away from into the wind to fly along the ridge. They don't realize how tough it is going to be to stop the turn, so they allow the turn to go too far and they hook a wingtip. Just as often, an accident occurs when the pilot turns to go back down the slope in the other direction. When he starts the turn, he is turning into the wind and he needs aggressive control application. However, as soon as he has turned across the wind, the glider will want to turn and can catch him by surprise. He turns too far and again ends up by hooking a wingtip and cartwheeling into the ground. This can be very pronounced as both the glider and the ground are banked. There can be no clear cut rule for handling the gradient in turns and along slopes. My own suggestion is to initiate the roll out of the turn as soon as the glider is pointed into the wind. If you end up recovering from the turn too soon, it is easily dealt with, but if you allow a turn in these conditions to go too far, the result can be serious. Be wary of any downwind turn if you suspect a gradient may exist and, if you must turn, just sort of nibble at it so that the turn doesn't get out of hand. Above all, think the whole concept of the gradient over and over in your mind so that you will reduce the chances of being caught by surprise. When the hang rating tasks were designed, figure eight patterns were included. One thing about them is that they tend to introduce wind gradient factors . ...-
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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 ANTARES 1979 - 190 sq. ft. Best of both worlds, great sink rate and LID. Clean $925. Phoenix 6-D 215 1979 - Great intermediate glider. $1,050. Call Greg (213) 399-5315. 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.
SENSOR 411 !CB - All white w/"powered by Oly" decals for Olympia Beer sponsorship. Phoenix 8 SR - Rainbow sail pattern. Excellent beginner kite for large person. Call (406) 728-6728 after 5 p.m., M.S.T. STRONG, SAFE BEGINNER'S GLIDER. Seagull IV. 6: I glide, 250 sink. Excellent condition. $350 or offer. (415) 321-5083. SUPER SEAHAWK 1978 - Excellent condition. Blue leading edge w/multi-color sail pattern. $650. (213) 894-7569. John Jr. WANTED: Used gliders, Rogallos or fixed up to $550 on trade-in or buy outright. Call or write the Hang Glider Shop, 612 Hunter Hill, OKC 73127 (405) 787-3125.
Rigid Wings EASY RISER - Complete kit. No reasonable offer refused. (617) 369-7237, Concord, Mass. EASY RISER with Mac 101 on C.G.S. reduction unit and landing gear. Harness, trailer & box. Never flown, needs work. $1,000. (901) 324-8922.
CAN WE HELP YOU GET INTO THE AIR? Do you want to fly, but are short of funds? We will trade anything to help you fly. Contact Delta Wing Kites & Gliders, (213) 787-6600. CIRRUS 5B 1979!/i - Primo condition. Lt. blue w/lime & yellow tip. $700 firm. (714) 436-7351 eves. CIRRUS 2 - Purple. Excellent condition. XL Sunbird harness with parachute. Call Ted, (714) 673-5271 eves. CYB - Soar Windows. White w/blue leading edge & color panels. $700 O.B.O. Katherine Yardley, (213) 345-5902, (213) 470-2866. CUMULUS 5-B - Harness & parachute. Excellent condition. $900 or best offer. (714) 595-5776. ELECTRA FL YER CIRRUS 3 - High performance. Blue, red, yellow, white and purple. 6 mos. old, excellent condition. Harness & helmet included. Kite hasn't been flown many times. $675. (918) 446-2749. ELEVEN METER - Brand new, test flown only. $1350/best offer. (303) 423-4529. GRYPHON DS 160 - Latest model, nice handling, good sink rate and very fast. Excellent condition. $900. (702) 749-5298, Lake Tahoe. HIGHSTER 184 - Little air time. Custom sail - easy to fly. $750 or best offer. (213) 347-7664. MARIAH 190 - Seven colors plus triple colors on double surface. No leading edge batten stops. Excellent shape, S 1,800 invested, $900 offer. Seagull lO Meter - Good shape. $450. Valkyrie - Excellent shape. $350. (509) 966-2061 evenings.
These high quality cassette tapes feature speakers and topics presented at Windhaven's 1979 Spring Soaring Seminar. Let experts join you in your car or living room for discussions on these exciting hang gliding topics.
No Mountains? Soar Anyway!
FLY THE FLATLANDS! Tow Systems for All Makes of Hang Gliders. Tow system w/top and bottom release $400 and flotation additional $ 10 with spread shackles 2 point pulley bridle $ 30 Boat release with carabiner $ 45 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
GET ORGANIZED! He1e s a set of 4 sturdy Ides lhat holds over 4 years of you1 favori1e 8 1,; ~ 11 magazines
4 MAG FILES $4.95 Send $4 95 plus $1.00 to, postage and handling to.
DOM INDUSTRIES P.O. BOX 388-V DOVER, N.H. 03820
Tape No. 1 Subject: Competition Flying Speaker: Chris Price Tape No. 2 Subject: Airworthyness Standards Speaker: Tom Price Tape No. 3 (Topic A) Subject: Pitch Stability Speaker: Gary Valle Tape No. 3 (Topic B) Subject: Cross-Country Flying Speaker: Jerry Katz Tape No. 4 Subject: Hypoxia Speaker: Lt. Col. Coleman Tape No. 5 Subject: Spatial Disorientation Speaker: Vince Brophy FAA GADO Tape No. 6 Subject: Soaring TechniquesExpert Panel Speakers: Trip Mellinger and Chris Price Buy any one tape for only $3.50, any three for $9.95 or the complete set of six tapes for $18.95. On all cassette orders please include $1.50 for postage and handling. California residents add 6% sales tax.
·------ --SEND ME • • • D TAPE #1 D TAPE #4 0
TAPE #2 D TAPE #5
D TAPE #3 D TAPE #6 NAME ADDRESS CITY _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ ST ATi=.____ _ _ ZIP
TRYlNGTO SELL YOUR GLIDER'/ NOVA 210 - Excellent condition, many extras. $1,100. Bennett chute, unused $250. Don (714) 885-6102.
52
Try Jflaug Gliding cllassilieds. They get results:
AMOUNT _ _ _ _ _ _~
Mail to: Windhaven International, Inc. 12437 San Fernando Rd. Sylmar, CA 91342
# 202 _.....
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ICARUS II - Partially built. All plans, hardware & materials included. Make offer. (714) 552-5500. ICARUS V - Built at Free Flight factory. All exterior parts anodized. Test flown only. Can easily be powered. Complete with trailer that sleeps two. Moving, must sell. $1,295. Call: (916) 723-9221.
Schools and Dealers ARIZONA THE BEST IN ULTRALIGHT SOARING EQUIPMENT AND INSTRUCTION. U.S. Hang Gliders, Inc., 10250 N. 19th Ave., Phoenix, Az. 85021. (602) 944-1655. 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. CHANNEL ISLANDS HANG GLIDER 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. ELSINORE VALLEY HANG GLIDING CENTER. Certified, experienced instruction, sales for all major manufacturers and repair facilities. Call (714) 678-2050. FREE FLIGHT OF SAN DIEGO. Expert instruction utilizing modern, safe equipment. (714) 560-0888. HANG GLIDERS OF CALIFORNIA, INC. USHGA certified instruction from beginning to expert levels. All brands of gliders, a complete line of instruments & equipment are available! For information or catalog, write or call: Hang Gliders of California, Inc., 2410 Lincoln Blvd., Santa Monica, CA 90405. (213) 399-5315.
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. 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. FLORIDA
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA HANG GLIDING SCHOOLS, since 1974. Largest and most complete hang gliding center in Southern California. Featuring Delta Wing, Seagull, Sun bird, and the French "Atlas." All other brands available. Large inventory of parts and accessories. Beginner to advanced instruction with USHGA certified instructors. 5219 Sepulveda Blvd., Van Nuys, CA 91411. (213) 789-0836. 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. WINDHA VEN HANG GLIDING SCHOOL, INC. Serving Southern California. Complete line of gliders, beginner to advanced instruction. USHGA certified instructors. Write or call, Windhaven, 12437 San Fernando Rd., Sylmar, CA 91342 (213) 367-1819. COLORADO 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
54
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Unique powered rigid wing flight school. Get checked out in an Easy Riser, Quicksilver and ?-Fledgling. Open seven days a week. Power Systems, Inc., 39-B Coolidge Ave., Dept. H, Ormond Beach, FL 32074. (904) 672-6363. 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 Rel. 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. 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.
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. Jr1w,~; 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 have kites in stock and take trades or will sell your used glider for you. Sec us for ratings, repairs and USHGA certified instruction. 24851 Murray, Mt. Clemens, Mich. 48045 (313) 791-0614. MINNESOTA NORTHERN SUN HANG GLIDERS, INC. Dealer for all major non-powered and powered brands. USHGA
MICHIGAN
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 Gliders West, 20-A Pamaron, Ignacio, CA 94947. (415) 883-3494. Hours 10:00 - 5:30. MISSION SOARING CENTER - Test fly before you buy. Demos, new & used gliders in stock. All major brands available. At the base of Mission Ridge in the "Old School." 43551 Mission Blvd., Fremont, CA 94538. (415) 656-6656.
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.
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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,
*
GLIDER TRADE-IN SPECIAL
*
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
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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 ¢ sales tax). HANG GLIDING MANUAL with Log. The most authoritative. compact. concise, complete and least expensive basic flight manual available. Used as a training text by schools worldwide. $1.50 postpaid (Californians add 9q: 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 24q: sales tax) SEND FOR FREE DESCRIPTIVE BROCHURE
DAN POYNTER, Box 4232-G, Santa Barbara, CA 93103 HANG GLIDING
MORE FOR YOUR $$ The original more-for-yourmoney wallet; $7.95. And, for one more buck, a hidden pocket (for more money, of course!).
For credit cards, checkbook, money, photos, & more-one more place to put it: the Organizer $12.95.
Available, compact ducted fan A.T.S. SYSTEMS engine for glider, hang gliders, EAA etc. 75 # thrust, 25# weight, 1021 ANDOVER PARK EAST TUKWILA, WASH. 98188 shrouded. Send $5.00 for info packet. Design engr. service available. What's more, they're all More than just a key case-ours has a money pocket hand-crafted in 100% nylon (durable, washable, watertoo: $4.95. resistant) with velcro closures. And, they're so trim and lightweight that they contour to your body!
THE HALL WIND METER A precision instrument for the serious pilot. Rugged, dependable and easy to read.
Who could ask for more? You could. Ask for any of six great colors: royal blue, tan, rust, navy, red, or black.
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Get more for your money from:
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duncan
.
Box 33441-X, Seattle, WA 98133
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$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 Deafer Inquiries Invited
C.O.D. Phone Orders Welcome (801) 829-3232
Prone
D~-.r Chw::.k,
I was given the Hur.nningbird last November as a gift from Northern Sky Gliders (the local club for Hinn, and Wisc,)
for services as president for the past four years. The vario has provided at least 85 hours of service and I've been very satisfied the whole tine, However, last friday I got into a wind shear and was forced down and had to land into Lake Pepin, along the swollen shores of the }iississippi. Cold muddy water is the norn, especially at this time of the year, All went well with my landing and I was able to get out of the water soon after touchdown to avoid exposure. Hy glider was not quite as fortunate. It sunk to just below the surface and the control bar lodged in a sunken tree. There was no damage to the glider but I figured the vario was shot, After 20 minutes of diving and pulling, I was able to get the glider to shore, I innediately took the vario off, dried the outside and set it on the river bank, As soon as I got hoMe, I put it by a raild heater for a day, then let i t sit out for a couple of days. Well, it works as uell as ever.
LITEK' S HUlfl[INGBIRD VARIOHETER
Available from your local dealer,
not only has the vario provided numerous hour's of service, but it withstands severe conditions as well, I will continue to fly with the Hummingbird and will recoomend it to others that desire a quality vario at a reasonable price. I might add that half the flying I do is in winter conditions with sub zero temps, Hy experience has made ne a believer and given credibility to Al Gibson~ s story about the LSOO' drop at Dog Mountain, Sincerely,
1101 Lovell Avenue Campbell, CA 95008
John I'. Grob el Blooming ton l1N
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.
TENNESSEE
MONTANA
TEXAS
INTERESTED IN FLYING? Write: BEARTOOTH HANG GLIDERS, P.O. Box 21116, Billings, MT 59104.
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.
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 AERlAL 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. NORTH CAROLINA 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. OKLAHOMA THE HANG-GLIDER SHOP. The only pros since 1975 in OKC. USHGA certified instructors, power, towing, club membership. 612 Hunter Hill, Okla. City, OK 73127. (405) 787-3125. PENNSYLVANIA BALD EAGLE HANG GLIDING. Sales and lessons. An Aerial Techniques representative. 146 N. Fourth St., Hughesville, PA 17737. (717) 584-5275.
AIR-POWER INC. - Dealer for all motorized ultralite gliders. Manta and Bennett products also available. Certified instruction. 3832 Guernsey, Memphis, Tenn. 38122. (901) 324-8922.
ELECTRA-FL YER DISTRIBUTORS. South MidWestern distributors for: Electra Flyer Corp., UFM Products, Sky Sports, Seagull Aircraft. Now accepting dealership inquiries. Call or write: LONE STAR HANG 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 (817) 469-9159. UTAH THE KITE SHOP AT NATURE'S WAY. Our ECO FLIGHT SCHOOL is Utah's oldest and most experienced, with USHGA Advanced certified instructors. Complete parts and service for Electra Flyer, Manta, and Eipper. Distributor for the new STRATUS 5. 898 So. 900 E., Salt Lake City, Ut. 84102. (801) 359-7913. SUNBIRD OF UTAH. Featuring Sunbird, Lancer, Highster, Stratus and Atlas. USHGA certified instructors - beginner through advanced. Complete accessories line. Only 15 minutes from Point of the Mountain. 9786 Kristin Dr., Sandy, Utah, 84070. (801) 572-0678. 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.
USHGA CERTIFIED INSTRUCTORS NEEDED TO WORK IN A RESORT AREA. IF YOU ARE NOT ALREADY CERTIFIED, WE WILL TRAINANDCERTIFYYOU.
Business Opportunities DEALERS OR FUTURE DEALERS; Windhaven 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.
Emergency Parachutes LIFE SA VER HANG GLIDER EMERGENCY DESCENT SYSTEM - 24' & 26' in stock. The best available system in the world. DAR Enterprises, Inc. P.O. Box 3044, Newport Beach, CA 92663. (714) 642-7881. 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. 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. WINDHA VEN 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.
Parts & Accessories BOLTS-Y.ix2Y.i,5for$1.00; Y.ix2:V.,4for$1.00; Y.i x 41/,, 2 for $1.00; 5/16 x 5, $1.00 each; wing nuts Y.i, 5 for $1.00; 5/16, 3 for $1.00; elastic stop nuts 1/4, 5 for
THE ULTIMATE HI BAR HARNESS ALLOWS THE PILOT TO SOAR IN COMFORT i'OR HOURS BY DISTRIBUTING •EIGHT EVENLY THROUGHOUT THE HN1MOCK, THERE ARE NO PRESSURE POINTS IN THE HAMMOCK WHICH IS SUSPENDED FROM 2 BARS, ONE AT EACH SIDE OF THE HARNESS, THESE BARS ARE PREDRILLED AND BY MOVING 2 SUSPENSION BOLTS THE PILOT IS ABLE TO SELEC1' THE BALANCE RE PRE PERS, THE BAR HARNESS LOCKS INTO PRONE POSITION WHEN THE PILOT STEPS INTO THE STIRRUP AND HE WILL REMA!!/ PRONE EVEN IN TURBULANCE, TO LAND HE STEPS OUT OF THE STIRRUP AND SITS IN THE LEG STRAPS, THE PILOT CAN CHANGE FROM SEATED TO PRONE AND BACK AGAIN lJl!RlNG FLIGBL
• Comes complete w1th D-ring, knee hangers and stirrup. • Six sizes1 standard, large and extre.-large in regular length or long. • Available 1n a rainbow of oolora.
* Custom features available,
To order, send your height,
weight and color choice, C, 0, D, ACCEPTED
SENDYOUR~ RO.Box340 RESUME TO:
Nags Head, N.C. 27959
Price: $95
14328 LOLIN LANE POWAY, CAL I FORN IA 92064 714-748-1739
Attention: RALPH BUXTON 56
HANG GLIDING
W,A, ROECKER photo by Hettina Oray
$1.00; 5/16, 5 for $1.00. All are fine threads, grade 5 - 8, cad. plated. Many other sizes available. Add JO¢ per bolt for .062 safety pin hole; .058 hitch pin (safety pin), 10 for $1.00; V. washer, 5¢ each. Add 25¢ per order handling. Sales tax if N.Y. Quantities and prices vary with availability. Right Bros. H.G. School, 73 Huntington St., Cortland, N.Y. 13045. (607) 753-7591. 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. STAINLESS STEEL DEFLEXORS - For Cirrus 3, 5 & Olympus. Order in pairs ($25 for two). T J ENTERPRISES, 1418 Helmond Ln., San Jose, CA 95118 (408) 264-6406.
flying around. Lots of alternatives to keep the family happy. Details: Len Hull, Cressbrook Hall, Cressbrook, Nr. Buxton, Derbyshire, England. METAL LICENSE PLATE FRAMES "I'D RATHER BE HANG GLIDING." White lettering on a blue background. $4.50 including postage and handling. Californians add 60Jo tax. USHGA, Box 66306, Los Angeles, CA 90066. PATCHES & DECALS- USHGA sew-on emblems 3" dia. Full color -$1. Decals, 3V," dia. Inside or outside application. 25¢ each. Include 15~ for postage and handling with ech order. Box 66306, Los Angeles, CA 90066. TEE-SHIRTS with USHGA emblem $5.50 including postage and handling. Californians add 60Jo tax. Men's sizes S,M,L,XL. BLUE/ORANGE. USHG, P.O. Box 66306, Los Angeles, CA 90066.
Publications & Organizations
TYPE: COS Falcon Five Plus, quick set-up. SAIL PATTERN: Keel out - Light blue, dark blue, red, black, white. No cover bag. WHERE AND WHEN: Lexington Reservoir near San Jose, CA June 7, 1979. CONTACT: Mike Ziaskas, 200 Hollis A,·e. #30, Campbell, CA 95008, (408) 379-6500, or Art Markiewicz at (714) 968-6129.
SKYDIVING NEWSMAGAZINE. Monthly news on the equipment, events, techniques and people of parachuting. 24 pp. Sample copy: $2. Twelve issues: $9. Satisfaction guaranteed. P.O. Box 189, Dept. HG, Deltona, FL 32725.
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.
Ultralight Powered Flight McCULLOCH 101 ENGINE - Joe Kelsay, 25201 Loytan St., Torrance, CA 90505. (213) 534-4100 afternoons.
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. 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., Dept. H, Ormond Beach, FL 32074 (904) 672-6363. ULTRALIGHT FLYING MACHINES OF ATLANTA. COS powerpacks, landing gear, Soarmaster, tune pipes, harnesses, instruments etc. Pre-built by A&P and kit form. Immediate delivery, free instruction. Other kits include Mitchell, VJ, Quickie, Hummer, Weedhopper, Catto. (404) 458-4584. #4 Aviation Way, PDK Airport, Chamblee, GA 30341. 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.
Miscellaneous Bumper Stickers - "HA VE YOU HUGGED YOUR HANG GLIDER TODAY?" White w/blue letters. $1.40 each (includes postage). P.O. Box 66306, Los Angeles, CA 90066. CUSTOM EMBROIDERED PATCHES. Your design, any quantity, size, shape, colors. 28~ postage for prices and ordering information. HEIN SPECIAL TIES, INC., Dept. D205, 4202 N. Drake, Chicago, IL 60618. G.B. DERBYSHIRE (High Peak Village) cottage available April - October. Accommodates 5. Easy reach of classic uncrowded sites for all wind directions. (Mam Tor 15 mins!) Free advice from local fanatic on the best
58
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 Y, months preceding the cover date, i.e., Feb. 20 for the April issue. Please make checks payable to USHGA: Classified Advertising Dept., HANG GLIDING MAGAZINE, Box 66306, Los Angeles, CA 90066. 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, Box 1773, Whitefish, MT 59937
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.
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.
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 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: ASG 18-A #5656. WHERE AND WHEN: Tucson, Arizona on Monday 1/14/80. SAIL PATTERN: Center out; white, orange, red, purple, purple leading edges and keel pocket. DISTINGUISHING FEATURES: Bright yellow bag, purple down tubes. CONTACT: T. Runyon, 2002 E. River Rd., Ml 6, Tucson AZ 85718 (602) 299-4529 REWARD TYPE: 1977 Seagull Seahawk 170. WHERE AND WHEN: 12/31/79 in Boston, Mass. SAIL PATTERN: All red, white keel pocket, white kingpost wires, black flying wires. Red cover bag w/blue nose. DISTINGUISHING FEATURES: Cover bag has small red felt tabs glued to closures. CONTACT: Thomas D. Johnson, 2 Medford St., Chelsea, Mass. 02150 (617) 889-1272. TYPE: Dinger Wings Whizzer 180. SAIL PATTERN: Center out - black, white, yellow, orange, red, black tip. Black leading edges. New cover bag, dark brown nylon, white zipper. WHERE AND WHEN: Sacramento, CA, Dec. 8, 1979. DISTINGUISHING FEATURE: Red tape over one-inch tear on right wing trailing edge. CONTACT: Randy Smith, 4739 Pasadena Ave., Sacramento, CA 95841 (916) 488-6658, 489-6188. 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: Cumulus 10. WHEN: May 12, 1979. SAIL PATTERN: Center out, white, yellow, brown. Blue bag. CONTACT: Mike Adams (805) 967-2448. TYPE: 1977 Seahawk 170. SAIL PATTERN: Keel out Black, orange, yellow, orange, yellow, black. Black leading edges. Red bag with blue tip. WHERE AND WHEN: May 17, 1979 from Virginia Beach, VA. DISTINGUISHING FEATURES: Upper wires, deflexors and bolts not taken. Mount for Chad unit on right down tube. CONTACT: Bob Hayman, 1029 Cordova Rd., Ft. Lauderdale, FLA 33316. Phone toll free: (800) 327-5826. 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 MK!. SAIL PATTERN: Purple leading edges and center, red wing. DISTINGUISHING FEATURES: Bennett tensioners, 1/8" wing wires. CONTACT: Bob Henderson, 10842 NE 68th, Kirkland, WA 98033 (206) 828-0570. TYPE: 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: Electra Floater 205 #001699. SAIL PATTERN: Brown leading edge and keel pocket. Panels I & 2 white, 3 split brown, orange, gold, 4 & 5 white, tip yellow, gold, brown. EQUIPMENT: Hummingbird vario #B 1006, blue Price harness with Bennett parachute in white container, Scars 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 6B serial #182. SAIL PATTERN: From tips in; black, gold, orange, lime, dark blue. Black patch on one wingtip. CONTACT: Scott Hunter, 220F West Tujunga Ave., Burbank, CA 91502.
TYPE: Phoenix Super 8 Reg. SAIL PATTERN: Keel out; black, red, orange, yellow, black tips and leading edges. WHERE AND WHEN: IO 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.
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.
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 lA, Oliver Springs, Tenn. 37840. Reward.
HANG GLIDING
Advanced Air Sports Products 990 East Lakeshore Dr. Lake Elsinore California 92033 Formerly Free Flight Enterprises.
(71 4 ) 674-1494
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HELP us ELIMINATE COSTLY POST OFFICE RETURNS Your USHGA now pays a quarter for every me~ber ! who moves and doesn't report his or her address to ! the USHGA in time to make the change on the mailing I list for the next issue of HANG GLIDING magazine .. i 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 re- i member to let the USHGA know immediately when I you move. Thank you for your cooperation. I
CONTROL BAR PROTECTORS Please send pairs Control bar protectors at $20/ pair. Specify:
D 1"
D H/8"
D UPS D Parcel Post D Check or money order enclosed D C.O.D. You pay shipping
• Rugged 5" dia. wheels feature special flush mounting hub that clamps onto control bar. • Tough ABS plastic • Light weight· only 10 oz. ea. • Fits 1" or 1·1/8" control bars Name Address City _ _ _ State _ _ Zip _ _
Send to: Hall Brothers, Box 771, Morgan, Utah 84050 C.O.D. phone orders welcome (801) 829·3232 Dealers invited
Learn to Fly And experience the freedom, the joy, and the excitement of flying an ultralight glider. You'll be airborne over soft sand, through gentle Atlantic breezes only a few miles from where Orville and Wilbur made their first flights over 75 years ago. Let us take you under our wing, as we have over 10,000 fledglings since 197 4. Send brochure on FIRST FLIGHT SCHOOL to: Name: _ _ _ _ _ _ __
Street: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ City: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ State: _ _ _ _ __,_ip: _ _
P.O. Box386 Nags Head, N.C.
27959
The hang glider for airplane pilots is the airplane for hang glider pilots. The Quicksilver is the fixed wing that offers flex wing portability, setting up in fifteen minutes without tools. It is the only ultralight anything with a tail for the maximum in assurance of stability. The Quick' has a safety record that challenges all other designs. The Quick' is the only advanced craft offered in budget-saving kit form . . . It has been for seven years. But, don't worry, 20-25 hours is all you must invest as we've done all the difficult steps for you. ' IDEA-GRAPHICS and EIPPER-FORMANCE INC .
Fly it with power, as so many have done, or fly it without. You'll become advanced easily in this simple to learn to fly glider. It can be all the gliders you' ll ever need to own. There's a good feeling about flying an Eipper.
~ppar
Formancc inc
1070 Linda Vista Drive San Marcos.Ca. 92069 (714) 744 - 1514
QUICKSILVER C (MODIFIED) Wing Span . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 ft. (9.6 m) Wing Area .......... 160 sq. ft. (14.4m2 Aspect Ratio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6.4 Empty Weight . . . . . . . . . . . 68 lb. (30 kg) Pilot Weight Range ........ 120-220 lbs. (54kg-100kg) PERFORMANCE Cruise Speed . . . . . . . 22 mph (35 km/hr) Maximum Speed .... 40 mph (64 km/hr) Stall Speed ......... 18 mph (29 km/hr) Best L/D ......... ..... ............ 7:1 Minimum Sink .. . . .......... 250 ft/min (1.25 m/sec) ENGINE - Chrysler 82026 Two Cycle Power ................ 13 h.p. (9.75 kw) Thrust ................. 110 lbs. (50 kg) Fuel Capacity . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.7 gal. (6.5 I)
sunww • IUNMD llfflCIS
OCEAN PACIAC SUNWEAR
M3t2 Chllmllers Road
Tustin, Cal if. 92680