GET INTO THE
SPIRIT The 1980 Spirit offers the intermediate through high performance competition pilot the best of all possible qualities - handling that rivals the best of the best - and performance that is second to none. It didn't start that way, but after nine months of hard work and numerous changes the Spirit has emerged as the most polished, well thought out glider for 1980. Designed by Larry Newman, Keith Nichols, and J.C. Brown, the Spirit offers handling that is normally associated with the Olympus. The Spirit brings you performance superior to anything you've seen yet. Although no flight similarities exist between the Spirit and the discontinued Floater, the structural and pitching integrity are even better. Landing and takeoff ease rival that of the Dove. The unique floating crossbar has enhanced handling to permit perfectly coordinated fingertip control. It allows the pilot to maneuver in and out of turns with complete confidence while working tenuous lift conditions. The crossbar is also mounted above the leading edges and keel in the slower moving air closest to the sail. This reduces parasite drag, thus improving performance. The crossbar ends have been matched to the leading edge airfoil shape, a further enhancement of performance. Special tip tensioners keep the sail tight and eliminate flutter at any speed. Cleanliness and simplicity abound on the Spirit. No attention to detail has been overlooked. Total assembly I disassembly of the Spirit challenges all superlatives for speed - 4 to s minutes is not unreasonable. That means your sunset flights won't result in searching out your equipment in the dark.
we are really proud of the Spirit. comparing it to other gliders, we should be. It's simply the best there is. oet into the Spirit. It's a flying experience you won't forget!
For a demonstration flight contact your local Electra Flyer dealer:
lli~TI~ ,tWII 700 COMANCHE, NE ALBUQUERQUE, NEW MEXICO 87107 PHONE: (505) 344-3444
HINTING IEIIIN"l ll'EN are 1110
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 $25.00 FOR EACH MEMBERSHIP Name _ _ __
Name
Name _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __
Address _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __
Address _ _ _ _
Address _ __
City____
City__________
City _ _ __
State, Z i p ~ - -
State, Z i p _ _ _ _ _ _ _
State, Zip _ _ _ _ _
Phone No. _ _ _ _ _ _ Age _ _
Phone No. _ _ _ _ _ Age _ _
Phone No. _ _ _ _ _ _ Age _ _
Hunter's Name _ _ __
Hunter's Name _ _ _ _ _ _ __
Hunter's Name _ __
USHGA No.
USHGA No. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __
USHGA No. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __
*Memberships may be turned in one at a time. Send check or money order to USHGA, Box 66306, Los Angeles, CA 90066
DEU A WING PROUDLY PRESENTS
II
IMMEDIATE DELIVERY (CALL FOR STOCK COLORS)
WHY WAIT FOR SOMETHING LESS? GET THE BEST TODAY! !
FULLY CERTIFIED TO THE MORE STRINGENT 1980 H.G. M.A. AIRWORTH INESS STANDARDS
Phoenix Lazor Fact Sheet 1980 Model
155
Leading Edge . . . . . . . . . . . 17 '3 " Root cord . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 '8 " Tip cord . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 ' Area .... . ........... .. .156 ft2 Span ..... . .... .. . ... . .. 30 '4 " Nose Angle . . ......... .. 130 Recommended Pilot Weight .. ...... .. 120-160
175
195
18 '3 " 8' 4 '3 " 173 ft 2
19 '
8 '9 "
32 '2 " 130
4 '3 " 196 ft 2 34 ' 130
15(}190
180-220
The Phoenix Lazor II was designed for the competition skill level pilots. Through its short deflexorless span and large radial tips, a remarkable level of sink rate, glide angle, and speed range is achieved. Feat ures: Quick set up, applied leading edge pocket, breakdown type Ill control bar, shipping size 12 ', fixed nose camber, internal droops, elliptical tips, floating cross bar
13620 SATICOY VAN NUYS, CALIFORNIA 91408 Call: (213) 787-6600 (213) 785-2474 TELEX 65-1425
Write:
EDITOR: Gil Dodgen ASSISTANT EDITOR LAYOUT & DESIGN: Janie Dodgen STAFF PHOTOGRAPHERS: Leroy Grannis, Bettina Gray CONTRIBUTING ILLUSTRATORS: Cathy Coleman, Barbara Graham, Harry Martin OFFICE STAFF: MANAGER: Carol Velderrain Cathy Coleman (Advertising) Kit Skradski (Renewals) Amy Provin (Ratings) Janet Meyer (New Memberships) Tina Gertsch (Accounting) USHGA OFFICERS: PRESIDENT: David Broyles VICE PRESIDENT: Dennis Pagen SECRETARY: Jay Raser TREASURER: BIii Bennett EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE: David Broyles Lucky Campbell Dick Turner USHGA REGIONAL DIRECTORS REGION l: Doug Hildreth. REGION 2: Jan Case, Pat Denevan. REGION 3: Bill Bennett, Mike Turchen. REGION 4: lucky Campbell, Carol Droge. REGION 5: Hugh Dundee. REGION 6: Dick Turner. REGION 7: David Anderson, Ron Christensen. REGION 8: Matt Seddon. REGION 9: Les King, William Richards. REGION 10: Richard Heckman, Scott Lambert. REGION 11: Ewart Phillips. REGION 12: Paul Rlkert. DIRECTORS-AT-LARGE: David Broyles, Keith Nichols, Dennis Pagen, Jay Raser, Phil Richards. EX-OFFICIO DIRECTOR: Brooke Allen. HONORARY Directors; John Harrif Hugh Morton. The United States Hang 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 publishea for hang gliding sport enthusiasts to create further interest in the sport, by a means of open cummunication and lo advance hong gliding methods and safety. Contributions are welcome. Anyone is Invited lo contribute articles. photos. and illustrotions concerning hang gliding activities. If the material is to be returned. a stamped, self-address,id return envelope must be enclosed. Notification must be made of submission to other hang gliding publications. HANG GLIDING magazine reserves the right to edit contributions where necessary. The Association and publication do not assume responsibility for the material or opinions of contributors. HANG GLIDING magazine is published monthly by the United States Hang Gliding Association. Inc. whose mailing address is P.O. Box 66.306. Los Angeles. Calif. 90066 and whose offices are located at 11423 Washington Blvd .. Los Angeles, Calif. 90066; telephone (213) 390-3065. Secondclass postage is poid at Los Angeles, Colt HANG GLIDING magazine Is printed by Sinclair Printing & Who. Alhambra. Calif. The typeseffing is provided by 1st Impression Typesetting Service. Buena Park, Calif. Color separations by Scanner House of Studio City. Calif. The USHGA is a member-controlled educational and scientific organization dedicated !o exploring all facets of ultralight flight. Membership is open to anyone interested in this realm of flight. Dues for full membership ore $25 per year ($26 for foreign addresses): subscription rates are $18 for one year. $31 far two years. $44 for three years. An introductory six-month trial is available for $9.00. Changes ot address should be sent six weeks In advance, Including name, USHGA membership number, previous and new address, and a mcillng label from a recent issue.
ISSUE NO. 92
SEPTEMBER 1980
Hang Cliding CONTENTS FEATURES
12 22
26
THE 1980 OWENS VALLEY X·C CLASSIC
By George Worthington photographs by Bettina Gray
LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN FLIGHT PARK SPONSORS SOUTHERN LEAGUE
Article and photographs by Doug Barnette
GLIDER EVALUATION
Moyes Mega Mark II
Article and photographs by Ric Lee
30
INES ROBERTS
38
THE DIFFERENCES IN FLYING, EAST AND WEST ©Copyright by Dennis Pagen
42
ACCIDENT REVIEW: A Last Look at 1979 Fatalities and a First Look at 1980
An interview with a 50-year-old woman hang glider enthusiast and photographer, conducted by Janie and Gil Dodgen
DEPARTMENTS 4 ULTRALIGHT CONVERSATION 4 INDEX TO ADVERTISERS 9 NEWS AND NEW PRODUCTS 17 CALENDAR 19 POWER PILOT by Glenn Brinks 20 LITTLE TIPS 20 BIRD'S EYE VIEW by Lauran Emerson 34 MILESTONES 56 CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING 62 STOLEN WINGS COVER: Moonlight flight. Photograph by Brian Munoz. 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 ore urged to study HGMA standards. Copyright © United States Hang Gliding Association, Inc. 1978. All rights reserved to Hang Gliding Magazine and Individual contributors.
by R.V. Wills
· \JLTKALIQtlT CONVEKJATtON More on Certification Dear Editor, In Chris Price's letter in the June issue of Hang Gliding, "On Certification," Chris seems to totally ignore or misunderstand the reasons for thorough documentation. He also implies that the individual person who builds his/her own design of glider, cannot within reason, get his glider HGMA certified without paying a manufacturer $3000 to do it, To start with, in any engineering or technical regime, accurate documentation is a must. When designing something, whether it be as big as an airliner or as small as a C-clamp, it is imperative that the designer state all his/her assumptions, calculations, equations, test procedures, test results, etc. While this may seem like a lot of work, and a lot of times it is, it allows the designer and other parties not directly involved on a project, to refer back to the evolution of the project. This is especially helpful if a problem arises with the design a year or two down the line after it is in production, With thorough documentation it is easier to find mistakes or misassumptions in analysis and testing, Problems can then be traced, solved and corrected more effectively, In regards to certification and the individual designer, I can see no real insurmountable barriers for the individual to get his/her glider certified. I myself am designing and building a glider for Senior Project, and between force components, beam deflections and computer analysis, the HGMA certification is not all that much to contend with. In no way do I want to imply that the HGMA certification program is a piece of cake; it isn't. However, after looking over a copy of the certification procedures that Mike Meier sent me upon my request, I have to say that the test procedures are of a nature such that an individual could do them if he put his mind to it. In my case, I am looking forward to the testing program, because it will show me if my analysis was reasonable and whether the glider can perform safely, After all, the bottom line issue is whether the glider can 4
fly safely according to mm1mum safety standards, which is what I have always understood the HGMA to be all about. While I feel that the HGMA certification program and the USHGA's support of it are not unreasonable, I do concede that the program can be intimidating for the individual designer and can discourage new ideas. My suggestion, which by no means is a new idea, is to start an experimental class in competition that is open to any uncertified design, as long as it is not in production. The intent would be to encourage the individual designer to participate in the system, and thus, we as the flying public can benefit from the interjection of new ideas from outside of the manufacturing community.
INDEX TO ADVERTISERS Aerial Techniques,.,,,,,, .. ,,,,,,.,,.,.,,, 41, 53 Altimeter , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , .. , , . , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , 24 Bennett Delta Wing Gliders.,.,.,.,,,,,,, 2, 36, 61 Duncan . , , . , . , . , , , .. , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , .. , .. , . . 58 Eco Nautlcs , , , . , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , . , . , , , . , , 60 Elpper ..... , .......... ., . ., ..... , IBC, 18, 29, 40 Electra Flyer Corp, , , , , , . , . , , , . , , . , , , , , , , , , , , , IFC Glider Rider,,,.,,, , , , , , , , , , . , .. , , , , , , , , , , , , . , 16 Great American Propeller Co. , . , , , , , , , , , , .... , 45 Hall Brothers , , , , , , , , , , . , , . , , , . , .. , , , . , , , , , 17, 53 Hang Gliding Press,., , , , , , , , , , , , , , , . , . , , , . , .. 47 Kwlk Clamp , . , , , . , , , , . , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , 47
Dave Butz San Luis Obispo, CA
Kite Enterprises , , , , , , , , .. , , ., , . , ., , , , , , , , .. , , 40 Kitty Hawk Kites , , , , . , , .. , , , , , . , . , , , , , , , , , , 17, 54 Leaf , .. , .. , , ., ... ., ... ., , ., ., .. ., ., ., , .. , 21, 60
Keeping the Ultimate High
Lookout Mt. , , , , , , , . , , , , , , . , , , , , . , , , , , , . , , , , , , 35 Makiki Electronics , . , . , , , , . , . , . , , , , . , , , . , , , , , , 17
Dear Editor,
WIii Marth . , , , , , , , . , , , . , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , .. , , . , , . 5 U.S. Moyes , .. , , .. , , , , , , , , , , , , , . , , , . , , , .. , , . , . 25
In response to George Worthington's article, "The Needs of Powered Hang Gliding," I would like to assert my wholehearted commendation and thanks to someone finally saying something about powered hang gliders. I became a hang gliding pilot because of the desire to get as close to nature and/or the birds as possible. To me, putting a motor on a hang glider takes so much away from the true sport that I don't care to refer to "them" as hang gliders, What ever happened to all those "never say die" pilots? Ultralight aircraft are one thing, hang gliders are another. This is is no way to downgrade motorized pilots but I believe hang gliding should remain as true and pure as a well-kept thoroughbred horse. Hang gliding has added a new dimension to my life and thousands of lives across the country, but when inch by inch, landing gear etc., start creeping in, I can see many problems for hang glider pilots in the future. So, if you:
NAA ... , , , .. , , , , , , , , , , , , .. , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , . , , , 64 National Book Wholesalers , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , . , , , , 6 Ocean Pacific , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , . , , .. , , BC Odyssey ., , , , , , , , ., , , ., , , , ... , , , , , , .. , , , , , . , . 59 Ontario Hang Gliding , , , . , , , , , . , , , , , . , , , , , , , , , 53 Pagen , , , , , , . , , , . , , , , , , , , , . , , , . , , . , . , , , , . , , , , 58 Poynter Books , , , , , , ., . , , , , . ., , , , ... , , , , , , , , , 50 Price Company . , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , . , , , . , , , , , , , 56 Seedwings , , , ,, , , , . , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , . , , ., , , , 11 Skytow , , .. , . , . , . , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , . , , , .. , . , , . , , 47 Snyder Ent. , ., , , ., , . , , , , , , ... , , , , , .. , , , .. , , . , , 46 Soarmaster , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , 55 So, Cal. HG Schools , , , , , , , , , . , , , , . , , , , . , , , , , . 56 Spectra Aircraft , , , , , , , , , , ... , . , , . , , , , , , , , , , , , 5 Striplin Aircraft, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , . , .. , , 8, 50 Sunbird , , , , . , , , , , , , , , , . , , , , , , , , . , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
9
Ultimate Hi ., ., .. ., , ., ., ., ., ., ., , , ., , ., ., ., .. , 5 7 USHGA,.,.,, . .,,.,.,,,.,,,,,,,, .. 1, 37, 47, 55, 63 Volmer Aircraft, . , .. , , .. , . , , , . , .. , , , . , . , .. , , , , , 8 WIiis Wing, Inc. , , . , , , , , , ., , , , , , . , ., . , ., , . ., 14, 15
1) Take hang gliding seriously,
2) Care about keeping the sport true, 3) Can't afford the more expensive motorized off-springs, and 4) Like the feeling of standing atop the world ready to run off into space and pit your ability against nature for lift, not some man-made gas eater, then stand up for our sport, sound off whenever and wherever you can, Together we can keep our "Ultimate High" and our sport unique. Gary Wood Carson City, NV
AD DEADLINES All ad copy, instructions, changes, additions and cancellations must be received in writing l 12 months preceding the cover date, i.e. Mar. 20 for the May issue. HANG GLIDING
Shown 2/, actual size.
ORDERING INFORMATION Enter quantity and finish desired for each item. Available in Gold (CJ or Silver (SJ tone.
COMING SOON FROM
HG101
Med. Hang Glider
$8.00
_____ HG105
ULTRALIGHT saying
12.95
HG102
Lg. Hang Glider
9.50
_ _ HG106
GO FOR IT sa)'ing
12.95
_HG103
Lg. HG Ultralight
16.00
___ HG107
HANG GLJDE saying
12.95
HG104
Sm. HG Earrings
10.00
_ _ HG108
Tie Tack Sm.HG
7.95
tnot shown)
Address, _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __
SF1EC:TA'1 fHRCR'1rT C[]RP..
City _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ S t a t ~ - - - Zip _ _ __
FOR INFORM A Tl ON
Send with check or money order,
postage paid to:
Dealer Inquiries Jnvited
99 Massasoit Avenue East Providence, RI 02914
2 151 ARNOLD IND. HWY. SHOP #5 CONCORD, CA 94520 (41 5) 798-9993
Freestyle Response Dear Editor,
0141 HANG GLIDING FLYING SKILLS (110p/9711) . . ....... $ 5.95 0142 HANG GLIDING FLYING CONDITIONS {102p/95ll) ......... $ 5.95 0143 HANG GUD1NG FOR ADVANCED PILOTS (114p/81il) ...... $ 6.95 0145 REACH FOR THE SKY-HG TECHNIQUES (216p/12BIIJ ..... S 7.95 0146 HANG GLIDING AND SOARING INTRO. (184p/12511) ....... $ 6.95 0147 HANG GLJOING-SKYSURFING HANDBOOK (186pl3S0i1) ... S 6.95 0148 HANG GLIDING MANUAL WITH LOG. . ....... $ 1.50 0886 THE HANG GLIDER'S BIBLE (480p/3151l) , . S 9.95
- - HANG GLIDING/SOARING GENERAL INTEREST - 01so HG: THE FLYINGEST FLYING (144p/14511) color .. ........ S 9.95 0126 WORLD OF SILENT FLIGHT (182p/25611) . .. . ...... $15.95 0121 SPORT FLYING·ALL TYPES {250p/122i!) . . . . . ...... $14.95 0127 AMERICA'S SOARING BOOK (272p/105il) ........ $14.95 0150 ONCE UPON A THERMAL (152p) . . ....... S 6.95 0149 MANNED KITING (100p/9011) ....... S 3.95 0151 KITES AND KITE FL YING•STRING TYPE (2S6p/155ll) ...... $12.95 2254 MAN·POWERED AIRCRAFT (192p/123JI) . . . . ....... $ 5.95 0106 ART ANO TECHNIQUE OF SOARING (196p1250il) ........ $14.95 2257 MODERN SOARING GUIDE {256p/166il) ........ S 6.95 2254 MAN·POWEAED AIRCRAFT (192p/123il) ....... S 5.95
BALLOONING - - - - - - 0130 THE BALLOON BOOK (226p/11 Oil) ......... $ a.95 0133 THE DOUBLE EAGLE-TRANSATLANTIC CROSSING ...... $12.95 2249 HOT AIR BALLOONING (160p/91il) ........ S 5.95
-----POWERED ULTRALIGHTS----0107 POWERED ULTRALIGHT AIRCRAFT (110pJ90ll) .......... $ 7.95 0917 SMALL GAS ENGINES (392p/251il) . .. . ........ $ 7.95 2267 LOW-HORSEPOWER FUN AIRCRAFT (176p/86il) . . . . . . . . $ 5.95 2269 PROPELLERS (140p/4911) . . ........ $ 4.95 . ....... $ 6.95 0705 SNOWMOBILE ENGINES (350p/216il) . 2294 ULTRALIGHT AJC YOU CAN BUILD (12Bp/67il) . . ........ S 4.95
- - - - POWERED FLIGHT INSTRUCTION - - - 0105 AS THE PRO FLIES-ADVANCED FLYING (272p/BOil) ....... S S.95 0103 STICK AND RUODER·LEARN TO FLY (389p/90il) ......... $12.95 2273 COLD WEATHER FLYING (160p/6411) .. ., .... $ 5.95 ................. S 5.95 2253 LEARNING HOW TO FLY (240p/13611) 2237 YOUR PILOT'S LICENSE (112p/51il) . . ....... $ 3.95 2248 YOUR FAA FLIGHT EXAM (128p/361JJ . . ....... $ 4.95 2270 TWIN-ENGINE AIRPLANES (144p.'64il} . . ....... S 4.95
- - - NAVIGATION, WEATHER AND REGULATIONS - - 2225 PILOT'S DIGEST OF FAA REGULATIONS .. $ 4.95 2226 PILOT'S WEATHER GUIDE (128pf671l) ................... S 4.95 2261 PILOrS SURVIVAL MANUAL (182p/10511) ............... $ 5.95 2262 THE AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL SYSTEM (192p/102il) ........ S 5.95 228-4 CROSS·COUNTRY FLYING (192p/125il) . . ....... $ 5.95 2208 COCKPIT NAVIGATION GUIDE (128p/&4il) ....... $ 4.95 2209 FLIGHT COMPUTER GUIDE (80p/48il) ........ $ 3.95
- - - DESIGN, CONSTRUCTION AND REPAIR - - 0101 DESIGN FOR FLYING (274p/120il) . . ................ $15.95 0120 AIRPLANE PERFORMANCEJDESIGN GUIDE (206p/110il) ... $15.95 0123 AJC DETAIL DESIGN MANUAL (128p/1281l) ......... $12,95 2204 AIRCRAFT WOODWORK (112p/45JI) . . ........ S 3.95 2252 SYNTHETIC AIRCRAFT FABRICS (128p/6011) . . ........ $ 4.95 2203 AIRCRAFT DOPE ANO FABRIC (128p/50!1) . . ....... $ 3.95 2205 AIRCRAFT METALWORK (128p/44il) ........ S 3.95 2216 HOW TO DRAW AIRPLANES (96p/54il) . $ 3.95 0107 ELEMENTS OF SPORT AIRCRAFT DESIGN (90p/5011) ... $ 9.95
- - - - - HISTORIC AND REFERENCE - - - - 0139 KILL DEVIL HILL-WRIGHT BROS SECRET . . $16.95 0140 PROGRESS IN FLYING MACHINES (308p/B7il) ......... $13.50 0102 THE MIRACLE OF FLIGHT (212p/190il) ...... , $14.95 0131 NATIONAL AIR AND SPACE MUSEUM (504p!25Si1) cir. ...... $49.95 ....... $19.95 0116 HISTOAY OF AVIATION (511p/1500 color HJ 0152 GREAT INT'NL PAPER AIRPLANE BOOK (12Bp/100il) S 3.95 . $12.95 0129 THE WORLD'S WORST AIRCRAFT (192p/105il)
- - - - - GENERAL INTEREST TOPICS - - - - -
I am glad to see some discussion on the subject of hang glider "freestyle" flying, such as the interview with Dan Racanelli in the June issue. The glider and pilot skills are approaching the capabilities where such flying may have a place in "recognized" activities. However, I would like to bring out a few points which Mr. Racanelli failed to mention. At the 1979 Nationals at Crestline, Dan Racanelli was one of the top scorers in the meet, but on the last few days flew a number of tasks where he would have easily won, but instead greatly exceeded the maximum task time limit. Whether it was ignorance of the printed rules and pilots' meetings or a broken watch, he did not lose because of rules changes. He did look foolish, however. His low-level loops on his next flight were clearly to impress the crowd and his ego. Mr. Racanelli was kicked out of the meet because all pilots, and Mr. Racanelli personally, were warned on the previous day that anyone doing "over 90° wingovers" would be out of the meet. He was the only pilot kicked out of the meet. The meet rules were also very clear in that parachutes were mandatory for all flights, yet he claimed in the interview that he wasn't wearing one. Mr. Racanelli even chose to repeatedly ignore a trivial rule on pets in the dormitories, and almost cost everyone the use of the facilities. Mr. Racanelli stated that he hopes someone will promote a major "freestyle" meet in the future, but what promoter, sanctioning body, or meet director would risk money, reputation, and liability if all "freestyle" pilots had as much respect for the safety and operation of such a meet?
2201 CLUB FLYING.JOINT OWNERSHIP (88p/36il) ........ S 3.95 2219 LEGAL GUIDE FOR PILOTS/OWNERS (8Sp/40il) ......... S 3.95 2224 PARACHUTING FOR SPORT (128p/48il) . $ 3.95 .. $ 5.95 2247 AG PILOT FLIGHT TRAINING GUIDE (140p/48il) 2251 HOW·TO TAKE PHOTOS FROM AIRPLANES (136p/7211) ... $ 5.95 . $12.95 2256 ENCYCLOPEDiA Of HOMEBUILT AIRCRAFT (576p/315il) 2274 EHCVCLOPEOIA OF GENERAL A\JIATION (352p/355il) . S 9.95 . $ 6.95 2281 GUIDE TO AVIATION PHOTOGRAPHY (240p/20011) 2287 PILOT'S AEROMEDICAL GUIDE (64p/4511) . $ 3.95 . ....... $ 4.Ss 2074 HOW TO MAKE ALCOHOL FUELS (\82p/63ll) . 0124 USED AIRCRAFT GUIDE (1S8p/144il) .
Tom Milkie Meet Director, 1979 Nationals
Total amount for books Less discount (5% or 10%)
Please add postage and handling
1.95
PA residents add 6% sales tax
TOTAL ENCLOSED FOR ORDER
Name~-------------~ Address _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ City
Slate _ _ _ Zip - -
* Fourteen Day Money Back Guarantee *HG
--------------· 6
J.C. Brown, Keith Nichols, Peter Gray Albuquerque, N.M.
Keith Nichols Joins Delta Wing Dear Editor,
On Reflex Bridles Send me the following items. Enclose cash, check or money order in US funds only. No C.0.0.'s.
For those flyers who have removed reflex bridles to make ground handling and launch easier, here are some tips: reflex lines will make it hard to hold the nose down, so don't fight it. Learn to handle your wing with the sail filled. The glider will be flying and supporting its own weight, making the task at hand easier. If you don't feel you've got enough control using this method, get some assistance. You probably shouldn't be flying alone in strong winds, anyway. After landing in high wind, stand on the basetube. In most cases, standing on the bar and putting some pressure on the front wires will keep the glider on the ground until you unhook. Pilots who have discarded their reflex bridles for better handling or performance simply don't understand how reflex lines work. When your glider is under positive load, the lines are slack and have no effect on billow shift or stability. Parasite drag of the extra rigging causes a very slight performance loss; less than the loss caused by tying a coverbag to the crosstube. When the angle of attack gets low enough to load the sail negatively, the bridles tighten, reflexing the trailing edge and creating a strong noseup force. With full arms extension over the bar, you will not be able to reach the angle of attack for reflex bridle "kick in." So, unless you are in the habit of soaring upside-down, it's hard to imagine getting any handling or performance benefit from not using your bridles. The designer wouldn't have put them on the glider if they weren't necessary. Consider this: all flexwings certified to 1979 or 1980 HGMA standards have incorporated reflex lines and none of these designs have tucked.
Dear Editor, Why are some pilots flying without their reflex bridles? Apparently, some are doing it because it makes ground handling easier; others because they believe their gliders handle or perform better without reflex lines. For whatever reason, anyone who removes the reflex bridles from a glider designed to have them, isn't playing with a full deck.
After three years of exceptional work for Electra Flyer Keith Nichols has joined the Delta Wing organization. He brings with him seven years of concentrated experience in every phase of the hang gliding industry. His title with Delta Wing will be technical representative. His duties will be many and varied however; his primary purpose will be to give technical assistance in the field by way of dealer seminars, product information classes and instructional clinics across the nation for the Delta Wing line of products. HANG GLIDING
8· 3 ·BO
VOLMER AIRCRAFT Blueprints Now Available
- - ,..
-·~:\??_ "J~;~·, .- ~·: ~~ ....-~~"· ·,.:. ·t:.~-~.,.~ _~, -
-
'
VJ-24 Sunfun • Airplane controls • All metal, except fabric • Easy to build •Semi-cantilever.monoplane hang glider • Send $2 for brochure • Sunfun engine installation, allowing takeoffs from level grouna-Brochure $2.00
~ VJ-23 Swingwing
• Has been soared for 42 min. on 34··-high hill, 23-slope. 17 mph wind • Takes oli and lands 1n 2 steps in a 15 mph wind • Fully controllable 1n 3 axis • World's first high performance hang glider • Send $2 for literature. 3-view. and color photograph
• Swingwing engine installation, allowing takeoffs from level ground-Brochure $ 2 . 0 0 ~ ~ - - - -....._ _ _..
Keith's expertise in the competition field is indisputable and he will continue to run, organize and supervise many national and international events in the future. If he can be of assistance to you or your club in any way please do not hesitate to contact him at the Delta Wing address. Keith is in the final stages of recovering from a broken arm he sustained during a meet in South Africa, but he will be the team captain for the Delta Wing competition team so you can expect some great things when we combine his talents and the Lazor II performance. I believe Keith's reputation speaks for itself and I would like you to join with me in welcoming him to the Delta Wing family. Welcome Keith. Bill Bennett President Delta Wing Kites & Gliders, Inc. Van Nuys, CA
USHGA Information Handbook Dear Editor, Recently I renewed my full membership in the USHGA. When my membership card arrived in the mail I was pleased to find a copy of the USHGA information handbook. What a wealth of information! Most of the information in the book was not new to me but having it all together is really nice. It is so much easier to use the handbook than it is sorting through the past issues of Hang Gliding trying to find what states are included in Region 8. Thank you USHGA staff for putting together an excellent little book. Carl Berger Hamburg, NY
Low Altitude Danger
It's heartbreaking to know that a good pilot such as Craig would probably be here now if he did the same maneuver further away from the cliff and higher than he was, because I know he had the knowledge of what to do to regain control of his glider. Let's all stay high, and alive. A Funston Pilot
Stifling the Home-builder Dear Editor, It may interest your readers that I will not be defending my championship at the Nationals this fall. Why? Because the glider I fly is not certified. The fact that my Voyager far exceeds the HGMA's seemingly low requirements for strength and pitch stability, seems to be of no merit. What the HGMA is saying is that if I want to compete, I must go out and buy a glider which is weaker and less stable than I feel safe in. There is not a single glider on the market, rigid or rogallo, that meets my requirements for what a hang glider should be. I will only fly in meets that allow my 98-pound rigid wing, such as the XC Open. Without an experimental class for competition, the HGMA is stifling the home builders, who are the very roots of this sport! Eric Raymond Elsinore, CA
Hang Gliding welcomes letters to the editor. Contributions must be typed, double spaced and limited to a maximum of 400 words. All letters are subject to standard editing for clarity. Send contribution lo: USHGA, P. 0. Box 66306, Los Angeles, CA 90066.
Dear Editor, VJ-11 So~[o • Build the world's first fully controllable hang glider • Standard aircraft controls • Fully engineered .. Can be built in 6 weeks spare time • Material cost approximately $400 • Send $2 for literature, specifications, and photograph
Complete plans for Home Construction
VOLMER AIRCRAFT BOX 5222, DEPT. G GLENDALE, CA. 91201 8
A cloud of great sadness is presently over us in the Bay Area due to the death of a dear friend and fellow pilot, Craig Bomont on July 21. Once again, it has taken such an incident to bring to mind, though it is repetitious, that altitude is so crucial to those pilots who indulge in aerobatics. Our sport has progressed to the point where we can safely explore the limits of our gliders, but will never reach a place where we will get away with carelessness. Altitude is the key to recovery when doing aerobatics and if something does go wrong, thank God we have a chance with our parachutes - providing that we have the altitude.
SHADOW OF THE ULTIMATE ULTRALIGHT. IT'S COMING!
-5.A.C. HANG GLIDING
NEW WORLD RECORDS Six world records were broken in July, 1980 from Cerro Gordo: 1) Unofficial world flex wing straight distance record of 109 miles by Larry Tudor in a UP Comet on July 21. 2) Unofficial world fixed wing straight distance record of 113 miles by Tom Kreyche in a Voyager on July 21. 3) Official world fixed wing straight distance record by George Worthington of 105 miles in a Mitchell Wing on July 23. 4) Official world flex wing straight distance record of 111 miles by George Worthington in a Moyes Mega 11 on July 25. 5) Unofficial world fixed wing straight distance record of 121 miles by Eric Raymond in a Voyager 11 on July 25. 6) Official world fixed wing altitude gain record of 8,500 feet by George Worthington in a Mitchell Wing on July 22. Next month's issue will carry the details of these historic world records including interviews with Tom Kreyche and Eric Raymond.
"MASTERS OF HANG GLIDING" Masters of Hang Gliding, a 28-minute color film produced by Grandfather Mountain, has been awarded Second Prize of the Festival at the St. Vincent, Italy International Sports Film Festival, in competition with sports films from all over the world. Announcement of the award was made in Washington by S.R. Tamhane, executive director of CINE, the organization which sponsors the entry of United States films in foreign film festivals. Tamhane said that the award for Masters of Hang Gliding will be presented at the CINE Annual Awards Ceremonies in Washington December 2-4. Previously, Masters of Hang Gliding was awarded CINE's Golden Eagle, highest honor that can be given to non-theatrical films in the United States, making the film a part of the United States entry in foreign film festivals this year. The St. Vincent International Sports Film Festival is the first festival in which it has been entered. The film features the sport of hang gliding in many areas of the United States, with particular attention to the Masters of Hang Gliding Championship held each SEPTEMBER 1980
September at Grandfather Mountain. Many colorful action scenes are shown, as well as a sound on film statement by former NASA engineer Francis Rogallo, inventor of the Rogallo wing and father of the sport of hang gliding. The major portion of the photography was done by Hugh Morton and Robert Bean, and narration is by sportscaster Jim Thacker. The film was edited by Bob Rector, with script written by Hugh and Julia Morton. Masters of Hang Gliding has received extensive showings on television stations and cable television throughout the United States, and is shown daily at Grandfather Mountain when weather conditions prevent hang glider flights by the mountain's exhibition flying team.
REGION 10 QUALIFIER RESULTS The results of the Region 10 Nationals Qualifier are as follows: Place 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Name Malcolm Jones Bruce Short Doug Lawton Dave Ledford Gary Davis Ray Schaal Scott Buchanan Mark Kenyon Scott Lambert Matt Wagner
Glider Maxi III Maxi III Maxi 11 Maxi III Maxi III Maxi III Sensor Maxi III Maxi Lazor
GROUSE RESULTS The 1980 Grouse Mountain World Invitational Hang Gliding Championships were held in Vancouver, British Columbia from July 24 through July 27. There were two separate contests this year; the men's contest had 61 entries and the women's division had 11 competitors. The men's division was drawn from an international field of top competitors including some of the best pilots from England, Australia, Canada and the United States. The contest was run in a one and one heat system format, with duration and spot landing determmmg a pilot's points for a flight. The marginal and inconsistent lift that
characterizes Grouse Mountain made for some extremely exciting competitive flying, with as many as twelve to fifteen pilots scratching it out wing tip to wing tip in a single marginal thermal. On the last day the field was cut to the top 20, and the last flight was an open window duration flight starting at 2 o'clock and ending at 5. The final results were: MEN'S DIVISION First Place ............... Rob Kells, USA Wills Wing Raven Second Place ........... Mike Meier, USA Wills Wing Raven Third Place ............. Joe Greblo, USA Moyes Mega Fourth Place ....... Randy Rouck, Canada Electra Flyer Spirit Fifth Place .......... Bob Calvert, England Atlas Sixth Place ........... Rich Grigsby, USA UP Comet WOMEN'S DIVISION First Place ......... Debbie Renshaw, USA Moyes Maxi Second Place ........ Cyndee Moore, USA Wills Wing Raven Third Place ....................... USA Flight Designs Super Lancer
NETWORK COVERAGE AT NATIONALS Major television network coverage will bring the excitement of the 1980 Nationals to regular weekend sports programming this fall. Ford Motor Company and Gewant Ford, their local dealer in nearby Kerhonkson, are supplying four trucks for transportation during the meet and a Thunderbird for the meet director. Local businesses have contributed to a pilot welcome package which includes free meals, discounts in local stores and free gifts. Coca-Cola is sponsoring radio spots in the metropolitan New York area. The Ulster County Public Information Office is calling the Nationals the biggest event of the year in this area of the state. The National Hang Gliding Championships are held on the East Coast approximately once every four years. An estimated atten9
dance of 40,000 to 60,000 for the 10-day competition has been projected. Governor Carey is among the many notables invited to attend. Tickets are available at $5 per day for adults and $2.50 for children. A special ticket may be purchased for $25 which is good for all ten days. Many other events are scheduled, including balloon rides and an ultra light powered aircraft display and fly over. Snacks, sandwiches, cold and hot drinks and souvenirs will be readily available in the spectator-reserved areas. Children's programs, too. The immediate locality abounds with fine hotels, motels, restaurants and sight-seeing attractions. There is ample parking and Ellenville is easily reached from all major highways in the northeast. The event is being hosted by Aerial Techniques of Ellenville and the Southern New York Hang Gliding Pilots Association.
velocity meter, designated the Model DIC, is available from Simer! Instruments, 238 West Street, Annapolis, Maryland 21401.
January the mountain is flyable about 90 % of the time. It is part of a major tourist area offering unique spectator opportunities, and it is hang gliding that gains recognition from this, to the fullest with extensive media coverage.
BALLISTIC RECOVERY SYSTEM
NATIONALS UPDATE Dan Chapman, T.J. Young and Mary Kaknes are following through with the extensive arrangements for sponsorship and pilot amenities at this year's Nationals. Besides promises from the Ulster County Board of Supervisors, Ford Motor Company and CBS Television, many local businesses are offering reduced rates or free gifts and facilities for the pilots. Dennis Pagen has enlisted as the meet director and he promises to run a flawless meet (with all due respect to the weather). He has made special arrangements for clear skies and soaring winds for the entire 10-day meet. The fall flying is beautiful along the East Coast so we invite everyone to bring their gliders and friends to help us make this the best Nationals yet! For more information and tickets write: U.S. Nationals c/o Aerial Techniques, Rt. 209, Ellenville, N.Y. 12428, (914) 647-3439. Volunteers needed - need not have flying experience.
ANEMOMETER Hand-held, portable anemometer with LCD display shows air movement in miles per hour, knots, kilometers per hour, or meters per second from one unit to over 100. Innovative wind-driven folding cups actuate electronic wind sensor within the instrument. Mode annunciator and ratioing circuitry is changed by four position switch on back of the case. A nine volt transistor battery powers the instrument which fits into the carrying case shown. This air 10
Some popular uses for this anemometer include weather forecasting, making on-site wind surveys for the use of wind for alternate power, studying the effect of wind currents on buildings in calculating heat loss or gain and determining wind velocities at buildings during construction. Others who can use this air velocity measuring instrument include crane operators, bridge painters, aerial fertilizer applicators, foresters, marksmen, sailors, sky divers, balloon pilots, skiers, parachutists, hang glider pilots and kite flyers.
MT. BUFFALO X-C INTERNATIONAL Flyers throughout the world are invited to attend the 1980-81 Mt. Buffalo Cross Country International, in Victoria, Australia from 12/28/80 to 1/3/81. The meet consists of the best distance flown together with the best time for an out and return. Total accumulated mileage flown during the meet will be scored. The entry fee is $20 and the deadline is 10/31/80. Entrants will receive notification within 14 days that their applications have been received. Accommodations should be available from local flyers. Parachutes, altimeters and an Advanced rating are required, as is a camera for the out and return. Address entries to: Mt. Buffalo X-C, P.O. Box 400, Prahran, Victoria, Australia 3181. Mt. Buffalo is a 3,000-foot granite monolith that has produced consistently impressive X-C flights. During December to
Striplin Aircraft announces the installation and testing of the new Ballistic Recovery System by Northern Sun. This parachute recovery system is of the hang gliding variety which is attached to the airframe. The unique thing is that it is installed in a container bolted to the FLAC directly over the pilot's head. Within the container is a 28-foot diameter parachute along with the control box and ballistic deployment device. To deploy the chute, the pilot simply pulls on the D-handle which does three things simultaneously: 1) kills the engine, 2) stops the propeller, and 3) deploys the parachute. Within three seconds both the aircraft and the pilot will be underneath a canopy. The aircraft will then settle into a pre-set, nose-down attitude which still provides directional stability and allows the pilot some option in selecting a landing site. Estimated descent speed with this parachute system is about 2,200 feet per minute, or 25 mph. The photo above shows this system in operation being tested from the Striplindeveloped ultralight flight simulator. Ken Striplin feels that this ballistic system is one of the most needed safety devices ever invented for ultralight aircraft, as we are flying in the most dangerous area of flying: low and slow.
CROSSBAR NOTICE Owners of gliders with internally sleeved crossbars are advised to inspect their crossbars to ascertain the pop rivet locating HANG GLIDING
the inner sleeve is still in position. If it has become loose or broken off, the internal sleeve should be recentered and a 1/ 8" sheet metal screw inserted in the original hole. Bill Bennett
AVIONICS SWAP MEET The Golden Empire Flying Club, in cooperation with Radio Systems Technology, takes pleasure in announcing the Third Annual Fly-In and Avionics Swap Meet at evada County Airport , Grass Valley CA, on Sept. 21 , 1980. Featuring the world's only Avionics Swap Meet, which is free to dealers and individuals alike, the affair will begin at 10 a .m. and continue until dusk. There is no registration or tiedown fee for either the Fly-In or the Avionics Swap Meet. Pilots are requested to use the new Unicom frequency 123.0 MHz. For further information, call or write Fran Mitchell , c / o Radio Systems Technology , 10985 Grass Valley Ave .. Grass Valley, CA 95945, (916) 272-2203 .
BALLOON AND CHUTE WORKSHOP The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, through its Aerodynamic Decelerator and Balloon Technology Technical Committee, is sponsoring a balloon and parachute testing capabilities workshop to be held at the Air Force Flight Test Center, Edwards Air Force Base, California, on Oct. 6 and 7, 1980. The objective of the workshop is to provide a medium for the technical interchange of information on parachute and balloon testing. This workshop is intended to bring together representatives of government and industry for this vital interchange of technical information and for discussion of future testing requirements and capabilities. The Annual Edwards Air Force Base Open House will be on Oct. 5 this year. Workshop participants may wish to include this event in their plans. Further information regarding the workshop may be obtained by contacting Mr. Henry J. Hunter, (805) 277-4820.
NEW CERTIFIED SCHOOL USHGA welcomes another certified school : Hang Gliders West, 20-A Pamason, Ignacio, CA 94947. SEPTEMBER 1980
11
The symbols of success are recognition and imitation. Rich Pfeiffer was this year's winner, and next year the "cry on the hill" at the takeoff area, during the long hot wait for the right takeoff conditions will again be "What is Rich doing?" The X-C Classic is without a doubt the most meaningful and prestigious X-C meet in the world each year. Its dominance in this field will increase every year, as pilots the world over learn more about the contest from flying it, or from friends who did. Here are some of the reasons for this dominance: The distances flown dwarf the distances flown in any other contest by 4 or 5 to 1. Instead of flying 30 kilometers, the winner of a typical open task in Owens Valley flies 150. In addition, the heights flown and gained are far greater, the quality of the X-C pilot is the best and the scenery from 18,000 feet is awesome in its immensity. 12
During the past three years, there has been an occasional Classic pilot who has judged that the danger of flying the White Mountains in competition is excessive. This is understandable. It is not safe for everyone. The vast majority, however, in all three Classics, from 1978 through 1980, have expressed incredible enthusiasm and pleasure. And it is important to remember that there have been no deaths in the Classic, and only one serious injury (Gary Patmore in 1977). The fact is, that those who have felt the danger to be excessive, do not have valid statistical support for their contentions. Who will win the 1980 Classic? Who are the favorites? This question was asked of the competitors before the start of the meet. Eighty percent named Rich Pfeiffer. But Larry Tudor received 15 'Ya . The others mentioned who were far behind are listed in the order of support. Chris Price, Jeff HANG GLIDING
OPPOSITE TOP: From Nevada looking back toward Mont· gomery Pass. LEFT: Rich winner two years in a row. THIS TOP LEFT: 300 mm camera barely finds the three RIGHT: Scenery above the Whites. ABOVE: Alan Reeter over lacks Ranch. RIGHT: Alan sets up for landing.
Burnett, Peter Brown, Jeff Scott, Joe Greblo, Tim Joseph and Sterling Stoll. It will be interesting to see how good the competitors are at picking the winner and runners-up. A serious attempt will be made in this article to describe why winners win, and also to enlighten and illustrate the vital issue of "risk taking caused by a driving competitive urge" versus "flying with all possible skill to win while retaining safety as the highest priority in order to fly tomorrow." And finally, it is felt that the real flavor of any contest results from the human-interest stories which are bound to occur, and must also be reported.
How can a pilot get into the Classic? The basic rule is by doing well in previous Owens Valley competitions (Open, Qualifier, etc.). However, the pilots of other nations are welcomed because their presence adds greatly to the Classic and to worldwide X--C hang gliding. In addition, about ten pilots got in because there were last minute emergency cancellations and because those ten pilots were on the spot at the right time with the $'150 entry lee. The pilots gathered in Bishop, CA, at 8:00 a.m. on Saturday, July S for the open· ing ceremonies. However, there were none, because Don Partridge, the meet director, prefers a very low-key and informal
In 1978, the competitors came from only four nations. This year they come from twelve: Australia, England, Canada, Brazil, Germany, New Zealand, Mexico, Switzerland, Venezuela, South Africa and the U.S. Thirty-six of the total of 66 pilots are from foreign countries. There are two women pilots, including the wife of a French competitor. Can you imagine the stories they will tell back in France?
approach. This didn't matter. What did matter was the extreme high level of enthusiasm and excitement by pilots and their support crews. If a pilot from last year looked for something new, it was easy to find. The transport had changed dramati·cally. Instead of many four-wheel-drive vehicles, each carrying nine gliders, there were three gigantic trucks carrying 27 each. The trucks had "Xmas-tree" racks which continued on pagP 48
SEPTEMBEP 1980
13
The Mount
St. Helens Special
SAVE AN EXPLOSIVE
s11 SQ
We've
OFF THE NEWSSTAND PRICE
,---------------------------, U.S. 1 year (12 issues)
If charging:
blown our tops to give you the best $?.so l•:I I I Canada add $1.00 D MasterCard D Visa .;_ subscription offer in GLIDER RIDER's five-year hisall other foreign add Credit Card No. $2.00 -------tory. Never before have rates been so low - an U.S. MONEY ONLY Exp. Date _ _ _ Interbank No. - - explosive 58% off the newsstand rate. (50% off Offer Expires the regular subscription rate!) Card Holder's Name _ _ _ _ _ __ Sept. 30, 1980 And you can bet your ash this once in a lifetime offer won't be repeated. So dust off your checl<iGLIDER D Enter my ne\\' subscription D Extend my current subscription bool<i and send in your subscription to the world's RIDER most popular hong gliding and ultralight aviation P.O. nox Gooo. Dept. 780 Name _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ Chattanooga, TN 37401 magazine. But hurry before the smoke clears. This Address - - - - - - - - - - U.S. subscribers allow 4-6 offer self-destructs September JO, 1980. (No hot weeks for delivery of first issue foreign suLscribers allow 6-8 checl<is, please. NOTE: We cannot bill you for this City, State & Zip weeks for delivery offirsl issue special offer.) OFFER EXPIRES 9-J0-80 L----••••••••••••••••••••••-1
KITTY HAWK SEPTEMBER 2-7. Masters of Hang Gliding Championship, Grandfather Mountain. Contact: Hugh Morton, Box 128, Linville, NC 28646. (704) 733-2355. SEPTEMBER 13-14. 7th Coupe lcare, St-Hilaire du Touvet, France, site of the World Cup. First international tandem meet. SEPTEMBER 13-23. U.S. National Hang Gliding Championships. Ellenville, New York. Contact: Aerial Techniques (914) 647-3439. SEPTEMBER 20-21. Powered hang gliding fly-in, by Central Indiana H.G.A. Howard County Airport, near Kokomo, Ind. Contact Dave Riggs, R3 Lebanon, IN 46052 (317) 435-2335. SEPTEMBER 22-23. Telluride Hang Glider Invitational.
OCTOBER 3-5. Blue Stratos in· ternational tow meet. Large purse. 40 pilots maximum. Contact Keith Nichols clo USHGA or Doug Lawton, Southern Air Time, P.O. Box 93701, Martech Station, Atlanta, GA 30318 (404) 476-5446. OCTOBER 11-13. Third annual i ntercol leg i ate-international hang gliding meet. Morningside Recreation Area, Claremont, NH. OCTOBER 11-19. American Cup, Chattanooga, TN. OCTOBER 18-26. Third annual American Cup, Lookout Mt. Flight Park. International team competition. Contact Sport Aeronautics, P.O. Box 6009, Chattanooga, TN 37401 (615) 867-4970. OCTOBER 24-26. Blue Stratos international power meet. Large purse. 40 pilots max.
Contact Keith Nichols c/o USHGA or Gary Scheer, Lone Star HG, 2200 C So. Smithbarry Rd., Arlington, TX 76013 (817) 469-9159.
SEPTEMBER 13 (rain date SEPTEMBER 14). Tandem Clinic and Ground Crew Appreciation Day. Learn how to take your friend flying. She/he will be the guest of honor for this clinic.
OCTOBER 31,NOVEMBER 2. Fifth annual Great Race, Chattanooga, TN. Contact Lookout Mt. Flight Park, Rt. 2, Box 215H, Rising Fawn, GA 30738 (404) 398-3541.
SEPTEMBER 27, 28. Hang Ill Rating Clinic (mountains). Please fill out an application. OCTOBER 4, 5. Seahawk Class Competition. The Seahawk has become a classic so we're holding a competition just for Seahawk owners.
OCTOBER 29-NOVEMBER 9. Panajachel Invitational Championships. 60 pilots. Contact Arthur Kennedy. Hotel Playa Linda, Panajachel, Solola, Guatemala. Phone 621159 via Guatemala City long distance operator or Keith Nichols.
OCTOBER 25, 26. Soaring Seminar & Orville Wright FlyIn. (October 23, 1911, Orville set a soaring record of 9 minutes 45 seconds on the Ouler Banks.)
DECEMBER 13-16. Powered instructor certification hosted by Dennis Pagen. Contact Jim Johns, P.O. Box 386, Bypass 158, Nags Head, NC 27959 (919) 441-6247.
DECEMBER 13, 14. Wright Brothers 77th Anniversary Sale and Motorized Glider FlyIn.
CONTROL BAR PROTECTORS
Please send pairs Control bar protectors at $201 pair. Specify: D 1" D 1-1/8" D UPS D Parcel Post D Check or money order enclosed D C.0.0. 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.0.D. phone orders welcome (801) 829-3232 Dealers invited
USHGA CERTIFIED INSTRUCTORS NEEDED TO WORK IN A RESORT AREA. IFYOU ARE NOT ALREADY CERTIFIED, WEWILL TRAINANDCERTIFYYOU.
f l < ::c u I.I.I ::c I-
Dealer Inquiry Invited .. Order from your local dealer. If
Pellet Vanomelers - Naturally Powered ....100EL
1 Vario Readout (llask mus! be supplied by use!)
MODEL
I.I.
2 Control Bar Vario
39.00 and
42.00
Complete ready to mount 66.00 Helmet Mount Vario (complete) ready to mount 77.00
unavailable locally, 1hen order · may be placed with manufaclUrer. A Partial li>t of Dealer~:
Maina1r Spam, England Air Space, TN., GA. Crys1al Air Sports, TN Yarnell Techtonics. New York Bird Man Enterprises, Alb., Canada Hang Gliden of N. Calif. P & R Wings, Or
3 0 I.I.I u Tuffy 12" "Swing Away" Extension Bar 15.00 GUARANTEE: MODEL
RESUME TO:
SEPTEMBER 1980
Nags Head, N.C. 27959 Attention: RALPH BUXTON
0 ::c
u
Model #2 and Tuffy 12"
76.00
MAKIKI ELECTRONICS P.O. Box 629, Hauula. Hawaii %717 • Phone (808) 293-9348
60 days - Satisfaction or Refund 1 year - Against Mfg. Defects
MAIL ORD(R INfO. Make payment Ha check ,'.-t.O. bani<. dralL etc. Do not send ca1h. \\'e par1h1pping 1n US. foreign order1 make paymem rn US monles.1nclude11,5 00 extra fur air 1h1prnen1. COD CltARGES 50 fXTRA
,2
17
by Glenn Brinks
If he misses them due to fog, or navigation errors, he probably won't have enough fuel to reach Scotland. From Scotland, the route will be south to England, then across the Channel to Paris. Instead of the 3,600 miles of Lindbergh's more direct route, Sarmont's trip will cover about 6,600 miles. He expects to fly at about 10,000 feet and cover about 200 miles per day, taking advantage of the long arctic days and 40··70 degree temperatures. The northern detour was set up after research in the map room at the University of California at Santa Cruz Lo avoid any flights over water of more than about 300 miles. Sarmont's Fledge simply doesn't have the range for a more direct route. Sarmont is using a new 2-cylinder engine produced by Jack McCornack. It's a 2-stroke with a fuel consumption of about l 1/2 gallons per hour at a cruise speed of about 4.0 mph. The "Spirit of California" carries about 24 gallons of fuel, so it has a theoretical maximum range of 640 miles.
weight. Sarmont's plane weighs over 300 pounds with a full load of fuel. The modifications make the Fledge's foot-launchability doubtful, so Sarrnont got a private pilot's license and was assigned FAA N-numbers for the Fledge. According to Larry Whitney, of Crafspan, Sarmont isn't doing the flight for publicity, but simply for adventure and an attempt at a few microlight records: duration flown in hours, distance flown over water and of course, the first crossing of the Atlantic in a microlight. He's receiving support from friends in Santa Cruz who are selling "Spirit of California" T-shirts, from Coors beer and from other companies that have donated equipment and even from the royal family in Monaco who invited Sarmont to spend the winter at their palace. Heady stuff indeed, but as of press time, Sarmont is still waiting in Canada for word from the transport ministry. Whatever way it turns out, Hang Gliding Magazine will keep you posted.
New There have been many parallels drawn between the state of microlight flying today and that of general aviation in the 1920s and here's another one: an attempted crossing of the Atlantic Ocean. Sarmont, of Santa Cruz, Calif., majority stockholder in Grafspan, Inc., is making the attempt in a modified Pterodactyl Fledgling 430D, the "Spirit of California." Sarmont began the flight on Thursday, July 24, taking off from Farmingdale, N.Y. (on Long Island), circling the Statue of Liberty and heading north. By Saturday, the fate of the flight was in Jim· bo. Sarmont got as far as Baie Comeau, Quebec when Canada's transport ministry decided the Fledgling was an airplane and it didn't meet their standards, so it was impounded by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Sarmont was soon on the local media, appealing to the Canadian people to urge the government to allow him to continue his flight. If the transport ministry refuses to change its mind, the Fledge will be packed in a crate and flown to Greenland, where the flight will be resumed. Otherwise, Sarmont will fly far to the north and cross the Davis Straits to the western coast of Greenland. He will fly around the southern tip of Greenland and then across to Iceland. The most dangerous part of the flight will be the approximately 300 miles over water from Iceland to the tiny Faeroe Islands. SEPTr:MBER 1980
Eagle Sarmont and friend
However, fuel consumption will be higher in Sarmont's Fledge because of the extra weight of fuel, instruments and other equipment; navigation has to be perfect to achieve the minimum straight line distance between two points; and with a 40 mph cruise, any significant headwind or crosswind could reduce his range dramatically, so a 300 mile water crossing is a considerable risk. To prepare for that risk, Sarmont is carrying survival gear from the Navy and an O'Neill half-inch neoprene dry suit and he's arranged to be followed by bush planes and boats on different legs of his trip. He's also carrying a marine Loran direction finder and a 700 channel communications transceiver. Other instruments include compass, rpm, altimeter, airspeed and cylinder head temperature. The only other modification to the Fledgling was to wrap the rear axle in fiberglass to help it withstand the extra
Canards or taiJ ..first aircraft are getting popular now that Burt Rutan has proven the design's merit. Steve Mahrle, of Glendale, Calif., is working on a prototype canard microlight that has some unusual features. The main wing will have a straight leading edge, with a swepl··forward trailing edge, so the quarter-chord point or approximate aerodynamic centerline of the wing will be swept forward instead of being swept back as it is on most other canards. Mahrle says this will give better stall characteristics at low speed. Helping the stall behavior is the tip design. Rather than using washout, which complicates the spar and rib design, the airfoil will have an increasing amount of reflex toward the tips. The strut-braced main wing uses a highlift 13 % thick section developed at the University of Illinois, while the canard uses a very high lift section developed at the University of Glasgow for use in manpowered aircraft. Rutan uses the same Glasgow airfoil for the canard on his Varieze. Control is by elevator (on the canard) for pitch, with tip rudders and coupled main rudder and spoilers for yaw and roll con·· trol. The spoilers can also be used together for glide-path control. Span will be 24 ft., with a 5 ft. root and a 4.25 ft. tip chord. Main wing area will be 144.5 sq. ft. Total weight should be about 155 lb., with a 2.35-2.50 lb./sq. ft. wing loading with pilot. 19
The fuselage will be chrome moly tubing and the wings will have a built-up spruce, aluminum and fiberglass spar with a foam and fiberglass 0-tube and fabric covering. Takeoff will be either a conventional wheel launch or else will involve running until the canard is flying (about 10 mph), swinging the feet up and then taking off after a little more acceleration to get the main wing flying. The design will be aerobatic. Some of the details of Mahrle's plane are unique, such as the engine slip clutch using ball bearings and skateboard wheels, and some have been adapted for microlight use, such as the turbulated leading edge and spoilers. I'll have more on these details in future columns and once the prototype is flying, there will be a flight test and evaluation.
Technical Articles
Bird's Eye View
Most of the letters to Pow~r Pilot ask for more technical information, details on new products and the like. You asked for it, so there will be a lot more technical material in future Power Pilot columns. Some of the topics will include: how to mount a MAC 101 engine on a Soarmaster reduction unit (thanks to Dave Kilbourne), details on the 3-cylinder Konig radial and the McCornack 2-cylinder inline engines, drawings and descriptions of Steve Mahrle's slip clutch and turbulated leading edge and spoilers, plus the latest in technology from the Oshkosh fly-in. Stay tuned. Send news, comments and questions to: Power Pilot, Box 66306, Los Angeles, CA 90066.
Flying For Fun in the Old West by Lauran Emerson
Here's a tip from Dick Gammon, Cloverdale, Oregon.
OIR£CTION ol' WRAP
( ,)
Many pilots and several manufacturers are wrapping portions of their control bars with various materials to increase grip, thus making ground handling easier. A method which is both inexpensive and very effective is to use discarded auto or truck inner tube rubber! Cut strips about two inches wide around the outer circle of the useless tubes that your local tire shop will give you, then stretch the material around the sections of downtubes that you grip, and along the entire length of the basetube. To affix the stuff, use the technique developed for bandaging an arm ... take a wrap the "wrong" way, then stretch and overlap the rest on top of the first wrap (see illustration). Using this heavy rubber has several benefits: improved grip both during ground handling and in heavy turbulence, insulation when you fly in cold air, and protection of the basetube against rock abrasions. Send us your Little Tips, P. 0. Box 66306, L.A., CA 90066.
20
It was with mixed feelings that Hugh and headed down to Wyoming's Big Horn Mountains last week for the Old West Regionals. Everything I'd ever read or seen of hang gliding competition warned me away. My feelings were compounded by the particular location; the Sand Turn site in the Big Horns was the scene of one of the worst flying experiences of my life. Our previous visit there had been marked by crowds of visiting pilots, general disregard for safety and courtesy, and hostile confrontations over the occupancy of the single launch window. A tree landing, followed by a long, hot hike off the mountain, was just one of a series of events that had kept Sand Turn off my list of favorite flying places. Our friends, who'd been with us at Sand Turn last year, declined to join us for a sixhour drive to repeat the experience. For the first time in our years of flying together, they had reasons for not going on a hang gliding weekend ... reasons such as mowing the lawn, weeding the garden, and painting the house. When we heard these excuses, we weren't encouraged. But Hugh and I had no choice. Months earlier, we'd committed ourselves to help with the regional qualifying meet. So, alone and prepared for the worst, we drove south. We were in for a surprise. Expecting a bunch of hot-shot pilots strutting around intimidating newcomers, we found instead a group of good pilots who were welcoming and helpful to the new faces on the mountain. HANG GLIDING
We found that meet organizer Mike King had done an excellent job of arranging tasks and materials. The flight requirements were well-suited to the conditions and easily scored. As the competition progressed, the points gave a good indication of pilot skill and judgment, glider performance, and luck (usually, but not always, in that order). Instead of judges making decisions on individual problems, each variation from the rules was put up for a vote by all competing pilots. Every time, fairness and safety were voted in over individual points and standings. When, during competition, Chuck Simms flew out of a thermal to report a glider down in the trees, the competing pilots voted to give him the maximum points for duration on his flight. All ques·· tions about pilots switching gliders and other decisions were handled in the same way, by majority vote. The democratic handling of the meet was an ingredient of its success. But the feature that really set this apart from other hang gliding competitions was that these pilots were flying for fun. None of the 30 competitors had jobs riding on their scores. The most experienced and least experienced among them were flying simply because they liked to fly. Many pilots were serious about the competition and their chances of competing in the Nationals, but none let this get in the way of safety and the rules of the air. Holly Raser and I, as scorer and timekeeper, had a ringside seat to the proceedThe landing zone was a pretty relaxed spot as pilots unwound and folded up their wings. Their conversations centered on their flights, and their own estimates of flight durations became our chief source of amusement. Doubles were the norm. "I must've been up at least 20 minutes," they'd say, before looking incredulously at the nine-minute mark on the score sheet. Accurate time estimates (singles) were limited to the few pilots who wore watches and knew how long they'd flown. Triples happened occasionally. Soarin' Sarah Bowman came in with the first of these, as she touched down after a thermalling flight. She approached the takedown area, murmuring something about "at least a half-hour" to a friend. Then she glanced at the score card: "Eleven minutes!?!" Sarah's miscalculation was understandable, as were the many other wild guesses of the competition. Aher all, minutes in the air have little in common with minutes on the ground. Our perception of flight time is based on what happens in the air, on how
SEPTEMBER 1980
many decisions we make, how many turns we initiate, how many feet we gain or lose, and a hundred other variables. With so many thoughts filling our heads, it's no wonder that minutes are mistaken for hours. The beauty of the Old West Regionals was that, in spite of the competition, pilots were still allowed these feelings of free flight. Whether their own estimate of flying time was double or triple the timekeeper's watch didn't matter. What seemed to matter more than the points were the air-lime smiles worn by competitors and noncompeti tors alike. Jim Farrens sported the biggest grin of all
LEFT TO RIGHT: Joe DeCleur (4th), Mark McIntyre (2nd), Jim Bowman (3rd), and Chuck Bright (1st).
after he dropped out of competition and launched into a flight he'd been dreaming of for years. Chuck Bright and Mark McIntire had the Number 1 and 2 winners' smiles, backed by both points and hours in the air. But they weren't the only winners; we all were. Sand Turn was a pleasure this year. We had a chance to meet and fly with an exceptional bunch of pilots and people, and I got to go home with a 40-minute thermalling smile on my lips. It was just slight eclipsed by Hugh's 67-minute grin.
Results of the Old West Regionals: 1st. ........ Chuck Bright, Riverton, Wyo. Seagull 11-Meter 2nd ...... Mark McIntire, Evanston, Wyo. UP Mosquito 166 3rd .......... Jim Bowman, Dayton, Wyo. Lancer 190 4th ............. Joe DeCleur, Nampa, Id. Alpha 215 5th .... Chuck Simms, Rock Springs, Wyo. Nova 210 6th ........... Gary Spears, Casper, Wyo. Seagull II-Meter 7th ................ Rick Altig, Boise, Id. SST 8th ...... Dan Gravage, Livingston, Mont. Nova 190 9th ....... Droid Gerrard, Evanston, Wyo. Lancer 75 10th .......... J. Stephens, Billings, Mont. Cirrus 5-B
*******************************************
ESPECIAUY HANG GUDING
Black or White
Available in Universal 6 718 to 7 7 / 8 size only
leading Edge Air Foils, Inc. 331 S. 14th St. Colo. Spgs., CO 80504 (303) 6324959 Dealer Inquires lnvltec1
21
Qualifying for the Masters is easier said than done. That is, if you're not one of those lucky pilots born with a silver tang in your mouth. Well now there's a chance that even you can qualify. It all began with a conversation between pilots Bruce Short and Dan Johnson during for the Region 10 Qualifier. Lookout Mountain Flight Park partner and pro pilot Matl Taber was approached about the formation of the new Southern League. Matt began lo figure out the logistics in-volved in such an event. With the influential support of Glider Rider publisher Tracy Knauss, Matt was able lo convince Grandfather Mountain's Hugh Morton of the credibility this form of competition would provide. Mr. Morton has granted an opening for
one pilot in the 1980 Masters. This one pilot will be selected from four weekend competitions held at Lookout Mountain Flight Park in Chattanooga, Tenn. Interest in the Southern League spread quickly, and many local pilots from the TennesseP, Georgia and North ('arolina states registered. Taber was very surprised the inquiries and enrollment of pilots from Michigan, Illinois and Maryland. Lookout Mountain Plight Park has supplied first, second and third place trophies and prizPs for pach of the four meets all to be completed before the Masters which will be held in September. The remaining datPs for tlw competitions are: July ] 9-20, 3-4 and August 23-24.
TOP: Bruce, Short tied with Ray Schaal tor first place in the Southern League, flying a Maxi. He was second in the Reg. 10 Qualifier. CENTER: Ray Schaal's Maxi Mk. Ill and Bob Deffenbaugh's Antares encounter a near miss over the target. ABOVE: An Atlas, Maxi and Condor approach landing during a six 360's speed run task.
HANG GLIDING
The first competition was held June 28 and 29, but don't let that keep you from competing in the rest, as only your three best meets will count. Registration can be made at Lookout. A total of 19 pilots registered for the first Southern League competition. The weather for June 28-29 was projected to be hot, humid and out of the southwest. The task format for the event: was a) minimum time task with mandatory 360's, and b) maximum duration with pylon option. ·rhese tasks were to be determined and selected by the launch director Chuck Toth, assisted by local pilot and editor of Glider Rider, Buzz Chalmers. The competition began with an early morning speed run. The locals have just about mastered this task, with times
resulting in the low two-minute range. A little explanation here would help to demonstrate the awesome speed and visual effect of such a time versus distance task. The northwest facing Lookout Mountain has a 4:1 glide, which presents no problem to even the most novice of pilots. Yet when you challenge a master competition pilot to six 360's with a minimum time limit, the show really gets going. With 6,000 feet: from top to bottom, the fastest time during the competition was turned in by Bubba Goodman: 2 minutes, 6 seconds. 13onus time was either added (duration) or subtracted (minimum time), depending on the proximity to the target, with the 10-foot circle warranting 30 seconds, the 20-foot circle 20 seconds, and the 50-foot
TOP: Ray Schaal tied for first with Bruce Short. /-le placed sixth in the Reg. 1 O Qualifier. CENTER: Denny Haldeman zeroes in for another bullseye in his Omni. ABOVE: Spirit pilot Matt Wagner placed third in the Southern League.
St:PTEMBER 1980
circle 10 seconds. These bonuses either gave time to or took time off the pilot's raw score. Now in Bubba's case, his time was given a minus 20 second bonus, i.e., 2:26 minus 20 seconds 2:06 minimum flight lime. Other respectable times were turned in by Matt Taber in a Mega Mk II, with a minus 20 sec·· ond bonus, resulting 2:08; Larry Mansburger, Mega Mk II, 20 second bonus, 2: l O; Matt Wagner, Spirit, 30 second bonus, 2:09. During a practice round, Bruce Short turned in a smoking ] :46, corrected from 2:16 with a minus 30 bonus bullseye landing. Remember that six reversing 360's are mandatory before target points are awarded, and each 360 not completed adds 45 seconds to the raw score. After pilots in Groups A and B completed their speed run task, conditions improved considerably and duration was to be the next task called. In this instance, pilots either try to stay up for 15 minutes or go for one of two pylons located along the ridge. If only one pilot achieves a pylon (and returns to the landing zone), then he/she is the winner and the other three pilots are judged on duration. If two or more pilots achieve pylons, then the minimum time back to the landing zone or furthest pylon achieved wins. Points were awarded with 3/ 4 point for first, 2 points for second, 3 points for third, and in the case of a four-man heal, 3 points maximum. Now to get down to the actual competition. Some pilots took to the speed run like oiled ducks, while others chose the more conservative approach letting the other guy race to the ground. Credibility came in the form of 360's, keeping the task honest and at times it almost looked like duration. With the 6,000 feet from top to target, several of the recorded times were low (understatement) with the fastest time turned in at the Region 10 Qualifier by Sugarman Gary Davis with a 1:45 (2:15 minus the 30 second bullseye bonus). Times for the minimum task in any given heat ranged from the 2:20's to four minutes, depending on how much practice one had and how close to the trees he would be willing to fly. Most "fast" competitors chose to do the 6th 360 after squeaking over the last line of trees in the landing area. Then they would just pull it off at 40 to 50 feet above the ground with some of the flyers aborting the last maneuver, having little or no room to spare. Times included Matt Taber, 2:08, Mark Kenyon, 2:34, Matt Wagner, 2:09, Denny Haldeman, 2:33, Bruce Short, 2:28, and Ray Schaal, 2:52. All these pilots took first place in heat one of flights A and B. Although the duration task was chosen
23
for Round 2, a southwest cross with light thermals made the competition bumpy and downright turbulent at times. The winners in this category were Larry Mansburger, Mega Mk II, Dennis vanDam, Raven, Mark Kenyon, Maxi, Bruce Short, Maxi, Ray Schaal, Maxi and Mike Blankenship, Maxi. All had only a few seconds on the rest of the competitors as the conditions limited the duration to around six minutes, with the longest duration flight for the meet turned in by Bruce Short at 20 minutes. Round 3 flights A and B were also duration, as well as Round 5 held on Sunday. Fifteen pilots flew the last round and three bullseyes (30-second bonus) and six 20-foot ring (20-second bonus) landings were turned in. Needless to say, it was crowded around the bull. In a moment of excitement, Matt Taber chose to land downwind when he realized he was headed for the bull at the same altitude and distance as Mark Poling. The closer they got the more imminent a head-on collision appeared. With mere inches between the two gliders, both pilots landed over the bullseye. The only casualty was a downtube on Taber's glider.
Still in another crowded landing instance, Bob Deffenbaugh's Antares came close to putting a bow sprit through Ray Schaal's white Maxi. Solemnly unshattered by all the excitement was Matt (laid-back) Wagner who consistently nailed the bull while parachuting his Spirit in from great heights and gaining altitude while others found nothing but sink. All in all it was a great event full of fun for everyone, with many pilots expressing their feelings about the chance to sharpen their competition skills. More rounds would have been pulled off but the inclement weather conditions on Sunday afternoon determined the end of the meet. Bruce Short and Ray Schaal were tied for first place when they had to fly a duration task against one another. Amazingly enough, both tied the task down to the exact second, with Schaal nailing the bullseye, bringing his raw time to 4:06, while Short had 3:56 with a 10-second bonus (also 4:06). Both pilots qualified earlier in May for births in the September Nationals in Ellenville, New York from Region 10.
One mention here might cast some light on this important event. The basic purpose of these meets is to provide an opportunity for pilots interested in becoming competition pilots to achieve better flying skills. At the same time, it offers a relatively unknown pilot an entry position at one of the most prestigious invitationals - the Masters of Hang Gliding at Grandfather Mountain. Would this not be an interesting way for your region to select that local boy and send him on to the big time? Top 10 Standings In Southern League 1 (tie) Bruce Short (3 3/4) 1 (tie) Ray Schaal (3 3/4) 3 Matt Wagner (6 1/4) 4 Larry Mansburger (7 1/4) 5 (tie) Dennis vanDam (8 1/2) 5 (tie) Mark Kenyon (8 1/2) Tim Cocker (8 3/4) 7 Lars Isaacson (9 1/2) 8 9 (tie) Matt Taber (9 3/4) 9 (tie) Denny Haldeman (9 3/4)
THE ALTIMETER
$75.. 00 INCLUDES CONTROL BAR MOUNT o ANEROID MOVEMENT o ADJUSTABLE OUTER DIAL FOR SETTING ELEVATION ABOVE SEA LEVEL, ABOVE LAUNCH ABOVE LANDING o TWO YEAR WARRANTY o
PLEASE RUSH THE ALTIMETER TO:
NAME _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __
AD RESS _ _ _ _ _ _ __ CITY ZIP _ __ CHECK
STATE.
c.o.n. __
AVAIL~BLE FROM: THE ,~LTIMETER
1261 CITY CREEK ROAD POCATELLO, IDAHO 832nl DEALER IlQJIRIES INVTTI!D
HANG GLIDING
The cont·,nuation of a winni JJ ~ ng tradition ears strong! .
A/,. l
I
•i
·'
'
photographs by Ric Before we jump into this month's glider, I would like to say a few words on the sub-of glider evaluations. In the May /June issue of the Whole /\ ir Magazine, Worthington raises some very valid points concerning glider evaluations. The most noteworthy, in my opinion, is the statement that most people doing evaluations owe something to the manufacturer in question. Because of this, I have had trouble obtaining gliders for this series. It seems that some manufacturers think I will unjustly lambaste their products, just because I don't happen to carry them. This is not the case. I believe I must let the glider stand or fall on its own merits/faults. It would be foolish of me to make false statements about any glider. I take these evaluations seriously, and I welcome your comments and criticisms. This month's glider is the new Moyes Mega Mark II. It is a moderately high aspect ratio, low twist and billow, deflexorless glider using preformed metal ribs. Here's what I discovered about it.
Unzip the bag and assemble the triangle bar with one bolt. Flip the glider over and
undo all the ties. Plug in the kingpost (all wires stay attached on the Mega) and the keelpost. Then, if the winds are light, stand the glider on its nose and release the wings, holding onto the keel. (See photo.) Secure the slider box with the ball lock pin provided. If the winds are moderate to strong, lay the wings out flat on the ground, Install the velcro pressurized ribs, fixed tips and pilot suspension strap. Snug up the rigging by rotating the kingpost clockwise and you're ready to preflight.
The overall appearance of the Mega is excellent. The glider is built with American tubing and appears to be quite strong. It is also quite heavy. This one weighed in at 70 pounds, in the bag. The leading edges are 1 7 /8" x .049" with 1 7 /8" x .049" crossbars and 1 3/4" x .049" keel. The control bar is J ] /8" and the ribs are J /2". Even the sail is heavy due to the fact it's made with 5.1 oz. dacron instead of the usual 3.8 or 4.0 oz. This excess weight can be a blessing in disguise, though. With an airframe and sail that tough, wear should be minimal.
Setup sequence
26
HANG GLIDING
you will find a of differences. Some of the more important ones are: a wider nose angle. different trailing edge cut, half inch ribs and double nose ribs. The two flaws I found on this Mega have to do with appearance. The sail has several runs in the dacron which appear to be manufacturing flaws. The other flaw has to do with the tubing. On the crossbars there
are some extrusion marks. These occur when the tubing is being drawn through the die, usl!ally due to some contamination or the die being old. In my opinion, neither should be present on a $2,000 glider.
The Mega is quite easy lo launch. Just point the nose into the wind, level the wings and nm it off.
The hardware employed on the is excellent. Some of it is made by U.S. and some of it comes from U.P. The set-up mechanism is a keel slider system similar to an Atlas. All the cables arc coated and end with Never Kinks, which seems to be a new industry standanl At first glance, one might mistake a Mega for an Atlas. But, upon closer examination,
My first soaring flight on the Mega was just as I suspected top of the pack. The only glider I couldn't catch was another Mega with a lighter pilot aboard. Minimum sink is an indicated 19 mph with my wing loading and top speed (indicated) was a surprising 47 mph! (I did three separate speed
Chri!:! Price II and
of hopefully here p;oes. fault with. Most in conditions Wl!ak points. In ,trong lllrbu.lent lift there iHC better than a Mega II. Since l do not keep a book I cannot how hours I hav<, in hut I can a of them were in the Ow<1ns The Mega II yaws around a lot. This can be controlled elther the yaw movements stabs at the control bar or foster than you or tQ lose its sink does not sctim out it around. But if the it \:an lead to a spin but is a111no111n;g.
Sf:PH:MBEI< 1980
tle mnrc yaw u,r,"J.""1'.l· Having flown for th,1 past two seasons l found that the Mega II was bilst flown differently. Since its mid,range sink rate .ls so good, thennalling at an airspeed yields a better above best sink on an climb rate than !he out for all its worth" style that l had in the float(lfs. When hanked over in a thermal flying along with a little speed, it is best to nse the speed to bank over to stay in the lift, rather than push out like in a floater. It only l:ook me ten minutes to this out on my first flight in a Mega and Wa$ able to climb out 1,000 feet above Mike Arram .. hide who was flying my Maxi. He said sornetlli!1tg about a lucky pop, Well, the hot, torn lim, that a lot of pilots a.re saying lucky pop over and Qgaln when it comes to how these Megas The first time I got out .. climbed by one in my Maxi 1 said the same this second opinion section I talk to a lot of other pilots first and let their opinions influence what I have to say. All but one found the best climbing, most easily of the gliders that ,Jre in the thermalled "notch above" class when it comes to glide. really shines is in weak lift Where the with areas and sink and a few pops here conditions that we fly in for fun and th(!re and compete in 90% of the time. I will Mt say a thing about its performance. I do not have to. Look at the competition results. The Mega can be heat U: spot fonding is the there gliders that: are that mattets is a glider's performancti 35 mph there are gllders that can ii, 13.ut under the overwhelming majority conditions we fly !I's rule. Cross-Counl:ry Classic H lot of pilol:s
would la.nd and comment on how they. t.hought they wore going Hl <lie. As far fis piteh and roll in extreme turbulence it foll IQ rne I w<1s even to dying. got stuck behind Boundry once an.cl simply hung Qn. I hit the keel a couple times but or never felt like the glider was out of was going to tuck or roll on its J foe] that a pilot could safely learn to fly in the Mega. But he would prnbably learn to thermal quickly .in a slowi:r were looking for a glider. If a glider and start,1d ,iut flying ,1 floater, hut now wants a bettet glide and penetration but still wants to climb like a floater, a Mega is thti best answer. It sets up quickly and is well thought out. The. pre--bent battens are sturdy enough that a pilot docs not h<1v11 to worry about them 1 bending with a little a.buse. fhc bag has has handles and is fully padded. U.S. really deaned up their act with this It a l;,.loody fortune ..Deale.rs pay more for glider than any other gllder on the market. They make. a smaller of profit when they sell one. Is it W,)tth fly one and.dedd,, for yourself. The top dog at. any flying siW seems to be a Mega if there ls one around; L fly xnlne with a hook-in weight of 225 pounds bt1t I would not vecomrnend it to a pilot with a hopk;.Jn weight of 190 who wants a sink rate advantage. I talked to the following pilots who h<ld flown Megas in forming my opini(m ()f the glider: Dean 1nnjL bury, Page Joe Greblo, Van l"fofC Don Worthington, Ken deRussy, Mike Artam· bide. One other thi11g; it's c11rtffied.
27
runs of over 30 seconds each to make sure.) The sail had some standing wrinkles in between panels 4 and 5 on the top of the double surface. The rest of the sail was clean up to about 38 mph. Between 38 mph and 47 mph, the outer three panels fluttered hard, but did not flap. Twice during the evaluation period I was up flying when the winds increased to 35 + mph and the Mega kept on cruising, no problem. Pitch pressure remains light throughout the entire range, allowing for long high speed runs without undue fatigue. Roll pressure is moderate on this design. When flying in glassy ridge lift, roll response is fast without too much lag. Once bank is established in a turn, the Mega will keep turning without further tendency to roll in or out. However, in "shotgun" thermal conditions, I definitely noticed a lag in bringing the high wing down. The stall on this glider is two-fold. When pushed out gently, it mushes and wallows around the sky, complaining about not flying. When pushed out sharply, it quits flying pronto and drops straight through to resume flying. The way the Mega tip stalls is kind of unique. At low bank angles it behaves like most flex wings, dropping the stalled wing and nosing down to resume flying. At higher bank angles, the high wing falls through in a leafing fashion and you find yourself pointed in the opposite direction! In spite of this behavior, the Mega wouldn't spin. Seems like designers are trying to take away all our fun. Right, Jerry?
LANDING CHARACTERISTICS Landings with the Mega are a piece of cake. I am amazed that such a small glider with such a heavy wing loading can land so slowly. I have not experienced any nose over or wing dropping tendency with it, either.
MIST AKES I MADE WHILE LEARNING TO FLY THIS GLIDER
GLIDER EVALUATION SPEC SHEET Glider Make, Model, Size:
Moyes Mega Mark II 172 ft. 2
Price:
$1,995.00
Specifications:
Given
Area: Aspect ratio: Span: Leading Edge Length: Keel Length: Washout Setting: Billow: Weight:
172 ft. 2 Not Given 32'9" Not Given Not Given Not Given Not Given Not Given
Net Airtime for Evaluation:
14 hrs. 21 min.
Wing Loading:
1.6 lbs/ft. 2
Actual
6.45 33'3" 19'.5" 12'6.5" 20° 70 lbs.
Set-Up Time: At beginning of evaluation period: At end of evaluation period:
7-8 min. 5-7 min.
Appearance: Overall: Hardware:
Excellent Excellent
Launch Characteristics: Static Balance: No wind: Strong wind:
Excellent Excellent
Flying Characteristics: Roll Pressure: Roll/Yaw Coupling: Pitch Pressure: Mush-To-Stall: Break Stall: Tip Stall: Spins: Indicated Top Speed: Indicated Stall Speed:
Moderate Very Good Light Gentle Moderate to Sharp Moderate Not Possible 47 mph** 16 mph**
Landing Characteristics: I really didn't have any problems learning to fly the Mega. All the mistakes I made with the Atlas helped out, I'm sure.
SUMMARY I found the Mega to be a top-of-the-line performer, well built and fun to fly. The $1,995 price tag is a bit steep, but the glider has a definite performance edge over most other flex wings flying.
28
Slow, moderate, or fast: Parachutable: Tendency To Nose Over: Tendency To Drop A Wing:
Slow Yes None None
*Not ascertainable. **Taken off bottom of control bar with new Hall meter. Sorry, I am unable to give corrected figures with present instruments.
HANG GLIDING
a
Ines l<.oberts is an unusual woman. Of Polish-German ancestry she was chased from her native Danzig by the invading Russians in 1944. The family fled to England and it was here that she met lwr husband, Gilbert. The Roberts lived in Scotland for eight years where it was that Ines began to photograph, having always been "obsessed with seeing." After tiring of Scottish weather the Roberts and their two children moved to California, where they now reside in an attractive home in a lush Santa Barbara setting. Herr Ines has continued her photo-· graphic work. She co-founded Santa Barl1ara's only photo gallery and produces ultm-modern sound/film slide shows. She was recently featured in Popular Photography magazine. Gilbert has been actively involved in hang gliding for four years and a year ago, at a:;:;e 50, Ines decided to join her husband in the sport. Hang gliding has novJ become another of Ines' passions. The tall, looking woman exudes enthusiasm as she describes her flights with expressive gestures and a twinkle in her eye. She says, "My hang gliding pictures are lousy; it's hard to get that beautiful feeling of freedom on film ... " We Disagree. Check out this month's centerspread.
How was it that you ended up a hang glider pilot at age 507
30
hang gliding enthusiast and photographer, by Janie and Gil
My husband has been in the sport for nearly four years. We have al-ways given each other room and encouragement to pursue our separate interests, such as my photography and his electronics, however, I resented my hus-band's involvement with hang gliding. It was like having to share him with a mistress. I was also afraid that he would injure himself or drive himself to exhaustion. I resented his restlessness when the wind was right, and even more his moodiness when it was wrong. I felt rejected when he was away flying, and even more left out when he returned starry eyed talking about a religious experience for which he could find no words to share with me. The period of resentment was replaced by one of apathy or fatalism. I occasionally went to flying sessions and was immediately hooked by the beauty of the sport. Oh, those colorful, graceful butterflies! To photograph them became a challenge, but a beautiful design against a blue background does not necessarily convey the exuberant of flying, the magic of fulfilling man's oldest dream. How did other photogra1pl1ers cope with this? I started to look through hang gliding magazines. Other competent photographers seemed to encounter the same problem: A photograph is too small to convey the infinity of a magic moment. Can a picture of a newborn baby held up by a doctor's hands convey the miraculous moment of birth? After viewing photos I progressed to a bit
of reading. Lauran Emerson's column with all its humor and humaneness spoke even to me a determined non··flyer. She opened a tiny door, though Gilbert (my husband) had to translate most of the jargon to me. Gilbert was constantly asking, "When are you going to take up flying?" As his pressure increased I found new excuses.
What were your excuses?
I cannot stand heights, hate being away from Mother Earth and have no real trust in any machinery, be it a boat, plane or car, so how could I trust a contraption of dacron, tubes and wires? I thought I wasn't strong enough. After the birth of my first child, my Scottish doc .. tor told me that I had a heart murmur and should never do anything too strenuous. Because of this verdict 21 years ago I felt obliged to feel tired and easily exhausted for the next 20 years. I took my pulse everytime I did something vigorous and expected the inevitable collapse whenever I climbed a mountain. In order to not have the verdict of heart murmur confirmed I avoided other doctors and their opinions, which would only have sealed my invalidism. I felt that I didn't have the time or pa .. tience to wait half a day for the wind to turn. I was already involved in many activities and had always raced against time.
HANG GLIDING
H was terror, like the of Hell; and then that moment of safe landing, the unbelievable joy that you are still intact, just as if God had said to the terror··Stricken sinner, "I changed my mind, you can come up after all."
Why did you finally decide to overcome these obstables and take up the sport?
I had always been a good swimmer. I managed to swim for two hours at a fund-raiser at our son's school longer, because of my very economical stroke, than anybody else, including Gilbert and all the teenagers. Well l felt great, even the next day! A heatscan a few months later confirmed the wrong di,wr"'"i" made 21 years ago. My 50th birthday came, the last of our children left for college and I felt lost. I had enjoyed my children very much. Now I realized that an important part of my life had come to an end, but I knew that there was no use going on as before and hoping for the bliss of grandchildren. I figured what makes us stale and boring is this reluctance to grow and grasp new opportunities. A young person could be killed anytime yet he or she makes plans for the future, in spite of the uncertainty of tomorrow. Hang gliding is a young man's sport, so they say. When my friend in Scotland heard about my hang gliding her response was typical: "Ines, you are too old for that!" She could have said that ZO years ago, for I felt physically just the same. With my birthday came a present from C ilbert hang gliding lessons and a promise to carry my glider to the top of our J 50-foot training hill 100 times! Gilbert had it all figured out: A woman is at an initial dii;advant,u!.e in this sport because she does not have the brute strength men have. Any objecting feminist need only look at the muscled bundles stomping like piano under the giant wings of a hang glider to have the argument of equality of strength settled once and for all. Women display great endurance and stamina, and some are very strong, but to carry this giant glider up a hill on your shoulders with a mischievous wind and weeds tearing it out of balance every few moments unleashes tears of frustration if swear words are not a standard part of your vocabulary. One acquires flying skill by flying often. Women get exhausted dragging their gliders up, so they cannot get as many flights in, and get discouraged seeing their fellow male students learn so much faster. This applies only to th•? initial learning stage, however, for I very soon noticed that I was gaining strength and started to carry my glider up even before Gilbert's quota of infinite generosity had come to an end. I also noticed that all those young, strong men who are new to this sport pant
SEPTEMBER 1980
Now that you have made more flights, and have overcome most of that fear, what does flying mean to
Ines with husband, Gilbert.
just as much as I did, and some are happy to walk behind me as this gives them an ex·· cuse to stop everytime I do.
As a newcomer to the sport, how did you feel about hang gliding?
I felt that a new world was opening up. I found my husband's concern and encouragement a wonderful bonus to all the other thrills. I loved the feeling of comradery and support our gatherings. There is so much rivalry in other sports. The expert looks down on the hesitant performance of the beginner, completely forgetting his own once clumsy efforts. Hang glider pilots· aren't like this. What warmed me so quickly to them was their genuine concern for one another. Shouts of bravo after a good takeoff or landing are as freely given to the scared beginner as to the more daring novice. Words of encouragement and compliments were my daily bread and I really revelled in it. I have never heard words of impatience or rudeness, even among the "Peak-flyers." Maybe some more caustic expressions are used to make down wind alter its course. Maybe I have been in it too short a time and do not know what goes on at the top. But, let me live with that sweet illusion that I have met men at their most ideal state; happy men, sympathetic and humble, glowing with excitement and wonder, at peace with themselves, if only for a day.
Can you describe what your first flight was like?
I love that wonderful glow that always fills me after a successful like flight. It is like a new birth the day our first child was born. Hang gliding involves such a wide spectrum of emotions. I do not hold with the idea that the thrill and fascination of this sport can be explained in terms of human frailty and proximity to death. If this were so, there would be more Russian roulette addicts. I am sure that most of us like the challenge of ]00% involvement and concentration, but would we love it less if our flying could be made as safe and easy as that of a bird? The thrill surely has more to do with "poetry in the air" and "a religious experience," as Gilbert said, and that wonderful afterglow which permeates you long after the glider has been packed away, and produces that certain s1nile on your face. continued on page 34
One of Ines' favorite photographic subjects is flowers.
31
continued from page 31
Q
Will hang gliding give you a new vision for your photography?
At this point I do not think so. For one thing, flying should be 100% concentration, and this is also required for good photography, so the two don't mix well. Aerial photographs can be taken with less risk out of a hired plane, and to portray the essence of gliding is still beyond me. But this new experience has already taught me so many things about myself and others, and this may finally show up in my photography. In conclusion, hang gliding has made me respect and admire the quality in men which makes them different from us women - their eternal boy spirit which enabled them to build the hang glider and fly that crazy contraption in the first place. I also sympathize with wives and girlfriends. I respect them for their tolerance and understand their resentment and isolation. But there is also the isolation that the pilot feels when he meets his non-flying family or friends after one of the greatest moments in the air and he finds no worlds to describe the magic.
A
s f ~ k,;fed' d me tUld J ~ kd d kvm,,
(Correction): The altitude gain record for Inspiration Point in Utah is held by Larry Tudor. Larry gained 10,500 feet in June, 1980, in his 166 Mosquito. WEST VIRGINIA: Chris Norloff had a fantastic flight on June 4, 1980, piloting his Phoenix 6-D 215 for 28 miles. Taking off from East River Mountain, he flew 2 miles to the landing area in Bluefield, W. Va., then flew 13 miles out and returned to the end of the mountain. Never higher than 900' above, Chris spent most of the flight from O - 250' above the ridge in very light ridge lift and small, weak thermals.
u,e~~foa~,
am,~~ kct£ ~ · ~~me&:£.Y~kvm,,
FLORIDA: Johney Johnson of Melbourne, Florida, has a remarkable flight to his credit. He describes it as a "45 minute flight off a 15-foot sand dune on the ocean's edge .. .I exhausted all my hang gliding knowledge and skill trying to get the most out of the 25 mph winds."
J~,iu~~ £e/fewd,r:,~ ~,Y~w,,~
.Yt Wad
?Zt? ~ ,
6aca~d,ft&'~ ~ u,e rf&d ~ (?'
4,
W-d4~CU?<=~
J ec=dt tiee?7Wd ?wt 0 /=id «,:£
¥ 4-»w ~ dkll.
udde C w & ~ Wb
(Z,
~
d,::,(Z,?'eda,~~~
©Brian R. Said 34
A COUPLE OF EXCEPTIONAL FLIGHTS FROM OVERSEAS:
VICTORIA, AUSTRALIA: John Clifford Elsworthy logged a 12V2 mile round trip flight along broken sand dunes hardly more than 30' high . Numerous times, his altitude was no greater than 8', which was exciting on the fast downwind return leg. Maximum altitude for this 12Vz mile flight: 120 feet! ABIDJAN, IVORY COAST: Daniel Paire describes a memorable flight which he probably doesn't care to repeat: "I was being pulled by a car. Just imagine, my driver turned left and stopped and said, 'You were climbing up too fast, Master!' " Send us your milestones! MILESTONES I 2425 Mullan Road I Missoula, MT 59801
1978 HANG GLIDING
new and exciting world awaits the largest cross section of pilots
A 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. From its fully adjustable roll response to its wide range of speeds, the 6D 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.
IMMEDIATE DELIVERY 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 6D 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
USHGA MERCHANDISE ORDER FORM
QUANTITY
B2 B3 B-4
B9
Have you hugged Your_- Hang Glider today?
PRICE
BOOKS THE COMPLETE OUTFlnlHG AHO SOURCE BOOK FOR HANG GLIDING by Michael Mendelson. History, models, accessories, publications, organizations, schools, siles. HANG GLIDING AND SOARING by James Mrazek. Flight theory and meteorological data. HANG FLIGHT by Joe Adelson and Bill Williams. Third edition, flight instruction manual. 100 pgs. HANG GLIDING by Dan Poynter. 8th Edition. Basic handbook lor skysurting. MAN,POWERED FLIGHT by Keith Sherwin. History and modern technology, design consideration. HANG GLIDING AHO FLYING CONDITIONS by Dennis Pagen. All aspects ol micrometeorology lor pilots. 90 illustrations. HANG GLIDING AND FLYING SKILLS by Dennis Pagen. A complete instruction manual for beginners to experts. HANG GLIDING FOR ADVANCED PILOTS by Dennis Pagen. Techniques lor cross-country, competition and powered llight. GUIDE TO ROGALLO-BASIC by Bob Skinner. A handbook lor beginning pilots. 30 pgs. HANG GLIDING, THE FL YIHGEST FLYING by Don Dedera. Pictorial history, pilot comments. Photos by Stephen Mccarroll. MANNED KITING by Dan Poynter. Handbook on tow-launch flying. MAH,POWEREO AIRCRAFT by Don Dwiggins. 192 pg. history ol flight. Features the llight ol the Gossamer Condor TORREY PINES by Don Betts, photos by Bettina Gray
$ 2.50
USHGA OFFICIAL FLIGHT LOG. 40 pgs
S 2.95
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 lor pilots 1980 edition. Hang gliding pertinent information. POWERED UL TAALIGHT AIRCRAFT by Dennis Pagen. A complete instruction manual. Over 90 pholos and illsutrations
8-16
1-9 8-18
AMOUNT
S 7.95 S 7.65
S 3 50 $ 6.50
S 6.50 $ 6.50
$ 6.50
S 7.50 $ 275
$10.95
S 4.35 $ 6.50
$ 1.50
$ 1.00 $ 3.98
S 8.50
ITEMS It
1-1
/
12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19
- - - - USHGA EMBLEM T-SHIRT. 100% cotton, heavyweight quality
----
-------
----------
-------
ORANGE or LIGHT BLUE. Men's sizes. S M L X-L (PLEASE CIRCLE SIZE AHO COLOR) USHGA EMBLEM CAP. One size lits all. Baseball lype w/USHGA emblem. NAVY ORANGE GOLD (PLEASE CIRCLE COLOR) USHGA SEW·ON EMBLEM. 3" diameter. lull color Ired wings. sunbursl wlblack print) USHGA DECAL. 3'1i diameter. full color. USHGA EMBLEM PEHDAHT. W' diameter Pewler w/silver chain USHGA BUTIOH/PIN. t 'Ii' diameter. full color LICENSE PLATE FRAME. "I'd rather be hang gliding". Wn,te on blue.
$ 5 50
--------
S 5 00 $ t .00 25 $ 3 00 s 50 $ 4.50
s
--------· ---- -
----
--
---
WALLET. Nylon. velcro closure. machine washable. water resistant BLUE BUMPER STICKER. "Have You Hugged Your Hang Glider Today"' Blue
S 8 95
-----
on white.
S 1 40
----- -
--
USHGA PUBLICATIONS pt
$ 2 00
USHGA INSTRUCTORS CERTIFICATION MANUAL.
MERCHANDISE SUB TOTAL Cal1forn1ans add 6% tax
MAIL WITH CHECK OR MONEY ORDER TO: USHGA, Box 66306, Los Angeles, CA 90066 NAME _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ USHGA# _ __ ADDRESS _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __
HAHG GLIDIHGIGROUNO SKIMMER BACK ISSUES
HO TAX OH MAGAZINES SPECIFY BY CIRCLING ISSUE HUMBER PRINTED COPIES: 20. 21 22. 23. /4. 25. 28. 29. 30. 11. 33. 34. 36. 3'.41 42. 43. 44. 45. 46, 47, 51. 56 PRINTED COPIES: 58. 59. 61. 62. 63. 64, 65. 67. 68. 69. 70 7• ,-_; B2. 83. 84. 86. 87. 88 through current issue
1
S
40
> n. 77. :3. 79. 81.
S t 50 MAGAZINE SUB- TOTAL
CITY, STATE, ZIP
TOTAL ·1SSUES HOT HUMBEREO ARE SOLO our·
·suPPLY LIMITED·
ORDERING INFORMATION: Enter quantity and price of each item ordered. Allow 3-4 weeks for delivery. Thank you for your order. ALL PRICES INCLUDE POSTAGE AND HANDLING. (Prices subject to change without notice.)
HO CHARGE ITEMS USHGA MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION FORM (#4)
_ _ USHGA POWERED ULTRALIGHT RA TING (PART 105)
USHGA MERCHANDISE ORDER FORM (#4)
_ _ ACCIDENT REPORT FORM (# 15)
USHGA LILIENTHAL AWARD FORM
_ _ SOURCES OF DEALERS. SCHOOLS. ETC 1#8) Specily state _________ _
USHGA BASIC SAFETY REGULATIONS (PART 100) USHGA PILOT PROFICIENCY PROGRAM (PART 104) ORDERING IHFORMA TIOH:
Enter quantity and price of each item ordered Allow 3-4 weeks for delivery (8 weeks for Foreign}. All orders are malled by the cheapest available rate If you wish 10 receive your order fasler. please 111clude suH1cie111 extra postage money
I
The Differences
in Flyingl East and West ©Copyright by Dennis Pagen
Seven years ago, I spent the summer exploring the Upper Kulu valley in Northern India. This temperate area, tucked away in the Himalayan foothills is a paradise inhabited by hospitable mountain tribes and expatriate Tibetans. The steep valley walls are adorned with dark towering pines, golden barley fields, apricot orchards, dazzling waterfalls and spectacular hang gliding sites. One day, three friends and I hiked to the source of the Kulu River. This trek took us up the highest mountain road in the world to the Rotang Pass - over 13,000 ASL. From here we crossed into the no-man's land between India and Tibetan China. The significance of the particular route we followed is that this is also the route of a more famous explorer, Marco Polo. Marco left Europe in 1271 and returned after 24 years in Cathay China. He brought back items of jade, porcelain and silk brocade and presumably introduced laundry tickets, fire drills, egg foo yung and a new way of playing checkers to the European Continent. Unfortunately, he missed the opportunity to shift hang gliding ahead 600 years by importing one of the manlifting kites used by the Chinese. However, he did open up the eyes of the European population to the wonders and joys of the exotic East. To a lesser extent, I intend to do the same for hang gliding. The wonders and joys of flying in the Eastern U.S. may be as unknown to a Western pilot as China was in Marco Polo's day. Despite our systems of communication and mobility, most Western pilots have not flown east of the Rockies. This article is for all the pilots traveling east for the first time, whether to fly in the fall meet (Masters, U.S. Nationals, American Cup) or just to enjoy a soaring vacation. 38
THE ENDLESS RIDGES There are three factors we should investigate in order to describe the difference in flying, East and West. These are the terrain or geomorphology, the ground cover and conditions. The nature of the Eastern terrain is perhaps the easiest matter to understand. All you have to do is open your handy pocket guidebook to geology and you will see the long coastal ridges undulating from New York to Alabama. This snakey complex of ridges, known as the Appalachian Mountains disappears in the Mississippi Basin, but resurfaces in Oklahoma as the Quachita Range (remember Heavener?), then appears again down in old Mexico like a fugitive on the lam. My geologist friends tell me that these ridges are some of the oldest formations on the continent, having been folded like an accordian when North America did the bump alongside the European/ African continental plate. Because of their great age, the Appalachian Mountains tend to be low (around 1,000 feet) and smoothly rounded on top. They often extend for mile after unbroken mile so that on any given day when the wind blows perpendicular to the range, it's easy to get the Silver Lilienthal badge 10-kilometer distance requirement using the dependable ridge lift. This is in contrast to the West where mountain ranges tend to be a series of individual peaks and longdistance flights are made by hopping thermals created in abundance by the more massive mountains. The explanation of thermal lift is a bit different in the East and West and will be investigated later. Directly to the west of the Appalachian Mountains chain is a widespread plateau successively known as the Allegheny, Cumberland and Piedmont Plateau. The
terrain on the plateau tends to be tumbled, rounded hills ranging from the size of an ant colony to about 1,000 feet AGL, with most sites offering but a few hundred feet of vertical drop. Of course, the potential of such sites should not be ignored as evidenced by the recent flight of a Pennsylvania pilot who gained over 7,000 feet and flew over 20 miles from such a 400-foot bump. The hills in the plateau area tend to face in a wide variety of directions, in contrast to those in the Appalachian chain that face northwesterly and southeasterly, since the chain itself runs from southwest to northwest. You can take your pick of sites along the eastern seaboard when the wind blows from west to north or east to south. The summer prevailing southwesterlies are less accommodating. Lucky is the pilot who lives close to the junction of the plateau area and the Appalachian range, for he can have a pick of sites. For example, there are 14 soarable sites within an hour's drive of my home - most of them on long-distance ridges. Two other important mountainous areas of the East should be mentioned. The first is the Great Smoky Blue Ridge Mountain complex lying directly to the southeast of the Appalachian in Georgia, North Carolina and Virginia. The second is the Adirondack, Green and White Mountain systems in the extreme northeast. All of these mountains tend to be tumbled and a bit higher than the Appalachian ridges, but a west to north facing is still predominant. A CARPET OF GREEN
The second factor that characterizes Eastern flying is the type of ground cover. This can be described in a word: trees. The tops of all the mountains mentioned above HANG GLIDING
as well as much of the valleys are usually solid with vegetation. This has several implications for flying. First, takeoff sites are at a premium and have to be placed on pipelines, rockslides or cut with the permission of sympathetic landowners (a dying breed). Because of these restrictions, takeoffs are often situated some distance from the roads. Thus, carrying glider, harness and helmet is part of the onus of the Eastern pilot. With this comes the plea to manufacturers for
A A
wind, making such a reach may require picking up altitude in the lift band near the mountain before venturing out over the mile or so of vegetation (despite the snicker, tree landings are not fun). Thus, on certain days, soaring skills are required to safely fly some Eastern sites. The final effect all this greenery has on flying is in respect to thermal production. We all know that above a cool forest is the last place to look for a thermal during the day. In fact, the frequently sinking air over
bulent than their western counterparts of the same strength. The strong winds create good ridge lift to sustain flight in search of thermals. However, there are many days when only two or three circuits can be performed in a thermal before the mass drifts too far behind the mountain without rising adequately. On these days, along the ridge is the only way to travel. This path is unfortunately slow (especially in strong winds requiring a considerable crab angle) with further com-
VIEW OP-THE EA~E.1<..N C o ~ DE:.P1CT\NGFE.\N Pt::>PULAR... 1==LYING SITES AND -i-HF;::..
AUTHoR
T1---UCCF1:.MA LING-
AT L/>,NTtC
BAc..K
OVCR -rHE
OceAN •
lighter aircraft. In addition, takeoffs frequently consist of a narrow chute through the trees. This requires a good fast run, and plenty of flying speed to leave the chute as quickly as possible. It doesn't pay to linger in sharkfilled waters. In fact, turbulence attacks are quite common in such chutes when winds are slightly cross. An Eastern chute site will tolerate less crosswind than, say, an open Western takeoff. Next, the Eastern pilot faces a similar problem when selecting landing areas. Farmers' fields are usually the answer, but seasonal crops and cattle often keep things in a constant state of flux. Farmers are hardworking folks with their feet firmly rooted in their ground, so careful negotiation is usually required here. The fact is, many potential sites are not realized due to landowners' objections. Landing areas in general tend to be small as dictated by the surrounding trees. However, I have found that landing areas in the East are on the average no more restricted than in the West. Lookout Mt. in Colorado, Sandia Peak in New Mexico and Symar in California are just a few well-known Western sites with tight landing areas. The real challenge of many Eastern sites is the distance from takeoff to landing. The required glide is often 5 to 1 or more. In a SEPTEMBER 1980
such verdant patches gives rise to the popular term "tree suck." The net effect of widespread forest areas is to reduce the frequency of thermal encounters, and organize lift on the ridges downwind from primary thermal-producing fields. Unfortunately, this often means the principal landing field is also kicking off thermals, which dictates good maneuvering speed and landing technique. The third factor that differentiates flying East and West is the important one. This is the weather or flying conditions. Briefly stated, most Eastern soaring takes place either just before or after the passage of a cold front. The reason for this is that winds from the south to east usually precede such a front, while post frontal winds are out of the west through north. Recall the orientation of the Eastern ridges and you can imagine with what eagerness a cold front is anticipated by the flying community. The southeasterly winds tend to be smooth and somewhat stable, especially in cooler months. On the other hand, the northwesterly winds are unstable and generally strong. This is the key to good Eastern flying. Most thermaling takes place just after a cold front passes. What this means is that thermals are accompanied by strong winds. · Thus, the thermals drift considerably and tend to be smaller, more torn apart and tur-
plications resulting from frequent gaps. A case in point is the 81-mile flight of Peter Brown, the first part of which was along the ridge, with the second portion taking place along a cloudstreet in the downwind direction. Peter figures he could have traveled a much further distance if he hadn't wasted so much time trying to parallel the ridge! On those days when the wind is not too strong and the thermals are ample, it is an increasingly common practice to follow the lift up and over the back of a mountain. In the East this has particular significance, since the many parallel ridges allow a pilot to jump from lift band to lift band (thermals collect in front of the ridge) and run along the ridge to thermal production areas, opening the possibility of some long, crosscountry flights indeed. I'll risk the prediction that a national distance record will be set in this manner. To summarize the character of Eastern flying, we have to use the words green and gusty. Because of all that green, takeoffs are challenging, requiring a full nose-level run; emphasis is placed on a good glide ratio and proper speed control; while landings must be set up carefully. Gustiness in the air implies a need for good handling gliders, but a more important requirement in vigorous conditions is good penetration. Here, I would like to digress and remark 39
on the irresponsibility of Western manufacturers who are selling large gliders to small Eastern pilots with the advice that "they handle so well that there's no worry." The problem is that unsuspecting beginner or intermediate pilots listen to the manufacturer and go up with their friends when the horizontal component of the air at takeoff is 15 mph or more, only to find that they can't penetrate the upper winds. Western manufacturers should be aware that Eastern pilots generally soar in wind with much greater horizontal component than is the case in the West. If they continue to push 200 + square-foot gliders on 150-lb. pilots, we will continue to have pilots blown over the back and injuries will ensue. By the log book, I have flown 29 sites west of the Mississippi and 63 in the East. I probably have ten times the airtime at these Eastern sites than I have in the Western air. I enjoy flying over the lush valleys, hunting the elusive thermals and cruising in the uncrowded airspace above most Eastern sites. I believe I would be considered an Eastern pilot. However, I also enjoy being able to thermal straight up over the flatlands and survey the high altitude vistas of the West. The point is, hang gliding is great stuff no matter where it's practiced. All areas of the country (and world) have their own unique conditions that make flying interesting and enjoyable. I hope to try them all. Many pilots have journeyed to the West to find the perfect air. As Western sites become more crowded, perhaps this trend will reverse and the East will receive more Western visitors. Be that as it may, the important matter is for pilots from all areas to be aware of the differences in widespread regions. Like Marco Polo of old our traveling pilots will serve to spread information, ideas and techniques. Ultimately, we'll all become better pilots with their help.
No Mountains? Soar Anyway!
FLY THE FLATLANDS! Tow Systems for All Makes of Hang Gliders. Tow system w/top and bottom release and flotation $400 with spread shackles additional $ 10 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 Evenings (214) 438-1623 Irving, Texas 75061
40
HANG GLIDING
Aeri11 I 'ICcl111!,111~rys Largest, most complete Hang-glider Shop in the Northeast!
~.·1 le~ ~
Distributors for Seagull Aircraft, U.S. Moyes, Highster
~ Aircraft, Wills Wing, and Ultra lite Products D Dealers for most other manufacturers D Large selection of accessories, instruments, new and used gliders
• ~e1••,1•~e W
D Complete parts department & repair facility ~ D Largest parts inventory in the Northeast D 90 day full service warranty with every new glider purchase, excluding parts
~
•111~t1•11•~t·1·•11 ~
~
••
D Person_alized training program -
beginner through advanced
D USHGA Certified Instructors CALL OR WRITE:
Aeri;1I 'lecl111i1111es ROUTE 209 -
ELLENVILLE, N. Y. 12428 (914) 647-3344
Open Thursday thru Monday 9:00 A.M. - 6:00 P.M. T. J. and Mary, The Customer Service People
*Dealer inquiries invited
Ellenville · Site of the 1980 U.S. National Hang Gliding Championships · Sept. 13-23
ACCIDENT REVIEW A Last Look at 1979 Fatalities and a First Look at 1980. by R.V. Wills Earlier this year, we updated the table of 1979 fatalities to a total of 46, breaking down into 24 U.S. and 22 foreign. Unfortunately we have to add another 17 to the count with this report, bringing the 1979 total to 63 thus far reported. These 63 break down to 30 U.S. and 33 foreign. A table follows. I already have something on 15 fatal accidents during 1980, and I report on them in the second table below. They are split into 8 U.S. and 7 foreign. But we tend to learn about the foreign accidents later, and often in bunches. So if I were you, I wouldn't extrapolate the 1980 figures yet. I appreciate hearing from some new foreign correspondents in my recent batch of mail from the USHGA office. If you have any doubt about the intelligence and the sophistication of the majority of people connected with this sport, you should read some of the reports and letters I see, from home and abroad. I would publish a few examples if long excerpts wouldn't mess up our tabular form of reporting. I'm recommending to Gil Dodgen and Buzz Chalmers that they consider publishing some of the classy reports we receive from some of the organizations, particularly the foreign ones where the command of English is amazing. Good examples would be reports received this time from Stockholm (thanks to Martin Bergman) on the Wennerberg accident and a thesis from Claudio Castro and Glauco Pinto in Brazil, worthy of a college term paper. These gentlemen report, in excellent, philosophical English prose, that
Brazil has had a total of 12 fatalities to date, as follows: 1974 - one, 1976 - one, 1977 -one, 1978 - eight(!), 1979 - one. They tell us that there are 500 or more pilots in that country. We also have two nice letters from Yugoslavia, telling us of 4 fatalities to date. Most of that country's 150 pilots live in the northern section known as Slovenia, per Dr. Nada Mezik. Martyn Yeomans went to the trouble to bring me up to date on Australia, in long hand prose. He will fill in for Colin MacKinnon, who is no longer flying down under. Martyn tells us that Australia has also leveled off in fatal accidents since 1977, as follows: 1977 - eleven (!), 1978 - four, 1979 - three, 1980 thus far - one. They estimate 1500 pilots in Australia. In reporting a training hill fatality in Quito, Anthony Gittes tells us that there have now been a total of three to date in Equador. He is another excellent reporter. Thanks also to K. Schmid of West Germany for telling me we are missing some accidents there. The U.S. has its share of articulate and analytical reporters, like Steven R. Moore in Santa Barbara, California and Bob Thompson in Glendale, Arizona. I strongly urge people like them, who both care a lot and know a lot about the sport, to submit their prose to the two editors for excerpting, with a copy to me for accident data. Likewise with Dr. Doug Hildreth in Oregon and Andrew Barber-Starkey in Canada and others now in the business of gathering and sifting data. What I'm saying is that much
of this accident reporting material is too good to sit in accident data files alone; it should be published in more detail than I can include. The other remarkable experience in reading through this stack of paper was the number of reports and letters from close relatives of the fallen fliers. It's tough to read a letter from a wife of two months who says her husband spent half of their marriage recovering his Easy Riser wings ... or one from a man who reports the death of a woman he loved - and a plea for help for her two small children ... We have reports from a father of one, a mother of another, yet another wife ... This is poignant but tough. These are not bitter letters, attacking the sport. Only one even raises questions of glider design. There's something about this sport that makes parents and wives understand a little better than most ... But it's still tough. We know. They all ask what we ask save some of the others ... On a lighter note, we have a newspaper clipping about an escape attempt by a convict in the Virginia state penitentiary. The convicted murderer made a "hang glider" out of wood, rope, and bedsheets, then jumped from a four story building in an attempt to clear the wall. He crashed into the wall - 12 feet short. .. Again, as always, "keep those cards and letters coming in." We read them all and thank you. More in a couple of months. R.V. Wills
1980 FATALITIES Date
Place
Jan. 3
Feb. 1
42
Pilot
Age
Equipment
Stockholm, Sweden Thomas Wennerberg
20
Bennett Mariah 5
No eyewitnesses but incredibly analytical and articulate reporting, with English translation. Gusty wind and uneven slope. Pilot, flying alone, probably stalled in a turn close to the ridge, impacted downwind 10-15 meters below the ridge. Turn probably too tight and too close to the ridge.
Hubley, Penn.
21
Not given
Newspaper clipping only. Failed to penetrate, fell back in the rotor, landed hot, "tripped, fell and broke his neck."
Steven Dyer
Apparent or Probable Cause
HANG GLIDING
Feb. 6
Mata Mata, New Zealand
Warren Yardley
23
Lancer 4
"Pilot doing hard whipstalls in turbulent, gusty thermals at 500'. Had joked about pulling eyelets out of sail previously due to whipstalls." End of report.
Feb. 10
La Cumbre Peak, Santa Barbara, CA
Andy Hewitt
21
Experimental, home-built bow sprit
Excellent reports, all focusing on the unusual glider. The maneuver was a left turn stall, then a dive into a boulder. The reporters feel that recent structural changes in the rig played a part, including change from square to round wing tips (leaving exposed tubing), replacement of negative camber with 2" of positive, new 1/8" wire in place of the 3/32" (the day before). Parachute not deployed. Hewitt was a veteran, attempting to design a 10: 1 glider for manufacture by him in Canada ....
March 23
Unteremmendorf, West Germany
Herbert Hoeness
33
"Moyes"
Got into a "full luff dive" out of a steep turn, dived into trees from 150 meters. Parachute only half opened. Harness suspension broke (not carabiner) so he fell to the forest floor.
April 6
Mt. Elephant, Victoria, Australia
Rocco Guerra
24
"Mustang," an "intermediate flexwing"
Hang 2 pilot soared for a couple of minutes, then wind increased to 30 mph+. He was signalled down, had trouble penetrating, got into a 45 ° dive, still pushing out, dived in 300 feet. Witnesses suspect glider design or trim problems.
April 10
Waimanalo
Stephen Rehfield
34
"Mosquito"
Sharp right turn after "good launch," into the cliff face. New glider he was "probably not familiar with." Rehfield was a veteran instructor.
April 17
Ellenville, N.Y.
George Awaliani
30
Moyes Maxi Mark III
Very experienced pilot, soaring for 45 minutes when his suspension failed and he hung onto the control bar for 30 seconds to a minute, then fell 200' - 300'. No de tails on how or why the harness suspension failed. Parachute not deployed; fell to the ground in a couple of seconds.
April 19
Bakalar Airport, Columbus, Indiana
Dennis Hastings
29
Motorized Easy Riser
Reported by his wife, a witness. Hastings had 2 years experience, was an Easy Riser distributor, also had a private pilot's license, was a mechanical engineer. His wife says the glider had been thoroughly checked for its first 1980 flight, was flying in smooth air for 3 or 4 minutes when the left wings folded up and it fell in from 100 feet.
May 2
Zephyrhills Airport, Florida
Martha Bailey
31
Easy Riser with Moody Power System
"Pilot-induced oscillation immediately after takeoff." The reporter believes that "this condition was aggravated by the Moody power system." He says, "Modifications should be made to the thrust line and thrust angle to make the system safer." Sadly, this pilot was the mother of children aged 6 and 3.
May 17
Houston (near the Astrodome), Texas
Jim Kerbo
23
WW Alpha 245 with Soarmaster Power Pack
A "novice" pilot in his first attempt at powered flight. Two aborted takeoffs, then several circuits across the field, employing left 180's. Feet never got into stirrup, hung low. Went into a right turn, left wing went up (perhaps a gust), slipped into a dive at full power, hit at 70° from 75-100 feet. Low altitude from the start. No training.
May 29
Missoula (University of Montana golf course), Montana
Glade Thompson
28
Stratus V with bow Hang 4 pilot doing aerobatics at about 1,200 feet. Did a sprit wingover at 300 feet, stalled, dived in from 300 feet at 60 mph. Parachute thrown at 150', opened, but too late.
SEPTEMBER 1980
43
"Home-made intermediate glider"
The fourth fatality in Yugoslavia, per Fajfar Janez, a welcome addition to our foreign reporters. The pilot had sold his glider, was awaiting a new one. He hooked on a borrowed home-made glider too far forward, could not keep the nose up, dived in vertically. Pulled his parachute too late.
June 15
Tomaz Kozelt Krizka Gora, Slovenia (northern) Yugoslavia
Date not known
Frozen lake in New Douglas Fanjoy Brunswick, Canada
Towing behind a snowmobile on a frozen lake. Andrew Barber-Starkey trying to get the details.
Date not known
Japan
We have a report of one 1980 fatality in Japan thus far (and six in 1979) but no details. We invite reports from that country (see 1979 table).
23
1979 FATALITIES -
ADDITIONAL
Date
Place
Pilot
Age
Equipment
Apparent or Probable Cause
March 3
Kilcunda Beach, Victoria, Australia
Gordon Marr
26
Phoenix 6B
Hang 2, making his first flight in 3 months. Sudden left turn after takeoff, possibly from turbulence, then got control only 10 feet above the ridge, behind the edge. The left wing caught a bush and the glider groundlooped into a depression, causing the pilot to take the only real damage. Died of internal injuries after 2 1/2 hours.
May 10
Quito, Equador
Felipe Cordero
20
Phoenix 6C
Student pilot in a class on a "bunny hill." Gliding 50-100 yards. Good takeoff, but a small thermal tipped his nose up into a stall and he didn't know how to react. He dived back into the hill 20 feet.
May 28
Shaw Butte, Arizona
Victor Eskildsen
25
Sky Sports Bobcat
Hang 4 pilot was testing a glider that had been crashed and repaired. Conditions good. Other pilots recall "excessive bow of the down deflexors" but Vic said that was "normal." Fifty feet after perfect launch the glider pitched down 30° - 40°, dived into rocks below. "His mistake was test flying at an unforgiving site."
June?
Mingus Mtn., Cottonwood, Ariz.
Joseph Oliver
Olympus 180
Pilot received his Hang 4 rating only 2 days prior. Had no witnesses for a 25 mile cross-country flight the day prior, so had a case of "go-for-it" (this time, witr witnesses on hand). Normal launch in mellow 10-1: mph wind. Turned left to work marginal lift, flew oul of the light thermal, stalled, dived in at 45 ° only 200' from takeoff. Observer believes he flew too close to an unforgiving site (boulders), misjudged his airspeed in a thermal. Sadly, his 9 year old son was one of the specta tors.
July 28
Wilson Lake, Kansas
Andy Hoban
23
U.P. Firefly
Experienced pilots were waiting for better wind angle. Hoban was trying to soar in a 45° crosswind, got into a downwind stall (mistook ground speed for air speed), dived into the hill at 40 mph.
August 18 Modesto, Calif.
Frank Siciliani
21
SST 100B
Sketchy report. Hang 3 pilot. "Marginal soaring day, flying minimum sink, hugging ridge, stalled and went into mountain."
Nov. 4
Viv Glindeman
33
Skycraft "Tweetie," Hang 3 pilot with 4 years of experience flying a 5 year a semi-rigid glider old glider that had been "extensively modified." Was testing it despite warnings from other pilots. Soared for 10 minutes, then started a shallow dive which kept going over, "past vertical." Dived in from 500 feet. No mention of parachute.
44
Stanwell Park, N.S.W., Australia
HANG GLIDING
Nov. 4
El Mirage Dry Lake, California
Joe Diamond
33
Easy Riser with power
Pilot taught aviation at a junior college, was in several aircraft organizations. Had added landing gear to his craft, which can affect center of gravity. Pitch control had been reported as very sensitive, with 2-3 second lag in response. He flew 3 to 5 minutes in 4 to 10 mph, slightly gusty wind, then did a "hammerhead whipstall," dived in with power on 75 to 100 feet. Prior damage to rear wheels on a crosswind landing was ruled out as a factor. Suspected causes: dynamic instability and insufficient experience with high performance hang gliders.
Nov. 17
Novarre, Florida
Howard Mandel
32
Sea Hawk
Hang IV and a commercial pilot. His wife tells us he was just opening a hang glider emporium. No information on his fatal flight - any would be appreciated. He left 4 children.
Dec. 23
Ochre Point, S. Australia
Graham Pfeiffer
22
Free Flight Cobra (intermediate flexwing)
Hang 1 pilot with 7 months experience. Soared for 10 minutes then made a downwind turn 50 feet above the ridge. He stalled, recovered, stalled again, crashed 50 feet behind the ridge, no doubt from rotor. May have been trying a 360.
Dec. 31
Brazil
Hector Luiz Combetta
41
Various Dates
"Newspaper clipping indicates that the beginner pilot lost control of glider and crashed." Note: after 8 fatal accidents in Brazil in 1978, this is the only one reported for 1979.
An American living in Japan and connected with the sport there tells us there were 6 fatalities there in 1979 (and one so far in 1980). He feels it best that they be reported by the Japanese organizations. We invite Mr. Asahi Miyahara, President of the Japanese Hang Gliding Committee, to submit a summary.
APPARENTLY, SOMEBODY OUT THERE HASN'T HEARD OF US ... He's the one who looks like he's using a paint brush for a propeller - that bargain job that was supposed to last all season but barely made it through water spray. He's the one we'd like to read this ad. We'd like to impress upon him that we have a complete I ine of propellers specially designed for the ultra-I ights, coated with a super-strong finish proven to be resistant to wear from sand, gravel and water. Or, if he is really interested in longevity, he'll undoubtedly be glad to hear about our DuPont Kevlar leading-edge protection -with the same material found in bullet-proof vests. We'll be more than happy to supply information and a price list if he will only write to us.
Great American Propeller Campany 555 WESTMONT AVENUE, SUITE 212, SAN LUIS OBISPO, CALIFORNIA 93401
SEPTEMBER 1980
45
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){i) ______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 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __
Name _ _ _ _ _ _- - - - : - - - - - , - - - - - - - - - please prinL
Address _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ City _ _ _ _ _ _ _ State _ _ _ _ _ _ Zip _ _ Dimensions: 3' :,. I Iii"
& 1979 SSE, Inc. Altimastcr is a tradem~rk. Photo by Carl Bocnish.
I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I
KWIK-CLAMP INSTRUMENT BRACKET
One 5116" wing nut is all you tighten to secure your instruments. No bolts, hose clamps or tools to hassle with. Just loosen, not remove, one wingnut. That's it! machined from 60B1-T6, and using aircraft hardware this bracket is the simplest and fastest to use on the market. Made for 1 118" control bars, for 1" bars adaption kit will be supplied. See your local dealer or send $14.QOplus $1.00 postage toKWIK-CLAMP. 42491 CASINO PLACE• TEMECULA, CA 92390
CALIF. AES. ADD .84 TAX
TAKE HANG GLIDING WITH YOU DON'T MISS THE LATEST ISSUE BY FAILING TO NOTIFY USHGA OF YOUR CHANGE OF ADDRESS!! NAME
USHGA # - ~ ~ -
OLD ADDRESS TOW SCHOOL TOWING IS FUN - Go flying those still days without the hassle of breaking down, loading up, driving back up the mountain and setting up again every time you fly. Experience a climb rate of 600 ft. per minute any day - dependable lift. Don't be dependent on which way the wind blows, whether the sun is shining or not, or whether the lapse rate is good enough to sustain soaring flight. Catch that elusive thermal - if you miss the first time just tow up again. 360° turns practiced easily and safely with no wind-drift towards a hill. Best way to practice target landing techniques. (Competition pilots please note). Obtain your special skills - tow endorsement. SOME FACTS - The tow school is being conducted by Peter Brown, an experienced in-
structor personally trained by Bill and Steve Moyes in the most progressive and safest methods of instruction, using two-way radios and proven Moyes tow equipment. Anyone can tow - we can teach you from scratch if you have never flown a hang glider before, with the safety of water beneath you. Advanced hang glider pilots will learn quickly. Dif· ferent training techniques for all levels of ability, starting with 60 ft. of rope for non-hang glider pilots first time out, and progressing to 1000 ft. rope for thermaling. Beach starts, using a fixed line over water - the safest way to learn, with two sets of quick releases. We have a range of training gliders catering from beginners to advanced and a small glider for lig111 people. All equipment supplied. PHONE us FOR MORE INFORMATION.
SANTA BARBARA SKY TOW, INC.
P.O. BOX 3294 • SANTA BARBARA, CA 93105 • (805) 682-8689
CITY
STATE ~ - Z I P - ~ -
NEW ADDRESS CITY~~~----STATE __ ZIP_~-~ LAST ISSUE RECEIVED (PLEASE ALLOW FOUR WEEKS FOR PROCESSING)
Notify USHGA Early! Please Note: You must notify your post office that you will pay forwarding postage on your second class mail or you may miss an issue. USHGA, Box 66306, Los Angeles, CA 90066.
uThe X-C Classic is without a doubt the most meaningful and prestigious X-C meet in the "''orld each year.·· continued from page 13
nicely supported the gliders and which prevented any glider from riding on top of another. Also, new was the fact that these trucks went out at the end of the day to retrieve all competitors and wind dummies. Also new was the predominant model of glider this year. In 1978, it was the IO-Meter, in 1979 it was the Mosquito. This year there are 17 Moyes Megas, more than twice as many as any other brand.
DAY ONE 1980 CLASSIC One of the trucks with 27 pilots and kites aboard had a flat tire halfway up the hill. This caused an hour delay and a slight inequity to 27 pilots who had only 30 minutes to get set-up and ready before the launch window opened. The task was to fly to Boundry Peak, 25 miles north of launch, snap a picture to prove that the line between Boundry and Benton had been crossed, and then fly south as far as possible and land within a half mile of the highway. It was the first time this "goal and open distance" task had been used in the Classic. There were no CU's, and lift conditions near takeoff were poor. Eleven pilots were forced to land in the Pitts. But after the successful pilots managed to reach areas five and ten miles to the north, the lift became very strong. The problem was that the south wind also increased later in the day, especially near Boundry and later in the afternoon, preventing pilots from going farther than a few hundred yards in a southerly direction. Rich Pfeiffer was the day's winner. He had spent the previous week as wind dummy for the Qualifier and the Open, and had used this opportunity to gain valuable knowledge and practice. Here's the proof that it paid off: he learned that the south wind increased during the afternoon. Therefore if a pilot wanted to move south, it was best to do so as early as possible. Rich was the first competitor to launch. The time was about 2:30. The window had just opened. No wind dummies were airborne. This made the gamble bigger because if there were no thermals, he would be forced to land at the Pitts or Don's. There were no thermals. The Pitts seemed inevitable for a long time. Then, just west of the Pitts, it seemed a 50-50 chance of making Ray Dean's 6,000-ft. hill. A weak, 100 ft. /min.
48
thermal appeared as he headed toward Ray Dean's. Was it worth it? The bad part was that it would carry him dangerously back into the mountain. The decision was made to grab it and gamble. After three circles, the thermal began to gradually increase until six minutes later it grew to 1,000 ft. /min. There was excellent lift on the 25-mile trip to Boundry and he arrived with 15,500 feet. It was obvious that the southwest wind was already formidable. So instead of flying to a point directly behind the Peak and getting in the downwash, he flew toward Benton until he crossed the "line" and could take photos to prove it. Then the glider was turned into the mountain to intercept the 10,000-foot hill in front of Montgomery Peak. In the next 30 minutes, it was learned that even by getting to 13,000 in thermals it was impossible to penetrate to the south because of the winds. It was also learned that the winds at 10,000 and below were less strong and that by flying at 8,000 to 10,000, the glider could penetrate to the south. At this point the strategy became as follows: Take no thermal less than 800 ft./min. After climbing to 10,000, put the bar down to the knees until 8,000. Repeat. Rich covered 20 miles with this plan in 21/i hours, and landed % mile from Highway 6 and then proceeded to carry the assembled glider to the highway to obtain the necessary witnesses. It is easy to understand why Rich won the day.
DAY TWO 1980 CLASSIC At Gunter the wind began rising at noon. By 1:00 it was 15, by 2:00 it was 18 and by 3:00 gusts of 25 were coming through regularly. The task was "Elapsed Time to Janie's, 34 miles north." The wind dummies showed that there were no thermals. Ridge lift was the only lift available, plus a bubble or two which would yield 300 or 400 every once in a while. Four pilots launched at 3:30 and ridge soared for 45 minutes with no one getting more than 400 feet above takeoff. Every once in a while, after the 45 minutes had passed, one of the four turned northwest to cross Coldwater Canyon. Sometimes they returned to takeoff very low and climbed up again to repeat the process. Sometimes they continued, and arrived as low as 100 feet above the far side of Coldwater Canyon. All four somehow survived,
and struggled up higher and higher after progressing five or ten miles down range and downwind in the foothills. This survival encouraged pilots to launch and at one point (about 5:15) there were more than 20 gliders in the air over takeoff, within 400 yards. All of them were ridge soaring. A few got as high as 600 feet above takeoff. Most headed northwest across Coldwater. A few headed for Ray Dean's. Six landed at Don's. Every single pilot believed that due to the very difficult conditions at launch, only a few could possibly reach Janie's. It was the surprise of the day. Thirty pilots reached Janie's! Peter Brown won the day. He took off at 5:20. He scratched around over takeoff with Pfeiffer until 800 above, which took 15 minutes. He then drifted across Coldwater in a very weak thermal, arriving at 500 feet above the far side of Coldwater. From then on, Peter drifted and scratched, until about eight miles down range he got up high, stayed high, and when over Boundry Peak put the bar of his Mega to his knees and raced in for the best time of the day. Rich Pfeiffer got 19th, so three "dark horses" became the leaders: David Harris, Ian Jarman and Butch Peachy. Tim Joseph was 4th and Pfeiffer 5th.
DAY THREE 1980 CLASSIC The forecast was for wind which would be even stronger and more southerly than Day Two. At 1:30, a wind dummy launched and had little choice except landing in the Pitts. At 2:15 a contestant launched, and fell prey to violent turbulence above the launch area. He was thrown around like a rag doll before heading out, and because of the lack of lift due to the high winds was also forced to land in the Pitts. All the contestants witnessed the flight and seemed to gain a new and increased respect for the effect of the 15 to 30 mph southerly wind, and as a result, even though Don did not raise the red (no fly) flag all afternoon, no contestant or wind dummy took off for the next two hours. The wind blew hard, and everyone had flapping, jumping gliders and dust in their eyes. At 3:00, crowd psychology took over the situation. A pilot voluntarily took a poll of who wanted to call it a no-contest day and go home. It was believed that a majority said yes. Rumors that Don had HANG GLIDING
TOP LEFT: Pilot walks to pick-up area . Boundry Peak in background. ABOVE: Rich Grigsby, second place and Alan Reeter (right) sixth place. TOP RIGHT: Rob Kells , tenth-place finisher and Joe Greblo (right) twelfth . CENTER LEFT: Don Partridge, meet head. BELOW: The author and wife , Nancy. CENTER RIGHT: Roy Haggard and Pete Brock (right) , both of Ultralite Products, manufacturer of the Comet, a winning glider in the meet. BOTTOM LEFT: Butch Peachy, who placed eighth . BOTTOM RIGHT: Australian force .
declared a no-contest day started flying all over the ten-acre takeoff area. Many pilots started to fold up their gliders. And then a very interesting thing happened. Rich Pfeiffer, as chairman of the board and Joe Greblo, as vice-chairman (no pun intended) and a few others, went frantically up and down the line giving the most vigorous sales pitch imaginable, which was: (a) your friends will trick you and leave you in the lurch, as they change their minds and fly, and (b) we must fly because the more days of contest flying, the more likely that the best pilot will win and the less likely that luck will influence the outcome. The intensity of their attitude was shocking to many, especially the 36 foreign pilots. Nevertheless, 25 or 30 pilots, in ones and twos, dribbled slowly onto the truck even as Rich continued a constant flow of words urging them to fly. Someone said, "Hey Rich, why don't you fly to prove it is flyable?" Rich answered that he would not suffer the penalty of being his own wind dummy. Ten minutes later he seemed to change his mind, and as a final desperate strategic ploy, just as he thought the truck would go down the hill, he put on his "hot suit" and hooked in his with the nose raised in takeoff position. Thirty minutes later, as the truckload crawled down from the mountain, Rich's kite still remained on the ground. Then at 5:00 a contestant launched and four others followed shortly thereafter because by this time the wind had dwindled down to three to 15. Twelve pilots, who took off al 5:00 and later, found the lift conditions lo be beautiful, with some going to cloudbasc at 17,000. Nearly everybody who tried to get to Benton made it. Cloudstreets stretched toward Cabbs, 80 miles downwind to the north as far as the eye could sec. Pilots had to land at Benton if they wanted to be retrieved, and so only two flew to Montgomery Pass. Rich didn't fly. There was less than 51 'YI, still on the hill. The count was one short. The day officially became a no-contest day. The facts arc in now (next day). A lesson has been learned. Perhaps Joe Greblo and Rich Pfeiffer said it best, for those pilots who want the Classic to be the best contest in the world: "There are a number of pilots who come to the Classic more for social reasons than for a desire to win. That's fine, but they are allowing themselves to be manipulated by some very serious pilots who will benefit personally if a particular contest day is cancelled. Competitive motivation rather than strictly safety reasons are having too great an influence. We must avoid, at all costs, the situation of the 1978 Classic wherein a dozen pilots took off, and then when the conditions
50
became less favorable, but still safe enough, the remaining pilots voted to declare a no· contest day for competitive, not safety reasons." Most of us were sad to learn that the day had become an excellent contest day (after 5:00 p.m.) and that we had given up Rich and Joe had been correct in wanting to wait for the possibility of better conditions. Don Partridge ruled that, hereafter, no truck would carry pilots down the mountain until 5:00 p.m.
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 (Califor· nians add 42 ¢ sales tax). HANG GLIDING MANUAL with Log The most authori· tative. compact, concise. complete and least expensive basio llight manual available. Used as a training text by scl1ools worldwide. $1. 50 postpaid (Californians add 9¢ sales tax). MANNED KITING. Fly the flatlands with the only book on tow launched hang gliding. Step·by·step instruc· tions carefully guide the novice through taxi practice, towed flight and release to free flight. $3.95 postpaid (Californians add 24¢ sales tax). L.arry Tudor placed fourth in the Classic.
DAY FOUR 1980 CLASSIC Yesterday's jumble of every type cloud imaginable gave way to a clear blue sky over the valley and the White Mountains. However, forecast winds and also the actual winds in the valley at 10:00 were strong, and were in the fatal direction of southeast. By 11:00, CU's made their appearance over the Whites and the cloud shadowdrift confirmed an easterly component. The day was cancelled before the pilots went up the hill. Don went up to test his decision. He was right. At 6:00 p.m. the winds were still 25. No one could have gotten away.
UllR l I GH l
DAY FIVE 1980 CLASSIC For the second day in a row the conditions of the forecast winds and the valley winds which were blowing strongly at 9:00, suggested another cancelled day. Don told us that the final decision would be made at 1:00 p.m. This gave the pilots a chance to express their feelings, and some of the most relevant conversations and viewpoints have been condensed and distilled as follows: Repeatedly one pilot would say to another, "There is no way I can beat Rich in this contest, because he takes dangerous risks which I'm not willing to take." To properly analyze the idea contained in that statement, a distinction must be made
PILOT DESIGNfll
SUPER PERFORMANCE •
NfW S 1 RI. C 111 ll Wllll llODY HI GIILR GROSS 11[ IGHT RA! ING
I I IJ lD,l Cl !MD 1ii:;o 1-rM~ T. II. ROLi 180 rr.
PliCII fRIM l'OR CRUISi fl.lGIIT ! ONG R/\NGI W!NG TANKS TWiN I NGIN! RI.LIABILITY
STAU/MlJSH
@
21 MPII
rn111s1 GO MPH
STANDARD FEATURES
OPTIONS /\VA!LADLE
lff TRACT /ST[[R ING NOSl WllfCL COMF0111ABI l (NCI OS[I) COCKPIT SIil( SIICK 11/3 AXIS CON11WI S
~l\ Nb H,NKS
71 GM.U:itl U\\l, *>1 MOI.DLD Will.fl PANTS MOI OCll SNOII sms
*
STRONC, I !Bl.RGI ASS CONSTRUCllON
llALISTIC AillFRAMC Cllllil
PilOI SAH1YB1I T & IIARNI.SS roros [OIi 1RANSPORTATION
SINGIJ I.NGIN( H/R[I.I .. UNI.T: "THIN INGINI l!/111.ll .UNIT :
EASY TO OWi\! ;, .,
t<
Availoblo In 2 Kits QUICK to build
Economy Or Fast Flighl CLEAR Plans " FAST Dolivory
Why Wait? For 20 Pages. &12 Color Photos Naws-Lottor, send $5 U.S $7 Foreign
""
¥1f/jl'll'l'l1¥1jl.-\l-{'lf'•44/f<f411-'fll-ll-'ll._.lf.'i/-'io'i/->f<l1-4',<;11,11q,.i
HANG GLIDING
between (1) the risk of being too deep and low in the mountain area and being forced to land there, and (2) working low in the foothills for a "saving" thermal and when it isn't found, having to land in the valley's desert floor, a mile or so from the highway. Number one is dangerous to survival. Number two is simply very hard, grinding, sweaty, undangerous work. While it is true that number one does not give an advantage, it is equally true that number two does give one. In the broad perspective, it must be remembered that there are vast differences among the pilots in the 1980 Classic, in terms of experience, self confidence, and in each pilot's degree of fear and perception of danger. In the final analysis, no one can know for sure the degree of risk being taken by another pilot because of the desire to win. Each pilot's beliefs about another pilot are purely speculative and subjective conjecture. What does seem true, ironically, is that it is very likely that the pilots who finish this contest in the top 40 % , probably take less true risk (to their lives) than those finishing in the bottom 20%. Risk-taking is a matter for each pilot's conscience, within the framework of his will to survive and his will to win. Again, for emphasis, it must be stated that it is impossible for one pilot to measure the true degree of risk-taking of another pilot. DAY SIX 1980 CLASSIC After losing three straight contest days, due to weather, the mood of the contestants pleaded for a good day. The bulk of the contestants took off between 3:00 and 4:00 p.m. There were a few CU's near Gunter by that time, and many more out on course north of Boundry Peak. The lift was superb and most pilots had 15,000 or better at Boundry Peak. About half of those got drilled on the way to or over Montgomery Pass. Some of those got back up. Some were forced down in the Pass or just beyond. Others got high and stayed high. For a relatively large group it was the longest flight of their lives. This included Rich Pfeiffer who won the day with a straight line flight of 94.7 miles. A dozen pilots who flew further than 70 miles, and who did not see any other pilots during their last 20 miles, were certain that they had won the day, and were greatly startled later when they learned that so many others had flown farther. Many of the leaders landed between 7:00 and 8:00 p.m. Rich Pfeiffer was one of those who got drilled at Montgomery Pass. He was down to 8,000 (2,000 above ground) and had to SEPTEMBER 1980
work 100 ft.!min. lift to survive. It took 30 minutes to get to 11,000. Thereafter he had the advantage of being able to use four separate gliders, out on course above him, to find thermals. He used their thermals and then sped ahead to the next circling glider a few miles farther north. At Mina (64 miles out on course) there were no more gliders visible but he got up to 16,500 and with the help of a few more small thermals flew 30 miles farther and landed six miles south of Gabbs at 7:30. He'd been in the air for five hours. The flex wing straight distance record at that time was 65 miles. Rich was asked if he'll claim a new world record. His answer: "No. I have a barograph. I would have carried it, but I feel that the USHGA $25 sanction fee is a commercial ripoff. The decision to have such a fee has turned me away from any further efforts to make world records. I'm selling my barograph." DAY SEVEN 1980 CLASSIC The task was new to the Classic. Fly to Boundry Peak, photograph it and fly east along Highway 6 far as possible. The weather was very similar to Day Six. All of the good pilots, except a handful who ran into bad luck, made the 37-mile journey to Basalt. Then attrition took its toll and every few miles one of the contestants would run out of altitude and be forced to land. At the 60-mile point, 18 excellent pilots were still fighting for every yard of lift and still making progress to the east. The time was 7:00. There were flat, tired-looking cumulus clouds in the air without which further progress probably would have been impossible. Larry Tudor flew further than the others and won the day by landing at 8:00 p.m. three miles east of the Tonapah Airport, after a flight which lasted five hours. Larry gave credit to the fact that he, Greblo and Burnett each benefited greatly during the period between 5:30 and 7:00, by using the best thermals that any of the three pilots was able to find. It amounted to team flying. At one point near Coaldale, all three pilots allowed themselves to be lured as much as ten miles from Highway 6 because of the inviting hills and clouds. This was a gamble, but it paid off. Larry also flew farther, in a straight line distance, than the current world record. He volunteered the statement that, "the USHGA sanction fee is wrong. It hinders US pilots from attempting records. I would have carried a barograph except for this fee." DAY EIGHT 1980 CLASSIC The task was to fly 24 miles north to Boundry Peak and then south as far as
possible. This task was the same as Day Two. Joe Greblo flew his Mega a total of over 48 miles, goal and return, then flew past takeoff for 20 more miles, landing at the incredibly late hour of 8:15 with the stars starting to be plainly visible in the sky. It was a truly remarkable flight, because of a headwind component on the 44 mile return leg. And, we are told, he only came down because he was notified by radio that he had "already" flown further than anyone else and had won the day. NINTH AND FINAL DAY 1980 CLASSIC At 8:00 a.m. CU's capped the spines of the Whites and also the Sierras across the valley. By 9:00 many of the CU's had ontop-vertical development up to 2,000 feet. The odds were that the middle of the afternoon would see solid overcast, rain and line squalls. Rich Pfeiffer had the lead by ten points. Larry Tudor was second by 314 of a point, followed by Jeff Burnett. The task was a new one of goal (White Peak) goal (takeoff) and goal (Zack's Ranch) for a total distance of 42 miles. By 2:00, when the first contestant launched, the wind had become a dominant factor. It blew southwest at 15 with lulls to eight and gusts to 25. Most thermals gave up the ghost. Cyndee Moore, easily one of the best wind dummies of the meet, got severely thrown around at 100 feet in front of launch. She survived and had a great flight, but many contestants grew shy because of the conditions as represented by her flight. Contestants scampered off in dribbles of one and two, and the rate of departures was so slow that by 6:00 there were still more than 35 reluctant contestants on the mountain. There had been no takeoffs for over an hour. Rich, Jeff and Larry were among them. All three were waiting for the better conditions which never came. (The outcome of the contest could easily have been altered had Jeff or Larry left earlier, because six pilots did complete the task.) At 6:00, Jeff was counting "noses," and thinking along the lines of obtaining a concensus to declare a no-contest day. One pilot, knowing that at 6:00 it wouldn't get any better, and also that he'd rather fly down than drive, took off and broke the log jam. Like a bunch of startled starlings, the crowd followed. Most everyone was forced to ridge soar to about 400 feet above, and "survive" across Coldwater Canyon in a very weak thermal. But there were thermals deep in the mountains, and a few got up to 15,000. The whole mountain contained cool, rising air which reduced 51
Cross-Country Classic Results Scoring system: % point for first, 2 points for 2nd, 3 points for 3rd, etc. 10 penalty points for failing to make task - goal, or landing more than V2 mile from retrieve highway.
Name
Glider
Rich Pfeiffer Rich Grigsby Jeff Burnett Larry Tudor Andrew Barber-Starkey Alan Reeter Ian Jarman Butch Peachy Mike DeGlanville Rob Kells Roy Haggard Joe Greblo Bernie Beer Eric Cornhill Chris Arai David Harris Peter Brown Sterling Stoll Tim Joseph Rick Duncan Keith Cockroft Ted Zinke Thierry Guignard George Worthington Pau I Van Hoff Robert DeGroot Jeff Scott Robert Millington Joe Binns Alfonso Espinosa Don Chambers Rick Martin John North Hubert Aupetit Bob Knox Scott Weiner Ignacio Plaza Shane Duncan Dick Farnsworth Galen Williams Heino Bohm Mike Adams Jack Davis Chris Price Jacques Bott Detlev Ziege Sealtiel Alatriste Mike Brewer Dave Hanas Arnaldo Rieper Page Pfeiffer Caroline DeGlanville Tim James Mike Arrambide Rod Stewart Chuck Hobson John Hudson Tavo Cartoland John Green
UP Comet Comet Sensor Comet Mega Comet Moyes Maxi Mosquito Atlas Raven Comet Mega Mega Mega Raven Sensor \1ega Comet Sensor Mega Vulcan Sensor ZlO Higster Mega Mega Mega Lazor Lazor Cyclone Atlas Mega Mega Atlas Mosquito Maxi Comet Sensor Mega Lancer
52
XC 220 Gryphon Lazor Mosquito Mega Lazor Gryphon Mega Mosquito Mosquito Lazor 1l Mega Atlas Lazor
Mega Sigma Nomad Vulcan Mosquito Sensor
Place
2
7 IS
716
.75
20 16 6 25 26 27 5
3 4 5
7 21 10 12
6
s
7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 20
8 14 21 28
28 45
29 30 31
15 28 3 6 28 2 11 21 47 9 28 16 28 66 43 17 21 39 18
32
28
33 34 35 35 37 38 39 39 39 42
47 66 66
22 23 24 25 26 27
28
3
50 7 65 48
13 56 28
42
53
72 58 65
42
66 66 51
42
20 6 3 17 13 12
18 10 33
.75
43 14
7/11
7112
2 31 9
13 6 5
6 24 40
13 8 20 7
14 2
23
16
16
45
35 25 5 38 11 28 30 19 10 61 27 56
33 15 32 47
17 25 33 44 11 9 28 19 7 47 42 23 12 37 40 35 60 76 21 3 22 65
33 59 17
45
32
62 51 39 20
59
49
15 31 16 23 33 36 41 61 37 29 43 22
45
so 12 35 45
17 14 18 49
42 55 29 34
27
10 39 25
5 46 19 30 48
48
45 46
66
48
11 55
47
47 52 66 4
53 65 56 72 51
60 32 29
43
34
21 44 63
24
48
66 54
54
21
55
66 66
56 57 58 59
66
50 57
45 60 62 54 47 45 72 65 72 52
43
16 23 22 33 50 51 42 29 21
22
47
51 52 53
54
24
28
50
19 30 25 31
.75
28
49
4 2
27
59
48
26
10 18 8 38
28 41 3
45
.75 27
14 40
45
24
.75
8
12 29 16 45 2
13 65 22
44
.75 2 7
4 9 19 11
21 8 40 74 23 29 46 15 18 10
7110
Task Penalty 7113
26 33 55
44
26 43
36 63 41
64 42
55
57 53
26
48
36
62
37 55 55 55 63
62 30 46 31
46 51 53 59 34
62
49
39 35 18 34
21 5 57 67 37 69
45
Points
Total
Place
10 0 10 10 0 0 10 10 10 10 10 20 20 10 20 10 20 10 10 20 10 10 10 20 10 20 20 10 10 20 30 20 20 30 10 30 10 10
60.5 63.75 74 74.75 78
USA USA USA USA Canada USA Australia USA France USA USA USA Australia S. Africa USA Canada Australia USA USA Australia G.B. USA Switzerland USA Australia Australia USA USA G.B. Mexico USA Australia G.B.
3
20
41 28 52 59 44
30 30 30 30 30 30 20 30 20 30 30 20 30 40 10 30 30 30 20 20
50 57 60 59 47 48
59 53 55
61 46 36 59 59
82
83 107 108 112 119 126 129 131 133 139 151.75 155 157 160 160 165 167 171 178 186 191 193
202 204 215 220 221
225 226 226
238 239
252 252 252 255 255 255 260 277 279
283 288
298 305 312 313 316 317 320 321
326 327
France Australia USA Venezuela Australia USA USA Germany USA USA USA France Germany Mexico USA Canada Mexico USA France S. Africa USA New Zealand USA G.B. Brazil USA
HANG GLIDING
sink to about 200 ft.imin., doubling the LID. The three leaders all made the first two goals, but at 7:00 with a solid overcast overhead, they were forced out into the valley to confront a 30 mph headwind which had sprung up 45 minutes earlier. Jeff landed 50 feet ahead of Larry and took 3rd place (for the contest) away, by 1/4 point. Rich landed two miles ahead of Jeff and Larry. Rich has become the only pilot in history to win two years in a row. The chances of anyone getting back-to-back wins again in the next ten years are figured at 100 to 1. At this point in time, Rich Pfeiffer is clearly the best hang gliding crosscountry pilot in the world. While Pfeiffer, Tudor and Burnett were playing their "leader's game" of "wait for better conditions," Rich Grigsby had taken off at 3:20. Along with all the others (who took off before 6:00), he had trouble getting away from takeoff. But once away, the lift turned out to be incredible, sometimes being over 1,500 ft. /min. Grigsby averaged over 22 mph in his Comet on a goal, goal, and goal task, which means tailwinds and headwinds were cancelled out, while the majority of contestants sat on the hill, unwilling to take off for fear of doing badly. Grigsby's courage and skill paid off. His flight raised his standing from sixth at the beginning of the last day to second at the
end. Judging by a greatly improved showing in 1979, and the excellent second place in 1980, he will be one of the favorites to win in 1981. To those of you who have followed the Classic the past two years, (from articles in Hang Gliding), it should be pointed out that the White Mountains again took their toll of the inexperienced, unwary, or unlucky pilots. John Green was forced to land at the 12,000-foot level of the spine and lost a contest day while being retrieved. Don Chambers landed in the mouth of a very hostile canyon which gave him the most fearful five minutes of his life, while down inside the canyon just before reaching its mouth. A French pilot stalled while making passes near launch and smashed downwind into a pile of boulders, demolishing the glider but miraculously only causing very bad bruises to the pilot. Sterling Stoll muffed a takeoff and required new parts for the control bar. There were three other landings in hostile canyons and hills up in the mountain. These facts suggest very strongly once again that the pilot who is not savvy and experienced in big mountain conditions, is gambling with his glider, his body, and maybe even his life, by flying in the Classic. On the other hand, flying in the . Classic is the greatest learning experience that hang gliding has to offer.
Don Partridge worked very hard and well to make the 1980 Classic even better than 1979. X-C hang gliding, the world over, has greatly benefited by his efforts. However, there are three serious flaws which have existed for the past three years, which Don must correct for 1981. All three are judged absolutely essential by a huge majority of the pilots. They are: 1. Pilots' meetings must be held daily, on the mountain, to announce the task, weather report, task rules and previous safety violations (i.e. turning right instead of left in gaggles above takeoff). Don would be derelict in his duties to not do this. 2. Post the scores daily at 8:00 a. m. Scores were not completed or posted most days, and pilots could only wonder where they stood. There are no excuses. Any competent administrator could handle this problem. 3. Announce at the beginning of the contest the exact place, time and format of the awards ceremony. This ceremony is more important than a "tough" task on the last day. On the last night, in 1980, everyone stood milling around in the dark (literally) and in the dirt parking lot at 10:00 p.m., wondering what was happening. It was a horrible anti-climax to an otherwise great, thrilling and exciting contest; the best in the world.
THE HALL WIND METER
The LOGICAL approach to a complete harness system
The LOGIC
system
one
,FOOT STIRRUP
-HARNESS
- KNH HANC.lRS
· COCOON
. - ?,~ ),~,i--f\'tf!J
The <omforl of a cocoon h undcnlobly !he moJI
:r
lnournble way lo put In ci lengthy lllghl,
The AIRBORNE de1l9n h b111ed on the nolhalio11 lh11t the cocoon m11y not be fer nuy condlllan
-
'
-
The NATURAL progression. T'he AIRBORNE 1yilem allow1 the pilaf to advance lo the full wp-p-ort of a cocoon nl II iell 1cl pace, S-y1tem One [1 a ldcker, knee hanger, cocoon horncu, whh ln1l11nt lnlerdw:il'IQe®llHy. No Med to buy 11tother
system two
harne11, when the AIRBORNE 1y1lem gins you 1111 lhe comb!na:llons.
~ . '"'.~ '
~
''
The ca10011 mn, not be for every co•dltlon, but lhue [1 11n AIRBOUE IJIICIII for nerr lllghl
~
'
The Instant lntmhangenblllty of AIRBORNE 10111panenll maku II the Ideal p1!ot 1111pen1lon 111111111 for the pilot wko may be, otonollme ciranathu, lnlhepa1lllan of ln1lr1o11lar, co111petllar or X · caualry firer,
system three 0
HARNES.S
-KNEE HlNt.ERS
The VALUE AIRBORNE makes no campramhe on qualll'f, comfo1I 111 1alely
The 1111cm h bull! lo III rou! S-tnd for the AIRBORNE 1he chart which wlll Include Info anopllon11utha1parathutemounlln9 cndcu1!o-mg111ph[11, 'AIRBORHE'
prl!duch are manufacturH
and dlttribult-d br I
OlffAIIO HA.NG GllDDIS lMC
801 WOO!.WKH ST
C.UlllH ONTARIO U.UDA NIH 6J2
519 836 4781
.
$18.50 postpaid in U.S. Foreign add $1.00. • _ : Prone brack<at $5.50. Seated bracket $4.50.
_---- .-;""
-
_
A precision instrument for the serious pilot. Rugged, dependable and easy to read.
HALL.BROTHERS
Box 771-M, Morgan, Utah 84050
·
·. -l_·\_·.
. - 1-,._
Dealer lnqu1nes Invited
C.O.D. Phone Orders Welcome
'
(801) 829·3232
Prone
• HU.MESS
ADVANCED & PROFESSIONAL pilot.
Seated
\ ·__ ___ _ _ _
.
-
-_ .'· . · H ~.;,;'
AERIAL TECHNIQUES is looking for repu,-table. responsible dealers to represent our Northeastern U.S. distributorships for Wills Wing, U\tralite Products, U.S. Moyes, Seagull Aircraft and Highster Aircraft. Guaranteed territories as follows: Connecticut 2 · Maine 2 0 Massachusetts 2 · New Hampshire 2 New Jersey 2 - New York 5 - Pennsylvania 2 Rhode Island 1 · Vermont 2. AERIAL TECHNIQUES' years of experience. expertise and LARGE inventories of gliders. parts and accessories will help you sell! Minimum investment required. Remember, these highly profitable Dealerships are limited in number - so act now! CALL: Mary at 914-647-3344.
Aerial 'lecll11i1111cs Route 209. Ellenville. N. Y. 12428 Largest, most complete Hang-Glider Shop in the Northeast!
SEPTEMBER 1980
53
Sure, we love teaching people to fly, but we still look after the ~bid pros:' We probably teach more beginners to fly than any other school in the country. Our location and the soft, forgiving sands of Jocl\ey's Ridge account for that. In fact, since 197 4 we've tal\en more than 20,000 ftedgl ings under our wing and many of them have gone on to become old pros and even champions. lil\e Glenn Hocl\ett and Tom Haddon. 13ut our real business is tal\ing core of the needs of the enthusiast who's really into the sport. This is why we schedule so many advanced clinics and seminars each year. And why we continue the Hang Gliding Spectacular every May. The Spectacular, a fun event for both novices and pros, is the oldest continuous annual competition (except the USHGA Nationals) in the country.
When we opened our doors in an old garage in 1974 we were the first full time, year-'round school on the east coast. Our professional approach caught on and word of mouth brought us more and more students. Today, we're probably the largest hang gliding school in the country.
' ,. Recently, we built a new, larger hang gliding center at the foot of Jocl\ey's Ridge-a building designed especially for a hang gliding school. It houses our large classroom, the worl\shop, an expanded retail area, and is topped with a lofty observation tower named after our good friend and neighbor, Francis Rogallo, inventor of the Rogallo wing. "Rog" still flies Jocl,ey's Ridge at the age of 6 7! Although Jocl,ey's Ridge is ideal for beginners, experienced pilots will tell you that it's a perfect place to learn to soar and to polish technique, l,nowing that sand dune flying requires a great deal of sl,ill for sustained flight. Our inventory of hang gliding equipment, accessories, and parts is another way we serve the experienced pilot. 13ecause of our high traffic we're able to maintain one of the largest inventories in the U.S. We're a distributor and
~--Fall 1980 Calendar of Events----, Sept. 27, 28. Hang 111 Rating Clinic (mountains). Application required. USHGA Powered Instructor's Certification Program. (date to be announced) October 4, 5. Seahawk Class Competition for Seahawk Owners.
Write us or give us a call and we'll send you our newest brochure and latest newsletter.
October 25, 26. Soaring Seminar & Orville Wright Fly-In. (On October 23, 1911, Orville set a soaring record of 9 minutes 45 seconds on the Outer Banks.) December 13, 14. Wright Brothers 77th Anniversary & Motorized Glider Fly-In.
IN STOCK AT NAGS HEAD ATLAS MOYES MEGA SUPER LANCERS LANCERS
dealer for Seagull and Flight Designs. We also stocl, Wills Wing. Pilots who are having difficulty finding hard-to-get and odd-size parts for glider repair can probably find them here. And we provide year-'round repair service as well. Our line of accessories is large. We have a showroom full of helmets, harnesses, instruments, chutes, flight bags and other gear. In the shop you'll also find a most unusual array of sportswear, airbrushed clothing, T-shirts, toys, string l,ites, games and bool,s-all related to flight! The Wright brothers learned to fly here more than 7 5 years ago and l,ept coming bad, to polish their sl,ills and improve their equipment. If you've never flown Jocl\ey's Ridge, we invite you to try. If we taught you to fly in the first place, just /,now that your alma mater would welcome you bad, for a flying reunion any time.
.
SEAGULL 9, 10 and 11 METERS
FLIGHT DESIGNS Harnesses & Helmets
SEAHAWKS
If you want it now, come see us!
P.O. Gox J40HG • Nags Head, NC 27959 (919) 441-6247 or (919) 441-7575
UN LIMIT YOURSELF WITH
UNLIMITED LIFT! You'll like what SOARMASTER does for downwind days. With the PP-106 you can fly over your own city, anytime, because the SOARMASTER POWER PACK is a 10 horsepower, 30 pound package that can show you new horizons. THE PP-106 IS AVAILABLE FOR GLIDERS FROM: ELECTRA FLYER SEEDWINGS
DELTA WING
EIPPER SEAGULL WILLS WING SKYSPORTS ULTRALITE PRODUCTS & MANY FOREIGN MODELS ALSO AVAILABLE FOR THE FLEDGLING, EASY RISER, QUICKSILVER & MANY MORE. Dealerships are available in many areas.
Write or calf for more information.
SOARMASTER INC. P.O. Box 4207, SCOTTSDALE, ARIZONA 85258 TEL: (602) 948-7494
ISN'T IT TIME YOU SUPPORTE[> YOUR NATIONAL HANG GLIDING ORGA.NIZA TION? The United States Hang Gliding Assn., Inc.: • Offers $500,000 pilot liability insurance. • Offers site insurance to chapter clubs. • Publishes HANG GLIDING magazine, the largest circulation hang gliding publication in the world. Beautiful color photography. I include my check or money order as follows: D $25 FULL MEMBER ($26 foreign)- As a full member you receive 12 issues of HANG GLIDING magazine, pilot liability insurance, and all USHGA membership benefits. D $18 SUBSCRIPTION ($19 foreign) for one year. D $31 SUBSCRIPTION ($33 foreign) for two years. D $44 SUBSCRIPTION ($47 foreign) for three years. D $9.00 TRIAL SUBSCRIPTION for six months. PHONE_~-~~~~~~NAME ADDRESS _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ AGE CITY STATE _ _ _ _ _ _ ZIP _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ Send check or money order to USHGA, Box 66306, Los Angeles, CA 90066
CLASSIFIED ADVEKTISIN(l CONSUMER ADVISORY: Used hang gliders always should be disassembled before flying for the first time and inspected carefully for fatigue - bent or dented tubes, ruined bushings, bent bolts (especially the heart bolt), re-used Nyloc nuts, loose thimbles, frayed or rusted cables, tangs with non-circular holes, and on Rogallos, sails badly torn or torn loose from their anchor points front and back on the keel and leading edges. If in doubt, many hang gliding businesses will be happy to give an objective opinion on the condition of equipment you bring them to inspect.
Rogallos CAN'T AFFORD A NEW OR USED GLIDER? With only 10% down we will finance the balance or take anything in trade. 10% off of any new glider, power pack or parachute with this ad! Contact LEADING EDGE AIR FOILS, INC. (303) 632-4959. CAN WE HELP YOU GET INTO THE AIR? Do you want to fly, but are short of funds? We will trade anything to help you fly. Contact Delta Wing Kites & Gliders, (213) 787-6600. DEALER CLOSE-OUT - 2 Lancers 190. New $895. Phoenix 12 205. New $695. Alpha. Excellent condition. $750. (805) 581-1713, 581-0620. ELECTRA FLOATER 185 $975. (717) 677-6714.
'79. Low air time, clean.
NOVA 230 - w/Price prone harness and DAR 26' chute. $1,500. OBO. (714) 375-5324. OL Y 160 - 1 1/ , yrs. old. Excellent condition. $495. Regis (213) 355-8930 or (213) 570-7902. OSPREY II - $800. Bobcat III - $500. Skysports Chute - $250. Gemini Power System - $1,200. Call (203) 871-0083 at 5 p.m. OWL 160 - In excellent condition. Priced to sell at $400. Don't pass this up, call Dave at (714) 297-8189. OWN 185 - Like new, $650. Seagull tow b~r, $150. (914) 377-2394. PHOENIX 6-0 - 1980 model 215. Also harness and chute, all brand new. Must sell! Call (213) 966-1871 after 5:30 weekdays, ask for Kyle. PHOENIX 1979 - 12 Regular, $550. with bag. Flight time - 1 hr. Tuned kite, perfect shape. Phoenix Lazor II 1980 - 175, custom sail with 4 windows, $1,150. with bag. Flight time 1/, hr., test flight. Contact: Air Mass, 3921 Woodley Rd., Toledo, OH 43606. (419) 475-9309. SEAGULL 9M - Excellent condition, only \1, hour flight time, brand new! $1,000. (213) 798-3870, (213) 792-5182. SEAHAWK 140 - Nice colors, great condition, $550. (213) 798-3870, (213) 792-5182. U.P. MOSQUITOS, Spyders, Condors, Firefly !l's new and used. Call us with your requirements: HGC Utah (801) 532-3959. WW XC 185 in excellent condition. Must sell! $600 or best offer. (612) 781-7301, Steve. Want a rocket ship for those high wind days? ASG-21 (145 sq.) Excellent condition. Best offer. (801) 572-1312.
Rigid Wings FLEDGE 118 - 7 months old. Excellent condition. $1,250 or offer. (805) 466-5155. VOLMERS: VJ23 Swingwing - Ready to go, covered trailer, $2,300. VJ24 Sun Fun, V, assembled, most metal included, $600. (415) 237-9943.
56
Schools and Dealers
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.
DESERT HANG GLIDERS - 4319 W. Larkspur, Glendale, AZ 85304 (602) 942-4450.
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.
ARIZONA
FREE PILOT'S SUPPLIES AND HANG GLIDER CATALOG. Textbooks, kites and accessories. Weedhopper dealer. Write: Pilot's Haven, P.O. Box 39287, Dept. G, Phoenix, AZ 85069. 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. 1 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, varies, harnesses, helmets, spare parts, etc. in stock. Just minutes from freeway., 613 N. Mil pas, Santa Barbara, CA 93103 (805) 965-3733. Now two locations to serve you! Check out our new shop - Hang Glider Emporium of San Bernardino, 4095 N. Sierra Way, San Bernardino, CA 92407 (714) 886-6454. 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 GLIDER EMPORIUM OF SAN BERNARDINO now open at 4095 N. Sierra Way serving the San Bernardino-Crestline area. Wills Wing, U.P., and Seedwings' Sensor demo flights available to qualified pilots. Wide selection of instruments, accessories, and spare parts in stock. Conveniently located on road between takeoff and landing. Complete instruction program available. (714) 886-6454. Gliders in stock: New Firefly II. . all sizes Condor .. ......................... . all sizes Mosquito. ........ all sizes Raven ........... . . all sizes Sensor. . ......... 183 Used Condor. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..... 151, 178, 194 Firefly II.. . ... 181 Seaha wk ............ . ........... 200 SST..... .. .. .. . ..... . . ............ 1008 Alpha.................. . ... 185 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. KEN FLOWERS - Hang Gliders & Accessories. Madera, CA (209) 674-1310. 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. SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA HANG GLIDING SCHOOLS, since 1974. Largest and most complete hang gliding center in Southern California. Featuring Delta Wing, Seagull, Sunbird, and the French "Atlas." All
ULTRASPORT, INC. is the only SOuthern California school dedicated only to powered ultralights. We have a flight simulator which allows you to learn basic flight maneuvers before committing to free flight. Call or write for more free information. Ultra Sport, Inc., P.O. Box 3700, Simi Valley, CA 93063. (805) 581-3395. COLORADO FOUR CORNERS SCHOOL OF HANG GLIDING since 1974. Certified instruction. All major brands, including powered gliders. Repairs & accessories. Box 38, Hesperus, CO 81326. (303) 533-7550. GOLDEN SKY SAILS - USHGA certified school, foot launch, power and towing. Advanced mountain soaring, ground to air communication and video replay. Distributing Wills, Seagull, Electra, Odyssey and Golden Prone Harnesses. Dealing Lancer, Stratus, Manta, Highster, Sunbird and Bennett. We have complete airframe, sail repair and custom fabrication facilities with a huge inventory of parts and accessories. Call or write for free information: 572 Orchard, Golden, CO 80401 (303) 278-9566. 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 Unique powered rigid wing flight school. Get checked out in an Easy Riser, Quicksilver and P-Fledgling. Open seven days a week. Power Systems, Inc., 39-B Coolidge Ave., Dept. H, Ormond Beach, FL 32074. (904) 672-6363.
We want to
BUY YOUR GLIDER We are interested in any used glider manufacfactured since 1977. Ship or deliver your glider and we will give you cash or apply it to your new glider. We are dealers for: Delta Wing, Seagull, Moyes, Sunbird, Wills Wing, Electra Flyer and UP .
Call Today (213) 789-0836 Southern California Hang Gliding Schools Inc, 5219 Sepulveda Blvd., Van Nuys, CA 91411
PRICE PRONE HARNESS The most comfortable, most versatile soaring harness available!
Available through dealers worldwide. Contact Wills Wing for the dealer nearest you. WILLS WING, INC. 1208-H E, Walnut Santa Ana, CA 92701 (714) 547-1344
HANG GLIDING
The most comfortable harness on the market has been made even more practical and versatile with the addition of a zippered cacoon attachment It can be used with or without the cacoon section. Simply unzip the heavy zipper, remove knee support rope and unbuckle adjustment straps at each side of harness. Stirrup and knee-hanger sets are included with each Cacoon Bar Harness for those times when you want to fly without the cacoon section. COLORS AVAILABLE: Red, Oranne, Rust, Sand, Brown, Black, Dark Green, Calif. Blue and Navy Blue.
ORDER FORM Cacoon Bar Harness [] Bar Harness [J
OPTIONS AVAILABLE:
.. $140.00
Cacoon Bar Harness complete .. Bar Harness complete .
PARACHUTE SELECTION:
.... $10li.OO
24' IJ 26'1] Zippered ll
Sewn directly [l COLOR SELECTION:
Cacoon Section (with zipper) . . . .. $ 50.00 'older Bar Harnesses must be sent to factory for modification.
Main body -·-·······-·········-·······--··-···············-··-·-· Trim --·-· ····-····-----·-··-····-····--·-···-·--·-·
Stirrup foot bar. . ..... $ 4.00 Extra paddinfJ in shoulders . . ..... $10.00 Parachute sewn to harness ............ $ 7 .50 Parachute sewn using zipper for easy detachment . . . $15.00
If parachute is ordered with either harness, it will be attached free of charge. A 10% discount will also be applied to parachute purchase. All major brands of parachutes are available through ULTIMATE HJ.
PILOT SIZE: Height·-·-·····---- It·-··--··-···· ins Weight..... --·-----·-·----·-··--Jbs Shoulder Height
ins
Fits virtu,illy all existing ,ilidcrs equipped with a channel bracket at least 21/<1 ' wide between le~Js 1
Requires the fostening of l-wingnu1 and safety pin to complete the assembly of triangle bar Universal Block does not have to be removed from cht1nnel bracket to disassemble control bar
Lower side wires remain bolted to the Clips which are available drilled for eye-bolts or shackles Universal Block swivels down to allow control bar to be stored in glider cover bag. (Cables at bottom of noseplate or rear of keel should be fastened with a wingnut and safety pin to facilitate speedy deployment or storage of control bar) Universal Block Downtubc Clips. Aluminum Tubin,1 Bolts & Nuts. Elbows ..
ORDER FORM BAR KIT II Tubing requested: l"x.083 [] EYEBOLT
BAR COMPLETE 1/lS"x .06!, SHACKLE
11
Glider ········-···············-············-············-----·-· Yr Manufacturer ·············-········-···-··--························· Chan. bolt: l/4' Cl co/Hi" [] Eyebolt Shackle Chan bracke1 width ·······-····-·-··----·--····--·.I"' (outside width)
With
nlider
set up, record measuremen1s:
the
............. machined from 1/," barstock of 6061 T6 Aluminum and hardened stamped from .12!>'' 6061 T6 Aluminum plate and hardener! ..... l"x.083or 11/8"x.06!j(i()61 T6withbrightdipanodize. aircraft rnted hardness of 7 or better die cast Aluminum hardened to T6.
following
'A' to 'C' --····-·······--···ms 'B' to 'C' ······-····-·· ins *measure center of hole to center of hole.
BAR KIT....... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .... $40.00 Includes all bolts, nuts & ffordware. (less alum. tubing)
FINISHED BAR .......................... $75.00 PADDED COVER BAG ................... $ 9.50 Please include measurements of base and legs for bar. (Measure hole A in chan. bracket to hole C at eyebolt or shackle for legs of bar, and from hole B to hole C for base of triangle bar.)
13951 MIDLAND ROAD POWAY, CALIF. 92064
714-748-1739
GEORGIA
MICHIGAN
MINNESOTA
LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN FLIGHT PARK (formerly Air Space) Beginning through advanced training, specializing in first mountain flights. New 100-acre training facility, plus new shop at launch atop Lookout Mountain. Large and complete selection of gliders and accessories in stock. Best flying site and flight park in the eastern U.S. See us first for all your flying needs! Call or write for free information. (404) 398-3541. Rt. 2, Box 215 H, Rising Fawn, GA 30738.
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, 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.
NORTHERN SUN HANG GLIDERS, INC. Dealer for all major non-powered and powered brands. USHGA certified instruction. Owners/managers of the Hang Gliding Preserve, soarable ridge with tramway lift. When in the North Country stop by and test our line of gliders and enjoy the sites. 628 W. Larpenteur Ave., St. Paul, MN 55113 (612) 489-8300. MONTANA
HAWAII
INTERESTED IN FLYING? Write: BEARTOOTH HANG GLIDERS, P.O. Box 21116, Billings, MT 59104.
HAWAII SCHOOL OF HANG GLIDJNG - At last beautiful Hawaii has a full service hang gliding center. Complete USHGA certified lesson program. Equipment sales, service and rentals available. Drop us a line or give us a call if planning a visit to hang gliding paradise. P.O. Box 460, Kailua, Hawaii 96734. (808) 262-8616. Aloha!
NEW MEXICO BUFFALO SKYRIDERS, INC. - Southwest's hang gliding headquarters. Instruction, sales and service for all types of gliders. Coronado Airport, P.O. Box 4512, Albuquerque, N.M. 87106. (505) 821-6842.
TRADEWINDS HANG GLIDING CENTER - Rental gliders, lessons. USHGA certified instructors, gliders, observers. Box 543, Kailua, HI 96734. (808) 373-8557. WRONG BROTHERS AVIATION (formerly Aloha Hang Gliding Center) - Now an ultralight aircraft dealer. Professional instruction, sales & repair on Right Flyers. P.O. Box 25833, Honolulu, HI 96825. (808) 395-6541. IOWA THE FOUR WINDS! New and used flex and rigid wings, power systems, landing gear, accessories. USHGA certified instruction. Ratings I-IV. We handle Bennett, Manta, Electra-Flyer, Seagull, Soarrnaster, CGS, Power Systems, Litek, Hall, and other manufacturers' products. Corne see our Powered Quicksilver with 16 h.p. Yamaha and landing gear. It's safe and stable! It will be love at first flight at: THE FOUR WINDS, 2708 Mt. Vernon Rd. S.E., Cedar Rapids, IA 52403. (319) 363-0189. KANSAS MONARCH FLYING MACHINES - The Kansas City area source for all major brand gliders, power packs, parts, accessories, repairs. USHGA Certified Instructors. 10607 Blue Ridge Blvd., Kansas City, MO 64134. (816) 761-7302.
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. 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 3/, 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. Corne fly before you buy. 11522 Red Arrow Hwy., Bridgman, Mi. 49106. (616) 426-3100.
NEW YORK AERIAL TECHNIQUES - at Ellenville. The east coast's largest hang glider shop. USHGA Certified instruction, dealers for all manufacturers, most equipment in stock from our tremendous inventory. A.T. is where it's up ... Rt. 209 - in Ellenville, N.Y. 12428. (914) 647-3344. EASTERN ULTRALIGHTS - Fly in the cradle of aviation. Certified instruction, Wills, Lancer, Atlas, Sensor, Skysports, Electra Flyer Eagle. Sales, service. (607) 569-2442. Route 54, Hammondsport, N.Y. 14840. NORTH CAROLINA
SOUTHEAST MICHIGAN HANG GLIDERS, INC. Turn your driving time into flying time with the revolutionary Eagle. We are a factory trained dealer and offer
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.
professional instruction. We also sell and service most
major brands of hang gliders. In business since 1975. 24851 Murray, Mt. Clemens, Mich. 48045 (313) 791-0614.
*** NEW ***
MORE FOR YOUR $$
THE ONLY COMPLETE
The original more-for-yourmoney wallet; $7.95. And, for one more buck, a hidden pocket (for more money, of course!).
MANUAL ON THE SPORT OF
For credit cards, checkbook, money, photos, & more-one more place to put it: the Organizer $12.95.
POWERED ULTRALIGHTS OVER 90 PHOTOS AND ILLUSTRATIONS
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!
DETAILS ON: CHOOSING THE RIGHT CRAFT-BUYING USED EQUIPMENT-FOOT LAUNCHING-WHEEL LAUNCHING-CONTROLSAIRMANSHIP-AERODYNAMICS-MICROMETEOROLOGY-ENGINE CARE AND PLACEMENT-MEDICAL FACTORS AND MUCH MOREONLY $7.95 + 60¢ POSTAGE. ALSO BY THE AUTHOR:
• FLYING CONDITIONS - $5,95 + 60¢ POSTAGE SPORT AVIATION MICROMETEOROLOGY
• HANG GLIDING FL YING SKILLS - $5.95 + 60¢ POSTAGE A BASIC TRAINING MANUAL
• HANG GLIDING FOR ADVANCED PILOTS - $6.95 + Who could ask for more? You could. Ask for any of six great colors: royal blue, tan, rust, navy, red, or black. Get more for your money from:
dune an Box 33441-X, Seattle, WA 98133 58
60¢ POSTAGE
$10.95 + 60¢ POSTAGE FOR ANY TWO $14.95 + 90¢ POSTAGE FOR ANY THREE $21.95 + 90¢ POSTAGE FOR ALL FOUR SEND CHECK OR CASH TO: DENNIS PAGEN, DEPT. H P.O. BOX 601, STATE COLLEGE, PA. 16801 DEALER INQUIRIES INVITED
HANG GLIDING
MORE REASONS TO
FLY WITH
1
Chrysalis 1000 Cocoon
1. QUALITY
All of the Harnesses use military spec webbings and buckles, extra-fl rm low density foam for firm cushioning and 420 denier waterproof fabric. Workmanship is uns.urpassed !
Chrysalis® Kneehanger Harness
2. DESIGN
All are designed and engineered for easy take-offs and landings. Parachute harness stitch patterns are used throughout and all suspension straps are clean and easily adjusted. ~
Prone Soaring Harness
3. COMFORT
All offer unexcelled comfort for those record breaking flights.
SCOTT'S MARINE, INC. Towing lessons spring and summer. Motorized lessons, learn to fly towing! Parts, repairs and service for Manta, Moyes, Wills Wing, Seagull, Soarmaster, UFM, Pterodactyl and Odyssey accessories. Scott Lambert, 908 Lexington Ave., Charlotte, N.C. 28203 (704) 376-7348 CATALOG $2.00. 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. OREGON SUPERFLY HANG GLIDERS - Beginner & Novice lessons with USHGA Certified Instructors. In stock: New & used gliders, parts & accessories, Advanced Air chutes. Featuring Ultralite Products, Wills Wing, with other brands available. 853 N.E. 8th St., Grants Pass, OR 97526. (503) 479-0826. PENNSYLVANIA BALD EAGLE HANG GLIDING. 146 N. Fourth St., Hughesville, PA 17737. (717) 584-5275. TENNESSEE 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. MID-SOUTH HANG GLIDERS - Mid-South's only factory authorized dealer for: MANTA, UP, BENNETT. Immediate delivery on Fledgling, Mosquito, Condor, Firefly, Accessories. Information and prices (901) 454-1706, (901) 526-0790 anytime. 382 Washington, Memphis, 38105. TEXAS ARMADILLO AVIATION. Motorized fixed wings (CA-15 now available). All brands - power units - accessories. Call or write for prices. "We have your wings". 703 North Henderson, Ft. Worth, Tx. 76107. (817) 332-4668. ELECTRA-FL YER DISTRIBUTORS. South MidWestern distributors for: Electra Flyer Corp., UFM Products, Sky Sports, Seagull Aircraft. Now accepting dealership inquiries. Call or write: LONE STAR HANG GLIDERS, 2200 "C" South Smithbarry Rd., Arlington, Tx 76013. Metro. (817) 469-9159. LONE ST AR HANG GLIDERS. Electra Flyer, Sky Sports, Seagull, Manta and UFM sales, repair, instruction. 2200 C South Smithbarry, Arlington, Tx. 76013 (817) 469-9159. UTAH
rentals, and repairs. Also, new MOTORIZED ULTRALIGHT SCHOOL, featuring Eagles, Pterodactyls, and Weedhoppers. INFINITY, 898 So. 900 East. S.L.C., Utah. (801) 359-SOAR. 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.
Parts & Accessories FLEX-FAIRINGS TM to be produced and sold by FlyRight. The same high quality product previously produced by Laminar Systems. New optional design improvement increases convenience of product. Contact
your local hang gliding dealer or write for information. Fly-Right Hang Gliding Accessories, 3024 Belmont Ave., Dept. HG5, San Bernardino, CA 92407.
WISCONSIN SOLO FLIGHT introduces Wisconsin's first Ultralight airport/campgrounds. Wisconsin Dells area. Sales, information, good flying. (608) 666-3261.
GET ORGANIZED! he1e s a set of 4 sturdy Illes that holds over 4 years ol you1 f;i.vorite 8 1, · 11 magazines
4 MAG FILES $4,95 Send $4 95 plus $ I 00 !or postage and handling to
OQM INDUSTRIES P.O. BOX 388-V DOVER, N.H. 03820
MD-II POWER CONVERSION KIT - Two 10 H.P. engines, props, landing gear, hardware - $1,650. Control wheel steering of rudder and elevator. Lower thrust line. Twin engine performance. Send $3.00 for info brochure to: DeNEAL AIRCRAFT, P.O. Box 449, Fallon, NV 89406.
Business Opportunities CRYSTAL AIR SPORTS MOTEL - Male/Female -HELP WANTED: 15 hrs./wk. Exchange for lodging. Call or write Chuck or Shari, 4328 Cummings Hwy., Chattanooga, Tenn. 37409. (615) 821-2546. Home of SKY GEAR, Apparel & Accessories. INFINITY FLIGHT SYSTEMS (Utah's oldest & largest shop) is expanding and needs more instructors. If you'd like to teach Hang Gliding (or Motor Gliding) in Utah's famous mountain country, we'l1 train you for certification. Earn while you learn. Guaranteed employment.
Send resume to INFINITY, 898 So. 900 East, S.L.C., Utah 84102. (801) 359-SOAR. STARTJNG 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.
MOUNTAIN AIR HANG GLIDERS - 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 Drive, Sandy, Utah 84070. (801) 572-0678.
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.
UTAH'S INFINITY FLIGHT SCHOOL (formerly The Kite Shop) is the area's largest and most experienced with beginning to advanced lessons using CB radios and USHGA "certified" instructors. Complete accessories,
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.
WINDSOCKS - 10" max. dia 39" long, international orange. 1.9 oz ripstop. $10 pp to you. Karen Bennett, P.O. Box 1803, Bishop, CA 93514.
Publications & Organizations SOARING - Monthly magazine of The Soaring Society of America Inc. Covers all aspects of soaring flight. Full membership $20. Info kit with sample copy $2.00. SSA, P.O. Box 66071, Los Angeles, CA 90066.
Ultralight Powered Flight BONNEVILLE AVIATION - Pterodactyl & Fledgling specialists. Kit form or pre-built. Free instruction. Route 1, Inkom, ID 83245 (208) 775-3400. FREEDOM FLYER, INC. - the largest authorized ultralite dealer in South Florida wants you to enjoy the freedom of flying a powered ultralite. We stock and service the PTERODACTYL, HI-NUSKI and EAGLE along with many accessories including floats. Our flight school offers instruclion for these easy to learn to fly light weight air recreational vehicles. 100 % customer satisfaction is guaranteed. CALL or write (305) 771-7924; 1090 N. W. 53rd St., Fort Lauderdale, FL 33309. LQQK - A NEW PROP for Soarmaster Power Pack users. Great performance with no worry about blade flutter or structural integrity. Same great quality used by Pterodactyl, Power Systems, Rotec, UFM of Wis., and many others. - 46xl6 laminated hard maple - All machined for hub and bolts. Introductory price $89.95
*··············· ** KITE TUBING• *
BRIGHT
DIP
ANODIZED
TUBING
SEAMLESS. .
)t 1 5/8" x .058" x 12' (2·19 LENGTHS) .. ,., ... , $1.38/FT. ~ 1 3/4:: x .049:: x 12: (2-19 LENGTHS), ........ $1,40/FT. i( 1 7/8 x .058 x 12 (2-19 LENGTHS) .. , ...... $1.73/FT. ~ )t 2" x .049" x 12' (2-19 LENGTHS) ......... ,,. $1.79/FT. ~
* "",.,..-
"1l. "f""
60
F'REE WHOLESALE CATALOGUE
• LEADING EDGE AIR F'OILS INC,~ 331 S, 14TH ST. ~ COLORADO SPRINGS, CO,
80904 !0!-832-49S9
~ ~
****************
HANG GLIDING
BILL BENNETT BACK UP SYSTEM PRESENTS
~-- - - - - - - - D
~-------------------------------------------~ I
I
II() !
-f~r I
<JI
!
I
u (,']
OPEN HERE
t?
NEW EXCLUSIVE
I
i
\
ONE STEP DEPLOYMENT Opens From Anywhere
I
I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I
Envelope Sewn to Flyaway Container
I
I
I I I I I I I I
I I I I
I I I I I
~------------------------------------------J~
The experience proven B.U.S. many documented saves P.O. Box 483, Van Nuys, CA 91408 Phone 213/787-6600 Telex 65-1425 1360 Saticoy St. Van Nuys, CA 91402
FREE Sewing to any Harness Send U.P.S. Monday and we'll have it back to you for weekend flying!
Drag Chute (mini-B.U.S.) Ideal for use in tight landing areas where high approaches are needed • Prevents overshooting • Serves as a dive recovery system• Fully controllable.
>
NOW IN 2 MODELS
"~--=-~~
B.U.S. MKIIA (100-180 lbs)
B.U.S. MKIIB (150-250 lbs)
24' Canopy
26' Canopy
20 Lines to Ski rt
22 Lines to Ski rt
;~
450 Sq. Ft.
540 Sq. Ft.
Weight 6 Lbs.
Weight 71/4 Lbs.
Inner Envelope
Inner Envelope
Fits a// gliders ............_....... $19.95 complete
A must for heavies
ford St., Chelsea, Mass. 02150 (617) 889-1272.
(no COD) Wind Gypsy Products, 519 Harbour Rd., N. Palm Beach, FL 33408. (305) 844-2254.
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., Ml6, Tucson AZ 85718 (602) 299-4529 REWARD
NEW NOMAD by OSK, all metal, LID 14.5, 3 control, 10 h.p., 4.67 G's +, 1.67 G's-. Send for free brochure. Breuner Stal, 4105 Goodrick Ave., Richmond, CA 94801. (415) 237-9943. NORTHERN SUN INC. The industry's most experienced rigid wing builders, offers all custom built rigid wings at discount prices. Also dealer for all major factory built powered ultra-lights. Our Powered Training Course is designed and taught by pilots experienced in both conventional aircraft and Powered Ultralights. This comprehensive course includes techniques in reading and understanding sectionals, FAR's, micrometeorology, and even float and ski use. Upon Completion of course, students receive certification cards. For more details, contact us at: 628 W. Larpenteur Ave., St. Paul, MN 55113. (612) 489-8300. POWERGL!DE AEROSPORT - Northern California distributor of the Right Flyer by Wrong Brothers Aviation, Inc. with a steerable, shock-mounted J-3 Cub type suspension, 340 cc engine, side stick and throttle controls. Write: 4335 Court Drive, Santa Cruz, CA 95062. (408) 475-1036. Dealer inquiries invited. 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. SOARMASTER POWER UNIT - Flown 1 hour on SST-100-B. Extras, compression release, tuned exhaust, $950. offer. (805) 438-4157. G. Dangerfield, P.O. Box 785, Santa Margarita, CA 93453. SOLO FLIGHT introduces Wisconsin's first Ultralight airport/campgrounds. Wisconsin Dells area. Sales, infom1ation, good flying. (608) 666-3261. ULTRASPORT, INC. Dealers for Eipper, Quicksilver, and Pterodactyl fledglings. Our only business is power. Call or write for further free information. UltraSport, Inc., P.O. Box 3700, Simi Valley, CA 93063. (805) 581-3395.
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 SPECIALTIES, INC., Dept. D205, 4202 N. Drake, Chicago, IL 60618. METAL LICENSE PLATE FRAMES - "I'D RATHER BE HANG GLIDING." White lettering on a blue background. $4.50 including postage and handling. Californians add 6% tax, USHGA, Box 66306, Los Angeles, CA 90066. PATCHES & DECALS - USHGA sew-on emblems 3" iia. Full color - $1. Decals, 3 1/ , " dia. Inside or outside application. 25, each. Include 15¢ for postage and handling with each order. Box 66306, Los Angeles, CA 90066. TEE-SHIRTS with USHGA emblem $5.50 including postage and handling. Californians add 6% tax. Men's sizes S,M,L,XL. BLUE/ORANGE. USHG, P.O. Box 66306, Los Angeles, CA 90066. 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. The rate for classified advertising is 30, per word (or group of characters). Minimum charge, $3.00. A fee of $5. is charged for each photograph. Art discount for display ads does not apply to classifieds. AD DEADLINES - All ad copy, instructions, changes, additions and cancellations must be received in writing 1 1/2 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.
62
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: 1977 Seagull 10.5 Meter. WHERE AND WHEN: May 18, 1980, Dog Mt., WA. SAIL PATTERN: Black leading edges, bla<;k tips, black keel pocket. All other panels white. DISTINGUISHING FEATURES: Two tubes had been replaced with new black anodized tubing. Bag was not stolen. CONTACT: John Elliott, 6549 24th Ave., NW, Seattle, WA 98117 (206) 783-4529. TYPE: Seagull 10.5 Meter. SAIL PATTERN: Center out; light brown, dark brown, black, white, white leading edges. DISTINGUISHING FEATURES: 1/8" side flying wires, yellow fairings. WHERE AND WHEN: April 26, 1980, Phoenix, AZ. CONTACT: U.S. Hang Gliders, 10250 N. 19th Ave., Phoenix, AZ 85021, 944-1655. $250 reward. TYPE: UP Spyder 180. WHERE AND WHEN: Lexington Reservoir, Los Gatos, CA, Dec. 26, 1979. SAIL PATTERN: Light blue with dark blue center panel, L.E. and tips, large white UP letters center. DISTINGUISHING FEATURES: Sail has resewn batten pockets, leather X-bar rub patches, frame has spliced left L.E., waggle bar (supine setup) and bent deflexor posts. Quick cam wire tensioners. No bag. CONTACT: Rob Walty (415) 364-8461. 617 3rd Ave., Redwood City, CA 94063. TYPE: Electra Flyer Spirit 200 #S002414. WHERE AND WHEN: Near Pan Ark Lodge, Leadville, CO., May 24, 1980. SAIL PATTERN: Dark blue and white. CONTACT: Steve Johnson, P.O. Box 1818, Leadville, CO 80461. $100 Reward. TYPE: Condor 178. Chassis No. UPC-178046. WHERE AND WHEN: Lost on Pan Am Oct. 15. SAIL PATTERN: Brown, gold, white, red. DISTINGUISHING FEATURES: Gold and white delta on nose. CONTACT: J.R. Ulloa, P,O, Box 01-354, San Salvador, El Salvador, CA. TYPE: 230 Nova. WHERE AND WHEN: MAY 11, 1980 Near San Bernardino, CA, SAIL PATTERN: light blue, dark blue leading edge and kell pocket. Orange Eipper prone harness. Pealing black control bar. Clearcoat wires except one front wire white. Reward. CONT ACT: Randy Novak (714) 885-5923. TYPE: Electra Flyer Floater 230, WHERE AND WHEN: Barrett's delight apt., Cockeysville, MD, Jan, 27, 1980, SAIL PATTERN: Purple L.E. and keel pocket. Sail yellow, orange tips. DISTINGUISHING FEATURES: Brown cover bag with red tips, padded bar with wheels. CONTACT: Richard Hays, 1-c Breezytree Ct., Timonium, MD 21093. TYPE: Lazor 155 #6, 1980 model. WHERE AND WHEN: N. Hollywood, near Bennett factory Feb. 16. SAIL PATTERN: Red bag, keel out: black, black, black, split blue/dk. blue, purple, red, orange and lime. CONT ACT: Delta Wing Kites and Gliders, TYPE: 1979 Sunbird Nova 230 #143. WHERE AND WHEN: March 11, 1980 Solimar Beach, near Ventura, CA. SAIL PATTERN: Center out: purple, dk. blue, It. blue, white, red, purple leading edge. DISTNGUISHING FEATURES: Brown bag, red flag. Center panel with glider colors, zipper. Patch on left L.E. near nose plate. CONTACT: Chuck McLaughlin, 831 Ann Arbor, Ventura, CA 93003 (805) 647-4647, TYPE: Seagull Seahawk 170, 1977. WHERE AND WHEN: Dec. 31, 1979, Boston. SAIL PATTERN: White keel. pocket, all red. Red bag. DISTINGUISHING FEATURES: Deflexors and bolts not taken. Bag has red flet tabs on closure. CONTACT: Tom Johnson, 2 Med-
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. CONT ACT: Randy Smith, 4739 Pasadena Ave., Sacramento, CA 95841 (916) 488-6658, 489-6188. TYPE: Electra Floater 205 #001699. SAIL PATTERN: Brown leading edge and keel pocket. Panels 1 & 2 white, 3 split brown, orange, gold, 4 & 5 white, tip yellow, gold, brown. EQUIPMENT: Hummingbird vario #Bl006, blue Price harness with Bennett parachute in white container, Sears walkie talkie and white helmet. WHERE AND WHEN: Fishers Peak landing field, Low Gap, N.C., Oct. 8, 1979. $300 reward. CONTACT: Randy Newberry, P.O. Box 65, Bland, VA 24315. (703) 688-3703 collect. TYPE: Phoenix Super 8 Reg. SAIL PATTERN: Keel out; black, red, orange, yellow, black tips and leading edges. WHERE AND WHEN: 10 miles north of Poncha Springs, Colo. on US 285 on July 11, 1979. DISTINGUISHING FEATURES: SIN 340. CONTACT: Jim Zeiset (303) 539-3335. $100 reward. TYPE: Phoenix 60 155 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 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. TYPE: Cumulus 10. WHEN: May 12, 1979. SAIL PATTERN: Center out, white, yellow, brown. Blue bag. CONT ACT: 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 Strato. 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: Wills Wing XC 185 #2277. WHERE: Lauden, Tenn. DESCRIPTION: All blue color panels, white leading and trailing edges. CONT ACT: Mel Charles, Rt. 2 Box 51A, Oliver Springs, Tenn. 37840. 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.
HANG GLIDING
• FLIGHT LOG, 40 PAGES • POCKET SIZE, 33/.1" x 7" • SKILLS· SIGN•OFFS INTERMEDIATE ADVANCED AND SPECIAL • GLOSSARY OF TERMS • MASTER RATING
OFFICIAL
USHGA FLIGHT LOG
• LILIENTHAL AWARDS
NOW AVAILABLE
-----------------------ORDER FORM
Please send: _ _ _ _ _ Official USHGA flight log(s) at $2.95 ea. NAME _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
~
ADDRESS _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ CITY _ _ _ _ _ _ _ STATE _ _ _ _ _ ZIP _ _ _ __ Postpaid Californians add 6% sales tax Dealer inquiries invited
Send check or money order to: USHGA P.O. Box 66306 Los Angeles, CA 90066
------------------------
~ ~
Parachutists, balloonists, aerobatic flyers, professional pilots- people from every facet of aviation are joining the National Aeronautic Association. That's because ever since the birth of aviation itself, we've been a vital part of its growth and the enjoyment people get out ofit. Authenticating record attempts, sanctioning meets, encouraging and·assisting competition both nationally and internationally are just some of the services we provide. In addition, the National Aeronautic Association recognizes superior achievements with some of the most coveted aviation and space awards in the country. Join us and help assure that this progress will continue while you enjoy the many valuable benefits of membership in America's oldest and most prestigious aeronautic organization. If you're already a member of an NAA Division or Affiliate, you'll proudly wear our silver wings and also receive: • 50% reduction in NAA dues • $2,500 travel accident insurance • $250 travel injury medical expense • NAA's monthly newsletter • NAA decal wings for your vehicle · 30% discount on Aero Publishers book selections • Automobile rental discount at Hertz and Avis • NAA identification card certifying you as a member of NAA associated with F.A.1. • Opp0rtunity to participate in our low-cost group life, hospital and accident insurance plans. Join NAA now by filling out the form below and mailing it with your check. It's one down to earth thing you can do to help the future of aviation soar.
NAA MEMBERSHIP FORM D As a member in good standing of a Division or Affiliate of the National Aeronautic Association (checked below), I enclose $10 for annual membership dues. D Please enroll me as a Full Member with vote. I enclose $20 for annual membership dues.
Address _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ City/State
Zip _ __
Please make check payable to NAA and send to:
NATIONAL AERONAUTIC ASSOCIATION, 82115th Street NW, Washington, D.C. 20005 NAA DIVISIONS AND AFFILIATES D Academy of Model Aeronautics D Aerobatic Club ot America D Air Mail Pioneers D American Society of Aerospace Education D Balloon Federation of America D Dayton Air Fair D Early Birds of Aviation D National Pilots Association D Soaring Society of America D United States Air Racing Association D United States Hang D Pleasesenddeteils Gliding Association 0 United States Parachute Association
on NAA low-cost Group Insurance Programs.
Experience the adventure of Microlight Aircraft, a new concept in flying.
Miller Shin Co. (Aust. ) Pty. Ltd. 14-28 Telopea Avenue Hornebush, N.S.W. 2140
Australia
Op So. Africa Ltd. Japan Surfing Promotions (JSP) 23 A Mutual Place 3-17-17 Hatori, Fujishawa City Sea Point, Cape Town So. Africa Kanagawa , Japan 251
Mainland Office, Ocean Pacific Sunwear, 14312 Chambers Rd., Tustin, Calif. 92680
Ocean Pacific Limited Post Office Box 30-065 Takapuna, orth Auckland 9 ew Zealand