USHGA Hang Gliding June 1984 by US Hang Gliding & Paragliding Association

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Volume 14

CONTENTS

Issue No. 6

(USPS 017-970)

Features

Columns

12 Ridge Soaring Principles

3 Viewpoint

by Rich Pfeiffer with Maggie Rowe illustrations by Rod Stafford

by Dave Proffitt Dave advances some ideas on organization membership, its problems and solutions.

This month we kick off a series reprinted from Pfeiffer's new book: Hang Gliding

8 The Right Stuff

According To Pfeiffer-Skills For The Advancing Pilot.

18 Hang Gliding Interviews - Stew Smith

by Erik Fair Pagel2

interview conducted by Dan Demaree

42 The Answer Man

Dan chats with Master pilot Stew Smith who, among many other hang gliding achievements, brought home a silver medal from the '83 Tegelberg World Meet.

by Mike Meier An interesting exchange between aerospace engineer Erik Ringes and HOMA President Meier on side slips, adverse yaw and flex wing control.

26 Meet Your USHGA Board Of Directors

Departments

photos © by Bettina Gray A series written and illustrated by Hardy Snyman Hardy introduces us to the USHGA Board of Directors and its workings. Next month he'll begin individual presentations.

Page 18

32 The First Hang Gliding Meet by Bill Liscomb It was Sunday, May 23, 1971. Bill reminisces about the first Otto Lilienthal meet organized by Jack Lambie.

Page32

COVER: Thermaling. Painting by Michael Ward of Santa Rosa, CA. CENTERSPREAD: Background photo of Hardy Snyman viewed from Elephant Mt. near Alpine, Texas. Photo by Brian Craig. CONSUMER ADVISORY: Hang Gliding Magazine and USHGA, Inc., do not endorse or take any responsibility for the products advertised or mentioned editorially within these pages. Unless specifically explained, performance figures quoted in advertising are only estimates. Persons considering the purchase of a glider are urged to study HOMA standards. Copyright © United States Hang Gliding Association, Inc. 1984. All rights reserved to Hang Gliding Magazine and individual contributors.

JUNE 1984

This month Erik discusses takeoffs and controlling angle of attack during this critical process.

5 Airmail 7 Update 7 Calendar 11 Competition Corner 24 Ratings and Appointments 36 Consumer Advisory 47 Classified Advertising 49 Stolen Wings 50 USHGA Certified Schools 50 Index to Advertisers

GU Dodgen, Editor .Janie Dodgen, Associate Editor, Production David Pounds, Design Cons11ftant Leroy Grannis, Bettina Gray

VIEWPOINT

Staff Photographers

Erik Fair, Staff Writer _ Harry Martin, Rod Stafford, Illustrators Gretchen Niver, East Coast Correspondent

Organizational Membership Problems and Solutions

Office Staff: Amy Gray, ,Manager Majda Kassaseya, Ratings Mary Marks. Membership

USHGA Officers: Steve Hawxhurst, ·President Dick Heckman, Vice Pres/den/ Hardy Snyman, Secrelary Gary Hodges, Treasurer Executive Committee: Steve Hawxhurst Dick Heckman Hardy Snyman Gary Hodges USHGA Regional Directors: REGION 1: Doug Hildreth, T. Michael Boyle. REGION 2: Russ Locke. Gary Hodges. REGION 3: Sieve Hawxhurst. Beuina Gray. REGION 4: Jim Z~ist. Bob Thompson. REGION S: Mike King. REGION 6: Ted Gilmore. REGlON 7: Dean Batman. REGION 8: Charles LaVersa. REGION 9: William Richards. Vic Ayers. REGION 10: Dan Johnson. Steve Coan. REGION 11: Hardy Snyman. REGION 12: Ken Zachara. Paul Riker!. 1984 DlRECTORSAT-LARGE: Dennis Pagen, Dick Heckman, Elizabeth Sharp. EX-OFFICIO DIRECTOR: (With Vote) NATIONAL AERONAUTIC ASSOCIATION Everett Langworthy. HONORARY DIRECTORS (Without · Vote) elected IO 12131/84: Bill Bqnnetl, Hugh Mor, ton.Vic Powell,.Mike Meier. The United States Hang Gliding Associalion Inc.; is a division of the National ' Aeronautic Association (NAA) which is the official U.S. representative of lhe Federafion Acronautique' Internationale (}'Al), the world go,•erning body for sport aviation. The NAA, which represents the U.S. at FAI Meetings, has delegated to the USHGA super· vision of PAI,related hang gliding activitie,s such as , record attempts and competition sanctions. HANG GLIDING magazine is published for hang C

gliding sport enthusiasts to create further interest in the sport, hy a means of.open c_ommunication and to

advance hang gilding mcihods and safety. Con, tfibutions are-welcome. Anyone is invited io contr_ibute articles, photos 1 &nd illustrations concerning hang gliding activities. If 1he ma!erlal is w be re; turned, a stamped, self-addressed'retur_n envelope must be enclosed. Notification must be made of submission !o o!heihang gliding publication,; HANG GLIDING magazine reserves the right to edit con-. tributio'ns where necessary.-The Association and publication do not assume-responsibility for the material or opinions of contributqrs. HANG, GLIDING magazine is published 1)10n1hly by the United States Hang Gliding Association, Inc. whose mailing address is P.O. Box 66306, Los Angeles, Cali[. 90066 and whose offices are located al 11423 Washington Blvd., Los Angeles, Calif. 90066; telephone (213) 390-3065, Sccond,class postage is paid at Los Angeles, Cali[. HANG GLIDING magazine is , printed by Sinclair Printing and Lithographers. The ' typesetting is provided by 1st Impression l)pesetting Service, Buena Park, Calif. Color Separations are provided by Scanner House of Studio City, Calif. The USHGA is a member-controlled educational and ' scientific organization dedicated to exploring all facets of ultralight flight. Membership fa open to anyone interested, in this realm of t11ght. Dijes for full member· ship are $29,50 per year ($32,50 for foreign : addresses): subscription rates are $22.50 for one year, $40.00 for two years, $57.50 for three years. Changes : of addres~ !ihould be sent six weeks in-advance. including name, USHGA membership number, previous and new address, and a mailing label from a recent

Issue. POSTMASTER: SEND CHANGE OF ADDRESS TO: USHGA, P.O. BOX 66306, LOS ANGELES, CA 90066,

JUNE 1984

by Dave Proffitt

n the past eight years I have spent as a hang glider pilot I have held various positions in our club. These have been: President once, Vice President twice, newsletter Editor three times. During this time I have seen membership in our local club as well as the USHOA fluctuate up and down. I have also had exposure to other clubs as newsletter editor and saw their problems as well. I am pretty sure that membership at the national level is down. Being Vice President of our club carries with it the title of membership chairman. So it's my business to try and· generate new membership in the club. I also try and stimulate current membership renewal within the club. Neither one is easy! We have experienced poor membership turn outs at our meetings for a couple of years now. That in itself is bad for membership. Who wants to go to a meeting in the middle of the week when nobody is there? I have come up with some ideas on why our membership is down. I will pass this on for what it is worth. 1) Several older members dropped out of flying because of different reasons: A. Family responsibilities/marital problems. B. Equipment change over (glider, instruments, harnesses etc.). C. Some pilots could not make the transition from their old ships to the newer ones. D. Some could not afford it. E. Some felt that their old standbys were not airworthy any more! F. Some felt challenged because some of their accomplishments and records had been bettered by newer pilots.

2) Some poor leadership in our club during this old membership drop out period: A. This poor membership led to lengthy boring meetings where nothing was accomplished. B. Interclub squabbling and name calling, especially between the dealers during monthly meetings. Who wants to come to a club meeting and listen to that? C. Internal and financial problems with the newsletter. No editor for the newsletter, no member input to the newsletter. 3) Dealer involvement in club: The dealers if properly motivated can contribute greatly to a club. For example, if the dealer happens to be an instructor he can channel all his new people into both clubs. Thus local and national organizations get much needed new members. 4) Economy: Yes we are all looking for ways to save our money. Twenty dollars for our membership will buy a tank of gas for my Toyota. Unfortunately I can't fly my truck at our club-leased flight park! 5) Lack of club-sponsored functions: A. No fly-ins or few. B. Some poor weather in our flying seasons. C. No carpooling. Northwest pilots are very independent; everybody does his own thing. I have seen ten rigs at a flying site with ten pilots and no drivers. Here is what we have done locally with some success. What this has done is generated more interest for our local club: Elected new officers. (This has helped our club members' attitudes a lot.) Reestablished monthly board of

VIE\ly~OINT directors meetings. This gave us some time to plan an interesting agenda for the next membership meeting. We also could plan club functions and address the membership at the meetings on those subjects. Sending out individual flyers reminding members of upcoming meetings. We would include on it some interesting hints on the upcoming meeting agenda. This seems to really give people a reason to come to the meetings. I feel if people get excited about coming to the meetings they will be happy to renew their club membership. We had tremendous luck with a movie night meeting. Everybody brought their movies and we ran two thousand feet of film! We had two projectors operating non stop. We had lots of old members and exmembers show up! On the national level here are some of my ideas about USHGA problems:

1) Increased membership cost. A. A lot of old USHGA pilots cannot justify the current membership fee. B. Many Northwest pilots have never used their rating cards or log books and have never been challenged on their ability. I think they feel no need to be rated. C. Some said the magazine content suffered. D. Some just could not afford it being out of work, etc. E. Sport dropouts. F. I think Steve Hawxhurst and Eric Fair outlined a lot of problems in the April issue of Hang Gliding. Here are what I consider to be some of the things USHGA could work on: I feel the restructure of Hang Gliding magazine was excellent and very much needed. The new format with the new paper stock is great.

I feel the internal workings need to be projected more to the membership through Hang Gliding magazine and maybe some seminars. We need to be told why the USHGA works for us. Maybe lower USHGA sanction fees. Make the national points system more visible. I feel that working with the USHGA and being an active supporting member doesn't hurt. It's not mind boggling or bureaucratic and seems pretty straight forward to my simplistic view as a seven-year member. I have always supported our club and the USHGA and I always will. No organization is perfect and it's only as good as the people within it. When we loose our clubs nationally and locally we loose our flying sites. Ultimately we loose our flying and our freedom.•

HANG GLIDING

AIRMAIL UNCONTROLLED ASCENTS

Dear Editor, I noticed an interesting thing while flying my "antique" the other day among a host of state-of-the-art high performance gliders. Saturday, March 31st was a cloud suck day at the Sylmar/Kagel, flying site. Things were not particularly ominous looking at launch, wind straight in at 10 to 12 mph with moderate cloud cover varying from 200 to 1,500 feet above takeoff. I launched my Seagull 10 meter into smooth lift and happily gained steadily at 500 to 600 fpm while flying straight out from launch. After a couple of minutes, rapture turned to concern as I seemed to be rushing up into the clouds and the horizontal winds had increased to a velocity approaching the top speed of my not so fast 10 M. The situation was as follows: I was going up at 200 fpm with the bar full in, was making no forward progress, and was trying desperately to stay in blue sky. It took me 20 to 30 minutes to creep away from the mountains and cloudbase into more stable air, including several instances of front wire grabbing. I was then able to descend uneventfully from 3,800 feet above the landing zone to a landing. I felt somewhat embarrassed coming in to land, assuming all the others were just playing with the massive lift with all the added speed of their ships. I found that the other pilots who proceeded to land were at least as shaken as I was. My flying partner, an experienced Owens Valley pilot flying a Streak had ventured too close to the clouds and found himself with vario pegged, disoriented, whited out and unable to descend. He was lost in the clouds for 25 minutes and experienced icing and severe weather conditions. He finally popped out of the clouds several miles behind launch, but fortunately was able to penetrate back to the windward side of the mountains to a safe landing.

JUNE 1984

What we realized in discussing the events of the day was that the state-ofthe-art gliders' superior penetrating and high speed ability accordingly result in relatively low sink rate at high speed. The advertised polar of the Sensor 510 gives a sink rate of 375 fpm at 45 mph (probably somewhat less in billowy position). Most modern performance gliders probably have a sink rate of about 500 fpm at 50 mph. Cloud lift often exceeds 1,000 fpm, which means one still might be rising at 500 fpm while flying at 50 + mph airspeed. The lower high speed performance of a glider like the 10 Meter is advantageous in descending through dangerously strong conditions. I test flew hundreds of production 10 Meters for Seagull in the late 70's with instrumentation and know that their average top speed was about 42 mph at a sink rate of about 900 fpm. This is why I probably had an easier time staying out of the clouds then some of the others. The point is, that added top end performance detracts from a glider's ability to descend from strong, massive, areas of lift. One often responds to this by saying, "If I start rising out of control, I'll just do some wangs to descend." In reality, the thought of flying at 50 + mph ·and/or doing radical wangs in strong turbulent conditions with diminished or no visibility is not very appealing. I'm not saying that one should trade their Comet or Streak in on a Ten Meter or Oly, but that spoilers should be considered (at least as an option) for many modern gliders, especially as performance continues to increase. This would allow pilots added control of vertical descent/ascent. Modern flying styles are increasing the possibility of uncontrolled ascents into situations where hypothermia, hypoxia, disorientation, or impact with outcropping terrain can occur. A properly designed spoiler system could greatly reduce the risks. John Volk Malibu, CA

SAFETY ST A TISTICS

Dear Editor, In the March '84 issue of HG I noticed with great interest a statement made by Dennis Pagen in his article about preventing stalls. He says that according to insurance company statistics, hang gliding has a lower fatal accident rate than rock climbing or skydiving. Could someone provide some more specific information, like what insurance company, the actual death rates over what period of time, etc.? This would be some good information to have the next time one of my friends (some of them rock climbers) tells me I'm crazy for flying hang gliders. Richard Cobb Blacksburg, VA AIR BAGS

Dear Editor, Since reading a recommendation in Hang Gliding magazine that an important safety feature on hang gliders could be a version of the air bag, I couldn't help thinking about a possible design. My conception consists of an uninflated air bag sandwiched between material on the underside of a fulllength harness. When deployed the air bag bursts out of velcro seams to provide a bodily cushion for the pilot. I imagine that a small cannister, similar to that used by scuba divers to inflate their life vests, could provide the propellant. Such a system would be useful in those situations where lack of altitude makes parachute deployment impossible, such as stalled takeoffs and landings. One problem that I can see with this system is that once the air bag extended itself, further hands-on control might be impossible. Also, vision would be obstructed even with a see through bag. However, these factors

ceeds from the 1984 Christian Care Cup Hang Gliding Competition, which took place on March 31 and April 1, 1984. Ours is a contribution which we hope you will use in any way you see fit, and which we hope will be of some use to you. Thank you for being our national organization. Dana Roosevelt Meet Director Phoenix, AZ

What can we say but "Thanks"-Ed. A VOTE FOR SUPINE would, in all likelihood, not be so important as having that soft, protective cushion of air. It should also be noted that any parachute deployment would, of necessity, occur before deployment of the air bag. The two systems might very well augment each other, with the air bag insuring a soft landing from a parachute drop. Mark Tracy Las Vegas, NV

A LITTLE HELP FROM OUR FRIENDS Dear Editor, It is with great pleasure that, on behalf of the Arizona Hang Gliding Association, I am sending you the pro-

Dear Editor, I just read Bob Thompson's article on flying right side up and I was glad to realize that someone else perceives the same reality that I do. It was intellectual deja vu to follow his arguments on the prone/supine controversy. I flew supine for almost ten years and was finally persuaded, primarily through the power of peer pressure, to convert to prone. During the sad year that I spent trying to figure out how anyone could get any enjoyment out of flying face down in such a wishy-washy relationship to one's wing, I managed to break my left arm twice, in the same place, with the result that I almost lost 1983 and definitely lost the best part of '82. Now I am flying again in my

friendly old Sunbird supine harness with the "C" tubes to give the pilot more pull despite a raked-back bar. It was wonderful to kick back and enjoy the ride again instead of struggling along with an inadequate visual reference to the wing and greatly increased control pressures. In short, we must keep our minds and wings open not only to new ideas but also to old ones that may have been unjustly repressed in the service of fashion. Some of the repressed ideas that I would like to see again in stateof-the-art technology are the canard, the non-swept or even swept-forward sailwing, weight shift rigid wings, lightweight and low cost funwings, and psychic levitation. Steven R. Moore Santa Barbara, CA

FOREIGN FLIVVERS Dear Editor, The April 84 cover shot of Ron Hurst flying his "Fun" over the town of Flims fostered fantasies when I saw it. Maybe for future articles you could feature foreign flying sites and foreign flying flivvers could be showcased. How's 'bout that for an idea from a new fangled flyin' member of USHGA! Brad Hill

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HANO GLIDING

UPDATE CAROL VELDERRAIN MOVES ON

Carol Velderrain resigned as USHGA Office Manager, effective June 1. Carol held the manager's position since the office and organization began back in the latter part of 1973. Please join us in wishing Carol well in her new employment venture, and in extending to her a hearty round of applause plus sincerest thanks for her years of dedicated work for the USHGA office. Replacing Carol as new office manager is Amy Gray of the office staff, who formerly coordinated the ratings, merchandise, mail, special accounts and other details. Amy accepts the new position and says it is going to take time to be able to shoulder all the additional responsibilities that Carol has had over the years. Amy has been with the office for the past six years. Congratulations, Amy, on your new position and promotion. Let's all work to give her our cooperation and courtesy. !

BEST WISHES BETTINA

Bettina Gray, our grand lady of hang gliding photography, was hurt in a fall and has been bedridden this past winter. At last report she was showing improvement. If anyone would like to send a friendly hello and perhaps a get well wish, it would brighten her day. Bettina's address is: P.O. Box 32, Rancho Santa Fe, California 92067. USHGA SITE MANUAL CONTINUES TO GROW

The USHGA flying site manual continues to grow and improve according to its author, USHGA President Steve Hawxhurst. "We have received some excellent additional letters of support for the sport from numerous individuals and agencies including the Bureau of Land Management in Oregon in a letter provided by Regional Director Doug Hildreth. The additional material will be an adden-

JUNE 1984

dum to the existing manual until we run out and need to reprint." Steve also noted that the office is beginning to form a small library of related material which may be useful in special cases. "We currently have two doctoral theses written by psychologists on the personalities of hang gliding and soaring pilots and a superbly written and documented paper by Bruce Waugh which addresses fears by the BLM that hang gliders will frighten nesting birds." Those who need more information on these specialized materials or have something to contribute should contact the USHGA office.

Butch Pritchett, Box 299 Finley, TN 38030 (901) 285-9490.

THE ALPINE EXPERIENCE The Santa Barbara hang gliding center specializes in hang gliding safaris to Europe, Africa, Hawaii and California. Right now they are putting together a three-week five-country trip to Europe in July to fly in Kossen Austria, site of next year's world championship, Telgelberg, Germany, Fiesch, Switzerland and the famous Zillertal, Europe's premier XC site. Contact: SBHGA, 486 Alan Rd., Santa Barbara, CA 93105. (805) 687-3119.

TOW TENSION GAUGE

The BP Hi-Tow system is designed to let you know your line tension at all times during a towing operation. The driver will know when you fly through wind gradients, thermals and down air so he can adjust his driving speed. The system is built from industrial quality equipment and is tested and calibrated to read correct line tension. The BP Hi-Tow was designed for use with center of mass tow systems. Contact:

ROBERT COLLINS NEW DIRECTOR IN REGION 8 Chuck LaVersa has moved out of Region 8 and has regretfully resigned his position as USHGA Director in the northeast Region. Bob Collins has been selected to replace La Versa. Bob has been flying since 1979 and is an Observer, Advanced rated pilot and president of one of New England's oldest hang gliding clubs.

Calendar APRIL TO LABOR DAY. Tiger Mt. XC tournament. Entry fee $5. Contact: Cloud base Country Club, P .0. Box 55144, Seattle, WA 98155 (206) 481-5878. First weekend of each month: Wings Of Rogallo rating weekend for Novice and Intermediate. Ed Levin County Park in Milpitas, CA. Contact: (415) 656-6656. JUNE 22-24. 12th Annual Cochrane Meet. Trophies, chute seminar, three days XC flying. Contact: Willi Muller, 5-1303-44th Ave. NE, Calgary, Alberta Canada T2E 6L5 (403) 250-2343. JUNE 30-JUL Y 1 l. Owens Valley XC World Champion-

ships. Out-and-return racing and open distance. Contact: XC Pilot's Association, P.O. Box 458, Independence, CA 93526. JULY 4-8. Region 11 qualifier at Dunlap Flight Park. $40 entry. Contact: Connie Bowen, Dunlap Flight Park, P.O. Box 241, Dunlap, CA 93621 (209) 338-2422. JULY 13-15. Cascade Grand Prix Region I qualifier at Chelan, WA. Entry $25. Contact: Joe Bulger (206) 232-1822. SEPT. 1-3. Seventh Annual 94 ROCK/Free Spirit Flight HG Festival. Drain Hill, Elmira, NY. $1,000 purse. Team and open classes, beginner to ad-

vanced, demos, camping. Contact: Free Spirit, P .0. Box 13, Elmira, NY 14902. SEPT. 10-16. Telluride Hang Gliding Festival, 150 pilots. Send SASE to: Telluride Air Force, Box 456, Telluride, CO 81435 (303) 728-4759. SEPT. 12-16. International Hang Gliding Film Festival, St. Hilaire du Touvet, FRANCE. Contact: 38720 Saint-Hilaire du Touvet, tel. (76) 08,33,99. SEPT. 14-16: California Balloon Festival, Visalia, CA. Contact: Balloon Festival, PO Box 4516, Visalia, CA 93278 (209) 625-2784.

THE ;RJGHT STUFF

Launch Characteristics:

Angle of Attack by Erik Fair

have witnessed a number of launches lately that have led me to the conclusion that it is high time to reiterate (repeat loudly in no uncertain terms) the relationship between angle of attack and airspeed in the context of launch technique. It is our mutual good fortune that this is a subject area that can best be explored and explained through the use of Rod Stafford's eyepleasing illustrations with a minimum of guff from yours truly. For instance, look at Figure I. It clearly shows what angle of attack is. All I get to do is tell you what you already know which is that life giving airspeed varies inversely with angle of attack. The more you got of one, the less you got of the other and vice versa. Perhaps a little jingle will nail this concept down for all of us. "Lower the nose, Blow off your clothes, Raise the angle, helplessly dangle." Ho hum.

Let's go to Figure II so we can wake up. Any set of illustrations which features two blown launches and only one good one is at least as stimulating as a cup of coffee. Before we discuss the three launch sequences shown you gotta know this: Beyond the ability to properly judge conditions vis-a-vis your own capabilities, there are only two secrets to good launch technique. Not surprisingly, both have to do with angle of attack. Secret One: Position your glider wings level, and stationary (neither rolling or yawing) at the "proper" angle of attack before you initiate your

takeoff run. Secret Two: Maintain "proper" angle of attack throughout your takeoff run which you will enthusiastically continue until such time as your entire weight is smoothly transitioned onto the glider. cHOR.D UNE Of="6UDE.R.

What constitutes "proper" initial angle of attack? That can vary somewhat with conditions, shape of the launch area, and the static balance of the glider you're using. For the purposes of discussion, just so's we can isolate a few key variables, we're going to declare smooth, straight in five mph wind, at a smooth four to one launch area, in a perfectly statically balanced fixed airfoil glider. As illustrated, the proper initial angle of attack in this case is "slightly" above neutral so that the glider will begin to support its own weight as soon as the pilot initiates his run. The first sequence shows a pilot initiating and completing his launch without changing his angle of attack. He had it right to begin with (approximately trim bar position) and did not have to adjust to gusts so he simply ran until the glider developed enough airspeed to lift him away from the slope. How much airspeed was enough? At the angle of attack that corresponds to trim bar position in this example, about 20 mph, indicated. Note that as he progresses from the set position (AS= WS = 5 mph to lift off (AS = 520 mph indicated) the glider supports a smoothly increasing percentage of his weight. This is as it should be. The second sequence shows a pilot performing what we in the trade call a "Jack Rabbit" start. The problem with sprinter's block starts in mild conditions is that the pilot literally fails to bring the not-as-yet-flying glider with him in his first few steps. Since the statically balanced glider is no longer supported by the pilot's shoulders (which are now thrust through the control bar) it quite naturally falls back thereby raising the angle of attack

HANG GLIDING

THE RIGHT STUFF - . (ARROWS INDICATE DIRECTION OF FLIGHT)

HEALTHY LAUNc.i-l

The third sequence in Figure II shows the opposite problem. Here, the pilot allows the glider to end up ahead of him without his weight being applied to the CG (note slack harness straps). More often than not this sequence begins with a hesitant, pitty-pat run followed by the pilot trying to "climb" into the control bar. The act of supporting weight on the control bar not only reduces the pilot's mobility and fluidity but, more importantly, applies weight well in front of the CG, thereby lowering the angle of attack and putting the glider further in front of the pilot who must then "chase" even faster after it. No fun here at all!! Note that as the sequence continues the pilot appears to be pushing out more and more in an attempt to save the launch. Of course he's not really

"CLIMBOS/5 11

dramatically. Maybe the pilot will be able to "tug" the glider back to a runnable angle of attack once his harness straps go tight but more often than not he won't get it back. What will happen is one of two things: The glider will leave the ground at an airspeed commensurate with the "too high" angle of attack (say 12 mph). The pilot will lose directional control of the slow moving glider and spin off to the side. Sometimes both happen. Obviously, neither way is any good. Avoid this problem by making sure you "bring the glider with you" on your first few steps. After that it will be flying (supporting its own weight) and will seek to keep the angle of attack you have it at, in this case, trim. If you suspect you are having this problem in light wind takeoffs there is a way to find out for sure without putting yourself at risk. Use Dan Skadal's technique which has been proven on JUNE 1984

hundreds of students. Ground run your glider on nearly flat ground in light or no wind without using a harness. If you have "Jack Rabbit's" disease the symptoms will appear in the form of your glider falling behind you as you try to sprint forward. Because you are not in a harness you won't be able to "tug" the glider back into proper position as you may be in the habit of doing. (You listenin', Leroy?) Here's the remedy. Use your shoulders to support the weight of the glider as you smoothly initiate your run. When you feel the glider lift off your shoulders and support its own weight you are in a position to accelerate your run, assuming the angle of attack is the same as when you started. This problem generally does not appear in winds over eight mph because that's about what it takes to support the weight of a modern glider at a trim angle of attack.

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THE RI HT STUFF pushing out as far as the glider is concerned because there ain't nobody attached to the CG, just some fool chasing along with a little weight on the control bar. If this problem sounds suspiciously familiar to you, do ground runs in light wind with your harness on. Smear Vaseline all over them downtubes so you can't support weight on 'em and run until you look and feel like the pilot in the first sequence. (You can skip the Vaseline if you promise not to "climb." After all there is your reputation to think of.) Figure III has nothing to do with angle of attack but it does have something to do with a very important aspect of launch so I invited it to appear for your consideration. What we have here is an imprecise illustration of the relationship between percentage of pilot weight being carried by the glider and the amount of pilot motion re-

quired to effect a given directional correction. Note that until your glider is carrying a fair percentage of your weight (say 25%) you are essentially without aerodynmaic roll/yaw control. Between O and 250Jo you are basically dependent on physical manipulation (muscling, pulling, shouldering, grunting) to keep the glider straight and level. Therefore it's a real good idea to make sure you start your run only when the glider is set (not yawing or rolling around). It's very difficult at best to get a modern glider back into shape if you start your run "out of shape." Note further that at 25 OJo you need the whole bar to make a moderate corrective turn through weight shift and that only after lOOOJo of your weight is in the glider will it respond to weight shift in the manner with which you are most familiar. For all you literalists and technicians out there let me hasten to admit that

lsOITOM PIL01 COMPENSATES BY "PULLING IN SUG!-ITL.Y 10 MAINTAIN J>f<'.EV10us ANGLE OF ATTACK.

the percentages and distances illustrated here were not scientifically computed. They were "computed" via the "squinted-eye out-thrust tongue and thumb" methodology that I'm most comfortable with. Plus I asked Mike (who you callin' ugly?) Meier what he thought and he scratched his head approvingly before throwing me out of his office. Anyway, it's the principle that needed illustrating. Figure V illustrates how a change in the direction of the airflow can effect a change in angle of attack and therefore airspeed. Note that in the first sequence the attitude of the glider remains the same but the angle of attack is raised by the change in direction of the airflow at the point where the pilot reaches the slope. To maintain the same angle of attack throughout the takeoff run, the pilot must anticipate the change in the airflow and pull in slightly to compensate. Actually, in a vast majority of cases, the better option is to start the takeoff run right where the slope begins. No guess, no mess. Figure V represents an extreme example of the point discussed under Figure IV. Some high wind cliff launch situations call for the seemingly radical "nose down" positioning of the glider on the launch ramp. Note the angle of attack as illustrated. Imagine what the angle of attack would be in a more "normal looking" positioning of the glider. Gives one pause, no? I am compelled to note that true (continued on page 37)

HANG GLIDING

COMPETITION CORNER MT. WILSON AIR RACE by Dave Snyder What a day for a race! On April 21 the first annual Mt. Wilson to Glendora air race sponsored by Snyder Moving of Arcadia proved to be a real treat. Southern California flying had been influenced by Santa Ana conditions for two days, which usually means no flying. Upon arrival at launch it seemed no one would be taking their gliders off their cars, much less flying them. There were gusty 5-15 mph winds over the back with no real lulls at all, but around 1:00 the gusts got lighter with occasional one minute lulls; that's all we needed. The first pilot off was wind technician Greg Ward who demonstrated skillful thermalling techniques which gained him 4,000 feet. Well, that's all we needed to see. The gliders came off the racks and the race was on! The next pilot off was myself. I hooked a steady 400 fpm thermal and climbed to 9,500'. Glendora being 15 miles away, I knew I had the altitude I needed to pull the bar in and go. Mike Schuster launched next. Mike opted to gain only 300 feet before crossing four mile-wide Santa Anita Canyon, but his strategy was wrong. Arriving on the other side only a few hundred feet above the canyon floor cost valuable time to regain altitude to cross the next canyon, three mile-wide Monrovia canyon. Third off was Juan Corral. At less than two miles away from the Glendora landing field Juan found himself 100 feet above the ground on final approach when he worked a bump of a thermal up to 2,000 feet, enough to clear the last ridge. Ted Smissen, an aggressive 18-yearold pilot proved he was to be reckoned with. By getting high at launch and stuffing the bar on his Streak, Ted zoomed to Glendora with a second place time of 36 minutes. I won the race by being one minute faster than Ted. Jim Wood, a pilot

JUNE 1984

who had never flown cross country was one minute slower than Ted with a time of 37 minutes. A task that isn't always achievable sure was skillfully flown. Everyone who attempted Glendora made it knowing there would be plenty of cold clown sauce on hand. What a day for a race! RESULTS 1st Place: Dave Snyder flying a Streak 160, 35 min.; 2nd Place: Ted Smissen flying a Streak 160, 36 min.; 3rd Place: Jim Wood flying a Comet 165, 37 min.; and 4th Place: Mike Schuster flying an Attack Duck, 44 min. 1st and 2nd place split the $10 entrance fees 60%-40%.

REGION 10 REGIONALS RESULTS The following are the top ten finishers in the recent Region X Regionals held this March. The total field included 19 pilots. Place/Pilot I) Stew Smith 2) Tom Phillips 3)Mark Dunn 4) Jeff Burnett 5) Matt Wagner 6) Doug Lawton 7) Gary Engelhardt 8) Frank Stroman 9) Jeff Poplin 10) Rick Wade

Glider VG Sensor Attack Duck C2 VG Sensor C2 C2 Duck Comet C2 Comet

REGION VI XC CHALLENGE The Fort Smith Hang Gliding Association wishes to announce its sixth annual Region VI Cross Country Challenge Contest, currently under way for the USHGA's Region VI, including Oklahoma, Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, and Louisiana. Duration of the contest is January through December 31 of 1984. Last year's winning flight was made in August by Mark Stump, flying his Fledge ET for

a distance of 56 miles from Magazine Mountain, Arkansas. Mark won a cash prize, plus the Perpetual Order Of The Eagle Award, a beautiful plaque with each year's winner and distance engraved. This year U.P. is offering additional prize money for the winning flight if it is made on an Ultralite Products glider. Contact: FSHGA, 7901 Martin St., Fort Smith, Arkansas 72903. GROUSE MOUNTAIN '84 The 1984 Grouse Mountain hang gliding contest will be held July 17-22 at the 4,000-foot site near Vancouver, British Columbia. Although the competition is by invitation, guest pilots are welcome to fly between competition rounds. The minimum prize money to be divided among the winners is $5,000. For more information contact: Grouse Mt. Flying Team, 17679-57th Ave., Surrey, BC CANADA V3S 4P6 (604) 574-7431. CASCADE GRAND PRIX The Region I qualifier for the U.S. Nationals will be held July 13-15 at Chelan Washington. The meet will include three days of XC racing from the Cascade slopes to declared goals in eastern Washington State. Entry fee prior to July 7 is $25. Contact: Beth Little (206) 481-5828 or Joe Bulger (206) 232-1822.

Para ~ Publishing Books by Dan Poynter Post Office Box 4232-314 Santa Barbara, Ca 93103 Telephone: (805) 968-7277

Send For FREE Brochure 11

Ridge Soaring Principles Fron1: Hang Gliding

According to Pfeiffer-Skills For the Advancing Pilot by Rich Pfeiffer with Maggie Rowe illustrations by Rod Stafford photo by C indy Sent i

To soar like the birds .. . to swoop and glide high above the ground, free and unfettered . . . Isn't this the dream that drew us all to hang gliding in the first place? It doesn ' t take long into the sport, however, to realize that for us, soaring isn 't as simple as it appears to be for the birds . Entire books could be (indeed, have been) written either about soaring techniques or on related principles of meteorology . This text in no way attempts to provide a complete discussion of any of these subjects . Its goal, rather, is to provide practical "how-to " suggestions for hang glider pilots wishing to improve their methods for locating and soaring in various types of lift. Any discussion covering meteorologi cal phenomena must be prefaced by a strong disclaimer. These phenomena are extremely complex and only imperfectly understood; any such discussion is in evitably an oversimplification , riddled with generalizations and overlooked exceptions . At best, it can offer guidelines to the very best source of learning: your own first-hand experience.

HANG GLIDING

CONCENTRATION o,= lsEST LIFT

SOARING IN RIDGE LIFT Lift generated by a ridge offers several advantages over other types of lift. First, a ridge can be a dependable flying site since ridge lift is one of the most reliable types of lift. Ridge lift also tends to be constant, often allowing pilots to stay aloft all day. Ridge soaring frequently offers convenience, too: at many popular sites you can drive to takeoff, set up and launch, soar around to your heart's content, and land by your car for a lunch break or at the end of the day. It's not surprising that lots of recreational pilots do no other kind of flying. Other pilots dismiss ridge soaring as boring, being limited to back and forth passes in a restricted area. What many pilots don't realize is that ridge soaring can be instrumental in flying far; many successful cross-country flights wouldn't have been possible without ridge lift supplementing other types of lift. HOW RIDGE LIFT IS CREATED The term "ridge lift" refers to the upward-moving air resulting when air blows against an immovable object. A number of variables determine the characteristics of a given ridge lift situation, as outlined in subsequent discussions in this section. The following paragraphs first present a general description of the fundamental phenomena involved. CAUSITIVE FORCE When moving air encounters an obstacle, it seeks the course of least resistance to get past that object, simply flowing around it if possible. If the obstacle is wide enough, some (if not all) of the air is forced upward, forming a band of rising air. To produce lift suffiJUNE 1984

cient to support a hang glider, the wind must be within 30 to 40 degrees of perpendicular to the ridge and must have a minimum velocity of about 10 miles per hour (mph). LIFT BAND The band of air forced upward by the obstacle provides an area of continual lift, as long as the wind keeps blowing. The lift band rises to a height about two to three times the distance from the base of the obstacle to its top. The area of the very best lift is a plane at an angle to the obstacle. Along the lower regions, lift is strongest close to terrain; toward the crest, lift is strongest somewhat further away from terrain. LEESIDE SINK After the air clears the obstacle and reaches its highest altitude, it seeks to return to its original level. If the obstacle's leeside is sloped as in the illustration, the air tends to sink along the slope. POSSIBLE TURBULENCE, ROTORS Moving air tends to adhere to the ground, a phenomenon known as "sur-

face drag." A sharp change in the contour of the surface can cause the air to separate from the ground, disrupting the airflow and creating turbulence. When sinking air reaches the ground, it seeks to re-establish its earlier airflow pattern. If it strikes the ground with too much force, however, the air becomes turbulent until it "re-attaches" to the ground. Thus, leeside sink often results in turbulence, sometimes in the form of a rotor: a mass of turbulent rolling air like an eddy on end. FACTORS AFFECTING THE LIFf BAND Several elements determine the strength, shape, size, and location of the lift band and the location of the best lift within that band. The following paragraphs discuss these factors individually, although in reality their effects are interrelated. An implied "all other factors being equal" applies to each of these discussions. GENERAL SHAPE OF THE OBSTACLE The general shape of the obstacle determines how much of the wind is forced upward and how usable the resulting lift is. Ridges. Ridges generate regular, usable lift as long as their orientation is approximately perpendicular to the wind and the wind is sufficiently strong. Such structures needn't be especially high: ridges of less than 100 feet often produce usable lift. Naturally, the longer the ridge, the more desirable it is as a hang gliding site. Once the air has cleared the crest, it tends to sink down the leeside slope, often creating turbulence near the foot of the slope as discussed earlier. Bluffs. As soaring sites, bluffs share

STRONG WINDS

Nl0HT

most characteristics of ridges, with one major difference. Since a bluff has no leeside slope, the location of the leeside sink is less easily predicted. The strength of the lift and the shape of the slope facing the wind determine how far behind the bluff's edge sink occurs and whether or not it is accompanied by turbulence. Coastal bluffs usually offer dependable lift throughout the day as the cooler air above the water moves in under the warmer air over the land. As the land cools at night, this movement is reversed. Coastal bluffs which face into prevailing winds provide some of the world's premier ridge soaring sites. If the wind is strong enough to counteract the usual evening shift to a land breeze, some of these sites can provide non-stop, roundthe-clock lift. Conical Mountains. In general, isolated peaks are not good liftproducers. Moving air can flow around the mountain, and little (if any) air is forced upward. Other shapes. Most ridge lift used by hang glider pilots is generated by ridges or bluffs; hence the general term "ridge lift" (and hence the use of "the ridge"

SMOOTI-f SLO~E

rather than "the obstacle" throughout the rest of this section). Nearly any obstacle to the air's movement produces some amount of lift, though. Lift is where you find it, and hang glider pilots can be pretty imaginative in seeking it out.

SPECIFIC PROFILE OF THE RJDGE Beyond the overall shape of the ridge, the specific profile its surface presents to the wind affects the characteristics of the lift band. Smooth vs. Rough Slopes. On smooth slopes lift is strongest close to the ground,

especially along the lower regions. Rough slopes, on the other hand, produce separation and turbulence close to terrain. More usable lift is found somewhat further away from terrain on rough slopes. Horizontal Ledges. Horizontal "steps" or ledges along the slope can produce turbulent eddies. Fortunately, this turbulence is generally limited to the immediate area. The air re-attaches itself at some point above the ledge and generates further ridge lift. Gaps, Bowls, Bumps, and Angles: The Venturi Effect. A ridge is never perfectly uniform in shape; gaps, angles, bumps, and bowls typically mark the surface. When moving air strikes any of these features a phenomenon known as the venturi effect occurs. A gap in the ridge offers less resistance than other parts of the ridge. Therefore,

a greater amount of air flows through the gap, at a faster speed, than flows up adjacent sections of the ridge. A bowl or an angle in a ridge facing the wind produces a similar effect; it deflects the wind into its center, increasing the strength and height of the lift. When the wind strikes the ridge at an angle, any protrusion produces the same result. The larger the protrusion, the stronger the effect.

STEEPNESS OF THE RIDGE The ridge's steepness affects the height of the lift band, the angle of the "best lift" plane within the band, the degree of upslope and leeside turbulence, and how sensitive the lift is to changes in wind direction. To generate lift that's usable by hang glider pilots, the ridge must be sufficiently steep. A gradual, shallow slope HANG GLIDING

doesn't produce usable lift since the air can simply flow along the surface. The strongest lift is produced by a perpendicular slope. Within the range of "usable" steepnesses, the shape of the lift band can varx_ significantly. When the slope is steeper, the lift band goes higher and further away from the terrain; the angle of the best lift plane is less steep. As a rule, the steeper the ridge, the more the lift is affected by changes in the wind's direction. That is, if the wind shifts, the corresponding changes in the lift characteristics occur more quickly when the ridge is steep than when the ridge is shallow. STABILITY OF THE AIR A given immovable object has different effects on moving air depending on how stable or unstable that air is. Specifically, the stability of the air influences whether the lift is constant or intermittent and how much turbulence is associated with that lift. Air is stable when the layers are arranged in their "proper" order, that is, with the heaviest layers closest to the surface and higher layers becoming successively lighter. Air is unstable when this order has been disrupted; the term "instability" refers to the overturning of airmasses as they seek to return to equilibrium. If clouds form above hills and ridges, you can be certain that the air is unstable. On a cloudless day you can identify instability by the existence of updrafts and downdrafts. Stable Air. In general, stable air produces smooth upslope lift. However, because stable air tends to return to its original level, it can also produce lowaltitude turbulence on the leeside of the obstacle as it spills over the crest, as illustrated at the beginning of this section. Unstable Air. Unstable air, on the other hand, becomes detached from the surface more easily than stable air does. This separation can result in turbulence along shallow slopes, particularly if the wind is strong. Separation can produce turbulent eddies at the foot of a steep cliff. In most cases, these eddies are below the area used by a hang glider pilot, but the pilot should be aware of their existence, especially since strong winds can carry them above the crest. JUNE 1984

TUR8ULENCE LOCAL TO HOR-I 2.0NTAL SHE-LF

VENTLllcl E.FFE.CT IN 6-A.P

VENTURI EFFECI IN BOWL AND AN6LEJ) R10C:,c-

WIND STRIKING 12'..il>GE AT ANGLE W!LL CAUS:E CONVERG8'1 CE. AT AN'/ I R.REGU\..AR!TY

Separation and turbulence have no effect on the lift band, but they can be troublesome if they force you to fly further away from terrain than you'd prefer. Separation can be a blessing in disguise as well, however. Since the air is already separated from the ground, its reaction at the ridge crest may be milder and the leeside sink and turbulence reduced if the obstacle is a bluff or a ridge with a gently sloped lee side. If the air striking the ridge is moist as well as unstable, the instability may be released and the airflow broken into "bubble" thermals: individual segments of rising air. The result is good but transitory lift, usually surrounded by downdrafts. The strength of the lift and the associated sink is relative to a number of variables, described in the "Soaring In Thermal Lift" section of this chapter. The release of bubble thermals has no effect on the lift band, but may add to the leeside sink. Pilots may find the transition between thermal lift and ridge lift to be bumpy or turbulent. WIND VELOCITY The stronger the wind blowing against the ridge, the stronger the resulting lift. This stronger lift doesn't reach appreciably higher altitudes than weaker lift; however, once it reaches the crest, the air is more readily blown horizontal by the stronger winds. Further, any thermals triggered along the slope can be blown too far back behind the ridge to be useful. Stronger lift also inevitably means increased leeside sink and a greater possibility of leeside. turbulence. Moreover, stronger winds create increased surface friction which can produce low-level turbulence along the slope and which also can drastically reduce the effective wind speed near the 16

surface. Under normal circumstances, these effects do not reach the areas used by a hang glider pilot; however, that pilot should be aware of their existence. In other words, there's a tradeoff involved with increasing wind strength stronger wind is generally an advantage in ridge soaring, but only to a point. The point at which increased wind velocity

becomes a disadvantage is different at each site. At Torrey Pines in California for example, ideal wind strength is between 25 and 30 mph; any more is a liability. Weaker winds generally produce smoother lift, but the area of strongest lift is located closer to terrain as it moves up the slope and at the top of the ridge.

generated by a ridge. The effect of upwind terrain depends on the shape of the upwind obstacles and their position in relation to the ridge. That is, even the most ideally shaped ridge imaginable won't produce lift if other obstacles in front of it disturb the airflow sufficiently. More commonly, upwind obstacles result in increased turbulence above the ridge. Consider another case: two ridges running parallel to each other and perpendicular to the wind. If they are just the right (or wrong, from the viewpoint of a hang glider pilot looking for lift) distance from each other, the sink behind the first ridge can cause a local reversal in wind direction and replace the lift normally expected in front of the second ridge with sink. Fortunately, totally eliminated ridge lift is relatively rare. In the vast majority of cases there is some lift to be found

above each crest in a series of ridges. If, on the other had, two ridges are spaced the proper distance from each other and both are generally perpendicular to the wind, the ridge lift generated by the first ridge can be reinforced and amplified by the second. The

ANGLE OIF THE WIND AGAINST THE RIDGE The angle of the wind toward the ridge affects the height as well as the strength of the lift. The best lift - the strongest, highest, and smoothest - is produced when the wind is perpendicular to the ridge. UP-WIND TERRAIN The nature of the terrain up-wind can disturb, counteract, or reinforce the lift

HIGH- SPEED UNSTA8l£ AIR_

HANG GLIDING

"proper distance" depends on a number of variables including the height of the ridges and the velocity of the wind. Conventional wisdom cites 11 miles as a rough figure.

STRONG WINDS

HOW TO SOAR IN RIDGE LIFf There are two key aspects to soaring in ridge lift: I) finding the area of best lift, and 2) getting the most out of that lift. It's equally important to follow established ridge soaring etiquette. LOCATING THE BEST LIFf Applying the principles just discussed, assess the ridge and determine where the strongest, highest, smoothest lift is likely to be. Always rely on your own senses, however, to tell you where the best lift actually is. Remember that the best lift is often close to terrain, but don't get too close for the day's conditions and your glider's handling characteristics.

LIGHT WINDS

MAXIMIZING THE LIFf To get the most out of the lift - the most altitude and the most time in the air - heed the following guidelines. Look For Thermals Within the Ridge Lift. Thermals frequently occur within the band of lifting air in front of a ridge. If you encounter such a thermal and

UPWIND ogSTACLE DESTl<O'f!NG LIFT

MODERATE T()RlsULENCE, SOME UIT i<EMAIN S

determine that it's efficient to use, by all means do so! (The "Soaring In Thermal Lift" section, following, discusses how to determine whether a thermal is efficient to use.) Many of the thermals you'll encounter won't be strong enough to warrant a full 360-degree circle, but a I SO-degree turn in such a thermal can often give you a net gain. Fly at Minimum Sink Speed. The most efficient speed to fly in ridge lift is your glider's minimum sink speed. (Chapter 5, "Speed to Fly Calculations," outlines a procedure for determining your individual glider's precise minimum sink speed.) Do Turns In Lift. Be sure to make all your turns in lifting air and make those turns as flat as possible. Otherwise, you'll lose altitude at each turn. Always turn AW A Y from the ridge. If you turn toward the ridge, you'll be flying downwind and run the risk of being blown into the ridge. After completing your turn, be sure that you return to the same (continued on page 46)

JUNE 1984

photn by Bettina Gray

with over 1,000 airtime and one the Mountain Exhibition Team members. At the 1981 Masters tion, Stewart received the Murchison Memorial A ward, an honor bestowed upon him his

circuit, Stewart stunned with his win

at the 1982 Race held in 1<.nv1r,,nn was no fluke un,rw,·,,nr,,,1 to dominate the hotly contested 1983 Southern California League home the Silver Meet and by the 1983 World "·"''""'u,ur1-

person to watch in 1984.

Dan: Stew, I would like to terview you how, when, and where you became involved in Stew: I did five static line jumps in the summer of 1974 and had intended to pursue sport until I took a lesson from a friend in the fall of that year. Bob Albright gave me and two friends lessons t.o in Massachusetts and we have five to ten second after a few tries. After the first flight, I knew I

HANG GLIDING

wanted to pursue the sport. Dan: On what kind of a glider did you learn to fly? Stew: My first lesson was on a Sun 18-foot standard flown in the seated position. My friends and I quickly bought an Eipper 18-foot standard rigged for seated which we flew prone due to ignorance. The bar was by our belt buckle at best L/D, but we had nothing to relate that position to, so it worked out all right. Dan: Who were the better known pilots back then? Stew: I had heard a great deal about Bob Wills, Chris Wills, Chris Price, and Roy Haggard. The well-known east coast pilots were Tom Peghiny, Terry Sweeny, and Lee Keeler. Lee taught me a lot about mountain flying. Dan: How long did you confine your flying to training hills before you went to the mountains? Stew: Not long enough. After three or four days on the training hill, we went to a 1,000-foot vertical ski slope with a shallow launch. I took off fine, but discovered I couldn't turn as well as I thought I could and proceeded to land on another glider. No damage was done, but I went back to the lower hills to improve my turning and approaches. Dan: Did you ever have to land in the trees while learning to fly mountains? Stew: I've been in the trees in New England a minimum of ten times. It was fairly common to put one's standard glider in the trees, often due to small or far away landing areas. There was a group of pilots in New Hampshire known as the "Bushwackers" for obvious reasons. Terry Sweeny, Jeff Burnett, Bruce and Bill McKeller were among the group. Some of the more aggressive members used to fly intending to land in the trees because they knew they couldn't penetrate to the landing area in their standards, so they landed in the trees, got down with 100 feet of rope they flew with, and came back the next day to get them. Occasionally, at the end of a good day, the forest appeared to have many colorful tents set up in it. Dan: What happened next in your flying career? Stew: I moved from Boston to New Hampshire to be near a mountain I could fly and worked for a ski area. Jim Finkowski and I used to walk up the 1500-foot vertical s_ki area to fly when we JUNE 1984

couldn't get a ride with a snow cat. These fall walks were tough, but we felt like we earned our flights, and we were in shape for the ski season. My first soaring flight was at the Mittersill Ski Area and lasted fifteen minutes. Dan: I understand that within about one year from the time you began hang gliding, you progressed from beginner to one of the original members of the Grandfather Mountain flying team. How did this transpire? Stew: In 1975, there were two hang gliding shops in the Boone, North Carolina area (Freedom Sports - Stevie Coan, and a branch of Kitty Hawk Kites John Sears) providing pilots to Grandfather Mountain hoping to generate interest and solicit lessons. The visitors loved to watch, but few took lessons. Hugh Morton, owner of Grandfather, saw the attraction potential hang gliding had for his visitors and started his own team the following summer. In the spring of 1976, Jim Finkowski, Lee Keeler, and I made a trip south just to fly Grandfather. Doug Heath had been named flight director of the team and hired John Sears and myself. Later that summer, Joe Foster and Scott Buchanan joined the team. Joe became flight director two years later. Dan: You only have three team members now at Grandfather, right? Stew: There are several part-time pilots, but only three full-time. In 1983 Joe Foster, myself, and Bill Bennett from West Virginia, not to be confused with Uncle Bill from Delta Wing, were the full time pilots. Dan: Why don't you describe a typical day at Grandfather? Stew: In terms of flying conditions, there is never a typical day. In the minds of anyone who has flown there, it does not exist; however, we. are supposed to fly four times a day for spectators. Often the morning flight is tough to get off because of weather. Between May 1 and November 1 we fly about 60 to 700Jo of the time. On bad weather days, we show a movie to visitors and answer questions. On soarable days, once in the air, we return to launch to be visible at our scheduled takeoff times. Dan: About how many people visit the mountain each day? Stew: It varies a lot with the season and the weather. It's not uncommon for over 10,000 people to visit the mountain on a

holiday weekend. The visitors who see hang gliding flights seem to enjoy them a lot. There are about 200Jo of the clientele who come specifically to see the flying. Many of these people are repeats and also attend the Masters Championship in August. Dan: I know you work out regularly. What type of conditioning do you do and do you consider this necessary for competition? Stew: Joe, Bill and I ran up Grandfather a good deal last year. It takes about 20 minutes and provides reasonably good cardiovascular benefits in a short time. No, I don't think it's essential for competition, but it can't hurt. So, I run, ride a bike and lift weights. Conditioning is a habit I acquired as a gymnast. Dan: What was you background in gymnastics and your achievements? Stew: I started gymnastics in a Massachusetts high school and continued competing through college at Syracuse and at Southern Illinois University. I belonged to the S.I.U. team that placed second nationally and I attempted but did not make the 1968 Olympic training camp. I bounced around for several years in the top 20 rankings for all-around gymnastic events. Interestingly enough I competed against several other gymnasts who went on to become noteworthy hang glider pilots such as Charlie Baughman (second '76 Masters), Dave Rodriguez (first '78 Masters) and Rich Grigsby (Rogallo Trophy '78 American Cup). Rich was 1968 National Champion in the horizontal bar and barely missed the 1968 Olympic Team. Dan: I have heard a wild story about you having a suspension system failure early in your flying career. Is this true? Stew: Yes, that's true. Scott Buchanan and I were flying Tater Hill in North Carolina when it failed. He had my glider with a normal primary hang strap with a back-up system. I had another glider which I discovered (on the hill, of course) did not have a back-up line. I lengthened the existing system with a number 10 quick link which would not completely close without a wrench. Closed, it was supposed to be good for 1200 pounds; partially closed perhaps only 300 pounds. It was a still air glide and I told myself it would do if I just flew down and landed. But it was the end of a long day and I forgot my flight 19

plan in the smooth evening air over the landing area. One wingover broke it. Fortunately the link elongated at the bottom of the maneuver and broke (sounding like a gunshot) during the it easy to energy retention part hold onto the basetube. The Cumulus 5B went into a shallow dive and then leveled off at slightly faster than max LID speed. I instantly flashed back to a conversation that I had with a gymnast friend of mine, Ed Datti, about what we would do in that exact situation. I did a back pullover and was standing on the basetube in probably less than four seconds after the link failed. Landing was no Reserve parachutes for gliders became available about one month later and I bought one. I violated some basic safety rules and got away to be alive but still with it. I'm in that embarrassed that I put situation. D111rn: Whew! You might have needed Scotty to beam you up if that didn't work! Seriously now, you work at Grandfather most of the year, but what about wintertime? Do you have to submit to some form of manual labor or are you supported by a rich wife? Stew: Actually, a smart wife; smarter than I am. She has her Master's Degree in Guidance and Counseling and has worked until recently. Our lifestyle has undergone considerable change since January 9th when Kathy gave birth to our first child, Kristen Cameron Smith. Dan: Congratulations! Stew: I really enjoy being a parent! h's a totally new experience for me ... In answer to your other question, I do have an M.A. in Physical Education. For the past three years, I've worked as a ski instructor and ski school supervisor at Sugar Mountain near Banner Elk, North Carolina. This ties up most of my time so, consequently, I do very little wintertime flying. D111111: You surprised a few people when you won the Rogallo Trophy at the '82 American competition in England. Did you realistically expect to do that well when you went over? Stew: I didn't know. I was ranked only 15th nationally by points and did not expect to even be going over. Because other ahead of me either chose not to go or could not go, I got the chance to compete. was thrilled at being on the team and had no preconceived idea of 20

Stewart Smith mi tlw still rings. Southern Il/i11ois U. gylllnastics teum 1968. Plioto by nee Mueller.

how I would do. Dan: What is your most vivid memory of that event? Stew: Well, it was some of the most incredible flying that I'd ever done. The most incredible thing was the fact that I took on a job assigned to me by our coach, Brian Milton, to follow this British Bob Calvert, everywhere just like it was a one-on-one competition when it was actually an open window. He felt that Calvert was capable of flying outrageous distances and that someone should follow him to at least equalize his scores team-wise. Dan: Why did the coach pick you? Stew: He picked me because it seemed obvious in practice that my glider had a performance advantage over any of the others there and that I would have the best chance of staying with Calvert. And it's entirely possible that Brian feh that with my lack of long XC experience, that it might be better if I followed someone who was really good. Bob and the other British pilots reacted to the tactic, and don't blame them. Bob often tried to lose me, but was only able to once, while i had the option to leave him, and did several times. I learned a lot from Bob Calvert and have great respect for his skills. Darn: You must have learned your lessons well. From the different pilots and manufacturers I've spoken to, you and Steve Moyes are considered the best pilots around today when it comes to soaring in marginal conditions. Your

fellow team member (from Grandfather) Bill Bennett informed me that on more than one occasion, you thermalled up and went XC when everyone else was taking the sled run special to the landing zone. To what do you attribute your uncanny ability to do that? Stew: I'm light! That's what a lot of people say. I don't know, I think it's because a large majority of my flying has been done in very light conditions and I wanted to stay up badly so I had to get good at doing that. D111rn: Do you feel that you are at a disadvantage in competition living on the east coast and only being able to attend a few meets per year? Stew: It's a disadvantage, especially for competition preparation. It's harder to become skilled enough to do well in competition if you live on the east coast rather than the west coast because you don'! get as much airtime, period. The way to get good at skiing is lots of mileage. The way to get good at hang gliding is lots of airtime. It's just that conditions out west are more likely to be conducive to staying up long periods of time. D111n: Do you think that there is such a thing as an east coast glider versus a west coast glider; for example, the Streak bebetter suited for strong conditions and the Sensor better able to climb in light thermals? Stew: I do feel that the Sensor has outstanding climb characteristics, but I also feel that the best gliders are all more or less in the same performance ball park. I do feel that for certain gliders, there is a strong air tuning and a light air tuning. Ii would basically involve tightening the sail for strong conditions and loosening it a little for conditions. Darn: The 1983 World Championships were held in Tegelberg, Germany with 148 competing pilots from 28 countries. You again came through under pressure and added a silver medal to your collection! How would you rate the site there? Stew: The Tegelberg site was excellent! The takeoff is 5,300' MSL and faces northwest to the plains of Germany with the spectacular Alps of Austria behind it. There's a 3,000-foot vertical drop to the landing area and transport to the top took about minutes by tram once equipment was loaded. It has potential for tremendous distances. Rich Pfeiffer felt like he had certain days during practice where he could have gone more than HANG GLIDING

a hundred miles, yet during the meet the conditions were more marginal. Compared to sites in the U.S ., It would in some ways more closely resemble an east coast site in that the weather would change very quickly. European sites in general tend to be more marginal than west coast sites. The lapse rate isn't quite as good and because of higher moisture content in the air, cloud bases tend to be lower. Dan: What was your strategy for the competition? Stew: The scoring system was based on completing the task, which was much more important than how fast it was completed. People seemed to be having trouble finishing the tasks, possibly because they went too fast too early, so finishing the task no matter how long it took was the thing to do . Dan: As I understand it, there were five different tasks used in the competition and ten rounds flown. What was your least favorite task? Stew: The Mini XC was run four times and was the most controversial and disliked task of the meet. Six pylons were set up along a seven-mile course (fourteen out and back) to the east of takeoff. One had to reach the farthest possible pylon and make it to either the primary landing zone or the alternate field (also pylon 4) about three-quarters of the way to the last pylon . If a pilot made it to the last pylon and judged the primary LZ unmakeable, he could land in the alternate field and be scored, but any out landing was a zero . Any alternate field landing without achieving pylon 6 was a zero. Flying to pylon four and back to the primary LZ scored the same as flying to pylon 6 and landing in the alternate field even though the former is a much longer flight. Very confusing to say the least. Most of the tasks were flown in eight man heats from one ramp with everyone getting random drawings for launch positions . The only thing that kept this system from being really unfair was that the house thermals were consistent enough that rarely did anyone not get up after takeoff. You did not want to be the first pilot off in your heat or you were a thermal mark for the rest of your heat. This Mini XC had eight pilots conceivably all attempting different things from the start, allowing luck to play too large a role in the outcome . To complicate matters, the takeoff JUNE 1984

Stew prepares to launch his Sensor 510 0 11 Grandfather Mountain 's so uth side. Photo by Buster Yates.

wind was often light and variable while the surface winds were ENE (paralleling the ridge) at 5-20 mph. Many hairraising downwind runs were made or attempted back to the LZ's with speeds over the ground exceeding 50 mph. I passed many cars on the road during this task. On the first day of competition, this task was run and I made my worst mistake of the meet. Graham Hobson of Britain got 30 feet above me in a weak thermal. I decided to leave in search of better lift. Graham went on to score the 1,000 point maximum and I barely squeaked into the alternate landing field receiving 500 points . Dan: On a better note, what was your favorite task? Stew: The Grunten XC (2,500 point max) , run once, was the best task of the contest. It was a forty-four mile round trip (22 miles each way) and one could take the shorter Alps route and risk landing in Austria for a zero or the longer front range route . Outrageously good flying went on during this task . Most pilots took the Alps route . Many low saves were made . Cloudbase cruising was common, but only about two or three pilots from each heat made the whole course and back to the primary LZ . Many pilots landed after only five to seven miles. It wasn't an easy task . Rich Pfeiffer who had scored a zero the first day of competition played a strong and often unbelievable game of catch-up to wind up fifth in the meet overall. On the Grunten XC, Rich had the fastest

time of the day beating the next closest finisher, Steve Moyes, back to the LZ by 16 minutes. They were even at the turnpoint but on the 22-mile return trip , Rich only stopped for one thermal. I found that during the course of the meet, Rich, and also Tony Hughes and Bob Bailey of England appeared to be able to consistently outrace the field . Dan: Did you fly against Steve Moyes in the final heat of competition? Stew: Yes, the final heat had the 16 finalists going for it at one time in the last Mini XC task . Pilots were landing out everywhere . Steve made it back to the LZ. I would say that the thing that makes Steve great is that he has definitely mastered the art of doing what he knows he can do and has to do in a high pressure situation. Dan: What observations did you make about the European gliders in the meet? Stew: There were a lot of Comet-type wings as well as a few gliders that had the curved tips of the Sensor. Refinement was the word of the day. Many had detached lower surfaces a la Streak . Several gliders had two or three pieces of webbing replacing the keel pocket (Guggenmos - Bullet prototype and Thevenot - Azur prototype). This afforded less drag, room for French connections, and didn't seem to hurt the gliders directional stability. Over half the pilots flew with French connections. Some had double connections for roll and pitch, others just a single one for roll. Dan: I know you fly a Sensor 510 with Bob Trampeneau's variable geometry system. Was this allowed in the various competitions last year and, if so, how much do you think it helped? Stew: I was only in four competitions in 1983; they were the Southern California League Meet , the Nationals, the World Championships, and the Masters . I had to tie the variable twist system off at all of them except the League Meet. I think it helped in that meet. I would say that when the device is tightened, sink rate is improved 20 to 30 feet per minute and LID probably between Yi and I point. I'm guessing at those figures, but I do know that Sensors being built now are capable of a top speed of 65 mph without whip stalling it. The major improvement in hang glider design in the last two years has been in sail technology, not in aspect ratios, but in the design of the sail and 21

so that

new sail materials. you think that there have of

Stew and Sensor 510 launch into Photo hy Buster Yates.

However, I think there arc other reasons well. I know from the reactions of the

coverage in the media in and television in . We should do get

Now there arc of around the country who don't that way because have seen many times. Because of I'm afraid most their initial old members and attract (cont inned on page 40)

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RATINGS AND APPOINTMENTS NOVICE RA TINGS Name, City, State

Region

Larry Brown, Walla Walla, WA ...... 1 Corlis Dodge, Wasilla, AK .......... 1 Thomas Mader, FPO Seattle, WA .... 1 Jim Stroup, Richland, WA .......... 1 Earl Young, Kennewick, WA ........ 1 Larry Andresen, Campbell, CA ...... 2 Dave Bakke, San Jose, CA .......... 2 Ronald Brantigan, Santa Clara, CA ... 2 N. Engelleitner, San Mateo, CA ...... 2 Kevin Fricke, Rancho Cordova, CA ... 2 Eric Mogensen, San Jose, CA ........ 2 Richard Neumann, Saratoga, CA ..... 2 Mike Powell, Modesto, CA .......... 2 Pat Reimer, Seaside, CA ............ 2 Steve Smith, Alviso, CA ............. 2 Elizabeth White, Newark, CA ........ 2 Jose Zarco-Quintero, Albany, CA .... 2 Susan Aldouby, Santa Monica, CA ... 3 Jim Coughlind, Venice, CA .......... 3 Shirley Greve, Venice, CA ........... 3 Cherie Joseph, San Diego, CA ....... 3 Rodney Lusch, La Palma, CA ........ 3 John McDonald, Santa Ana, CA ..... 3 James Rapp, Santa Barbara, CA ..... 3 Brad Stewart, Long Beach, CA ....... 3 Bodhi Suprana, Santa Barbara, CA ... 3 Richard Underhill, Santa Barbara, CA3 Michael Markgraf, Phoenix, AZ ...... 4 Craig Petsche, Aurora, CO .......... 4 Mike Warden, Rangely, CO ......... 4 James Gaither, Great Falls, MT ...... 5

Edward S. Baca, Amarillo, TX ...... 11 Gary Baca, Amarillo, TX ........... 11 Steve Brewer, Amarillo, TX ........ 11 David O'Neal, Coll. Station, TX .... 11 Eric Rasmussen, Leander, TX ....... 11 Michael Tilton, Amarillo, TX ....... 11

Arthur Newman, Wheaton, MD ...... 9 Bill Tolbert, Baltimore, MD ......... 9 Edsel Worrell, Bethesda, MD ........ 9 Dan Collins, Hickory, NC .......... 10 G.W. Meadows, Winston-Salem, NCIO James Tindle, Miami, FL ........... 10

Robert Thomson, Burlington, NJ .... 12 Jean Dumouchel, Ontario, Canada ........... Foreign

Richard Fitzpatrick, Upper Saddle River, NJ .......... 12 Bob McGovern, Canandaigua, NY .. 12 Joseph Palazzolo, Eastmeadow, NY .12

INTEHMEDJATE RATINGS Name, City, State

Region

Rolf Johansen, Monroe, WA ........ l Tina Jorgensen, Sumner, WA ........ l Dan Meenach, Spokane, WA ........ 1 Garth Thompson, Bellingham, WA ... 1

Alda Lubis, West Java, Indonesia ....... Foreign ADVANCED RATINGS Name, City, State

Region

Keith Lerew, Tacoma, WA .......... 1 Kenneth Olson, Puyallup, WA ....... 1

Dan Buchanan, Castro Valley, CA .... 2 David Casella, Castro Valley, CA ..... 2 Jeff Gilkey, Stanford, CA ........... 2 Bill Hartwick, Morro Bay, CA ....... 2 Mark Hollerbach, Incline Viii., CA ... 2 William Lowe, Palo Alto, CA ........ 2 Patrick Lowry, Reno, NV ........... 2 Brenter Thompson, San Francisco, CA2 Charles Thompkins, Berkeley, CA .... 2 David Totten, Placerville, CA ........ 2 Gary Weber, San Francisco, CA ...... 2 Jim Woodward, Morgan Hill, CA .... 2

Daniel Bond, Pittsburg, CA ......... 2 Marc Hamlin, San Francisco, CA ..... 2 Dennis Pace, Berkeley, CA .......... 2 Thomas Patzke, Hayward, CA ....... 2 Scott Richmond, FPO San Francisco, CA ........... 2 Ran St. Clair, Mtn. View, CA ........ 2 Thomas White, San Francisco, CA ... 2

Sean Eckstein, Orange, CA .......... 3 Rick Schlottman, Huntington Beach, CA ............ 3 Chuck Walters, Lakeside, CA ........ 3

Richard Lusk, Albuquerque, NM ..... 4 Bob Perry, Arvada, CO ............ .4

Ted Boyse, Van Nuys, CA ........... 3 James Caldwell, Escondido, CA ...... 3

Robert White, Great Falls, MT ....... 5 Maurice Gagnon, Little Rock AFB, AR ............. 6 Randy Butler, Lexington, VA ........ 9 William Manning, Chesapeake, VA ... 9 Michael Melugin, Richmond, VA ..... 9

John Ebinger, Las Cruces, NM ...... .4 Tom Grade, Laveen ,AZ ............ 4 Alex Oldford, Draper, UT .......... .4 Thomas Shook, Arivaca, AZ ........ .4

Norman Franco, Guilford, CT ....... 8 Eugene Palmer, Natick, MA ......... 8 Dan Demaree, McHenry, MD ........ 9

Ronnie Vest, Lavista, NE ............ 5 Larry Guettnoff, Chattanooga, TN .. 10

Carl Anderson, Nashville, TN ....... JO Terence Duffy, Hermitage, TN ...... JO Graham Knight, Ft. Lauderdale, FL. JO Robert Lemons, Chattanooga, TN ... JO Mike Looper, Monterey, TN ........ 10 Gary Roy, Lenoir, NC ............. 10 Alan White, Winston-Salem, NC .... 10 Linda White, Winston-Salem, NC ... 10 Kenneth Woodby, Hampton, TN .... 10

Christopher Wirsing, Chicago, IL .... 7 Robert Fisher, Houston, TX ........ 11 Allen Lariviere, Granby, MA ........ 8 Bill Mayers, New Milford, CT ........ 8 Fred Blackburn, Bradford, PA ....... 9 Skip Brown, Silver Spring, MD ....... 9 Roger Martin, Waynesboro, PA ...... 9 Michael Maxson, Falls Church, VA ... 9

MASTER RATING Name, City, State

Region

Gary Engelhardt, Wildwood, GA .... 10

HANG GLIDING

BRONZE AWARDS ISSUED WITH NOVICE RATINGS Randy Butler Cortis Mitch Keebler Alan Kundl Brenter Thompson, Jr. Jeff Vaughn OF'FICIALS

State EXAMINims Dave Frccuian, Willows, CA ......... 2 Russ l/:cke, Cupertino, CA .......... 2 Bob

Ft. Collins, CO ........... 4

Ernie Camacho, Healdsburg, CA .... . Thomas Denny, Petaluma, CA ...... . .James Herd, Pleasanton, CA ....... . Duane Taylor, Santa Rosa, CA ...... .

B·Paul Holteen, Concord, MA ...... 8

*A,Gary Pozzalo, Rockville, CT ..... 8 A·Kcvin Regan, Beverly, MA ....... 8

Bunner, Byron, IL ........... . Martin Bunner, Zion, IL. .......... . Evans, Waukegan, IL. ........ . Dale Maas, Whitewater, IL ......... . Brian Olis, South Bend, IN ........ . Matt Thoreson, Beloit, WI ......... . Richard Biegel, Silver Spring, MD ... . Rick Wade, Roanoke, VA .......... .

*A·Thomas Searle, Littleton, MA .... 8 B· William Criste, Waynesboro, PA .. 9 B-Peter Fisher, W. Yorkshire, England ..

Lllle11th11l Awards

Terry Sweet, Taylors, SC .......... . BRONZE Bob Fisher, Houston, TX .......... 11

SPECIAL OBSERVERS

Jeff Frelin, Norristown, PA ......... 9 Mike Williams, Odessa, TX. . . . . . . .11 Carl Amarillo, TX ....... 11

J3 .. Jjm Donnell, Columbus, IN ...... 7

Dave Freeman, Willows, CA ........ . Mike Lake, Nevada City, CA ....... .

Ken Zaeharc1 Buffalo, NY .......... 12

INSTRUCTORS

OBSERVERS

B-Basic

Jeff Wilson, Birmingham, AL Aaron Swepston, Lake Terrace, WA Ray Tucker, Blountville, TN Kurt Myers, Phila., PA

SILVER Aaron Swepston, Lake Terrace, WA

A-Advanced Michael Boyle, Anchorage, AK. . . . . . I Jim Anchorage, AK .......... 1 Mark Kenworthy, Renton, WA ...... I Daniel Elmendorf AFB, AK ............. l Aaron Swcpston, Seattle, WA ........ I

JUNE 1984

"Recertificntion B-Steve Alford, Kirkland, WA ...... I *B·Sleve Hollister, Seattle, WA ...... I *B·Dave Little, Bothell, WA ......... I B·Aaron Swepston, Seattle, WA ..... 1

GOLD Lawrence "Pete" Lehmann, Pittsburgh, PA

Doug Hildreth Region 1

Gary Hodges• Region 2 Russ Locke Region 2

Michael Boyle Region 1

Mike Kir Region 5

Bettina Gray Region 3 Steve Hawxhurst• Region 3 Bob Thompson Region 4 Bob Zeiset Region 4

William Richards Region 9

Ted Gilmore Region 6

Board. I've found this to be a necessary and timely report to the USHGA membership, because many of them wonder the following thoughts about the Board of Directors: Who are they? What do they do? How are they directly involved with the sport of hang gliding and the USHGA leadership? Do they carry big sticks, or magic wands? Are they mean, or kind? Well, I want you to know that they're doing a lot more than just existing out there in Hang Glider Land, and that they care about you and the state of our sport and where it's headed! This expose shall be an excellent means of open, public communication between you and the Directors, but most importantly, I believe this "meeting" will surely produce lots of good will, understanding and friendship between all of you and all of us. Take another look at the U.S. map and photo groupings of the directors in the centerspread of this issue. They show an overall view pertaining to the Board's structure, the Directors' titles, and regional boundaries. You will notice that the USHGA's jurisdiction is divided into twelve regions across the nation, including Hawaii, Alaska, the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. Eight of the more populous regions (Regions 1, 2, 3, 4, 7, 9, 10, and 12) are allotted two Directors each - a senior Director and Director - while the other four (Regions 5, 6, 8, and 11) have only one Director each, because of their smaller USHGA membership. We can see that there are six divisions that make up the Board: the Executive Committee (Officers), the Regional Directors, Directors-at-Large, Honorary Directors, an Ex-Officio Director, the Headquarters Office Manager, and Hang Gliding magazine Editor. The Executive Committee, four officers elected by the Board annually, serve to administer and direct the proceedings and actions of the Board of Directors. They are identified with asterisks. The 1984 Officers are: Steve Hawxhurst (President), Dick Heckman (Vice President), Hardy Snyman (Secretary), and Gary Hodges (Treasurer). Hawxhurst, Snyman and Hodges are also Regional Directors, and Heckman is a Directorat-Large. Your Board of Directors is a highly dedicated, honorable group of people. Except for the Office Manager and 28

Editor, they serve without compensation. In fact, when they travel to attend the bi-annual BOD meetings, only half of their travel expenses are funded by USHGA. The remaining half comes out of their pockets. To say that the Director leads a busy life is an understatement. I don't know of any one of us who doesn't have to hold down steady employment to earn a living, and in most cases the job is far removed from anything to do with hang gliding. At the intense Board meetings, twice a year, about a week's worth of serious, hard work must be accomplished in a two to three day period! The general meeting begins with the Secretary's reading of minutes, followed by the Office Manager's report, which along with the Treasurer's report, states the financial state of the organization. After the magazine Editor's report, the Regional Directors negotiate and appeal to the Board for various reasons concerning their regions, records are written, paperwork flies, reports, announcements and awards are given. During breaks, Directors talk to one another, exhanging ideas and catching up on the latest hang gliding news from each others' regions. Fifteen different committees meet separately between the big, general meetings, to discuss and update existing programs or to implement new ones. In larger committee meetings, such as Competition Rules and Sanction (always draws a crowd), heated debate is often generated over controversial topics. Each committee chairman reports back to the Board at the general meeting with results from his committee meeting. He/she also furnishes the secretary with a written report of the same. The 15 committees are: Membership & Development, Elections & Allocations, Safety & Training, Awards, By-Laws & Organization, Publications, Competition Rules & Sanction, National Coordinating, Education, Records, Research & Technical, Finance & Budget, Insurance, Public Relations, U.S. World Team. For a look at the purpose of the USHGA and its Directors, let's take a moment to read the following exerpts from the USHGA Policy Manual: The United States Hang Gliding Association, Inc. is the single national organization solely responsible for the development, promotion, and protection of hang gliding activities

in the United States. The USHGA sanctions, supervises, and documents official hang gliding competitions and records attempts in the U.S. The USHGA is also the sole authority in the U.S. to administer the hang gliding section of the Federation Aeronautique Internationale Sporting Code under the general supervision of the National Aeronautics Association and in accordance with the policies of the FA!. The affairs and business of the USHGA are governed by a Board of Directors consisting of twenty Regional Directors and five Directors-at-Large. Regional Directors are nominated and elected for two-year terms by the membership in the region in which they reside. The number of Regional Directors for each region is allocated in such a way as to give each region equitable representation in proportion to its membership population. Directorsat-Large are nominated and elected for one year terms by the Directors. The Board of Directors and their duly elected officers provide the overall guidance and direction to the USHGA office staff through the Office Manager. Turning briefly now to some history, we find that Southern California was the cradle of the American hang gliding movement in the early 1970's. In 1973 the same area gave birth to the USHGA and its Board of Directors, along with a paid staff and the Hang Gliding publication. So at almost eleven years, the USHGA seems a relatively young organization, but we must realize that it has come a long way establishing the growth, development and self-regulation of our sport. In other words, hang gliding has come of age with the USHGA's Board of Directors at the helm; and along with your support, we intend to make that fact known across our country. At the time of this writing, I am not certain how many current Board members have been serving on the Board since its inception, but I suspect we'll learn that there are two or three. As you read about all your Directors in upcoming issues, please feel free to submit any questions to them that you feel are pertinent (addresses will be published with future individual introducHANG GLIDING

tions). Of course, you may write to them directly; however, if you address a topic that you think would merit sharing with all the readers, please forward your query/statement to me so I may see to having it printed, along with the response from the proper Director. Send your letters to me at: 8047 Grow Lane 149c, Houston, TX 77040. So now you've got pictures of everybody's shining face, and a rundown on how the Board operates and is organized. Get set for next month whey you will begin meeting all of these interesting people, one at a time. I think you're going to like us! I '11 be starting the roll-call with Doug Hildreth, Senior Regional Director from Region I. Before closing, l would like to thank Bettina Gray for her fine photos of most all the Directors shown, and for the photos you few sent me that had not been taken by Bettina. Also, a big thanks to Jeff Greenwood for the beautiful centerspread layout design. Til next time, get some safe airtime and promote the USHGA. Remember,

•

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HANG GLIDING

was studying aircraft repair at San Bernardino Valley College, when one day a friend gave me a copy of Joe Faust's first issue of Low And Slow. As I read the pamphlet I became keenly interested in this new sport of "hang gliding." Soaring like a bird, at low speed and low altitude, intrigued me more than any other sort of flying. Soon I owned a set of plans for Jack Lambie's "Hang Loose" biplane glider. The plans were full of enthusiasm and sported some great cartoons. I stopped riding my ten-speed bike to begin building my Hang Loose. As I worked my bicycling friends would stop by to cheer or snicker at my progress. A carpenter friend, Dick Willmore, helped me complete the glider. By the time we'd finished I thought I'd heard all the wise cracks possible about hang gliding. We worked hard to prepare the craft for the upcoming Lilienthal Meet. Late one night we decided to give the Hang Loose its taxi trials. In the cool, dark air several of us carried the machine, tail up, over a bridge and about four blocks away to a vacant lot. With everyone carrying and pushing we got the thing up to jogging speed several times, but because of the still night air and lack of slope, Hang Loose was far from lifting itself and me aloft. We gave it our all on one last try. The edge of the lot grew large in the darkness. Running hard, I jumped and glided down a slight embankment, over the sidewalk and across a street before sliding to a halt at the far curb. H flew! The glider was all right and I was okay, but some of the crew suffered abrasions from the high-speed transition from dirt to asphalt. Now we were ready for the meet, but faced with a new problem - how to transport the fragile, hang-railed critter, which looked like something from the 1880 era, from Riverside to Newport Beach, California. Pulling it on a trailer or tying it on the roof of a car would have destroyed it. We rented a truck large enough to carry the Hang Loose inside. On May 23, 1971 I awoke to one of those cold and damp overcast mornings common to Southern California in early summer. My head was fuzzy from too much wine and talk about flying the night before. I was anxious, and sleeping on the tailgate of the truck was no help to my state. After breakfast we assemblJUNE 1984

Richard Miller and the Conduit Condor. Photo by George Uveges.

ABOVE: Taras Kiceniuk and the Batso. Photo by George Uveges.

ed The Imperial !Engine Works Special, and my Hang Loose was ready for the meet. Most pilots were arnvmg. Jack Lambie conducted the first pilot's meeting, and the landowner appeared. He said the land was reserved for a cemetery, that his mortuary was just over the hill and that he could accommodate any special needs that might arise. You could tell he thought this hang gliding stuff was definitely on the lunatic fringe.

The clouds burned off by late morning. Some pilots were exercising, warming up in the building breezes. I checked my rigging, ready to start racking up those soaring hours. My friends helped tote the Special up the hill for the first flight. With two persons on each wing and one on the tail, I gave the signal and we started our run down the hill. The Special began to lift me skyward by the armpits. As my feet left the ground the front spar failed with a sharp crack, and 33

bit farther. It received from its fall.

bie each had Loose, with rudders that weren't cages and tiny very effective. Late in the Mike Goth what was likely the first Immelmann turn in a He thought he was too fast to land, so when Mike neared the he bailed out, and in so and the empty

minor

a screwdriver and hammer. We nailed the wood to the spar and it with wire. Jokes

the

horizontal stabilizer since we had no drill to ad· the incidence with the tailbooms. On the next I tried to press my the front spar and at the chest same time hold my out in front. This a little, but

in many books and newspapers. The next obvious step toward was to increase the Dick Willmore was next, didn't have 1nuch more luck 165. than I did. Mike Goth and after could make the bottom of the hill. The

unequalled fun we'd had. We stuffed it into a trash can. The pilots went to dinner at a local restaurant where they were awarded par-a end for an even if I didn't rack up

Ottn Lilienthal meet nrganizcr Jack /,amble. Pltotn by Genrgc

"Somcthis'l I thought everysort of showed up." Warning the sheriffs asked not to smoke, and flew away. The most consistent flights were made Taras Kiceniuk. The looked neat, but Richard Miller's "Conduit Condor" was the of to come. Mark and Jack Lam-

I've remained active in with the ""''"u,uu·u since that of time··OUts for burn-out. is still the thrill it was that first only now I do rack up those hours instead of about it. As far as I know, I'm the who was at the first meet and still flies on a basis. Sometimes when I'm my double,surfaced, variable· billow down to the launch, remember that first and how much this sport has grown since that afternoon in of 1971.

for trim.

address system to of the meet to report to three California Patrol cars that rolled up to the bottom of the hill. I was near Jack Lambie at this time and 34

HANG GLIDING

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CONSUME~IADVISORY HGMA VERIFIES STREAK COMPLIANCE, ISSUES ADVISORIES On April 11th, at a regularly scheduled meeting of the HOMA Board of Directors, the board reviewed information regarding six in-flight incidents involving the Delta Wing Streak 160 in which the gliders entered inverted attitudes. It was determined that there were improper pilot actions involved in each of the incidents. It was also determined that there were mitigating weather or meteorological circumstances involved in at least five of the incidents. Two incidents involved pilots flying in the lee of terrain over which strong winds were blowing. Two other incidents involved pilots flying along a ridge in the presence of crosswinds and turbulence. In one of these incidents the pilot was flying slower than he feels was appropriate for the circumstances, and in the other the pilot was reportedly doing a series of severe stall and dive maneuvers. One pilot was executing severe stalls m an attempt to spin the _glider. One pilot was thermalling, and according to a witness on the ground, pushed the bar out hard in a steep bank while already flying more slowly than was appropriate. Despite the mitigating circumstances and improper pilot actions, and because of the statistically signifi er of incidents, Bill Bennett of Delta Wing volunteered to call a formal HGMA Question Of Compliance on the Streak 160. Under the procedures in the HGMA Standards, when a question of compliance is called the HGMA Board of Directors obtains from the manufacturer a glider of the model in question and tests it to verify the accuracy of the record of compliance under which the glider was certified. On April 28th, the Board of Directors met at Whiteman Airport to conduct the necessary tests. In light of the nature of the incidents, it was determined that pitching moment tests and a negative 150 degree limit load test should be conducted. The results of

these tests confirmed the accuracy of the test data submitted with the certification record of compliance for the Streak 160. During the testing it was noted that the Streak 160 uses a continuous bridle line system in which each reflex bridle can slide through a fitting at the kingpost from one side to the other. It was further noticed that the Streak exhibits a strong yaw instability in the test vehicle in a range of negative angles of attack. Tying off the bridles at the center was shown to reduce this yaw instability substantially. While there is nothing in the certification standards which prohibits such yaw instability, and while some degree of such instability is common to most modern gliders, it is the opinion of the board that there are some theoretical considerations that suggest that a laterally free-sliding bridle system and/or a severe yaw instability at negative angles of attack may contribute to an increased probability of a glider becoming inverted in turbulence or as a result of unusual pilot induced maneuvers. Delta Wing has agreed to design a modification to the Streak bridle system to make the bridles laterally discrete. The HOMA is unable at this time to determine the specific cause or causes of these incidents. The directors of the HGMA would like to remind pilots of the following: 1) Gliders certified to HOMA standards are tested in a particular configuration. It is important that pilots maintain their gliders in that configuration if the glider is to have the level of airworthiness for which it was designed and tested. Certain adjustments, particularly those of the reflex support bridles, are critical, and small deviations from the proper adjustments can lead to substantial loss of glider stability. Such a loss in stability typically occurs in the angle of attack range outside the normal operating range, and while it thus cannot be felt by a pilot while flying the glider, it may contribute to a significantly increased probability that the glider will invert in

turbulence or as a result of an improper maneuver. Pilots are advised to consult their owner's manual, or their manufacturer for the proper method of achieving the correct bridle adjustment. 2) Certain maneuvers, particularly severe stalls, and particularly while the glider is banked, will greatly increase the probability of an inversion. 3) Flying in severe turbulence, particularly flying on the downwind side of terrain in strong winds, is an invitation to disaster in any glider. Mike Meier President, HOMA

DELTA WING RESPONSE

As president of Delta Wing I would like to acknowledge and thank the following members of the HGMA Board of Directors: Mike Meier, Dick Boone, Mark West, and Ken Pabo for volunteering their time and expertise to verify the compliance of the Streak 160 which was accomplished at Whitman Airport on 4/28/84. Delta Wing has spared neither time nor expense in producing the Streak. Safety, handling and performance are foremost in our minds and our thrust is to continue refining in these areas. The testing was done to satisfy Streak owners and the HOMA of the integrity of Delta Wing and its products. The Streak meets or exceeds all HGMA standards when in compliance with the requirements of the verijication sheets. This verification sheet and revised batten profile are readily available from Delta Wing. The success of Delta Wing and its products continues because of you, our loyal, appreciated customers. Should you have a question or desire further information, please contact the Jaetory. In the meantime, have pleasant, safe flights. Bill Bennett President of Delta Wing

HANG GLIDING

CONSUMER ADVISORY STREAK ADVISORY In May of 1983 Delta Wing submitted an addendum to the original Streak certification package which was originally approved in August of 1982. The most significant refinement on this Streak addendum came in the shape of a new higher performance aerofoil. If you have converted over to this aerofoil it is IMPERATIVE that you also adjust the bridle lines accordingly. Measuring from the center of the top of the kingpost to the pencil application line to the fourth batten where it touches the fold over at the trailing edge (see Figure 1), the Streak 160's normal measurement is 105". These seettings are guide lines which are used by the factory in the production/assembly process. Final adjustment is achieved via the test flying program. Should you decide, for any reason, to retune your glider, be aware that as you slacken or tighten the sail by means of leading edge tension, trailing edge tip tension, tightening or loosening the crossbar settings, or any combination of the above, you are also changing the bridle line settings. Delta Wing advises all Streak owners to CHECK YOUR BRIDLES! Proper bridle adjustment is critical to your

glider having the pitching moment it was designed to have. If your bridles are too loose you will not notice anything in the normal flight envelope, but you will not have the zero lift pitching moment that your glider was designed to have. Properly adjusted bridles on all sizes of the Streak will be JUST BARELY SLACK in flight. A good way to achieve this adjustment is to tighten them 1/.i" each flight until you can see that they are just beginning to snug up against the battens, and then back them off one Y4" adjustment. You cannot achieve proper adjustment by any measurement, because of stretching and seating of the various components. The best way to sight your bridles is to fly on a sunny day and do 360's while watching the shadow of your bridles on the sail and the shape of the lexan portion of your bridle battens. If you have trouble distinguishing between the curved shadow of a slack bridle, and the curved shadow of a snug bridle on a curved sail surface, try shaking the control bar and watch how the bridles respond. Just slack bridles will slightly wiggle when you shake the control bar. If the bridles are too tight, the handling of the glider will be seriously degraded. If they are too loose, the glider will not

FIGURE I

have the level of pitch stability for which it was designed and certified. LOOSENING THE BRIDLES BEYOND THE PROPER ADJUSTMENT WILL NOT IMPROVE EITHER HANDLING OR PERFORMANCE. We are now reducing the amount of lateral travel of the bridle lines by using simple nico stops. This reduces the yaw tendency experienced at 15 degree negative angle of attack. The Streak is a finely tuned high performance hang glider. Delta Wing invites you to speak to your dealer and/or check with the factory regarding any maintenance any tuning procedures.•

(continued from page 10)

(Right Stuff)

blue high wind launches can be extremely deceptive (look easy, are dangerous). Never do one cold turkey. Observe, discuss, and understand each one on an individual basis. SUMMARY Having reneged on my promise to let the pictures tell the story I will conclude with an incredibly concise and pertinent "merry little ditty:" Runnin' fast with flamin' feet ls, no doubt, neat, Pete. But don't forget (It's a natchel' fact) You gotta maintain yo' angle of attack, Jack.

~-.-

___ -\•

---.'L,

-----~-==-~--= ~~.;_·~---..-

- - -~-

JUNE 1984

HEY!! WAKE UP! HAVE A CUPPA COFFEE OR SOMETHIN'. Send questions or comments to: The Right Stuff, clo Hang Flight Systems, 1202 E. Walnut, Unit M, Santa Ana, CA 92701..

Flying The Line The Ins And Outs Of Variable Geotnetry Gliders ©1984 by Dennis Pagen Lagine that you are flying the latest high-tech variable geometry hang glider. You take off in easy-handling slack mode and search out a lurking thermal. .With the first surge of lift you carve a precise turn and start your climb into the blue. In the lower level traffic and turbulence you resist the temptation to "tighten up" until a few turns provide ample clearance. Then, the moment you've been waiting for: you grab the warp three hyperspace control line and give it a healthy tug. Immediately your glider undergoes a Cinderella transformation into a high tensioned, de-twisted, deswept, ravaging bird of prey, hungry for sky. Your climb continues at an amazing rate then you level out and head for the horizon. Your fellow pilots are left with nothing but the remnants of your wake as you streak away in a fast, flat glider. ''This cross country flying is a piece of cake," you exclaim as you back off the control line and ease into a big thermal. The magic of variable geometry gliders has increased performance by at least an order of magnitude! If the above sounds like a typical hang gliding pipe dream, no wonder, for there are many myths concerning the utility and advantages of various design innovations. Shifting crossbars, unattached lower surfaces, French connections and now variable geometry all produced their share of misconceptions. In order to dispel any erroneous ideas concerning variable geometry we present this article. It should be noted that the glider I refer to in this article is the Sensor 510 with a device to shift the crossbar forward and back. The reason for this is that the described glider is the only one I have seen or flown with variable geo38

metry capabilities. It seems to me that this discussion would apply to any other state-of-the-art variable geometry designs set up in a similar manner. I have flown the above glider for over a year in all types of conditions. I do not, however, have much to say about the competition advantages of variable geometry, for although I won our Regionals on the glider, I was required to eliminate the variable geometry mechanism and flew it in the loosest configuration. USHGA rules have since been changed to allow variable geometry devices on Class I gliders. Perhaps we'll see more contest results this year.

VARIABLE GEOMETRY HOW IT WORKS Variable geometry simply means changing shape which, of course, every glider does as it flexes in flight. However, for the purpose of this article variable geometry (VG) will refer to the folding of the crossbar forward and back while in flight. As shown in figure I, this moving of the crossbar essentially varies the span of the crossbar which varies how hard it pushes outward

against the leading edge which in turn varies how tight the sail is stretched. Tightening the sail by spreading the leading edges in this manner can reduce washout (twist in the wings), lower surface slack and mean camber (airfoil curvature). It is difficult to discern exactly how much any of these factors are altered in flight, but the idea is to increase performance through such alterations. The method for pulling the crossbar back and forth is quite simple but wellexecuted on the Sensor. A series of pulleys - necessary to provide mechanical advantage - are used at the center of the crossbar and at the keel above the control bar. The crossbar control line is directed through the pulleys, down the rear of the control bar upright, through another pulley at the lower control bar corner, then to a jam cleat on the control bar base tube. If this sounds confusing, take a look at the simple schematic in figure 2. The jam cleat is a sailboat fitting which holds the control line at any desired position through friction, thereby allowing an infinite number of settings.

P-IGURE I. HANG GLIDING

Although the above description indicates that it is easy enough to make your own VG device, I assure you this is not the case. All pulleys and fittings must be of the expensive highly reliable aircraft or marine type. A safety cable must back up the pulley system and a nose to mid-keel cable may be needed to guide the crossbar and prevent sail wear. Finally, the crossbar halves must be longer and stronger than with the same glider lacking VG capabilities. The crossbars must slant slightly forward from wing to keel when in the tightest position (furthest back) so that they move forward when control line tension is released. This accounts for the longer requirement. Since tension is much greater when the crossbar is pulled full back and the angle is less favorable when the crossbar is full forward, the compression in the crossbar is greater in both cases. In the Sensor the crossbar is 2 V2 inches in diameter to satisfy this greater strength requirement. Other considerations such as added stress on leading edges and fittings also must be taken into account. Quite a bit of development work went into the Sensor, so the reader is cautioned to refer interest in a VG system to the manufacturer of your particular glider. Note that some designers believe that the benefits of a VG system are outweighed by the drawbacks. Still others feel that there are better ways of achieving the VG effects described in this article. There are no absolutes in such a question, for some of the decisive factors are subjective. VARIABLE GEOMETRY HOW TO USE IT When I first began flying my VG glider, I had no way of comparing performance in the tight or loose position since it was spring and conditions were quite unstable. However, I did notice a big difference in handling in the tight and loose mode. The glider was a reluctant turner in the tight mode, but handled fairly well when loose. Now it is possible to tune almost any high performance glider so tight that it is almost impossible to turn. If a pilot chooses to do this he can still loosen things up with a VG system when better handling is needed. The obvious trade-off is between handling and performance. With a VG JUNE 1984

F'IGUR&

system you can have the best of both worlds. Maximize performance when you are clear of traffic and conditions aren't too demanding; maximize handling during takeoff, landing and rowdy conditions. This capability is especially desirable in the East where takeoffs and landings require good control near trees. The next thing I noticed with my glider was a difference in pitch forces. One would think that in the tight mode decreased washout would produce a more nose-down tendency. However, this is not the case. In the Sensor, trim bar position remains about the same in all crossbar positions. When the control bar is pulled in, the tight crossbar position actually produces more forward control bar pressure (more nose-up tendency). My only explanation for this phenomenon is that tightening the sail produces as much change inboard as it does outboard of the mean chord. Most pilots I have talked to believe that pulling the control line to tighten the glider results in a faster glider configuration. Judging from comparisons I have performed and the fact that bar pressure increases in the tight position, I don't feel this to be true. What is apparent, however, is that the high speed glide is flatter in the tight position. Top speed is probably not better with the crossbar pulled tight, but horizontal speed most likely is.

2, Okay, so high speed glide is enhanced, what everyone really wants to know is what about sink rate and glide ratio? With the crossbar loosened my glider seems to have a sink rate comparable to the better gliders in the area. With the crossbar tightened I generally stay above these gliders. This indicates to me an improvement in sink rate when the glider is tightened. I base my judgement on many hours of flying in close proximity to a number of different gliders in ridge soaring conditions with occasional light thermals passing through. I cannot offer a concrete value for how much better the sink rate is in the tight configuration, for the height a glider rises in ridge lift depends on the angle and velocity of the airflow as well as the sink rate. For example, a glider with only a slight sink rate advantage may be hundreds of feet above another if the flow is almost vertical. Suffice it to say that when I am topped out in ridge lift and I tighten up my crossbar, my vario starts beeping as I top out higher in the lift. The conclusion is that sink rate in light conditions is enhanced with a VG system, for the glider can be maintained tighter than would be possible if takeoffs, landing and maneuvering were necessary in such a configuration. On the other hand, it is difficult to say if sink 39

rate is improved in stronger thermal conditions, since there are so many factors such as pilot skill and positioning that determines which glider outclimbs another. As conditions get stronger, there may be a law of diminishing returns at work, for the reduced handling qualities probably more than offset the enhanced sink rate in the tightened configuration. It should be noted that it is possible to thermal with the VG system pulled all the way tight in gentle thermals, (this refers to the amount of tubulence present more than thermal strength). I have thermaled for well over an hour in full tight position withou destroying my shoulder muscles. Glide ratio tests are a bit harder to perform, for they cannot be performed in ridge lift. The tests I have completed consist of flying to the landing area alongside another glider at best glide speed. There is no doubt in my mind that tightening the crossbar improves glide ratio although it is impossible to tell how much without using two identical gliders flown by two pilots of equal weight side-by-side, one with a loose crossbar and one with a tight crossbar. Again the conclusion is that variable geometry enhances performance. However, it should be stated that the comparisons I have performed are with gliders about a year old. Current designs may incorporate ideas that allow reasonable handling when the glider is in drum tight tuning. Only lots of airtime by lots of pilots in lots of different conditions can demonstrate which glider possesses the "best" performance. Here are a few tips for using a crossbar tightening system similar to that of the Sensor. At first, you may have trouble remembering where you are on the line. I suggest making a few marks on the line to give you a clue. l marked the loosest, tightest, midway and quarter points, so that the marks were at the pulley when the line was tightened to the corresponding position. A ballpoint pen worked fine (try double marks at the ends). After hours of flying, the line positioning becomes automatic and the marks become unnecessary. Tie a bowline loop in the hand end of the line so you can retain it in your grasp. This makes the pull easier too. Give some consideration to the possibility of getting your hand caught in the 40

loop if you have to reach for your parachute. Keep your loop as large as possible and hold it with a finger or two in strong conditions. When launching or landing, the control line tension should be completely loose. Some pilots add a little tension during launch, but this practice is not advisable if turbulence or obstructions are present. I have tried scratching close to the ridge in real light conditions with a fully tightened crossbar, but the lack of control response prevented me from getting in close or slowing as much as l could have if the crossbar was loose. I now keep it loose when close. Due to the pulley configuration, the mechanical advantage is three to one. Thus it is quite easy to pull the control line - perhaps eight pounds of force at first, reducing to less than five pounds as the crossbars move further back and more in line. Because of the pulleys you must pull in over two feet of line to achieve the full crossbar deflection of over eight inches. It is interesting to note that this eight inches of travel in combination with the 9'4" crossbar halves results in an increase of virtual crossbar length of only about .3 inches per side. This points out how critical the dimensions are on a modern glider. Pilots new to such a crossbar /pulley system are cautioned to avoid pulling the crossbar all the way tight or letting it loose to hit the stops with a jerk as this action produces unkind forces in the structure. It should be obvious that I like "flying the line." However, the added complexity of the system may not be for everybody. Hopefully, there may be more developments in this area to give us more in-flight control over performance parameters. An idea I am involved with consists of vertically moving the crossbar with a pulley system so that lower surface camber is altered while freely swiveling leading edges act to reduce washout when the crossbars are pulled down. The possibilities are many. Perhaps with luck and ingenuity we will develop gliders to make a reality out of our opening story. •

Editor's Note: At present the variable geometry Sensor 510 is not HOMA certified. The regular Sensor 510 is certified. HOMA requires that a glider with a variable geometry device be certified at both extremes of the device.

(continued from page 22)

(Stew Smith) new ones. Dan: What would your advice be to someone trying to decide whether or not to get into hang gliding? Stew: Watch a lesson a certified instructor is conducting. If you like what you see, take two lessons. Then you'll know if the sport is for you. Dan: What are some of your future plans and goals? Stew: I plan to fly one or two more seasons at Grandfather to keep my flying skills honed for competition. I would very much like to be on the 1985 World Team that goes to Austria. If I am able to do that, I would probably back off from competition to the extent that I would only compete when it is convenient for me to do so. Also, I would like to fly the Owens Valley. It's one place I have never flown and feel I am lacking as a hang glider pilot because of it. Dan: I've really enjoyed talking with you. Do you have any final observations or comments? Stew: Yes, I feel international competition and communication is important to the manufacturers and pilots in the U.S. because of the information exchanged at events. Also, the support the pilots and friends of hang gliding showed for the I 983 World Team was exciting and I would like to thank everyone who contributed in any way, shape, or form. If it weren't for this support, I wouldn't have been able to be a part of the team. And after talking to people from different parts of the country, I feel the fund raising drive and team that resulted helped to create a sense of community between USHGA Members regardless of their geographical location or experience level. The person that obviously made it work was Erik Fair. I want to thank him publicly for this and I wish USHGA members and friends many hours and miles of safe flying.•

About the interviewer: Dan Demaree is a Hang 4 pilot, a Certified Instructor, and an Observer. He was assistant manager of Kitty Hawk Kites East in 1983. Dan was also a nationally ranked whitewater slalom kayak racer for several years and has had articles published in Canoe and Downriver magazines. He now lives in McHenry, MD. HANG GLIDING

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WERMAN by Mike Meier Dear Answer Man, Eight years ago I started hang gliding. My love for the sport inspired me to pursue a career as an aerospace engineer, and currently I am a graduate student at The University of Tennessee Space Institute in Tullahoma. Your answer in the March issue of Hang Gliding, in my view, did more harm than good to the flying public's perception of adverse yaw and side slipping. I find some of the theories highly questionable and hope that this letter will erase some of the confusion about these issues. Directional stability is the tendency of a hang glider to return to flying without sideslip. Primarily wing sweep but also the keel pocket contributes to this desired property of the hang glider. The influence of the pilot's body is relatively low and is ignored for reasons of simplification in the discussion to follow. However, weight shift or displacing the center of gravity sideways and the occurrence of billow shift have the undesi~ed property of being destabilizing directionally. Thus, the glider initially experiences adverse yaw, but fortunately the stabilizing qualities are overriding, and the glider is brought back to flying without sideslip. Let me first, in more detail, qualify why a e.g. shift sideways is destabilizing. Consider a pilot moving his weight to the right in order to turn in that direction. As seen in Figure 1, there is more wing area to the left of the e.g., and that translates into more lift and drag. The result is a roll to the right, which is as intended; however, a yaw moment tending to turn the glider to the left also is created. This yaw is opposite of the direction of the wanted turn and thus called adverse yaw. Secondly, the billow shift has the same effects as described abo.ve. The right wing (see Figure 2) will have a lower angle of attack thus producing less lift and drag. The left wing experiences an increase in angle of at-

tack, and accordingly lift and drag go up. A right roll but a left or adverse yaw is initiated. Again, to our rescue comes the inherent directional stability and the adverse yaw will diminish. The Answer Man's statement about LID efficiency in an attempt to explain adverse yaw is confusing: " ... a wing with more twist would be less efficient, i.e. have a lower LID, i.e. have more drag, which is what I said, except it wouldn't have to have more drag to have a lower LID if it had less lift. " Correctly, a reduction in lift causes the roll but more drag on the inside wing will result in a proverse (desired) yaw. No change in drag will obviously not affect the yaw stability. Less drag on the inside wing causes adverse yaw as described earlier. That lift varies with angle of attack is well known, but the drag also varies

with angle of attack. At a constant velocity the parasite drag is nearly independent of angle of attack, but induced (vortex) drag varies sharply, see Figure 3. At zero angle of attack the induced drag vanishes. The faster a glider flies, the less the angle of attack, and naturally a smaller part of the total drag comes from the induced drag. But parasite drag increases with the square of velocity and total drag increases as shown in Figure 4. The Answer Man states that experience shows higher speeds give less adverse yaw, which then is easily explained. The billowshift reduces induced drag on the inside wing causing the adverse yaw. The faster the glider flies the less the induced drag, and hence the less destabilizing directionally the billow shift is. The Answer Man's theory of "a stall View from behind

View from behind

er,.""

Lift

I!~ View fron top

Roll axis Drag

EFFECT OF C. G, MOVEMENT

Drog

EFFECT OF BI LLOWSH I FT

Induced drag coefficient

Parasite drag coefficient

Vel. for (l/Dlm,x

Angle of attack

DRAG IN COEFFICIENT FORM VS. ANGLE OF ATTACK

Velocity

DRAG AS A FUNCTION OF VELOC I JY

HANG GLIDING

THE ANSWER MAN on the outside wing" causing adverse yaw is questionable. Billow shift or stretching the sail on one side can increase the angle of attack to that of the root section, not beyond it. If the root section is not stalled, neither is any part of the wing. This imaginary stall would cause the outside wing to drop halting any roll towards the inside wing. A turn without sideslip, a coordinated turn, is possible theoretically in a hang glider. Practically, we are dealing with less than ideal conditions, with some degree of turbulence in the air, with a pilot who is constantly moving the e.g. even if only slightly, and with a geometric shape of the wing which is not constant. Small sideslip fluctuations in both directions will occur all the time in real-life turning. On a quiet day a good pilot should nevertheless be able to turn a hang glider cleanly so that for all practica/ purposes the turn could be considered coordinated, or free of measurable sideslip. I hope the Answer Man realizes the importance of his column. To many what you say is believed to be a fact. It is my view that debate about the issues will give the reader different views from which to form his or her own opinion. If you believe my input is of value to the reader, please feel free to contact me. Erik Ringes Tullahoma, TN Dear Erik, You quote my statement that, " ... a wing with more twist would be less efficient, i.e. would have a lower L/D, i.e. have more drag, which is what I said, except it wouldn't have to have more drag to have a lower L/D if it had less lift," as "an attempt to explain adverse yaw." This statement was not an attempt to explain adverse yaw, it was an attempt to admit that the explanation that I made in my 1978 article on turn mechanics was illogical and incorrect. The sentence following the

JUNE 1984

one you quoted was "Strike one for me." Your explanation of adverse yaw is essentially the same as the explanation by a well-known author whom I have promised not to name again in print. I find no errors in theory in either your explanation or in his. The problem is, they don't fit the observable facts! You say that, "the keel pocket contributes to this (yaw stability) of the glider.'' I have flown a glider with the keel pocket entirely removed and replaced by string with no appreciable vertical surface area. The degree of yaw stability was not changed to any measurable degree. I have also flown gliders with keel pockets that had almost equal vertical keel pocket areas forward of the CG as aft of it, and then flown those gliders with modified keel pockets where all the area was aft of the CG. Again, there was no change in the glider's yaw stability that could be measured. You say that your explanation adequately explains the decrease in adverse yaw at higher speeds. I would agree if the decrease were a smooth function of increasing speed, but it is not. On those gliders which exhibit severe adverse yaw, the degree of adverse yaw often drops off very dramatically with just a very slight increase in the speed at which the maneuver is attempted, and then does not drop off appreciably more if the entry speed is increased beyond that. This suggests strongly to me that the phenomenon is stall related. You question my theory about adverse yaw being caused by a stall on the outside wing, saying that "if the root section is not stalled, neither is any part of the wing." Your conclusion here is simply wrong. It seems based on the simplistic theoretical consideration that stall propagation on a hang glider wing follows the distribution of angle of attack that results from the twist distribution. This is not true. Through the use of tufts, I have observed the stall propagation on many hang glider wings, and the first onset of stall is most often at the midspan,

even though this is not the section where the geometric angle of attack is the highest. The "imaginary stall" as you call it would not necesssarily cause the wing to drop, because it is opposed by the pilot weight shift to the other side. It does cause a lack of roll, which was exactly my point. If you read my March article again carefully, you will find that I actually discuss two types of adverse yaw. One is the type that you and the other author describe, where the glider rolls in the intended direction but momentarily yaws the wrong way. I agree that your explanation for the source of this adverse yaw is essentially correct. My point is that this type of adverse yaw is not a problem; the glider eventually ' does what it is told, the behavior is predictable, and the pilot soon learns to accommodate the momentary wrong way yaw. I am more interested in addressing the type of adverse yaw that is a problem; the type where you move over to the right, and no matter how hard you push to that side and no matter how long you stay there the glider will not roll, and yaws in the wrong direction. This is the type of adverse yaw that can cause you to hit the hill and die. This is the kind of loss of control that is, in my opinion, the single greatest cause of injury to hang glider pilots. Such accidents are usually attributed to "stalling," but it is not the stall per se that hurts the pilot, it is the loss of control, particularly the loss of directional control. I am convinced, based on years of experience and observation, that this type of adverse yaw is a stall-induced phenomenon, and nothing in your letter convinces me otherwise. It is common in any scientific endeavor to draw conclusions based on theoretical considerations of simplified "models" of the system in question. It is imperative, however, that these conclusions be compared with the observable phenomena very carefully, and, when the two are in conflict, one must resist the urge to discard the observation in favor of the theory.•

MED1¢INA AVIBUS

How To Stay Healthy Though Hang Gliding by Fred Leonard, M.O. This month, in response to an overwhelming number of requests (three), we're going to look at a few medical problems that the coming summer's great flying conditions could bring us all. They are high altitude illness, hypoxia, air sickness, and the Type A personality and fatigue. HIGH ALTITUDE ILLNESS According to a beer commercial that used to be shown in the Rocky Mountain West, the world was divided into two types of people. There were the flatland folk who presumably came from areas where ant hills were given names and life was generally dull, and there were the mountain folk who came from the land of towering peaks, rushing rivers, thin air, and of course the sponsor's beer. The implication, naturally, was that if you wanted to fully experience the thrills of mountain living you had to drink the aforementioned beer. Though the commercial message was of dubious value, it did contain a grain of truth. Physiologically, the world can be divided into low altitude and high altitude people, and when low altitude people go to high altitudes (such as ski resorts and alpine hang gliding sites), they may experience some thrills of high altitude living that they probably would otherwise just as soon avoid. As the low altitude body adapts to the rarified high altitude air, physiologic changes occur which in some people may be accompanied by nausea, weakness, fatigue, shortness of breath, and headaches. Additionally, there may be swelling of the face, hands, and feet, and in a few susceptible individuals, the lungs may even fill with fluid resulting in severe difficulty breathing. This last rare problem, known as high altitude pulmonary

edema, can be fatal unless appropriately treated with oxygen and a rapid return to lower altitudes. It turns out that the susceptibility to high altitude illness is somewhat variable and unpredictable. Some people may experience no ill effects, while in others the illness may be quite debilitating. Generally, problems only occur above altitudes of 8,000 feet, and they are more likely the more rapid the ascent, the higher the altitude, and the more vigorous the initial physical activity. The ill effects usually subside in one to five days, and can be decreased or prevented by gradual ascents, acclimatization for a few days at intermediate altitudes (5 ,000-7,000 feet), and sleeping below 8,000 feet. So if you're a low altitude person planning an alpine hang gliding experience, be aware that you may not function your best during the first few days up high, and if you end up feeling a little hung over, it could be due to the high altitude as well as the high altitude beer. HYPOXIA Every year about this time, the air gets warmer, the thermals go higher, and so do the hang glider pilots. The question is sometimes asked, "How

high can you go without supplemental oxygen?" The answer is, "As high as you can get away with." However, the correct question should be, ''How high can you safely go without supplemental oxygen?" The answer to this is considerably more complex. Hypoxia, a shortage of oxygen to the body, is obviously not an all-ornone phenomenon. The higher you go, the more hypoxic you become. Mild hypoxia can be well tolerated indefinitely, while severe hypoxia rapidly results in unconsciousness and death. Intermediate degrees of hypoxia result in fatigue, dizziness, headache, euphoria, belligerence, and impaired vision, judgement, and physical and mental ability. One of the greatest dangers of hypoxia is that the pilot may be unaware of his deteriorating condition, much like the drunk who feels perfectly capable of safely driving home. It is because of this that you can't wait until you "feel" hypoxic to decide to use oxygen or descend to a lower altitude. One measure of the effects of hypoxia is what's known as the average time of useful consciousness. Though absolute consciousness would be longer, this is the length of time a person would still have the mental and physical ability to help himself in a survival situation (such as simply being able to reattach an oxygen hose that had become disconnected). At 18,000 feet this time is 20-30 minutes, at 20,000 feet it is 5-10 minutes, and at 25,000 feet it is 3-5 minutes. These times are calculated for someone at rest, and become even shorter with physical activity. So at what altitude should oxygen be used? The FAA requires pilots to use continuous oxygen at cabin altitudes above 14,000 feet, and the military re-

HANG GLIDING

MEDICINA AVIBUS quires oxygen use at even lower altitudes. Though these limits have been chosen with a built in margin of safety, virtually everyone agrees that, despite individual differences, significant deterioration of mental and physical performance occurs above 15,000 feet. The bottom line, then, is simply this. To ignore the recommendations for the use of supplemental oxygen is to take an unnecessary risk. We all know that pilots do ignore these recommendations and get away with it. However, we also know that people commonly drink and drive and get away with it. In neither case does the fact that it is done make it appropriate or safe.

AIR SICKNESS Though it may not be possible to get sick of good air, it unfortunately is quite common to get sick from good air. No one is immune to motion sickness, and as our astronauts have repeatedly found out, even experienced pilots can get air sick (or space sick). Why some people are more susceptible to motion sickness than others is not known, but it is thought that some people's balance mechanisms may just be excessively sensitive to motion. For people who don't have to drive airplanes or fly hang gliders, there are a number of prescription and nonprescription drugs available which may prevent or decrease the symptoms of motion sickness. However, because the side effects of all these medications include drowsiness and impaired coordination and judgement, they shouldn't be taken by pilots. However, if you are flying and do start to feel sick, you can try and avoid actions that will aggravate the situation. Cut back on the cranking and banking, and specifically avoid rapid head movements while in any sort of turning flight, as these sorts of movements can cause vertigo and nausea even in minimally susceptible individuals. Further, attempt to avoid anxiety provoking situations, as performance anxiety definitely aggravates

JUNE 1984

motion sickness. Try and convince yourself that the purpose of your flight is to have fun and not just to get higher, fly farther, and land later than everyone else (though it is OK if it works out that way). Finally, take comfort in the fact that repeated exposure to the moving environment often desensitizes the individual so that the more you hang glide the less susceptible to air sickness you may become. ALPHABET PERSONALITIES AND FATIGUE Much as we were able to divide the world into high altitude and low altitude people, some psychologists have also divided us into Type A and Type B personalities. Type A people, they say, are characterized as competitive, achievement oriented, impatient, driven, and often a little hostile. Type B people, on the other hand tend to be more laid back. A Type A person knows exactly where he is going, doesn't like anyone in his way, and wants to be there five minutes ago. A Type B person may not be sure where he's going, doesn't much care if anyone gets there first, but is probably enjoying the trip. Type A is the freeway at rush hour. Type B is a Sunday drive in the country. Type A pilots set records and win contests. Type B pilots still fly their single surface diver and aren't convinced that all those high performance double surface wonders are really worth the excess weight, expense, and bother of set up. So what's all this got to do with anything? Well, since there is probably a certain amount of the Type A personality in all of us, it might be worthwhile to consider how that can affect our flying. It's clear that if we want to set records or win contests, many of the Type A traits will help us reach that goal. However, if we're just out for a good weekend on the hill, those Type A traits can get us into trouble. Specifically, they can cause us to push ourselves just a little too hard or too far, and if we're already a bit fatigued

that may be a problem. In the past, we've noted that fatigue is often a significant contributing factor in accidents. With fatigue, performance deteriorates, attention span narrows, and judgement becomes worse. So if it's getting toward the end of the day, you're feeling a bit tired, and you catch your Type A personality telling you to stay up just 30 minutes more or to go just five miles further, try and recognize this as a warning signal. Ask yourself if those extra minutes or extra miles are worth the risk of a bad approach and landing, some broken uprights, or even some broken bones. Let your Type B personality shine through, and go ahead and quit while you can still enjoy the flight and the landing. After all, if we all make a few more Type B decisions, this could turn out to be one of the most enjoyable and accident free summers in the history of hang gliding. As a final note, I've had to make a Type B decision myself. I'm currently in the middle of a move and a job change, and with that a few zillion other things going on I find I'm writing this column in the time I should be out flying. So at least until the weather gets worse or things settle down, I'll be writing this every other month instead of every month. In the meantime, let me know what you think, and I hope we meet more often out at the hill.•

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THE AIRWORKS

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884-6851

(continued from page 17)

distance from the ridge as on the previous pass. Otherwise, you can move progressively further away at each turn. Beware of Sink, Turbulence Above, Behind Ridge. Remember that rising air in front of a ridge is usually accompanied by sinking air and frequently turbulence above the top of the ridge, behind the ridge, or both. The strength of the sink and associated turbulence is in proportion to the strength of the lift which in turn is in proportion to the strength of the wind. Landing on top of a ridge or bluff requires different procedures for every site, for every wind direction, and for every wind velocity. I'll offer just two general thoughts. First, try to land on the highest point: it's better to land on something than behind it. Second, if the upslope airflow is disrupted - by uneven terrain, trees, or rocks, for example - be prepared for additional turbulence at the edge. ~

L!F=T AMPLIF="IEI) AT \N-NIASE ~lDGE~

CORRECT "PATIERN INCORRE<:T i>ATif:{ZN - - - - -

------P-

- - -

- - - - - - - - - - -

FOLLOWING ESTABLISHED ETIQUETTE Only infrequently will you enjoy the luxury of having a soarable ridge all to yourself; most often you'll share it with other pilots. Whenever there's more than one pilot on a ridge, some ''rules of the road" are in order to prevent chaos, and accidents. The following rules :\re generally recognized ridge soaring etiquette:

<3PP-CH P~5)

ff :LANDING AP:ROA~

lA..A...A.A.AA,'1\-4--~~'

SHOULD ~E WELL [s..<\C.K

TO AVOID RoTOR OR ANY

TU~lsULENCE

If you approach another pilot coming at you at the same level, give way to the right. If you're above a pilot who's climbing, give way. Your range of vision is much less restricted than his or hers. If you're overtaking another pilot at the same level, pass on the side closest to the ridge.

Individual sites may have developed additional guidelines. Always ask local pilots about any specific rules before flying a new ridge. • NEXT MONTH: Soaring in Thermal Lift.

Hang Gliding According to Pfeiffer: Skills For The Advancing Pilot. Published by Publitec Editions, 273 Lower Cliff Dr., Box 4342, Laguna Beach, CA 92652.

HANG GLIDING

CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING 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 Attention: MONEY $$ or trade in value for old, obsolete hang gliding stuff including magazines. Hang Glider Emporium (805) 965-3733. DELTA WING'S NATIONWIDE NETWORK OF DEALERS can help get you into the air. Alternative financing plans available. For further information and the address of your nearest dealer, contact: DELTA WING, P.O. Box 483, Van Nuys, CA 91408 (818) 787-6600.

EIPPER ANTARES 185 - Excellent condition, cover, harness & helmet. Great transition glider. Must sell. Complete $225.00 (619) 438-4005. CHEAP C-2's! Two 165 in excellent condition! One red, one blue. (303) 444-5455 or 652-3528. COMET 185 OVR - (1983) - Excellent condition. Red L.E., rainbow double surface, white body, $1195.00. W: (303) 339-9100, H: (303) 423-5353 (PM). COMET 185 $875 O.B.O. Gone Streaking. Dino (818) 362-3797. 185-C2 - 8 hrs. $1600.00 (415) 728-7709. 160 DUCK - Clean green machine (3 shadesbeautiful!) Low airtime $800. Dusty (303) 349-6720. 160 DUCK 1983 - Excellent, 2 hours. $1295. Must sell. (503) 899-8064. ATTACK DUCK - 160. Team-blue with dyed rainbow. Excellent condition. New October 1983. Will forward picture to all serious inquiries. $1450. (513) 561-2700. ELECTRA FL YER Trainer C, new, still in crate, applied leading edge, fiberglass rear leading edge, breakdown frame, storage cover. Beautiful red, yellow, blue, white. $750. (302) 655-9021 after 7 PM E.S.T. FLEDGE II B (804) 596-5119.

Harness, chute, vario. $950.

FLEDGE II B - 2 Fledges in very good condition. $700 takes both. (805) 644-2117. FLEDGE II B - $1100., Chad flight deck $300., Robertson cocoon $150., Advanced air chute $300., all for $1750. Ron (419) 478-5266. HARRIER 147 - Low airtime, like new, black L.E., rainbow. $1300. (303) 431-6394. HARRIER 177 - Mylar, good condition $800. or best. Will ship (607) 863-3631. HARRIER II 147 - Very low airtime. Excellent condition $1200/offer. For photo or info. (707) 544-5332. HARRIER I 177 - Excellent, barely used. Helmet, harness, chute - never used. Best offer. (805) 965-1904.

JUNE 1984

SUPER LANCER 180 - Good condition. Extras. $795. Joe (415) 588-0225. LANCER 190 - With UP knee hanger. Great condition. Excellent first glider and harness. $775. Will deliver Tennessee, Kentucky, or Alabama. (615) 789-4058. MOYES MAXI III 200. Tow bar with floats. Excellent tow glider. $650. (318) 981-8372. 1980 NOVA 190 - Great shape. Flight Designs cocoon harness, Pacific Windcraft chute. $700. (509) 922-2067.

TRAINING GLIDERS - Due to the recent purchase of a competitor's inventory we have available eight UP AS-90 gliders and two UP Fireflys. $200 each with training harness, helmet and wheels included with each glider. Various sizes. Call Flight Realities (619) 455-6036. 1945 Adams Ave., San Diego, CA 92116. WANTED - Used Hang Gliding Equipment, Gliders, Instruments, Harnesses and Parachutes. HANG GLIDER EQUIPMENT CO., 3620 Wawona, San Francisco, CA 94116, (415) 731-7766.

PHOENIX 60 - Rainbow sail, black L.E., Low air, excellent for Beginners-Intermediate pilots, knee harness, super condition. Discuss shipping w/serious buyer. $700. (212) 948-2790 Days-Eves. New PRO-STAR II. Dealers display 160, white w/rainbow. Robertson cocoon w/ch\1te (medium). $1600. OBO (602) 274-8273. PRO-STAR ONE 160, $1400. (619) 589-7125. SEAGULL 11 Meter - great condition, super performance, fun to fly, $495. Eipper Supine, $35. (602) 833-6017. SEAHA WK 170 - In very good condition, rainbow colors, with harness, great for new pilots. $300. Mike (818) 358-2637. Streak 160 - Low airtime, excellent. Trike ready, will ship, $1300. (516) 826-7138. 1982 Streak 160 - Must sell $1000. (703) 943-8453. STREAK 180 - Blue with rainbow Phoenix. Superb condition, 10 hours, $1300. (303) 444-5455. STREAK 180 - Last batten pattern, 10 minutes flying time, must sell, Pacific blue with custom vectors of yellow, orange and red, white top. Retail price w/tax over $2300. Will give up for $1800. minimum. Pablo (602) 582-2705 evenings. STREAK 180 - Excellent condition. 1 year oldlow air time. $1,450. (619) 286-5604. STREAK 160 - Red leading edge, white main. No. 203, August 1983. Excellent condition $1400. (213) 498-7613 Chris. 1983 1982

1982 1982 1980 1979 1979 1982

LIQUIDATION SPECIALS LEAF Trike (excellent) UP Gemini 164 (good) incl. helmet, harness and wheels UP Gemini 164 (Excellent) Mitchell B-10 50"7o built (new) Manta Fledge 11 B Bennett Lazor I 190 (good) Electra Olympus 140 (good) Flyer UP Comet 135 (good)

$1395.00 900.00

925.00 1795.00 895.00 395.00 250.00 995.00

No reasonable offer refused. LEAF (303) 632-4959. An excellent club "MONEY MAKER," 1981 Yarnell Skyhook hydraulic tow winch. Perfect condition, 4,000' rope capacity, works great with Hewlett type bridle. Owner moving West. Fly and thermal safely without a hill. Great training unit. Operator can maintain glider altitude and speed over entire length of field from 5', for beginners, to 1800' for intermediate flyers. Cost $4,300. New, will sacrifice for $1,900. (Spend your money flying not driving to a hill.) Call (313) 468-7049 or (313) 479-0614.

Schools and Dealers ARIZONA ARIZONA WINDSPORTS - Certified instruction utilizing the world's only man-made trainer hill. Skyting instruction in the advanced class. Full service shop: gliders, accessories, parts, repairs. Dealer for Progressive Aircraft and Delta Wing. 5245 S. Kyrene, Unit #4, Tempe, AZ 85283 (602) 897-7121.

DESERT HANG GLIDERS -4319 W. Larkspur, Glendale, AZ 85304 (602) 938-9550. CALIFORNIA BRIGHT STAR HANG GLIDERS - Certified Personal instruction for all levels. Proudly representing Wills Wing, UP, Pacific Windcraft and most major manufacturers. Quality restorations, parts and accessories for Northern California. 3715 Santa Rosa Ave., Santa Rosa, CA 95407. (707) 584-7088.

CHANDELLE SAN FRANCISCO, Hang Gliding Center. USHGA certified school. Stocking dealer for Wills Wing, UP, Progressive Aircraft, Pacific Windcraft, Delta Wing. Learn to fly with us! (415) 756-0650. HANG FLIGHT SYSTEMS - Certified instruction program. Featuring Wills Wing and Ultralight Products gliders and accessories. Duck, Comet II, Skyhawk, Gemini demos available to qualified pilots. 1202 E. Walnut, Unit M, Santa Ana, CA 92701. (714) 542-7444. HANG GLIDER EMPORIUM - Quality instruc· tion, service and sales since 1974. Full stock of new and used UP and Wills gliders, harnesses, helmets, instruments, accessories and spare parts. Located minutes from US 101 and flying sites. 613 N. Milpas, Santa Barbara, California 93103. (805) 965-3733. HANG GLIDERS OF CALIFORNIA, INC. USHGA certified instruction from beginning to expert levels. All brands of gliders, complete line of instruments & equipment are available! For information or catalog, write of call: Hang Gliders of California, Inc., 2410 Lincoln Blvd., Santa Monica, CA 90405. (213) 399-5315.

HANG GLIDERS WEST - ULTRALIGHT FLIGHT CENTER - New and used gliders. SINCE 1973, CERTIFIED, FREE BROCHURE! 20-A Pamaron, Ignacio, CA 94947. (415) 883-3494. DEALER FOR EAGLE, XL, & FALCON ULTRALIGHTS! SAN FRANCISCO WINDSPORTS - Gliders & equipment sales & rentals. Private & group instruction by U.S.H.G.A. certified instructors.

CLASSIFIEP ADVERTISING

Local site information and glider rental. 3620 Wawona, San Francisco, CA 94116. (415) 731-7766. WINDSPORTS INT. since 1974 (formerly So. Cal. Hang Gliding Schools). Largest and most complete HANG GLIDING center in Southern California. Largest inventory of new and used gliders, ultralites, instruments, parts and accessories. Complete training program by USHGA certified instructors. 16145 Victory Blvd., Van Nuys, CA 91406 (818) 988-0111. COLORADO FOUR CORNERS ULTRALIGHTS - since 1974. Sales, service, instruction. Box 2997, Durango, CO 81301 - (303) 259-1033. CONNECTICUT CONNECTICUT COSMIC AVIATION - 14 Terp Rd., E. Hampton, CT 06424, c/o Bart Blau, Lynda Blau, (203) 267-8980. Hang glider dealer for Wills and UP. Ultralight also available. USHGA Certified Instructor. Been flying since 1975. Call me where to go in CONN. HAWAII FREE FLIGHT HANG GLIDING SCHOOL Certified instruction, sales, service and rentals. 684 Hao St., Hon., Hi 96821. (808) 373-2549. TRADEWINDS HANG GLIDING - USHGA Certified School. Rentals, tandems, Wills Wing. Box 543, Kailua, HI 96734 (808) 396-8557. IDAHO TREASURE VALLEY HANG GLIDERS - Service - USHGA Instruction - dealers for all major brands, accessories - site info, ratings - Box 746, Nampa, ID 83651 (208) 465-5593. MICHIGAN SOUTHEAST MICHIGAN HANG GLIDERS Sales and instruction in Ultralights, Free Flight and towing. Dealers for Eagle, UP, Flight Designs, Delta Wing and Soarmaster. 24851 Murray, Mt. Clemens, MI 48045 (313) 791-0614 Since 1975.

MINNESOTA

PENNSYLVANIA

NORTHERN SUN, 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. 9450 Hudson Blvd., Lake Elmo, MN 55042 (612) 738-8866.

SKY SAILS LTD Hang Gliding School. USHGA certified instructors. 1630 Lincoln Ave., Williamsport, PA 1770 I. (717) 326-6686 or 322-8866. TENNESSEE

Know Your Line Tension With

BP HI-TOW

NEW MEXICO SANDIA SOARING SERVICE Connection - (505) 298-8454.

Your Sandia

-~~~~~~~~~~

NEVADA

PNEUMATIC TENSION CYLINDER & GAUGE TOW LINE

HIGH SIERRA SPORTS, INC. - 1807 N. Carson, Carson City, NV 89701. (702) 885-1891. Northern Nevada's complete hang gliding, windsurfing & ultralight shop. All major brands available. USHGA Certified Instructor, Observer & Region II Examiner. Sales, service, rentals and lessons.

BUTCH PRITCHETT BOX 299 FINLEY, TN 38030 (90 I) 285-9490

UTAH FLY UTAH WITH

NEW YORK MONTAINWINGS, INC. - 6 miles from Ellenville. Five training hills, five mountain sites, USHGA certified instruction and towing. We are now the area's only Wills Wing dealer, also Delta Wing, Pacific Windcraft, Seedwings and Manta. Sail, airframe repairs on all makes, RIC equipment. Main St., Kerhonkson, NY 12446 (914) 626-5555. NORTH CAROLINA ·~--~~~~~~~~~-

Delta Wing Products, certified instruction, 9173 Falcon

KITTY HAWK KITES, INC., - P.O. Box 340, Nags Head, NC 27959 1-800-334-4777, in NC, 919-441-4124. Learn to fly over soft sand dunes just south of the site where the Wright Brothers learned to fly. Beginning & Advanced packages; complete inventory of new gliders, accessories & parts. Ultralight training & sales available as well as windsurfing sales & instruction.

Cr. Sandy Utah 84092 (801) 943-1005.

International Schools & Dealers CHILE CONDOR ANDINO - Certified Instruction. UP, WW, Bennett dealerships. Fontananrosa 6649, Las Condes, Santiago. Tel. 2296463.

OREGON EASTERN OREGON ULTRALIGHTS - Certified instruction. New and used. Wills Wing specialists, PO Box 362, Pendleton, OR 97801 (503) 276-2329.

--------------------------M-----------~------------------

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Parts & Accessories Rigid Wings

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HANG GLIDING

CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING JAPAN

Publications & Organizations SUN RISE COUNTRY INC

~~~ Distributor major brands hang gliders (Airwave Magic), instruments, parachutes and ultralights. Tokyo 03/433/0063, Yugawara 0456/63/0173, Kurumayama Hang School 0266/68/2724 (April -November). SWITZERLAND SWISS ALP HANG GLIDING SAFARI - For complete documentation of this high adventure alpine tour send $5. 00 to cover airmail postage to: RON HURST, Kurfirstenstr. 61, 8002 Zurich, Switzerland, Airmail.

Emergency Parachutes NEW RAPID DEPLOYMENT B.U.S. FLY AWAY CONTAINER SYSTEM is the world's newest, fastest and most reliable system. By the originator of hang gliding parachutes. Bill Bennett Delta Wing Kites & Gliders, Inc., P.O. Box 483, Van Nuys, CA 91408 (213) 787-6600, telex no. 65-1425. NEW & USED PARACHUTES bought, sold & repacked. HANG GLIDER EQUIPMENT COMPANY, 3620 Wawona, San Francisco, CA 94116. (415) 992-6020.

Business Opportunities CRYSTAL AIR SPORTS MOTEL Male/Female HELP WANTED: 15 hrs./wk. Exchange for lodging in Original Flyers Bunkhaus. Call or write Chuck or Shari, 4328 Cummings Hwy., Chattanooga, TN 37409 (615) 821-2546. Home of SKY GEAR, Apparel & Accessories. Also, vacationing? Private Rustic Rooms. Waterbeds, Video Movies, Color TV, Pool.

SOARING - Monthly magazine of The Soaring Society of America Inc. Covers all aspects of soaring flight. Full membership $28. Info kit with sample copy $3.00. SSA, P.O. Box 66071, Los Angeles, CA 90066.

Movies AOL!, COMET CLONES & POD PEOPLE Award winning film of Owens Valley hang gliding. 60 minutes. $64.95. THE SKY BLUE MOVIE Epic quest for true flight. 100 minutes. $74.95 postpaid. PAL or foreign add $5. Free poster. COD call (619) 878-2255.Rick Masters, P.O. Box 478, Independence, CA 93526.

Rigid Wings FLEDGE II B - 80 Model duel controls, mini ribs, beautiful glider, excellent condition $850. (208) 467-3277 Idaho. FLEDGE Ill, 83, Excellent condition. $1600. Larry (408) 688-7243.

Miscellaneous HANG GLIDING BUCKLES - Photoengraved, solid brass, depicting soaring birds of prey. Exceptional quality. Send for free brochure! Massachusetts Motorized, P.O. Box 542-G, Cotuit, MA 02635. PATCHES & DECALS - USHGA sew-on emblems 3" dia. Full color - $1. Decals, 31/i" 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 $8.00 including postage and handling. Californians add 6"7o tax. Men's sizes in BLUE - S, M, L, XL. Limited supply of ORANGE, sizes S, M, X-L. USHGA, P.O. Box 66306, Los Angeles, CA 90066.

and cost quotes send a summary of your requirements to: Aeronalysis, Inc. 127 Kittoe Dr., Mtn. View, CA 94043. Please enclose $5 for information package. The rate for classified advertising is 35¢ per word (or group of characters). Minimum charge, $3.00. A fee of $10. is charged for each photograph or logo. Bold face or caps 50¢ per word extra. Underline words to be bold. Special layouts or tabs $20.00 per column inch. AD DEADLINES All ad copy, instructions, changes, additions and cancellations must be received in writing I 1/1 months preceding the cover date, i.e., November 20 for the January issue. Please make checks payable to USHGA: Classified Advertising Dept., HANG GLIDING MAGAZINE, Box 66306, Los Angeles, CA 90066.

Stolen Wings TYPE: Ball 651 vario, Robertson cocoon harness (red exterior, gold-black-gold chevron), parachute and Bell helmet. CONTACT: Robert Fullam, 551 Jean St. #302, Oakland, CA 94610. TYPE: 165 Demon. SAIL: Brown LE, orange TE. Disconnected nose batten, slightly ripped velcro on underside. CONTYPE: UP Gemini 164, '81, 1/164053. Orange leading edge and keel pockets, white sail, no mylar. FROM: hangar at Morningside Recreation Area, Claremont, NH. WHEN: Sometimg in November, 1983. CONTACT: Jamie Burnside, 12012 Broadway Terrace, Oakland, CA 94611, (415) 654-4539. TYPE: Fledge 118, 11790. SAIL: Yellow with brown L.E., brown and yellow tips, green bag. WHERE: Aeolus Flight Center, Groten, MA. WHEN: March 1, 1984. CONTACT: Jim David, 528 Lexington St., Waltham, MA 02154 (617) 899-5496.

Parts & Accessories WORLDWIDE: All Safaris include airfare. accommodations. transportal1on. experl tour guide and a maximum of airtime. Europe 5 coun1ries Hawaii Makapuu Pl.

HANG GLIDER EQUIPMENT COMPANY For all your Hang Gliding needs. We are dealers for all major brands. Write or call for free price list. 3620 Wawona, San Francisco, CA 94112, (415) 731-7766. Brand new - never been used! WW Flylite Harness w/chute container (fits 5'8" to 6' l "), $135. - 20 gore "Advanced Air" parachute, $295. Bulletman Harness (fits 5'8" to 6'1"), $225 or less - one hour airtime. John Bautsch (715) 842-4103.

JUNE 1984

HANG GLIDING CHARM - 14K gold $48.00, Sterling Silver $38.00, plus $2.50 shipping and handling. Golden Glider, 1129 Turnbull Cyn., Hacienda Heights, CA 91745 (818) 333-3300. DESIGN PROBLEMS? Are you and/or your company having problems with your hang glider or ultralight design? Or maybe you just want a general review of a new design. Well, now help is just a letter away. My company is ready to help with any problems, whether it be aerodynamics, structures, stability and control or testing. You will be dealing with a fellow pilot who is a trained, professional, aircraft designer who wants to help you "get it right." To receive more information

California. 0 Val New Zealand Nepal/Kashmir

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21 days S1695 8 days $779 14 days. $898 18 days $1995 21 days S3495 20 days S2795 You can't get a better deal! Our

experience saves money and gives you more airtime.

H•A•W•A•l•I FOR INFO PAK SEND S3.00 TO:

SANTA BARBARA HANG GLIDING CENTER 486 Alan Road. Santa Barbara. California 93105 (805) 687·3119

CLASSIFI D ADVERTISING TYPE: Comet II 165 #1650 and Robert cocoon harness (red) with blue parachute container, and Litek vario (red) in blue bag. WHERE AND WHEN: Livingston, MT along highway, Feb. 11, 1984. PATTERN: Red LE, spectrum dbl. surface, white main body, while keel pocket. CONTACT: Bill Snyder, 3751 S. 19th, Bozeman, Montana 59715 (406) 586-1840. TYPE: Comet 165. SAIL: Brown LE, red dlb. surface, gold main body w/small brown star left of center. $200 reward. CONTACT: Rob Brohaugh, 1703 10th Ave. S., Great Falls, MT 59405 (406) 761-0795 LOST at Elsinore landing area. UP harness, 3-stage ballast container, recessed chute w/ Advanced Air 24' chute. D. brown with "UP" harness. Ball 631 Vario. Bennett helmet, sparkle green. Contact: Willi Muller, Box 4063, Postal Station C, Calgary, Alberta, Canada T2T 5M9. TYPE: High Energy Travelite harnesses. Silver cocoon, black and chrome chevron, experimental 15-foot chutes. UP helmet, vario, radios, altimeter. Also, aqua blue harness with racing boot, white bird with rainbow from wings. Chutes not safe. WHERE AND WHEN: Garage in Orange, CA Nov. 11, 1983. CONTACT: Rich Pfeiffer, 2312 W. 2nd St., Santa Ana, CA 92703 (714) 972-8186. TYPE: Gemini 164 #UPOl64260M. SAIL: Rainbow-red, orange, yellow, green, with blue LE and light blue TE. 3TYPE: Super Lancer 180 #81550. SAIL: Black LE. Center out: royal blue, red, yellow, purple, black. Red Flight Designs bag. WHERE AND WHEN: Knoxville, TN, may 5, 1983. CONTACT: Jim Westcott, Springfield, VA (703) 569-6059. $200 reward, no questions. TYPE: UP cocoon harness, Advanced Air chute, Theotek vario, altimeter, Radio Shack 6-channel, helmet, Hall wind meter, all in blue UP harness bag w/"Owens Valley Pilot" patch sewn to lower packet. WHERE AND WHEN: From camper parked at Perkins Restaurant in St. Paul, MN April 24, 1983. CONTACT: John Woiwode, RR #3, Box 255, Annandale, MN 55302 (612) 274-8064. TYPE: UP Gemini 164, light blue w/dk blue LE. Flight Designs Super Lancer 200, yellow w/purple LE, tips and center. US Lancer 190, multi-striped from center out: purple, yellow, orange, red, purple tips. WHERE AND WHEN: From garage at 1342 Henderson Ln., Hayward, CA May 4, 1983. CONTACT: Mike McDonald (415) 782-5119. TYPE: Boom Stratus V. PATTERN: All dk blue except I panel of rainbow near each tip. WHERE AND WHEN: Canoga Pk., CA June 14, 1983. CONTACT: Kevin Anderson, 13261 Herrick Ave., Sylmar, CA 91342 (213) 367-3562. Reward.

USHGA CERTIFIED SCHOOLS GOLDEN SCHOOL OF HANG GLIDING 15912 w. 5th Golden, CO 80401 FREEDOM WINGS, INC. 9235 s. 225th w. Sandy, UT 84070 FREE FLIGHT, INC. 7848 Convoy Ct. San Diego, CA 92111 KITTY HAWK KITES (East) P.O. Box 340 Nags Head, NC 27959 SPORT FLIGHT 9040-B Comprint Gaithersburg, MD 20760 HANG GLIDERS WEST 20-A Pamaron Ignacio, CA 94947 WASATCH WINGS, INC. 700 E. 12300 S. Draper, UT 84020 HANG GLIDER EMPORIUM OF SANTA BARBARA 613 N. Milpas Santa Barbara, CA 93 IOJ HANG GLIDERS OF CALIFORNIA 24!0 Lincoln Blvd. Santa Monica, CA 90405 ROCHESTER HANG GLIDER, INC. 2440 Brickyard Rd. Canandaigua, NY 14424 JERRY NOLAND AND CREW 1415 Pacific Mall (P.O. Box 2118-95063) Santa Cruz, CA 95060 MISSION SOARING CENTER 43551 Mission Blvd. Fremont, CA 94538 CHANDELLE SAN FRANCISCO 198 Los Banos Daly City, CA 94014

HOLE IN THE SKY, INC. 5835 Main St., Box 368 Fogelsville, PA 18051 (215) 395-8492 FRONT RANGE HANG GLIDERS 824 Maple Ft. Collins, CO 80521 (303) 482-5754 THE HANG GLIDING CENTER 4206-K Sorrento Valley Blvd. San Diego, CA 92121 (619) 450-9008 NORTHWIND HANG GLIDING SCHOOL 8 Strong Ave. Rockville, CT 06066 (203) 875-1964 DESERT HANG GLIDERS 4319 W, Larkspur Glendale, AZ 85304 (602) 938-9550 SKY SAILORS SUPPLY 8266 Hwy. 238 Jacksonville, OR 97530 (503) 899-8064 WINDSPORTS INTERNATIONAL 16145 Victory Blvd. Van Nuys, CA 91406 BRIGHT STAR HANG GLIDERS/ FRESH AIR FLIGHT SCHOOL 3715 Santa Rosa Ave. Santa Rosa, CA 95407 (707) 584-7088

Index To Advertisers Airwave Gliders ....................... 51 Airworks ............................ 45 Ball ................................. 22 Bennett Delta Wing Gliders ......... 30, BC

W.W. HANG GLIDING SALES 3083 Woodway Road SE Roanoke, VA 24014

Glider Rider .......................... 31

ULTIMATE HI SCHOOL OF HANG GLIDING I 3951 Midland Road Poway, CA 92064

High Energy .......................... 35

FLIGHT REALITIES 1945 Adams A vc. San Diego, CA 92116 SAN FRANCISCO WINDSPORTS 3620 Wawona San Francisco, CA 94116 TRADEWINDS HANG GLIDING P.O. Box 543 Kailua, HI 96821 KITTY HAWK KITES WEST P.O. Box 828 138 Reservation Rd.) Marina, CA 93933 THE HANG GLIDING COMPANY 410 Leoni #I Grover City, CA 93433 FREE FLIGHT HANG GLIDING SCHOOL 684 Hao St. Honolulu, HI 96821 AERO-SPORT ULTRALIGHT GLIDERS INC. 898 S. 900 E. Salt Lake City, UT 84102 MAUI SOARING SUPPLIES RR #2 Box 780 Kula, HI 96790 EASTERN ULTRALIGHTS 128 Richmond Ave. Lancaster, NY 14086 (716) 681-4951

Hall Brothers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Hi Tow .............................. 35 Litek ................................ 35 Lookout Mt. ......................... 29 Midwest Motor Glider ................. 22 Pagen Books ......................... 35 Para Publishing .................... 11, 29 Santa Barbara HO ................. 31, 49 Seedwings ........................... .41 South Coast Air . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Systems Tech . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 UP .................................. 2 USHOA .................... 52, IFC, IBC Wilderness Travel ..................... 25 Wills Wing ........................ 23, 31

Ad Deadlines All ad copy, instructions, changes, additions and cancellations must be received in writing 1Yi months preceding the cover date, i.e. Mar. 20 for the May issue.

HANO GLIDING

FULLMEMBERIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII• NAME (Please Pr,ntl

ADDRESS-----------CITY - - - - - - - STATE _ _ _ _ _ _ _ ZIP

PHONE (

D NEW MEMBER

D RENEW/USHGA # _ __

ANNUAL DUES: $29.50 ($32.50 foreign) This accords me full membership in the United States Hang Gliding Assn., Inc., 12 issues of Hang Gliding magazine, effective with current issue, liability and property damage insurance, and voting privileges ($10.00 of the Member dues is designated for Hang Gliding magazine). I need not be a rated pilot to bea member.

INSURANCE PLANS AVAILABLE D Plan A: Single Foot-Launch Gliding Coverage (included in Full & Family Membership fee)

FAMILYMEMBERIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII ANNUAL DUES: $14.75 for each family Member,

o NEW MEMBER o RENEW/USHGA # _ _ _ everywhere who resides in my household. Each will receive all Full Member privileges EXCEPT a subscription to Hang Gliding magazine.

2· NAME D NEW MEMBER

D RENEW/USHGA # _ _ _

SUBSCRIPTION ONLY IIIIIIIIIIIII-IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINAME

0 (Please Print)

ADDRESS------------CITY _ _ _ _ _ _ STATE _ _ _ __ ZIP

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$22.50 SUBSCRIPTION ($25.50 foreign) for one year. $40.00 SUBSCRIPTION ($46.00 foreign) for two years. $57.50 SUBSCRIPTION ($66 50 foreign) for three years. $11.25 TRIAL SUBSCRIPTION ($12 75 foreign) for six months.

I HAVE ENCLOSED A CHECK OR MONEY ORDER PAYABLE TO: USHGA, BOX 66306, LOS ANGELES, CA 90066 USHGA will ONLY accept foreign checks payable on a U.S. bank in U.S. funds. (U.S. dollars or International Money Order) Allow 4 to 6 weeks for processing.

I received this application form from:

D FULL MEMBER ($29.50. $32.50 foreign)

D FAMILY MEMBER(S) ($14.75 each) D SUBSCRIPTION, one year ($22.50, $25.50 foreign) D SUBSCRIPTION, two years ($40.00, $46.00 foreign) D SUBSCRIPTION, three years ($57.50, $66.50 foreign) D TRIAL SUBSCRIPTION, six months ($11.25, $12.75 foreign) _ _ __ D I would like $1.00 of my membership TOTAL dues to be used for WORLD TEAM expenses. Charge my D MasterCard

D VISA

Card No. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Ex. Date _ _ __ Signature

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P.O.Box 66306, Los Angeles, California 90066 USHGA Item #4

Revised 9181

(213) 390-3065

USHGA MERCHANDISE ORDER FORM

BOOKS

PRICE

MANBIRDS by Maralys Wills. Enfertainingly takes the reader from hang gilding's past to its soaring present. 8 pg color, 150 Blk & Wht photos. 40 pg appendix. USHGA INSTRUCTORS CERTIFICATION MANUAL. Complele require· ments, syllabus, teaching melhods. HANG GLIDING by Oan Poynter. 8th Edition. Basic Handbook for skysurting. FL YING COHDITIOHS by Dennis Pagen. Micrometerology for pilots. 90 illustrations. HANG GLIDING AHO FL YING SKILLS by Dennis Pagon. Beginners to experts instruction manual. HANG GLIDING TECHNIQUES by Dennis Pagen. Tech· niques for cross·country, competilion & powered flight. POWERED ULTRALIGHT AIRCRAFT by Dennis Pagen. Complete instruclion manual. POWERED ULTRALIGHT TRAINING COURSE By Dennis Pagen. A manual for self·lraining & training schools. 11 lessons, tests and FAA Regulations. MANNED KITING by Dan Poynter. Handbook on tow launch 1/ying. MAH.POWERED AIRCRAFT by Oon Dwiggins. 192 pg history ol !light. Features !light of Gossamer Condor. FEDERAL AVIATION REGULATIONS FDR PILOTS. 1983 Edition. Hang gliding pertinent inlormafion. FAI SPORTING CODE FOR HANG GLIDING. Requirements for records, achievements & World Championships. HANG GLIDING MANUAL & LOG by Dan Poynter. For beginners. An asset to instruclors. 24 pgs. USHGA OFFICIAL FLIGHT LOG. 40 pgs Pocket size, skills signoffs (all levels), glossary of terms, awards.

$17.95

QUANTITY 8·1

8,2 8,3 B.5 8,6 8,7 B·B B,9

B·10 B·11 8·12 8·13 s.15 8·16

AMOUNT

$ 2.00

$ 7.50

$ 7.50 $ 7.50

$ 7.50 $ 8.50

$12.95

$ 4.50 $ 6.50

$ 4.50 $ 1.00 $ 1.50 $ 2.95

ITEMS 1-1

.. HEW" USHGA 'HANG GLIDING' T-SHIRT. 100% heavyweight cotton. WHITE or TAN. Men's sizes: S M L X-L (CIRCLE ONE). USHGA EMBLEM T·SHIRT. 100% heavyweight cotton. TAN or LIGHT BLUE. Men's sizes only. S M L H (CIRCLE SIZE & COLOR) USHGA EMBLEM CAP. One size fits all. Baseball type/USHGA emblem. NAVY ORANGE GOLO (CIRCLE ONE) .. HEW" USHGA BELT BUCKLE. Solid bronze, cuslom design, relief sculplure. 31/, x 21k USHGA SEW·ON EMBLEM. 3" dia., lull color (red wings, sunburst w/black prinf). USHGA EMBLEM DECAL. 3W' dia., lull color. LICENSE PLATE FRAME. "I'd rather be hang gliding." While on Blue. WALLET. Nylon, velcro closure, mach. washable, water resistant. ROYAL BLUE color.

1·2 1-3

Jjt;-~..

1.5 H 1-8 1-9

$ 8.00 $ 8.00

$ 5.00 $12.00

$ 1.00 .25 $ 5.50 $ 8.95

HANG GLIDING/GROUND SKIMMER BACK ISSUES .. 'SPECIFY BY CIRCLING ISSUE NUMBER .. 'ISSUES NOT NUMBERED ARE SOLO OUT ... PRINTED COPIES:

PRINTED COPIES: PRINTED COPIES:

20. 21, 22. 23. 24. 25, 28, 29. 30. 32. 33, 34. 36, 37, 38. 41. 42. 43. 44. 45. 47. 56, 58, 59. 60. 61. 62. 63, 64, 65, 66. 67. 68, 69. 70. 71. 72 73, 76. 77, 78, 80. 82. 83. 86, 87. 88. 89. 90. 91. 92. 93. 96. 98, 99. 100. 101. 102, 103

$ 1.00

S 1.50 S 2.00

105 - Current Issue

"'NO TAX ON MAGAZINES ..

MAGAZINE SUB TOTAL

Ordering Information: All prices include postage and handling. (Prices subJect to change without notice.) Enter quantity and price of each item ordered_ Allow 3·4 weeks delivery (8 weeks for Foreign) All orders are mailed by lhe cheapest available rale I I you wish to re· ce1ve your order faster. please include sufficient poslage funds No C 0.0 ·s

MERCHANDISE SUB TOTAL (Cal1forn1ans add 6% lax on merchandise only)

Foreign Orders: USHGA will ONLY accept foreign checks payable on a US bank in U.S. funds

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USHGA MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION FORM (#4)

USHGA BASIC SAFETY REGULATIONS (PART 100)

USHGA MERCHANDISE ORDER FORM (#14)

USHGA PILOT PROFICIENCY PROGRAM (PART 104)

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MAIL WITH CHECK OR MONEY ORDER TO:

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