USHGA Hang Gliding November 1986 by US Hang Gliding & Paragliding Association

• MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION

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CITY _ _ _ _ _ _ _ STATE _ _ _ _ _ __ ZIP - - - - PHONE (

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D NEW MEMBER

BIRTH DATE

D RENEW/USHGA # _ _ _ _ __

FULL MEMBER

FAMILY MEMBER

ANNUAL DUES: $39.00 ($42.00 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. I need not be a rated pilot to be a member.

ANNUAL DUES: $19.50 for each family Member, who resides in my household. Each will receive all Full Member privileges EXCEPT a subscription to Hang Gliding magazine. NAME--------------0 NEW MEMBER D RENEW/USHGA # _ __

SUBSCRIPTION ONLY - - - - - ·

STUDENT MEMBER - - - - - -

D $29.00 SUBSCRIPTION ($32.00 foreign)

3-MONTH DUES: $10.00. Full member privileges, three issues of Hang Gliding magazine, liability and property damage insurance. I need not be a rated pilot to be a member.

for one year. D $53.00 SUBSCRIPTION ($59.00 foreign) for two years.

Enclose check or money order for dues as indicated to the right. International checks must be drawn on a U.S. bank in U.S. dollars. Charge payments are subject to $2.00 bank service charge.

D FULL MEMBER ($39.00, $42.00 foreign) D FAMILY MEMBER(S) ($19.50 each) D STUDENT MEMBER ($10.00) D SUBSCRIPTION, one year ($29.00, $32.00 foreign)

D SUBSCRIPTION, two years ($53.00, $59.00 foreign) Charge my D MasterCard

DVISA

Charge Card Service Charge Total

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

(213) 390-3065

Revised 6/86

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(USPS 017-970-20)

Features 14 A Bag For AH Seasons

Columns 8 USHGA President

article and photos by Jules Gilpatrick How to build a bomb-proof glider bag for those endless miles on the road.

by Russ Locke Russ discusses accidents and introduces a dynamite article by Greg Shaw.

20 The Masters

9 Safety Forum

by Rich Pfeiffer The prestigious international invitational attracts competitors from eight nations.

article and illustrations by Greg Shaw Beyond the cover bag. An in-depth look at glider pre-flight inspection.

27 Approach Basics

Page 14

by Rob McKenzie Well-known tandem instructor McKenzie tells how to put your glider down where you want to.

5 Airmail 7 Update 17 USHGA Reports 30 Board of Directors Election 37 Ratings And Appointments 40 Classified Advertising 44 Stolen Wings 44 Index To Advertisers

34 Hang Gliding

Interviews Jo Bathmann Interview conducted by Rich Pfeiffer Who is this guy?

Page 34

COVER: Frenchman Gerard Thevenot wins the Masters in his La Mouette Hermes. Photo by David Klutho. DISCLAIMER OF WARRANTIES IN PUBLICATIONS: The material presented here is published as part of an information dissemination service for USHGA members. The USHGA makes no warranties or representations and assumes no liability concerning the validity of any advice, opinion or recommendation expressed in the material. All individuals relying upon the material do so at their own risk. Copyright © United States Hang Gliding Association, Inc. 1986. All rights reserved to Hang Gliding Magazine and individual contributors.

NOVEMBER 1986

Departments

TWICE AS MUCH FUN

THE SENSOR FOR EVERYONE. Seedwings intrcxluces the NEW STANDARD MODEL SENSOR 510 B, a glider that offers the ultimate in sink rate, handling and stability, for the pilot who flies primarily for pleasure. "Weekend warriors" will find they can soar to the top of the stack with the Standard Sensor 510 B, by virtue of its superior turning ability and the best sink rate in the business. Pilots who thought they weren't strong enough to fly the most high performance glider cross-country can now fly more miles with minimum effort by utilizing the Standard 510 B's incredible climb rate, thermaling ability and effortless handling. Overall handling, stability and performance is unmatched by any other intermediate, (skill level 3) glider.

THE MOST SUCCESSFUL SENSOR YET. The Standard B is every inch a Sensor 510, with all racing options removed except those that improve handling and stability - the keel fin and the faired kingpost with its elevated suspention point. A supple sail with a small increase in twist (billow) is the key to handling ease, and the Standard 510 B's sail offers what our customers have come to expect - the finest in quality, innovation and workmanship. If its pure fun you want from your hours in the air, you can't do better than a New Standard Model Sensor 510 B. (For intermediate pilots and above.)

THE LIGHTEST HANDLING NEW GLIDER IN THE WORLD HAS

Donnita Kilbourne - "This new glider handles better than my 147 Harrier and 160 Duck and the performance is tops on the stack!'

Debbie Roecker - "I've wanted to fly a Sensor for years. This is one of my most memorable flights ever!' You will also get test flights by the manufacturer, the dealer and thorough product support. Delivery time on standard model is approximately five weeks. Price $2595.00 your custom sail colors.

10 less ribs than its VG model, count them. The same as on the original 510, years ago. An empty weight of 66 lbs. 160 square feet of area. A 17 feet length in the bag. A pilot hook in weight of 135 lbs. to 225 lbs.

5760 THORNWOOD DR. #3 SANTA BARBARA, CA 93117 (805) 967-4848

Call Seedwings and one of our dealers today and test fly the most exciting and fun Sensor ever built. Dealer inquiries - please call for details.

•

Feature Pilot: Donnita Kilbourne

Photo: Bob Trampenau

SEEDWINGS

Gil Dodgen, Editor/Art Director Janie Dodgen, Production David Pounds, Design Consultant Leroy Grannis, Bettina Gray, John Heiney, Staff Photographers

Erik Fair, Staff Writer Harry Martin, Illustrator Office Staff: Cindy Brickner, faecutive Director Amy Gray, Manager Joyce Isles, Ratings Marian Fleming, Membership

USHGA Officers: Russ Locl<e, President Dick Heckman, Vice President Bob Collins, Secretary Dan Johnson, Treasurer Executive Committee: Russ Locke Dick Heekman Bob Co!Uns Dan Johnson Cindy Brickner REGION I: Ken Godwin, Jeff Bennett. REGION 2: Gary Hodges, Russ Locke. REGION 3: Ken de Russy, Steve Hawxhursl. REGION 4: Bob Thompson, Jim

Zeiser. REGION 5: Mike King. REGION 6: Steve Michalik. REGION 7: John Woiwode, Bruce Case. REGION 8: Robert Collins. REGION 9: William Criste, William Richards, REGION 10: Steve Coan, Rick Jacobs. REGION II: Warren Richarson, REGION 12: Paul Rikert, Pete Pournia. DIRECTORS AT LARGE: Dan Johnson, Rob Kells, Dennis Pagen, Vic Powell, Elizabeth Sharp. EX-OFFICIO DIRECTOR: Everett Langworthy. HONORARY DIRECTORS: Bill Benne!!, Waft Dcxlge, Eric Fair, Beuina Gray, Doug Hildleth,

Mike Meier. The United States Hang Gliding Association Inc. is. a division of 1he National Aeronautic Association (NAA) which is the official U.S. representative of the Federation Aeronautique Internationale {FAI)1 the world governing body for sport aviation .. The NAA, which represents the U.S. at FA! Meetings, has delegated 10 the USHGA supervision of PAI-related hang gliding ac1ivities 'iUCh as re<:ord attempts and competition sanctions.

HANG GLIDING magazine is published for hang gliding sport enthusiasts to create further interest in the sport, by a means of open communication and to advance hang gliding methods and safety. Contributions are welcome. Anyone is invited to contribute articles, photos, and illustrations concerning hang gliding activities. lf the material is to be returned, a stamped, self-addressed return envelope must be enclosed. Notification must be made of submission to other hang gliding publications. HANG GLIDING magazine reserves the right to edit contributions where necessary. The Association and publication do not assume responsibility for the material or opinions of contributors. HANG GLIDING magazine (USPS 017-970) is published monthly by the United States Hang Gliding Association, lnc., whose maHing address Js P.O. Box 66306, Los Angeles, Calif. 90066 and whose offices are located at 11423 Washington Blvd., Los Angeles, Calif. 90066; telephone (213) 390-3065, 398-0198. Second-class postage is paid at Los Angeles, Calif. The typeseuing is provided by 1st Impression Typesetting Servicet Buena Park, Calif. The USHGA is a member-controlled educational and scientific organiz.a1ion dedicated to exploring all facets of ultralight flight. Membership is open lo anyone interested in this realm of flight. Dues for full membership are $39.00 per year ($42.00 for foreign addresses); subscription rates are $29.00 for one year, $53.00 for two years, $77.00 for three years. Changes of address should be sent six weeks in advance, including name, USHGA membership number, previous and new address, and a mailing label fonn a recent issue. POSTMASTER: SEND CHANGE OP ADDRESS W: UNITED STATES HANG GLIDING ASSOCIATION, P.O. BOX 66306, LOS ANGELES, CA 90066.

NOVEMBER 1986

Vol. 16, Issue 11

WE HAVE YOU COVERED! Our Comprehensive Dealer Network is filling in to provide you-the customer-with complete sales and service for the Magic line. Contact the dealer nearest you.

P. 0. Box 1153 • Mercer Island, WA• 98109 Phones #206/622-8132 or 537-2297 Telex #296585 800 r. .1ercer • Seattle, WA 98109

• ~=g~-Everett WA • AirDlay'n-Seatlle WA 206/467-8644

•"¥&1::Utfaay HG-Narrpa ID

• Oregon Alrwave-Portland OR 503/245·2636

• ~ba ~:rtJ~alt Lake City UT 1

• PIiot's Supply-Sacramento, CA 916/441-4468 • ~;~J~~~iio Windsports-San Francisco CA • Dunlap Airpark-Dunlap CA 209/338-2422

• 4 Corners Airwav&-Ourango CO 303/247-1515

• Central Cal Airwav&-Salinas CA

• Oklahoma Airwave Oklahoma City, OK 4051751-8460

~l~tii11s~~oirs

408/449-6702

Santa Barbara Skv Salling Center Santa Barbara, CA 805/965-2447

314/291•7727 • ~b59~egmMexico-AlbUquerque NM , Todd James-Odessa TX 915'362-8693

K~rtti'\~W:-Nags Head NC. • ~ft~ftrs~s--Knoxville TN , Lookout Mtn--lookout Min TN 404/398-3541

A~t~amics-Chugiak AK 07/688- 100

T~~~~~~s-Kailua, HI 08/396-8557

? : P§Ah§R~· it)'bµt~r!€1~fjJfsi~1~~~:µ~{g~1#~X~Bt~tSf~~~1~n~1e,~i~t~hi~1~99t;§t~~ei~~~XeH'ff§~~~~,B1f~! :

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MODEL 651 VARIO/AUDIO/ DIGITAL ALTIMETER $495

MODEL 652 VARIO/AUDIO DIGITAL ALTIMETER/ AIRSPEED $590

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MODEL M20 WRIST VARIO $200

STREAMLINED TUBE ADAPTER

Available from hang glider manufacturers and dealers

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THE PUBLICATION OF THE

UNITED STATES HANG GUD!NG ASSOCIATION

AIRMAIL A LITTLE HELP FROM OUR FRIENDS Dear Editor, I'm writing for your support and help. My husband, Jerry West, who hang glides (Intermediate rating in 1982 - Ed.) was put in the VA Hospital in Reno on June 1 and was diagnosed as having acute myelocytic leukemia (AML). It's been very rough and as of this date he still has a long way to go. He is undergoing chemotherapy. Friends such as Terry Cook, Oley, Nick Thomas, Lee Rons and others have sent him books and pictures of flights from Slide Mountain. Can you people get together a few things to cheer him up? If you could send him some mail it would sure help cheer Jerry up. Hang gliding is very special to him. Mrs. Abby West P.O. Box 3654 Incline Village, NV 89450

a center of mass bridle system and a weak link of between 150 and 200 lbs. In the first incident, shortly after power was applied, the tow line snapped about 20 yards from the glider and the end of the tow rope whiplashed back and hit a spectator, who had been standing at the side of the glider, in the eye, inflicting a black eye. In the second incident, shortly after launch, the weak link broke and the pilot was hit in the mouth by a metal ring on the end of the bridle. Injuries were minor. In the third and most recent incident, the weak link broke shortly after launch and the end of the tow rope, with metal ring attached, whiplashed back and hit the spotter/winch operator in the eye. At present the chances appear 90 % that he will lose the eye completely. This matter is being given much thought. Could other towing groups please indicate how they handle it?

PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE

Stephen Michalik Oklahoma City, OK

TOWING SAFETY ADVISORY Dear Editor We have recently experienced three similar towing incidents which we feel should be brought to the attention of all who are involved in towing. You are urged not to tow until you are completely satisfied that your system can safely avoid a recurrence of the type of incident described. As background information, the system being used involved a truck with payout winch,

NOVEMBER 1986

Harold Austin Royal Oak, Michigan P.S. Thanks Dan Johnson for the many years of Whole Air. I'm really going to miss that East Coast perspective.

NATIONAL FLY-IN Dear Editor,

Rodney Nicholson Ontario, HOA

Dear Editor, A good act to follow, as is being reported in Soaring magazine, might be publishing each month the more recent and unique accident reports received by our accident committee. Truly it will show areas in our training programs and current rating system requirements that need attention. This would help the hang gliding community as a whole learn from accidents caused by human factors, as well as from opinions and produce a foundation for changes to continue our good safety record. What better way for each pilot to remember, and emphasize the need for, continued judgement, planning, and flying skills maintenance!

the soaring wings they are. John, I'm afraid that you can't see the flat lands for the mountains. If our sport, the industry and the USHGA is going to grow or even survive it needs to bring hang gliding to the flat lands where it is new and exciting, and to a vast number of potential pilots. We will all benefit. By the way, Sky Sailing, no thanks (sorry Greg). I'll stick to Hang Gliding.

EASY AIR TIME Dear Editor, I would like to respond to a letter from John Johnson about towing. I don't know for sure, but it sounds like John has a mountain in his backyard. He should live in Michigan, Ohio or Kansas. Talk about your easy air time John. Try driving 250 miles one way to your 'local' soaring site, a 400-ft. bluff, and hope the weather forecast was right. Well, I've done just that about every other weekend during our soaring season for the past 10 years. Want to know about challenge John? Try towing at our site in the Manistee National Forest; you get "handed" an 800-ft. tow, ceilings on a good day are almost 3,000 ft. and you start your XC over the forest. John, we have a great gift and it should be shared with the "masses." It seems you don't want people to know just how easy hang gliding is, because if they found out you might lose your macho image, and if towing catches on (and it is!) you'll lose that edge (you didn't earn) of living close to a site. If those of us who were involved in hang gliding from the beginning (I built and flew my first glider, a Bat Glider in 1968 and progressed up to a Colver Flying Wing, and a number of Hang Looses) felt the way you do, you most likely would not be hang gliding today! And gliders would not have evolved into

By the time this letter is processed the USHGA National Fly-In and the 9th Annual Elmira Free Spirit Hang Gliding Festival will be history. Hang gliding events of this size take a great deal of work to organize and 9th Annual Meet Director, Joanne DeRenzo, and National FlyIn coordinator, Dennis Pagen, deserve a round of applause and a big 'Thank You' for what they have done. There is one other person who deserves recognition because without her help, these two events would not have taken place: USHGA's new Executive Director, Cindy Brickner. The town of Elmira, who must grant us a zoning variance to hold the Festival, had serious questions about ( what else?) our insurance coverage.Thanks to Cindy's dedication and quick response to my many questions and needs we were able to quell the town's doubts and they approved our variance. Thanks for your help, Cindy. Robin Kellogg Free Spirit Flight HGCI

PILOT TRAINING Dear Editor, The pilot training segment of our local club (Rochester Area Flyers, aka RAF) has done such an outstanding job this season that I think it is worthy of mention in our magazine. The club has about 40 active members, 10 of whom are basic or advanced instructors a whopping 25 %! The season started with 34

AIRMAIL registered trainees but eight dropped our before flying began (money was refunded). Of the remaining 26 students, 17 completed the Novice training program, that's 65%. Of the scheduled flying days (85) only 34 were useable for training (40%). Well, that's Rochester weather for you! There were no injuries requiring medical attention. The average number of student flights was 23, counting only those who made Novice. All this was possible by the dedication and hard work of the pilots who took an active part in the program, whether arranging for training sites, mowing grass, repairing training gliders, providing telephone answering service, or actually teaching. Even though it is a bit unfair to the others I want to mention that amongst those who helped significantly in the training effort were Pete Fournia (our Regional Director), Bob McGovern and Dave Hoke. Henry Boessl Pittsford, NY CERTIFICATION Dear Editor, I feel Mike Meier's opinion that the standard 510B 160 is not certified is misleading and incorrect as it is offered in the Sept. , 1986 issue of Hang Gliding. I think he has failed to consider that the 510B, with or without the in-flight crosstube pull cord, is HOMA-certified as a 510B regardless of any other sub or prefix name. The name Standard only denotes a softer sail and tuning and does not uncertify an already certified glider. I think it is silly for the HOMA or any one else to think that certification can be based on a name. HOMA members have always had freedom

manufacturing and marketing their certified gliders until last month's issue of Hang Gliding. Manufacturers have always made tuning adjustments, employed better methods of construction and have marketed in new ways already certified designs. Manufacturers have determined for themselves how best to improve the design of a certified glider. A few examples are: manufacturers presenting another name, a new wingtip sail mount (HP II), a new piece of hardware, new sails (Seedwings, Wills Wing), with or without half ribs (Seedwings), one more or one less lower surface batten (HP II and 510B), a new crosstube center section position (WW Sport). It is the member manufacturer's own discretion that takes precedence in determining whether the glider he is manufacturing is certified, because he is the one constructing, testing and certifying his own design. I feel Mike has acted inconsistently in regard to what he himself has demonstrated in the past. USHGA policy does prohibit advertising that a glider is certified until a certificate has actually been issued. The advertisement for the Sport American (a glider with an entirely different frame), was submitted to Hang Gliding magazine a month before its certification was approved. It appears to me that Mike Meier is operating with a double standard. Who stands to gain from Mike Meier's allegations? Only Seedwings' competition. Gil Dodgen, Hang Gliding editor, altered Seedwings' ad for Oct., 1986 without the knowledge or permission of Seedwings. I feel that the failure to notify Seedwings of this unauthorized ad change (which was apparently at Mike's request), was wrong. I also strongly feel that Mike Meier's opinion or any other person's opinion that the name Standard as applied to the 510B removes certification from that glider is incorrect.

Seedwings would like to offer some information about the Sensor 510 series of gliders. The first 510 flew Dec. 10, 1980, a year late due to our production of the successful HOMA certified Sensor 210E 183. The 510 is the longest-produced single design in the industry today. Seedwings is nearing 1,000 units built. The 510 has been documented and certified in more configurations (and in three sizes) than any other glider today. Seedwings feels that the right design ideas in the beginning, tested and built to the highest quality aircraft standards is the best policy. The single most improtant stability system invented for hang gliders was built by Bob Trampenau of Seedwings nine years ago. The system is now on every hang glider in the world today because it is so effective, and is one reason why gliders pass certification at all. The system is your trailing edge reflex lines, the fiberglass arrow shafts and preformed airfoil rib system. Bob Trampenau Seed wings

RUBBER DOLLARS

Ninety-eight per cent of all member checks clear the bank when deposited. The other two per cent cost USHGA time and money to handle till clearing payment. Therefore, a $5.00 service charge will be assessed on all returned checks.

BUT, THGRE AKE NO OL \) AND BoLJ) PILCTS ., ".

(

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HANG GLIDING

UPDATE Top 22 Business Membership Credits for September 1986

Place

Business Name

No. of Memberships

PLANES AND PARTS

Planes and Parts electronic marketing system is a unique idea in marketing aircraft parts. It is a bulletin board accessible by home computer. Members of USHGA may access the service free unti! January 1, 1987 using the password "USHGA". All types of aircraft are advertised ineluding hang gliders. Call via modem (414) 692-9111 or for more information (414) 692-9187.

Nova Air

Aeolus Hang Gliding

Kitty Hawk Kites East Mission Soaring Center

15 15

Lookout Mtn. Flight Park

Hang Gliding Ctr. of San Diego

Grandfather Mtn.

Hang Glider Emporium

Kitty Hawk Kites West

Santa Barbara Hang Gliding Center Windsports Int']

Hang Flight Systems Ivory Eagle

3 3

Morningside Rec Area

Delta Wing announces their new "pitchy" pitch control enhancement device for hang gliders. It is constructed of 1/8" 6061-T6 anodised aluminum and has no structural wires. All suspension members are nylon straps with built-in adjustments. The unit comes complete with cover bag and may be left installed after use, the bag being a protective cover. Price $75.00, available from Delta Wing dealers.

Chandelle Eagles Nest Maryland Hang Gliding Assn. Mountain Wings Pinecrest Air Park Raven Hang Gliding School Susquehanna Flight, Park Wasatch Wings

1 1 1

INTERNATIONAL SPORTS FILM COMPETITION

I 1 1 I l

POLAR GRIP GWVES

Davis instruments announces these cold weather gloves designed for sporting activities. The palms are thick leather for better grip and maximum protection. Neoprene backs are designed to stop wind and water. Velcro wrist straps help keep the elements out and warmth in. Price $26.95. Contact Davis Instruments Corp., 642 143rd Ave., San Leandro, CA 94578.

NOVEMBER 1986

DELTA WING PITCHY

The Monterey Film Festival program committee has announced the qualifications for the first in the world 'International Sports Film Competition,' February 5-8, 1987. Entries will be accepted from around the world for non-fiction sports content film (air, water, and ground sports). Deadline for entries is December 20, 1986. Films eligible for competition must carry a copyright of 1985 or 1986. All films must be accompanied by $75.00 entry fee and an official entry form which can be obtained from the Monterey Film Festival office at Box 2384, Monterey, CA 93942 (408) 649-8887.

LEUKEMIA BENEFIT

On Saturday, November 15th from 11 AM to 4 PM the Leukemia Society along with KITS-FM will be holding the

first Annual Paper Airplane Throw in Oakland's Kaiser Arena to raise money for leukemia research, patient-aid and educational programs. You can turn a paper airplane into a record, game, day trip or another great prize! Official airplane paper will be sold for SOC a piece or three pieces for $1.00. Follow the instructions or design your own plane to throw at the many prize targets on the arena floor. Bay Area media personalities along with well known aviation enthusiasts, local politicians, comedians and musicians will be on hand to meet the public and lend their support. Admission is free, so bring your family, neighbors and friends to this spectacular event! For more information or to find out how you can help in this community effort to fight leukemia, call the Leukemia Society at (415) 781-4270.

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA FLYING TOUR December 27 - January 3 Build your hang gliding experience this winter and have fun flying five or more of Southern California's premier sites. Traveling with a small group, you will be introduced to all flying sites by a guide and advanced USHGA certified instructor. This gives you the best opportunity to learn new sites. Southern California has more consistent winter flying than almost anywhere. All sites on the tour have easy launches and large landing fields. Trip includes: * Guide Service * Coaching on thermalling & other advanced techniques * Rating Tets * Rides Up *Retrieval *Accommodation and Camping Fees Sites: Kagel I Crestline I Elsinore I Torrey Pines (Hang IV) I Little Black Mtn. I Blossom Valley For Advanced Hang II thru Hang IV. Call for details. Cost $395.00. Early reservations recommended for out-of-state pilots. Holiday airline schedules fill up early. Jim Johns at Kitty Hawk Kites, Hwy #1Reservation Rd., P.O. Box 828, Marina, CA 93933 (408) 384-2622.

USHGA PRESIDENT

Accidents by Russ Locke

ne of the unwritten rules states that if you're in this sport long enough you'll lose someone near you. We expend a significant amount of energy convincing people that hang gliding isn't any more dangerous than many other activities. While that part is true, it is also true that accidents in any form of aviation tend to be more severe than in most other sports. I lost a good friend when John Thoe died August 23rd at Ed Levin Park in Milpitas, CA. I could say a lot of things about what John meant to me and many of the other pilots in the Bay area, but summing it up in one sentence, he was one of those people that you could always count on when you needed a face with a smile. He was 61 years old and died doing something he enjoyed. Personally, I find that preferable to the more conventional ways of dying such as heart disease or in an automobile accident. But the real tragedy (in addition to not having John around anymore) is that it could have all been prevented. The crossbar restraining cable on John's glider broke in flight. John got his parachute out, but he was too close to the ground. His death prompted a lot of local discussion about glider design and maintenance. I discussed these subjects with the four major manufacturers left in the U.S. (Bill Bennett, Jean-Michel Bernasconi, Mike Meier and Bob Trampaneau) and got some interesting input. Each of the manufacturers had their own particular pet peeve. One of those concerns centered around aerobatic maneuvers. Because there are pictures in the magazine showing gliders being flown by manufacturers' pilots in unusual attitudes, that does not mean that it is

safe and proper to fly any HGMA certified glider in that fashion. There is also great concern about pilots making adjustments or adding devices to their gliders to get some perceived increased performance. The fact is any change that has not been tested on a test vehicle by the manufacturer runs the risk of changing the entire flight characteristics of the glider. It's experimentation at best, and flight testing experiments in any form of aviation historically exacts a high price. As our gliders get older, more UV degradation is showing up. It still amazes me (and many other people, including Bill Bennett who specifically mentioned this to me) how many pilots leave thier gliders set up for hours in the landing area after a flight. Ultraviolet light couldn't care less whether a glider is flying or on the ground. Exposure is exposure. All the manufacturers have some sort of maintenance/repair notification program. Their biggest frustration is that they generally don't have very good records of who has their gliders. That's your fault, not theirs. If you' re not sure that the manufacturer of the glider you're currently flying knows that you have the glider or that they have your current address, drop them a post card (or send it to the USHGA office; we'll forward it), It's in your best interest. What about the rest of you who have gliders made by manufacturers that no longer exist? There is no good answer for that yet. Dealer networks are growing in this country and are probably our best hope for the future of disseminating maintenance information. The question also comes up as to whether or not the HGMA actually in-

spects gliders during the certification process. The process of certification, as explained to me by Mike Meier, does include actual inspection of the glider by the HGMA board. As can be expected when you have most of the major glider designers in the country in one room, they are fairly open (vocal) with one another about each other's designs. It is inconceivable to me that any of them would knowingly allow an unsafe design to be put into production. Differences in design formats do exist and that is healthy. The current discussion over the use of 7(fJ5 tubing is just such a case. In the interest of having this article disseminate some useful information, I asked Greg Shaw of Mission Soaring to put together a summary of repairs he sees coming across his bench. This is not intended to be a criticism of the gliders mentioned (nor is it a testimonial of the gliders that are not mentioned), but a list of some of the things those of us with similar gliders can look for. In writing this article Greg did point out to me that the majority of this type of information does not reside with the dealers, since most pilots tend to fix/maintain their own gliders rather than turn them in to a dealer. On that note, if you have a safety/repair/maintenance concern that you do not see listed here, drop a note to me via the office. If we get enough useable data we should be able to arm-twist one of the directors into compiling it into a useful manual that can be accessed by pilots, dealers or manufacturers.•

FINGER FAIRINGS

• Always there when you need them • Warm, comfortable, durable, slide easily across control bar • Instant bare hand dexterity for launch, CB, chute, camera • Quality consrruction, 1;~ -in. neoprene, nylon inside and out • Available in red or black S, M, or L only $32.50 deafer inquiries invited

THE AIRWORKS

3900 Van Buren NE Albuquerque, NM 87110 (505)

884-6851

HANG GLIDING

SAFETY FORUM

Not

many years ago, few pilots would consider for a moment letting someone else work on their equipment. They were unwilling to trust their safety to some hack mechanic, and went to great lengths to learn all they could about materials and construction. We're becoming professional, dangerously similar to general aviation where it takes a license to open the hood; pilots might as well be preflighting the hanger door for all the understanding involved. In a self-regulated sport we've got to keep the pilot and the understanding in the same box. Technique has received a lot of press, but not much gets said about equipment, especially older gliders. They aren't hot topics, so problems don't get very far down the grapevine. Russ has asked me to help kick off a program aimed at stopping equipmentfailure accidents. I thought I might walk you through an elaborate glider preflight, discussing in some real depth what the heck you're looking for. I'll be pointing out some problems on specific models, without, I hope drawing the wrath of the manufacturers down on my head. We also expect more information in later installments from other industry experts about gliders and problems outside my experience. The preflight is an extremely important part of your flying day. It shouldn't be skipped even though you just flew the glider yesterday and the thermals are

ILLUSTRATION #1

Poor

NOVEMBER 1986

Better

Beyond The Cover Bag article and illustrations by Greg Shaw starting to crack. It's those subtle problems, like the fray that progressed from one strand to fifty during that two-hour XC the day before, that can bite if you don't poke and twist and probe every little cranny that problems may be lurking in. Do it often and do it with a real idea of what your are seeking. That's what this article is all about. Enough preamble. Break out your glider and let's meet first at the nose plate. The plates ought to be flat, but a bent plate is usually more an indication of abuse than a danger. The holes ought to be round and fit the bolt closely. Ovaled holes concentrate stress by contacting a smaller area of the bolt shaft. Ovaling will only get worse, then dangereous. Look for loose bushings in the leading edge tube. Ducks and Harriers are common offenders. They need sleeves to reinforce the thin tubing. Rock the leading edge tube. The bushings should be solid. Bolts should all be snug,

and bolts that hold wire tangs should at least have washers between nut and tang if the tang moves at all in flight (most need a wire safety ring to be really secure). An advisory on Ducks requires a castle nut and safety on the nose keyhole tang bolt. Check the sail carefully for damaged sail attachment grommets or loops, loose stitching, and curled mylar or foam. A GTR pilot reported to me that his glider's stall was affected by a fold in the foam insert. Check the nose wires for kinks and frays. The worst offenders are lower wires that join through a single small nico sleeve and thimble (illustration #1). When under tension, the wires pull sideways across the sharp edge of the unflared sleeve, causing a fray. Shadows and Javelins were common offenders. The wire must be built using a large nico sleeve with sufficient flare to provide a smooth radius for the wire where it exits the sleeve. This is probably a

ILLUSTRATION #2

Good

Poor

SAFETY FORUM · good time for some general talk about wires. Stainless steel wire dies from fatigue, damage, and/or corrosion. Metals become brittle and prone to breaking by repeated flexing. If the area flexed is concentrated, failure comes fairly quickly. The edge of a nico sleeve is a prime spot for sharp kinks. A kinked wire flexes at the kink every time tension tries to straighten the wire. Sooner or later, it frays. Wires terminated by a nico sleeve without a thimble to hold the end loop rigid are subject to flexing and (iilustration #2). failure. Several ProAirs have suffered frays in the cross bar restraint wire where it loops around the kingpost. This wire moves in flight and can be stressed if stowed poorly. I have replaced many Comet crossbar-tokingpost wires kinked during kingpost folding. At least the Comet is a double wire, so the restraint has a backup. Consider carefully the durability of the system on your glider and the presence of a redundant attachment. Most wirerestrained-crossbar gliders (Ducks, Magics, newer Visions, Sports, HPs, Comets) have double wires. Older Visions use but one wire, but it is lightly loaded and thimbled at both ends. I never met one frayed. The manufacturers give wires a 100 hour lifespan, but abuse seems to be the key factor. I have seen ancient Seahawks with original wires that could still haul a truck. Regular replacement is probably most critical for the heavily stressed, out-there-without-help lower side wires. Wills Wing recommends a wire test during preflight: put both hands on the leading edge between nose and crossbar, put one foot on the side wire and apply about 50 pounds downward pressure. A weak side wire will reveal its spineless nature. Even a single broken strand is unacceptable damage. Loss of a strand shifts load to other strands. The increased load breaks them shifting a progressively larger load to fewer overworked strands. A single fray propagates quickly to full failure. I repeat, even a single broken strand is sufficient damage to pack up for home! The most insidious abuse inflicted on gliders is beach flying - salt air and

sand. Great for Frankie Avalon, terrible for gliders. I guesstimate that one hour of beach air time is worth three hours of lifespan anywhere else. Do I sound biased? I am. Wash your glider throughly and often if you like the beach. Salt gets between tangs and tubes and gobbles aluminum. Sleeves and plugs weld shut. Sails turn into self-abusing sandpaper. And stainless steel wires corrode. Yes, stainless steel! The process is called intergranular stress corrosion. Chloride ions in solution will break the bonds between metal crystal plates at points of stress, like the point pinched by a nico sleeve (where our wires are weakest anyway). Also look for spiraling lines of brown under the coating of your wires. On some wires, a strand or two will come from the bottom of the bowl where the alloying compounds didn't get mixed. They get wet. They rust. They fray. Cut the coating off and flex the cable. A fray will pop up. Also twist the wire against the spiral. The wire will open up allowing frays on the inner cable to show. (IIlustration #3, wire construction.) All that and we are still at the nose plate! Let's move on to the leading edge. Real inspection for bends, dents and stress damage is difficult unless you can climb into your double surface. But there are few suprises. The pilot was usually there when the damage occurred. Dents aren't good anywhere, but they are least dangerous when they are within a foot or two of the tube end and on the tension side of a tube under bending stress (outside of a leading edge). Bends aren't good (they usually cause a turn), but the real baddies are the concentrated stress damage at the point where the inner sleeve ends. The sign of damage is a thin ring of haze in the anodized surface of the tube, where the surface has fractured like a piece of tempered glass. This damage often accompanies a bent leading edge. Some gliders are more susceptable to damage than others, depending on how the sleeve is finished. Some are "relieved" to distribute the stress better. My old Demon was the worst. I found crazing and my leading edge wasn't even bent! By studying your manual for tube layout details, you can determine where

to look. Our next station is the crossbar-leading edge junction. No inspection zippers? Tsk! Tsk! Look for wires flipped or twisted on their tangs; sometimes packing will push them out of place. Most wing bolts are safetied. If not - check them. Also check for wear on sail and batten pockets while you're there, a comman problem if bolt cover caps or protective sleeves are missing. Older single surface gliders (Ravens, Lancers, Lazors, Highsters, etc.) use long wing bolts that often get bent. At the wing tips wear is the big problem. Inspect sail attachment systems carefully. If a sail tip rips loose asymmetric sail tension will create one serious tum. Wills products tend to use a webbing loop around a pin that eventually wears. ProAir gliders used a web through a diecut adjuster plate. The plate can cut through the webbing from the inside if the cut edge is sharp. It's tough to inspect, but do! GTR's seem to wear out the tip wand string every 10 hours or so. Many gliders use some sort of tip adjuster plug that needs to be disassembled, cleaned and lubed occasionally if adjustment is in your future plans. Defined tip struts or washout tubes aren't often responsible for serious problems, since they only come into play in a pitch-over when other problems are more pressing. But they are a vital part of pitch recovery and should be kept in good shape. Comets and Harriers tend to bend the attachment bolts. Early Lancers and Superlancers have tubes that fail at the stop rivet if an inner sleeve is not used. Phoenix 6 series tends to fray the retention cable. Swinging around to the rear of the glider we come to the ribs. Ribs and battens seam to take a great deal of abuse without biting the owner. Bends anywhere short of an actual kink don't commonly progress to more serious failure. Tuning is important though. Several cases of Streaks tumbling were attributed to owners changing the camber of their ribs, without readjusting the luff line lengths to compensate. Judging by the shape of ribs I inspect at the shop, very few rib charts see the light of day.

HANG GLIDING

SAFETY FORUM ILLUSTRATION #3

ILLUSTRATION #4

Crosspar hinge bolt donut Wire Construction and Frays If they do, it is far too seldom. Out-ofshape ribs will cause turn, handling, and stability problems. At least match them side to side every time you set up. So much for packing them in neat separated piles. Keep them all in a heap, then match pairs as you separate left from right. Sail life is another hazy topic. Manufacturers estimate that 200 hours of actual flying time (plus associated set-up, hang waiting and breakdown time) significantly weakens the cloth. I've seen older sails that you still couldn't put a brick through, but they are looking ragged. I suspect we are fortunate that our wing loadings are low. Order of worry should be back to front. Accept no damage to the trailing edge. Stitching and cloth should be intact. Never fly a glider with a torn trailing edge fold. Look especially for damaged stitching around stress areas like the rear of the keel pocket and luff wire attachments. Early Ducks had one luff wire and a small triangular patch on the sail. They should be retrofitted with a larger half-circle patch. Older gliders in general might consider installing a length of 203 dacron leech line in the trailing edge fold to reinforce it. Holes or small tears in the rear single surface portion of the sail are bad but probably not catastrophic. Get them repaired. Holes in the double surface area are probably not dangerous if small. Tape them until you get them sewn up. Holes in the mylar pocket

NOVEMBER 1986

overlays are ugly, but not dangerous, although in some gliders the layer contributes significantly to sail shape. Always inspect all grommets for looseness or tearing. As noted earlier, don't overlook worn webbing. Batten pocket wear is usually more inconvenience than dangerous. The exception is tip damage. If the batten can slip through, the sail cannot be tensioned properly on most current gliders, and handling problems will result. Sorry, you are grounded. Now look at your luff wires or strings. At the trailing edge look for damaged grommets and frays on rusty split rings. Some Visions were built with nico sleeves over wires with the coating intact. Some slip. Give yours a good tug if suspect. Wires will also fray over poorly installed grommets with sharp edges in the center. Continuous wires running over a ring at the king post fray with realitively few hours collected. The best seem to be those arrangements with individual wires attached to a ring with a nico sleeve. Earlier wire talk applies here, though being thinner and more flexible, luff wires seem to take more abuse. Dacron luff strings seem to work fine. Just remember, they weaken with exposure to the sun. Next stop is the rear keel. Check all that crossbar haul back gear for fraying and damage. Comet rear wire bolts should have a safety ring installed. Several instances of the top wire tang

working the nut loose were reported several years ago. Remember my admonition about nuts without washers or safeties and active tangs? Long keel tubes beyond the rear wire attachment often accompany bent keels. Banging one corner of the control bar on the ground side loads and bends keels as well. On the Dream you can also expect a fractured keel at the rear wire bolt bushing underneath the tiny sleeve that should be 12" long instead of 2". Now examine the king post, top down. Missing caps on Javelins and early Visions can lead to broken fittings and loose top wires. Wills Raven caps fray top wires if the wire holes aren't carefully beveled. Delta Wing hangs top wires over slots cut in the top of the king post tubes. With little support area and sharp edges, wires fray, especially the front wire which supports the luff wire webbing in many cases. Get your shop to install a short sleeve of 1" x .083 tube in the king post to widen the area the wire rests on. File nice rounded slot bottoms. They you won't damage the new top wire being installed. Older Lancers and Seagulls with small plastic tops and external wire stops will fray wires if the stops are too close to the top. Leave a good 1A" on each side. If you fly a 160 Duck make sure a sleeve has been retrofitted in your king post. At the bottom of the king post examine haul back systems carefully. Demons and old Visions have a single wire through

SAFETY FORUM the king post. I've seen the Demon wire fray. Later Visions use a double wire on each side of the king post that chafes if a small split nylon tube is not installed over the wire as a guard. As noted earlier, Comets kink their crossbar wire if the thimbles are bolted hard against the king post preventing them from swiveling when the king post folds down. As also noted, ProAir crossbar wires have frayed and failed in several instances. Get them rebuilt with a looser redundant wire. Look for bent brackets and ovaled holes in the king post base. Dive under your diver and have a look at the control bar top area. We are looking for loose bolts and ovated holes. Wills Wing "E" brackets don't allow the control bar to fold when assembled. Though many have tried, few have succeeded in doing less than bending the heart bolt at best and crushing the keel tube and bushing at worst. Several arrangements (early Visions, Lancers, ProAirs) don't allow independent forward movement of the downtubes. Break one downtube and you have seriously damaged the fitting joining the two downtube tops. Flight Designs gliders tend to bend the bolt that joins the two downtube fittings to the multi-hole C.G. bracket. Delta Wing gliders tend to bend the downtube bracket. Later Visions bend joiner bolts. These problems aren't as dangerous as an overlooked wire fray, but get them fixed. While you're there take a hard look at the hang loop. Is it fraying over a sharp edge? Is the carabiner wearing a spot? Has it been years since it was renewed? Replace it. Then remove the sharp edges or rig some protection. Open the double surface and inspect the crossbar center hinge. No access? Get a zipper installed. Open the cover and look for missing safety rings on the hinge bolt, bent plates, ovaled holes, missing bolt protection caps, and frays or kinks in any attached wires. Magic plates are soft and eventually wear, allowing the corssbar to rise and wear into the nose batten pocket. Some early Vision 20's were found with bent bolts securing hinge plate to crosstube. The first double-haulwire Visions had haulwires

attached directly to a nylon spacer. They should all be retrofitted with wires connected to a tang. Ducks tend to wear the nose pocket (most quickly when bolt caps are missing). A C2-style nylon protection donut (used on Sports and HPs by Wills) might be a useful retrofit (illustration #4, nylon donut). Make sure Harrier Is have the swing arm stop wire and stop bolts installed to prevent accidental assembly with the swing arm behind the crossbar. Downtubes are a puzzle. Everyone knows that they are compression members and bends create dangerous out-of-column forces. Yet pilots continue

"Even a single broken strand is unacceptable damage. Loss of a strand shifts load to other strands. The increased load breaks them shifting a progressively larger load to fewer overworked strands. A single fray propagates quickly to full failure." to get away with flying ugly, pretzelled downtubes. It's your nightmare. Personally, I like fresh straight ones when the turbulence is taking me for a ride. Last stop on our left side inspection tour is the downtube/basetube junction. Look for bent brackets, ovaled holes, and frays. Run your fingers over the wire where it loops over the thimble. A fray will make its point. Look for damaged wire strands. Some mysterious galactic force pounds Javelin wires near the thimbles. I have never identified the culprit, but the damage isn't pretty. Twist the wires against the spiral to reveal inner frays between the nico sleeves and

outboard of the outer nico. Wills Wing wires kinked enough to break the heat shrink cover should be considered dangerous. Several gliders run all three wires around the same eyebolt, and the thimbles can chafe neighbor wires. GTR shackles allow the wires to chafe against the downtubes, at least during set-up. I haven't seen actual damage, but a protective piece of vinyl tubing would make me sleep better at night. On those fancy faired downtube arrangements, study with much skepticism where the wires exit the tube. Contact with wire strands is not kool. Many thimble/shackle arrangements allow glider tensioning when the wire is twisted funny. The thimble is distorted into terrible shapes and the wire health compromised. Use never-kink or bungee or vinyl tubing or some more sophisticated contrivance to keep things straight. That completes half the inspection. Don't forget the other wing. Before I close this discussion, several general comments deserve time. First, become more aware of the feel of your glider during set-up. If it tensions harder than yesterday perhaps a wire is twisted, or the top rear wire is wrapped around the top side wire. Stop before something is damaged. How does it feel. Are the wires getting loose? Did that hard nosein stretch something? Batten tensions feel normal? Is the crossbar rising higher than it used to? Your glider will clue you to many problems. And last, but not least, talk to other pilots. Talk to anyone who owns or is familiar with your glider model. Why suffer the same failures some other pilot has already discovered? You may encounter some wild false rumors, but better to sort those out than be caught by ignorance of a common problem. The USHGA is working to develop some sort of clearinghouse of glider advisories, but until a system is established you would be well advised to compare notes with fellow pilots when the moments are idle. Others involved in safety, inspection and maintenance have expressed a desire to contribute to this discussion. I hope this article is just the lead in a continuing forum of equipment safety issues. •

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Side view of motm· home and glider traveling

photos about 50% of my time have to take my toys with on the road I me if I expeet to get any use out of them. glider, makSince my favorite toy is my ing it comfortable as a permanent resident of the top of the motor home (when not flying) some nr,,hl,•n,c For most of the year the glider had to remain safe and relatively untouched by rain, sun, ozone, vibration and temperature extremes and an awsome array from diesel fumes of to concentrated smashed Jmcc. first attempt at a solution (a tube made from schedule 80 PVC with cud caps) looked and worked great on top of the Ford van I saw at California, because access. it didn't have to tilt or move for a 10" x 20' only to Alas, I discover that I'd probably suffer a double 14

fules Gilpatrick

hernia the mn of it from atop the motor home. next try was double bagging. This to be a far more practical solution for and it on the motor home's high roof, but the second (an old raven 209 bag) still had its shortFor one thing, it was fairly porous and filled up with water in rainstorms, which soaked through the inner bag a lot faster than often leaving me with a wet after it stopped raining. Furthcnnorc, it was a "baker" bag. Its color absorbed much of the radiation from the sun, the glider to really heat up dur-· ing the day. The constant exposure soon rotted the fabric on the bag and l found myself it once or twice a year. having to After talking to a couple of sailmakers who flew at Elsinore, I worked up a basic design

for the bag I really needed but couldn't find commercially. My "ideal" bag would have to have a high resistance to ultraviolet, ozone and chemical attack, be fairly water-tight and the fabric itself would have to be tough enough to take the wear from handling, bouncing and chafing over thousands of miles as I made my rounds from the Mexican to the Canadian borders and back. Since dacron did not seem to hold up I decided to try a white nylon fabric. A search of a large tent and awning store in San Leandro, California, uncovered a heavy, coarse-weave nylon fabric used to make "slinger" bags for throwing excavated earth out of deep holes, called "420 denier ballistic nylon cloth." Its color is "white" white which I felt would get close to the of reflectivity I was looking for. HANG GLIDING

BELOW: The author with his favorite toy. Details of joint between two survival blankets (under the white nylon doth) and the sewn on to reinforce the joint.

ABOVE: llront tie-down with dual ropes and neoprene sponge pad.

Because the fabric was so coarse it was ob· vious that a standard spray-on waterprc>olwouldn't close the pores. 'fo solve that I decided to make a elem· hie shell out of the fabric and put a wa.terpn)()t liner in between. At first was but one a closet I discovered a of thin foam "survival" blankets I'd up at an auction months before. These blankets consist of thin sheets of plastic foam with even thinner plastic "skin" on either side to them One of the skins is like a metalized mylar film with very rellec:tivitv. Its for my was too obvious to pass up, esJJecrnlly with the thought of putting the metalized side out to increase ultraviolet ref]ectivitv even more. About 21 foci of bulk NOVEMBER 1986

nylon with double slides, a friend with access to a commercial sewing machine and the was a in about a week. to ride Since the Attack Duck is with the up, I simply reverse the per position on the outer bag when putting it over the Wills factory bag. This comcovers the factory bag and fairly well ensures a pretty watertight seal. in some fairly heavy rain for hundreds of miles at a time the glider remained dry. The white exterior and reflective liner the cool, even on the hottest in addition to completely pro· it from the ravages of ozone and ultraviolet rays, not to mention a fair amount of the aforementioned highway "yuk". The washes right along with the rest of the vehicle. I was told that nylon would shrink in the sunlight so I cut it as generously as

I could. So far, however, there has been lit· tie if any shrinkage. Based on its appearance after nearly eight months of constant exposure to the elements it's going to be protecting my glider for a long, long time.

CONSTRUCTION

Materials 60" wide 420 denier ballistic nylon cloth cut about a foot longer than the folded length of your glider. (Possible source: most any tent and awning company.) Four thin foam "survival" blankets approximately 60" x 80". (Possible source: any sporting goods store specializing in camping, hiking and mountain climbing equipment.) A heavy-duty nylon zipper with double slides about the same length as your folded glider. (Possible source: the same tent 15

and awning company. Also, mountain climbing equipment shops and some hang gliding shops.)

Equipment A sewing machine, preferably a heavyduty commercial machine. A table or other relatively clean flat space to lay out your materials for fabrication. A hot knife. (This is almost imperative. I originally used a scissors but the fraying that occurs almost ended the project and I finally had to go back and fuse the edges of the nylon with a small torch.)

Fabrication 1. Fold the nylon double lengthwise and hot knife along the folded edge to make two 30" wide lengths. 2. Place the survival blankets end to end with the shiny metallic side up, on top of one of the 30" wide halves of nylon. Be sure the edges of the survival blankets butt up against each other. Tack them in place with a little glue or stitching. 3. Place the other 30" wide nylon half on top of the survival blankets, sandwiching the blankets between the two nylon lengths. Tack all three components together and trim the survival blankets even with the edges of the nylon. Be sure to mark on the top layer of nylon with a pencil line the exact place each blanket meets with the next blanket. 4. Sew the 30" edges with one or two seams of polyester thread. 5. Sew a strip of nylon webbing over each seam mark (the pencil line in step 3) using two parallel seams. Be sure that one seam is over each adjoining edge of the survival blanket. 6. Stitch up the long edge by sewing a strip of zipper to each. 7. Fold the bag so that the zipper edges meet and the nylon webbing is on the inside. Mount the zipper slides upside down, starting one on each end (so that the toggle is on the inside of the bag when zipped) and carefully zip up the bag so the two slides meet in the middle. Be sure to securely fasten the zipped ends so that the zipper does not come apart behind the slides. 8. Sew each end of the bag closed with two or three seams of polyester thread. 9. Turn the bag inside out. You should now have a finished "bag for all seasons"

with all the seams on the inside and the zipper pulls (toggles) outside along with the nylon webbing strips. Although I'm very high on Wills Wing products I added the name not because I was interested in doing free advertising for them but because of the regular questions about what type of glider came in a white bag. The letters were cut from the same material Wills uses for its "Duck" logo. They stick on but we sewed them for added security.

MY PERSONAL EXPERIENCE WITH HIGH-MILEAGE GLIDER TOTING As I mentioned at the beginning of the article, I do a lot of traveling for a living. Because of this the best way for me to fully utilize my glider is to take it with me wherever I go. I drive about 40,000 miles a year and that's about the same mileage that the glider gets, bagged and tied on top of my motor home. The middle two-thirds of the folded glider is the part resting on the motor home roof. The roof is too short to support the entire glider so I try to make sure that as much of the glider as possible is supported on and aft of the control bar connection. I use a one-foot length of one inch thick neoprene sponge under the glider at three equidistant points along its length. One is immediately under the control bar saddle at the front, another is at the center under the folded e.g. where both zipper slides meet, and the last at the rear extreme of the supported length. I tie the glider fairly tightly around its girth at these points so that it cannot roll, bounce or shift in transit. The tiedown ropes are wrapped around the neoprene sponge pieces so that the sponge acts as a cushion between the glider bag and the rope, as well as a cushion between the glider and the roof. I highly recommend a nylon rope for this type of extended outdoor exposure. In my experience it far outlasts polypropylene and is not nearly as subject to deterioration from the elements. I used to use polypropylene until one day when I lost a glider at 55 mph on the Carquinez straits bridge after a strong side gust of wind. The deterioration under the sun weakened the 3/8" polypropylene without any noticeable outside indication, and it simply parted under the force of the wind. I've had no trouble with the nylon but I still change them every year, just in case. As a result of the above mentioned loss I started using double front ropes, two

separate and independently tied ropes around the front tie-down, so that one acts as a safety back-up to the other. Sudden gusts from cross-winds or passing trucks are amazingly powerful and will tend to move the glider at that point. A single rope at the rear is more than adequate for the forces aft of the front tie-down. Based on recommendations of the manufacturers and sailmakers I try scrupulously to keep my sail and bag free of sand and grit so as to minimize the amount of abrasion that could contribute to excessive wear from the constant jiggling of a moving vehicle. The foregoing outlined practices have seen two gliders safely through well over 140,000 miles since 1978 without any wear that could be attributed to the rigors of constant transporting and exposure to all kinds of weather. My current glider is almost two years old and has spent the vast majority of its life traveling in this manner. It still looks pretty new despite nearly 70,000 miles as a "gypsy" wing. As a matter of fact it just underwent its annual inspection (complete sail-pull and inside-out examination including all frame components) at Chandelle in Pacifica, California where Charlie Whitehill and Wally Anderson pronounced it in excellent condition. I think the following practices help tremendously in maintaining long sail and component life under conditions of constant outdoor exposure and transport. 1. Keeping the sail and the bag clean and as free from abrasive particles as possible, and folding the glider and bagging as soon as possible after flying to minimize sail exposure to the elements. 2. Protecting it from ozone and ultraviolet attack with a good reflective double bag system. 3. Taking EXTREME care when rolling up the sail to ensure that it is rolled as smoothly and as free from wrinkles as you can make it. 4. Keeping it tightly secured during transit with adequate cushioning for the heavier bumps. I think the growing practice of our fellow European pilots in the use of ladders as glider racks is a variation on the support theme outlined above. I hope one of them will write of their experiences with this method of transport and include any other information they could provide on practices that will sustain maximum glider life during transport and constant outdoor storage.

HANG GLIDING

USHGA REPORTS

Accident Report -Stewart Smithby Dennis Fagen

Any time a fellow pilot is seriously or fatally injured it is a period of soulsearching and insecurity for the entire hang gliding community. Stewart Smith was such a well-known and expert pilot that these emotions are particularly magnified. I will leave the tribute to Stewart to those who flew with him on a day-to-day basis and concentrate only on the cause of his accident. My purpose in writing this report is two-fold: first, there may be something we can learn to prevent similar accidents and secondly, we need to remove as much mystery as we can from the incident in order to stop rumors and allay unfounded fears. I believe Stew would want it that way. Unfortunately, we will never know exactly why the accident occurred due to the observation problems (more on this later). However, we can list the probable causes. I personally interviewed all the people who witnessed the accident and have put together their observations here. The conclusions are my own based on these individual reports. Stewart was fatally injured when his glider struck an embankment in the landing field at Grandfather Mountain during the Masters of Hang Gliding meet. Stewart had finished a pylon course on the mountain and was free to land at his leisure. He flew back over takeoff to inquire about conditions in the landing NOVEMBER 1986

zone and was informed that conditions were light with a slight switch of wind directions. This report had been sent up by a competitor in the landing field about 15 seconds earlier. Stewart flew out with a number of pilots to land. Because of the bouyant conditions over the landing field, pilots could choose thier landing times. Stewart descended about midway through the sequence. Stewart set up his approach along the south side of the field and made a left turn to land into the wind on the field. His turn began with a pull in and a roll motion to the side which resulted in a 30 to 40 degree bank and a nose down attitude. The turn continued smoothly with increasing steepness until the glider hit the embankn1ent about four feet below the top. Stewart's body disappeared from the pilots observing in the landing field because of the banked maneuver. Also, the impact was not witnessed as it occurred below the rim of the embankment. Massive brain damage indicated that Stewart's head received a major blow which leads us to believe that he was still prone when the impact occurred.

CONTRIBUTING FACTORS As best we can determine, there were three factors contributing to Stewart's accident. The first is that he most likely

was fatigued from a week of little sleep. Stewart had spent the previous week finishing up the rules and organization for the Masters meet. I arrived a couple of days before the accident and know that Stew only had about three hours sleep the night before the meet started as we were revising the rules. A day of rain allowed him to get some rest, but I doubt if he was 100% during this fatal first-round flight. We will never know if fatigue was a factor in Stew's death, but it could have been. The second factor concerns conditions in the landing area. Stew had close to 1,000 flights at Grandfather Mountain as an exhibition pilot and was well acquainted with the possibility of turbulence in the landing zone. This turbulence is due to the field's position next to a drop off, trees surrounding the field, the existence of embankments within the open area and the potential for thermal generation. A pilot landing 30 seconds before Stew experienced turbulence that threatened to turn him into the trees. Pilots landing prior to this and after Stew indicated no untoward turbulence. Pilots in the landing field witnessed light winds during Stewart's landing. Finally, pilots watching Stew's approach saw no sudden change of direction or wing movement to indicate control problems due to gusts. With these conflicting reports it is only fair to say that conditions were apparently changing. We can only conclude that conditions may have been a factor due to sink on the downwind side of the embankment in the area of Stew's approach. If this sinking air was in fact present, his diving turn may have lost a lot more altitude than Stewart expected. The third factor is the one which I believe is the major cause of the accident. Stewart had modified his glider by hanging from the kingpost two inches higher than the factory stock position. Stewart was flying a Sensor B with a 100% Mylar sail. Stewart weighed about 132 pounds and his light wing loading coupled with the stiffer sail cloth reduced his handling capabilities. The higher hang point reduced his roll pressures.

Stewart also removed the tail fin that comes stock on the Sensor B. The purpose of this ta ii fin is to provide yaw stability during a slipping maneuver. Stew removed it because he felt it reduced his ability to tum into a thermal. This may be the case since a thermal lifting a wing will cause a glider to slip and then yaw away from the thermal. However, I consider the tail fin to be an important device on the Sensor B of sweep due to its relatively low and thus reduced yaw stability. I personally would not fly without the tail fin. As a further modification, Stew added a Pitchy (a device to reduce pitch pressures). The rear of the Pitchy was attached to the normal kingpost hang strap and the front was attached to the keel just behind the control bar. The rear hang strap (from the kingpost) was held back by a Kevlar line to the rear of the keel to provide the proper separation of the pitchy straps and to adjust the trim speed. Stewart had been flying with the Pitchy set-up for some weeks, but just before the meet he had moved up the kingpost one inch and tested this position with a fi vc-minute sled ride in smooth conditions. Rich Pfeiffer flew a similar glider in the contest with a similar Pitchy setup with the exception that he was hang·ing one inch lower than Stew on the kingpost. After Stew's accident, Rich reported an unusual pitch response with his glider. When the nose was pushed up, it was hard to get it down. When the nose dropped, it was slow to recover. This made me suspicious, so we inspected Rich's set up with him hanging in the glider and it became apparent that both he and Stew had their Pitchys set up improperly. Both Pitchys were set up about four inches too far back which allowed six inches of (virtual) attachment point too far aft. One problem with a too far aft e.g. (center of gravity) in any aircraft is that the aircraft will become unstable in pitch. With a Pitchy, the aft e.g. will only occur if the pilot is pushed out or the nose of the glider gets knocked up by a gust. This seems to parallel Rich's 18

Stewart Smith, Grandfather Mt. flight director, four-time U.S. World Team member and silver medalist in the 1983 FAI World Championship.

experience. Putting this evidence all together, this is what I believe happened in Stew's accident. He made his approach fast and high (agreed upon by all observers), perhaps to allow extra control and to dive through any expected turbulence. He initiated a left diving turn. This tmn had some slipping component (the amount of slip varies with the observer, but -the fact remains that all turns in a hang glider initially include a slipping component). In a slipping tum, a pitch control movement will not necessarily raise the nose but will increase the rate of turn. Only when the glider yaws into the direction of the tum and rolls out will normal pitch response return. I believe Stew pushed out at some point in his descending turn which put his center of mass close to the center of drag forces that arc responsible for your stability. A rearward e.g. not only compromises pitch stability but reduces yaw stability as well. The net resnlt in this case would be for the glider to remain in a slipping, diving turn for much longer than expected. The glider did not appear to alter its

progress into an increasingly steeper diving turn, nor did it appear to be affected by any control inputs which we can only assume Stew was attempting. This points to an insurmountable stability problem. Observers such as Gerard Thevenot of La Mouette and Bill Moyes of Moyes Delta agree that Stew's Pitchy was set up improperly with the likelihood of a stability problem. I wish to point out here that the sta·· bility of the Sensor B is not implicated in this accident, and any glider modified as Stew's was may exhibit the same problem. Stew's light wing loading may have been an additional contributing factor as reduced washout reduces yaw stability. I personally fly a 100% Mylar Sensor B and have detected no yaw or pitch stability problems during some 90 hours of air time on the glider which includes many slipping turns. Not everyone will agree upon the exact cause of Stewart's accident. However, all the pilots at a fornm held to probe the causes of the accident agreed that the three factors were the only ones of importance. Any disagreement was on the significance of each factor. The main point to learn from Stew's death is that none of us are immune to judgement errors. Stew made the comment before the flight that he didn't know how the Pitchy set-up worked, but it gave him the response he wanted. Furthermore, his actions at takeoff before he went out to land indicated to some observers that he was overly worried about the landing, possibly due to a control problem with the glider during the earlier part of the flight. If, in fact, the improperly set up Pitchy was the main factor in Stew's accident, I believe it was only a matter of time before he either modified the set-up or an accident occur·· red. Unfortunately for all of us, the latter outcome prevailed. We will miss you Stew.

Editor's Note: An article explaining proper set up of all pitch enhancing devices will be forthcoming. Any modification of any hang glider is potentially dangerous and should be approved by the appropriate manufacturer.

HANG GLIDING

What a - howo.ff!

The Masters by Rich Pfeiffer

Once again, the Masters of Hang Gliding attracted the top international field to enter any U.S. competition. Leading pilots came from Canada, England, Austria, France, Mexico, Japan, and Australia as well as the United States; Only Steve Moyes, John Pendry, and Bob Bier were missing.

THE PRELIMINARIES For the preliminary rounds, the 24 pilots were seeded and divided into three groups as evenly as possible. The primary format of the meet was to fly cross country with the longest flight in each group earning 2,000 points. When conditions didn't permit cross country flight the pilots competed either one-onone for 100 points in duration or pylon course contests, or if conditions improved somewhat, in groups of four for 1,000 points over a pylon course. Scores were normalized (adjusted to remove the effects of flying in one group versus another). After seven rounds, the top three pilots in each group qualified 20

for the finals. Each finalist's score was divided by three as he entered the finals to devalue the preliminaries.

GROUP A Randy Haney (Canada), Jim Bamford (Canada), and Mark Newland (Australia) were the top three finishers in group A. Close behind but not qualifying for the finals were Mark Dunn(U.S.A.) and Helmut Lorenzoni (Austria). GROUP B After winning his flight on the first round, Stew Smith of the U.S.A. crashed on landing and later died. Dave Thomson, also of the U.S.A., flew in Stew's place for the remainder of the meet. Gerard Thcvenot of France won round 5 (a 2,000-point cross country flight) with a flight nearly four times as long as the next longest flight, made by Peter Harvey of England. Most pilots felt that it must have been luck that allowed Gerard to stay in the air while flying through a "blue hole" into a 30-mph quartering headwind. Later flights, they assumed, would even out this "luck"

factor. Gerard and Pet.er both qualified for the finals from group B, as did Hcrrbie Kuhr of Austria. Miguel Gutierrez of Mexico was a close 4th. GROUP C Group C produced the U.S. contingent to the finals: me (having won all seven flights - brag, brag, brag), Jim Lee, and Randy Adams. We were followed closely by Russell Duncan of Australia. Terry Wilkins of the U.S.A. suffered a back injury in round 5; Doug Rice, also of the U.S.A., substituted for him thereafter.

THE FINALS Before the finals began, Bubba Goodman dropped Stew's ashes from his glider. The finals involved six rounds. Depending on conditions, either groups of three pilots competed for 150 points in a duration or pylon contest, or groups of nine pilots flew cross country competing for 2,250 points. Rounds 1-3 Conditions dictated "groups of three" HANG GLIDING

fortunately, he made a poor selection, landed 100 feet off the ground in a tree which couldn't support him and which, to make matters worse, was at the top of a 30 foot cliff. He and the glider fell to the ground and rolled down the cliff into a river. Herrbie, miraculously, was unhurt. The glider? Well, he was able to salvage the king post and half a leading edge. After the round I asked Gerard which route he had taken, hoping to learn how he had managed his spectacular flight. He wasn't sure which landmarks he had flow over because, "I was watching and flying the sky, not the ground." He also mentioned that he had been ce11ain he had lost the round because he had landed at 4:30. He figured that the winner would fly until sunset. In other words, while the rest of us were counting miles, he was paying attention to the sun. Hmmm ...

competition during rounds l, 2, and 3. Little changed in the standings except that Randy Haney pulled into a slight lead.

Round 4 The fourth round was a cross country flight with the requirement that a minimum of two pilots achieve at least miles; the round would not count otherwise. l launehed first and stayed below launch for 20 minutes before thermalling to cloud base at 8,500 feet. By this time the wind was 90 cross and blowing down. Randy tried to talk the other pilots into not launching so that the round would be cancelled. Since he was in the lead and all the other pilots needed to catch up, he was the only one who didn't want to fly and his efforts to get the round cancelled were unsuccessfol. Next to launch was Jim Lee who immediately climbed to cloud base. When it became apparent that the round would count, the rest of the pilots launched. landed after launching but and was able to get up. took a I had a head start of almost an hour and a half on the rest of the field. However, a convergence set up later and everyone but Herrbie Kuhr and Randy passed me. Gerard outclassed the field with was a 40- 1/2 mile flight. Peter second with a 35.25 mile flight. Thevenot and finishing 1-·2 again? Most pilots began to consider that maybe it wasn't just luck after all ...

Round The fifth round involved another cross NOVEMBER 1986

Round 6 The final round had little effect on the standings; the only change was that Jim Lee exchanged his seventh spot for Randy Adams' sixth spot.

:nNAL STANDINGS AND PRIZES The final standings and winnings were:

country flight with another big win by ... you guessed it, Gerard Thevenot. The difference this time was that he was closely followed by Herrbie Kuhr. The flight catapulted Herrbie into second place and put Gerard well out of reach of the rest of the field. Herrbie's flight also produced the most spectacular landing of the meet. When the landing field he thought he had spotted turned out not to be there, he was forced to make a tree landing. Un-

Pilot

Country

Glider

Prize

Thcvcnot

France

Hermes

Kuhr Harvey Bamford Newland Lee Adams

Austria

S.P.

$5.000 2,500

England Canada Australia U.S.A. U.S.A.

Magic Magic

Sensor

Pfeiffer

U.S.A.

Sensor

Haney

Canada

Magic

GTR GTR

1,2()() 900 700 600 500 400 300

In addition, each pilot competing in the meet received a $100 show-up fee, bringing the total purse to $14,500. Six pilots also won Grandfather Mountain Eagle awards (for flights of 20 miles (continued on page 24)

swarm like bees over the Mile Swinging on Grandfather Mt., NC. LEFT: Gerard Thevenot of Dijon, France, several times European champion, makes his final launch to take first place and $5,000. Photos Hugh Morton. Peter us an aerial view from his Magic. Photo by David Klutho. 21

or more from Grandfather) during the meet: Gerard Thevenot (three times), Randy Adams, Jim Bamford, Herrbie Kuhr, Mark Newland, and Jim Lee.

SPECIAL THANKS The meet would not have been possible without its sponsors, Grandfather Moun-· tain and Piedmont Airlines, and the following people: Hugh Morton Dennis Pagcn Bubba Goodman Salley ("Charlie") McKee Charles Hooper

Meet Chairman Meet Director Assislanl Meet Director Chier Scorer Chief Landing Judge

Piedmont Airlines is due an additional "thanks" for providing complimentary and flights for all foreign their equipment within the United States.

SOME EDITORIAL COMMENTS The outcome of the '86 Masters raises some troubling questions. Could one pilot be so lucky or is he simply that good? Is it a coincidence that the highest placed U.S. pilot, Jim Lee (on a foreign yet), finished sixth and that only in the three U.S. pilots earned finals? There were eleven lJ. S. pilots in the meet, after all half the field. What is the reason for this rather dismal performance by U.S. pilots against pilots from other nations? Arc their pilots and/or equipment really that superior to ours? I believe at least a partial cause is that our Competition Points (CPS) in some ways works against preparing our for competition. First of all, foreign pilots aren't worth many CPS points because they have to compete in U.S. meets to earn them and one meet a year (which most foreign pilots enter, at best) won't do it. Therefore, U.S. pilots have less incentive to fly pilots. The situation is understandable, but it seems to me measure like granting a that a foreign pilot a certain number of CPS points for having flown in established international competitions such as the World Meet would help. Secondly, meets flown in less-thanideal conditions rate poorly in the CPS, discouraging pilots from entering them,

top to bottom: Jim I.ee, Mark Newland, Jim Bamford, Peter Rich Pfeiffer, Adams, Gerard Thevenot, Herbie Kuhr.

while pilots in other parts of the world fly and compete in all types of condi .. tions. This year's Masters would have been worth almost nothing if Mike Meier hadn't "waived" the 20-mph rule. (Which raises some other troubling questions. If he has the power to waive this rule, why hasn't he waived it con.. sistently? Why didn't he waive it for Dave Thompson who earned just 11 points for winning his regionals or for Randy Adams who earned only 32 points for winning his? And the overriding question: Should one person have the power to waive rules of the CPS which chooses our World 'foam?) The Masters gave us just a small sam.. pie of what our World Team will have to

face in Australia. Pendry, Moyes, and Bier may have missed the Masters but you can bet they won't miss the World Meet. Ill

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Approach Basics article and illustrations by Rob McKenzie

PURPOSE: The purpose of an approach is to maneuver your glider such that when you reach ground level you are flying straight and level, over a safe landing area, into the wind and with sufficient airspeed for a proper crescendo.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION For many decades aviation has adopted a convention for approaches called the "Aircraft Approach." Figure 1 is a top view of this approach. Conventional aircraft have glide slope aids such as flaps, spoilers and rudder-aileron slip ability so that the pilot need merely to "drive" his craft through the pattern and adjust his glide slope as needed to land at the proper place. Hang gliders are inherently more difficult to land than conventional aircraft since they have very little glide slope control. The exact positioning of a hang glider on base leg and timing of the last turn onto final approach is extremely important. The best hang glider approach into most landing areas is the aircraft approach as described above, but with extra altitude to prepare for en-route sink. Should lift be encountered instead, the excess altitude should be "burned off' by doing multiple base legs in a figure "8" pattern until low enough to

turn only final approach. Landing areas that allow an aircraft approach from only one side, like Sylmar California's right-hand pattern, are not very conducive to the "multiple base" approach, and therefore require a greater skill level to monitor proper altitude loss on the downwind and base leg portions of the approach. Remember that the multiple base approach is designed to teach beginners the aircraft approach, yet allow them a way to burn off excess altitude during base leg(s) so that they may begin the approach with plenty of altitude and not be caught short part way through the approach. Several high altitude flights in smooth consistent air should be enough for the average student to learn the aircraft approach without multiple base legs, however in unstable conditions where there are moment-to-moment changes in lift, sink and winds, the multiple base approach is usually the only way for even highly advanced pilots to hit small landing areas.

the beginning of downwind leg, the target will appear at about a 45 ° angle down from the horizon. 2. Tum onto base leg when downwind of the target a distance of "D" feet, where; D = 500 ft. - [20 x WINDSPEED (MPH)]

3. Fly base leg reversing directions as illustrated in Fig. 2. 4. Turn onto final when at the proper glide slope from the target. The slope of final glide is a fucntion of the LID of your glider and the amount of headwind. FINAL GLIDE SLOPE = GLIDER LID HEADWIND (MPH) x GLIDER LID GLIDER AIRSPEED (MPH)

5. Minimum airspeed on final glide should be calculated as,

THE SCIENCE OF THE APPROACH:

MINIMUM AIRSPEED = STALL SPEED

1. Begin downwind leg about 300 ft. crosswind of the target at between 400 and 600 ft. above ground level. As you develop more experience gradually reduce the entry altitude to about 250 ft. and position slightly closer to the target such that at

+ 5 + WINDSPEED

__________-_-_,- ~~~ -

(_-_-

DOWNWIND

\ I

- -,

'BASE

+BASE -DOWNWIND - -------

a. LEFT-HAND PATIERN

FIG.

NOVEMBER 1986

---+~--/

1: CONVENTIONAL

'-----------b. RIGHT-HAND PATTERN

AIRCRAFT

APPROACH

FINAL

SURFACE WINDS

& APPROACHES

( FIG. 2) TOP VIEW 15 MPH WIND

~ N O CRAB

II~ ANGLE ~

ON BASE LEGS '2.

SIDE VIEW

TERRAIN ;o NORT/.1 I-IORIZON LINE

1 ERRAIN TO SOUT/.1

DELTA WIN&

Accessories As an illustration of the formulae let's perform the calculations for a glider with a 10 to I glide at 20 mph with an 8 mph wind in the landing area. Turn from downwind to base leg when (500-20X8)=340 feet downwind of the target. Effective final glide is

8 X 10

= 6 to 1. 20 Assuming a stall speed of 18 mph, the minimum airspeed on final approach should be

10 -

18 + 5 +

Yl mph.

3. Once onto final approach make sure that you are flying fast enough to descend through the wind gradient and still have airspeed for the level-off and crescendo flare.

WHAT ABOUT AIR TRAFFIC ON APPROACH? 1. Avoid shooting an approach with someone else by recognizing that the conflict exists when you are several hundred feet above ground level, and then taking the initiative to land first, by flying 30 mph or faster for 15 or 20 seconds to put yourself at least 100 ft. below the other guy.

If you don't know what a 6 to 1 glide ratio looks like then drop an object at your feet and pace off 2 steps for each point in glide that is to be demonstrated; in this case a 6 to 1 glide would be 12 paces. Turn and look at the object you dropped. If this exercise is done on flat level ground then the angle down from the horizon to see the object is a close approximation of what the target will look like on final with our 10 to 1 glider into an 8 mph headwind.

THE ART OF THE APPROACH In time the novice pilot should be able to throw away the approach equations and do it just by "eye." In fact many students do it by eye quite successfully right from the beginning. It should therefore be the goal of all student pilots to develop a feel for positioning, direction of travel and the motion of the air around them as soon as possible in the learning process. COMMON MISTAKES 1. In light or no wind, beware of the tendency to undershoot base leg roll-outs and as such cause S-turning closer to the landing area on successive base legs. (Remember to do a full 220 degrees of turn between each base leg.) 2. In strong winds beware of the tendency to overbank and overshoot turns between base legs. Remember that a 15 mph wind means a 50 ° crab angle on base leg and that the turn between base legs in such a case need only be about 80 degrees in the air to cause a 180 ° change of ground track direction.

NOVEMBER 1986

2. Should two pilots be at essentially the same altitude and find that they are (or are soon to be) on base leg, they should make synchronous parallel approaches. This means that first pilot A follows pilot B on one base leg, then they both turn at the same time and pilot B follows pilot A on the next base leg. Separation between pilots should typically be 100 to 200 feet. Note that both pilots will do slightly shorter figure 8s resulting in slightly more downwind component on each base leg. Turn on final when you think it's time, not when the other pilot does. When on final steer to your side of the landing area to give lots of room to the other pilot.

CONCLUSION If you are in the novice stages of hang gliding looking for your first high altitude flights, apply the approach equations for your landing area in a variety of common wind conditions. Pick out landmarks like trees, fences, etc. that can be used as easy references from the air. Do this BEFORE you fly so that when you are flying you can concentrate on developing an "EYE" for your approach. All pilots should remember only to glance every 10 seconds or so at the windsock and other air traffic (more often if conditions are switchy or if air traffic is heavy) and that the majority of your concentration should be on the target. Once you are on final approach and have pulled in for speed to punch through the gradient, forget about the target and concentrate on HOW you'll land, since WHERE you'll land has already been determined and landing with both feet on the spot is rarely worth a broken downtube or possible injury.•

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DEALER INQUIRIES INVITED

Ken Godwin Incumbent l'm a Civil who took early retirement last year and I'm enjoying ·it. From 1943 to 1946 I was in the Royal Canadian Air force. Highest rank achieved was Pilot Officer, l is one of the most active in our system, My goal is to conduct the activities of USHGA in a fair and equitable manner in our area. My interests and the focus of my efforts will be directed toward: L The development and the retention of existing and new sites (working with governmental bodies), 2. The promotion of hang gliding as an international sport (Currently work· ing on our participation in the Seattlebased "Goodwill Games" and "Pacific Rim Countries Games".)

Nominee Hi, I am Jay Busby and l am in my fifth year of flying hang gliders. I hold

an advanced rating and am a USHGA Observer and Instructor. I have been very active in FclJow Feathers the Fort Funston pilots association currently serving in my second year as president. As Director of Region I intend to hold annual Observers' meetings, I will attend your club meetings and present yom ideas to the board of directors. Remember the lJSHGA is a grass roots organization where your participation really counts. So get out there and do something! Send in your ballot and vote for me, Jay Busby,

Nominee Walt Work. Hard work, and commitment. That is what makes up a good Regional Director. These arc principles that I have always tried to live by in both my professional and personal lives, Last year I ran for your Regional Director. I withdrew from the running because l was informed of some dirty politics being done on my behalf. I will not be a party to these types of goings

on, If a race cannot be won fairly, then it should be lost. I do want to be your Director, I have been working for the USHGA for many years and will continue to do so for many more. I want your vote because you have confidence in me to do a good job. You arc the USHGA, not a group of guys who meet twice a year. Your voice is what must be heard, Let us keep hang gliding on the map, Let us put the "fun" back in the sport, and the spirit that soared through the minds of those who have gone on before will be forever im· planted in the minds of all who come in contact with "the sport of the free." l hold a Masters rating and have been flying Jor 12 years, I have been elected by the Board as an Honorary Director, Now J want to vote and be your voice. Take the few seconds to fill out the ballot. Don't let another year go by with only 20% turnout. VOTE. And while you're at iL , ,vote for Walt Dodge, , , Region 1

HANG GUDJN(}

Please Write In A Candidate

Steve

Nominee

First participated in hang gliding in 1973 by building my own gliders. Active involvement in Southern California has included the following roles: club safety director, two years club newsletter editor, public relations for hang gliding fund raisers for charity, member of organizational committee for local competitions and this year's regionals. Experience in competition includes the Owen's Valley XC meets, SoCal League meet, Regionals and '86 Nationals. three needs a director that is closely in touch with its members so current information concerning as many aspects of our sport as possible is heard by the board. Policies and decisions by the board need to be made available to the members equally as readily. This can be accomplished with a regular newslet·· ter to the local clubs, dealers and manufacturers stating the issues before the board. As a representative of region three, T will make a determined effort to be sure that this information flow occurs and is maintained. Our organization can and will grow stronger on both the local and national level with good communication. Only by working together can we assure the future of our sport.

Rod Schmidt

Nominee

Nominee (or Region 3 Director, Mr. Rod Schmidt has been a pilot for 13 years. He started flying in 1974 with an "Flexi Flyer" 18-foot standard, seated. He taught beginners lessons for

NOVEMBER 1986

the "Hang Glider Shop" in La Habra, Calif. in 1975 and 1976. He was among the first pilots to fly Cerro Gord(> in the Owens Valley. Mr. Schmidt learned to soar at places like the Lookout at Lake Elsinore and Little Mountain in San Bernardino places that have long since closed to us. He emigrated to the Owens Valley after flying Walt's Point in 1977. It took several years to accomplish the move, but for the past 5 years he bas been living in Lone Pinc or thereabouts. He is currently living in the Whitney Portals. He winter flies, occasionally at Torrey Pines and Elsinore, and readily admits that he is spoiled. He claims, "It is hard to beat Walt's Point when it comes to good flying." And he flies Walt's as often as his work schedule allows. He also claims that there is a serious overuse of the Walt's Point launch now that the road is paved and pilots seek the extreme distances possible from there. He is currently negotiating with the Forest Service to manage and maintain the launch. He is seeking the Region 3 director's position to attempt to redirect some of the USHGA's efforts and be more attuned to the needs of the average pilot. He says, "I hope to make the magazine more timely and to push for more site assistance. I firmly believe that the funds received from 6,000 (plus or minus) members should buy more than a magazine and a dubious insurance policy."

John Woiwode

Incumbent

It has been my pleasure to work on your behalf as Region 7 director these past two years. I have taken this opportunity to travel throughout our widespread midwest, fly with many of you, and hear your concerns. This has been a special treat: in such a highly individualized sport as ours, it is difficult to get a hill full of pilots to agree that a white sail is white. Yet this same group of people has a huge amount of initiative and creative energy regarding their sport. Organizing that energy has been a rewarding task. , 1 To that end, l set out. two years ago to improve the dialogue between region 7 pilots and the USHGA. The cornerstone of USHGA influence at the local and regional levels arc flying site preservation (through site insurance and landowner communication) and the pilot proficiency system. I have represented regional hang gliding pilot and site concerns to city councils, state natural resource and federal aviation agencies, and am pleased to say we have been successful in the defense of every site. The pilot proficiency system has been dramatically improved in our region by getting rid of

dead wood, reappointing active Observers/Examiners, and finding competent new ones where needed. Recogonizing the flat terrain as the principal limiting factor to hill soaring opportunities, I have been a strong proponent of tow-launching to open all sections of our relatively flat geography. Our sanctioned regionals in 1985 and 1986 were changed from hill to towing launch format with great success. Towing and sites abound in every state of the region; and we arc fortunate to have the Cross Country lbw Pilots Associa·· tion within our region as a central area of tow expertise and eqnipmcnt. To further bring our region together, we held the 1986 Regionals as a regional fun fly-in as well as a competition, draw· ing far more pilots than we've ever drawn in the past. The first in hopefully a series of regional newsletters was written to put you in touch with me and regional hang gliding activities. And the Region 7 XC Challenge was initiated in 1985 and again in 1986 to document the regional cross·-country flights. At the national level, I have had the privilege of working on the board with some of the finest hang gliding talent in solving some of our very real and complex problems. I am active on the site procurement, the competition administration, and the safety and training committees, the latter being the most involved and requiring the most input. This committee handles all pilot proficiency requirements, instruction rccommcnda·tions and towing guidelines. l have represented you at all meetings held since taking office. Our region is getting more and more active. There are a number of indicators of this: there is a significant increase in the number of new pilots coming up through our competent schools. Previous Region 7 Regionals, if they were held at all, historically attracted 7 to 9 pilots; in 1985, our first tow regionals, there were 19 pilots, and in 1986, there were 33 pilots. Our representation to the U.S. Nationals has historically been either or O pilots; in 1985, we sent 5 pilots, and in 1986, an unprecedented 7 pilots. It is important that you, as active

Region 7 lJSHGA members, vote. This is your organization, and only your involvement can assure its success. Thanks.

Jeff Sims

.Johnson

Nominee

If you've ever seen the national map used in the Airwave ads and wondered who that guy is that goes by 'Magic' Johnson well, that's me. I've been flying since 1979 and hold an advanced rating. I'm also a Special Observer and Basic Instructor. I've enjoyed some limited success in competition but I enjoy all of the flying I do. I run a school in Duluth through Community education and the Duluth School Board. I am a and proud of it! The reason I accepted the nomination for Region 7 director is because of the declining membership in the USHGA. If I can run a school with the weather eon·· ditions and limited training hills that we have here, I'm sure I can help others do the same. I've found great interest in the sport in this area. The interest is there Let's combine that interest with your training hill. If I had good hills and conditions here, l could sign up 100 new USHGA members a year! l would like to help those with the resources turn membership losses into gains. Region 7 can boast of some of the best pilots in the country. I'm sure by working together we can increase our numbers.

Charles Battle

William Criste

Incumbent

Nominee

I have been involved with hang gliding since 1976, and have acquired the following certifications of Examiner, Observer, Basic Instructor and Advanced Rating Skills. I am very concerned with the promotion of safoty within the sport of hang gliding. Because of this, my partner and I started a hang gliding school, Sky Sails Ltd., in 1980, to insure the proper train· ing and use of a hang glider. I have been successful in working with the state in opening new sites and maintaining the current ones. Since l nm my own business, I can be flexible with my time to meet the needs of the pilots as your Regional Director. I look forward to your support.

Nominee

My name is Charles Battle and I've been flying since '82. I have the drive, determination, and the time to organize Region 9 with a different approach to the same problems. I shall represent your HANG GLIDING

grievances and present your ideas to manufacturers and the USHGA. I'll call it organized flying; but we do have the need to stimulate our "community into a cohesive whole." Whatever it lakes we'll have to start with letters to and from Nine's chapters indicating the pros and eons of the club and their sites. We will also need to find out one's preferences to getting airborne. (A hint: launching from a mountain. What I need to know is how you get your yah yah's out.) This leads directly to another disappointment our region has faced. Please don't get me wrong but we have the need to organize more hang gatherings, whether they are fty--ins, competitions or clinics. Through these gatherings we shall continue the promotion of the sport, its safety for the participants and rccmit new people into our community. This means instructors ya better be ready. A word about my flying: I've done most of my flying in Pennsylvania and Virginia, though I have been as far south as Kitty Hawk, N.C. and North to Hartford, Conn. But the most outrageous flying T performed was in the French and Swiss just this past summer. So vote Battle, the Sensible Choice.

Gretchen Niver Nominee The name Gretchen Niver is probably familiar to many of you already. It's been bandied about in letters and I wrote

NOVEMBER 1986

some articles for Hang Gliding a while back. I started hang gliding in 1980, and while I've managed to reach Hang III level, I knew long ago that I could best apply my skills to other aspects of the sport than flying. However, I do have experience with land, water and aero-towing, as well as mountain flying. I've never been and will never be a competition pilot, but even so, I've attended and helped nm several of our Regional Qualifiers, and been witness to the best and the worst of competition at the Grandfather Mountain Masters Tournament. All together, I've gained a broad base of familiarity with many aspects of hang gliding. With my background in graphic arts and journalism it was natural for me to begin producing the 'Air Times' newsletter in 1981. Through it, I was able to provide a statewide means of communication which was instrumental in the formation of the North Carolina Hang Gliding Association, and it continues to help hold our widespread group together. It's my communications skills that would be most usefol to the position of Regional Director. My newsletter work has enabled me to get to know personally a majority of N .C. and S.C. pilots, as well as many other pilots in Region JO and around the U.S. These contacts have given me a good understanding of the needs and problems of our region, and of the sport of hang gliding, itself. As your Director, I feel I could truly represent the best interests of Region 10, and I could keep the lines of communication open to help make us a more coherent force in the U.S. hang gliding community. Help me to help you in the best way I can. I'd like your vote for Region JO Director this fall, but more importantly ... just varn. This is your organization. Take part in it!

Tom Thompson Nominee Yes, I have an honorable discharge from the Army 82nd ABN Paratroopers. Yes, I have soloed an airplane at over 100 miles per hour.

Yes, I was the first to fly Fane')' Gap over 14 Y:i years ago. Yes, I was the first to fly Fishers Peak in the Blue Ridge. Yes, I was the first to soar Sauratown Mountain 5 years ago. Yes, I was the first ultralight pilot to fly over NC nonstop. Yes, I have a USHGA Observer and Advanced rating for 7 years. Yes, I have my Grandfather Mountains Order of the Raven award. Yes, I use a chute, helmet, steel biner, up and safety wheels. Yes, I enjoy my Wills Wing Attack just about every week. Yes, I do fly at 4 exclusive and private beyond compare. Yes, I do treat landowners like real and not like realtors. Yes, I do own a home 2,150' ASL and AGL on top of Sanratown Yes, I am giving others something to about when they're just talking. No, There is nobody who enjoys hang as much as I. Maybe, if you try hard and get up off money, you'll pull through. For Sure, I'm having a big time and care less what ya think of me. piles of trials with smiles for it them to believe that you deceive the they weave ... Keep thinking free!

Paul Rikert

Incumbent

-~c1un: the 1985 World Meet in Kossen,

not many hang glider pilots had heard of Jo Bathmann, but he was about to become well known in at least two regards: as a designer of hang gliding meets and as a cross-country pilot. The of the '85 World Meet was over two years in the making, and was initially received with lots of questions: Can a meet with as many as 250 competitors be run with an open window format? Can a new scor-· system be tried successfully in a World Meet? Can tasks for this many pilots be cross-country flights of 100+ miles ending at sunset with retrieval provided by the meet? The answer to all of these questions was " which raised another question: Who is this guy who organized this meet? Then on the first day of competition, this .. and sets a

is named Jo Bathmann, Well, "this and I've been fortunate enough to get to know sornet.h11:tg about who he is. Jo lives in Traunstein close to the Austrian border near Kossen, where he does his flying. He's a gynocologist, as is 34

his girlfriend Inge. They used to work together, which was convenient because it meant that when the office was closed and Jo could fly, Inge could "crew" for him. However, she now has her own practice and is seldom available when Jo flies. Losing a competent and enthusiastic ground crew would discourage most pilots, but to Jo it just meant that he had to get back by himself at the end of his flights. Most pilots return by car; Jo usually flies back! .His office looks pretty normal for a pilot, with lots of flying pictures on the wall. What setq Jo's office apart is the huge map mounted in front of his desk; it's impossible to sit at that desk and not look at the map. This is where all of Jo's planning starts. He has a good working knowledge of meteorology, which is necessary for designing tasks and world records and for knowing what to do when, during flights. At his home, I stayed in the spare bedroom, which is also filled with books and maps sources of information and motivation for the next season. I asked Jo why he didn't compete in the World Meet. He answered that he had once tried to follow Steve Moyes and John Pendry, couldn't keep up with them, and concluded that he wasn't skilled enough. He also

mentioned that he enjoys flying in the World Masters "just for fun." He doesn't consider himself a world class pilot, but he finished fifth in the 1986 World Masters against some of the world's best pilots, "just for fun." Moreover, he holds both a world record and an EA.I record for flying a larger triangle than anyone else ever has. Most European countries have national cross-country contests consisting of three to five of each pilot's best flights of the year. The Austrians plan to use this meet as the main criterion in selecting their next World Meet team. Jo's success has had a great influence on these meets. The scoring works like this: triangles receive twice the distance flown, out-and-returns receive one-and-a-half times the distance flown, flights to a goal receive one-and-a-half times the distance flown, and open distance flights receive the distance flown. According to Helmet Dcntz, Jo has already easily won the German title for 1986. Dentz holds some records of his own and is known worldwide for his ability to plan and execute triangle and out-and-return flights. I'm also beginning to catch the triangle fever. It's a great feeling, getting that last HANG GLIDING

photo of home. It's also a great learning experience. You really find out what you can do with the weather on a given day. You increase your knowledge about weather, and you learn to fly only on good days. You might think that he's always been a goal-and-return or triangle fanatic, but he also flies straight. Jo was the first pilot to fly over 200 km in Europe. He flies a totally stock Magic which he leaves loose for handling on his long flights. The only thing special is his attitude, as you 'II see in the following question-and-answer exchange. Rich:

Jo:

If you could change anything, what would it be? I'd educate the world in meteorology. Most people who don't know each other well start conversations about the weather when they really don't know what they're talking about. Education could be achieved quickly in the

"When you go for a walk in the country you don't do outand-returns. The scenery is better if it keeps changing so you return by a different route."

Rich:

Jo:

Rich: Jo:

evening weather forecasts on television. We need meteorologists to give these forecasts, not actors or comediens. You are changing hang gliding by setting new distance triangle records. Lots of pilots are trying to compete with you. What started you on triangles? Triangles are fun. So are squares, rectangles, and other shapes. When you go walking in the country for fun, you don't do out-and-returns. The scenery is better if it keeps changing so you return by a different route. Flying along different routes is just as much fun and flying back eases the retrieval problem. What's most important in designing a meet? To design a pilot's meet that simulates normal flying.

NOVEMBER 1986

The Big Triangle by Jo Bathmann

last year's World meet in Kossen, Jo set a distance triangle record. The documentation somehow never got to the FA/ for approval so he had to "settle" for a world record. Later in the meet he attempted an even larger triangle. However, he landed just short of completion in a spot where he thought he had his goal easily within his grasp. When I asked him what happened, he said: "11le last thermal slowed down about 300 feet below cloud base. I knew I should climb to base but I figured I'd make it anyway. The real problem was that I was already drinking champagne in my mind." After this year's Hvrld masters in Kossen, Jo set two FA! distance triangle records. The second equalled his '85 world record of 152 km. Following is his account ofhis first completion of that triangle.

I've been waiting for these weather conditions - flat pressure distribution, mild winds, good thermals and a high could base for two years. It's the 26th of May, the first day of competition at the World Meet, and everything is ready. Some 21 pilots and 24 wind dummies are standing on the various launches. Along with Karl Petutschnig, I'm responsible for the organization of the meet, but he says, "Okay - go fly your world record." Thank you, Karl! By chance Alois Bernardi from the Austrian Aero-Club and a camera man from the NDR are at the takeoff site so they can document my launch. The first wind dummies have launched and are climbing higher and higher. It's 12:00 and time to start the long-planned world record flight. How many winter evenings had I spent studying maps, making timing plans and compiling long lists of minimum flying altitudes and glide angles in varying winds, weather conditions and cloud base levels, along various routes? Experience has shown me that concentration decreases after a few hours during a long flight and that information on paper or supplied over a radio is very important for maintaining self-confidence.

On this day, my self-confidence is very high. Dr. Jurt Panosch ("Typhoon Kurt"), the meet's official weathennan, has provided me with the exact information I require. I know I can fly the record. Vario, altimeter, compass, barograph and camera are fixed and ready. A last look at the sky; the clouds are fine. A look at my watch; it's 12:00 and time to go. I pick up my glider and a few seconds later I am in the air. Ten minutes later I'm at cloud base, altitude 2,300 meters which means that the base will be at about 2,000 m later. I'm happy - today I'll make it! First I fly over the landing area, take a picture of my first turn point, and tell Inge (my ground crew and girlfriend) to drive to the Loferer-Steinberge range. I'll try to get high enough at Unterberghom to fly to Fellhorn via the Loferer-Steinberge. A sailplane is flying the same route so I take a few pictures of him. I ask Inge for the wind direction at Pillersee; "southeast" is her answer. (I always want to know the wind direction to be sure I'll reach the next thermal.) An eagle is flying with me. I know him from earlier flights and want to take a picture of him, but when I reach for my camera, it's not there! "Oh no," I think - "I've lost my camera; it's all over." Then it occurs to me to ask Inge to find someone who can document my flight. After about five minutes, I hear from my radio, "Okay, Jo, I've found someone to come with me. His name is Frankie and he's the Sporting Witness from the Austrian Aero-Club. He's a wind dummy and landed near Fieberbrunn." I'm happy again - I can go! The thermals along the Leoganger Steinberge are so strong that I have to work to hold my speed bar; I believe they're climbing at about 10 m per second. My hands are gripping the speed bar tight, but my new Magic is performing perfectly. In a few minutes, I'm under the cloud. Since I don't want to go into the cloud, I fly to its south side. With 3,000 m of altitude I leave the Leoganger

How often do you fly? The real flying season is three months long in Europe and is totally over in early Septemher. The three primary months are May, June and July, and almost all the flying I do is in these mouths on weekends and during two or three weeks of vacation. Rieh: What do you plan for on a world record triangle flight? Joe: J time the average speeds and times for all the turn points. If launch is at noon or earlier, I plan an extra hour in case I get stuck. I try to fly all of the legs in practice. Finally, I've learned that you should never give up on a flight even wheu you're getting behind schedule. Yim can never achieve your goal if you do. Rich: You've changed the present state of hang gliding and will be a part of developing its future. As for changing TV weathermen from comediens to meteorologists, you still have a long way to go. II Rich:

Jo:

Rich Jo: Rich: Jo:

What will future meets be like? More speed runs that last between four and five hours for the winner. What is the future for hang gliding? Pilots will beeome better meteorologists and will fly only on

good days. There's no need to go to a hill and watch the wind blow down or to go windsurfing and find no wind. When people get tired of these situations, they'll learn about weather.

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RATINGS AND APPOINTMENTS BEGINNER RATINGS NAME

CITY, STATE

INSTRUCIDR

Mike Walker

Medford, OR

Terry Tibbetts

Mark Berger David Galka Ed Hart Jeff Kirsten Lonny F. Koompin Robin Kopit Robert McKee Stuart Alan Minks Tim Reeves Tim N. Teske Rudy Visaya, Jr. George Young

Sunnyvale, CA Clayton, CA Sunnyvale, CA Clayton, CA San Jose, CA Santa Cruz, CA San Jose, CA Fremont, CA P-alo Alto, CA Mountain View, CA Fremont, CA Aptos, CA

Jim Woodward Dan Murphy Dan Murphy Dan Murphy Jim Woodward Jim Woodward P-at Denevan P-at Denevan Dan Murphy Rob Engorn Jim Woodward Rob Engorn

Jamie Campbell David J. Engel Francisco Zuniga

Goleta, CA Mission Viejo, CA Santa Barbara, CA

Achim Hageman Hardy Snyman Achim Hageman

Kenny Sencenbaugh

Colorado Springs, CO

Ron Wilkinson

Spencer Stone

Billings, MT

Roger Lockwood

Matthew Trunnel

St. Louis, MO

Chris Crescioli

Michael Arseneault Robert A. Brown Mark DeBonville John H. Dowdle, Jr. Alex Giger John E. Goulet Daniel Heavey Gerald H. Katz Richard Knowles Kirk LePelley Albert Post Christopher Tredinnick James Weymes Dennis Winslow

Pelham, NH Jamestown, RI Merrimack, NH Fort Devens, MA Boxford, MA Jamestown, RI Worcester, MA Newton, MA Medfield, MA Hopkintong, MA Niantic, CT Wakefield, MA Norwood, MA Portland, ME

P-aul Kennedy P-aul Kennedy T.C. Searle P-aul Holteen Thomas Aguero P-aul Kennedy P-aul Kennedy P-aul Kennedy P-aul Kennedy Rob Bicknell Alegra Davidson T.C. Searle T.C. Searle Matt Taber

Denny Dobbins Allen Heckman Kerry Landis John Marty Julie Middleton Bobby Roy George Stroher

Chesapeake, VA Easton, PA Bethlehem, PA Columbia, MD Laurel, MD Fairfax, VA Bowie, MD

Roger Coxon William Maurer William Maurer Chris Crescioli Chris Crescioli John Harris Steve Wendt

Lynn A. Ingraham Robert C. Smith

Nags Head, NC BOCA Raton, FL

Chris Crescioli Steve Wendt

Claudoi Barahona J. William Castle Steve Komis James B. Mortach Gary Sullivan

Union City, NJ Jamestown, NY APO, NY APO, NY Woodcliff, NJ

Thomas Aguero Chris Crescioli Michael Theocharis Gary Elhart Thomas Aguero

REGION

Barbara Farrar Sotiris Pierrides Hugh Thomas

Fairy Meadow, Aust. Ilioupolis, Greece Cardiff Wales, G.B.

FOR Equiv. Mike Theocharis Achim Hageman

FOR FOR FOR

INSTRUCTOR

REGION

NOVICE RATINGS

NOVEMBER 1986

NAME

CITY, STATE

Edgar S. Singleton

Tacoma, WA

Gary Elhart

Martin Beresford Lee Burghardt Alex Difeo Mark Furst Roger Jackson Shawn Mathews Bob Rostohar William Scull John Sokolowski Cliff Sullivan Ernst Ter Horst George Young

San Francisco, CA Mountainview, CA Santa Clara, CA So. San Francisco, CA So. San Francisco, CA Fair Oaks, CA Burlingame, CA Los Altos, CA Dublin, CA Sacramento, CA San Francisco, CA Aptos, CA

Sam Nottage Bob Engorn Dan Murphy Charlie Whitehill Charlie Whitehill Karen Schenk Karen Schenk Rob Engorn Michael Tryon Charlie Whitehill Charlie Whitehill Rob Engorn

P-aul T. Clark Robert Coffman Edward Dowling Ahmet H. Erkan James R. Hampton David Hards Gregg Heagney Tim Larson Chris Palmer Thomas P-aulsen Gary Reed Laci Szentendrei Tony Viera Richard E. Walker Don Wall Raymond K. Williams

Inglewood, CA P-asadena, CA Venice, CA Le Mesa, CA Santa Ana, CA Azusa, CA Redondo Beach, CA San Diego, CA Corona, CA Corona, CA Fountain Valley, CA Westminster, CA San Bernardino, CA Altadena, CA El Cajon, CA Los Angeles, CA

Joe Greblo Joe Greblo Ben Espinoza John Ryan John Ryan John Ryan Larry Mace John Ryan Erik Fair P-aul Burns Dan Skadal Erik Fair Debbi Renshaw Joe Greblo John Ryan Michael Sandlin

Brian Hildenbrand! Kelly Lance Dan Turner Ken Willett Joel Zachrich

Golden, CO Golden, CO Manitou Springs, CO Tempe, AZ Littleton, CO

Mark Orsborn John V. West Ron Wilkinson Russ Gelfan Gary LaGrone

Terry Bolstridge Corey Chase

Caldwell, ID McCall, ID

Mike King Dave Rodriguez

10 10

Ken D. Blackburn James Fossard Eric Meyer

St. Peters, MO Springfield, MO Jacksonville, AR

Matt Taber Ted Willis Lawrence Haney

12 12 12 12 12

John Licata Gary Newt Todd Snyder Albert Whitesell

Chicago, IL Dubuque, IA Fishers, IN Middleton, WI

Brad Kushner Dave Rodriguez Rob Kreske Joel Greger

2 2

4 4

7 7 7

RATINGS AND APPOINTMENTS Sean Clancy Jeffrey Porter Laurinda L. Santos

Unionville, CT Mansfield, MA New Britain, CT

Rob Bicknell T.C. Searle Rob Bicknell

Terry C. James Richard A. Morse Robert Spicer

Roanoke, VA Vienna, VA Collingdale, PA

Chris Crescioli Eric Logan William Umstattd

9 9

Le-Oham M. Alley Douglas Cox Joe Endres David Hahn Jim Heptinstall Todd Porter

Mentone, CA Stone Mountain, GA Luling, LA Nags Head, NC Knoxville, TN Charlotte, NC

Matt Taber Matt Taber Matt Taber Mark Kline Bruce Hawk Matt Taber

John Ethridge Kenneth Sandifer Robert Kent Speaks Roland Whitsett

Odessa, TX West Monroe, LA San Antonio, TX Lubbock, TX

Robert Brown Curtis A. Buergin James Cahill Dan Critchette Mike Field Warren Field Ronald Hawn David Homyk Kevin D. Kertz Roger Laverenz John Lindberg Joseph Puzzella Wayne D. Stephenson Jeff Roubal Timothy Stevens John L. Yuhas, Jr. Boerries A. Kirn

Jose A. Fernandez Kevin Frazier Pedro Goujon Kathy Johnson Mike Klinefelter Donald M. Ogden, Jr. Dave Swanson

Chino, CA La Canada, CA Redondo Beach, CA Mammoth Lakes, CA Canyon Lake, CA Brea, CA La Crescenta, CA

Erik Fair Gary Elhart Debbi Renshaw Kevin Klinefelter Kevin Klinefelter Ken Muscio Joe Greblo

lO 10 lO lO 10 10

Jake Mola Scott Peralta

Golden, CO Glendale, AZ

Richard Annis Russell Gelfan

James W. Linscome

Russellville, AR

Lawrence Haney

Charles Delling

Union Lake, MI

Norm Lesnow

Matt Taber Lawrence Haney Gary Elhart Carl Wiseman

ll 11 11 11

Noel Avendano

Norwalk, CT

Paul Voight

APO, NY Medford Lakes, NJ APO, NY NY, NY APO, NY APO,NY APO, NY Ballston Lake, NY APO, NY APO, NY APO, NY Chatman, NJ APO, NY APO, NY APO, NY APO, NY

Gary Elhart Rob Bicknell Gary Elhart Thomas Aguero Gary Elhart Gary Elhart Gary Elhart Dan Guido Gary Elhart Gary Elhart Gary Elhart Paul Voight Gary Elhart Gary Elhart Gary Elhart Gary Elhart

12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12

Kathleen Hill Ched Hudson Le-0 Juengst Raean Permenter James Sargent Robert Woodbury

Ambler, PA Burke, VA Bellefonte, PA Whitehall, MD Montoursville, PA Norristown, PA

Steven Schaeffe Paul Voight Jeff Sims Richard Hays Jeff Sims Thomas Aguero

Steve Glover James R. Harris Dennis Monteiro Neal Vickers

Greenville, SC APO, FL Gainesville, FL Atlanta, GA

Matt Carr Colon King Matt Taber Matt Taber

10 IO 10 10

Ueli Schlunegger

Kerrville, TX

Jerry Forburger

Kinloch Nelson Carlos Pimenter Robert Radcliffe Peter von Ballmoos

Rochester, NY Flushing, NY Titusville, NJ Durham, NJ

David Hoke Thomas Aguero Paul Voight Jeff Nicolay

12 12 12 12

Reutlingen, W. Ger.

Charlie Whitehill

FOR

Anagnostis Anestidis George Elefiheriadis George Mavridou Stamatis Pseulelis Dirnitris Raskopoulos Mark Sloane Jay D. Wallace

Thessaloniki, Greece Thessaloniki, Gree<:e Thessaloniki, Gree<:e Thessaloniki, Gree<:e Thessaloniki, Gree<:e Bensheim, W. Germany Ancon, Panama

Michael Theocharis Michael Theocharis Michael Theocharis Michael Theocharis Michael Theocharis Gary Elhart Colon King

FOR FOR FOR FOR FOR FOR FOR

INTERMEDIATE RATINGS NAME

CITY, STATE

OBSERVER

Wayne Lueth

Vancouver, WA

Albert Gibson

Robert Blair Tom Bulgerin Gary Collier Greg Cross Michele Cross Douglas Grabill Jeff Greenbaum Jonathan Hutchinson Roy Kornbluh Darrell Robbins Brad Smith Jeffrey J. Walker

Chico, CA Santa Cruz, CA San Francisco, CA Concord, CA Concord, CA Santa Cruz, CA San Francisco, CA San Francisco, CA Palo Alto, CA Santa Rosa, CA San Rafael, CA Milpitas, CA

James Crosley Fred Vachss Rick Canham Charlie Whitehill Charlie Whitehill Dave Bowen Walt Nielsen Charlie Whitehill Tom Low Eric Beckman Jim Johns Jim Johns

REGION

ADVANCED RATINGS 2 2 2 2 2 2 2

2 2

NAME

CITY, STATE

OBSERVER

Gary Kontich Lonnie Linderman

Bend, OR Spokane, WA

Michael Kelley Larry Strom

Gary Glendenning Jim Higley Charlie Whitehill

Campbell, CA Oakland, CA Pacifica, CA

Charles Price David Darling Jay Busby

Kevin Cwiok Frank Ridlon Richard Roth Glen Stephenson Paul Toce

Port Hueneme, CA Etiwanda, CA Long Beach, CA Porterville, CA Long Beach, CA

Tom Truax Debbi Renshaw Erik Fair Larry Broad Erik Fair

REGION

2 2

HANG GLIDING

RATINGS AND APPOINTMENTS Gregory Bouten Ralph Briar Ted Hughes Larry Newman

Alamogordo, NM Aurorra, CO Golden, CO Tempe, AZ

George Woodcock Richard Annis Richard Annis Rob Kells

4 4 4 4

Gregory Fischer

Chicago, IL

Paul Voight

Jim Bumpus Joe Gorrie

Mansfield, OH Upper Darby, PA

Mario Manzo James Keller

David Curry Greg Wojnowski

Lookout Mtn., TN Knoxville, TN

Todd James F. Steve Kendrick

Lawrence Lehmann SP-William Maurer John Middleton

Pittsburgh, PA Whitehall, PA Arlington, VA

Pat Brooks Dennis Pagen William Criste

9 9 9

Dennis Michels

Dunlap, TN

Rick Jacobs

9 9

Mike Hendrix Ron Holmes .'xld James

Tyler, TX Round Rock, TX Odessa, TX

William Holmes William Holmes Warren Puckett

11 11 11

Matt Taber Bruce Hawk

10 10

R - Recertification S - Special Observer

Odessa, TX Denison, TX

Warren Puckett Matt Taber

11 11

Clint Keith

Painted Post

Paul Voight

Friedrich Kirn Yosh Matsuda Dimitris Tsirouas

Reutlingen, W. Ger. Yokohama, Japan Thessaloniki, Greece

Wally Anderson John Erickson Mike Theocharis

FOR FOR FOR

OBSERVER

REGION

Steve Hawxhurst

AWARDS

MASTER RATINGS NAME Ken Baier

CITY, STATE Phelps, WI

INSTRUCTORS

NAME

CITY, STATE

ADMIN/ DIRECTOR

REGION

B - John Carrol

Whittier, CA

D. Skadal/E. Fair

B - Tom Forster A - Pete Fournia B - David Hoke B - Kinloch Nelson B - Scott B. Rowe

Victor, NY Penfield, NY Rochester, NY Rochester, NY Rochester, NY

D. Pagen/D. Pagen D. Pagen/D. Pagen D. Pagen/D. Pagen D. Pagen/D. Pagen D. Pagen/D. Pagen

12 12 12 12 12

B - Karl Dinzl

Toronto, Canada

D. Pagen/D. Pagen

FOR

EXAMINER

REGION

Bronze

Silver

Allan Ayotte Robert Behrens Ron Bolting Amy Bostic Albert Branson Russell Brown Dale Bugby Doug W. Chambers Corey Chase Jose S. Cruz Richard Decommer Denny Dobbins Alan Fay Robert Gibbard Kenneth Gray Donald Hatten James Hoover Emmanuel Insinger Chris Johnson Ed Lindow Michael Lynch Johnnie McGraw Rick Morse Richard Parzoch Robert Rifkin Richard Ripley Carl A. Roth Paul Skrable Harold Turner Mike Walker Jay D. Wallace Gary Ward Francisco Zuniga

Noel Avendano Don A. Boardman III Charles T. Carder Mark Francis Robert Hastings Donald Hatten Mark Hessinger Ron Lem Robert Murphy Charles Rabaut Steven Schultz Tom Tyrell Jay D. Wallace Diamond Matthewfhoreson

OBSERVERS NAME

CITY, STATE

Ward Hinsen

Albuquerque, NM

David Ray

SP-John Green Ron Kenney

Lincoln, NE Elkhart, KS

Mike King Steve Michalik

5 6

SP-Joel Greger

Madison, WI

John Woiwode

NOVEMBER 1986

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 to them to inspect.

Rogallos DELTA WING'S NATIONWIDE NETWORK OF DEALERS can help you get 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. COMET 165-Red LE, White TE, excellent maintenance, under 40 hours, clean, $900. OBO. (413) 528-1371. Call 6 - 9 Eastern. COMET 165-Good condition. Pacific blue L.E., light blue DBL. surface, white T. E. $550. Also Wills Wing Alpha 215 - mint condition. Multicolored sail w/training wheels. $350. (612) 263-2997 (H), 937-8000 (W). FOR SALE-1\vo Aerobatic Comet 2. Winning gliders at aerobatic contests in Telluride, in 1983 and 84, and Monaco in 1984. Features include double ribs, reinforced sails and frames, 1/8" side wires top and bottom, etc. Blue 165 $1350. or best offer. White rainbow 165 almost new $1500. or best offer. Call Eric Raymond for more information, (714) 678-3931, or write to 33274 Baldwin Blvd., Lake Elsinore, CA 92330. Best offer will be accepted for these gliders.

177 HARRIER I-Last year made. White wired wedge. Excel. cond. 100 hrs. Bought HP $450. (805) 481-3854. HP-Excellent condition. Dk. bl. L.E., Pacific blue Dbl. surface. 4.5 white main sail, $1300. (619) 457-2900 or (619) 284-5206. HP-Red and white, 4.5 oz. firm trailing edge, well used but still flies clean, cheap way to break into high perfomiance. $1150. Davd Gibson (714) 674-8176. WILLS WING HP 1-1/2-40 hrs. airtime, blue/spectrum wedge. $1900. (509) 489-1751. 166 MAGIC IV VG-Orange & white, 4.4 oz. T.E. Excellent condition. $1600. (803) 292-1917. MAGIC 155-Low airtime - rainbow, speedbar, etc. $1050. obo. (209) 227-8050. Steve. OLYMPUS 180-Still in good shape! Fixed washout tips, leech lines. With spare down tubes, 'safety prone' harness. $275. OBO (303) 494-1270. FOR SALE-Phoenix 6D - 185. Good condition. Low hours. Blue leading edge - (from tip) yellow, gold, orange & red. $200. (714) 675-1031 Evenings. PRO STAR II 190-$550., Prostar 60-$450. (619) 270-6671. RAVEN 209-Rainbow (8 colors) sail. Needs control bar, otherwise in good condition. W/Golden prone stirrup harness. $350. (303) 824-2454. WILLS WING RAVEN 229-Supine rigged. $500. (916) 265-9264. Louis Sussman. SENSOR 510 VG 165-Excellent condition white w/orange L. E. Excellent price $1350. Larry (815) 234-5388.

BEAUTIFUL DREAM 220-Good tandemship. 3 hours airtime. Asking $1600. (405) 363-5189. Gary Whitman.

180 SENSOR-Excellent cond., V.G. half battons, Kevlar T.E. Rainbow sail (805) 541-1275.

130 DUCK-Excellent condition, factory performed/ approved modifications, clean at all speeds, low time, light handling. $1250.ioffer. (415) 644-0614.

160 SENSOR-Red/white, V.G., Faired D-tubes, Kevlar T.E., l/2 ribs. $1300. (509) 489-1751.

180 DUCK-1\vo color green. New flying wires, speedbar. Good condition, flies great. $600. O.B.O. Call (412) 733-2262. 130 DUCK-Great condition, $900. OBO. Short cocoon, chute. (408) 338-9874. 2 - 180 DUCKS-Low hours. Excellent condition $750. Attack Duck tips (factory modified) (612) 872-4311 Office, (612) 937-1754 Home. FLEDGE ID ET-Excellent condition, $1850. Call Eric, days (209) 292-2171 Fresno, CA. I QUIT - UP GEMINI 184-8 hours airtime. Windhaven electric Vario, harness & Windhaven chute. Make offer - any offer. (405) 363-5189. Gary Whitman. GLIDEZILLA-Fitted with VG and King Post suspended hang point. Handles nice. $1200. (209) 784-4618.

SENSOR 180-V.G., excellent condition, less than 10 hours $1750. (612) 872-4311 office, (612) 937-1754 home. 168 SKYHAWK--50 hrs. Red LE. White body. $1200. OBO. Floyd (805) 834-2071. STREAK 160-Purple & white. Good condition. Great glide. Extra down tube. $650. (415) 681-8942. WANTED-Used hang gliding equipment. Gliders, instruments, harnesses and parachutes. San Francisco Windsports, 3620 Wawona, San Francisco, CA 94116 (415) 753-8828. Eclipse 17. ..... ...... , , , .. ...... . .. $1600.00 HP 170 ... . .... ........ . . . . . . ' . ...... $1300.00 Vl8 Vision ... ......... . ..... .. ....... $ 950.00 C2 165/185 ........ ........ ........ . .. $ 900.00 Parachutes .... ....... .. ............... $ 190.00 Also Magics, Ducks for sale. Dealer for all major man. We need your used equip. (619) 450-9008.

UP GLIDEZILLA-Orange w/white. Xlnt condition. Speed bar/rail. Make offer (805) 653-0633. HARRJER 147-Excellent condition, rainbow & white sail. $875. Eric Raymond. Harness & chute $350. (619) 944-1646. HARRJER II 177-Great condition, 50 hours, stored inside. Orange L.E., white T.E., brown D.S. $750. Dave (806) 592-3138.

Schools and Dealers ARJZONA ARIZONA WINDSPORTS-Certified instruction utilizing skyting and the World's only man-made trainer hill. New & used gliders, accessories,

parts & repairs. 1114 W. Cornell Drive, Tempe, AZ 85283 (602) 897-7121. DESERT HANG GLIDERS USHGA Certified School.- Supine specialists. 4319 W. Larkspur, Glendale, AZ 85304 (602) 938-9550. ARKANSAS SAIL WINGS HANG GLIDING-Certified instruction. Pacific Windcraft dealer. 1601 N. Shackleford #131-4, Little Rock, AR 72211 (501) 224-2186. CALIFORNIA BRIGHT STAR HANG GLIDERS- Sales - service - restorations. All major brands represented. Santa Rosa, CA (707) 576-7627. CHANDELLE HANG GLIDING CENTERUSHGA certified school. "The best damn hang gliding shop in the world." Dealers for Wills Wing, Delta Wing. Five minutes from Fort Funston (415) 359-6800. HANG FLIGHT SYSTEMS-Certified instruction program. Featuring Wills Wing gliders and accessories. HP, Skyhawk, demos available to qualified pilots. 1202 E. Walnut, Unit M, Santa Ana, CA 92701. (714) 542-7444. HANG GLIDER EMPORJUM-Quality instruction, service and sales since 1974. Full stock of new and used Wills Wing, Delta Wing, and UP gliders plus complete accessory line including harnesses, helmets, varios, and spare parts. Located minutes from US 101 and flying sites. 613 N. Milpas, Santa Barbara, California 93103 (805) 965-3733. THE HANG GLIDING CENTER-Located in beautiful San Diego. USHGA certified instruction, equipment rentals, local flying tours. Spend your winter vacation flying with us. We proudly offer Wills Wing, Pacific Windcraft, U.P. Airwave, High Energy, Ball and we need your used equipment. 4206-K Sorrento Valley Blvd., San Diego, CA 92121. (619) 450-9008. MISSION SOARJNG CENTER-Serving the flying community since 1973. Complete lesson program with special attention to quality take-off and landing skills. All major brands of gliders, parachutes and instruments sold. Sail repair and air frame service available. 1116 Wrigley Way, Milpitas, CA 95035 (408) 262-1055. MOYES CALIFORNIA-22021 Covello St., Canoga Park, CA 91303 (818) 887-3361 or 173 Bronte Road, Waverley, 2024 N.S.W. Australia 61.2.387.5114 PINECREST AIR PARK-Landing area for world famous Crestline. Certified instruction and tandems. Dealers for Delta Wing, Moyes and Wills Wing. "Ask about a trade in". Used gliders and equipment. 6555 N. Pine Ave., San Bernardino, CA 92407 (714) 887-9275. SAN FRANCISCO WINDSPORTS-Gliders and equipment, sales and rentals. Private and group instruction by USHGA certified instructors. Local site infonnation and glider rental. 3620 Wawona, San Francisco, CA 94116. (415) 753-8828. SANT A BARBARA HANG GLIDING CENTER-Certified instruction, glider and equipment sale. 29 State St., Santa Barbara, CA 93101. (805) 687-3119.

HANG GLIDING

CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING WINDSPORTS INT.-Since 1974 (fonnerly 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) 988-011 l. COLORADO GOLDEN SKY SAILS-USHGA Certified Hang Gliding School, dealers for Wills Wing, Delta and Pacific Windcraft. Bell Helmets in stock. 15801 W. Colfax, Golden, CO 80401 (303) 278-9566. CONNECTICUT CONNECTICUT COSMIC A VIA TION-14 Terp. Rd., E. Hampton, CT 06424, clo Bart Blau, Lynda Blau, (203) 267-8980. Hang glider dealer for Wills and Airwave. Ultralight also available. USHGA Certified Instructor. Been flying since 1975. Call me where to go in CONN. HAWAII MAUI SOARING SUPPLIES-Certified Instructors. Sales, service and rentals. RR. 2, Box 780, Kula, HI 96790 (808) 878-1271. MINNESOTA NORTHERN SUN, JNC.-Dealer for all major nonpowered 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. NEW YORK FLY IDGH HANG GLIDING, INC.-Serving New York City/Albany, Jersey, Connecticut areas. (Ellenville Mtn.) Area's exclusive Wills Wing dealer/specialist. Also carry all other major brands, accessories. Certified Instruction. 7 years experience. Quick repairs. Featuring areas most INEXPENSIVE prices. Contact: Paul Voight, RD 2, Box 561, Pine Bush, NY 12566, (914) 744-3317.

MOUNTAIN WINGS, INC.-6 miles from Ellenville. Five training hills, five mountain sites, USHGA certified instruction and towing. Delta Wing, Pacific Windcraft, Seedwings, Wills Wing and Skylines and Manta. Sail, airframe repairs on all makes, R/C equipment. Main St., Kerhonkson, NY 12446 (914) 626-5555. SUSQUEHANNA FLIGHT PARK INC.-Central New Yorks Hang Gliding Center. Certified instruction, sales & service for all major manufacturers. Training hill O - 160', jeep rides, 600' NW soarable ridge, camping. RD 2, Box 432, Cooperstown, NY 13326. (315) 866-6153. THERMAL UP, INC.-Most complete hang gliding shop in area. Located on top of Ellenville mountain. USHGA certified instructor and observer. Concentrated hang gliding instruction with emphasis on launching and landing techniques. Dealer for all major brands. Offering expert sales and service with lowest price in area. Large mail order inventory. Tom Aguero, PO Box 347, Gragsmoor, NY 12420. (914) 647-3489.

PENNSYLVANIA SKY SAILS LTD. Hang Gliding School.-USHGA certified instructors. 1630 Lincoln Ave., Williamsport, PA 17701. (717) 326-6686 or 322-8866. UTAH FLY UTAH WITH

Delta Wing Products, certified instruction, 9173 Falcon Cr., Sandy, Utah 84092 (801) 943-1005. WASATCH WINGS, INC.-USHGA certified hang gliding school, dealers for Wills Wing. 12129 S. 2160 W. Riverton, UT 84065 (801) 254-2242.

International Schools and Dealers

NORTH CAROLINA 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 and Advanced packages; complete inventory of new gliders, accessories and parts. Ultralight training and sales available as well as windsurfing sales and instruction. SAURATOWN KITES-Winston Salem (919) 760-1390 or 983-3570. Hang Gliding School w/certified instructor; dealer of Seedwings, Wills Wing, Pacific Windcraft & Delta; new and used equipment. OHIO NORTH COAST HANG GLIDING-Certified instruction. New & used gliders. Mike Del Signore, 1916 W. 75th St., Cleveland, OH 44102 (216) 631-1144.

JAPAN

SUN RISE COUNTll''r' NC

~~!lll(JC Distributor major brands hang gliders (Airwave, Magic), instruments, parachutes and ultralights. Tokyo 03/443/0063, Yugawara 0456/63/0173, Kurumayama Hang School 0266/68/2724 (April - November). 2-19-63 Doi, Yugawaramachi, Kanagawaken, Japan 141.

~--------------------------------------------------------,

: USHGA CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING ORDER FORM I 35 cents per word, $3.00 minimum. I (phone numbers - 2 words, P.O. Box - 1 word)

Section (please circle) Rogallos Schools and Dealers

Rigid Wings

I Photos _ $10.00 I Deadline, 201h of the month six weeks before the cover date of the

Emergency Chutes

Business & Employment Opportunities

Publications & Organizations Miscellaneous

I Issue tn which you want your ad (I.e. March 20, for the May Issue). I Bold face or caps 50c per word extra. (Does not Include first tew I words which ire automatically caps). Special layouts or tabs S20'per I column Inch. I Payment tor first three months required In advance. I I Please enter my classified ad as follows: I I I I I I Number of words: II

@ .35 •

Ultralight Powered Flight

I I

Parts & Accessories

Begin with _ _ _ _ 19 _ _ _ _ issue and run for _ _ __ consecutive issue(s). My check _ _ money order _ _ is enclosed In the amount of

Phone Number:

P.O. BOX 118309, LOS ANQELES, CA 900N I (213) 390.3095

L---------------------------------------------------------1 NOVEMBER 1986

CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING SWITZERLAND SWISS ALP HANG GLIDING SAFARI-On vacation in North America until February 1988. For showing of film and slides of flying in Switzerland contact Ron Hurst, 1600 Hatch Road, Jackson, MI 49201. Agenda 1987: East Canada, Northeastern US September/October. Southeastern US November/December. Mexico, February/April. Western US, May/June. Western Canada, July. Alaska, August.

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 493, Van Nuys, CA 91408 (818) 787-6600, telex no. 65-1425. ALL BRANDS - Bought, sold, and repacked. Inspection and repack $20.00 - Kevlar, nylon, sis, bridles installed and replaced. S.F. Windsports (formerly H.G. Equipment Co.) 3620 Wawona, San Francisco, CA 94116 (415) 753-8828.

Parts & Accessories

14323 Aztec St., Sylmar, CA 91342. (818) 362-1776.

Videos & Films

WINDSOK-A calibrated, portable design specifically for hang glider pilots. Two sizes seven colors. $2.50 donation from retail purchase will go to USHGA. Color brochure available. Hawk Airsports, P.O. Box 9056. Knoxville, Tennessee (615) 573-9593. Thanks!

Rigid Wing FLEDGE 2-0riginal owner, good condition $600. Al (717) 826-9883. FLEDGE IIB-Very good condition, $550. Negotiable. (804) 596-5559.

Towing SOAR through "THE GRAND CANYON" right in your own living room! 2-hour spectacular helicopter exploration. Breathtaking music. Critically acclaimed. VHS or BETA. Details FREE. Beerger Productions, 3217-Y Arville, Las Vegas, NV 89102 (702) 876-2328. DON'T STOP FLYING - Just because it's winter. Drag out your Owens Valley suit and go Truck Towing. Complete Truck Towing Systems. For new introductory video tape ;end $19.95 + 3.00 (S & H) to Airtime of Lubbock, 2013 68th St., Lubbock, Texas 79412. (806) 745-6039.

Business & Employment Opportunities Experienced USHGA Certified Instructors needed NOW! Lots of students ... not enough instructors. Send resume to: Mission Soaring Center, 1116 Wrigley Way, Milpitas, CA 95035.

"A FEAST OF FLIGHT"-The 1985 U.S. Nationals video (30 min., VHS). Send $25.00 plus $3.00 for shipping to: Cloudbase Country Club, PO Box 629, Issaquah, WA 98027-0629.

SPECIAL OFFER • TWO FOR THE PRICE OF ONEIi .~

NOW YOU CAN SHOW YOUR FR!ENOS WHAT IT'S All ABOUT. THE INSPIRING 'tlANG GLIDING I' NOW COMES TOGETHER WITH THE ALL NEW 'HANG GLIDING II'.

500 SLIDES, Great music, shown in 40 minutes on VHS or Beta. Only $39. Doug Rice, 3920 Blue Ridge Rd., Raleigh, NC 27612. (919) 783-8445.

Miscellaneous

QUICK RELEASE CARABINER-Breaking 10,000 lbs. $24.95. Extra 5/16 ball lock pin $10. DEALERS WANTED. Thermal, 19431-41 Business Center Dr., Northridge, CA 91324.

SAILMAKING SUPPLIES & hardware. All fabric types. Catalog and colorful samples $1. Massachusetts Motorized, P.O. Box 542-G, Cotuit, MA 02635. (413) 736-2426. Hang Gliding and Windsurfing instructor positions opening this Spring. Management positions available. Opportunities for advancement. Write Roger Coxon, Kitty Hawk Kites, P.O. Box 340, Nags Head, NC 27959.

SAN FRANCISCO WINDSPORTS (formerly H.G. Equipment Co.). For all your hang gliding needs. We are dealers for all major brands. Send $2.00 for price list - 3620 Wawona, San Francisco, CA 94116 (415) 753-8828. U.P. COCOON-Brand new, large, 24' chute, steel carabiner. $300. (404) 325-3268. WINCH-For land towing, stationary, with trailer, hydraulic system for constant line tension, Tecumseh engine, 5000 ft. of line, like new. Tow to 2000 ft. in flat terain with a 10 mph wind! Skyting towing system, with 3-ring circus release. Very safe. I am moving to Europe. $2500. Call (315) 687-3724. CUSTOM FITTED "C.G. 1000" HARNESSContact Southern California's only factory authorized agent for details. Luigi Chiarani,

WANTED-Demon hang glider. Sales, 175 squares, must be in excellent condition. (801) 782-8172. WANTED: UP 50-mile XC Club shirt in good condition. Will pay top dollar. Call collect (503) 582-2650.

Publications & Organizations 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 E. Hobbs, NM 88241. MANBIRDS: Now really affordable! Authentic history of Hang Gliding. Over 100 photos and input from Hang Gliding's greats. Inside look at heydey of sport. By professional writer Maralys Wills, and first U.S. Champion, Chris Wills, M.D. Only $7.95 plus $1.00 shipping. 5 or more, $4.95 plus $1.00 each. Write "Manbirds," 1811 Beverly Glen Dr., Santa Ana, CA 92705.

HANG GLIDING-Thank you cards with a simple "Thanks" inside. Folded: $6.50 a dozen or $20. for fifty. Unfolded: $6.00 a dozen or $16. for fifty. Call or write: Tek Flight Products, Colebrook Stage, Winsted, CT 06098. (203) 379-1668.

HANG GLIDING

The Aying Kangaroo's Win Again and Again an Mark Newland started the Kangaroo's onslaught with a great win in the U.S. Nationals flying the GTR 162. Then his Aussie mates all flying the same GTR 162's completed the double in lnvermere, by taking the American Cup. Next the World Masters ... If you want to share the feeling of winning in a GTR, get into a Mount Buffalo World Masters T/Shirt! Just fill in the coupon and post with $12 .00 to:

T Shirt illustration

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I Name

I I Address I I I I Size (tick) S.. .. .. ... . M .. ..... L .......... . I Cheque or Money Order @ $12.00 each.

I ---------------------------------

GTR 162VG U S HGMA C ER TIFI ED

CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING

HANG GLIDING CHRISTMAS CARDS. Unique hand made in old black and white etching style. 75C each or $7 .00 for an assortment of twelve or $25.00 for 50, plus 10% for shipping. Call Alegra Davidson (203) 379-1668 or send a self addressed, stamped envelope for assortment selection to: Tek Flight Products, Colebrook Stage, Winsted, CT 06098. CRYSTAL AIR SPORT MOTEL at Raccoon Mountain; Bunkhouse, private rustic rooms, regular & waterbeds, video in-room movies, private jacuzzi room, pool, sky gear gifts, fliers work program. FF! 4328 Cummings Hwy., Chattanooga, TN 37409. (615) 821- 2546. Chuck & Shari Toth. PATCHES & DECALS - USHGA sew-on emblems 3" dia. Full color - $1. Decals, 31/i'' dia. Inside or outside application. 25C each. Include 15C for postage and handling with each order. P.O. Box 66306, Los Angeles, CA 90066. BUMPER STICKERS - "There's No Place Like Cloudbase" $2.00 postpaid. Flight Realities, c/o 1830 Clove St., San Diego, CA 92106 (619) 455-6036. TEE-SHIRTS with USHGA emblem $8.00 including postage and handling. Californians add 6% tax. Men's sizes in BLUE - S, M, L, XL. Limited supply of ORANGE, sizes S, XL. USHGA, P.O. Box 66306, Los Angeles, CA 90066. The rate for classified advertising is 35C per word (or group of characters). Minimum charge, $3.00. A fee of $10.00 is charged for each photograph or logo. Bold face or caps SOC per word extra. Underline words to be bold. Special layouts of tabs $20.00 per column inch. AD DEADLINES - All ad copy, instructions, changes, additions and cancellations must be received in writing l'h 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, P.O. Box 66306, Los Angeles, CA 90066.

Stolen Wings TYPE: 167 Sport. Pacific blue leading edge, gold undersurface, balance white. Contest number 52 on both wings when stolen. No ribs or glider bag with glider. Stolen from Little Black in San Diego, CA on Aug. 18, 1986. CONTACT: The Hang Gliding Center, (619) 450-9008. TYPE: Raven 229. SAIL: White with orange leading edges and keel pocket. Serial #4900. WHERE AND WHEN: Palm Springs, March 29, 1986. CONTACT: Art Kassel Detective Agency (714) 540-9391. Reward. 44

TYPE: Lancer 145. SAIL: Center out gold, brown, yellow, gold, orange, brown, black tips. Blue bag with orange tips and Flight Designs patch. U.S. Lancer on underside of right wing. WHERE AND WHEN: April 12, 1986, Morristown, TN. CONTACT: Mack Lipe, 653 Central Church Rd., Townhouse, Apt. 6, Morristown, TN 37814 (615) 581-HANG (collect).

TYPE: 165 Comet I. SAIL: Red undersurface, orange and yellow upper. LE red. TE white. Keel pocket yellow. WHERE AND WHEN: Kitty Hawk Dunes, NC May 16, 1986. CONTACT: Dave Slodki, eves (718) 454-4734. TYPE: '78 Elite 174. Stolen Dec. '85 Billings, Mont. COLOR: Red leading edge, keel pocket and tips. Yellow sail, blue bag, orange training wheels. CONTACT: Dick Irwin, 512 S. 36th St., Billings, Mont. 59101 (406) 259-2901. Reward.

Index To Advertisers Airwave .............................. 4 Airworks ............................. 8 Australian Safaris . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Ball Varios ........................... 4 Bennett Delta Wing Gliders ...... 19, 29, BC Hall Brothers ......................... 25 High Energy ...................... 13, 24 Kitty Hawk West ...................... 7 Leaf ................................. 25 Litek ................................ 4 Lookout Mt. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Moyes ............................... 43 Pagen Books .......................... 13 Para Publishing ........................ 44 Publitek .............................. 13

TYPE: Olympus 160, red & yellow w/win-

Santa Barbara HGA .................... 13

dows, black Litek vario, black harness w/blue chute container. WHERE AND WHEN: Roadside near Hwy. 1, 30 miles south of Carmel, CA on 2/26/85. CONTACT: Peter Rosen, (408) 667-2345.

Silver Wings .......................... 24

Seedwings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Skylife ............................... 36

TYPE: Sensor 510-180 #165. WHERE AND WHEN: Outside Galeana Mexico, near Saltillo, April 29, 1984. PATTERN: Reddish

Systems Tech ......................... 25

brown LE, orange undersurface, remainder dirty white. Logo on top right panel #3. CONTACT: Stephen Rudy, 5309 Roosevelt, Austin, TX (512) 467-8078.

USHGA .................... IFC, 19, IBC

U-Haul .............................................. 25

Wills Wing ........................... 26

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

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

Send For FREE Brochure HANG GLIDING

USHGA MERCHANDISE ORDER FORM BOOKS

PRICE

MANBIRDS by Maralys Wills. Entertainingly fakes the reader from hang gilding's past to ifs soaring present. 8 pg color, 150 Blk & Wht photos, 40 pg appendix. USHGA INSTRUCTORS CERTIFICATION MANUAL. Complete requirements, syllabus, teaching methods. HANG GLIDING by Dan Poynter. 8th Edition. Basic Handbook for skysurting. FLYING CONDITIONS by Dennis Pagen. Micrometerology for pilots. 90 illustrations. HANG GLIDING AND FLYING SKILLS by Dennis Pagen. Beginners to experts instruction manual. HANG GLIDING TECHNIQUES Oy Dennis Pagen. Techniques for cross-country, competition & powered flight. MANNED KITING by Dan Poynfer. Handbook on tow launch flying. MAN.POWERED AIRCRAFT by Don Dwiggins. 192 pg history of flight. Fealures flight of Gossamer Condor. FEDERAL AVIATION REGULATIONS FOR PILOTS. 1983 Edition. Hang gliding pertinent informalion. 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 ogs. USHGA OFFICIAL FLIGHT LOG. 40 ogs. Pocket size, skills signoffs

$17.95

QUANTITY B-1

B-2 B-3 8-5 B-6 B-7 B-10 B-11 B-12 B-13 8-15 B-16

AMOUNT

S 2.00 $ 7.50 $ 7.50

$ 7.50 $ 7.50

S 4.50 $ 6.50 $ 4.50

S 1.00

S 1.50 $ 2.95

(a\\ \ese\s), ~\o,sari ol \0<ms, awa,lls.

ITEMS 1-1

"HEW" USHGA 'HANG GLIDIHG' T-SHIRT. 100% heavyweight cotton. WHITE or TAN. Men's sizes: SM L X-L (CIRCLE ONE). USHGA EMBLEM T-SHIRT. 100% heavyweight cotton. TAN or LIGHT BLUE. Men's sizes only. S M L x-L (CIRCLE SIZE & COLOR) USHGA EMBLEM CAP. One size fils all. Baseball type/USHGA emblem. NAVY ORANGE GOLD (CIRCLE ONE) "HEW" USHGA BELT BUCKLE. Solid bronze, custom design, relief sculpture. 31/4 x 2'k USHGA SEW-OH EMBLEM. 3" dia., full color (red wings, sunburst w/black print). USHGA EMBLEM DECAL. 3W' dia., full color. LICENSE PLATE FRAME. "I'd rather be hang gliding." White on Blue. WALLET. Nylon, velcro closure. mach. washable, water resistant. ROY AL BLUE color.

1-2 1-3 1-4 1-5

•

1-6 1-8 1-9

$ 8.00

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$ 8.00 $ 5.00

$12.00 1.00 .25 $ 5.50 $ 8.95

H/\KG GL\ll\KGIGROUKO S~\\t\MER B/\C~ ISSUES ·"SPECIFY BY CIRCLING ISSUE NUMBER• "ISSUES HOT 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. lt. 72 73. 76, 77. 78, 80, 82, 83, 86. 87. 88, 89, 90, 91. 92. 93. 96, 98. 99. 100. 101, 102, 103

S 1.00

$ t .50

105 - 14-lt

$ 2.00

14-12

S 2.50

Currenl Issue

"HO TAX OH MAGAZINES"

MAGAZINE SUB TOTAL

Ordering lnformafion: Alt prices include postage and handl1 ng (Prices sub1ect to change without no11ce.} Enler quantity and pnce of each item ordered. Allow 3-4 weeks delivery (8 weeks for Foreign} All orders are mailed by the cheapest a1.Ja1\able rate !f you '111sh to receive your order faster. please include suff1c1ent postage funds No CO o_·s

MERCHANDISE SUB TOTAL (Californians add 6% tax on merchandise only)

Foreign Orders USHGA will ONLY accept foreign checks payable on a US bank HO CHARGE ITEMS

in U.S- funds

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STATE _ _ _ ZIP _ _ __

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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:

USHGA, PO BOX 66306, LOS ANGELES. CA 90066

DEL1A WIN& FOR 'B&I

The '86 Lite Dream combines the best features of any intermediate glider on the market today. That's why it continues to be'the #1 selling gli der! The Lite Dream offers: more sizes 145 , 165, 185, 205 & 220 ; lig ht weight - 42 lbs. (145 Dream) ; smooth predictable inflight handling ; excellent performance & best price .

Ll1E Known fo r its excel lent performance & ease of hand ling , the highly com petitive Mystic has undergone si gnificant re-e ngineering to provide this year's pilot with the lightest all Am erican airframe glid er available today! Weight savings have been gained witho ut having to use mo re expensive & exotic thin-walled tu bing ... The Lite Mystic also features: 5 sizes - 144, 155 , 166, 177 & 188; foam leading edge pockets ; streamline king post and best of al l the price.

Ll1E MY511C

Box 483, Van Nuys, CA 91408 s1sn s1-&&00, Telex 65-1425 • Watch next month's ad for the release of Delta Wing's new high performance glider -

the XCEL!