USHGA Hang Gliding October 1987

Page 1


,

I

111111•·---------

• MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION • Ulllr..\

NAME------,,=---,=--:--,--------

(Please Print) ADDRESS _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

~

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

SEX (M)(F)

0 NEW MEMBER

BIRTH DATE

O 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.

SUBSCRIPTION ONLY - - - - - ·

STUDENT MEMBER - - - - - -

D $29.00 SUBSCRIPTION ($32.00 foreign) for one year. D $53.00 SUBSCRIPTION ($59.00 foreign) for two years.

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.

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 D D D

NAME--------------0 NEW MEMBER D RENEW/USHGA # _ __

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

D SUBSCRIPTION, two years ($53.00, $59.00 foreign) Charge Card Service Charge Charge my D MasterCard OVISA Total Card No., _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Ex. Date _ _ __ Signature - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

P.O Box 500, Pearblossom, California 93553

(805) 944-5333

Revised 6/86


Volume 17

CONTENTS

Issue No. 10

(USPS 017-970-20)

Features 14 Mont St. Pierre 10th Annual Fly-In

Columns 5 USHGA President by Russ Locke Showing our appreciation to those who keep the spon going.

©198'7 by Dennis Pagen Flying in scenic Quebec.

34 Milestones

18 Pilot Report Delta Wing Dream 240

by Michael Holl A 126.6-mlle flight from a 400-foot hill.

by Paul Bums

A report on Bill Bennett's monster tandem glider.

Page 14

Departments

Page 18

3 Airmail 8 Update 10 Consumer Advisories 10 Calendar 12 USHGA Chapter Newsletter 36 Ratings and Appointments 40 Classified Advertising 44 Stolen Wings 44 Index To Advertisers

22 Flying In Southern New Mexico article and photos by Wayne DeVilbiss Out-of-the-way flying near Alamogordo, New Mexico.

27 The Decisive Takeoff by Pat DenevQJ1

Oetting it up 10 speed with confidence.

29 Instrumentation For Hang Gliders article and il/11srra1ions by Heiner Biesel An in-depth look at how flying instrumenlS worlc and how to use them. Some specu lation on high-tech future instrumentation.

Page 22 COVER: Soaring Mt. Nebo near Dardanelle, Arkansas. Photo by Tim "Max Glide" Little. CENTERSPREAD: Jim David flying over Mt. Graylock in North Adams, Massachusetts. Photo by Jim David.

DISCLAIMER OF WARRANTIES IN PUBLICATIONS: The material presenr.ed here is published as pan of an information dissemination service for USHGA members. The USHGA makes no warranties or representations and assumes no liability concerning the validiry of any advice, opinion or recommendation expressed in the material. All individuals relying upon the material do so at their own risk. Copyright © Unir.ed StateS Hang Gliding Association, lnc. 1987. AU rights reserved to Hang Gliding Magazine and individual contributors.

0croBl'.R 1987


FLY P.O. Box 7257

Bonney Lake, WA 98390

(206) 535-0973

Pilot: Larry Jorgensen

Mt. Rainier

Photo: Howard J. Handy

Mark Gibson Wins Region 1Chelan X-C Regionals on a TRI-LAM HERMES! STANDARD FEATURES INCLUDE: Safety edge turbulated airfoil uprights, turbulated airfoil kingpost, kingpost suspension, maintenance-free zicral battens, speed bar, UV treated sailcloth, flush keel pocket, quick-drop control bar, variable geometry _and speed battens. RACE OPTION: Tri-lam sailcloth; leading edge, mainbody and trailing edge made with this extremely fast and long-wearing sailcloth . SPECIFICATIONS

HERMES13

HERMES 14

HERMES 15

HERMES16

SAIL AREA SO. FT. WING SPAN ASPECT RATIO NOSE ANGLE WEIGHT PILOT WEIGHT

145 SQ. FT. 34' 7" 8.44 130Q 65 LBS . 120-150 LBS.

155 SQ. FT. 34'7" 8.14 130Q 66 LBS . 135-170 LBS .

165 SQ. FT. 34'7" 7.59 130Q 68 LBS . 150-190 LBS .

175 SQ. FT. 34'7" 7.11 130Q 69 LBS. 170-230 LBS.

Other USA La Mouette Features: The Famous Cosmos Trike• The "New" Profile Competition and Atlas Hang Gliders • Scorpio and Sport Keller Harnesses • Parachutes • Plus Many Other Accessories.

Ask Your Dealer For Only The Finest Hang Gliding Products. ASK FOR LA MOUETTE PRODUCTS ! La Mouette 1, Rue De La Petite Fin 21121

Fontaine Les Dijon

(80) 56 66 47


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

AIRMAIL

Staff Photographers Erik Fair, Staff miter Harry Martin, lllustrator

WILL HANG GLIDING BECOME EXTINCT IN ITS BIRTHPLACE?

Office Staff

Dear Editor, Think of the vast number of hang glider manufacturers 10 years ago. Then think of how many of them were in Southern California. Lastly, think of how many flying sites have been closed in Los Angeles and Orange counties in the last 10 years. The obvious conclusion is that hang gliding is nearing extinction in what was once considered the hang gliding capitol of the world. Los Angeles and Orange counties do not have any legitimate, recognized flying areas, and only a few spots for flying are tolerated by landowners or their legal representatives. The eventuality is that once Kagel Mtn. and Mt. Wilson get shut down by the relentless advance of development, construction, and an overly litigious society, there will be no more flying in what was once the USHGA's most populated region. That honor has since migrated north to Region 2 (Northern California), a much less populated region, with generally fewer flyable and soarable days. Why Region 3 is nearing extinction while Region 2 is prospering is no mystery. The schools, dealers, clubs and pilots of Region 2 have been very energetic in past years, working together and with various parks and recreation agencies, to develop a number of flight parks on public lands. These lands are highly visible to the public. They are clean and comfortable. They will never be sold, never be developed with condos, never be turned into parking lots. They are set aside for public use for recreational purposes, and the local pilots in this region have persuaded the respective parks and recreation agencies to include hang gliding as an appropriate use of these lands. We in Region 3 have largely done the opposite. We have sat on our hands, flying from remote peaks accessed by obscure fire roads, and landing in vacant lots, river-beds, and debris basins, all the time hoping to remain unnoticed by landowners, forest rangers and law enforcement agencies. All the while we watch sites close down one at a time: Sylmar, Mt. Lukens, Rinaldi, Simi Valley, Salt Creek, Tuna Canyon, Rincon Mtn., Escape Country, Lynn Rd., and finally Dockweiler Beach (Playa de! Rey), It may not be too late. If enough pilots took an interest, we could reverse this trend. As I see it we have two choices. One is for each and every pilot to get as many people as possible to write the Mayor of L.A., the County Board of Supervisors and the Los

Cindy Brickner, Executive Director Joyce Isles, Ratings Maria Harrington, Member Services

USHGA Officers: Russ Locke, President Dick Heckman, Vice President Bob Collins, Secretary Dan Johnson, Treasurer

Executive Committee: Russ Locke Dick Heckman Bob Collins Dan Johnson Cindy Brickner REGION I: Jeff Bennett, Ken Godwin. REGION 2: Russ Locke, Jay Busby. REGION 3: Steve Hawxhurst, Walt Dodge. REGION 4: Jim Zeiset, Bob Buxton. REGION 5: Mike King. REGION 6: Steve Michalik. REGION 7: Bruce Case, John Woiwode. REGION 8: Robert Collins. REGION 9: William Richards, Jeff Sims. REGION 10: Rick Jacob, Dick Heckman. REGION 11: Warren Richardson, REGION 12: Pete Fournia, Paul Rikert, DIRECTORS AT LARGE: Dan Johnson, Rob Kells, Dennis Pagen, Vic Powell, Elizabeth Sharp. EXOl'F!C!O DIRECfOR: Everett Langworthy. HONORARY DIRECTORS: Bill Bennnett, Mark Bennett, Joe Bulger, Eric Pair, Bettina Gray, Doug Hildreth, Gregg Lawless, Mike Meier, Rich Pfeiffer, Bob Thompson, The United States Hang Gliding Association Inc. is a division of the National Aeronautic Association (NAA) which is the official representative of the Federation Aeronautique Internationale (FA!), of the world governing body for sport aviation. The NAA, which represents the U.S. at FA! meetings, has delegated to the USHGA supervision of PAI-related hang gliding activities such as record attempts and competition sanctions. HANG GLIDING magazine is published for hang gliding sport enthusiasts to create further interest in the spon, l1f a means of Ojlen 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, If the material is to be returne<l, a stamped, self-addresse,1 return envelope must be enclosed. Notification must be made of submission to other hang gliding publications. HANG GLIDING magazine reserves the right to e<lit contribu1ions where necessary. The Association and publication do not assume responsibility for the material or opinions of conlributors. HANG GLIDING magazine (USPS 017-970) is published monthly l1f the United States Hang Gliding Association, Inc., whose mailing address is: P.O. Box 500, Pearblossom, CA 93553; telephone (805) 944.5333. Second-class postage is paid at Pearblossom, Calif. The typesetting is provided by lst Impression Typesetting Service, Buena Park, Calif. The USHGA is a membercontrolled educational and scientific organization dedicated to exploring all facets of ultralight flight. Membership is open to anyone interested in this realm of flight. Dues for full membership are $39,00 per year ($42.00 for foreign addresses); subscription rates are $29.00 for one year, $53.00 for two years, S/7.00 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 from a recent issue. POSTMASTER: SEND CHANGE OF ADDRESS TO: UNITED STATES HANG GLIDING ASSOCIATION, P.O. BOX 500, PEARBLOSSOM, CA 93553.

OCTOBER 1987

VOLUME 17, ISSUE No.

10

Angeles City Council, requesting an immediate reopening of the nation's oldest historical flying site, Playa de! Rey (Dockweiler Beach). This would be the first official recognition of hang gliding in LA., as well as being the "foot in the door" of the recreation and parks systems in Southern California. The second choice is that we all sit around singing the following song: There were 10 in the bed and the little one said, "Roll over, roll over" so they all rolled over and one fell out .... There were two in the bed and the little one said, "Roll over, roll over" so they both rolled over and one fell out. There was one in the bed and the little one said, "GOOD NIGHT, GOOD NIGHT." Joe Greblo Los Angeles, CA

UPWARD MOBILITY Dear Editor, Several times while hovering at trim speed at Ft. Funston, California, I experienced an increase in rate of climb upon changing from the prone to the upright position. This was while flying with a knee-hanger harness which allowed an easy transition between the two positions. On other occasions, subsequent to the purchase of a CG-1000 pod harness, my rate of climb in light thermals increased when I unzipped the harness, increasing low-down drag because of the open flaps. Also, Jerry Katz reports in the August, 1987 issue of Hang Gliding (pg. 34) that for more efficient thermalling he moves to the upright position ..."for more drag while thermalling." These items suggest that low-down drag increases the upward mobility of hang glider pilots when flying hang gliders. I could think of only three mechanisms by which such an effect (if real) might be mediated: l) The increased wind pressure against the pilot pushes him/her back with respect to the glider-moving the center of gravity rearward-effectively increasing the angle of attack and increasing lift. 2) While angle of attack may not be changed,

the increased low-down drag deflects air upward, increasing pressure on the underside of the wing and increasing the differential above and below the wing, increasing lift. 3) There is an interaction of airspee<l and

angle of attack. The increased low-down drag decreased airspeed without altering angle of

3


AIRMAIL attack. This situation is equivalent to decreasing the weight of the pilot. That is, for a given angle of attack a glider will fly slower with a lighter pilot. Perhaps the apparent decrease in pilot weight, due to low-down drag, increases lift. I'd be interested to know if other pilots have noticed any effect of low-down drag on their upward mobility, and if the effect could be experimentally confirmed on test vehicles.

hang gliding center). If you don't know where the hang gliding center is, please refrain from landing there. There is a great LZ just to the east of the airport at the base of the Whites, all accessible by two-wheel drive roads. So, if it's not necessary to land at the airport, please don't. If you would like to use the airport, feel free, everyone is welcome. However, please help us make peace with the airport management by abiding by their rules.

Chuck Rebert Menlo Park, CA

Jim Stimson Mammoth Lakes, CA

CONGRATS Dear Editor, I would like to congratulate Bob Thompson and Hans Heydrich on their 218-mile flights in Arizona this summer. I met both guys in the summer of '85 and they were very helpful in my vacation flying. I have enjoyed Bob's articles and photos over the years and I believe that the USHGA membership ought to do something to show Bob our appreciation for his contributions to our sport. What I propose is a fund raiser entitled "Buy Bob Thompson a New Helmet So He Doesn't Look Like Herman Munster When He Flies" fund. All contributions can be sent to the USHGA office and the surplus can be donated to the World Team Fund. What about it? John Stokes Cumberland Wildlife Foundation

LANDING AT BISHOP AIRPORT Dear Editor, I am writing on behalf of the local pilots in the Owens Valley and the Mammoth Lakes area. We are in danger of losing landing privileges and our hang gliding center at the Bishop Airport. Apparently there was almost a mid-air collision between a hang glider and a Cessna in July. The problem is not with the local pilots though. The problem lies with pilots coming up from Horseshoe Meadows. The Bishop Airport merely asks us to follow some simple rules in return for the use of their facilities. If you must land at the airport, and I emphasize if, please have a minimum altitude of three thousand feet over the airport (the elevation there is 4,100 feet). Then, you must spiral down between the traffic pattern (over the

4

MORE OWENS CAUTION Dear Editor, I'd like to address the problem of growing popularity of the Owens Valley with respect to safety. As a high airtime Owens flyer, winner of an Owens Valley XC Classic, and Advanced Instructor, I feel compelled to briefly discuss the complexity of this flying area. On a recent trip there my flying party awoke to find several meteorological signs suggesting an unflyable day. Upon arrival at the local restaurant, I was shocked to meet table after table of pilots all discussing their upcoming flight plans from the Horseshoe Meadows launch. Due to the sheer number of them I began to wonder if I was being overconservative in my analysis of the conditions. Upon reanalyzing the conditions I felt sure it was not a good idea to fly Horseshoe that day. Still a slight bit confused I sought out after some good local advice. Soon, with luck, I ran across Larry Tudor, who was spending several weeks in the valley looking for a record flight. "Hey Larry," I asked, "does Horseshoe look flyable today?" His reply confirmed in my mind that the Sierras were not the side of the valley from which one should launch this day. So off we went to the Whites where we enjoyed a nice flight from Mazourka. And what about the other pilots? Well, fortunately no one was hurt, but those who elected not to fly were glad of their decision. If the point I am trying to make seems vague, let me be more direct. The Owens Valley is one of the most turbulent valleys in the United States. Every single year we witness upside down gliders and structural failures. These things can and do happen on what is often considered a good day for flying. Many consider most mid-summer days in the Owens to be a mild form of Russian Roulette. The conditions of the day determine

just how many live bullets are in the gun's chamber that day. Pilots who are experienced enough with this valley and this type of flying stand a better chance of knowing how many bullets are in the gun. Inexperienced pilots are simply guessing. If you are an intermediate or even a recreational advanced rated pilot, think carefully about flying the Owens. And if you decide to fly there, think even more carefully about which pilots to rely on for advice. For some, long flights come easy in the Owens. For others, they have been a nightmare. Joe Greblo Los Angeles, California

WELL WRITTEN Dear Editor, Bravo. Bravo. The September issue of Hang Gliding was excellent. Congratulations to Joe Bostik, Larry Tudor, Bob Thompson, Hans Heydrich, Dave Sharp and Jim Lee for exceptional flying, and to Laura Daltry for taking time to write such a beautiful story about the sport we all Jove so much. "The cloudbase is hosting a Curtains of Virga convention ... will stick in my mind for some time. Chris Price Murrieta Hot Springs, California

FIVE STAGES OF HANG GLIDING Dear Editor, The five stages of a hang glider flyer are: 1. Beginner 2. Advanced 3. Too good to fly with beginners. 4. Too professional to fly with anybody. 5. Back to just flying with everyone to have fun! Vic Powell Annandale, VA

Hang Gliding welcomes letters ro rhe ediror. Try ro make your letter concise, and please submit it typewritten and double-spaced. If typing is not possible, please print double-spaced. -Ed.

HANG GLIDING


DEL1A WIN&

Accessories USHGA PRESIDENT

Showing Our Appreciation by Russ Locke

There are numerous hang gliding organizations/clubs across the country, and in most of them the 80-20 rule applies: 80% of the work is done by 20% of the members. It is these few hundred dedicated individuals at the local level whose work keeps 7,000 pilots in the air by keeping clubs operating and flying sites open. The national organization helps with the big ticket items like insurance, but day to day management is done locally. For the most part, we know who those individuals are. If you're not sure, there's and easy way to find out. Ask yourself whom, if things aren't going well or if their is a local problem, do you call to complain to? Chances are, you just identified the person who cares enough to put some energy and time behind fixing those problems. It's these people that the rest of us need to keep satisfied. There are a number of ways of making them feel appreciated. One of the most straightforward ways is to give them the one thing most of us are looking for, but don't get enough of (besides sex and money) - airtime. When was the last time a group went flying for the weekend and invited the club newsletter editor to go along, telling him/her to leave their wallet at home? If we want our current flying situation to grow and improve, it's important that we do a little maintenance work to keep the people who do most of the work from burning out. The same problem exists at the national level. There are 25 elected directors to the governing board of the USHGA. Additionally, there are another ten elected honorary directors chosen to give advice to the voting 25. Out of the 25 voting directors fewer than 25 % make their living (or make a partial living) out of hang gliding, so those with vested interests are a minority. Elections are held

OCTOBER 1987

at this time each year and typically only one or two pilots run for director from each region. The value of being a director, in many pilots' minds, doesn't equal the cost of participation. The bottom line is that most of us were raised to say 'thank you' when someone did us a favor. It isn't any more difficult than keeping that thought in mind when we think about our flying community.•

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 Test Rides Up Retrieval Accommodation and Camping Fees

*

*

* *

* *

Sites: Ave. "S" I 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 $425. Early reservations recommended for out-of-state pilots. Holiday airline schedules fHI up earty. Jim Johns at Kitty Hawk Kites, Hwy. #1Reservation Rd., P.O. Box 828, Marina, CA 93933 (408) 384-2622.

AIRSTREAM HARNESS The low drag prairie harness

ieatures

t

• Ad1ustable C.G Faired parachute & ballast container • Adjuslable fool slirrup. • Cuslom sizes to lit all pilols. • Large choice of colors _.•Price .$340

._.___...._"°""'___

ROMER HELMET Made by German manufacturer wilh over 125 yrs. of experience 11 wa~ designed to provide a light weight helmet that gives maximum protect,on • DOT approved • Exe temporal prolection • Special ear openings. • Made of polycarbonate • Available 1n Y. 0. White • P11ce. S 75 ,..__ _.....;;;;.._ __, HIGH ENERGY SPORTS "BUS" PARACHUTE High quality chute designed to wilhstand hiQhSpeed openings • Bml! 10 TSO slandards • All seams reinforced. • V labs at each line attachment • Type XVIII bndle raled at 6000 lbs. • Deployment Bag w cont

L---------' •

Price

.$395

BULLET BALLISTIC RECOVERY SYSTEM The bullet ,s a bathst1cally (spring) deployed chute that is easily attached to any girder II vir1ually el1mina!es any chance of chute enlanglement • Fast deployment lime • 18 gore chute • 20.4· canopy • Total system wl 3 3 kg • Pnce $545 .....__.__ _ _ _.__. DELTA WING TRAINING WHEELS. A mus/ tor all beginner and noy/ce level pilots ~ no more sudden slops with lhese high impact. urethane landing wheels.

Prevents injuries to hands. etc Less chance of damaging your glider with a hard landing • Lifetime guarantee • Dealers inquire aboul additional vol. disc. • Price .$40 INSTRUMENTS Ball 620H Vario/Audio .$280 00 Ball 651 Vano1Aud10-Altimeter w110 II. steps . $495 00 Ball 652 Va no/Audio-TO I!. Altimeter-Airspeed $590 00 Retrotit Alfspeed to Model 651 .$130.00 Ball 670 Airspeed, 2.25 inch. 70 mph . $125 OD . $200.00 Ball M-20 Wrisl mounted Audio/Vario Ball M-20 wlearphone jack $250 00 $169 00 Litek VE 12 wrist mounted . . $179.00 Litek VE 12 w/earphone 1ack .. $169 00 Litek VE 7 .. $198.00 Litek VE 35 $295.00 Roberts Vario & Alt _. .... S 21.50 Hall Windmeter. MISC, MATERIALS & SUPPLIES Delta wing T shirts .s 8.50 Golf shirts . S 12.50 Streamline tubing-1" x 2v,·· X .056 wall. .S 7.50,fi fnstabushings-1v,··. 1,., ... 11',·. Fis" . S 2.00 Order 100 .. S 1.00 fnstabush insert tor v,· bolt .S 20 Delta Wing stocks all Progressive A"cratt parts &accessories

ei .' .:...

See your Delta Wing dealer nearest you or contact:

DELTA WING

::~ -i:ivs, CA 91408

! • 818/787,6600 ., · Telex 65,1425 DEALER INQUIRIES INVITED

5


RIO DE JANIERO New Years Party

Dec. 27 - Jan~8

$1295.00

AUSTRALIA, WORLD MEET - January 19 - Feb. 2. 1988 $1995.00 Support the U.S. Team $2471.00 AFRICA, TANZANIA - Feb. 13 · 27, 1988 Mt. Kilimanjaro, Riff! Valley, Lake Manyaro, Serengeti Ntl. Park

The new Design ••• ,.,

made in Bavaria

Alto- Vario LCD II , large LC- Display • distinct climb/ sink audio alarms • RF screened • range 7000m (9999 m option) Vario H-V -altimeter with audio- vario . small case (123 • 78 • 39 mm) , distinct climb/ sink audio alarms • version V: display switchable to digital va rio indicat ion Alto- Print- barograph • storage time : 22 hrs • 2 markers • rea l- time clock • seperate batterie printer (Epson P 40) • ra nge 4800 m (9600 m option) All metric indications optional in ft/ ft/min

WORLDWIDE HANG GLIDING AFARIS ACHIM J. HAGEMAN U.S.H.G.A. CERT. INSTRUCTOR 29 STATE STREET SANTA BARBARA, CA., 93101 , U.S.A. PH : (805) 962-8999

Write for more information: Li.Golik 132 Arlington Str. Acton Mass. 01720

ABRXUNIGER FLUGELECTRONIC

Jf/


MARK BENNETT for SEEDWINGS "The sail quality is unsurpassed, the hardware is sleek and functional. The VG (Variable Geometry) is the easiest to use and maximizes handling and soaring performance. The sink rate /cli mb rate is unsurpassed. The speed range, the broadest usable yet, is in a word, remarkable . SEEDWINGS hang gliders are finely honed for soaring. The light control pressures (wi th almost instant response time), a King post suspension system, and properly located tail

fin makes the yaw/roll coupling automatic and maximizes yaw stability. Small size handling, high speed capabilities, big size floatability, plus slow speed handling makes SEEDWINGS the Mercedes in gliders." SEEDWINGS INC offers: The Standard 510 B 160, the 3/4 Race B Model, and the Full Race 510 B for those who want the ultimate in performance Prices start at S2595. Allow four to eight weeks for delivery. HGMA Certified.

THE ULTIMATE GLIDERS FOR FLIGHT

Dealer Inquiries Welcomed

SEEDWINGS

5760 Thornwood Dr. Santa Barbara, CA 93117 (805) 967-4848

Catalog and Specification sheets available


UPDATE KEEBLER FLIES 100 MILES AT WOKOVT By Buzz Chalmers pring and fall are well-known as the best soaring seasons at Lookout Mountain, near Chattanooga, Tennessee, so few pilots expect great cross-country conditions in mid-July. Mitch Keebler certainly didn't, dressed in his usual summer attire of shorts and T-shirt. But summer's reputation didn't stop a cold front from pushing through the area, delivering northerly winds, an excellent lapse rate and occasional cloudstreets among mostly blue skies on July 15, and it didn't stop Keebler from flying 100 miles - the fifth time the century mark has been busted at Lookout Mountain Flight Park. Rising quickly to cloudbase soon after launch, Keebler turned his HP II Racer downwind and headed south, to see how far his skill and Mother Nature would carry him. Four hours later he found out. Still 3,000 feet above the ground, he chose to bring it down rather than cross a desolate wooded area offering few safe landing fields. Another 15 minutes and he touched down, landing southwest of Atlanta about 10 miles past Fairfield Plantation, a resort area near Interstate 20. Keebler's flight was one of the infrequent (for the East Coast, at least) 100-mile flights in a hang glider. Keebler's only regret was he wasn't dressed properly for the occasion. "I got real cold," he recalls. "I was freezing," even at the relative low altitudes of 4,000 to 5,000 feet where most of the flight occurred. Keebler, a computer programmer when he's not flying, was accompanied during the early part of his flight by another local pilot, Mario Crespi, who flew more than 60 miles before landing. The flight is particularly noteworthy because it didn't happen in spring - the normal season for the best altitude gains and cross-country flights. Later in the month, B.J. Schulte claimed an altitude gain of 9,000 feet in a single thermal. A blistering heat wave produced soarable thermals nearly every day for three weeks, adding July to the list of excellent months for soaring at Lookout.•

S

8

New Members Submitted by Hang Gliding Businesses (For the month of June, 1987 - previously unpublished) Aeolus ........................... 52 Accelerated Flight Systems .......... 30 Lookout Mt ....................... 26 Windsports International ............ 20 Mission Soaring Center ............. 19 Hang Flight Systems ............... 17 Golden Sky Sails .................. 16 Kitty Hawk Kites East ............. 14 Tradewinds ....................... 13 Air Play'n ....................... 12 Nova Air ........................ 11 HG Center of San Diego ........... 11 Free Spirit Flight HGC ............. 11 Hang Glider Emporium ............. 8 Pinecrest Air Park .................. 6 Santa Barbara HG Center ............ 5 Wasatch Wings, Inc ................ .4 Airzona Wind Sports ................ 3 Raven Hang Gliding ................ 3 Windgypsy ........................ 2 Adventure Wings ................... 2 Torrey Pines HG Center ............. 2 One each for the following: Austin Air Sports, Fly High Hang Gliding, Glide Path, Hang Gliders West, High Adventure, The Hang Gliding Shop (Ventura), Kitty Hawk Kites West, Morningside, Ohio Flyers, Sauratown Kites, Susquehanna Flight Park, Thermal Up, Treasure Valley HG, Wind Rider.

Member Enrollments by Businesses August 1987 This listing reflects both three-month 'Student' member and one-year Full Member enrollments of new USHGA members during the period two months before this issue. Businesses also receive a $1 credit for each one-year enrollment. Kitty Hawk Kites (East) Aeolus Hang Gliding Windsports International NOVA Air - West Germany Mission Soaring Center Lookout Mountain Flight Park

158 44 29 26 25 23

Hang Flight Systems Tradewinds Hang Gliding Pine Crest Air Park Hang Glider Emporium Mountain Wings Accelerated Flight Systems Free Spirit H.G. Club Chandelle Golden Sky Sails Adventure Wings San Francisco Windsports Free Spirit Sky Surfing High Sierra Sports Air Time of Lubbock Thermal Up Kitty Hawk Kites (West) The Hang Glider Shop (Ventura)

18 17 12 10 10 9 8 5 5 5 3 2 2 2 2 2 2

One each for the following: Airplay'n, Capital City Hang Gliding, Channel Islands H.G. Emporium, Eagle's Nest, Fly America, Fly High H.G., Glide Path, Hang Gliders West, Hawk Airsports, High Adventure, The Hang Glider Shop, Morningside Flight Park, Santa Barbara H.G., Sequatchie Valley H.G., Susquehanna Flight Park, Wasatch Wings.

ADVENTURE BOUND Adventure Bound, a CBS-owned travel magazine will be sponsoring Achim Hageman's Hang Gliding to Tanzania/Mt. Kilimanjaro in February, 1988. The expedition will fly to Kilimanjaro Airport and will pioneer new flying sites at Kilimanjaro (19,340'). Adventure Bound Travel Magazine, which specializes in high adventure expeditions, is located in New York and will cover the attempt to fly from Mt. Kilimanjaro. Contact: Achim Hageman (805) 962-8999.

CHILEAN XC CHAMPIONSHIPS We are happy to announce the schedule for the 1988 Chilean Cross Country Hang Gliding Championship organized by the senior Chilean hang gliding club Juan Salvador Gaviota (Spanish for Jonathan Livingston Seagull). It will be held in Santiago, Jan. 8-17, 1988, at the peak of thermal activity in the Central Cordillera. Entrance fee is

HANG GLIDING


/

i

U.S. $50 for both class A (high performance) and class B (intermediate) gliders. Like last year's event the idea behind the meet is to give all interested pilots of any level an opportunity to fly in the Cordillera de Los Andes and spend a pleasant time in Chile. Contact: Mr. Mauricio Cottin, Holanda 3536-F, Santiago or Mr. Carlos Claussen, Providencia 2370 - 36, Santiago.

FLYTEC FLIGHT INSTRUMENTS

/m~ :~~(.·];r

UPDATE instruments are all rechargeable and display both feet and meters. Contact: Flytec AG, Ebenaustrasse 8, CH-6048 Horw, Switzerland, tel. 041 47 34 24.

REGION VI REGIONAL VIDEO Gary Brewer of Informative Video Productions has released a video of the recent Region VI Regionals. The tape is presented in six segments that show all phases of the event, choreographed to music. Copies are recorded on Fuji Beridox fine grain VHS 1/2" tapes, and come in a hard plastic protective case. Price is $37.00 plus $1.00 postage (includes tax). BETA copies are also available. Contact: Gary Brewer, Informative Video Productions, P.O. Box 761, Chandler, TX 75758 (214) 849-3189.

NEW CERTIFIED SCHOOLS USHGA welcomes two new certified schools: Pro Hang Gliders, 569 W. Annabelle, Hazel Park, MI 48030 (313) 399-9433 and Eagle's Nest, P.O. Box 25985, Colorado Springs, CO 80936 (303) 594-0498. Welcome aboard!

Flytec of Switzerland is offering a wide variety of high tech flight instruments for hang gliding. Included are: an airspeed indicator with LCD display, dual mode (kilometers or miles per hour) and adjustable audio stall warning; a vario with LCD bar display, audio and peak value memory; an altimeter with programmable altitude memory, 4-1/2 digit LCD display with 10-ft. increments over the entire range, and zero calibration up to 8,000'. The interesting thing about these instruments is that all of them have an interface on the top and bottom, so that a pilot can buy an initial instrument and later add the others. Not pictured is a new flight recorder that can be interfaced to the other instruments. The Flytec OCTOBER 1987

JEFF COTTER FEATURED IN AUGUST CENTERSPREAD The centerspread in the August issue of Hang Gliding featured Hawaiian pilot Jeff Cotter whom we failed to identify. Sorry for the omission Jeff.

STANWELL PARK COMPETITION The Stanwell Park Hang Gliding Club would like to invite overseas pilots to "wind down after the World" at the Fourth Lawrence Hargrave International Hang Gliding Competition from February 20-27, 1988 at Stanwell Park. Stanwell Park is Australia's most popular hang gliding site and consists of a coastal ridge varying from 600 feet to

. 2 ,(){){) feet high which extends inland gradually to about 20 kms from the coast in the far south. On a good day you can expect to have a 100 km round trip using a mixture of ridge lift and thermals. The Competition is named after Stanwell Park's most famous resident, Lawrence Hargrave, who in 1894 was lifted some 15 feet under four of his box kites which he had designed. That is not such a great feat these days, but it was in 1894. Australians are so proud of him that they have stuck his face on their $20 note. The Competition will be by invitation, and because of some restricted access at the northeast takeoff site, it will be limited to 40 pilots. Preference will be given to the best pilots from the greatest mix of countries, but it would assist us if we had some idea of the number of pilots wishing to enter. The entry fee is $100.00 Australian. Contact: Kieran Tapsell, 19 Stanwell Avenue, Stanwell Park, 2509, N.S.W. Australia: Tel: 042 94 2645 (home) or 02 .. 521-6000 (work).

REGION THREE FALL CONTEST Chattanooga, Tennessee, is the probable location of the 1988 Nationals. The bid indicates contest dates will be April 15-22, 1988. Most regions don't have great flying weather in time to hold a spring regionals prior to an April Nationals. The USHGA Board announced last May that regions could hold a fall 1987 Regional Championship to qualify pilots for entry positions for a Chattanooga Nationals. Region 3 has a bid submitted to host a fall Regional on the consecutive weekends of October 17-18, 24-25, 31 and Nov. 1. Rather than a single-site contest, the bid indicates that the contest will visit three specific areas of the region on successive weekends: San Diego area, Elsinore through Ord Mountain, and the Santa Barbara area. Pilots will get to fly their "home sites" one of the three weekends, and travel to the other two. Tasks will be called from insured sites 9


UPDATE only. Scoring of the meet will be based on the rules and formulas being used in the upcoming World Meet in Australia speed tasks around triangles or to a goal. Entry fee is set at $110 and will include receipt of a contest T-shirt. Entries should be submitted by October 10. The contest will be limited to the first 50 pilots entering. Contact: Don Quackenbush, 18551 Prairie Street #15, Northridge, CA 91324 (818) 993-0171.

AIRZONE LOG BOOK

flight, with room for 60 flights per book. A summary of flights is included at the end of the log with hi/low and averages in time, speed and distance. This allows for quick reference and monitoring of a pilot's improvements in performance. The price is $4.00 and includes postage. Quantity discounts available. Contact: AirZone Mfg., 303 Sharpe Rd., Anacortes, WA 98221.

Calendar Oct. 3-5: USHGA fall Board of Directors' Meeting, at Howard Johnson's in Woburn, Mass. near Boston. Call USHGA headquarters for details (805) 944-5333.

AirZone Manufacturing introduces a unique new X-C log book. It is formatted with today's X-C pilot in mind. Made with a heavy simulated leather grain cover it has 64 pages in a pocket-size format. Included is a site log to list commonly flown sites. The flight log itself has sections for site, launch time, maximum altitude, duration, distance and average flight speed. There is a special large section for comments, weather, photos and doodling, as well as page by page totals of miles and hours flown, year to date. One page is used for each

BLACKHAWK POD HARNESS On!y $295 Jncluding shipping

Aerodynamic; exlreme:y comfortable; supe1b workma1;1sh1p; \1gh1 weigh!; warm; back pack carrying case; glove, parachute. ballast, & glider bag, storage compartmen:s; opening & closing Imes, ve!cro override; 2 s!zes. Jn stock or custom made m 3 weeks Manufac\ured in New Zealand ror

Sliver Wings Inc/John Middleton 6032 N. 20th Street Arfinglon, Virginia 22205

(703) 533·1965 Dealer ir1qui1fes welcorred Also Knee Hanger Harnesses available

10

Oct. 10·12: Dry Canyon Day Adventure. Discover the new LZ in Alamagordo, NM. Contact: Scott Trueblood, 510 Arnold Lane, Alamagordo, NM 88310 (505) 437-3683. Oct. 10-13: Instructor Certification Clinic, Lookout Mt. Flight Park, near Chattanooga, TN - $150 fee. Oct. 14-15: Tandem Clinic. Oct. 16: Tow demonstration by Greg DeWolf using ATDL tow system. Oct 17-18: Tow Clinic by Greg DeWolf - $150 fee. Contact: Buzz Chalmers, Lookout Mt. Flight Park, Rt. 2 Box 215H, Rising Fawn, GA 30738 (404) 398-3541. Oct. 15-17: Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association annual convention at Baily's Grand Hotel, Las Vegas, NV. Contact: Ann Kilian, AOPA 421, Aviation Way, Frederick, MD 21701 (301) 695-2052. Nov. 13-15: Tandem One and 1\vo Clinic, sponsored by The Hang Gliding Center of San Diego, CA. Participants must provide their own tandem gliders. Class size limited, reservations by Nov. I. Registration fee $275 with $100 deposit. Contact: John Ryan, 4206-K Sorrento Valley Blvd., San Diego, CA 92121 (619) 450-9008. Jan. 8·17, 1988: Chilean XC Hang Gliding Championship in the Central Cordillera near Santiago. Entry $50. Contact: Mauricio Cottin, Holanda 3536-F, Santiago, Chile.

Feb. 20•27, 1988: Stanwe11 Park Lawrence Hargrave Competition. Invitational meet following the world meet. Contact: Kieran Tapsell, 19 Stanwell Ave., Stanwell Park, 2509 NSW Australia tel. 042 94 2645.

CONSUMER ADVISORY Owners of 165 Lite Dreams with serial numbers less than 75 or built before 9/30/84 should check for loose or sheared pop rivets in the rear section of the leading edges. If your glider even has rivets they should be drilled out and replaced with a clevis pin and safety ring, or 3/16-inch bolt. If unable to perform this operation you should contact your nearest Delta Wing dealer or the Delta Wing factory. Only one case of a sheared rivet has been found, however the above modification should be carried out if rivets are present in your 165 Lite Dream leading edges. Bill Bennett Delta Wing

CUS'IOMER ADVISORIES HARNESS SEWING RECALL Wills Wing has issued a recall on 26 Z-2 model enclosed cocoon harnesses for improperly sewn shoulder straps. The sewing defect is not visible from the outside upon visual inspection. Please refer to the diagram in figure one below. The webbing loop to which the shoulder restraint perlon line ties is supposed to be sewn to the harness webbing underneath the shoulder pad sleeve with a five point running "W". On the defective harnesses, this running W was not sewn, and only the single stitch across the top of the padding sleeve holds the webbing in place. On such a defective harness, you can place your thumbnail against the side of the webbing, through the fabric of the shoulder pad sleeve, and move the loop webbing back and forth relative to the integral harness webbing. This recall covers the following Z-2 harness serial numbers: 084 to 095, 098, 102 to 106, 108, 111, 113, 119 to 121, 124 and 127. If you have taken delivery on a Wills Wing Z-2 harness within the last six months, please check the serial number, and check for the proper sewing of the shoulder line attachment loop. If

HANG GLIDING


UPDATE

-...... ---

CU,AvvA y

VIEW

OF 5 PT ,t;{ifNN!NG'\tJ"

you find your harness to be improperly sewn, please return it to your dealer or to Wills Wing for repair.

the measurement. Otherwise, take your glider or your bridles to your dealer to be checked.

BRIDLE NICO RECALL

Making the measurement:

A number of bridle nico sleeves on Wills Wing gliders produced between January and August of 1987 were underswaged when the bridles were made. This recall and advisory applies only to bridle cable nicos, not the nicos for 3/32" or 1/8" cables. The bridle cable nico sleeve is designated as an "Oval B-4" sleeve. After pressing, the dimension across the oval should be no greater than .147''. When pressed to spec, the nico will hold the rated strength of the cable, which is over 200 lbs. Nicos which measure more than .147" after pressing may slip at less than the rated strength of the cable. One nico we measured at .157" slipped at about 50 lbs. This recall applies to any Sport, (#'s 14450 or later) HP (#'s 13030 or later) or Skyhawk (#'s 9200 or later) produced after January of 1987. Any gliders delivered after August 1, 1987 are not affected. If you have taken delivery on a Wills Wing glider during the period affected by the recall, you will need to have your bridle nico sleeves checked. If you have an accurate set of calipers you can perform the measurement yourself as shown below. You will need to slide back or cut away the heatshrink to gain access to the center of the nico where you will make

If you find a bridle with one or more under pressed nicos, please return the bridle set to us, (or have your dealer return it) with a note including the glider serial number and we will re-press the sleeves to the proper specification and return the set to you.

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.

S~stek Vario I Altimeter 0·15,000 FT Altimeter

UP-Audio

The Hall Airspeed Indicator

Dual Batteries

precision instrument for the serious pilot. Rugged, dependable and easy to read. A

Airspeed Indicator with Long Bracket

SYSTEMS TECHNOLOGY, INC. P.O. Box 585 Seymour, TN 37865 Chris Pyle

OcroBER 1987

Control Bar Protectors

. .... $21.50 Airspeed Indicator 6.50 Long Bracket . Foreign & C.0.0. Orders add $2.00 Control Bar Protectors 5" diameter ABS plastic wheels. Specify 1" or 1·1/8" conlrol bar. Wheels - $20 DO/pair Foreign & C.0.0. orders add $2.00 Hall Brothers P.O. Box 771-H, Morgan, UT 84050 MasterCard I Visa I COD Phone Orders (801) 829-3232

11


USHGA Chapter Newsletter

- The Speedbar A Product Report (Reprinted from Hawk Talk, Southern New York HGPA)

by Briggs. Christie Actually this article is improperly named; it should be a "concept review" since all of the major manufacturers (save one) are marketing speedbars at this time. For those who may be new to the sport and are unfamiliar with the term, a speedbar is nothing more than a base tube with a bend on it. When the speedbar was first introduced a few years back, it was meant to perform to its name and provide the pilot with an expanded top-end to his speed range. This was accomplished very simply. The idea was that since you pull in to go fast, if the base tube is bent, you can pull in farther without having to do something weird (like get your knees over the bar), and the idea worked. It wasn't until pilots started flying with them that some of the other uses surfaced. Before I get rolling with this, let me say that I am a fan of the speedbar. I originally bought one for my 165 Dream and fell in love. Those of you who knew my Eclipse will remember that it had a straight tube, but this was a direct result of my low budget and the knowledge that I would soon be buying a new glider. My new wing will get one as soon as I can afford it. As a dune pilot, my reason for the speedbar was a common one: instead of driving to the top of a favorite soaring site, we had to carry the glider up. It didn't take too long to realize that we could eliminate the Band-Aid collection on our shins with a speedbar. Flying with it showed another plus - comfort. Your hands fall easily into the lower curves of the speedbar, giving a more relaxed posture for wrists and elbows and reducing fatigue. I could feel the difference, especially during those long 11

ridge soaring flights in the dunes, where you spend most of your time turning. Turning also brought to light another advantage. Instead of pushing sideways on your wrists, you can push on the upslope of the speedbar between the bends to move your body for a roll maneuver, again reducing fatigue. As a small pilot (a human being in miniature as I've been called) I discovered still another big plus. Flying my Eclipse, I was hooking in my 67" frame between 66" downtubes. Needless to say, the basetube and my knees got very friendly during a hard run on launch. The speedbar on my Dream saved me this inconvenience. I discovered how easily a midget can launch even a big glider during the National Fly-In by demoing a Vision-Eclipse 19 which, at 185 square feet, is pretty darn big for little ol' me. The speedbar not only assisted me in a smooth launch but also helped me to a very enjoyable two-hour flight without tiring out my arms, even though I was muscling around a lot of dacron. When the speedbar was young, there were some problems and they deserve mention. The Airwave speedbar in particular was known to have failed a couple of times, straightening to the point of breaking and upsetting the pilot, I'll bet. Also, the high portion of the bar between the bends can make a Delta Wing or a Flight Designs glider hard to lay down, due to their unique downtube-to-keel junction. I have become a fan of the Wills Wing speedbar (though all of the marketed speedbars for certified gliders have passed the rigorous HOMA tests). The angles fit the hands easily and it is made of very stout tubing. Bob Trampenau has long been against

speedbars and does not market one or recommend their use on any Seedwings product, though I know several Sensor pilots who have put Wills Wing bars on their 510 models. Bob does not trust the structural integrity and, as a leader in glider design, he has an opinion worth listening to. He IS outnumbered nevertheless. As a summation, I think the speedbar, like so many other design innovations, has finally become a safe way to ease the rigors of high performance flying. Bob's opinion is his own, but I think the speedbar's strength has been proven, both by the HOMA and in the air. The first three places in the Stanwell Park Freestyle Meet were taken by pilots with speedbars and I doubt if anyone I know is tougher on a glider than Ricky Duncan or Steve Moyes. Make up your own mind, but give one a try if you have a chance.•

Fear Of Flying Reprinted from Ridge Runner

by Rodger Hoyt Thermal turbulence can be very...well, "upsetting," both figuratively and literally. Many times I've been in the air at Woodrat Mountain on booming days, hands death-gripped on the base tube, swearing that if I ever got down safely I would either become an exclusively coastal ridge lift flier, or else give up hang gliding completely. In discussing this problem with other pilots I've found that many of them shared this same fear, even some who were very accomplished, high air time pilots. I'd read articles on how to safely fly in turbulence, but had seen virtually nothing about how to comfortably fly in rowdy air. With no written info to go on, it took me a couple of years of trial and error to discover several techniques to make thermalinduced turbulence, if not enjoyable, at least tolerable. Here they are; maybe there are some you can use. RATIONALIZE: After landing on my aforementioned "fear flight," I would

HANG GLIDING


USHGA Chapter Newsletter look up at the other gliders still peaceful!y soaring and realize that it wasn't really as bad as it had felt. Although the air had been bumpy and dumpy I hadn't tumbled, nor was anyone else being tumbled. The trick is to convince yourself of this fact while you're still in the air. You must realize that: (1) It is very unlikely that the glider, if it is an HGMA certified model, will tumble in the "average" turbulence encountered at most flying sites. (2) If the glider does tumble it has a very good chance of righting itself (I had one do just that in my early flying days). (3) If it does tumble and doesn't right itself you always have your 'chute. Obviously I'm not saying to go ahead and fly in conditions where you think you'll have to rely on your chute. There are days and places with conditions violent enough to destroy a hang glider (thunderstorms, rotors, etc.). In such times and places flying should of course be avoided. I'm simply saying that in "normal" wild, booming, rowdy, ratty, rodeo air the presence of your parachute and confidence in your glider's airworthiness can be a great comfort. SLOW DOWN: Oh boy, am I gunna hear about this one! I know that stalls in turbulence should be avoided at all cost, but the tendency of some pilots when under stress is to tense up, gradually pulling the control bar in farther and farther, resulting in more airspeed than necessary. Speeding through turbulence like this increases the shock loads felt by the glider, much as a speedboat gets pounded harder the faster it goes through choppy water. Maintain good manuevering speed, but slow down; you'll be surprised how the air seems to smooth out. CORE THERMALS: In rowdy air one will often try to keep the glider in relatively flat turns, avoiding high bank angles out of fear of a sideslip or tumble. Doing this, however, often results in the pilot making larger 360's, thus circling around the outside fringes of the thermals where there is the highest level of turbulence due to the mixing of the lifting and sinking air masses. Don't be

afraid to bank your glider up to stay right in the center of the thermal where the lift is more consistent. TOP OUT: Because of the turbulence he or she is feeling the pilot may have a tendency to pull out of booming thermals early to avoid their rough air. The trouble with this is that then the pilot is flying around in the areas of greatest lift and sink and related turbulence. When you top out in thermals you have reached their upper limits where there is less vertical air movement and therefore less turbulence. In other words, it's usually smoother up higher. EXPOSURE: One way to get more comfortable with turbulence is simply to fly in it. Get used to it. Lots of air time in wild air will build up your resistance to "white knuckle syndrome" and give you more confidence in both your ability and your glider's airworthiness. GLIDER MAKE: Here again is an area where I must choose my words carefully! I have noticed that some brands of gliders, particularly some that are noted for light handling, are more prone to transmit turbulence back to the pilot. If you can tum the glider very easily, then it probably can likewise be very easily displaced by textured air. On the other hand, some makes of gliders that are known for heavier handling will cut through turbulence like a Mack truck through whipped cream! It's something like the difference between having a sports car that handles like crazy but feels all the bumps in the road, or having a Cadillac that rides like a dream but turns like an ocean liner. Consider glider selection carefully if turbulence fear is a problem for you. Learning these turbulence techniques has made hang gliding a lot more fun for me and has turned those fear-shortened flights on booming days into very enjoyable high altitude soaring. However, if, after trying all the above techniques you are still bothered by thermal turbulence, you have one last resort. You can become an exclusively coastal ridge lift flier; that's fun too!•

:rvD<-)(C a true story by Larry Fourdoor

His

tedious Monday-through-Friday job at the mill in town is forgotten. It's the weekend now, and today, in his mind, he is Joel Robert, the world's greatest motocross racer. He slides his Yamaha around the hairpin corner, hits third gear, cranks the throttle and sends dust flying in a roostertail behind him. It's well into the afternoon now and he's been riding for nearly two hours, exploring the logging roads, ever higher and farther into the mountains. He is alone with his fantasy, the power and noise of his bike drowning out all other thoughts. Suddenly his rapture is broken. Startled by a shadow passing over him, he involuntarily ducks, skidding his motorcycle to a stop at the edge of a clear-cut on the primitive logging road. Shielding his eyes from the dust and sun, he squints into the sky to see what has interrupted his daydream ... Above him is an unbelievable sight a multicolored hang glider directly overhead, perhaps just fifty feet above the few scraggly trees spared by the logging crews. The glider flies as if lost, back and forth along the face of the mountain, each pass drawing it inevitably closer to certain doom in the treetops. "Good grief ..." he says out loud to himself. Where could it have come from? There is no place to launch a hang glider back here in these mountains. And definitely no place to land. From the cyclist's vantage point high on the mountainside there are only endless miles of timberland and wilderness. He fully expects he will see the glider and its pilot end up in the trees somewhere near him. He shuts off his idling dirt bike to fully concentrate on this unexpected drama taking place before him. But several minutes go by and the glider seems to be fighting hard against its meeting with destruction. As if defying gravity, the glider has stayed above (continued on page 35)

OCTOBER 1987

13


up to a hang gliding launch and you can easily be transported to another place or time. At this particular launch you can look left and be in Switzerland. Y<m can look and have little trouble convincing yourself you are in Hawaii. I am speaking of a unique hang gliding area in the peninsula of centered around the town of Mount St. Pierre.

GETTING THERE l had heard that this year was the tenth an·· fly-in at Mount St. Pierre. I had also heard for ten years how good the flying I added all the could be at this special factors and found that tales of mile-high altitude gains and acres of air far outweighed the massive stress of a twentyhour drive and severe gasoline prices. I packed up my gear, dusted off my French dictionary and headed north by way of east. At Morningside Flight Park in New Hampshire I picked up Bill Umstead, a n:;,,m,,v "'"ll'" pilot who was also heading for We decided to combine efforts, including our mutually limited French vocabularies. We were guided into by Jacques Fontaine and his lovely friend Juli. They introduced us to a local site, Mt. Yamaska (producer of the eastern Canadian distance record over 120 miles) and arranged a couple ofheautiful flights followed by robust meals of local cuisine. After two days we left their generous hospitality and followed the St. Lawrence in the direction of diminishing civilization. One can imagine that the edge of the world is just around the next bend as the sea widens and the population thins along the north shore. We passed the last real town hours ago and had become accustomed to the drift through sleepy fishing when suddenly we around a massive imposing headland and there it was. We were awed by the sight of some twenty swarming over a cap cloud that obscured what w.is obviously the launch site. We had arrived and we were primed for airtime. nmM•ean,

14

A HANG GLIDING LOVE AFFAIR The town of Mount St. Pierre thrives on tourists. What bettter way to attract tourists than to offer them a regular exhibition of dangling fools? Well, actually, by now the townspeople are so familiar and enamored with hang gliding that many of them have at least flown tandem and know well the difference between a nose plate and a king post. Tb them we are not fools, but an enlightened troupe sent to resurrect this village. The beneficence is mutual for the Federal and Provincial government~ have sunk more than $1,000,000 (Canadian) into improving hang gliding in the area. They have purchased the landing area, opened up a road to the primary takeoff, put in a bridge and a hang gliding museum in the landing area as well as financing the clearing and improvement of takeoff sites. Think of what you could do for your local flying sites with just a fraction of this money. The publicly owned hang gliding facilities were the scene of the opening ceremonies of this year's fly-in. While the mayor spewed pomp and circumstance, pilots raced to the top to decorate the sky with swipes of color. No mayor can spellbind a group of

hungry pilot~ when it is soarnble. the time the ceremonies were over, only locals and tourists were left to marvel at the gliders suspended above.

THE WCAL STORY In IC/77, Rob McKenzie (a longtime Los Angeles convert) jumped into the air from HANG GLIDING


ABOVE RIGHT: Bob Corbo shows his exhuberance over the LZ is at center. ABOVE: Mont St. Pierre with

ramp with can't get your Dennie Pagen.

OCTOBER 1987

a bushwacked site on Mount St. Pierre. Since then many thousands of flights have ensued. Over the years records have been kept that indicate that the first part of August has the greatest possibility of offering fair weather. Appropriately, the tenth annual fly-in was scheduled for August l to 10, 1987. I sat down with Robert Beaulieu one afternoon to find out more about hang gliding in the area. Along with Jacques Jaillet, he has come from Montreal to the every year since l(J'77. He informed me that each year has been attracting more and more pilots. This fly-in tallied almost 100 pilots at some time during the two weekends. Most pilots were French Canadians from the Montreal area, with an added contingent of Canadians from Montreal and an enthusiastic group of about twenty pilots from the US of A. The continental distance award goes to Chris Starbuck who drove in from Chattanooga, Tennessee. However, two French pilots, Claire and Herve, who were later joined by another group of their compatriots were the real long distance travelers. The village of Mount St. Pierre has hosted three Canadian Nationals, in 1980, 1983 and 1985. These were won by Michel Tremblay, Willi Muller and Mark Bonrbonnais, respectively. There are no plans for future Nationals, but strong support for continuing the annual fly-in is evident everywhere. The local Bingo organization donated $500 for glider trucks and various merchants have layed in a stock of commemorative T-shirts, sweatshirts, hats and souvenirs. In l(J'79 the village erected a free form

statue depicting a pterodactyl in flight. It adorns the main drag and serves as a further reminder of the village's committment to free flight. town in the peninsula has a mascot for carnival time and that of Mount St. Pierre is a pterodactyl named Voli. He made his appearance as a frolicking centerpiece during one evening's entertainment. There were fetes, dances, bonfires and dinners most every night of the fly-in. However, the most memorable occasion occurred on Wednesday evening when commemorative awards were handed out and a bunch of brazen pilots put on a wellrehearsed harness modeling routine. Most pilot models wore little or nothing except their underwear or bikinis borrowed from the opposite sex. It didn't hurt matters either that they were left backstage for an hour with two cases of strong Canadian beer. By showtime they were primed for a little exhibitionism and a lot of self deprecation. Jim Keller would have stolen the show but for Bob Beck's revealing purple bikini and Robert Beaulieu's balloon-aided impersonation. Perhaps the older locals were a bit stunned by the extremes of behavior, but by the time the show ended, most folks were rolling in the aisles.

ZONING OUT As soon as we arrived at the landing field on the first day, we loaded on the special ride tmck and roared to the mountaintop. The cap cloud was heavy at launch but only a hundred feet thick or so. A few local pilots would punch through the cloud, but those ofus with

L5


more caution in our blood waited for a wispy view of the below and dove through the 'holes. When we breached the cloud we were met lift and bright sunwith an shine. For many it was the first time flying above the clouds, and were fascinated by their the rainbow projection of their shadow on the cloud. I climbed as high as I could in the air over the water, then headed inland to see what I could find. Most thermals were <m·,nr,,0,,,,1 by the stable marine air, bnt I found little of lift that were barely workable. The only trouble was, other pilots seemed to be continually higher. Aller a few pilots me up without maka turn, I realized I had it all wrong. Those little peeps my vario were chanting would normally be for signified 50 or less air. But I soon found out that out and flying in a straight track across the valley would cam me over 500 feet in 15 minutes. The secret to yourself from earth at Mount St. Pierre is to map the convergence or zones, then fly them in a manner as you slowly climb out. Be sure to use the avifauna mainly well distributed the volume of air to help locate the lift. The Mount St. Pierre valley is about two miles wide at the seaway and comes several miles back from the coast. The steep walls make the whole area look like a cut a colossal

knife. As the sea breeze moves in it becomes by the narrowing valley and wells up over a widespread area. If the winds are south, the warm air from the land will converge with the seabrcezc and produce even more lift, extending over 6,000 feet. The convergence and compression zones may during the day which adds some interest and provides a challenge. If the land breeze is just thermals are also available to those pilots who venture inland by hopping from cap to cap (the caps arc points of land created by erosive streams flowing into the main valley).

On days when the smooth, lift sets in, the greatest pitfall comes from "zoning out." Scuba divers have a problem with "rapture of the due to nitrogen build·· up in the bloodstream. At Mount St. Pierre the problem is "rapture of the height." I found myself easily slipping into daydream mode in the meringue I had to shake myself to awareness a couple of times as my brain pumped out alpha waves and I entered a dazed state of bliss. One pilot had to be called back by radio as he drifted four miles out to sea ...

TRIAL BY WUI<'l<'O

DEATH BY

There were two generally accepted landing areas amply supplied with wind socks. One was the beach for those who wanted to stop traffic. The other was the DLZ for those who wanted to stop hearts. The Designated Landing Zone was surrounded by wind indicators, all of which would point in different directions at times. When the convergence zone set up over the landing area, the only way to land was to pick your favorite wind sock and land nearby in the direction it nated, while ignoring the other conflicting indicators. far the greatest hazard in the landing area was the swarm of wuffos. Tourists are bred to be wuffos. The best way to manage LEFT: Cloud

areas are nestled next to the sea. Photos Bill Umstead. 16

HANG GLIDING


the over exuberant types was to simply say ne pas Francais" with a suitable horrible accent. That would send them away with disappointed looks to find another harried our pretentions, many of us actually became reasonably proficient at butchering the native tongue. We learned to say aile for wing, claire for clear and vol libre (free flight) for hang The word for launch was decollage which literally means unst1c:k1111g, since the root colle means

Sure, not all aspects of Mount St. Pierre are heaven sent. There are black flies (use Off), some rain (bring a slicker) and 55 ° water temperatnres (forget swimming). But to me, this site and fly-in represent some of

the best aspect~ of hang gliding: together with great people, bridging the language barriers with mutual good times and sharing some super sky with a flock of pilots. I'll be back. Ill

The pilot who had the worst problem with the was Bob Beck, not because of a lack of vocabulary, but because of a twist of fate. Bee, in French, means beak as in bird's mouth. Most French speaking pilots thought that Bob's last name was a nickname earned by flying habits, not inherited from his parents. It didn't help that Bob insisted on flying X-C continuously so no one could see him land.

nIVING DUAL The landing area wasn't all torture of course. There seems to be a curious syndrome among the French Canadian young female population. It's a fact that at Mount St Pierre the more beautiful the young lady, the more eager she was to meet pilots with the ultimate goal of conning a ride. There must have been more than 50 tandem flights from the mountain during the fly-in. Pilots were to soar with the beautiful damsels. I was fool enough to leave my tandem at home.

site. Photo

ha1nging around the landing ,uea pose in front of the main launch Dennis Pagen.

"I got rny first Jong Suntlgers. I was rnosr i rnr1rcssed sornc b1rcJs ;incl fliqht to over 160 BolJ Tl1ompson

Cl?ampion /-Jang Gliding Pilot

"Otr1cr air traffic is now easy to spot. including some traffic I can't even see witl1 other glasses and rny eyes have been perfectly relaxed without fatigue." Soaring Magazine. January 1986 Les Sebald "I am certain that my Suntiger finish in 111e

to

sunshine during 1J1e comest. liut w1t11 tt1c Suntlgers I crn;lcJ e,1sily see ancJ at a distance. I should werir Suntigers frn v1s1on

John Byrd, G/irJing Pilot

US National C/1ampion. 1983

Ford catalocJ ancl informc1tion on SunticJer proclucts. call or write:

HG 12423 Gladstone #21

0Cl'OBER 1987

., Sylmar, CA 91342 "

365-3335 17


hilc still riding high on the wave of success created with the 220 Dream Delta (famous for its tandem stands to introduce the 240 Dream. undergoing HGMA the 240 Dream is Mnoui,,w, performance some idea of the size, the #l ribs on this are ten feet The wir1P.:S1Dan is '37 feet, and length feet. Folks, we are talking about a here! with increased area over the 220 model, the 240 Dream employs a stronger frame with .049 front section, and J.'."l/8" ic049 aft section The cross bar is 2" x .049 with a 6' x 1-7/8" inner sleeve. An additional halt~rib has been installed near the center section of the to enhance the airfoil definition. Aside from the half·ribs, a of will be noticed. First is other the support. Instead of being connected to the rear landing wire as on the 220 model, a short length of 1/2" 18

aluminum tubing butts up against a stop mounted on the keel, cinching at the rear of the keel pocket in the same manner as the main body ribs. This arrangement is both simple and quick to deploy. The post top has been redesigned to enclose both landing wires and bridle lines, resulting in a very clean setup. The hang strap position has also been relocated to a couple of inches aft of the control bar apex. The 240's flying characteristics are very similar to the 220 Dream, with easy launch, very nice turn coordination, and imJpressi've sink rate performance. All of the 240 Dream pilot tandem capability even when the solo pilots are "scratching." This kind of per-· formance is welcome, but there is a sacrifice made in handling. The 240 a noticeable increase in bar pressure, and roll initiation time, as cornpa,rect with the 220 model at a comparable pilot weight. One more plus the 240 Dream does share the same great landing qualities that have made the 220 Dream such a hit

with tandem pilots. The 240 Dream had of 17 mph indicated, at a slow stall a 1.7 wing loading, with a pilot weight of 345 pounds. The 240 model displays an excellent of flare authority, allowing safe no-step landings in the lightest of wind condition. As I was some statistics, one interesting fact confirmed my impressions. The FAA Part 103 Tandem Exemption #4271 states, "Maximum allowable passenger/student weight is 120% of that of the pilot in command." At my 175-pound hook-in weight, the maximum weight for my student would be 218 pounds. So, the maximum combined allowable pilot weight for this pilot is 393 pounds. The 220 Dream seems to optimize both performance and handling at about 300 pounds pilot weight, at 1.64 pounds per square foot wing loading. At my maximum allowable pilot weight on the 220 Dream, the wing loading would be 1.78, well below the ceiling at 2.0. On the 240 Dream, however, my maximum allowable pilot weight figures out HANG GLIDING


UPPER tEFI': Nose hardware detail. ABOVE: The toot are 10 feet long! l.E"FT: Center section detail. Photos R.C. Dave. BELOW: The author and pa11seng,er at Elsinore, CA. Photo

to a wing loading of l.63 lbs./sq. ft., which is a good bit lighter than optimal. Surprisingly, what this means is that I seriously believe the 240 Dream is a for this tandem pilot. In little too order to reaeh optimal wing loading I would have to exceed my maximum allowable pilot weight. Also, in ext.rernely strong conditions, the light wing loading could mean a reduction in control authority. There are some benefits to the light wing loading though. Other pilots of a similar hook-in weight who fly in soaring or marginal thermal conditions, will the 240 Dream for its sink rate. And those pilots who conduct tandem flight~ at higher altitudes will be thankful for its slow landing speed at light wing loadings. The 240 Dream may be most attractive to the tandem pilot weighing over 225 pounds (the recommended minimum pilot weight). Up to now they've been limited to taking up small passengers, but these limits are being expanded. Delta Wing hopes to eertify the to a maximum OcmllER 1987

19


allowable pilot weight of 500 pounds. The of the 220 Dream by and now of the 240 Dream, has a new era for hang gliding, in the opinion of this reporter. Delta Wing has provided a reliable maehine, one speeifically designed, tested and certified for tandem pilot The 220 Dream opened up the skies to the population, as tandem flying tumgliding into a thrilling expe1·ier1ce, instead of a day of sweat on the training slope. With the 240 Dream's additional "payload," this thrill is now within easy reach of an even segment of the population. II

240 DREAM SPECmICATIONS Area. . .................. 240 sq. ft. ......................... 37 ft . . . . . . '' .... ' ........ 120° Ratio..................... 6 ....... 225-500 lbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69 lbs. No HGMA certificate has been issued at

this

BOX SCORES of l to 10) General Characteristics Time/Ease . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Ground ................ 7.5 Static Balance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Frame/Hardware. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Sail ......... 8

now in book form! Improve your skills: proper launch lechniqucs II proper landings II forc0d or crash of attack contrnl prone nu, .. c,,:minn mid

Ha1r1dling, low . . . . . . ..... 7 Hmr1dli.ng, high ............ 7 Bar Pressure, roll .................. 7 Bar Pressure, pitch. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Roll Control Initiation . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Roll Reversal (45 °-45 °). . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Yaw .................... 8 Tum Coordination . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Sink Rate Performance . . . . ........ 8 Glide Performance . . . . . . . . . . . 7 1.,a11111m11: Characteristics

Flare Authority . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 ''Pa1raclmteabilitv" .. .. . .. .. .. .. . .. . 8 Directional control at mnsh 8 Glider flown at 360 lbs. pilot weight (combined). 17 mph. Stall (indicated)

20

Llc0innincJ Learn unique t11e term "wuffo" 11 K;i.Ll,··211)PrOVE)d wimJ cJirCC· tion sigr1al Doo what's cool, what's uncool intcrrnecliatc synclrnrne advancecl syncJrome

The most comprehensive guide yet for expanding your knowledge and skills. With 244 richly illustrated pages, loads of true stories, and complete subject index. You'I I learn: e Soaring Principles 11 Competition Flying Cross--Country Flying

Equipment Speed-to-Fly Calculations

f)lease send: -···--·----·.. RIGHT STUFF For New Hang Glider Pilots at $7.% each _____________ Hang Gliding Acccording to Pfeiffer at $9.95 each Surface rnail $1 first 1:Jook, ~,.25 each additional. Airmail each additional in North America, $6 each elsewhere. Sales tax:. Please add 6"/o sales tax when shipment is to a California address. Mail w/ check payable in U.S. dollars to: Publitec, P.O. Box 4:342, Laguna Beach CA 92652, Name Street City State/Zip ... Dealer inquiries invited

714/497--6100 ...

HANG GLIDING



by Wayne y job as an with the army has that I make several business trips over the pa~t ten years to White Sands Missile New Mexico. from New and a few pilot, one of the first things I noticed were the mountains to the east and west of the tmv-rm1,•.-uJ•1t1P. Tularosa Basin in which the missile range is located. I that there must be several excellent launch sites if a pilot only had the means to get to them. Several which are located on the range itself rise as as feet above the basin floor. The government has mounted antennas atop many of the and built roads to these antennas. Each time I've stood on top of these or looked up at them I could only think of what great launch sites they would make. most of the missile range and its is closed to the public, and I suspect that the Department of Defense might take a dim view of pilot~ flying in the classified areas! A few months ago I was looking through Gliding the pilot in the back Bouten

22

of Alamogordo, New Mexico had earned his IV rating. Alamogordo is located just cast of the missile range, so I knew that those

mountains weren't going to waste. During my next trip to the missile range I phoned and learned that the Rio Grande Flying Club's mountain flying site was in the Sacramento Mountains located directly gave behind my motel in Alamogordo. me tl1e names of Rick Bonnell, another Alamogordo pilot, and Paul Michaud, an instructor who owns an impressive complete glider shop and dealership in nearby Las New Mexico. The next day I visited Rick Bonnell and his wife Eva Lynn at the Alamogordo KOA campground which they operate. After a few minutes of story telling, Rick led me outside the campground office and pointed to their flying club's 7,000 foot MSL launch site located on the ridge of the Sacramento Mountains just east of town. The launch faces west along tJ1e several-mile-long ridge. The LZ is 2,700 feet below, is clearly visible from launch, and is conveniently located beside a main street on the edge of town. This LZ may soon give way to housing development, but the club has reserved a four-acre LZ on Forest Service land which HANG GLIDING


is located a few miles closer to the base of the and is from future hons-development. Rick invited me to fly with them and me to visit Paul Michaud's glider A couple of months ed to White Sands Missile and got the oppmtunity to meet Paul and tour his shop. It's very roomy and He is to handle any his pilot training proAfter gram to me, Paul mentioned that he and some other local pilots were planning to fly the mountain site hy Alamogordo on the upweekend. On Sunday we met around 11:00 AM at the KOA campground office. I had already volunteered to be the hang driver and had and Nick to join invited two friends us. (Fortunately Nick is the proud owner of a very Toyota Land Paul arrived in his 4x4 Toyota with three Robin a pilot from Las Cruces, and Mike Lauro from Alamogordo. Nancy, Robin and Mike climbed into Nick's spacious Land Cruiser, and I joined Paul in his pickup because I needed to learn the particulars of the road and Paul's vehicle. (Rick and Eva Lynn had to stay behind and mind the campground store.) We started up the road toward the mountain town smooth of Cloud Croft, but soon exited onto a mud and rock road reserved strickly for 4x4 was slow vehicles. The remainder of the and rough, but both vehicles had no serious

on final in his Comet. Space Hall of Fame (with rocket) is in the bac:kg1round. Launch is from the ridge in the 2,700 feet above the LZ. trouble negotiating the eight-inch diameter rocks. Once on top the view of Alamogordo and the White Sands is terrific. Very appropriately, the Hall of Fame is located about three-fourths of the distance to the LZ. In fact, Paul told me that a reliable thermal is usually present above the Hall of Fame's asphalt parking lot. The wind was blowing 10-12 knots directly up the ridge, yet in the setup area located about 70 feet behind

the launch it was relatively calm. (All three pilot5 said that the rotor made landings on the top unadvisable.) Paul had his new Sport set up and check· ed out, so he launched first with Robin help· ing as wireman. P,,ml worked the ridge lift to about 2,500 feet above launch while I took photos and Mike prepared his Magic. Robin assisted Mike with his launch, and I watch· ed and learned because I would soon become Robin's wireman. Mike quickly joined Paul in working the lift above launch, and Robin completed the setup of his Glidezilla. The conditons at launch now started cy1cling bet· ween O and 12 knot~, so Robin had to time his launch appropriately. Paul had landed, but Mike was still high overhead. (Paul had of lift to try some maneuvers left the with his Sport in preparation for an upcoming competition in Mexico.) A fourth pilot, Jeff Taylor, drove into the setup area just as Robin was ready. I performed my first wire· assist, and Robin made a beautiful launch. Jeff had brought his own wireperson, so my two very impressed friends and I headed for the LZ. Meanwhile Robin was circling high above and well behind launch. By the time we arrived at the LZ, Paul and Mike were breaking down their gliders, but Robin was still high above launch. That's when J learned tlrnt Robin had approached the LZ earlier and caught a thermal strong enough to carry him back to the After an hour and 15 minutes of air time Robin circled the LZ twice to bum off altitude and (continued on page 26)

0CI'OllER 1987

23




then landed smoothly in the spacious landing area. Jeff had launched last in somewhat calmer conditions and was now making his approach. By that time a group of senior citizens had gathered to watch our magnificent sport. Jeffs beautiful dead-air landing with his C2 impressed the senior citizens who might have expected to see blood and carnage in the landing area. After breaking down and loading the gliders we returned to the KOA campground to discuss the day's flying and future towing plans. We finally broke up as Rick and Eva Lynn were closing the campground office. Paul and Robin headed back to Las Cruces, and I headed for pizza with my two friends. Between mouthfuls Nancy asked, "How did you find out about hang gliding in Alamogordo?" I replied, "I read Hang Gliding magazine." If I didn't I still would not have had the pleasure of meeting several southern New Mexico pilots and watching them fly.•

HEADLINES ... Have you made any lately? USHGA would like to see your name in print. Please send clippings of any local news articles or magazine stories on hang gliding to the office. The Public Relations Committee needs clippings to assess our image and catalog favorable writers on our sport. Good or bad, we need your news articles. Send to:

USHGA - Public Relations P.O. Box 500 I Pearblossom, CA 93553

NEWS FLASH ... Is hang gliding a hot news item in your local paper? Please send clippings of stories, photos or articles to the Public Relations Committee through the USHGA office. We want to see your name, your club or your site mentioned in print!

USHGA - Public Relations P.O. Box 500 I Pearblossom, CA 93553

26

HANG GLIDING


Pilot: Edward Swarnick

~IJ nly a few seconds arc needed for takeoff, but those moments can be critical. Blown launches are a leading cause of serious injury. The cause is sometimes hard to determine because it happens so quickly. A study of the launch sequence will lead to bt!tter understanding. Let's look at the launch process step by step. 1) Set your angle of attack. 2) Balance your wings. 3) Push the glider with your shoulders. 4) Maintain angle of attack with your hands. 5) Use a light touch. 6) Run with long strides. 7) your angle for takeoff when Now let's examine each step in more detail.

SET YOUR ANGLE Qli' ATTACK Set your of attack depending on how steep or shallow the launch area is. A nosehigh of attack is fine for a flat slope launch, but would be disasterous for one that drops off quickly. A steep launch demands an angle of attack low enough to keep your feet on the ground until the proper airspeed is Flailing your in the air is not very effective and looks rather foolish!

BALANCE YOUR WINGS When you balance your wings you are with two forces, neither of which is gravity and wind. Since we OcroBER 1987

Photo: Handy McComas

Denevan

launch from hillsides our wings are rarely level. We must use a sense of feel for balance. Visually cheeking and relying on how the glider looks may result in a built--in turn. Many times a balanced wing that is far from level may be perfectly balanced; when the forces acting on each wing are equal it feels right. If it doesn't feel quite balanced don't take off! Take your time, move to the right or left a few steps. Get it right.

PUSH THE GLIDER WITH YOUR SHOULDERS The glider to hold up its own at about 8-10 mph. With less than an 8-10 mph wind, you have to make up the difference. Pushing with your shoulders leaves your hands free to to their job, maintaining the proper angle of attack.

MAINTAIN ANGLE OF ATTACK WITH YOUR HANDS As the glider begins to lift up let the control bar slide up through your fingers until the slack is out of your harness straps. If you feel more than a few ounces of pressure m1 your straps your angle of attack is too high. To run with good balance and traction you will need all your weight on your feet.

USE A LIGHT TOUCH It takes only a fow ounces of "pull-in"

pressure to maintain the proper angle of attack for a good takeoff. A light touch enables you to feel feedback from the glider A which in turn will tell you when to light touch is the key to a good launch; conversely a heavy grip is tlie root cause of most blown launches. "Hanging" on the control bar results in a change in your hang point from your usual center of gravity to a point corresponding with where your hands are gripping. This can move your CG forward as much as two feet! Instant dive! This problem becomes apparent during flat slope or light wind takeoffs.

RUN WITH WNG STRIDES (The Small steps are great for climbing hills, but put it in high gear if you want a good takeoff. Don't run hard though, run smart. It is easy to run down a hill. You have ty on your side. Take big strides. use small steps you '11 trip or fall before proper airspeed is attained. Be prepared to run as far as necessary to do the job.

DECIDING WIIEN TO TAKE OFF You can feel when to leave the ground and you will take off when the time is right. If you are relaxed when you run for takeoff your ability to feel the pitch pressures of your glider is greatly enhanced.11111 Z7



Instrumentation For Hang Gliders article and illustrations by Heiner Biesel

1. INTRODUCTION

Instruments extend the senses. A hang glider pilot can gauge airspeed by the sound of his wing, altitude by parallax and perspective, and the rate of rise and fall by kinesthetic senses, as well as by observing how fast the ground is receding. Unfortunately, none of these impressions is very accurate, nor reliable. Instruments are both, and they thus permit us to extend our flights way beyond what the unaided pilot could accomplish. This series of articles will review the basic physical principles upon which our instruments are based, the relative strengths and weaknesses of different instruments, and how to make best use of what is available. Along the way we will also discuss the theories of optimal flight, such as Mac Cready and speed-to-fly. A final section will try to predict the future of instrumentation.

2. THE PHYSICAL PRINCIPLES OF

SENSORS Every instrument contains one or more sensors which is sensitive to some physical parameter of interest to the pilot. Altimeters usually sense atmospheric pressure, although radar altimeters measure altitude by detecting reflected radio waves and computing altitude above ground by measuring the elapsed time between sending a pulse and receiving the reflected echo of that pulse. Airspeed instruments also sense air pressure, but instead of measuring the absolute pressure of the atmosphere, they measure the pressure difference between two points. In the case of a venturi tube sensor, shown in Figure l, the difference in pressure between two points along the tube is proportional to the square of the air velocity. OCTOBER 1987

~---=========-== ~~=a======== ~ ========= Airflow

Pressure Tap 1 Differential pressure

Pressure Tap 2 P1 - P2 is proportional to

v2

Figure 1: Venturi Tube Airspeed Sensor A pitot tube is commonly used to generate an airspeed signal. In this case the difference between atmospheric pressure and the pressure at the bottom of the pitot tube is proportional to the square of air velocity. Figure 2 shows the basic arrangement of a pitot tube. Such a tube is simple and rugged, but is not very useful in the speed range of hang gliders, since the pressure difference at low speeds is very small, and hence difficult to work with. There are other means for measuring airspeed; some systems use a small propeller, others use an anemometer - essentially a horizontal windmill. Yet others indicate airspeed by the displacement of a vane or plate in the airstream; the Dwyer instrument is an example of this type. Unfortunately, these instruments are either not very accurate, or they do not respond quickly to changes in airspeed because of their physical inertia. A quick response can be very im-

portant in some applications, such as totalenergy compensated variometers, which we will discuss later on.

2.1 VARIOIWETERS Variometers are the only reliable means of judging rates of rise and fall once the pilot has left ground reference, usually more than 300 feet above the terrain. More importantly, even though one can see that one is gaining or losing altitude, the precise rate is very difficult to gauge. To fly optimally, however, and particularly when flying cross-country, one must find and make best use of the strongest lift available. The most common mistake of beginning cross-country pilots is to waste time circling in weak lift when there is stronger lift available nearby. Variometers usually measure the rate at which atmospheric pressure is changing. The system in Figure 3 consists of an insulated

29


flask with two one-way valves in its neck. When gaining height, the air pressure outside the flask decreases, and consequently some air flows from the flask to the outside through valve 1. This air passes over a very thin wire which is heated by a current flowing through it. The passage of the air cools the wire and changes its resistance. This change is measured and converted to a rate of rise. Conversely, when descending, air is forced into the flask through valve 2, now cooling a different wire, and this change in resistance is converted into a rate of fall. Instruments of this type can be made very sensitive, but it is difficult to get high accuracy because of heating and cooling of the atmosphere, small variations in the wire materials, and drift in the analog circuitry of the instruments. Today, the most common instrument type is based upon a small silicon strain gauge sensor, shown in Figure 4, which produced a change of its internal resistance proportional to the external applied pressure. The sensor consists of a small silicon diaphragm attached to a cavity containing a vacuum. The diaphragm is deformed by the applied atmospheric pressure, and this deformation changes the resistance of a set of strain gauges implanted in the silicon diaphragm. Exterior circuitry measures this resistance, and converts it into a signal proportional to altitude. Actually, the signal is proportional to pressure, and since the pressure of the atmosphere does not vary linearly with altitude, some additional circuitry is necessary to get accurate altitude readings. In addition, these sensors are also temperature sensitive, and so even more compensation is required if one wants a truly accurate reading. A silicon sensor makes a good basis for an altimeter, but how can one build a variometer from it? In principle, that's quite easily done electrically. Since a variometer indicates the rate of change in altitude, we need only take the derivative of the electrical altitude signal, and (presto!) we have a variometer. There are rather simple circuits which do just that, and it looks as if we're home free. If the sensor were ideal, that would be all there is to it, but - alas they're not. The main problems are noise, drift, and low output. Typical commercial pressure sensors have an output of about 40 mV for 15 PSI. That works out to about 0.5 microvolts per foot. Unfortunately, the noise output is about 1.5 30

Airflow

Pressure Tap Pressure is proportional to v2

Figure 2: Pitot Tube Airspeed Sensor microvolts, which means that the inherent noise of the sensor is equivalent to about a three-foot signal. If we wish to detect a rise of 100 feet in one minute, we must be able to detect a signal change of 50 microvolts per minute, not an easy feat. Things are complicated by the fact that the atmosphere cools with altitude. Since the sensor changes its output with a change in temperature, we get an erroneous altitude reading, unless we know the rate at which the sensor output changes with temperature, and compensate for it. The trend in instrumentation has been one of increasing accuracy and sophistication. In the beginning there were simple mechanical versions. These were soon replaced by analog electrical instruments. Today, the majority of instruments are analog electrical devices, although some purely mechanical altimeters and airspeed indicators are still in use. Some instruments use digital displays for altitude or variometer functions, and a few fully digital instruments are appearing on the scene. In this sense we hang glider pilots are lagging about 10 years behind our colleagues who fly sailplanes. They have flight computers, which are essential to remain competitive at the regional and higher levels, and speed-to-fly, netto, and final glide computers are commonplace. The role of these and other instruments in the hang gliding environment will be discussed later.

2.2 TOTAL-ENERGY COMPENSATION The variometers we fly with are usually non-compensated. This means that they respond strictly to any rise or fall of the glider, no matter whether this is due to lift, or because the pilot is pushing out or pulling in on the control bar. These latter motions trade speed for altitude and vice versa. Ideal-

ly, we would like an instrument which indicates lift only when we hit rising air, and which ignores all the gyrations of the pilot and his glider. This kind of instrument is called a total-energy compensated variometer. The theory behind this kind of instrument is really quite simple. A glider has a certain amount of energy at any instant. This energy has two components: potential energy, which is proportional to its altitude, and kinetic energy, which is proportional to the square of its velocity. A pilot can - temporarily trade one kind of energy for another. He can speed up and increase his kinetic energy, but only by paying the price of losing altitude, or potential energy. What we would like to measure and indicate is the total amount of energy of the system. Only when this total increases are we flying in lift. Actually, we are continuously losing energy to drag. We can minimize this drag by flying optimally, but we can never reduce this loss of energy below some minimum. This minimum threshold is reached at minimum sink speed, at which point we are by definition losing potential energy at the lowest rate possible for our glider. If our instrument then indicates that our total amount of energy is decreasing at a rate lower than this, or if it is increasing, then we must be in lift, even though it could be quite weak. The total energy compensation is in principle quite simple; all one needs is a sensor which measures airspeed, and a circuit which computes the total of kinetic and potential energy continuously. The actual circuitry can be a bit tricky, since the rates at which the sensors respond to both altitude and airspeed change have to be matched quite closely, or the instrument will not be fully compensated. Flying with a well-compensated instrument is a pleasure. In a sailplane, for examHANG GLIDING


pie, "stick thermals" simply disappear, and the vario stays quite steady unless the thermal strength actually changes.

FLYING WITH INSTRUMENTS

3 Instrument Usage Among the pilots I know, the variometer is the instrument considered most useful. Small wonder, since everyone wants to get high, and a vario makes doing that much easier. Second on the list is the altimeter, especially among cross-country pilots. To go far, one must know the terrain, and one must plan the flight on the ground. It is important to know how much altitude one needs to carry where, because one doesn't want to spend any more time than necessary circling, and one doesn't want to be on the ground short of the next place where one can expect lift. An altimeter is the only reliable means of determining altitude accurately, and for planning future actions based upon altitude. An airspeed indicator runs a poor third on our list of desired instruments, primarily because most pilots don't see much use for it. I don't blame them for that attitude; although correct airspeed is essential to optimal cross-country flying, if one doesn't know how fast one should be flying in any given situation, and if the instrument one has is inaccurate, and lags in its response, one might as well forget airspeed and concentrate on flying clean. We'll be discussing the theory of optimal speed-to-fly later on and I hope to convince you that an airspeed instrument is an essential component of the required instrument suite, but only if it is integrated with other instruments so you do not have to look at it constantly. I have intentionally not mentioned radios in this article, since they are not instruments in our sense, but reliable communications with the ground crew is obviously essential for cross-country flying. A well-trained ground crew with a knowledge of the country (and the ability to tell north from south) is also a real asset.

4 Theories of Flight In previous centuries, theories of flight referred to mathematical analyses of the physics of flight and propulsion, usually yielding the answer that flight was not possible. For us, fortunately, theories of flight OCTOBER 1987

Wire 1

Insulated Static Flask

Wire 2

Figure 3: Static Flask Variometer

Pressure Tap

Sensor Output - - - - - + - - - - - - .

Figure 4: Silicon Pressure Sensor

refer to analyses concerning the optimal techniques to cover a certain distance in minimal time, or what turns out to be the same thing, how to cover the greatest distance with a given amount of altitude. Just about everyone has heard of Mac Cready rings, and has at least a foggy notion about what is involved. In this section I hope to clarify some of the ideas behind the Mac Cready theory, and to introduce the usage of instruments for optimal crosscountry flight.

4.1 Basics The fundamental concept behind the Mac Cready theory, and later elaborations built upon it, is quite obvious: to fly a long way, one wants to spend most of one's time flying in lift, and as little time as possible in sink. Everyone understands this principle; it is the basis behind the advice to speed up when encountering sink.

The trick is to determine just how fast to fly at any instant in time, and how to adjust that flying speed in response to head or tailwinds, what to do in the face of deteriorating lift, and how long to stay with a thermal. Obviously, flying cross-country involves chance; finding the next thermal is dependent upon flying a good track - one that will pass over good potential sources of thermals - as well as catching it when one needs it. No instrument can yet predict the best track for you; that is based upon experience and judgement, but instruments can certainly help you make the best use of the lift you do find.

4.2 The Polar Every aircraft has a stall speed and a maximum speed. Assuming no propulsion, one can measure the sink rate at each speed within this range by flying it in stable air at known airspeeds. When these values are 31


plotted the resulting curve is called the aircraft's polar curve. This curve captures much of the information about the aircraft's performance as a glider, and is the basis of all speed-to-fly computations. Figure 5 shows a typical hang glider polar; individual gliders will differ by only small amounts from this curve.

Airspeed In MPH 5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

50

55

60

Descent In ft./mln. 100 200

4.3 Speed-To-Fly Theory 300

Once a polar has been generated one can quickly see the minimum sink rate, the speed at which it occurs and the best glide ratio, which is equivalent to the lift/drag ratio of the glider. The Mac Cready theory dictates that airspeed should be smoothly adjusted to the head or tailwind conditions. Based upon an analysis of the weather to be encountered, one initially picks some minimum thermal strength which one will circle in, say 400 feet per minute. At all thermal strengths less than this, one intends to continue flying along one's chosen path, but as one encounters lift, one will slow down proportionally based upon the strength of the lift. The simplest way of accomplishing this is by creating a ring that fits around the outside of a variometer, which has airspeed values marked upon it. The variometer needle will then point to some specific point on the ring, which is marked with a value for airspeed, and one is flying optimally if the actual airspeed and the McReady airspeed match. The spacing of the markings on the ring can be calculated from the polar curve of the glider. The whole ring can be turned, and is adjusted when wind is encountered. For a headwind the ring is turned so that higher airspeeds are required under lift or sink conditions; for a tailwind, correspondingly lower airspeeds are commanded. This scheme can work in a sailplane cockpit, because the instruments are close together, well damped and easily adjusted. In a hang glider, this method is awkward, and practically unworkable. The task of comparing indicated airspeed with commanded Mac Cready airspeed, and adjusting airspeed to match accordingly, requires too much attention and effort. Besides, the results from a variometer that is not total-energy compensated are likely not worth the effort, since the vario will be responding to the changes in speed as well as to actual lift. The result is a vario needle that does not stay still long enough for the pilot to adjust his airspeed as required. 32

400 500 600

700 800

Figure 5: Hang glider polar curve

A speed-to-fly variometer can help. This form of instrument integrates the airspeed sensor with the variometer and some additional circuitry. The result is an instrument which does not display the rate of rise or fall, but rather tells the pilot whether he or she is flying too fast, too slow, or just about right. In sailplanes this instrument has a needle which indicates how much the actual airspeed deviates from the ideal airspeed, and one simply flies so as to keep the needle as close to zero as possible. Unfortunately, well-compensated speedto-fly variometers are not yet available for hang gliders, primarily because of the small market we represent, but also because the compensation is more critical in our lower speed regime. At least one manufacturer, however, is working on producing a speedto-fly variometer for hang gliders, expected to be on the market in 1988.

4.4 Netto Variometers A netto variometer does the seemingly impossible: it can tell the pilot how fast the air is rising, rather than how fast the glider is rising. Accomplishing this neat feat is actually rather simple. If one has the polar curve available, one can determine how fast the glider should be descending at any given airspeed in dead air. One also measures how

fast the glider is actually descending, or rising. The difference between the value calculated from the polar curve and the measured value is the rate at which the airmass is descending or rising, which can be easily computed and displayed on the variometer. A variation on this theme consists of always subtracting the known minimum sink rate of the glider from the netto variometer value, in which case the indicated value is the best rate of rise or fall that one could gain from the airmass.

5 The Future Some instruments now available incorporate a microprocessor in their circuitry. This step makes many new functions possible. Aside from the obvious improvements in temperature and nonlinearity compensation, one could sample and store various flight parameters, and use them on a computer later on. This leads to a very flexible kind of flight recorder, well beyond the current barographs in capability. In addition to altitude one can record airspeed, vario readings and temperature. With altitude, airspeed and vario readings sampled and recorded every few seconds during the entire flight, one could reconstruct the flight profile, map areas of lift and sink, and estimate best glide angles. HANG GLIDING


One could also compute a theoretically optimal flight profile under the actual conditions encountered, and compare one's own performance with this optimum. If one is able to correlate sections of the flight recorded with specific topographic features such as mountains, canyons, etc., one could in principle construct a thermal map of the flight path in terms of geographic features. However, the future holds even more exciting prospects. There are already available on the market global satellite positioning receivers about the size of a pack of cigarettes. These units can locate one's position within 10 meters in latitude, longitude, and height anywhere on the planet. With such a receiver, when fully integrated with a flight instrument, and sensors for heading and pitch, one could reconstruct one's 3-dimensional flight path in space. One could also continually compute actual ground speed and direction, thus ad-

justing the speed-to-fly parameters optimally during the flight. With a little more software the instrument could tell us if we're likely to make it across the valley, and with how much altitude to spare. If a headwind is encountered, we'll know it. If our LID is deteriorating, we'll know it. But perhaps best of all, if the recorded flight information is then matched with a computer geographic data base, we can map out exactly where we flew, what the conditions were, where the best thermals, the roughest turbulence and the strongest headwind were encountered. Additional flights could add to your data base, until you knew every nook and cranny of a mountain range and could plan your flight to take best advantage of the conditions to be expected. If the meteorological conditions during the flight were also recorded (perhaps only a synopsis of flying weather as available now on several computer networks) the computer

could monitor the weather forecast for unusually promising conditions. It could then recommend a flying site, an optimal takeoff time, an optimal flight path, and an expected maximum flight distance and duration. If all of this sounds too complicated, or too furturistic, just wait a few years and see what happens. You can always fly by the seat of your pants, but if you really want to go far, there will be ever more powerful and flexible aids available. The only fly in the ointment will be the price. The current generation of flight instrument packages sell for around $600. The next generation will probably cost over $750. A full geo-locating computer system will probably cost as much as a new glider. Only time will tell what the actual price of the futuristic instruments will be, and if our small community of hang glider pilots can support the development and marketing of such sophisticated instrumentation.•

Introcfucin9 the Guatamala Hang G[icfin9 Extrava9anza MODEL 651 VARIO/AUDIO/ DIGITAL ALTIMETER $495

F[ying

Re[axing

CURE YOUR FLYING BLUES THIS WINTER BY HEADINC:i SOUTH W 1TH US TO FLY SOME OF THE MOST SPECTACULAR FLYING SIGHTS IN THE WORLD. ENJOY 75800 TEMPERATURES WHILE YOU SOAR ABOVE SCENIC VOLCANOES AND LAKES UNDER SKIES FULL OF CUMULUS CLOUDS.

YOU WILL STAY IN LUXURIOUS ACCOMODATIONS IN GUATAMALA CITY AND IN PANAJACHEL, WHERE YOU WILL EAT LIKE A \JG. THERE

Inc[u.cfing

IS FABULOUS ..,\GHT SEEING AVAILABLE

WHEN

YOUR NOT FLYING.

~ fRAIIC>StDWJNDSPORTS

3620 \VAWONA • SMJ FFMNC!SCO CA• 9H16

OCTOBER 1987

MODEL M20 WRIST VARIO $200

.,. HANG THREE. REQUIRED

AIR FARE(S.F. OR LAX TO GUATAMALA CITY INCLUDING GLIDER)• DRIVERS AND SIGHT TRANSPORTATION(CAR RENTAL EXTRA)• ACCOMADATIONS 14 DAYS AND 13 NIGHTS•THREE MEALS A DAY• TOUR GUIDES (ALEX DIA2 PRESIDENT GUATAtvWA H/<a ASSOCIATION, JEFF GREENBAUM AND MAR\O TABUSH U.S.H.<a.A. INSTRUCTORS,.WHEN DEC.30-JAN.12· COST$1,295"' NON PILOT PRICES AVAILABLE• AIR FARE SU&!ECT TO CHANGE DEPOSIT ANO RESERVATIONS REQUIRED BEFORE NOV. 15 SAIi

MODEL 652 VARIO/AUDIO DIGITAL ALTIMETER/ AIRSPEED $590

(415) 753- 8828

STREAMLINED TUBE ADAPTER

Available from hang glider manufacturers and dealers

33


MILESTONES

Beyond My Wildest Dreams A 126.6-Mile Flight From A 400-Foot Hill

by Michael Holl

Ialways have been flying for 11 years and have dreamed of the long cross-country flight, but I was always in the wrong place at the wrong time. Recently I was in the right place at the right time. The morning of May 8th had all the markings of a good day. The temperature had fallen to the freezing point overnight and the forecasted high was to be in the upper 60's. It was crystal clear with a wind forecast of 10-15 mph from the west. I called one of my flying buddies, Dave Schmitz, and made arrangements to meet him at his house at 10:30 AM. From there we would decide where we were going to fly. I had taken some vacation and had hoped for some good flying and it looked like this was going to be the best day of the week. When I arrived at Dave's house, we couldn't decide whether to travel to Harris Hill in Elmira, New York, which is a 700-foot plus hill or fly locally off Twentymens, a shallow 400-foot hill. We drove over to Twentymens and Dave thought the direction was good and if the wind picked up a bit we should fly there. I really thought Harris Hill would be cooking that day and would have preferred flying there, but this certainly would save us the three-hour drive there and back home again. So, 1\ventymens it was. Back to the house to pick up my van and leave it at the bottom and a quick stop to arrange for a chase crew. While setting up our gliders we noticed cumies south of us and a few north of us, but nothing close. The wind would trickle straight in at times and pick up to about 10 mph. I had worn shorts that day and was already chilled, and hoped it wouldn't shorten my flight. I was first in the takeoff slot and was not crazy about what I saw. At Twen-

34

tymens you need a good hard run down the shallow slot to quickly reach flying speed and shoot out of the slot; if during that time a thermal blows through and the wind direction switches north, a nasty glider-eating rotor appears over the tops of the trees and 180's you back at the hill. Finally a good cycle came and I ran off. Great launch cycle! All I had was down air with only 400 feet to find something or I would be done. I kept getting drilled and was below the trees heading out to land when at 100 feet AGL my right wing rocketed up. Quickly spinning back into it, my left wing rocketed up. Now that I knew where the thermal was all I had to do was stay with it. I sucked the bar in and waited for the lift and when it hit me I immediately jammed the bar to my right and crossed my fingers. What do you know, it worked. After the second 360 I had climbed back to the tree tops and was climbing nicely. This thermal took me to 1,300 feet AGL and gave me time to relax and watch Dave launch. Dave's launch was a thriller. The glider-eating rotor got ahold of him and turned him, but he managed to straighten it out and get off safely. He went right up and was next to me shortly. Dave made a right turn and I made a left. He went up and I was going down. Dave was outflying me again after outflying me all the day before. The next thing I knew, I was at the ridge fighting to stay up and he was at 5,000 feet AGL and climbing. After 10-15 minutes I caught a good thermal and was quickly climbing toward him. A few minutes later I topped out at 7,000 feet AGL and had caught up with Dave. Dave flew to the southeast and I flew to the northeast looking for thermals. This was the last time we were close to one another for the remainder of

the flight. I flew downwind in moderate sink for about 15 miles until I reached my next thermal at 5,000 feet AGL. I was over familiar ground now, having grown up in the Lincklaen area, and thermalling to 8,000 feet plus was a real treat. The thermals were huge and smooth with the cores rising well over 1,000 fpm. I caught a glimpse of Dave about 10 miles upwind frantically working to stay up. Just as I topped out, I saw his hard work had payed off and he was climbing rapidly. At 8,000 feet plus the temperature was about 20 degrees and I was cold. The sky mitts helped my hands and the CGlOOO harness did a great job keeping my legs warm, even in shorts, but my mustache was frozen and my face was cold. One thing I was starting to notice was that the thermals were not over the open brown fields, but seemed to be over the high wooded areas. From Lincklaen I flew to Norwich where I finally reached the clouds. This was also the last time I saw Dave. Thermals were strong and consistent from here to Oneonta and I was having a ball even though I was cold. I had been in the air over three hours when I realized that I had a chance to get some real distance, but time was running out, so I yanked in the bar and did some rooming. My next landmark was Stamford and I was down to 5,000 feet AGL. I kept looking for a thermal, but continued to lose altitude. I was down to 3,000 feet AGL and I couldn't see over the Catskill Mountains. This was the first time I couldn't find a thermal when I wanted one and with limited landing areas I decided to locate a landing field. I knew I could make the Schoharie Reservoir so I headed there. Luck was with me and I caught a thermal over the reservoir and climbed back to 8,000 feet plus and entered a cloud street. Now with the 8,000 feet AGL I could see over the top of the Catskills and knew I could safely set down on the other side. At 8,000 feet I also caught a glimpse of a river and the closer I got the surer I was; it was the Hudson River. All of a sudden flying across the Hudson became my primary goal. I headed to the

HANG GLIDING


Remote Photo Outfit with Ricoh XF-30 Camera MILESTONES closest bank of the river with landing areas on the opposite shore. Once across the river, I set up my landing approach in a com field and spiraled down from approximately 3,000 feet AGL. I stood up early to regain some feeling in my feet and had a good landing. After I landed, I talked a stranger into a ride so I could get to a phone. I called our prearranged chase crew to see if Dave had landed and to beg for a ride home. They informed me that Dave had landed after three hours in Oneonta for a distance of 55 miles. I am very grateful to Jan and June Murray. They had no idea they were in for an all night drive around the countcyside when they agreed to be our chase crew. It was a 10-hour total drive for them and work came early the next day. My flight lasted 51h hours with launch at 1:00 PM and landing at 6:30 PM. Great circle distance calculates to be 126.6 miles. I exceeded 10,000 feet MSL four times during the flight. I passed over some of the most beautiful terrain New York State has to offer and was overcome by it at times. Once while over the Catskills, I was actually snowed on under a dark cloud. It was a spectacular sight to see the snow around me and watch it evaporate several thousand feet below. In all my years of flying, I have never seen the conditions as good as they were on this day. During the flight, my Magic 177 performed as it always does, giving me an excellent sink rate with great handling and a good glide. The CGlOOO harness enabled me to stay warm and comfortable and the reduced drag increased my distance. I was rather surprised I had flown over 100 miles and may have squeezed out several more miles had I know I was that far. I would also like to add that the wind never blew over 15 mph and never was there any severe turbulence. So for anyone out there thinking about going over the back, you don't have to fly conditions that are dangerous or unenjoyable to have a specatular cross-country flight. •

(continued from page 13)

(MX-XC)

the treetops and in fact appears to have possibly gained height! Yes, it undoubtedly looks smaller now than when he first saw it! Using the trees for reference he estimates the glider is now about 200 feet above him and farther back on the mountainside. The glider begins to move in circles now and is visibly shrinking away from him, getting smaller and smaller with each tum until it becomes a mere speck in the sky and finally disappears behind the mountain above him. He shakes his head in amazement and continues to scan the sky, not really sure if he saw what he thought he saw. The silence of his surroundings awakens him to the reality that he is once again alone on the mountainside. He fires up the Yamaha and clicks it into gear. The pit stop is completed and Joel Robert must get back on the race course ... At Woodrat Mountain launch an excited voice crackles over the CB, "Teresa, do you have a copy on me?" "Yes, I hear you." "I'm not going down at Anderson after all! I'm back up to seventy-seven! I'm going for Ashland!"•

THE PARAGLIDING MANUAL: by B. DUBUIS and P. GILLIGAN

Over 80 pages and 75 illustrations. The first and most complete flying manual for the PARAGLIDER pilot.

Complete Outfit - $249.95 Includes

Ricoh XF-30 Camera Bogen Mounting System Twenty foot air release Camera features:

• Zone focus 1.0 to infinity • 35mm Color Rikenon 14-0 lens • Programmed electronic shutter 11:io-Vsoo sec. • Built-in self timer • Electric motor film advance and rewind • Auto load Separate component prices: Bogen mounting system . . . ....... $69.95 Camera with remote adapter. . .. $169.95 . . $13.95 20' bulb type air release . Extra arm for VCR cam ........ $15.00 Heavy duty tilt-head for VCR cam .. $39.95

INSTRUMENTS • Ball 652s, M30 wrist varios, M21 wrist alt. and Litek VE-12/12 OV's in stock! • FREE batteries with all varios • FREE second day air shipping to West Coast customers! • Prompt, courteous refunds. Litek-VE-12 . . $159.95 Litek-VE-12-0V . . ...... $169.95 Afro-XC-SOOOA . $778.00 Afro-Owens Valley 8000A . . . . . . . . $635.00 Afro-Cumulus 8000 A . . $585.00 Aero Cockpit . . .......... $585.00 Aero Com 1AF ... $485.00 Winter Airspeed 0-75 MPH Venturi . $120.00 Aircraft Altimeter (3 Pointer) .$129.95 Aircraft Altimeter (Single Pointer) ........ $99.95

MICROFLIGHT PRODUCTS

$19.95 US + $1.50 postage and handling.

1109 Copperwood Road SW Hixson, Tennessee 37343 U.S. Orders (Except TENN)-

IMPORTABEC

1-SQQ-247-6955

P.O. BOX 2055 Mariaville, Que JOL 1JO CANADA

TENN and lnternational-1-615-843-1761 Ultralight/Hang Gliding Catalog-$1.00

OcroBER 1987

MasterCard, VISA COD and Checks accepted-Personal Checks must clear prior to shipment. Add $3.00 shipping to all orders

I VISA j -

35


RATINGS AND APPOINTMENTS BEGINNER RATINGS NAME

CITY, STATE

INSTRUCTOR

REGION

Ken Carson John Davis Brenda Hallman Jake Herrick Bill Kammerer Franklin Pitts Brad Provty Stephen Provty Eric Rasmussen Joe Sachno Roy Spencer Frank Stone Dermot Tynan Tracy Tyson

San Francisco, CA Milpitas, CA Reno, NV San Leandro, CA San Jose, CA North Highlands, CA Modesto, CA Modesto, CA Los Altos Hills, CA San Jose, CA Santa Clara, CA Grover City, CA Sunnyvale, CA Monterey, CA

Jeff Mott Fred Hutchinson Ray Leonard Fred Hutchinson Fred Hutchinson Jeff Mott Fred Hutchinson Fred Hutchinson Rob Engorn Fred Hutchinson Fred Hutchinson Perry Judd Chris Crescioli Mark Kline

2

Chris Betz Bob Carreon Ken Couzens Marion Elniski Andy Fisher

La Habra, CA Ontario, CA Yucca Valley, CA Honolulu, HI Long Beach, CA

Debbi Renshaw Debbi Renshaw Debbi Renshaw Neil Kjar Hardy Snyman

Kevin Bates Gerhard Locke Al Parkinson IV Greg Pfaf

Colorado Springs, CO Boulder, CO Colorado Springs, CO Golden, CO

Ron Wilkinson George Greer Ron Wilkinson George Greer

4 4

Sanjay Dhall Derrick Nedzel Mike Montesinos David Novak Daniel Schafer Jerry Warner

Michigan City, IN Chicago, IL Burnsville, MN Neenah, WI Ypsilanti, MI Ft. Wayne, IN

Ron Trobaugh Brad Kushner Gary Ash George Greer Norman Lesnow Rob Kreske

7 7

Ruben Preito

Arlington, MA

Paul Kennedy

Ron Camic David Herrman Daniel Iaquinto Timothy Stewart Rudy Valrey Steve Webster Margie Wulko

Frankfort, KY Leesburg, VA Philadelphia, PA Riverdale, MD Ft. Campbell, KY Fredericksburg, VA Philadelphia, PA

Buzz Chalmers Steve Wendt William Umstattd Steve Wendt Buzz Chalmers Roger Coxon William Umstattd

Richard Carangelo Michale Hoblit George Knoblock David Le Blanc Montgomery Manta Nicholas Schultz Richard Snell Gail Whitney

Jacksonville, FL Orlando, FL Perry, FL Kissimmee, FL Rutherfordton, NC Knoxville, TN Raleigh, NC Dunlap, TN

Matt Taber David Curry Buzz Chalmers Matt Taber Jake Alspaugh Buzz Chalmers Rob Bachman Dennis Michels

10 10 IO 10 10 10 10 lO

Vincent Plaja

McAllen, TX

Mark Kline

II

36

2 2 2

Karl Aupperle Heidi Frey Bill Parkin Don Ptak

Central Square, NY Cortland, NY Blossvale, NY New Hartford, NY

Dan Guido Dan Guido Dan Guido Dan Guido

Mohammed Aldahry

Marah, Saudia Arabia

George Greer

l2 l2

12 l2

FOR

NOVICE RATINGS

2 2 2 2

NAME

CITY, STATE

INSTRUCTOR

Curt Cantrell Robert McCormick

Olympia, WA Aloha, OR

Kamron Blevins Russell Tworoger

Steven A. Brown Robert Busick Chris Chang Jeff Ford David Galka Glenn Keller John McCarron Brian Wheeler

San Jose, CA Carmel, CA Berkeley, CA Tiburon, CA Claytgon, CA Los Gatos, CA San Jose, CA Travis AFB, CA

Chris Crescioli Chris Crescioli Chris Crescioli Jeff Mott Rob Engorn Rob Engorn Chris Crescioli Dave Rodriguez

Chip Adler Brian Allin Andrew Beem Marc Bernard Dale S. Dubrin Sean Gillespie Gary Gunder Joe Hlista James LaCroix Mark Mallett Rusty Nall David Smith Steve Stemmetz Larry Walsh Nadine Widding Gary Yagi Doug Young

Etiwanda, CA Pasadena, CA Los Angeles, CA Newbury Park, CA Anaheim, CA Kaneohe, HI El Segundo, CA Costa Mesa, CA Van Nuys, CA Los Alamitos, CA Honolulu, HI Long Beach, CA Camarillo, CA El Cajon, CA Anaheim, CA Pasadena, CA Glendora, CA

Hardy Snyman Russell Gelfan Russell Gelfan Jim Woods Chris Crescioli Lani Akioni Russ Gelfan Debbi Renshaw Russ Gelfan Hardy Snyman Neil Kjar Buzz Chalmers Gary Elhart William Henry Luigi Chiarani Leo Bynum Rob McKenzie

Buck Barnhill Shannon Barry Bruce Decker Mike Long Victor Maynard Chris Minyon Kent Robinson Lyle W. Stott Derek Wigley

Colorado Springs, CO Ogden, UT Colorado Springs, CO Boulder, CO Alamogordo, NM Durango, CO Alamogordo, NM Salt Lake City, UT Alta, UT

Gary Lagrone William Henry Rusty Whitley George Greer Curt Graham Russ Gelfan Curt Graham Dave Rodriguez Claudia Holbrook

Monte Elliott Daryl Maybee Mike Maughlin

Dillon, MT Helena, MT Missoula, MT

Roger Lockwood Roger Lockwood Lee Metzgar

Lance Beihn William Brown

Stockbridge, MI Sadbury, MA

David Curry Rob Bicknell

REGION

2

2 2 2

9

2

2

HANG GLIDING


RATINGS AND APPOINTMENTS David Linn Jeff Olson Ron Wietzke Brett Wuthrich

Oakdale, MN West Allis, WI New Berlin, WI Verona, WI

Gary Elhart Martin Bunner Charlie Whitehill Matt Taber

Timothy Cosentino Stephen Dewey Stephen Peterson Carlton Windnagle

Newington, CT Centerbrook, CT Hartford, CT Marlborough, MA

Jeff Nicolay Mike Gretta Jeff Nicolay Rob Bicknell

Carl Berger Brian McLeod Mark Rasnick

Norfolk, VA Owing Mills, MD Cleveland, OH

Chris Thompson Fred Permenter Mike Delsignore

Bill Beam Donald Begley, Jr. James Chandler John Detzler Michael DuBois Steve Fox James Glover David LeBlanc Roy Milliron Paul Schimmele Dale Slechta

Somerville, AL Mabelton, GA Clinton, TN Decatur, GA Tallahassee, FL Atlanta, GA Mableton, GA Kissimmee, FL Madison, FL Chattanooga, TN Huntsville, AL

Matt Taber Buzz Chalmers Buzz Chalmers Buzz Chalmers Buzz Chalmers David Curry Buzz Chalmers Matt Taber David Curry Buzz Chalmers Buzz Chalmers

10 lO IO 10 10 10 10

Aaron Bell Stephen Campbell Kristin Cocheo Lt. Thomas Fass Alan Godsave Danny Helton James Herson, Jr. Kevin Lalor Joseph O'Leary, Jr. Gordon North Rush Pond Scott Rosenau Paul Schultz Terry Wigley Donald Wright

APO, NY APO, NY Allendale, NJ APO, NY APO, NY APO, NY APO, NY APO, NY Ithaca, NY Waverly, NY N. Syracuse, NY APO, NY Rochester, NY APO, NY APO, NY

Gary Elhart Gary Elhart Paul Voight Gary Elhart Gary Elhart Gary Elhart Gary Elhart Gary E!hart Charles Murray Robert Murphy Dan Guido Gary Elhart David Hokd Gary Elhart Gary Elhan

12

7

10 10 10

10

12

CITY, STATE

OBSERVER

Aiea, HI San Diego, CA San Diego, CA Sierra Madre, CA Kilauea, HI Santa Ana Heights, CA Los Angeles, CA Midway, CA Montecito, CA Redondo Beach, CA

Mike Benson John Ryan John Ryan Leo Bynum Dave Darling Debbi Renshaw Joe Greblo Dan Skadal Larry Lorance Joe Greblo

Kevin Ferguson Stephen Klause Kenny Nielson Donald Swaney Dennis Tubbs

Albuquerque, NM Ft. Collins, CO Logan, UT Chandler, AZ Apache Junction, AZ

Chuck Woods Bob Faris Gary Lagrone Russ Gelfan Bob Stout

Duane House Tom Oliver

Billings, MT Plummer, ID

Mike King Larry Strom

Jerry Lutkowski Donald Stoll

Chicago, IL West Des Moines, IA

Martin Bunner Gary Lagrone

John Hannus Andrew Owens

Nashua, NH Barrington, RI

T.C. Searle Paul Voight

Edward Saunier Douglas Wells

Charlottesville, VA Independence, OH

Dennis Pagen Gary Lagrone

Linda Brenner Ray Decker

Spring, TX Baton Rouge, LA

Bill Misiaszek Matt Taber

ll 11

Bruce Baxter, Jr.

West Milford, NJ

Tom Aguero

12

l2

ADVANCED RATINGS

12 12 12

NAME

12 12

Doug McClellan

Longview, WA

Wes Roberts

Kenneth Job Ilan Kroo David Wayne David Yount

Truckee, CA Stanford, CA Hayward, CA Pleasanton, CA

Steve Roderick Fred Vachss Dave Bowen Dave Bowen

John Dougherty Robert Lintz Roman Scheidel, Jr. Stephen Scheidel

Porterville, CA Long Beach, CA San Diego, CA Vista, CA Vista, CA

Larry Broad Erik Fair William Henry John Ryan John Ryan

Claudia Holbrook John Isham Thomas Russell

S. Jordan, UT Albuquerque, NM Lafayette, CO

Al Godman Chuck Woods Al Godman

Albert Whitesell

Middleton, WI

Martin Bunner

Lynn Le Pelley

Hopkinton, MA

Jeff Nicolay

Michael Reedy

El Paso, TX

Paul Michaud

12 12

REGION

Jose Fernandez

Chris Von Delius

Yakima, WA

Pat Denevan

Blair Barnett Albert Branson Todd Enz Jeff Hamilton Jeffrey K\etsky Mark Laharty Frank Male Cliff Sullivan

Hayward, CA Santa Rosa, CA San Luis Obispo, CA Palo Alto, CA San Francisco, CA San Anselmo, CA Vacaville, CA Sacramento, CA

Jim Woodward Jon James Ken DeRussy Rob Engorn Dave Lukens Dave Thomason Ken Muscio Jerry Sorenson

Don Bailey Russ Bailey

Chino, CA Escondido, CA

Debbi Renshaw William Henry

0CIDBER 1987

4 4 4 4 4

12

12 12 12 12

INTERMEDIATE RATINGS NAME

Glenn Bender Randy Clark William Cromie Catherine Levine Steve Morgan Ben Parker Robert C. Pratt Glenn Rasmussen Jeffrey Ross Mark Schoettler

2

2 2 2

CITY, STATE

OBSERVER

REGION

11


RATINGS AND APPOINTMENTS Robert Bradt Dennis Lappert William Osbaldeston

Schenectady, NY E. Rutherford, NJ Sparta, NJ

Dan Guido Thomas Aguero Foreign Equiv.

12 12

12

NAME

Arnold Nadlinger Hiroyuki Shimano Yasuyuki Suzuki

Vienna, Austria Kanagawa, Japan Tokyo, Japan

Debbi Renshaw Lani Akiona Lani Akiona

FOR FOR FOR

Dan Murphy

EXAMINERS CITY, STATE Castro Valley, CA

DIRECTOR

REGION

Jay Busby

CLASS ONE TANDEM RATINGS MASTER RATINGS NAME Robert Beck

CITY, STATE Tamaqua, PA

NAME DIRECTOR

REGION

Scott Priegel

CITY, STATE

Tustin, CA

ADMINISTRATOR

REGION

Rob McKenzie

Jeff Sims CLASS TWO TANDEM RATINGS

INSTRUCTORS

TYPE, NAME

CITY, STATE

Jeffrey Greenbaum (B)

San Francisco, CA

Fred Hutchinson (B)

Santa Clara, CA

Ray Leonard (A) Bradley Ream (B)

G!enbrook, NV Aptos, CA

Mario Tabush (B)

Guatemala City, Guatemala

Joachim Hageman (A)

Santa Barbara, CA

Geoffrey Martin (B)

La Jolla, CA

John Zeagler (B)

La Jolla, CA

NAME

ADMINI DIRECTOR P. Denevan/ R. Locke P. Denevan/ R. Locke J. Johns/R. Locke P. Denevan/ R. Locke P Denevan/ R. Locke

REGION

CITY, STATE

2 2

K. Baier/ S. Hawxhurst K. Baier/ S. Hawxhurst K. Baier/ S. Hawxhurst

EXAMINER

Matt Gillis Dan Ness Robert Reiter Bob Vogel

San Luis Obispo, CA San Francisco, CA Berkeley, CA Hayward, CA

Stephen Perry Jay Busby Jay Busby Jay Busby

Wayne Yentis

Sylmar, CA

Luigi Chiarani

Mark Stockwell

Tucson, AZ

Jack Davis

Joseph Gorrie

Coatesville, PA

Jeff Sims

Buzz Chalmers

Chattanooga, TN

Dick Heckman

38

Rolling Prairie, IN

ADMINISTRATOR

REGION

John Woiwode

AWARDS

OBSERVERS NAME

Rob Kreske

CITY, STATE

REGION

2 2 2

Bronze

Sliver

Rodney Alston Buck Barnhill Warren Besthorne Nevin Diehl Todd Enz William Erickson Johnny Glasscock George Gonzalez Ted Hasenfus Adolf Haider Ly le Henderson Mike Hendrix Valerie Hoffman Vryce Karseb Anthony Lawrence Donald Lepinsky John Mccarron Kenny Nielson Jerry Place David Pritchard George Proudfoot Shirley Purvis Peter Rosen Mark Story

Stuart Anderson Kenny Nielson

IO

HANG GLIDING



CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING CONSUMER ADVISORY: Used hang gliders always should be disassembled before flying for the first time and inspected carefully for fatigue - bent or dented tubes, ruined bushings, bent bolts (especially the heart bolt), re-used Nyloc nuts, loose thimbles, frayed or rusted cables, tangs with non-circular holes, and on Rogallos, sails badly torn or torn loose from their anchor points front and back on the keel and leading edges. If in doubt, many hang gliding businesses will be happy to give an objective opinion on the condition of equipment you bring to them to inspect.

Rogallos COMET 2 165-white with red. Half battens, mylar L. E. Very good condition, new bottom wires. $825 or best. (602) 969-8572. COMET 185. Excellent condition, white with rainbow keel pocket. $795. (319) 236-0109. SUNRISE HANG GLIDING-Spring special. Buy a new Delta Wing glider and get free - Airstream harness - Parachute or Roberts vario/altimeter. Almost new 177 V.G. Mystic and matching harness, $1800. Our rainbow sail, $500. Ask for Steve. (619) 367-4237.

SENSOR 510 165 VG-Blue/yeHow/white. Plus accessories. Excellent condition. $1000. (512) 494-0096. SENSOR 510, 1982, blue & white, $1000. Hydraulic stationary tow winch, new, 3500 ft. tow line, $3200. (313) 394-1220. SENSOR 510 180-excellent condition. Clean sail, no flutter. Well maintained. $800. (505) 865-5049 or 844-2635. SENSOR 510VG 180-Very low hours. Excellent condition. Blue leading edge, spectrum and white trailing edge. Must sell. $995. Call Bruce Carlson at work (612) 872-4311, home (612) 927-1754. VISION 18-Excellent, low hours. $800. Also harness, chute and vario. (209) 252-2834. ECLIPSE 17-Yellow/rainbow/white. Very good condition. (714) 458-6818. VISION ECLIPSE 18-Black & white sail. Adjustable geometry and dihedral. $750. Steve, (804) 569-2682. VISION ECLIPSE 19-Excellent condition, 40 hours. $1500 negotiable. (602) 935-6255.

160 DUCK-Good condition, maintained. $600 OBO. (303) 278-9566.

RAVEN 179-mint condition. $350. Jean, (303) 465-3706, (303) 499-0358.

145 LITE DREAM-Brand new, never flown. Red L.E., white body. $1400. (616) 947-6849 after 7 p.m.

SKYHAWK 188-18 hrs. airtime. Orange, gold, orange, red. Excellent condition. $1350. (805) 928-1216.

185 DREAM for sale-Like new. Airstream harness, chute. Steve Christie, (619) 367-4237.

BRAND NEW 1987 Dream and Sport gliders. Immediate delivery. (818) 789-0836.

185 LITE DREAM-late 1986 model. Excellent condition, low hours, yellow, orange & red center. $1800. (714) 628-7312.

WANTED: SEAGULL Sierra and Seagull Seahawks. (602) 897-7121.

164 GEMINI-mylar leading edge, new flying wires in 1986. $795 obo. (213) 433-6312. GEMINI 184-Great condition with all new cables. $650. Eipper Antares 190 - good condition, $200. Tandem trike - 55 hp engine with instruments. 15 hrs. total airtime. $650. Parachute and harness, great shape, needs repack, $150. Will consider offers, or trade for newer wing. Will deliver to So. Cal. area. (702) 451-6577. 160 GZE-excellent condition, flown only one season. Won 1986 AZ X-C contest. Bright colors. $900. (602) 971-7875.

WANTED-Used hang gliding equipment. Gliders, instruments, harnesses and parachutes. San Francisco Windsports, 3620 Wawona, San Francisco, CA 94116 (415) 753-8828. Demo Lite Mystics 155,177,188 ........... ea. $2100 Demo Dream 205 ............. ...... ... . . . $1880 Used Duck 160 .......................... $ 500 Used Raven 209 ................ . ...... .. . $ 500 New Gemini 164 ......................... $1300 New 22-gore chutes ....................... $ 285 We will ship anywhere. Golden Sky Sails, Inc. (303) 278-9566.

Ultralight Powered Flight

HP-very clean sail. Flies great. Speed bar, safe edge down tubes. Cheap. $1100. (801) 254-6141. HP I-superb flier, handles exceptionally well. Black L.E., gold undersurface. Asking $1100 OBO. (702) 851-0698. HP II RACE FACE-World record glider. $2100. Josef Bostik, (714) 496-1481.

MANTA FOXBAT trike with Fledge III wing, red & black, many extras. $2400. (201) 850-3540. TRlKE with 30-hp engine, 3 blade ultraprop. 185 Comet C-I. Both excellent condition. $795 each or $1495 together. (319) 236-0109.

Schools and Dealers

MAGIC IV 177-supine or prone. Excellent. $1600. (203) 677-7533. CLASSIC OWL 185. Like new, disassembled, $150. Harness and parachute, $200. Litek variometer, $125. (904) 481-3322. PROSTAR 160, great shape. $300. (619) 226-4091. RAVEN 209-excellent shape. $500 OBO. (303) 278-9566. TWO GREAT TRAINING GLIDERS--'79 Super Seahawk 180 (with keel pocket); '78 Condor 224. Both in storage last three years. $350 each. Doug, (206) 636-3117 before 3 pm PST (WA).

40

ALABAMA LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN FLIGHT PARK-See our ad under Tennessee. (404) 398-3541. ARIZONA ARIZONA WINDSPORTS-Largest Hang Gliding center in the southwest. Certified Instruction utilizing the world's only man-made trainer hill. Replacement parts for SEAGULL classics. illGHLY competitive prices on all major

brands. 1114 W. Cornell Drive, Tempe, AZ 85283 (602) 897-7121. DESERT HANG GLJDERS USHGA Certified School. Supine specialists., 4319 W. Larkspur, Glendale, AZ 85304 (602) 439-0789, 938-9550. ARKANSAS OZARK MOUNTAIN HANG GLIDERS-Sales, service and instruction. Dealer for Wills Wing, Moyes, Eric Raymond harnesses. 8 Blue Jay Way, Conway, AR 72032. (501) 327-0698. SAIL WINGS HANG GLJDING-Certified instruction. Authorized agent for Pacific Airwave, CG 1000 harnesses. Cocoon harnesses in stock. 5'10''.6'1". 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, Pacific Airwave, Delta Wing, Moyes, Seedwings and High Energy. Five minutes from Fort Funston. 488 Manor Plaza, Pacifica, CA 94044. (415) 359-6800. HANG FLIGHT SYSTEMS-USHGA Certified training program featuring the combined talents of Dan Skadal, Erik Fair, and Rob McKenzie. We sell and service all major brands of gliders and accessories. New and used. Sport, Skyhawk, HP II. Demos available to qualified pilots. 1202 E. Walnut Unit M, Santa Ana, CA 92701. (714) 542-7444. HANG GLIDER EMPORIUM-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 . HANG GLIDERS WEST-ULTRALIGHT FLIGHT CENTER-New and used gliders. SINCE 1973. CERTIFIED. FREE BROCHURE! DEALER FOR EAGLE, XL & FALCOM ULTRALIGHTS! 6-C Pameron, Ignacio, 94947. (415) 883-3494. 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, High Energy, Ball and we need your used equipment. 4206-K Sorrento Valley Blvd., San Diego, CA 92121. (619) 450-9008. MISSION SOARING 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. l116 Wrigley Way, Milpitas, CA 95035 (408) 262-1055. PINE CREST 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.

HANG GLIDING


CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING TRADEWINDS HANG GLIDING, dual instruction, rentals, equipment. (808) 396-8557.

SAN FRANCISCO WINDSPORTS-Gliders and equipment, sales and rentals. Private and group instruction by USHGA certified instructors. Local site information and glider rental. 3620 Wawona, San Francisco, CA 94ll6. (415) 753-8828.

IDAHO TREASURE VALLEY HANG GLIDERS-Proudly distributing Pacific Airwave, Delta Wing, Saphir, Seedwings, La Mouette, UP, Ultralight Soaring Software, High Energy Sports, Sky Systems, Litek, Roberts, Air Tech & TV. Tow Systems products, ... since 1981. New and used equipment, sales, USHGA certified instruction, information. EVERYTHING YOU NEED! Call, write or stop by our new location: 11716 Fairview, Boise, ID 83704. Mike & Lisa King. (208) 376-7914.

SANTA BARBARA HANG GLIDING CENTER-Certified instruction, glider and equipment sale. 29 State St., Santa Barbara, CA 93101. (805) 962-8999. WINDGYPSY. USHGA certified school. Offering tandem instruction, daily, year-round. Only full service facility in Lake Elsinore. New and used gliders and equipment from Delta Wing, Moyes and Wills Wing. Demos available. 33041 Walls, Lake Elsinore, 92330. Call Paul Burns, (714) 678-5418.

ILLINOIS

NEW YORK FLY HIGH 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, RIC equipment. Main St., Kerhonkson, NY 12446 (914) 626-5555. SUSQUEHANNA FLIGHT PARK INC.-Central New York's 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.

WINDSPORTS INT.-Since 1974. Largest and most complete HANG GLIDING center in Southern California. Large inventory of new and used gliders including Sports and Lite Dreams. Accelerated training program features Tandem instruction and minimizes course time. 16145 Victory Blvd., Van Nuys, CA 91406 (818) 988-0lll.

GOLDEN SKY SAILS-USHGA Certified School, dealer all brands. Lowest prices on new gliders. Bell Helmets in stock. 15801 West Colfax, Golden, CO. 80401. (303) 278-9566.

Your hang gliding success company. Representative for Wills Wing, Delta Wing, Seedwings, Moyes and Pacific Airwave. State of the art training with mobile flight simulator and dual instruction. Let a USHGA CF! lead you to your flight success. 1600 Carmel, Zion, IL 60099. (312) 746-1944.

CONNECTICUT

KANSAS

COLORADO

PRAIRIE HANG GLIDERS-Try our flatland soaring - AWL - Sales, instruction - Box 785, Elkhart, KS 67950 (316) 697-2577.

CONNECTICUT COSMIC AVIATION-14 Terp. Rd., E. Hampton, CT 06424, c/o Bart Blau, Lynda Blau, (203) 267-8980. Hang glider dealer for Wills and Airwave. Ultralight also available. USHGA Certified Instructor. Been flying since 1975. Call me where to go in CONN.

MICHIGAN PRO HANG GLIDERS-Since 1978. USHGA Certified. Beginner - Mvanced lessons in foot launch, towing, air towing and now Step Towing. Ratings by Advanced Instructor, Observer, Examiner, Norm Lesnow. Dealer, Wills, Delta, Manta. Other brands available. Accessories, parts, repairs. XC flying from our southeast Michigan flight park. Come fly tandem on the Lite Dream 220. Call (313) 399-9433 or write 569 W. Annabelle, Hazel Park, MI 48030.

GEORGIA LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN FLIGHT PARK-See our ad under Tennessee. (404) 398-3541. HAWAII MAUI SOARING SUPPLIES-Certified Instructors. Sales, service and rentals. R.R. 2, Box 780, Kula, HI 96790. (808) 878-1271.

NORTH CAROLINA KITTY HAWK KITES, INC.-P.O. Box 340, Nags Head, NC 27959. 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. Windsurfing sales and instruction also available. SAURA1DWN KITES-Winston Salem, (919) 922-1942. Hang Gliding School w/certified instructor; dealer of Seedwings, Wills Wing, Pacific Airwave & Delta; new and used equipment. OHIO NORTH COAST HANG GLIDING-Certified Instruction. New & used gliders. Specializing in Pacific Airwave gliders. Mike Del Signore, 1916 W. 75th St., Cleveland, OH 44[02 (216) 631-II44.

---------------------------------------------------------

: USHGA CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING ORDER FORM I 40 cents per word, $4.00 minimum. I (phone numbers - 2 words, P.O. Box - 1 word) I Photos - $11.00

Section (please circle)

I

Emergency Chutes

I I

I I I :

Deadline, 20th of the month, six weeks before the cover date of the issue in which you want your ad (i.e. March 20, for the May issue). Boldface or caps 55¢ per word extra. (Does not include first few words which are automatically caps). Special layouts or tabs $22 per column inch. Prepayment required unless account established. Please enter my classified ad as follows:

I I I I I I Number of words:

I

Rogallos Schools and Dealers

Ultralight Powered Flight

Parts & Accessories Rigid Wings Business & Employment Opportunities Publications & Organizations Miscellaneous

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

$ ______________________

@ . 40

=

~

I

Phone Number:

l

P.O. BOX 500, PEARBLOSSOM, CA 93553 I (805) 944.5333

·--------------------------------------------------------

OCTOBER 1987

41


Four good reasons to hook into a

DREA HANGI love at . rs flight! From the very first time your LITE DREAM lifts your feet off the ground, you'll be amazed at how responsive and easy to fly she is. You'll know it's the beginning of a lasting, exciting relationship.

HANGII As you grow accustomed to your LITE DREAM, you'll notice how quickly your flying skills improve. You'll delight at how e LITE DREAM is maneuverable as she is forgiving as you advance rapidly through the learning stages.

Reawn,ng oward higher altitudes, your LITE DREAM still amazes. performing with grace and ease. As you perfect your talents, the LITE DREAM is ready to · accept new challenges, even aerobatics!

HANGW Iii a .y ac!.rcmced pilots choose to renew the learning cycle by introducing newcomers to hang gliding with a thrill mg tandem flight. The easy handling 220 LITE DREAM (the ONLY glider HGMA certified to 400 lbs. hook in weight), maximizes the excitement and safety of tandem flying.

THE LITE DREAM;;:~ ~~ .iil AN ENDURING CLASSIC AT EVERY LEVEL

FAR & ABOVE, AMERICAS #1 CHOICE FOR TRAINING BY USHGA CERTIRED HANG GLIDING INSTRUCTORS & SCHOOLS

LIGHT WEIGHT LONG-LASTING VALUE HANDLES LIKE A DREAM P.O. Box 483, van Nuys, CA 91408 • (818) 787-6600


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

International Dealers JAPAN

TENNESSEE HAWK AIRSPORTS-Hang gliding equipment. USHGA certified hang gliding instruction. Come fly Clinch Mountain the longest ridge in the United States. Distributor for the Portable Windsok. The indicator chosen and used for Everest '86. 2325 Sutherland Ave., Knoxville, Tennessee 37919 (615) 523-8531. LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN FLIGHT PARK-Our specialties: your first mountain flights, mountain and thermal soaring, certifie,J training (package plans, group rates, USHGA ratings), glider rentals, camping, local site information. New and used gliders (all major brands), equipment, accessories, parts, repair services. We buy used gliders and equipment! USHGA Novice pilots can fly 1,340' Lookout Mountain and soar 12-mile ridge (distance record, 130.9 miles; altitude gain, 10,400') Send $1. (refundable with any purchase) for brochure, rates, directions, accommodations information. Route 2, Box 215-H, Dept. HG, Rising Fawn, GA 30738. 1\venty minutes from Chattanooga, Tennessee. (404) 398-3541. SEQUATCHIE VALLEY SOARING SUPPLIESDealers for all major brands. Small training classes so you can learn to fly easily. Come fly over 100 miles of ridges and enjoy challenging thermals. Located next to the TTT Hensons Gap site. For personal service you can trust call Valley Soaring, Rt. 2, Box 210, Dunlap, TN mn (615) 949-3384, (615) 949-2301. TEXAS TEXAS AIRWAVE-Call for all your flying needs. Instruction, towing and Airwave gliders. Todd or Warren, (915) 362-8693. UTAH FLY UTAH WITH

Distributor major brands hang gliders (Airwave, Magic), instruments, parachutes. Tokyo 03/447/5560, Yugawara 0465/63/0173, Kurumayama Hang School 0266/68/m4 (April - November). 2-19-63 Doi, Yugawaramachi, Kanagawaken, Japan 141. FAX 0465 636641. SWITZERLAND

THERMAL SNOOPER-The exciting new soaring instrument. Proven to indicate nearby thermals and more. For competition or just fun. Own one for just $98 check or money order to: Digi-Log Circuits, Co., 571! Tannahill Circle, Huntsville, AL 35802. Satisfaction and 12 month warranty.

SWISS ALP HANG GLIDING SAFARI-On vacation in North America until February 1988. Ron Hurst, P.O. Box TIO, CH-8401, Winterthur, Switzerland.

Emergency Parachutes ALL BRANDS - Bought, sold, and repacked. Inspection and repack $20.00 - Kevlar, nylon, sis, bridles installed and replacen. S.F. Windsports, 3620 Wawona, San Francisco, CA 941!6 (415) 753-8828. BRAND NEW-20 or 22 gore parachutes. Ship anywhere. $300. (303) T/8-9566.

Paragliders BRAND NEW 7, 9, I! cell l"aragliders. $1250 each. (303) T/8-9566.

Parts & Accessories QUICK RELEASE CARABINER-Break:ing 10,000 lbs. $24. 95. Extra 5/16 ball Jock pin $10. DEALERS WANTED. Thermal, 19431-41 Business Center Dr., Northridge, CA 91324.

{lt'l'{fj {hW(!f/1

C/YtiuUtHAs l HIGHLY VISIBLE ALL WEATHER WINDSOCKS. Superbly crafted from SUPER TOUGH 2 1/4 oz. hot air balloon ripstop, our brilliant glowing windsocks are truly the world's finest. Created to be seen from afar and to demonstrate accurate surface wind direction, even in the slightest of breezes. Our big 6 ft. rainbow is now only $24 postage paid. Larger sizes custom craften. All inquiries welcomen. Send to Pacific Crest, P.O. Box 5148, Eugene, OR 97405.

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

FINGER FAIRINGS and SOUTH WIND HANG GLIDING SCHOOL Delta Wing Products, certified beginner and advanced instruction, 9173 Falcon Cr., Sandy, Utah 84092 (801) 943-1005.

~_t;,.

I _. \ • ·

WASATCH WINGS, INC.-USHGA certified hang gliding school, dealers for Wills Wing and l"acific Airwave. 12129 S. 2160 W. Riverton, UT 84065 (801) 254-2242.

,.;.;,,,---

VIRGINIA SILVER WINGS INC.-Certifie,J instruction & equipment sales. N. VA. (703) 533-1965. WASHINGTON AIRPLAY'N PRO SHOP & Hang Gliding School. The largest full time, full service hang gliding shop in Washington. All major brands sold and serviced. 800 Mercer, Seattle, WA 98109. (206) 467-8644. OCTOBER 1987

; ·-

• Alway,.s tnere when you need tnem • Warm, comfortable, durable, slide easily across control bar • Instant bare hand dexterity for launch, CB, chute, camera

PRIMO AIR MITTS-standard with shiny Lycra exterior. $25 per pair. Plush or terrycloth interior, $5 extra. Shipping $!.50 per pair. 8 Blue Jay Way, Conway, AR. 72032 (501) 3T/-0698.

• Quality construction, 1/,-in. neoprene, nylon inside and out • Available in red or black S, M, or L only $32.50 dealer inquiries invited

THE AIRWORKS

3900 Van Buren NE Albuquerque, NM 87110 {505) 884·6851

43


CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING INSTRUCTORS WANTED-Exciting career opportunities for the right people. Will train if qualified. Work at what you enjoy most: live and fly on beautiful Lookout Mountain (Chattanooga area). Call us. Lookout Mountain Flight Park (404) 398-3541.

Publications & Organizations

Miscellaneous COLLECTOR BOXES for Hang Gliding Magazine. Blue vinyl, heavy duty, with clear label inserts on spine. Holds up to two years issues. Only $9.75 from USHGA, Box 500, Pearblossom, CA 93553. THE ORIGINAL "I [heart] HANG GLIDING" Tshirt. Red heart/glider on back. White Beefy-T. M, L, XL. $10. Bumper stickers, $2. Sail Wings, 1601 N. Shackleford #131-4, Little Rock, AR 72211. HANG GLIDING JEWELRY. Each piece contains I gram of 14k gold or sterling silver. Pendant $25 gold, $10 silver. Tie tack - $27 gold, $12 silver. Earrings - $55 gold, $30 silver. Californians add 6% sales tax. Please add $2 per order for handling. Check or money order to: D. Renshaw, P.O. Box 23073, San Bernardino, CA 92406. Satisfaction guaranteed.

UNIQUE NEW X-C LOG BOOK, 64 pages, pocket size, special X-C format, including large comment section, site log, summary with hi/low and averages of time, distance and speed. $4 postage paid. SEND: Arizone Mfg., 303 Sharpe Rd., Anacortes, WA 98221. BINDERS FOR HANG GLIDING MAGAZINE. Brown vinyl with wire centerfold spines to allow library reference organization of your issues. Keeps up to 16 issues tidy and handy. Only $9.00 from USHGA, P.O. Box 500, Pearblossom, CA 93553. SOARING-Monthly magazine of the Soaring Society of America, Inc. Covers all aspects of soaring flight. Full membership $35. Info kit with sample copy $3. SSA, P.O. Box E, Hobbs, NM 88241. MANBIRDS: Now really affordable! Authentic history of Hang Gliding. Over JOO 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," 18ll Beverly Glen Dr., Santa Ana, CA 92705. Also, Hang Gliding romance "Soar and Surrender" $3. 95 shipped.

Videos & Films 1985 NATIONALS VIDEO, "Feast of Flight,'' $28. Cloud Base Country Club, P.O. Box 629, Issaquah, WA 98027.

TOW WINCH (STATIC). Magnetic mount, pressure gauge, 3,000 ft. of rope. Great way to get high for flatlanders. $400. Steve, (804) 569-2682. SAJLMAKING SUPPLIES & hardware. All fabric types. Information and colorful samples $1. Massachusetts Motorized, P.O. Box 542-G, Cotuit, MA 02635. (413) 736-2426. 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. FFI 4328 Cummings Hwy., Chattanooga, TN 37409. (615) 821- 2546. Chuck & Shari Toth. PATCHES & DECALS - USHGA sew-on emblems 3" dia. Full color - $1. Decals, 3Y,'' dia. Inside or outside application. 25C each. P.O. Box 500, Pearblossom, CA 93553. TEE-SHIRTS with USHGA emblem $8.00 including postage and handling. Californians add 6% tax. Men's sizes in BLUE and TAN - S, M, L, XL. Limited supply of ORANGE, sizes S, XL. USHGA, P.O. Box 500, Pearblossom, CA 93553. (805) 944-5333. The rate for classified advertising is 40C per word (or group of characters). Minimum charge, $4.00. A fee of $11.00 is charged for each photograph or logo. Bold face or caps 55C per word extra. Underline words to be bold. Special layouts of tabs $22.00 per column inch. AD DEADLINES - All ad coJ)y, instructions, changes, additions and cancellations must be received in writing I \l.z 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 500, Pearblossom, CA 93553. (805) 944.5333.

TYPE: HPII full race. SAIL: All white with red and yellow under surface. Bag color WW kahki with flag. Serial #13083. Faired down tubes. WHERE AND WHEN: Salida, CO June Tl, 1987 in ditch at roadside following XC flight. CONTACT: Ken Grubbs, 17325 Rimrock Dr., Golden, CO 80401 (303) m-1110. TYPE: Vision Eclipse 19, white TE, red LE and underside. In dark green glider bag with international orange bag tips. Serial #VEL 5495. Name on card in base tube. WHERE AND WHEN: Woodstock, VA, on June 28. Taken from hike-in spot. Seen on maroon van speeding away. CONTACT: Danny Dobbins, 1057 West Road, Chesapeake, VA 23323. (804) 485-5386. STOLEN WINGS are listed as a service to USHGA members. There is no charge for this service and lost wings may be called in to the office for immediate inclusion in Hang Gliding magazine. Please do call to cancel the listing when gliders are recovered. Periodically, this listing will be purged.

Index To Advertisers Airworks ... , ......................... 43 ATOL ............................... 48 Ball Varios ........................... 33 Bennett Delta Wing Gliders ............... 5, 6, 42, BC Brauniger . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 HG Safaris

........................... 6

Hall Brothers ......................... 11 High Energy .......................... 47 Importabec ........................... 35

KHK ................................ 5 La Mouette . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Lookout Mt ........................... 26 Microflight ........................... 35 Moyes ............................... 45 Pacific Airwave .................... 28, 47 Pagen Books .. , ....................... 48 Publitec .............................. 20

Stolen Wings

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.

44

EQUIPMENT: New stirrup harness. Black with yellow, orange, gold, red stripe on parachute panel. Also white Bell helmet. Stolen from fence post in LZ off Broadway in Boulder, CO, August 27. CONTACT: Dennis Stevens, (303) 449-0774 work, 444-7624 home.

Seedwings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Silver Wings .......................... IO Suntiger .............................. 17 Systems Tech ......................... 11 USHGA ................. 21, 46, IFC, IBC Van/Repro ............................ 47 Wills Wing ........................... 39 Wiridsports ........................... 33

HANG GLIDING



WIN A BRAND NEW GLIDER! 1988 U.S. World Team Fundraiser The following companies are proud to support the efforts of the U.S. Team in pursuit of a World Championship title in January 1988. These prizes have been donated to the fund-raiser drawing. To enter the drawing send your World Team donation using the coupon below (make as many copies as you need). Donors of $10 or more receive a World Team pin, $30 or more receive a white long-sleeve Team sweatshirt

Crand Prize: Choice of current production glider. Up to $2500 value!

Moyes Wills Wing

Delta Wing Pacific Airwave Additional Prizes: Center of Gravity - $200 discount on harness Free Flight Enterprises - parachute Moyes Gliders - one harness USA La Mouette - one Scorpio harness Wills Wing - one harness Airwave - one Sky Watch Ball Variometers - specified instruments Hall Brothers- three airspeed indicators with mount brackets Microflight - camera mount Seedwings - .035 streamlined downtubing Thermal Snooper - fifteen Snoopers

Golden Sky Sails - one Bell helmet High Energy Sports - Crosscountry glider bag Tim Morley - 'Pilot needs ride' hitchhike sign Dennis Pagen - five autographed Flying Conditions books Dennis Pagen - five autographed Flying Techniques books Publitec - five autographed Eric Fair books Publitec - five autographed Rich Pfeiffer books Primo Grippers - hand fairings Eric Raymond - fifteen Raymond posters Skylife Shirts - one shirt Suntiger Sunglasses - 5 pairs sunglasses Thermal Inc. - three Quick Releases USHGA - one year membership or renewal Wills Wing - pilot gear bag

The Airworks - hand fairings Crystal Airsports - donation

Over seventy five prizes will be awarded!

******************************************************** Here's my 1988 U.S. World Team donation. Please enter my ticket in the equipment drawing. Entries must be postmarked by December 31, 1987. Name _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Address _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ City _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ state, Zip _ _ _ _ __ Daytime Phone _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __

~

D $10, send Team pin D $30, send Team sweat 0$ _ _ _ _ __

Send to: USHOA World Team, P.O. Box 500, Pearblossom, CA 93553


IF YOU WANT YOUR PARACHUTE TO HAVE .. FLAT CIRCULA R SOLID GORE CONST. • High Drag Benefits • Low Volume

• Faster Openings

VEN T CAP COVER IN G APE X HOLE

We Build Our Harnesses & Parachutes to the toughest standards we can find ... our own!

• Quicker Openings • Slower Descent Rates

• Reduced Risk of Apex Line Entanglement 'h'' T UBULAR N YLON REINFORCEMENT AT APEX • Adds strength to area of greatest stress during opening shock

/Heavily Padded Shoulders High Energy Sports Parachute

v

Ccntinuous Webbing sewn with Five Cord Thread

_..../'Safety Back Strap

ALL SEAMS REINFORCED WITH TYPE Ill WEBBING • Necessary for strength in the event of a high speed

-Adjustable Padded Leg Straps

opening

V·TABS AT EACH LI NE ATTACHMENT • Helps to distribute open ing

-

shock load

Hidden Glider Bag Storage

• Important in the event of a

high speed opening 400 LB . TUBULAR NYLON SUSPENSION LINES

• Stretch characteristics help reduce opening shock load on canopy, harness, and pilot

Folds into full size Gear Bag with Adjustable Back Straps

-

CO RDOURA® Reinforced Boot

TYPE XVIII BRIDLE

• Sewn with 5 cord thread

Two Week Delivery

• Strength rated at 6000 lbs.

DROP TESTS TO FAA C23B TSO STANDARDS COMFORT PACK DEPLOYMENT BAG • Safety locks

• Protective side line cover • UV resistant material

. , ., THEN YOU WANT A HIGH ENERGY SPORTS PARACHUTE!

* * * *

* *

*

*

I

Address:

I City: I 1

State:

Zip: INCLUDE YOUR AREA CODE WITH PHONE NUMBER

~

Products, contact your local High Energy Sports Dealer or:

~

*

FLY WITH THE BEST SYSTEM AVAILABLE ... FLY WITH

For complete information on all High Energy Sports

2236 W. 2nd St. • Santa Ana, CA 92703 (714) 972-8186

Name:

*

OPTIONS: Y, ", V.", or 1" Foam Racing Boot No Foam Steel Carabine, THERMAJR~ Insulation Radio Holder Ballast Boot Stash Pouch Extra Pockets Higgins Hinge Fly Flap Chevron Stripes You Name It' Two Week Delivery

Ph. No.: Make Check Payable To:

2236 W. 2nd Street • Santa Ana, CA 92703

VAN/REPRODUCTIONS INC.

(71 4) 9 7 2-8 186

72898 C .R. 13 / Nappanee Rd./ Elkhart IN 46550 L ______ __ PHONE: 219.293.4787 _ _______ _!

The

one

for

·eontact ~r loeal PA<:IF/C A/I/WAVE dealer to experlence-ffte FUN that comes slandard wltlnvery V/1/0NMAIIK IV!


Attention Wills Wing Pilots If you own a Wills Wing glider we urge you to send us a large, self-addressed envelope with your glider model and size written on it. In return, we will send you a copy of each service advisory which has been issued for your glider since it was manufactured. This will allow you to check and make sure that your glider is being maintained in an airworthy condition.

ATOL 's Lone Star Launch reduces truck towing crew to one •.. driver. • Totally pilot controlled launch • Smooth, one finger launch • No communication hassels • Simple conversion to glider rack Send S2.00 for information pack

eAliCI. AIRTIME OF LUBBOCK, INC,

Send your self-addressed envelope to: Wills Wing, Inc. 1208 H. East Walnut Santa Ana, CA 92701 And don't forget to write your glider model and size on the envelope. CALLORVISIT: l-806-745-9633 501 82nd Street Lubbock, TX 79404

Thank You Wills Wing, Inc.

MAIL: 20 13 68th Street

Lubbock, TX 7941 2

IMPROVE YOUR FL YING! Learn the secrets of the pros from hang gliding's most widely read author.

Hang Gliding Books by Dennis Pagen •HANG GLIDING FLYING SKILLS-DETAILS ON: BEGINNING FLIGHT * INTERMEDIATE SKILLS * AERODYNAMICS * GLIDER DESIGN • GLIDER REPAIR * SELECTING EQUIPMENT• THERMALING * MORE. $6.95 •FLYING CONDITIONS-THE-ROAD MAP TO THE SKY-DETAILS ON: GENERAL WEATHER* TURBULENCE* ROTORS • WINO SHADOW * SEA BREEZES * WIND GRADIENT * RIDGE LIFT *THERMALS• MORE. $6.95 • HANG GLIDING TECHNIQUES THE LATEST BOOK FROM SPORT AVIATION PUBLICATIONS For the novice to advanced piiot, this book continues \he learning that began with Flying Skills. • Learn about thermal soaring - A full 31 pages on thermal techniques will have you soaring like an ace. • Learn aboul speeds to fly - the key to efficient flying whether in competition or cross-country. • Learn about cross,country flying - How to fly further with safety. Also: Perfecting turns • Handling turbulence • Flying at altitude • Using ridge lift • Design concepts • Parachutes • Performance tuning • Cardinal speeds • Harness adjustment • Competition and much morel

- - - - - - - - ALSO A V A I L A B L E - - - - - - - - POWERED ULTRALIGHT FL YING • POWERED ULTRALIGHT TRAINING COURSE This is the only training course written by an Powered Ultrallghl Flying will answer your questions and Improve your Hying. This book is written for beginners lo advanced pilots with over 125 photos and drawings lo clearly illuslrale even the more complex subjects. Alt our books are written from an ul\ralighl pilot's point of view so you get the facts you need, not rehashed information from genernl aviation.

ultralight instructor. Eleven lessons and eleven relaled groundschools (twenty-two chapters) make this an ideal text for self-teaching and training schools. Learn to fly safely in a carefully designed siep-by-step manner. This manual is us· ed by safety conscious schools internationally.

* * * DEALER INQUIRIES INVITED* * *

r--------------------

1sEND CHECK OR CASH TO·

I SPORT AVIATION PUBLICATIONS I Dennis Pagen I Dept. G, P.O. Box f\"1 I Sta\e College, PA. 16801 JPlease rush me \he books listed below: aUf.('ITITY I1 U Flying Condilions ($6.95) I I I J

O O O

Hang Gliding Flying Skills [$6.95) Hang Gliding Techniques ($6.95) Powered Ultralight Flying ($11.95) []Powered Ullralighl Training Course ($9.95)

I Save 10%. order two or more books! I Save · all live books for only $35.95!

j Total amount for all books$ ________ r Postagy, and Handling__________

1.25

I OverSeas airmail if desired ($4.00/book) ~~­ I TOTAL ENCLOSED - - - - - - - - 1SEND TO (Please Print,:

I NAME - - - - - - - - - - - / ADDRESS ICITY,STATE COUNTRY/ ZIP

!


USHGA MERCHANDISE ORDER FORM

QUANTITY

BOOKS

PRICE

MANBIROS by Maralys Wills. Entertainingly takes the reader lrom hang gliding's past to its soaring present. 8 pg. color, 150 81k & Wht. photos, 40 pg. appendix. USHGA INSTRUCTORS CERTIFICATION MANUAL. Complete requirements, syllabus, teaching methods. HANG GLIDING by Dan Poynter. 8th Edition. Sasic Handbook lor skysurling. FL YING CONDITIONS by Dennis Pagen. Micrometerology for pilots. 90 illuslrations. HANG GLIDING AND FL YING SKILLS by Dennis Pagen. Beginners to experts instruction manual. HANG GLIDING TECHNIQUES by Dennis Pagen. Techniques lor cross country, competition & powered \light. POWERED ULTRALIGHT AIRCRAFT by Dennis Pagen. Complete instruction manual. POWERED ULTRALIGHT TRAINING COURSE by Dennis Pagen. A manual lor sell-training & training schools. 11 lessons, tesls and FAA Regulalions. MANNED KITING by Dan Poynler. Handbook on tow launch flying. MAN-POWERED AIRCRAFT by Don Dwiggins. 192 pg. history of fligh!. Fealures flight ol Gossamer Condor. FEDERAL AVIATION REGULATIONS FOR PILOTS. 1987 Edition. Hang gliding pertinenl inlormaiton. FAI SPORTING CODE FOR HANG GLIDING. Requirements for records, achievements & World Championships. HANG GLIDING MANUAL & LOG by Dennis Pagan. For beginners. An asset to inslruclors. 24 pgs. USHGA OFFICIAL FLIGHT LOG, 40 pgs. Pocket size, skills signoHs (all levels), glossary of terms, awards.

$ 7.95

AMOUNT

$ 2.00 $ 7.50

$ 7.50 $ 7.50 $ 7.50 $ 8.50 $12.95

$ 4.50 $ 650 $ 4.50

$ 1.00 $ 1.50

S 2.95

ITEMS NEW USHGA 'HANG GLIDING' T-SHIRT. 100% heavyweighl 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. SM L X·l (CIRCLE SIZE & COLOR). USHGA EMBLEM CAP. One size lits all. Baseball type/USHGA emblem. NAVY, ORANGE, GOLD (CIRCLE ONE) USHGA BELT BUCKLE. Solid bronze, custom design, relief sculpture. 3V. x 2v,. USHGA SEW-ON EMBLEM. 3" dia., lull color (red wings, sunbursl w/black prin!). USHGA EMBLEM DECAL. 31/2" dia., lull color. LICENSE PLATE FRAME. "I'd ralher be hang gliding." While on Blue. WALLET. Nylon, velcro closure, mach. washable, water resislanl. ROYAL BLUE color.

$ 8.00

$ 8.00 $ 5.00 $12.00

$ 2.00 $ .25 $ 5.50 $ 8.95

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

20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 28, 29, 30, 32, 33, 34, 36, 37, 38, 41 42, 43, 44, 45, 47, 56, 58, 50, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 66, 69, 70, 71, 72.

$ 1.00

PRINTED COPIES:

73, 76, 77, 78, 80, 82, 83, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 96, 98, 99, 100, 101, 102, 103

$ 150

PRINTED COPIES:

105 - Curren! Issue

$2.00 MAGAZINE SUB TOTAL

"NO TAX ON MAGAZINES"

MERCHANDISE SUB TOTAL ORDERING INFORMATION All prices include postage and handling. (Prices subject to change without notice.) Enter quantity and price of each item ordered. Allow 3-4 weeks delivery (8 weeks for Foreign). All orders are mailed by the cheapest available rates. If you wish to receive your order faster, please include sutticient postage funds. No C.O.D.'s.

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

NAME _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _~ USHGA # _ _ (Please Print)

(Californians add 6% lax on merchandise only) TOTAL NO CHARGE ITEMS _

USHGA MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION FORM

_

_

USHGA MERCHANDISE ORDER FORM

_

USHGA PILOT PROFICIENCY PROGRAM (PART 104)

_

USHGA LILIENTHAL AWARD FORM

_

ACCIDENT REPORT FORM

Charge my

USHGA BASIC SAFErY REGULATIONS (PART 100)

D Mastercard

O VISA

ADDRESS _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __

Card N o . - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Exp. D a t e - - - - - - - -

CITY _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ STATE _ _ ZIP _ __

Signature - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

MAIL WITH CHECK OR MONEY ORDER TO: USHGA, P.O. BOX 500 I PEARBLOSSOM, CA 93553


Expect nothing less than the extraordinary from Delta Wing's XCEL, the exceptional new glider designed to expand your XC horizons. Exalt in extreme high performance, exhilirating speed, exquisite handling and exclusive features. Experience the excitement of XCEL with a demo expedition today! The exemplary XCEL will exceed your expectations. You'll wonder how you ever existed without one! 140

Sail Area rn.2J

Span (n.) Nose Angle Aspect Ratio Ribs /side (upper) Ribs/side (lower) Glider Weight (lbs.) Pilot Weight Range (lbs.)

c o

M I N G

160

180


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.