USHGA Hang Gliding April 1988

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P.O Box 500, Pearblossom, California 93553

(805) 944-5333

Revised 6/86

Volume 18

CONTENTS

Issue No. 4

(USPS 017-970-20)

Features 10 The 1988 World Meet

Columns 17 Accident Reports

©1988 by Dennis Pagen

Compiled by Doug Hilareth A look at equipment failure.

The U.S. team comes in an oh-so-close second, with the Aussies taking top honors.

32 USHGA President

20 Blow Back!

by Russ Locke

by Raean Pennenter Flying backwards at 20 miles per hour with the bar stuffed.

24 The Flair - The Next Generation of Hang Gliders?

Spring cleaning.

Page 10

3 Airmail 7 Update 8 Calendar of Events 18 Competition Corner 30 Ratings and Appointments 44 Classified Advertising 49 Stolen Wings 49 Index to Advertisers

by Heiner Biese/ German designer Guenter Rochelt has designed and built an 18 to I foot-launched, foldable hang glider. But he's not satisfied: The Flair 30 will glide at 30 to I, weigh 65 lbs. and fold up into a package no larger than a conventional hang glider.

38 Idaho Pioneers

by Ken Cavanaugh

Page 24

Breaking the 100-mile barrier in the rugged mountains of the potato state.

Page 38

COVER: USHGA Director at Large G.W. Meadows soaring Sauratown Mt., North Carolina. Hanging Rock State Park in the background. Photo by G.W. Meadows.

DISCLAIMER OF WARRANTIES IN PUBLICATIONS: The material presented here is published as part of an information dissemination service for USHGA members.

The USHGA makes no warranties or representations and assumes no liability concerning the validity of any advice, opinion or recommendation expressed in the material.

All individuals relying upon the material do so at their own risk.

Copyright © United States Hang Gliding Association, Inc. 1988. All rights reserved to Hang Gliding magazine and individual contributors.

APRIL 1988

Departments

Gil Dodgen, Editor/Art Director Janie Dodgen, Production David Pounds, Design Consultant Leroy Grannis, Bettina Gray, John Heiney, Staff Photographers Erik Fair, Staff Writer Harry Martin, Illustrator

Office Staff Cindy Brickner, Execlltive Director Joyce Isles, &tings Mary O'Konski, Member Services Lynne Parton, Member Services

USHGA Officers: Russ Locke, President Dick Heckman, Vice President Elizabeth Sharp, Secretary Dan Johnson, Treasurer

E-.:ecutive Committee: Russ Locke Dick Heckman Bob Collins Dan Johnson Cindy Brickner REGION I: Ken Godwin. REGION 2: Ken Brown, Jay Busby, Russ Locke. REGION 3: Bill Benne«. Walt Dodge, Gregg Lawless. REGION 4: Bob Buxton, Jim Zeiset. REGION 5: Mike King. REGION 6: Ron Kenney. REGION 7: John Woiwode. REGION 8: Bob Collins. REGION 9: Pete Lehmann, Jeff Simms. REGION 10: Dick Heckman, Man Taber. REGION 11: Carl Boddie. REGION 12: Pete Fournia, Paul Rikert. DIRECTORS AT LARGE: Dan Johnson, G.W. Meadows, Dennis Pagen, Rich Pfeiffer, Elizabeth Sharp. EX-OFFJC!O DIRECTORS: Everett Langworthy, NAA, HONORARY DIRECTORS: Joe Bulger, Dick Cassetta, Doug Hildreth, Mike Meier. Bob Thompson. The United States Hang Gliding Association Inc. is a division of the National Aeronautic Association (NAA) which is the official

representa1ive of the Federation Aeronautique Intema· tionale (FAD. 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 FAI·related hang gliding activities such as record at~ tempts and competition sanc1ions.

HANG GLIDING magazine is published for hang gliding sport enthusiasts to create further interest in the sport, by a means of open communication and to advance hang gliding methods and safety. Contributions are welcome. Anyone is invited to contribute articles, photos, and illustrations concerning hang gliding activities. If the material is to be returned, a stamped, self-addressed return envelope must be enclosed. Notification must be made of submission to 01her hang gliding publications.

HANG GLIDING magazine reserves the right to edit contributions where necessary. The Association and publication do not assume responsibility for the material or opinions of contributors.

HANG GLIDING magazine (USPS 017-970) is published monthly by the United States Hang Gliding Association, lnc., whose 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 1st 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, ~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 ASSOCIAT!ON, P.O. BOX 500. PEARBLOSSOM, CA 93553.

APRlL 1988

VOLUME 18, ISSUE No. 4

AIRMAIL CONGRATULATIONS TO: Ken Brown Joe Bostik Ted Boyse Bruce Case Jim Lee Howard Osterlund Rich Pfeiffer Rick Rawlings Larry Tudor Jim Zeiset Your representation of the United States during the World Championships in Australia was outstanding. Your conduct and performance in competition is a source of pride for the other 7,000 members of the USHGA. We sent the right people.

Russ Locke USHGA President

TOUGHER STANDARDS Dear Editor, In the January issue of Hang Gliding Mark West, of the HOMA, has advised pilots against doing aerobatics in "certified" gliders, as doing so is an "open invitation to disaster."

He even goes so far as to ask the USHOA for condemnation of, and censorship of participation in aerobatics by its members and any associated articles or photographs depicting aerobatic flying.

I am surprised that Mr. West has not asked for the same censorship of all hang gliding, specifically X-C thennal flying. Any experienced pilot will attest to the fact that conditions encountered during any good X-C flight have the potential to exceed the HOMA airworthiness standards that are set for most certified gliders. If you have any doubt about this, try flying out in the Owens with an accelerometer (G-meter) mounted to your glider!

In fact, more HOMA certified gliders have tucked, tumbled and/or broken during X-C thennal flying than in aerobatics.

What I am suggesting is that HGMA standards be brought up to date with today's high perfonnance flying. In defense of aerobatics, those of us who engage in aerobatics are more aware of our own and our equipment's capabilities and limitations, and we design our flying around these liabilities. (Please refer to John Heiney's article, Aerobatics and Safety, Jan. '88.)

The first danger lies in having pilots buy

and fly "certified" gliders, expecting them to be safe to fly in all X-C conditions. The second danger lies in having pilots, of questionable proficiency, flying in high performance gliders in extreme conditions. What we have is perfonnance exceeding standards in glider design, testing and pilot proficiency.

Glider manufacturers, and the sport itself, endorse pushing the perfonnance limits - going further, faster and higher. Mr. West, please recognize the need for raising the standards of your airworthiness directives rather than diverting the responsibility of the HGMA by laying down a smokescreen in the fonn of blaming aerobatics for the weaknessess of HOMA standards.

Tom Mayer Carpinteria, CA

IN SUPPORT OF AEROBATICS Dear Editor, In response to the inevitable letters you 'II get condemning you for printing photographs of loops, and therefore condoning the practice, I have this to say: Keep up the good work!

The photographic work of pilots such as John Heiney and Mitch McAleer is appreciated and respected. It takes work, and lots of it, to become an accomplished aerobatic pilot, and still more work to create such good photographs. Our magazine seems to be the only public forum for displaying such efforts, and it would be a shame to have to censor them.

Still, the problem may well exist that inexperienced pilots will see aerobatic pictures and feel that they too can pull in and push out.

Rather than censor the subject of aerobatics, and pretend it doesn't exist, which is typical in our society, let's display it proudly with the proper disclaimers. Recommend that pilots not do these maneuvers, mention that little is known about the physics of aerobatics and that it is very dangerous. If people insist on attempting maneuvers recommend that they contact more experienced pilots for their expertise. It would be possible to construct a list of "don'ts" by surveying the top aerobatic pilots. I believe that by telling pilots how "not to" do things we wouldn't incur the liability we would by telling them how "to" do things, Aerobatics does have a place in our sport, and trying to hide it is a waste of a valuable asset. Glider technology has advanced through infonnation gained from aerobatics, and the public obviously appreciates seeing a good

aernbalic display. If we want our sport to grow, why try to hide one of the most fun and exciting aspects of it? Let's keep it out in the open, and make it safer. Let's not take another backward.

Aaron Swepston Seat!lc, WA

PLACE 'li'OR AEROBATICS Dear Editor, First, I'd like to commend John Heiney and Dennis Pagen for their articles in recent issues of flanr: Gliding on the subject of aerobatics.

Both were well done, informative and timely.

What spurred me to take pen in hand, however, was the statement at the end of Dennis' article, suggesting that "competition and flying. . offor personal rewards much greater than aerobatic flying." That statement just doesn't sit well with this pilot.

My resentment is not aimed at Dennis, however, but rather toward the recent Irend been noticing lo eliminate aerobatics as one possible cxl.rcme to which hang gliding be taken. It's been suggested that aerobatic photos be eliminated from Hang Gliding magazine, and that aerobatic meets be discontinued.

Ib me, this is absurd. J agree that aero .. batics not for everyone, particularly new pilots. I've repeatedly addressed the problem of new pilots doing acrobatics too early in their careers in my local area.

But scrionsly folks! Any extreme to which you take hang gliding will increase the poten· t1ying in the Owens tial for personal risk.

Valley results in as many inversions/tumbles (if not more) than does aerobatics. A new pilot flying the Owens at 2:00 P.M. might just well be attempting a loop. So should Owens flying be outlawed? Arc 100+ flights any more sat.isfying (or safo) than a proficient aerobatic routine?

Competitions, similarly, very often create very hazardous sitnations. My hairiest hang gliding memories are of near.. midairs in Nationals and Grouse Mtn. meets. There have in fact been midairs, power line landings, tree landings. you name it, at many competitions.

Furthermore, competitions just make you do insane things (assuming you're cnmpetitively minded). You often must Hy in conditions you normally wouldn't tonch. racing, today's pnpular format, gives you the incentive to attempt incredible traverses over wild terrain,

a minimum of altitude (climbing wastes much time!). Downhill, downwind landfor that extra 'h·milc occur all too often. this last World Meet two of our U.S. pilots one Canadian came home broken. So we eliminate competition loo?

I could go on and on, hut I'll try to spare I think you get my point. Normal flying, normal conditions, in certified gliders is safe. But when taken to any of its hang gliding becomes, simply, more gamble. The best gamblers tend to be the mn1t~r1e11,,:e<1 ones. Newer pilots should stay from these extremes, especially ae:rmnmcs. It takes hundreds of honrs and of experience.

In conclusion I'd like to say that my first were the most satisfying and rewarding n,·lh1>•vc,1nen1, in my years of hang gliding. someone else claims that other hang pursuits are more "worthwhile" than 00,Y,hsti,·•s it really ruffles my feathers. The that aerobatics requires a lack of com· sense ridiculous. Hell, if we used sense we'd never do anything exdtmuch less jump off mountains into air in tailless aircraft!

And last but not least, you've got to admit some of the most outstanding photography appears in this magazine are aerobatic Keep 'em coming!

There is a place for aerobatics in hang Let's keep it that way.

After answering the prompts for informa .. tion, the resnlt~ are given in nautical miles, statute miles, kilometers and degrees. BASIC is so slow you have to wait nearly a second so just be patient, Nerds, l know how valuable your time is.

Voight Bush,

ANU ROUND AND ...

Marysville, CA Editor, Despite (Compu .. Nerd) Perry's derisive concerning the Great Circle Calculator, continues to be an adaptable, easy·to· language for simple programs that do not the "sophistication" or speed offered PASCAL and others. How about spending few hours writ.ing a "respectable" program us amatcnrs?

In ten minutes the original program was to conform to another version of this time for Commodore. If the will note, it does work in flights over poles and across the dateline, prime meri· and equator. Of course, if you fly more halfway around the world you surely need anything more than a halo, so be surprised if you get caught short on flight~.

CLASSIC PHOTO Dear Editor, My congratulations to all for a really great job on this year's Hang Gliding Calendar. It hangs (no pun intended) proudly in my dining room.

The current picture, February, is a classic shot of Dan Racanelli skimming across Dunlap Lake. The foat that this photograph portrays is remarkable enough, especially when you consider that Dan had a dry lan .. ding. But there was more tn it; Dan is aiming at a nine-foot steeply rising embankment lined with trees. He is landing the short way across a long, thin landing zone, in a 90 degree

HANG GLIDIN(,

crosswind. And he pulled it off, standing up. know because I was standing there when he did it.

Dan Racanelli was probably the greatest hang glider pilot there ever was. I fe.lt privileged to have called him a friend.

Jerry P. Sorenson Waimanalo, Hl

HORSESHOE UPDATE

ACCmENT

Dear Editor, Last summer was the first time I was the site monitor of this very important launch site. lt must be understood that without a site monitor (USFS Permittee), this is a closed launch. I did not do this, it was done in 1984 after the now-defunct XCPA proposed the regulation of the site. It was because of this closure order that I volunteered to he site monitor and created the Lone Pine Hang Gliding Center as regulatory agency.

I was also responsible for the much-disliked reservation system, which l don't plan to repeat. It was well-intentioned, hut poorly received. The system did provide me with information that I used to get the County of Inyo to issue me (The LPHGC) an encroachment permit for those very crowded days.

That's when we closed off the downhill lane of the road and used it for a S<itup area. The Forest and the County were apprehensive about this precedent-setting operation.

They had just opened up a new campground and equestrian center at roads end and an·· ticipated more traffic than ever on the very days that wanted to close one lane. With hired and a lot of luck, it went very smoothly. All involved called it a success.

This season saw more usage here than ever before, but it was not without incidents. There were several blown launches, one failme to hook in and towards season's end, a fatality. l do need some help if I am to continue as site monitor and the site is to remain open to all qualified pilots. Site insurance, is a pm· blem. need an existing Chapter to add the Horseshoe site to their policy. I tried to do this last year, hut ran out of time. Also, I need volunteer site monitors to relieve me from this daily duty. cooperative effort is needed to retain this premier site. I can't do it alone. I can be contacted at: Lone Pinc Hang Gliding Cent.er, ATTN: Rod Schmidt, P.O. Box 540 Lone Pine, 93545

APRIL 1988

John Muir (l'ee last month'.\' accident 1'fport····Ed.) was a veteran pilot. His skill

BAD IMAGE

level and experience were both advanced. The weather and the Sierra Nevada rotor were the main causes of his death. There may have been olhcr factors, hut these were the most obvious.

The other pilots who flew (or didn't fly) all commented on the weather anomaly. Before launch, it blew down rather hard. For a while ii looked as though it wouldn't get flyable at all. Then about J0:30 it calmed down and started gently blowing up. These conditions almost normal for this lee,side site. The exception was the visible blowing dust. Down the valley, just south of Olancha, you could a cloud of pumice from a pit mine. l made a point of showing this to all the pilots there, but none were deterred from launching. John was first off and quickly ed about 1,000 feet. Several others followed and then only two were left to launch when the downslope flow returned.

It seemed as only a temporary condition at first, but lhe airborne pilots were obviously having problems with strong westerly flow.

One pilot called it a day and broke his down. The other, Chris Carlton, kept his Sport set up, hut moved it back from launch and turned it to face the wind.

Then the flow increased. It got stronger and stronger. I'd estimate that il hit 45 mph or better. Chris was holding the nose of his glider at shoulder level with the wing slightly negative when, without warning, the left crosstube broke! He was shocked. So was I. helped Chris break down his glider and left the launch to go to work.

On my way down the mountain, I heard .John's chase crew trying to locate him. He was last seen due cast of Wonoga Peak at about 11,000 feet MSL. ! helped the little I could to locate him, hut but my efforts were unsncccssful, as were theirs.

They located the crash scene the next ing. From descriptions given to me by observers, John impacted at high speed with a broken glider and did not deploy his parachute.

Some things arc learned by this. At Horseshoe, don't fly if you see dust blowing in the valley below, and this new generation gliders will break rather than distort to relieve loads.

John Muir was a good pilot and a nice guy.

I'll miss him.

Dear Editor, Webster's Dictionary says; "ed'it, v. l. revise, select (writings) for publication."

With this in mind, were your eyes closed when you selected Requiem for a Deceased Diver to he printed in the January issue of magazine? The text and photos did absolutely nothing to promote haug gliding in a positive way.

Let's all do our best lo make 1988 a good year for hang gliding. We can do this with safe flying attitudes, maintaining our equip· ment and having high quality articles in our magazine.

Rod Schmidt Lone Pine,

Jim Gibson

The article was originally submitted ji,r the April issue. ft was not meant to be taken seriously. -Ed. FOREST SERVICE RECOGNITION Dear Editor, As a means of getting more recognition for hang gliding in the U.S. Forest Service (we arc lc1i out in the latest recreation gnidc of California's 20 million acres of national forest), l am compiling a list of all the sites (takeoff or landing) in Califomia's U.S. Forests in which hang gliding is taking place.

I need to know each site name and if your has or has not a special use permit, as wdl as which of the 18 forests it is located in.

They have white-water rafting listed in only eight forests, I feel our sport could be twice that and we deserve to he listed.

Please send info to: Roman Dodson 8520 Burnet Avenue Sepulveda, CA 91343

WOMEN'S FLY-IN Do wanna have fun? You bet, but also want to get as high and go as anyone else. After the first "Girls far Just Wanna. . . in 1986 we saw the introduetion of two double surfaee the small the third annual Women's Fun In/Demo at Ed Levin Park in 21 and Delta Paeific Airwave, American Windand La Mouette will have their latest for everyone to demo.

Watch for the Profil 12 from La Mouette, fr>r miern your USHGA eard USHGA Observers will unfamiliar with should also the site. Novice .. rated their books. With launches from 40 to 1,700 foet, Ed Levin Park ae .. commodates all levels.

The Park has trees, grass, a lake and tables as well as The

in the grandeur of Colorado's Mountains and exof watching the best aerobatic in the world competing for the festival's honors. Although aimed at an audience of TELLURIDE! should tape to show to friends who want to get a feel for why we fly.

TELLURIDE! is available for $35 plus $3 residents add state tax), check or money order, from 1539 63rd St., Robert CA 94608 (415) 655-0615.

BALLISTIC RECOVERY SYSTEM FOR HANG GLIDERS

Nelson, 1863 Dalton CA 95035

TELLURIDE! IIVLll '"1',IIJ.:

VHS festival one of

coverage of the 1987 aerobatic H11·c;,,1uuuu v shot and edited with music and narration, this tape should apto of all levels of

APRIL 1988

SANTA BARBARA PARACHUTE SEMINAR The Hang Glider Emporium in Santa Barbara, CA will be sponsoring their next parachute seminar on April 23rd.

The cost of the seminar is $25.00, which includes a chute the lecture, guest Douris of Free Flight and Roh Kells of Wills Wing, Inc., you'll have an opportunity to the deployment of your chute under simulated emergency conditions and participate in the repacking process done certified parachute Seminar doors will open at 3:00 P.M. and lectures will start at 5:00 P.M. Location: Culinary Alliance Hall, 1019 Chapala, Santa Barbara. is limited, reservations recommended. For further information contact: The Glider Emporium, 613 N. Milpas, Santa Barbara, CA 93103 (805) 965-3733.

beer.

Need a to stay for the weekend?

Let me know-the south Area has

(408) 262-4108.

firing pins, gas generator (no fire hazard).

When the pilot pulls the ripcord six inches the gas generator is activated at mechanically and the chute is 100 feet per second. Line stretch takes 1.4 second with deployment in under two seconds at 25 mph.

Introductory $695 system, S,'795 tandem system. Contact: Second Chantz, Inc., P.O. Box 12671, Reno, NV 89510 (702) 329-9588.

John Dunham, President of Second Chantz Inc. arn.,vu,m.,c.~ the near completion of the company's recovery system. John has on the system for the last three years and is by 1988. Second Chantz has been ITHf'.lllrmu ballistically-deployed recovery systems since 1981.

The Aerosafo 300 is a low-recoil, mortar-launched chute system which features: all-aluminum streamlined cannister (20 11 by 5 11), 7.5 lbs. total weight, 22-ft. pressure chute (rated for 300 lbs. up to 90 mph), tomMlf".:•r harness-mounted ripcord, dual

GROUSE MOUNTAIN CHAMPIONSHIPS CANCELLED After ten years the Grouse Mt. World Gliding Championships have been cancelled, for this year and possibly forever. Grouse Mt. Resorts, Ltd. has their summer thrust and thus the cancellation. wish to thank the coimo,etitors and the USHGA for our snpport in the past, and we wish to thank them for gliding their support of the sport of for the last ten years.

7

UPDATE ATOL CLINICS AT FLY HIGH Fly High Hang Gliding of Ellenville, NY now offers ATOL truck towing clinics every weekend for those in the Northeast interested in learning this new method of tow-launching. Ten hours of soaring experience are required. Contact: FHHG, RD 2 Box 561, Pine Bush, NY 12566 (914) 744-3317.

LCD indicates miles per hour, knots, kilometers per hour or meters per second.

It is powered with a standard 9-volt battery capable of furnishing over 60 hours of continuous wind velocity information or over 3,600 one-minute readings. The portable instrument, designated Model DIC-3, weighs only 11

ounces and fits into a heavy duty carrying case.

A free brochure #188 with complete specifications is available from the manufacturer and sole sales agency, Simer! Instruments, 238 West Street, Annapolis, Maryland 21401 (301) 849-8667.

NEW CERTIFIED SCHOOL USHGA welcomes a new certified school: Natural High Hang Gliding School, P.O. Box 23073, San Bernardino, CA 92406 (714) 880-3888. We welcome Advanced Instructor Debbi Renshaw and her school on board!

HAND-HELD ANEMOMETER WITH MEMORY

Calendar of Events April 2-3: The Great Race, Lookout Mt. Flight Park, Chattanooga, TN. 21-mile ridge race.

Two classes, prizes and trophies. May 13: Parachute clinic. Repacking, simulator deployments. May 14-15: Instructor Certification Clinic. Contact: Lookout Mt. Flight Park, Rt. 2 Box 215-H, Rising Fawn, GA 30738 (404) 398-3541.

April 8-10: Basic Instructor Certification Program, Milpitas, CA. Contact: Mission Soaring Center (408) 262-1055.

April 16-24, 1988: 1988 U.S. Hang Gliding Nationals, Chattanooga, Tennessee. Contact: Rick Jacob (615) 238-5568.

April 16-24, 1988: Women's World Team Qualifier, Chattanooga, TN. Contact: Jan Siskind (617) 753-1568.

April 23: Santa Barbara parachute clinic. Guest speakers, simulator deployments and repack. $25. Contact: Hang Glider Emporium, 613 N. Milpas, Santa Barbara, CA 93103 (805) 965-3733.

April 30-May 1: Second Annual American X-C Championships, Moore Mt. near Lenoir, NC. Entry fee $15. Contact: Travis Bryant, (704) 758-9331.

Hold it in the wind, wait for a gust and read the highest wind peak. The instrument will hold this information until operator cancellation. For a two or five minute average wind velocity reading, trip a switch and hold the anemometer in the wind for the time selected. A blinking number indicates the time period elapsed and the average is shown. Information may be cancelled at any time.

8

May 21-22: Girls Wanna Have Fun fly-in/demo daze at Ed Levin Park, near Milpitas, CA. Contact: Lynda Nelson, 1863 Dalton Dr., Milpitas, CA 95035.

May 28·30: Annual Dry Canyon Fly-In, Alamogordo, NM. Meet at Alamogordo KOA on 24th St. at 9 A.M. each day. Contact: Robin Hastings, 1311 17th St., Alamogordo, NM 88310 (505) 382-7446.

June/July: European Thermal Tours hang gliding safaris. Contact: Ron White, 10 Power St., Spencer, MA 01562 (617) 885-6073.

June 11: Crestline Flyathon '88. Benefit for Crippled Children's Society. Contact: Debbi Renshaw, P.O. Box 23073, San Bernardino, CA 92406 (714) 880-3888.

June 25.July 1: Owens Valley X-C Classic. Contact: Tom Kreyche, 855 Waller St. #5, San Francisco, CA 94117 (415) 621-4359 evenings.

June 25-26: 10th Annual Starthistle Meet, Woodrat Mt., Ruch, Oregon (offI-5 en route to Chelan/Grouse). World and Sporting classes. $20 in advance or $25 day of meet.

Contact: Rogue Valley HGA, P.O. Box 311, Medford, OR 97501 (503) 482-8766.

June 25.July 1: 10th Anniversary Owens Valley Cross-Country Classic. Contact: Tom Kreyche, 855 Waller St. , #5, San Francisco, CA 94117 (415) 621-4359 (evenings).

June 27.July 10: European Paragliding Championship, St. Hilaire, France. Contact: Catherine Schmider, Le Chalet, 38720 St. Hilaire du Touvet, France.

July 1·17: Sixth European Hang Gliding Championships, Alpago, Italy. Pilots wishing to represent the U.S. must file entry through USHGA (805) 944-5333.

July 2-10: Chelan X-C Classic. Open X-C distance, Hang ill required. Contact: Richard Gilmore, 7049 34th NE, Seattle, WA 98115.

Sept. 9-18: Masters of Hang Gliding. Pilots' meeting Sept. 8. Contact: Catherine Morton, Grandfather Mt., U.S. 221 and The Parkway, Linville, NC 28646 (704) 733-2013.

HANG GLIDING

PO BOX 12671, RENO, NEVEDA 89510

over Murmungee. Photo Kari Castle.

in the night of January 16 we crossed O0 0 '0 11 latitude en route to the land down under. With a twenty··two hour flight we changed dates, hemispheres and seasons.

It was mid-summer when we stepped off the plane in Sydney, Australia. We had come to in the sixth World Championships What can you say about a country that features in shorts, topless downtown beaches, animals of the marsupial persuasion, a of crow that croaks the F-word and a national anthem Waltzing Mathilda about a hapless hobo who heists a ram? Well, you can say it's laid-back and you wouldn't be far from accurate.

This is a land where they actually do say mate, but a more common expression is "no worries" in response to almost every situation. The tenor and pace of Australia is It seems that all the men are blond, bronzed, sometimes sober and friendly. All the women are blond, bronzed, more often sober and friendlier.

This is the land of Oz, so-named because of the Aussies who abound here, but also because it seems that anything is possible in Australia. upside down one a unique perspective. Most Americans would feel right at home here once they got used to the sun moving the wrong way (from right to left), the traffic moving the wrong way (drive on the left) and a night of countless stars. There's no 10

HANG GLIDING

town consists of res tauIt wasn't hard to and find rooms for $5.00 per bit more difficult to find any by an international mob from the downtown hole in the to the uptown the Pinewood hoteL somewhat central to most of the The best Buffalo Mountain, an close to :woo located hand on from Brisbane south to

also conditions,

the little tourist 1988

rounds of the com-

in

runs north to south for about 40 miles. Gundowris about one·-third of the way down Mt Emu was all the way at south end near the town of Mt, Also at this end was Mt the mountain in the name: in the local bare on top and was of few

""'"'"''"'''''IVI by 1,000foot vertical stone wall takeoff is any poor takeoff The in took off nose and slammed into the cliff below launch. He spent three on with broken and shoulder while he waited for a rescue crew and $10,()00 flight to arrive from Melbourne. crnrnp,ctiuon were 1,500 a west around Emu, also west with of vertical; and Mount Elliot near the town of with a west face and of over I, 900 foeL and

nice to marathon late as 2:00

the long retrieve resulted in

with some A.M. The

sites, takeoff was a run. was the flattest takeoff with bmsh in front and rn·,~1"'"""ly runs and uu,,v,u,<, was a slot in the trees that eou ld be turbulent as a German found out when he into the upper branches after the slot too For the most

was very ll

took place during the competition without incident.

FLYING CONDITIONS The flying in the Bright area was, in a word, exceptional. The cool nights coupled with the hot deserty days provided favorable lapse rates and occasional thermals to 11,000 feet and more. While daytime temperatures reached over 100°F before the meet, nighttime air could be as cool as 50°. There are several reasons for this extreme of temperature. Although Bright is at the latitude of Florida (37°), the air masses coming from the southwest cross very little land and therefore don't get heated along the way.

Also, in the mountain areas, cool air slips off the slopes and pools in the valleys, dropping the temperature IO degrees or more compared to the plains to the west.

The terrain and ground cover most nearly resemble northern California to my mind.

Dry fields everywhere serve as thermal generators and often produce "saves" right down on the deck. There is more moisture in the air than in the American southwest, however, again because the air masses come from the southern ocean. This results in cloudiness on some days and a limit to thermal heights as the moist air reaches the dew point.

Dust devils were unusually rare considering the intense heating. This means that the lapse rate was usually not superadiabatic and thus thermals were not too punchy - 300 to 600 fpm climbs were typical. I saw one dust devil climb about 1,000 feet but the rest lingered near the ground and dissipated quickly. Incidently, for the curious, I kept tabs on their direction of rotation and found as many rotating to the left as to the right.

A dust devil should rotate right "down under" if Coriolis effect is the determining factor. I also checked a number of drains (sinks and bathtubs) and again didn't see a consensus in swirl direction. This limited experiment suggests that terrain and flow disturbances are the greatest factors in determining rotation direction of such small eddies. I've been told that larger dust devils do rotate to the right out on the plains. I was also admonished that the correct term for such phenomena is not dust devil, but willywilly. I stand corrected.

Two magnificent weathermen gave us a daily briefing complete with lapse rates, dew point soundings, winds at all levels, thermal strengths versus time of day and progressive cloud base height. These seers were Wally 12

Wallington, better known as "Wally Wonderful," and Denis Cummings, apotheosized as "Nostradenis." They had the ability to give us any weather we wanted so long as it was thermals and light winds with a few clouds scattered around.

In general, it was very easy to go crosscountry in the Bright area as long as you avoided the local black holes. Traveling along the Kiewa Valley was normally a trouble free highway and only crossing the mountains made matters difficult on most days. Tasks were typically around 100 Km or 60 miles, so time became a factor with slow pilots experiencing weaker late-day conditions. Lift was concentrated over the mountains during the day, but in the evening it was often possible to cruise up the center of a valley on a magic cushion. The transition between the two conditions was the hard thing to figure out.

One pleasant aspect of flying crosscountry in the area is the rare appearance of airplanes. I didn't see a single one in a month of flying except for a 747 at 30,000 feet.

There were some hazards, however. The geatest one was power lines. Only speculation abounds as to why they were such hazards, but one pilot, Mark Bourbonais, on the Canadian team, will attest to their danger.

Mark was following a power line to lose altitude and turned to run along a parallel field.

Just as he turned, his left wing struck a 2,200-volt line that had remained invisible to him and was perpendicular to the main lines. He saw a flash and heard a Z-Z-Z-Z-T as his lower side wire fried and sent him plummeting to the ground. The twenty-foot fall landed him in the hospital with a cracked pelvis. He as out on crutches after a week, regretting his mistake since he was well up in the standings at the time.

The Kiewa Valley is a hydro-electric area, so there are lots of lines spidering around the countryside. Local lines don't tend to follow roads as they do in the U.S. and the brown fields blend in with the poles. There are as many power lines in the Bright area as there are in the eastern U.S., but there aren't as many trees, so swaths through the woods do not delineate the power line paths in the valley areas. These and perhaps other reasons all add to the power line problem.

Other hazards are less obvious and tend to be living and breathing. There were very territorial eagles attacking gliders at Murmungee. A curious creature called a jack jumper looks like an ant with a yellow head

and likes to jump up and take a nip out of your leg. Similarly, the large bull ant with formidable mandibles actually delivers a wasp-like sting with its tail as several pilots found out when they tried to wipe them off their wings. More deadly are the funnel spiders found in eastern Australia. A bite can kill and there is no known antidote for their poison. If you get bit by one of Australia's 24 varieties of poisonous snake (the most of any continent) you may fare better since antivenom is available. The notorious taipan was out of the range of our cross-country flights, but tiger snakes, black snakes, brown snakes and the aptly-named death adder were indigenous to the area. Thankfully, all I saw was one black snake crossing the road at Myrtleford launch.

As tourists we were eager to see kangaroos, koalas, wallabies and wombats, but equally as common are the great white sharks, estuarine crocodiles and sea snakes that would love to snack on a pink hors d'oeuvre. This is a man's country for those with the nonchalance of a Crocodile Dundee.

Two problems not encountered in the U.S. are the presence of gum trees (the most common eucalyptus) and kukaburra birds. If you land in a gum tree, forget it - you're stuck.

If you nose-in in a noticeable manner, a kukaburra will alight in the nearest tree and laugh like a fool. You've never known embarrassment until you've had a kukaburra laughing at you while a flock of pilots look on.

THE $3,000 BOOMERANG There were 179 pilots from 32 countries entered in the competition. The camaraderie and trading of T-shirts seemed to be as important to many of them as the meet. Retrieval trucks would carry a quiet bunch to the sites but bring back a true international crew babbling in a hodge-podge of languages.

There were three countries from behind the iron curtain at the meet - Yugoslavia, Czechoslavakia and for the first time, Russia.

The Yugoslavs and Czechs were fun-loving and mingled readily. The Russians were more reserved. One Yugoslav intimated to me that his country was a beautiful place, but it had one problem. "What was that," I queried? "The color," he replied. He was a free spirit.

The Russian team leader never smiled and looked like a lifetime member of the Kappa Gamma Beta fraternity. One day he was having trouble locating a downed pilot. He pulled up to some Canadians beside the road and inquired as to the pilot's whereabouts. "Oh, HANG GLIDING

last 1 heard he defected," came the answer.

With that om agent drove off scowlinto the sunset

tec1tum:1ne is watched several Germans in on takeoff, but the classic was the pilot who He was ncr· threw the $3,000 vous about the cross-wind takeoff at

"Swanee" heads out from the Murmnngee launch. Photo by Dennis Pagen.

BEGIN THE MEET in a classic demonstration of th,: purpose of flew away from the check. His in hreathtakhill, then slowed and

suspc111sion. In and turned to

1v-r,u,rnu missile when the crashed into the brush just to his right. Another

1988

the preliminmries the were dividinto four groups of about 47 pilots. Each group went to a different site every day. rounds were achieved in the preliminaries with a total of miles flown for an average of miles per day per From the bei~mnm.gthc teams to beat were the Americans, the Australians and the British. The Aussies had a great first day, then the American team took over in a

decisive manner. With tasks around trian·· and courses four hours or more, one missed thermal could put a pilot well down in the standings, but it was how consistent the leaders were.

From the beginning it looked like the contenders would be John Pendry (Great Britain), Rick Duncan (Australia), Ted Boyse (United States), Joe Bostik (United States), Randy Haney (Canada), Larry 'I\1dor (United States), and Gerard Thevenot (Franee). Fate has a way of the apparent.

On the sixth of eompetition disaster struck Joe Bostik, who was his group at the time, when he sunk out at Munmmgec.

No great problem, sinec relaunches were allowed. However, the wind was perversely blowing away from the hill and Joe's downwind landing sent him plowing into the special ehromc-moly steel downtnbes that all the American HPs These faired downtubes were perhaps 1/2-inch thick and l 1/2 inches wide with two supporting hars welded on midspan for support. The idea was to minimize but the result was to maximize hody damage in the event of a bad landing . .Joe broke his arm at the humerus and was understandably not too happy to exit the meet with such great potential. sufforcd a Two days later Rick similar fate, his shoulder on what came to be known as the karate bars. It was apparent that no matter how low your is you can't win when you 're gnmr:1dect.

meet officials, Director and Scorer Paul Mollison rel1:ntlless,J 1

ond this time the Americans had established their lead in the team with Australia behind and tain next. the third and fourth look-

ed like winners to the

GLIDING

This turn of events was not to last long, however, as the next day was "Black Wednesday." On that day the entire U.S. team scored in the six hundreds or less while the winner earned 1,000 points. It was mostly a matter of luck as some pilots who took one route were successful and others who selected a different path failed to reach goal.

The dismal news at the end of this fateful day was that the Australians gained more than 1,200 points on the Americans and vaulted into the lead by more than 500 points.

Bruce Case had fallen from the exalted lead.

The next two days witnessed the leaders flying with caution to hold on to their standings while the former leaders were scrambling to catch up. This tendency could be seen in the scores of John Pendry and Randy Haney as they flew hot and cold trying to race around the course. In the end it was consistency that paid off as Rick Duncan never far from the lead - won the World Championship with Bruce Case climbing back to second place followed by Steve Moyes, Ted Boyse, Bruce Goldsmith (Great Britain) and Larry Tudor.

The Americans regained the ground lost on one bad day and placed second to the Australians. The Brits were next followed by Brazil, Japan and Italy. Italy and Czechoslovakia were the only two teams to make gains in the finals with Italy climbing from

9th to 6th and the Czechs moving up from 15th to 12th. Everyone else stayed about where they were when the finals began.

The Sixth World Meet is over with Australian Rick Duncan lauded as champion and the Australian team garnering first place.

This is perhaps fitting on the 200th birthday celebration of the continent country.

Those of us who supported teams, competed or merely went to share the air and festivities will long remember the great flying and unique experiences.

I recall hopping from mountain peak to mountain peak in a variety of borrowed gliders. I can still feel the cool rivers that lace the valley and invite a nearby landing to those not bent on making a goal. I marvel at the thought of the stunning Milky Way, much more intense in the southern night sky than it is in the north. I remember, best of all, flying over a flock of more than 100 sulpher-crested cockatoos and sending them scattering while they squawked in protest.

If I could have only captured one individual and smuggled it back to the U.S. I could have financed my whole trip at the going rate of $3,000 per bird!

The author wishes to thank the Greek Hang Gliding team for taking me to Australia, as well as Bill Moyes and Mark Mitsos for loaning the GI'Rs and Foils. •

LISTING OF TOP TEN WINNING PILOTS

1. Ricky Duncan, Australia ....... 9256 2. Bruce Case, USA ............ 8595 3. Steve Moyes, Australia ........ 8591 4. Ted Boyse, USA ............. 8404 5. Bruce Goldsmith, G. Britain .... 8303 6. Larry Tudor, USA ........... 8380 7. Mark Newland, Australia ...... 8303 8. Detlev Ziego, Netherlands ..... 8296 9. John Pendry, G. Britain ....... 8210 10. Herbie Kuhr, W. Germany ..... 7949 LISTING OF U.S. PILOTS AND THEIR PLACINGS 2. Bruce Case, Minneapolis, MN 4. Ted Boyse, Van Nuys, CA 6. Larry Tudor, Draper, UT 16. Jirn Lee, Albuquerque, NM 36. Howard Osterlund, San Francisco, CA 41. Rich Pfeiffer, Santa Ana, CA Injured - Josef Bostik, San Juan Capistrano, CA Injured - Rick Rawlings, Van Nuys, CA U.S. TEAM LEADER Jim Zeiset, Salida, CO ASSISTANT TEAM LEADER Ken Brown, Salinas, CA

The Territorial Imperative The Murmungee launch area was home to a nesting pair of wedge-tailed eagles.

These eagles are some of the largest in the world and resemble a golden eagle with a long tapering tail. They don't take kindly to the big dumb lumbering gaudy gliders invading their airspace. Indeed, it is their parental duty to attack all aerial interlopers and drive them out of the zone.

During the practice days before the World Meet, a Spanish pilot had his sail ripped by a diving eagle. I saw the results of another attack on an Australian pilot's glider two days later. He had three long rips on the leading edge. It seems the birds always attack the front of the wing because that's where the bones are supposed to be.

A day later I took off into an empty sky.

The conditions weren't so great and most competitors were resting up for the start

APRIL 1988

of the meet the next day. I didn't find much at takeoff and headed out to catch lift from the hills in front. I found a reasonable core and worked it intently. At about 1,500' AGL I heard the sounds of what appeared to be children playing. A moment later they increased in volume and I knew I was under the full artillery of a screaming eagle.

He flew at me a few times in a threatening feint then circled around to my noseplate to give me an evil look. By that time I had begun to take evasive action while still trying to stay in the thermal. I didn't want to end up with a tom glider (or worse) but I was there to get high. "Give me a break Mr. Eagle," I muttered. He didn't.

He cirled around behind me and made a couple more dives at my wing.

I had had enough and when he came at

my right wing again I made a decision to leave the area with a hard left tum. Neither he nor I expected the consequences as my right wing came up and whacked him under his left wing, flipping him over into a tumble. He flopped around as he fell about twenty feet then climbed back to see what hit him. As he circled me he gave me a long look of surprise and awe, then tucked his wings and plummeted.

I saw no more of h'im that day and although many of us flew near him on subsequent days, another attack wasn't reported. I believe I showed him a thing about flying defensively and the fact that us dangle-birds have a right to share the airspace. The majestic eagles will just have to put up with unsavory neighbors.•

15

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REPORTS compiled by Doug Hildreth

Pilot Rating: Intermediate Glider: UP Comet 2 165 Event: Pilot circling over landing zone in mild conditions, while in shallow bank 360, side wire broke. The glider folded up, the pilot threw his chute successfully, no injuries on landing. Side wire broke "directly behind the second nico.'' Could not have been seen on preflight inspection.

Pilot Rating: Advanced Exprience: 7 years Glider: UP Coment 2 165 Event: Pilot flew for an hour in ridge lift, then decided to land. Perforn,ing mild wingovers. Left lower flying wire broke at crossbar junction. Broke at nico. Successful parachute deployment with soft landing.

Pilot Rating: Advanced Experience: Unknown Glider: Unknown Event: Pilot was flying at 200 feet.

Primary structural failure of bolt at the threads. Reportedly the bolt was improperly installed. Too low for parachute. Pilot died (1987).

Pilot Rating: Unknown Experience: Unknown Glider: Unknown Event: Pilot was distracted during setup.

Apparent improper assembly of side wires to control bar. Incomplete preflight. After soaring for fifteen minutes in smooth ridge lift over sand dune, glider disassembled at 150 feet.

Parachute thrown but too low. Chest injuries, pilot recovering.

Comment There have been several good discussions over the past year regarding primary structural failure, particularly about flying wires. Flying wire degradation is obviously more rapid in salt APRJL 1988

water exposure environment. Lower flying wires are obviously the most crucial.

One glider manufacturer suggests that during preflight one should step on the lower flying wires and apply about 50-60 pounds of pressure as a test for integrity.

There are several factors besides salt exposure which may weaken flying wires. The first is kinking during setup.

All of us have had the experience of trying to tension that last flying wire, and have it not go, only to find a thimble kinked somewhere. Look carefully at all of your thimbles prior to that last tension. If it feels tight, start over. Obvious kinking during storage and car-topping is another possibility. Make sure all wires are loose when folding up.

Another apparent factor - again more common at coastal sites - is the habit of "tethering" the glider. If the nose is tethered, and the glider allowed to sit unattended, the gentle wiggling back and forth of the glider can take its toll on the flying wires, like bending a paperclip back and forth.

Periodic lower flying wire replacement is recommended. The exact period of time is a little vague. I also suspect that there are relatively few pilots who actually take their gliders in for wire replacement. Hopefully this will become standard procedure as the years go by, but I expect it's sort of like changing your oil or getting a medical checkup.

The last defense against tragedy from flying wire. failure is to have the parachute repacked and ready, and to rehearse the deployment procedure during those repacking seminars at least once a year, as well as to mentally rehearse it at some point in each flight.

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17

COMPETITION CORNER 1987 REGION 9 CROSS-COUNTRY CONTEST

by Dave Deming

A

year-long cross-country contest is held each year in Region 9. The dream of most pilots is to achieve a 100-miler in the region, a rare flight for any pilot in the East. A secondary goal of many is to extend the current Region 9 X-C distance of 106 miles held by Pete Lehmann.

In general, 1987 was a good year for cross-country flights in Region 9 though there were few spectacular, recordbreaking days. As such, this year saw no 100-milers in the region. However, there were other notable accomplishments. The cross-country potential of Bill's Hill, an east-facing site flown for many years, was finally realized with twin flights of 70+ miles on a marginal soaring day.

Record flights from Zirk's and The Fairgrounds by the West Virginia Mountaineers are becoming more and more frequent; East River Mtn. and Peters Mtn. continue to be assaulted with hopeful attempts at connecting at Clinch Mtn. for a 200-miler. Long flights from Sacramento, Templeton, High Rock, Pulpit, Pleasant Gap, and others continue. In general, more pilots are getting longer and longer flights and from a wider range of sites.

The results of this year's Region 9 X-C Contest are listed below. Twenty-six pilots entered, though not all chose to report their flights by the end of the year. The 17 people who did combined for over 3,300 miles total distance including 15 flights of over 50 miles. Congratulations to Jim Wilson whose flights show that the more you head downwind, the better your chances are for a big one.

By the way, Jim's average mileage per flight works out to an outstanding 37.4 miles. As was the case last year, Mike Neuman and Pete Lehmann are in the top of the list showing that experience has its rewards as well. Pete Wellhofer's flight shows that the eastern PA sites work as well as any other sites in the

18

region. Tony Smolder's personal best gained him 5th, and to perennial performers Dave and Dennis and all the rest, congratulations on pushing those Region 9 distances.

Now let's hope 1988 grants everyone their cross-country dream and more!

No. of Launch X·C wng.

Total Pilot Flights flight Site Date Miles Jim Wilson 17 84 Zirk's, WV 5-8 635 Mike Neuman 4-26 285 9 77 Bill's Hill, PA Pete Lehmann 24 70 Bill's Hill, PA 4-26 589 Pete Wellhofer 7-15 67.5 I 67.5 Sacramento, PA Tony Smolder 14 (,() E. River Mtn., WV 104 306 4-11 447 Dennis Pagen lO 57 Jack's Mtn., PA Dave Deming 14 52 Avonmore, PA 5-10 261 Randy Cohick 2 47.2 Jack's Mtn., PA 3-29 92.2 Jim Rowan 13 47 Zirk's, WV 5-8 186 Jeff Sims IO 45 Jack's Mtn., PA 10-17 144 Skip Brown 3 42 High Rock, MD 8-20 76 John Middleton I 40 Pulpit, PA 6-27 40 Steve Krichten 2 39.5 High Rock, MD 8-22 49 Larry Huffman 5 34 Templeton, PA 3-13 130 Fred Permenter 8-20 (,() 2 32 High Rock, MD John Scott l 21 Zirk's WV 6-6 21 Pat Brooks 4 13 Templeton, PA 43.5 5-8

As usual, several pilots in the region who did not enter the contest had outstanding flights as well. These are worth noting in hopes that they will enter next year and push us for 100-milers: Neil Dirst, 79 miles; Joe Garry, 59 miles; Bob Beck, 52 miles.

For information on entering the 1988 Region 9 X-C Contest, contact Dave Deming, 230 Bausman St., Pittsburgh, PA, 15210 (412) 381-2284 .•

ANNOUNCING THE 1988 MANUFACTURERS LEAGUE MEET The 1988 Manufacturers League Meet will be held in Southern California June 7th through June 12th, 1988. Seven Manufacturers will each be invited to send one three-man team. The deadline for receipt of manufacturer team entries will be 5:00 P.M. April 29th, 1988.

Manufacturer team entry fee is $225.00 per team.

In addition to the manufacturer teams, 27 slots will be held open for individual pilots to enter the meet. These pilots must enter and qualify as individuals, though they are free to form into teams

of three following the acceptance of their entry. Pilots may qualify for the Tl individual slots as follows: 1. Initially, 24 of the Tl slots will be allocated to the 12 USHGA regions - two to each region. Order of qualification for these 24 slots will be first by order of 1988 USHGA World Team Selection System national ranking for pilots so ranked in the top 80, and then by order of finish in the most recently held USHGA sanctioned regional qualifying meet in that region.

2) If, by 5:00 P.M. on April 30th, all slots are not filled by the above allocation process, then the remaining slots for that region will be allocated among entries received by order of receipt of entry application and entry fee.

3) If, by 5:00 P.M. on May 10th, any of the 24 regionally-allocated slots are not filled by the above allocation process, then these remaining slots will be filled based on order of reciept of entry application and entry fee without regard to the applicant's region of residence.

4) The three individual slots not allocated initially by region will be filled first by order of applicant's 1988 USHGA World Team Selection System national ranking, for pilots so ranked in the top 80. If, by 5:00 P.M. on April 30th, any of these three slots remain unfilled, the remaining slots will be filled in order of receipt of application and entry fee.

No entries will be accepted after 5:00 P.M. on May 20th, 1988. All entries applying for one of the Z7 individual slots must state the name, address, phone number and USHGA region of residence of the applicant, and must be accompanied by a $75 entry fee, proof of full USHGA membership, proof of a USHGA Advanced or higher rating with cross-

HANG GLIDING

COMPETITION CORNER country, turbulence and restricted landing field signoffs, and proof of USHGA region of residence. Entry applications which are incomplete or not in accordance with the requirements stated in this announcement will not be accepted.

Entry fee checks must be made payable to the 1988 MANUFACTURER'S LEAGUE MEET, and must be mailed to the following address: Jean Michel Bernasconi P.O. Box 4384 Salinas, CA 93912 All pilot transportation and retrieval will be the responsibility of the individual pilots. Depending on the number of entries, a cut of up to 1/3 of the field may be made as early as the end of the third day of the meet. The meet will be run and scored primarily as an individual meet, and pilots need not be on a team to fly in the meet. However, a team trophy will be awarded, and pilots entering the meet not as part of one of the seven manufacturer teams may elect to form their own teams by so declaring to the meet director prior to the start of competition. Team scores will be the total of individual scores for the three pilots on each team.

Pilots wishing to cancel their entry and receive a refund must do so by 5 P.M. May 10, 1988. No refunds will be issued to pilots or manufacturers who qualify for any of the 48 pilot slots unless notice of cancellation is received by May 10.

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(continued from page 21)

(Blow Back) the back 20 minutes before Fred and Brad, landing at Sky Liberty for nine miles. Fred and Brad flew the front fringe of one of the sucking clouds, reaching 6,300 feet and having their arms whited-out by snow. Staying with the gathering storm they might have easily flown over 100 miles, but they deferred to better judgement as the storm gained force and landed near Hanover, Pennsylvania Fred with 28 miles and Brad with 32 miles, not too shabby for this area. They had left us, unaware of how high the winds were where we were, and took off happily on their cross-country flights. We got back at them though; it was over four hours before we picked them up.

Danny did a little follow-up research and computation, and determined that it was a cold front that caught us. Andy Zsinko had been on wire crew with Tad and said the conditions changed quickly and radically, so he backed Tad off launch. All agree that there had been no indication that such a system would be moving through that day. Danny, by computing the speeds at which his Sensor will fly, estimates that the winds in which we were flying were in excess of iU mph and I agree. Even though Danny and I are both light on our gliders, Casey and his Sport experienced the same blow back - with a speed bar.

During my descent I could see whitecaps on the lake, and the trees (without leaves) were bending over considerably. All in all I believe I came out of it a lot better because I went into the trees, instead of attempting a landing over the cold, hard ground. Danny's far superior experience got him down into an LZ safely, but I consider myself lucky to have walked away with just a torn sail.

If there is a moral to this story it would have to be, " Be observant of flying conditions at all times." Being aware of a developing problem may make the difference between getting out of the situation and getting into serious trouble.

P.S. On Sunday the wind was northwest at 15 mph in the afternoon, with c_onditions smooth and ridge soarable. We all had a good day of flying.•

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(707) 585-9429

19

The author hangs precariously over 50 feet of nothing.

B\ow~ack

by Raean Permenter Saturday, December 12, 1987, Mother Nature provided the backdrop for a rather exciting day at our local site, High Rock.

High Rock is a 1,100-foot, northwest facing, ramp cliff launch located in the Catoctin Mountains on the Pennsylvania/Maryland border. 1\venty-eight miles across the valley in Pennsylvania is the Tuscarora Mountain Range, and our primary landing zone (Emma Jane and Harry Carbaugh's) is the first field from the ridge, tree lined and a mile straight out from launch.

There had been a frontal passage early Friday morning creating northwest winds on Friday of 10-15 mph. Weather forecasts for Saturday were westerly with velocity depending on which news station you watched. I heard W 10-15 mph, W 10-20 knots, and W 15-30 mph.

Saturday morning my husband, Fred, Andy Zsinko (a pilot friend in town on business who stayed the weekend to fly) and 20

I headed for High Rock, arriving at about 10:30 A.M. Conditions at launch were westerly, mostly cross at 45° and around 15-20 mph, with basically alto/stratocumulus clouds. Because of the cross no one was in a hurry and pilots took their time setting up.

Around noon the wind began to straighten, though it remained strong, and "Turkey" Fred Permenter in his Sport 167, Brad Hays with his Sensor 510 full-race, and Pete Osborne in a Fledge III launched. They spent a while together playing in the air over launch with Pete Osborne dive bombing launch and doing two beautiful Fledge spins - always quite a sight. Wayne Smith and Steve Krichten soon launched, but Wayne headed out to land in less than half an hour.

Steve, in his Vision, was looking for that boomer to take him over the back. The winds were beginning to settle a bit more when we launched Glen in his Fledge to join Pete, and Dave Green launched soon after, though he

shortly lost the lift and headed out to land.

Eddie Miller had arrived and was assisting on wire launches before setting up his Sensor B. Pete Osborne had brought a large Falcon 8 for Andy to use, but Andy bowed out on that glider, waiting instead to possibly take up Steve's offer for a flight on his Vision if Steve didn't catch a thermal over the back.

Danny Brotto launched his Sensor 3/4 racer around 1:30 P.M., followed by me in my Attack Duck 160 and later Casey Lenox in his Sport 167. The air was smooth; thermals were moving through to play with and everyone was having a pleasant flight. After a while, when I was at 2,000'+ AGL and out from the ridge, I saw Tad Earechson on launch. About the same time I noticed that although I could pull in a fair amount, my ground speed had lessened considerably and smoke out in the valley was really starting to lay down. Cloud suck was beginning and out across the valley, just off the next mounHANG GLIDING

tain range, I saw a dark-based cloud with something - I was not sure whether it was virga, rain or snow - falling from it.

Because of other obstructing clouds I could not detect any vertical development, and though it appeared to be moving slowly I began to get concerned.

I looked around for Fred and the other pilots, hoping to get a cue from their reaction to this sudden turn of events. Danny Brotto was straight out in front of me, heading out into the valley, while Fred and Brad were back toward the north point of the ridge and quite high. There seemed to be a slightly precipitating cloud out in front and heading toward them. As near as I could ascertain, the best, and really the only thing I could do was to drill out into the valley on a west heading. I was hoping to achieve several things: 1) Maintain forward penetration to get away from the ridge as the velocity increased (to avoid being blown over the back); 2) Keep toward the west into the wind, hoping that, as visual inspection somewhat indicated, I might be able to skirt around the precipitating clouds; 3) Avoid gaining additional altitude, as being sucked into the system was a concern, and; 4) Get out into the valley as far as possible to either ride it out or find a way to lose altitude over open fields and land.

An indeterminate amount of time seemed to pass while my arms and shoulders were locked, keeping the bar tucked in, but my forward movement was slow and minimal.

Even with the bar stuffed I was getting 500 fpm lift and that was steadily increasing. If I had had more altitude to begin with I would have seriously considered a run for it over the back - but it was unfortunately never an option. The last time I checked I was well over 3,000' AGL and climbing, but with the present wind velocity, to stay out of the rotor and clear the ranges behind, would probably have taken a minimum of 5,000 feet. I had to keep the bar stuffed just to penetrate, and any downwind turns would have put me back on the ridge instantly, so attempting to work the lift, for me, was out of the question. I looked a couple of times over my shoulder for Fred. I was unable to spot him, but judging from his previous altitude I figured he and Brad (and Steve as well) had gone over the back and were enjoying a nice crosscountry flight. The schmucks.

I was getting well past the primary LZ and the squall still seemed to be taking its time crossing the valley. I was beginning to think that I might even get far enough out into the valley to try to get down, as both Fledges APRIL 1988

were in the process of doing. (Boy, was I wishing at that moment I was flying a Fledge! Pete Osborne is always telling me, "A Fledge always penetrates.") Pete and Glen had run far out into the valley and were able to defeat the lift. Pete landed in the secondary LZ, Mungh's, and Glen had a hard landing in the primary.

I had been watching the different fields to determine which one I might possibly be able to get into. Danny Brotto was a mile or so ahead of me and still heading straight out.

I did not really look at the altimeter or vario most of the "flight," but Danny was getting pegged at 1,000 fpm for a while. I noted that, while we'd been at about the same altitude almost the entire time, Danny now appeared much lower, and before long I started to drop as well. At first I was thankful for the help down, but then the gust front hit and the velocity really kicked up so that in seconds I was rapidly dropping down and backwards.

In moments I was over the primary and then past it, still accelerating backwards.

"Danny had landed two fields north after an approximate one-mile backward flight. Casey came down in an apple orchard after a flight holding on to the front flying wires, tucked through his speed bar."

With the retreat from Emma Jane's and Mungh's field any possibility of an LZ was gone. Still being blown back toward the ridge and getting down to less than a couple of hundred feet, I kept looking over my shoulder to do the best I could to stay over the trees - away from the road, houses and back yards. I believe I was flying backwards at a good 20 mph, and twice the wind tried to tum me downwind, but knowing that could be devastating I was able to get the glider turned back into the wind.

I was just above the treetops when the control bar was yanked out of my hands and instantly I was inverted. That was what scared me - that moment when control of the glider was completely taken from me. I don't know if the glider continued on its roll or what, but the next second I was down on the tops of the trees, upright and level.

I remember thinking to myself, "Well, that wasn't too bad." I took off my gloves and was trying to work myself and the glider well

into the tree when I felt the glider starting to lift. I looked up and saw the nose starting to catch the wind again. I wrapped my arms and legs around branches, hoping to hold myself there - it didn't work. Then the glider was lifted up out of the trees, rolled 90° and went back into the trees nose down.

When the glider stopped I looked and decided I was definitely unhappy with my new position. There was one branch holding the glider's left leading edge and mostly dead branches holding the right. I was over the nose between the flying wires and between me and the ground was 50 feet of a lot of nothing. I had a tree to the left, a tree to the right, and another one well in front of me, but it was obvious if the glider slid down any further nothing else was going to catch me.

It would be me on the ground first and the glider on top.

Some of the locals started to arrive and I asked someone to please go to the field and get one of the pilots, as he would know how to get me down. I took another look at how and where I was hanging, and decided it was going to take a lot more to get me down, so I asked that the fire department be called.

Harry Carbaugh, the land owner, had seen my backwards/upside-down flying trick and came to check that I had landed (sort of) safely. Eddie Miller had watched my predicament from launch and then came looking for me. Eddie climbed up the branchless tree to my right by hugging it up 50 feet to a fork opposite me. Eddie got a safety tie-off to me so that in the event the glider fell out of its support I wouldn't go straight to the ground. He then stayed in the fork for more than two hours, assisting the firemen in getting me down. Eddie was truly a guardian angel who watched over me, and I owe him my deepest gratitude.

While I was hanging around I was updated on everyone else's doings. Danny had landed two fields north of the primary LZ after an approximate one-mile backward flight.

Danny's skill and experience enabled him to get on the ground with minimal damage to his glider (a broken batten) and none to himself. Casey Lenox had been behind me and to the north, and after a flight holding on to the front flying wires, tucked through his speed bar, he came down in an apple orchard with, luckily, no damage to himself, the tree or his Sport. (Casey had considered going over the back with Fred and Brad, but he didn't have his bag and his wife was cooking dinner ... ) Steve Krichten had gone over (continued on page 19)

21

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• Rides up • Breakfast included • Retrieval • Bi-lingual guide service • GLIDERS PRICE: U.S. $70.00 per day CONTACT: Patrick Bredel barao de jaguaripe 323/3 lpanema Rio de Janeiro RJ 22421 Brazil (21) 259-0159 FAX (21) 239-7339

Photo by Mike Helms

ATTENTION PILOTS! Trade In Your Old Instruments towards a modern instrument deck.

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LET OUR GUIDES SHOW YOU X-C FLYING AT ITS BEST IN THE INCREDIBLE OWENS VALLEY. JUNE 11-19 June conditions in the Owens Valley are still strong enough to fly long distance flights without the weather severity and crowds experienced in mid-summer.

Our guide service is provided by USHGA Certified Advanced Instructors and experienced OV Guides who know the weather patterns, best X-C routes, and site protocol.

All transportation and retrieval is provided by a radio-equipped 4WD and a driver who knows how to fi nd you !

With these details taken care of, you 'll fly the Sierras and the White Mountains at launches like Piute, Gunter and Horshoe Meadows.

You 'll be provided with maps and an orientation ground school that briefs you on equipment, routes, altitude acclimation , site hazards, and specific X-C techniques for the Owens Valley.

TRIP INCWDES:

TOTAL COST $495.00

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May 29.June 4 RIDGE SOARING CAMP! Photo by Michael Helms

Attend our Ridge Soaring Camp this spring and MASTER the art of ridge soaring!

Come to Marina Beach where spring conditions are soarable virtually every day.

Learn how the pro pilots can consistently turn times of 20 minutes over 12 miles of ridge in the Monterey Bay Steeple Chase. If floating is your thing , then be on the top of the stack after discovering the art of Min. Sink Flying.

You 'll spend a full week - seven days - attending theory sessions in the mornings and flying every afternoon. YOU WILL LEARN RIDGE SOARING FROM THE GROUND UP! The school is located right at the site so there is no hassle. Your glider is set up and tied down right outside the door waiting!

Guaranteed to improve your skills for any ridge soaring site!

Here is what the course covers : • BASIC RIDGE SOARING • WIRE LAUNCHES • RIDGE RULES (Flying comfortably in traffic) • CROSSING GAPS • 10P LANDINGS • MINIMUM SINK FLYING • RIDGE RACING SEMINAR WITH KEN BROWN • PARACHUTE CLINIC COST: $495.00 (glider rental add $225.00) ··current USHGA NCNice Rating minimum required.

The Camp also includes motel accommodations (with hot tub!), supplemental tandem instruction (175 lbs. wght. restriction), and glider storage.

For more details and reservations call :

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!

The the was set a trend,

constructed; it had a formance of over and of under 120 ft./min. But Reimar got involv·· ed in ue:s11~m111g for the the foot-launcbable its main proponents, and much of its ap·· in the Nevertheless, it has been

on the detailed and construction of foot-launchable which would have an LID of 18:1 best sink of 120 ft./min. or less, sink rate about half that at 45 the the to decided that it should take no more than two no show, he

succeeded.

A little Guenter has been a successful builder very successful aircraft. For while he ran a small company with 30 Cl11PlC>VCl~S nnvilw•mo ~mm,,m.,,,~ aircraft, but a business and HANG GLIDING

of attack from

than for any has too much area. should still be

is success! em,,n,cml' elated; t11e party continues late into the much wine and beer is consumed; the and the

no doubt about it. The sink rate is And the bet· in the air at the time

"What about turns, how does it turn?" wants to know. The rudders a coordinated

Pw•nr,rnP

of t11c Flair are discuss· and

DEVELOPMENTS If you think that all this sounds too to be true, There arc some real with the Flair 18. The

wants This means the and can get ahead

the current version has

,........... , in· to somewhat

Gmmter Rochclt.

Iest von CENTERSPREAD: Knut soars the Flair 18 CastcUudo,

APRIL 1988

temperamental 10:1 landing approach. The lack of rigging has an unfortunate negative effect; rough landings leave the pilot very exposed, since he is not surrounded by a cage of cables and tubes. Come in too fast and the downtubes will crash into the ground.

Since there is no rigging, the downtubes can break off rather easily, and the whole wing can hit the pilot from behind if he is unlucky.

In Guenter's view, the whole design concept is a bad compromise - too much technology for too little return. The pilot is the major source of drag and is very exposed and vulnerable. Pitch control via weight-shift becomes marginal at high speeds. The wing is still partly fabric covered and subject to wear and deformation. The flap arrangement needs to work much better, as do the rudders. After a few months of test flying Guenter stops all work on the Flair, and decides against putting it into production.

Is that the end? Fortunately, no! Guenter is working on the Flair 30, a foot-launchable rigid wing with a best LID of 30 to 1! A wind tunnel model and a one-third scale RC model have been built, and he expects the prototype to be ready this spring. This time, however, Guenter accepted no compromises. The wing is fully rigid, the pilot lies on top of the wing and is largely integrated with it.

Control is three-axis. The flaps are the secret; they run the length of the entire wing, and make up almost half of the wing. For transport they fold down and forward 180 degrees. With a 60-degree flap setting the LID decreases to about 5:1 and a landing speed of under 18 mph is attained. At zero degrees flap the maximum speed is about 90 mph. During takeoff the pilot carries the wing from his harness, which is integrated with the wing. Once in the air he pivots forward and encloses his legs in a cocoon much like current pod harnesses. For landing, these steps are reversed, or alternatively one can land on an extensible skid, much like a sailplane. A small plexiglass canopy integrated with a roll bar protect the pilot's head; the wing is transparent directly below the pilot's head for downward visibility.

The Flair 30 is a foot-launchable and landable sailplane, rather than an improved hang glider. Three-axis aerodynamic controls mean that the flying experience is quite different from a weight-shift controlled hang glider; you no longer have the kinesthetic feedback that conveys the feeling of flying with your own wings. Partly gone, too, is the open exposure to the wind, the fantastic allaround visibility.

28

There will always be a place for a conventional hang glider, for the slow, easy and responsive flight of a flexible wing. But if you really want to go cross-country, cover long distances, be free to explore new terrain and new routes, you have a new freedom of choice with the Flair 30: 250 miles? 300 miles? Easy! Triangles, and out-and-return flights will become more common. Long retrieves will become rare. The projected performance of the Flair 30 is comparable to a current medium performance sailplane, and exceeds that of the Schweizer 1-26. Since launch and landing do not require as much room as a sailplane, and since landing in particular should be safely possible in much tighter landing zones than typical sailplanes require, a whole new range of cross-country routes could be pioneered. A pipe dream?

Only time will tell.•

OPPOSITE, TOP LEFT & RIGHT: The Flair 18 folds up like a conventional hang glider. Note that the control bar is cantilevered and has no basetube.

CENTER LEFT: The glider sports diffusor tips and control surfaces for lateral control. CENTER RIGHT: Knut gets the hang of it by tether flying. BarTOM LEFT: The Flair 18 airframe. Note that there are no battens to stuff! BarTOM RIGHT: Guenter displays a model of the Flair 30, which should be flying by the time you read this.

Heiner Biese/ may be conracted at: P.O. Box 510122, Salt Lake City, UT 84151.

Guenter Rochelt may be contacted care of Drachenjlieger Magazine, Ort/erstr. 8, D-8000, Munich, 70 WEST GERMANY.

5. TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

FLAIR 18

FLAIR 30

Type: Foot-launchable hang glider, PAI class II. Fully cantilevered flying wing, carbon fiber, Kevlar and fiberglass skeleton covered with Ceconite. Individually controlled ailerons/tip-rudders. Pitch control through weight shift.

Type: Foot-launchable hang glider, PAI class II. Fully cantilevered flying wing, carbon fiber, Kevlar and fiberglass construction.

Dual split elevons for pitch and roll control.

Full span flap. Laminar airfoil.

Wing area ............. 156 square feet Wing span ................... 37.6 feet Aspect ratio ....................... 9 Double surface: ................. 100% Nose angle .............. 147.5 degrees Battens ........................ none Packed dimensions: .......... 14.4 ft. by 30 inches by 9 inches Weight ....................... 66 lbs.

Setup time ................. 2 minutes Maximum pilot weight ......... 365 lbs. (for ± 6 G) Maximum pilot weight ......... 220 lbs. (for ± 10 G) Vmin ................ less than 18 mph Vmax .............. better than 65 mph Best sink ......... less than 125 ft./min. (at 21.5 mph); less than 550 ft./min. (at 50 mph) Best LID .............. 18:1 at 28 mph

Wing area ............. 130 square feet Wing span .................... 39 feet Aspect ratio ...................... 14 Nose angle ... 159 degrees (at 1/4 chord) Packed dimensions .......... 19.5 ft. by 24 inches by 20 inches Weight ....................... 65 lbs.

Setup time ................. 2 minutes Maximum pilot weight ......... 365 lbs. (for ± 6 G) Vmin ................ less than 18 mph (30 degrees flap) Vmax .............. better than 90 mph (0 degrees flap) Best sink ......... less than 100 ft./min. (at 28 mph) LID .................. 30:1 at 37 mph (flap at O degrees) 5:1 at 20 mph (flap at 60 degrees)

HANG GLIDING

APR!! 1988

RATINGS AND APPOINTMENTS

0

BEGINNER RATINGS PIUYf: City, State, Instructor Region 2 CARL KRUSE: Stanford, CA; Pat Deneven STEVE McADAMS: Foster City, CA; Charlie Whitehill - VICOOR MIERES: Stanford, CA; Pat Denevan - MIKE RHODEHAMEL: Sunnyvale, CA; Charlie Whitehill Region 3 ERIC EHMANN: Santa Barbara, CA; Achim Hageman Region 6 DONALD BRILEY: N. Little Rock, AR; Lawrence Haney Region 7 JOSEPH SACHER: Jeffersonville, IN; John Woiwode Region 9 PHILIP BALISTER: Newport, VA; Richard Cobb - WILLIAM BYRNE: Arlington, VA; George Reeves - KYLE DeWOLFE: Chicago, IL; Brad Kushner - RONALD PIIlLLIPS: Mogadore, OH; Mike Del Signore MICHAEL SCHLEGEL: Blacksburg, VA; Richard Cobb Region 10 MARK DILLARD: Huntsville, AL; Duane Ridenhour - STEVEN HOWELL: Davie, FL; George Greer Region 12 MICHAEL EMRO: Lambertsville, NJ; Mark Frasca - RICK SPARK: New Milford, NJ; Buzz Chalmers NOVICE RATINGS PILOT: City, State; Observer Region 1 NANETTE SCHNEIDER: Kent, WA; Russell 1\voroger Region 2 GILBERTO BARRE10: Alameda, CA; Charlie Whitehill - ROBERT WARD CARER: Belmont, CA; Charlie Whitehill BERNARD COHEN: Monterey, CA; Gary Elhart - OLEG ZILBERMAN: San Francisco, CA; Charlie Whitehill Region 3 DOUG KOCH: Balboa, CA; Dan Skadal DAN LETSCH: Makakilo, HI; Neil Kjar

30

Region 4 TERRY ABBCYI'T: Queen Creek, AZ; Doug Gordon - CURTIS HECK: Flagstaff, AZ; Russell Gelfan - JAN HUBBERT: Tempe, AZ; Doug Gordon - MARK MELDROM: Mesa, AZ; Russell Gelfan - CARY S10NE: Tempe, AZ; Doug Gordon

Region 3 JOHN REILLY: Mammoth Lakes, CA; Kevin Klinefelter

Region 7 DOYLE JOHNSON: Eden Prairie, MN; Chris Thompson

Region 7 RICHARD SACHER: Jeffersonville, IN; John Woiwode

Region 12 YVES DeLENA: New York, NY; Matt Taber - JACK SMITH: APO, NY; Gary Elhart

INTERMEDIATE RATINGS PIUYf: City, State; Observer Region 2 MICHAEL McGRATH: San Francisco, CA; Chester Chen Region 3 DANIEL MINER: San Diego, CA; William Henry Region 5 LISA TATE: Boise, ID; Mike King

TANDEM RATINGS: CLASS 1 Pllill: Name, City, State; Director

AWARDS BRONZE Toby Armellini, Bill Barnes, Paul Donahue, Jay Fosdick, Jim Huntington, Donald Kyle, Kirk Le Pelley, Lynne Le Pelley, Dale Slechta, David Willis SILVER Dave Baleria, Lisa Tate

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ADVANCED RATINGS PIUYf: Name, City, State; Observer Region 2 MARK GRAY: La Jolla, CA; Bill Bennett KRAY10N KASTER: Redding, CA; Phil Sergent - MICHAEL McGRATH: San Francisco, CA; Chester Chen Region 3 DONALD OGDEN: Brea, CA; Paul Phillips - AVERILL STRASSER: Los Angeles, CA; Joe Greblo Region 4 BRAD LINDSAY: Phoenix, AZ; Russ Gelfan

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Spring Maintenance

by Russ Locke

It's that time of year when flying is still fairly restricted by weather conditions (unless you're unlucky enough to live in Southern California). It is however, an excellent time to do all those little maintenance items that we don't seem to find time for when the cumies are building.

Most of us consider doing glider maintenance during this time of year, but unfortunately not all of us follow through. We sometimes need a little push. We've all heard of chute clinics, but when was the last time we had a sail-pulling clinic? Just an idea! All the normal things like wires, tubes and connections need to be checked. I personally think there should be some generic, simple-to-follow check lists, but more on that later.

Equipment is the next thing that needs a good going over. Parachutes need to be aired and repacked. How about that new pair of gloves we've needed for a couple of seasons? Now is the time to check ski sales and really find the right pair. How about the rest of our gear, flight suits, hiking boots (thongs if you're in Southern California!)? How about instruments? Everyone should take a few mintues during this time of year to write down all the things that went wrong or that we found inconvenient with our equipment during the past flying season.

It's pretty normal to forget those little inconveniences once we're back on the ground. Anyway, if we all made a list, it would be easier to fix those things now and make the coming flying season that much more enjoyable.

32

Our clubs also need occasional maintenance. Have we elected officers for the coming year? Are we going to do an airshow, picnic, club fly-in? Now is the time to figure out what needs to be done and set in place the responsibilities.

Unfortuantely we seem to get the lion's share of this work done during the flying season, when our desire to engage in non-flying activities is at its lowest.

Closely related to club maintenance is site maintenance. Now is the time to figure out what needs to be done, when it needs to be done and who is likely to do (get stuck with doing) it. If you anticipate having to build a new ramp after the snow melts, now may be the best time to get the materials ready. What new things does the site need (like a weather radio)? Maybe now is the time to investigate new sites. If the road is closed due to bad weather, at least figure out who owns the property where a new site is probable and find out ahead of time what they want to permit flying.

There are a number of personal maintenance issues also to consider. The most obvious ones are losing a little weight or running a little to increase stamina (we're all a year older!). But there are some psychological issues also.

I think that we as a group have been flying too close to the edge for several years and the statistics caught up with us in 1987. How many times have we had a flying experience that we were glad didn't turn out any worse when it was all over. If we can think of more than one or two of these in the last couple of years, we're probably pushing our luck.

Statistically, it's only a matter of time before one of those close calls catches up with us unless we make a change in the way we fly. It's a sport of personal preferences and everyone has the right to seek their own kind of enjoymnent, so long as they don't jeopardize the rights of others. Still, I always feel bad when someone hurts themselves or breaks a glider. I feel even worse when they acknowledge that they could have avoided the situation had they been thinking.

There are also potential opportunities for the national organization to provide some centralized help. For instance, how about a plasticized check list on yearly glider maintenance, or how about easy to access maintenance records of each glider model? How about a sticker (no, not more stickers) showing the last time a glider was inspected? There are lots of other ideas, some better than others.

However, they all have one thing in common, someone has to do a lot of work before any of these ideas become a reality. I normally make a pitch for ideas in this column, but in this case, it's not enough to have good ideas. Someone to organize and implement those ideas is necessary before any benefit is gained.

As always, let me know.

P.S. Nothing malicious was intended by my comments about Southern California.

I guess most of us are a little jealous of pilots who have good flying conditions year around.•

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I1

The 100-mile barrier stood directly ahead, "Why can't it be easy," I ask myself. It seemed that every 100-mile flight opportunity was always stripped away by some cruel trick as mother nature played her last card. Twelve miles of solid timber stood proud downwind.

The mountain named Sawtell was in the middle of the troublesome timber.

"Ken, this is Eiji. I'm on the ground just short of Island Park Reservoir." Knowing that he was at the 95-mile mark, I expressed my condolences. He wanted 100 miles as much as I did. Then, I requested his opinion: "I'm approaching Sawtell at 12,000' MSL. What should I do?" Without hesitation, Eiji replied, "Go for it." That was all the encouragement I needed. Tree landing or not, I would get my 100 miles - damn it.

markers for the protective lift that abounded below them, I crossed first the Lost River Range and then the Lernhis. In this manner, I was protected from the rotors that develop on the lee side of the rock monsters called ranges. I enjoyed running a cloud street that led to the upper Snake River Valley. Fifty miles downwind, I sniffed around under a cumulus for 15 minutes before I found the thermal that was feeding it supper. My luck ran out when I reached a snowfield near the northeast end of the valley. I landed 74 miles downwind oflaunch in slushy snow that was three feet deep. Not bad for my first flight from the mountain, but I longed for something more significant. I would have to wait more than a year for my dreams to come true.

October 25, 1984 Near Arco, Idaho The road had hang gliding written all over its face. It traveled through a mixture of sagebrush and cheatgrass, past a herd of cows and toward the Lost River Range. We followed it to the top of a 2,000-foot vertical ridge. A coyote pranced across the potential launch site. Eiji and I hooted as we realized what we had found - a launch site on Idaho's highest mountain range. Then we looked north to a bulldozer track that ran halfway up the west face of an awesome 5,000-foot-tall mountain. We were spellbound.

Tuesday Night, July 14, 1987 Pocatello, Idaho Eiji Yakoda convinced me to expend one of my precious vacation days to fly from King Mountain the following day. The forecast called for hot temperatures and afternoon breezes of 10 to 20 mph from the southwest. A weak disturbance was supposed to arrive and provide a slight chance of rain in the mountains. I would have preferred a stronger push, but with a highly skeptical attitude, I requested vacation for July 15, 1987.

August 4, 1985 Near Arco, Idaho Three of us waited for the wind to switch at launch on Coyote Peak and watched a fourwheel-drive pickup travel the seemingly vertical bulldozer trail on King Mountain. Later we talked to a very excited pilot who had just flown his glider off the top of the bulldozer trail. He introduced himself as Mick King.

Today was the first day that King Mountain had ever been flown.

Friday March 29, 1986 - King Mountain Having studied my Hubbard Map (threedimensional contour map) all winter, I was prepared for my first flight from King Mountain. The mountain had been flown but never soared. My flying buddies gave me the honor of launching first into a 20 mph wind with a cumulus-filled sky overhead. An adrenalin rush of ever increasing magnitude started immediately after launch when a 1,000 fpm thermal beamed me up above the mountain in less than five minutes. It was one of those days when every strategy worked perfectly for me. Using expanding cumulus clouds as APRIL 1988

11:30 A.M. Wednesday, July 15, 1987 King Mountain The Landcruiser vapor locked about 100 yards short of the upper launch. We didn't have time to rest the vehicle, so Paul kept restarting it and nursing it a few yards at a time until we made it to the setup area. The engine was still hissing and gurgling as the gliders were frantically unloaded. During meets on King Mountain, vapor-locked vehicles were as common as wood-ticks (the ground was crawling with them). A cloudstreet was overdeveloping to the north. Time was "a-wasting."

I was still setting up when Dan Delozier launched. His intention was to experience a high-altitude flight with a good launch and landing. During the takeoff run, he allowed the right tip to dip and six horrified people all yelled "correct" in unison as his glider spooned right and headed for the north side canyon. He corrected and flew to a safe landing, so we went back to setting up. A little soul searching took place since we had allowed an inexperienced pilot to fly off our thermal powerhouse during midday conditions.

1:45 P.M. to 2:30 P.M. - 8,000' MSL Launch Area The launch sequence would be: Jay Balas first, then Eiji, myself, Dave Kriner, and Paul Allen last. I scratched around the knob below launch with Jay for 30 minutes before I caught a weak thermal over lower launch.

Dave and I worked pine spine and launch spine like crazy to get up. Jay landed out front. I finally hit a thermal over the south bowl that got me high enough to begin my X-C travels. I remember that it pegged my vario on the periphery and was so strong in the core that the vario almost went hoarse.

I left it at 11,500' MSL out of fear for my life. A little one behind launch enabled me to climb to 12,500' MSL. Heading north along with Dave I began crossing Rams Horn Canyon. Eiji was at 16,000' MSL by the time I got across Rams Horn. The resident thermal at Rams Horn spine was not at home.

I began working Sunset Ridge at 11,000' MSL and finally hit a 500 fpm thermal just as Eiji broadcast being above and behind me with his vario pegged. I tentatively drifted behind Sunset Ridge with the thermal. This "ridge" is the southerly portion of the Lost River Range. It is a spectacular chunk of rock averaging 10,500' MSL at the skyline.

Had the surface winds been significant (greater than 20 mph), I would not have dared track through the rotor at a mere 11,500' MSL. 3:00 P.M. - 10 Miles Northeast of Launch Eiji was on his way to 17,000' MSL while directing me to leave my weakening thermal for his thermal to the east. Being low and cautious, it took Eiji 10 minutes to talk me far enough east to his thermal. My rate of climb went to 700 fpm until about 15,500' MSL where it slackened and I left it.

Eiji was five miles ahead and a couple thousand higher as we blasted across the valley above the town of Howe. Our VGs were tight and bars were. stuffed as we watched Dave work snake thermals far below.

He had taken the first thermal with a pretty face while crossing Rams Horn. This seemingly innocent act had ushered him ahead of the pack, negated any team flying advantage, and now left him struggling two miles below us. He would continue to struggle behind us until the ground demanded his presence east of Liddy Hot Springs for a 50+ mile flight (his personal best). Meanwhile, Paul, Eiji and I were barking out brief statements about routes, intentions, altitudes 39

about 12,000' and include Invisible Mt, Mt, McCaleb, Mt. Leatherman Mt. Borah, BEU)W: Above the

familiar terrain to me,

This was to foci at

was in order to stay ahead of the storm, I told him would stay and continue to milk the thermal. I was at 15,500' MSL AGL) when left and headed The back from the

miles west cd Dave's of Dubois now, were too far behind to catch up, I told them to take the to Road, then toward Island Park Reservoir.

80 Miles Downwind of Launch was maL His drift was to the north, in the presence of shear between my altitude and his, a fow words of encouragement to I continued east hit another thermal. As with the thermal, I would work this guy for all it was worth because I was at the 80.. mile and knew that the JOO-mile barrier waited ahead, There should be no doubt that 40

HANG Gt!DTN(i

of altitude would be needed that monumental The stmm still loomed the north and llgl11tnmg in addition to ,1rr,ppmg wa:, ca:retialh1 wi1tctting the hail closer and closer. I stuck with 15,100' MSL I saw to stand sornctlm1g that made my hair end under my helmet. A of hail and storm clond had sneaked around th<) south of curtain of hail to the south at

stutfod I shot in the hail spouts. Soft helmet, and face mask the seconds while I the

sion was whether to northward to take lift above the continental divide. The shallow timber-covered even bec;orrting noticeable and I to maintain my east ahead of the storm, watched the shadow and never let it get more than four miles ahead of me. I noticed that altitude even I was Now at 16,800' MSL, I wanted to be lower to prevent storm trouble. I loosened the (to make the as in· efficient as and increased my to "full race." As my altitude bumback down to 12,000' MSL, my began to feel warmer and my desire for 100 miles increased until it overshadowmy other thc,ughts.

99 Miles Downwind my back to fully the situation. I could land at the

i\PRfL 1988

made me feel mad, sick and weak. I had been in this sport for 13 years, $10,000 on it, and devoted every free for the last five years with one in mind (100+ miles). downwind towards Lake Flat, I swallowr;:l hard. Solid timber envenx! the for 12 miles. Sawtell Peak with radar tower loomed to my left. Should I ac·· cept my I would cross Sawtell about a mile south of the tower. 111e timbered below would be at an ekwation of 8,500' MSL. Then the radio exc:ha11ge occurred with and I headed into no-mans-land. It's fi.m· ny, but just after this type of decision made, look Once committed to the Sawtell route, my vario decreased until my sink rate needle With VG and bar stuff. burned down to 10,()00' MSL The push was not as strong and I was across the 12-rnile stretch of timber. soft tree when to look for a in the zero-sink stuff, to look rosier with each ond. While hundreds of exr,emnve cabins in the Island I"ark resmt area, it dawned on me I'm into civilization smirk to creep across my face. Bar· an unforeseen headwind (the storm should bust up any headwind), I would have my 100 miler. What thrill! l had done it.

191 and across Lake Flat, I cruised as far east as the land· able terrain extended. white 41

and dust at Henry's Lake, I became nervous.

Landing in a gust front might spoil my flight.

With 2,500' to bum off and only a few minutes before the gust would arrive, I sought a sinker. With my legs deployed for extra drag, I corkscrewed down to a perfect landing by a cabin. Six people witnessed the landing. They treated me to a bourbon and water, allowed use of their telephone and hauled me to the highway where my ride arrived 60 seconds later. I was in heaven. Oh,

those sweet triple digits (112 great circle miles). There is ultimate satisfaction in accomplishing a goal that you've set for yourself in the sport of hang gliding. The feeling has to be experienced to be appreciated.

The celebration with the drivers was ecstasy. For the time being, I had a new state record. We knew, however, that Paul was still airborne downwind and would recapture the record as soon as he landed. We obtained

his location minutes later via my telephone answering machine. My flight would soon be forgotten (by everyone but me). Paul had accomplished the unbelievable. He had run the Continental Divide east of Spencer and continued on into first Montana and then Wyoming. He landed near Norris Geyser Basin in Yellowstone National Park! As a result, the new state record is 137.4 great circle miles.•

Quake Hill 12:15 P.M., Wednesday, August 5, 1987

Paul's jowels definitely tightened as we drove past the turnoff for King Mountain. Since I was driving he was a captive audience. Two pilots and ground crew were headed for Quake Hill. It was a strong day with upper and lower air blowing from the west-northwest. My plan was to prove-out a hill that I had discovered during an X-C flight. To me, there is a special thrill when a discovery of mine achieves recognition. Quake Hill is about 1,000 vertical feet tall, faces west-southwest and is an extension of Dickey Peak in the northern part of Idaho's Lost River Range.

I named it Quake Hill because it has a crack that you drive across near its top. The crack is one of the visible effects left over from the last big earthquake.

I fly a lot with Dr. Paul Allen and he is one of my best friends. When he first moved to Idaho, we knew that he was trouble for those of us who wanted to be Idaho's top-ranked pilots. The guy was mileage hungry and immediately began setting X-C records from one hill after another. He didn't mind jogging ten or fifteen miles after an X-C flight to increase his chances for a speedy retrieval. In 90"F heat, he once outran me to retrieve a vehicle from the top of the 2,500-foot Big Southern Butte; he had a ten-minute head start but I was riding a motorcycle! He was awarded his nickname (Animal) after a launch from King Mountain in which his 60pound Cheasepeak Bay Retriever became entangled around his right wing flying wire. At ten feet AGL, Paul gave the con42

trol bar a sharp snap, dislodging the dog head-over-paws, but unhurt. Paul then continued to fly as if nothing unusual happened.

Another friend had pointed out an interesting personality trait of Paul Allen, M.D. (alias Dr. Paul, second alias "The Animal"): "When he gets mad, he takes it out on the thermals and flies incredibly good." Since Paul is a gifted pilot anyway, the potential for an exceptional flight seemed imminent provided that he was properly provoked. Driving past King Mountain (his favorite flying site and a sure winner in these conditions) was the first step.

When The Animal started to settle down again, I pointed out that the colors on his new Sport were all wrong and could possibly damage a camera lens if photograph, ed in bright light. By the time that we reached Quake Hill his left cheek appeared to have developed a nervous twitch. I feared that I had gone too far. He was approaching the outer edge of his envelope; I was in uncharted waters.

We were running late and wasted no time setting up. My wife Toni and our threeyear-old daughter were our drivers. We went to the north end of the ridge since the wind was strongest there. It wasn't until later in the year that I figured out the goings-on at this launch location. I theorize that northwest winds compress against Victory Ridge (part of the Lost River Range) and get vented at Double Springs Pass. I think the curling action around Dickey Peak creates increased wind speed at the northern end of Quake Hill. At least this would explain why the southern end of

Quake Hill is less windy than the northern end.

1:30 P.M. - Quake Hill Paul launched first and flew in herky jerky fashion, working mostly to the right and below launch. Cumis were popping, the wind was howling at 30+ mph and the state champ was sinking out! Then he slowly climbed a small bowl up toward the top of Dickey Peak. Penetration problems were evident in his ascent.

I had Toni walk me and my glider over to the nearest launch. The spot was too shallow for normal launching but the risk of a ground handling incident while moving to a better spot was decidedly riskier than launching there where Paul had launched. After completing the mandatory hang "czech," and clearing my wire woman, I took a few steps and flew into air that was total garbage. Fortunately the garbage was going up, mostly, and after two shakey 360's, I was 2,000 feet over my wife. I headed downwind since the wind was too strong to penetrate.

I hadn't counted on the venturi sucking me northeast (blowing from the southwest) through Double Springs Pass and I lost considerable altitude fighting the crosswind. Working hard, I managed to climb the face of the (unnamed) first mountain across the Double Springs road. At this point, fate delivered me a piece of luck.

I wish I had thought of artificially inducing it, since it would have certainly reflected a sense of genius on my part.

Paul's radio malfunctioned. He could transmit but not receive. He had lost sight HANG GLIDING

downwind and for my JJUSUlU!I, there was no response, continued to more and more frustrated with each radio tmusmission. He sc1·emnir1g like a madman before his suddenlv started

make

Mo,untai11, he was tive, m<mk•~v and wou.ld eventmanv 40 miles ahead of me.

Not

conservative route worked and I crossed the Lost River and headed for Mountai.11 in the Lemhi wrong rotored "lm,nor"nt on the at Saddle. I ended up around the mountain instead of over M~iarnNhiie the driver was communicat·

APRIL

[988

Snake River 4:30P.M. Paul and I were both over flat now. I could find no lift now and was set· up to land short of "four comers" when hit boomet· and went to MSL I was north of Mud Lake when I heard Paul's voice on the radio "This is I'm over St. Anthony twelve thousand five." Toni "What?

Please Not able to inserted, "Paul is over f\t11mcmv and thinks he's you. Paul came back on and said, "I must be Now that he was over the 10().mile mark we were friends Ac· he was over 110 miles from launch

great circle miles). got a ride (considering and retrieval was .,-,,,w_" ~i,.,"'I,., to om· telcipn,one am:we1ring ma,ehit1e some

had set a new state record, but Oh well, I guess 128 miles Idaho's second sonoettung for my dioN111,e,n,.1111111

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Rogallos 180 Breez-$500, ideal first glider. 229 Raven-$550, great for tandem. Wanted: used 220 Dream (714) 458-6818.

COMET 165-Green and orange. $600. (408) 270-0635.

COMET 1 165-Black, blue & white. Crisp and tight sail, clean glider, fairings and vario ineluded. $600. (602) 939-3281.

COMET C-2 135-$700. Cocoon harness with parachute, $250. Perfect for smaller pilot. Lori, (801) 742-3130 days, (801) 742-2248 evenings.

COMET C-1 165-Beautiful spectrum sail, recent wires and frame inspection. $500 OBO. (714) 841-4072.

165 LITE DREAM-blue and white. Good condition. $850. (213) 839-6955 evenings.

ATTACK DUCK 180-Under 10 hours, excellent condition, cocoon harness, parachute, vario $1100. Tom (509) 843-3721 Daytime. (509) 843-1106 Night.

DUCK 180-good condition, WW harness w/parachute, Ball vario, and Pitchy. $1200 (602) 439-3316.

GZ-1.55-beautiful rainbow, low hours, speedrail, speedbar, faired, $1000 OBO, George (206) 888-3856 Seattle.

HARRIER IT 177-brown, orange, white. 50 hrs., great condition, $600. Dave, (806) 592-3138.

TWO TRI-LAM HERMES-Hennes L5 - all white champ. glider, six months old. $1950. Hennes 14 - Fluorescent yellow w/designer undersurface, 5 mos. old $2100. Both have kingpost hang, UV treated, speedbar, VG. Awesome condition. (206) 535-0973.

HP-I-Blue and white, speedbar, UV cloth, owners manual, low air time, $1100. Will ship. (805) 687-8533.

HP-2-Race face, blue and white, mint condition, beautiful glider, $1950.00, will ship. (805) 687-8533.

HP Race-Low airtime, $2300. (602) 938-9550.

1987 HP-2, full race, faired tubes, speedbar. Alaskan glider, low U.V. time. $2000. (907) 696-7627.

MAGIC III Racer-upgraded with IV hardware, loaded, faired VG, new wires and batten pockets, spare parts, $700 OBO. Mark (602) 749-0381.

MAGIC IV 177-VG, rainbow, heavy Dacron, Trilam, only 42 flights, excellent condition, $1.500.

(203) 677-7533.

MOYES GTR 175. VG, brand new. Red, black, white. $2095. (41.5) 382-0302.

44

179 RAVEN-Good condition, $500, multicolored (213) 437-6673 Rhonda or Jeff.

RAVEN 209-Good condition $400.00. 229 new cables $450.00. (71.5) 359-8755.

229 RAVENS-two in stock. Excellent shape, rigged for tandem, multi-colored. Sequatchie Valley Soaring, (61.5) 949-2301.

229 RAVEN-$600.00 and 185 Light Dream $900.00.

Both spectrum sails and low time. (619) 564-0328. Evenings.

Saphir 86-Gennan, advanced pilots, must leave US. (303) 499-0516.

SPORT 167-white with red L.E., one hour airtime. $2200. (21.5) 368-6987.

SENSOR 510A 180VG-blue with chevron, $750.

Bruce (503) 265-2362.

HARRIER 147-blue with spectrum, $650 OBO. Chris (503) 265-2206.

SUNRISE HANG GLID!NG · 240 Dream .............................. $1900 220 Dream .............................. $1900 177 Mystic VG ......... .... ...... .. ...... $UOO 185 Comet OVR .......................... $400 Call (619) 367-4237.

STUDENTS, new pilots: Free helmet, harness, training wheels with every new or stock glider.

Lowest prices. Colorado Hang Gliding, (303) 278-9566.

WINDSPO!US SOARING CENTER. New and Used Gliders: Sports: l - 167 ....... ... , . ................ used 2 - 1.50 .. . . . . . . . . . . . ' . . ........... new 2 - 167 ........ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . new Dreams: l - 220 ......................... $1.500 2 - 205 ................... $UOO-$L500 I - 205 .......................... new 3 · 165 ..................... $900-$1400 I - 145 ......................... $1350 All gliders include complete airframe inspection, side flying wire replacement, hang strap replacement, pre-delivery test flight ($200 value). Also chutes, harnesses, Ball varios. Call for infonnation. (818) 988-0111.

E19 Vision, great shape .................... $1300 166 Skyhawk, almost new . .............. ... $1200 188 Sky hawk, OK ......................... $800 We carry all kinds of neat stuff! Give us a call at (619) 450-9008. P.S. We need 164 Geminis on trade.

Demo Tandem Dream 240 ................. $1890 Demo Dream 205 ......................... $1780 Used Comet 185 OVR ...................... $685 New Bell helmets .......................... $95 New name brand chutes ..................... 320 Call Colorado Hang Gliding for lowest prices. We ship anywhere. (303) 278-9566.

Ultralight Powered Flight TRIKE WITH 30-hp engine, 3 blade ultraprop. 185 Comet. Both excellent condition, $795 each or $1495 together. (319) 236-0109.

Paragliders NEW 288 l'llraglider canopy can be towed or freeflown, alone or tandem. Includes 2 new harnesses and thousand foot of rope. Must sell.

Make offer. (405) 363-2735.

Schools and Dealers 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 first man-made trainer hill.

INEXPENSIVE prices on lessons and equip· ment. Dealer for Pacific Airwave, Wills Wing, Delta Wing, Seedwings, Moyes, High Energy, Ball and Seagull classic parts. 1114 W. Cornell Drive, Tempe, AZ 85283 (602) 897-7121.

DESERT HANG GLIDERS USHGA Certified School. Supine specialists., 4319 W. Larkspur, Glendale, AZ 85304 (602) 439-0789, 938-9550.

ARKANSAS

WANTED: Used hang gliding equipment. Gliders, instruments, harnesses and parachutes. San Francisco Windsports, 3620 Wawona, San Francisco, CA 94116. (451.5) 753-8828.

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.

167 Sport Euro ............................ New 167 Sport Euro ................. . ....... 40 hrs.

180 Duck ............................... 3 hrs.

160 Duck .............................. 25 hrs.

188 Sky hawk ... ................... . ....... New 188 Skyhawk ........................... 20 hrs.

168 Sky hawk ............................ 2 hrs.

165 Lite Dream .......................... 5 hrs.

164 Gemini ................... . ... . ..... 40 hrs.

165 Sensor 510 VG ......... ... . .............. ?

165 Sensor 510B VG .......................... ?

171 Vision 18 ................................ ?

All gliders subject to prior sale and sold only after complete "sail off frame" inspection. Hang Glider Emporium, Santa Barbara, CA (805) 965-3733.

SAIL WINGS HANG GLIDING-Certified instruction. Authorized agent for Pacific Airwave, CG 1000. 1601 N. Shackleford #131-4, Little Rock, AR 72211. (501) 224-2186.

CHANDELLE HANG GLID!NG CENTERUSHGA certified school. "The best damn hang gliding shop in the world!' Dealers for Wills Wing, P-acific Airwave, Delta Wing, Moyes, Seedwings and High Energy. Five minutes from Fort Funston. 488 Manor Plaza, P-acifica, CA 94044. (41.5) 359-6800.

THE HANG GLIDING CENTER 167 Sport, full race ......................... new 167 Sport, Amer. full race ................... new HP IT, full race ............................ new 185 Comet II, great shape .................. $1100

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,

CALIFORNIA BRIGHT STAR HANG GLIDERS- Sales - service - restorations. All major brands represented.

Santa Rosa, CA (707) 576-7627.

HANG GLIDING

CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING HP II. Demos available to qualified pilots. 1202 E. Walnut Unit M, Santa Ana, CA 92701. (714) 542-7444.

HANG GLIDER EMPORIUM-The best training hill in the west is in Santa Barbara, a hang gliding VACATION PARADISE. High quality PERSONALIZED instruction focusing on the skills that most affect your SAFETY. Call for vacation info and glider inventory. Tues.-Fri. I0-5, Sat. 104. 613 N. Milpas, Santa Barbara, CA 93103 (805) 965-3733.

THE HANG GLIDING CENTER-Located in beautiful San Diego. USHGA certified instruction, equipment rentals, local flying tours. Spend your winter vacation flying with us. We proudly offer Wills Wing, Pacific Windcraft, 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. lll6 Wrigley Way, Milpitas, CA 95035 (408) 262-1055.

\VINDSPORTS INTL.-Since 1974. Largest and most complete HANG GLIDCNG 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) 988-0111.

COLORADO COLORADO HANG GLIDING - USHGA Certified School, dealer all brands. Lowest prices on new gliders. Bell helmets in stock.

(303) 278-9566.

GEORGIA LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN FLIGHT PARK-See our ad under Tennessee. (404) 398-3541.

MAUI SOARING SUPPLIES-Certified Instructors.

Sales, service and rentals. R.R. 2, Box 780, Kula, HI 96790. (808) 878-1271.

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

IDAHO

SAN FRANCISCO WINDSPOITTS-Gliders and

ILLINOIS

equipment, sales and rentals. Private and group instruction by USHGA certified instructors.

Local site information and glider rentaL 3620 Wawona, San Francisco, CA 94116. (415) 753-8828.

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.

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

I 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 I Deadline, 20th of the month, six weeks before the cover date of the I issue in which you want your ad (i.e. March 20, for the May issue).

I Boldface or caps 55¢ per word extra. (Does not include first few words I which are automatically caps). Special layouts or tabs $22 per column I inch.

I Prepayment required unless account established.

I

Please enter my classified ad as follows:

UP OVER NEW MEXICO, INC. - Instruction, sales, service. Sandia Mountain guides. Wills, Seedwings, Pacific Airwave, Delta, Moyes.

Albuquerque, NM (505) 292-0647.

NEW YORK

FLY HIGH HANG GLIDING, INC.-Serving N.Y.

TREASURE VALLEY HANG GLJDERS-USHGA certified instruction, complete service. Featuring Pacific Ainvave. 11716 Fairview, Boise, 83704.

(208) 376-7914.

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.

NEVADA HIGH SIERRA SPORTS, dealers for Delta Wing, Pacific Airwave, Wills Wing. Complete training including tandem, USHGA certified instruction and ratings. 2303 N. Carson St., Carson City, NV 89701. (702) 885-1891.

NEW MEXICO

HAWAII

NATURAL HIGH HANG GLIDING SCHOOL Lessons, equipment, hang gliding jewelry. P.O. Box 23073, San Bernardino, CA 92406. (714) 880-3888.

SANTA BARBARA HANG GLIDING CENTER-Certified instruction, glider and equipment sale. 29 State St., Santa Barbara, CA 93101. (805) 962-8999.

MICHIGAN PRO HANG GLIDERS-Since 1978. Michigan's only USHGA Certified school. Beginner - Advanced lessons by Examiner, Observer, Instructor Norm Lesnow. Specialist in basic towing, or the new revolutionary concept of step towing. 2500' tows available on the incredible Yarnall Skyhook.

Dealer Wills, Delta, Manta. Service, accessories.

Call (313) 399-9433 or write 569 W. Annabelle, Hazel Park, MI 48030.

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City/Albany, Jersey, Connecticut areas. (On Ellenville Mtn.) Area's exclusive Wills Wing dealer/specialist. Also carry all other major brands, accessories. Certified Instruction. 10 years experience. Quick repairs. Areas most INEXPENSIVE prices. ATOL truck towing! Contact: Paul Voight, RD 2, Box 561, Pine Bush, NY 12566, (914) 744-3317.

MOUNTAIN WINGS, INC.-Visit our new hang gliding center at the foot of Ellenville Mt. USHGA CF! with tandem training. Five training hills, factory trained repair specialists, area's exclusive Seedwings dealer/specialist. Delta Wing, Pacific Airwave, UP with demo gliders. The most complete line of hang gliding accessories in stock. Many new and used gliders. Mail orders.

VISA, MasterCard and Discover Cards accepted.

Greg Black, 150 Canal Street, Ellenville, NY 12428 (914) 647-3377.

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Section /please circle) Rogallos Schools and Dealers Emergency Chutes 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

$ ____________________

~

I I I I I I Number of words:

l. - _- - - - - _- - - - APRIL 1988

Address: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __

@ .40 =

Phone Number:.

I

-p~._~o~ ~~:.:~~R!:o!~?M.: ~-~:5.: ~(~O~)_9~4:5.:3~ - - - - - - - - - - - - - _: 45

CLASSIFiED ADVERTISING 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.

site. For personal service you can trust call Valley Soaring, Rt. 2, Box 210, Dunlap, TN 37327 (615) 949-3384, (615) 949-2301.

UTAH FLY UTAH WITH

THERMAL UP, INC.-Most complete hang gliding shop in area. Located on top of Ellenville Mountain. USHGA Certified Instructor and Observer.

Concentrating on hang gliding instruction with emphasis on launching and landing techniques.

Dealer for all major brands. Offering expert sales and service with lowest price in area.

Large mail order inventory. Tom Aguero, P.O. Box 347, Cragsmoor, NY 12420. (914) 647-3489.

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.

SAURATOWN 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 44102 (216) 631-1144.

OKLAHOMA SPORTWINGS OF OKLAHOMA. Wills Wing, Mitchell Wing. New and used equipment, service, and instruction. Mel Hair, Tulsa, (918) 445-8822.

ALL BRANDS - Bought, sold, and repacked. Inspection and repack $20.00 - Kevlar, nylon, sis, bridles installed and replaced. S.F. Windsports, 3620 Wawona, San Francisco, CA 94116 (415) 753-8828.

BRAND NAME-20 or 22 gore parachutes. $320.

(303) 278-9566.

Parts & Accessories

SOUTH WIND HANG GLIDING SCHOOL & GLIDING FLIGHT PARA GLIDING SCHOOL Certified Instruction. Dealers for: Delta Wing, Seed Wings & Pacific Airwave.

Harley Para Gliding Chutes Finest accessories, Clothing & Repairs.

Utah's oldest continuous Hang Gliding Business.

(801) 943-1005 OR 561-5208 9173 FALCON CIRCLE, SANDY, UTAH 84092 WASATCH WINGS, INC.-USHGA certified hang gliding school, dealers for Wills Wing and Pacific Airwave. Flight operations at Point of the Mountain. 6 Sunwood Lane, Sandy, UT 84092.

(801) 571-4000.

VIRGINIA SILVER WINGS INC.-Certified instruction & equipment sales. N. VA. (703) 533-1965.

QUICK RELEASE CARABINER-Breaking 10,000 lbs. $24. 95. Extra 5/16 ball lock pin $10.

DEALERS WANTED. Thermal, 19431-41 Business Center Dr., Northridge, CA 91324.

BELL HELMETS-in stock. $95. (303) 278-9566.

WASHINGION AIRPLAY'N PRO SHOP & Hang Gliding School.

The largest full time, full service hang gliding shop in Washington. Ail major brands sold and serviced. 800 Mercer, Seattle, WA 98109. (206) 467-8644.

International Dealers

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 thennal soaring, certified training (package plans, group rates, USHGA ratings), glider rentals, camping, local site infonnation. 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 infonnation. Route 2, Box 215-H, Dept. HG, Rising Fawn, GA 30738. Twenty 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 thennals. Located next to the TTT Hensons Gap

46

JAPAN

PRJMO AIR MITTS-standard with shiny Lycra exterior. $28.50 per pair. Plush or terrycloth interior, $35 per pair. Shipping $2 .00 per pair.

Mitts in stock for fast delivery. 8 Blue Jay Way, Conway, AR 72032 (501) 327-0698.

Distributor major brands hang gliders (Airwave, Magic), instruments, parachutes. Tokyo 03/447/5560, Yugawara 0465/63/0173, Kurumayama Hang School 0266/68/2724 (April - November). 2-19-63 Doi, Yugawaramachi, Kanagawaken, Japan 141. FAX 0465 636641.

SWITZERLAND SWISS ALP HANG GLIDING SAFARI-On vacation in North America until February 1988. Ron Hurst, P.O. Box 270, CH-8401, Winterthur, Switzerland.

Emergency Parachutes UP 24!-never used. Will send info. $300.00. Bruce, P.O. Box 4189, Long Branch, NJ 07740.

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.C)O service charge will be assessed on all returned checks.

HANG GLIDING

FUGHT

High technology/altimeter/variometer/audio.

Made in Switzerland.

FlyTEC

FLYTEC AG Eben1ustr1111 8

CH-6048 Horw Telefon 041 - 47 34 24

USA: DODECA P.O. Bu 1383 Fremont. CA 94538

'

CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING TUBING, WHEELS, BOLTS, BRACKETS, DACRON plus much more. Free tubing price

Business & Employment Opportunities

sheet or send $5 for complete catalog. Leading Edge Air Foils, Inc., 331 S. 14th Street, Colorado Springs, CO 80904. Phone (719) 632-4959.

Experienced USHGA Certified Instructors needed NOW! Lots of students ... not enough instructors.

Send resume to: Mission Soaring Center, 1116 Wrigley Way, Milpitas, CA 95035.

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.

INSTRUCTORS WANTED: Prefer certified but will train qualified people. Advancement opportunities include tour guiding and management.

Western Hang Gliders, P.O. Box 828, Marina, CA 93933. (408) 384-2622.

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., 5711 Tonnahill Circle, Huntsville, AL 35802. Satisfaction and 12 month warranty.

LINDSAY RUDDOCK. PROBABLY THE FINEST INSTRUMENTS AVAILABLE. Standard features: volume control, lift and sink cut-in control, dual range, very sensitive and very stable, fully compensated altimeter, altimeter millibar setting, flight levels switch, 8 hr. battery warning, I year warranty, money-back guarantee.

Option: total energy. Bob Fisher, 11003 Oasis, Houston, TX 77096 (713) 728-4146.

Publications & Organizations

HARNESS, cocoon, Robertson Large with 20 Gore chute. Excellent condition. $200.00. (805) 653-0405.

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.

We feature GM cars like t111s Oldsmobile Cutlass

As a U.S. Hang Gliding Association member, now you can get the National attention you deserve .. . and save money too. Just call our easy-to-remember, toll-free reservation number the next time you need a car. As an association member, you'll receive a special discount off our already low, unlimited-free-mileage daily rates.

Plus we offer low weekend, vacation and other promotional rates that are not discountable, but could save you even more. Simply show your membership card when you rent from us and we'll make sure you get the lowest

available rate. You'll enjoy unlimited free mileage on local rentals, top-condition cars and the convenience of over 2,500 worldwide locations, including locations at most major airports. There is a difference between car rental companies. It's called National attention. Try it.

Call toll-free BOO-CAR-RENT tor reservations.

You deserve National attention~

~ 48

~ HANG GLIDING

CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING SOARING-Monchly magazine of che Soaring Society of America, Inc. Covers all aspects of soaring flight. Full membership $35. Info kit wich 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," 1811 Beverly Glen Dr., Santa Ana, CA 92705. Also, Hang Gliding romance "Soar and Surrender" $3.95 shipped.

Videos & Films

CRYSTAL AJR 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 Toch.

PATCHES & DECALS - USHGA sew-on emblems 3" dia. Full color - $1. Decals, 3 1h" 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 copy, instructions, changes, additions and cancellations must be received in writing 11/2 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.

TELLURIDE! Videotape of the annual fly-in at one of the most spectacular flying sites anywhere, with comprehensive coverage of the 1987 aerobatic competition. Professionally shot and edited. One hour long, VHS. $35 plus $3 First Class postage. California residents add state tax.

Robert Reiter, 1539 63rd Street, Emeryville, CA 94608. (415) 655-0615 FRESH FROM AUSTRALIA. 1988 World Hang Gliding Championships. Two hour VHS video for sale, Send $40 to Paul's Video, Box 1662, Telluride, CO 81435. (303) 728-3217.

Miscellaneous FLIGHT LOG PROGRAM, compatible with IBM PCs running dBase III, that keeps track of your flights and allows you to retrieve and report them in various sorts. Send $6.00 to Thad Johnson, 4213 W. Villa Maria, Glendale, AZ 85308 to cover diskette & postage.

WINDSOCKS-Bright silk, 3'10", low winds, perfect $12.00 COD. Bruce, (201) 571-4670, P.O. Box 4189, Long Branch, NJ 07740.

1DP QUALITY SHIRTS-Style #1 "Cloud Base Country Club", 5 color design. Style #2 "Real Pilots Fly Hang Gilders", 6 color design. Tee's $12, long sleeve tee's $16. Sweat shirts $20. Add $2.50 shipping, Calif. res. add 6% tax. Aerial Tease, 8 Camino Verde, Santa Barbara, CA 93103.

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.

SAlLMAKING SUPPLIES & hardware. All fabric types. Massachusetts Motorized, P.O. Box 542-G, Cotuit, MA 02635. (413) 736-2426.

APRIL 1988

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.

TYPE: HP-2 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 27, 1987 in ditch at roadside following XC flight. CONTACT: Ken Grubbs, 17325 Rimrock Dr., Golden, CO 80401 (303) 279-7770.

STOLEN WINGS are listed as a service to USHGA members. There is no charge for this service and lost and found wings or equipment 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 AirTech .............................. 35

Stolen Wings TYPE: TWO SPORTS. #14396 - fuscia leading edge, white top and bottom, white trailing edge. #14903 - yellow tri-lam leading edge, green top and bottom, white metal trailing edge. WHERE: Long Beach, CA. WHEN: Friday, January 2. Stole Nissan Silver 4WD truck with gliders stowed on top. CONTACT: Jose Fernandez, (213) 439-0874, home answering machine.

Airworks ............................. 19 American Windwright .................. 19 Ball Varios ........................... 52 Bennett Delta Wing Gliders .............. 7, 23, 51, BC Colorado HG Center ................... 52 European Thermal Tours ................ 39 Fly Tech ............................. 47 Hall Brothers ......................... 52 High Energy ...................... 16, 30

FOUND: UP glider bag at Rainbow Ridge, Nevada, north of Reno. Mid-December. Call to identify. (916) 587-1967.

Kitty Hawk Kites ...................... 35

FOUND: Glider near Colorado River in So. California this December. Call USHGA to identify and claim. (805) 944-5333.

Moyes ................. , .......... 36, 37

EQUIPMENT: Black Keller Pod harness, High Energy tan colored parachute, Roberts Britain variometer, helmet. WHERE AND WHEN: broke into truck at Waddell Creek, Santa Cruz, CA. Saturday, October 17, 1987.

CONTACT: Martin Ortegon, 1314 Copper Peak Lane, San Jose, CA 95120.

TYPE: WILLS WING HP-1-1/2. Pacific blue L.B. & top front surface, undersurface spectrum and white main body. Speed bar, hand fairings. WHERE AND WHEN: Torrey Pines, CA, in May from the cartop. CONTACT: Dave Weise, (619) 942-2174 home, (619) 442-0984 work.

Lookout Mt ........................... 35 Microflight ........................... 16 Pacific Airwave . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Pagen Books .......................... 23 Patrick Brede! ......................... 22 Publitec .............................. 16 Second Chantz ......................... 9 Seedwings ............................ 34 Silver Wings .......................... 32 Systems Tech ......................... 52 UP International ....................... 31 UP Over New Mexico . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 USHGA .................... 50, IFC, IBC

Western Hang Gliders .................. 22 Wills Wing ......................... 6, 52 Windsports ........................... 22

49

Four good reasons to hook into a

DREA HANGI - first 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.

As you 5 ow accustomed to your LITE DREAM, you'll notice how quickly your flying skills improve You'll delight at how the LITE DREAM is maneuverable as he is forgiving as you advance rapidly through the learning stages.

c.-, :ii; oward higher altitudes, your LITE DREAM still amazes. performing with grace and ease. As you perfect your talents, the UTE DREAM is ready to · ::cept new challenges, even aerobatics!

HANGW , .,. -a ::;_ pilots choose to renew the learning cycle by introducing newcomers to hang gliding with a thrill,ng 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.

I\

THE LITE DREAM'~~ ~~ ;..

AN ENDURING CLASSIC AT EVERY LEVEL

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

LIGHTWEIGHT LONG-LASTING VALUE HANDLES LIKE A DREAM P.O. Box 483, \Ian Nuys, CA 91408 • (818) 787-6600

Some designs are hard to improve, and impossible to copy.

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.

BUY THE BEST, BUY

Send your self-addressed envelope to: Wills Wing, Inc. 1208 H. East Walnut Santa Ana, CA 92701

The Colorado Hang Gliding Center P.O. BOX 1423

GOLCEN,

CO

And don't forget to write your glider model and size on the envelope.

80402

(303)279-9598

THESE ARE THE OPEN EAR HEL'IETS /·!ADE SPECIFICALLY FOR HANG GLIDER PILOTS,

-DEALER INQUIRIES INVITED-

Thank You

Wills Wing, Inc.

$95

The Hall Airspeed Indicator

I'r1

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

l MODEL 651 VARIO/AUDIO/ DIGITAL ALTIMETER $495

MODEL 652 VARIO/AUDIO DIGITAL ALTIMETER/ AIRSPEED $590

~~-- .

!

t

Airspeed Indicator with Long Bracket

Control Bar Protectors

Airspeed Indicator . . .. $21.50 Long Bracket . . . . .

6.50 Foreign & C.O.D. Orders add $2.00 Control Bar Protectors

5" diameler ABS plastic wheels.

Specify 1" or 1·1/8" control bar.

Wheels - $20.00/pair Foreign & C.O.D. orders add $2.00 Hall Brothers P.O. Box 771-H, Morgan, UT 84050 MaslerCard I Visa I COD Phone Orders (801) 829-3232

S~stek Vario I Altimeter MODEL M20 WRIST VARIO $200

BALLCLAMP $18

STREAMLINED TUBE ADAPTER

Available from hang glider manufacturers and dealers

0·15,000 FT Altimeter

UP-Audio

Dual Batteries

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

$~

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MANBIRDS by Maralys Wills. EntMainingly lakes the reader from hang gliding's pasl to its soaring present. 8 pg. color, 150 Blk & Wht. photos, 40 pg. appendix.

USHGA INSTRUCTORS CERTIFICATION MANUAL. Complete requirements, syllabus, teaching methods.

HANG GLIDING by Dan Poynler. 81h Edilion. Basic Handbook for skysurting.

FLYING CONDITIONS by Dennis Pagen. Micrometerology for pilots. 90 illuslrations.

HANG GLIDING AND FLYING SKILLS by Dennis Pagen. Beginners lo experts instruction manual.

HANG GLIDING TECHNIQUES by Dennis Pagan. Techniques !or cross country, competilion & powered flight.

$ 7.95

AMOUNT

$ 2.00 $ 7.50

S 7.50 $ 7.50 $ 7.50

_ _ _ MANNED KITING by Dan Poynter. Handbook on tow launch /lying.

$ 4.50

FEDERAL AVIATION REGULATIONS FOR PILOTS. 1987 Edition.

Hang gliding pertinent informaiton.

FA! SPORTING CODE FOR HANG GLIDING. Requiremenls for records, achievements & World Championships.

HANG GLIDING MANUAL & LOG by Dennis Pagen. For be9inners.

An asset to inslructors. 24 pgs.

USHGA OFFICIAL FLIGHT LOG. 40 pgs. Pockel size, skills signotts (all levels), glossary ol terms, awards.

$ 4.50

$ 1.00

$ 1.50

$ 2.95

ITEMS NEW USHGA 'HANG GLIDING' T-SHIRT. 100% heavyweight cotton, WHITE or TAN. Men's sizes: S ML X·L (CIRCLE ONE).

USHGA EMBLEM T-SHIRT. 100% heavyweight cotton. TAN or LIGHT BLUE. Men's sizes only. SML X·L (CIRCLE SIZE & COLOR).

USHGA EMBLEM CAP. One size !ifs all. Baseball type/USHGA emblem. NAVY, ORANGE, GOLD (CIRCLE ONE) USHGA BELT BUCKLE. Solid bronze, custom design, reliel sculpture. 3V, x 2V,.

USHGA SEW-ON EMBLEM. 3" dia., full color (red wings, sunburst w/black prinl}.

USHGA EMBLEM DECAL. 3V2'' dia., lull color.

LICENSE PLATE FRAME. "I'd rather be hang gliding." While on Blue.

WALLET. Nylon, velcro closure, mach. washable, waler resistant.

ROYAL BLUE color.

"-'~j:.r; '> ~-Jt.c-.i:_c:-

$ 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 SOLD OUT ''' PRINTED COPIES:

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All prices include postage and handling. (Prices subject to change without notice.) Enter quantity and price of each item ordered.

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USHGA PILOT PROFICIENCY PROGRAM (PART 104)

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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 (ft.2) Span (ft. ) 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