USHGA Hang Gliding November 1989 by US Hang Gliding & Paragliding Association

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revised 11/88

KISS THE CO PETITION GOODBYE. ·ty TM

Quall

Produced by men and women on the cutting edge of hang glider design and technology, Pacific Airwave creates gliders with only the finest quality materials available. Special patented fittings have been developed to allow us to create the most "user-friendly" gl iders on the market today.

Performance Serv•ice With World Championships and world cross-country records under our belt and an average customer satisfaction rating of 9.5*, it's no wonder our gliders are recommended by more professional flight schools and instructors than any other glider manufactured today.

CONTACT YOUR AUTHORIZED PACIFIC AIRWAVE SERVICE AND SALES CENTER TODAY • Based upon customer response forms for 1988 - 1989.

One of the most important considerations in the production of gliders is service. We take service seriously as a way of doing business. As a result, we have the best service record in the industry. The company with the first word in quality is the last word in service.

Pacific AIRWAVE

PACIFIC AIRWAVE, LTD. o P.O. BOX 4384 o SALINAS, CA 93912 o TEL: 408-422-2299 o FAX 408-758 -3270

USHGA Merchandise Order Form BOOKS Right Stuff for Hang Glider PIiots by Erik Fair. Reprint of columns from Hang Gliding magazine. Light humor, overview of sport, launch/landing techniques, personalities .................................. $7.95 _ _ __ 1988 USHGA Calendar. 12" x 12" full-color pictorial. Big date squares for notes, appointments ..................................... $5.00 _ _ __ 1989 USHGA Calendar. 12" x 12" full-color pictorial. Big date squares for notes, appointments ..................................... $9.95_ _ __ BOOKS-BASICS AND CLASSICS Manblrds by Maralys Wills. Entertainingly takes the reader from hang gliding's past to its soaring present. 150 black and white photos, 8 pages color, 40-page appendix ........................................................................... $7.95 _ _ __ USHGA Instructor Manual. Complete requirements, syllabus, teaching methods ........................................................... $5.00_ _ __ Hang Gliding by Dan Poynter. 8th edition. Basic handbook on hang gliding .................................................................... $7.50_ _ __ Flying Conditions by Dennis Pagen. Micrometeorology for pilots. 90 illustrations ........................................................... $7.50_ _ __ Hang Gliding Flying Skllls (NEW EDITION) by Dennis Pagan. Beginner to Intermediate instruction manual. ..................................................................................................................... $9.95 _ _ __ Hang Gliding Techniques by Dennis Pagen. Intermediate to Advanced pilots, covering cross-country, competition and powered flying ................................................................................................................... $7.50_ _ __ Manned Kiting by Dan Poynter. Handbook on tow-launched hang gliding. Methods, equipment. ................................... $4.50_ _ __ Federal Aviation Regulations for Pilots, 1989 edition. Required study material for ratings ........................................... $7.95 _ _ __ FAI Sporting Code for Hang Gliders. Requirements/procedures for record attempts .................................................... $3.00_ _ __ USHGA Record Attempt Kit with FAI Sporting License. (Birthdate Birthplace ................................................................... $10.00_ _ __ Hang Gliding Manual and Log by Dan Poynter. For beginners. An asset to instructors. 24 pages ................................. $1.50_ _ __ Deluxe Log Book published by Lookout Mt. Flight Park. 72 pages, pilot ID, ratings, rules of the air, glider inspection and maintenance history, parachute inspection and repacking records ... more ........................... $4.95_ _ __ USHGA Flight Log Book .................................................................................................................................................. $2.95 _ _ __ X-C Flight Log Book. Very clean, 64 pages. For those who want to document their flights ............................................. $3.95_ _ __ Site Information Manual. Advice, letters, examples on how to open new or protect existing sites .................................. $3.00_ _ __ APPAREL and ACCESSORIES Magazine Collector Binder. Brown vinyl. Wire inserts for 12 issues. Build a reference library and protect issues all at once ...................................................................................................... $9.00_ _ __ USHGA Wallet. Royal blue nylon with white logo. Velcro closure, photo/card insert, machine wash ............................... $8.95_ _ __ APPAREL and ACCESSORIES----CLASSICS USHGA "Hang Gliding" T-Shlrt. Horizontal color bar chest design. Circle color/size. WHITE or TAN. Sizes: S M L XL ...................................................................................................... $8.00_ _ __ USHGA Emblem T-Shirt. Our original. 10" circular chest logo. Circle color/size. Men's only. LIGHT BLUE or TAN. Sizes: S M L XL. ........................................................................ $8.00_ _ __ USHGA Emblem Baseball Cap. Foam Front, white mesh back, adjustable size. Circle color choice. NAVY, ORANGE, GOLD, RED ................................................................................................... $5.00_ _ __ USHGA Belt Buckle. Solid bronze, sculpted relief, custom design. 3-1/4" x 2-1/4" ........................................................ $12.00_ _ __ USHGA Sew-On Emblem. Embroidered logo for blazers, flight gear bags, etc. 3" circle ................................................. $1.25 _ _ __ USHGA Emblem Decal. Full color, water transfer decal for inside or outside surfaces ...................................................... $.25_ _ __ License Plate Frame. "I'd rather be hang gliding." Blue lettering on white plastic frame .................................................. $5.50_ _ __ HANG GLIDING BACK ISSUES All issues prior to 1982, as available, $1.50 each. 1982 to current are $2.00 each. Back issues are listed separately. Request an issue listing with check mark at right. Q

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Volume 19

CONTENTS

Issue No. 11

(USPS 017-970-20)

Features

Columns 16 Competition Corner

11 The Gulf Coast Tow

Actually it's more like Fly-tn Comer this month. We'll review Lhe Lakeview, Oregon, Gateway, Mex._ico and Bachelor Mt., Montana fly-ins.

Release by Victor Toce and Bob Fisher A unique idea that spares your weak link.

13 Places To Fly-France

38 Accident Reports

by Doug Hildreth

Dennjs takes us on a flying vacauon.

Doug is often asked for sral.isl.ics on hang gliding faralities. ln this and a fuwre column he'll auempl 10 give you some.

26 Radio Daze by Rick DeStephens

49 Product Lines

A state-of-the-an review of commurucations options.

by Dan J ohnson Some news on Seedwings, insurance, the Goodwill Games and more.

28 The 2nd Annual Morningside Glide Ratio Contest

Page 26

Departments

Complete results of this new-and-improved attempt 10 accurately measure glider perfom,ance.

33 Video & Hang Gliding by Robert Reiter The first in a series.

Page 28

5 7 8 41 47 47

Airmail Update Calendar of Events Classified Advertising Index to Advertisers Stolen Wings

COVER: John Heiney blurs the horizon in his Della Wing Mystic Special. Photo by John Heiney. CENTER.SPREAD: Gliders hum for the house themwl in from of launch at Telluride. CO. Photo by Leroy Grannis.

DJSCLAIMER OF WARRANTIES IN P UBLICATIONS: The material presented here IS pubJished as pan of an information dissemination service for USHGA members. The USHGA make~ no wn.rranries or representations and assumes no liability concerning the va lidi ty of any adv ice, opinion or recommendation expressed in the material. All individuals relying upon the material do so at their own risk. Copyrigh t © 1989 United States Hang Gliding Association. lnc. All rights reserved to Nang Gliding and individual contributors. NOVEMBER 1989

~oa eevut

iHE FLY G NEVER STOPS JN SUNNY SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA! HANG GLIDER PlOTS HERE CAN FlV ALMOST EVERY WEEK Of THE YEA'I! TrE SELECTION OF SEAVTIF\Jl SlTES IS UNSURAti.SSEOI

'/)EAR. 6/COUNl>BOUND GR.EG, 'NOVI~ HER.EI A/14 IN /lftD-WINT"ER, 6£TTtNG IN

MORE AIRnME THltN I Do 8~1< HONE IN TIIE SIJlll#ltfER, "'1Y /:LYIN6 Sl<llLS Al(E IMPROVING RAPll>LY, THAN/CS To Goo!> tNSn<vcro~

AND GKEAT WEATHE/llJ SOuTHE~N CALIF. IS AN A/!fAZ.ING Ft.ACE To HANGGLIPE. THUE'S A LNf:GFCffolCE CF SITES AiND SCHOOLS AU. W'ITHl/lf ABour rwo Hov,s' P~IVE OF EN:/.f OT'HE£- /{trr TO M ENT/ON ALL THE 0111£1(. ATTTtAcnom THIS A,eEA HAS To oFFEJll.. '(Of/ SHOl/LJ>

5EI? MY SVN,AN.f SoR.fl.y To HEAR ABOl.ff TH~ SNowsro~ M BACK ffOM€. MAY6E Yov SHOULD Co/lllE O U T ~ Fo~ AWHIL.£. /'LL TELL Y.,t -4/0~E N~r MO/'I/T'H . - GLJt>tN' GL.EN

~llE6L.ow l2!i,f NOFLtT ES LN. COLD F~ONT, USA

Gil Dodgen, Editor/Art Director John Heiney, Doug Rice, Leroy Grannis, Bettina Gray, Photographers Harry Martin, /I/us/rotor Office Staff Jerry Bruning, Executive Director Chris Soulard, Advertising Barb Strickland, Ratings P.J. More, Office Operations Patti Gamara, Member Services Jeff Elgart, Merchandise Services USHGA Officers and Executive Committee: Russ Locke, President Dick Heckman, Vice President Gregg Lawless, Secretary Dan Johnson, Treasurer

REGION l: Gene Matthews. REGION 2: Ken Brown, Jay Busby, Russ Locke. REGION 3: Bill Bennett, Sandy King.Gregg Lawless. REGION 4: Mark Mocho, Jim Zeiset. REGION 5: Mike King. REGION 6: Ron Kenney. REGION 7: Marty Bunner. REGION 8: Bud Brown, Jr. REGION 9: Pete Lehmann, Jeff Simms. REGION 10: Matt Taber. REGION 11: Carl Boddie. REGION 12: Pete Fournia, Paul Rikert. DIRECTORS AT LARGE: Dan Johnson, Dick Heckman, Mark Bennett, Joe Greblo, Dennis Pagen. HONORARY DIRECTORS: Liz Sharp, Mike Meier. Bob Thompson, Tom Kreyche. Jan Johnson. The United States Hang Gliding Association Inc. is a division of the National Aeronautic Association (NAA) which Is the official representative of the Federation Aeronautique Internationale (FAI), of the world governing body for sport aviation. The NAA, which represents the U.S. at FAI meetings, has delegated to the USHGA supeNision of FAHelated hang gliding activities such as record attempts and competition sanctions. HANG GLIDING magazine is published for hang gliding sport enthusiasts to create further interest in the 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 other hang gliding publications. HANG GLIDING magazine reseNes the right to edit contributions where necessary. The Association and publication do not assume responsibility for the material or opinions of contributors. HANG GLIDING editorial offices: 6950 Aragon Circle, Suite 6, Buena Park, CA 90620 (714) 9943050.

HANG GLIDING magazine (USPS 017-970) is published monthly by the United States Hang Gliding Association, Inc .. whose mailing address is: P. 0. Box 8300, Colorado Springs, CO 80933 (719) 6328300. FAX (719) 632-6417. Second-class postage is paid at Colorado Springs, CO and at other entries. The USHGA is a member-controlled 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 foreign); subscription rates are $29.00 for one year, $53 for two years, $77 for three years. Changes of address should be sent six weeks in advance, including name, USHGA number, previous and new address, and a mailing label from a recent issue. POSTMASTER: SEND CHANGE OF ADDRESS TO: UNITED STATES HANG GLIDING ASSN .. P.O. BOX 8300, Colorado Springs, CO 80933.

November 1989 Volume 19, Issue No. 11

AIRMAIL REGION 14 Dear Editor, Say, any reason we don't have a Region 14 (Europe)? There are lots of U.S. pilots over here. If you want to know how many of us there are count the APO, New York addresses. We need to organize and be represented. (We' 11 let Asia be Region 13.) Ron Hahn

X-CWALLMAP Dear Editor, I'd like to ask the readers of Hang Gliding for help on a project that I've started at Western Hang Gliders. I've got a VFR wall chart that is currently taking up most of one wall of our shop and have spent some time going through back issues of HG and finding crosscountry flights of note. These flights have been marked on the map and make quite a statement on the great strides the sport has taken. Kevin Christopherson's recent 287-miler cuts quite a line on the map, even in the scale of the entire country. California and Arizona are quite a sight to see. What I'd like to ask from the readers of HG is more input to this map. I'm not requiring a barograph, just infmmation about any and all X-C flights of 50 miles or more. I promise to put them all on the map and, a few months from now, will transpose the information to a U.S. map small enough to be an HG centerspread. Even with the few flights I've managed to accurately show, the map is impressive to see and I think it'll be something we can all enjoy. Please contact me at: Briggs Christie Western Hang Gliders P.O. Box 828 Marina, CA 93933 (408) 384-2622

IRRESPONSIBLE FLYING Dear Editor, Upon hearing about an Ellenville pilot flying X-C some 66 miles and landing in New York City's Central Park, I was incensed. Any East Coast pilot, hang glider or powered, can tell you stories of incredibly heavy air traffic

along the east coast air corridor, especially in the Washington-NYC-Boston area. To fly a hang glider into New York City is not only very illegal but shows absolutely no judgement whatsoever on the part of the pilot, as Central Park is in such close proximity to JFK International (9 miles), Newark International (7 miles), and La Guardia (only 3.5 miles). In no way am I belittling a 66-mile flight. It is an accomplishment here on the East Coast. What bothers me is the complete disregard by the pilot of the rules and regulations by which we are so loosely bound. We hang glider pilots as a group have been seen for so long as a few crazies leaping from mountains. Our public image seems to be improving; stunts like this could seriously jeopardize our standing in the aviation community. Johathan Szarek Boston, MA

QUICK RELEASE WARNING Dear Editor, As a new pilot allow me to point out a possible safety problem with the Quick Release Carabiner (from Thermal, Northridge, CA). One day, while flying at the local training hill, the handle of the quick release caught on the back of my Lambie Lid (Aerodyne helmet). The back of my helmet was yanked up and the front pivoted down over my eyes making it difficult to see. While I landed without incident this situation has the potential for disaster. I changed the pin so that the handle is now posterior and away from the helmet. Von Welch Chatsworth, CA

A NOTE FROM THE WINNER Dear Editor, What a pleasure it was to confirm that I was the 1989 Grand Prize raffle winner. The thought never crossed my mind, although I did hope to win a couple of shirts for my wife and myself. I felt the World Team Fund Raiser was and is a good cause and I hope in the future there will be other raffles and fund raisers. To all the rest of the hang glider pilots out

AIRMAIL there, take it from me, it can happen to you! I've never won anything until now, and I've bought lots of different raffle tickets. The glider I picked is the Sensor 510. I feel it is a proven design that will provide me with hundreds of hours of enjoyment. Bob and the staff at Seedwings have been very helpful in the selection of the options they offer. I've been flying for 21 years in many different types of aircraft, but my favorite is still hang gliders. I wish to thank all the other manufacturers who sent me info and who supported the fund raiser. It wasn't an easy decision but it sure was a fun one. Thom Veer Fairbanks, AK

RICH PFEIFFER SPEAKS FROM PRISON Dear Editor, Writing this letter is one of the most difficult things I have done. I was arrested in January for cocaine-related crimes and have just been sentenced to six years in prison. I have let down many of you, and knowing that is the biggest part of the penalty for my crimes. Hang gliding is a unique sport where we come together and f01m a family-type relationship with each other, bound together by the spirit and freedom of flying. Members of this

"family" tried to help because they sincerely cared for me, but unfortunately I failed to recognize my need for them or that they were even there. My hope is that some my be saved from the pain and misery of addiction by seeing what I have gone through, and not have to experience it themselves. I had the determination, motivation and self-discipline to win several national championships and set world records in two different sports, but still my level of commitment was not enough to overcome my addiction alone-I needed help. I sometimes accepted help and had periods of recovery, but I was not smart enough to realize the power of addiction. I left High Energy Sports in April, 1988 and Betty has done a wonderful job there ever since. I was not working there while I committed these crimes. She is not a user and had nothing to do with this; she only tried to help me. I am very proud to have had her as a partner and a wife, and I pray that someday God may reconcile our family. I know I've darkened hang gliding, but I would like to think my contributions to the sport and its participants were greater. I've tried to help with glider and accessory equipment advances, as well as to learn together how to fly faster, further and more safely. Remember we learn more quickly, easily and enjoyably when we work together as a team or family. Many have been encouraging me to re-

tum to the sport. That will be difficult, mostly because I have to face you with what I did, and you all mean a lot to me. The late George Worthington told me, "The biggest reward you can receive is respect from your peers." It's been one of the most important statements to help me live my life by. I've lost that respect and would like to try to earn it back. I've decided to help in any way I can; I owe it to you and I thoroughly enjoy working in the sport. I've been working on some new equipment designs and Betty has agreed to work on some of these ideas with me. I've been encouraged by so many of you while in custody, and although it would be easier not to face you, I do want to thank all of you. Special thanks to Edward Albarran, Judy Farnsworth Enochs, Mark Bennett, Tim Morely, John Ryan, Betty Pfeiffer, Dr. Forrest Tennant and Chuck Toth. Joe and Patty Bulger and Bill Bennett have been tremendous with their help, and their continuous, ongoing attempts to help others besides myself with their addictions in this "family" that they love so much. If anyone wants to help further you can do so by first helping your brothers to stay away from drugs and alcohol, and not enabling them to use. Stand by them; if they fall give a helping hand to get back up. Please keep me in your prayers. You will be in mine. Rich Pfeiffer Santa Ana, CA

HANG GLIDING

UPDATE BRITISH ADVISORY The British Hang Gliding Association sends us notice that due to unsafe pitch characteristics all Goldmarque Gyr gliders are banned from flying until further notice. They mention that the problem cannot be solved by adjustment of the bridles. So that they can advise Gyr owners of further news they request that these pilots send their names, addresses and size of the glider to: BHGA, Cranfield Airfield, Cranfield, Beds. MK43 OYR, ENGLAND tel. 0234 751688.

NINE SOARHEADS ARE BETTER THAN ONE Nine Southern California USHGA Certified Schools have flocked together to organize one of the most innovative advertising strategies ever accomplished in the hang gliding industry. Airtime Unlimited, Hang Flight Systems, High Adventure, The Hang Gliding Center, Torrey Flight Park, True Flight Concepts, Windgypsy and Windsports International have pooled their resources to produce an attractive , four-color advertisement, which will run for five consecutive winter months in Hang Gliding magazine. The ad will urges s!Udent pilots from regions with less favorable climates to come enjoy the incredible winter flying offered in the Southern California area. Up until now, the cost of a quality, fullpage, national ad could only be supported by the larger advertising budgets of hang glider manufacturers. However, the participants in this cooperative effort will pay less than if each individual had produced their own tiny black and white ad. It will be interesting to see if this new advertising trend becomes popular with dealers and schools in other hang gliding regions.

A FRIENDLY REMINDER Regional Directors are voted in during the annual general election. Examiners must be reappointed by their Regional Director every two years. Observers (including Special Observers) must be reappointed yearly by the Examiner in their region. Observers may NOT rate themselves for any rming level (they must be rated by another Observer). Instructor ratings are valid for a MAXIMUM of three years. They may re-certify from two-three years after first certification. Initial NOVEMBER 1989

fee for Basic Instructors is $10.00 (no fee for re-certification). Initial fee for Advanced Instructors is $10.00 (no fee for re-certification). NOTE: These rules and regulations may be found in USHGA's SOP 12-5 for further clarification. The USHGA headquarters office will perform quality checks to verify that renewal appointments/certifications are being made by properly authorized USHGA members.

USHGA RADIO AUTHORIZATION INFO The USHGA warns all radio users that the USHGA frequency cannot be used without authorization. A user must have a portable and/or vehicular authorization and is subject to a registration fee. Otherwise, usage is unauthorized and may incur a fine or the confiscation of radios.

NEW ALTIMETER BOARD MEETING REMINDER The Fall USHGA Board of Directors meeting will be held the weekend of November 10- l 2, 1989 in San Diego, California. Those needing accommodations should contact Gregg Lawless at (619) 566-4686.

INTERNATIONAL HG DIRECTORY This is a request for our hang gliding friends around the world. USHGA is currently compiling information to put together an International Hang Gliding Directory, and we could use a little help! We want this directory to be as complete as possible, so please drop us a line, telling us what club you belong to. We are looking for associations, schools, clubs, dealers and anybody else having anything to do with hang gliding. Please include your country, the organization's name, a contact person, an address, phone & FAX number (preferably in English). Please, make sure your country is well represented! Give us as many listings as possible. The information you give will be apprecialed worldwide. (It'll only take a moment of your time!) The results will be published in Hang Gliding magazine upon completion. Please send the infonnalion to: USHGA International Directory, P.O. Box 8300, Colorado Springs, CO 80933 USA.

APOLOGIES TO UP INTERNATIONAL Last month, in our list of supporters, we neglected to mention UP International as one of the sponsors of the USHGA World Team raffle. We apologize and thank them for their generous contribution.

Peet Bros. introduces their Ultimeter Model 8. It may be worn with an optional velcro wrist mount or adapted to a universal mount, and is powered by three AAA batteries or an optional AC or lighter adapter/charger. Specs include: altitudes to 21,000' in JO-foot increments, continuous display and power saver mode, elapsed time to 60 hours, displays sea level pressure, pressure setting, metric and English display. Contact: Peet Bros., P.O. Box 2007, Ocean, NJ 0771 l (201) 531-4615.

The

holidays are approaching. Is there someone on your list you want to remember this year for their support: the landowner of your favorite site, your boss or co-worker, the UPS driver? How about a friend or neighbor? Share your spo11 with them with the new 1990 calendar or any other merchandise item we offer. Call or send in your order today. VISA and MC are accepted along with cash or check. Happy Holidays, USHGA Staff

Nov. 1··2: Annual instructor doah Kites, P.O. Box 340, (919)441Al24.

the hang gliding dis·

an interest. information about (our Executive Direc· the USI IUA booth), was mobbed by cager, young minds 1hirsting !'or Thankfolly, there were

Nov. Safari Mexico leisure lour, Colima & Tapalpa. Jan. tour, Valle de Bravo. . Contact: (800) 82!J ?.584. Nov. 9: 2nd Annual Lake Huron Run. Fun bomb and duration. Winch tow backup in case of no wine!. by Pro l Jang Glickrs. Contact· Norm Lcsnow, 569 W. An11ahcllc, Hazel Pmk, Mich. 48030 (1 I l) 39l).l)!JJ3. Nov. Paraclmtc clinic. BRS demo. Look out Mt. Flight Park (404) 3983541,

balloons launch at

event in itself', b111 glider ck·

vaca ..

lion tours. Contact: Adventures, Tl04 I Walls St., J ,ake Elsinore, 92'.l:lO (714) 678 5418, FAX (714) (178 5425.

Fell.

11)90: Alternativa World Team Gliding $8,000 first $22,000

Mouse hot air some stiff compGtition.

total for lop IO Deadline for rcscr· vat ions Nov. 30, 1989. $500 entry fcG. Max 8 pilots per team. Contact. Lopes, Rua Jardirn Botanico, 182/704, 22461 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, tel. (021) 246 I I 67, PAX 00 I 246 l 167.

Feb., 11)90: Govemador Valadares Meet. $80 includes transportation, retrieval, T·shirt. Contact: /\v. N.S. De 680,GR 404, 22050, Rio De Janeiro, Brn· zil, tel. (021) 255 5590.

Fch. 24-March

1990: Sixth h1t(,rnational I ,a Victoria Compel it ion, V(:nczucla. Contact: Alejandro R icrn, I Cara· cas 1050·A, Venezuela, tel. 58·2·7811002, F/\X 58 2 32988'1.

199(): 6th Himalayan Hang Glid·· ing Open, Kangra Val!Gy, Himaclrnl Prndesh, India. Cash Novicc and C competitions. Contact: Tourism Devel· opment Ritz Annexe, Shim la. 171 00 I tel. 3294.

HP AT Demo Flights Available I The following Wills Wing Dealers have an HP AT 158 Demo Glider in stock for you to try! If you are an advanced pilot with at least 100 hours logged flight time who flies at least 50 hours per year, and you are interested in an HP AT, contact the listed dealer in your area today to schedule a demo flight. Due to the high level of complexity of the HP AT, production output will be limited for the fi rst year of production. A large percentage of that limited production is committed for overseas delivery, and more than half of the remaining domestic allotment has already been sold. If you want an HP AT for the 1990 flying season, please get your order in to your dealer soon.

California

MISSION SOARING

DESERT HANG GLIDERS

WINDS PORTS

PAT DENEVAN 1116 WRIGLEY MILPITAS, CA 4081262· 1055

BOB THOMPSON 4319 W LARKSPUR GLENDALE, AZ 85304 6021938-9550

JOE GREBLO & TED BOYSE 16145 VICTORY BLVD VAN NUYS, CA 91406 8181988·0111

HANG GLIDING CENTER JOHN RYAN 4206 K SORRENTO VALLEY B SAN DIEGO, CA 92121 619/450·9008

UPWARD BOUND SCOTISMITH PO BOX 1175 PALM DESERT, CA 92261 619/322-9214

HIGH ADVENTURE ROB & DIANE MCKENZIE 4231 SEPULVEDA SAN BERNARDINO, CA 92404 714/883·8488

HANG FLIGHT SYSTEMS DAN SKADAL 1202-M E WALNUT SANTA ANA, CA 92701 714.1542·7444

HANG GLIDER EMPORIUM KEN DERUSSY 613 N MILPAS SANTA BARBARA, CA 93103 805/965·3733

WESTERN HANG GLIDERS JIM JOHNS BOX 828 MARINA, CA 4081384·2622

93933

CHANDELLE HG CENTER ANDY WHITEHILL 488 MANOR PLAZA PACIFICA, CA 94044 415/359-6800

95035

ULTRAFLIGHT SYSTEMS

HIGH SIERRA HANG GLIDING

PO BOX 4763 MODESTO, CA 209/523·6652

RAY LEONARD 2303 N CARSON STREET CARSON CITY, NV 89701 702/885-1891

95352

Hawaii TRADEWINDS LANI AKIONA 380-H HALELOA PL HONOLULU, HI 96821 808/396-8557

Washington CAPITAL CITY HANG GLIDING JIM REYNOLDS 5915 JAMISON LANESE OLYMPIA, WA 98503 206/459·8389

Eastern United States MORNINGSIDE GLIDERS JEFF NICOLAY RFD2 CLAREMONT, NH 03743 603/542·4416

FLY HIGH HANG GLIDING PAUL VOIGHT RD2, BOX 561 PINE BUSH, NY 12566 914/744·3317

W.W. H. G. SALES

LARRY HINTON Colorado,Arizona,Nevada 4031 SOUTHWICK CIRCLE

BOLDER FLIGHT

ROANOKE, VA 24018 703/562·2001

101 MEADOWLOOK WAY BOULDER, CO 80302 303/444·5455

LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN FLIGHT

scon WESTFALL

GOLDEN WINGS LUDWIG GOPPENHAMMER 508 N FORD GOLDEN, CO 80403 303/279-2361

PENDULUM SPORTS JIM ZEISET 13154 CO RD 140 SALIDA, CO 81201 719/539-3335

MATITABER RT 2, BOX 215H RISING FAWN, GA 30738 404/398-3541

SEQUATCHIE VALLEY SOARING CLIFF WHITNEY ROUTE 2, BOX 80 DUNLAP, TN 37327 615/949,2301

AIRBORNE SALES RICHARD SACHER 6 SYLVAN LANE JEFFERSONVILLE, IN 47130 812/288·6597

Canada MULLER HANG GLIDING WILLI MULLER RR#2 COCHRANE, ALBERTA TOL OWO 403/932-6760 CANADA

Europe F.L.Y. INTERNATIONAL MARKUS VILLINGER FASSERGASSE 27a HALL i. T. A6060 43·05223-43747 AUSTRIA

Japan SD HOOK IN HIROHISA ICHIDA 1·22·19 KITAHORIE NISHI-KU OSAKA 557 06·532·7040 JAPAN

SPORTS OPA KITE TSUNEYUKI HOROTA T101 2·9 NISHIKI-CHO KAN CHIYODA·KU TOKYO 03·291-0802 JAPAN

WINDSPORTS CO. LTD TORU GODA 2·28·8·23 DENECHOFU OOTA·KU TOKYO 145 03722-1945 JAPAN (ITAJIKI 02994 4 3725)

Brazil BREDEL, PATRICK BARAO DE JAGUARIPE 323/3 IPANEMA RIO DE JANEIRO CEP 22421 BRAZIL 552·12 39 73 39

Colombia PABLO VALENCIA CALLE 77 #10·70 APT 301 BOGOTA COLOMBIA

1208 H. East Walnut• Santa Ana, CA 92701 • Phone: 714-547-1344 • FAX 714-547-0972

an anyone 1cll me what 1hc breaking of205 leach line is after dragged back on a road, covered with duct tape, mud, assorted grasses, and soaking wet? How about the change in breaking strength af'ler the first tow versus the tenth? These are some concerns that the Cajun Hang Gliding Club had with the "conventional" method of attaching the weak link direclly to the tow line. This method caused us quite a f'ew headaches. The weak link was being abused every lime ii was hauled hack in on the end oft he tow line. The cvcr·popular duct tape theory, "II' duct tape can't fix it, nothing can," seemed to reduce the we . 1r somewhat, but it made inspec· !ion of tile weak link almost impossible. l was also on a firsHrnmc basis with the local hard· ware store salesman. "I Ii, Vic. Going flying today? l guess you need another five or ten " It seemed like every time a weak link broke, we lost the ring that auachcd the weak release. link 1.0 the One day, while the Cajun Gliding crew was out in the field ticing and taping the third or rourth weak link, we looked at each other and thought there had to be a belier When we got hack after flying an answer to om problem was in the mail. Roh Fisher or Houston !Jang Gliding fame had read an art.iclc in Winfis' magazine about "the French pilots towing with a release where the weak link stays with the pilot." The idea to incorpora1c the weak link into the pilot's bridle has worked great for the foJ. lowing reasons:

Bob

1s fairly sclr-explanatory as to lhc physical construction, but some notes on operation are in order. Arter a weak link break, the three-ring is pulled away from the pilot (with the pull line held back the lock ring), and the pin is released just like a normal release. However, the three-ring is still kepi with the pilot by the restraint line which prevents its loss.

l) little wear ancl !car on thl: weak link. 2) The weak link is not taped; therefore, it is easily inspected. 3) The strength or weakness of the weak link is under control of the pilot, not the winch opera· tor. Weak link strengths can be personalized for pilots of various glider sizes, and tandem or solo rtight.s. 4) /\ weak link break is, if not traumatic, at least annoying and ii is logical to place the n:sponsibility of'the weak link directly with the pilot. flach pilot tics and monitors the wear or his own weak link. 5) For competition purposes, weak link failures are almost eliminated and therefore tow turnaround time is minimized. .limNcflofthcCajun Gliding Club b11i11 the first "Uulf Coast Tow Bridle" from the drawings that Bob Fisher had sent us (sec the illustration). Now, and for the past year, all of the Cajun Hang Gliding Club members fly with the Gulf Coast Tow Release. The diagram Novcrnbcr 19B9

4-.Weak link material 41.• ~Bundled

restraint line Pull line

Bridle

During a link break, the speed or the snatch-away f'rom !he pilot is very high. If the threc·-ring is not completely open when the restraint line is f'ully extended, the sudden tension will break the restrain! line and you will lose your three-ring. This line needs lo be made of weak link material in case the threc-·ring jams, and it is important to use enough line to allow the three-ring tirne lo open (approximately fom feel). It is also very important to bundle up the restraint line correetly. The line should be bundled and taped in two smaller bundles and then taped or fastened with a rub-· bcr hand to the bridle lo keep things neat. The two bundles allow the restraint line to feed out under tension after a weak link failure. This lens ion on the three-ring provides enough force to open it. The bundles should he taped enough to force the three-ring open, but if they are taped too much, the restraint line will rail when the sudden jerk is applied to it. The finished release looks bulky, hut if the lines are neatly bundled and not mmcccssarily long, nothing ever gets tangled. We have had great success with this re·· lease. Because the weak link stays with the pilot after release, there is virtually no wear and tear on it. I have almost 30 tows on my present weak link with about IO or those being tandem. But the main reason Lo use the Gulf Coast Tow Release is thal it places the rcspon-· sibility or the weak link on the pilot. The next lime you altl:rnpt a tandem, crosswind, or downwind low, i1 sure is safer if you know 1hc condition or your weak link. II

· he COMET Ill is the latest addition to the UP family of gliders. It features the newest technology in sail and frame design producing an extremely stable and predictable glider. Easy landings, incredible low-speed handling and improved glide characteristics make this the ideal glider for the pilot who wants top performance without sacrificing good handling. For the advanced pilot, the AXIS is the high performance glider to fly. UPs' exclusive design, locating the control bar mount behind the king post suspension point enables the pilot a substantial increase in flare authority and control on landing. Available in two sizes, 13m 2 and 15m 2, the AXIS has the speed and performance that world-class pilots demand and the best climb rate in the business. Test a COMET Ill or AXIS today and learn what the best pilots have known for years .. .

A takeoff at Lake Annccy where spectators abound.

armchair psychologist will tell you there are two types of people: those who seek the security of a stable lifestyle with nothing more than the stimulus provided by a couple of beers and the latest Rocky remake for excitement; and those who need a daily dose of minor stress to keep from going slowly mad from the sheer boredom of going slowly. We presume hang glider pilots arc included mainly in the latter group. After all, what belier way is there 10 prime the adrenaline pump than to strap on a pair of wings and bully your way through a thermal-infested ff you are indeed a lruc stimulus seeker you probably even suffer occasional boredom while floating around your home site on a cloodah day just putting in your quota of airtime. There's only one cure for you····-a flying trip. The challenge of new sites with new conditions and new pilots is an irresistible Jure to any jaded airhog. nut forget abounhe U.S. There's nochal· in the same old plain .. vanilla culture Lo keep you alert between flights. We're going 10 take you along on one or the nicest flying trips imaginable, to places where hang gliding is

November 1989

actually catered to and the flying is magnit'iccnt. We're going to places where one-step shopping fulfills all your airtime needs. We're lo Europe.

FLYING IN FRANCE We don't perceive it to be our job to tell you how to get there and where to have ym1r mail sent. You arc big boys and girls. You can rind that out from your travel agent. What we arc going to tell you is where 10 find a variety of great flying and indicate some regional differ· enecs. This month we start with France. Any Francophile knows that you can quickly overwhelm your senses wilh a stroll along a Parisian boulevard viewing the famous monumellls, ogling the beautiful bird .. Jike women and sampling the gastronomic treats (with interchangeable verbs). Let's hie to the countryside where things are a liltle more sedate and we can concentrate 011 flying. (Note: We warn convenlional Americans to leave their compunctions at home, for all the heaehes and public pools are topless. Remember, we're here for the flying.) In France, a country with about one-quar-

ter the population of the U.S. and about the same number of pilots, it's obvious\hat the public aeceptanee and enthusiasm for hang gliding is much better than here at home. Fae· tors that lead to !his are the lack of liability problems, the later entry int.o the sport (after the more accident-prone development phase), the greater participation or Europeans in oul· door sports and the convenient flying facilities. Many ski areas welcome hang gliding (and incidentally paragliding) and carry gliders up on the lifts. In the U.S. flying was stopped at all ski areas in the rnicl '70s on the order of the insurance company that underwrites them all. Even without the ski areas, France has a great number of mountains with roads to the top and government support to build and maintain more sites. France is a land of ramps. There arc wooden ones, steel ones, concrete ones and dirt ones. None of them rival the exotie ramp at Henson Gap in Tennessee, hut they all are well plaeed and functional. And they know how to get the angle right, which is not a universal talent.

extreme left at ccnlcr.

The Rhone River winds below the takeoff at Le Grand Colombier. In the background is Lac Du Bomget.

We can sites.

more details by discussing

NORMANDY Normandy is the northwest area of France and is named after the Normans (north men) or Viking invaders who ruled the cmmtry. There is not much evidence of the Viking past in Normandy, however, for they too found the French women irresistible and hence were assimilated into the cult me. Normandy today is a land of picturesque villages, dairy products and rolling countryside. You can find some great Camembert in Normandy, bul can you f"ly'/ The answer is yes. the Orne River Val and along the coast of the Manche Sea (don't you dare call it the English Channel) there arc some low hut very enjoyable sites. Near the lown of south of Cac11, two 600"1'oot sites race south and west. It was

Flying over Chabre near I.aragne. The Otto Lilienthal center is in the center of the photo across the river.

here lhat I had my rirs1 cross-counlry flight in France. I had arrived the day before and was on a borrowed glider. Due to the drought in this parl of France lasl sumrner, the sea breeze was coming much farther inland than usual. We were 30 miles from the sea and I launched just as the sea breeze convergence set up. I promptly over 5,300 feet and decided 10 head overland. Unforlunatcly I had no French money, no map, no phone number, no covers, no planned rclricval, less-than"·rluent local language ability and I was dressed only in a T shirt with no saving grace was the fact that another pilot also caught the convcr"" gcncc. goal was to stay with him, which was torture since l was as we climbed above and through some light cumulus. As il turned out we only went 25 kilomctl:rs since my l"rieml followed lhc downwind direction rather lhan the convergence front. I didn't mind f'or it was quilc an aclventure, and I can say that

I 1horoughly enjoyed my four nights at these sites. I\. little further north is the coast. There arc several sites there facing various directions as the coast undulates from west to northeast. We flew at Houlgalc, a resort town with a nice allrnetive beach. Conditions here are typically sea breeze dominated and the is very similar to Torrey Pines or Forl Fu11ston in Cali"" fornia. All told, Normandy offers some mellow soaring and i11tercsting countryside. The longest flighl in lhis area is 118 rnilcs. But if you arc looking for higher sites, let's head soulh.

Tim CENTRAL MASSIF About six hours south of" Paris is a plalcrrn studded with numerous sites. The place to go is the town of Millau. Three sites overlook this picturesque tourist town thal sits along the Tam river. Several other sites are nearby. You will

HJ\NC GLIDINC

find follow pilots flying there every day of the summer. Tl1c best place to go to get ori· entecl is the International Hang Gliding Center. This hotel cum rcstaurnn! cum shop has its own cross--country landing field and its own medieval castle. It is just minutes from most of the silcs and is very reasonable: $3 per night in the bunk house, $4.50 in a room for three people and $10.50 fm 1 a double room (breakfast in·· eluded). The owners arc transpl:mtecl Gennarn; and very friendly. Be ,urc to try the strndel. The conditions around Millau arc generally dry, so flying is much like that in the U.S. West. One site, Brunas, is especially conducive to landing on top f'or multiple flights. This is also n great cross--country site for an over-the-back flight takes you to the Mediterranean Sea al Montpcl· lier. Several championship meets have been nm in this area including the l'irst Women's World Champion· ship in 1987. rr you visit this area be sure to shelve the flying for a fow hours and take a trip along the Gorges du Tam.You won' I believe your eyes.

nm SOlJTlmRN ALPS

Here arc some higlilights: Around Lake Annccy several sites allow you to fly triangles around the lake with its attendant breathlaking scenery. Again a hotel, the Roe de Chere, specializes in hang glider pilots, but remember you're in heavy tourist country here. To the east is Mt. Blanc (the highest mountain in Europe) wilh some nearby great flying. To the west is Lac (lake) du Bourget wilh three sites within ten miles of each other facing west, south and norlh. They arc all around 3,000 feet high. One of my favorite sites is jusl norlh of' Grenoble. The name is St. I lilarc, name for the patron saint of laughter. This pleasant site has multiple takeoffs 2,500 l'ce1 above the valley with an impressive cliff rising behind for another 2,000 feet. This place was the si1c of the l 979 World Championships. It was also the place where I had 10 cat crow as several parngliders thermaled above me a few times. Incidentally, it isn'l too clifficult 10 thermal with our collapsible cousins, for although they fly more slowly, their circles arc smaller and we lend Lo complete a 3(10 in about the same amount of time. However, when you are on a s1iff glider with scratchy Ii ft and a flurry of' ra11dornly .. 1urning paragliders, matters get complicalcd.

The Rhone river runs south of' Lake Geneva to the Mediterranean. On the east of this river course arc the French Alps. They exhibit different eharac· A pilot climbs after takeoff at Chabre. The primary landing zone is !he triangular field at the bottom center. leristics north and south. The Southern Alps arc dry and high. Siles from 2,000 to 3,500 feet abound, From our brief outline it should be clear the top of the nearby site, Cbahrc. This silc has with great thermal conditions setting up practimultiple launches !'acing north and south. Afthat you can choose a variety of great flying in cally every day of the summer. This is the ter consuming several hours of' airtime or at· France. Note that we didn't even get a chance place for triangles, spectacular altitude gains 1cmp1i11g a number of prearranged triangles, lo sample 1he flying 1he Pyrenees. You'll he and great scenery. you can floal on over and land near the shop. pleasantly surprised to find that hotel cos1s are Have a drink under the umbrellas and review There arc so many sites in this area that a fraction of that in the U.S. Also, f'lying in we cannot point them all out, hut a good place the day's flying with an international crew of general is much easier to arrange for many 10 start is lhc village of Laragne. An indication pilots. Be sure to sample the famous Cote du shops provide shuttle service. The astounding of the at1raction of this area is the fact that Rhone wines -moderntcly, of' comse. thing from our myopic viewpoint is that the France, Holland nnd Germany have all held government has injected millions of francs into their Nationals in the vicinity . .Just outside of TIIE NORTHERN ALPS the hang gliding community f'or the develop·· Larngne is a shop called Ilic 0110 Lilicnlhal Only a fow hours north the conditions change men! of sites. They know the value of tourist Cenlcr. Talk to thl: owner Jean-Pierre Manucci 10 more like those in the Eastern u.s ...... flying lucre. and he will tell you about lhe sites and condi· with greener pastures and moister air. If anySo polish up your high school French and lions as well as the accommodations and the thing, the sites are higher (2,500 to 4,000 foet) plan your next flying trip with a Gallic bias. restaurants. Of course he will recommend the than in the south. Again, their number is mindYou will be guaranteed some great airtime. ff home,-cookcd meals right at the shop and the boggling and every direction is covered. We you 're at a loss as to how to begin call Thermal local bunkhouse. Tours (advertised in this magazine). They start with friends in the heart of this flying The best parl about this facility is that you paradise and had the biggcsl problem deciding al Lake Annecy and work south. Ir you 're a park your car in the lot, load your glider mi a which site lo choose each morning. seasoned traveler don't hesitate to visit France, commodious bus, pay a few francs and ride to the pilot's paradise. I'll sec you there. B November 1989

COMPETITION CORNER

The Uinpteenth Annual Lakeview, Oregon Fly-In

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by Jules Gilpatrick

there you are, a hang gliding fiend with one, maybe two weeks off a year. You want to spend it doing as much flying as possible but you don't want to do it alone. You call a couple of buddies and it turns out they have the same time off and the same idea in mind, but there's a problem. You want to fly a site that's mellow, preferably near a large body of water so you can windsurf, too. Buddy #1 wants a mountain site with spectacular scenery, lots ofsnowcoverecl ridges full of tall evergreens and mountain meadows with plenty of cross-country potential. Buddy #2 wants to go to the desert. You all agree on only one thing. Nobody wants the hassles of half-clay turnarounds and everybody wants motivated and experienced crew people to drive and help with launches and retrievals. An insoluble dilemma? Not if you joined the Rogue Valley Hang Gliding Association members on the Umpteenth Annual Lakeview, Oregon Fly-In, which happens every year over the 4th of July weekend. Some 13 pilots from three states and their crews literally had it all this year. The Fly-In saw the largest turn-out ever and some of the most spectacular flying in memory. Lakeview is a small town in south central Oregon situated at the north encl of Goose Lake. With an average elevation of about 5,000 feet MSL it advertises itself as the "tallest city in Oregon." It's truly tall in more ways than one, as any of the attending pilots will attest. The warmth and hospitality of the local popu16

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lation would be hard to match anywhere, whether you were looking for a good meal or a friendly place to land after rnnning out of luck and lift at the same time. Example: After getting back ve1y late (near 11 :00 p.m.) from a great flight at Dougherty Slide, some 20 hungry pilots and crew people descended on a local Chinese restaurant, one of only two places still open at that hour. Numbers like that were unprecedented at such a late hour and help was short. Nevertheless, extra help was found to accommodate us, including a fully uniformed Lakeview policeman, who took off part of his break to help field our orders. Lakeview people are just wonderful! Bounded on the north and west by the mountainous Fremont National Forest, the east by the Oregon desert which stretches off into Nevada and mellow hills and Goose Lake to the south, the prevailing southwest to northwest summer winds literally offer the visiting pilot anything he wants from easy local flying at Sugar Hill, Dougherty Slide and Abert's Rim, to cross-country potential that was barely scratched but profoundly appreciated this year as holding record-breaking possibilities. Item: Sugar Hill offers a safe, clear southwest takeoff in laminar air with approximately 2,200 feet of vertical over literally square miles of smooth, flat pasture adjacent to good access roads for LZs. As a cross-country training site it is superb. Example: The writer, nervously and with much trepidation attempting his very

first cross-count1y ever, chickened out approximately three miles from the hill. Scrambling back against the wind, he barely made it to launch where he was able to reassess the situation, catch a huge thermal to 10,200' (about 500' higher than his original thernrnl) and then proceed on a viJ1ual no-brainer 31.75 mile crosscountry flight, the longest of the clay! At no time was he ever out of range of a huge, flat, viltually obstruction-free pasture next to highway 395. Item: After a somewhat underwhelming visit to Abert's Rim on Monday, we simply jumped into our vehicles and proceeded east some 60 miles to the desert and Dougherty Slide where we enjoyed velvet-smooth evening lift at 200 to 400 feet per minute with some pilots going well into five-figure altitudes. The ridge at Dougherty Slide is about 12 miles long and offers profoundly beautiful desertscape scenery. Former RVHGA president Rodger Hoyt stated that after about three hours at Dougherty, he had to land just to avoid sensory overload! July 4th saw the best conditions of the Fly-In. Everyone who tried to go cross-country actually went somewhere. Several pilots were last seen at around 13,000 feet drifting northeast. Doug Hildreth, as of this writing, had the best known flight, crossing the mountains at Fandango Pass and flying northeast, nearly making it to Hart Mountain, a flight of about 43 miles, unofficially. The state campground at New Pine Creek, Oregon, smack dab on the California/Oregon border, served as residence for all the visiting pilots and offered hook-ups and hot showers for a mere $9/day. Goose Lake is only a few hundred yards to the west. A number of pilots simply doubled up since the extra vehicle charge was only $3. Ground crew services were led by veteran Hang V drivers Sandy Baleria (wife of Dave who won Newsletter of the Year honors in 1988 from the USHGA), Glenda Christensen (wife of Greg, the Lakeview "local" area expert), and Linda Hildreth (wife of Doug, USHGA accident review chairman and BOD member). These women have elevated hang driving to an indispensable profession. Without them and their info1med and experienced "shepherding" of all of us at launch and landing, this fly-in would not have been the wonderful adventure that it was. As an illustration of their professionalism and thoroughness, Sandy Baleria drew some chuckles as she HANG GLIDING

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checked each departing pilot's leg straps just prior lo takeoff, 10 make sure l hey were fustcnecL She; did it by reaching up and gr:,1til1m,g them, much to the surprise or a few male pilots who didn't know her. Linda assisted several less cxpcric!lccd crew people in radio work and map rcaclillg. (,Jenda's contribution ex .. tended well beyond the hang portion as she regaled us with her culinary expertise al !he traditional barbecue on Sunday night just prior to the fireworks display. In addition, l>olh and Glenda look video camera shots or our mated :111d informal ivc critique and conversa .. tion and after the harbecue. Two years ago, when I attended my first Urnplecnth Annual l .akeview Fly-In I had so much fun just exploring lhe beautiful woods and desert that I vowccl never 10 miss one in the f11lure. This i, rny third and each has been better than the las\. Lakeview has a site with cross,-cmmtry potential for any wind direction that Hill for soulhwcsterlics, Abcrt 's Rim and Dougherty Slide for WL~stcrJics and norlhwi;stcrlics, for north .. erlies and northcasterlics, and Fandango Pass for easterlies, all witilin 60 rniles or Lakeview. It is not unusual to fly one site around noon and another in Ille lati; afternoon and get super flights at both. The local folks arc warm and hospitable in the tradition of the old west and they arc interested in promoting more hang gliding tomism in rile area. So you've only got one or two weeks off but you still want it all? Come join us at Lakeview for next Umpteenth Annual over the July 4th holiday. ff you can't wait, and Glenda welcome your calls about local conditions and will be happy to assist you any way they ean in enjoying Lakevicw's bountiful flying and friendly western hospitality.

dealer inquiries invite(/

Novr,MBI\R 1()89

Greg Kell launches from the upper takeoff al Gateway, Mexico.

W. Meadows

n Labor Day weekend, more than 50 pilots gathered at a coastal mountain site 30 miles south or the border in Baja, California f'or the 14th annual Gateway J/ly--ln. The highly successful gathering was put on for the sixth year in a row by The Hang Gliding Center, which is located just north of \he border in beautiful San Diego, California. Since 1 begim working al The Hang Gliding Center back in June or this year, l have been hearing great things about this yearly trek to lhe beautiful shores of northern Mexico, and I'll have to say, I was in no way disappointed by the level or full. About 30 miles or so south of the border (lhrcc miles south of Cantarnar) one comes upon the llalf-Way House restaurant which has a campground lhat is located on a 3() . foot cliff overlooking the Pacific. Upon aniving we all set up our tents and built a campfire that we sat around and (thanks to Aimee Ryan) ate s'rnores. Later that niglil we were lulled to sleep by the gentle crashing of the ocean waves just 50 yards away. Saturday morning brokl, with low coastal clouds that we could tell would burn off by micJ .. morning. After a cklicious Mexican break .. l'asl al the Half.-Way l!ouse, which was pre

Lawless showing us ceded by John and the preferred landing approach to ihc beach localed by the restaurant, we loaded the trucks and headed to launch. The site has two launches, a lower 700--l'ool lmmch and 111c upper 1100-f'oot launch. John showed us the alternate L:t.'s 011 the way up. We had to go through two gates to get 10 !he upper launch. The first gate was no problem. The second gale, however, had a Mexican gatekeeper who spoke no English and had ncvL:r had any type of meaningful relationship with a toothbrush. He wanted to physically block our access to the lock 011 the gate, and John handled \he language barrier in !he typical American wr1v- ... \-iv speaking English very slowly and loud; it was very funny to walclt. Luckily, one of our ad .. vanccd students, Tim Fishel, had brought along a f'rie11d who spoke Clucnt Spanish. So al'lcr the promise of a case of beer and two diet Pcpsis we were allowed to pass through. We were having fun already. Arriving at launch, we were grceied hy a magnificent view. The mountain on which we were standing had beautiful rock formations wilh the pcaecl'ul Pacific at less than a 6: l glide from our position. Almosl straight out from lmmch was lhc llall'-Way House with our

up. Mark Fleming, Dave Craig and Joe Grehlo soon showed themselves to be lhe ones to beat. lt seemed that every time one or them would come in and nai I the spot, the next one would do the very same, and 10·· ward the end or the

primary landing field beside. We all selling up and around 12:00 noon. "Big Dave" Seaburg and I were the first to launch. Neil her or us found any workable lift and before long l"ouncl ourselves lazily doing %O's over the breakers before up our landing approaches. The I ')8<) edition of the Gateway Fly-In bad begun. Soon pilots were launching off the mmm·· tain like baseballs from an automatic pitching machine. Steadily, one by one, pilots would be on final to the landing spot, practicing !"or Sunday's all-important spot landing contest. Many flights were made on Saturday, with almost all pilots making at least two flights. The informal competition Cor Saturday was duration, and it was won by Mark Fleming when he got into a small convergence that had formed over the shore and was able to stay up for over an hour. Sunday was the official contest day, with spot landing being the object of the cager competitors. My wife, Jan, and I took an early tandem flight to enjoy the beautiful scenery together, and a few other tandem flights were taken throughout the day also. I was fortunate enough to be able to take Alex Villavazo, the owner or the Half.-Way House on a tandem flight that ended in the middle of a large crowd of his friends and relatives on the beach. The apparent overwhelming joy that Alex received from that flight simply underlined the whole reason I am in the sport professionally. It was the highlight of my weekend. The spot landing conies! quickly heated

and done, Greblo's ncmly 20 years of experience paid oil and he won the coveted (,rand Champion award. Dave Craig took first place, Mark Fleming second, mid Horeth took third on a tandem flight with his young son that liad them silting right square in lhe middle of the bull As things started winding down, and gliders were for tlw final time of the day, started to filler into the Ha]f..Way the I louse for the awards banquet. The banquet, which included a smorgasbord or Mexican food and margaritas, was included in the paltry price of the $IO entry fee. A rtcr finishing with the dinner and recapping the day on video, we all toasted the sport with dixie cup margaritas. Afterward, .John, and Alex presented the awards which were beautifully arranged Mexican artwork. A short time later we were all meandering toward the campground, content with the knowledge that we had spcnl the past few clays doing what we love to do with people we enjoy being with. We spent the last evening slanding around the campfire in the normal campfire stupor, talking about how we looked rorward to doing this again. A special thanks to Alex Villavazo for once again allowing us to take over his restaurant and to his cousin George Romero for doing such a wonderful job of running the cozy little eatery. Also, thanks to the wonderful little waitress who did not speak one word of English bul somehow managed to get all or us exactly what we ordered. Keep your eye on the calendar section ofl Jang Gliding magazine for The Hang Gliding Center's next trip to Gateway, and if at all possible, make a point to atlend.B

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l] [] [l l]

$16.00

[] l] [I [I

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TOTAL

u IJ LI $12.00 [] 1.1 u [1 $16.00 [J

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[] [J [) []

$20.00

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TOTAL

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$2.00 SUBTOTAL

Collfornln nos1donts Add 6%

U.S. Postage Foreign Postage TOTAL Ship lo:

Mall Ordors To: AERIAL TEASE 8 CAMINO VE11DE SANTA llA11llAHA, CA 9:1103

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HANC GL.lDIN(;

cclcbni1cd Montana's I 00th birthday over the Fourth of July weekend by selling new site rceords---and lots of personal rccords--cvcry day of the scheduled rom--day f'ly--in near Cirnnt, Montana. What started out in 198:l with three pi lots flying from unflown Bachelor Mountain has turned into one of Region biggest fly-ins. Three years ago the fly--in changed mountains and a :15-milc flight wrni Will Lanier a custom-made silver belt buckle. Last year Gregg Brauch tkw 72 miles \o win the buckle but this year there were 1wo rlights thal beat the total oflJoth of those flights combined! Because ot'theexcellent flying conclilions we seem to gel blessed with each year, a pig barbecue and party that gets better every year, and friendly competition from a greal mountain, the Bachelor ML Fly-In has grown to :n pilots this ycnr----·including four Canadian pilots, two German pilots and pilots from seven states, as far away as Tennessee, Maryland, and Minnesota. The fly·-in was scheduled for the first four days or July and the conditions the first three days were excellent for cross·-country flying. The weather looked good on the last cfoy bul the remaining pilots dcciclecl nol to f'ly. Several pilots adrnitlcd that the last day was undouhlcdly the best of all! But the first three days saw the site record broken each day and nearly half of the pilots got higher and/or rtcw farther than they ever had before. Day one round pilots heading 10 Elli.s Peak by 9 a.m. Conditions were good on launch so pilots began up upon arrival ancl launched when conditions seemed for each individual pilot. Rob Milner from Baltimore, Maryland was one o/' Ihe f'irsl to Imm ch; he took a lady friend tandem and showed the other pilots that lift was strong and abundant. Rob is a I Jang IV pilot who loves to give rides and he ended up with five tandem flights durthc lhrce days. One passenger was a 17· NOVFMHER 1989

year-old local girl who and pleaded with her mother until she was finally allowed lo fly. As she was harnessing up and readying

1-nem"A.tl.l

competition, the key l:o the

to launch Kim admits being "scared to death" but she was "thrilled lo death" art er her 45 · rninute flight with a picture perfect landing. In the meantime pilots wc1·e gelling high ancl heading downwind. There were rlighls ranging from I to 65 miles reported as pilots began calling for pick-up, but two pilots beat the site record by over 20 miles. Kirk Burris from North Bend, Washington landed first with a flight of 92 miles and Larry Strom f'rom Spokane landed shortly after, past where Kirk landed, for 94 miks. These were personal best nights l'or both pilots. Guess these Washington pilots like this Sky Country!" A Great Falls pilot, Jim Gaither. had a !'light of65 miles and an exciting addilion to a personal best flight. "l was at I 5,000 foci, flying over Clark Canyon Reservoir when ! saw all these white birds circling in a thermal below me. They circled right up to where I was and were !'lying all around rne--it was a flock of pelicans!" Another unique experience was told by one of the Canadian pilots, Dan Vcnick, who was a member of lhc Canadian parachute team. He and his follow Canadian, George. Thibault, had repacked two chutes the night before and Dan had apparently not 1otally refastened his vc:lcro binding on his harness. Finally, as Dan was spiraling down to land after one side and part of the lop or his cover had popped open, his chute deployed directly over some high voltage power lines. The wind drifted Dan

Severn! of the pilots, wives and girlfriends gather for a group photo in front of the Hilton. Photo by Ginge1· Throckmorton.

clear of the power lines and he had n "soft 1.,..,,1;,,,," next to the road and was unhurt. Dan said it was a good lesson lo check yom chute pack as part or your prc-n ight. Thal first day lots of pilots got ahovc 16,000 feet and there were lots of stories lo tell around the honl'irc that burned until way af\cr midnight. The second had conclit ions much like the first except that the winds at launch wt:re stronger, l to mph, !mt the cumulus clouds were building. Thermals were strong, a!thrn1gh lnml to stay in, and once again severnl pilots headed downwind. The route take is to miles to J. I near the reservoir and then follow it north to Dillon. Jirom there the most common ro\l\c is to follow 4 l north 10 Twi11 and hopefully to the Tobacco Root The leads to Whitehall allows easy ever a pilot may he forced to land, but forms a sort contrary lo the winds. Bui once the site record was broken, if only by a few miles. Peter Swanson made his hcsl ever flight to a point bclwecn Whitehall and Caldwell, short by a fow miles or a hundred, hut n couple or miles farther lhan the two Oighls the day before. This was the next clay he was forced to top Janel on a he coulcln 't launch from and ended up riding over JO miles on horseback wilh a sheep herder! Not enough room Cor two and a hang glickr on one horse so he had lo retrieve his glider early the morning or the third day. The second day was also barbecue and party clay. l had Jlown for an hour and a

.115 miles 1 miles 96 miles 94 miles

miles 70 mil.cs 65 miles 65 miles miles miles

Strom

Kirk Burris Mike Davis Dan ,.,, '" n1~" Robert Hubbard Jim Gaither

Brian Johnson

Strom, who flew ns miles, shows off bcl! buckle.

for everyone. and beer, salCold beer, barbecued ads, beans, walurnclon and ice cream were consumed in large quantities and Ilic bonfire burned until way after midnight again. Friendly competition, 1hat's been !he key lo the fun all !he pilots traditionally have at this fly-in. Bu1 get three pilots who are near Ille I 00-milc mark, several others with personal best nigh1s of 50-70 miles, and the competition gels a little more inlcnse' It's all for fun, hul somebody is lo wiu that silver buckle' Sunday morning found pilots cticcllmw and shaping baltens, pulting fresh haltcrics in rndios a11d instrumcnls, comparing route data and doing extra careful before launch. /\nothcr good cross-co1111lry day was promised as cu11111l11s clouds forming by 10 a.m., b111 thermals were small and hard lo

hair till, firs1 day and hem both my dow11111hcs sol felt about lending a :JO-pound beer roasl and nearly I 00 pounds of on the Besides, if the cook ain't flyin' he can drink all lht, cold keg beer he wantswhich I did. Three pilots, including 16-ycar-old Nathan Fosler, flew 18 miles 10 C,ran1 and landed just from the i lorsc Prairie llilton. It was I00 Nathan's first allernpt al cross-country rlying and he gol to 15,000 f'cc1. Clark Marlow from Dunlap, Tennessee also !kw to Gram and he got lo I 6,200 feel. Last year's buckle winner, on a had

Site; Ellis Peak .Local.ion: 18 miles south of Grant, MT mcvatfon: 9,700 700 AGL Limnchc!s: North launeh is steep shale rock. West lm:mch is shallow grassy slope. Ellis Peak is on Forest Service property and ft is a steep four .. whcel drive road the last one mile 10 launch . .It is soarable and offers excellent eross .. coun1ry Conditions range from mild "1,1;;~.. 01:1 launches and turbulent I.:Zs exist also, For rnore .information contact: Monte l Elli·· MT59725. oll,c/o

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COMPETITION CORNER stay in because of strong winds again. Sink was strong too! Some pilots experienced thermals of nearly 2,000 fpm up, but waiting around the edges was sink going down over 1,000 fpm! Some pilots said it was the strongest conditions they'd ever flown in, including the two pilots who flew over 100 miles. By late afternoon all the pilots but two had returned to Grant or called from various places for a ride. Gregg Brauch and Lany Strom hadn't landed yet but someone heard on the radio that one or both of them were headed toward Bozeman, Montana! Surely one of them would break the 100-mile mark. As it turned out, both of them did, and both pilots set their own personal records too. Gregg and Larry had seen each other after they had flown past Twin Bridges, but Larry chanced flying directly over the Tobacco Root Mountains while Gregg flew around the north end. It turned out that they landed only a few minutes apart, neither one knowing who had landed where or who had flown the farthest.

Gregg landed near the Madison Buffalo Jump just west of Bozeman and Larry flew past Bozeman and landed along I-80 near the bottom of the Bozeman Hill. Lany's flight measured right at 115 miles while Gregg's was only a few miles less, about 112 miles. Needless to say, both pilots were high long after their gliders were in the bag! Those of us who know Gregg realized that in his quiet mild-mannered way he wouldn't have a whole lot to say about his flight, but we listened for the two hours it took him to tell us all about it anyway. And Larry. Larry is just a "for fun" kind of pilot. He doesn't fly cross-country. His two combined longest flights added up to over 200 miles! Maybe you oughta get serious, Larry? Of his flight, Lany said it was also the highest he'd ever been. "I was in a the1TJ1al that must have been going up nearly 3,000 fpm, and it scared the hell out of me! I thought it was going to rip my glider apart." Well, three days of great flying deserves a

day of rest. Larry very strongly agreed to that. I wonder why? Anyway, Monday morning found the remaining pilots reluctant to fly even though the conditions looked great again. Four pilots did go up on Bachelor Mt. but the winds were "too strong to even set up," so when they came back down we presented Larry with his welldeserved silver belt buckle. Lany is like Gregg was last year-he doesn't wear a belt. But then, Gregg showed up wearing a belt this year, with his buckle proudly on display. I'll bet Lany wears a belt now too. For a site that only gets flown two or three days each year, Ellis Peak has shown that the potential is there for record flights. And now with the best routes getting more or less figured out, another good day or two, a few more "for fun" type pilots, and a little luck, one of these days (and there's lots of good ones when only the eagles, hawks and pelicans fly), somebody is bound to launch from Ellis and end up flying clear to... and perhaps a new state record. •

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debate

lrnv1: found 111G radio 1:omm1111ka1ions c:irricd over a wide 1w1g1: in past of /fang <llidi11g. More pilots or all

vario deck and there's less radio 1rnffic as well. B111, fm some reason these units arc still AM 1 Those idiots 1 I've flown in planes and can't say much for the signal qua lily the Still, there are If your site or f'avoritc routes aw cngulCcd in the dreaded "controlled "it may be

I I I I MHz). It in 1he 2mc1er business band which is above lhc l!J!J.148 Mllz hand lhat the 2·rne1cr ham. What's and had ahou11his medium'! II mostly ,ill good. Those thl: VHF range. The

ionoso you won '1 he bothered lransmissions 400 miles away. It will be ol' line· or-site ()11itc usd'uL More FM trans· cl:ivcrs sound ran· 1astic. FM is 1101 lo your

grca1cs1 in range or rel

as most or my crowd docs. llu1 lhc farlhcr go the more bi1ch as wail for !heir chase lo catch up and

more than a mile or two, is worthless. Why? Three problems CB ihc ·'1humhs down." J\M propagation, lwenty million rude/ bored and CB's I I mctGr wavethe old J\M versus FM argu· modulation), on which CB airwaves a11ack your vital transmissions. This serves 10 shorten usable range and pummel your ratio. can interfere with it ·· olher radios, power lincs .. you name iL The result is a jumbled mess, much like my writing Next is the "Yahoo fiactor." Millions of CBers love 10 rness with us.

and back 10 the !he earth. This means that no1 will you !tear 1hc local hut the ones three slates over. Nol good when you really need 10 hear your chase ancl the is said, CB is out. I low '!Jou! aircraft radios? li makl'.S sense And lhc undt:r the bucks you would pay for a 26

your

mcnns 10 If 1ha1 is the you've found a "soli1tion." (Nol f'i'(ll/y.

llang gliders are no/ cligihlejrJr \!!IF r11·iatio11

licensing. Fd.) Gosh, in rive I've trashed two radio sys1ems. Let's go l'or more, shall we'/ lJSll(iA made many friends last year by the for three FM frequencies

I inc or site trans missions. My and l have kepi in grouncJ.to·air contact at clistanecs of over 70 mi Jes on the low one-half wall power with even greater dis1ances possihlc-·-double 1ha1 for air to-air. No more about ahead of your chase. These commercial l<'M Maxxon, JobCom, Radius and Motorola, 10 name some, arc huil1 well. can lake a pounding 100: Motorola, (and Radius, i1s 1he "Cadillac of radios" is Motorola salesman, as par1 or say, "Iii, lhis is a Motorola radio!" and drop i1 from five or six feet. Conslrnction workers are said lo use them to pound nails when a hammer is misplacecL You can evrn use a VOX headset as yon hammer. Whal convenirnce. I power is else 1ha1 one gels wi1h FM radios. I f,Jif'-wau to a full rive: wa11s in your haml-hcld or up lo ril'ly booming walls from your mobile will a111101mcc your presence. These power me real world ones measured al the an1e11nae; you wi II be !ward. (US/IG/1'.1· license !imils power to JO Wl/1/S.- L'd.) Sounds great so far. Now for the bad news. CosL The casli outlay can be from a or hundred 10 several hundred dollars for new equipment (11scd is much

I IANC Ciil)INC

Statc-of··the-art in 2-metcr amateur radio. Note size of twinky in foreground and CH in back. $279,,$380 new. Check the used market.

cheaper). It's similar to the spread tlrnl you would find for today's varios and har· nesscs hut that's a personal decision between you and your walle1. And 2-meter FM is not completely free of inlerfcrence. I f'yonr mountaintop of choice has many high-power radio transmitter antennae, lhe signals have a tendency to combine, add and subtract to create a signal that is received by your own radio and can cause a wicked hum. It's called intcrmodular distorlion or "intcrmod" and, if' present, drops away after thermaling over the towers. This distortion can happen to any kind of radio, but since most radio towers arc VHF, our own 2-meter radios are more prone. 01her considerations: Despite whal you may have been led 10 believe, the frequencies allotted by the FCC are not USIIGA 's private line; we ain't the only ones using them. l n metropolitan areas there are hundreds or busi· nesses assigned these channels and although the transmissions are 1ypically short and polite, there will be traffic to varying degrec:s. Its not a problem away from cities or on the ground. flut ii' you're al alt.itucle, you could spend time listening to some hotel's room-service trying to locate a roll-away bed. There is a $50 rix lo these busy f'requencies eallc:c! "tone encoded squelch." You and your buddy could plug in the modules and basically have a private channel by selecting one of' '.l6 subtoncs ( l ~- 1.1 Hz is my favorite) that will trip your squelch. And you'll hear only those radios that send tha1 lone. Kind of like having I08 channels instead of three. huh? The tonc .. sq11clch units seem to diminish intermod, also. Commercial two meter FM is the choice, huh? It is until you find out what else is out November 1989

The Kenwood 2-metcr amateur 50-wan mobile with multi-function mic. $325 at discount stores.

there. Ham is out there. Get your amateur Ii-· ccnse, people. Ham (amateur) radio in the 2.. meter hand is all commercial FM is and more. The equipment that amateurs use is high quality just like commercial radios, sometimes iden·tical. But it is the hams themselves and their operations that make it the rndio of choice. Ya see, these guys arc gadget freaks thal know their s1uff. They demand a Jot and the 1narket has accommodated them. Major manu-l'acturers Cor ham equipment include Yaesu, Kenwood, lcom and others. These companies make commercial gear 100 so their ham units are re-tuned clones---with a difference: The price is one-half to one-third 1ha1 of the commercial gear (hams arc cheap .. skates). More: On the 2·-meler ham hand, the FCC has allocated nearly 400 channels! And most arc rarely used. More: These units are fully pro .. grarnmahlc with IO to 20 memory channels, scan and pager rune I ions ......thcre are too many features to list. More: The real reason 10 go ham is the that hams put on top or mountains, skyscrapers and towers. They're called "re .. pcaters." Repeaters arc great for extending the ground-to .. ground range so that one can trans· rnit from one end of a cily to another or one oC a state to another. Some repeaters are linked so tlrnl an entire slate or states arc cov .. ered. One such link, called "ZIA Link" covers mos! of'thc so111hwcst. lmagine talking to California from Texas 011 a hand-held radio in Lhe middle or nowhere. There arc repeaters all over the place. Metropolitan areas have dozens of repeaters scattered everywhere, some with direct links to phone lines so that you can make remote phone calls free of charge. Even small towns can have a few repeaters and yo11'Jl no doubt find a

handful along your favorite X--C route. If you sink out away from your chase, they will find you. The security and f'Jexibility that this brings to XC is phenomenal. Bu1 it's not just about cross .. country flying. Ir you fly a remote site and someone is injured, medical help may he hours away by conventional methods. With ham radio, air-evac is just a repeater or a phone patch call away. The ham radio hobbyists arc always helpful in emergencies. When Geoff Loyns, also a ham enthusiast, had his ballistic chute deployment (sec Sept. '89 issue) he routed his driver through some ugly canyons with his radio. And iC he had had a "real" emergency he could have used a repeater that was located nearby to get a rescue crew. Tell me this ai11 't ho1. (Jeoff tells me that he has been able to consistently communicate over distances of 175 miles air .. t<H.lir with PM. This might be possible with CB once every blue moon, but the stable performance of FM is something that can he counled on every day. Al I you have to do is pass tlic feared five word-pcnninutc Morse code test and some basic radio theory which is designed to be passed by Boy Scouts and old ladies with about four weeks or study. Do it with a friend. It's easy and l'un. And you' II love your new power that will soon he used not only for flying but for keeping track of activities all week long. To gel started just look in the phone book for ham radio dealers or clubs. They can set you up with a ham class or home study books and code practice tapes. You'll be glad you did. Ir other USHGA hams arc ever in Phoenix, look me up on the 147.240 MHz repeater. My call is N7MUJ. Ill

takes off in the

dawn. Note !he

wi ndsm, k.

summer doldrums squatted over !he eastern parl of our continenl and declared ii was lime for another rnidc Ralio Con1cs1. The weekend after I .abor round us roll into Morningside Recreation Park in lhc wee hours to bed down and look forward to calm conditions. No, we haven't Jost our compelling desire to leave lhe carlh on uplifting waf'ls of agi1,11cd air, bu1 we were on a noble qucs1: lo measure the glide performance of the world's Well, we c:valuated some of the world's gliders and had a good time doing it. Since our first crilcrion as slated in lhc rules was to have fun, l declare !his contest a success. The olher 10 learn how lo fly our gliders al best to compare ratios of differenl <k" and to dclcnninc actual maximum glide ratios. We'll lei the reader decide from the data. or course, I' 11 add my comments.

mulliplc flights in rapid succession wilh !he same pilot/glider combination. Why can we do this at Morningside? By virluc of lhcir retrieval syslem which consists of eighl four-wheelers with trailers designed 10 whisk a pilot and setup to lakcofT in a ma Her or minutes. Tlw one drawback to Morningside is a power line straighl out from the hill at abou1 an 8 to I glide. Last year we arranged for a 90° lum to take place on !he course out on the flats. This year we wan!cd to eliminalc the t111Tt, but in the in1cres1 of safety we changed Ilic course as much as we could and incorpornlcd a 45° lurn. A straight flight avoiding !he power lines would ncccssi1atc flying over barns, sheds, power lines and other clullcr, which would 1101 be safe for pilots flying lesserto our poliey or performing wclcomi11g all pilots lo participate in the meet, we chose lhc prcscnl course as lhc best com-

THE COURSE

It is my personal asscssmcnl that lhc !urn is insignificant in mosl of the nights. We measured the course lo follow a lypical ground track around the lurn point. Also, observing pilots flat 1uming around the pylon reveals no appar cnt increase in sink rate. Others who have

As we mentioned in last write-up (sec the Ocloher, 1988 issue), Morningside f'ligh1 Park in New Hampshire is perhaps !he only we could run such an event, for in order lo get any realistic data we must make

walched the nr1v'1'Nl1 same opinions.

have

the

THE MEET l<'ORMAT The mccl was as simple 1his year as lasl. All a pilol had to do was take off in calm air, fly along Ilic prescribed course al maximum glide speed and land on his or her feel. No bar pumping or thcrmaling allowed. Once a pilol landed we marked his posi1ion which related 10 a total horizonlal dislancc (sec last year's article lo sec how 1his was measured). We also made a note on conditions and his glider's VG position. It was quite inlcrcsling lo sec how many pilots flew 1hc entire f'light including takeoff and landing with their VCis on l'ull tight. They were lilcrally for broke! As last lime, we did no! take data on pilot weight, wing loading or air densily because these theoretically don't affect glide ratio in calm air.

THE COMPETITORS AND JUDGES This year we had 21 pilols flying diffcrcnl aircraf1. Several of these aircraf't were paraglidcrs. Most of the pilots new their own HANC GunrNc

cntl idea of which flights took place when, since the pilots arc listed in the order of initial takeoff and successive flights were in order, since pilols lined up 10 gel the next ride 10 the lop.

Tim WINNERS With a quick run through the calculations it looked like a tie for first place bctwGcn Boll Corbo and Eric Mc Net I. So we flipped a coin to sec who got first prize and Eric won. I ,alcr, when [ had time lo cilGck my rGsults, I found that 11,ric truly did win by virtue or his 10.'.ll

allhough a number of us got to nrnsical wings and trndcd off a hil. Pilots tliat attended tile cvt:nt last year appc:arc:o to know what lo do to coax Ille best distance out of their gliders. Oihers had to taki: a of flights before 1hey discovered the optimum speed. We could sec some of I his in Saturday's data. l wish to si11ccrdy thaitk Ron Dively who Jravelcd with me to and worked all Friday in the hot sun helping lay out the new course. I also wish to thank T-:llcn and Greg Crawford who got 11p early and nm around in tile wet grnss both days measuring landing positions and data. Thanks to Peter Burghardt for his fine phologrnphy work. Barb Beland, and Phil l laym:s (pro. also knt a valuable or driving retrieval vehicles. Fi"''"'"" v, manager or thG rtight provided invaluable servict, by cracking the whip at takeoff and the entire ,m,a 11p in time for our dawn nights with his neurol ic roosters.

The first thing that can he seen from Ilic collected data is tlrnt we got ubout the same rcsulls ns last lime. In fact, since I used n more accurate vertical feet this year, mt lier than the 230 of last year, Ilic results this year arc

November 1989

slightly lower. Using lhc same vcrlical drop essentially idclllical results. The condilions on both days wen, quite calm until the Inter flights starled showing a hit of vertical movemenl. We indieate thGse flights in the data and eliminate thcsG from onr calcudata to be most lations. I consider n:liablc as an absolute measure of glide ratio lll:causc Sunday exhibited just the slightest headwind during all the, nights. We slar\cd al 7:00 a.m. on Saturday and ended about 9:00 a.m. On Sunday a late delayed start until 8:20 a.m. and we finished by 9:40 a.m. The data we gathered appear in the incluclecl chnrl. Note the designations for vc; usage and vertical air rnovcmenl. The par John Bouclianl, fkw scvcrnl dirforent designs. Unfortunately in the calm air he had lo nm much further down the hill to effect inflation and takeoff, so his glide ratios art: umlcrstatcmc11ts. Next year we may measure from where he actually lcrt the gro1111d. When the clata you can get a gen-

flighl on Sumhly which I had 111issed. Tltis proves that divine inlcrvcntion somelirncs influences eoin flips. Frie walked away wilh a slill-in-thc-plastic vin1agG collector's item Wider hang gliding T-shirt, circa 197(). Congratulations Eric. Bob Corbo setl!Gcl for lite second place prize or two Winclscekcrs. J\11 the rest of 1hc pilots got I he benefit of some intcresling some camaraderie and !lie rnre ch,rncl, to watch the: sun rise in lhc fog through red rimmed eyes.

CONCI,USIONS Tltc conclusions this year arc about Ilic san1c as last. Namely, 1his sort or thing is a lot or run- ·011CG a year. Tht: mcasmemcnt or true glide rntio is cxlremcly difTicull due to grcm·· lins thnt sneak in, such as moving air, ground effect and pilot technique. The only way to get a more accurate picture is to accumulate 1110n: data points in as cairn conditions as I"''"""'"· But with just two days we can only get a 29

f=full VG

1/2=1/2 VG

3/4=3/4 VG

SATURDAY FLIGHTS

v=vertical air

Wc disallowed all flights after the fourth on both days.

SUNDAY FLIGHTS

8.73

10.16

PILOT

GLIDER

Dennis Pagen Dennis Pagen Dennis Pagen

Sensor 510C Moyes XS Magic Kiss

10.23-f

Andy Kozak

Sport 167

9.0

9.59

9.61

Bob Corbo

Sensor 510C

9.23-f

9.87-f

10.85-f

Eric McNett Eric McNett

Moyes XS Sensor 510C

9.06-f

10.11-f

10.55-f

John Hedden

Magic IV

8.45-1/2

Jack Hannus

Magic IV

6.81-1/2 7.98-1/2 8.39-1/2 9.16-3/4 9.06-fv

Phil Tanguay

Vision MK IV

6.97

6.94

7.19

Ron Dively

Foil Racer

8.43-f

8.82-f

8.76-f

8.66

Jim David

Magic IV

8.15

8.94

9.38

9.25

9.60-v

Ted Hasenfus Ted Hasenfus

HP II Sport 167

7.54

9.04

9.49

9.03

9.32

Phil Haynes

Lite Mystic

7.81

Jeff Nicolay Jeff Nicolay

Sensor 510C Sport 180

John Szerak

Magic Kiss

8.77

10.08

9.99

9.55-v

9.87

Ted Dorenkamp

Duck 160

7.62

8.68

8.73

9.19-v

8.87

Randy Adams

180 Sport

9.23

8.30-v

9.23

Karl Cameron

Magic III 177

8.89

9.0-v

8.95

Paul Gilberto

Sport 180

6.94

7.35

7.32

Ken Lowhle

Sport 167

8.38

9.62

8.72

Bob Esty

Sport 167

9.02

8.69

9.36-v

Various Paragliders

4.8

5.1

4.68

John Bouchard

10.03-f 10.08-f

Average Best 3

}10.11 10.13-f 9.02

9.96-f

8.94-f

9.12-v

11.23-fv

9.41 9.43-f

8.87-f

9.45-f

8.28-f

10.06-f

10.06

9.26-f

10.31-f

9.38-f

9.23-f

11.79-fv

}10.32

9.29-f 8.94-f

9.30-f

8.72-f

9.06 9.15-3/4 8.83-3/4

8.81

8.70-f

8.75 9.19 /9.48 8.96

9.91

8.34

8.39

8.21-v

8.28 9.09-f

9.21-f

8.48-f

8.54-f

10.25-v

9.08

9.05 7.03

8.17 7.23

8.43-f

8.54-f 9.30-v

)8.93

7.20 8.42

10.0-v

8.92 9.02

4.17

4.86

glide. The dilTcrcnccs iha1 show up in the data arc probably clue to pilot tcclmiqlll: and slight air texture. con1cs1 a requcsl was After las1 nrndc for us to malw a similar mcasummcn1 or sink rntc. I lowcvcr, this is a much more di!Ti·· cult factor lo measure accurately, for ii is even more dependent rn1 the slight movement of the air and is, of course, very variable with pilot wcigl 11. for over ten years to meas· urc all of the pcrl'ormancc l'actm·s or a ,I can only say that I'll stick to glide ratio in the manner we have chosen. I wish to apologize 10 the pilot or the Javelin whose name missed our list. I can invite you back next year to win. The same oul tlicrc who invite is extended lo all wmlt lo pul their glide on lhc line to sec how it slacks up Ilic big ones.

UST OF GLIDERS IN ORDER MEASURED GLmE RATIO (/\ veragc or best three flights considering the firs! four flights or each day.)

limited number of Thus we hope 10 continue this contesl over the years and col late our results. Maybe we'll sec a trend or COIi· vincc 011rselvcs of our accuracy. I believe the results this year wen; very consistent with those of last year. As already mcnlioned, the slightly lower overall values this year were due to lhc fact that I used feet as the vertical clistanee instead or 2'.lO feet. This year about the only pilot factor was a couple or slower launches (requiring a dive and loss or allitudc) and a few pilots flying too slowly in their early trials. We urge all pilots who don't know how to fly their gliders to the maximum to come out to next year's gala at'· fair. Finally, J would like lo reiterate my view cx1,1rcssr'.d last year that l believe our hes\ gild· crs arc between IO to I and l I to I al maximum glide in still air. rr I had 10 bet on it I would pul my money on the lower half of this range. Furthermore, it appears that all lhc top gliders nrc very close lo each other in best November l 989

LID

Place 1) 2)

Glider

4) 5) 6) 7) 8)

Magic Kiss 1 Magic Kiss Sensor IOC:' Sport 167 HP II Magic IV

Sport 167

10) 11) 12)

Magic IV Magic JV Sport 167 Magic lll Sensor 51 OC 2 Sport 167 Duck 160 Foil 160 Lite Mystic

13)

14) 15)

16) 17) 18) 19)

20) 21)

Sensor IOC 1

Sport 180 Vision MK JV Pa rag Iiclcrs

I 0.32 10.06 9K! 9.68 9.66 9.41 9. I 9 9.19 9.07 9.06 9.05 9.02 8.95 8.93 8.92 8.87 8.75 8.28 7.20

7.03 4.86

GLIDERS WITH ONLY TWO VALID FLH:,:HTS I) it in on ye!

another long Greg and Ellen Crawford were !he chief judges.

Sport 180 Javelin

9.2:'.\

6.00

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One

of the more frustrating problems I have had since taking up hang gliding has been how to convey the pleasures of flight to others who don't understand why I fly. I'd like to take all my friends for a tandem flight, but I know that will never happen. A lot of people would be scared silly on even the smoothest of sled rides, to say nothing of taking them off the hill and into a booming thennal that shoots us to clouclbase. The next best solution, pale as it may be in comparison to real airtime, is to convey to them at least some of the visual beauty of flying. Since I am a professional photographer by trade, it was natural for me to put a camera on my wing just as soon as I could. I had a lot of fun with slides and color prints and my images did elicit a few ooh's and aah's from friends who could get a glimpse of the earth's lovely scenery from our bird's eye view. But hang gliding isn't a static sport and the frozen moments on a 35mm slide only begin to convey the impact of flying a hang glider. I started thinking in terms of multi-projector slide shows November 1989

A Three-Part Series by Robert Reiter but quickly realized I wanted full motion and anything else would be unsatisfactory. The choice was film or video, and these clays, VCRs are far more common than movie projectors, so the choice was an easy one. Besides, video equipment is far more versatile than film when it comes to camera running times, battery needs, size, etc., all of which are of great importance to a pilot. Electronics, whether in the realm of computers, stereos or video, is an area where technological advances come so fast that it is often hard to know what to buy, for fear that it will be superseded by something far better next month. So you want to buy a video camera-VHS, Beta, 8mm, Super VHS, ED Beta, Hi-Band 8111111? Each format has features that set it apart from the others. There is a clear ranking of image quality, from the lowest, VHS (which is,

of course, the most popular format) to highest, ED-Beta, which almost no one but a few wealthy vicleophiles can afford, and for which there is the smallest selection of equipment. Of course these are only the "consumer" formats; we won't even get into the professional encl. Fortunately that's OK, because not only are they far too expensive, the quality improvement is minimal for most of our purposes. Even with a format chosen there is still the question of equipment. The best camera to use on the ground might be a full-size camcorder, but it will be bigger than most pilots would want to fly with. Do we have to buy two cameras? What about editing? That requires at least a second recorder. Even the most exciting X-C flight will be filled with stretches of flight, that while memorable to you, the pilot, will come across on the screen as dull or repetitive. Remember, the idea is to get your audience excited about flying, not put them to sleep. The choices may seem daunting. No one wants to spend hundreds or thousands of dollars on equipment only to realize too soon that

maybe they made the wrong choice. If you already have a VCR, you will most likely be swayed in that direction as far as format goes when it comes to buying a camera. This may or may not be a wise decision. Despite the bewildering array of formats listed above, each one of them can be copied to any other format. A small Super VHS-C camcorder with a 20-minute tape can be used for excellent quality footage in flight, and the tape can be copied to Beta format, for which no small camcorders exist. The best way out of this thicket of indecision is to examine the uses you will put a video camera to, and what you want the end product to be. If your editing (multi-generation) needs are nil or minimal, then even VHS will give satisfactory results. With each multi-generation copy image quality deteriorates, so you will want to start with a master tape that has the highest quality you can afford. This is not to say that you can't make a VHS tape that is edited to VHS for the second generation, and then copied another time for distribution to friends and family, only that unless you are using the very best of cameras and recorders, the picture quality will suffer quite a bit. In !he end, just buy the best you can afford. In this and following articles I am going to talk about what I think are the best fonnats for use by pilots, with discussions on types of cameras, brands, models and shooting techniques, drawing on my own experiences of the last three years and the research I put into the field of video during that time. Let's start by looking at VHS as a format, since that is the type of VCR that is most common and it represents the cheapest avenue into what can be a very expensive medium. Camera equipment can be broken into three parts (if it drops off your glider, it can break into many parts). There are full-size camcorders that play two-hour tapes. This is a combination camera and recorder in one unit. Their weight is generally 6-10 pounds. Many of you may already have such a camera. It's use is generally limited to the ground because of the size and weight. The VHS format also has produced what is known as the C format, which is a much smaller camcorder with a 20-minute tape. Typically, these units weigh under three pounds are are much more suited for sticking out on a wing or just about anywhere else on your glider. The image quality can be just as good a a larger camera, although the very best of the full-size camcorders will probably show slightly better resolution and a better signal-to-noise ratio. The third combination is a separate camera and recorder. Put a tiny camera on the glider and 34

the recorder in a backpack. This is more awkward, but the equipment tends to be of higher quality than camcorders. The first video gear I flew with consisted of a Panasonic WV-F2 camera and a separate recorder, an Elmo S-10. The Elmo-S 10 was a lower priced version of the Panasonic AG2400 recorder. This brings up a common situation with video equipment. The original equipment manufacturer (OEM), in this case Matsushita, builds a unit that is sold with different labels. Panasonic, which is the better known name, charges more than the lesser known supplier, Elmo, for equipment that is exactly the same except for the name on the label. It's not easy to discover when this is the situation, but the camera store dealer will know and often will suggest the lower-priced unit if the one you asked for by name is unavailable. Make sure

"The choice was film or video and these days VCRs are far more common than movie projectors so the choice was an easy one. Besides/ video equipment is far more versatile than film when it comes to camera running times/ battery needs/ size/ etc./ all of which are of great importance to a pilot. " f

that they are comparable and that all the accessories for one will fit the other. Ask also about warranties and service stations. Quite often the warranties are also identical; the Elmo unit can be worked on by a Panasonic tech. Be sure about this important fact before you buy. This camera and recorder are still available, but you will probably not find them at your local video discount warehouse. A Hang Gliding advertiser, Microflight of Tennessee (1-800-247-6955) has carried the camera in the past and may still do so. Other good sources can be found in the back pages of video and photography magazines. You may spend a lot of time on the phone getting information and prices-be ready to take notes. Before buying camera equipment mail-order, ascertain whether it comes with a U.S. warranty, and is

not a "grey market" item at a low price but with no U.S. warranty. Anyway, this camera and recorder combination gives excellent picture quality. With a two-hour tape you can fly and not worry much about the camera. There is one limitation to this long recording time that is common to all camcorders or camera and recorder combinations, and that is battery life. Seldom will the supplied batteries last for more than an hour of recording time, no matter how long the tape is! The only way around this, since we usually can't change batteries, is to use an outboard battery of higher capacity. This option will be explored later. While the above combination gives excellent quality, it is cumbersome to deal with two separate units. The more likely setup is a camcorder. The VHS-C format is a satisfactory solution most of the time, with the limitation of a 20-minute tape. Even this limitation will be partially ameliorated soon with the introduction of 30-minute tapes. The C format requires a readily available and inexpensive adapter to play in a full-size VHS player. So, what's the best camera? I don't know. Video cameras, like 35mm cameras and stereos, go through model changes about once a year. Rather than attempt specific recommendations, I'd rather talk about general considerations to watch out for. Make a list of these concerns when you go shopping. The following comments are in many ways the meat of what I have to say about video cameras for flying. You 'II make decisions on format based on what equipment you already own and on your budget. These criteria will apply to any format, but some of them, as we will see, will be more easily achievable in some formats than in others. Virtually all camcorders and video cameras of any kind have zoom lenses. Unlike a few years ago, most of these cameras do not have interchangeable lenses. Zoom ranges usually are in the 6 or 8-to-1 range. The longer the range the better when you are on the ground, but for flying this is irrelevant. Even the widest angle encl of the zoom is not wide enough for aerial work most of the time. There are two reasons for this. Most obvious, we want a wide angle of view to capture the most scenery, to approximate what the eye sees. Besides shewing a wider picture, a wide angle of view also clamps apparent motion. This is quite important. Try a flight with a nomrnl focal length lens and the resulting footage can bring out the airsick bags for even the most turbulence-loving pilot. A telephoto focal length will jar your eyeballs on all but the smoothest HANG GLIDING

of sled rides. For the ultimate in wide angle you can find a "fish eye" lens, but that, too, can be tiring if overused. Since the lenses are not interchangeable we must use an accessory screw-on wide angle adapter. The most common kind is generally a lens made up of several glass elements that simply screws into the filter ring on the front of the camera lens. Different lenses require filters and accessories of a particular cl iameter, such as 49mm, 52mm, etc. You can match different sized components with step-up rings available at camera stores. The wide angle adapter will decrease the effective focal length of your lens, zoomed to whatever focal length, by a factor between about .4 and .7. That is, if you have you zoom lens set to its widest, and that is marked on the lens barrel as 10mm, a .5 adapter will give the equivalent of a 5mm lens, or will double your angle of view. These adapters generally weigh about 12-16 ounces. Since they arc operational over the entire zoom range, you don't lose the advantages of the zoom; it's longest position is just halved. Another type of wide angle adapter lens is called a hemispheric lens. It has two advantages, namely, it gives a wider view, usually .3 times the focal length, and it is smaller and lighter, consisting of only one glass element. The drawback is that to use a hemispheric wide angle adapter, your camera must have macro (close-up) focusing capabilities. With the adapter attached, you focus in the macro range of the camera. Your field of view wi 11 be sharp several inches from the camera to infinity! This point of focus in the macro range will be quite precise. If you set it in the field and then move the focus ring even slightly, the picture will be quite unsharp. For safety, focus carefully, then tape the macro focus ring in place and recheck. If you do not plan on using the camera without the wide angle adapter in place,

then you can focus while monitoring the picture on a full-sized TV screen before taping. The camera cannot be zoomed while using a hemispheric lens. Also, because of the extreme depth of focus, a,n· dust on the lens surface will show on the tape. Remember, cleanliness is next to cloudbase. The white balance receptor of a camera is usually somewhere on its front. This is what corrects the color of the picture in different lighting conditions. Sometimes it can be set manually but most of the time it is automatic on small camcorders. If it is located smack up next to the lens it may be obscured by the wide angle adapter. The same goes for the auto focus sensor, if it is not a "through the lens" type. Keep this in mind when deciding on the camera type. \Vhcther you have manual or auto white balance is not too critical; set it manually before you fly and you'll probably be OK for the whole flight. If you set it at 10 a.m. and fly until sunset, the picture in the latter part of the clay will be too red, but your batteries will probably be dead by then anyway. Speaking again of batteries. if your camera has a jack for an external DC power source, you may be able to take advantage of large capacity 6- or 12-volt batteries. More on this later, but ask about that option when you look at cameras. One feature that is appearing on more cameras these days is selectable shutter speeds. One-speed cameras usually use 1/60 second shutters. In a still camera on a glider this would give pictures with a lot of bluned backgrounds. For video this is not a serious problem because at the playback rate of 30 frames per second, the blurred picture actually aids the impression of smooth motion. If your camera does allow faster shutter speeds it will produce sharper still frames, but the full-speed motion will have a more stroboscopic look with fast moving

objects. At nonnal glider speeds this stroboscopic motion is not a problem, but you might notice it if you tape a glider zooming by on a landing approach. I usc 1/250 or a second for my flying shots and get excellent still frames. Many camcorders offer two speeds, SP and EP. SP gives highest quality but shortest recording time. If you are concerned with image quality or plan on doing any copying (editing), stick to SP. After spending all this money on camera equipment, it's silly to pinch pennies on tape and settle for mediocre pictures. I've talked about cameras and areas that affect picture quality, but let's not forget sound. Fortunately. this is an easy one. All cameras and camcorders have some kind of built-in microphone, although few have any recording level controls. Therefore, you'll get sound but little control over it! The one possibility to change that is to use an external microphone if your gear has a plug for it. In that case you might want to fly with a lapel-type mike that you can clip underneath your collar as a throat mike, and give a running commentary as you fly. Any mike that sits out in the wind will record mostly wind noise and you'll really have to shout to make your own voice heard. Wind noise, incidentally, is important in establishing a "you are there" feel in your recording. You might want to turn the volume clown when watching, but don't turn it off. This pretty much covers the items I wanted to talk about in this article-a general look at the medium of video and some of the .. generic" features to look for in equipment. In the next installment I'll talk about what I think the best format is (for glider-mounted gear it's Hi8, the new 8mm format), and offer some tips on camera mounts and the mechanics of taping in the air. The final piece will be concerned with editing, post-production tips and the aesthetics of producing a hang gliding videotape. •

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WW Coccoon, large, excellent condnion ................. $300.00 HELMETS

Flytec Data Flight OF 2020 ...................................... $852.00 1 .. ::·.:::::::·.::::::::·.::::::::::·.::·.::·.::·.:::::::·.:::::·.::·.::·. Litek VE 7 ................................................................ $179.00 Ball 652 .................................................................... ASK

mi:~

~~r~rPuJfa~ ·:·.:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::jl[J:~ NEW GLIDERS

:~16.5.'. .. :·::.::·.:·:.:·::.:·::.::·.::::·:.::·:.:·::.::·:·.::·:.::·:.:·::.:::::·.:·.::·:.:·::~~~.00 Allrocom Vario ......................................................... $199.00 Allrocom 1al ............................................................ $425.00

U~P~~;.1S~.!f·ros·imo'i1·:···1··r···o···m·····:·:·:···.:·:·:·:·:.·. :.:.:.:.·. ·. :.:.·. :.·. :.:.·. ·. :.·..-.. :.:.:.:.·. :.·. :.·..-.. ...'. r. ~.·.m.·.: k$22996195955:.~00 "" Deha Wing Liglrt Dream, from ............................... $1695.00

erarJJ~k

Moyes GTR, from .................................................. $2696.00

~ib~~oiAt Dream, from ........................... $2195.00 Moyes XS ............................................................ $2495.00 Magic IV 155 Full Race, all options ..................... $1450.00 WW Skyhawk 188, one hour ............................... $1450.00 WW HP ................................................................ $1200.00 WW Duck 180 ....................................................... $695.00 Wills Wing Skyhav.i< 160, ioW hours .................... $1270.00 UP Al.is, demo .................................................... $2400.00 NEW ITEMS

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UP Al.as 15 w/20 hrs........................................... $1995.00 Sensor 51 QC (retro), xclnt cond .......................... $1790.00 Wills Wing Cocoon, 6' 1' ........................................ $200.00 Oxygen System, lightweight carbon fiber .............. $395.00 Bill Bennett Light-Weight Harness ......................... $129.00 High Power Compact Flares ................................... $59.00

S\ltlai Stool Carabinera .......................................... $20.00

Afro Cross Country 8000, factory recondnioned ... $600.00 Afro Cirrus 8000, dealer demo, never flown .......... $799.00 Afro XC 6000, dealer demo, never flown .............. $855.00 Timex Ahimeter Watch, 100M resist ...................... $129.00 Maxon Voice-Activated Mile ................................... $89.00 Flight Suit, Nylon, S-M-L ......................................... $99.00

Orders Only Toll Free: 1 (800) 222-6430 (outside California) VISA, MasterCard, American Express, Discover Accepted Advanced Air Technology, Inc., 29 State St., Santa Barbara, CA 93101 (805) 962-8999 FAX: (805) 964-3337 24 hrs.

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

Hang Gliding Books by Dennis Pagen , . .._,o~·

• Hang Gliding Flying Skills · Details on: Beginning to intermediate training troubleshooting takeoffs Lan· ~ ~o.~0"" .._,o~"" ding problems Selecting equipment Glider maintenance learning ~0 r,, ~~ ->"'\\'b. to soar Traffic rules complete index and much more! $9.95 \'o

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• Hang Gliding Techniques For lhe novice to advanced pitol, lhis book continues the \earning that began with Flying Skills. Learn about thermal soaring-A full 31 pages on thermal techniques will have you soaring like an ace. Learn about speeds to fly-the key to efficient flying whether in competition or cross-country. Learn about cross-country flying-How to fly further with safety. Also: Perfecting turns Handling turbulence Flying at altitude Using ridge lift Design concepts Parachutes Performance tuning Cardinal speeds Harness adjustment Competition and much more! $6.95.

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•POWERED ULTRALIGHT TRAINING COURSE This is the only training course written by an ultralight instructor. Twenty lessons and related groundschools make this an ideal text for self-teaching and training school (dual and single place). Learn to fly safely in a carefully designed step-by-step manner. This manual is used by safety conscious schools internationally.

* * DEALER \NOU\R\ES \N\I\TED * * f SEND CHECK OR CASH TO: SPORT AVIATION PUBLICATIONS P.O. Box 101 MINGOVILLE, PA 16856 Please rush me the books listed below: I QUANTITY [ D Flying Conditions ($6.95) D Hang Gliding Flying Skills ($9.95) D Hang Gliding Techniques ($6.95) D Powered Ultralight Flying ($11.95) D Powered UL Training Course($9.95) J Save 10% order two or more books! J Save-all five books for only 38.95! J Total amount for all books$ _ _ __ Postage and Handling $1.60 I Overseas airmail if desired ($4.00/book) I TOTAL ENCLOSED - - - - - 1 SEND TO {Please Print) ·J NAME ADDRESS I CITY,STATE _ _ _ _ _ _ __ I COUNTRY/ZIP J

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At SEEDWINGS, High Technology Began Over a Decade Ago ...

Pilot: Nelson Howe. Photos : Bob Trampenau

Look where it:S going today! Flying a Sensor. you 'll experience tremendous lilting forces under your control. The reward for years of refinement along the leading edge of hang gliding's evolution-51 O C. with powerful performance you'll love to handle.

New developments in our soaring technology • New, optional wing tip rib • New more effective tail fin • Fixed-Position "Pigtail"rear control bar wires On your way up, you 'll be glad you chose the glider that has a climbing reputation . At Seedwings, building soaring machines is our only business .

Our advanced technology Sensor 51 0-1 60 a landmark design began in 1 982 Seedwings on-going research resulted in a Sensor design that made all previous and most following gliders obsolete. The 510 proved itself by winning national championships, five manufacturer's league championships and the admiration of competitors around the world . The Sensor 5 l OJ 60 became the glider all others were measured by. Today. we're still setting the standard.

THE WORLD'S FINEST GLIDERS

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Dealer Inquiries Welcomed

SEEDWINGS

HGMA Certified Product Sheets Available

4 J Aero Camino. Goleta, CA 93 l 17 • (805) 968-7070 • FAX (805) 968-005 9

ACCIDENT REPORTS will be counted as a fatality? What if a newspaper man goes for a tandem ride and dies? Does he count? You bet he does. So if he would get counted as a death, he gets to be counted as a participant. So depending on the assumptions, on the data we have been able to collect (annual questionnaires), and our best guesses we will have reasonably sound stats. In the future more accurate information supplied by you, our members, will bring our assumptions about the number of participants in hang gliding to close to actual. We can go through the same process to come up with how many flights there are per year, how many air hours we flew, etc. I know you're tired of all this. But I think it is important for you to understand what the assumptions and problems are in trying to come up with a real and honest number.

Accident Reports A Special Report On Statistics by USHGA Accident Review Chairman Doug Hildreth

've had a number of requests recently for hang gliding fatality rates. I'll see what I can do to give some perspective on the problem and our best guess of where we stand. There are a multitude of problems associate with the computation of fatality rates. I think it is important to understand the problems so that we can be as honest and as accurate as possible as we discuss and compare our data. (Those of you who just want the numbers, skip on clown to the tables.) The first thing to understand is that a fatality rate is a simple division. That is, it has a numerator and a denominator. The result depends a lot on the assumptions that we make to determine what numbers are in the numerator and the denominator. The second factor to consider is the terms in which we want our rate to be expressed. Do we want our fatality rate to be based on the total number of participants in the sport? Do we want it to be based on the number of flights per year? The number of air-hours that we fly per year? We can make the numbers look better or worse depending on what we choose as the denominator. Now let us talk about the numerator since that is the easiest to define. How many hang glider pilots died? We believe that we receive information on all fatalities. Sometimes the reports are a little late or sketchy, but we get them. It has been our custom to include all pilots and all passengers in our fatality statistics. We have chosen not to include bystanders who have been killed when a hang glider hit them or wire assistants who have fallen off a cliff, etc. The other numerator consideration is a bigger problem, however. That is, what year do we choose? I computed the fatality rate in a year when we had only 4 fatalities, and it came out pretty good. It didn't look so good when I did it for years with ID or 12 deaths.

The denominator is a different problem. Basically, what assumptions do we make in an area where we don't have accurate data? Let us assume that we will use as the denominator the total number of pilots in the United States. Our quotient will be expressed as "per 100,000 participants." Okay, how do we get that number? Well USHGA has about 7,000 members. Assume there are another 7,000 pilots out there who fly at least once a year who are not USHGA members. And how many students take lessons per year? Kitty Hawk told me a few years ago when I was doing this computation that they alone had 5,000 students per year go through their school. Well, acid another 5,000 for the rest of the country combined. How many tandem rides? Who knows. How many foreign pilots flying in the USA? How many self-taught pilots? From our standpoint-trying to make ourselves look good-we want to have the denominator as big as possible; that makes our rate smaller. Now, I want us to look good, but I demand that we be honest. Any argument to throw out the students, tandem, etc. is quickly and effectively countered. What if one of the students kills himself? Do you think that he

THOSE OF YOU WHO HA VE SKIPPED THE BORING PART SHOULD START TO READ HERE Assume USHGA members Non USHGA fliers Students taking lessons Tandem rides

7,000 7,000 10,000 1,000

Total participants in HG

25,000

Let us assume the denominator is 25,000 pilots who participate in hang gliding in a year (make at least one flight). In order to make Table l a bit more useful for future reference, we have computed the fatality rates using this constant denominator and have displayed those

Table 1 deaths rate/100,000

4 16

8 32

10 40

12 48

9 1.9

10 2.1

11 2.3

12 2.6

Table 2 deaths rate/ 100,000 air hours

4 0.8

1.3

7 1.5

8 1.7

HANG GLIDING

ACCIDENT REPORTS rates depending on the number of deaths that occur(red) in a given year. For example, if there were 4 deaths a year (for 25,000 participants), there would be 16 deaths per 100,000 participants (number of deaths per I 00,000 participants is a standard, accepted way of expressing fatality data). Another common way for aviation fatality data to be displayed is in tenns of air hours. Using information from our annual membership questionnaire, we know that for those who answer and return the questionnaire, each pilot averages (the mean) 33 air hours per year (in 1988). This is up from an average of 25 hours a few years ago. So assume that the 7,000 USHGA members and the 7,000 non-USHGA pilots average 3 3 air hours per year (462,000 hours per year). If there were 4 fatalities that year, that would compute: 4/462,000 or .86 deaths per I 00,000 air hours. Again, deaths per 100,000 air hours is the common, accepted way to express fatality data.

"The next obvious question is "How do we compare to other aviation and sport activities?" In general we compare quite welt but in a subsequent article I'll try to organize the data." 1

Now I know there will be a stonn of letters about how each of the above assumptions are too high or too low. And I welcome those, because with facts or more accurate guesses we will have more honest and better results. These data hopefully have shown you a couple of things. First, that one or two deaths more make a fairly big difference in the fatality

rate (translates into, "please don't kill yourself, 'cause even one death hurts our statistics"). Second, you can change the rate fairly significantly by increasing the denominator (translates into, "the more pilots, the more air hours, the better the rate"). Third, I have been what I consider quite conservative in my assumptions. I suspect that if all the schools, all the instructors, all the tandem pilots and all the nonUSHGA pilots were to report number of participants, that we would have a bigger number and therefore a better rate. I would like to be able to accurately report these numbers. The problem is not so much figuring out how to obtain the information (membership questionnaire, mandatory instructor reporting, etc.), but rather getting us busy, air-hungry pilots to respond. Any suggestions? The next obvious question is, "How do we compare to other aviation and sport activities?" In general we compare quite well, but in a subsequent article I' II try to organize the data I have and present it. Stay tuned.•

HANGGLIDING VACATION TOURS 2nd Year

JAN-FEB 1990 $600*: 8 days, 7 nights includes all ground transportation, bi-lingual guide service, hotel accomodations, sightseeing, Contact: refreshments at flying site and plenty ------- -------" of flying. _.. .._. _..._~ ADVENTURES Non-pilots welcome. i MEXICO I 1990

... .... .......-,..

...... -~-_,,,.~ -

---- -

llm~.....;;.. ...... - . . . - ....... . _ .

...

33041 Walls St. Lake Elsinore, CA 92330

(714) 678-5418

NOVEMBER 1989

·Airfare and glider rental not included.

Southern California Flying Tour December 26 to January 1

Build your hang gliding experience this winter and have fun flying a variety of Southern California's premier sites. Traveling with a small group, you'll be introduced to all flying sites by a certified Advanced Instructor with local site knowledge. This gives you the best opportunity to avoid hazards, launch at the right time, plan landing approaches, etc. Southern California has the most reliable winter flying and all sites on the tour have good launches and landing fields. TRIP INCLUDES: • Guide Service • Radio Instruction (if desired) • 4WD Rides and Retrieval• Motel and Camping Fees• Glider Demos• FUN! SITES: • Avenue "S" • Kagel• Crestline • Marshall • Lake Elsinore • Otai • Little Black • Big Black

For advanced Hang II and up. Cost: $595. Glider rental $350. Early reservations are recommended for out-of-state pilots, since airline schedules fill up early. This trip is carefully planned and has been running annually for nine years. We will proudly supply references.

C408l 384·2622 P.O . [lox 828, Maino, California 9J9JJ

For details and reservations contact :

n. Hong tilidlng c.nm of . . WNf

CLASSIFIEDS ADVISORY: Used hang gliders should always be disassembled before flying for the first time and inspected carefully for fatigued, bent or dented downtnbes, ruined bushings, bent bolts (especially the heart bolt), re-used Nyloc nuts, loose thimbles, frayed or rusted cables, tangs with non-

,v1AGlC lV 166- VG, Spcedbar, faired tubes, blue and white. low hours, excellent condition. Two extra faired downtubes. Ball 652 vario. Bennett POD harness and chute. Complete $1,800. (519) 337-7921.

leading edges. rr in doubt. many hang gliding businesses will be happy to give an objective opinion on the condition

MAGlC JV 177-AII race features, excellent condition. W/ \V cocoon harncs~ with new 22 g:ore chute. Ball #651 vario, all for S 1.895. (319) 136-0109. ~

of equipment you bring them to inspect.

MAGIC KISS-Demo .. 15 hrs., excellent, $2,900: also new (703) 533-1965.

ROGALLOS AXlS 15- Beautiful, Full Race, perfect condition. S2 !00. Eel 1303) 499-8236.

166 MYSTIC- Excellent condition, VG, faired tubes, speed bar. etc. S850. (818) 963-1909.

X-180 (BENNETT)- Excellent Condition. Blue/White, speedbar. $550 ( 203) 531-14-12.

NEW GLIDERS - At discount prices' Pacific Airwave. Wills Wings, UP. Secdwings. Delta. Silver Wings (703) 533-32-l-l.

CAN'T AFFORD A NEW GUDER'' CALL ,vlE 1 I DO ALL TYPES OF QUALITY SAlL WORK. Cindy Drozda. LID Enterprises (303) 440-3579. COivlET 135- Still sail, good condition, recent inspection. S350 (8 l 8J 309-4355.

COMET 165-1984, 1/2 ribs, T.E. Cord, Low Hours. S500. Tenn. (615) 843-0851. COMET 2-1/2 165- Low hours. mint condition, S750. Parachute S150, Harness S50.00 Chris (209) 252-1138. 165 DREAM-Pacific blue and pink. beautiful' Only 3 hrs. airtime. Sl.500. Call Cindy (615) 949-2301.

ATTACK DUCK 160- Low air time, nice colors, great deal at S450., (602) 774-1654. 180 ATTACK DUCK- Very good condition. wires. Flies great. S750 (714) 354-6566.

167 FULL RACE EURO. SPORT- Excellent condition, 5 months old, speed bar and faired downtubcs included, must sell $2,300. call Tiki (818) 352-7336.

HP l 1/2 - S900.+; Sport 167 Euro. full race S 1,650. (602) 683-2002 '89 HP 2- Full Race, beautiful, $2,100. 167 Sport, 7075, rainbow SI,200. Two 135 Cornets, $500, $700. ProStar [I 190, rainbow, $300. Larry Strom (509) 534-1249. HP 2- l'ull Race, S1.950. 167 Sport, full race, new, $2,500. (8 l 2) 288-6597. KISS~ New, test llown only. Free harness with purchase, will split shipping. Byron Jones (509) 627-3624.

RA VEN 209 - Verv good, Low hours, S600. Robertson Cocoon 1•:/chutc, S250. Lick Vario, S75.13ell Helmet, SIS. Whole outfit, S850. (805) 295-1571 RA VEi\' 229-Grcat tanckm glider, S500. ivloyes Mars 150 - Great for lightweight pilot. S700. (71-l) 589-i 912.

SPORT AMERICAl\ 167- Purple L.E., blue and magenta

VISlON MK lV 19- 1989 Model less than 30 minute, airlimc and 3 hrs. U.V. exposure. stored ins;iclc. Absollllely like new. Supine with new harness and 27' parachute. Job

1985 VISlON 18- Good condition, Sl,200. CG 1000 Harness for 5'8". 140-lb. pilot (includes CB radio) S400. free flighl chute S350. Roberts Vario S:250. Harnes.'>. chute and vario barely used - like nc\\'. ;'vladi..:;on. \VI (608) 25B-

8800.

ment and F.D. or U.P. knee hanger harnesses (602) 897-

7121.

WANTED- Sail for 165 Comet L call anytime ( 313 i 2390874.

Excellent condition, Sl.400. (301) 358-8033. 150 SPORT EURO.-l'ull race. excellent condition, $2.300 0130. Will ship. (818) 761-0085.

\VANTED- Used hang glider~ and accessories in good condition, Action Soaring Center (209) 368-9665.

WANTED- Used hang gliding equipment. Gliders. instru-

167 SPORT EUROPEAN- Excellent condition, S!,500. Also, two .JO-channel CB· s, Litek VE- IO vario, Thom men 2000 altimeter. Glider plus equipment, S 1,700. Dave (806) 592-3138.

ments, harnesses and parachutes. Airtime of San Francisco .

3620 Wawona. San Francisco, CA 9-l 116. (-115) SKY-1177. WILL TRADE COMMODORE 128 Computer system. many extras. for late model hang glider (201) 277-1368. COLORADO HANG GUDING New name brand chutes ..

25 Used gliders .. SPORT 150 RACER (714)492-8192.

Perfect, many extras, Chris, SI ,795.

Used 20 and 22 gore clmles .. Paraglidcrs

Bell Helmets .......................... .

............. $350 .. S500-S 1,800 ............... S250 .$1,860 ...... ln stock S 125 .. $14.80

SPORT EURO. RACE 167- Magenta/white, 40 hours, clean. S l ,800 firm. Also harness and instruments. Eric (206) 632-2465.

Steel carabincr All equipment guaranteed, inspec1cd and shipped anywhere.

1986 STREAK 180- Like new, custom colors. 6 mos. air time, S800. - 1985/1986 PROSTAR 160, Like new, custom colors, 8 mos. air time, S900. -1-!ANBAR Y 22' parachute, $250. -BENNETT Custom prone harness, size 5' 11", S150. - lNSTRUMENT Pack aircraft altimeter ancl Litek vario, S200. Call Rick at (213) 498-2617.

COLORADO HANG GUDING Cornet 165 .................... $500 Javelin 208 .................. $600 Lt. Mystic 177 ....... . ..... Sl,300 Lt. Dream l 85. ....... S 1,380 . .......... $900 Duck l 60 .. Skyhawk 188 ............... ............ $900 All inspected and in excellem shape. Will ship anywhere (303) 278-9566, 24 hrs.

SUN BIRD NOV A [I 230 WANTED, good condition. For sale, Nova control bars, make offer. Dave Broyles, (2 l4) 996-7706 or (214) 727-3588.

(303) 278-9566. 2-l hr,.

THE HANG GLIDING CENTER Magic Kiss.... ....................

UP GE\,[[NJ 164- Very clean, $700. Moyes Mars 150 Great glider for light pilot, S800. (714) 589-0 l 09. VISION ECUPSE 19- 13lue and gold, low time. Excellent condition. S 1.095. (408) 646-2538. VISION MARK l\1- Brand new, must sell, $1,500. Call Bruce Moody at (213 i 451-0362 days and evenings.

LlGHT DREAM 185- Like new, SI ,400. (703) 533-1965.

main body, factory installed heavy plates at LE and X-tube

VlSJON MK JV 17 -

NOVEMBER 1989

been !lown. Seen once. Purchased but not delivered from

"Up Over New '.vlexico, Inc.·· -l.-l Sail. specdbar. tlaired downwbcs, :2 zippered camera pockets. beautiful. $2,390 A Bargain, Call Joe at (505) 293-4286 or (505) 764-6900 (work). Albuquerque. N.M.

WANTED- Quality used single surface gliders and equipSENSOR 5 IOB- VG - f-R. Excellent condition. Very tight. SJ,800. Kyle t713J 288-7167.

LlGHT DREAM 165- Gold leading edge, spectrum, white trailing edge. Extra set of new downtubes. Leaf knee hanger harness, purchased new from InstruclOr/Dealcr. New condition. SI ,000 OBO, region 9 (412) 847-0513.

MAGIC 177 Standard- 1988 - Under 30 hours, clean. Cocoon harness, 26' chnle, lark vario, helmet. Asking S 1,800. for package. (406) 622-5677.

VISION MARK l\l 19- Everything must go, old back injury acting up, can't fly any longer. Brand new, gorgeous Vision. Hot pink lrilam LE., magenta & purple. has not

prevents flying. S1,995. Al Litzow, Tucson (602) 743-0909

All new

160 EXCEL- New condition. Only 2 hrs. Purple edge, red, yellow, white. S 1,600. Cocoon harness w/chllle for 5'9" ·pilot, never popped. $400. Complete, S 1,900. Call Mark at (214) 561-2525.

Call 13ill at (813) 726-9258.

evenings.

SPORT EUROPEAN 150- Excellent condition. fluorescent greenish. Yellow L.E. and T.E., blue middle. Flies perte~t. S2.000 OBO. (208) 237-9157.

DREAM 220- Great condition, SJ ,250. firm. Brad (312) 360-0700.

Purchased Jan 1989. Excellent

NEW. UGHT DREAM 185- 5 Hours only. beauiirul con-

DREAM 205- Excellent condition, like new. S875. Harness available (916) 26.5-9284.

VISION MARK lV 19 -

dition, gold \1.550. {71-1-J 242-7)78 Leave message.

undersurface. Less than 70 hours total time. One owner.

DREAi\1 165- Like new, beautiful. dark blue L.E./T.E .. rainbow colors, wheels. superb condition. S l .200 OBO. Must sec to appreciate. Mark (213) 318-1471.

Good condition. $1200. Call

shape. Tri lam LE, beautiful magenta undcrsurfacc. SI 750.

circular holes, and on Rogallos, sails badly tom or torn loose

from their anchor points front and back on the keel and

VISION MARK IV 17 Forrest (615) 227-2925.

Unused/)\"ew, Tri-lam LE metal cloth

....... Ne\\'

150 Sport, full race 63" Cl3 ... . .............. S2400 167 Sport, full race ..... New 167 Sport perfect shape . ................ S l 775 ... $1850 HP II FR excellent shape HP [I FR bitchin · glider ...... S 1900 Magic IV 166, almost new......... ... $1900 VisionMKlV 17.19 .............................. New Visions 17, 19 used demos ................... .... Call 4206-K Sonento Valley Blvd .. San Diego, CA 92121 We have all kinds of new and neat stuff' (619) 450-9008.

swivel points. Dipole antenna inside wing. $2000. (307) 733- 1586.

CLASSIFIEDS OWENS VALLEY SOARING 210 GTR ........................ .. ............ $l,500 HP II... .................................. .. ............ l,800 220 Dream ........ .... .. ................ l ,250 151 GTR .... .. ......................................... Demo 162 GTR ........................ .. .. New (619) 872-0247 or 872-0319 RED RIVER AIRCRAFT, AUSTIN, TX (512) 467-2529 Single Surface 185 Dream ............................................... S 900 185 Gemini .. .. S 800, 750 165 Dream ............................ ... S 800,700,600 Double Surface 170 Mission w/alum. nose catch . .. ...... S 1,900 Delta Wings Excel .......... .... ....... .. .. $1,300 HP II............................ .. ................... $2,100 160 Sensor B FR ....................................... S 1,700 .. .. $2,225 160 Sensor C FR......................... Used: Cocoon, spaghetti, knee hanger, training type harnesses, varios (4 ), altimeters (3), chutes (3) ... call for availability and pricing. All gliders come with manual, batten guide, and tune up annual w/inspection sheet ... $50 plus hardware. RRA - Austin, TX

ARlZONA ARIZONA WINDS PORTS- Largest hang gliding center in the Southwest. Lessons utilizing the world's first manmade trainer hill. All our sites face every wind direction. Highest percent of tl yable student days in America. Dealc1 for Pacific Airwave, Wills Wing, High Energy, Ball and Seagull classic parts. 1327 E. Bell De Mar Dr., 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

HANG FLIGHT SYSTEMS - USHGA Certified training program featuring the combined talents of Dan Skadal and Erik Fair. We sell and service all major brands of gliders and accessories. New and used. S-M-LG Sport, Skyhawk, HP II, Genesis Vision lvfark [V, Magic Kiss. 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. 10-5, Sat. 10-4. 613 N. Milpas, Santa Barbara, California 93103 (805) 965-3733.

OZARK MOUNTAIN HANG GLIDING- Sales, service and instrnction. Dealer for Wills Wing, Moyes, Eric Raymond harnesses and lvlaxon radios. 10411 \V. :ivlarkham, Suite 120, Little Rock, AR 72205 (501) 681-5656. SAIL WINGS HANG GLIDING - Certified Instruction. Agent for Pacific Airwave, C.G. 1000. Soar 600' Haney's Point! 160 I N. Shackleford# 131-4. Little Rock, AR 72211 (501) 224-2186. CALIFORNIA

ULTRALIGHTS ACTlON SOARING CENTER - In Lodi Near Stockton. Personalized USHGA Certified Instruction, sales, and service, Emphasis on special skills and technics, T.O. & L. Major brands of gliders & accessories carried. 1689 Armstrong Road, Lodi, CA 95242 (209) 368-9665. AIRTIME of SAN FRANCISCO - Hang Gliding and Paragliding Lessons ·· Sales - Service - Rental. Delta Wing, UP, Pacific Airwave, Sccdwings, Wills Wing, High Energy, Raymond, plus more. Large selection of 2nd hand equipment. Certified Instruction (USHGA and APA). Next to fort Funston. 3620 Wawona, San Francisco, CA 94116 (415) Sky-1177. llULLET-Two-place sports aircraft, 28-100 MPH, easy to build kit, easy to fly. Dealer inquiries \Velcomed. Video information package $24.95. Old Kings Flite Park, P.O. Box 1893, Flagler Beach, Florida 32036 (904) 439-4431. SCHOOLS AND DEALERS ALABAMA LMFP - Two hours from Birmingham (sec our ad under Tennessee.) (404) 398-3541.

AIRTIME UNLIMITED-SOUTHLAND HANG GLIDING SCHOOL - Pacific Airwavc gliders in stock. Tandem instruction, ATOL towing. We need your used glider tradeins. 28882 Woodspring Circle, Trabuco Canyon, CA 92679 (714) 589-0109. CHANDELLE HANG GLIDING CENTER - USHGA Certified school., The best damn hang gliding shop in the world. Dealers for Wills Wing, Pacific Airwave, Delta Wing, Moyes, Sccdwings and High Energy. Five minutes from Fort Funston. 488 Manor Plaza, Pacifica, CA 94044. (415) 359-6800.

HIGH ADVENTURE - Full service facility located on site at Southern California's famous mile high mountains, Crestline. From sand hill to XC thermal flying, our 20 tandem accelerated training program is quick and thorough. Instructor Rob :McKenzie. Dozens of new and used gliders for sale or rent. Other services include, weather information, mountain shuttle, towing seminars, XC trips, repairs, ratings. (71..\J 883-8488. THE HANG GLIDING CENTER - Located in beautiful San Diego. USI-IGA instruction, equipment rentals, local flying tours. Spend your winter vacation flying with us. \Ve proudly offer Wills Wing, Pacific Airwave. High Energy, Ball and we need your used equipment. 4206-K Sorrento Valley Blvd., San Diego, CA 92121 (619) 450-9008. MlSSION SOARlNG CENTER -Servi11g the flying community since 1973. Complete lesson program with special attention to quality take-off and landing skills. All major brands of gliders, parachutes and instruments sold. Sail repair and air frame service available. 1116 \Vriglcy \Vay, Milpitas, CA 95035. ( 408) 262-1055.

r--------------------------------------~ USHGA CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING ORDER FORM 40 cents per word, $4.00 minimum. Boldface or caps $.95 per word. (Does not include first few words which are automatically caps.) Special layouts or tabs $22 per column inch. (phone numbers-2 words, P.O. Box-1 word) photos-$25.00 line art logos-$15.00 Deadline-20th of the month, six weeks before the cover date of the issue in which you want your ad to appear (i.e., June 20 for the August issue). Prepayment required unless account established. Please enter my classified ad as follows:

Section (please circle) Rogallos Emergency Chutes Parts & Accessories Business & Employment Miscellaneous

Schools and Dealers Ultralights Rigid Wings Publications & Organizations

Begin with 19_ _ issue and run for consecutive issue(s). My check 0, money order 0, is enclosed in the amount of

$_ _ _ _ __ NAME: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ ADDRESS: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __

Number or words: _ _ _ _ _ @ .40 = _ _ _ _ _ __

PHONE: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __

P.O. Box 8300, Colorado Springs, CO 80933 (719) 632-8300 _J L - - - - - - - - - -USHGA, -----------------------------

HANG GLIDING

CLASSIFIEDS NATURAL H[GH - Hang Gliding School. Personalized instruction and tandems. Aircraft maintenance. Dealer for Delta Wing, Moyes gliders and Wills Wing, HANG GLIDING JEWELRY - Each piece contains 1 full gram of l4K Gold. Pendant $30,Tie Tack $35,EatTings $65,Shipping S2. P.O. Box 8193, Green Valley Lake, CA 92341 (714)8677961. OWENS VALLEY SOARING - Dealers for Wills, Moyes, Airwave, etc. Parts & supplies. Tandem instruction. At Bishop Airport. (619) 872-0247 or 872-03[9. PINE CREST AIR PARK - Landing area for Crestline launch. Info. for schools, lodging, area flying .sites. Contact Juanita Jackson evenings al (714) 887-9275.

COLORADO WIND PARK- "Come up for Air!" Sales, service, complete instruction on our 500-foot, 360-degrec training hill. $10/day lodging. Dealing all brands. PO Box 94, Hartse[, Colorado 80449. (719) 836-2240 or (303) 6926505. EAGLE'S NEST School of Hang Gliding- USHGA certified school. Dealer for Delta Wing, Pacific Airwave and Wills Wing. P.O. Box 25985, Colorado Springs, CO 80936 (719) 594-0498.

NEVADA HIGH SIERRA SPORTS - dealers for Delta Wing, Wills Wing, Pacific Airwave. USHGA certified training and ratings including t,mdem. Siena tours and rentals available. Carson City and Reno locations. 2303 N. Carson St., Carson City, NV 89701. (702) 885-189!. NEW JERSEY MOUNTAIN WINGS-Look under New York.

GOLDEN WINGS - Sales, Service, Instruction. Dealer for Wills Wing, Delta Wing, Pacific Airwavc. l 108 Miners Alley, Golden, CO 8040 I, (303) 278-7181/279-795 l

NEW MEXICO

LID ENTERPRISES -

UP OVER NEW MEXICO, INC. - Instruction, sales, service. Sandia Mountain guides. Wills, Secdwings, Pacific Airwave, Delta, Moyes. Albuquerque, NM (505) 292-0647.

Frame and sail repair; Parts and accessories, Cindy Drozda, 5000 Butte# 183, Boulder, CO 80301 (303) 440-3579.

NEW YORK CONNECTICUT MOUNTAIN WINGS -

Look under New York.

FLORIDA LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN FLIGHT PARK-See ad under Tennessee. (404) 398-354!.

WORLD WIDE HANG GLIDING SAFARIS- New Zealand, Jan. 15-29, 1990, S1,995. Tanzania/Rifft Valley, Feb. 15-30, 1990, $2,695 (including airfare). Trans-Andes Safari, Chile and Argentina, 1990, S l 995 (including airfare). Virgin Islands, March 15-25, 1990, 50 ft. yacht, $2,195 (includes airfare from New Yark). SANTA BARBARA HANG GLIDING CENTER. USHGA Certified School. Achim J. Hageman. 29 State St., Santa Barbara, CA. 93101 (805) 962-8999. TORREY FLJGHT PARK, INC. - Al the launch of the world famous Torrey Pines Glider Port, one of San Diego's highlighis! Unmatched convenience for pilots and spectators. Refreshments and souvenirs at the Cliftlrnnger Cafe. Certified Training program featudng tandem soaring lessons. New, used, rental and demo equipment by Delta Wing and UP. 2800 TotTey Pines Scenic Drive, La Jolla, CA 92037 (619) 452-3202. TRUE FLIGHT CONCEPTS - USHGA Certified Instruction, Sales & Service. Become a bener pilot in less time with our small personalized classes & tandem instruction. Our head instrnctor has over 12 years teaching experience. Only minutes from our local Kagel Mountain flying site. 13243 Gladstone Ave., Sylmar, CA 91342. (818) 367-6050. WINDGYPSY - USHGA Certified school specializing in personalized tandem flight training. Full service sales & repair facility in Lake Elsinore - call for site info. Wide range of new & used gliders & flight accessories in stock. Mexico Hang Gliding Tours. Paul Burns, 33041 Walls St., Lake Elsinore, CA 92330 Phone (714) 678-5418; FAX (714) 678-5425. WINDSPORTS, INTL. - Hang Gliding School - Since 1974. Largest and most complete HANG GLIDING CENTER in Southern California. Large inventory of new and used gliders including Sports and Lite Dreams. Accelerated training program features Tandem instruction and minimizes course time. 16145 Victory Blvd., Van Nuys, CA 91406. (818) 988-01 l l. COLORADO COLORADO HANG GLIDING USHGA Certified School, dealer all brands. Towing and paraglider inst. Bell helmets. (303) 278-9566.

NOVEMBER 1989

OLD KINGS FLITE PARK- Complete service centre. Sail and airframe repairs. Training on single and t\vo-place, prone and ~upine trikes. New and used trikes and wings available. Send $3.00, P.O. Box 1893, Flagler Beach, Florida 32036 (904) 439-443 l. GEORGIA LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN FLIGHT PARK under Tennessee. (404) 398-354!.

See our ad

HAWAII MAUI SOARING SUPPLIES - Guided rentals, PacAir, Genesis, Mark IV, Wills Wing Sport. Certified Instruction. Box 780, Kula, H[ 96790 (808) 878-1271. IDAHO TREASURE VALLEY HG - USHGA CF!, service/sales, Pacific Airwave, UP, American Windwright, La Mouette. 11716 Fairview, Boise, ID 83704, (208) 376-7914. lLLINOIS

AAA FLY ELLENVJLLE MOUNTA[N - Visit our new hang gliding center at the ba,e of the mountain, between launch and landing. Five exclusive training hills, area's only flight park. Exclusive dealer for Seedwings, Pacific Airwave and Delta \Ying with demo gliders and rentals. Full line of accessories, new and used gliders. Mail orders, VISA/ MasterCard accepted. Stop and pick up your gate combo and flight pass at: MOUNTAIN WINGS, INC., 150 Canal St., ELLENVILLE, NY 12428 (914) 647-3377. AER[AL ALTERNATIVES - FLY HIGH HANG GLIDING, INC. Serving S. New York, Connecticut, Jersey areas (Ellenville Mtn.). Area's EXCLUSIVE Wills Wing dealer/ specialist. Also all other major brands, accessories. Certified school/instrnction. Teaching since 1979. Area's most INEXPENSIVE prices/repairs. Excellent secondary instruction .. .if you've finished a program and wish to continue. Fly the mountain! ATOL towing and tandem flights. Contact: Paul Voight, RD 2, Box 561, Pine Bush, NY 12566, (914) 744-3317. SUSQUEHANNA FLIGHT PARK - Cooperstown, NY. Certified lnsrruction, Sales and Servke for all major manufacturers. 40 acre park, 5 training hills, jeep rides, bunk house, camping, hot showers, 600' NW ridge. We have the best facilities in N. New York state to teach you how to fly. 35 Catherine Street, Mohawk, NY 13407, (315) 866-6153. THERMAL UP, [NC. - Most complete hang gliding shop in area. Located on top of Ellenville Mountain. USHGA Certified Instructor and Observer. Concentratjng 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

Your hang gliding success company. Representative for Wills Wing, Delta Wing, Secdwings, 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 Cannel, Zion, IL 60099. (312) 7461944. 1'vl!CHIGAN PRO HANG GUDERS - Serving the flying community since 1978. Sarety conscious, individualized, CB assisled. USHGA certified lessons. Beginner-Fool Launch-NoviceTowing, Intermediate-Advanced. Step towing, ground assisted XC goals, fulfilling your complete needs. Offering all brands of gliders, service, equipment. Contact Nonnan Lesnow, 569 W. Annabelle, Hazel Park, MI 48030 (313) 3999433.

KITTY HAWK KITES, INC. - P.O. Box 340, Nags Head, NC 27959 (919) 441-4124. Learn to hang glide on Jockey's Ridge, the largest sand dune on the east coast, just south of where the Wright Brothers' first flight look place. Beginner and advanced lesson packages and camps offered. Advanced tandem tow instruction, 1500 ft. plus up. Dealer for all major brand gliders, complete inventory of new and used gliders, accessories and parts. SAURATOWN SOARING- Airspeed Sl5, Stirrups, cocoons, altimeters, varios, thermal snoopers $50 each, Parachute S150, Trainer S250. Tommy Thompson (9 l 9) 9839064. 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.

CLASSIFIEDS SKYWARD ENTERPRISES- Certified instruction, airframe and sail repair, distlssembly inspection, Pacific Airwave gliders. Mario Manzo, 2259 S, Smithville Rd., Dayton, 01-1 45420 (513) 256-3888 (eves.), OKLAHOMA OKLAHOMA HANG GLIDING CENTER - USHGA Certified instruction. Wills Wing, Seedwings, Delta Wing and other major brands. New and used equipment, instruments, parachntes, and service. OKC, (405) 943-5484.

Airtime, call Jerry at Airtime of Lubbock (806) 745-9633. NEW ADDRESS: 8206 Avenue D, Lubbock, Texas 79404. \Vhere we don't care which way the wind blows and it's always soarable. KITE ENTERPRISES- Instruction, sales, repairs, platform towing, Dallas, North Texas area. 21 l Ellis, Allen, TX 75002 (214) 996-7706 nights, (214) 727-3588 weekends. UTAH

OVERSTOCKED new 20, 22 gore $350 each. Used $250 each. Includes inspection and repacking, Colorado Hang Gliding, (303) 278-9566. PARTS & ACCESSORIES BALL MOD 652 VARIO- Like new, $550. Eric Raymond POD harness excellent condition $400 with matching helmet. High Energy Sports Chute, new condition, $350, Call Forrest (615) 227-2925.

FLY UTAH WITH BELL SOARING HELMETS-All sizes in stock. Send hat size and $125 P.Pd. to: Colorado Hang Gliding, P.O. Box 1423, Golden, CO 80402 or use Visa/Mastercard at (303) 278-9566, 24 hrs.

OREGON SOUTHERN OREGON HANG GLIDING - USHGA certified instruction. A TV's pull their gliders up. We specialize in Fatigue Free Flying, Enhanced-Learning & Safety. More flights (30/day), airtime and fun, Our training sites are the finest in the West. Learn to soar in magic glass-off conditions. Beautiful lakeside training sites with camping. Pacific Airwave, UP & American Windwright. Call Wes (503) 479-953], FREEDOM WJNGS PENNSYLVANIA MOUNTAIN WINGS- Look under New York. TENNESSEE CRYSTAL AIR SPORT MOTEL- at Raccoon Mountain; Bunkhouse, private rustic rooms, regular & waterbeds, video in-room movies, private jacuzzi room, pool, sky gear gifts, fliers work program. FF!: 4328 Cnmmings Hwy., Chattanooga, TN. 37409. (615) 821-2546. Chuck & Shari Toth, HA WK AIRSPORTS - New and improved hang gliding! Atlention Novice and beginners! New 360 degree training hill designed and built specifically for you. Conveniently located. Fun! Fun! Fun! Clinch Mtn. -The longest ridge, two launches. The popular light wind indicator Windsok. Brochures available. Your satisfaction is the key to our continued growth and success. Hawk Air Sports, Inc., 251 North Boyd's Creek Rd., Sevierville, TN 37862, (6l5) 453-1035,

(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. (801) 571-4000. BLACKHAWK BODYSACK CG HARNESS- with case, custom made, $395 including shipping, also Pods $395. Silver Wings (703) 533-1965.

VIRGINIA SILVER WINGS, INC - Certified instruction & equipment sales. Pacific Airwave N. VA. (703) 533-1965. WASHINGTON AIRPLA Y'N PRO SHOP & Hang Gliding School. The largest full time, foll service hang gliding shop in Washing1or1. All major brands sold and serviced. 800 Mercer, Seattle, WA 98109. (206) 467-8644.

DRAND NEW MAXON RADIOS - $ 175 shipped! Colorado residents add 3.5% sales tax, Colorado Wind Park, PO Box 94, Hartse], Colorado 80449 (719) 836-2240. CAN'T GET A ROBERTS BREAD PAN VARIO at manufacturer's suggested retail of $320. then (805) 682-1088,

INTERNATIONAL DEALERS LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN FLIGHT PARK -Since 1978, Southeast's largest USHGA-certified mountain flight school. Complete training, from grassy. gently-sloping training hills to soaring high above Lookout Mountain. Our specialty: getting you your first mountain flights. Lesson packnges, USHGA ratings, glider and mountain bike rentals, camping, local site infonr,ation. Largest inventory of new and used

hang gliders and mountain bikes, harnesses, helmets, instruments, T-shirts. Repair services. We buy used gliders, equipment! Send$ l .00 for brochure, rates, directions, accommodations information. Twenty minutes from Chattanooga, Tennessee. Route 2, Box 215-H, Dept. 1-IG, Rising Fawn, GA 30738. (404) 398-3541 or 398-3433. SEQUATCHIE VALLEY SOARING - Dealers for all major brands. Small training classes so you can learn to fly easily. Accelerated learning utilizing certified tandem instrnction, Fly over 100 miles of ridges and enjoy challenging thermals, Fully stocked pro shop:rentals, storage, USHGA ratings and all the newest fashions. For personal service you can trust call SVS, Rt 2, Box 80, Dunlap, TN 37327 (615) 949-2301.

SWITZERLAND SWISS ALP HANG GLIDING SAFAR] - For quick, easy flying May to October, call or write Ron Hurst, Jostenstr. 21, 8854 Galgenen, Switzerland, Dir. Dial USA 011 41 55 645229. VENEZUELA Thermal fest and cross country holiday. Fly to the beaches from 6,000 ft. or go cross country from La Victoria JOO miles plus. Take the longest cable car in the world in the middle of the Andes and soar an incredible 8,000 vertical. ATOL winch available. Room and transportation provided. Contact Omar or Kike (305) 920-7751 (Florida).

CLOUDBASE INSTRUMENTS - ghi350c Digital AltimeLcr. Temperature compensated. Accurate. Mounting Options. Affordable, $149. 2464 El Camino Real, Suite 513. Santa Clara, CA 95051 (408) 296-3680.

EMERGENCY PARACHUTES ALL BRANDS - Bought, sold, and repacked, Inspection and repack $20.00 - Parachmes, bridles, inspected and replaced. Airtime of S.F., 3620 \Vawona, San Francisco, CA 94116. (415) SKY-1177.

TEXAS HANDBURY-16 gore, pull down Apex chute. Inspected and repacked August, '89. Best for pilots 150 lbs. or less. $225 (213) 690-6312.

200 MILE SITES are hard to find. Recently another location was added to the short but distinguished list. Ya'll come challenge lhe thermals of \Vest Texas using lhc finest in Truck Launching technology, For thermal instruction, X-C lessons, towing instruction, tandem inslruction or just plain

THE CRUISE X-C SU PRONE POD- Total comfort and cu,;;;tomizcd to your needs, for details contact Steve Dyer. PO Box 4504, Federal Way, WA 98063 (206) 383-4675.

HANG GLIDING

STRONGER THAN TURBULENCE ... FASTER THAN THE WINO ... ABLE TD LEAP TALL MOUNTAINS IN A SINGLE THERMAL-that' stodays' hang glider pilot. And, when ii comes to quality sports wear, penguins,

tigers, alligators, polo ponies-low life-just won't do. The SqLife knit shirt, featuring the SfyLife emblem, eel eh rotes a heritage of over 100 years of progress in mankind's oldest and purest form of flight. The shirt itself is made from a soft and thick 100% cotton pique that washes and wears well without losing its shape and without any permanent creases. The tail is rut long, the neck and shoulder seams are reinforced, and it's tailored to fit real pilots whose arms, shoulders, and backs are flexed to extremes. And it's good enough to be worn in public! $32.95 PPD, $30.95 each for 2or more, add $1.00 for white (metallic gold emblem), N.Y. residents add 8V.%tax. © 1989 SqLile® 345 W. 21st St. New ~rt<, N.Y. 10011 Tel: 212 -929 -4379 men women jade navy white green yellow black magenta s 34-36 8-10 name M 38-40 12 stree t L 42-44 14-16 city/slate/zip XL 46-48 18 phon el I

'Scuse Me While NOVEMBER-MARCH Weekly Flying Tours Include: • Seven days offlyg • Gliders from Paciflc AlrWave • Hotel Accommodations • Transport &retrieval Leisure tour-Colima &T8Dallll November 2 - December 1S, 1189 X-C tour-Valle de Bravo January 4 • March 29, 1990

$495 + Airfare

CLASSIFIEDS SOARING - Monthly magazine of The Soaring Society of America, Inc. Covers all aspects of soaring tlight. Full membership $35. Info kit with sample copy $3. SSA, PO Box E, Hobbs, NM 8824 l. UNDERSTAND YOUR WING - Dr. Horten's book "Flying Wing," third bi-lingual printing, now available from Scotl Airpark, Rt. I, Box 239, Lovettsville, VA 22080. S45.PP, Check or M.O. MANBIRDS: Supply Limited. S7.95/l, $4.95/5 or more, $1 ea. shipping. 1811 Beverly Glen Dr., Santa Ana, CA 92705. VIDEOS & FILMS THE FAMOUS "LAMBIE LID" -Aerodynamic Hang Glider helmet, $75 postpaid. State size and 3 choices of color. 8160 Woodsboro, Anaheim, CA 92807 (714) 779-1877. INCREASE PERFORMANCE WJTH WING-TIP FAIRINGS! For most gliders. $30.00/pr. plus shipping. L/D Enterprises (303) 440-3579. Dealers wanted. LJQU!DA T!ON SALE- On all Ball equipment. Prices slashed 40% on Ball 651, 652, M-21 and M-30s. Won't last long - call now! Microflight Products 1-800-247-6955. MAXON RADIOS- $295. New hang gliding legal frequency (sec July 88 issue). Includes charger case and warranty. Vehicular power-amp, 25 watts, S119. Best prices on Maxon Radios and accessories plus fast reliable service facility. !-watt 151.625 Maxon Transceiver$ 169.95. Dealers, Schools or Clubs - quantity discount available. Pendulum Sports Inc. (719) 539-3900.

THE SPORT PROTECTOR- Get this innovative chafe protector of sailmaker's leather w/vcJcro closures. Easy inspection, easy installation. Currently available for HP, HP-faired, and Sport. Two week delivery. S25 plus $2 shipping. Jodi Rosengren, 140 Pennsylvania, San Diego, Ca 92103. STEEL CARABINER- Bonaiti locking "D" steel 8,000 lb. test. Send S 14.80 P.Pd. to: Colorado Hang Gliding, P.O. Box 1423, Golden, CO 80402 or use Visa/1v!astercard at (303) 278-9566. SYSTEK lll VARIO - New compact design, mount included, rugged meter, long batlery life, optional altimeter and earphone jack. Price S 179. Contact Hawk Airsporrs, Inc., 251 N. Boyd's Creek Rd., Sevierville, TN 37862. THERMAL SNOOPERS in stock, S85. (703) 533-3244.

MAXON RADIO HOLSTER- Velcros around harness strap - many colors available. $18.00 plus shipping, LID Enterprises, (303) 440-3579. Dealers wanted.

TUBING, WHEELS, BOLTS, BRACKETS, DACRON plus much more. Free tubing price sheet or send $5 for complete catalog. Leading Edge Air Foils, Inc., 331 S. [4th Street, Colorado Springs, CO 80904. Phone (719) 632-4959.

BUSINESS AND EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES APCO Aviation Ltd,- The leading manufacturer in Europe, seeks to establish a Distributor-Oealer-Netwm·k in the USA for its products in the fields of Hanggliding, Paragliding, Ernergency Systems and accessories: Santana and Nimbus award \Vinning Hangglidcrs, MayDay Emergency Systems (over 5,000 sold, dozens of documented life savjngs), Dream and Hililc (CX) Paragliders ~ winners in rnost international 1989 competitions. All products carry full Gcnnan Certification. Inquiries to: APCO Aviation Ltd., Mail address: PO Box 2124, Holan 58121, Israel. Tel: 97253-334322 Fax: 972-53-6 ! 905 I OREi\ T BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES-BEST VALUES FOR YOUR MONEY QUICK RELEASE CARABINER - Breaking 10,000 lbs. $24.95. Extra 5/16 ball lock pin $10. Dealers wanted. Patent pending. Thermal, 19431-4 l Business Center Dr., Northridge, CA 91324.

INSTRUCTOR/MANAGER needed. Basic certification preferred but WILL TRAIN Pilot with management potential. Windgypsy, 33041 Walls Street, Lake Elsinore, CA 92330 (714) 678-5418.

$$$SA VE MONEY$$$ - Make downtubes in seconds with your own custom-made JIGMASTER drilling tool. Send $29.95 to JIGMI\STER, 4175 Lacy Lane, Suite 36, Colorado Springs, CO 80916.

INSTRUCTORS WANTED - Prefer certified but will train qualified people. Advancement opportunities include tour guiding and management. Western Hang Gliders, P.O. Box 28882, Marina, CA 93933. (408) 384-2622. WE NEED YOUR TALENT-We're looking for certified hang gliding instructors. Basic and advanced with experience.Full-time, salary negotiable, housing available. MOUNTAIN WINGS Flight Park, INC., 150 Canal St., ELLENVILLE, NY 12428 (914) 647-3377. PUBLICATIONS & ORGANIZATIONS BINDERS FOR HANG GLJDTNG MAGAZINE - Brown vinyl with wire centerfold spines lo allow library reference organization of your issues. Keeps up to 12 issues tidy and handy. Only $9.00 plus $2.25 shipping/handling from USHGA, P.O. Box 8300, Colorado Springs, CO 80933.

ATOL T1,uck Towi111G & CRms Cou111rny Flyi111c, 1111 WEST TEX/IS Wirll LARRY TudOR A111d JoE BoSTik FLATLAND FLYING puts you in the control bar with Larry Tudor and Joe Bostik on flights of up to 220 miles. Get a good look at truck towing jn action, with lots of ae1fal footage, including tandern flying. Includes short music video, "Airplay!" Also available, 1'1ountains High and TELLURIDE!, showing Colorado mountain Oying and acrobatics at their best. All tapes are $37 (CA residents add stale tax) plus S3 shipping ($6 foreign). Flatland Flying also available in PI\L format on foreign orders for S42. Robert Reiter, 800 Heinz Street #9, Berkeley, CA 94710 (415)649811 l MISCELLANEOUS DON'T LET THE END OF SUMMER END YOUR FLYING SEASON! Come tow up in Mt. Shasta, California with Silent Flight. Tow all day and ski at night! Vast variety of services. (916) 938-2061.

HIANG GLJDING CHRISTMAS CARDS- Unique handniade in old black and white etching style. $7.00 for an assortment of 12 or $25.00 for 50 plus 10% for shipping. Call Alegra Davidson (203) 379-1668 or send a SASE for assortment selection sheet to Tek Flight Products, Colebrook Stage, Winstead, CT 06098. SAILMAKING SUPPLIES & hardware. All fabric types. Massachusetts Motorized, P.O. Box 542-G, Cotuit, MA 02635. (413) 736-2426.

HANG GLIDING

,------------, The Next CLASSIFIEDS SUNRISE FLIGHT COMPANY~ Hang Gliding t-shirts. Five designs, many new colors. Logbooks - S2.00 for free brochure. Send SASE to S & A Strachan, 3060 I Metzler Ridge, Willits, CA 95490. TEE-SHIRTS ~ with USHGA emblem $8.00 plus S2.25 shipping and handling. Colorado residents add 6.5\'c. tax. Men's sizes in BLUE and TAN -S, /vi, L, XL. USHGA, P.O. Box 8300, Colorado Springs, CO 80933 (719) 632-8300.

solid colors. One pink, one yellow. Reward of $200.00 for the return of the parngliders. Conracr: Klai,s Peters, Ebersberger Skabe 37, 8075 Narckt, Schwaben, Germany or: Gordon Link (415) 783-0618, Hayward, CA. STOLEN: LEESBURG, FLORIDA - 5 miles south on northbound 27. July 8, 1989 an AXIS 15 - green, pink, and white with top surface all white, SER #Al510169 was stolen. Also. a blue Flight Designs harness with a G.Q. Security parachute - white with blue center. Contact: Al Sasser, 4627 Princess Anne Lane, Jacksonville, Florida 32210 (904) 388-0844.

Generation . ... RocketDeployed Hang Glider Parachutes.

RA VEN 149, RA VEN 179 - Stolen at Guadalupe Dunes. Contact: John Newstead (805) 962-8999.

FOUND - at training hill for over a month. Appears to be abandoned. Cl827- vellow white & reel old standard. C5B, possible Cirrus, mgt'd. by Electra Flyer, Albuquerque NM. \Vas recovered al Latrobe, CA near Sacramento, CA Contact Wind Gypsy (916) 743-6293. Art.ACK DUCK - DZ, 180. 68 lbs., bright red leading edge, tan canvas bag. Stolen May 26, 1989 from Denver CO. Contact Richard Davis, Jr. (303) 978-1984 REWARD.

THERMAL GENERATOR SWEATSHIRT- Hot black, high quality 50/50. Fluorescent pink or green silkscreened design on front. This s11·ec1tshir1 keeps you warm as it generates Thermals' S, M, L, XLS 19.95 plus $3.00 shipping. CA residents acid 6'/, tax. Send check/money order to: Blue Horizons, P.O. Box 695, Goleta, CA 93116.

STOLEN: LAKE ELSINORE AREA - Ball 652 total energy probe. Deluxe Package, serial #14338. Keith Lamb (714) 679-8994. STOLEN WINGS are listed as a service to USHGA members. There i~ 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. Please do call to cancel the listing when gliders are recovered. Periodically, this listing will be pmged.

INDEX TO ADVERTISERS

ULTRA GOLD WINGS - YOUR STATEMENT OF FLIGHT (in fine jewelry) Available in 14K or S.S. A choice of stud or French wire earrings. $129.00 14K, $49.00 S.S. Necklace including chain -$99.00 14K, $29.00 S.S. Versatile pin of flight $79.00 14K, $24.00 S.S. \Ve design custom and personalized wings, and offer satisfaction guaranteed. Contact Dave Morgan, 130 F St., Salida, CO 81201 (719) 539-7612. Prices 14K S.S S49.00 French wires or stu<l earrings $129.00 Necklace with chain 99.00 29.00 79.00 24.00 Pin X-C FLIGHT LOG BOOK - Very clean. 64 pages. For those who like to document their flights. S3.95 plus S2.25 Si H, USHGA, P.O. BOX 8300, Colorado Springs. CO, 80933. The rate for classified advertising is S.40 per word (or group of characters). Minimum charge, S4.00. A fee or S 15.00 is charged for each photograph or logo. Bold face or caps within the text S.95 per word. Underline words to be bold. Special layouts of tabs $12.00 per column inch. AD DEADLINES All ad copy, instmctions, changes, additions and cancellations nn1s1 be received in writing I 1/2 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 8300, Colorado Springs, CO 80933 (719 J 632-8300. STOLEN WINGS TWO PARAGI.IDERS STOLEN FROM LAKE CROWLEY, CA- September 18, J 989. Make: Magic 24E

Advanced Air Technology ...................... 36 Aerial Tease ............................................ 18 AirWorks ................................................. l 7 Ball Varios .............................................. 22 Big Wing ................................................. 35 Blow-by-Blow ......................................... 45 Brede! Tours ............................................ 23 Ballistic Recovery Systems ..................... 47 Delta Wing ........................................ 40,BC EDS Glider .............................................. 20 Hall Bros ................................................. 23 Hang Gliding Center of San Diego ......... 32 High Energy Sports ................................. 23 Kitty Hawk Kites .................................... 22 Lindsay Ruddock Varios ......................... 32 Lookout Mt. Flight Park ........................... 6 Morningside Hang Gliders ...................... 22 Pacific Airwave ......................................... 1 Popstar ..................................................... 32 Reiter Videos ........................................ 2 l Ron Hurst ................................................ 32 Safari Mexico .......................................... 45 Seedwings ............................................... 37 Sky life ..................................................... 45 Southern California HG Schools ............... 4 Sport Aviation Publications .................... 36 Transseas International ........................... 23 UP International ..... . ....................... 12 USHGA ......................................... IFC,2,48 Western Hang Glider, ........................ 21,40 Wills Wing ........................................... 9,10 Windgypsy Adventures··························· 39 Worldwide Hang Gliding Safaris ............ 32

B R S - 4 - H G Model INFORMATION • 1 • System designed and thoroughly in-flight tested by WorldClass pilot Bruce Case (in consultation with Wills Wing). •2• Rocket-fast, 2-second deployment with low altitude capability. •3• Less likely to entangle in a spinning or tumbling glider. •4• Safe pilot operation. •5• Integral, harness-only installation (no glider attachment!). •6• Protected against accidental deployment; system not "armed" until firing handle is pulled. •7• Resistant to handling abuse.

~ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - " - - - - - - - - ~ - - - - - - - - - - - - _ _ J \.. -

NOVEMBER 1989

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·'t~..

. BRS, Incorporated 1845-HG Henry Avenue South St. Paul, MN 55075 612/457-7491-FAX 612/457-8651 -

.,/

It's Here! The 1990 USHGA Hang Gliding Calendar

Our best calendar yet. It's a big 12" x 12" full-color, quality product. A great gift that shows off the sport you love! Please rush me _ _ _ 1990 USHGA Hang Gliding Calendar(s) at $9.95 each. Shipping Charges Quantity

U.S. 1

2-4 5-9 10

Shipping $2.00 $3.00

$4.00

Calendar Subtotal._ _ _ __ Colorado residents add 6.5% sales tax._ _ _ __ Postage._ _ _ __ Total Enclosed (Checks payable to USHGA) _ _ _ __

$5.00

Foreign (Surface rate-multiply by 3 for airmail)

1 2-4 5-9 10

$5.00 $7.00 $8.00 $10.00

NAME_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

ADDRESS._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _~

CI1Y_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _STATE._ _ _ZIP_ _ __

Mail to: USHGA, P.O. Box 8300, Colorado Springs, CO 80933 (719) 632-8300

ST. PAUL, MINN -- Only the third issue of "Product Linesn in Hang Gliding magazine and already the mail is flowing like the old days! Wonderful! If you helped, my thanks. If you haven't, don't feel silly sending along any little scraps of paper with hang gliding info. Naturally, I can't use it all but I frequently get leads from the most ordinary details. Anyway, several glider manufacturers responded to the HP-A. T. tour in the :"irst HG edition. Seedwings sent their Soaring News for September, 1989. They've again tinkered wit~ the Sensor's tip, changing volume (area) and shape. This brings a "mini #8 ribn and new, lighter materials. Interestingly, the first unit to carry these refinements will be Number 1,000 Sensor. The changes are already HGMA certified. The company also promotes their pigtail wire (in my mind a throwback to gliders of the late '70s, when such were used commonly, and for the same reason ... ) to lighten turn controlling. Seedwings continues to tweak their tail fin; it's gro,,m from nine inches to fourteen since being introduced. Although Bob Trampenau is still the only designer to push the tail fin idea, the notion began to catch on in Europe via retrofit kits o=fered by third parties. Seedwings has further revved up their international sales by making Austrian rep' Andreas Bangheri a full production shop: frames and sails (rare!) . Bob Schutte recently of UP Int' 1, then Bennett, then Seedwings -- will leave under contract to head the loft for Seedwings Europe. As .vi th Wills Wing, European exports add a subscantial percentage to the year's business. In other extractions from their News, Seedwings predictably argues in favor of "infinitelyvariable geometryn (over Wills' two-position lever system evidently) . But their proudest statement may have been to trumpet Alaskan pilot, Tom Veer' s choice of a Sensor as winner of the USHGA raffle. You've been busy, Seedwings! Up the coast, in the largest U.S. concentratio~ of hang glider pilots (greater San Francisco Area), insurance has become a problem issue. Simply, USHGA doesn't have enough to satisfy municipal requiremer_ts. 1

Specifically, Bay Area government leaders want $1 million coverage per event; USHGA's policy provided $1M per year. Not good enough, well-used Ed Levin Park has been closed down and other sites are threatened. USHGA leaders are hard at work, but an early promise of success met with disappointment. Energetic guys like Gregg Lawless, Russ Locke, and Pat Denevan are coordinating the effort. While still in the Bay Area, the croubled Enterprise Wings U.S. distributorship has changed hands from Pat Page to Dave Bowman, of Dunlap fame. Though sales have been slow, success with the gli6er has been good (a couple records). And just-displaced World Champion, Rick Duncan, is scheduled to travel to America to help promote the Foil glider he chooses for competition. The glider has a good international following, but has yet to catch on in the USA. Still further up the coast, Ted Turner Broadcasting's Goodwill Games are deep into planning for the Seattle-area event slated for spring of 1990. The Games may involve hang gliding as an opening event. Current plans, reported by Ed Vick, call for four Soviet pilots to join Yankee counterparts. The group will tow aloft from nearby Lake Washington and fly into Husky Stadium. This could be an early shot at the kind of coverage many anticipate from eventual Olympic Game participation. Speaking of towing, an old friend, Dave Higdon, reports an upsurge in Southern Indiana flying. A VW equipped with a towing winch has effectively opened three new cliff sites about an hour from Louisville. A new record at one of these brought a 116-mile flight, unheard of in the past. Towing continues to carry more pilots aloft. As the bulk of the U.S. pilot population ages and responsibility correspondingly increases, traveling to sites is less frequent than a decade ago. It still happens; several old friends and I happened to rendezvous at Chattanooga's Henson Gap for some fine Tennessee "Fall-IsBest-Of-All" flying. How sweet it Isras ! \rvell, got news or opinions? Send 'em to: "Product Lines,n 8 Dorset Rd., St. Paul, MN 55118, or call (days, at BRS) 612/457-7491. THANKS!

Four good reasons to hook into a

DREA HANGI Luvt: a . ght' 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 ts. You'll know it's the beginning of a lasting exciting relationship.

As you 6 ·ow accustomed to your LITE DREAM, you'll notice how quickly your flying skills improve. You'll delight at how 1e LITE DREAM is maneuverable as e is forgiving as you advance rapidly through the learning stages.

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THE LITE DREAM-;;:_~ - -~ AN ENDURING CLASSIC AT EVERY LEVEL

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