USHGA Hang Gliding July 1991 by US Hang Gliding & Paragliding Association

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International Magazine of Jiang (j[iding, Parag{iding, 11{tra[igfit 1991 Introductory Subscription 1 year I 6 issues $30.00 Issues: February - April - June - August - October - December 1991 Experience the world of Hang Gliding from your own home ... Europe's most comprehensive, full-color magazine - printed in three languages. Name: Address: Phone: Payment: CHECK or MONEY ORDER to: "Schutte Sails"

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Last Call !. ... Last Call !. ... Last Call! 1992 Regional Director Nominations Solicited USHGA is issuing its 16th annual call for nominations to the national Board of Directors. Eleven positions are open for election in October, 1991 for a two-year term beginning January, 1992. USHGA members seeking a position on the ballot should send to headquarters for receipt no later than August 20, 1991 the following information: name and USHGA number, photo and resume (one page containing the candidate's hang gliding activities and viewpoints, written consent to be nominated and that they will serve if elected). Candidates must be nominated by at least three USHGA members residing in the candidate's region. Nominations are needed in the following regions. The current Directors are listed and their term expires December 31, 1991. Ballots will be distributed with the October issue of Hang Gliding magazine. USHGA needs the very best volunteers to help guide the safe development and growth of the sport. Forward candidate material for receipt no later than August 20 to: USHGA, P.O. Box 8300, Colorado Springs, CO 80933. Reg.#

CURRENT DIRECTOR

STATES WITHIN REGION

Northern California, Nevada

4 5 6 9

Russ Locke Ken Brown Bill Bennett Gregg Lawless Jim Zeiset Mike King Ron Kenney Pete Lehmann

Matt Taber

11 12

Carl Boddie Paul Voight

Southern California, Hawaii Arizona, Colorado, EI Paso, New Mexico, Utah Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, N. Dakota, S. Dakota, Nebraska Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, Arkansas Washington, D.C., Delaware, Kentucky, Maryland, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, North & South Carolina, Tennessee, Virgin Islands Texas, Louisiana New Jersey, New York

The following form is for your convenience.

REGIONAL DIRECTOR ELECTION, NOMINATION FORM

I hereby nominate__________________________________~ as a candidate for Regional Director for Region# . I understand that his/her name will be placed on the Official Ballot for the 1992 Regional Director Election, if three nominations are received by August 20, 1991. I have notified the above person and he/ she has accepted the nomination.

NAME _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _USHGA #_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _REGION#~~-

(USPS 017-970-20)

Features 22

Columns 10 USHGA Reports

Report: Wms Wing Super Sport

Ym,emite update by Gregg Lawless. Paragliding and USHGA by Russ Locke.

hy Gil Dodgen photos hy Roh Kells

13 Accident Reports

Your editor gets a ride on the successor to Wills Wing's popular Sport.

hy Doug Hildreth Failure to hook in and cliff launches.

Regional News

hy Rodger Hoyt

hy Rod Hauser

I-low to become a bird-brain.

Help needed at Oshkosh '91.

41 Tow Lines hy Bud Brown A discussion about launch problems.

46 Competition Corner

38 Meteorological Mysteries-

The Great Race by Buzz Chalmers RVHGA Starthistle Meet by Dave Baleria History of flight safety in the Owens Valley by Tom Krcyche.

East Coast Championships

Maintaining your logbook.

hy Cliff'Whitney A report on the most prestigious event of the year on the right coast.

66 Product Lines Page 42 COVER: John Heiney above launch and observation deck al Fort Funston. CA. Rus Zimmerman in background. Custom sail by Enrico Egli, inspired by J.C. l:lrown and Mitch McAleer. Photo by John Heiney. CENTERSPREAD: John Heiney flies the new UP TRX over the company's new raclory in Mt. Green, Utah. Photo by John Heiney.

DISCLAIMER OF WARRANTIES IN PU:HLICA TIO NS: The material presented here is published as part of an inforrnalion dissctnination service for USHGJ\ members. The USHGA makes no warranties or representations and assumes no liability concerning the validity of any advice, opinion or recommendation expressed in the material. All individuals relying upon the material do so al their own risk. Copyright© 1991 United Stales Hang Gliding Association, Inc. All rights reserved to Hang Gliding and individual contributors.

JULY1991

hy Dan Johnson West Coast safari, paragliding, Moyes news, more.

Departments 7 12 19 55 62 62 64

Airmail Calendar of Events Update Classified Advertising Index to Advertisers Stolen Wings Ratings 5

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Phone (714) 547- 1344 FAX (714) 547-0972

Gil Dodgen, Editor/Art Director John Heiney, Photographer Harry Martin, Illustrator Dennis Pagen, Rodger Hoyt, Staff Writers Tim Rinker, Design Consultant

Office Staff Jerry Bruning, Executive Director Greg Huller, Ratings & ICP's Cindy Evans, Member Services PJ More, Special Projects & Competitions Stu Clark, Insurance & Member Services Jeff Elgart, Marketing & Advertising

USHGA Officers and Executive Committee: Gregg Lawless, President Jim Zeiset, Vice President Russ Locke, Secretary Dan Johnson, Treasurer

REGION 1: Gene Matthews. REGION 2: Ken Brown, Russ Locke, Connie Bowen. REGION 3: Bill Bennett, Sandy King, Gregg Lawless. REGION 4: Mark Mocho, Jim Zeise!. REGION 5: Mike King. REGION 6: Ron Kenney. REGION 7: Rod Hauser. REGION 8: Randy Adams. REGION 9: Pete Lehmann, Jeff Sims. REGION 10: Rick Jacobs. REGION11: Carl Boddie. REGION 12: Paul Voight, Paul Rikert. DIRECTORS AT LARGE: Dan Johnson, Jan Johnson, Dennis Pagen, Peter Zimmerli, Glen Nicolet. HONORARY DIRECTORS: G.W. Meadows, Tom Kreyche, Mike Meier, Rob Kells, Fred Stockwell, Terry Reynolds.

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 supervision of FAl-related hang gliding activities such as record attempts and competition sanctions.

HANG GLIDING magazine is published for hang gliding sport enthusiasts to create further interest in the 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, selfaddressed return envelope must be enclosed. Notification must be made of submission to other hang gliding publications. HANG GLIDING magazine reserves the right to edit contributions where necessary. The Association and publication do not assume responsibility for the material or opinions of contributors. HANG GLID· ING editorial offices: 6950 Aragon Circle, Suite 6, Buena Park, CA 90620 (714) 994-3050. HANG GLIDING (USPS 017-970) is published monthly by the United States Hang Gliding Association, Inc., 559 E. Pikes Peak Ave., Suite 101, Colorado Springs, Colorado 80903 (719) 632-8300. FAX (719) 632-6417. Second-class postage is paid at Colorado Springs, CO and at additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: SEND CHANGE OF ADDRESS TO: HANG GLIDING, P.O. BOX 8300, Colorado Springs, co 80933-8300. 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 $49.00 per year (of which $15 goes to the publication of Hang Gliding), ($55 Canada & Mexico, $60 foreign); subscription rates only are $35.00 ($40 Canada & Mexico, $50 foreign). 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. JULY 1991

Volume 21, Issue No. 7

AIRMAIL TAHOE/RENO REGULATIONS Dear Editor, The local club, Sierra Skysmfers, has been successfully operating the Tahoe/Reno/ Carson sites since the club started in 1978. Since then we have only lost one site, and the ability to ridge soar the range on the east side of Lake Tahoe from the prevailing wind direction. This was a major loss. We come very close, more than once a year, to losing our premier site, Slide Mountain. Typical situations are one or two pilots not qualified to fly the site just basically screwing up, others dive bombing cars on the highways before landing, arguments with the highway patrol about access to the ski area, landing in the wrong fields for the clay and harassing the owner of the land that we are landing on, etc. After the individual creates the problem and leaves the area, we must go and make excuses to mend the situation with land owners, Bureau of Land Management, Park Service, police, Forest Service, and/or highway department. We again explain that we self-regulate the sites, but the individual slipped through the cracks. These governing agencies, public officials, and private landowners have given us one last chance to strictly enforce our selfregulation this year, or Slide will be closed. Because we are now treacling on thin ice, and can easily lose Slide, the club must regulate the site with no exceptions. We expect all pilots to respect our situation. REGULATIONS FOR THE RENO/ TAHOE/CARSON area as follows: 1) You must be a current USHGA member, and APA for paragliclers, and show proof so our USHGA insurance is applicable. 2) You must become a member of the Sierra Skysurfers and receive a site guide that explains rules that must be followed to keep the site open. You must pay $20 and get the site guide and read it before you fly in this area. 3) Slide mountain is an Advanced Hang IV and Class II site only. The official landing site is 500 vertical above the takeoff, which is up and over the top of Slide peak. It takes mountain thennaling and cross-country experience to make it to the landing site. Local pilots like visiting pilots to come to this area and enjoy the flying. We will gladly help visitors with cunent landing sites, house thenmtls, safety and current site conditions. For those of you who are not Hang IV or Class II, there are more than 10 sites in this area that are great. We welcome you to come fly with us. If you plan on coming to this area to fly, get your site guide and white membership

sticker before you get here, so your flying is not delayed. You can obtain your membership by sending $20 check or money order to: Sierra Skysmfers, 3680 Research Way #6, Carson City, NV 89706. Paul Hamilton Siena Skysurfers

NATIONAL FLY-IN Dear Editor, I would like to take this opportunity to express my sincere appreciation to the Rio Grande Soaring Association and the city of Alamogordo, NM for sponsoring another grand fly-in. The local club expanded the annual Memorial weekend event to a weeklong national event this year, while retaining the usual high degree of hospitality. This year saw the first use of a new, very large impact zone, which has been generously provided to the hang gliding community by the city. The city, with the obvious intent to promote Alamogordo as a hang gliding resort destination, publicly promised to have it planted with grass by this time next year, which might help with the ever-present dust. Officials at the local airport also cooperated by allowing use of their taxiway for truck towing, and the sailplane club allowed use of their airport clubhouse for escape from the ever-present afternoon heat. Many of the over 50 pilots present made good use of the excellent thermal conditions and their superb flying skills to obtain some remarkable flights, with local distance records being shattered. I personally relied solely upon my usual dumb Irish luck for one of my better flights ever from this site. The weather cooperated remarkably well for the first five clays, by which time most of us were ready for moving on down the road or marathon motel-room laundry sessions. Colin Perry Palo Alto, CA

Dear Editor, On behalf of the Rio Grande Soaring Association I want to Yoice a sincere Thank You to all the Dry Canyon National Fly-In participants. We had more than 60 pilots (plus drivers) come clown to Alamogordo, NM and we in the RGSA had a great time visiting and flying with them. Nelson Howe, Mitch McAleer and Tony Barton put on a superb aerobatics display at our fly-in barbecue. Nelson, Tony and John Olson also

AIRMAIL represented Enterprise Wings, UPI and Pacific Airwave, respectively, with demo gliders. Alamogordo, its Promotion Board, Chamber of Commerce and the local Forest Service were very supportive, as were all the local businesses. We even had volunteer EMT's at launch and in the LZ, who fried in the sun but gave all the pilots a watm, safe feeling. The ROSA is indebted to all of these supporting groups. The visiting pilots, who braved our late spring winds clay after clay on launch, and the drivers who braved the New Mexico roads, faced the adversities with good spirits and made the Fly-In not only busy but a whole lot of fun. We invite you all back to next year's Dry Canyon Fly-In, and hope you'll tell your friends. Robin Hastings Las Cruces, NM

Dear Editor, I would like to recognize Tom West for all the blood, sweat and tears he put into the Alamogordo National Fly-In. It couldn't have been clone without him. A big thanks from your Alamogordo pilot friends.

For example, launching out of the bed of a moving truck and landing on wheels would be acceptable for a record flight. What I fear is that eventually someone will push these rules to the limit of their interpretation and the following scenario could result. A high-perf01mance "foot-launched sailplane" is developed which has a 45-foot wingspan, weighs 200 pounds, has a conventional fuselage and tail, and three-axis controls. On a very windy clay it can be footlaunched and landed. It is loaded with 150 pounds of ballast, towed up behind a Piper Cub and landed on a skid. Of course, this airplane with a skilled pilot will fly 500 miles on a good clay. Is this what we want the footlaunched soaring record to become? It is my opinion that all record attempts for the foot-launched aircraft category should require that the pilot take off and land using only his legs. Otherwise we will find our records being set by aircraft which are not truly foot-launchable. The example is extreme, but there is nothing to stop a flex wing pilot from towing up with 100 pounds of ballast and setting a record. He would

Harold Airington

FOOT-LAUNCH RECORDS Dear Editor, In the last few years truck towing has increased in popularity and is fast becoming the launch technique of choice for setting records. Flying over flat terrain offers access to cloud streets, significant tailwinds and many landing fields connected by highways. But I want to warn of some possible abuses of this method of launching. Currently, any glider which is capable of being foot-launched and foot-landed may be used in a foot-launched world record attempt. This does not mean that the pilot must foot-launch (or foot-land) his aircraft on the record flight.

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AIRMAIL never attempt this if he had to launch from a mountain and land on his feet. Stephen Manis Stanford University

SUN 'N' FUN Dear Editor, Had I known what I was missing all these years I would have gone sooner. The three clays I spent at Sun 'n' Fun this year were full of excitement and there was lots to see. USHGA's booth was well accepted. Many inclivicluals, young and old, practiced on the simulator which drew larger crowds than I have seen. I concluded that most people are starved for information about our sport. The USHGA along with the booth laborers deserve a strong pat on the back for making the effort to be there. Retail sales potential is just tremendous. It was fun working with Henry, Nick, Gary and Wally. Talking with interested people was just a hoot! Bruce Hawk Sevierville, TN

EMERGENCY PROCEDURES Dear Editor, Dick Gammon (May issue) says that in an emergency deployment situation grabbing the deployment handle without looking at it first contradicts standard practice and could be fatal. Standard practice in skydiving, maybe, when you are in a controlled free fall with 5,000 feet under you. But even skydivers are doing away with the "look," in favor of a more reliable lead chute stuff sack mounted on the thigh which is easier to feel than see. If you need to deploy your parachute from a hang glider, chances are you are not going to have the luxury of being able to look around for your deployment handle. Besides, my parachute is mounted upside clown, with the handle near my waist. Asking me to actually see it, even standing on launch, is like asking Roseanne Barr to tell you what color toe nail polish she has on. You should be able to grab your deployment handle without seeing it and know where it is by feel, not sight.

Technology •Perfomiartce • -. ality "Handles real good. Lands eds/er than the A' · .. seemed to out sink and out glide everyone !flew w. h. 11 Jim Zeis~t \ *11This 111/ghtjust be the best loopiilggliilerPve-(ver wn." John HeiMt_ ... --:::, ' i

Eric Zapf San Diego, CA

A FAREWELL MIS-IDENTIFICATIONS Dear Editor, In his recent article on the 1990 Arizona X-C Contest, Bob Thompson mistakenly identified me as a Wills Wing Sport pilot. Actually, I fly an Axis from UP. This mistake is commonly made by inexperienced observers, because, while the Axis has 172 square feet, it flies at a higher altitude, making it look like the smaller Sport 167 or even the Sport 150. Jacque Neff Tucson, AZ Dear Editor, The portly manager of Bill Bennett's concession at Torrey Pines, Joe Bill Henry, was mistaken for the svelte and daring young figure cut by W.A. "Pork" Roecker, a site mainstay since 1976 (page 35, May HG). Pork Oceanside, CA

Dear Editor, I was an extremely close friend of Linda Tracey-Piracci, who passed away at age 39 in New York on May 8. She is survived by her husband Tom. I remember meeting Linda in the summer of '74 in Telluride where she became interested in learning to fly. Eventually she ended up in Hawaii where she became a very competent hang glider pilot. She flew professionally for more than eight years which took her around the world several times. Linda had a way with people; she had vitality and energy, befriended people easily, and had an extreme zeal for life that will be very badly missed by her many friends. One day I'll be flying, the wind blowing in my hair, the sun shining. I'll find myself looking over my shoulder and thinking that Linda would like this day. It's so beautiful just to be able to fly like we do. Eileen Debauche-Adames Waimanalo, Oahu, HI

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JULY 1991

USHGA REPORTS

Yosen1ite Update by USHGA President Gregg Lawless A s of this writing, June 9, 1991, Yosemite National Park is once again open to hang gliding activities. Even though we have been allowed to commence flying, our special use permit has yet to be issued. We are cunently operating on a week-to-week basis until a pem1it is issued. On the weekend of May 18th, approximately 18 pilots attended the first Yosemite Site Monitor Training Program. This training program was designed to cover all of the duties each monitor would be responsible for. They include general administrative duties, glider inspections, radio communications with Park personnel, assisting pilots to the launch area and self launching. Unfortunately, mother nature decided that Yosemite should remain white for a week longer which resulted in 6-12 inches of snow falling on the road to Glacier Point thus making launch inaccessible. Although none of the on-thehill training took place, all of the planned classroom instruction was completed. Onthe-hill training will be conducted on a oneon-one basis throughout the summer. At the end of the weekend we had 12 monitors assigned to 12 weekends beginning May 25th. A special THANKS goes out to Ernie Reguly for taking on the responsibility of conducting the monitor training. Additionally, four Association officers were elected. They are: President - Russ Locke, Vice President - Rich Schleider, Treasurer - Ron Travali, and Secretary - Don Betts. For the next few months, hang gliding in Yosemite and everyone associated with it will come under close scrutiny. This means that everyone driving into the Park with "one of those big long things" on top of their car, has to understand that they are under a magnifying glass and must act appropriately. Remember, a glider automatically identifies a pilot as a member of the hang gliding community to all Park personnel. Failure to act responsibly WILL lead to the tennination of our special use permit, assuming we get it, and the future of hang gliding in Yosemite.

Just look at base jumping if you don't believe me. Their program lasted a whole six-seven weeks before their members demonstrated that they could not act responsibly. I can't stress enough that hang gliding in Yosemite is not status quo or business as usual. We are operating under a whole different set of rules now and it will only take a couple of incidents such as those mentioned above to place the whole program in jeopardy. Those within the Park system who are currently in our corner don't want to have to have their position questioned. It's easier to say NO. The Park has rules which we must follow and ignorance is no excuse. Some of the more obvious ones and ones which have been violated in the past are:

1) Show common courtesy and respect to all Park personnel, even when you don't necessarily agree with their position. 2) NO camping in vehicles along the road or outside of the campgrounds. 3) Proper food storage is federal law. Acceptable methods are posted in all camping areas. 4) NO clogs on the trails. 5) All clogs must be on a leash. 6) No alcohol or drug abuse. Once again, anyone wishing to fly from Glacier Point this summer can make a rese1vation by calling the USHGA headquarters office at (719) 632-8300. They will be happy to let you know when monitors are scheduled, the availability of open reservations and some of the basic rules applicable to the site. If you do decide to fly Yosemite this year, the YHGA would like to extend a waim welcome to you and hope you find the experience as enjoyable as we do. •

Paragliding & USHGA by USHGA Secretary Russ Locke Pilots lately have been asking two questions related to paragliders. What's the USHGA really doing about paragliding, and are we opening the door to a group that might take us over? What the USHGA has done so far is, despite common perception, straightforward. First, we recognized that we really knew very little about paragliders and we actively resisted those among us who wanted to classify paragliders as Class III hang gliders, implying that the USHGA programs, specifically the rating program, would work for paragliders. We also recognized that any paraglider pilot could simply join the USHGA and gain the insurance necessary to fly USHGA-insured sites. However, there were still lots of questions about what constituted safe operations. So we looked for

some fonnat that would allow paraglider pilots to set up their own rules and operating regulations that would work for them. There were several groups claiming to represent paragliders, but over a period of time the American Paragliding Association (APA) started by Fred Stockwell and friends in Salt Lake City, took over as the predominant group. All we did was to accept the work of the AP A as a reasonable starting point for a rating program and offer a way for pilots of both groups to select the service or combination of services they wanted. However, it's the second part of the question that is concerning hang glider pilots these days. The fact is that in a democratic society, the majority rules, and there is a genuine fear in the minds of many pilots that if paragliding grows as it did in other parts of HANG GLIDING

USHGA REPORTS the world it could "take over" the USI-IGA. For the sake of discussion, let's assume that the number of hang glider pilots over the next ten years will stay around 8,000 to 10,000. That's not really such a stretch since that's more or less the number we had all through the 80's. With that in mind, there are three possibilities: I) that the number of paraglider pilots stays relatively small (there are cunently fewer than 200 paraglider pilots in the USHGA); 2) the number of paraglider pilots grows to be about the same as hang glider pilots and levels off and 3) the number of paraglider pilots grows into the tens of thousands such as it did in Europe. It's important to note that if the APA grows and is able to set up a parallel structure to ours, all these problems go away and we encl up working with them the same way we work with the Soaring Society. There are a number of sites where hang gliders and sailplanes share the same air. In fact, if the

It's important to note that if the APA grows and is able to set up a parallel structure to ours, all these problems go away. APA were to get that big, I could potentially see a time when they would offer affiliate membership to hang glider pilots. But what we're talking about here is the opposite end of the spectrum, that being that the APA dissolves or there is a complete merger of both organizations. If(# 1), the number of paraglicler pilots stays small, then not much changes from what we have now. However, if (#2), they grow to be about the same size, we will have our potentially most difficult situation. Any problem that arises between paraglider and hang glider pilots would be more difficult to settle if there was a balance of power between the two groups. If (#3), the number of paraglider pilots expands like it did in other parts of the world, then believe it or not with some adaptation we woukln 't be all that different than we are now. There would still be 8,000-10,000 hang glider pilots who want to pay for services that they now get. If we become a small part of a larger organization, we would still have the same power base that JULY 1991

we have now. We are currently a small group compared to the FAA, local governments and other aviation groups. We've learned to live in that structure and have been reasonably successful. We're still flying, and even though it's not as simple as it was 10 to 15 years ago, we have adapted. The real problem we face is the next couple of years. The friction level between hang glider and paraglicler pilots (and folks who fly both) seems to be growing in some parts of the country. As hang glider pilots we've gotten used to the concept that if we want something clone we have to do it ourselves, and one of the tactics we know cloesn 't work is angering the people with whom we're negotiating. However, there seems to be a significant number of paraglider pilots who don't understand this concept. These same pilots also have a lack of appreciation for all that work that some clubs have put into establishing and preserving flying sites. Actually, their "in your face" banclito flying reminds me of some of the hang glider pilots I knew when I got into this sport a dozen or so years ago. Most of us have had to deal with the angry, unreasonable landowner who doesn't want us on his property. To many paraglicler pilots we are that unreasonable landowner when we shut them out of our sites. Now you might ask, Why is this article in Hang Gliding magazine instead of one of paragliding publications? Because, we 're really the key to this. We understand what's going on. Eventually paraglider pilots will come to the same level of appreciation and understanding of the reasons for site protocol. Whether they establish this appreciation fairly quickly or travel a longer more difficult road is directly impacted by how much help we give them. When it comes to finding places to fly we are the experts, and that's all they're really looking for. Some, but certainly not all hang gliding sites may be safe for paragliclers, but the real issue here is not shutting them out when they show up in your area looking for the same thing we want. If there's a reason for them not to fly at a particular site, take the time to explain it. Further, take a little time to see what you can do to help them find a place to fly safely. The fact is, they're here to stay and anything we can do to minimize adversarial situations will make things just that much easier for us in the long run. •

Hardware: Me.ta! goods and other physical items directly involved in performing an industrial, technological, military, or other (hang gliding) function. t UP, when we challenged ourselves to design the ultimate Hang Glider, we had to design and build the most aerodynamic, strongest, easy to use, high-tech hardware m the world today. We think we've out-done ourselves. It costs more, but you get what you pay for. Don't take our word for it, take a test flight today and discover the TRX for yourself.

UP International 4054 West 2825 North Mountain Green, Morgan County Auport, Utah 84050 (801) 876-2211 Fax (801) 876-3003 11

CALENDAR OF EVENTS Calendar of events items WILL NOT be listed if only tentative. Please include exact infonnation (event, date, contact name and phone number). Items should be received no later six weeks prior to the event. We request two months lead time for regional and national meets. Until Dec. 1: 1991 Region 9 X-C Contest. All flight data must be received by Dec. 15. Must be Region 9 pilot and current USHGA member. Contact: Tony Smolder (304) 622-4475. Until Dec. 31: East Coast Open X-C Competition. Flight must originate East of Mississippi and be tow or foot launch. Contact: Randy Adams, P.O. Box 369, Claremont, NH 03743 (603) 543-1760. June 29-July 7: 1991 Hobbs. NM Hang Gliding Festival. USHGA sanctioned, includes acrobatics. Sponsored by Hobbs, NM Chamber of Commerce & Rocket City Ridge Riders. Contact: 1-800-658-6291 or (505) 397-3202. July 4-7: Basic and Advanced ICP al Point of the Mountain, SLC, Utah. Contact: R. Alan Godman (303) 530-4882 (H) or (303) 469-1867 (W). July 15-30: Keuzil, Touva Republic (Siberia), Russian Republic Finals. July 19-25: Second Annual USSR Peace Cup, Yampa!, Moldavia (U.S. pilots encouraged to attend). Aug. 29-Sept. 9: Women's Soviet Nationals, Alma-Ata. Sept. 19-28: Feodocia Senior Cup (ages40+). Contact: Vadim Kakurin, Interaero, ul. Panfitova, 20, 125080 Moscow, USSR Tel. (7.095) 490.1294, FAX (7.095) 943.00.59 or FAX Windsports (818) 988-1862. (Mail is slow so FAXing is recommended.) July 1-8: West Coast Hang Gliding Festival. X-C expo, swap meet., Lakeview, OR. Contact: John Kelso (503) 752-4817. July 1-14: Women's World Championships, Kossen, Austria. July 3-6: 8th Annual Bachelor Mountain Fly-In, Grant, Montana. Contact: Dan Gravage (406) 222-7240 or Monte Elliott (406) 681-3144. July 4: Mt. Wings 10th anniversary fun fly-in. Mt. Wings Flight Park, Ellenville NY. Barbecue, pig roast, live music, volley ball, fireworks, towing, slyro meet, RC sailplane demos. Free Camping. Contact: Greg Black, Mt Wings, 150 Canal St., Ellenville, NY 12428 (914) 647-3377. .July 4-7: Lakeview, Oregon 4th of July Fly-In. Contact Lakeview Chamber of Commerce for site guides and a detailed schedule of events (503) 947-6040. July 6-11: Chelan X-C Classic; Chelan, WA. Annual · benefit meet offering in-flight spontaneous triangles or open distance tasks. Best four flights detennine placement. Stadium camping available. 35mm camera req'd to verify turnpoint flights. FCC Reg's enforced. Hang Ill minimum skills req'd. Entrance fee $50. Contact Mike Daily (206) 883-2165. .July 9-14: Towing at Big Spring, TX aiq,ort in memory of Paul Basil and Eric Aasletten. Low entry fees, 9,000' paved runway, big hangar, easy retrieval.

Camping available at airport. Contact: Jeff Hunt, Red River Aircraft (512) 467-2529. July 10-17: Manufacturers League Meet, Telluride, Colorado. Entry $200/pilot, $575/team of three postmarked before June 21, 199 l ~ $250/pilot, $725/ team after. Contact: Nick Kennedy, P.O. Box 1026, Telluride, CO 81435 (303) 728-3905. July 13-20: Golden X-C Classic, Golden, BC. Task is 200 km Out-and-Return Race to Goal. Paraglider pilots welcome. Contact: Ron Bennett (403) 2646624 eves. July 17-26: The Yalta Cup 1991. Hang gliding and paragliding, Yalta, Crimea. Contact: Moscow FAX ( 197-095) 2002216 Delta plan B or contact Angelika Muller, Nuhnctal str. 73 5788 Winterberg, Gennany, tel: 02981-6640 or FAX 02981-3018. July 20-21: Buffalo Bill Days Benefit Fly-In. Golden, CO, for fireman Tom Young injured during rescue attempt. Contact Golden Wings (303) 278-7181. July 20-21: Haney's Point Summer Fly-Out, Atkins, AR. Two events, No entry fee. Contact: Sail Wings (501) 227-4920 or launch (501) 641-1902. July 22-28: 1991 Canadian National Hang Gliding Championships, Vernon, BC. Entry $80. Contact: I 99 l Nationals, #308-535 Niagara St., Victoria, BC Canada VSV 1H3. July 27-31: Women's X-C Fly-In, Albion, Idaho at Mt. Harrison. Retrieval available, manufacturers' demos. Contact: Sue Christie (408) 757-9924 or Rose Carter (80 l) 576-9804. July 28-Aug. 3: 1991 National Team Championships, Dinosaur, CO. Five per team. Minimum of 450 WTSS points guaranteed. Each pilot's entry fee $225 postmarked before July I, $275 after. Contact: Chris Reynolds/GenTcch Corp., Box 28 l, Conifer, co 80433. July 29-Aug. 4: French Internationals at Lachcns, a mountain near the southern tip of the Alps. Applications received before June I will be answered and con finned fornmnberofplaces allowed. PIRS-rated pilots will be given preference. Entry fee S 100, does not include lodging, meals or transport. Contact: 1991 Championnats lntemationaux Vol Libre, 27, Chemin des Cadenasses, 06140 Tourettes Sur Loup. Tel. 94 76 83 80. August 1-4: Women's Annual Girls Just Wanna Fly hang gliding and paragliding meet, Point of the Mountain, Utah. Manufacturers' demos. Contact: Sue Christie (408) 757-9924 or Rose Cai1er (801) 576-9804. August 1-5: California coastal paragliding tour from San Diego to San Francisco. Beginner to intermediate. Contact: Scott Gressitt, Skydance Paragliding Co. of So. Cal. (619) 632-7762. August 9-11: Ply-In and Tow Seminar, Elkhart, KS . Contact: Ron Kenney (316) 697-2577.

August 10, 1991: 15th Annual Lakeside Inn Hang Gliding Water Landing Target Competition, lnvermere, B .C. Advanced level Ill. restricted landing area. Registration August 9 until I :00 AM. Rain date Sunday. BBQ, party, awards. Prizes $300 1st, $200 2nd, $100 3rd, 4th to 40th prizes donated by local merchants. Entry $15. Insurance mandatory. Camping available. Contact: Dano (604) 342-6387. Box 181 Invcrmere, B.C. VOA I KO, Lakeside(604) 342-6711. August 10-11: Lilienthal Paragliding Competition at Guadalupe sand dunes near Santa Barbara, CA. Open to Class I & II pilots. Prize money, free camping nearby, no camera needed. $35 entry includes T-shirt. Contact: Achim Hagemann (805) 962-8999. Aug. 15: 43rd Anniversary of Rogallo Wing Invention. Sept. 22: 2nd Annual Flying Wheels Rollerblade Spectacular. Oct. 19-20: 4th Annual Outer Banks Stunt Kite Competition. Contact: Kitty Hawk Kites, P.O. Box 1839, 3941 S. Croatan Hwy at Jockey's Ridge, Nags Head, NC 27959 (919) 441-4124 FAX (919) 441-7597. August 18-25: U.S. National Championships, Owens Valley, CA. Contact: Tom Kreyche, P.O. Box 873, Mountain View, CA 94042 (415) 965-8608. August 31, Sept.1-2: Third Annual Ellenville, NY Fun Meet. 98 pilots last year. Four-man teams and individual competitions. $900 prize money for teams, trophies for individuals. Contact: Fitz (20 I) 5860693. Sept. 7-9: 3rd Annual Labor Day Fun Fly-In, Mt. Wings Flight Park, Ellenville, NY. Low-key competition for all skill levels: duration, spot landings, bomb drops, speed runs, trophies, cash & prizes, barbecue, volleyball, live music, RCs, raffle fund-raiser. Contact: Greg Black, Mt Wings, 150 Canal St., Ellenville, NY 12428 (914) 647-3377. Sept. 21-22: Haney's Point Autumn Fly-Out at Atkins, AR. Competition. No entry fee. Contact: Sail Wings (501) 227-4920 or (501) 641-1902 shop/launch. Sept. 27-29: First Annual American Paragliding Festival, Big Sur, CA. Contact: (619) 632-7762 or APA Headquarters (718) 698-5738. October 12-13: Fifth Annual Gary Lagrone Memorial Fly-In at Point of the Mountain Flight Park, Draper, Utah. Competitions for hang glider and paraglider pilots, out-and-return air race, bomb drop, spot landing. Prizes awarded to top three places in each category. Entry $20. All entered pilots receive fly-in T-shirt. All proceeds go to Save the Children. Live band Saturday night, lots of food and drink. Check out ournew north side launch ramp. Contact: Valerie Carroll, 11982 South 700 West, Draper, Utah 84020 (801) 572-5869 or FAX (801) 262-8656. Oct. 23-26: AOPA Expo '91, New Orleans, LA. Exhibits, demos. Contact: Cheri Farha (301) 695-2162. Nov. 13-Dec. 3: New Zealand hang gliding safari, north & south island. Max 6 pilots. Contact: Santa Barbara HG Center, 29 State St., Santa Barbara, CA 93101 (805) 962-8999 FAX (805) 964-3337. HANG GLIDING

ACCIDENT REPORTS compiled by Doug Hildreth Event: Novice pilot set up good landing approach. Flare was slightly early and glider rose three to four feet. Had trouble holding the flare up and out as glider dropped to the ground. Glider and pilot fell forward, nose hit and pilot locked elbows and wrists on clowntubes. Fracture dislocation of the elbow. Comment: Let go, tuck, roll and relax (if you're not going to hole! the flare). Event: Failure to hook in. Pilot immediately released glider, stumbled and fell clown. The glider flew away. Event: Inadequate preflight, incomplete assembly of the control bar clowntube/ basetube junction. Bolt not properly inserted. Pilot launched and flew a short distance before control bar disengaged and glider collapsed. Too low for parachute deployment. Significant injuries. Comment: Both failure to hook in and improper assembly are born out of distraction and haste. The scenario is universal: something happens to disrupt the nonnal routine, and when the pilot goes back to where he was in the sequence he picks up the procedure in the wrong place. Other pilots are flying, the weather is either getting better or worse, you 're late for an X-C flight, you 're in a huny. Most commonly, the failure to hook in occurs on a gentle, grassy slope, with minimal injury, major embarrassment and no accident report. Usually the improper assembly is discovered during the preflight and inconspicuously fixed without anyone noticing. Encl of story. But sometimes it results in serious injury and/or death. Please note that the mistake is identical, but sometimes we are more lucky than others. We ask that you report all these events, whether or not accident or injury occur. We need to find ways to fix the mistake, not just fix the accident. Event: Intern1ecliate pilot on cliff launch had weak run with nose high and dragged wing. Glider turned and slid down cliff. No serious injuries. Comment: When doing a cliff launch it is vital to keep the nose down to prevent a stall. The air flow up the cliff or steep slope

JULY 1991

requires a low nose to maintain a proper angle of attack. But there is another factor relating to the wing tips and a cliff launch. When you stand ready to launch, raising the nose a small amount will put the wing tips, which are well behind you, on the ground. Try it sometime. Now, if you are standing on the level, and "run" (during the usual cliff launch it's more a "lunge" than a run), the nose of the glider goes out over the edge and tends to get pushed up by the uprising air, then the pilot goes off the cliff. Keep in mine! that the wing tips are still well behind the pilot and at this point are well behind the cliff. If the pilot drops even slightly as he "leaps" off the cliff, the glider drops too, and the trailing wing tips will likely drag on the edge of the cliff. This is especially likely to happen if one of two factors are present: first, if the lunge is weak, such that the forward speed is low and it takes a long time to get the wing tips past the edge of the cliff; and, second, if the nose of the gilder goes up even a tiny bit the wing tips rotate down to the ground. Obviously these two combined spell real trouble, and of course often occur together. One last point. If the glider is not pointing 90 degrees to the cliff face, there will be one wing forward and one back. Since both the nose and forward wing will have strong forces encouraging them to rise, the backward wing will be almost certain to drag. Now back to our pilot who is short, lines the glider up at an angle to the cliff edge (because the wine! is "slightly crossing"), takes a couple of weak steps, let's the nose come up, puts his forward wing out and drags the rear wing on the ground. I've seen this occur many times. Since the forward momentum is minimal, even a little drag effectively stops and rotates the glider, and it falls off the cliff. A cliff launch, windy or not, requires us to do some things that are different and often the opposite of what we normally clo during launch. It demands real discipline to do that which seem so foreign. How about one of you articulate instructor types doing an article on cliff launch technique? •

sal

Sail: A length of fabric attached to a shi_e to catch the wmd and propel it. To move sWiftly, smoothly, and effortlessly. e're not sure Webster could have defined it any better than that. The TRX sail was designed to expand its useable speed range, reduce unnecessary drag and to provide a high lift coefficient. A lot of the TRX's extra handling occurs at the tip. The truncated planform is finished with a clear high-impact plastic wing tip, which defines the wing tip vortices, thereby reducing drag. Don't take our word for it, take a test flight today and discover the TRX for yourself.

UP International 4054 West 2825 North Mountain Green, Morgan County Airport, Utah 84050 (801) 876-2211 Fax (801) 876-3003 13

REGIONAL NEWS Region VII Update by Rod Hauser Oshkosh We need people to help with the booth and simulator. The spectators will have many questions to answer so the staff manning the booth should be ready and have all the answers. Easy, right? We have two demo-flight times each day. I believe this is a first for hang gliders at Oshkosh. By showing the officials our system and safe technique, our goal is to work our way into the main show next year with a higher ceiling and possibly some aerobatics. Last year we had people from all over, even Europe, asking, "Where can I learn?" I have a few schools' pamphlets to distribute, but I would like all schools to send pamphlets to be put on display and for distribution. I am asking for a donation from the schools to help offset our overall expenses. I don't believe

Regional News This column is to let all pilots in all regions help know what's coming up. Pilots, if you don't see anything from your region, send your articles to your director and have him send it in. The directors are only as helpful as you pilots will let them be. See what happens, but don't say you heard it from me Uust do it).

you can get any cheaper advertising. We will also have a viewing area and I need some great videos to show, demonstrating good safe flying. Send them to me, put your name and address on them and I will return them to you. Last year over 850,000 people were at Oshkosh! We cannot get better exposure this inexpensively. I would like to not only break even, but make money for USHGA in the process. For more infonnation please call or write: Roel Hauser, Route I Box 73A, Cashton, WI 54619 (608) 269-6304. Clinics Two clinics in our region coming up. An ICP sometime in September; call Marty Bunner (414) 859-2777 for more information. The elates are open as to when pilots are available. Also a tow clinic in September in Tomah, WI. This will have a LO-pilot limit, but there could be more than one clinic in the month. Call me for more info.

Hang Gliding Lesson #1 Fly hard, fly safe, fly with High Energy Sports To reduce risk of bodily injury or death while hang gliding you need a complete safety system. From your glider to your hang straps you need to know you have the best system for you. We at High Energy Sports specialize in harness-parachute systems designed for the worst circumstances.

Notes Next month I will have an update on our regionals. They were held June 21-23 in Tomah. We hope to get some outside exposure on this-more to follow. The weather has been something else this spring. The result: some accidents. Maybe we as experienced pilots should be saying, ''I'll live to fly another clay." Doing this will hopefully demonstrate to other lessexperienced pilots our experience and good judgement, and we can all fly another day. •

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HANG GLIDING

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UP: From a lower to higher position. Above the surface. Into a state of excitement. Higher. To advance, increase and improve. World renowned hang ghder manufacturer. t UP we're devoted to the s~ort of hang gliding. This devotion has driven us to new heights m technology and perfonnance. The graphite frame, custom hardware, sail design and high-aspect truncated planfonn of the new TRX are advancing the sport of hang gliding throughout the world. At UP we don't want to just sell you a glider. We want to be a part of the continuing education and enjoyment for experienced pilots as well as helping newer pilots get more involved in the sport. Flying the TRX will convince you that it's the fmest ghder ever built. Don't take our word for it, take a test flight today and discover the TRX for yourself. ·

UP International 4054 West 2825 North Mountain Green, Morgan County Airport, Utah 84050 (801) 876-2211 Fax (801) 876-3003

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MAXON radios are type accepted for USHGA authorized hang glider pilots conducting USHGA business at meets, events or retrievals. It is a public safety style hand-held unit that provides clear transmissions, basic line of site range (approx. 80 miles air to air for the 5 watt transmitter). It is popular because it is lightweight, easy to operate, small, reliable and will accept a variety of accessories.

PENDULUM SPORTS Incorporated in 1988, sharing a 7,000 Sq Ft building with Monarch Manufacturing Inc. Both companys' principal owner is Jim Zeiset who sponsors the Green Team which provides extensive field testing for the products we sell. Located in central Colorado by world famous Mt. Princeton with camping and a landing area on the premises. We are dedicated to service and quality, but most of all to hang gliding. Parachutes - BRS - CG 1000 Quick release carabiner Water Bottle - Signal flares Used gliders - New gliders And MORE! Ask for the new catalog

Mini Vox and Headset

Additional Maxon Options Additional channel installed on hanclhelcls or mobile units ............ $ 35 # 35010 Extra nicacl battery for 5 or 1 watt hanclhelcls ................................ $ 40 # 35011 Vehicle pedestal charger with built in speaker and microphone ..... $180 # 35019 25 watt vehicle power amp (fits inside pedestal charger)............ $ 119 # 35017 Speake1Jmicrophone for 5 or 1 watt hanclhelcls .............................. $ 45 # 35009 Fast charger, drop in style for hanclhelcls and/or extra battery .........$ 42 # 35007 Telescoping 1/2 wave antenna, BNC connector ............................. $ 25 # 35023 "Rubber Ducky" 3 DB gain antenna, BNC connector ..................... $ 20 # 35021 Mag mount 5/8 wave vehicle antenna, PL 259 connector............... $ 55 # 35025 Appropriate antenna adapters .......................................................... $ 5 to $ 7

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~\Aramid \ Superlite ) Full Face , Cover Helmet Ultra Light Super Strong Less than 1.5 pounds Wt. Made with Dyneema SK60" World's strongest fiber." Nohypoxygen Ill Saves fatigue on ~ Oxygen System longer flights. A refillable continuous flow system Ear ports ~ featuring easy on/off valve, pilot Excellent vision - - - Sizes: small, medium, large or x-large controllable regulator (0-5 liters/min.), (6 5/8-6 7/8)(6 7/8-7 1/8)(7 1/8-7 3/8)(7 3/8-7 5/8)contents gauge, light weight aluminum cylinder, nasal cannula and custom hard $ 325 # 32010 Polycarbonate clear visor and installation call'ying case. The cylinder holds 200 liters when full (2,015 psi). It has been $ 25 # 32011 Polycarbonate clear replacement visor hydrostated to 3358 psi. At a flow rate of $ 12 # 32012 I liter/min. the bottle lasts over three hours. Available options include a flexible braided stainless steel extension and adapter for remote harness mounting in standard or custom lengths. $ 350 # 36002 OPTIONS Diluter demand system $ 595 # 36040 CGA 540 transfiller $ 35 # 36054 CGA 540 wrench $ 12 # 36008 Nasal cannula $ 6 # 36004 Dual scale; 0 to 600 or Oto 1500 fpm Soft pack call'ying case$ 60 # 36006 High I low dampening switch Flex-extension 18" $ 77 # 36018 Adjustable extra-loud audio Flex-extension 24" $ 86 # 36024 Total energy with flexible probe Flex-extension 36" $104 # 36036 Digital altimeter, I' increments Custom lengths $ SO + $I.SO/in. Airspeed IO to 70 MPH Speed ring Packing & Insured Delivery Dual 9 volt batteries, long life Order amount Add RF shielded 0.01 49.99 ........... $ to 4.00 $ Includes two Ball clamps for mounting 99.99 ........... $ 7.50 $ 50.00 to $ 745 # 37552 $ 100.00 to 199.99 ........... $ 10.00 Signal $ 200.00 to 499.99 ........... $ 15.00 $ 500.00 and over ........... $ 20.00 Mirror Through the mirror sighting Colorado residents add 4% Sales Tax A tried and true design A must for serious X-C pilots 1 800 933-5992 $ 6 # 33508

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Skymark Smoke Signal 30 second burn time Bright orange smoke Pull chain to ignite Smoke signals should be dropped from 300' to ~. . . . . ., 400' altitude as they take approximately 30 seconds to ignite and smoke for 30 seconds. Please retrieve your discarded containers. $ S # 37010

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Tomas Suchanek wins 1991 World Hang Gliding Championship, flying Moyes XS 155 Brazil, the exotic country where the jungle wild life is only surpassed by the wild life of the people . Sun , Samba and Sex took a back seat last February when the town of Governador Valadares played host to the 1991 World Hang Gliding Championships. Tomas Suchanek performed brilliantly in extremely difficult conditions. Low cloud base and rain showers were the order of the day. The XS 155 was supreme in

these tropical conditions. Many of the pilots were forced down early into mud up to their armpits, grass eight feet high and mosquito ridden swamps that would have made Indiana Jones turn paie . Tomas and his Moyes XS 155 overcame all these obstacles and proved that he and his XS are an unbeatable World Championship team. To become a World Championship team .... contact us at .... Moyes California 22021 Covello St., California 91303. Tel: (818) 887 3361 Fax: (818) 702 0612

XSI42 , 155 Gutesiegal Certified. XS142 , 155, 169, U.S. H.G.M.A. Certified.

The World Championship GHder

Moyes Delta Gliders P/L. , 173 Bronte Rd. Waverley 2024 N.S.W. Australia. Tel: (02) 387 5114 Fax: (02) 387 4472

STlJnAI 5,000 AUSTRIA LI CARAHINER RECALL lligh Energy Sports reports that Stubai of Austria is recalling all carabiners delivered after March 1990 with serial numbers "Stubai 5,000 Austria LI." They report tests show some of' the earabiners fail at 4,300 1<11nonl111, instead or 5,()00 kg. Customers should contact their harness manufacturer if' they own one of the carabiners in question.

1993 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS APPROVED l"OR OWENS VALLEY! The Commission Internationale de Vol Libre (CIVL) al its spring meeting officially approved the U.S. bid to host the World GI iding Championships in 1993. The contest will be held in lht: rt:nownt:cl Owt:ns Valley, and will be the first time for a World llang Gliding Championship in tht: United Stales. The 1993 World Championships and the preWorld 1992 Cross Country Classic International arc expected to draw 150 or the top pilots from over 25 countries. For further information contact Tom Krcychc, Cross Country Classic, P.O. Box 87:l, Mountain View, Ci\ 94042. hix or phone (415) %S8608.

USHGA CHAPTER RENEWALS The following chapters have renewed for 1991: ·,5 Norlhcrn Sky c;Jicicrs J\ss11 .• Minneapolis. MN. I Souihcrn Arizona lla11g (Jliding /\ssn., Tucson, ;\Z.

:n Capilol I la11g (;Jidcr J\ssn .. Silver Spring. MD 102 Rin nrnnd Soaring J\ssn., /\tarnorµordo, NM.

l(\] Draggin Flyers l bng (Hiding J\ssn., Orange Ci1y, F\ ,. 1(,7 Central Arkansas Mountain Pilots, Russellville. J\R. 47

Southern New York ff(, Pilols J\ssn .. Bayside. NY

154

Sierra Sky Surfers, Carsou Cily. NY.

Welcome lo the following NEW hang gliding chapters: 182

IJtsayantha Flyers Orga11izalion. Jlobart. NY.

181 Yoscmilc llang (Jliding /\\Sil., S:111 Diego,('/\. 18:1-

II!gh Rock J\ssociation, Jnc., Whc,11011, MD.

Welcornc to the following NEW paragliding chapter: 0( '007 Norlhcm ( 'alifornia Paraglidiug Co-op. Rcddi11g. ( "A.

JULY 199}

HANG GLIDING AND nm BIG WHITE TENT Our sport makes it first official showing at Suu 'n' Fun '91

I saw it. I was impressed. I felt proud. I want 10 say "thanks" to all who helped make this participation possible.

~-Oan .lohnson On The Scene Loving Every Sunburnt Moment

Standing under Miami's ground simulator arc members and friends of the South Florida club who manned the USHGA booth at Sun 'n' Fun. Miami covered the booth midweek; Orlando handled lhc weekends.

Sun 'n' Fun is the number two airshow of its type in the USA, playing second fiddle only to giant Oshkosh. It draws nearly 300,000 spectators plus tens thousands pilots and thousands of aircraf't from every imaginable segment. Tr you'rt: one of' the "true ht:I icvcrs" or in the business or sport aviation, Sun 'n' Fun is a 11111st-go event. This year, USIJ(iA made ils rirst official appearanct:, thanks to the gent:rous efforts of two Florida Clubs (Draggin Flycrs~Orlando and Miami I lang (i]iding Association). Coordinaled by Steve and Barb Flynn from the aerotuggt:rs and by Henry Stiriz of the boat platform towing Soulh Floridians, the lJSHCJA booth was manned evt:ry day without fail. Thanks to efforts by Stiriz and the Miami ans, a huge slatic hang gliding si1mila1or was constructed beside NAA's big white tent. Though all the associated NA/\ clubs saw lols of crowds, the hang gliding exhibit provided the strongt:st draw, thanks to the simulator in which many would-ht: pilots took flights of fancy. Because these volunteers were willing to give up soarablc days to answer encl less wuffo questions, the sport of' hang gliding received a terrific blast or the best PR money can buy. (Our expenses wae kepi phenomenally low.) Overall coordination was provided by another hard working group, our Colorado-bast:cl office staff.

Sierra Cloudbase II is a hang gliding and paragliding video lhal puts you in the air and !els you feel tht: cxcitt:mcnt of flying. Cameras arc mounted on the glider showing pilot views from the front, side and hack, with spectacular scenes of flying lo cloudhase. World famous pilots including Mitch McAlccr, John llcint:y, Kenny Brown, Mark Bennett and many others are shown pushing their gliders lo the limit. The first half of' thG video is a "site guide" or !he Reno, Nevada I Lake Tahoe, California region. It describes tht: sites and takes you flying to eight different ridge and mountain areas. It includes thermaling, contour flying, ridge soaring, cross-counlry rotttcs, mountain waves, and tandem nights lo cloud base. The second half' of the video covt:rs competitions and fly-ins. You start at the Monterey Bay Steeplechase when: highspeed races are flown inches above the California coastal beaches. Next, you take in the sights and sounds of the famous 1990 Telluride Annual I lang Gliding Festival. You will struggle in rough mountain air and finally hit the big thermal, and climb lo the highest legal alt ituclc lirnil on oxygen. We watch acrobatic pilots cornpt:tc in the 1990 World /\crobalic Championships, doing spins and I00 niph loops. Vidcographcr Paul Hamilton started flying hang gliders in 1978 and just started paragliding. I !c spent two yt:ars filming around the Western U.S., getting 100 hours or 19

original footage which was edited down to minutes of video from the serious pi lot's point of view. Price $29.95 plus $3.00 S&H. Adventure Video, 10950 Silver Knolls Reno, NV 89506 (702) 972-]518.

B..I. commented, "11 was one of the most exciting things I have ever done. I only wish that I had lricd it sooner." G.W. noted that he had never had so many "Batchelor" copilots in one day.

PARAGI,IDING TRAINING MANUAL Revised 2nd Edition Wills Wing has published a revised edition of their popular Paragliding - J\ Pi/or's Training Manual, designed for use paraglidcr student pilots in conjunction course of professional instruction. The manual has been expanded to 140 pages additional text, drawings and appendices the addition of an index. The manual equipment design and certification testing, beginning skills, aerodynamics, weather, turbulence and micromctcorology; m,,,.-n""' ate skills including landing approaches, flying in wind; advanced canopy skills as stalls, collapses, spins and recovery procedures; soaring skills including ridge soaring, thermal soaring, and right oJ' way rules; l'edcrnl aviation regulations and AP A USHGA pilot rating programs, cross flying, and how to maintain safety in your flying career. Appendices contain a complete training syllabus including lesson plan outlines for first-day training through and ridge soaring, rccomrncndcd reference sources for further inrormation on and weather, and additional information on canopy materials and paragl ider ics. 'The manual includes more than 60 line drawings and computcr-gcncrntcd graphics illustrate the subject matter. Paragliding J\ Pilot's Training is available from Wills Wing paragliding dealers or direct from Wills Wing, 1208 1-1. East Walnut, Santa Ana, CA 9270 I (714) 547-1]44. The price is $19.95 retail plus $2.00 for postage and handling. Dealer and quantity discounts arc available to prorcssional paragliding dealers. (Note: All paragliding and hang gliding equipment is available exclusively through Wills Wing paragliding and hang gliding dealers.)

AOPA EXPO AOPA Expo'() I, the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association's annual convention, will be held in New Orleans, LA, October 26 at the New Orleans Convcnlion Center. This year's event will be a particularly exciting one, with a record number of seminars and prcscntations-""-niorc than 75 hours worth. /\OP/\ Expo '91 will have more than 200 exhibits from a wide variety of aviation vendors, and or course they'll have their static aircrnrt display. AOPA's new president, Phil Boyer, will he on hand to welcome visitors. the Expo is also an ideal way to meet and talk with the movers and shakers in the aviation industry. Top officials from the Fcclcrnl Aviation Administration, Department or Transportation, National Transportation SaJ'cty Board, U.S. Congress and the aviation community will attend. Contact: AOPA, 421 Aviation Way, Frederick, MD 1701 (301) 695-2000.

MORE KHK NEWS The rilrn crew from the Family visited Kitty Hawk Kites for some exciting hang gliding footage for a family music 20

"'"'·'"""'"·'· Pictured arc Jeanine Davis, , Jimmy Hodson, host (from Los Lewis Estes, cameraman; Dale lcr, producer-director; Al llanscn, director. Hodson took a hang gliding and said, 'Tm hooked now." Other and snow skiing. "Vidcosyncrasy" the name or the show.

Camily of Charlottesville, Virginia airborne al the Corolla Tow Site just of Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. O.W. tandem instructor and John Morse driver, both from Kitty Hawk Kites, the ramily. The first to be towed were brothers Jim Bob, then parents B.J. and Tom. Brother whose first hang gliding experience was I 981 with Kitty Hawk Kites, followed with solo tows. of the clan range from 1-ycar""old student Bob to 57-ycar-old father Oldest son Tim has maintained a close with the Kitty Hawk Kites and decided to treat his whole lo this exciting sport. Mother B.J. had only to be a spectator that day, hut watching the gracefulness of the hang and G.W.'s safety approach, she loo to partake. Upon their pcrrcct landing

LOW ALTITUDE PARACHUTE SYSTEM Mike Hcilrnan of Applied Air Research announces the introduction of the El ,/\PS RDS-:lO rocket"dcploycd parachute system" The system allows the pilot to convcr1 his existing hand-deployed parachute lo this reliably fast rocket system. The RDS"":lO is a holster-style rocket that mounts to the harness. 11 weighs Jess than three pounds and can be installed in less than 45 minutes. The system complements the company's line or pulled-down apex parachutes with ELAPS rockcHnountcd containers. Retail price is $475. Conlact: Applied Air Research, P.O. Box 446, 720 Olive Dr., Suite Y, Davis, CA 95616 (916) 75:l-4850 FAX (C)]6) 75:l-4830.

OXYGEN SYSTEM Mountain High Equipment & Supply Company announces the Sports Oxygen System for hang gliding and paragliding. It BANC GLIDJNC

comes ready lo use with a fresh cylinder (no! refillable), an cx1ension tube, nasal cannula, carrying pouch and owners manual. The uni1 measures 2. 13" x 7 .5" and weighs about 18 ounces. The cylinder holds 18 liters of oxygen and !he regulator is an adjustable, constant-flow type delivering up lo two liters per minute. The oxygen is breathed with ambient air at a ratio of about 7: I. Contact: Mountain High Equipment, 51(> 12111 Ave., Sall Lake Ci1y, UT 84103 (80 I) 364-4171.

KITTY HA WK KITES LOOKS TOWARD 20TH SPECTACULAR

Old friends and new friends meet at each Hang Gliding in Nags Head, NC. From left are Powell, organizer of !he first Spectacular"f 9 years ago; Francis Rogallo, father of hang gliding; Noel Whittall, hang glider pilot and writer from England (and father of world champion pilot Robby Whittall); and .John Harris, president of Kilty Hawk Kites, major sponsor of the Spectacular.

The 19th annual Hang Gliding Spectacular ended May 13 with a new lowing compc1ilion. On May 14, 1he Ki11y Hawk Kites crew began planning the biggest, bcsl Spectacular ever-the 20ih, which will be held May 811, 1992. This year's even! a1lractcd cxacily SO pilots 10 Jockey's Ridge in Nags Head, Norlh Carolina, to compete in nearly verfcc\ conditions. With cast winds blowing across the East Coast's highest sand dune, 1hc

Ju.Y 1991

competitors flew in target landing, duration and pylon courses. Nineteen-ninety's champion Steve Wendt 100k the lead again. The 33-year-old school teacher from Kill Devil Hills, NC earned 290 points. Second place was Glenn Hockclt, 3(i, of Richmond, VA with 28.5 points. A lie for third was achieved by Rob Bachman or Roanoke, VA, and Greg Keoho of Nags Head, NC. In the novice division, father and son Clyde and Stacy Fisher of Waynesboro, VA 100k first and second place, respectively. Clyde, 44, earned 230 points, and 17-year-old Stacy, one or the competition's youngest pilots, earned 225. Third place pilot was Kevin Madden of Rockville, MD with 210 points. The first three days of competition concluded Sunday with a ceremony at Kitty llawk Kites, with Francis Rogallo, father of hang gliding, presenting awards. Special trophies were stained glass hang gliding scenes made hy KHK instructor Lisa Alexander. Bruce Weaver, KHK hang gliding manager and Speclaeular direetor, said, "It was nerve-wracking getting ready for this, but I really enjoyed it. The pilots cooperated and wen, very helpful and supportive." The pilots were a fair reprcsen1ation or the country, gcogrnphically, wilh some from the Wes\ Coast, some from Tennessee, the Northeast, and the mid-Atlantic. Three of the pilots were women. Killy I Tawk Kites president .John Harris said, "It ·s cxciling 10 sec Glenn Hocketl make a comeback afler alt these years." llc added, "The sight of .50 gliders on Ridge and everyone soaring back and forth is something I 'II always remember." At Monday's towing event, held at Curriluck County J\irprn1, 20 pilots competed. Jack Williamson of Coatesville, PA won lhc duration flight, with 16 minutes in the air: .Joe Sclrnctcr or Duck, NC took first in spot landing, and Kitty Hawk Kites' own G.W. Meadows got the highest tow -1,800 feet. Mark yom calendar now and plan to attend ihc 201h Spectacular, May 8--11, 1992. Evl~ryone who has ever competed in or been an official in any Spectacular is invilcd to allend this special competition, along with pilots new to the event as well.

I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I While we hope you never need a I chute, if you cb have an emer- I gency, youll want the very best BRS, the choice of I ,000 satisfied I hung gliding pilots. I

THESE

Pll

TS I

7 /89Geoff Loyns I Owens, California (BRS#2l6) I 6/90Jersey Rossignol Elsinore, California (13RS#40) I 8/90Carl Shortt I Kualoa, Ilawail (BRS#44) Thcyll each attest to BRS quality I and performnnce in actual uses! I

I I BRS offers several models to I choose from, including our very popular Quick Draw CORDLESS I rocket model that can snatch out I your chest-mount parachute in I about0.75 seconds, foronly$499. I No one offers faster or more reliI able high-performance safety BRS has recorded !"\0 total saves

MAKING FUGHT SAFER

The author test drives the Super Sport at Marshall Peak near Crestline, California.

by Gil Dodgen W11s Wing, Iuc. (principals Mike Meier, Rob Kells and Steve Pearson) has just released the successor to its popular recreational hang glider, the Sport, which has been around since 1986. Although the glider has been updated over the years with minor modifications and new hardware, this release represents a major design change. To the bestof'my knowledge the company has also accomplished a first in the history ol'U.S. hang glider design and manufac-· turc----thc simultaneous certification* and release of' three sizes of a new model. I was also surprised to learn that the glider */ !GMA r·erllji'rntes were p,ranredfr,r the Super Sport 143,/53andl63on.lunel/,/99/.

photos by Rob Kells

frames and sails wcrcclcsigncd primarily through the use of' CAD ( computer-aided design) techniques, and flew essentially "out of'thc box" on the firs I try. As most of you arc probably aware, hang glider design is as much arl as science, and new models usually require a lot cul-and-try bel'orc they arc optimized. I suspect thal Steve Pearson's vast design experience is as much to blame for 1his immediate success as (he CAD.

OVERVmw The Super Sport is an advanced recreationalclass glider for Intermediate- or better-rated pilo1s, although its performance and general flight characteristics put it in a class perhapsjusl

below Iha! of' the competition ships. It is relatively simple and lightweight by today's standards, and docs not have a variable geometry (VG) system. My impression is that the line between the "competition" and "recreational" classes is beginning to blur; even the manuf'ac .. turcr admits thal the only real difference in performance between the Super Sport and the HP AT is a JiHlc higlJ-Spccd glide, which comes at the expense of' complexity, cost and handling qualities with the HP VG on. The Super Sporl comes standard with faired clowntubcs and kingposl, the fancy J\T hardware-with which the old Sport had been updated-and a padded speed bar basctubc. The HANC GUD!NC

The old E-bracket has been replaced with this universal-joint assembly which allows free, independent movement of the uprights.

Control bar comer hardware. Front and rear cables are ball swaged.

The stepped leading edge is eccentric, eliminating the bulge on the leading edge sail pocket.

Cross bar center detail.

defined tips have been eliminated, as has the kingpost hang system, and a third bridle included. Although a couple of battens have been added, overall the design rcprescnls a decrease in complexity over the old Sport.

SETUP After the bag is unzipped and battens removed, the control bar is assembled at a single corner by attaching the hasetube to the upright with bolt, wingnut and safety. The glider is then flipped uprigh1 01110 1hc control bar, cover hag and velcro tics removed, hut leading edge tip protector bags left in place. The wings arc then spread and the kingpost installed. The kingpost has a nifty protector bag Lha1 vclcroes its top to the sail over the keel, not only protecting it but keeping it from f'lopping around during setup and breakdown. The bridle ring is clipped in and the lop rear wire attached with a keyhole JULY ] 991

tang and rubber safety. The top-surface ba1tcns arc s1uffcd (except lhe outboard three on each side) and wings fully sprcml. A control bar apex protector is removed and the cross bar tensioned using a foot-in-loop line thal leaves both hands free to a1tach the cross bar restraint cables. The underside nose wires are attached with a keyhole tang, nose batten impla111ed and nose cone installed. At this point the wingtipcovcrbags arercmoved,which con1ain the plastic wing tip fairings -and the last three outboard battens installed. 1 was pleased to discover 1hat Wills no longer insis1s on finger-lacerating tension on these. Adding the wing tip fairings and stuffing the thrce-per,sidc undersurface battens completes assembly. Overall I was pleased with the straightforward simplicity or the seH1p procedure. (My reaction to the HP AT in 1his department was

similar to that or the king when Mozart asked how he liked a composition. The king's answer: "Too many notes." My reaction to HP AT setup: "Too many ba1tcns Iand bags, and pads, and gadgets, and stuff].") l expect tha1 with practice the Super Sport can be flight ready in less than ten minutes. It is worth noting that the old kingpos1 hang system has been replaced with an ovcrthc-keel hang s1rap that allows about five inches or easily-adjusted C(J variation. The glider also allows more simple wing tip adjustment f'or trimming out !urns.

FIJGHT CHARACTERISTICS Rob Kells is famous for his ycHtgain unprec,, eclented enthusiasm for a new Wills Wing re,, lease, and this was no cxcep1ion. Frankly, it was a li1tlc hard !'or me to believe that any really significant overall improvemen1 could have been

made in the original Sport's l'light charactcfr; tics; ancr all, the glider had withstood the test or time. When it was released in 198(! its claim to fame was near state·of-thc-art performance, without the sho11lder-straining stiffness and casyto-beak landing q11alities of lhl, superships. To my taste it was still a little on 1hc sl ill side and just a litllc too sensitive to flare timing, al though the overall performance/handling compromise represented a big step forward. My skepticism about the Super Sport proved to be unfounded. It represents a big improvement over the classic Spor\ in almost every nigh\ characteristic category. Roll initia1ion bar pressure and response are significanlly improved (in my es1imalio11 son1ewhcrejust past HP /\T 158 VC loose). Turns coordinate easily withou\ high-"siding, and l found ii a joy to 1hermal. Thermaling turn acljustmen1 requires minimal effort, and often] found 1hat all l had lo do was lock in, push ou\ a lit11c, go around and around, and up. One of lhe most impressive lhings about the glider is ils slow-flight con1rollabil ity. Standard on Wills Wing gliders arc lufb mounted on !he lop surface or the inbomd wing, which can be seen through 1hc sail from undc,rnealh. Their primary use is lo determine minimum sink speed; when the tufls start to squirrel you're there. l found that I could fly the glider with the tufts pointing straighl forward-demonstrating a theoretically stalled wing-and still control the glider laterally wilh no trouble at all! This characteristic also gives the glider,\ very mild

and rorgiving stall. It slows, mushes and finally, reluctantly, the nose gcnlly. You really have lo work at it to produce a typical stall break, and can fly around with the glidcr"stallcd" without the nose dropping. Later we'll sec how this really pays oil on landing. On a nose-too""high launch l discovered an unexpected phenomenon resulting from this slow flight capability. Normally, on a lightwind shallow takeoff, l'l\ hold the glider at a more or less neutral or attack, start a gentle run, accckrate to a sprint andjust let the glider J"ly ilselfo!Tthc hill. When l tried this wilh the Supcr Sporl ii lifted me oil the ground prematurely, requiring a gen\lc return to c,arth and a few more running steps--- no big deal, but a smpfr;c. I undoub1edly started my nm with

the nose a lilt le too high, and 1his likcs-10-flyso-slow glider was more than happy 10 go flying before I was ready. I 'vc made this exact same launch scores or limes, and l 'm sure \hat the old Sport would ncwrhave Ii fled me off the ground at that speed ,md angle of a!\ack; the "stalled" condition would have aulomatically forced the nose down until there was adequate airspeed. My fauil not the glider's and an interesting lesson. /\ny deficiencies'? Yes, I round ii difTicull to fly the glider in a straight line for an extended period with Ilic bar sluffccl in lhcrmally air. In smooth air it was no problem, but I found the glider to he very sensitive al bar·-Sluffed speeds, and often would have to slow clown after a series of ratty 1hcrn1als would inilialc a PIO (pilolinduccd oscillation). I don't do acmbatics, and make a point of never getting caught in wind I can 'I pcnclrntc, so I've probably spenl .0 I 'l'i1 or my total air1i111c flying with \he bar sluffed. I suspect thal with practice one learns to make smaller correcl ions sooner, and return lo the center of the bar before an oscillation begins. Keep in mind thal I'm talking really s11,111c·ff-··--clbows locked and bar at the knees. I didn't nolice \his problem at bar-aHhc-waist speed, which is probably VNE anyway. I'm told \hat this phenomenon is the reason for the minimum Intermediate (Hang Ill) rating requirement.

PERFORMANCE Anything I say here is nothing rnore than semieducated speculation, since I didn 'I have a chance to do side-by-side performance comparisons in smoolh air. I guess square footagcdoesn 't mean nearly as much as it used lo; the 163 is a hig gl icier. I hook in at 21.'i pounds and didn't feel like I was

The less root-dominant planform of the Super Sport is readily apparent.

HANC: CLlDlNC:

any too heavy for it. My subjective impression is that I was getting a better sink rate, especially while themrnling, than I would in a 167 regular Sport. Part of this may be the slow-flight characteristics and the less root-dominant planform of the Super Sport, which undoubtedly results in greater span efficiency. Pete Lehmann' s crank-and-bank approach notwithstanding, I found that at altitude in large, weak, relatively smooth thermals I could really take advantage of the super slow flight capabilities of the glider to keep the vario beeping through 360°. At Marshall Peak, near Crestline, California I flew with a half-dozen hang gliders and paragliders on a typical light-wind, thermally day. Cycles would come through and we would climb to 600-800 feet over takeoff, then come down when it cycled down. Up to a few hundred feet over takeoff the thermals were small and took work to stay in, and we were all mixed up at different altitudes at different times. I keep hearing about the great climbing ability of paragliders in this kind of air, but found that sooner or later I could get above them. For about five cycles I couldn't quite reach 1,000 feet over takeoff, but finally attained that altitude where the thermals were bigger, smoother and coalescing. I slowed down in a nearly hands-off perpetual 360, listened to the vario sing, twiddled my thumbs, gained another 1,000 feet without really trying, and went on a I 5-mile out-anclreturn. Everyone else floated around the hill for the rest of the afternoon. Mike Meier says I'm a good pilot. Rob Kells says it's the glider. I'm not sure anyone else was trying. LANDING Ajoy. l'd been told that the Super Sport landed easily, so I decided to try an experiment. On an essentially no-wind landing I came in with plenty of speed, bled it off in ground effect, and waited for that "settling" feeling with plenty of push-out in reserve. Instead of flaring when I normally would, I pushed out a little and waited a couple of seconds-for an intentionally late flare with less push-out in reserve. On flare the nose came up, stayed there, and I made a twostep effortless landing without dropping a wing. This is apparently another beneficial side effect of the glider's slow flight characteristics. THE MANUAL The Super Sport comes with a very professional manual. It is well written (I'm picky about that), is illustrated with copious line arr drawings and JULY1991

is well organized. It explains the use of the wing tufts and covers interesting and useful topics such as minimum sink speed, minimum controllable airspeed, trimming the glider, launching and flying, landing approaches, landing technique, glider maintenance and car-top mounting. It also features exploded views of all glider parts. CONCLUSION I feel that this glider is an excellent choice for the casual or serious recreational pilot, and perhaps even for those with more ambitious flying goals. Its relative simplicity, confidenceinspiring flight (and especially landing) characteristics, near state-of-the-art general performance-and superb effective thennaling per-

fonnance-make it a real joy to fly and leave little to be desired. It's the kind of glider that will take many years to outgrow. One wonders if the sacrifices necessary for that little extra high-speed glide in the superships is really worth it. If you' re trying to set a world record or win the Nationals the answer may be yes, but for an ordinary mortal like your editor the answer is decidedly no. •

Super Sport Specifications Model Span Glider Weight Aspect Ratio Pilot Weight

143

153

31' 57 6.7 130-185

32' 8" 34' 4" 61.5 66 7.0 7.2 150-210 180-270

163

The Super Sport 143 by Linda Nelson

on't fly this glider." Rob Kells of Wills Wing stood in front of me, shaking his head and looking real serious. "I mean it. Don't fly this glider, 'cause if you do, you 're gonna want one. It's smaller, lighter ... " Oh, sure. I figured this was just the usual manufacturer's hype. He was refe!1'ing to a new Wills Wing glider, the 143 Super Sport. I had just finished telling him how happy I was with my present glider and how I had no intention of getting anything else for a while. But hey, here was the brand new little glider, and it sure would be fun to take it up for a spin. The Setup The Super Sport has all the nice AT hardware, and takes advantage of other HP AT upgrades. The· Super Sport has three luff lines extended along the trailing edge and the plug-in defined tip has been eliminated, making setup a li11lecasier. TI1e kingpost hang point system isn't needed anymore, and the hang loops are on the keel. Everything else is standard Sport assembly. At 5 '4" I had to really stretch to reach the luff line attachment with the kingpost resting on the sail. However, attaching the nose batten and fairing was very easy. I didn't have to dig in, lean back and give a hard pull to get the nose within reach. I was beginning to believe the small span, light weight, static balance stuff. However, it still has the foot-in-the-rope crossbar pull-back system, which means you can't tension or detension the glider while it's laying on the ground. On the other hand, I see a lot of muscular guys sweating and cursing while trying to tension crossbars with the newer rear pull-back systems. At least the footrope configuration leaves both hands free to attach the crossbar.

The Flight Getting the glider to launch was easy; it has a small, easy-to-manage span. And yes, it does have near perfect static balance. The control bar is a comfortable, functional size. It's identical to the l 50 Sport AT half-race bar, which was taken from the 147 Harrier. The combination of all these attributes makes this glider easy to balance on launch and very solid during your takeoff run. Bump and push. Anyone who has ever flown a Wills Wing glider knows that "bump and push" is how to coordinate a tum. I started the bump part of a turn and felt the glider start to roll, so I eased the bar out. You don't have to get real physical to turn this glider. Throughout all turns the bar pressure was light and smooth and easy to coordinate. Bump and push no longer applies. You don't have to learn lo fly this glider! What's the definition of an easy landing? I found out when I landed the small Super Sport. On final, the glider's airspeed slows but its angle of attack doesn't settle and drop-it just keeps flying. The resulting flare requires little effort. I thought maybe there had been a mistake and l had been flying a little Spectrum instead! Was there anything I didn't like about this glider? Not really, but I only had one flight on it. So is this glider totally cool or what? Small span, light weight, statically balanced. It sounds like a lot of hype, but what does it mean, really? For me, it means being able to control the glider throughout a windy, thennally takeoff. Those little punchy thennals close to the hill will be easier to catch. Approaches and landings on a dry lake bed in desert heat won't be nearly as strenuous. It all adds up to safety and more airtime. Was Rob's warning valid 1 Did I want a 143 Super Sport after Oying one? Yes! I bought one.•

by Rodger Hoyt:

POOi\" I u·1T1.:1<1,D in a cuphcmislic variation or the classic hang gliding cxplct ive. I'd traveled ten miles into a eross·country rtight when my vario battery failed, trumpeting its demise with wild up and clown needle fluctuations typical of Ball 652's. Quickly, I switched to the reserve battery. After a lhrce,second wannup, it too announced its weakened condition, expending its final millivolts in a peg·to-peg spasm or death. I turned the volume down to silence the annoying cacophony and rt:luctantly began searching for a likely~albeit premature · landing field. Actually, my predicament had bt,gun weeks ago. I'd been waiting for a sale on those rectangular nine··Volt batteries (the kind you sadistically enjoy touching to your dog's moist nose) that arc the standard power supply f"or most current variornctcrs. Hvereacly, Duracell, Kodak; I didn't care. Brand was irrelevant. I just wanted it cheap. You sec, if I combined my 25·cent coupon with a "rtash· ing blue light special" ... wcll, you get the idea. Now my procrastination was being punished. I'd been tried, convicted and sentenced by the cheapest component of all my hang gliding paraphernalia. Like the; mega-dollar Indy 500 racer that conks out on the second lap because or a $6.00 widget washer, I was suffering the vengeance of a $1.79 Energizer. Ii wasn't "still as the ads say. The rabbit had died. So had my hopes for a long, high flight.

Wrrn TODA y's SOPlllSTICi\TED, transistorized instruments, ba1tery failure such as this is a comparatively uncommon problem. Most modern varios have low current drain and incredible battery longevity. Many l'caturc low baltery warning indicators or backup baltcry systems. Generally, if you find yourself singing the "dead ballcry blues," you wrote the song yourself. You simply didn't replace that battery when you should have. In this situation, Ohm's Law and the Law ofCiravitation will often conspire to put unprepared pilots promptly on the pavnncnt.

l li\NC Gt.lDINC

normal flight, may even include the sense of smell. Thermals, by definition, arc upward movair cu1Tcn1s. Being vertical winds, they carry all sorts of things up with them: dus\, hugs, litter, birds, Michael Dukakis campaign litcrnturc. They also carry scents. Many is the pilo1 who has had the mixed blessing or firs1 sniffing the pungGnl odor of cow manure, rollowcd immediately by the joyous song of his vario. rr flying inslrumcntlcss, he aware of odors. Thermals also transport less subtle items heavenward. I\ pilot once new in Oregon's Willamc1tc Valley during the peak of the harvest season. Unfamiliar with the particular site, he inquired or local pilots where \he resident

Instruments'? Just say no!

larnentable fact is, hawks 'We re not. We lack the instincts necessary for pure, instrument--free soaring. But to our credit, we' re not dodos either. With experi~n~e ~nd practice we can mmzmzze our dependence on our highdollar electronic noisernakers. We can develop our 'cranial vario.' And, by so doing, we can become rnore like the birds we aspire to emulate." 1

The whole problem is, thermals arc invisible. Al altitude, wi1hou1 a rclcrencc poin1, we humans arc like a witless elevator; we don't know if we're going up or going down. Oh, we can foci the inilial snrge perhaps, 1ha1 first upward or downward acceleration that exerts 1crnporary G-forccs on our bodies. Bui alkrtha1 stabilizes, we're essentially without sensory abilities with which 10 dc1crminc vcr1ical speed or direction. Inability to judge vcrt ical mo1 ion has been experienced by most pilots. Perhaps you've flown along in a prolonged period of sink when suddenly you feel an upward surge. Assuming i1 's a thermal, you arc curious why your vario isn '1 cheerfully proclaiming your asccn1. A glance al 1hc dial shows ii 's reading a disappoin1ing 200 fpm down. To you, the 1ransition from 700-down 10 200-down fell like 500-up. It's likely you would have aHcmptcd to core that pscudo-thcrnrnl had your vario not alerted you to its countcr/'cit status. The lamentable fact is, hawks we're not. We lack the instincts necessary for pure, instrument-free soaring. But to our credit, we're not dodos ci1hcr. With experience and praclice we can minimize our clcpcndcnce on our highdollar electronic noisemakers. We can develop our "cranial vario." And, by so doing, we can become more like the birds we aspire lo emulate. Like the blind person who, unclistractcd by sight, develops his other senses lo a heightened level, we 11111st karn lo sharpen our i11hercn1 abilities long neglected 1hrough instrumcn1 dependence. Those senses, usually ignored during Ju1vl99l

1hcrmals could be round. "Just look for the hay," he was 1old. During his night he soon realized wha1 was meant by lhis unusual advice. Every 1hc:rmal was marked by swirling columns of straw 1osscd skyward from mowed fields below. /1.lihough he had a vario, it was unnccessary---thc cores were plainly visible. This il\ustralcs the val11c of keeping your eyes, as well as ynur nose, open. Many pilots own Thcnnal Snoopers which detect 1empcraturc variations on a molecular level. All of us, however, were born with an innate lcmpernturc·-Scnsing system which works similarly. lt's called the epidermis. Since thermals arc nothing more than heated columns

of air, il's possible lo feel 1hcm on your skin. Many sky-piercing climhouts arc preceded by a flood or warm air over the pilo\' s race. By noticing 1cmpcraturc changes and assuming the warm ones lo be tlwrmals, you can learn to be your own "thermal snooper." Thus far we've described 1hcrmals as bc-ing I) air, and 2) warm. But thermals possess a third qua lily, that of motion. They flow 1hrough static areas of air like currents through an ocean, creating atmospheric swirls, waves and eddies we aerouauls experience as tmbulencc--cspccially at the area of greatest mixing, the pcriph· cry. If you encounter rough air, it's likely you arc on the boundary of a thermal. Seldom, when entering a thermal, will you run head-on into it. More likely one wing will contac1 it first, resulting in that wing being li fkcl. Turning lo ward the elevated wing will often steer you right into the 1hcrrnal eye. Now that you've localccl a thermal, how in the world do you core it without benefit of your assorlmcn1 of electronic devices'/ Again, i1 's time lo sharpen 1hosc senses dulled from years or vario reliance. In my opening illustration, both vario bat-" tcrics had succumbed and I was headed for a landing. As ! glided toward a field however, I met some rough air followed by an upward surge characteristic of a thermal. Wi\h nothing to lose, I began to circle at random. l ,ikc 1hc prcviously-mcnlioncd blind person, I felt my way around \he thermal like he would around a page of braille. I round the parameters of lift 10

Do-i!-yourscl f battery tester.

be as noticeably defined as those on the pages of a soaring textbook. First, I would feel turbulence, then the upward acceleration as I hit the core. \Vithin the core was smooth air, until I reached the opposite side, where once again there was turbulence. These were things I would never have noticed had I been preoccupied with my vario. Using this method of "feeling" my way around the thennal, I experienced one of the most memorable climbs of my hang gliding life. It would not be exaggerating to say that in the ensuing ten-minute ascent, I learned as much about the nature of thermals as in all my vario-equippecl hours prior. Besides your kinetic sense, another method of coring thennals without instruments is by sight. Watch nearby mountains or ridges. If you are climbing they will appear to be receding below you. Previously hidden objects will begin to appear from behind them. Obviously, the reverse is true if you 're descending. If you happen to be over flat terrain, or too high to utilize this mountaintop reference, then focus

on the ground below. If you are rising, objects will appear to draw under you as if shrinking toward a center point directly below~much like a zoom lens run in reverse. Concentrate on your peripheral vision, too. As you ascend, your field of vision becomes wider, bringing more and more area into view. This method is equally effective regardless of your altitude above ground level. An Oregon pilot once made a l 00mile flight without the aid of instruments, relying solely on this technique. PERHAPS THE BEST METHOD for combatting the dead battery blues is to simply avoid getting caught with your volts clown in the first place. Change batteries regularly, before they get low on current. This is especially important when flying in cold weather. Purchase only highquality alkalines or nicacls. The new freshness elating on packaging helps, but it's not infallible. One recorcl-holcling X-C pilot tests his batteries with a voltmeter before each flight. Conversely, ifyou'veneverflown without

the assistance of your electronic crutches, or if the thought of going instrumentless leaves you with the same feeling as a junkie whose dealer just got busted, perhaps you don't know what you're missing. One of the greatest appeals of hang gliding is the purity of simple, silent, unpowerecl flight.You '11 be surprised how much more birdlike you feel, and how much more sensitive you become to the air around you, when you rid yourself of those incessant buzzers and bells. On casual flying clays, or during winter flights, practice flying sans vario. If the thought of going cold turkey is too much, start by turning off your vario (or turning down the volume) for short periods and see if you can stay up without it. If you find yourself sinking out, turn it on again. You'll be a better pilot for the experience. You may even decide to forsake your vociferous voltaics altogether. At least if you practice beforehand, when your battery fails in flight, it won't be such a "shock."•

The Hall Airspeed Indicator A precision instrument for the serious pilot. Rugged, dependable and easy to read.

Airspeed Indicator with Long Bracket

CLOUDBASE INSTRUME~TS

Airspeed Indicator .............. $23.50 Long Bracket ........................ $7.00 Foreign & C.O.D. orders add $2.00 Control Bar Protectors 5" diameter ABS plastic wheels. Specify 1" or 1-1/8" control bar. Wheels - $20.00/pair.

Control Bar Protectors

Hall Brothers P.O. Box 1010-H, Morgan, UT 84050 MasterCard I Visa I C.O.D. Phone Orders (801) 829-3232 FAX (801) 829-6349

Hang Gliding Calendar of Events Don't forget your free listing in Hang Gliding magazine's Calendar of Events. Because of our lead time it's best to get your notice to us at least two months prior to the event. Hang Gliding Magazine

Calendar of Events 6950 Aragon Circle, Suite 6 Buena Park, CA 90620 28

' - - - - - - - - - - - - ghl8000 ALTIVARlO

The gh18000 ALT/VARIO combines an accurate, temperature stable altimeter with a sensitive fast response rate variometer. A switch allows rate of climb to be displayed in the average mode to help determine long term progress. Flight information is di~played on large, 1/2 inch characters, making it easy to read at a glance. Also, The gh18000 is packaged in a small (4" x 2 1/2" x 1 1/2") and rugged case which also offers additional shielding against radio interference. And, batteries should never be a problem as a 100 hour battery life is common and'there is a low battery warning. Finally, this instrument is very affordable with an introductory suggested retail price of $369.

AVAILABLE AT YOUR LOCAL DEALER, FOR MORE INFORMATION, CALL (408) 263-1548 OR WRITE 2464 EL CAMINO REAL, SUITE 513 SANTA CLARA, CA 95051

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INSURANCE INFORMATION The cost of the insurance is included in the full membership fees with the member as additional insured. USHGA provides a Combined Single Limit Bodily Injury and Property Damage Liability Master Policy in the amount of $1,000,000 per claim which covers all recreational flyin~. USHGA's insurance is valid ONLY while flying in the U.S., U.S. Properties and CANADA *Foreign payments must be in U.S. RJNDS drawn on a U.S. BANK.

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OTHER USHGA CALENDARS SPECIFY YEAR: 1991 1990 1989 1988 More Excellent Photography- collect them all! ....... $3.00 USHGA SCRAMBLE KNIT SWEATER by Nutmeg Mills Embroidered with Mtn. Glider emblem, 100% Cotton, "Natural Color" SPECIFY TYPE: CREW NECK or VEE NECK and SIZE: SMALL MEDIUM LARGE X-LARGE ............................................... $39.95 USHGA MTN. GLIDER PULL-OVER JACKET 100% Supplex Colored top with black base. Pouch pockets. SPECIFY COLOR: GREEN YELLOW RED BLUE & SIZE: Small Medium Large X-Large ...................................... $29.95 USHGA LONG SLEEVE T-SHIRT 100% Cotton "Simplistic" Design SPECIFY COLOR: WHITE or GRAY & SIZE S M L XL ......... $16.95 USHGA MTN. GLIDER T-SHIRT White-100% cotton. Our most popular shirt. SPECIFY SIZE: S M L XL .................................... $10.95 USHGA YOUTH MTN. GLIDER T-SHIRT For those up and coming pilots. SPECIFY SIZE: 8(6-8) M {10-12) L(14-16) .................. $9.95 USHGA NEON LOGO T-SHIRT 100% Cotton Our beloved oflicial logo, color revised of the 1990's. HOT! SPECIFY TYPE: WHITE TANK TOP or BLACK T-SHIRT & SIZE: Small Medium Large X-Large ............................................. $9.95 USHGA MTN. GLIDER CAP Embroidered SPECIFY COLOR: RADICAL PINK WILD YELLOW NAVY WHITE ...................... $9.95 USHGA CORDUROY CAP Embroidered with "Glider Trails" design SPECIFY COLOR: ROYAL BLUE OFF-WHITE ..................... $9.95 USHGA MTN. GLIDER SHORTS 100% Supplex. Neon and traditional colors Side pockets, lining and drawstring. SPECIFY COLOR: PINK GREEN YELLOW RED BLUE & SIZE: Small Medium Large X-Large .......................... $13.95 USHGA EMBLEM BASEBALL CAP Foam white front, colored mesh back. SPECIFY COLOR: RED NAVY GOLD ORANGE .......... $5.00 USHGA LAPEL PIN Beautiful multi-colored Min. Glider design. Custom shaped pin w/ military clutch and epoxy dome ...................... $4.95 USHGA 1988 WORLD TEAM PIN Commemorating the world meet in Mt. Buffalo, AUSTRALIA ............................................................ $2.95

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HANG GLIDING FOR THE BEGINNER PILOT by Pete Cheney The Official USHGA Training Manual. Over 200 pages .................. $29.95 H.G. MAGAZINE- Special New Pilot Edilion Covering several aspects ie. equip., instructors, log books, 1st solo, etc ....................... $4.50 PARAGLIDING FLIGHT-Walking on Air by Dennis Pagen Covering all aspects of Paragliding. Over 140 illustrations ................... $19.95 HANG GLIDING FLYING SKILLS by Dennis Pagen Our most popular book. For the beginner to intermediate pilot. ......................... $9.95 HANG GLIDING TECHNIQUES by Dennis Pagen Continues where FLYING SKILLS left off. For intermediate to advanced ............... $7.50 FLYING CONDITIONS by Dennis Pagen Micrometeorology for the hang gliding pilot. Over 90 illustralions........................................ $7.50 RIGHT STUFF FOR NEW HANG GLIDER PILOTS by Erik Fair Overview, humor, techniques and personalities ................................. $8.95 FEDERAL AVIATION REGULATIONS 1991 Federal Regulations covering ALL types of aviation ......................................................... $8.95 USHGA INSTRUCTORS MANUAL Syllabus, information, teaching methods, flight training maneuvers and procedures ...................... $5.00 USHGA DELUXE LOG BOOK 72 pages. Covering pilot ID, ralings, rules, maintenance, inspection, terminology ... and more .............. $4.95 USHGA X·C LOG BOOK 64 pages. Very clean! For those who like to document their flight. ............................................................. $3.95 USHGA FLIGHT LOG BOOK 40 pages. The Official USHGA Flight Log Book ...................................................................................... $2.95

USHGA DELUXE LOG BOOK COVER Gray colored and debossed with the Min. Glider design. Show off your flights ....................... $9.95 USHGA MTN. GLIDER SEW-ON EMBLEM The most beautiful patch you'll ever own. 12 different colors used ................................... $4.95 USHGA MTN. GLIDER DECAL Full color 6" diameter vinyl decal. Guaranteed to last! .......................................................................... $1.50 USHGA FLYING DISK Mtn. glider red on black color. Completely soarable. Thermal finding capabilities ........................................... $1.95 USHGA DRINKING MUG w/HANDLE Unbreakable 14 oz. frosted plastic mug. Mtn. glider screened in blue ....................................... $1.95 USHGA KEY CHAIN "Soft Feel" Plastic. Custom Mtn. Glider shaped. Screened white on red .............................................................. $1.50 USHGA SEW-ON EMBLEM Our original logo, in its original colors on this 3" circular emblem ............................................................... $1.50 USHGA EMBLEM DECAL Our original logo, in its original colors on this 3" circular sticker ..................................................................... $ .35 USHGA LICENSE PLATE FRAME "I'd Rather Be Hang Gliding" PLASTIC-white with blue lettering ........................................ $5.50 METAL-(zinc) with white on blue lettering ............................ $6.50

MAGAZINE COLLECTOR BINDER Brown vinyl binder w/ gold lettering. Wire inserts to hold 12 issues of HG .................................... $9.00 'USHGA ERIC RAYMOND POSTER 24" X 37" Eric doing oxygen at 17,000 ASL over the Sierra Nevada Range ............................... $5.95 'USHGA HANG GLIDING POSTER 22" X 28" Colorful nostalgic standard rogallo flying into the golden sunset. (Circa 1977) .............. $3.95 'Posters are NOT AVAILABLE on International Orders-SORRY!

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> '" £py~f~g~ pqsts ~i~ N1ff earft{1 XNfflJij! Jni;ef V2# ~~t~ §f th~ ooJicy. Mi4 term gi11c¢!lairoii~ {If~ #s>t : No £§yer~g~ Jppfit~ iff119iyfgtjJJ p#fis/fQMff!filefft~ P! a@',§§§h~§ ijte Jto1e~ $epa£#f?1y)

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GLIDER/PARAGLIDER:

Make _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Model ___________ Year _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ Serial # Date Purchased Cost $ * Sa iI Color: Leading Edge_ _ _ _ _ _ Upper Surface Lower Surface_ _ _ _ _ _ __ Canopy Color: # of Ribs _ _ _ _ _ __

---------

ACCESSORIES: Altimeter_ _ _ Variometer Harness ____ Flight Deck____ Backpack_ _ _ _ __ Helmet Radio_ _ _ _ _ _ Other_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ Parachute: Hand Ballistic Other * Include cost of accessories.

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

AGREEMENT: !Wrdet§tanclthi§···i11slfra11ce, Win. .·119(reifuq1rs~····t11{f6itl1Elhfftgf]lic:c:bss8rir(ll11l.essVi,t01EhgmuJta11iUstr withitht•••e.11.tire:. airfra111e and}s~il-······ .• ·agr'* t11:tt t.h~• • :.Pf tms.· in.sura nce.:•. is agqtllN r.a111 •. t19L~~titlestt9a s.redit.in·.··rr.~·.·e"~~tl .~elLo.r dis po&¢ ···tll~Jqf~ tified glider prl9[.tO e;xpiqtti9~ 9fltft()f • . Illy certifis3:te. ••.. •.Ho\V.1Yf r;•.•.:.1 . . t11a.y . ••·repla.ce• my·•· 9rigi~~.1. •.gfi9ft{'Ni th ••a·· .·.ctifferen.t gJideb guri11.~·····tffe f?yeragy •P;fit)d•••.§gI911g·~.s a ~ritt~.'\ llQ!iS:\itre:f:ive~ .~Y!ftrfW19fP,Iit~rpr.iqrtq.•·•·,1$pYf1'~P:····loS§, {• •1 upderstan<f. that:J· must. .•opfaip •••~gel .•. f of'rVa.rd •.•. to.•.t11e•••.:pmpany A)e&i£J? fOpygf·.• t~Ap~rti.nen !••poIifC rep()rt; ?t 111y .Q\}'A expe11sy; •. iLI.\Vere.}o··•fl.l~ a.• •. cl<1itn.·. ?l~1:s9 .• un~e§t.:t.11d apcta.~re.e•:tha.rmverag,9 wi]Lpb . . in£ffeft on.••the first ctn of the month foll9Wing apprqy111 qt· the ~pplic:~J;o.rr)5y:··the.. undewriter. > ·

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NOTE: A photocopy of this application shall be as valid as the original. Signature

---------------~----~ Date----------~ (See reverse side for Participant's Accident Insurance Application)

1 1he wee hours or the world's history, some brilliantCro-Magnon fashioned a wheel. Time went by and before long we found ourselves in the 20th century driving everything from Cadets to Cadillacs, sitting in traffic jams, sucking in smog ... On another distant occasion a genius Neanderthal invented the lever. In a few quickly dissolving millennia we had applied this invention to the voting machine and learned to elect officials like Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan, Dan Quayle ... Okay, so technology hasn't always brought us higher quality of life, but in many cases new technology extends the realm or the possible. Tlu:TRX from Ultralight Produels incorporates a technology new to mockrn* hang gliding: carbon graphite slructures. Let test-fly this

by Dennis Pagen

glider and see what possibilities arc opcnc:d to you.

TECHNOLOGY TllE n11n11 oi: A 1ws1GN is usually a maltcr involvmueh sweat and labor. So it was that Terry Reynolds spent years studying low-speed aerodynamics and the last two years refining the TRX (Note that his initials arc in the glider's name. Where docs the X come from? Who knows. Perhaps his middle: name is Xavier but he doesn't want to admit it.) Everything came together for Terry at the end of 1990 when he qualified for the U.S. World Team, found a manufacturer for graphite tubing and hooked up with Ultralight Products (\JP) to manufacture the TRX. 11 must be many

pilots' dream to create a design, sell it to a rnajor hang gliding company and compete on it sue· cessfully in the World Championships. We can only envy and congratulate Terry. T111: 1.t1Rl' OF nRAPlllTE has been with us since the

mid 70's when it appeared in aerospace applica .. lions and then in more mundane items such as golf clubs and fishing poles. Carbon graphite has been used in ai re raft for well over 15 years */1 is i111eresli11g lo nore rhat rhefi'rsr gmphire hang glider 1rns prodwed hv l/1' in /978 11si111s .1p11rs lmilr bv Cirafiex, a s11hsidiarv o{ E1xon. The Riider was a Spyder and rmwed rile co11,·1•p1, lmr rlw word was 1/1111 Grafiex p11/ied 0111 d11e ro liahiliry rnncems. [here are also n11Te111 Ji'xed wing proj!'Cls in rile works using rnrhon graphite composites.

IIANC: Gl.lDINC

but has not been in production hang gliders unlil now. This is an unrortunatc state of' affairs considering that the strcngtlHo·wcight rntio of' graphite is around five times that or aluminum (depending on alloy) and weight is the ultimate I imitcr of hang glider performance. Just what is this carbon graphite stuff? II is the same stuff from which your pencil lead or average chunk or coal is made. I lowever, it starts out as a rayon (a hydrocarbon) filament under tension pulled through a furnace: at several thousand degn:cs. What takes place is a magical change in the carbon molecular chain lo produce a stiff, strong fiber. We can call this carbon or graphite depending on the changes wrought by the processing temperature. Once these fibers arc created they are woven in a mat or a unidirectional tape for use in manufacturing a host of items from bicycle frames to stealth bombers. To make hang glider tubes you have to wind graphite tape on a mandrel, apply epoxy resin (most graphite comes pre-impregnated with the resin) then cure it for several hours under heat and pressure. When that's all done you remove the mandrel (requiring a special puller) and, voilaL you have ere· atcd a strong but light tube. !low strong? How light? According 10 industry literature, carbon graphite epoxy composites have over four times the tensile strength or 4340 steel and about 5.4 times the tensile strength of'7075 aluminum for a given material density. !•or items or equal strength, graphite should weigh less than I /4 steel and less than II 5 aluminum. Also, graphite is about three times stiffcrthan st.eel and four times sl iffcr than 7075 aluminum. Carbon graphite has a unique corrosion problem. It doesn't corrode, hut its excellent electrical conduction (remember that the center pole of those baltcrics you cut apart in science class were carbon) means a galvanic reaction sets up between the carbon and other metals. Using plastic barriers or mylar tape is a ready fix J'or this problem. Finally we'll mention the cost of graphite lubes. They arc expensive, as reflected in the TRX price. However, in years to come the price will come down as manufacturing processes become perfeclccl. What is more important is that aluminum is the most energy intensive and polluting of all metals to manufacture. As the cost of fuel and environmental concerns continue to grow we'll perhaps sec a parity in the price of graphite and aluminnm.

The TRX in flight. Photo comtcsy UP International. Wlli\T GRJ\PIIITI'. MEANS TO/\ l)ES!C,N is a reduction in weight, improved performance or both. A similar situation occurred in our sport over five years ago when manufacturers began using 7075 aluminum alloy in place of 6061. The 7075 was stiffer and stronger than the 6061 so 1hinncr walled tubing could be used creating a lighter glider. Stiffer leading edges also meant heller performance without the weight penahy. The concerns voiced about graphi1c tubes arc similar to those brought up when 7075 appeared on the scene: corrosion and bri11lc· ncss. They were proven to be non-problems with 7075 and, given the experience of other industries, arc under control for graphite also. For example, graphite fighler jcls arc expected ro have twice the service life of their aluminum counterparts. The TRX uses graphite tubes in every location except the keel and basctubc. Thc former is drilled with lots or holes and Jakes shock loads on nose-·ins while the latter is a bent belly bar. The 2-1/2 inch inside cliamctcr(ID) crossbars are much stronger than s1anc\arcl while 1he 2-inch TD leading edges are stiffer for washout control. Here's what this technology buys you: the TRX is the lightest glider for its size available (sec specifications), and it sports the greatest span and highest aspect ratio. We are moving in the right direction. In the words of Terry Reynolds: "The TRX is the first in a series or hang gliders intended to maximize the capabilities of composite materials for hang gliders."

REFINEMENTS TAKE ON!i 1.ooK AT I\ TRX and you'll agree that it belongs in a showroom where they normally display cars whose names end in vowels. The TRX is sleek, lean and mean looking with its shiny black clowntubcs, keel and kingpost. The glider looks hungry for altitude. Move a little closer and you'll conclude that the TRX has the best finished hardware in the business The attention 10 detail can be seen in the inspection zippers oriented to the airrtow. The kingpost top and bottom arc very clean with an internal reflex bridle compcusator. The basetubc/downtubc connection is ingenious with no protruding parts. The exposed cable-to-tube connections arc teardrop shaped to shrug ofTthc wind. These p11rts look like they belong in a gallery f'or they combine function and form. The control bar downtubcs are made of' graphite in a faired shape. They arc very com-· fortablc 10 grip and arc non-skid due to the overlapping carbon tape wraps. The company plans to offer optional aluminum downtubcs for pilots with 1hc bar-breaking habit. The variable geometry (VG) system on the TRX is optimum for a couple of reasons. For instance, the double gang of pulleys make shifting gears in flight fairly easy, yet not a lot of string travel is needed because the crossbars are very swept-the most in the industry- so a little movement goes a long way. Also, lhc VG system is right by your hand and does not need threading during setup. Take time to inspect the tip fairings of the (continues ... )

Jrnv 1991

al'ixed wing with its trapezoidal planform. Or, if we must compare it lo another flex wing, a Streak comes to mind. In its heyday, the Streak was known for its speed and glide. f'llTTINC, IT TOCiET!lER is fairly straightforward. You must atlach both ends of the basctube with bolts because of the special form fittings, but the spin nuts make this quick work. Once the glider is up on its c011trol bar you spread the wings and drop the kingpost into its fitting. The next step is to stuff all 24 of the upper ballcns from bigThe super-slick graphite down tubes and control bar corner hardware. gest to smallest (the nose Photo courtesy UP International. batten stays in). Next, the crossbar is tensioned TRX and you'll sec wondrous molded airfoil from the nose which makes the glider easier to set up or break down in windy conditions. shapes that acid at least 3/4 of a fool to the glider's span. These tips are made of clear highAttach the VG system and compensator, inimpact plastic and just seem to beg for the spect the inside of the wing, then zip up the installation of running lights----rcd for po11, green double surface. Finally, go behind the glider to for starboard. atlach the reflex bridles, put in the undcrswfacc The final hardware items we'll mention bal!ens (four per side) then finish the wing Lips. are the wcll--pacldcd comfortable basetubc with The wing tip system, while very nice for about the right amount of belly and the numerperformance, safety and looks, is the one area where r have gripes. Graphite wands must be ous protection pads for packing up. There are pads for the keel end and middle, kingpost ends, inserted on a small stud that is free to wallow around, and wallow it docs. It almost always control bar apex and bottom as well as basctubc. Also included are leading edge end covers and requires a reach way inside the wing to hole\ it a waterproof bag for the whole glider that folds in place while inserting the wand. A simple rubber washer or even tape will cure this probup into a pretty small package. lem. Tim SJJAPE of the TRX is intended to be funcThe large tip fairings also require a few tional. That is, as much chord (front to back tricks to put on properly. After a bit of practice you \cam to vclcro the top first, then work the measurement) is carried out toward the Lip as possible. This docs two things: First, the more bottom into correet alignment. chord length, the higher the Reynolds (no relaBreakdown on the TRX is essentially the reverse of setup, except it takes longer because tion to the designer) number which improves you arc babbling so much about your exciting performance. Second, carrying the trailing edge all the way outboard helps maintain the effecflight to anyone who will listen. tive span, again for pcrformance purposes. One X-CEI.LENCE indicatorof a glider's span efficiency is its taper FLYING THE TRX exposes the strengths of the ratio (root chord divided by tip chord). At 2.46 the TRX's taper ratio is very near the ideal 2.5 design features. The first thing you notice is the excellent handling. Despite the albatross-like for a tapered wing. The shapcofthe TRX reminds one most of span, the glider turns at the whim of the pilot 36

with the VG loose. With the VG tight it still handles easily although occasionally a sticky wing occurs in textured air. This can be remedied with a quick forward punch on the control bar which causes the glider to come around immediately. You must learn to give the right amount of punch to avoid overbanking. I personally like this feature, for all high-·pcrfor. mancc gliders balk al roll input al times, but only a couple respond to the punch. In general, the alkiround handling of the TRX is second to none. When thermaling I tend to keep the VG of the TRX I /4 lo I /2 on in stronger lift and full on in the weak, flat stuff as long as I don't have to make numerous adjustments. With the VG off I found I would oscillate in yaw and roll a bit in choppy lift. Some pilots rcporlcd initial Dutch rolling at high speeds with the VG off when a wing got knocked, but lhis tendency soon wcnl away when the pilot got a few hours on the glider. I've only experienced the yaw/roll in turbulent thermals and I expect it will go away when l learn to rincssc the glider. The TRX gets one of the highest marks for handling. Pitch control is equally agreeable with little orno bar pressure felt upto fairly high speeds. This feature helps defeat the fatigue factor. TAKING OH' AND LANDING the TRX is as easy as an evening breeze. My first few launches were lunges as I took ofTfast. The glider likes a lot of nose up on launch. Static balance is fine, so you can give it the proper pre-run altitude. With its quick response, roll corrections on gusty launches arc right where you need them. I had one launch in a turbulent slot on a soaring day and didn't seem to have any undue trouble holding the wings level. The side cables have about the standard slack. I ,anding the TRX is as easy as you could ask from a competition glider. The flare timing docsn 't appear lo be critical. The width of the downtubc spacing seems to be unusual at first, but I imagine it reels normal after a period of' flying the TRX exclusively. I had one experience at a long, narrow runway where I had lo land in a direct 90° crosswind blowing 5 to IO mph. The flare and touchdown were uneventful and that rales a smile in my book. Any pilot who frets about landings should take a few hops on the TRX. PERFORMANCE FACTORS in a competition glider is why you pays yo' money. Let me carefully HANG GLIDTNG

Inside !he TRX sail.

point out what l have observed. To the has an impressive glide at This feature is or utmost importance in cross-conn· lry flying and competition. Of comsc, wing loading, harness type and glider tuning arc factors in high speed performance, so designs can vary but I would rate the TRX up there with the best in this category. f have had several semi-long flights rang ing from 27 to 45 miles, lasting two to 3-1/2 hours flying the TRX next lo another glider and flying another glider next to the TRX (in competition). I can reasonably say that the TRX appears lo achieve its minimum sink speed and best glide speed at a higher value than other glickrs. This is especially helpful in long-glide situations. The absolute minimum sink or the: TRX also sc:cms to be one: or the best (again this is very dependent on wing loading). In thermals the glider seems to perform with the rest or the pack. I've been outclimbcd by TRX's and I have outclimhcd some. When I was on the TRX I have been outclimhc:cl and I have outclimhcd others (we're talking high performance: glidc:rs here). This is abou1 par for the course and points out the pilot skill l'actor in climb rate. The TRX gets its best sink rate al a speed higher than the lowest controllable speed. I ,earning how to maximize this factor is what will provide superior thermal climbs. The faster thcnnal ing speed may be a deficit in spotty Ii 1'1, but can help in the elusive stuff, for you have: speed to maneuver quickly if' you lose the core. We have witnessed the TRX perform well in mc:cts to date. This summer will be i1s true test if enough 1011-ratcd pilots jump on one. I prc:dict they will do well.

JUJ.Y 199'1

Rear keel hardware. Note teardrop-shaped fittings.

Tun COMPANY BEJllND THE GLIDER is Ultralight

Products. UP has been around since the beginof hang gliding. Jlowcvcr, after some immensely successful gliders such as the Dragonfly, the Condor and Come!, they went under due in part to a liability suit. Then they seemed to rise from the: ashc:s like a phoc:nix and rcopc11cd thGir doors in Elsinore, CJ\ under the guidance of M itcl1 McAlecr. The flagship ol'thc eompanywas the Axis. Now, with thcncwTRX they have moved 10 Mountain C,reen, Utah and built an 8,000-square-foot building next to a 4,000-foot runway. They can low, tc:st, twc:ak and tune at a moment's notice. The principles or the company as it is currc:ntly organized arc: Eiichi lsomura, major owner of the company and all--around benc:fae. tor. Eiichi runs a large corporation in Japan but his love for aerial sports lcacls him lo the U.S. rrcqucnt ly to lake an active part in UP. He is a skilled hang glider and paraglidcr pilot. Dick Cheney is the chief sailmakcr and l'abricator with many yc:ars or experience rnak-· ing sails for the Manta Fledgling and UP Comets. Dick can also claim to be the first hang glider pilot to fly from Point or the Mountain. Mike Haley, the General Mamigc:r at UP, is a longtime pilot wi1h a background in manufacturing and marketing. He has worked with Forburgcr on the ATOL system and has servc:cl as president of the Utah Jiang Gliding Association. Dave Stctllcr has an accounting background and came to UP artcr being in the uppc:rlcvcl management or a major ski equipment manufacturer. Together, with additional talented crew members, these folks intend to be around to bring you the best in hang gliding equipment

fora long time. I'll let them state: their mission: "To establish UP as a kadcr in technology, service and quality and to promote safety, education and the sport of hang gliding. To be recognized as a company with the highest possible moral integrity and to provide: an environment in which cmployc:cs arc recognized as thG company's most valuable assets. We're in thG hang gliding business because we love it!" Those: arc high ideals. Ht hey can maintain them they will be winners. You've heard from me and the company; here's what other pilots have to say about the TRX: Jim Zcisct "Handks real good. Lands easy ... seemed to out-sink and out-glide every· one I new with." Rill Hall "Incredible glider. I'm able to thermal at a higher speed. If I get spit out of a lhc:rmal, I still have enough energy to get back into it." Dave Lc:dforcl-- "I like it! Great handling! Good performance and excellent hardware." Bill Floyd "i was ready to quit rlying 'weight shift' for good. Now that I've flown this 'plastic glider,' I've changed my mind. ll 's the best handling glider I've c:ver rlown." II

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l58sq.ft. 35 ft. 9 in. 132° 8.1 :l 150-250 lbs. (hook in) 65.5 lbs. Advanced $4,600 37

n 1975-the predawn era of hang gliding-I happened to be in Denver, Colorado to attend the first organizational meeting of the USHGA. We found some time during the weekend to slip on over to the foothills of the Rockies near Golden and watch some flying. The site was Green Mountain, a low, bare hill that has since been condozed over. When we arrived we saw a marvelous sight: while most of the local pilots were sled-riding the slope, one lone ace was circling high above and behind the hill. His name was (and is, since he still stretches his wings around Salt Lake City) Charlie Baughman. Charlie seemed to know something the rest of us didn't. For, while the other pilots and spectators were hugging the terrain, he was working thermals and convergence behind the hill. Such phenomena, well-known to hang glider pilots today, were mysteries back then. Charlie was simply ahead of his time.

HANG GLIDING

We should pause and reflect on what we can learn from this story. In my view it is this: The air with its sundry quirks and guises is such a complex entity that we can never understand or predict its behavior with absolute certainty. However, we can pool the knowledge and experience of thousands of pilots and scientists and perhaps uncover a few secrets that will enable us to excel. In this manner some of the mysteries that awe us today will be common knowledge in the future. Indeed, the mysteries of the atmosphere only exist because they haven't been studied enough. Case in point: no one had any idea that the1mals even existed until sailplanes discovered them in the l 930' s. With the preceding in mind we offer a few more items that have been studied but not generally reported to all the flying public.

CIRCVJ...AI< PATH

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---=:~~=-?~----~~-~~ PATH

F/G-V,RE

They found that the vast majority of thermals were oval in shape when viewed from above, with a fineness ratio or elongation of8 to I as pictured in figure 1. This was an especially THERMAL GEOMETRY common shape when wind was present. In If you are fortunate enough to live near a univerfigure 2 we present a picture of a tilted thermal sity with an aerospace engineering library, you and how a horizontal slice will create an oval in can find the OSTIV publications. These manuala round column. This may explain partly why sized books are a collection of papers presented ovals are found in nature, although multiple at periodic symposia on technical soaring. Alcores releasing as the thermal travels downthough many of these monograms are indeed wind is also an important factor. technical, many more of them present informaThe authors went on to speculate that tration on aerodynamics, soaring theory and ditional thennaling techniques could be improved to take advantage of the oval core shape weather details easily understood by the averby using oval patterns rather than circular, as age pilot. One interesting OSTIY paper concerns the shown in figure I. This conclusion is subject to subject of thennal planform. The authors atexperimentation. What is immediately useful to tempted to map the cross-sectional shape of us is the idea that it is most profitable to search for more or better cores in the upwind or downthermals when viewed from above. Their method was to use sailplanes flying in gangs straight wind direction from the one we are cmTently in through the thermals with sensitive instrumenif its vitality appears to lapse. I have been tation to map the lift patterns. Their findings following this policy for several years now and were staitl ing. it seems to work quite frequently although on some clays it does not. ..-~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~--, Whatcloesseemtobe

r!GU,REZ..

JULY 1991

true is that when a given clay exhibits thermals with an oval or linear pattern, almost all the themrnls will be such, and likewise when they are merely circular. Also in the OSTIY publications I came across a discussion concerning the horizontal profile of thermals. Knowing this profile is useful since we then can use

a glider's turning polar (sink rate and speed at various angles of bank) to figure out the best turning radius for illustration purposes. Figure 3 presents various graphs of thennal strength distributions (side view) given a maximum strength at the center and an equal radius for all curves. The jury is still out, but the bell-shaped curve appears to most nearly describe nature, at least in the1mals large enough to probe with a sailplane. If this is true, an even greater penalty in terms of climb rate than most pilots expect is suffered when we circle with too large a radius. We will cover this in more detail in a future series discussing hang glider aerodynamics. LA YER ST ABILITY When speaking of the sea breeze mechanism in Part I of this series, and of magic air in previous articles, we have mentioned the fact that lifting a layer of air increases its instability while it becomes more stable if it sinks. We need to understand this process in order to understand a number of things that happen in our fluid of choice, including the subject of the next section. To see how this works, let's use an example. Start with a layer of air 2,000 feet thick with a base at 5,000 feet and 77° F, and the top at 7,000 feet and 70° F. This means the lapse rate (the change in temperature with heightsec Flying Conditions for more information) is 3.5° F per 1,000 feet. This is a very stable lapse rate. Now imagine the base of this layer being lifted to I 5,000 feet. Because of the lowered pressure aloft, the layer expands and cools at a rate of 5.5° F per I ,000 feet. Thus the I 0,000foot climb cools the bottom of the layer to 22° F (77° -55°=22 °). The top of the lifted layer not only cools at the same rate but is also lifted higher-to 18,000 feet-due to expansion in the lowered pressure. As a result the tempera39

the best core and stay tight with it to penetrate into the stable air.

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l=LL!PTICA /.... Pf<-O!==ILE rT<:.UNCATE=D C1R.CLE

SUB-CLOUD MIST

13E.LL-~H,4P.E0 cu!Z.Ve

- - - RA Dtl/'5

FIGUR.E

ture of the top is cooled to 9 .5° F (70°-60.5°=9 .5° where 60.5° is 5.5° x 11,000 feet). The difference between the top and bottom of the layer is 22°-9.5°=12.5° F. There is 3,000 feet between the top and bottom of the layer in its new position, so the lapse rate has changed to 12.5/ 3 or 4.2° F per 1,000 feet. This new lapse rate is considerably less stable than the original one of 3.5° F per 1,000 feet. In a similar manner a sinking layer is warmed relatively more at the top than the bottom and becomes more stable. Thus the sea breeze is rendered stable, lifted layers in valleys become unstable to produce magic air, and altocumulus clouds occur to give evidence of thennals being born at high altitudes clue to the lift in fronts or waves.

Occasionally on good convective clays we can see a haze or mist fmm below good thermal clouds. This is confusing since cloud isn't supposed to form RA01us-until the clew point is reached at cloud base. However, when we understand the cloud fomrntion process we can understand this phenomenon. The air becomes saturated ( 100% relative humidity) when the lifted air cools to the dew point. At this point cloud will fonn as the invisible water vapor condenses on small airborne particles-salt, sulfuric acid droplets, combustion products-known as condensation nuclei. Without these particles the air will become supersaturated and cloud will not form. Most of the condensation nuclei are hygroscopic, or attracted to water. Consequently they can take on water when the humidity only reaches 80%. It is this take-up of water molecules on the condensation nuclei that fom1s the mist below the cumulus clouds. It only fonns below the cloud because that's the only place

the air is rising to increase its relative humidity. On a hot and humid day, the widespread haze is also caused by particles taking on water to grow to a size large enough to scatter light. The meaning the above has for flying is that the presence of sub-cloud mist is the sign of an actively fed cloud. Got to it if you can and enjoy bountiful lift. Be sure to pull out 500 feet below the base. This concludes our series on the lesserknown aspects of meteorology. Hopefully we have illuminated some of the paradoxes that have long perplexed pilots. We will probably never know all of the answers, but with continued study we can at least pass the test. Graduation comes when we find ourselves truly at one with the sky.•

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THE SUB-CLOUD LA YER Many pilots have had the experience of thermaling in a cumulus-stuclclecl sky and found themselves unable to reach cloud base even though the thermals that create the clouds obviously go that high. This can leave you as frustrated and confused as a penguin in a styrofoam factory. Don't feel ashamed of your thermaling skills, for there is a good reason you fail to reach the clouds. When thermals are rising they usually displace air aloft which is then sent sinking slowly earthward over a wide area. As a result this air becomes more stable as per our previous discussion. Consequently we often find a stable sub-cloud layer that extends 200 to 1,000 feet below the cloud base. Thennals have trouble penetrating this layer and those that do slow their climb rate considerably. To have any chance of climbing through this layer a pilot must find

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HANG GUDING

TOW LINES

Launch Problems by Bud Brown After reading Doug Hildreth's latest accident survey, I was reminded once again that the majority of our problems and those of general aviation are launch and landing incidents. Stalls close to the ground are one of the most unforgiving predicaments in aviation. Let's look at how this relates to towing. The good side of the tow launch is consistently "clean" launches, because the launch is initiated at a speed well above stall speed, whereas foot launches often transition through the stall speed range while the pilot is accelerating to flying speed. The bad side? We're being pulled into the air by a respectable force, with a relatively high nose angle. The sudden loss of this force without any coJTective action by the pilot can slingshot the glider into a climbing stall (whipstall). Corrective action should be almost as '·sudden" as was the loss of the tow force. A gentle stall requires about 50 feet of altitude for recovery, something we learned while practicing the flying requirements for the Intermediate rating. A severe whipstall requires much more altitude, so we need to be especially alert while under 100 feet. Immediately after saying, "Clear!" the pilot's concentration shifts to flying the glider and should also include a high level of reacliness for the possibility of the sudden loss of the towing force. Even though your glider will do an excellent job of recovering from a stall on its own, you need to "be there" with an immediate recovery action to minimize altitude loss, particularly if you are under l 00 feet above the ground. The recovery input is to move the bar to best glide body/bar position* immediately, while the glider still has good forward momentum. Briefly, best glide is that body/bar position which would allow your glider to fly the greatest possible distance in still air. Experiment until you find this position and memorize it. The subject of weak links has generated much "hang babble."** The term "weak link failure" acids to the confusion. When a weak link "fails" it has actually succeeded in doing its job of releasing you from the tow line and JULY 1991

a potentially dangerous situation. Weak links that are attached to the end of the tow line have a very limited lifetime because they are dragged along the ground during line retrieval. A simple and worthwhile modification allows the weak link to be incorporated into the pilot's tow release, saving it from this abuse. We'll look at this modification and go into more depth on weak links and releases next time. Inadvertent releases are usually caused by an unintentional pull on the release line. These can be caused by a turbulence-induced shift in the pilot's body position or by exaggerated control movements. Preflights should include weak link condition, a check for proper release line length and maybe even a test release. Try some exaggerated control movements, including "push-outs" to check for the possibility of an inadvertent release. Have someone hold the tow line taut while doing this. Early releases may be initiated by the pilot if he thinks things have gotten out of hand. Some tow operators stress staying on the line when the pilot strays from the proper track behind the vehicle. This is good advice when the pilot has ample altitude and confidence, but it seems like there is always an exception to the rule. Consider these two: A new tow pilot is below 100 feet and is approaching a 45° angle (or more) away from the ground track, and seems to be unable to change his heading. Or, an experienced pilot is under 100 feet and climbing well, when the tow vehicle drops its drive shaft on the runway! Both of these situations have happy endings. Because the tow vehicle has provided good flying speed, the pilot will have time to release, stand up, ground effect and make a two-step landing. Weak links have "succeeded in failing" immediately upon launch without ill-effect. This, in fact, describes the initial flight from our tow rig, many flights ago. You are the pilot-in-command, as the FAA puts it, and as always the final decision is up to you. Consider the pilot release as a safety device similar to your parachute. IF YOU NEED IT, DON'T WASTE ANY TIME USING IT! Last, the dreaded "lockout." I've only seen one of these, but I was suitably impressed. To get a visual image of a lockout push your memory back to when you were a kid flying your kite on a warm summer clay. The wind was just a little too strong and you

didn't have any cloth strips to add to the tail of your kite so it could handle a little more breeze. The temptation was wicked strong to shred your T-shirt and use it, but you knew that was good for a two-week grounding and extra chores, so you tried flying it without the tail. It wasn't necessary to run into the wind, you just needed to let some string out and it jumped into the air, darting left and right wildly. The breeze was trying to rip the paper off the wooden stick frame and the fl uttering noise of the paper made a sound like an airplane engine. After letting some more line out, the arc that the kite fanned while darting back and forth became even more violent and finally it swung rapidly from full left to full right, implanting its pointy head into the ground with a "WHACK!"*** The kite's last arc could be used to describe a hang glider lockout. In this instance, the tow line described a horizontal line about 50 feet above the runway, accelerating rapicily from left to right, instead of an arc which would have ended at the runway's surface. The pilot released in time and landed safely. Thankfully, lockouts are rare. This one had several contributing factors; a repaired glider with a built-in turn (it had not been checked on the training hill), a slight crosswind and a pilot who seldom pushed out when executing turns. Sure, pushing out is not a necessity, but can be very helpful in some towing, thermaling or stress situations. My impression is that there is a fair number of pilots who do not use the pull-back, weight shift to the side, push out "J" technique, or coordinate turns. Anybody else notice that? It's normally no problem, unless you need some "right now" extra control. If any of you have had some learning experiences we might benefit from, let's hear them. We'll print them anonymously or give you credit, whichever you desire. Enough. Tow safely. • *Body/bar position. The position ofyo11r body re/ati\'e to the comrol frame baset11be. See Cheney·s Hang Gliding For Beginners or Page11' s excellent books for 111ore i11for111atio11 011 speeds-to-fly. **Hang babble. No-limit famasi~ing which comes from the 111011ths of hang glider pilots while sociali:ing d11ri11g 11nflyable conditions. Abs11rdities increase dramatically with rime. (Thanks to the Tennessee Tree Toppers.) *''"'WHACK! A congra111!a10ry term expressed /011dly. in 11niso11, by fellow hang glider pilotsfiJr one of their hrethre11 at the 111ome111 his/her nose cone to11ches term jirma.

''Allison ... , he's coming in crnfully loll'." (We could barely see him as the sun was setting.) "I hope he sees those high 1ension ... " Flash! ZZZZ:!.1 Crackle. POW. More big blue and white flashes. You could fee/ the electricity 500 yards away! Then a scream from someone behind me and the sound of a car taking off to the rescue. Whoever it was in those wires-I just knew he was dead. A few seconds later the car screeched to a halt and the driver yelled, "He's okay he radioed, he's okay!"

The 1991 East Coast Championships by Cliff Whitney 42

Terry was indeed alive, however he looked a little like Wile E. Coyote after the roadrunner had blown him up. His clothes were melted with holes throughout. His face, hands and legs were black with smut and starting to blister. Graphite conducts electricity better than aluminum so his new glider was totally destroyed, or was it melted? It was the encl of the first round of the 1991 East Coast Championships-a 30.25-mile race from Hensons Gap to Nine Mile goal. Teny Reynolds, the "Carbon Flash" had just earned a new nickname and was thankful to be alive. I guess you could say the ECC started off with a bang. Many hours of work, planning and stress had been endured by the meet organizers (Rick and Cliff), partners at Sequatchie Valley Soaring Supply. The town of Dunlap, Tennessee had proclaimed itself the "Hang Gliding Capital of the East" some three years earlier and was ready to live up to the reputation. SYS had prepared a 20-page program for the second year in a row featuring the competitors' biographies, a histmy of the area, welcome letters from the Mayor and County Executive, and ads from the local merchants as well as many manufacturers. The scoring was completely computerized for more accuracy and speed, and the prize purse was over $4,200, the largest since the Masters at Grandfather. Forty-two of the top pilots in the nation were ready to fly. Seven teams registered: The Insulators, the Handicappers, the Bush Wackers, the Green Team, the Wild Bunch, Team TRX, and the Undesirables. All we needed was some of that great spring Tennessee air. Even though it was raining Saturday (the first day), the planned activities carried on. The crew from Flight Dynamics set up their computer simulator in the mountain condos behind the SYS shop. Many pilots took turns flying the simulator and a small competition started. As HANG GLIDING

the clay SVS ordered up a and lots or pizzas (thl:y deliver to the shop now). The first ol'many parties was on. Szarak enclcd up winning the simulator contest by over I 0,000 feet. Sunday was more of' the same, rain fol·· lowed by a hang gliding film festival at the C.recn Team's rented residence in Dtmlnp. As usual the Green Team was travel in style. Pilots were seen racing at the alpine slide in Chat1anooga, soaking in the local hot tub and telling war stories at the campfire. There were rnmors of a private poker game, cookout and dance at one or the local residences. Monday dawned mostly cloudy but the forecast gave hope to the antsy officials and proved correct as the skies cleared in the afternoon and a round was called. II race to Nine Mile goal, .'l0.25 miles to the north, would be the first task of the com pet it ion. Bruce ( 'ase wm1 the round, but only after a protest by Jim Zeisl,I riled five later which invalid ates pilots landing at goal after ofTicial Sllnset. The

Meet Director Rick Jacob keeps pilots informed one of the morning pilots

lln14ela Szarak. points were pulled from Tony Barton and Dennis l'agen for lhe l'irst rollnd. Pilots had landed all over the valley, and retrieval was provided by personal drivers and the SYS retrieval van. A big .. t ime drivcreontcst was also underway. Rob I !owe from Florida, in his first competition, was lost in a farmer's field near goal. I le was walking out in the black Sequatchie Valley dark and was heard on the radio looking l'or a ride, his shaky voice expressing some fear as he had just run into a ]UIY ]991

Terry Reynolds receives the Tree Landing Award, sculpted by Randy Adams. This year l'owcr Poles were added just for Terry. Photo by Cliff Whitney.

livl: object. Arter all, it doesn't get very dark in Miami mid they definitely don't have cows. All !he while this was going on there was more of that Gliding Capital of the East" hospitality taking place in town. A party (J'rcc lo competitors) at the Roller Country Skating Rink had been arranged by SVS. Compclitors and free fliers had ;i great time skating, eating pizza, using the batting cages, mini-golf and video games. Tuesday had a great forecast with lift lopping out at 7,700 feet. The task committee called a task of::17.6 milcs with three tmnpoints, the pilot to cross the valley three times and ending at thG Ilensons l.Z. Pilots took off from the I lcnsons ramp and slowly circled in the 2()() .. 500 rpm Iii'! (as Corccastcd) almost out of' sight. The pilots who were skilled in east .. coast i'lying took !heir time and used good judgement to cross the valley. The fast pilots raced themselves to the gmund. Some had no turnpoint photos or only one. Dense Pages, I mean Pagcn, was the patient one and got a late thermal 10 pull away from Randy /\darns who was chasing a bird circling in sink. Dennis ended up being the only pilot to finish at goal. Tuesday nigh! at the Tree Topper club .. house Dan Johnson gave a talk on the latest from Ballistic Recovery Systems (BRS), and a11 actual firing or a BRS Wedge unit was sched ulcd for later in the compl:tition. On Wednesday we again had great weather. Top of'! i rt was forecasted at over 8,000 feet. The

task commitlcc called a north turnpoint lhen south, the lo !he TTT Yc,llow Cliffs launch, then back across the valley south 10 goal at the l Iensons landing field for 41 total making this miles. Eleven pilots made task one of the most popular. It was exciting to watch the comp,,titors race across the valley and hear them talk of being at over 9,000 feet. Tony Barton finished first for the day, followed by Bruce Case, David Sharp, Nelson Howe, Iloward Osterlund and Pete (that's Lay .. nian damn it) Lehmann. U.S. Aviation lkw over in their Cloud Dancer ultralight sailplane and gave a (lcn1on .. slrntion to the many pilots in the landing J'ield. This machine looks real nice. 'The late afkrnoon wonder wind prompted many pilots Lo make another flight in the smooth air. Teel Hassenfus and wife had a great tandem ride until forced out of'thc lift by a pilot bu,.zing the I Icnsons ramp. Wednesday night SYS lhrew a pilots appreciation party, roasting over 200 hot dogs with all the fixings and another Kendrick Brown gave a presentation on Pacific Airwavc products and showed some great vid· cos as the party lasted into the wee hours. Thursday morning's weather did a 180, so a Whitwell launch was called. Whitwell is a Tree Topper site just south or Dunlap. A !ask to Nine Mile goal 45.5 miles away was called. Whitwell has some big gaps in the ridge just north of launch and some altitude was needed to cross. Some pilots decided to take offjust as the window opened, as it was starting to llccomc overcast; others opted to wait for the sun again. As it turned out, early was better and the top finishers were able to make it past Dunlap and on north. Nelson I [owe finished firs! for the day followed by Tony Barton. Kendrick Brown, Ted I [assenf'us, Tim Arai and Randy Adams. Friday's forecast looked dismal so the day was called, and pilots wcrc able to take in the sights of the Sequatchie Valley. The Tennessee Tree Toppers held a rund·raising party Friday evening. Pilots and other club members en .. joyed roast beef, chicken, all the trimmings and anotlwr Saturday dawned with sockecJ .. in condi· tions and a tragedy on the mountain. A Cl'.sstia l 52 crashed into the mountain only a few foet from CliffandCiail Whitney's dome home (200 yards south of launch). Tile Dunlap rescue squad was on hand fixing breakfast and lunches each day, but both pilot and passengcr(not hang glider pilots or involved in the contest) were killed on impact.

from the famous Henson's Cap radial ramp.

The conditions did improve as the day progressed and an 18.6 -mile !ask was called, south to the towers and back. Condi1ions were righ1 for racing at launch bu1 many pilols didn '1 read it right furl her down 1he ridge and burned ouljusl bel'oreoralkr1he1urnpoi111. Nine pilots made goal wilh Tim Arai finishing first, folWojnowski, Pete Lehmann, lowed by Erik Kaye, .Jim "The Prolester" Zeisct, Robert I Iowe, Brnee Case and Dennis Pagcn. /\lkr the scores were tabulated on the Macintosh the awards presentation at the Sequatchie Valley Soaring shop commenced. nach day there had been a daily winner who received $50 cash. There were also daily team winners and a random drawing each day !'or some of' 1he many prizes, including savings bonds, Sierra Cloudbase JI videos, T-shirts, a Paraswivel, Thennius, airspeed imlicators and many gifl ccrlificates from the local merchanls. The driving contest winner was I .eona Brown who drove for Greg Wojnowski. l .eona received a $50 savings bond f'or her driving abilities in 1hc valley. The winning learn was the The Insulators, which consis1ed ol'Nclson Howe, Randy Adams, Pete I .chmmm, Howard Osterlund and Kendrick Brown. They were followed by the l lanclicap· pcrs, the Bush Wackers, the Crrecn Team, the Wild Bunch, Team TRX, ancl the Undesirables. Team cornpeti1ions arc becoming more and more popular. SYS sponsors Jhc Sequalchic 44

Winning competitors are all smiles as the awards are passed ou l. J.eft to right: Dave Sharp (third), Tony Harton (second), Bruce Case (first). Photo by Cliff Whitney.

Valley Team Challenge each fall, which is designed as a learning experience for new competition pilots. Exper1 pilots !cam up with new eompclitors to make it more run. The Sporlsmanship /\ward (volccl on by the compc1i1ors) went to local Knoxville pilol finished Uth overall Wojnowski. and was always seen with a smile on his race. walked away wi1h a girt cer1il'icatc for $400 off any new Wills Wing glider.

The Rookie or !he Mct:t !\ ward went lo mid-Florida I)raggin' 1:licr Rober! I Iowe. Robert f'inished sixth overall flying a XS and was awarded a cus1om flight su ii provided by Enterprise Wings. The third place overall winner was the winner or the Cir,t-evcr ECC, and was thankful for 1he rain the f'irs11wo clays since he had a had case of the nu. David Sharp walked away with $ 100 cash, a beaut il'ul cuslom trophy hy Charlie JlANC Cl.Ii llNC

Final ECC Scores

········11111 ::i:1tlit1

1:::::::11!1111®~-0·~~,1~:111111:11:11Jl!i!/::.:1

:11~~I;/:!:::

•

29 Bruce ase 1000.00 671J.65 988.13 675.68 861.57 420 .04 3 Tony Barton 869.07 807.15 1000.00 976.37 457.90 411 .49 1o David Sharp 983.93 809.84 984.89 699.27 582.94 406 .87 31 Dennis Pa2en 869.07 1000.00 622.27 691.81 838.65 4021.80 FOIi 9 Nelson Howe 814.19 661.29 964.20 1000.00 457.29 3896.97 42 Robert Howe 854.58 409.60 775.03 918.18 908.93 3866.33 HP-AT 7 Randy Adams 843.11 821.86 772.15 930.81 457 .29 3825.23 HP-AT 21 Pete Lehmann 773.29 298.89 826.15 919.60 990.06 38()8.00 K3 36 Tip Rodf[erS 680.56 706.38 562.24 930.81 819.60 3699.58 4 Ted Hasse nfu s 8 6 9. 0 7 4 3 6. 6 4 614. 5 4 9 4 3. 2 7 5 7 1. 0 2 3 4 3 4. 5 3 HP-AT 14 Kendrick Brown 869.07 675.63 457.98 971.05 392.54 3366.26 K2 K2 11 Howard Osterlund 390.26 692.36 898.52 919.60 457.29 3358.03 ft>, I sensor 16 Gre2 Wojnowski 0.00 768.43 805.42 675.68 992.06 3241.59 28 Jon Szarak 830.88 550.33 798.85 560.25 442.00 3182.31 ?t 9..t? HP-AT 40 David Brobowsk1 815.11 413.57 487.68 888.75 457.21J 3062.41 99 Tim Arai 308.02 432.88 228.01 943.27 1000.00 2912.18 26 Steve Arndt 657.42 364.57 535.0l 699.27 448.18 2704.44 43 Irina Osterlund 840.59 410.93 228.01 560.25 505.86 2545.64 -·-:-·-·.·..·· ·.;.:-:-·· 35 Ron DivelY 843.11 501.66 224.04 529.30 442.00 2540.11 ·:-:-:-;-:-··::· ..:::::;:;:M 25 Mike Eberhardt 0.00 781.08 421.99 716.67 613.97 2533.72 J:c'01l 3O Rich LaPorte 862.58 692.36 266.66 695 .55 0.00 2517 .15 :(:=:::· :-· HP-II 15 Gary Engelhardt 702.22 298.89 598.78 454.12 457 29 2511.31 ~'"~~,~,,i---::.~KT,2,::-::---+----..:,1~2,----+R~ob~e~r~,~-hK~a~iy~e~s--"----"-C..-+~-8~10~1r.~0~5+----,3~7~6~.~3~3+------i7~5~9r,~2~9+----,5~6~0~.~25,.+-~~lr:oo+-~2~4~9~6~.9~2___, 1RX 17 Jim Zeiset 0.00 432.88 384.18 717.58 912.72 2447.36 ·.·.·.·,·.· ::: 1RX 27 Erik Kave 0.00 383.50 384.18 682.37 925.93 2375.98 =:::=·=·· :::· .;.•.•.•.• K2 2 John Woiwode 0.00 692.36 534.45 560.25 531.07 2318.12 -:-:-:-::: .-· ?"'> ; ; ,•,• HP-AT 33 Dennis Cavagnaro 657 .42 272.18 255.21 559.09 416.35 2160.25 1RX 19 Zoardog Braswell 0.00 692.36 449.42 554.43 445.10 2141.30 41 David Bash 520.48 326.75 273.30 662.11 343.97 2126.62 24 Alice Enf[elhardt 237.02 446.51 595.78 716.67 0.00 1995.98 up Jerry Dodf[en 327.66 410.93 0.00 560.25 613.97 1912.81 ,,,.,;;;;; ,,., t,t Sensor 6 Tim Donovan 665.16 293.37 357.60 528.07 0.00 1844.20 /\. : .. :\:: HP-AT 5 Thomas Wise 0.00 467.95 162.15 675.68 457.29 1763.08 20 Tony Smolder 670.39 295.22 224.04 510.59 0.00 1700.24 39 Barbara Kramer 631.06 360.06 169.36 528.07 0.00 1688.55 22 Collette Carson 562.00 371.97 204.52 510.59 0.00 1649.08 101 Robert Patterson 284.86 376.33 0.00 528.07 457.90 1647.16 32 Kenny Sandifer 237 .02 353.96 0.00 337 .84 445.10 1373.92 .... \HF sensor 1RX star Phil Harper o.oo 247 .00 337 .84 556.76 o.oo 1141.60 46 Ron Gleason o.oo 295.22 273.30 451.26 o.oo 1019.78 18 Terry Reynolds 862.58 o.oO u.uu u.uo u.uu Withdrew D Tim DOO!lS 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 Yowell, and another $100 cash for being the highest-placing Airwave finisher. The second place overall winner was Tony Barton who flew a new TRX. Tony received $200 cash, a High Energy Sports cross country bag and a custom trophy by Charlie Yowell. The first place and overall winner was Bruce Case (he finally won something) flying a Wills Wing HP AT 158. Bruce was the recipient of a new Ball M-50 variometer ($650 value), $300 cash and a beautiful custom trophy by Charlie Y owe!!. The third annual East Coast Championships were over. It is the first of four meets worth 450 points that qualify pilots for the world championships-five rounds in different types of air. Lots of fun and partying were had in the Sequatchie Valley, and all of the pilots commented that they would be back next yearto see friends and get some of that SYS hospitality and great spring air. •

JULY1991

Rick a11d Clijf\\'ould like to tha11kCiti::.e11s Ba11k of Dunlap. Ball \!ariometers, Wills Wing, Enterprise Wings, Pacific Airn·m·e, Adl'cnture \!idea, BRS, High E11ergy Sports, Wyoming

Aerolights, Golden Wi11gs, and all of the kind folks of the Sequatchie \!alley ll'ho help Dunlap, Te11nessee remain the ... "Hang Glidi11g Capital of the East."

Brand New Hang Gliding Magazines Back Issues 197? to 1987

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Chalmers

a race it was! There's nothing like the excitement or ridge racing, ""11"u11111~ the treetops ror 21 miles above gorgeous Lookout Mountain, Tennessee, bar pulled in and adrenaline coursing through your veins. Springtime in Chattanooga is known ror great altitude and airtime-·one reason the Orea! Race is held every April. Early spring this year was great, with superb altitude and hours of airtime sandwiched on both sides of America's longest ridge race. Many pilots achieved altitude gains of 6,000 and even 7,000+ feel during early April.

Great Race Records Everyone had fun flying one of America's favorite mountain soaring flights: from Lookout Mountain Flight Park lo Point Park (overlooking Chal\anooga, Tennessee) and back. Certainly the winner, Matt Taber, had the most fun en route to selting a new Urea! Race record of :l I minutes and 2:l seconds (,iveragc speed: nearly 4 l mph!) on his Pacific Airwavc: K2 I 55. Les Nicholas second (:l2: 14) on the smaller K2 145, with Dave Curry third (:l:l::l9) flying a K2 l 55. Pacific Airwavc swept the first four places when Ken Sutz flew his hmnula 154 to a fonrth·plaee finish just three seconds behind Curry. Mike Dance rounded 0111 the top five on his UP Axis (34:44). In-air starts allowed competitors to race the course as many times as they wished witholl! landing, and many flew the 21 miles multiple times to improve their time (only their fastest time counted at the end or the 46

Ken Sutz races for the finish line, careful not to sit1k below the bottom of the finish line "window" (the launch ramp). Photo by Joanne Reynolds. week). In fact, the lop two finishers. Taber and Nicholas, both flew the course three times in a row--·a total or 63 miles in less than two hours.--not a bad flight! When conditions were right, some competitors wasted no time by by the finish line on one official flight. doing a wingovcr, and racing baek the other way to slart the course again. Ten and a half miles from launch was the turn point, aptly named Point Park, a civil war battleground (cannons and all) on the point or Lookout Mountain, overlooking downtown Chatlanooga and the winding Tennessee River. Dave Curry held the early lead in the Race, but his time was overtaken by Ken Sutz. In the end, Malt Taber achieved a convincing victory by turning in the two fastest times or the meet. or special note was New Yorker Tom Tsai 's respectable 44:56 time, his first·evcr flight "to the Point" and back, on his Vision Mk IV. Scott Lcsnel also made his first flight lo the Point, but he couldn't bear lo waste the lift by rlying through the big thermals. Instead, he worked for altitude and just did some sightseeing above the terraced man· sions of some of Chattanooga's elite families who live on the ridge. Many pilots partici· pated for their first time in the Race, and fun, as always, was the name of the game! This year saw record cash and prizes, as the fastest five compel it ors for the week-long event split a record purse or$ l ,:l25 in cash,

with Great Race trophies awarded lo the top three.

Top I 7 Pilots Receive Prizes And the prizes didn't end there. Ball Variometers provided an M-20 vario for the winner, while Pacific J\irwave added contingency money or $225 ror Taber's winning flight,$ I SO to Nicholas for second, and $75 to Curry for third. UP awarded $75 for Dance's fifth·place finish on an Axis. Wills Wing provided a Sportsmanship Award of$ I 00 in Wills merchandise, voted by the competitors to Ken Sutz. In all, 24 pri,.es were awarded, with each or the top 17 pilots receiving at least one prize. Local businesses supported the Great Race with daily winner prizes such as free gasoline at Buddy's Texaco or Dinners for Two al some of the local pilot's favorite eateries.

Winner Declines $500 Top Prize ln a grneious gesture, I .ookoul Mountain Flight Park owner Mall Taber (who won his own race for the second time-he also finished first in I 985) declined the LMFP first-place prize of $500 cash, and instead passed the prize money down the line to second··place finisher Les Nicholas. Dave Curry in third received the second-place money of $200, while Ken Sutz in fourth won $100. Needless to say, no complaints were heard. The Great Race Dinner and keg party l-TJ\NC CJ.IDlNC

COMPETITION CORNER was the social event of the week in the Lookout LZ, with lots of great food and a couple of icy kegs which lasted well into the wee hours of the next morning.

Plans for Next Year Held the seven clays preceding the East Coast Championships (in the Sequatchie Valley, also near Chattanooga), this year's Great Race was the 15th annual contest. Next year's Race will also be scheduled for one week prior to the ECC, allowing pilot's to spend two weeks in Chattanooga enjoying the great springtime air. With seven clays scheduled, on riclge-soarable clays you can race as fast as

you can, while on lighter clays you can do the course by working the thennals. Plans for next year include offering $100 cash daily prizes in a spot-landing contest when conditions aren't Great Raceable. Special thanks to Meet Director Mike Smith, who ran a smoothly coordinated event, and to our host of volunteers: Nonna Barnes. Therese Benjamin, Mary Berry, Buzz Chalmers, Connie Fletcher, Becky Greeley, Tiffany Griffin, Ann Lesnet, Mitchy O'Neil, Holly Poersch, Leif Thoreson and Janet Wishart. And to all our competitors, see you next year!•

1991 Great Race Top Ten Pilot 1 . Matt Taber

2. Les Nicholas 3. Dave Curry 4. Ken Sutz 5. Mike Dance 6. Shawn Locklear 7. Randy Adams 8. Richard Van Zyl 9. Ricky Rojas 10. Fred Keith

Time 31:23 32: 14 33:39 33:42 34:44 35:23 35:34 35:36 35:46 37:04

Glider K2 155 K2 145 K2 155 Formula 154 Axis 15 HP2 HPAT158 K2 155 HP AT 158 Formula 154

Home Lookout Mountain, Georgia Cleveland, Tennessee Lookout Mountain, Georgia Acworth, Georgia Atlanta, Georgia Shaw AFB, South Carolina Claremont, New Hampshire Ft Pierce, Florida Lookout Mountain, Georgia Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina

RVHGA's 14th Annual Starthistle Meet May 25-27, 1991 by Dave Baleria, Task Director

1991 Starthistle Fly-In, formed after Rogue Valley Hang Gliding Association Editor Mike Stevenson agreed to be the Meet Committee Chainnan, was set for the Memorial three-day weekend. In past years the Northern Oregon HGA pilots, a number also being full RVHGA members, have preferred the three-day holiday meet, promising their good attendance (they did). Woodrat Mountain, our main site, was the JULY 1991

only logical Rogue Valley site as it can handle 50-60 or more pilots and has nearby camping. Nineteen eighty-nine proved the "FUN, Family Fly-In" fonnat far more desirable than serious open distance, open goal X-C competition. Following that tradition, we also followed another started in 1989. The RVHGA membership established that half the net proceeds again go to a Ruch commu-

nity charity, in the name of our gracious LZ owner, Billy Joe Hunter and his family. The RVHGA gave $500 to the rural volunteer fire department in 1989 and $200 to the Ruch library in 1990, receiving good press from both for hang gliding and the RVHGA. The Committee set five separate tasks, four of which could be entered by each pilot, two to be held on Saturday and two on Sunday, with Monday as a free flying and travel day. By the Wednesday before, the five big engraved walnut plaques were being made by our commercial award supplier. At the same time the weather forecast called for a big storm the whole weekend. But the weather Saturday turned out fine, with a good prediction for the weekend! The soaring forecast had a predicted soaring range of 6,300' (height of the -3 index) up to 7,900' (top of the lift). The first task was spot landing. The objectives were good technique and safety, with a disqualification for ·'bonks" (nosecone into the ground), "wamps" (basetubes or basetube wheels dropped or impacting on the ground), and landing further than 100' from the spot. We copied the scoring system from another Chapter (Wings of Rogallo?): Feet (100 max.) x Hang Rating (1-5) x Glider Factor ( 1.0 double, 1.5 curved batten single, or 2.0 flat single)= Adj. Feet Sixteen pilots flew the early task. It was tough, with the spot in the upper mowed but sloping field. Ten pilots landed more than the required 100' away and three landed with "wamps" and/or "bonks," leaving only three qualifiers in order of their adjusted footage: Devin Bailly, 82 WW Duck 130 WINNER76' x H2 x 1.0 = 152'; Russ Gelfan, Seattle, WA, Moyes GTR - 44' x H4 x 1.0 = 176'; Monte Bell, Morgan, UT, 91 UP TRX - 54' x H4x l.0=216' Devin Bailly of Medford, only 16 years old, started lessons last year. He landed within one minute of the window closing. Only one pilot tried so hard to get inside one of the 100' markers that he broke a downtube (I've been there). There were some really great saves too. The next task was the Thermal Race, adjusted to 2-6 PM. I designed this task to test our ability to thennal both high and fast. It required an Amateur, FM or CB flying radio and an good altimeter. You decided when you launched, then decided when you

COMPETITION CORNER wanted your time to stop, calling clown your name and altitude. This called for launch decisions and theimaling strategy. The scoring fo1mula was: Your Altitude Gain above Launch x Speed (Altitude Gain/fime in Minutes) it took you up= Your Points. That is, Altitude Gain x The1maling Speed, or: AG2/Elapsecl Time. Twelve pilots competed, with the results, in descending order: Ray Berger, Bcavcnon, OR, WW HP AT - 2,800' in 15 ;\,fin.= 522.667

;\,like Patten, Grants Pa~s. WW Sport - 2.260' in 11 1\'1in. = 464,327 }.t Sumption, Beaverton OR, WW Sport - 2,800' in 19 Min.= 412,632 C. Reddick, Medford, OR, PA K2 145 - 2,410' in 15 Min.~ 387,207 Devin Bailly,'"' \VW Duck 130- 500' in I ;\fo1. = 250,000 fal Gama, Oakland, CA, WW I IP AT - 1,660' in 14 !\fin.= 196,829 Len Baron. ?vh Lake. WA, WW HPII 170 - 1,360' in 10 Min.= 184,960

Robert Kehr, Weed, CA,?? - 1,560' in 141v1in. = 173,829 Larry Smith, Mirnnd:l, CA, UPTRX- 1,160' in 9 Min.= 149,511

Ken Strong, Portland, OR, !\fores GTR - 2,350' in 37 Min.= 149,257 Dave Baleria, 1'.frdford, PA Vi-.ion 19 - 1,290' in 12 l\·lin. = 138,675

R. Cavener, Mt Shastn, CA,·· 17 - 930' in 10 1\·1in. = 86,490

The evening barbeque at Jan Bailly's was very well attendee!, and thanks goes to Robert Kehr for the great cooking. Sunday opened with an even better soaring forecast, 7,400'-9,700'. The launch window opened at l l :00 AM for all three events: First to Goal, Novice (Hl-2) Duration and Advanced (H3-5) Duration, and closed at official sunset, 8:36 PM. After conferring with veteran X-C RVHGA pilot Mike Patten, I called the task to the Applegate Store field, 8.5 miles northwest from launch on Hwy 238, where 238 crosses the beautiful Applegate River. I had already put one of two large wind flags there Friday night. While a fairly short task, you have to fly the mountain range, getting over Wellington Butte. One of our Starthistle objectives was reasonable, moderate tasks too. We wanted many pilots to have a chance. Russell Gelfan was first off at 12: I 0, followed by Mike Patten at 12: 14, Terry Taggart at 12: 15 (Goal Only), Len Baron at l 2: I 7, Ray Berger at 12: l 9, and Craig Cox at I 2:41. At least one of these pilots (who shall remain anonymous clue to their courage in launching early) sunk out. Declared launches continued through 4:21 PM with 19 Advanced and four Novice entrants. Wes Roberts provided all-clay FM infonnation from the primary LZ. Thanks, Wes, for the help. X-C wizard Terry Taggart, third off launch, raced to the goal first, landing after just one hour, to win that task. I clicl not hear if anyone was near him but he wasted little

time. He came back and relaunched for the Advanced Duration by 2:42 PM. Devin Bailly won the Novice Duration, having launched at 3:26 and Ianclecl last at 8: 12, for an airtime of four hours, 46 minutes. Dave Baleria won the Advanced Duration, having launched at 2:30. I lanclecl at 7:35 PM, for five hours, five minutes, just 10 minutes short of my winning 1987 Novice Duration of five hours, 15 minutes. That Keller Hi-Tech 2 harness is comfortable! We had one incident that once again proved the value of flying with radios as a priority safety equipment item. One of the Novices had gotten too far over the back for his altitude and radioed he was in trouble, low over Burnt Ridge, north of Wooclrat's launch. Sanely halted launches clue the the flight emergency, President Terry Pettinger took over communications with him from launch, until Ray Berger's group in the LZ drove up Bishop Creek beneath the pilot. Ray's group then took over radio control of the incident from Terry and advisee! the pilot on the available landing options in the canyon openings. The pilot pulled off a good siclehill landing, breaking just one clowntube without injury. Good job, all! The new USHGA FM

radio system is really proving out. Monday had an even better soaring forecast, with a 7 ,500'- 10,600' range. About I 7 pilots took advantage of it for nice flights all clay. The Fly-In Committee helped out with hang checks and launch assists, plus video. Committee Chairman Mike Stevenson, who ran the fly-in, finally got a chance to fly, the last of the clay and of the meet. We had 36 entered pilots, nine from the Rogue Valley, I I from Central to Southern California, seven from Northern Oregon (Oregon HOA), four from Washington, three from Northern California, one from Utah, and one from Lakeview. Five of these also joined the RVHGA as full members. We had an aclclitional nine non-entered pilots who purchased helmet stickers for free flying and one who joined as a full member. A couple could only come for the Monday flying. The Ruch charity to receive half the net fly-in income will be cleciclecl soon by the Starthistle Committee. We are sending complimentary June Ridge Runner newsletters to all meet entrants in appreciation for their support and attendance. We had FUN flying with you! •

Sex, Lies and Duct Tape The Absolutely True History of Flight Safety in the Owens Valley U.S. National Championships -August 18-25, 1991

by Tom Kreyche

L1e

birthplaces and events surrounding the formation of countries, religions and other institutions are often enshrouded in legend, mystery and half-truth. This is the case with the relatively modern and somewhat obscure cult religion of the skies which we practice. So it is fitting that many such legends are told of the Owens Valley, where cross-country hang gliding first developed. Many stories are amusing and incredible, but one persistent theme has been the against-all-odds survival

of pilots exposed to harrowing circumstances. As a long-time Owens fanatic and organizer of once and future contests, I enjoy retelling a few tall tales, but am surprised to hear experienced pilots questioning Owens flying safety. Most of these opinions are gained from old stories, second-hand infmmation, or events resulting from foolishness. The truth of the matter is that the flying in the Owens has demonstrated an exceptional safety record. HANG GuorNG

One of 1he reasons for the cliscrcpancy between rumor and reality is due to the long history or hang gliding in the Owens. Back in the bad old days of hang gliding (early I 970's) a group of Bishop area residents acquired some primitive hang gliders. These were your basic 800 reel per minute sink rate, f'our,t(Hmc glide rn1io machines. /\ftGr convincing thrn1sclvcs at sand dunes that they knew how to fly, these L:arly pilots sought out the highest possible launchl:s to achieve maximum airtime. Cerro Clordo, l lorseshOL: Meadows and Wheeler Crest were discovered. On a few occasions, they found themselves gaining altitude above b1unch! i\ few years later in I 976, a couple or Southern California pilots achicvGd 47-milc nights from Cerro Gordo in Phoenix CiB the world. From that point, the race for the distancL: n:conl was on and there was no stopping anyone. The only problem was th,1t glider sal'cty standards had barely been discussed, parachutl:s wen: not in vogue, glider pcrrormancc was hideous, and cross·country conditions l'or hang gliders were poorly understood. The common result was short, scary sled rides with landings in dangerous placGs. Pilots were occasionally tantalized with short occasional flights, and persisted l'anatically. Thl: early Owens pilots miraculously survived those days with a fair share of lrnir-raising but 110 serious mishaps. /\lkr the first I 00 ·rnilc flight in I l)77, the next major stage in local flight development was the beginning the Cross Country Classic in 1978. Knowledge of conditions was still limited, but glider performance got ,1 bit better with more advanced surface gliders, such as the ASn<~ I. Parachutes were mandatory except for those pilots who couldn't afford them and stuffed toilet paper into pouches on their harness to circumvent the mies. The first Owens f'atali1y happened 1ha1 year, when a pilol dcliherntcly !kw into a violent dust devil at low altitude and got out of' control or broke his glider. This is 1101 a recommended practice to this day, Gvcn with fully certif'icd gliders. Over the next few years the Comet and other double surface gliders wc1T introduced, along with belier safety stan d,mls. Flight distances improved with these superior gliders as pilots gained expertise with weather conditions. The second fatality occurred in I <J8 J when an inexperienced pilot

JtJJ.Y 1991

Owens Valley, California. Photo by Tom Krc•ychl'.

flying supine in a large glider didn't recognize wind conditions, and mulled an emergency lop landing. Since that time there has been only a fatality, which occurred at I !orscshoc Meadows when a pilot failed to hook into his glider. This is a remarkable sarcty record, especially when considering the primitive gliders and lack of pilot skill in thl: early days of' flying. Pilots havl: travelled lo tlH: Owens from all over the globe to achieve their first long-distance rlights; many have been relatively unprepared and unskilled, yet they returned home to spread the gospel of cross.country Over the years an incn,diblc number of miles have bL,rn flown (probably well into the millions), numerous world n'.ccmls have been set and 17 major cross.country contests have been held. Thl:rc have been only these three fatalities and a small handful or parachute deployments. J\s and performance and pilot skill con1i11ucs to improve. the J'lights get longer while serious accidents have remained few. One or the reasons the, Owens is such a great place to l'ly is that the weather is very consistent and predictable. The basic rule or thumb is that developing cumulus clouds before noon usually spell trouble. Compared lo other parts of the country, violent weather is minimal. Severe thunderstorms arc rare;

there is just 1101 enough moisture to support serious ovGnlcvclopment. What little precipitation docs fall upon the Great Basin area occurs in the winter, and tot,ils only about five inches per year. The Eastern Sierra has no summer monsoon season such as occurs in the Southwestern lJ.S. For comparison, the New Mexico/Texas area where I .arry Tudor acl1ic,vcd his 30(),.milL: flight had abo111 2,500 tornadoes observed over a period, while during the same time the California/Nevada area (about the same size) reported only ahem! 70. Problems have traditionally occurred due to windy conditions. This was a signil'icanl problem with low pcrrorrnancc gliders (and now with paraglidcrs), hut modem hang gliders have given us a significant sal'cly margin. (,ood weather information is available for the Owens Valley area, with major rorecasting olliccs relatively nearby in San Francisco, I ,os J\ngclcs and I ,as Vegas. Although most the mountains arc extre111cly rugged there arc large landablc areas in the desert areas and on top of the White Mountains. Top landings al high altitudes have been safely performed by pilots on sky-camping cxpl:elitions, as well as those l'oolish enough to gel caught high winds. Since the mountains arc so steep and altitudes gained so great, out to paved roads arc always possible !'or the careful pilot. The Owens Valley and Western Nc,vada terrain consists uniformly arranged mountain ranges separated by huge desert areas. lt 's uncomplicated and relatively unrestricted. Landing areas arc almost unlimilcd, except for a few areas where boulder fields have been washed from canyons. The desert vcgcta1ion is scrubby bushes with the occasional small cactus, while a few areas 11orth along !he Sierra arc sparsely covered with pine trees. Power line problems arc virtually nonexistent. J\nyonc flying !'or distance should provide their own retrieval, although in the past we scrounged the sleepy town of Keeler for someone to drive our truck olT Cerro Cronlo, and plunge into the unknown retrieval-less. Now it's easy to do a long out-and.return, and land at a civilized place to go swimming or drink a few beers. Usually, the rirsl thermal or two olT launch provides a reasonable indication of the day's potential. Mos! problems occur when pilots make stupid decisions. Unfortunately this becomes

COMPETITION CORNER second nature when flying at high altitudes without oxygen because hypoxia does make you stupid. I remember once asking somebody on the radio if they thought I had enough altitude to glide to a highway, when I had enough altitude to glide halfway across the State of Nevada. Nor is it particularly pleasant to land feeling like you had the worst New Year's Day hangover of your life. Fortunately, there is an easy way to avoid this problem, and that is to use oxygen. Most serious distance and competition pilots now do so. Lightweight fiber-wrapped aluminum bottles and small regulators have made systems practical; the money is well worth the investment. Unfortunately stupid decisions are also made out of ignorance or disregard for safety. Horseshoe Meadows has become popular clue to easy access and record flights. Regardless of how many pilots travel to the site the prevailing winds remain westerly, and it is an easterly-facing site. This allows for early launches and long flights, but the westerlies nearly always overpower the morning convection and many pilots catch a taste of 13,000-foot Sierra rotor before they cross over to the east side of the Valley. The launch site is fairly protected and it is possible, frequently performed and always foolish to launch into strong rotor conditions. Many scary stories have resulted from such experiences. At this same time, the Inyo and

White Mountains face the prevailing wind and have great conditions, but poorer roads. The Horseshoe Meadows launch site has been administered by the local club for the last couple years, and the safety record has been excellent. Last season there were about I ,000 officially recorded launches (pilots who bought pennits) and probably as many unofficial, with no notable accidents whatsoever. The fonnula for enjoyable flying expeditions to the Owens is not too difficult. Previous mountain flying experience is very desirable, and conservative decisions are seldom regretted. Bring a smaller and faster glider rather than a large one. Be aware of your personal reactions and susceptibility to hypoxia and consider acquiring an oxygen system. Equipment for a hot and dry climate is required, yet cold weather gear for flying at altitude is also necessary. Stay fit and healthy, drink plenty of fluids to combat the dry climate. Pay attention to advice from experienced pilots! To promote flight safety two safety seminars will be presented in conjunction with the 1991 USHGA National Championships. The seminars will consist of an evening lecture, followed by a flight the next clay guided by experienced locals Kevin Klinefelter, Kari Castle and Mark Gibson. Topics covered will be specific to the Owens Valley area and will include geography,

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weather conditions, flight routes and local customs. Attendance is strongly encouraged for pilots not familiar or cunent with the local area. The seminars are free for Nationals competitors but reservations must be made in advance. In the interest of promoting the myth of the Owens Valley flying experience, the first "Sex, Lies and Duct Tape" literary contest will be held, also in conjunction with the Nationals. Prizes will include a valuable gift certificate from long-time OV sponsor, Janie's Ranch. A panel of literary experts will present prizes for stories, based on outrageousness, believability and originality. Entries will be in the fonn of poems, short stories or narrative. Stories must somehow relate to Owens Valley flight, and should be reasonably presentable to the general public. For further information on Owens Valley contests, contact Tom Kreyche, Cross Country Classic, P.O. Box 873, Mountain View, CA 94042. Fax or phone (415) 9658608. • Pilots may also ll'ish to join the locctl 01\'ens Valley club, the Eastern Sierra Sport Pilot Association. A newsletter is published, and membership is open to all pilots. F orfimher information, \\'rite the ESSPA, P.O. Box 547, Bishop, CA 93514.

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HANG GLIDING 101

Okay, so you've flared the glider and made your graceful return to ten-a firma. The flight's over, right? Wrong! As the old saying goes, no job is finished until the paperwork is done. So it goes with filling out your flying and filling out your logbook. Any serious aviator maintains a record of his flights religiously. As a hang glider pilot, you should want to keep an accurate and up-to-elate account of your flying experiences. A logbook accomplishes several things. It lets you personally look back at some of the experiences you've had while flying, such as where you flew, when you flew, and who you were flying with at the time. One of my favorite reasons for keeping a logbook is the fact that it allows me to recall things I otherwise wouldn't be able to remember. For instance, a couple of years ago I was able to look back at my logbook to see when it was that I met my good friend Rick Jacob (of Sequatchie Valley Soaring fame). Searching through my logbook not only revealed the place and date, but reinf01med me that we had camped out together on top of Tater Hill (in North Carolina) with several other pilots who also turned out to be good friends. Another advantage of the logbook is that it allows other pilots, such as observers, instructors and site monitors, to see how many sites and in what different conditions you have flown. It also keeps a running total of your airtime and number of flights which is an excellent gauge of your flying proficiency There are a few logbooks commercially available for hang gliding and they have been designed to make keeping your

records as simple as possible. However, none of these are at all necessary. You can keep your logbook on a simple ring-back notebook if you desire. It is a little less convenient and a bit more bulky to cany around. The most important thing is that you do in fact keep a logbook.

WHAT TO WRITE IN YOUR LOGBOOK There are a number of things that you absolutely should keep in your logbook, and a few other things that you have the option of putting in your logbook for future reference. First let's look at the basics. The elate is the obvious first thing that should be included. Never leave the date out. One day you'll look back and be glad that you know what the date was you gained your first 1,000 feet over launch. Another thing you should include is the make and size of the glider you flew on that flight. One of the requirements for the Master rating is to have flown a specific number of different gliders. I know that your Master rating may be quite a ways away at the moment, however you won't be eligible for it when the time comes if you haven't kept a reasonable logbook. Obviously, one of the items you should record is the site flown. Sometimes if I fly a really remote site I'll even include notes on where the site was, so if I need to I'll be able to find it again. Another entry in your logbook should be the elevation (above sea level) of the site from which you launched. Likewise, you'll want to include the vertical drop from launch to the landing field. If you 're flights are tow flights, you'll want to

list the elevation at launch and how high you were when you released from the tow line. While we're on the subject of altitude, you'll want to include somewhere in your log the maximum altitude achieved during the flight. Conditions play a large part in a flight and should definitely be included in your records. You'll want to write the wind velocity and direction at launch as well as the texture of the wind, both at launch and while flying. Comments like smooth or gusty, or perhaps small the1mals or large strong the1mals, will pretty much sum up your feelings about how the air felt before and during the flight. Next, you should devote a section to remarks about the flight in general. You'll want to list anything that sticks out in your mind about the flight-things like who you were flying with, how cold you got, the formation of clouds, and interesting land fo1mations you may have flown over during the flight. Looking back at my logbook, I noticed that the first time I flew with a bald eagle was in Florida. Referring to my logbook, I can see that I've flown with golden eagles in Colorado, ospreys in North Carolina, and redtails and turkey vultures all across the U.S. I can also look back and find out where and when my best altitude gain and my first 100-mile flight occurred. My first tandem flight is also listed, as well as my thoughts about it. The whole point is that you should write clown everything that you think you may want to refer to in the future. Two very important things you should keep a running total of in your logbook is the amount of airtime you have as well as the HANG GLIDING

HANG GLIDING 101 WARNING: The Instructor General has determined that using the information contained in this article without the assistance of a USHGA-certified instructor can break or kill you. Seek professional help! GLIDER

SITE

WJNO - WEATHER

REMARKS (LAUNCH. ALT GAIN. X-C. MANEUVERS. APPROACH LANDING ETC)

DATE MSI

VERT

j_Q~ '@_'

Notes

,r,,,s /:S

IS' A r/Li.GP

DIR

z. v_

·7'~

AIR TIME

FLT

PILOT'S CHOICE

;;:;;:;;It> - ------- -

;n_z J.- oG{'z,pA:;'

01"' tn:,;v )'I~ ,Rt'TtJ.4L

total number of flights you've made. Cunently I'm flying between 15 and 25 tow flights a day. I usually enter all of these on one line as long as the conditions remain reasonably the same. I will include all infomrntion about the flights that I feel is

JULY 1991

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pertinent. I also accumulate my airtime for the entire day for convenience. If something special happened during one of the flights I'll include that in my logbook entry. There are no real rules about what you should include in your logbook, so be

creative and make sure you at least get the basics. I've included an example of some of my actual logbook entries just to give you some ideas about how to keep track of your flying. Above all, fly safely. •

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CLASSIFIEDS ADVISORY: Used hang gliders should always be disassembled before flying for the first time and inspected carefully for fatigued, bent or dented downtubcs, ruined bushings, bent bolts (especially the heart bolt), re-used Nyloc nuts, loose thimbles, frayed or rusted cables, tangs with noncircular holes, and on Rogallos, sails badly torn or tom loose from their anchor points front and back on the keel and leading edges. If in doubt, many hang gliding businesses will be happy to give an objective opinion on the condition of equipment you bring them to inspect. HU)'Crs should select equipment that is appro1iriate for their skill level or rating. New pilots should seek professional instruction from a USHGA-ccrtificd school. ROGALLOS ATLAS 16- Medium knee harness with chute, good condition, beginner's package SI ,000 (718) 871-2061. AXIS 15-1990 - excellent condition, 7 hours, all options. $1,700 must sell (805) 962-29,12. AXIS 15 - Custom sail cut, low hours, excellent shape SI,800 (602> 881-0375. AXIS 15 - Good condilion, tuned for handling. 60 hours, several custom oplions S 1,400 ORO-Sieve (-\07, 863-7013. BRAND NEW- 1991 165 Spcc1rum Plus. Includes 2 cxira faired downlubcs, safety wheels. parb kit. owners manual, W.W. hat, tax and shipping tube-Only 53,305. Save S478.85 The Hang Gliding Connection (916) 2.Jl-697.J.

DREAM 220-Sl,200 (512) 467-2529 RRA-TX. FORMULA 154- ls new, 4 hours, stored indoors, $2,300 (801) 262- 0481. GEMINI 184 -Great condition, less than 25 hours, $695. Also. Robertson cocoon with chute, $75. Claremont CA 1714) 399-0674. HP II - World Team glider, blue undersurface, flies great S900. Vision MK IV 17 Sl,200. (714) 676-4425. HP II - Race. ,cry good condition S800. PRO STAR II 195 Low ainime, great for large pilots, S300. David (619) ,143-6346. HP II - 1988, Full race. beautiful custom sail, low hours, excelle111 condition SI ,300. Raymond pocl. S 150 OBO. (505) 293-5165. HP II - Full race. O\'ersized cross tubes installed, new bag, well traveled, bur flies well, $650 (719) 539-4782. LIGHT DREAM 165 - Blue anti gold, excellent condition wi1h harness $1,500 OBO (415) 325-6273 \•IAGIC II[ 166 VG - 110 hours, while/rainbow, extras S900 OBO. Ball vario $150, aircrafl altimeter S75.00 (503) 777-3.J52. \-IAGIC KISS/K2 -

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SENSOR 510 A-180-Non-VG, like new. under 12 hours, original owner $800. Can ship, call (714) 338-3206 eves., (7141 799-3389 weekdays. SENSOR 8-C - Conversion. 1987, FR. excellent shape, will ship $1,300. (907) 561-2675 (Alaska). SENSOR 510 B VG - FR, all white sail. will ship, extra pans, $750 080 (808) 878-3458. SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA USED GLIDER REFERRAL - BUY-SELL-CONSIGN. ALL MAKES, MODELS, CALL TODAY (619) 450-1894 OR (619) 450-9008. SPORT 150 - Full race, great condi1ion, flies very well, shipping included. Sl,500. (818) 309-4355. SPORT AMERICAN 167 - <4 hours magenta and white, factory fresh, clean and crisp, never crashed. S 1,795 (714) 366-ISIO(CA). SPORT 167 EURO - Blue/gold/white, !09 hours. Good condition- always garaged/transported in PVC tube. Recent sailwork at WW, sail-off airframe inspection. Sl,100. 080 High Energy cocoon harness with High Energy 22-gorc parachute (re-packed in February), ballast container/lots of exlra slorage. $700. 080 Kevin, (619) 94.J-1396 eves .. (619) 534-5044 days. SPORT 167 EURO- Excellent shape, S1,2CHl. 080 Call after 6 pm. (505) 632-8443 Blue L.E .. fuchsia wedge.

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MOYES METEOR 190- Red/white, good condition $500, new wires and bag (503) 3,13-2650.

TRADE 220 DREAM -Excellent condition for 240 Dream excellent also. (503 I 899-8990.

MOYES MISSILE 170-Double surface, very good condi1ion. will trade for Dream 165. Offer (602) 887-0623.

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COMET C-2 165 - 85 hours. excellent condition, S750. Cocoon harness. S 125. (213 I 869-2282 clays, (213 I 80626,18 eves. COMET III 185 - Custom, new $2000. Comet I 185, good concli1ion $500. Oly 180, fair. S300 (714) 674-1211. COMET III 185 - 1990, .JS hours. excellent. Purple. purple, pink, mage111a UP logo, $1,950. WILLS FLY-LITE cocoon, black, -\5 hours, clean. S210. Roberls VARIO/ ALTIMETER. new modifications. S200. Rob (303) 728521.J Telluride.

MOYES XS 155 - Excellent condition. beautiful sail, $2 ..JOO 1616146:i-5859.

COMET 185 - Good condition S350. Condor 22-1, good condilion S200. must sell-Tim (eves) (608) 269-4569.

MOYES XS 155 -Sl,800 (512) -167-2529. RRA-TX.

co;·vtET 185 - Good condition, complete spare airframe included, S.J50 Kent (5121 369-281.J (days).

.'vlYSTIC 155 VG-Less than IO hours, crisp sail in red, blue and gold. references. sacrifice al S900. (619) 270-6867.

DEMON 175 - Good condition S425 Red/Yellow (2051 726-5.J93 Mike

OL YMPLiS 180 - Excellent condition. oldie but goodie, $275 (916) 7,13-75-11.

DREA~v1 165 - Cloudbase harness wi1h chute. vario. hclmel, all excellent condition SI.400 OBO 1608) 756-,1869 mornings.

PRO AIR I.JO-DSAF. new condition, sharp custom colors, S900 OBO (7 J.j1 535-5600 days. (71-1) 535-1447 eves. (So. Cal.)

DREAivt 165 - Excellent condition. Red wiLh rainbow. SI 200. (702) 883-7070.

RA YEN 209 - Red/black/yellow/white. Very good condition-always garaged/transported in PVC lube. Kevin, (619) 9-14-1396 eves. 1619) 53.J-5044 days.

DREA1\I 185 - Cu:-.tom purple wa\'y rainbow. IO hour-:.. \Yhccls, new spagheui harne~\ reel/black with new chute ancl BRS. All forS2.250. Will send pictures. Call (801 )571-4070.

JULY 1991

RA VEN 229 3886.

VISION MK IV-GREAT DEAL! (6191450-9008. VISION MK IV 17 -Great condition, blue trilam L.E .. blue undersurface. S 1.500 or make offer (619) -151-3970. VISION MK IV 19 - Rigged for minimum 16 hp power system. Ballistic chute, instruments, all bag~. cocoon harness. Will sell separately. $3.500 OBO (90-1 I 253-8962 eves/ wkncls. VJSION 19 3624.

Excellent shape, low hours, S900 (509) 627-

WILLS WING HP AT 158 - Bright yellcm· L.E .. marine blue wedge U.S., billboard U.S. says "Wills Wing HP AT". \Veil cared for. washed after every lligh1, rigged out ror~weet handling. Extra dow111ube~. Like New! Call Davis at (206) 322-1184 ( I#J 52,300.

Low airtime, great shape S650. 1305) 251-

CLASSIFIEDS COLORADO HANG GLIDING (303) 278-9566 24 hours Region !V's oldest, largest, full time shop. Never used chutes (all sizes) .............. $265 New NAS PDA chutes ....................... $388 D.O.T. helmets (colors!) ..................... $50-$129 NAS vario/Alt (intro price) ................ $388 Used harnesses .................................... $75-$300 Steel biners (2 min.) ........................... $14.80 Varios (demo's, all brands) ................ $75-$500 I 00% guarantee all equipment. MC/VISA/AMEX/DISCOVER ACCEPTED Vision 16 ............................................ Olus ....... S 1,200 Magic Kiss ......................................... <5 hrs .... $2,575 Vision MK IV 19 ................................ <4 hrs .... $1,800 Lt. Mystic 166 .................................... <40 hrs .. $1,300 Lt. Dream 185, 205 ............................................ S800 ea. Mystic 177 VG ................................... <l2hrs ... $1,IOO Harrier I 147 ....................................... <18 hrs .. $800 Raven 229 ........................................... <28 hrs .. $750 Comet II 165, 185 .............................................. $500 ea. Phoenix 60 ......................................... <15 hrs .. $485 Seagull 140, 170 ................................................ $350 ea. 100% guarantee on all equipment, inspected and shipped anywhere. Colorado Hang Gliding (303) 278-9566 24 hrs. THE HANG GLIDING CENTER Axis 15 FR '89 ......................... good shape ... $1200 OBO Magic Formula, ........................ in stock ......... New Magic K2 145 .................................................. New Magic Kiss, .............................. like new ........ $1,800 167 Sport AT ................................................... $2,700 HP AT, ..................................... in stock ......... New '.lfagie III 166, ........................... great glider ... $900 '.lfagic IV .................................. good shape ... $800 OBO Vision MK IV, ......................... in stock ......... New Vision MK IV 17/19, used .............................. $1,200 Equalizers, used s/m ........................................ $425 4206-K Sorrento Valley Blvd., San Diego, CA 92121. \Ve have instruments and parachutes in stock. (619) 450-9008. *Special travel incentives on some glider purchases.

GOLDEN WINGS 1103 Washington Avenue, Golden, CO 8040 l TOLL FREE ORDER PHONE 1-800-677-4449 or (303) 278-718 l Mystic 177 VG Exe. cone! .................. $1,300 Vision 19 (used) (Exe. cond.) ............. $1,800 Several Sport 167 ............................... $1800 - $2,200 HP AT, Demo ..................................... $2,800 Many other good used gliders ........... $450 -Sl,000

PARACHUTES - New, 22 gore, $295; 24 gore, $350; Ball 652, $350; Them1itts $39; Paragliders (714) 654-8559. THE TAIL DRAGON -All flying contraptions boughtsold-serviced. SECOND CHANTZ RECOVERY SYSTEM DEALER (916) 542-3833. PARA GLIDERS

Ball 652 ............................................ $595 Ball 65 l ............................................. $495 Ball M 50 ............................................ S675 Braunigcr LCD 5 ................................ $575 Brauniger Alto Vario P2 ..................... $450 Afro XC 8000 ..................................... $799 Afro Cirrus 8000 ................................. $759 Flytec OF 2030 ................................... SI ,200 Flytec Pilot I ....................................... $580 Litek Vario .......................................... $269 HE chute ............................................. $345 BRS 4 HG ........................................... $799 Helmets Rochelt Karban Fiber ......................... $285 Bell Helmet ........................................ S 129 UVEX Jet Helmet ............................... S89 Aerodyne ..... .. ............................. $75 Gliders UP ..................................................... call WW ................................................... call Pacific Airwave .................................. call Moyes ................................................. call Foil ...................................................... call Used Sp011 167 Euro FR .............................. $1,350 Spo11 AT like new .............................. $2,600 Vision MK 9, 7 hrs ............................. $1,500 Axis 15 IOc ......................................... $2,495 Light Dream 165 ................................. $1,000

50 cents per word, $5.00 minimum. J Boldface or caps $1.00 per word. (Does not include first few words which are automatically caps.) Special layouts or tabs $25 per column inch. J (phone numbers-2 words, P.O. Box-1 word) J photos-$25.00 line art logos-$15.00 Deadline-20th of the month, six weeks before the cover date of J the issue in which you want your ad to appear (i.e., June 20 for J the August issue). J Prepayment required unless account established. No cancellations and no refunds will be allowed on any advertising after deadline. Ad J insertions FAXed or made by telephone must be charged to a credit J card. $2.00 credit card charge. J Please enter my classified ad as follows:

Number of words:

NEVER USED CHUTES! -100% satisfaction guaranteed. $265 each. All sizes, new bridle, deployment bag, repacked/ inspected by FAA cert. master rigger. (303) 278-9566.

(805) 962-8999 FAX (805) 964-3337 Orders only call collect

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

SANTA BARBARA HANG GLIDING CENTER 29 State Street Santa Barbara, CA 93101

luSHGA CLASSIFIEDADVERTISING ORDERFORM-

I I Number of words:

EMERGENCY PARACHUTES

Number~ Months;- Section (please circle) Rogallos Emergency Chutes Parts & Accessories Business & Employment Miscellaneous

COMET CX-21 - Perfect condition $2,100. Also Condor SP-10, back pack and harness S 1,100 Joel (303) 728-3293. PARAGLIDING IN PARADISE - Alpine paragliding in Crested Butte, CO, 24 flying sites. LZ@ 9,000+ MSL I No Wimps!, Videos $32.50, shipping included. Peak Performance Paragliclers, P.O. Box 213, Crested Butte, CO 81224, Steve (303) 349-5961, Rusty (303) 349- 6384. SPEEDSTAR IO - with harness, excellent condition, low hours, good for beginner/intermediate $1,000 OBO (8 I 8) 896-0924. WILLS, UP'S, ETC - $795 + up. Instruction, equipment, southern California and European tours (714) 654-8559. ULTRALIGHTS LIQUID TRIKE- 52 HP, low time, three blade adjustable prop., much more, $2,200. Two wings-sleeved, wired, trailing edged. 160 Streak, 200 Duck, good condition, $500 each. (414) 697-0862. PARAPLANE- (Powered parachutes) Solo afterone hour instruction. Free brochure. Orlando (407) 351-4510.

Towing Schools and Dealers Ultralights Rigid Wings Publications & Organizations Paragliders

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

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

PHONE: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ @ .50 = @ 1.00 = - - - - - -

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

L--------------------------------------~ 56

HANG GLIDING

CLASSIFIEDS WANTED WANTED-Fledge III or Jil E.T., considertrike (414) 6970862. CASH PAJD- We buy used eqnipment. Paid immediately. (303) 278-9566. WANTED- Used hang gliding equipment. Gliders, instruments, harnesses and parachutes. Airtime of San Francisco, 3620 \Vawona, San Francisco, CA 94116. (415) SKY-1177.

CHANDELLE SAN FRANCISCO, !NC. Since 1973, complete hang gliding and paragliding sales service and instruction. Dealers for \Vills \Ying, Pacific Airwave, Delta Wing, Seed wings, UP, High energy, Center of Gravity, Ball, IlRS, Second Chantz, !TV. Firebird, Edel and more' Northern California's most complete repair facHity, including 7th clas<; rigger's machine. New and used equipment, spare parts, and demos. Complete training, including introductory lessons, packages, clinics, ground school and tandem. Five minutes from Ft. f<unston. -1-88 Manor Plaza, Pacifica, CA 94044. (-115) 359-6800.

SCHOOLS AND DEALERS

COMPACT WINGS PARAGLIDING - Wills Wings, UP and other paragliders. Instruction at best site (Soboba) tours, accessories (714) 654- 8559.

L~vlFP - Two hours from Birmingham (see our ad under Tennessee.) (404) :198-3541.

HANG FLIGHT SYSTEMS - D!RECTL Y across the street from WILLS WING. DEMOS and rentals available lo qualified pilots. HP-AT small, medium & large Sport-A T's, Kiss, l\·1ark IV, Genesis, Dreams and Axis. FLY 'EiVI ALL and decide what you like. \Ve sell and service all major brands of gliders and accessories. USHGA certified XC clinics and training program. 1202 E. \Valnut. Unit !\·f, Santa Ana, CA 92701 (714) 542-7444 Near Disneyland.

ALABAMA

ALASKA ADVENTURE WINGS- Hang gliding, PARAGLIDING, tours, towing, tandem, instruction. Statewide. (907) 4556379, Box 83305, Fairbanks, AK 99708. ARIZONA ADVENTURE SPORTS TOURS OF ARIZONA-Largest hang gliding center in the Southwest. Certified instruction utilizing the world's first man-made trainer hill plus other sites which all face every wind direction. Highest percentage of flyable student days in America. Also daily windsurfing, jetskiing and kayaking lesson tours. Pree airport/hotel/site pickup and return. Dealer for Pacific Airwavc, \\'ills \Ying, Ball and High Energy. 1327 E. Bell De Mar Dr., Tempe, AZ 85283 (602) 897-7121.

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.

r; fT

CALIFORNIA ACT!O"l SOARING CENTER - ln Lodi near Stockton. Personalized USHGA certified instruction, sales and service. Empha~is on special skills and tcchniq_ues, T.0. and L. Call to demo XS, EZ, \VB. Ask about tow clinic. 1689 Armstrong Road, Lodi, CA 95242 (209) 3689665. AIRTIME OF SAN FRANCISCO - Hang Gliding & Paragliding. USHGA & APA Certified Instruction. Sales. Service, Rental. - Pac. Air, UP, \Vills, Sensor, High Energy, Mantis, Second Chantz, B.R.S./(/Pro Design, Apco I lilite, I.T.V., Edel, Skywalker and MORE! Large selection of 2nd hand gear (buy & sell). Next to Fort Funston. 3620 \Vawona, San Francisco, CA 94116. (.\15) SKY-1177. AIRTIME UNLIMITED-SOUTHLAND HANG GLIDING SCHOOL - Pacific Airwave gliders in stock. Tandem inslruction, ATOL towing. 12120 Severn \Vay, Riverside, CA 92503 (71-li 73.\-0622. JULY 1991

WlNDGYPSY - USHGA Certified school specializing in personalized tandem flight training. Full service sales & repair facility in Lake Elsinore - call for site info. \Viele range of new & used gliders & flight accessories in stock. Paul Bums, 33041 Walls St., Lake Elsinore, CA 92330 Phone (714) 678-5418; FAX (714) 678- 5425. WINDSPORTS SOARING CENTER - Los Angeles' largest and most complete school since 1974. \Ve specialize in personalized tandem instruction, sales and repair. Spend your winter vacation !lying with us! 16145 Victory Blvd., Van Nuys, CA 91406 (818) 988-0111.

~'Professionals You Can Trust!" COLORADO

COLORADO HA'-/G GLlDING/PARAGLID!NG 1st USHGA certified school in U.S.A. Region's largest and oldest. Operating rull Lime since 1972. (303) 278-9566.

DESERT HANG GLIDERS - USHGA Certified School. Supine specialists . .\319 \V. Larkspur. Glendale, AZ 8530-l. (602) 938- 9550.

SAIL WINGS HANG GLIDING - Full-time lessons, sales, service. Pacific Airwave, CG 1000. New, used, rental equipment. P.O. Box 321, Alkins, Arkansas 72823. (501 J 227-4920. Haney's Point (501) 641-1902. We PROMOTE the sport!

TRUE FLIGHT CONCEPTS - USHGA Certified Instruction, Sales & Service. Become a better pilot in less time with our small personalized classes & tandem instruction. Our head instructor has over 12 years teaching experience. Only minutes from our local Kagel iVlountain flying site. 13185 Gladstone Ave., Sylmar, CA 91342. (818) 367-6050.

CAPT'NJACKCAREY-lliesaMoyesXS 155,nearlyhalf the Telluride Air Force skies out on Moyes. Exceptional gliders for experienced pilots. Call Luigi at Telluride Airspons (303) 728- 9525.

ARIZONA HANG GLIDING INFORMATION -Arizona Hang Gliding Association (602) 730-6705.

ARKANSAS

TORREY FLIGHT PARK, INC. - At the launch of the world famous Torrey Pines Glider Port, one of San Diego's highlights! Unmatched convenience for pilots and spectators. Refreshments and souvenirs at the Cliftlrnnger Cafe. Certified Training program featuring tandem soaring lessons. New, used, rental and demo equipment by Delta \Ving and UP. 2800 Torrey Pines Scenic Drive, La Jolla, CA 92037 (619) 452-3202.

';,;:'.'.)Jt?ft HIGH ADVENTURE- Full service facility located on site at Southern California's famous mile high mountains, Crestline. From sand hill to XC Lhennal flying, our20 tandem accelerated training program is quick and thorough. Instructor Rob i'vkKcnzic. Dozens of new and used gliders for sale or rent. Other services inclu<le, weather information. mountain shutlle, towing seminars, XC trips, repairs, ratings (714) 883-8.\88. THE HANG GLIDING CENTER - Located in beautiful San Diego. USHGA inslrnction, equipment rentals, local flying tours. Spend your winter vacation flying with us. \Ve proudly offer \Vills \Ving, Pacific Airwave, High Energy. Ball and we need your used equipment. 4206-K Sorrento Valley Blvd., San Diego, CA 92121 (619).\50-9008. MISSION SOARING CENTER - Serving the tlying community since 1973. Complete lesson program with special attention to quality takeoff and landing skills. All major brands of gliders, parachutes and instruments sold. Snil repair and air frame ~ervice available. I 116 \Vriglcy \Vay, Milpitas, CA 95035. t.\08) 262-1055.

COLORADO WIND PARK - ··Come up for Air 1"' Sales, service, complete instruction on our 500-foot, 360-degree training hill. $10/day lodging. Dealing all brands. 5526 S. Pitkin Ct., Aurora, CO 80015, (303) 762-6505 or (303) 6806443. EAGLE'S NEST School of Hang Gliding/Paragliding USHGA certified school. Dealer for Delta Wing, Pacific Airwave and \Vil ls \Ying. P.0. Box 25985, Co\oradoSprings. co 80936 (719) 594-0498. GOLDEN WINGS - Sales, service. USHGA certified instrnction. Tandem Towing Instruction. Dealers for \Vills Wing, Pacific Ainvave, UP. 1103 Washington Avenue, Golden, CO 80401. (303) 278-7181. L/D ENTERPRISES -Sail and harness repair - Equipment manufacturing - Towing supplies - 5000 Butte #183, Boulder, CO 80301 (303) 440-3579. PEAK PERFORMANCE PARAGLIDING SCHOOL Paragliding instruction/equipment sales. video\S32.50, shipping includecl. P.O. Box 213, Crested Bulle, CO 8122.\. (303) 349-5961. STEAMBOAT ULTRAFL!GHT - Sales and service. Moyes, BRS, 1-ligh Energy, Ball, all major brands xs·s in stock. Bes, Prices. PO Box 771703. Steamboat Springs, CO 80477. Call (303) 879-6284 or (303) 879-5068

CLASSIFIEDS CONNECTICUT MOUNTAIN WINGS -

MINNESOTA Look under New York.

SPORT SOARING CENTER/MINNEAPOLIS - Instruction, equipment dealers for Pacific Airwavc, UP & Wills Wing (612) 557-0044.

FLORIDA

i\EVADA ADVENTURE SPORTS - Sierra tours our specialty USHGA & APA certified school and ratings. Dealers for Pacific Airwave, Wills Wing, UP, Enterprise Wings. Fly the Sierras with a full-service shop. 3680-6 Research Way. Carson City, NV 89706 (702) 883-7070.

advanced students with ATOL and Tandem. Tow from your blanket or doorstep on beautiful Currituck Beach on the Outer Banks. Call (919) 261-6166 or write Corolla Flight, Box 1021, Kitty Hawk, NC 27949. KITTY HAWK KITES, INC. - P.O. Box 1839, 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 took 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 parls. OHIO

MIAMI HANG GLIDING, INC. - has the most advanced training program known to hang gliding today. Certified instructors specialized in personalized tandem tlight lraining. Full service and sales of parts for all gliders, makes and models. For more info1111ation call (305) 573-8978 or (305) 962-6968. LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN FLIGHT PARK-See ad under Tennessee. (404) 398-3541.

SEQUATCHIE VALLEY SOARING SUPPLY our ad under Tennessee

MARIO MANZO-SKYWARD ENTERPRISES-Certified instruction, inspection, repair. CG-1000, Dayton and Chillicothe, OH (513) 256-3888 (wkd. eves.)

Look under New York.

NEW MEXICO ENTERPRISE WINGS OF NEW MEXICO Combat information hotline (505) 437-1615.

Call the

See

See our ad

IDAHO TREASURE VALLEY HANG GLIDING - USHGA CF!, service/sales, Pacific Airwavc, UP, American Windwright, La Mouettc, 11716 Fairview, Boise, ID 83704. (208) 3767914. ILLINOIS RA VEN SKY SPORTS HANG GLIDING AND PARAGLIDING - Largest and most popular in the Midwest. Traditional cun-iculum, ridge soaring, mountain clinics, tandem by Brad Kushner. Sales/service/accessories for all major brands. 300 N. Green Bay Rel., Waukegan, IL60085 (708) 360-0700. INDIANA KENTUCKIANA (KY ANNA) SOARING - Mike Kelly, 3023 McArthur Dr., Jeffersonville, IN 47 I 30(812) 288-71 l l (eves.) MICHIGAN OREAT LAKES HANG GLIDING, INC. - USHGA certified instructors. Dealers for Moyes gliders, new & used equipment. Located near Warren dunes (616) 465-5859. PRO HANG GLIDERS - I would like to give a Special Thanks to all those pilots (you know who you are) who have participated in the programs and flying that has been offered by Pro Hang Gliders. It's a privilege to serve you. ff you have any needs, from beginner lessons, ratings, towing lessons, thermaling, step towing, ridge soaring, X.C. orientation, feel free to contact Nonnan Lesnow, (313) 399-9433. Advanced Instructor, Examiner, USHGA certified school. Wills Wing specialists, other brands available. 569 W. Annabelle, Hazel Park, MI 48030.

lv10UNTAIN WINGS -

UP OVER NEW MEXICO, INC. - Instruction, sales, service. Sandia Mountain guides. \Vil1s, Seedwings, Pacific Airwave, Delta, Moyes. Albuquerque, NM (505) 821-8544.

GEORGIA

LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN FLIGHT PARK under Tennessee. (404) 398-354 l.

NEW JERSEY

NEW YORK AAA .MOUNTAIN WINGS HANG GLIDING CENTER AND FLIGHT PARK - Now offering PARAGLIDING instruction and sales. Base of ELLENVILLE MTN. Four exclusive training hills. Area's only dealer for Pacific Airwave, UP, Seedwings and Delta Wing with demos in stock. We are the largest, most complete H.G. accessory and repair shop of its kind in the country. Many new and used gliders in stock. R/C supplies and kits, Ultra Pod camera systems. VISA and MASTERCARD accepted. Stop in and get your flight pass and gate combo. 150 Canal St., Ellenville, NY 12428 (914) 647-3377. ln N.E. l-800-525-7850. 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. Cc11ified schoo]/instruction. 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! Tandem flights! Contact Paul Voight, RD 2, Box 561, Pinc Bush, NY 12566, (914) 744-3317. SUSQUEHANNA FLIGHT PARK - Cooperstown, NY. Certified Instruction, Sales and Service for all major manufacturers. 40acre park, 5 traininghills,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. RD 2, Box 348A, Cooperstown, NY 13326, (315) 866-6153. THERMAL UP, INC. -Most complete hang gliding shop in area. Located on top of Ellenville Mountain. USHGA Certified Instructor and Observer. Concentrating on hang gliding instruction with emphasis on launching and landing techniques. Dealer for all major brands. Offering cxpe11 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

NORTH COAST HANG GLIDING-Certified Instruction. New & used gliders. Specializing in Pacific Airwavc gliders. Mike Del Signore, 1916 W. 75th St., Cleveland, OH. 44102 (216) 631-1144. OREGON SOUTHERN OREGON HANG GLIDING - Best training sites with camping. Gliders and students retrieved with ATV. Tandem instmction with Pacific Airwave Double Vision (503) 862-2922. PENNSYLVANIA MOUNTAIN TOP RECREATION - Certified instruction, Pittsburgh. (412) 697-4477. C'MON OUT AND PLAY! MOUNTAIN WINGS -

Look under New York.

TENNESSEE CRYSTAL AIR SPORT MOTEL- at Raccoon Mountain. Private, regulm, waterbeds &jacuzzi rooms, w/carpmts. Fliers bunkhouse & work program. Pool, gift shop, video. Nearby, HANG GLIDING SIMULATOR & FLIGHT TRAINING & tourist attractions. FF!, Send $1.00, 4328 Cummings Hwy., Chattanooga, TN 37419. (615) 821-2546 HAWK AlRSPORTS - New and improved hang gliding! Attention 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 lannches. The popular light wind indicator Windsok. Brochures available. Your satisfaction is lhc key to our continued growth and success. Hawk Air Sports, Inc., P.O. Box 9056, Knoxville, TN 37940-0056, (615) 453-1035. LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN FLIGHT PARK- Since 1978, Southeast's largest USHGA-certified mountain flight school. Complete training, from grassy, gcmly-sloping training hills to soaring high above Lookout Ivfountain. Our specialty getting you your first mountain flights. Lesson packages, USHGA ratings, glider and mountain bike rentals, camping, local site information. Largest inventory of new and. used hang gliders and mountain bikes, harnesses, helmets, instrum.ents, T-shirts. Repair services. We buy used gliders, equipment! Send $1.00 for brochure, rates, directions, accommodations information. Twenty minutes from Chattanooga, Tennessee. Route 2, Box 215-H, Dept. HG, Rising Fawn, GA 30738. (404) 398-3541 or 398-3433

FLY AMERICA, Corolla Flight-All introductory flights and lessons taught by USHGA Master Rated, Advanced Tandem Instructor. Greg De\Volf instructs new through

HANG GLIDING

CLASSIFIEDS SEQUATCHIE VALLEY SOARING SUPPLY - Certified, two place flight instruction and first mountain flights are our specialities. Rentals, storage and ratings available. Deal~ ers for all major brands. Located in the "Hang Gliding Capital of the East". For personal, professional service you can trust, call SVS, RT2 Box 80, Dunlap, TN 37327. (615) 949-2301 TEXAS AUSTIN AIR SPORTS - Still the one in central Texas, quality service since 1978. Instruction, sales, rental, and a complete airframe & sail repair facility. 1712 Waterston, Austin. TX 78703 (512) 474- 1669. HILL COUNTRY PARAGLIDING INC. -Try this safe and simple form of personal aviation. Soar the hill country or tow-up in the llatlands. We're the only paragliding center in central Texas! APA ccrlificd instruction, sales, service and fun. Austin, TX (512) 832-0516 KITE ENTERPRISES-Instruction, sales, repairs, platform towing, Dallas, North Texas area. 21 l Ellis, Allen, TX 75002 (214) 996-7706 daytime, (214) 727-3588 nights and weekends. Dealer Pacific Airwave. RRA=RED RIVER AIRCRAFT We specialize in turning students into pilots. Dealer \Vil ls \Ying and Pacific Airwave. (512) 467-2529 Jeff Hunt, 4811 Red River, Austin TX 78751 UTAH WASATCH WINGS - USHGA certified hang gliding school, dealers for \Vills \Ving, 1V1oyes and Pacific Airwave. Flight operations at Point of the Mountain. Call Gordon (80 I J 277-1042.

CAN'T TOUCH THIS! - Are you a shopper? Save SS. mail order, weekly specials! MAXON RADIOS, SP 5000, 6 channel, 3 USHGA, 3 weather, $299. VOX $69. Dealer for Ball varios, BRS, Sentek varios, High Energy products, Hall, Safcwhcels, windsocks, smoke bombs, V- mitts, Brauniger varios, Air \Vear harness, Raymond Harnesses, Second Chantz. Static line tow systems from $750 + accessories. Send SASE for sale tlyer or call Kentuckiana (KyAnna) Soaring, 3023 McArthur Dr., Jeffersonville, IN 47130 (812) 288-7111 (eves.) CHARGE YOUR FM RADIO- in your car! Charger plugs into cigarette lighter. Designed for t\1axon radios. Voltage and current regulated. $30.00 Sportsmen Electronics, 9805 E. 79th St, Raytown, MO 64138. DROGUE PARACHUTES - with swivels for tow line recovery. Designed for in-line use, 40" diameter rip stop nylon $75. For information call John Elling (608) 251-5029. GLIDER MARKING INTERNATIONAL - Creates a state-of-the-art adve1tising medium by applying names and logos on hang gliders, parachutes, paraglidcrs, sails, etc. P. 0. Box 451, Glen Cove, NY 11542 (516) 676-7599. HANG GLIDER RAIN COAT- Maximum protection at minimum cost. Heavy duty polyethylene slide-on bag, carry case included. Send glider length and make and $20 plus $4 S/H to Flydry Inc., P.O. Box 693, Vicksburg, MS 392820693 (601) 636-4742. HIGH QUALITY HELMETS -At lower prices. Exceeds 1988 DOT standards. $50, $5.00 extra colors, (303) 2789566.

THE FAMOUS ·'LAMBIE LID" - Aerodynamic hang glider helmet, S85 postpaid. Full face version, Sl05. Stale size and three choices of color. 8160 \Voodsboro, Anaheim, CA, 92807 (714) 779-1877.

WINDRIDER WIND SPORTS, INC. -Certified instruction, from the point to the mountains. AIRTiivlE. Also soaring clinics, mountain tours and flying vacations. Call for information or reservations. Box 17675, SLC, UT 84117 (80!) 272-6908. VIRGINIA

~-··.~1

SILVER WINGS, Inc. Certified instruction and equipment sales. (703) 533-1965. WASHINGTON AIRPLA Y'N PRO SHOP & Hang Gliding School. The largest full time, full service hang gliding shop in \Vashington. All major brands sold and serviced. 800 i'v1erccr, Seattle, WA 98109. (206) 467-8644 OR (800) 753-4264. INTERNATIONAL DEALERS DEALERS - WANTED small/large, domestic/international to represent North American Sports' complete line of adventure sports equipment. (303) 278-9566. PARTS & ACCESSORIES BELL SOARING HELMETS - White, blue, red and neon. $129 plus. Nearest dealer? (303) 278-9566. BRAi\D NEW MAXON RADIOS - S175 shipped! Colorado residents add 3.5% sales tax. Colorado Wind Park, 5526 S. Pitkin St., Aurora, CO, (303) 762-6505 or (303) 680-6443.

JULY 1991

HIGH QUALITY HELMET - at an affordable price. D.O.T. Well finished brushed nylon liner with high strength polycarbonate shell. ONLY $55.00 + $4.00 S/H. Great for schools. Dealer inquiries welcome. GOLDEN WINGS, 1103 Washington Avenue, Golden, CO 80401. (303) 2787181 or TOLL FREE 1-800-677-4449.

~ - · · · ~ ~ 1 __ / ·

GRADE A SHEEPSKIN HAND FAIRINGS-Warm hands in all conditions. Endorsed by Kevin Cluistopherson, "I wouldn't fly without them.'' Special orders and dealer inquiries welcome. Send $47.00 to Wyoming Aerolites, P.O Box 880, Casper, Wyoming 82602 (307) 235-3367.

Sell your unused equipment with the help of a Hang Gliding classified ad. For more details call Jeff (719) 632-8300

LINDSAY RUDDOCK VARIO - Prices around $800. (U.S. price vary slightly depending on current exchange rate) VISA/MC Call or write: Russ Douglas, 2060 Gosser Street, Milpitas CA 95035 (408) 263-1548 msg. (408)764-8822 clays. PARAGLIDING EQUIPMENT FOR SALE - A complete line of equipment and accessories available. \Vhatever your needs, from Alpine descents to ocean, thermal, and ridge soaring, \Ve have it. Videos, $32.50, shipping included. PEAK PERFORMANCE PARAGLIDERS INC., P.O. Box 213, Crested Butte, CO, 81224. Tel/Fax (303) 349. 5961.

CLASSIFIEDS STORMIN' NORMAN - Windsock, pole and stake kit. A five foot long, 1.4 oz. nylon multi-color windsock, positioned 12 feet high atop pole for more accurate readings. Three piece pole breaks down to four feet. Custom made, rugged, steel holder/stake. Excellent for multi positions along tow roads, landing zones, mountain launches, training hills (top and bonom) or al the beach (windsurfers). I even keep one up in my front yard, for studying wind switches and gust fronts. A steal at $29.95 plus $6.00 shipping/ handling, ivlichigan residents add 4% sales tax. Send money order or check payable to Norman Lcsnow, 569 W. Annabelle, Hazel Park, MI 48030 (313) 3999433. PARA-SWIVF:L - DON'T LF:AVF: THF: GROUND WITHOUT ONF:! $84.00 + S4.00 S/J-1. Available as an option by Free Flight, High Energy, BRS, Second Chantz. Dealer inquiries welcome. GOLDEN WINGS, 1103 Washington Avenue, Golden, CO 80401 (303) 278-7181 1-800677- 4449. DON'T GET CAUGHT LANDING DOWNWIND! Perfect that no-step landing by watching our Windsok. Constructed with 1.5 oz. ripstop nylon. UV treated to maintain its brilliant color. 5'4" long with an 11" throat. Available colors are fluorescent pink/yellow or fluorescent pink/white. $39 .95 (plus $4.00 shipping/handling) Colorado residents add 6.5% tax. Send to USHGA Windsok, P.O. Box 8300, Colorado Springs, CO 80933-8300, FAX (719) 632-6417, PHONE (719) 632-8300. VISA/MC accepted. SYSTEK II VARIO METER - Designed for thermal flying. Hang glider and paraglider pilots. Perfect for entry level pilots. Adjustable audio set-point, mount included, other options. Affordable $185. Systems Technology Inc. PO Box 7203, Knoxville, TN 37921 (615) 531-8045.

QUICK RELEASE CARABINER-$49.95. Extra ball lock pin, $29.00. I 0,000 lbs., dealers welcome, patent pending. Thermal 19431-41 Business Center Drive, Norlhridge, CA 91324. (818) 701-7983.

THE ULTIMATE CAMERA SETUP!! This QUALITY camera lets you take professional looking pictures easily. It's THE ONLY light weight camera available with ultrasound or wired remote, your choice! It also is very lightweight, has auto-focus, auto-advance, auto- rewind, auto-load, auto-flash, built-in wide-angle lens, 2 yec1.r warranty, and more! The mount (included) easily adapts to any glider. Just $236. gives you everything ready-to-go. See why schools and dealers arc snatching it up! Visa/MC. CAresidentsadd6'h>tax ($250.16). Cindy Gall, c/o Semicoa, 333 McCormick Avenue, Costa Mesa, CA 92626 (714) 540-1099.

WINDTALKER Ill *

UUSINESS AND EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES PARAGLIDING/HANG GLIDING JNSTRUCTORS WANTED - Corne work in sunny San Diego. Certified instructors ,v,mted! However, we can train and certify. Send resume to Joe Bill Henry. Fax (6 [9)452~3203 or Torrey Pines Flight Park, 2800 To1Tey Pines Scenic Drive, La Jolla, CA 92037. HANG GLIDING INSTRUCTORS WANTED- Western Hang Gliders, P.O. Box 828, Marina, CA 93933. MOUNTAIN WINGS - Is looking for advanced hang gliding and paragliding instructors. Salaries negotiable. Full and part-time positions available. ·Manager position available-requires knowledge of computer systems. Call Greg or Judy al (914) 647- 3377. Send resume to 150 Canal St., Ellenville, NY 12428. EASY WORK! Excellent pay! Assemble products at home. Call for information (504) 641-8003 ext. 3520

SPORTS OXYGEN SYSTEM - Complete with mask, extension tube and nasal cannula. Measures 8" X 2", weight 18 ounces. Adjustable regulator delivers two liters/minute. Non refillable 18 litercylinders provide up to 6 hours service. Larger refillable cylinders and systems available. Complete kit with cylinder only $89.95 each. Replacement cylinders S 12.95 each. One year conditional guarantee. Price includes shipping. Send check or money order to Mountain High Equipment & Supply Company, 516 12th Avenue, Salt Lake City, UT 84103. (801) 364-4171 (Mon.-Sat.)

Gives real-time on-site rep011s, and features remote controlled operation. Hearoneat: Fort Funston (415) 333-0100, Toney Pines (619) 457-9093, Crestline (714) 338-3362. They arc available from stock at $895. (VISA, MC, AMEX, COD) Litek (503) 479-6633, 4326 Fish Hatchery Road, Grants Pass, OR 97527

Due to production schedules, we work two months in advance. Please place your ad early to avoid missing a particular issue.

HANG GLIDING

CLASSIFIEDS PUBLICATIONS & ORGANIZATIONS

THE ULTIMATE WINCH- SMARTOW BY REEL ALTITUDE. Features include Self contained unit

retrieval vehicle, $5.50 for a plastic frame, $6.50 for a metal (zinc) frame. Please add $2 S/H (CO residents add 6.5% tax) SEND TO USHGA, P.O. BOX 8300, COLORADO SPRINGS, CO, 80933.

:iv[odular construction Automatic, hands-off rewinding Remote control operation Towline tension indicator ivlount on truck, trailer, boat. Can be used safely for paragliders or hang gliders. $4,995.00 includes 3,000' of fine line, release, retrieval system and hook knife. (602) 992-7243. TLS WINCH-Almost new, extrasSI,500 (619) 872-48 IO. VIDEOS & FILMS HANG GLIDING FOR BEGINNER PILOTS by Pete Cheney. The Official USHGA Training Manual. Learn to fly with the world's finest hang gliding manual. Complete flying instmctions from the training hill to soaring techniques. Over 260 pages, with more than I 60 easy- to- understand illus1rations and photos. Guaranteed to satisfy the most inquisitive pilot. NOW AV A!LABLE FOR $29.95 (plus $4.00 shipping/handling) Colorado residents acid 6.S'k tax. SEND/ FAX/PHONE TO USHGA. P.O. Box 8300, Colorado Springs, CO 80933-8300, FAX (719) 632-6417, PHONE (7!9) 6328300. VISA/MC accepted. **SPECIAL NEW PILOT EDITION** - CoYering many aspects of hang gliding for the beginning pilot. $4.50 plus $1.50 S/H. SEND/FAX/PHONE TO USHGA, P.O. Box 8300, Colorado Springs, CO 80933-8300, FAX (7!9) 6326417, PHONE (7 l 9) 632-8300. VISA/MC accepted. PARAGLIDE USA - Subscribe to North America's most widely read paragliding magazine. S25/ycar/l 2 issues. VISA/ r.·IC !2662 Softwind Dr., Moreno Valley, CA 92388 (7!4) 924-5229 or FAX (714) 242-4718.

HEART STOPPING FOOTAGE-Of the world's freestyle championship in Australia featuring Steve iv[oyes, Rick Duncan. Danny Scott and others, plus unbelievable classic 1979 footage of the legendary freestyle innovator and stunt pilot Tim Travers. Great quality photography and original sound track. Approx. l hour, color, VHS (other formats available). Send S39.95 + $3.00 S/H (California residents add state tax) lo Larry Hirsch, 10811 Oregon Avenue, Culver City, CA 90232 VIDEO TAPES FOR HANG GLIDER PILOTS Flatland Flying-A TOL towing and XC tlying Texas style with Larry Tudor and Joe Bostik. Mountains High-Festival flying at Silverton and Telluride, CO. TELLURIDE!-World Champion Aerobatic competition. Each tape S37 (Calif. Res. acid state lax) plus $3 shipping per orderto Robert Reiter, 800 Heinz Street #9, Berkeley, CA 947!0, (415) 649-8! I I. MISCELLANEOUS

SOLID GOLD l4K Pendant SI !9.00 SS Pendant S 32.00 $3.00 shipping and handling $5.00 for C.O.D. OLher glider jewelry available in 14-K and sterling silver. To order or inquire, call Antcro Jewelers (719) 539-7611. Satisfaction guaranteed.

SOARING - Monthly magazine or The Soaring Society of America, Inc. Covers all aspects of soaring flight. Full membership $45. Info. kit with sample copy S3. SSA, P.O. Box E, Hobbs, NM 88241. (505J 392-1177. TOWING ATOL MODEL 3!00 943-8594

With accessories $2,200. (616)

COMPLETE PLATFORM TOWING UNIT - Everything you need to start towing today! Vehicle winch, 5,000 towline plus rewind system. Single pilot operation including launch. Automatic winch pressure regulator. Complete unit only $2,995. Buy it today and tow tomorrow. (302) 4279009.

HAWK RING - Silver $90.00, l4K gold $450.00. Please include ring size and check or money order. Hawk, P.O. Box 255, Woodacrc, CA 94973 (4 l 5) 488-9383. Allow 4-6 weeks.

SHOW EVERYOl',;E YOU'RE A "THERMAL DA WG" - Long sleeved "T" shirt, finest quality, large full color design. Sizes L & XL. Send$15,95 + $1.50 S/H to: M. Bowers, 3748 Buckingham, Berkley Ml 48072.

USHGA DELUXE LOG BOOK COVER - Be proud to show off your flights with our deluxe log book cover. American made from "reconstructed" gray vinyl. Looks and feels like leather and "de bossed" with the Mtn. Glider design. Will fit any hang gliding log book! Only $9.95! (plus $2.00 S/H) Colorado residents add 6.5% sales tax. ORDER YOURS TODAY' USHGA, P.O. Box 8300, Colorado Springs, CO 80933. (719) 632-8300. FAX (719) 632-64! 7.

FAT LINE IS FOR DWEEBS !-Get with the program and use the proven FINE LINE by REEL ALTITUDE. Simply the best 3/32" KEVLAR available. Satisfied customers even in Texas! Also. SPECTRA TANDEM line available! Call for samples. Hook knives $20. (602) 992-7243. STATIC LINE TOW SYSTEMS - From $750, release bridles, l/4" poly S25 per !000 ft. Kentuckiana (KyAnna) Soaring, 3023 /vlcArthur Dr., Jeffersonville, IN 47 !30. (812) 288-7111 (eves.) See ad under accessories.

DON'T FORGET YOUR HANG DRIVER - Buy them an I'd Rather Be Han2 Gliding license plate frame for their JULY 1991

USHGA LONG SLEEVE T-SHIRT-Our long sleeve tshirts are colorfully screened with a ''simplistic" hang gliding design across the chest and down the left sleeve, I 00(7£-. cotton! Now in GRAY or WHITE. $16,95 (plus S3 S/H) Please specify color and size (S,M,L,XL) when ordering.

CLASSIFIEDS Colorado residents add 6.5% sales tax. SEND TO USHGA, P.O. BOX 8300, COLORADO SPRINGS, CO 80933.

OHGA FLT. DIR. (503) 245-6939 OR 828S.W. CHESTNUT STREET, PORTLAND OR 97219.

l 990. Located in black fanny pack, can describe the contents of the pack (619) 480-1321.

FROM DOWNTOWN CHATTANOOGA TN-February 1991 Brand new magenta spaghetti strap harness and white bike helmet, Call eves. (615) 267-7908

MAXON - Three-channel radio, lost or misplaced at the Telluride Acrobatics Competition. Serial No. 81171758. (602) 745-6739 days, leave message.

ONE OF A KIND- camouflage A VSAC harness. Second Chantz rocket- deployed chute mounted on left side of harness. Two helmets. One full face with "Cpt. Laytex" painted on the front. One "White Stag" one-piece ski suit. Call Richard (916) 577-3504.

BRAND NEW HIGH ENERGY COCOON -Stolen along with contents of my vehicle in Durango, CO in early May, 1990. Stripes from toes to shoulder, brown, tan, orange, yellow, red. Red stuff sack with yellow, orange and brown patches. Please contact Tim at (213) 37 58438. Leave message.

STOLEN from Johnson City, TN. 1987 Raven 179. Colors from center out b]ack, white, red, green, black and white tips. Also, Seagull III, orange, yellow and red with white duck tape patching on sail. Leave message day or night (work#) (615) 926-5211. Mitchell Brown, 1743 Skyline Dr., #20, Johnson City, TN, 37601. USHGA POSTER! - Full color, 24" X 37" poster of Eric Raymond doing oxygen at 17,000' MSL over the Sierra Nevada Range, $7.95 USHGA Poster, P.O. Box 8300, Colorado Springs, CO 80933 (719) 632-8300.

MAGIC KISS - Fluro. yellow L.E., white chevron, pink undersurface, airfoil, down tubes pitchy, bar mitts, 2' skull and cross bones on wing tip, over Kiss emblem inlay, many skull stickers on glider. Serial No. KM 83707. Also HP AT 158, serial no. 22504, with Lt. blue LE., red chevron on bottom, custom plan. Serial No. 22504. Stolen in L.A. with van 6-26-90. Van recovered without gliders. (6 l 9) 274-8254. BALL VARIO - With total energy probe, electrical tape securing battery. Lost in Hemet (So. Cal.) in early Spring of ~------~----------~

USHGA SEW-ON EMBLEMS-Ouroriginal tri-colored logo emblem $1.50 each. The NEW multi-colored Mountain Glider emblem $4.95 each. Please add S 1.25 S/H. SEND TO USHGA, P.O. BOX 8300, COLORADO SPRINGS, CO, 80933. HAVEYOUSENTFOR YOUR NEW 1991 USHGAMERCHANDISE ORDER FORM TODAY? FREE! CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING RATES The rate for classified advertising is S.50 per word (or group of characters) and S l .00 per word for bold or a11 caps. Minimum ad charge, S5.00. A fee of$1S.OO is charged for each line art logo and $25.00 for each photo. Please underline words to be in bold print. Special layouts of tabs $22.00 per column inch. AD DEADLINES All ad copy, instructions, changes, additions and cancellations must be received in writing I l/2 months preceding the cover date, i.e. October 20 for the December issue. Please make checks payable to USHGA Classified Advertising Dept. HANG GLIDING MAGAZINE, P.O. Box 8300, Colorado Springs, CO 80933 (719) 632-8300 or FAX (719) 632-6417. STOLEN WINGS DON'TFORGET ABOUTUSHGA THEFTOFGLIDER INSURANCE. MAXON 6 CHANNEL 5 WATT PROGRAMMABLE FM RADIO PICKED UP/STOLEN FROM OCEANSIDE, OREGON ON APRIL 6, 1991, 500 P.M. TAKEN FROM MEET DIRECTOR WHILE MEET WAS IN PROGRESS! SERIAL NO. 01009862 $100.00 REWARD - NO QUESTIONS/GAMES. JAS. ASHER,

The Only Ultralight Good Enough for Hang I Glider Pilots I

Glide: 15 to 1 Sink: 250 fpm Span: 40 ft Empty Wt: 254 lbs Built: Ready-To-Fly

-J ~ c ~ m©M© @&,l'P,<1::~ World's Only Ultralight Motorglider • Electric Starter • Spoilerons for roll control; dual use cuts glide (15 to 7) • Cantilevered wings, no cables or struts • Car top to flying by one pilot in 20 min • BRS rocket parachute • Rotax 277 - 28 hp, uses 1 gal/hr • Cruises 65 mph • Includes: Airspeed, Tach, Engine Instruments

Please Request Info Pak: HG

265 Echo Lane So. St. Paul MN 55075

155 MOYES XS- Full race, stolen from side of road at 101 and Scheller exit, between San Jose and Morgan Hill. It was taken away with no bag or ties. Colors areL.E.-orange, maingreen, bottom- white. Contact Kevin Dutt. (415) 934-2189. STOLEN WINGS are listed as a service to USHGA members. Newest entries are in bold. There is no charge for this service and lost and found wings or equipment may be called in to (719) 632-8300 for inclusion in Hang Gliding magazine. Please call lo cancel the listing when gliders arc recovered. Periodically, this listing will be purged.

INDEX TO ADVERTISERS

Adventure Video ................................ 2 AirWorks .......................................... 40 Applied Air Research ....................... 51 Ball Varios .................................... 2,50 Brauniger .......................................... 54 BRS .................................................. 21 Cloudbase Instruments ..................... 28 Cross Country Magazine .................... 2 Elsinore West ................................... 14 Enterprise Wings ................. , .............. 3 Hall Bros .......................................... 28 High Energy Sports .......................... 14 Lookout Mt. Flight Park ................... 53 MBNA .............................................. 63 McClaren Products ........................... 51 Morningside Hang Gliders ............... 15 Moyes ............................................... 18 Pacific Airwave ................. Back Cover Paragliding Magazine ...................... 54 Pendulum Sports ......................... 16,17 Performance Designs ....................... 67 Roberts Glider Instruments ............. .40 Seed wings ........................................ 51 Sentek ............................................... 15 Sport Aviation Publications ............... 8 Torrey Flight Park ........................... .45 UP International .................. 9, 11,13,15 U.S. Aviation .................................... 62 USHGA .................................. 29 ,30,31 Wills Wing ......................................... 6

HANG GLIDING

the USHGA Visa• Gold card while supportlngUSHGA nerydme you charge# MBNA Ameri~

don.ites

a percentdge ofe.tch ofyournew charges back to the Association

at no additional cost to you/

APPLY TODAY! 24 ho urs a day, 7 days a week

1-800-847-7378, ext 5000 .Be St;fe-lO.use the pdority code_~n c_!ling: I!riR-

Ves I I

I wish to apply for the USHGA Visa" Gold card with al I the I • benefits described above. Should my application for the Visa Gold card not be approved, this request constitutes my application for the Visa Classic, and I accept that on a periodic basis I may be considered for an automatic upgrade to the Visa Gold card at MBNA America's discretion . (Note: This is not an application for a corporate account.) (Please print.)

MOTHER'S MAIOEN NAME _ ~ -- - --

- -- --

- - - - --

(For use when you request special action taken on your account)

TBVR 06-743 17-064

NAME AS YOU WOULO LIKE IT TO APPEAR ON CARD

CURRENT CREDIT CARD ACCOUNTS MasterCard®/VISA® Account# - - - -- - -- - - - -- -- - - - - - American Express® Account I _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ __ _ __ _

I have read this entire application, agree to its terms, and certify the information is correct.

IFIRST I I I I 11 I I I I I I MIDDLE I I IINITIAL I I I I I I I I ILAST11

(Seall

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

APPLICANT'S SIGNATURE

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

Use th is section to request extra cards. If you wish an additional card issued to a co-applicant over 18 years of age, complete the information below.

HOME PHONE ( ARE YOU:

ZIP _ _ _ __

BUS. PHONE I Renting

D own

D Buying

Date

CO-APPLICANT'S NAME AS YOU WOULD LIKE IT TO APPEAR ON CARD

MonthlyPaymentS,_ _ _ _ _ __

SOCIAL SECURITY# _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ __ _ _ __ _

I I I I I 11 I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I 11

DATE OF BIRTH _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ __ _ __ _ _ __ _ _ _ __

FIRST MIDDLE INITIAL LAST RELATIONSHIP _ _ _ _ SOCIAL SECURITY #_ _ __ __ _ _ _ __ _ __

PRESENT EMPLOYER _ _ _ __ _ _ __ _ _ __ _ _ _ __ _ __

EMPLOYER - - - -- - - -- - - - --

NATURE OF BUSINESS _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ __ __

POSITION - - - - - - - - - -- --

POSITION _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ YEARS THERE _ _ _ _ __ ANNUAL OTHER SALARYS _ __ _ _ _ INCOME*$ _ _ __ _

OTHER INCOME* S _ __ _ _ __

- -- - YRS. THERE _ _ __ ANNUAL - -- - SALARYS _ _ _ _

WORK PHON E(

*{Alimony, child support, or separate maintenance income need not be revealed if you do not wish it considered as a basis of repayment)

SOURCE _ _ _ _ _ _ __

I have read this entire application and agree to its terms, and understand that I will be jointly and

*(Alimony, child support, or separate maintenance income need not be revealed if you do not wish it considered as a basis of repayment)

severally liable for all charges on the account

PREVIOUS EMPLOYER _ _ _---.c.-,----- c c - - - - - c ~ - - - ~ ~ - - ~ - - - - (lf less than 3 years at current employment.I

CO-APPLICANT'S SIGNATURE

PREVIOUSADDRESS _ _ _ _~~-~~-~~~~~-----(lf at present address less than 3 years.)

application or resulting account with credit reporting agencies and others. Upon request I (we) will be

t Annual Fees

Annual Percentage Rate

S40 Gold; $20 Classic (Fee waived first year) 17 .9%

(Seal)

I (We) authorize MBNAAmerica" to investigate any facts, or obtain and exc ha nge repo rts regardi ng th is informed of each agency's name and address.

Grace Period For Repayment

At least 25 Days from

Transaction Fee For Cash

Of Balances For Purchases

statement closing date

Method of Computing the

Average Daily Balance (including new purchases)

Advances, And Fees For Paying Late or Exceedi ng The Credit Limit

Balance for Purchases

Date

Transaction Fee For Bank and ATM Cash Advances: 2% of each Cash Advance. S2 Minimum, S25 Maximum; Transaction Fee For access check Cash Advances: 1% of each Cash Advance, S2 Minimum. $10 Maximum. Late Payment Fee : S15, Over-the-Credit-limit Fee: $15.

The 1nfo rmat1on about the cost of the card described 1n this appl1catmn 1s accurate as of 1/91 This 1nformatt0n may have changed after that date To fmd out what may have changed, call 1-800-847-7378, ext. 5000.

RATINGS Safe Pilot Awards BETSY RICHARDSON COLIN PERRY RICKY ROJAS

Lilienthal Awards BRONZE ANDREW PIZIALI ANDREW ROBSON ANGELO MANTAS JEFF !GELMAN LINDA MEIER PHILLIP MOFFAT RICKY ROJAS VINCENT HANNON III WAYNE BENFIELD

SILVER ANGELO MANTAS JOHN ALDRIDGE JOHN NOLTING RICHARD LAPORTE RICKY ROJAS

GOLD RICKY ROJAS

BEGINNER RATINGS PILOT: City, State; Instructor/School Region 2 COLEMAN, BRAD: San Jose, CA; R. Palmon DIFFENDERFER, JIM: Campbell, CA; P. Dencvan DIFFENDERFER, TOM: Sunnyvale, CA; P. Denevan !GELMAN, JEFF: Corvallis, OR; J. Estrin/Air 'O' Sports SCHLINGER, CHARLES: Alturas, CA; D. Thomason/Silent Flight SHELBY, MARLENE: Martinez, CA; R. Spear/Chandelle HG Region 3 BEAUDOIN, CHARLES: Los Osos, CA; J. Hagemann FLYNN, THOMAS: Del Mar, CA; J. Ryan/Hand Gliding Center of SD \1ACKA Y, GREG: Escondido, Ca; L. Love/forrey Flight Park MCAULEY, KEITH: Hemet, Ca; R. McKenzie/High Adventure REZA, GHOBADI: Woodland Hills, CA; J. Greblo/Windsports Int'! TIERNEY, MIKE: Los Osos, CA; J. Hagemann V ANTIEGHEM, CHARLES: Lakeside, CA; J. Bellora/Ultirnate High WHITMORE, TIM: Campbell, CA; P. Whitmore Region 4 CHAPMAN, RONALD: Kayenta, AZ; D. Gordon/Adventure Sports SPENCE, DAVID: Kayenta, AZ; D. Gordon/Adventure Sports VELLIS, PETER: Kayenta, AZ; D. Gordon/Adventure Sports WALSH, WILLIAM: Boulder, CO; C. Eatherton/Colorado Wind Pk

Region 6 HUGHES, RANDOLPH: Rogers, AR; L. Haney/Sail Wings MIDDLETON, TONY: Clarksville, AR; M. Hair Region 7 MILLSAP, MATT: Rantoul, IL; B. Kushner/Raven Sky Sports TATMAN, MATTHEW: Rome City, IN; C. Thoreson/Lookout Mtn FP THIELMEYER, RICH: Bloorninton, IN; C. Thoreson/Lookout Mtn FP Region 9 . BOYNTER, BOB: Arlington Heights, IL; R. Rojas/Lookout Mountam FP BREITENBACH, JOHN: Lexington, KY; C. Thoreson/Lookout Mtn FP DELBRIDGE, DAVID: Reston, VA; R. Coxon/Killy Hawk Kites HROMNAK, GEORGE: State College, PA; R. Cobb/Wind Drifter IRWIN, ROD: Mohnton, PA; W. Henry(forrey Flight Park MCCOLLUM TOM: Sterling, VA; R. Coxon/Kitty Hawk Kites NEWBURG, lNNE: Charlottesville, VA; G. Keoho/Kitty Hawk Kites SCHULTZ, CHRIS: Lexington, KY; C. Thoreson/Lookout Mtn FP Region 10 FLETCHER, CONSTANCE: Alpharetta, GA; B. Chalmers/Lookout Mtn FP HARTE, MICHAEL: Fort Walton Bch, FL: C. Thoreson/Lookout Mtn FP STEELE, BARRY: Seneca, SC; C. Thoreson/Lookout Mountain FP SWEIGART, D: W. Melbourne, FL; R. Rojas/Lookout Mtn FP WISHART, .JANET: Smyrna, GA; C. Coleman/Lookout Mountain FP Region 11 GABELINE, SCOTT: Austin, TX; J. Hunt/Red River Aircraft LEWIS, LARRY: Austin, TX; J. Hunt/Red River Aircraft RULEY, WILLAIM: Houston, TX; C. Thoreson/Lookout Mtn FP Region 12 FLESHER, SCOTT: Mtn. Lake, NJ; Bill Urnstattd/Mountain Wings

NOVICE RATINGS PILOT: City, State; Instructor/School Region 1 IGELMAN, JEFF: Corvallis, OR; J. Estrin/Air 'O' Sports MULHOLLAND, STEVE: Seattle, WA; M. Mulholland/Mission Soaring STRONG, KEN: Portland, OR; B. Morgan/Rattlesnake HG SUTHERBY, JACK: Aberdeen, WA; D. Chadwick Rcgion 2 BROUILLETTE, JOE: Loomis, CA; R. Patterson/Berkeley HGC DUGAN, MARK: Palo Alto, CA; A. Whitehill/Chandelle SF Inc. HARDER, ANN: Pinole, CA; R. Patterson/Berkeley HGC KELLENBERGER, URS: San Mateo, Ca; J. Greenbaum/Airtime of SF LEE, BRIAN: Oakland, CA; R. Patterson/Berkeley HGC PISKE, BETH: Berkeley CA; R. Patterson/Berkeley HGC Region 3 BEAUDOIN, CHARLES: Los Osos, CA; J. Hagemann FLYNN THOMAS: Del Mar, CA; J. Ryan/Hang Gliding Center of SD MACK~ Y, GREG: Escondido, CA; L. Love/forrey Flight Park MCAULEY, KEITH: Hemet, CA; R. McKenzie/High Adventure REZA, GHOBADI: Woodland Hills, CA; J. Greblo/Windsports Int'! TIERNEY, MIKE: Los Osos, CA; J. Hagemann V ANTIEGHEM, CHARLES: Lakeside, CA; J. Bellora/Ultimate High WHITMORE, TIM: Campbell, CA; P. Whitmore HANG GLIDING

RATINGS Region 4 KOCH, AXEL: Telluride, CO; G. Pollock/Wasatch Wings TAYLOR, KENDALL: Alamogordo, NM; D. Sharp/NM Soaring Academy WALSH, WILLIAM: Boulder, CO; C. Eathcrton/Colorado Wind Pk Region 6 LYDEN JAMES: Little Rock, AR; L. Haney/Sail Wings HG MIDDLETON, TONY: Clarksville, AR; M. Hair Region 7 TATMAN, MATTHEW: Rome City, IN; C. Thoreson/Lookout Mtn FP WAHL, STEPHEN: Lanesville, IN; B. Bryden Region 8 MC CASLIN, MICHAEL: Gardiner, ME; B. Chalmers/Lookout Mountain FP Region 9 BOYNTER, BOB: Arlington Heights, IL; R. Rojas/Lookout Mountain FP MORGAN, EUGENE: Alburris, PA; Bill Umstattd/Sky High MULL, TERRY: Findlay, OH; B. Chalmers/Lookout Mountain FP WINAND, LEONARD: McKeesport, PA; J. Hostler/lvlountain Top Region 10 ANDREW, LUANN: Melrose, FL; C. Thoreson/Lookout ]\fountain FP KEIRNAN, MICHAEL: Madison, AL; R. Patterson/Cloudbase Corp MEARES, THOMAS: Miami, FL; F. Foti/Miami Hang Gliding STEELE, BARRY: Seneca, SC; C. Thoreson/Lookout Mountain FP SWEIGART, D: W. Melbot1rne, FL; R. Rojas/Lookout l\fountain FP Region 11 TRIEFF, ROBERT: Galveston, TX; J. Hunt/Red River Aircraft Region 12 DIETSCH, ANDREW: Clifton Park, NY; G. Black/Mountain Wings KOWALSKI, PETER: Woodhaven, NY; G. Black/JV!ountain Wings PERRY, DAVID: Hopewell Jct, NY; G. Black/Mountain Wings

INTER MEDIA TE RA TINGS

Region 5 ALDRIDGE, JOHN: Missoula, MT; M. Davis Region 7 LESNETT, SCOTT: Muscatine, IA; B. Chalmers/Lookout Mountain FP SMITH, RON: West Frankfort, IL; J. Hunt/Lookout Mountain FP WILEY, STEVEN: Madison, WI; B. Kushne11Ravcn Sky Sports Region 8 SACCONE, DONALD: Bridgewater, MA; J. David/Sky Lines Region 9 AMICK, MIKE: Lewistown, PA; R. Cobb/Wind Drifter HG Region 12 CHROSZIEL, UDO: Fishkill, NY; P. Voight/Fly High Hang Gliding GIERER, STEVEN: New Hartford, NY; D. Guido/Susquehanna FP PTAK, DON: New Hartford, NY; D. Guido/Susquehanna FP

ADV AN CED RA TINGS PILOT: City, State; Instructor/School Region 1 JOHNSON, RICHARD: Bellingham, WA; J. Reynolds/Capital City HG WILLIAMS, CHARLES: Bothell, WA; A. Gibson Region 2 CARICON, WARD: San Carlos, CA; M. Lillcdahl/Mission Soaring Region 3 CARRIGAN, CASEY: Costa Mesa, CA; D. Skadal/Hang Flight Systems HILBREA TH, MICHAEL: Mission Viejo, CA; D. Engel/Southland HG Region 4 WEST, KELLY: Arvada, CO; J. West/Golden Wings/High Plains HG Region 5 VON DELIUS, CHRIS: Kalispell, MT; J. Estrin/Air ·o· Sports

PILOT: City, State; Instructor/School Region l LA BRASCA, STEW ART: Renton, WA; A. Gibson MC FEE, BOB: Gig Harbor, WA; A. Gibson MOORE, MICHAEL: Morton, WA; A. Gibson PETTINGER, TERRY: Ashland, OR; W. Roberts/So. Oregon Hang Gliding Region 2 LILLEDAHL, TOM: Milpitas, CA; M. Lilledahl/lV!ission Soaring Region 3 ROHRBACKER, MICHAEL: Visalia, CA; K. DeRussy/HG Emporium SLAVIK, DAVID: Santa Barbara, CA; J. Hagemann SMITH, BRENT: Canyon Country, CA; 'vi. Spinelli/True Flight STANDLEE, SCOTT: San Diego, CA; J. Ryan/Hang Gliding Center ZARTH, ERIC: Westminster, Ca; D. Engel/Southland HG Region 4 ADLER, .JORDAN: Tempe. AZ; D. McManus/Arizona Hang Gliding Assn.

JULY 1991

Region 7 BIRKETT, ARLAN: Joliet, IL; A. Mantas/Spectrum HG Region 9 MICK, GREG: Hanisonburg, VA; R. Ritenour Region 10 OTIS, WILLIAM: Safety Harbor, FL; M. Pleskovich/Draggin Flyers Region 12 DECHOW, CURT: Fairport, NY; P. Greaves-Tunnell/Rochester Flyers FORSTER, THOMAS: Canandaigan, NY; C. Dechow/Rochcster Area Flyers GREAVES-TUNNELL, PETE: Pittsford, NY; T. Forster/Rochester Flyers

FOREIGN RATINGS BEGINNER: GUNN, ROB: Hamilton, Ont. Canada; J. Kloynich NOVICE: GUNN, ROB: Hamilton, Ont. Canada; J. Kloynich/Free Spirit ADV: GATES, MICHAEL: Downsview, Ont. Canada; R. McGovern

St. Paul, MINN - Lots of deserving stuff came in for this month's "Product Lines." While I'm delighted at the response to the column, I can't use everything that arrives... not enough room. But keep sending your material; who knows? ••• As you know from the ads and editor Gil's write up, Wills Wing has announced their new glider, the Super Sport. You'll get all the poop from other sources. But I want to mention that WW has done a first with this release. All three sizes (143, 153, 163) were completely computer designed, flew "right out of the box," and are being submitted for HGMA certification at the same time! Quite a statement of engineering achievement . The Super Sport replaces the Sport AT. All three sizes are priced at $3,595 and have many AT features but no VG. Wills expects to be shipping end of July or so. Road Time '91 so long distance guru, Larry Tudor, will be doing lots of XC on the ground as you read this. Call the company for his schedule. • • • Also hitting the road is a duet from Pacific Airwave. John "Safari Mexico" Olson will be doing a west coast tour accompanied by Kendrick (trying-to-lose-"Kenny"?) Brown. The company's June newsletter didn't mention plans for the east coast. Having referred to their newsletter, I feel nobody is doing a more consistent job of communicating than PacAir, whose newsletter arrives as regularly as my Hang Gliding magazine. This work is often a back-burner task. I commend Ken Brown for beginning the effort, which duty is now borne by Briggs Christie. • • • Besides doing very well with glider sales, PacAir branched out into paragliders. (Several influential sport leaders are predicting a major increase in the paraglider population.) In addition the Salinas outfit is importing and selling windsurfing sails from parent, Airwave UK. It makes sense, all this diversification, but from my first-hand experience with BRS, the widely diversified parachute maker, it ain't easy either. Hopefully PacAir and Wills have such quality management that they' 11 each overcome the problems that come with growth and diversity. Having just written "quality," the newest Moyes mailing grabbed my attention by the sheer volume and merit of its literature. The down-under outfit is one of the international Big Four (Airwave, La Mouette, Wills, & Moyes) and they' re alive

with activity. Not only are they still marketing a broad line of gliders (Mars, Mission, GTR, XS, XS-Easy plus the XACT harness), Moyes is furiously pursing an unpowered ultralight sailplane, the Tempest and finalizing an ultralight aerotug. You've heard about the aerotug here recently (now finally and appropriately named: Dragonfly). What you don't know is a USA aerotug tour by Bill Moyes and crew. If interested in seeing this team and aircraft, I recommend you contact Moyes in California as they should be in America as you read this. The Tempest is another development inspired by Floridian Bobby Bailey (aerotug, Sierra I and II UL sailplanes, plus numerous ultralights). The Tempest is too new to cover thoroughly, but how 'bout this spec: 50 foot composite, cantilevered wing!? More as I hear it. Further, Moyes is said to be in development on a purpose-built tandem glider, a new trainer, and smaller projects like a new lighter towing bridle for aerotow use. My source, Malcolm Jones, says Bill Moyes is more involved in the glider company than he thought. After more than 20 years, this is amazing... true dedication to ultralight flight. • • • Mountain High offers their Sports Oxygen system for hang gliding and paragliding. A slick little system is available under $90. Now owner Pat McLaughlin has announced development of a refillable cylinder. Both are delivered with a thorough owners manual. The current system can provide a couple hours of supplemental 0 2 if you follow the manual's advice. If it sounds good, call 801/364-4171. ••• Lighten Up Dept: Hang gliding' s preeminent cartoonist, Bob Lafay, has gone corranercial. Well, at least he's publishing a book of his 'toons. Over 100 pages, with more than 350 panels, Bob's wonderfully wacky wit will wow you and provide some situation familiar to each of you. Bob says, "If your brain hurts from all that high tech tedious reading, complicated formulas, and statistics on hang glider flying, I offer a "no-tech" look at the most fun way of flying." Amen! After years of using Bob's clever work in Whole Air, I'm delighted to see this compilation. FMI: 11431 Caern Av, Tujunga CA 91042. • • • Have more, lots more ... but again, room's gone. Got news or opinions? Send 'em to: 8 Dorset, St. Paul MN 55118. Call 612/450-0930, or fax 612/457-8651. THANKS! © 1991 by Dan Johnson

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