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

MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION

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ANNLJAtfilJEs:· ···rnciudes J.2jsstief0fHANG··oLibING magazirte, liabflityinsurance,Tatings, arid other benefits. . --.. . ---.>>) :_:.: :.. PUtt MEM13-fut;··· lYear $··49.00U.S.{$55.00Cartada. &· Mexi:*)($ 60.CXJinternationaI*) .. 2 Years $98:oo u.5. ($lmoo Canada & Mexic6*)($120.00 Intetn11Honal *) . 1

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.·•·slJ13Sck~<>N··~ES:· i Year $35.00U.s.. ($ 40.00• Canada& . Mexico*)($50;00•·1nte.rnational*J···. . $._ _ _ __ 2 Years$65.00U.S.($ 75.00 Canada & Mexico*)($ 95.00international*)

3 Years $95.00 U.S. ($110:00 Canada & Mexico*)($l40.00 Irtternational*) ................ /••···························································

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6issues of r ARAGLmING magazine)

Full lJSHGAtnember ($15.00 annually. Non-U.S: add $12.00 postage)

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Non-1.JSHGA member ($49.00 annually. Non~u.s. add $12.00. postage)

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$24.sO(:MuSrresictewithrutrmember) ......•...•.. ; ..•.• ; ..•..... $_ _....;.__ _ ****************************************************************************************************************

OTHER OPTIONAL MEMBERSHIP PROGRAMS: ALTERNATE MAGAZINE MAILING SERVICE: (Airmail & 1st Class) Send me Information VISA CARD INFORMATION: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Send me Information PARTICIPANT ACCIDENT/IHEFf OF GLIDER INSURANCE: . . . . . . Send me Information NAA MEMBERSHIP ($22.00 annual dues includes FAI license) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $_ _ _ _ __ **************************************************************************************************************** CHARGE MY:, ~MasterCard ·-.·.. -VISA ($2.00 handling fee - cash/check/M.O. payments excluded)$ _ _ _ __ .· CredifCard# · · · Exp bate ;"-··_______ Phone:( Signature *** ***** **********. ************ ******************** ***-.-.. . . . ;.*. ;.*_*..;.**..;.*_*..;.*. ;.*_,. *. ;.*. ;.**..;.*. ;.*. ;.*_*..;.*_*_*..;.**..;.*_*..;.*_*..;.*_*_*.~•. ;.*_*..;.*. ;.*_*..;.**..;....... * ***************

TOTAL $_ _ _ __ 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 flying. USHGA's insurance is valid ONLY while flying in the U.S., U.S. Properties and CANADA *Foreign payments must be in U.S. F1JNDS drawn on a U.S. BANK.

USHGA, PO BOX 8300, COLORADO SPRINGS, CO 80933 (719) 632-8300 FAX (719) 632-6417

SPECIFICATIONS Model

143

153

163

Span

A.R.

31 ' 6.7

32' 8" 7.0

34' 4" 7.3

Weight

57 lbs

62 lbs

66 lbs

Pilot Wt

125 - 210

150 - 250

175 - 275

VNE

50 mph 50 mph 50 mph HGMA Certified - June 11, 1991

1208 H. East Walnut

Santa Ana

Wills Wing is proud to introduce an entire new line of gliders for the intermediate and advanced soaring pilot, the Wills Wing Super Sports. Derived from the technologically advanced HP AT series, the Super Sports feature the HP AT airfoil, HP AT airframe technology, and a similar, though slightly milder planform. The design focus of the Super Sport project was to combine a very high level of pure performance with the simplicity, light weight, and user friendly handling and landing characteristics featured on the popular Wills Wing Spectrum. The result is a glider of extraordinarily accessible soaring and cross country capabilities that is an absolute joy to fly and to own. Performance and handling characteristics of the Super Sports fit directly in between those of the milder and more forgiving Spectrum and those of the competition class, world record setting HP AT series. Pilots moving up from the Spectrum will find an increased thermal search range due to the expanded speed range and higher UD. Those moving up from the Sport will find superior roll and pitch response; effortless, roll neutral thermal tracking, and a noticeable improvement in static balance and ease of landing. All Super Sport Pilots will benefit from all the standard AT features such as faired wingtips and nosecone, full race premium quality sail cloth, 7075 airframes and battens, pilot's choice of sail colors, of streamlined or round control bar legs, and of speedbar or straight basetube, comprehensive owner I service manual, and a superior quality glider protection system featuring a 600 denier UV resistant polyester cover bag and a wide array of protective pads and covers. Finally, as a member of the worldwide family of Wills Wing pilots, the Super Sport owner will enjoy the unmatched level of product and service quality that is only available from Wills Wing, Inc. If you're looking for top of the stack and over the horizon performance in a simple, fun to fly high quality aircraft, see your dealer today about a test flight on the Wills Wing Super Sport.

CA 92701

Phone (714) 547-1 344 FAX (714) 547-0972

1992 USHGA MERCHANDISE ORDER FORM QTY. 1992 USHGA CALENDAR 12" x 12" full pictorial of the sport you love ..................................................................................... ......... $9.95 "NEW" USHGA Golf Shirt 100% combed cotton. Colorfully embroidered. Colors: White Red Navy Yellow Jade Black SIZES: Medium Large X-Large XXL (in white & navy only) ........................................................................................................... $21.95 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 LONG SLEEVE T-SHIRT 100% Cotton "Simplistic" Design SPECIFY COLOR: WHITE or GRAY & SIZE S M L XL ......... $18.95 USHGA MTN. GLIDER T-SHIRT White-100% cotton. Our most popular shirt. SPECIFY SIZE: S M L XL ................................. $12.95 USHGA YOUTH MTN. GLIDER T-SHIRT For those up and coming pilots. SPECIFY SIZE: S(6-8) M (10-12) L(14-16) .................. S9.95 USHGA NEON LOGO T-SHIRT 100% Cotton Our beloved official logo, color revised of the 1990's. HOTI SPECIFY TYPE: WHITE TANK TOP or BLACK T-SHIRT & SIZE: Small Medium Large X-Large ........................................... S9.95 USHGA MTN. GLIDER CAP Embroidered SPECIFY COLOR: NAVY WHITE.................................... ..................................... S9.95 USHGA CORDUROY CAP Embroidered with "Glider Trails" design SPECIFY COLOR: ROYAL BLUE OFF-WHITE.. .... $9.95 USHGA EMBLEM BASEBALL CAP Foam white front, colored mesh back. SPECIFY COLOR: RED NAVY GOLD ORANGE ......... S5.00 USHGA LAPEL PIN Beautiful multi-colored Mtn. 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 ......................................................... S2.95

TOTAL $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $

PARAGLIDING· A PILOTS TRAINING MANUAL Produced by Wills Wing. Everything you wanted to know about paragliding ......... $19.95 HANG GLIDING FOR THE BEGINNER PILOT by Pete Cheney The Official USHGA Training Manual. Over 200 pages ................. $29.95 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 FL YING SKILLS left off. For intermediate to advanced ............... $7.50 FL YING CONDITIONS by Dennis Pagen Micrometeorology for the hang gliding pilot. Over 90 illustrations ........................................ $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, ratings, 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

$ $

$ $ $

$ $ $ $ $ $ $

Official USHGA Windsok"' Pink/yellow or pink/white .. ................... ............................. ................... ....... $39.95 USHGA DELUXE LOG BOOK COVER Gray colored and debossed with the Mtn. 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 DRINKING MUG w/HANDLE Unbreakable 14 oz. frosted plastic mug. Min. glider screened in blue ...................................... $1.95 USHGA KEY CHAIN "Soft Feel" Plastic. Custom Min. 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 .................................................................... S .50 USHGA LICENSE PLATE FRAME "I'd Rather Be Hang Gliding" PLASTIC-white wilh 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!

$ $ $

PAYMENT must be included with your order. FOREIGN orders must be in U.S. FUNDS drawn on a U.S. BANKI

CHARGE MY CREDIT CARD ($2.00 handling fee-cash, check, M.O. excluded)) VISA or MASTERCARD (circle one) acct#_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _exp. _ _ __ Signature_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __

SHIPPING .01 - 4.99 ADD $1.25 5.00 - 9.99 ADD $2.50 10. - 19.99 ADD $3.50 20. - 34.99 ADD $4.00 35. - 49.99 ADD $5.00 50. + ADD $7.00 Canada & Mexico add $1.50 extra lnt'I surface add $4.00 extra lnt'I air add $10.00 extra

SUBTOTAL

S_ _ _ __

COLORADO RESIDENTS add 3% TAX

S_ _ _ __

SHIPPING (see chart)

$_ _ _ __

CHARGE CARD ($2 if app.)

$_ _ _ __

TOTAL ENCLOSED

SHIP TO: (Street address ii possible) NAME_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _~USHGA# _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ CITY/STATE/ZIP _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ UNITED STATES HANG GLIDING ASSN. P.O. BOX 8300

COLORADO SPRINGS, CO

80933-8300

(719) 632-8300

FAX (719) 632-6417

Volume 21

CONTENTS

Issue No. 12

(USPS 01 7-970-20)

Features

Columns 13 Accident Reports

20 Pilot Profile: Tony Barton

Two more fatalities. Being responsible when selling a g lider. Hook-in reminder. Ballistic parachute save.

by Marsheila Haley A visit with the 199 1 U.S. National Champion. Sidebar interview by Dave Sharp.

24 Kari Castle Flies 210 Miles!

16 USHGA Reports by Russ Locke Page 20

by Kari Castle The story of a new Women's World Record.

Russ reports on the recent Salt Lake City Board of Directors meeting.

31 Tow Lines by Bud Brown Teaching with "weak" links and 11ying in circles.

37 Competition Corner

A loo" at an in novative new harness design.

by Ke11 Cavanaugh T he 199 1 Idaho X-C Contest.

28 Fear Of Flying 48 Hang Gliding 101

34 Handling High Performance

62 Product Lines

by Paul Douglas

by Dan Johnso11

Tricks and techniques for turning bladewings.

42 100 Years Of Hang Gliding by Briggs Christie The final installmen t. Whe re we've been and where we're going.

50 Response To ''Towing Study Guide" by Larry Keega11 More ideas on how to deal with towing emergencies.

DECEMBER 1991

Paragliding surveys, Seedwings news, tugs, videos and more.

Page26 COVER : Kari C,mlc $Cts a new Women's World Record of 2 10 miles. See story on page 24. CENTERSPREA D: Jon Purdy 1,000" over 1he summit of Mou nt Whitney. Ph()lO hy Jon Pu rdy. DISCLAIMER OF WARRANTIES IN PUBLICATIONS: The material presented here is published as part of an information dissemination service for USHGA members. The USHGA makes no w;man·,ies or representati ons and aS-sumes no liability concerning the validity of' any advice, opinion or recomme ndation expressed in the material. All individuals relyi ng upon the material do so at their own risk. Copyright© 1991 United States Hang Gl iding Association. Inc. All rights reserved to Na,1g Gliding and individual contributor,.

Departments 7 10 12 39 54 61 61

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

Gil Dodgen, Editor/Art Director John Heiney, Leroy Grannis Photographers 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 Paul Voight, 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 Mocha, 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 Jacob. 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 Kreycl1e, 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 furiher 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 GLIDING 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, 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. DECEMBER 1991

Volume 21, Issue No. 12

AIRMAIL The follm1'i11g letter 11·as se11t to USHGA Preside111 Gregg Lawless by William Ottln, Exerntii·e Director of the U.S. Parachllle i\ssociatio11.-Ed.

REMAINING FINAN CIA LL Y SOL VENT Dear Mr. Lawless. As I do every month I read with great interest the latest issue of Hang Gliding. And certainly the most interesting part of that issue was your response to the criticism leveled at USHGA by your clissiclent member. Your comment that "USHGA charges members clues in exchange for services [and] has an obligation to those clues-paying members to provide those services as cost effectively as possible. and it has an obligation to maintain the highest possible level of financial health for long-term stability. If it can reduce its member costs or improve its financial health through programs like merchandising, or by expanding the membership base, then it is entirely proper for it to do so. I'd like to compliment you on saying it better than I've ever heard it said before. My (mostly) successful career here at the USPA during the last 15 years has been as a result of applying exactly those stanclarcls and justifications for continually seeking a better bottom line financially. I hope you won't mind if I quote you directly and regularly in explaining to both my Board and my membership why there is no such thing as a free ride. William H. Ottley Executive Director, USPA

USHGA BOD EXPERIENCE Dear Editor. For the first time in my hang gliding career I found myself able to attend a meeting of the USHGA Board of Directors and spent the third weekend of October in Salt Lake City. UT. The experience was considerably different than I had anticipated, and I would like to recommend it to any and all USHGA members. I was impressed by the amount of work accomplished by this group and enjoyed putting names to faces and hearing hang-lies from around the country. Rather than sitting in a corner watching the fur fly, I was encouraged to participate in committee meetings and found that my input was important to the Board. The best interests of the hang gliding community were well

represented and the entire weekend has improved my image of our sport. Other members attending voiced the same reactions to the meeting, and we all left Salt Lake with positive memories. Miami, FL is the site or the next meeting and I encourage all members of the USHGA to participate. I know I'll be there-if only to hear Jerry Forburger say "Aloha, y'all'' again. Anonymous It is 11ormally 1101 our policy to publish c111on1·111ous letters, especially 11·he11 critical (so our readers can consider the source). Please do us oil afa1'0r and sig11 your lellers.-Ed.

MISCELLANY AND PARACHUTES Dear Edi tor. Due to the timing and wording of the USHGA iVlembership Surveys at least a month and a half s worth of data is eliminated from the tallies. I know a lot of pilots who don't put their gliders in mothballs on November 15. And the ract that ··the ballot and the questionnaire are then separated at headquarters to insure confidentiality"' is rather irrelernnt ii' one's return address is asked for on the back or the questionnaire. The I DO-kilometer flight required for attainment of the Lilienthal Right Wing Diamond Award is incorrectly converted on the application form which has been issued by USHGA for at least the past decade. One hundred kilometers is equal to 62.14 miles. not the 64 miles currently indicated. Of greater importance: I recently inspected a parachute, several of whose suspension lines had velcroed themselves to the container. In the event of a deployment this situation, in all likelihood, would have resulted in premature inflation of the canopy in dangerous proximity to the glider (and a couple of dozen feet of bridle dangling uselessly in the breeze while awaiting payout maybe). Parachute containers should be inspected to ensure that the hook component of the velcro is sewn to the body of the harness with the pile component sewn to the !lap. The opposite configuration could result in a similar ensnarement of suspension lines at the time of deployment. Velcro hooks also do a pretty good job of eating through parachute bridles. If you have a harness that routes the bridle through velcro tabs it might be a good idea to make sure that no exposed hooks face into the

AIRMAIL bridle. Such hooks my be rendered harmless by mating additional pile material to them. Tad Eareckson Annapolis, MD

"OUR" FL YING SITES Dear Editor, I have been following the "hang glider/ paraglider" controversy with great inleresl. While the ostensible "issues" have, in my mind, a varying degree of substance from the ridiculous to the sublime, one issue, that of "our sites," seems easily to outstrip any of lhe others in popularity. In virtually every broadside thus far, "our sites" has arisen as a major reason why the USHGA needs to protect its integrity by not taking paragliders under its aegis. Given the fact that the vast majority of "our sites" are on public land, a number of otherwise intelligent and erudite contributors arc kidding themselves. "Our sites" sad lo say, arc also "their sites" whether these contributors like it or not!

Administrators of public lands have an awesome task. Public lands are virtually by definition multiple-use lands. These often overworked administrators have a duty to open the areas under their charge to as much public recreational use as can be safely, environmentally and aesthetically allowed. Add to this the fact that the majority of these administrators are not pilots or necessarily even aviation oriented, and the proposal that lands under their charge be opened to yet another po ten ti ally risky form of recreation, like personal flight, could have easily been dismissed as jusl anolher headache they didn't need. It is a tribute to these administrators that they nevertheless kept an open mind and the fruits of their open-mindedness we enjoy today as a long list of flying sites. It seems to me that the "hang gliding/ paragliding" controversy could easily turn out to be the ultimate headache for a lot of these administrators, and they might decide we're just not worth messing with. Enough already! We all fly al the pleasure of a large group of dedicated and overworked public servants who don't fly and

who don't need to be caught in the middle of an '·our site/their site" dispute that literally has no substance in light of the fact that the damned sites belong to everyone who can use them responsibly! The bottom line, at least as far as personal aviation on public lands is concernecl, is that we have far, far more to gain by combining forces with the paragliding community (which, I might acid, is being swelled by an ever-increasing number of hang glider pilots) in a cooperative give-andtake and a share-the-air attitude than we do by rancorous puffery about protecting "our" sites and '·our" organization from "them." ''Them" is "US" 1 "Separate but equal" did not work in public education and it will not work in personal aviation on public land. We either hang together or chances are very good that we won't "hang" at all on public sites. Jules Gilpatrick Alameda, CA

ATTENTION: PILOT-STUDENT-INSTRUCTOR We offer two books to start you out. .. HANG GLIDING FLYING SKILLS by Dennis Pagen

PARAGLIDING FLIGHT .1

• USHGA officially approved manual • The only manual written by a certified instructor . • 12 large chapters detailing every phase of flying.

**DEALER INQUIRIES INVITED**

$19.95

$9.95i

... and two to keep you going! HANG GLIIH~C TECHNIQUES

FLYING HANG GLIDING TECHNIQUES CONDITIONS BY DENNIS PAGEN Learn to soar Ii ke an ace with the best techniques to impre,ve your flying·

$6.95

FU nG C0\1111 [O'\~

The road map to the sky- Learn al I about sport aviation weather.

ALSO AVAILABLE

$6.95

Powered Ultralight Flying .......................................... $11.95 Powered Ultralight Training Course ................................. $ 9.95

by Dennis Pagen • Learn to fly from ground zero to thermal flying with the newest form of sport aviation.

SEND CHECK OR CASH TO: SPORT AVIATION PUBLICATIONS P.O. Box 101 Ml NGOVI LLE, PA 16856 Please rush me the books listed below: QUANTITY Flying Conditions ......... $6.95 Hang Gliding Flying Skills .. $9.95 Hang Gliding Techniques ... $6.95 Powered Ultralight Flying .. $11.95 Powered UL Training Course $9.95 Paragliding Flight ........ $19.95 Save 10% order two or more books! Save-First five books for only 38.95! Total amount for all books$ _ _ _ _ Postage and Handling $1.95 Overseas airmail if desired ($6.00/book) TOTAL ENCLOSED _ _ __ SEND TO (Please Print) NAME ADDRESS _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ CITY,STATE _ _ COUNTRY/ZIP __

HANG GLIDING

Stuff Your Sockings! Magnetic Mount Vehicle Antenna Make retrievals easier for your driver by doubling the ability of a handheld radio on the ground $ 65 #35025

Silva Marine Compass When all other directional indicators fail Silva points the way $100 #37520

Smoke Signal 30 second burn time Cheaper than a broken downtube $5 #37010

Signal Mirror Simple and effective

ICOM 2 Meter Handheld A palm size handheld with a 1.5 watt internal battery An incredible amount of features for serious radio operators . DTMF pad and LCD display to program functions and frequencies Receives USHGA frequencies Aramid Superlite Model IC-2SAT

$ 369

#35044

OPTIONS Clip on 800 MAH battery provides 5 watts of transmit power $ 90 #35045

vox $ 40

#35046

Remote push to talk switch

$ 40

#35047

Headset

$ 40

#35048

VHF AM aircraft band reception $ 65 #35049

#33508

Jack The Ripper Cut Away Knife $ 15 # 33502

Full Face Cover Helmet Ultra Light - Super Strong Weighs less than 1.5 pounds Excellent vision and ear ports Cold weather protection Reduces fatigue on long flights Dyneema SK60 " World's strongest fiber" Ten times the tensile strength of steel by weight Sizes: small, medium, large or extra large. (6 5/8-6 7/8), (6 7/8-7 1/8), (7 1/8-7 3/8), (7 3/8-7 5/8) $ 325 # 32010 Polycarbonate clear visor and installation $ 25 # 32011 Polycarbonate clear replacement visor $12 # 32012

Pendulum Sports has a complete catalog available for your other hang gliding needs. Visa and Mastercard accepted. There is a packing and insured delivery fee added to the above prices. Colorado residents also pay a 3% sales tax. Call Toll Free 1 800 933-5992

== r 8

VISA

( ~

UPDATE PARTICIPANT ACCIDENT INSURANCE POLICY TERMINATED Due to difficulties encountered with the insurance carrier, USHGA will no longer accept optional participant accident insurance applications effective Jan. I, 1992. All policies that have been renewed prior to Dec. 31, 1991 will continue to be in force and benefits payable throughout the duration of the policy term.

HGMAANNOUNCEMENT The HGMA was granted authority by the USHGA to hold the 1992 manufacturers meet as a guaranteed 450 WTS points meet. Therefore, the HGMA is in search of a meet director who is willing to organize and run the 1992 Manufacturers League Meet. Two bids have been submitted to date: Telluride, Colorado and Southern California. Please send all proposals to Mike Haley, UP International, 4045 West 2825 North, Mountain Green, UT 84050.

HANG GLIDING MAGAZINE NEWS Effective January l, 1992 the cover price of Hang Gliding magazine will go up to $3. 95. This price increase will not affect our membership or subscribers. Attention advertisers! If you haven't been contacted yet about advertising in Hang Gliding magazine's "Special New Pilot Edition II," and you think you might be interested, please contact Jeff Elgart at CSHGA headquarters for details (719)632-8300.

1991 REGIONAL DIRECTOR ELECTION RESULTS The 199 l Regional Director Election results for two year terms commencing in January, 1992 have been tabulated. Both "new" and "incumbent" candidates ran successfully in their regions triggering several changes in the make up of USHGA's elected Board of Directors. The following incumbent Directors were re-elected to serve their regions:

Region 2 Region 3 Region 5 Region 6 Region 9 Region lO Region 12

Russ Locke Gregg Lawless Mike King Ron Kenney Pete Lehmann Matt Taber Paul Voight

The following nominees were elected as Directors in their respective regions: Region 2 Lynda Nelson Region 3 Joe Greblo Jeff Hunt Region 11 The following write-in nominee was elected to serve as Director for: Glen Nicolet Region 4 We congratulate the Directors who were re-elected, welcome the nev.: Directors and offer our full cooperation to all of you during your tenure in office. The election documents are on file at the USHGA Headquarters and are available to all election candidates and elected Directors for review. We express a ·'special" thanks to all members who took the time to cast their ballot for their favorite canclidate/s. Additional details will appear in the January Hang Gliding issue highlighting the total number of ballots cast, percent of voting members and a breakdown of votes by region. Thanks for letting us be part of the election process and team. - Jerrv Bruning, Exerntive Director,

and Headquarters Staff

NATIONAL FLY-IN BIDS SOUGHT The USHGA National Fly-In Committee will entertain bids for the 1992 National FlyIn through Dec. 31, 1991. Interested parties should submit bids to: USHGA P.O. Box 8300, Colorado Springs, CO 80933-8300, Attn. G.W. Meadows.

LAKEVIEW, OREGON - "HANG GLIDING CAPITAL OF THE WEST" The town of Lakeview, OR, which has hosted major hang gliding events in recent years, has declared itself the "Hang Gliding Capital of the West" with the following proclamation:

WHEREAS, the Town of Lakeview, situated on the western slope of the Warner Mountain range in south-central Oregon, has developed a community awareness of the Art and Science of Hang Gliding; and THROUGH THE EFFORTS of the County of Lake, and other local government agencies has developed sites suitable for hang glider launching; and FURTHER, the citizens of the Town of Lakeview and the surrounding territory have welcomed and assisted in the continuing development of a world-class competitive arena for these activities, made possible by an agreeable climate and natural terrain conducive to this activity; IN WITNESS THEREFORE, the Town of Lakeview by this Proclamation declares itself to be the HANG GLIDING CA PIT AL OF THE WEST, and is joined in this distinction with the ENDORSEMENT of the Board of Commissioners of the County of Lake. DONE AND DATED on this 1st clay of October, 1991, and caused the Great Seal of the Town of Lakeview to be herewith affixed. Bob Alger, Mayor Town of Lakeview Jeremiah O'Leary, Chair Lake County Commissioners

CLINCH MT., TN RECORD BROKEN On Oct. 6, 199 l Tip Rogers, on a Wills Wing HP II, and Jeff Laughrey, on a PacAir K2 155, launched from Joppa, TN at 12: 15 PM, headed up the ridge to Rogersville, jumped over the back in one of many cloud streets, passed over Jonesboro and into Erwin, TN, arriving above Roan Mt. at 8,400' MSL. Tip landed at 4:30 PM in Bakersville, NC. Jeff was still at 8,000' when Tip landed. The flight's straight line distance was 84 miles. Congratulations!

MOUNTAIN WINGS GLIDER SHOWCASE Mountain Wings, of Ellenville, NY will host its first annual "Glider Showcase" on April 25-26 at the Ellenville, NY flying site. Interested manufacturers and distributors are invited to display their products to more than 180 pilots who regularly fly the site. The Ellenville site is 1,050' AGL and has four launches facing a variety of directions. The LZ is 30 acres large and HANG GLIDING

UPDATE includes camping. The site is located just 80 miles from NYC. Mtn. Wings also has a towing system set up in the LZ which will be available. Contact: Mtn. Wings, 150 Canal St., Ellenville, NY 12428 (914) 647-3377.

AUSTRALIAN LIABILITY Pilots intending to visit Australia to ny will be required to have Public Liability Insurance coverage in the amount of $5 million (Australian). The Hang Gliding Federation of Australia requires all nonresident pilots to purchase a four-month Visiting Pilot membership for $25 ($45 with insurance). Ian Jarman notifies us that the HGFA has been forced to increase its visiting pilot fees because of a substantial insurance claim resulting from the irresponsible actions of a visiting paraglider pilot. They urge all associations to seek world-wide insurance coverage for their members so that these problems can be avoided. Contact: Ian Jarman, HGFA, 143 Wynyard St., P.O. Box 558, Tumut, NSW 2720 Australia tel. (069) 472888 FAX (069) 472888.

CARBON/KEVLAR HELMET Promotions Unlimited announces that they are offering a high-tech carbon/kevlar. lightweight full-face helmet. It is both DOT and Snell approved, and the manufacturer claims that it is substantially stronger than the basic DOT standard. They also claim great visibility and comfort. The top visor and side padding are removable, and both scalp and chin bar ventilation are provided. Price: $207 for white, $13 extra for white, red and blue graphics, plus 8.25% tax in California. Postpaid. Contact: Promotions Unlimited. 8181 Mission Gorge Rel., Suite I, San Diego, CA 92120-1600 (619) 229-0048 FAX (10-3 PM) (6]9) 229-0047.

WW PARAGLIDING TRAINING MANUAL- Revised 3rd Edition Wills Wing has published a revised third edition of their popular Paragliding -A Pilot's Training Manua( designed for use by paraglider student pilots in conjunction with a course of professional instruction. More than 1.000 copies of the manual have been sold since its introduction early in 1991. The 140page manual covers equipment design and certification testing: beginning skills; aerodynamics; weather, turbulence and micrometeorology: intermediate skills. including landing approaches and flying in wind: advanced canopy skills such as stalls, collapses. spins and recovery procedures: soaring skills including ridge soaring. thermal soaring. and right of way rules: federal aviation regulations and APA I USHGA pilot rating programs: cross country flying; and how to maintain safety in your flying career. Appendices contain a complete practical training syllabus including lesson plan outlines for first-day training through thermal and ridge soaring, recommended reference sources for further information on airmanship and weather. and additional information on canopy materials and paraglider aeroclynamics. The manual includes more than 60 line drawings and computer-generated graphics to illustrate the subject matter. Pamgliding -A Pilot '.1· Training Manual is available from Wills Wing paragliding dealers or direct from Wills Wing, 1208 H. East Walnut, Santa Ana. CA 92701 (714) 547-1344. The price is $19.95 retail plus $2.00 for postage and handling. Dealer prices and quantity discounts are available to professional paragliding dealers. (Note: All paragliding and hang gliding equipment is available exclusively through Wills Wing paragliding and hang gliding dealers.)

NOTICE TO WOMEN PILOTS SITE REQUIREMENTS All pilots wishing to fly Point Sal or Guadalupe Sand Dunes 11111st be current USHGA and/or APA members. Pilots must possess a minimum USHGA Intermediate Rating (Hang Ill) or an APA Class I rating. Novice pilots and non-rated pilots may only fly with a Chapter #0159 Hang Gliding Club, University of California approved instrnctor. For information and weather call (805) 962-8999. DECEMBER 1991

The CIVL/FAI has accepted Japan's bid to host the Women ·s World Championships

to be held in April 1993. The competition will award individual and team champions. The USHGA is planning on sending representatives to the meet. Selection of pilots will be made based on the World Team Scoring System and competition experience. Pilots interested in securing a place on the team should plan on competing during this

competition season as final determination of the team will be made at the October 1992 Board of Director's meeting. Tom Kreyche will be submitting a bid at the Spring 1992 CIVL meeting to hold the 1995 Women's World Championship in the Owens Valley. Anticipating a favorable response from the committee, this would provide an opportunity for experienced pilots to enter the arena of women· s hang gliding competition. The advance notice should provide an objective and achievable goal to encourage women pilots to continue to develop and refine their flying skills and to more actively participate in competition. Fund-raising efforts will be ongoing. Individuals interested in working on this project should contact Kari Castle (619) 9354815 or Jan Johnson (908) 928-8370.

ATTENTION FOREIGN PILOTS AND MEET DIRECTORS Foreign pilots intending to compete in USHGA-sanctioned competitions will no longer be required to purchase annual memberships in the United States Hang Gliding Association as a condition to their entry in the competitions. Pilots with a foreign mailing address, excluding APO. may obtain three-month memberships at a cost of $18.00 U.S. These will be available through Meet Directors who will need to purchase membership packages from the USHGA office prior to the meet. Unused materials may be returned to the office for a refund. Pilots are encouraged to contact meet directors and organizers well in advance so that adequate plans can be made. Membership in the USHGA is required in order to compete in sanctioned meets. Visiting recreational pilots may also purchase short-term memberships in order to comply with insurance and site requirements. These memberships are available through most certified schools, some individual instructors, and always through the USHGA office. Advance planning is recommended. Pilots from foreign countries with no USHGA equivalency rating may be required to demonstrate flying skills and knowledge of tlying practices and FAR' s at individual sites. Foreign rating programs may be submitted to the Safety and Training Committee, in care of the USHGA office, for equivalency review. Information must be received at least 30 clays

UPDATE before each Board of Director's meeting in order to be considered.

HANG GLIDING WITH WINDSURFERS Chuck Rhodes, of rigid-wing fame, sends us some interesting articles about a new pastime being practiced by windsurfers. They turn their rigs' sails horizontal, over their heads, and achieve brief gliding flight from sand dunes on the beach. Maybe they'll reinvent the hang glider.

NOTES FROM THE "OOPS" DEPARTMENT In last month's article "FM Expanded Limits" we showed an illustration on page 40 for a VOX mod on the lcom HS-51. At the top it lists a 1.0 Q resistor. This should have read I .OK Q. The modification as shown is essentially a short-circuit. The gremlins also invaded the advertis-

ing department. An old version of the TBT ad on page 50 was picked up, which lists obsolete prices. The complete kit is $1695.00 and without line it's $1595.00. TBT may be contacted at: Box 679, Somerset, TX 78069 (512) 429-3397.

MOYES UPDATE Since March 1991, Moyes California has been run by a split crew. The office is run by Gayle Schutte at her Santa Barbara location. She can be reached at the regular Moyes phone number or at (805) 563-2864 (752 Casiano Dr. #8, Santa Barbara, CA 93105). The shop in Canoga Park, CA is run by Juan Corral and Bill Hartke. At that location they have assembled many of the gliders sold in the U.S. this year and all of the spare parts. Next year they hope to have all the gliders assembled here in the U.S. If anyone has a technical question, please call Juan or Bill directly at the shop (818) 702-6532.

Calendar of Events Calendar of events items WILL NOT be listed if only tentative. Please include exact information (event, elate, 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

Jan. 6-16: Tow launch hang gliding and paragliding competition, Forbes, New South Wales, Australia. Entry $150 Australian, $130 before Nov. 30, '91. Contact: Len Paton, Boganol, Henry Lawson Way, Forbes, NSW 2871 - tel. 068 537220 fAX 068 524181.

L -l=-"...~ r::: c: '.o:::,'.

TELLURIDE! 12

Feb. 7-8: Towing Clinic, Seattle, WA. Contact: Cascade Soaring (206) 454-1989. Feb. 9: FAA Northwest Aviation Trade Show and Conference, Tacoma, WA. Contact: Cascade Soaring (206) 454-1989. Feb. 21-23: Tandem boat towing clinic with Paul Voight and Miami Hang Gliding. Contact: James Tindle (305) 573-8978. March 22-29: Venezuela '92 International Hang Gliding Championship (March 14-21 paragliders), celebrating the 500th anniversary of the discovery of America. Sites: La Victoria near Caracas and Platillon Peak in Guarico state. Entry $150 U.S. includes transportation and retrieval. $2,000 first place prize. Contact: Luis Aulestia, Final calle 3-B, Edif. Cantabria, piso 2, La Urbina, Caracas I 070, Venezuela. tel. (58)-2-2420644/242631 l FAX (58)-2-2427374.

April 25-26: Mountain Wings Glider Showcase al Ellenville, NY Oying site. Interested manufacturers and distributors invited. Camping, towing. Contact: Mtn. Wings, 150 Canal St., Ellenville, NY 12428 (914) 647-3377. May 27-Junc 11: 8th European Hang Gliding Championships, Vag,\, Norway. U.S. team and pilots welcomed. Preliminary entries before March I, 1992, final entries before April 15. Contact: Norwegian Aero Club, HG-EM 1992, P.O. Box 3869, Ulleval Hageby, N-0805 Oslo 8 NORWAY.

Airtime in the islands! Hawaiian Fl;rin 1 is a professionally produced video showing some of the most fun flying you've seen yet. Exciting aerial footage puts you in the control bar at the infamous box launch at Makapuu and running down the side of a volcano on Maui. You'll soar tropical jungle ridges at cloudbase, over turquoise waters and white sand beaches, and tow up in the smoothest lift anywhere. All tapes now just $3.3 ea. (CA res. add state tax) plus $3 shipping. PAL/SECAM $45 U.S. ea. plus $6 overseas shipping.

Hang gliding in paradise! Makapuu Haleakala The incredible Kaaawa Valley Introducing paragliding to the islands. From the producer of Flatland F[ying; fofountains High and

Jan. 18-31: New Zealand Hang Gliding Championships, Wellington (the capital). Flying from Mt. Climie, 2,850' in the Timutaka range. Tasks: elapsed time races to goal via turnpoints or open distance. Camping and hotels. Contact: P.O. Box 13-238, Johnsonville, Wellington, New Zealand.

April 24-May 3: International Mexican Open, Guanajuato. Contact: Aero Dinamica, Reforrna 30 piso 3, Col. Centro G.P. 06040, Mexico D.F. tel. (525) 379-2140 FAX (525) 370-6243.

tow or foot launch. Contact: Randy Adams, P.O. Box 369, Claremont, NH 03743 (603) 543-1760.

Jan. 11-12: Basic & Advanced Instructor Certification Program. Contact: Cascade Soaring (206) 454-1989.

Jan. 18-26: Australian Open HG Championships, Tumut, NSW. Ten sites, triangle and out-andreturn. Contact: Ian Jarman, HGFA, P.O Box 558, Tumut, NSW 2720.

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ACCIDENT REPORTS by USHGA Accident Review Chairman Doug Hildreth FATAL - Utah pilot launched without his legs through the leg straps of his harness. Fell to his death. FATAL - East Coast pilot crashed on steep cliff. Apparently unhooked to climb the cliff and fell to his death. These two reports were word-of-mouth al the recent Board of Directors meeting. Further information will be presented when it is received. This brings to five the fatalities for 199 l so far (mid-October). This is enough. No more please.

FATALITY RATE I want to get as accurate figures as possible for the denominator of the fatality rate. This is a one-time effort and will be based on as hard data as you can provide. This means I need to know how many people took at least one "flight" on a hang glider in l 991. Instrnctors: How many different students did you teach in 1991? Tandem: How many different people did

THE RESPONSIBILITY OF SELLING A HANG GLIDER

by Randy Adams The ultimate responsibility for any action falls on the person doing it. In hang gliding we face potentially dangerous decisions every time we go flying. As pilots we each decide if conditions are right to launch, if we can make it into that next field on an X-C flight, or what glider should be our next ship. But we also have a responsibility to our flying community and to individual pilots to keep each other safe. Two fatalities in the past three years in my region (the only two) illustrate this point. Both people had little or no hang gliding experience, yet they obtained equipment. One, it is believed, bought his glider through an ad in a newspaper; the other bought his from a pilot who was moving out of the region. DECEMBER 1991

you take for a flight in 1991? Schools: Decide whether to do it as a school or as individual instructors. But do it. Now the hard one. Chapters, clubs, organizations and individuals: "In our area there are about x number of USHGA pilots and y number of non-USHGA pilots (who took one flight in 199 l ). I don't care if I get IO responses from Boise and 20 from Lookout Mtn., I just want to get at least one from everywhere. As you know, I believe that this is a very important number to determine. We want as large a number as possible because it makes our fatality rate look better. But most of all we want it to be accurate. I beg your one-time help in this endeavor. A great many things can result from this-life insurance, site insurance, respect, acceptance, and more. To alle\'iate fears that this may be a trick lo trap you non-certified instructors/tandem folks, send or call the information directly to me. I guarantee no one but me will ever know. THANKS.

RANDOM THOUGHTS As the season winds clown in most areas of the country, each pilot needs to think about a professional glider inspection I super preflight examination. Remember those noseins or that hard landing? How you were surprised that nothing was damaged (that you saw)? Throughout 1991 there ha Ye been occasional reports of old and not-so-old gliders suffering structural failures or near failures. Fortunately no one has died from these events, but the threat is very real. Make this a Christmas present to yourself. PREFLIGHT CHECK LIST There were a number of improper assembly I inadequate preflight reports. Again no fatalities, but we came very close. At the justcompleted BOD meeting the concept of a USHGA preflight check list for attachment to the glider (downtube) was defeated. I still think it is a good idea and would strongly encourage someone out there to take this on as an individual, club or shop project. Until then, make your own. Ask a friend to look it over and add to it. Print it on a card and attach it to the glider. USE IT' I want to personally thank all of you for the excellent accident reporting. This has been the best year yet for conscientiously clone reports. Keep up good work in '92. •

HOOK-IN REMINDER Cpcoming pilots almost always want the latest and greatest ship they can get their hands on, and it's a job sometimes to get them to face the reality that they may not be ready for it. The best interests of the sport are not served if a pilot obtains equipment he or she can't handle. Someone who constantly pounds in, blows launches or is just plain scared by what he is flying is likely to quit hang gliding. Our numbers are clirninishecl and ultimately no one gets to sell his used equipment to this pilot even if it's appropriate. When it's time to sell your used equipment think about the qualifications of the pilot who is going to be flying it. This might mean saying no to a prospective buyer, but if everyone clicl this the right ships would get to the right people and the sport would be both safer and more prosperous. •

Bob Lafay of Tujunga, California sends us this suggestion for an international "hookin reminder." Any ideas on how we might make use of this~

'ff

folded well back, IJolles lay on his back on the bottom of the sail.

by Bruce Bolles phof:os by Thimsen LET'S GO TOWING! The ,ky was clear, the wind light. I\ group f'rom the Twin Cities area of' Minnesota had assembled to do some tow.Jaunch flying. The lif't wasn't particularly strong on that summer day, but we knew we could stay aloft Finally it was my turn. Using n stntic tow system, I rode the rope to about 1,000 feel Arn .. Arter the spo1ty lirt for about !'ivl, minutes l had reached 2,500 feet. The was turning out all right after all. ! kept on working the thermals. Suddenly and absolutely without my right side wire railed. /\!most irmnedialely, the nose began to pitch down. It didn't take a second thought. Instinctively 1 reach ror the rocket handle. Before the could tumble I pulled the handle on my BRS. /,a/er !.fig11rr'd thmfrom wire/iti!urc lo pulling !he hr111d!e took a/Jou/ lhree se('()nds. The rockd rircd and the canopy inflated instantly 1 WJLD RIDE l was pitched encl over end, violently. Then a rapid spinning also Anything I tried to stop these movements was completely useless. Both were flailing in all

dirc:ctions, banging into me from all sides. Remember, this was happening under canopy at a very slow rate or descent. Had I accelerated to 50 or 60 mph while waiting on hand deployment, the violence would have been significantly worse. I held my helmet and coverc:d my race. About three minutes later I landed flat on my back with the hang glider under me. The i111pact was so light l hardly felt a thud.

I have no doubt whatsoever that the HRS saved my life! In this type or structural failure, speed in parachute deployment is essential. I'm convinced that J'ull deployment from a hand-thrown paraclmte would have been nothing bu! luck. Wings and wires would have completely enveloped me in a few more seconds. And as to rinding a clear spot to hand throw a parachute ... good luck' Words alone can never express the gratitude I have for the Bl~S team for designing and producing such a !'inc product. Thank you 1

POSTSCRIPTS Nruce was/lying a 1984 Seedwings Scnso1·. nu, righl side wircfc1ilcd 1wo inches/iwn !he !rnding !'re/light inspection ivrts mode more difficult as the J)()/111 offailure was hidden inside !he dou/J/c surjcl('e. Rol!c.1· cslimrttes !he glider hod seen 110 more thrm JOO selup/takcdowns. Thcfi1ilf'rl wire 11'as a ffplr1ce11u't1! lh111 had only seen JOO hours of' duty, hard!,· enough ti111e lo give Bolles concern overfi1i!ure po!ential. //i.1· BRS uni! was (t handle model (mounlerl on the chesl) deploying the crmopy .Ji·om a lypical !'!1esHnoun1 lorn/ion. llis ims thc.finmh sr1vefiJr o BRS uni/ in hang gliding and is one of'53 low/ saves the cotnprmy has dor·11me11ted llis pamc/111/e was ll 22-gore rnnirnl design of'a/101.11 300 .1·q11aref1'e/.

Bruce Bolles (left) uses the common hang gliding gestures lo dcscribt> how he fired his BRS mckeL

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USHGA REPORTS

Fall 1991 USHG.A Board Of Directors Meeting by USHGA Secretary Russ Locke L1e Salt Lake City, Utah Board of Directors Meeting started with a discussion of what to do about the absence of a couple of voting directors. In Region 2 (Northern California) Connie Bowen had moved to Montana and Rob Reiter showed up in her place. The office had received verbal confirmation that he was Connie's recommended replacement per the Bylaws. Since there were three people running for the other two seats in Region 2, and it appeared that there were also two write-in candidates, it was decided to fill all three spots from the election. This turned out to be a good decision since Connie showed up later in the morning and explained that the move to Montana wasn't a done deal yet, and that if she stayed in California she wanted to finish out the remaining year of her term. The next related issue was a written resignation from Mike King in Region 5, with a recommendation to turn his responsibilities over to Lisa Tate. Mike was stuck working in Alaska. Since there was no other candidate running for Region S's seat, and because Lisa has worked closely with Mike on regional issues in the past, the Board approved Mike's request. In the editor's report it was pointed out that the recent nostalgia articles in the magazine had been received fairly well by the membership, and it was suggested that we consider making this a regular feature. In discussion about how we would do this, it was pointed out that Ken cleRussy has quite an extensive library in Santa Barbara, California and Gil volunteered to approach Ken with the idea. Mark Mocho volunteered to provide the information if something couldn't be worked out with Ken. The Site Management Committee reported that the Site Management Manual is almost done. One of the things that remains to be finished is a Public Relations info package from the office. Sanely King, Joe

Greblo, Briggs Christie and Matt Taber will work with the office to finalize this package by the next Board meeting. The Site Manual will be sold at a nominal cost lo recover office expenses. There is also a lot of interest in finalizing a National Site Guide, and much of the information is already collected. The Committee agreed to continue work on the guide, but pointed out that because of the amount of work to be clone, the finished product is 12-18 months away. The Insurance Committee didn't have a lot going on for a change (thank goodness). The decision was made not to automatically raise our liability limit to $2,000,000. It was offered by the insurance company, but none of our landowners are currently asking for this limit and there is no guarantee that we would be able to continue this limit once we offered it. The site insurance fees were raised slightly to $225 for the first site and $125 for each additional site. The Competition Committee approved a few minor requests to change the competition rules. The only change of any consequence centered around an old action item to replace the individual meet rule requirements in the Competition Rules Manual with the 1990 Dinosaur National Championships rules. The intent was to provide consistency for all meets across the country. The new wording is as follows: Meet Directors are required to use the 1990 Dinosaur Nationals or the 1991 Owens Valley Nationals rules as templates, or submit their own rules for approval by the World Wide Competition Chairman no less than 60 days prior to the first day of competition. The Committee also approved the following meet requests: East Coast Championships, April 11-18; Sandia Classic, June 6-13; Cross Country Classic, June 22-July 7; U.S. National Championships, Telluride, August 29-September 5; and a request for support from Tom Kreyche to put in a bid to the CIVL (FAI) to host the

1995 Women's World Championships in the Owens Valley. Next year's guaranteed 450 point meets are the East Coast Championships, Sandia Classic, U.S. Nationals and a to-be-named Manufacturers' League Meet. The Membership and Development Committee worked with a lot of ongoing efforts to increase the membership growth rate which is currently running at 3%. One of the changes is a new requirement for all instructors to rate a minimum of three new Hang II's each year, or participate in an ICP to keep their instructor ratings current. The local Regional Director has the option of exempting individual instructors from this requirement. There were several new action items, including creating a fund to increase membership financed by manufacturers and schools (Matt Taber and Debbie Bowman) and creating a questionnaire to women pilots to identify issues in this area (Joe Greblo, Jan Johnson). The Tandem Committee dealt with a lot of minor rule changes~mostly wording cleanup driven by the inclusion of tow ratings in our rating system. One new requirement is as follows: To maintain a tandem rating, the candidate must have Regional Director approval and submit documentation showing a minimum of 10 flights of two minutes duration or longer per year, over a three-year period, or; have Regional Director approval and take a check flight exam with a Tandem Administrator once every three years. The committee also reappointed the following Tandem Administrators: Tom Johns, Eric Beckman, Jerry Forburger, Joe Greblo, Rob McKenzie, John Ryan, Ron Kenney, Marty Bunner, G.W. Meadows and Paul Voight. The Paragliding Committee reached agreement on the following items: l) All USHGA tandem paraglicler ratings will be issued through tandem clinics approved by the Paragliding Committee, using guidelines which mirror the USHGA tandem clinic materials. Tandem Administrators appointed by the Committee are Claudia Stockwell, Ed Pitman and Freel Stockwell. 2) Gregg Lawless, Jerry Bruning and Peter Zimmerli will work on a developing a feasibility plan that provides APA members with USHGA insurance. This plan will be submitted to the USHGA Executive Committee by December 31, 1991. 3) Ken Brown to work on a form for rating sites for paragliding and present to USHGA and APA Boards. 4) APA will HANG GLIDING

supply the USHGA with an updated pilot proficiency program by November I 191) I. The Awards Committee received good feedback J'rom the "old hold pilots program/ charter member certificates." Committee action included eliminating the need J'or a barograph for Lilienthal awards, and also eliminating the need for nights to be f'oot launched. The following awards were approved: NAA Safety Award -Doug Hildreth; !'residential Citation- Jerry 1:orburgcr; Exceptional Serviee--no nominations received; Ncwslt:tter of the IIi Times; Chapter of the Association; Cornrncnclalio11s- Phil Haynes, Paul Rikcrt, Rich Romero, Rod Hauser, Scotl Lesnct. The Committe1'. had a long list or issues to deal with. Most or them were wording changes driven by some changes in corporate law and some or our own internal such as substituting the words "Excc11tivL: Director" J'or "Office Almost all requests were sent back to the individual committees J'or final approval. The one major exception was a request by the Planning CommillcG to change the wording of' the USIIGA relative 10 the purpose of !he Association, and have Iha! wording tied to an Association Mission Statement also created by the Planning Commillcc. The Board decided not to make any to the Bylaws in this area and voled to put all mission statements in lhc Planning Committee report. For lhc most part, this is no big deal except for ont: imporumt point. We clo not have a definition of' a hang glider that is enough to dcl'inc the similarities and dillercnccs between Class l, Class II and Class I !l vehicles. Then: is a lot or confusion currently in this area, and hopefully lime will bring some clarity to the subject. The NationHI Fly-In Committee created ,1 sci or guidelines to govern the selection or fly-in sites, such as the neCcd to have Novice and Intermediate launch sites, !he need for safc:ty seminars I instructional clinics, etc. The National Committee reported that a n:writc of PAR Im is in progress and wt: have formally rcqm:Stcd that our Tandem and Towing he put pcrn1anently into the new The CIVL is also working on ;in intt'.mational rating card, and hopcf'ully we'll sec the results in the near future. D1,U:MBFR 1991

The Fimmee Committee reviewed income and expenses year to date, and based on the trends, created a very conservative preliminary budget for calendar year 1992, to he reviewed and finalized at the next BOD meeting. More will appear in the annual yearend article to the membership in the March issue of the magazine. The Commitl(\e made several wording in P,ll't I 04 lo correspond with the tow rating package created at the last meeting. More spccif'ic information will appear in the Crooked, Tight and Low column over the next few months. The Elections and Allocations Committee reviewed the regional representation parameter and noted Lhat a potential imbalance exists between Region I (one director representing 539 pilots) and Region I (two Directors representing 571 pilots). No action contemplated at this time. The and Committee worked on a Joi of cosmetic changes to 011r rating structure brought on by changes in Tandem and reqnircmcnts. One change of significance is that the charge for LJSHG/\ Radio Authorization will be a onetime and no renewal fee will be required. Jim Zeise! to work out the details with tile office. Several action items were relative to safety changes needed. All in all the meeting was a prnductivc one (in my opinion), not because or all that we got done, b11t more because we're together to identify and solve future issues before they become problems to he dealt wi1l1. We're in a rapidly changing world and it's lo take more effort to stay aheacl or our problems than it has in the past. 11111

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4054 West 2825 North Mountain Green, Utah 84050 (801) 876-2211 17

The smoothest, user-friendly, pitch feed-back, hard-to-whack, footlaunched, flex-wing you'll ever fly!

Introducing the -

XTR When asked "What is the difference between our National Championship Winning TRX and the XTR", the answer is simple. The "XTR" is what you, the everyday serious pilot, the weekend pilot, and the developing pilot asked for, a TRX that's more forgiving and less expensive. When designing a glider for a particular market, it's important to Listen to customers and dealers. So we spent the last few months talking to new owners of comparable gliders to find out what they liked and disliked. We concluded that the excellent qualities of our TRX had to be duplicated and

enhanced to yield a glider with great performance and very predictable flying characteristics. Through extensive R&D, a truncated planform, a TRX performance airfoil, UP sailmaking and hardware-and a lot of eXTRa hard work- we did just that! The result is a aluminum glider that has perfect launch characteristics, is easily coordinated while turning, has superb tracking, and the smoothest "user friendly" pitch feed-back anywhere. The hard to "whack" landing characteristics have us laughing in the LZ's. The XTR is everything you've been wanting in a flex-wing glider and a little eXTRa.

UP International 4054 West 2825 North • Mountain Green, Utah 84050 • (80 I) 876-2211

' '

The 1991 compet1t10n season is over. We went into the season as the underdog, and emerged as the undisputed victors. The fact is, UP International isn't the largest hang glider company in the country, but if you had been at goal at the various competitions this year, you would have thought we were. We didn't have the most gliders ... but we had the best. The contest results prove it: Jay Gianfortc flew to first place in the Glide Ratio Contest in Morningside Flight Park on a TRX; John Heiney placed first in the World Acrobatics Championships in Telluride, also flying a TRX; and the season culminated with Tony Barton's victory at the 1991 U.S. Nationals in the Owens Valley 011 a TRX 160. In short, our TRX took the country by storm. But it's just the beginning. We want to be your hang glider manufacturer. To do this, we will soon unveil the rest of our product line, featuring beginning through competition gliders. All will be HOMA certified, and designed, built, and serviced with the excellence and quality that has made UP International this year's star performer. But don't take our word for it. You owe it to yourself lo try a UP glider. Once you do, you'll understand why we had a championship season in '91, and why we're going to fly to even greater heights in '92.

Mike Haley- -General Manager

4054 West 2825 North Mountain (Jrccn, Utah 84050 (80 I) 876-2211

by Marsheila Haley is definitely the lrn!!est, fastest pilot in 1991," G.W. Meadows told me during the Dinosaur competition. I had asked G.W., one of the best meet directors around, what he thought of Tony. "You mean personally, or as a pilot'/" he re· plil:d. "Both." G.W. explained that he had first noticed Tony as a pilot during tht: 1989 East Coast Championships. Then, Tony's flying style was "make goal or hit the ground." But when he did

win, "he smoked everybody," said G.W. "Tony's flying has matured to thG point that ht; still has the same speed, but he generally doGsn't hit the ground bGforG he makes goal." i\nd personally'/ "Tony's good natmed and well tempered," G.W. stated. "!k's aJJ. around fun to be with·· not hard to get along with at all. He's the Greg Lamond or hang gliding. Everybody likes him." How did Tony get started hang gliding? I asked him that at Dinosaur ancl found out that it

all began innocently enough when, as a hoy, lw used to fantasize about an easy way down rrom the top of the mountain after a long, exhausting hike up with his father. He began to think about flying. ThGn, one day, ht'. saw his fantasy fleshed out on television ... iJang gliding! That's all it Look. Tony was hooked. Gath .. ering some sticks and bed she;cts, he tried to recreate what he had seen on television. Fortu· nately for him, he never completed his project. At the age or 15, Tony met another boy I TANC: CLJDINC:

who had succeeded in building his own glider for $]50. li didn't f'ly, but it looked more prof'es· sional than Tony's stick-and--bcd-shccl version. That summer Tony hGaded to Mo11n1ain Home, Idaho 10 work on his grandparen1s' ranch in order to make enough money 10 build a hang glider. By the Gnd oft he summGr he had aeeumulatGcl $300. l-lc began calling around for par1s, hut ran into a major snag: the aluminum companies wouldn't sell to him when they found out he was going to build a hang glickr. But one ot' the aluminum dealers gave Tony the name of a hang glider dealer in Idaho. The dealer said he had a brand new glider still in the crate· a 17-foot slandard. He would sell it 10 Tony for $200. The dealer was in a wheelchair at the time with two broken legs (he forgo! to hook in). /\s a condition of purchase, he made Tony promise lo lake lessons. So, in 1973, at thG age or I 6, Tony purchased his first rGal hang glider. Tony tried to keep his promise, but didn't know anyone o1herthan the dealer in the wheelchair who gave lessons. So, having read everything he could find about hang gliding, he decided to go out and try it. His grandfather thought he was crazy, but helped him build his first harness- "with a seal. His grandmother, however, was very supportive and cager lo help Tony fly. The future national champion and his grandmother chose Idaho's Clray Sands dunes for the site of hi\; maiden rligh\. That first day, Tony had ten launches and landings. Everything went well until the tenth landing, when he tripped and put his race into the wires. With that, he decided that was enough fun rorthc first day. Heading back home to New Mexico, Tony stopped at The Point or the Mountain in Utah. where a couple of hang glider pilots recognized that he needed some help and gave hi111 a few pointers. Arter he corrected what he was doing wrong and realized that he could land without falling on his face, hG became more excited than ever. Back al his home in ] ,as Cn1cGs, New Mexico, he started flying in carnGsl. Tony had 30 or 40 flights under his hell, getting 20 or 30 feel oil 1he ground, when he decided to fly off a mountain. Hiking to the lop, he launched, assuming he would ground-skim all thcwaydown. lnstcad, the glider fkwstraight oul, over I 00 reel off the ground. Pctril'icd, he dove the glider lo the ground! But he had a nice landing. "/\l't.er I hat" Tony recalls, "I couldn't get high enough or stay up long enough." Fortunately for 1he young hang glider pi· DECEMBER "!99]

Joi, his rather loved to hike up mrnmlains. Frcquen1ly, his dad would grab the glider, Tony would take the harness, they'd hike to the top of a moun tain, and Tony would fly down. Over the next few years, he a Joi or highahi1udc flights this way. In 1981 Tony finally wrecked his standard beyond the point of repair. Realizing thal hG didn't have enough money to buy another glider, he moved lo Texas to work on oil right alkr graduating li·om high school. While there, Ile bought an ultralight (a S oa rm as lcr- 1ypc). Tony recalls that CV· cry time he flew ii he narrowly escaped Tony soars UP's new graphite glider. dealh. ll dripped oil down the back of' his HP. After poor performances in the first couple neck, it was loud, and he crashed every time he of competitions. he figured out why: lhc rlying landed. In his mind, tha1 wasn't whal flyingwus style in Europe was different than that in the all about. United StalGs. The competitions were the same Amazingly, Tony survived all or this ex(triangles and out-and-return), but where he perimental ion and enrolled a\ the University of Arizona. There, he gol involved with the Tucwas flying in Europe the winds were lighlcr, so \he pilots would gagglc-rly at slower speeds. son hang gliding club, bought a Wills Wing Tony, on the other hand, would race ahead and Raven, and learned to soar and thermal. His then lose altitude and sink-oul bdore goal. The skills rapidly improved by flying with good "boaters" would win. When he caught on to pilots. Soon after hG began flying cross-country with his Tucson buddies, Tony graduated to his what was happening, his performance improved radically. In fact, he placed f'ilth during a corn-· J'irst UP glider, a Corne! l. His first regional competition was at petition in Austria. Mingus in l 984, where he placed in the middle The biggest lesson Tony learned that sumof the pack. Flying a UP Conwt II, Tony began mer was to slow down and be more patient in his flying."[ st iII haven't mastcred that." he laughs. traveling around the crnmtry to various flying In l 989, Tony flew a UP /\xis in 1hc sites. "I learned more by flying di ITcrcnt places Arizona X-C Compclition. He f'lew 11 miles, and seeing the /'lying styles of' pilo1 s all over the country," he attests. This helped him do better won the competition, and came to the attention of UP International. That same year, UP began in competitions, and he was soon making a sponsoring Tony. In 1991 Tony began working name for himself. with Terry Reynolds and Dick Cheney, designTony's family moved to Europe in 1986. ing and testing UP's new graphite glider, the He went with them, took one semester of school, and lhcn spent the summer flying a Wills Wing TRX. 21

l\ccording to Tony, "The TRX has made a big difference in my per· fonrnmcc. My strength is flying fast in strong condit.ions, but I struggle with the patience required to scratch in light conditions. Since the TRX is easy to turn and has a good sink rate, I can really slow it down and still have easy handling. This has helped me stay in the air when conditions die down and get weak, without having lo work so hard. Y cl thcTRX climbs and rlic:sjust as well as my /\xis in strong condi· tions.'' lk says that it is this combina· tion that has helpc;d him bring his strengths and wc;aknessc:s into balance and become a more consistent pilot. So how is Tony doing in compe litions? His recent win at the National Championships offers a simple answer to that question. Nevertheless, sometimes things happen in competitions that have no Breaking down another TRX al the UP shop, relationship to flying skills. There was, for example, the time that Tony was bumped out of first place in the 1991 East Coast mentally recover arter Sandia, placing first at Championships by a protest from another pi lot. the Hobbs tow mcel. Tony had landed one minute after legal sunset Then, on to Dinosaur, Colorado, where and was penalized all his speed points. Tony came "as close as they come" to first place without really gelling it. l\fter a week long /\nd then there was the competition at Sandia, New Mexico where a miscalculalion by competition, he lost to Jim Lee by a mere 0.95 Tony on the number or shots he had on his film nut or over 5,(100 possible points' l\nd finally, the Nationals, where Tony knocked him from first lo sixth on the first won the number one spol after six grueling days day of competition. Fortunately, he was able to

The new for paragliding. Whether you compete or not, we'll help you be a soar winner.

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in the hot desert sun. The coup de grace came on the third day when he took a risk by leaving the other pilots, heading oil course to what he hoped was a better thermal producer. Find· ing what he was looking for, getting high and speeding, he raced from there to the record turnpoint for his photo. Then he raced back off course again, to this out-of.the.way thermal producer, and then raced to goal. /\lkr the Nationals, I asked Mike I laky, general manager of UP Inter·· national, what makes Tony such a great pilol. "Practice, practice, praC·· tice," was his reply. "Plus, he's will· ing to take a chance. /\mi he's smart. He's always studying." Studying what? "Meteorology. /\nd himself. Tony writes down cvi:ry single mis· take he makes so he can monitor himself to sec if a pattern is develop· ing," "l\nd he loves competition," Mike added. "Ile doesn't just compete to win. He wants to be the best he can possibly be at what he's doing." G. W. Meadows and Mike Ilalcy were right. Tony Barton, UP Competition Pilot and i 9<J I National Champion, is good natured, well tempered, all-around fun to be with, and yet cmnpetitivc, smart and pcrsistcnl. He's proor in point that good guys don't always finish lasL

STANDARD EQUIPMENT • 1,000 ft. or 5 MIS VSI Scale • I ft. or 1 Meter ALT Increments (MSI .) • RF' Shielding • Flelative Altitude • 5 Stage Vario Dampin9 • Barometric 1°ressure (Hg or Hecto Pascal) • Adjustable Audio Threshold • Choice ot Piezo Audio Sound: VARl·PITCH INTEl~F,UPTV AFll·BE:L=P • 4 Stage AvrHager • Mount (Velcro Strap, Steel Bracket, or Ball OPTIONAL EQUIPMENT • Barograph with F'light Unker and Software • Total Energy (TE.) Probe SPECIFICATIONS • Operation Altitude 2,000 ft. to • Operation Temperature 13 to I dog. Celsius WARRANTY • M22 flight computer and accessories aro of I year from date of purchaso (with proof warranty card) or 1 year from dilte of software updatos) Submersion In Water • Specifications Subject To Change Without

M22

Model HANC CurnNc

An Interview With U.S. National Champion

Tony Barton by Dave Sharp I t was a hot, dry August 25th. Two anxious women and about 30 drivers were waiting next to some windsocks near a small lake just outside Big Pine, California. At 5:30 in the afternoon, a voice cracked on the two-meter radio. "I believe I've got goal on a glide!" For Tony, it was definitely "Miller Time," as he had just become the 1991 National Champion, beating the current world champion by more than 30 minutes. I have known Tony since 1986. I first met him at the Region 4 Willow Creek Regionals in Gunnison, Colorado. Through the years, we've become good friends. Tony has dedicated his life to the sport of hang gliding. He takes it very seriously. He is proud of his ability, but not at all cocky. He takes time to help others and is safetyconscious. Tony is not just a natural who showed up suddenly and won. He is very competitive, determined, and doesn't let failures discourage him or slow him down. In an interview, Tony offered some interesting responses ... DA VE: Tony, what do you like about competition hang gliding? TONY: I like the challenges. The biggest thing is to get to fly new areas and meet new friends. DAVE: You've been hang gliding since 1979, and have been flying competitively since 1984. In 1990, you were ranked number tlu·ee. Now you're number one. How did you make such a big jump? TONY: I think of it more as a slow crawl. Until last year, I was kine\ of hot and cold. I've been recording all my mistakes in my "Mistake Book." When you record the same mistakes over and over, you start catching on and finally don't repeat them. After a while, there aren't too many more ways to mess up. DA VE: What is your relationship with UP? TONY: I'm a factory representative, test pilot, and I do research and development. DA VE: Tell us about the new UP and what's in the works. TONY: Well, we've got an incredible team at UP~people who really know their stuff and are dedicated to making the best products for the sport. I can't go into details, but we plan to offer more gliders, different sizes and prices, to different pilot skill levels. DA VE: Did you use different strategies or techniques this year? TONY: Yes. This year my main strategy was to concentrate on shifting into low gear when conditions weakened. I've done real well on fast days but I would find myself low and in danger of landing before I realized that conditions were slowing down. Knowing the right moment to change from full-race mode to stop-and-stay-high mode is the key factor.

DECEMBER 1991

DAVE: How does the TRX differ from your former glider, the Axis? TONY: It's extremely user-f1iendly, with a much quicker and lighter roll rate. But unlike most gliders, it retains its ability to track and feel solid. It helps me a lot on light days, and definitely has helped me be more consistent in competitions. DAVE: What are your plans with UP International? TONY: Basically, traveling around and promoting the gliders. During competition, I'll just be competing. This winter, I'll be doing some R&D at the factory. DA VE: Organized Fun Fly-Ins seem to attract more participants than do sanctioned events. For example, the Sandia Classic had about 38 participants, Hobbs had 28, and the Telluride Manufacturers League Meet had under 30, whereas national fly-ins often bring in a hundred or more pilots, and Telluride events sometimes attract over 200. Why is it that such a competitive country doesn't draw more pilots to sanctioned events? TONY: I think it's because the majority of the pilots in the U.S. are recreational pilots. Fun Fly-Ins give everyone a chance to get together, leisurely fly, and socialize with each other. This is what flying seems to be all about. Competition tends to add a little pressure to flying and eliminates the leisure aspect. Most recreational pilots believe this takes all the fun out of flying. I, on the other hand, have to disagree. I love the challenge of flying a difficult task or trying to keep up with a gaggle of good pilots that are way ahead and just out of your reach. Competition and recreational flying are two separate sports, and I just happen to enjoy the least favorite of the two! DA VE: What would it take, in your opinion, for the U.S. to win the 1993 World Meet in the Owens Valley-besides cloning yourself six times? TONY: Actually, the U.S. team should be able to walk away with the gold this next world meet, since we have home comt advantage. A winning team in any sport must work together as one by using each of the team members' different styles of expertise and putting them together with a strategy to achieve a common goal. I feel that the top pilots now who are capable of making the '93 World Team are all team players and will gladly work together for a team victory. DA VE: What role does competition play in hang gliding in general? TONY: It's very important to the advancing technology of the sport, to developing new, better, and safer gliders. Also, competitions have been helping hang gliding get better PR. The public image about hang gliding is changing. DA VE: What changes or improvements would you like to see in competition? TONY: I' cl like to see more people get involved, more new faces. DAVE: What is your ultimate goal in hang gliding? TONY: I never set a goal to become a world champion. I just love to fly, and I've always wanted to be good at what I do. I don't have the desire to be the best, but I do have the desire to be the best I can possibly be. I like having somebody to try to beat, someone like a role model who's better than I am, so I can improve my own skills.•

by Kari Castle /11/ernationa! Airport. I can only think or escaping. hut the airline has canceled my flight home. After spending a month in J\ustria,compctingin the Women's World Meet, this airport focls like ajail house. I decide lo use my one phone call so I dial Mark "Ciibbo" Gibson in the SiGrra Ncvadas. Mark is just thG person to psyche me up on flying and this phone call was no exception. "The weather iII the Owen's Valley is shaping up for the big day," lw says, a 200-miler at least off the Horseshoe launch above Lone Pinc. Dreaming or cloud streets and bottled oxygen I hardly noticed 111y dismal surroundings! July 201/1. Up at 5:30, rush out to the launch throw out the lawn area, spre,1d the

chairs, absorb the morning sun and sip coffee. Good Morning' M,irk and I were both olT the hill before 9:30 and up to cloud base in no time. The clay looked like it would OD so we ract,d along tl1t: Sierra Nevada's all the way to Bisliop, then J'or ru11 we headed back as rar as we could, almost reaching Big Pinc. J\l'tcr flying the WW I-IP J\T 158 in Austria, it surt, felt good to be flying my little 145 HP J\T July /st. First record attempt. Open distance was dcclarccl, the cu's were poppin' and the day looked great. Especially whGn the paragliders took off at 9:00 and fkw straight out going up the whole ti me. Oil the hi II at 9:30, on our way down the awesome Sierra Ncvadas.

Mark was the pcrrcc! thermal snooper radioing in, "Come on baby, gotta hurry bcrorc it ODs." J\t Birch Mt. near Big Pinc Mark and I round ourselves low, hut in no time a ripper came through, then it was time to make my first crossing. Mark went J'irst, after leaving light stuff a quarter of the way out. I stayed back and eventually took the light one up to 13,000'. By then Mark was in a serious sink line. He got to Black Mt. and was scratching his buns oil Meanwhile 1 passed over his head, got to the next spine, and away I went. The next thing I hear was that Mark hit the deck I Oh Nooll I knew he'd be spcwin'. Over the rndio I hear, "Kari, arc you gonna keep going'/" I thought to myself, I can't sec any reason why

H i\N(. c; JJ])INC:

not, I just crossed the valley for the first time, I'm up to 14,000'. I replied, "Yeah, I'll keep going." Silence. Mark: "If I drive for you, that means you clri ve for me tomorrow, right~" Kari: "Ha ha. No comprencle!" Mark: "It's gonna be a long walk home." I turned off the radio, this was a trick I learned from Gibbo, when someone is ground-sucking you. He soon mellowed out, got in the car and encouraged me on. I eventually landed 142 miles away, behind Pilot Peak, with a serious desire lo take a leak. That night around the campfire everyone was giving me heaps; they did not like my excuse for landing. All of them agreed they would wet their pants for a 200-mile flight. July 22nd. Open distance and declared goal lo Austin Airport was declared. I was prepared (adult diapers). Nothing would stop me now. The sky looked awesome, cu' s poppin' at 7:00 AM. OH NOOI We messed around on launch till I 0:30, rilling oxygen bottles, arranging a driver and drawing a map for him lo Austin Airport. When we finally did get off the hill, boy was it good! This time I lead Mark all the way down the range to Onion Valley. We got high just before crossing, l chose the back route to cross. All of a sudden the Onion Valley Grunion clecicled I wasn't going that way. Luckily I like to hang on to the bar real tight, because I went on a little yahoo ride past 90. I wasn't going to argue; I just took the front route. Mark got ahead of me on

DECEMBER 1991

that one. We both decided it was time to cross even without radio communication. We crossed to Mazerka Peak and climbed out to cloud base, blazed Westgard Pass and glided till we hit Gunter launch. We flew over the wind sock blowing cross and clown. Yahoo! Mark dove to the white spot on the hill across Coldwater Canyon and I was getting drilled, so I headed out toward Rayclean's. The clouds looked so good I knew it had to go up somewhere. Sure enough. out over the mine just before Piute, I hooked a light one. I drifted with it straight clown the Valley. Cool, I figured, I'll just cruise clown the valley to the encl. But no, it petered out around 11,000', so I clol'e back into the hills and proceeded to get my butt kicked. I left the stuff thinking the next one has to be better or I'll just go out and land. I had almost had enough 1 Before long l was in front or Boundary Peak, low, thinking to myself: this is it, I've gotta get up now or forget it. The clouds looked so awesome in Nevada, I had to do it. Boom! Hang on, this is it. 1,500' up. I hung on to cloud base then I was outta there-100 miles clown 100+ to go! And now the best part of the flight. with nothing but beautiful cloud streets and small hills everywhere. Meanwhile Mark was al cloudbase and 10 miles ahead. We kept radio communication lo a minimum because our radios hadn't been charged

the night before. Just before Mina I turned my radio on and found out Mark is heading toward Luningfora cloud street heading north. Sounded good to me, looked like the road to take. And boy was it. The rest of the flight was a piece of cake. Flatland flying is so enjoyable after wrestling with the big mountains. Drift with the thermals and stay high; I can handle that 1 Soon I could see the 200-mile mark, l knew I had it. My awesome ground crew was right under me cheering me on. Around 6:30 I found myself drifting past the 200 mark in light stuff. I had clone it. It really didn't seem real because it was pretty easy. But I did gel this grin on my face that wouldn't quit! At 6:50 I touched clown in the middle or Nevada, 210 miles from launch, I was greeted with three more grins and cold beer. Boy was I one Happy Girl! l want to finish by thanking the people who helped make this historic flight possible. First of all, without Mark's never-ending enthusiasm ror flying, I might have missed the ""big clay." He made me do it! lvly ground crew that day was great. Thanks so much Hans Engosser, Gudrun Maier and Kevin Klinefelter. Thanks 'vVills Wing, for the best confidence-inspiring glider I have ever flown. Other sponsors include: Lambie Lids, Second Chantz, Oakley, Hi Tech and Patagonia.•

,mg gliding has crnwlccl out or its cocoon both literally and figuratively, We arc continu, ally trading our cocoon harnesses for pods be, cause or the lnller's advantages in case or lake, off, landing, comlorl and drag, 11ul'lhermore, it seems the last rew years have brought sornl, color back lo our sport, Gone arc !he limited choices or black and dark blue harness packages. Enter the vivid neon, day,glo and pal, terned materials for the '90s and beyond. Perhaps we arc simply emulating om less stodgy paragliding cousins, hut al any rate the colorful harnesses ernblawning the hills arc a1tracting atll:nlion. I remember a couple or years back when several pilots were ready to fly at a public site. I\ curious woman walked over and inquired as to why we wore friend, refraining l'rom the those body hags. obvious response concerning crash landings, simply told her: "We're cross-country pilots, We're going to land at the bar on the other side or town and these arc disco suits." With that he did a few disco moves joined by the other pi lots who sashayed through their prct'light, two stepped clown lo la11nch and boogied into the air, We were still laughing when we landed as everyone joined in with an impromptu dance. If you need a new disco otlll'it or simply a new colorful harness lo help you hlazl~ through !he we oiler you a look at the innovative Trnccr from I ligh Energy Sports, TRACER INNOVATIONS The Tracer name must come from the contraction ofJhcrmal RACER for indeed this harness is lean and mean as you can sec from the accompanying photos. However, many avai J, able pod,stylc harnesses arc fairly optimized for low drag, There arc only so many lines you can eliminate and so much hulk to pare. The real a1trnction or the Tracr;r is its litllc innovations. The most not icc:ahlc thing to the casual eye is the Tracer's mode or ingress, While many harnesses requin: a valet and tlH, gyrations or a contortionist to don, the Tracer simplifies mat, ters with one ingenious rnoclif'ication: the bar ncss opens on the side. This allows tht: para, chute and chest web to swing away so you c;m easily step into the l'ar side loop. Then yo11 d11ck your head 11ndcr one shoulder strap, p11ll the sides together, 1.i p the 1,ippcr, snap the sal'cty hook and, voila', you're ready to disco off the hill. "What about the other strap," you nrnmhlc? Not lo worry-,,it automatically closes (assuming you're a around your rcm:1ining standard biped),

1991 by Dennis Pagen Now this may not seem like much, hut in tmth one or the clillicult things about climbing inlo a harness is gctling lh:it second leg strap on, for you often have to hold the harness up to maneuver, This unnatural act is eliminated with the Tracer and you can easily get into the harness without laying it in the m11d or dust. Due to the unique opening style or the Tracer, it uses naps like aircraft homh bay doors for yom Other harness styles use a slot from which your protrude like an old man in a boat. There arc tradcoffs here. The flaps arc until they arc closed. This only comes into play when scratching right al'tcr takeoff and is prolx1hly insignificant, The slot type or leg opening, on the olhcr hand, restricts your nm, somewhat on takeoff and landing hccm1se it holds your together al thG thighs, /\gain, this

is no big deal hut them 's the facts !'or your perusal. J\nothcr item I hat adds to the user rricnd lincss of the Tracer is its fore and aft adjustabilily. To sec how this works let's look at the; fool arrangcn1cnt. flcrc wl: sec the popular squ:m: back model. Inside arc two inch-thick solid roam foot pads that afford plenty or roo111 ror your size tens and allow you to dance a hornpipe when you're sailing above the pack, These pads arc removable so that your boot length is csscn tially adjustable up to two inches. In addition, the shoulder straps arc fully adjustable so your whole body can be positioned further forward or hack. The significance of this is that you can control how much head down rotational rorcc exists as you move your ci;ntcr 01· hack and forth in relation lo the main risers. This and versatility acco1111ls rorpcrsonal HAN(; CllllJN('

LEFT: Inside of the harness, showing internal webbing structure.

IUGHT: Note side enlry and leg straps.

conditions (in turbulence it is desirable to have more heml""down force to prevrnr rocking; loo much force makL:s ii difficult to stand up l"m landing). One other interesting feature is webbing closures along the hoot zipper at the bottom !ha! you can snip to create the size opening you desire. The trndcol"f is case of getting the feet in or out and case of zipping up. SAFETY ENGINEEIHNG I ligh Energy Sports has always given considerable attention lo lhc safety or their harness designs, due in p,irt to their background in parachute standards. The Tracer has a rcw 1111iquc ilcms lo enhance your security on high. First WL'. must mention the complete web"" bing harness sewn 10 the inside of' the main body. You can sec it. fondle it and trust it. It completely encloses you and gives you a warm wtmlb·"likto sense or well-being. The next item is the back"up webbing 011 the shoulder straps. Many harnesses use buckles rated for :1hout SOO pounds wilh no bm:k up wL""''"J',· Jr these buckles rail in a head down parachute dcployrncnl, you will he spit out like a w:itcnnclon seed. The Tracer's back"up webbing will prevent such an untidy imitation or a fruit. Finally no1c the full"lcngth vclcrocd para" clrnte bridle cover. This skcvc not only fairs the parachute bridle lo n:ducc drag, but it also protects it from UV degradation. Although lhc bridle is an option, we arc sure you'll want one on your Tracer. TRACl1:I{ OPTIONS We now arrive al the options available on the Tracer. There ,ire some thirty listed in the dealer inf"o and you c:111 add anything you choose by

calling lligh Energy ror a quote. There arc too many options to list. hut let me give you my Cavoril(:s. I\ steel carahincr and the parachute bridle cover arc first rn1 the list. N(:XI I like the lop stash pocket th:11 sits nicely above tile parn chute and allows easy access lo gloves, maps or credit cards. Pockets in any other location arc almost impossible to sec in the air as any pod makes you reel like a pregnanl penguin. The other item that strikes my fancy is the internal water hladclerthal allows you to sip and soar with convenience. This bladder is easily removable rm rdilling. Don't rorgct the hallasl potential or such an arrangement. COMFORT AND CONVENIENCE T'o cover the important matter first, let rnc mention that the Tracc:r is as comfortable in the air as :111y other pod I have tried (five different uc,,1,;,"J· Spn:mlcr bars al the shoulders and feet distribute the line lif"1 evenly. The lines them" selves can he adjusted lo fit any body structure and dangle angle prcl"erencc. The ex.ample I have has a very short shouldcr-lo""shouldcr line which results in no resistance lo swiveling my shoulders when I want to look up al those rascals :1bovc me. One oft he best itcrns I like on th(: Tracer is its huge luggage bag. This long compartment is in the hoot and extends forward to about the scat area. Finally someone has made a compartment enough to carry the cover, hags. pads, tics and whatnot that comes with a modem glider. When I'm loaded with all my glider covers I reel like a Cordura smuggler. Don't ask me to do knee bends. The beauty or a squared-off hoot is tlrnl it barely when you arc walking around. It may, however. have a tad more drng. J\ tapered tail can be kept our or the mud with an optional

which isn't a bad idea on any harness. bool In any case, the Trnccr hoots arc protected hy a leather-like vinyl pad to prevent wear, The Tracer comes with a chest mount parachute pouch. Chest mount parachutes arc much safer than side mounts in this au1hor' s opinion because they arc easier to access, cspc" cially with an injured arm, and they have prevented many injuries when pilot;, pancaked in on rocks or stumps. Just remember where your heart is. TRACKING DOWN A TRACER The only questions remaining arc where, when and how you can gel a Trnccr. The answer is as close as your ncarcs1 dealer. High Energy Sporls advertises in this nrngazinc, but at your dealer you can touch and reel the real thing. Delivery time is an astounding three weeks. This might go up with the Christmas rush, but I Iig:h Energy is energetic ii" anything. They intend to kl:cp the delivery time low. Ditlo ror the price. The current base price !"or a Tracer is $499. Shop around ,111d you'll sec what a bargain this is. High Sports, run by Bc\ty and Rich PJ"cilTcr, has been bringing us fine rlying products for some lime now, With their new Tracer harness they have rccommitcd to remaining at the forefront or technology. You will rind 110 belier harness in which to trace a tangent 10 the earth, a concentric arc, or an ,1sccnde11t spiral than a High Energy Tracer.

Fear Of

Flying

e are going to get personal here. We're going to climb your family tree and see what's hiding in the upper branches. We aren't interested in the lower limbs containing the usual assort-

Overcoming The Hang Gliding Jitters

ment of ancestral professionals, partisans, peasants and scofflaws. We ease up past the gathering of Neanderthals, Cro-

Magnons and other assorted subspecies of homo, up past troglodytes, quasi-gorillas, genetic dead ends and a horde of baboons to arrive at the very top of the tree.

HANG GLIDING

There we find a lemur-like proto-simian whom we'll call Ralph for convenience. Ralph has long limbs, a bushy tail and large opalescent eyes. He spends his day in hiding and his night in a careful search for food. His one overwhelming emotion: fear. Ralph is your problem (and mine too since we all came from the same lowly source). He developed a healthy fear of falling and daytime eagle attacks and equal dread of the snatch of a big cat or the coil of an arboreal snake. His glandular system and cornucopia of hormones were passed clown to you, his genetic endowment. But by a quirk of nature you developed brain power that often puts you in contlict with the automatic fight-or-tlight chemistry that Ralph bequeathed to you. Your ability to think, reason and experience leads you down pathways that Ralph and later progenitors never imagined. You have chosen the magnificent experience of free flying. The one overwhelming emotion you must contend with: fear. You are in a better position than Ralph to overcome your natural fears. You have reasoning ability. But before you can use that reasoning you must know what fears you should deflate and whether or not it is reasonable to reduce them. It is fitting and proper that we address our fears of flying.

THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY There are many fears that complex human creatures have evolved. We have the oh-so-common fear of public speaking, fear of failure. fear of the unknown, fear of injury or death, and our familiar friend. fear of heights. As pi lots we arc apt to experience all of these in learning to fly except the first. Let's assume that you are a new pi lot and come to the flying site with a major burden of fear. Is this reasonable'? Beneficial') Normal? If not, what can be clone about such fear') In answering such questions the first step is to be aware of this important point: Too much fear is debilitating; it can even be dangerous if it locks you up in a dire situation. Conversely, not enough fear in the right application will fail to trigger the caution routines in our brain. We can be our own worst enemy in this case. We must conclude that fear is both good and bad. Too much fear can take the joy out of flight. Not enough can leave us defenseless. \Ve refine this to say that indiscriminate fear is unreasonable, a little fear is beneficial. Let's investigate this matterofindiscriminate fear. If you have an overall feeling of DECEMilER 199]

impending doom that builds as you're setting up. and qualifies as abject fear while you're standing at launch, then you have a case of debilitating fear that needs to be cured or focused. By focusing our fear we mean to pinpoint exact/_\' from where the fear arises. Do you doubt the safety of your equipment? Are conditions too strong or unpredictable for your skill level'l Is the site too challenging for you9 Do you have doubts about what you will encounter'J All of these are legitimate questions which clemancl an answer. We shall address them below. Here we reemphasize the importance of carefully examining the source of your fear. This requires holding a mirror up to your mental process and retlecting all the ugly ogres that lurk in the corners. (The word "ugly" comes directly from the Norse word for fear.) Try to determine exactly what specifically bothers you about a particular tlight, or flying in general, and face it squarely. This is the first step to allaying overbearing fear. More than 2,300 years ago Plato said know thyself: This little aphorism will help illuminate all facets of life and is especially important when addressing fears. An honest evaluation of your skills and limitations is the second step to overcoming fear. An important related matter is your general attitude. If you have developed a negative approach to everything you do then you begin by dooming every new endeavor you attempt. Hang gliding is no exception. If you show signs of such a personality sidetrack (ask your friends, they' II know) you can get out of this rut with the help ofreaclily available books on the subject or a trained professional. If you continue to maintain a negative attitude it will taint everything you do and create unnecessary fears in the flying situation.

THE PANIC ZONE Now we'll address the specifics of our fears. Make no mistake about it. All sentient pilots have experienced fear at some time in their flying careers. If they haven't then they do not have the good sense to recognize potential clangers and probably will not last very long in the air. But how much fear is normal 9 We can say from experience that once you have achieved an advancccl level of skill in the sport, you should no longer be nervous at any time in your day-today flying. When conditions get stronger, landing fields or launch are challenging, or you are

trying new equipment. a bit of apprehension that heightens your awareness is welcome and appropriate. This is the state of affairs for which you should strive. Recent research has shown that the presence of fear in our minds releases a number of different types of hormones into our bodies. Some of these hormones result in sweaty palms, quivering knees, loose bowels and the tendency to flee. Other hormones hone our senses, reduce our reaction time and give us unusual strength. The former are undesirable; the latter are useful. It has been found that we can train ourselves to produce only the beneficial type of fear hormones by experiencing controlled excitement on a repetitive basis. This is what we are trying to do in our hang gliding development. The third step in limiting fear is to use our ability to reason. For example, if you set up a font-wide board on two chairs you could readily walk from one encl to the other without fear. You could even do this backwards and blindfolclecl if you took your time. Now suspend this board between the roofs of two I 0-story buildings and you'll find most people would be too fearful to cross. Is this fear reasonable'' Probably not. There is little or no chance of falling from the board as long as it is sound, unless we lose control from fear or vertigo. In another example, most of us would experience stark terror if plopped clown on the stage of Carnegie Hall in front of a large audience and asked to sing an aria from Carmen. Not knowing the words is not the real problem for we could learn them. Lacking the natural ability of an opera singer is the real reason why we should fear such an exposure. Some fears are reasonable. After carefully analyzing them we are in a position to set our own personal limits. This is the fourth step in the process of reducing fear. Instructors know the important zones of learning. These are: the co111fort zone, the stretch zone and the panic zone. Learning takes place in the first two zones. In the comfort zone you are repeating and practicing skills or events you have already learned. No fear is in evidence here. In the stretch zone you add new experiences in small, carefully considered steps. A little anxiety is appropriate here. The panic zone speaks for itself. This is where you have bitten off more than you can chew. You cannot learn effectively when you are overcome with fear. An example of the learning that takes place in the comfort and stretch zones is the training hill session where your instructor kept

you at one level until you were comfortable and competent, then moved you higher in gradual steps. From this we can learn the fifth and final item that helps us defeat fear. This is to practice at each level of learning until we are comfortable before moving up to the next level. One of the most powerful ways of reducing fear is to move back to an earlier phase of experience or learning where you felt comfortable. For example, if you are overly fearful in 15 mph winds wait until they die to 10 mph. After a spell increase your toleration of winds in two mph increments. Here are the steps to take to eliminate fear. l) Identify your fears. Don't allow a general uncomfortable feeling to overcome you. Find the specific cause of your fear. 2) Evaluate the fear you identified in step 1 to see if it is a legitimate concern or a residue from your years of conditioning from society, your parents or yourself. Remember, a lifetime of being told you can't do something pre-programs you to be fearful if you try it. 3) Apply reason to the remaining fears you filtered through the first two steps, to see if they are legitimate or not. Here you must use learning and logic to make sound judgements. 4) Set limits on what you are attempting that are appropriate for your skill level. Relate your specific fears to these limits. 5) Practice your skills in controlled situations and conditions until your fears abate as a result of familiarity with the event. Remember to always remain in the comfort and stretch zones by adding new experiences gradually.

CONTROLLING TREPIDATION Now we answer our previously posed questions in light of our five-step method. Doubts about equipment safety run aground at steps two or three. You may have the misconception that a hang glider looks flimsy, but it is built entirely of airplane or sailboat components and is one of the strongest aircraft known. There is less chance of your glider falling apart than there is of a tire falling off your car in normal operation. Of course, this implies a well-maintained and preflighted glider. Are the conditions or the site above your skill level? These matters slip easily through the first three steps to land in step four. Here we learn that as we progress we must set new limits just beyond the previous ones. If we can legitimately say that our present circumstance is on! y slightly more challenging than those we have mastered with confidence, then we must consider any excessive fear to be unreasonable. We must be cautious not to take a step up in (weather) conditions and site difficulty at the same time. It should be mentioned here that Michael Robertson has developed a guide called the Charts of Reliability that are designed to help you make such decisions and set limits. Doubts about what you'll encounter are a common source of anxiety in the early stages of flying. This is because you haven't had time to learn the moods and habits of the air. Here we apply step three and note that the action of the air is predictable on the small scale with ample study. It is up to you to talk to other knowledgeable pilots and to read books and articles on the

subject of weather. It is understandable and there are sources of weather information specific to your chosen sport. Your instructor can help you locate these sources. Once you learn how to reduce fear when flying, don't forget to maintain a healthy respect for potential dangers. Robust conditions, faulty or complicated equipment and deficient experience on your part can present real risks. Use a modicum of fear to alert you to the presence of possible threats. Then evaluate the situation and put any fear to rest if all matters are judged within the limits of safety. When used in this manner, fear is yourpre-clumb-move warning system, not your constant burden. Fear has come clown to us as a legacy from all those ancestors hardscrabbling through hostile history. We still have plenty to fear in present-day society, but when we are fearful we are not truly free. As a Tom Robbins character says, "Long as you're not afraid, nobody can run your life for you. Remember that. Hell is being scared of things. Heaven is refusing to be afraid. I mean that literally." Hang gliding comes close to being the ultimate form of freedom. At least we break the bonds of earth for brief spells as we take to the sky. However, if fear dominates our practice then the potential freedom is not in evidence. We must all learn to respect our fears, but control them to the point where they become a useful tool. Only then can we truly join the ranks of the fearless eagle. •

Enjoy the most beautiful mountain hang & paragliding XC flights, guided by english, french and german speaking experienced pilots while you tour COLOMBIA for ten adventurous, unforgetable days; december thru march. NEUSA: " ... soaring with eagles for hours in sight of beautilful woods and lake ... " BOGOTA: " ... like few have ever seen her: s I o w I y " HONDA: "Wat~h the magestic Rio Magdalen~ unravel in front of you as you fiy off the ea:tern cordillera" ROLDf'J\JILLO: Start at 6.000 feet altitude. 55 F, mountain vegetation and fauna; watch tne greenery and wildlife change as you glide to 1800 feet and 80°F' CALI: "Warm climate, hot people. blue skies. smooth fiying"

DELAIR Write. Fax or Phone for complete information to:

Attn: Mauricio Giraldo P.O. Box 91 872 Bogota, COLOMBIA SOUTH AMERICA

Fax 1571 I 255 5184 ff 15711 257 8270 (5711 610 2867

HANG GLIDING

TOW LINES TOWING IN CIRCLES

Teaching With Weak Links & Tovving In Circles by Bud Brown TEACHING WITH WEAK LINKS

order to erase the rears associated wiLh any myth. a demonstration of reality is usually a good approach. Such is the case with the weak link myth. The predominant fear seems to be that there will not be enough time to make a safe landing if the weak link breaks immediately after launching. followed closely by the fear thaL you will become an accident statistic when the glider pitches up into a stall Lhe moment after Lhe weak link breaks. Two demonstration flights can be made to dispel the myths. If the demo pilot uses the student"s glider. an even more positi\'e elTect is achieved. After reaching launch speed (2530 mph). the demo pilot purposely launches with a high nose angle. As advertised. there is Lime to pull the bar back for speed. stand up. ground effect and execute a good rlare. The challenge for flight number two: getting a full tow out of the 200-pouncL or less, weak link. The technique for making it to the end of the runway is simple enough: slight back pressure on the bar-about as much pressure as you would need for best LI Don your glider. This slight pull-back on the bar is initiated before launch. followed by more of the same for the rest of the flight. With experience. this pressure can be released after you have gained altitude. allowing for a betler climb rate. Obviously. with this technique. the new pilot needs to be warned about too much "pull-back" which would cause him to overtake the winch! Stress the need for small. smooth corrections while under tow. If it appears that we·re flogging a dead clog. you may have missed the point. The emphasis is toward the 11e11· 1011· pilot. but could also include an experienced tow pilot who was having some kind of a problem. The weak link can offer him life-sa\'ing protecDECEMBER 1991

- - --~-

Lion. If you tow a variety of pilots, this possibility may actually become reality in the person of one or two experienced "freeflyers" you know who are struggling with some new (or old) problem in their tow flying. This is a good spot to talk about transitioning to the next step in the tow pilot's growth. The tow operator at some time will become confident that the pilot is flying safely. smoothly and efficiently. recognize that he is ready for a slightly higher weak link strength. winch pre,sure and vehicle speed in order to maximize the tow. Obviously. a caution should go along with these changes. As with most aYiation-oriented decisions. when you make a change, you have most likely created a new set of compromises. lV!ake the pilot aware that there may be little or no protection from turbulence. lockouts. etc. while flying with a stronger (than 200 lbs.) weak link. and that he will have to take the place of the wink link by releasing early when a problem occurs.

Thanks to Dan Leahy from Fremont, California, for writing and expressing an interesting thought. Dan is new to towing and was wondering about the feasibility of towing in circles! His concern was the limited length of most tow areas. Why not curve the two ends of a runway toward the other and make an "infinite" length runway? Some boat-mounted winch crews probably are experiencing roundabout towing. Let's hear from you. Sounds like a good way to let out all the line on your winch. and maybe even go for a record. Most line out'7 Highest altitude gain on tow'? Longest time aloft under tow·, What can a pilot expect to experience during such a tow'? Could a glider be towed up from a quartermile circular or oval track'.' I love il. It could only happen in this sport. •

The author mm· be coll/acted at: 29 Warren A i·e., Randolph, MA., 02368-Ed.

The Only Ultralight Good Enough for Hang Glider Pilots Glide: 15 to 1 Sink: 250 fpm Span: 40 ft

Empty Wt: 254 lbs Built: Ready-To-Fly

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Please Request Info Pak: HG 265 Echo Lane So. St. Paul MN 55075

Handling

by Paul Douglas

you were shopping for a new glider in 1974 you had a lot lo worry about. A number of pilots died on "standards" that year, and on the hill it was common to hear pilots in heated discussions about various designs~the effects of things like keel reflex on pitch stability, etc. In those clays pilots felt that they had to really understand design trends, because safety was such a big issue. Today things have changed somewhat: the HGMA and glider manufacturers have established safety and handling standards forcertifying gliders. E\'en with all we have learned, designers are still learning about factors that affect pitch stability near zero degrees angle of

Performance attack, and other safety issues. You hear fewer debates on the hill these clays regarding the technical aspects of glider design, because most of today's gliders (the HGMA-certified models) arc much safer than in years past. Many pilots feel that since the factories are looking out for them, they don't have to investigate all the latest design parameters. However, if we stay on top of the design decisions that the factories are making, we will be in a better position to evaluate new glider designs and their suitability for our individual type of flying. Today, just as in the past, new "highperformance" designs have handling tracleoffs.

The Goal: Improving Control Response This information is aimed at the advanced or "advancing" pilot, flying higher performance flex wings, who would like to learn additional techniques to improve roll response. If you are a new pilot or an intermediate, this information can be read now and put into practice later (if you want to transition to tight, high-performance gliders). Hopefully there are no beginners or intermediate pilots flying these Hang IV machines. Any article of this type should be taken with a grain of salt and an open mind. Experiments with new techniques should always be performed with plenty of altitude, and don't HANG GLIDING

forget to clear your turns! Please don't experiment with new techniques when scratching down low, close to the hill or trees, or when you are on landing approach. Remember that when you try out new things, you become the test pilot!

The High-Performance Equation The aero designer working on a new flex wing design has a tough job. On one hand he wants to create a safe, easy-to-fly machine, and on the other he is constantly trying to improve performance. Sometimes when performance is stretched there are tradeoffs in the area of handling. This is the equation we've seen before, more performance= a harder turning glider. or control response that is less than ideal. Today's high-performance designs are naturally roll-resistive (stiff) due to: hard sailcloth, high percentage of double surface, and high sail tension. All these factors acid overall stiffness to the wing. An Explanation of Turning Characteristics of Flex Wings and Rigid Wings Rigid wings must have aerodynamic control surfaces. Why' 1 In answering this question we will see why tight flex wings behave as they clo. Diel you know that rigid wings will turn the wrong way and adverse yaw strongly when turned with pure weight shift alone? Why does this happcn·7 When you shift your weight to one side it loads up that wing which starts flying faster clue to increased wing loading. When that wing starts to fly faster it wants to fly around the other 1ving and go the wrong way! This is an example of adverse yaw, and is why all rigid wings must have aerodynamic controls. As an example, Fledge (Manta Fledgling rigid wing) pilots clevelopecl a trick which increased the roll rate of their gliders: they shifted their weight in the wrong direction while applying the control device in the correct direction. The wing would initially adverse yaw (into the turn in this case) adding to the roll rate. Pretty strange, but it works in a rigicl wing. The reason that tight, high-performance flex wings exhibit adverse yaw is that they are becoming more like rigid wings; the airfoil has been tightened to the point where it has a limited amount of lateral flexibility. We're actually taking the "flex" out of our flex wings. Rigid wing pilots can use the adverse yaw effect to their advantage because they also have aerodynamic controls. Flex wing pilots can't DECEMBER 1991

Pull Turn

pull to side

Twist Turn

push to side feet first

Punch Turn

move to side, then sharp pitch movement

use this technique directly, but there are other methods we can employ to overcome adverse yaw and increase roll rate, such as the Twist Turn and the Punch Turn. Three Basic Types of Turning Techniques l J Pull Turn. The Pull Turn is the basic Lum we learned first~sirnply pulling to the side of the control bar. Gliders that have quite a bit of sail or airframe flexibility (which allows lateral flexibility of the sail in flight) respond reasonably well to this turning technique. Aircraft of this type (beginner and intermediate gliders) rarely exhibit much adverse yaw. which is experienced as the wing going the wrong way for a moment when initiating a turn. 2J Twist Turn. The TwisL Turn is another name for a yaw turn, and is sometimes also referred to as the flat turn. To perform a twist lllrn, stiff-arm the far side of the control bar while pushing yourself into the turn feet first (leading with your feet). The main thing to remember is thaL you p11sh yourself to the side, rather than pulling yourself to the side. This pushing movement (on the far side of the bar. away from the direction of the turn) imparts a yawing moLion to the wing into the direction of the turn. If your glider has a problem with adverse yaw (going the wrong way initially),

then try this technique and see if it helps. 3) Punch Turn. This third technique is the misunderstood Punch Turn. The Punch Turn is started by a move to the side of the bar, and then a quick punch of the bar, sharply out-and-back in pitch (between four and 12 inches). The Punch Turn helps to momentarily overcome sail and airframe stiffness and loads up one wing with a quick, short burst of pitch control. This technique is useful in initiating quick roll rates or Lo '"unlock" the glider when iL seems locked in a turn or going straight. Some pilots think the Punch Turn is a quick sideways movement of the bar, but this is a completely wrong understanding! (This is simply a faster variation of the pull turn.) The punch turn is a sharp n10\•e111ei11 in the pitch axis (push out and back) not merely side to side.

Combination Turns You can use the Twist Turn (yaw turn) in combination with the Punch Turn to increase roll rate even more. Note: Some pilots get acceptable improvement in roll rate by simply pushing out (after moving to the side) before the wing starts to roll. This is a milder version of the Punch Turn and will not generate the fast roll rates associated with the abrupt pitch movement of the Punch Turn.

easily track straight ahead; it is always "hunting" and yawing through the sky-thus the need for fly-by-wire and computer systems to keep such a craft controllable. If anhedral were increased past the safety point in a flex wing you might not be able to get the glider out of a turn!

Other Control Problems: A Woi·d About PI O's PIO's aren't prisoners. they are pilot-induced oscillations. These oscillations can take the form of over-control in either pitch or roll. An example of a PIO is steeper and steeper stalls, one after another, because of over-controlling in pitch during recovery. Some gliders can be maneuvered into a yawing PIO at high speed by over-controlling in roll, especially if the glider has a lag in turn response, which can aggravate this condition. If your glider lags (hesitates) in roll when you start a turn, it can be easy to over-control while turning, and then get into a yawing oscillation, first turning more than you wanted one way, then the other. This can be very unsettling if it happens while you are low, close to obstacles or on landing approach. When yawing at higher speeds the wing can acquire a lot of inertia, and it may seem difficult to stop the motion. If you are high enough (have enough time) you can stop the yawing by one or more of these techniques: 1)

2) 3)

If you're going real fast, first slow clown. Center your body on the bar and wait for the glider to settle down. Start a continuous turn, since the glider won't continue yawing while in a coordinated turn.

How To Prevent Over-Control When Using Advanced Turning Techniques The secret to preventing over-control is to use just the right amount of turn control, which is always easier to say than it is to do. If yawing is a problem, first try some turning input, then center on the bar for a second and see if that was enough. If not, then try some more turning input and again center on the bar. Using this method can help to prevent the yawing oscillations that can develop. Often the over-controlling problem goes away with experience as you become accustomed to your new wing. If you feel you are controlling the glider correctly, and the problem still persists, you should contact your dealer for more information on tuning/adjusting your wing, or for special techniques that work for that individual model.

Why Do I Have to "High Side" the Bar to Coordinate Continuous Turns?

We haven't discussed turn coordination while in continuous turns. With modern gliders the problem that is noticed is spiral instability. Spiral instability is experienced as the need to ''high-side" the bar in moderate to steep turns. "High-siding" means you will need to swing slightly to the outside of the turn to stay coordinated. Another effect of spiral instability is that tile glider will often roll into turns more easily than roll out. Designers play with dihedral and anhedral to get the proper balance of quick roll rate and the desired degree of spiral stability. The amount of sail tension is also a factor in this equation. For example, a glider can have anhedral in the frame, and compensate for this somewhat by decreasing sail tension (note the Magic Kiss). DIHEDRAL. Dihedral is the amount that the wing tips are higher than the root section of the wing. When a wing has a lot of dihedral, it is usually roll stable, and wants to return to wings-level flight when turning control is relaxed. An example of a wing with a large amount of dihedral is theQuieksilverultralight. ANHEDRAL. Anhcclral is the amount that the wing tips are below the center section of the wing. A flying machine with quite a bit of anhedral becomes more roll unstable, which means that it wants to keep turning more steeply if you center on the bar in turns. This is why we have to high-side the bar a bit in high-performance gliders. The more dihedral the glider has, the more stable it will be in roll, and will also roll into turns more slowly (everything else being equal). The more anhedral a glider has, the more roll unstable it will be, and will tend to roll into turns more quickly and roll out more slowly. Some military jet fighters have so much anhedral that they are l'el)' unstable, and arc almost unflyable by mere mortals using conventional control systems. The reason a designer would try adding tl1is much anhedral is to satisfy the pilot's desire for very fast roll rates and aerobatic capabilities. One oflhc big drawbacks to large amounts of anhedral is that the aircraft will no longer

Spirally Stable Aircraft: Rolling into turns is slower, rolling out is faster, and tl1e wing will tend to return to level flight easily. Must be kept in a turn with body to the inside of the bar. These are good handling characteristics for beginners, because it tends to be forgiving and it's easy to return the wings to level. Spirally Neutral Aircraft: Roll rate is equal going into or out ohurns. Glider tends to maintain bank angle with no adclitional input. Body position centered on the bar to maintain bank angle. Spirally Unstable Aircraft: Will roll into turns faster than roll out of them. Glider will "wrap up" and turn tighter with body centered on the bar. High siding of the bar (body to outside of turn) is required to coordinate continuous turns. This can be okay in small closes for advanced pilots who understand how to deal with the situation. A Short Note to Designers A list of features that pilots require even more than pure performance: I) Pitch stability. 2) Structural strength. 3) Pitch and roll authority and quickness. 4) Coordinated yaw/roll coupling. 5) Low takeoff and landing speeds. As new glider designs appear, new control techniques may be discovered. If you have some control secrets that you've found useful, write a letter to the editor and we can all share the information. Fly safe. • About the author: Paul Douglas started flying flex wings i11 /974 a11d earned his Hang IV in /977. He has worked for hang glider manufacturers as a prod11ctio11 test pilot and experimental test pilot. He has been involved in more than 40 aircrqft construction projects,from hang gliders to 11/tralights and EAA ho111eb11ilts. He curre11rly lives in San Anselmo, Califomia 11·here he has a lvlacintosh computer co11s11/ti11g business.

HANG GLIDING

Ken Cavanaugh over the Lost River Range 10 miles north of King Mountain. Photo by Ken.

by l<cn Cavanaugh DliCEMBl·R 1991

1991 Idaho X-C competition season came to an abrupt halt near till: first or Septembl:r when an Indian Summer pattern of stable weather set in that lasted well into October. The good conditions came as single days sprinkled through the summer months. Once again, by what appears to be a mass accumulal ion of' rlukes and luck-outs, most or the same pilots who have done well in the past are in the winner's circle again. Hang gliding competition delivers its justice in a disguised manrn:r. ThGre was a lot of talent in Idaho this year. Ken Schreck movGd hack to the stale and Dr. J\lbert WhitGsell joinGd our ranks. We fully expected to break the 162.0-milc statG record. We had our hands full just gelling I 00 milGs in 1991, however. Frank Gi II cite (last year's winner and state n:cord holder) injured his foot in a paragliding incident in J1111e which may explain why he didn't properly def'Gnd his crown this year. Dr. J\lbcrt Whitesell got the hall rolling in June with a I(lCi.0-mile f'light from King Mountain. llis route was north up the Losl River Range and he landed rive miles past the town or Salmon. J\ month later Ken Cavana11gh, vcntur· ing alone on the same route, overflew Whitesell' s landing spot hy a dozen miles to movG into f'irsl place. Another month passed before conditions got good again. On J\ugust 11 Ken Schreck and Eiji Yokoda lkw the Big Southern Butte for a pair or JOO-milers while Dr. RobGrt Holland was flying 97.0 miles from King Mountain. Schreck was one or nurm:rous Idaho pilots trying to achiGve his first IOO"mile flight this year. He not only punched through the barrier ror his rirst I 00 miler, hut extended this rial land flight lo 129.0 miles which won the 1991 contGst I Eiji Yokoda escorted Schreck, but could only muster I05.0 miles for fourth place in the final standings. The two pilots capi1ali1.cd on a small family or cumulus clouds that developed in an otherwise clear blue sky. The Big Butte had been nearly rorgottGn as an X"C site due 10 I he dominance or King Mountain during the last several years or competition. In 1991 it's the Big B11lle that stands proucJ-.... at the top of the stack. The goal contest only registered three succGssful Clights. Ken Cavanaugh worked hard in light wind for a 58-milcr from King Mountain on July 15th. Frank Gillcllc dodged storms the following day to move into first place with a 74" miler when he /kw his typical route from King

COMPETITlON CORNER Mountain to Ellis. Dr. Albert Whitesell took the lead for keeps when he completed his King Mountain to Kilgore goal on September 2, knowing that he could have continued on for a probable !OD-miler. Ken Schreck came up a few miles short of completing a I IO-mile goal the same day. The Silver and Bronze classes (previous flights less than 50 and 20 miles respectively) had decreased entries but showed flurries or activity at times. The silver class was won by Mark Mason who flew an excellent flight of 62 miles in the middle of the summer. Tom Kiester flew 22 miles from the Big Butte to win the Bronze Class. Ken Durstine made a low save on a radical clay to place second with a 12.5-miler from the same site later in the year. The 199 l Idaho competition was marred by extremely poor weather forecasting on the local level. Pilots eventually learned to ignore the forecasts and perform their own analysis during flight. As usual, it all boiled clown to who did what during a handful of clays with good weather conditions. •

Idaho Cross-Country Competition Results Place Pilot

Distance (miles)

Site

Glider

Date

HP AT 158 HP AT 145 UPTRX 160 HP AT 145 HP AT 158

8/l 1/91 7/15/9 l 6/16/9 l 8/11/9 l 8/I 1/9 l

XS 155 UP TRX 160 HP AT 145

9/2/91 7/!3/9 l 7/12/91

HP AT 158 X-Cel 160 Sport 167

7/12/91 5/22/9 l 7/I 9/91

Magic IV 166 GTR 162

7/!2/91 8/11/91

Open Class l. Ken Schreck 2. Ken Cavanaugh 3. Dr. Albert Whitesell 4. Eiji Yokoda 5. Dr. Robert Holland

129.0 118.5 106.0 105.0 97.0

l. Dr. Albert Whitesell 2. Frank Gillette 3. Ken Cavanaugh

79.5 74.0 58.5

l. Mark Mason 2. Dan Delozier 3. Dr. Jerry Nave

62.0 23.5 22.0

I. Tom Kiester 2. Ken Durstine

22.0 12.5

Big Butte King Mountain King Mountain Big Butte King Mountain

Declared Goal Class King Mountain King Mountain King Mountain

Silver Class King Mountain King Mountain Big Butte

Bronze Class Big Butte Big Butte

752 Casiano Drive #B, Santa Barbara, CA 93105 Phone 805-687-4663, Fax 805-968-0059

\ t: i

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CROSS cou NTRY 752 Casiano Drive #8, Santa Barbara,~ CA 931.05 USA . 38

HANG GLIDING

RATINGS SAFE PILOT AW ARDS BRONZE CARMEN CAPPELLA

ISBELL, SCOTT: Tustin, CA: R. Pelletier/Hang Flight Systems LAND, JOHN: San Diego, CA; J. Ryan/Hang Gliding Center i\-IADRZYK, LUCAS: Signal Hill, CA; R. Pelletier/Hang Flight Sys MICHAEL, ROGER: San Diego, CA; T. Hall RAINVILLE, BILL: Granada Hills, CA; M. Spinelliffrue Flight RODRIGUEZ, RAFAEL: Upland, CA; D. Engel/Southland Hang Gliding WAITE, DEANA: Imperial, Ci\; J. Ryan

LILIENTHAL AW ARDS BRONZE LOUIS DECIBUS ERIC WINKLER

Region 4 BALBil'i, PAUL: Boulder, CO; G. Pollock/Wasatch Wings FA \VN, HERBERT: Alamagordo, Nl'vl; D. Sharp/New Mexico Soaring HELMER, ARCHIE: Holloman AfB, NM; D. Sharp/New Mexico Soaring READ, DREW: Salt Lake City, UT; M. Knowlden/Rebel Wings HG

SIL \!ER KEVIN GENDRON ROB KEHR STEVE RODRIGUEZ GOLD JASON OTTO ADAM TRAHAN STEPHEN MAKRINOS

DIAMOND ADAM TRAHA1'

Rcgion 6 BERNS, .)AlVIES: East Detroit, !Vll: G. Keoho/Kitty Hawk Kites Region 7 BELL, GIL: So Bend. IN; J. Mitchell CARPENTER, GREG: Indianapolis, IN: C. Whitney/Sequatchie Valley CORNIEA, TONY: IV!innctonka, l'v!N; C. Knutson/Sport Soaring Center HALLUM, ROGER: Lisle, fL; B. Kushner/Ral'cn Sky S1;or1., HAUSER, JAKE: Cashton, WI; R. Hauser HERR, 'WILLIAM: Chicago, IL; B. Kushner/Raven Sky Sports LENNERT, GEORGE: Fishers, IN; C. Whitney/Sequatchie Valley NAUGHTON, TIMOTHY: Chicago, IL; B. Kushner/Raven Sky Sports SPONEM, ALAN: Edgerton, WI: B. Kushner/Raven Sky Sports

BEGINNER RATI/\GS

Region 8 PILOT: City. State; Instructor/School Region 1 BUTLER, DAVID: White City, OR: J. Jernigan/Southern OR HG HEALY, JOSEPH: Portland. OR: J. Asher/HG School or Oregon HILL, ROGER: Mosier, OR: 1. Asher/HG School of Oregon WOOLF, NANCY: Beaverton. OR: J. Asher Region 2 BRESSLER, DOUGLAS: Hayward. CA: J. Johns BURl'vlESTER, CHRIS: Kensington. CA: R. Patterson/Berkeley HG EGGEN, LAIWPHOON: Modesto. CA: W. Ostiguy FENSKE, CLIFFORD: San lvlartin. CA; J. Woodward/Natural Flying HARKER, KENT: San Jose. CA: J. Fritschc/ivlission Soaring HURLESS, PAUL: Cupertino. CA; J. Fritsche/Mission Soaring Center JOHNSON, KEN: Berkeley, CA: R. Patterson/Berkeley HGC KLEIN, CHRISTOPHER: Palo Alto, CA: R. Spear/Chanclclk HG LIVELY, DAVID: San Jose, CA: W. Ostiguy PERFIT, MICHAEL: San Francisco, CA: R. Spear/Chanclelle HG RYAN, MITCHELL: Sacramento. CA: J. Johns/Western Hang Gliders SEARLE, BRETT: Crockett, CA; J. Fritsche/Mission Soaring Center TUCKER, MONIKA: Half lv!oon Bay, CA: J. Fritsche/iVlission Soaring WILLIAMS, ROBERT: Cupertino, CA: P. Dene1·,rn/lvfo.sion Soaring Region 3 BAVA, ENRIQUE: Long Beach. CA; ivl. IVlcGuniglc/Southland HG BENTI, CINDY: Sylnrnr, CA: P. Thornbury/Winclsports Int'I BLATT, NICOLE: Redlands, CA: R. McKenzie/High Adventure DENCKS, VOLKER: Venice, Ci\; G. Rceves/Windsports lnt'I DEVORAK, .IA Y: Tar1.ana, CA; B. Scott/True Flight Concepts FENWICK, TERRY: Goleta. CA: K. DeRussy/Hang Glider Emporium GALLAGHER, VINCENT: Los Angeles. CA: A. BeemN.'inclsports lnt'I

DECEMBER 1991

BURR, ERWIN: Haddam, CT: E. Stelzel CALIS, JOHN: Somerset, MA: R. Hyary/Aeolus DEWALD, DENISE: Beverly, MA; P. Voight/Fly High HG EIO, CHRISTIAN: East Granby, CT; B. Daviclson/Tek Flight Prod. GIROUX, JANE: Franconia, NH: D. Sharp/New Mexico Soaring HASELKAMP, MICHAEL: Milrorcl, CT; J. Da\'id/Aeolus PERUGINI, PATRICK: W. Newton, i'v!A: R. Hyary/Aeo!us TRUDEAU, ALLEN: Ansonia, CT; J. David/Aeolus YOUNG, TED: Cambridge, tvlA; J. David/Aeolus Region 9 CRANOR, CHRIS: Washington, DC; J. Miclcllcton/Silver Wings DALLASEN, THEODORE: St. Mary's, PA; tvl. Delsignore/North Coast EARNEST, JEFF: Zanesville, OH: J. Reynolds/Lookout Mtn FP FULKERSIN, JESSE: Bloomsburg, PA: D. Gcarhart/Wimlwalker HG HARDEN, JON: Mt. Airy. iv!D; B. Chalmers/Lookout 1vltn FP JOHNSON, DA YID: Adelphi, ivlD; J. Middleton/Silver Wings LARSON, KARL: Erie, PA: G. Keoho/Kitty Hawk Kites MCMILLAN, DONNA: Silver Spring, iV!D; R. Coxon/Kitty Hawk Kites NICHOLS, JERRY: Lexington, KY; 8. Chalmers/Lookout tvltn FP RAKES, JEFF: Kenova, WV; G. Keoho/Kitty Hawk Kites REED, RICHARD: Washington, DC; G. Keoho/Kitty Hawk Kites ROBERSON, RICK: Baltimore, MD; G. Keoho/Kitty Hawk Kites ROWAN, KIMBERLY: Cumberland, iv!D; J. Rowan SCHILLER, JERRY: Dyke, VA; B. Millican/Kitty Hawk Kites THOMPSON, KEITH: !Vlanassas. VA: J. ivlicldlcton/Silvcr Wings THORNE, TIM: Beallsville, lv!D; J. tv!icldleton/Silvcr Wings THORNTON, WM: l'vlantco. NC; G. Kcoho/Killy Hawk Kites VALK, DAN: fayetteville, OH; J. Reynolds/Lookout Mtn FP WAYNE, TERRY: Reading. PA; R. Coxon/Kitty Hawk Kites WILSON, DAVID: Washington. DC; G. Keoho/Kitty Hawk Kites ZUCHERO, DAVID: Highland, lvlD; G. Keoho/Kitty Hawk Kites

RATINGS Region 10 ADAMESCU, THOMAS: Nashville, TN; J. Reynolds/Lookout Mtn FP ARMOVIT, DAVE: West P,ilm Bch, FL; J. Reynolds/Lookout Mtn FP BALBONA, JOE: Orlando, FL; J. Reynolds/Lookout Mountain FP BANlKY, DENNIS: Fountain Inn, SC; J. Laughrcy/Sequatchie Valley DlLLARD, ED: Birmingham, AL; M. Taber/Lookout Mountain FP DIRKZ\VAGER, l'vlARTEN: Atlanta, GA; J. Reynolds/Lookout Mtn FP DWYER, JOE: Peachtree City, GA; G. Kcoho/Kitty Hawk Kites FORTANIER, E.E.: Atlanta, GA; J. Reynolds/Lookout Mtn FP HUSS, SCOTT: Huntsville, AL; M. Taber/Lookout Mtn FP KLEIN, DAVID: Cookeville, TN; B. Chalmers/Lookout Mtn FP MCMINN, CAROL: Anniston, AL; J. Reynolds/Lookout Mountain FP MCMYLER, MICHELE: Huntsville, AL; M. Taber/Lookout \1tn FP lVIITCHELL, QUINN: Thonotosassa, FL; C. Thoreson/Lookout Mtn FP MONROE, DAVID: Decatur, GA; B. Chalmers/Lookout lvltn FP NININGER, DAVID: Winston-Salem, NC; C. Thoreson/Lookout !Vltn O'NEAL, MlTCHI: Chatt, TN; C. Thoreson/Lookout Mountain FP RUTLEDGE, GORDON: C'sted, VI; B. Chalmers/Lookout Jvltn FP WEBB, JOHN: Powder Springs, GA; J. Reynolcls/Lookout ivltn fP vVOODRUFF, BRADLEY: Decatur, GA; J. Reynolds/Lookout Mtn FP Region 11 COX, LLOYD: Beclforcl, TX; J. Hunt/Red River Aircraft LISTI, JOHN: Houston, TX; F. Burns/Austin Air Sports MAUZY, BRUCE: Houston, TX; S. Burns/Austin Air Sports Reglon 12 BERNS, MICHAEL: Mendham, NJ; G. Keoho/Kitty Hawk Kites DONLEY, BRIAN: APO AE; G. Elhart/Nova Air FRIES, SHERRY: Camden, NJ; G. Keoho/Kiuy Hawk Kites HAGER, TOM: Lancaster, NY; B. Chalmers/Lookout Mtn FP HARRISON, WALTER: Lake George, NY; C. Thoreson/Lookout Mtn FP MCMAHON, SCOTT: Lake George, NY; J. Reynolds/Lookout Mtn FP MORGAN, BYRON: APO AE; G. Elhart/Nova Air SIMROTH, STEVEN: Edison, NJ; J. Ryan/HCC SUN, KIM: Greenwich, CT; B. Umstattd/Mountain Wings WISNIEV,'SKI, RICHARD: Camden, NJ; G. Keoho/Kitty Hawk Kites YANAKOS, JOHN: By, NY; Bill Urnstattd/Mountain Wings

NOVICE RA TINGS PILOT: City, State; Instructor/School Region 1 ARMBRUSTER, ROBBIE: Williams OR; W. Roberts/So. OR Hang Gliding GREENLAW, JOHN: Tacoma, WA; D. Chadwick HOFF, TRYG: Olympia, WA; J. Asher/Endless Thermal Region 2 BERK, RONALD: Cupertino, CA; D. Yount/Mission Soaring Center BUCHHOLZ, GEORGE: State Linc, NV; G. Jepsen/Adventure Sports INNES, DEBORAH: Daly City, CA; P. Sussman/Skyline Soaring POKORNY, GERT: Los Altos Hills, CA; J. Woodward/Natural Flying RYAN, MITCHELL: Sacremento, CA; J. Johns/Western Hang Gliders Region 3 BLATT, NICOLE: Redlands, CA; R. McKenzie/High Adventure DENCKS, VOLKER: Venice, CA; G. Rceves/Windsports Int'! FENWICK, TERRY: Goleta, CA; K. DeRussy/Hang Glider Emporium GALLAGHER, VlNCENT: Los Angeles, CA; A. Beem/\Vindsports Int'!

HILLIARD, LEE: Canyon Country, CA; R. Mitchell/Eagles Wings ISBELL, SCOTT: Tustin, CA; R. Pelletier/Hang Flight Systems LUDWIG, JERRY: San Diego, CA; R. lV!itchell/Eaglcs Wings MADRZYK, LUCAS: Signal Hill, CA; R. Pelletier/Hang Flight Sys 1WICHAEL, ROGER: San Diego, CA; T. Hall PEARCE, LEO: San Diego, CA; R. ivlitchcll/Eaglcs Wings PEARCE, LEO: San Diego, CA; R. Mitchell/Eagles Wings RUBlN, LANE: Goleta, CA; K. DeRussy/Hang Glider Emporium RYAN, JOHN: San Diego, CA; R. Mitchell/Eagles Wings Region 4 BALBIN, PAUL: Boulder, CO; G. Pollock/Wasatch Wings COOK, NATHAN: Provo, UT; K. Stowc/Windrider Wind Sports FERGUSON, iVrARK: Boulder, CO; K. Stowe/Winclrider Wind Sports INGLE, PAUL: Salt Lake City, UT; K. Stowe/Windrider Wind Sports Region 6 BRUCKNER, JORG: Tulsa, OK; M. Hair/Sport Wing of OK CLAIR, DAVID: Russellville, AR; D. Dunning/Central AR Min Pilots Region 7 ZUMBRUNNEN, MARK: Wilton, WI; R. Hauser/WOW Region& FISH, DAVID: New Bedford, MA; E. Stclzcl KOWALEWSKI, RICHARD: Burlington, VA; J. Nicolay/Morningside FP Region 9 AMBROSI, MARC: Lynchburg, VA; D. Chadwick BRISSON, THOMAS: Washington, DC; B. Chalmers/Lookout lv!ountain FP DESSENS, PETER: Cuyahoga Falls, OH; M. Delsignore/North Coast FINK, MARK: Gaithersburg, MD; W. Forrest/HG Sehl of N. VA FULKERSIN, JESSE: Bloomsburg, PA; D. Gearhart/Windwalker HG HROMNAK, GEORGE: State College, PA; R. Cobb/Wind Drifter HULL, DAVID: Adelphi, MD: G. Keoho/Kitty Hawk Kites NICHOLS, JERRY: Lexington, KY; B. Chalmers/Lookout Mtn FP VALK, DAN: Fayetteville, OH; J. Reynolds/Lookout Mountain FP Region 10 ADAMESCU, THOMAS: Nashville, TN; J. Reynolds/Lookout Mtn FP ARMOVIT, DA VE: West Palm Bch, FL; J. Reynolds/Lookout Mountain FP BALBONA, JOE: Orlando, FL; B. Chalmers/Lookout Mtn FP BROOKSHIRE, RUSSELL: Nocross, GA; B. Chalmers/Lookout Mountain FP DILLARD, ED: Birmingham, AL; M. Taber/Lookout Mountain FP DIRKZWAGER, MARTEN: Atlanta, GA; J. Reynolds/Lookout Mtn FP FORTANIER, E.E.: Atlanta, GA; J. Reynolds/Lookout Mountain FP HUSS, SCOTT: Huntsville, AL; B. Chalmers/Lookout Mtn FP KLEIN, DAVID: Cookeville, TN; B. Chalmers/Lookout Mtn FP lVIANGUM, RILEY: Pineville, NC; B. Burril/Ullralight Flying MCMINN, CAROL: Anniston, AL; J. Reynolds/Lookout Mountain FP MILLER, DOUG: Clyde, NC; J. Reynolds/Lookout Mountain FP NININGER, DAVID: Winston-Salem, NC; C. Thoreson/Lookout Mtn FP O'NEAL, lVlITCHI: Chatt, TN; C. Thoreson/Lookout Mountain FP PASCH, RONALD: Chattanooga, TN; J. Reynolds/Lookout Mtn FP RUTLEDGE, GORDON: C'sted, Vl; J. Reynolds/Lookout Mtn FP SAVIERO, ANTHONY: Del Ray Bch, FL; C. Thoreson/Lookout Mtn FP Sl'vlITH, MICHAEL: Miami, FL; J. Lazaro/Miami Hang Gliding WEBB, JOHN: Powder Springs, GA; J. Reynolds/Lookout Mountain FP WOODRUFF, BRADLEY: Decatur, GA; J. Reynolds/Lookout Mtn FP

HANG GLIDING

RATINGS

Region 11 ZOEIHSCH, OLIVER: San Antonio, TX; J. Hunt/Reel River Aircraft Region 12 FROCK, ,JAMES: APO, NY; G. Elhart/Nova Air HARRISON, WALTER: Lake George, NY; J. Reynolds/Lookout Mtn 1-'I' JULIO, JOHN: APO, AE; G. Elhart/Nova Air KEYES, ED: Tranquility, NJ; B. Urnstancl/Sky High MCMAHON, SCOTT: Lake George, NY; J. Reynolds/Lookout 1vltn FP SCHMIDT, PERCY: APO, NY; G. Elhart/Nova Air SU'dROTH, STEVEN: Edison, NJ; J. Ryan/HGC INTERivlEDIA TE RA TINGS PILOT: City, State; Instructor/School Region I GOCHENOUR, SARAH: Seattle, WA; L Linclerrnan HOSTLER, HERB: Portland, OR; D. Chadwick STEEL, JAMES: Tacoma. WA; J. Reynolds/Capital City HG

Region 2 FARRAR, ALEXANDER: Sacrarnento, CA; K. DeRussy/HG Ernporiurn HOPKINS, ALLEN: San Francisco, CJ\; P. Hystck/Chandellc HG MINOLLI, GREGG: Boulder Creek, CA; S. Gillingharn/Wcstcrn HG Region 3 BEAUDOIN, CHARLES: Los Osos, CJ\; T. Kurth/SLOSA CLARK, BUDDY: Granada Hills, CA; D. Quackenbush/True Flight HOOVER, BRIAN: Manhattan Bch, CA; T. Boyse/Winclsports Int'! LABIANCA, MARK: San Diego, CA; G. Lawless/Hang Gliding Ctr PEKIN, PATRICK: Monterey, CA; B. Christie/Pacific Airwave SPENCER, JEFFREY: Northridgc, CA; 1vl. Spinelli/True Flight TIERNEY, lVIlKE: Los Osos, CA; T. Kurth/SLOSA WARREN, RICHARD: Hawthorne, CA; D. Quackenbush/True Flight Region 4 CARBONETTI, DA VE: Almont, CO; J. Zeisct JONES, ZANN: Albuquerque, "IM; Chuck Woods/UP New Mexico KNOWLDEN, MARCUS: Tooele, UT; P. Voight/Fly High HG KOCH, AXEL: Tclluricle, CO; L. Chiarani NORMAN, GLENN: Albuquerque, NM; Chuck Woods/UP New l'vlexico TAYLOR, DAVID: Provo, UT; G. Pollock/Wasatch Wings YSTESUND, KEITH: Durango, CO; B. Thornpson/Desert Hang Gliders

Region 10 FORTIER, DANIEL: Miami Bch, FL; E. Stclzcl/Morningside FP GULLION, MARK: Gurley, AL; D. Murdoch/Rocket City Air Sports NICHOLAS, AMY: Cleveland, TN; C. Thoreson/Lookout Mtn Flight Park Region 12 GUDERIAN, BRUCE: Penfield, NY; C. Dcchow/Rochcstcr Area Flyers LYON, BROOKS: Canandaigua, NY; C. Dechow/Rochestcr Area Flyers

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Region 5 HINES, CRAIG: Billings, MT; P. Voight

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Part IV by Briggs Christie

Welcome back for the final leg of our little journey through historv. I hope you've enjoyed the ride. When we left last month, the topic of discussion was the scenic Big Sur.flying site in the ear!v days of hang gliding ... Steve: Pacific Valley is where I met Kenny Brown and most of the Flight Designs crew. Marty Alameda had asked me to come and work. I was starting that Monday and I went down to meet up with them on my way back from L.A. with Jim Shaw. I only knew Marty, I'd known him since '76 and this was '81. I show up there and here come these Lancers. I knew who Jean-Michel was and I knew who John La Torre was, because I' cl met them other places. I see them land, then it's like, "Barn," there's Phil Babcock. And there's this guy who does this 360 right into the ground! And it was Kenny Brown! I looked at these people and was asking, "Who brought these geeks'l" and I show up at the factory the next day and here they all are! Jean-Michel (trying to avoid any more Flight Designs stories that might include him in a more negative light): Another embarrassing one I had was a landing on a guy's roof. It was a typical thing on a standard: when the wind picks up, that's it. You run out of places to go. I remember glacier winds in the Alps get really strong, the cold air moving, rushing down the glaciers. It's a stable wind but really brisk. It's just very strong valley winds. Anyway, I'm coming up on landing, just setting up my approach and I realized the wind was strong and my glider at the time was a little too big. I was at about 500', right over the bull's-eye, and was just losing ground. Another five or six hundred feet Lo go and, "Oh, s-." The next thing you know, you're running out oflanding area backwards! There's a village coming! There's just no way around it, you know you're not gonna make the landing area, you passed it the wrong way! I can't peel out; there's nowhere to go and

I'm gonna have to land in the village. There was a big place with a flat tile roof, not much slope, a nice big roof. I remember just going for the bull's-eye, backwards, thinking, "That's the roof, the most comfortable roofI can pick." We're talking about making S-turns backwards! You' re trying to lose a little, making an approach, looking over your shoulder, landing it and breaking a downtube, unclipping and folding up the glider and calling for help because you can't get it off the roof by yourself! Help! Help! The farmer comes out,"What the hell are you doing up there?!" Steve: I landed on top of a car, which wouldn't have been so bad, but it was on top of the mountain and top of the car were four gliders! They were still in the bag. It was a great landing, didn't hurt the gliders, dicln 't hurt anything! I made my turn and overshot. There were a couple of gliders set up and I just said, "Oh well, I'll just go over here and land in the cars," and I landed on top of this one car with a bunch of gliders on it! At Tekoe, I once saw a guy take off and get blown back. There was an old dead snag tree and he went up and then came clown on top of this tree and grabbed the tree! The control bar was stuck between him and the tree and the glider was still flying! He's hanging onto this tree, his legs wrapped around it, his arms wrapped around it, and the gliderjust sat thereand he's like 50 feet in the air' (Steve is standing now, his legs wrapped around an imaginary tree and a look of horror in his eyes.) We're just wondering, "Well. whatareyougonnaclonow?" He finally realized that there was no way we could gel him and he just let it go and flew back and landed' Briggs (to Jim, who has managed to stay conspicuously quiet during the storytelling): Do you have one to add? Jim: An embarrassing story'l Briggs: Yeah. Jim: I've never done anything embarrassing' (The roar of profanity at this quickly forces HANG GLIDING

Mr. Johns to rethink his answer and he decides discretion is the better part of valor.) I landed flat on my back, pancaked upsideclown in the middle of Highway A I A once, back when the speed limit was still 70 1 Briggs: Didn't I hear something about bouncing off a cliff and flying away·) I don't think it was you that tolcl me ... Ji111 (with that "uh-oh, I'm busted" look on his face): Oh, yeah, I clicl that. Briggs: That wasn't embmi-assing, that was just entertaining, right'' Ji111 (deciding it's a story worth telling): It was bizarre! This was at Carpentcria, where Seagull used to test-fly, and they don't really have a beach there. There's one little place where the waves rush back out and I had gotten into the habit of launching on the dunes back east with both hands on the basetube, tightening up my harness straps ancl just punching off. That works real well on a dune, but not on a cliff and that's what this was, a cliff launch and a top landing. It was a borrowed glider and I went to rake off and had my hands on the basetube~almost no roll control. The right wing came up and the glider pinwheeled around to the left and I hit the cliff with the noseplate maybe IO feet down, bounced oil the noseplate, it was like Lee's story at the clump where he was pinned to the cliff and couldn't get his feet on the ground. Well, I bounced off and came out flying I I flew down and landed on the beach, one little stretch of rock. It was like there was an angel... Ste Pe: What about the scariest thing you've ever intentionally clone~ La/'/'y: That you lay down and think about at night and sweat beads break out... Briggs (probing jttsl a bit, but afraid this might be a story he can't print): I'm assuming you have an example in mind·) SteFe: When I quit working for Flight Designs, Bill Bennett gave me a Streak to go fly, so I went on a three-month trip. During the trip I spent some time with Greg Duhon in Sall Lake City and !'cl read about Dead Horse Point at ivloab, Utah. Jim: I've seen the pictures of it. StePe: 1 went there and, well, when they had the meet there they had a ramp. I go there and it says that if you're Master-rated you can fly there. Larry: That's where you've got to fall over the edge? Stei·e (nodding): \Vhen I got there I checked in, they saw I had a Master rating and they said, DECEMBER 1991

We're talking about making S-turns backwards [and landing on a roof]! You're trying to lose a little, making an approach, looking over your shoulder, landing it and breaking a downtube, unclipping and folding up the glider and calling for help, because you can't get it off the roof by yourself!" 11

"We don't get many people here to fly, but you've got the qualifications, so you can fly." I went out ancl the ramp was gone' There was no ramp and I went out to look at the launch, and what the launch was, was a flat-top, undercut 3,000' ... Jean-Michel (another veteran of this infamous launch): Instead of wire-launching someone by holding the nose wires, there's somehow a very weird rotor, because the wind would catch the back of the wing! You had to have a wire man holding the lower rear wires to hold you because the glider wanted to tuck under! Sre,·e: There were cycles coming through but there were calm spots. There were no other pilots there, but at that time I'd been flying a lot. I had a Jot of confidence and figured I cou Id pull it off. The best advice was not to try to run. Just hold the bar into your gut, inch up, hang your toes over the edge and fall over! And I did it 1 To this clay I don't know why I did it, I got off, got up and was so amazed ancl so pleased that I tlew for all of about 30 minutes, landed on top, put my glider on the car ancl I left Moab, Utah and have never been back since! Jean-klichel: Talking about Moab, you know the expression "breathtaking beauty"? It never really occurred to me that you could meet beauty that could actually take your breath away, I diclii't think it was possible. At lvloab, Utah, about five or six in the evening in the summertime. the sun was still fairly high and it was a sunset. a desert sunset.

Underneath Dead Horse Point is the Colorado River, snaking in between all those canyons, arches, everything. Anyway, I'd never seen a river at sunset changing colors. It's a huge expanse, because I was about 2,000' over takeoff, the panoramic view is incredible. It's painted colors. (Jean-Michel is nearly lost in the memory at this point, a rare moment in a conversation with this energetic man. Somehow when you spend so much time with a person of his intense drive, you forget that with that intensity comes an appreciation of beauty that carries the same energy.) The sunset would make the river change colors every few seconds; we're talking about blue, turquoise, red, ancl there's not a place on the horizon that doesn't take your breath away ... and itchanges ... you've looked there and then you look back and you go "Wow!" I'm not kidding you, it was not fear, it was not anxiety, it was just that I'd never seen anything so beautiful in my life and I don't think I ever will again. It was truly breathtaking beauty, it was unbelievably powerful. Larrr: You know, that's amazing. Where you come from, Chamonix, that place is beautiful and ... Jean-Michel: Yeah, but that was a whole different thing. Larr\' (breaking the trance that has taken us all over): If you're from Seaside. ei•ervthing looks better! Hell, I like Salinas! Steve: I think we ought to mention everybody's USHGA number and rating and when they got it. Briggs: Only because you got your Hang V back when I was ten years old! Steve: Well, I'm sure that everyone here got their Certificate from the Association, rigbt 0 I got mine and wondered if it meant that I didn't have to pay dues any more' Briggs: Okay, so what's your number? Steve: Uh, 12454. Larrr: My original one was 891. Jean-Michel: I had a proposal that never flew for one reason or another ancl I thought it made sense. The proposal was to motivate all members not to stop renewing their membership and the way it worked was that. when you joined the Association, you pay $50 a year or whatever, higher than what it currently is, then every year you drop two or three percent and, if you stop renewing one year ancl want to rejoin, you have to go back ancl start again. As you gain seniority you add knowledge ancl contribute to the sport and you should be acknowledged for that. and it would cost you less. It's a way to

keep you renewing because it's expensive if you don't and want to get back on again. It would be a nice thing for the veterans. (Author's note: sounds pretty good to me ... ) Steve: I also look at when we joined. It was $25 or $250 for life and I still kick myself for not doing that. Larr,·: They cliscontinuecl that. You know something? About that Certificate of Charter Membership, of all the things I've gotten in hang gliding, I really do value that ... deeply. The one that they just sent out-a Certificate of Appreciation. I'll tell you something, I was having a bad week and it made me feel good and it's very important to me, 1·er1· important to me. Steve: You didn't get a Certificate, JeanMichel? What's your USHGA number? Everybody who was under 20,000 got one, I think. Larry: Yeah, my new one is about l 8,000 because I clicln't stay in for a few years. Briggs (feeling young and somewhat out of place): God, mine's twice that. Lee: Better yet, let me have your credit card number. Jean-Michel (pulling his card from his wallet): Let's see, it's 24984. I joined the USHGA in February of '78. Steve (with his card out as well): You know, I don't have any Special Skills signed off? Jean-Michel: Hey, I'm number 13 in the French Federation! They sent me this thing in the mail, I didn't even know there was a French Federation. Obviously, some people in Paris put it together. I get this thing in the mail-I don't even know how they got my aclclressthat said, "Congratulations, you're now a member of the French Federation of Hang Gliding. Could you please attend the next ICP and prepare some questions for the cancliclates." In other words, I was automatically going to be an Examiner or something! I was still learning how to turn, you know? Crashing and burning left and right, but I had been flying for more than year and so now I was an Examiner! It was all a lot fun and it was great. Actually, I've got to tell you this story ... this is epic. Let me tell you what hang gliding used to be like, at least in France. It was at a ski resort in France, a new ski resort, the very first gathering of hang glider pilots in France-the first officially, anyway. The idea was to fine! criteria and questions and to start appointing the first instructors, kind of interviewing and examining the guys who were to become France's first hang gliding instructors. We were supposed to

"They sent me this thing in the mai( I didn't even know there was a French Federation ... I was automatically going to be an Examiner or something! I was still learning how to turn, you know? Crashing and burning left and right, but I had been flying for more than year and so now I was an Examiner!" be the ones to decide who, right? It was a place where-you'd been convinced until very recently that you were the only pilot in France-where you arrived and there are about 60 guys there, all flying hang gliders 1 First of all, it was heaven, you've died and gone to heaven. I mean, god, the knowledge! Unbelievable' There's a guy named Bernard Denise there. He was the salesman of the year, that guy, A French Legionnaire and the very first French hang glider manufacturer. He was it. He' cl started two months earlier! He arrived with a Mercedes Benz truck, a huge truck. He had l 50 airframes on the top of the truck. We're talking inch-and-a-half tubing on this Mercedes, I'm not kidding you, a pile of tubes! Here are Lhe cables in a bag, here is the control bar and here are the four tubes you need. He had I 50 frames on the roof, l 50 sails in the car' I'm not lying, on my mother's head he had 'em! In one weekend he had sold every single one of them from the back of his truck and he left with a pile of orders! He bought dinner in the nicest restaurant in town for all the guys present; he just renLecl this restaurant! I mean he bought dinner for the girlfriends, the boyfriends, everybody who was there was Bernard Denise's guest' Guess how he paid for the dinner? Briggs: With the money for the gliders! Jean-Michel: Bull! He went to the owner and said, "Have I got a deal for you!" And the guy thought, "You're on, buddy." He traded for

20 or 30 hang gliders, which I'm sure he promptly sold out. It was an unbelievable time. You're living in your own little Chamonix Valley, you see this crazy American two years ago and that· s the last you've seen a hang glider. You've been by yourself struggling, trying to find a means to sort it out on your own, and suddenly you're right there and it's exploding! There are people waiting in line like in Russia for bread, you know? But it's a hang glider! Get the checkbook! You·re going, "My Goel!" You're talking about an era when everybody was going to fly off a mountain! Everybody-girls, mothers, everybody-was going to buy a hang glider! It was unbelievable! Lan:r: There were a few years in the USHGA where there were something like 19,000 pilots, there used to be lots of people. Lee: When I was selling, I thought three gliders a week was a lot of gliders and I never saw probably 90% of those people after I sold it to 'em. They'd fly 'em once and put 'em away in their garage and that was it. Steve: They're still there! You see 'em in the Classifieds, ''Hang glider: $50." Briggs: Well, since all of you guys have been at this pushing 20 years ... Larry (pointing a very stern finger in my direction): That's right, buddy, next year makes 20. Briggs: With the perspective of where you started, what do you think of hang gliding as it goes into the 90's? As it's now 20 years old, what's your opinion of what the sport has become and where do you see it going in the next 20 years? Lany: I like it just like it's happening. It's a natural progression and everything' s fine. I wish gliders had been a little safer back in the old days. My goal in hang gliding is to become the last remaining Charter Member! There are only 872 left, right? Well, something like that, anyway. I'm gonna be the last one! Briggs (turning to Jim): The perspective of the owner of a business that depends on hang gliding lo survive and eat and sleep indoors ... do you see trends in the sport that you consider to be dangerous? After 20 years of flying, do you think it's been a healthy growth? Jim: Yeah, it's been a real healthy growth. It's been a healthy and exclusive growth; it's excluded a lot of what we used to be. Lee: Footloose and fancy free ... Jim: It's expensive. The pilots who are flying now are well trained and they're flying HANG GLIDING

good equipment, and I always tell everybody who works at my shop that I'd rather see 50 pilots who are spending $2,000 apiece than I 00 pilots who are spending $1,000 apiece because you 're getting higher quality and less traffic and I think that's a healthy trend. Even though there aren't as many members in the USHGA ... whoeversaicl that quantity was good'? Quantity is 1101 good when you're clown the ridge with 20 other guys ... your quantity is 1101 good! As Car as the progression is concerned, I think it's great. My personal goal is to become a recreational pilot 1 Briggs (laughing): l like it! I want to go from you to Jean-Michel because it once again involves itself heavily in the business. This is a business-the hang gliding industry itselfyou're hoping will put your children through college. You're a home owner and have a family; you've got to see some of where it's been and where it's going. Do you think where it's come has been healthy and where it's going is continuing lo be healthy'' Jean-!vlichel: Well. I think-and I hate to generalize-the kine! of people attracted to hang gliding and the kind of people who stick with hang gliding, the demands of the sport...you know, you don't pick up hang gliding the way you clo roller skating or winclsurfing ... the kind of people, our average customer, no matter what rating he has, is just a very amazing individual. You want lo spend the time to get to know the guy's life story outside of hang gliding.

The guy is usually a prelly fascinating person-there are a lot of very fascinating people in hang gliding and I like the kind of people who tly hang gliders. I don't think that I can say the same thing about other sports like skiing or other sports that allract a great number of people. As far as where the sport comes from and what it could have done, the only thing I regret a little bit is our inability-and I put the blame as much on myself as the rest of ·em-is the loss or a lot of fantastic talent that, as an industry, we were unable to keep. I'm talking about the guys like Gary Vallee, who could have brought hang gliding a level of technology, a level or engineering, that took two or three years to get to on our own. Ultimately, eventually, we got there, but we could have been there sooner with the help of engineers like him. There are people like Bob Keeler Crom the Seagull era. Here's a group of people who tried to make a living at hang gliding, gave a tremenDECEMBER 1991

I like the people who are involved [in hang gliding]. The people I work with and fly with and deal with on a professional level in [commercial] aviation, I don't associate with them and I have no desire to. Very few of them would even consider 'recreational' flying. It's just a job." 11

...

dous amount to hang gliding, and unfortunately life got serious for them and hang gliding, as an industry, was unable to provide them with a source of income to match what they were entitled to. You know, they got married, they had kids, they had to go 011. We've lost a great number of very valuable people who could have really made the sport even better than it is. As far as where I see it going-it's inreresting. I wish I could tell you that I have a clear vision of where hang gliding is going .. .! had a far clearer vision six or seven years ago. (Okay, okay, we're not missing the reference either. Settle clown and pay attention.) I'm a bit more fuzzy about where it's going. Performance increases and advancements are getting increasingly small; we are unable to find new thresholds without drastically complicating the engineering process and designing little sailplanes, which already exist. The paragliding issue kind of takes hang gliding clown an entirely different path. quite different from what T personally direct myself toward. I think hang gliding is going to undergo some interesting developments over the next few years, but I' 111 afraid I don't know clearly where it's going. Briggs (with just a little mischief): That would take some of the fun out of it anyway ... Jean-Michel: Ten years ago, twelve years ago, if you had told me one clay I' cl have kids, be married and send my kids through college out of hang gliding I would have laughed in your face! Life got serious, I got married, I have to feed my kids and it made sense that I would get out and

do it on the side or something. I'm amazed and really pleased that it's safe to say, after the last few years, that I will be sending my kids to college out of what I've managed to make in hang gliding. I can now see that hang gliding has managed to stabilize itself to the point where it is an ··industry," as unspeakable as it may sound to some people. It's the people we can afford and the wages that we can give those people that will eventually, hopefully, keep them in the industry. Briggs (speaking to Steve): As a professional in an aviation industry other than hang gliding, as somebody who answers to the FAA on a daily basis and flies sailplanes, motorgliders, airplanes ... your view of the sport is going to be from another perspective, I would imagine. Slel'e: First of all, I' 111 amazed I survived the first six years, and now l feel as though hang gliders are probably the safest aircraft that I fly, with the possible exception of the Beechcraft Kingair. Really, I don't like flying single engine airplanes. I had to fly a single engine airplane tonight and I clicln 't enjoy it. It was just like I was flying ten years ago .. .! can land at this airport, I can land at that airport, from available crash zone to available crash zone 1 I agree with Jean-Michel, I like the people who are involved. The people I work with and fly with and deal with on a professional level in aviation, I don't associate with them and I have no desire to. Very few of them would even consider "recreational" flying. lt's just a job. l like looking clown, I love my office \'iew, but hang gliding is still my first love and I always go back to it. Something that I'm sure will make JeanMichel happy is that I enjoy, I like it, when I write my name on the keel as a test pilot, knowing that somebody's going to get this glider and that it's flying correctly' I don't know ... more than the Charter Membership, I like the idea that somebody trusts me to evaluate a glider and I don't feel right about signing that glider unless I reel it's flying as well as it can. l enjoy that process. Lany: l don't know that you know this, but, when anybody has any questions about tuning a glider they talk to you ... you're the authority on tuning these gliders. Steve: I enjoy doing that, because, obviously he (pointing at Jean-Michel) cloesn 't pay me enough to make it worthwhile. (Jean-Michel looks suitably wounded.) If I didn't enjoy doing it, I wouldn ·t do it 1 As far as where hang gliding's going. I don't

know and I don't care. I enjoy it...if it doesn't progress anymore, if our performance doesn't get any better, if the hang gliders don't get any better, that's okay. Larry (agreeing emphatically): It's fun! I still enjoy it! Jean-Michel: Let the world be aware that, as of tonight, Steve Brockman got a raise from a dollar a glider to a dollar-fifty a glider! So there! (There's a general collapse at that and, as it winds down, we all realize that we've had an awful lot of fun with this interview. There's a general muttering of "gee, this went well" and "I can't wait to see this in the mag.") Briggs: One more perspective before I run out of tape. Lee, you' re a test pilot as well, but... Steve: He owns a glider. Briggs: Yeah, but he got a deal on it. Jean-Michel : He used to be a test pilot until he owned a glider. .. Briggs (waving the banter to a halt.. .temporarily): Your perspective is more of the customer, the recreational pilot. You were a dealer back in the days of Free Flight, but most of these guys, well, this is their job, whether it be in airplanes, hang gliders or whatever. This question goes for you as well, Larry, and you can bounce it off each other until we run out of tape. As a customer, as somebody who is purchasing a hang glider and flying it for the fun of it, what do you think the sport's going to continue to do and do you like the trends you see? Where do you think the sport has come to and where do you think it's going to go? Lee: I think hang gliding itself has evolved as the meld of two things: one art and the other the technical aspect. It's really a craft in a lot of ways because we're dealing with a flex-wing aircraft, and each time you build one there's a "personality" that's influencing its construction. It's a crafted item that is constantly changing over its age, and to have the reliability over two or three years of technical expertise built into this thing is really amazing. The space we've covered in the last 20 years, the art and craft and technical aspects of hang gliding, have really come far. As JeanMichel says, they've reached a pinnacle and having read the history of flight, especially relating to sailplanes, we're in the same stage where sailplanes were in their "mature infancy." We will at some point be able to reach another plateau and that may not be a hang glider as we know it. It may only encompass a smaller group of people than we have now. Hopefully there will still be manufacturers

"I think hang gliding itself has evolved as the meld of two things: one art and the other the technical aspect. It's really a craft in a lot of ways, because we' re dealing with a flex-wing aircraft, and each time you build one there's a 'personality' that's influencing its construction."

as we see them now, but there may be only one that manufactures the "ultimate" sailplane, the ultimate for the next plateau. Briggs: Something like the Swift, going off into a new area of thinking. Larn· (unable to sit still and listen any longer): I want to tell you about the Swift and the Odyssey and those things ... they're really high performance, they're nice, but I really would like to take my average hang glider, my flex wing, and I'll go out to a hill and work just as hard as those guys do at staying up ... they may cover more ground and get much longer flights, but I'm still going to put in the same effort on that same flight and I'm happy with that! Jean-Michel: You know, on a technological level, what's so unique about hang gliding .. .I don't think there's another recreational product that, like hang gliding, can't be duplicated twice. I mean, you can pick up IS pairs of skis of the same model and no expert can find a difference between one pair and another. I don't see any sailor who can take five of the same model and truly be able to tell a difference. I don't know, maybe I'm wrong, but you take five Cessna 152's and they'll all fly the same, whatever you wish to compare. ( A smile ancl a noel from Steve confirms this thought.) For the last I 8 years I've been building hang gliders, designing hang gliders, and we're getting increasingly good, far from perfect but increasingly better at duplicating precisely what we are attempting to clo ... no two gliders truly fly

the same! It's unbelievable, there's something truly alive, truly unique about a hang glider. Sailplanes .. .I'm sure Schweizer will make two sailplanes and, if they're good at what they're doing, as good as we are or far better, those planes will fly the same. Like each human being has a different personality, two kids in the same family will have their own behavior, and somehow there's something .. .I don't want to sound cosmic or mystic or something ... there's something very much alive in the behavior of each hang glider. Briggs: Well, when you buy a sailboat, you don't care if it's been "test sailed," do you? Ji111 (a long-time sailor defending his second love): I think there's a lot of science in it, and the same tuning and sail cut goes into a boat. Jean-Michel (another avid sailor and a new entry into the world of high performance sail design for the water): Oh, I fully agree with you. It goes for skiing and any other sport. I'm saying that I can fly five hang gliders and there are differences ... Ji111: The sport of hang gliding is such that there are never two clays exactly the same. I can honestly get on the same glider three clays in a row and it'll feel like a different glider every time. Briggs: But that's part of the magic of it isn't it? Jean-Michel: Oh absolutely! It's what gets me out of bed in the morning, the idea that the thing that I do is so alive! I think we can all agree that hang gliders make us all feel more alive and that's one of the reasons that we're here. An audible click issued from the recorder at that point, signaling the encl of what had turned out to be one heck of an evening of history for me. I hope it's been an enjoyable one for you as well. Many of you who have read this series may be heartened by the fact that you weren't the only one making those mistakes back then, while others may be a bit upset by the apparent disregard for safety ancl common sense that is part of these stories. If you're part of the latter group, don't worry. All of these pilots grew as the sport did, learning and maturing as hang gliding gained its following and its responsibility. Thanks to pilots like these, we "new" pilots need never tell stories of fear and loathing like the ones you've read in the last few months. We owe them, and all of the pilots like them, our gratitude and a pat on the back for being part of the birth and growth of our favorite pastime. • HANG GLIDING

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HANG GLIDING 101

Hang Gliding Ailments Their Symptoms, Prevention and Cure © 1991 by G.W. Meadows L1ere are definilely more diseases in the sport of hang gliding than the average pilot realizes. Some of these ailments arc very serious and even life threatening, however most of them have results that are less than deadly. Let's look at a few of these problems and see how many of them apply to us.

AIDS Aviation Induced Divorce Syndrome. Many pilots throughout the country are either currently, or have in the past, been affected by this painful problem. This syndrome usually results from a series of past indiscretions (going flying too much). The symptoms are very pronounced (loudly by the spouse) bul usually go unchecked by the average pilot. The syndrome starts simply enoughusually as a misunderstanding of distribution of affection. After this disease has been contracted its symptoms will usually worsen significantly, completely unnoticed by the pilot. When the pilot finally does start to notice the problem in its latter stages, it's usually as a nagging pain on the weekends. From this poinl on the problem will persist relentlessly, until the most painful slage of the syndrome. This final stage of the syndrome is when you wake up one morning and realize that the nagging pain is no longer with you. Congratulations to some, condolences to most.

CSF Cloud SLreet Fever. This sickness is usually contracted by the select few pilots who happen to live and/or work near their local flying site. The symptoms normally begin around mid-morning Lo noon. Many times

this sickness is confirmed by a telephone call either placed or received by the pilot affected. Beware: this sickness has been known to be communicable through telephone lines. The best combatant for this disease is a small office with no windows, used in conjunction with a packed lunch. Looking upward, either out of doors or through windows, has been known to cause recurrences of this disease. There is no cure, however, the timely afternoon off from work will usually alleviate the symptoms for an unspecified period of time. Note: The symptoms will return!

a thermal snooper, map holder, CB radio, hook knife, windspeed indicator, hand fairings, and wheels-all on one basetube. What a mess! This disease is completely curable and should be avoided. The complications of such an illness can be widespread and include many unforeseen problems. Fly only with the items you need. and place them in appropriate, non-cluttering places. Now we get to the real reason I'm writing this article.

INTERMEDIATE SYNDROME EXCEITIS (x'c eye tis) This is a disease that other pilots are aware of well before the affected pilot. The symptoms are very straightforward. The affected pilot is completely unable to land his hang glider in the designated LZ. Usually this disease occurs shortly after the pilot's first crosscountry flight and may last the pilot's entire flying career. Side effects of this disease are angry drivers, bent downtubes and crosscountry records. This is a bittersweet ailment and the pilot can enjoy a normal flying life if he knows how to temper this disease.

CGF Control Bar Gadget Fungus. Earlier this year, al a sile in central Virginia, l saw this disease in iLs most advanced stages. The unfortunate pilol to whom I'm referring had fallen prey to the dreaded "more-is-better, right?" syndrome. This poor soul had his entire control bar so full of electronic, pneumatic, mechanical and printed clutter that I had to wonder if this disease had affected his ultimate joy of flight. There were two varios, two altimeters,

Intermediate syndrome is a very real problem that has killed many pilots in Lheir prime. I disguised the meat of this article so that hopefully more people would read it. If I had titled it "Intermediate Syndrome: It Could Happen To You!" many of you would have passed right over it. And those are the pilots who need to read it the most. Intermediate syndrome is not as bad if you realize you have it. The most dangerous part of intermediate syndrome is denial. No matter who you are, please read the remainder of this article. It may save your life. Intermediate syndrome occurs when a pilot thinks he's got this flying thing wired, because he has no problem with the mechanical part of flying a hang glider. Heck, he can even get as high as Lhe hot-shot pilots and hang right in there while thermaling with them. He has complete control of the glider during all phases of his flying. His launches are good, he's proud of his landing approaches and that spare downtube he bought with his glider is gathering dust. This pilot has falsely lulled himself into the feeling that HAi\G 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! he's different from other intermediate pilots, and that he understands more of this flying stuff than his instructor or friends think he does. What this pilot doesn't understand is that there are things that are going to happen to him in the short term and long term that he's not going to be prepared for. The only thing that can prepare him for these future challenges is lots of experience in the type of air and under the proper circumstances that he should be flying in. If you add to this equation a glider that is just a bit over the pilot's head, then you have the potential for disaster. Gliders have beginner, intermediate and high-performance designations for a reason. Buying a high-performance glider as your first wing is a stupid thing to do. Even pilots who have flown on their instructors' beginning equip111ent for many mountain flights are not ready for all the side-effects associated with a high aspect, high nose angle super fast blade wing, no matter how easily it lands. Sure, this pilot will get by on many flights with completely uneventful airLi111e. He will even start getting into cross-country flying, however, the first ti111e this pilot either sets up his landing downwind, or misjudges the landing field on his cross-country flight, or finds himself on final into a barbed wire fence, that glider and/or his lack of experience in this type of situation is going to have the potential to kill him. A glider that is suitable for this pilot's ability will allo\\" him to get by with many or the 111istakes that he (and all pilots) 111akc.

Listen to your instructor and the more experienced pilots in your area. All that precautionary mumbo jumbo stuff that they are always talking about does apply to you. Ask for their opinions-then take their advice I Don't conveniently ignore the advice you don't want to take. Discuss the things you don't understand or you think doesn't apply to you. A good instructor will be able to make you understand why you should or shouldn't do certain things i/your mind is not closed to what he's saying. Buy the glider that your instructor recommends to you. If you don't agree, get a second opinion from another reputable professional in the sport.

HOW TO RECOGNIZE THAT YOU HA VE INTERMEDIATE SYNDROME First. you've already dismissed parts of this article as not applying to you. Also, every now and then you realize that there are some very basic things that you do not have a complete understanding of. These could be anything from rules of the ridge to proper

thermaling etiquette. You can never know too much about hang gliding or any form of aviation for that matter. Much of what you need to know cannot be deduced from books or articles. Do not be afraid to ask your instructor any question, no matter how basic or complex you feel it is. Another sign of intermediate syndrome is that after just a few dozen mountain flights on your entry-level glider you feel that you' re ready to move up to a more advanced wing. I recommend that you put at least four different seasons of flying on your current glider before you move up. Your whole flying career is out there in front of you (as long as you live to enjoy it). If you've already moved up to a higher performing wing than you should be flying, then by all means, temper your flying activities to your own ability and experience, and not your glider's ability and potential. We can all live a very long time in this sport. Just take it one flight at a time. Live to fly tomorrow. •

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HOW TO A VOID INTERMEDIATE SYNDROJWE It's difficult 1 Realize that no 111atter how skilled you are in the mechanical areas ( launching, flying, thermaling. landing) or hang gliding, you just do not have the experience of the senior pilots at your site. DECEMBER 1991

Response To

"Towing Study Guide" by Larry Keegan W e are presenting this in-depth debate in the interest of inspiring thought about towing technique and safety. At 011e point this summer, two out of three fatalities for the year were towing related. As a non-tow pilot, it is disturbi11g to me that there is so much disagree111e11t in the towing co1111nu11ity about such basics as weak link strength. Hopefully we can learn from the experience of others and eventually establish some universal standards. Larry Keegan is the owner of TBT, a company that manufacfllres towing systemsfor hang gliders a11d paragliders. He has been flying for 13 years a11d towi11g for five years. Please refer to the articles on page 36 of the November issue a11d page 48 of the October issue.-Ed. I am far from an expert on towing, but thought any difference of opinion might be of some value since there is not, as of yet, a definitive book on all aspects of towing. In fact, the lack of consensus is quite amazing. One example: While at the last Big Spring, Texas fly-in, a group of over IO tow pilots began discussing and testing weak links, and it seemed that no one could come to an agreement on the safest size line or type of knot that should be used. It is difficult to take all the possibilities into account. If you feel that I have missed anything, please respond. Question #1. I completely agree. However, few agree on where the release line should be attached: the pilot's wrist or the harness. I personally prefer the wrist so I do not have to reach for it in an emergency. Others feel that the release, when hooked to the harness, reduces the chance of an automatic release at low altitude when making strong corrections, or when the glider pitches up severely. This is a very good point, especially when you look at the last three fatalities caused by a possible automatic release. Question #2. Ideally you should always have a person to watch the pilot, but for that matter, we

should also have a full wire crew on a windy cliff launch. We all take chances in everyday life. Our safety depends on whether we make the right choices when evaluating the possibilities and comparing these to our priorities. I personally clo not feel I have compromised my safety to any great degree by towing without a spotter, though I do prefer one. I also prefer the driver controlling both the hydraulics and the vehicle speed. Towing is achieved through an interplay between these two factors; they are directly related to each other and should not be separated. If the spool stops playing out, is it because the driver slowed down or because the person working the brake increased pressure? Or is it simply because the pilot flew into some strong sink? At least with one individual working the system you can be sure of the cause. Some individuals have expressed the belief that driving the vehicle and controlling the hydraulics is too much for one individual to handle. Out of all the systems I have seen so far only one has had a spotter control the hydraulics, and this was the first system we used here in San Antonio before we decided it was a lot easier forthe driver to control it. Though towing can be accomplished safely either way, I believe it is more efficient to have one individual managing these two factors. I would like to make it clear that I would never advise anyone to fly without a spotter, especially a beginner, but I feel we must be honest. I do not know any experienced tow pilots who are not going to fly simply because they do not have a spotter. I commend those of you who would not. I believe the spotter is limited in his ability to help the pilot in the event of a release failure during a lockout. A spotter does, however, have an opportunity to help in case there are any problems before release has occurred. Refer to my answer on question number 15 for more on spotters. Question #3. Agree. Question #4. I agree that pushing out slightly might give a better climb rate, but I do not agree

that this is a safe way to tow, especially at lower altitudes. I think a relaxed but slight bar pressure in is safer. Question #5. As for towing being more dangerous than foot launch, I understand Brad's reasoning, but feel much safer on my tow vehicle releasing at flying speed than standing on the edge of a cliff and trying to run fast enough to reach flying speed. The hill has some inherent dangers that do not exist in towing. I personally have seen several blown cliff launches-people stalling into the side of the hill or cliff because of a wind gradient or strong turbulence, and people blown over the back into rotors when the wind suddenly increased. Because lockouts have become a fairly rare occurrence, clue to center-of-mass towing, reliable releases and the payout drag reels which reduce tow pressures, the hazard I feel is of greatest concern in towing is when you run into strong turbulence right after launch, and get disconnected from the tow line. But strong turbulence at low altitude is hazardous on a hill or on the tow road. I agree that there is a small potential for accidents due to mechanical failure of the winch and release, but remember that a tow system is basically a spool with an automobile or motorcycle brake. These brakes are incredibly reliable and failures are virtually nonexistent as long as the hydraulic system is well maintained, as with any automobile. As for the release, I believe these also have shown incredible reliability. A hook knife just gives an added bit of security. As for human error, this problem exists with both modes of launch, from the pilot, tow driver or wire launch crew. In towing, however, the problem of not hooking in does not exist. Question #6. I agree that the glider does not fly the same under tow, but I do not agree on the reason for oscillating. I fine! that, because of adverse yaw and the high angle of attack caused HAl\G GLIDING

NOTE: The views expressed in this article are not necessarily endorsed by

the USHGA, the USHGA Towing Committee or this publication, but are presented to further discussion on towing safety. by the glider being dragged through the air at its center of gravity, once yaw or roll has begun to the right or left, it is more difficult to stop. A large correction is required to get the glider to reverse the yaw, but once it does, it quickly overshoots a central position because of the large initial input. (Read Jerry Forburger's article "Crooked Tight and Low" in the Sept. 1990 issue.) The pilot quickly finds himself using another large input which then overshoots straight tlight again. I remember my first instructor explaining to me how you must center your body in the control bar before the turn is completed to prevent overshooting yom turn. I believe this effect is accentuated in towing because of the way the glider is dragged through the air at its center of gravity. Question #7. Agree. Question #8. I disagree that the weak link is the major safety consideration. Two pilots have died in the last two years possibly as a result of not staying on the tow line when at a low altitude. If a weak link rated to break near normal tow pressures breaks at a low altitude when the glider yaws severely or is forced into a high angle of attack by a strong thermal, it can put the pilot in a very dangerous situation. Many pilots believe, me included, that the purpose of the weak link is to prevent structural failure, not lockouts. If the tow pressures are normal, even a low-rated weak link should not break dming a lockout. thus defeating its purpose. I think the weak link is an important safety factor in towing, but the preflight checklist for the glider, tow system and beginning the tow arc the most important considerations. I am surprised Brad would not agree since he feels the reason towing is not as safe as root launching is because of human error and mechanical failure. Jerry Forburger gave a seminar after Eric Aasletten ·s death in Hobbs. New Mexico about the importance of staying on the tow line. If Eric's weak link had failed instead of the release from the tow line, whether accidental or pilot activated, I believe the encl result would have been the same. I do think a pilot should be prepared to get off line to prevent a lockout if the glider yaws past 90° or if the pilot just doesn't feel comfortable with the tow and can release safely. If the pilot has checked his equipment the release should not fail-not to say that it won't-which would be synonymous with DECEMllER 1991

having a skydiver's backup fail. Having an undersized weak link that might break during a severe yaw or high angle of attack at low altitudes would, I believe, invite a much greater hazard. Question #9. I strongly disagree with this answer about trying to break the weak link. I also have seen similar occurrences but with a much safer solution. I keep wondering what would have happened if the weak link had not broken. You might say that this is a good argument for using a weak link that breaks near normal tow pressures, but this still means the pilot must create a force, opposite to the direction oftlight, of approximately 200 pounds. Scares me too. If the pilot has adequate altitude, which is questionable in this situation. he can circle the truck while losing altitude until the line can be cut, or the pilot can pull the line in close enough to release by hand. If the pilot does not have enough altitude he can fly in a straight line, pulling line out during flight until it can be cut or possibly even landing. No, I do not like the idea or landing while dragging line across the ground either, but I prefer the lesseroftwo evils. In one instance, the pilot pulled his release at the encl ot'tow and immediately began flying back to the beginning of the tow road. completely unaware that his release had failed. The line started paying out just fine until a pair of wire cutters could be found to cut the line. The pilot did notice a slight mushy feeling to the glider but that was all. Still, the best solution is to have a hook knife at both ends of the tow line and to test your equipment before flying. Question #10. Agree, but use a safety on the nose line if you attempt releasing a tied-down glider without a pilot, and be careful not to accelerate after release. Questions #11-13. Agree. Question #14. I am not experienced in footlaunched towing. Question #15. I disagree. Because of my answer to #8 I personally would not want a spotter to make this kind of decision for me. If a glider has begun a severe yaw or has nosed up sharply, and the spotter drops all of the pressure or cuts the line. I beliew he could cause the death of the pi lot. Imagine yourse 1f at a bad angle at a low altitude. you're staying on line and relying on it

to pull you out of this bad spot, and suddenly there is no pressure and the glider enters a severe stall at a low altitude. You would still be wondering what happened with the tow rig as you impacted the earth. I would prefer making my own decision as to when an irreversible lockout has occurred, and release fully aware of the flying capabilities of the glider. After all, I am the one flying the glider. Let's say the release fails instead. Then, yes, I would want to be cut away, but I feel the timing and the inability of the spotter to determine that a release failure has occurred undermines his ability to help you in such a situation. I would much rather rely on my release than rely on a spotter who could cause me severe bodily harm if he cut my line before it was necessary. I know that release failures can occur, but I personally have yet to see one fail where the line couldn't be separated without a slight tug on the rope. Short of the release line breaking, which it should not if properly checked, or the pilot forgetting to put the line on his wrist and being unable to retrieve it, a release that has been properly tested under pressure should work fine. I believe the chances of the spotter getting nervous and releasing you prematurely far outweighs the chances of your release failing. Question #16. I have no experience in step towing. Question #17. This is a difficult question to answer. as I feel both winch payout and the position of the pilot relative to the truck are both extremely important factors in evaluating a tow. A pilot can be down low relati\'e to the truck with the line paying out like mad or not at all. Each situation would require a different response depending on vehicle speed, wind speed and the brake pressure. If the line is paying out fast and the pilot is clown low. it could be because the brake pressure is a little low !'or this particular pilot, glider and surface winds, indicating a need for a small increase in pressure and slight reduction in speed. If the pilot is low and the spool is not paying out, this could be caused by either a strong sink cycle or low truck speed, which in either case would require an increase in truck speed assuming the tow pressures arc normal. I believe both of the situations described above point out the need for having the driver control winch pressures. However, I would caution that in either situation winch pressures should remain fairly constant. allowing surface

winds and vertical air velocity to be the main factor in determining vehicle speed. Higher tows can be achieved with variations in tow pressure, but I would not recommend such practices to beginners. I do, however, recommend slightly less brake pressure upon release to allow for quick clearance of the truck or trailer followed by an immediate increase to normal pressures. Question #18. I do not see this situation as impending doom for ATC riders. Just stop rewinding the line. If the line is on the ground the bike will rnn over it without incident; I have seen it happen. If the brake is applied this will only decrease the line tension, not increase it. Remember the tension of a line being rewound before or after it falls comes from the rewind speed. Definitely do not speed up as this will increase line tension. Question #19. Agree. I personally prefer dropping the line for rewind, but I must add that we

are fortunate in this area in that we have no obstructions to inhibit pulling the line in across the ground. If you do, I would also suggest using a ram-air chute for retrieval. However, I would not suggest using a round chute. All of the individuals to whom I have talked have commented on the difficulties of using a round chute. Almost all tow operators have been using a wood block for line retrieval for years with no significant ill effects that I know of. I believe this method has proven itself to be relatively safe, but the potential for rope burns is present. Question #20. I disagree for reasons stated in question #8. Once again, I believe that the fact that the spool under normal tow pressures should pay out preventing even a low-rated weak link from failing defeats its purpose. And once again I believe the possibilities of it breaking during a difficult moment, when it is essential that the pilot stay on line, significantly outweighs any reason for using a low-rated weak link. I personally prefer a weak link rated to approxi-

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not the case here. Also, if the glider is approaching flying speed, anywhere from 20 to 30 miles per hour. the glider will fly fine upon release. assuming the truck is still accelerating an extra five miles per hour after launch. which it should under normal conditions. I see no reason to abort tow in such a situation. In all such situations that I have witnessed the pilot was able lo release without incident and continue the tow. I am also curious why the pilot should have to reach for the nose release. What would happen if the pilot could not get hold of the release~ I prefer having my wrist resting on lhe control bar with my hand firmly grasping the release to prevent losing the line if the glider does begin to lift. whether from crosswinds, turbulence or too high a nose angle. !V!ost pilots, however, prefer having one finger around the release ring and their thumbs over the control bar, which I personally think could possibly cause an accidental release if the vehicle hits a bump and dislodges the control bar well before flying speed is reached. These pilots are concerned about not having their hands on the control bar at the moment of release when using my method. but I have films showing that your hand is back on the control bar almost before the glider begins lifting off the trnck. Compare this transition to foot launching where both hands musl move from the downtubes to the basetube right after launch. Question #22. I disagree. First. try not to tow on bumpy roads if at all possible. The most impor-

tant factor is, where will the basetube come to rest if it does fall out of the moun(1 If on a truck and the tube falls behind the mount, one side of the basetube will probably fall all the way down to the tailgate, in which case the wing may possibly drag on the ground. If the tube falls in front of the mount. which is usually the case, I assume. because the nose line is angled toward the front of the truck thus pulling the glider forward, the wing wire will rest on the side of the truck bed. preventing the wing from striking the ground. In either case I believe the best solution is to pull all the way forward and grab onto anything available. Remember that a glider with the nose down results in the wing tips rising up even if the glider does roll to one side. As for a trailer, I agree that the higher you are the safer you are. but the mounts can be easily placed higher on a platform. One individual I know has his mounts over five feet high. Also. the mounts can be placed on a platform that will allow the basetube to drop only a few inches if it does fall out of the mount, thus preventing the glider from rolling significantly to one side. I have been using a trailer for four years. The tailer I use now has mounts 21 inches above the ground. I have noticed no difference between weak link breaks from this altitude as compared to the full-sized truck we used before, with mounts 50 inches off the ground. I do not think one or two feet is going to make any difference. Also, the mounts on my trailer are only two inches above the trailer bed, so the glider cannot drop the control bar far

enough to drag a wing. If the wing lifts because it is reaching flying speed, the pilot simply releases before the opposite wing even gets near the ground. There is always the possibility of strong crosswinds or dust devils lifting one wing before flying speed is reached. Whether on a truck, trailer or even a cliff this is a very dangerous situation. I also do not think a two-foot difference in mount height was going to help me enough in such a situation to warrant building a platform. However, if I were teaching I probably would have done so. Question #23. Agree. Question #24. I agree. but this depends on the extent of the yaw. Be prepared to make a strong correction at all times to prevent a lockout. Question #25-29. No experience with paraglidcrs. Question #30. Agree. I am sure Brad Lindsay is a very safe lowing instructor. The fact that I have disagreed with him on several points means nothing more than that we disagree. Neither one of use will be correct on all accounts. The more information available the better off we will be. However. poor information can cause harm. If you feel I have made any significant errors please respond.•

DISCOVER TROPICAL SKIES with SAFARI SKY TOURS now

its

fourth

season!

December and January: El Pen.on del Diablo, Valle de Bravo, Mexico February and March: Lake Atitlan, Panajachel, Guatemala Includes: *7 Days of flying *Gliders from Pacific Airwave (Vision Mark IV, Formula and K2) *Hotel accomodations *Guide Service *and much more ... $695 (U.S.) plus Airfare (add $100 for Christmas and Easter weeks) References proudly provided Make your reservations now by contacting Welcome Aboard Travel in Reno, NV, Phone: (702) 828-4000 Fax (702) 828-4110

USA

THE ADVENTURE BEGINS WHEN YOU LAND! DECEMBER 1991

CLASSIFIEDS ADVISORY Used hang gliders should always be disass~mblccl before flying for the first time and inspected carefully for fatigued, bent or dented downtubes, ruined bushings, bent bolts (especially the heart bolt), re-used Nyloc nuts. loose thimbles, frayed or rusted cables, tangs with noncircular holes, nnd on Rogallos, sails badly torn or torn loose from their anchor points front and back on the keel and leading edges. Ifin doubt, many hang gliding businesses will be happy to give an objective opinion on the condition of equipment you bring them to inspect. Buyers should select

leading edge, with unique asymrnctricnl yellow on pilot's left and pink on right. with deep blue panel under both sides. Moving-sacrifice at $2,400. Call Cindy at (714) 540-1099. HP AT 158 - Flown two seasons. excellent condition. SJ.995. (619) 286-5604. HP AT 158 - Bcamiful. New condition, IO flights. S3.500. HP II- good condition, ne\'er damaged. Sl.100 (919) 7682507.

equipment that is appropriate for their skill Jeyel or rating, New pilots should seek professional instruction from a USHGA-certified school,

K2 l SS - Mint condition, competition ready. Call for specifics. $2,700 will not last. (619) 450-9008.

ROGALLOS

KISS-Great condition. first SI ,250gets it. (714) 542-7444.

A NEW GLIDER - $900 Sharp custom colors. Not flown due to weight range (up to 170 lbs. hooked-in). Pro-Air 140 (similar to Mark IV design) (714) 680-4033 So. Cal.

MAGIC KISS - 1990, full race. good condition. S 1.800. (616) 469- 4332 eves., (219) 255-3169 clays.

ASG 23 - Spare parts & spare sail, sail pattern. S5UO Ed (714) 962- 0606.

NEW GLIDERS - !lest prices' Pacific Airwave, Wills Wing. Sceclwings. Delta. Silver Wings (703) 533-3244. NEW -

AXIS 15 - Excellent condition. 3 hours, options. custom sail, harness, chute, helmet. Litek vario. $2,200 OBO Eel (714) 962- 0606.

Super Sport 153, $3,200. t.209) 874-1795 CA.

SENSOR B-C KIT (805) 649- 9400.

Good condition. S 1.000 or best offer.

WANTED 240 DREAM - In good shape. For sale. 180 Super Lancer. (805) 541-1275 COLORADO HANG GLIDING (303) 278-9566 24 hours Region !V's oldest, largest. full time shop. D.O.T. helmets (colors') ................. $58-$129 Used harnesses... .. .. 575-$500 Varios (demo's, all brands) ............ S75-S500 Never used chulcs (all sizes). each inspected repacked, w/new bridle and bag ..... $265 Equipment I00'/c Guaranteed/Major Credit Cards Magic Kiss ..... <5 hrs .......... $2,200 Vision Mk IV 19 ............ <S hrs .......... $2,000 Excel 160 ........................ <7 hrs ........... S 1,400 Vision Eclipse 19 ........... <30 hrs ........ SJ,100 Lt. Dream 205 ......... .. .... $800 Gemini 164 ....... <15 hrs ........ $800 Vision Espirit 17 ....... <40 hrs ......... S6SO Comet I l 65 .................... <20 hrs ......... $500 Phoenix 61) ....... <15 hrs. ... $500 All equipment 100'7r guarantee. inspected and shipped anywhere. Colorado Hang Gliding (303) 278-9566 24 hrs. THE HANG GLIDING CENTER

AXIS 15 521-8734.

Excellent condition, 50 hours. Sl,200. (801)

AXIS 15 - FR. blue/white, 30 hours. Excellent condition. S 1,500. (805) 986-3936. BRAND NEW- Pacific Airwave MK IV 19, never flown. $2,400 OBO. (615) 675-5360 Ask for Jim LaBorde. BRAND NEW - 199 l 165 Spectrum Plus. Includes 2 extra faired clowntubes, safety wheels, parts kit, owners manual. W.W. hat, tax and shipping tube-Only $2.900. Save $883.85 The Hang Gliding Connection (916) 241-6974. COMET lll 185 -Custom. new. Jess than l O hours airtime. SJ.800 (714J 674-1211. DOUBLE VISION -Five flights, $2,000. Duck 160-$450. Javelin 208- $300. (50 I) 227-4920. DOVES WANTED - Electra Flyer, Doves A. B or C. wanted by instructor for school use. Any condition. Raven Sky Sports (708) 360-0700. DREAMS IN STOCK -All sizes, including l45's. :'vtany other used gliders available. Raven Sky Sports (708) 3600700. DUCK 160 San Diego.

Red/yellow. spccclbar. S600 (619) 569-0870

ENTERPRISE WINGS FOIL COMBAT 152-C - Verv good condition. $2,400. Sensor 510-B, 3/4 race, $1.000. (919) 385-9075. GEMINI 134 - Low airtime, almost new. W.W. harness. w/ parachute, Bell helmet. $800 Sharon (213) 764-635 l daytime. (213) 548-0683 evenings. GEMINI 164 - Rainbow colors. excellent beginner glider. Just serviced, great shape. with harness and helmet. S775. Maxine (818) 896-0924 eves. GENESIS 138 -Purple and pink. excellent condition. low hours. S800 OBO. Dave (714 J 858-9773. HANG GLIDER- 160 Streak, rainbo\\' color. Great conditioo. best offer. Call John (619) 436-6897.

SENSOR 510-C EASY RACER - Maeenta Surf L.E., gold top wedge, magenta undersurface, while T.E. Less than 50 hours airtime. Clean sail, good handling & performance. SI, 700. ALUMINIZED UV PROTECTIVE X-C BAG in new condition. for Sensor, 560. Call Ion, evenings (303) 4403579. SENSOR C - Low hours, excellent condition. Must sellcheap! (612) 735-9130. SENSOR 510-E- Full race, $2,200. (907) 694-4032. SENSOR 510-E-3/4 race. pink/white. low hours. excellent condition. S 1,500. Call TJ (407) 298-4396. SENSOR 5!0-E - Great condition. custom sail. $2,150 OBO. High Energy pod, like new, custom features, $210. (505) 984-1998 eves. SKYHA WK 188- <4 hours airtime. Crisp, mint condition. Weight range 155-230 lbs. SJ,200 OBO. David (406) 5869336 SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA USED GLIDER REFERJUL - IlUY-SELL-CONSIGN, ALL IIUKES, MODELS, CALL TODAY (619) 450-1894 OR (619) 450-9008, SPORT 150 AT - Short control bar, 3/4 race. White LE, magenrn & dnyglo yellow custom snilwork. Great for the smaller pilot' Excellent condition, $2,250 (619) 444-8956 Sandy. SPORT 150-Excellent shape, race cloth, 63" clt's. Only 10 hours airtime. A steal at SJ.600. Call (619) 450-9008 now. SPORT 167 EURO - Full race. spccdbar, excellent condition. Sl.400. (419) 589-4174 Ohio. SPORT 167 - <30 minutes airtime. Purchased 4/4/89. Weight range 140-240 lbs. Spcedbar, 1/2 race sail. custom colors. extra clowntubes. Sl.900. David (406) 586-9336 SPORT 167 I USA) -- Red, white. blue. Flies nice. S900. High Energy cocoon w/chute $200. (916) 246-5642. SPORT 167 - I 989, \'Cry good condition, 30 hours. S 1,200 work (406) 252-9218, home (406) 245-6090.

GOLDEN WINGS I I 03 Washington A \'enue. Golden. CO 8040 l TOLL FREE ORDER PHONE 1-800-677-4449 or (303) 278-7181 Mystic 177 VG Exe. cond ......... S!,300 Vision 19 (used) (Exe. concl.) .... SI ,800 Several Spo1 l 167 ...... .. S 1800 - S2.200 HP AT. Demo ........... .. $2,800 Many other good used gliders ... $450-SIOOO WINTER CLEARANCE SALE NEW HANG GLIDERS IN STOCK UPTRX-140& l60 ............... ca11S4300 Moyes XS-142/155/169 ......... $3495 Pac Air K2 145 .................. $3500 DEMOS 160TRX ....... 140 TRX, very low time 154 formula ......

... <50 hrs ...... $3800 ..$4100 . <40 .......... $2400

PARAGLJDERS IN STOCK UP Stellars w/lrnrness ....... new ..... $2600 & up Pro Design Challengers ......... new ..... $2600 & up Hilite m\ . ~ ......... new ..... $2600 & up 2-Katana 22 .... . ........ used ... S2200 Katana 25 . .... .. . .......... used .... $2400 Corvette 22 & 25 . . ........... used .... S 1500 Excaliber 33 cell w/harncss ... used .... $1500 Aini me of San Francisco, 3620 \Vawomi. 941 16 (415) 759-1177

STREAK 160 - Excellent condition. Harness, parachute. vario. Must sell, all S800. (714) 974-5981 So. Cal.

HARRIER 1-17 - <30 hours airtime. Brand new Mylar for leading edge. Perfect for snrnlL entry level pilots. \Veight range 110-210 lbs. $900 0130. David 1406> 586-9336.

TRX -New in April. low hours. $2.750 (717) 476-6645.

HP AT 145 - November· 89 model. Low air time. just had sail pulled for annual in~pection. New lower wire~. Deep blue

L:P AXIS 15 -Custom. 25 hours. SJ.650 Scott (602) 4828993 Phoenix.

Axis 15 FR ·39. .. ... good shape ... $1200 OBO I 50 Sport AT ................... excel I.shape .. S2.400 167 Sport AT...... .. ... S2.400 .. in stock ........ New Magic Formula, Magic K2 145 .... .. ... New Magic Kiss . .. ........... like new ........ S 1,950 & S 1.800 .. ....... in stock ......... New HP AT. Vision lvtK IV. . in stock ......... New Vision MK IV 17/19 ..... used ............. $1,200 Equalizers, used s/m . .. .......... S425 4206-K Sorrento Valley Bl\'d., San Diego, CA 92121. \Ve have instruments and parachutes in stock. (619)450-9008. '''Special travel incentives on some glider purchases.

HANG GLIDING

CLASSIFIEDS UP OVER NEW MEXICO, INC 15051821-8544 HP AT 145, 1991 Excellent Condition, low hours $3000_ __ S 1200_ Dream 240, less than 10 flights 185 --__ $[01)0_ 165 ------------__ SlllllO_ Skyhawk 188, Excellent Condition ____ $[200_ Raven 179_ Good Condition ------- _______ S 500_ EMERGENCY PARACHUTES ALL BRANDS - Bought. sold_ and repacked_ Inspection and repack S20.00 - Parachutes. bridles. in'.->pectcd and replaced_ Airtime of San Francisco, 3620 Wawona_ San Francisco. CA 941 [6_ (415) SKY- 1177_ BRA'-lD NEW -

22 Gore, H_E_ S295 1714) 654-8559_

NEVER USED CHUTES' - 100'7r satisfaction guaranteed_ S265 each. All sizes, new bridle_ deployment bag, repacked/ inspected_ 1303) 278- 9566_ PARACHUTES - Never deployed_ 85 UP and 87 Delta Wing_ S200 each_ I 805) 985-1940_ PARAGLIDERS JUSTRA STRATOS - 25_ 27 1112 Class land Class II-Ill paragliclcrs. Glider & harness & rescr\'c S 1.950. Dealer inquires invited_ Call JOE BOSTIK (7 l 4) 432-86]6 or 2855 Pinecreek Dr. #l-'304. Co.sea ~lesa CA 92626_ PARAGLIDING IN PARADISE - Alpine paragliding in Crested Bulle, CO, 24 flying sites_ LZ @ 9.000+ MSL I No \Virnps!. Videos S32.56. shipping included. Peak Performance Paraglidcrs, P.O. Box 213, Crested Butte. CO 8122-L Steve (303) 349-5961, Rusty (J03) 349- 6384_ WILLS, up-s_ ETC -S795 + up_ Instruction_ equipment. southern California and European tours (714) 65---1--8559.

WANTED CASH PAID - We buy used equipment. Paid immediately_ I 303 J ]78- 9566_ WANTED-RAVEN 229 - Good shape_ Eric Hempstead, Bo, 87, Taos Ski Valley NM. 87525_ \V ANTED- Used hang gliding equipment. Gliders, instrumenls. harnesses and parachute~. Airtime of San Francisco. 3620 Wawona. San Francisco, CA 9-ll [6_ (415) SKY-1177_

ROCKET CITY AIR SPORTS - Certified instruction, ~ales. se1Yice, glider rentals. Great thermal site with plenty or ridge for soaring and a 30 acre flat LZ for beginner pilots. Send S 1.00 for broch11re. directions, accommodations, etc. to 106 South Side Square, Huntsville AL 35801. (.:>05) 5336605 or (205) 776-9995_ Livlf<P - Two hours from Birmingham (sec our ad under Tennessee_ l I .\l)-l) 398-354 l.

SKYWORLD PARAPLANES - Orlando_ Solo in a powered parachute after one hour instruction. Sales. service. (.\07) 351-4510_

CI-IANDELLE SAN f'RANC!SCO, INC. - Since l 973, complete hang gliding and paragliding sales service and instruction. Dealers for \.\'ills \Ying, Pacific Airwave. Delta \Ving. Seed wings, UP, High energy. Center of Gravity. Ball. BRS, Second Chantz, !TV_ Firebird, Edel and more' Northern California's mo.,a complete repair facility. including 7th class rigger's machine. New and used equipment, spare part~. and demos. Complete training, including introductory lessons, packages. clinics, ground school and lanc\em. Fi,·c minutes from Ft. Funston. -l-88 Manor Plaza. Pacifica. CA 9404.\_ {.\[5) 359- 6800_

ARIZONA ADVENTURE SPORTS TOURS - Certified instruction utilizing the world's first man-made training hill plu" other sites which all face c\·cry wind direction. Dealer for Pacific Airwave_ Wills Wing, Ball and High Energy, l 327 E_ Bell De Mar Dr., Tempe_ AZ 85283 1602) 897-7 l 2 l. DESERT HANG GLIDERS - USHGA Certified School. Supine specialists_ 4319 \V_ Larkspur, Glendale, AZ 85304_ 1602) 938- 9550_

COMPACT WINGS PARAGLIDING - Wills Wings, UP and others_ APA & USHGA Class II instruction_ Gr;at flying year-round. Southern California and European tours. Located at best paragliding site (Soboba)_ (714) 654-8559 H1\NGGLIDER EMPORIUM- The besttraining hill in the west is in Santa Barbara, a hang gliding VACATION PARADISE. High quality PERSONALIZED instruction rocusing on the skills that most affect yum SAFETY_ Call for vacation info and glider inventory_ Tues_- Fri_ 10-5, Sat_ Ill-.\_ 613 N_ Milpas, Santa Barbara, California 93l()J (805) 965-3733_

ARKANSAS SAIL WINGS HANG GLIDING - Specializing in towing ks,ons. sales and service. Pacific Airwave, Enterprise \Vings. P_O_ Box 321, Atkins, AR 72823_ !501) 227-4920_ LET'S GO TOWING! CALIFORNIA

ULTRALIGHTS

AIRTIME UNLIMITED-Southland Hano GlidinQ School. Pacific Airwave gliders in stock. Tandem i,;o;tructio'n. ATOL towing_ l2 I 20Scvern Way. Riverside. CA 92503 i 7 l.\) ?J-l0622

ALABAi\IA

RIGID \VINGS FLEDGE III E.T. - New sail. flown once_ Contact Steve Lantz. (7021 831-J.\72_

AIRTli\lE OF SAN FRANCISCO - Hang Gliding & Paragliding_ USHGA & APA Certified Instruction, Sales, Service, Rental. - Pac. Air, UP, \Vills, Sensor, High Energy, Mantis_ Second Chantz, H_R,S-, Pro Design, Apco Hilite, 1.T.V_, Edel, Skywalker and MORE' Large selection of 2nd hand gear (buy & sell}. Next to Fort Funston. 3620 \Vawona, San Francisco, CA 941 [6_ {-\[5) SKY-1177_

ACTION SOARING CENTER - In Lodi near Stockton_ Personalized USHGA certified instruction. sales and sen·ice. Emphasis on special skills and techniques. T_O_ and L_ Call lo demo XS. EZ. \VB. Ask about tow clinic. 1689 Armstrong Road_ Lodi_ CA 95242 12091 3689665_

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

,--------------------------------------, USHGA CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING ORDER FORM 50 cents per word, $5.00 minimum. 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_ (phone numbers-2 words, p_Q_ Box-1 word) photos-$25_00 line art logos-$15_00 Deadline-20th of the month, six weeks before the cover date of the issue in which you want your ad to appear (i.e., June 20 for the August issue). Prepayment required unless account established. No cancellations and no refunds will be allowed on any advertising after deadline_ Ad insertions FAXed or made by telephone must be charged to a credit card. $2-00 credit card charge. Please enter my classified ad as follows:

Number of words: _ _ _ _ _ @ .50 = Number of words: _ _ _ _ _ @ 1_00 =

Number of Months: Section (please circle) Rogallos Emergency Chutes Parts & Accessories Business & Employment Miscellaneous

Towing Wanted Schools and Dealers Ultralights Rigid Wings Publications & Organizations Paragliders

Begin with 19 issue and run for consecutive issue(s)_ My check O, money order 0, is enclosed in the amount of $ NAME: ADDRESS: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __

I I I I I

I I I I I I

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

L--------------------------------------~ DECEMBER 1991

CLASSIFIEDS COLORADO

INDIANA

COLORADO CLOUDBASE - Guided tours. drivers. videos, accessories. (719) 630-7042 PO Box 16934, Colorado Springs CO 80935.

JJ MITCHEL -

COLORADO HANG GLIDING/PARAGLIDING - !st USHGA certified school in U.S.A. Region's largest and oldest. Operating full time since 1972. (303) 278-9566.

KENTUCKIANA SOARING Mike Kelley, 3023 McArthur Dr., Jeffersonville. IN 47130 (812) 288-7111 (eves.) See ad under parts & accessories.

EAGLE'S NEST SCHOOL HANG GLIDING/ PARAGLIDING - USHGA & APA certified instruction. Sales and service. P.O. Box 25985. Colorado Springs. CO 80936 (7191 594-0498.

HIGH ADVENTURE- Full service facility located on site at Southern California's famous mile high mountains, Crestline. From sand hill lo XC thermal flying. our 20 tandem accelerated training program is quick and thorough. Instructor Rob ivlcKenzic. Dozens of new and used gliders for sale or rent. Other services

include, weather information, mountain shuttle, towing semi-

GOLDEN WINGS -- Sales, service. USHGA certified instruction. Tandem Towing Instruction. Dealers for \Vills \Ying. Pacific Airwave. UP. 1103 \Vashington A,·enue. Golden. CO 8040 I. (303) 278-7 l 8 I. LID ENTERPRISES -Sail and harness repair - Equipment manufacLuring - Towing supplies - 5000 Butte# 183, Boulder. CO 80301 (303) 440- 3579.

USHGA certified instructor. PacAir and UP dealer. 6741 Columbia Ave., Hammond, IN 46324 (219) 845-2856 (219) 762-5365.

MICHIGAN GREAT LAKES HANG GLIDING. INC.- USHGA certified instructors. Dealers for ivloyes gliders, new & used equipment. Located near Warren dunes (616) 465-5859. PRO HANG GLIDERS - USHGA instruction since 1978. advanced inslnu:tor. examiner, observer, safety is# I. Towing specialists since 1978. Nlaintain and enhance your basic skills. We still fool launch. All brands sold and serviced. Contact Norman Lesnow. 569 W. Annabelle. Hazel Park, Ml 48030. (313) 399-9433 Home of the Stormin' Norman windsock, $39.95.

nars. XC trips, repairs, ratings (714) 883-8488. THE HANG GLIDING CENTER - Located in beautirul San Diego. USHGA instruction, equipment rentals, local flying tours. Spend your winter vacation flying wilh us. \Ve proudly offer Wills Wing, Pacific Ai1wave, High Energy. Ball and we need your used cquipmcnl. 4206-K Sorrento Valley Blvd .. San Diego. CA 92121 (619) 450-9008.

PEAK PElffORMANCE PARAGLIDING SCHOOL Paragliding instruction/equipment snles, videos S32.50. shipping included. PO Box 213. Crested Butte, CO 81224. (303) 3.J9-5961

MINNESOTA SPORT SOARING CENTER/MINNEAPOLIS - Instruction, equipment dealers for Pacific Airwave, UP & Wills Wing. (612) 557-004-1

CONNECTICUT NEVADA MOUNTAl'-1 WINGS -Look under New York.

MISSION SOARING CENTER -Serving the flying community since 1973. Complete lesson program with special attention to quality takeoff and landing skills. All major brands of gliders, parachules and instruments sold. Sail repair

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 \Vay. Carson City, NV 89706 (702) 883-7070.

FLORIDA

and air frame service available. 11 16 \Vriglcy \Vay, 1\:Iilpitas. CA 95035. (.J08) 262-1055.

NEW JERSEY PERFORi\lANCE DESIGN PARAGLIDING SCHOOL - Excalibur, Edel, UP, and many more. APA & uSHGA certified instructors. \Vorld wide tours, accessories. Call for free catalog. (714) 697-4466. 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 Clifllrnnger Cafe. Certified Training program fc:lturing tandem soiring lessons. New, used, rental and demo equipment by Delta \Ying and UP. 2800 Torrey Pines Scenic Drive. La Jolla, CA 92037 (619).)52-3202. TRUE f'LIGHT CONCEPTS - USHGA Certiried Instruction, Sales & Service. Become a better pilot in less time with our smal\ personalized classes & tandem instruction. Our head instructor has over 12 years teaching experience. Only minutes from our local Kagel ivlountain flying site. I J 185 Gladstone Ave .. Sylmar, CA 91342. (818) 367-6050. ULTRAl'L!GHT HANG GLIDING Wills Wine. Seedwings. ivfoyes, High Energy and more. Servicing Lake McClure area. (209) 874-1795 Waterford, CA. WINDGYPSY - USHGA Certified school specializing in personalized tandem flight !raining. Full service sales & repair facility in Lake Elsinore - call for site info. \Viele range of new & used gliders & flight accessories in stock. Paul Burns, 33041 Walls St., Lake Elsinore. CA 92530 Phone (714J 678-5418: FAX (714) 678- 5425. WINDSPORTS SOARING CENTER - Los Angeles largest and most complete school since 197-l. \Ve spcc;alize in personalized tandem instruction, sales anti repair. Spend your winter vacation flying with us! 16145 Victory Blvd .. Van Nuys, CA 91406 (818) 988-0111.

"Professionals You Can Trust!H

MOUNTAIN WINGS -

Look under New York.

NEW MEXICO MIAMI HANG GLIDING, INC. - has the most advanced Lraining program known to hang gliding today. Certified instructors specialized in personalized tandem flight training. Full service nnd sales of pnrts for all gliders, makes and models. l'or more information call (305) 573-8978 or (305) 962-6968. LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN PLIGHT PARK-Sec ad under Tennessee. (404) 398- 35.JI. GEORGIA LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN FLIGHT PARK under Tennessee. (404) 398-3541.

See our ad

SEQUATCHIE VALLEY SOARING SUPPLY our ad under Tennessee

See

UP OVER NEW MEXICO - Instruction, sales, service. Sandia J\,Jountain guides. \Vills, Seedwings, Pacific Airwave. Delta, Moyes. Albuquerque, NM (505) 821-8544. NEW YORK AAA MOUNTAIN WINGS HANG GLIDING CENTER AND FLIGHT PARK - Now offering PARAGLIDING instruction and sales. Base of ELLENVILLE MTN. four exclusive lraining hills. Area's only dealer for Pacific Airwave, UP, Seedwings and Delta \Ving with demos in stock. \Ve are the largcsl, most complete H.G. accessory and repair shop of its kind in the country. :'v1any new and used gliders in stock. R/C supplies and kits, Ultra Pod camera systems. VISA and MASTERCARD accepted. Stop in and get your !light pass and gate combo. 150 Canal St., Ellenville, NY 12428 (914) 647-3377. In N.E. 1-800-525- 7850.

IDAHO TREASUI,E VALLEY HANG GLIDING- USHGA CFI, ser\'ice/sales. Pacific Airwave, UP, American \Vinclwright. La Mouette. 11716 Fairview. Boise, ID 83704. (208) 3767914. ILLINOIS RA VEN SKY SPORTS HANG GLIDING AND PARAGLIDING - Largest and most popular in the :'>,,fidwest. Traditional curriculum, rid2:c sonrim.!, mountain clin\Cs. tandem by Brad Kushner. Sales/scrviZc!accessories for all major brands. 300 N. Green Bay Rd., Waukegan, IL 60085 (708) 360-0700.

FLY HIGH HANG GLIDING. INC. - Serl'ing S. New York, Connecticut, Jersey areas (Ellenville i'vltn.). Area's EXCLUSIVE Wills Wing dealer/specialist. Also all other major brands, accessories. Cc11ified school/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. 40 acre park, 5 training hills,jeep rides, bunk house, camping, hot showers, 600' N\V ridge. \Ve have the besl facilities in N. New Yark state to teach you how to tly. RD 2, Box 348A. Cooperstown, NY 13326. (315) 866- 6153.

HANG GLIDING

CLASSIFIEDS THERMAL UP. INC. - Most complete hang gliding shop in area. Located on lop oC Ellen\'ille Mountain. USHGA Certified lnslructor and ObseIYer. Conccntratin!! on hang 11:lidin!I inslruction wiLh emphasis on launching a~1d landi~1i Lech~ niques. Dealer for all major brands. Offering expert sales and service with lowest price in area. Large mail order invt:ntory. Tom Aguero, P.O. Box 3'17. Cragsmour, NY 12-!20. t91-l) 647-3-189.

SEQUATCHIE VALLEY SOARING SUPPLY - Certified, two place flight instruc1ion and first mountain flights are our spcciallies. Rentals. storage and rmings available. Dealers for all major brands. Located in the ··Hang Gliding Capital of the Ea'.'.t°·. For personal, professional service you can trust. call SYS, RT 2 Box 80. Dunlap. TN 37327. (615) 9-19-2301

NORTH CAROLINA

AUSTIN AIR SPORTS - Still the one in central Texas. quali1y service \incc 1978. Instruction, sales, rental. and a complete airframe & sail repair facility. 1712 \VaLerston, Austin. TX 78703 (512)-l7-l- 1669.

COROLLA rLIGHT - America· s most experienced tandem flight instructor, Leachc~ utilizing ATOL and Double Vision. Call or write for information Grc2: De\Volf, Corolla Flight. PO I-lox 1021. Kitty Hawk NC 279J9_ t919J26l-6166 KITTY HAWK KlTES. lNC.-P.0. Box 1839, Naes Head. NC 27959 (919) 441--ll 2-l. Learn to lrnM glide on Jocke\'·s Ridge. the largest sand dune on the cast ~<.;asL just sou1J{ where the \Vright Brothers· first !light took place. Beginner and ad\'anced le~son packages and camps offered. A.dranccd tandem tow instructio11. I 500 fl. plus up. Dealer for all major brand gliders. complete in\'entory of new and L\'.'.Cd gliders. acce~sorics and parts.

OHIO i\lAIUO i\lANZO-SKYWARD ENTERPRISES-Certified instruction. inspection. repair. CG- I000. Dayton and Chillicothe. OH t5 IJ) 256- 3888 twkd. c1 c,. I

TEXAS

HIGH QUALITY HEL.\IETS -At lower prices. Exceeds 1988 DOT standards. S58, colors $8.00 extra. For nearest dealer. t303J 278-9566.

KITE ENTERPRISES-Instruction. sales. repairs, platform towine. Dalla,. North Texas area. 211 Ellis, Allen. TX 75002 t2 l-l) 7706 daytime. t 21-l) 727-3588 nights and weekends. Dealer Pacific Airwa\'c.

996-

RRA=RED RIVER AlRCRA!-T \Ve specialize in turning s1ude111s into pi lob. Dealer \Vills \Ving and Pacific Airwave. t 512 )-l6 7-2529 Jeff Hunt. -!81 I Red River. Austin TX 78751 UTAH WASATCH WINGS - t;SHGA certified hang gliding school. dtakrs for \Vills \VinQ. \-loves and Pacific :\i~·wav:;. Flight operations at Point of th:: ~·tmintain. Call Gordon (80 I J 277-10-!2. VIRGINIA

NORTH COAST HANG GLID1NG-Ce1 tificd ln,truction. New & used glider'.'.. Specializing in Pacific .-\irwa\'C glider'.'.. Mike Del Sienore. 1916 \V. 75th St.. Clc1eland. OH. -l-l102 (216)631-11-l-l.

GLIDER i\lARKING INTERNATIONAL - Creates a state-of-the-art advertising medium by applying names and logos on hang gliders, parachutes, paragliders, sails. etc. P.O. Box-151. Glen Cove, NY 11542 (516) 676-7599.

SIL VER WINGS. Inc. Certified instruction and equipment sales. (703) 533-1965.

IIIGH QUALITY HELi\lET - al an affordable price. D.O.T. \Veil finished brushed nylon liner with high strenglh polycarbonate shell. ONLY S55.00 + S-l.00 S/H. Great fur schools. Dealer inquiries ll'elcomc. GOLDEN WINGS. 1103 Washington Avenue. Golden. CO 80-lOI. t303) 27X 7181 or TOLL FREE l-800-677--1449.

PARTS & ACCESSORIES OREGON SOCTHERN OREGON HANG GLIDING - I-lest trainine sites with camping. Gliders and studenlS rctriL"\'Cd with AT\/. Tm11.k111 instruction with Pacific Airwa\'e Double Vision t 50.,) 862-2922. PENNSYLVANIA MOUNTAIN TOP RECREATION -Certified in,trnction. Pittsburgh. t-!12) 697--l-l77. C'i\lON OUT AND PLAY! MOUNTAIN WINGS -

Look under New York.

TENNESSEE CRYSTAL AIR SPORT MOTEL - at Raccoon Mountain. Pri\·atc. regular. waterbeds & jacua.i moms. ,,·/carport...,. Flier'.', bunkhouse & \nul program. Pool. gift s;Jrnp. \'ic.lco. Ncarbv. hanQ £lidin.!-! :-.imulator & lli!:!ht trainin~ & touri'>t attractions. li-=-1. Senti SI .OU. -1-328 Cun;milH!}, J--h~, .. Chattanooga. TN 37419. t615) 821-25-!6 HAWK AlRSPORTS - New and imprm"Cll hang gliding' Atten1ion Nm·ice and hel!inncrs! New 360 def!1\~(' trainirn~ hill de~igncd and built sl1ecifically for you. Com·enienLI) located. Fun! Fun! Fun~ Clinch ;v[tn. - The lon2:c~t ric.l!!c. two launche.'i. The popular light wind indicator \\/indsok. Brochure:-. a\'ailablc. Your ~ati~faction is the key to ourcnntinucd growth and succt'\'i. Hawk Air Sports. Inc" P.O. Box 90.56. Kno"·ille. TN 379-l0-0056. (615) -!53-1035. LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN fLIGllT PARK - Since 197X. Southeast's lm!:!est USHGA-certificd mountain lli2:lllschool. Complete training, from grassy. gently-sloping tr;ining hilb tn soaring high abon~ Lookout :vtountain. Our '.',pcciahy gelling you your first mountain flights. Lt''.'.'iUll package'.',. L:SHGA rating.:.. glider and mmmiain bike rentals. camping. local site information. Lan!cst im-enton or new and u~cd ban!! !:!lider~ and mou111ain bikes;. h<.H"nc:-.~cs. helmets. instrumc1;t;. T-shins. Repair sc1Yiccs. \\'e buy u:-.cd glider:-.. equipment! Send S 1.00 for brochure. rates. directions. accommodations information. Twcnt \' minute:-. from Chattanooua. Tcnnes:-.ee. Roule 2. Box~ I S~H. DepL. I IG. Ri...,ing Fawn. GA 30738. [-!0-l) 39X-35-ll or 398-3-l33

DECEMBER 1991

TllE r.\MOUS "LAMRIE LID" - Acrodvnamic hane glider helmet. S85 poslpaid. Full race ,·er~ioi~. S 120. Stat~ size and Lhree choices or color. 8160 \Voods;bmo. Anaheim. CA. 92807 (71-1) 779-1877.

AfFORDARLE l'ULL PACE PROTECTION' Great ,·isibility! Streng1h. quality construction. comforL! Lightweight carbon/Kevlar mix! Scalp/chin bar \'Cntilation. Visrnf-.ide padding remm·able to increase wind sound! D.0.T. and Snell apprm·ed! i\·luch greatt'r impact '.'.trcngth than D.0.T. standard! Doe~ ymir helmet carry an appro\'cd strength rating? Send mca:-.urcment around !he largest part of your head. Only S207 (white). \Vhite. rec.1. blue graphics-acid SD. Cr\ order~ add .OS25 '.'.ales tax. Promo1ions Unlimi1ed. 8181 ~·li...,'>ion Gorge Road. Suite l. San Diego CA 92120-1600. BELL SOARING 1-IELillETS plus;. For nearest dcalcr.1303) 27X-9566.

White. blue. red. S132

C-\'-:'TTOUCH THIS -Sa1·e Smail order-weekly specials. i\L\XON SP50006ch. programmcclS309 .. \/OX S69. HAi\! RADIOS, YAESU Fl" -ll IE S319 .. .\'10D S3U .. ICOi\I :>SAT S3 I 9. il!OD S-10. Dealer for Ball. BRS. Hieh Enern\'. Safcwhecls. V i\litt'.'.. Raymund. Second Chant1. t~1\\' rnp;·11 -!" poly '.,,25 per I 000'. Send S.A.S.E. for sale flyer or call Kentuckiana Soarinr. 3023 McArthur Dr. Jeffer~on,·ille IN -!7130 t812) 288-71 ..11 Call, returned collect.

PARAGLIDING EQU!Pi\!ENT FOR SALE - A complete line or equipment and accessorie~ a\·ailablc. \Vhate,·er yourncetb. from Alpine dcscenh to ocean. thermal. and ridge soaring. we luwe it. Videos. S.32.50. '.'..>hipping included. PEAK PERFORMANCE PARAGLIDERS l"IC., P.O. Box 213, Crested Butte, CO, 8122-1. Tel/Fax 1303) 3-19-

5961.

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

CLASSIFIEDS ULTRAPOD CAMERAS Infrared remote S 179., Thermitts, designed for comfort bar S39. (714) 654-8559.

PARA-SWIVEL - DON'T LEA VE THE GROUND WITHOUT ONE! $84.00 + $4.IHJ S/H. Available as an option by Free flight, High Energy. BRS, Second Chantz. Dealer inquiries welcome. GOLDEN WINGS, l 103 Washington Avenue, Golden, CO 80401 (303) 278-7181 1-800677-4449.

--.,_~--

SYSTEK II VARIOi\lETER- Designed for thermal nying. Hang glider and paraglider pilots. Perfect for entry level pilots. Adjustable audio set-point, mount included, other options. Affordable SJ 85. Systems Technology Inc. PO Box 7203. KnoHillc. TN 37921 (615) 531-8045. XCR - Possibly the simplest and lightest composite fiber oxygen system on the market. A,·ailablc in 140 and 480 liter refillable cylinders. Systems come complete. including Oxymizer. The XCR 2-10 is just S4 74.95. and the XCR 480 is S494.95. (S 15 S/1-1). OXYMIZER-The Oxymizercannula' s unique reservoir design accumulates the corllinuous flow of oxygen normally wasted <luring exhalation, sa\'ing up to 669c over the stnndard cannula (in most cases). The Oxymizer works with many other supplemen1al oxygen systems. Only S16.95 ($3 S/H). Mountain High Equipment & Supply Co .. 516 12th ;\\'e .. Salt Lake city_ UT 84103. (801) 364-4171 ivfajor credit cnrds accepted. Ask about our SportsOxygcn

sys1ems. BUSINESS AND EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES Gel fr1st rc'.'iponse and 1hc Litck sound. in the most wgged variometeravailable. The E model is now ONLY $189direct (VISA. MC, AMEXJ Ball clamp not incl. Free brochure. LITEK (503) 479- 6633, 4326 l'ish Hatchery Road. Grants Pass OR 97527. QUICK RELEASECARABINER-$49.95. Extra ball lock pin, $29.00. 10.000 lbs., dealers welcome, patent pending. Thermal 19431-41 Business Center Drive. Nortluidee. CA 91324. (818) 701-7983. ~

HG & PG INSTRUCTORS WANTED - Will train. S65S I OD/clay. Send experience. PO Box 1423, Golden CO, 80402.

SKY-TALKER II

MOUNTAIN WINGS - ls looking for advanced hang gliding and paragliding instructors. Salaries negotiable. Full and part-time positions available. i\•lnnagcr position available-requires knowledge of computer systems. Call Greg or Judy at (914) 647-3377. Send resume to 150 Canal St., Ellenville. NY 12428.

The Sky-Talker II is a high performance '.2 meter Flvi antenna designed to be mounled inside your glider! Once installed. it automatically sets up and breaks down with the glider, you do nothing. This anlenna is shipped pre-tuned and ready to install. It will definitely oul perform any rubber duck or telescoping type antenna, period. Send S30 + S3 shipping and handling to: Sky-Com Products, PO Box 530268. San Diego CA 92153.

Hang Gliding Classifieds FAX line (24 hours) (719) 632-6417

FOR SALE - Hang gliding business. Includes retail store. USHGA certified school and workshop all located at Marina State Beach near iV[ontercy. CA. InvenlOry training equipmcn1, fix1ures, tools. office equipment. cstablisheddealerships and customer base. This school has been in operation teaching hang gliding for 11 years. The concession contract allows paragliding as \\'ell as surfing and windsurfing sales and instruction. Serious and qualified buyers only please. Jim Johns, Western Hang Gliders, Inc .. P.O. Box 828. Marina, CA 93933 1408) 384-2622.

PUBLICATIONS & ORGANIZATIONS

DON'T GET CAUGHT LANDING DOWNWIND! Per-

fect that no-s1ep landing by watching our \Vindsok. Constructed with 1.5 oz. rips top nylon. UV treated to maintain its brilliant co]or. 5' 4" long with an 11" throat. Available colors arc fluorescent pi nk/ycl low or fluorescent pink/white. S39 .95 (plus S-l.00 shipping/handling) Colorado residents add 6.5'/c tax. Send to USHGA Windsnk, P.O. Box 8300. Colorado Springs. CO 80933-8300. FAX (719) 632-6-117. PHONE (7191 632-8300. VISA/MC accepted.

HANG GLIDING FOR BEGINNER PILOTS- by Pete Cheney. The Official USHGA Training Manual. Learn to fly

HANG GLIDING

It's Here! The 1992 USHGA Hang Gliding Calendar

---------------------------------------------· Please rush me ____ 1992 USHGA Hang Gliding Calendar(s) at $9.95 each.

Shipping Charges Quantity Shipping 1-3 $3.50 4-6 $5.00 7-10 $6.00 Shipped by first class or UPS-Canada&Mexico add $.75 per calendar International surface add $1.50 per calendar International air add $5.00 per calendar

Calendar Subtotal·- - - - - Colorado residents add 6.5% sales tax- -- - - Shipping,_ _ _ __ Credit card handling fee ($2.00---cash, check, M.O. excluded)_ _ _ _ __ Total Enclosed (Make checks payable to USHGA) _ _ _ __ MC or VISA (circle choice) $2 handling fee _ _ __ _ __ _ _ __ _ exp. Sig. _ _ __ _ _ __

NAME~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~-

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

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

ZIP_ __

CLASSIFIEDS with the world's finest hang gliding manual. Complete flying instructions from the training hill to soaring techniques. Over 260 pages, with more than 160 easy- to-understand illustrations and photos. Guaranteed to satisfy the most inquisitive pilot. NOW AVAILABLE FOR $29.95 (plus $4.00 shipping/handling) Colorado residents add 6.5% tax. SEND/ FAX/PHONE TO USHGA, P.O. Box 8300, Colorado Springs, CO 80933-8300, FAX (719) 632-6417. PHONE (719) 6328300. VISA/MC accepted. PARAGLIDING-A Pilot's Training t1fantrnl. Produced by Wills Wing and wrillcn by Mike Meier, in its revised 3rd edition. From an overview of the sport, to equipment, to flying and micromctcorology. Beginner through advanced skills covered, and much, much more. NOW AVAILABLE THROUGH USHGA. Send S 19.95 (plus $3 S/HJ to USHGA, PO Box 8300, Colorado Springs. CO 80933-8300

PERSONAL PILOT/ROOi\-IMATE WANTED- To share 3 bedroom, 2 balh house in San Antonio. Texas. Excellent local economy with a low cost of living. Can assist in locating employment in Aerospace Incluslry, if desired. Just think-no snow, no earthquakes, no smog, lots of single girls and year round thermal tlying. Call Chris (512) 824- 1803. MISCELLANEOUS CUSTOM PLOTTED GREl\TlNG CARDS-Hang gliding snbjecls, you specify salutation. Send S2 for sample and list. Microglide, PO Box 11 I, Hanover MD, 2!076-0111. (30 I) 551-6641.

HA WK RING - Silver S90.00, 14K gold $450.00. Please include ring size and check or money order. Hawk, P.O. Box 255, \Voodacrc, CA 94973 (415) 488-9383. Allow4-6 weeks.

PARAGLIDE USA - Subscribe to North America's most widely read paragliding magazine. 12 issues just $25. Send check or money order to 425 Rider St., Ste. B7, Perris CA 92571 or call (714) 657-2664 or FAX (714) 657-4062 with

your credit cmd information. SOARING- Monthly magazine of The Soaring Society of America, Inc. Covers all aspects of soaring flight. Full membership S45. Info. kit with sample copy S3. SSA, P.O. !lox E, Hobbs, NM 88241. (505) 392-1177. TOWING '>!AKE THE MOVE TO QUALITY THAT LASTS- High performance Spectra & Dacron ropes. coaled to last longer and bond fibers. Pulls and damage can occur if not coated. Light, strong and easy to splice. Call David F. Bradley (215 J 723-1719, FAX (215H53-1515. REEL AIR TOW RIG - Complete with level wind. trailer and storage boxes. Easy mounting to any vehicle with a 1railer hitch. Mint condition. Sacrifice at S2.700. Call Cindy at (714) 5~0-1099.

HANG GLIDING CHRISTMAS CARDS - Unique black and white. SI 0.00 for an assortment of 15, or $30.00 for 50 ( please add SI ll'l, for shipping). Call Alegrn (203 )379-1668 or send a SASE for a<.;sortment selection sheet to Tek Plight Products. Colebrook Stage, Winsted CT 06098.

STATIC LINE TOW SYSTEMS-Releases & bridles. 1/4" poly $25 per IOOO ft. Kentuckiana Soaring, 3023 McArthur Dr., Jeffersonville, IN 47130, (812) 288-71 I I (eves. J

"I'D RATHER EAT WORMS - than fly a Wills Wing··. T-shirts $12.95 + S2.00 shipping. Nancy Landes, PO Box 1054, Medford OR 97501. (503) 66~-3055.

This is the one I I

SOLID GOLD I4K Pendant SI 19.00 SS Pendant S 32.00 S3.00 shipping and handling $5.00 for C.0.D. Other glider jewelry available in 1---1-K and sterling silver. To orderorinquire. call Antero Jewelers 1-800-547-7627 ext 88. Satisfaction guaranteed.

Une~aver By Golden Wings

Tow line recovery System Nothing attached to pilot or bridle. UNLIKE OTHER SYSTEMS. no deployment mechanism is required. Fully self actuating when tow line is released. Reduces wear on line & rewind motor. Reduces turn around time. Two sizes. S 125/S 135 incl. shipping. Check or money order. Also available, 3/16" braided Kevaler GOLDLINE towline, $99 per 1.000 feet. Golden Wings, 1103 Washington Ave., Golden CO. VIDEOS & F!Lll!S VIDEOS - "Torrey Pilots", "Wind Sprints I 99 I". "Torrey Tandem" ... Air Races I 990" by W .A. "Pork" Roecker, $29. 95 pp (2 forS50J, from Fl yin' Pig Productions, PO !lox 586149. Oceanside. CA 92058.

DON'T FORGET YOUR HANG DRIVER - Buy them an I'd Rather Ile Hang Gliding license plate frame for their retrieval vehicle, $5,50 for a plastic frame, $6.50 for a metal (zinc J frame. Please add S2 S/H (CO residents add 6.SCk tax J SEND TO USHGA, P.O. llOX 8300, COLORADO SPRINGS. CO, 80933.

USIIGA T SHIRT BLOWOUT SALE - Our original official logo T Shirt. Original three color logo on tan, (blue T available in small only)-$6.00 (+ $2 S/H), AVAILABLE IN SMALL & MEDIUM ONLY. ALSO, our "Bars" design T shirt, with multi-colored horizontal bars across the chest. $7.00 ( +$2 S/HJ. Available in white and yellow (Tshirt color may be substituted depending on inventory). Specify color. AVAILABLE IN SMALL & 1vlEDIUM ONLY. Sorry-no larges or X-larges available in cithert-shirt. USHGA, PO Box 8300. Colorado Springs CO 80933-8300.

HANG GLIDING

CLASSIFIEDS 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) 632-64 17. STOLEN WINGS DON'T FORGET ABOUTUSHGA THEFT OF GLIDER INSURANCE. STOLEN - Pac Air Formula. Pink LE, black to pink to gray undersurface, UP cocoon harness, black w/pink stripes. Ball Vario. Scott Meehleib (619) 295-1261.

USHGA LONG SLEEVE T-SHIRT-Our long sleeve tshi11s are colorfull y screened with a "simplistic" hang gliding design across the chest and down the left sleeve, I 00% cotton' Now in ORA Y or WHITE. $ 16,95 (plus $3 S/H) Please specify color and size (S,M,L,XL) when orderi ng. Colorado residents add 6.5 % sales tax. SEND TO USHGA, P.O. BOX 8300, COLORADO SPRINGS, CO 80933.

MAGIC KISS - Fluor. yellow L.E., white chevron, pink undersurface, airfoil, down tubes pitchy, bar mitts, 2' sku ll and cross bones on wing tip, over Kiss emblem inlay, many sk ull sti ckers on glider. Serial No. KM 83707. Also HP AT 158 , serial no. 22504, with Lt. blue L.E., red chevron on bottom, custom plan. Serial No. 22504. Stolen in L.A. with van 6-26-90. Yan recovered without gliders. (619) 274-8254. 155 MOYES XS - Full race, stolen from side of road at lOI and Scheller exit, between San Jose and Morgan Hill. It was taken away with no bag or ties. Colors are L.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. The re is no charge for this serv ice and lost and found w ings or equip ment may be called in to (719) 632-8300 for inclu sion in Hang Gliding magazi ne. P lease call to cancel the listing whe n gliders are recovered. Periodically, this li sti ng will be purged .

INDEX TO ADVERTISERS

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 (7 19) 632-8300.

USHGA SEW-ON EMBLEMS -Our original tri-colored logo e mbl em $1.50 each. The NEW multi-colored Mo untain Glider emblem $4.95 each. Please add $ 1.25 S/H. SEND TO USHGA, P.O. BOX 8300, COLORADO SPRINGS, CO, 80933. HA VE YOU ORDERED YOUR 1992 US HG A CALENDAR? CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING RA TES The rate for classified advertis ing is $.50 per word (or group of charac ters) and $1.00 per word for bold or all caps. Minimum ad charge, $5.00. A fee of$15,00 is charged for each line art logo and $25.00 for each photo. Please underline words to be in bold print. Special layo uts of tabs $25 .00 per column inch . AD DEADLINES All ad copy, instructions, chan ges, additions and cancellations must be received in writing I 1/2 months preceding the cover date, i.e . October 20 for the

DECEMBER 1991

Adventure Video ..................... ......... 52 AirWorks ....................... ,, ........ ,,,,, .... 17 Applied Air Research ... ,,,,,,,, ............ 15 Ball Varios .......... ..... ................... 22,52 BRS ............................ .... .... .... ... ....... 61 Cross Country Magazine ....... ...... ,, .. , 38 Del Air .... ..................... ............ ......... 30 Hall Bros ......................................... .41 High Energy Sports .................... .. .. _. 47 Kitty Hawk Kites ............................. 47 Lookout Mt. Flight Park .......... ......... 25 McC!aren ....... ........ .. ........ .. ............... 63 Morningside Hang Gliders ............ ... 15 Pacific Airwave ................. Back Cover Paragliding Magazine ........ ............... 15 Pendulum Sports .................. ,,,,.,,,,,,,,, 9 Robert Reiter Video ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, 12 Roberts Glider Instruments .............. 49 Safari Sky Tours ............................... 53 Sport Aviation Publications ............... 8 UP International ..................... 17, 18, 19 ,,, U.S. Aviation .................................... 31 USHGA ..... .. ... ....... ... ... ..... 2,6,47,59,63 Wills Wing .......... ...... ................... ... ... 3 Windsong Productions ..................... 63

While we hope you never need a chute, if you cb have an emergency, youll want the very best BRS, the choice of 1,000 satisfied hang gliding pilots.

ASK

THESE

PILOTS

7 /89Geoff Loyns Owens, California (BRS#36) 6/90Jersey Rossignol Elsinore, California (BRS#40) 8/90Carl Shortt Kualoa, Hawaii (BRS#44) Theyll each attest to BRS quality and performance in actual uses! BRS has recorded 50 total saves

BRS offers several models to choose from, including our very popular Quick Draw CORDLESS rocket model that can snatch out your chest-mount parachute in about O, 7 5 seconds, for only $499, No one offers faster or more reliable high-performance safety

~,..

MAKING FLIGHT SAFER

BR S • 1845-HG Henry Avenue South St. Paul, MN 55075 • USA 818/443-7070 • FAX: 612/457-8651

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ST. PAUL, MINN - The fall board of directors meeting in beautiful Salt Lake City focused on paragliding. Here's a few figures picked from several conversations ... • APA membership is up to 800 nationally, close to APA Prez Peter Zimmerli' s projections of a year ago, but still a far cry from Europe's alleged three to five times their hang gliding population. • USHGA membership climbed modestly but steadily to over 8,000 in recent months; 364 are paragliding-division members, "most of whom are HG pilots also doing PG," says E. D. Jerry Bruning. • Paul Voight's survey of 105 USHGA Chapters brought 63 replies (60%). Forty percent were "Pro paragliding at site but against merger." In a separate question, a plurality (64%) said the Chapter was against any merger. Ironically, a majori~y (54%) have paragliding members in their Chapter, and 78% of those responding did allow paragliding at feasible sites. However, a third indicated other specific bad experiences with paragliding activities at their sites. • Last, both USHGA office staff and editor recently report 70-75% not in favor of an HG/PG merger. The ballot/survey just mailed is contributing information. • Reminiscent of the ultralight issue a decade back, be advised no plans for any merger are in board discussions. Seedwings' Bob Trampenau called to correct last month's mention of his _6_10 model. In fa_ct, some are flying now! He observes his company has a "three month backlog of twenty units" at this time. Bob was very pleased with the test rig performance of the 144. The wing boasts the right new features: rear set up, non-removable VG cord, and enclosed wing tips plus it sprouts the distinctive Sensor tail fin. Call Trampenau at 805/968-7070 for further information. ••• Wills plans to run an ad promoting their dealers who maintain demo gliders for customers. Showing good coordination between factory and dealer, the customer has a wide opportunity to fly-before-you-buy. The hang gliding industry leads sport aviation by offering demos and factory- plus dealer-test-flo1;m aircraft. Ultralights and kitplanes are overwhelmingly sold as kits, mostly to people who have not yet flo1;m the aircraft. Surprised? Hang gliding's done proud! Knowing each deal er can' t afford to have all seven current models, Wills wi 11 send their demo team on the road. They' re at work on a '92 schedule. Orders are strong, with deliveries quoted at 10 weeks (some

inventory is available) . In recent dealer communications, Wills clearly specified, "Hang gliding is still the main part of our business, and we are still cormnitted to doing the best job possible in hang gliding." ••• Continued effort by Bobby Bailey and great close-in support from the Draggin' Flyers (Orlando, FL) have spa1;med two aerotowing offspring. Both Chattanooga, Tennessee shops will offer aerotowing. Lookout Mountain is already operating from their 22-acre landing area where they hosted a successful clinic from Moyes/Bailey and the Dragonfly tug. Many solo tows were liberally sprinkled with tandem flights, all drawing rave reviews. Sequatchie Valley Soaring hosted an earlier clinic a valley away and expects their tug in December or January. Each business is offering membership deals. Contact Lookout at 404/3983433; reach SVS at 615/949-2301. Call the Draggin Flyers at 904/775-3252 (Steve & Barb Flynn) or 407/657-1699 (prez Campbell Bowen). Wrapping up with three aftermarket products ... • Rob Reiter' s newest video deserves applause. Just because hang gliding "works" in front a video camera doesn't mean all productions are created equal. Professional technique means a better tape. Hawaiian Flyin' is smoothly done, moody with soft views of our exciting way to fly. Rob's mellow style befits Hawaii and its pastoral yet thrilling soaring adventures. Other video tapes show scenes of interest to pilots; HF will appeal to anyone (though some won't last for all 45 minutes of running time), See Rob's ad for further info. • Christmas gifts for pilots with everything? How about a carbon/Kevlar lightweight fullface helmet from Bieffe of Italy. Promotions Unlimited is selling the MX helmet for $207 ($220 with graphics), postpaid. The helmet is certified exceeding basic DOT standards. Call 619/229-0048. • You can pick up a custom-made, polyfilled Ultrex flight suit, highly recommended by Jim Reynolds. Call Stewart of Oregon at 503/475-7650. Price is $100-150. • Maybe a flying trip to warmer climes sounds good? John Olson is headed south of the border again, including Guatemala. John guides tours through the winter season, so contact Welcome Aboard Travel at 703/828-4000 for costs and availability. Olson's tours have earned good reviews from pilots. ••• Outta room. So, got news or opinions? Send 'em to 8 Dorset, St. Paul MN 55118. Call or fax: 612/450-0930. THANKS!

HANG GLJD!NG

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SOAR UP THE PERFORMANCE tADDER SOAR UP TO PACIFIC AIRWAVE Pacific Airwave builds the ultimate gliders for every level of pilot. Period. __ ___ Vision MK IV 17/19, a time-proven standard in excellence. If you are a student looking for double surface performance and a glider that will take you to your first X-C flights you are looking for a Vision MK IV. Available in two sizes, the Vision MK IV allows you to maximize your enjoyment with the confidence that comes standard on a glider that is #1 with USHGA Certified instructors. The Vision MK IV is the lightest, most suitable entry level, double surface glider available.

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PACIFIC AIRWAVE LTD D P.O. Box 4384 D SALINAS, CA 93912 D TEL. 408-422-2299 D FAX 408-758-3270