USHGA Hang Gliding April 1993 by US Hang Gliding & Paragliding Association

''Ya now'' I'd "really "

e to hang out

and "chat" about my new VISION PULSE •quick set up time (around 5 Minutes) or the •killer sink rate I get for thermaling, or even about it's •light and easy handling abilities. But unfortunately, while I'm skying out and going cross country, you're still stuffing ribs . So forgive me when I say- GOTTA GO!

''See Ya!"

Pacific A irwav e , 1 083 Madison Lane , Sal inas, California 93907. Phone ( 408) 422 -2299 Fax (408) 758 3270

Nearly two hours of whacks, smacks and divots. A comic collection of landings gone sour. Set to great rock tunes - a must for any pilot's video collection. $32.00

Paul Voight, 294 Oregon Trail, Pine Bush, NY 12566

......._

___ ~_.......-

Also available: The Whack Tape T-Shirt, Salmon Colored: $14.00

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

USHGA -

Public Relations

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INSURANCE INFORMATION The cost of the insurance is included in the full membership fees with the member as additional insured. USHGA provides a Combined Single Limit Bodily Injury and Property Damage Liability Master Policy in the amount of $1,000,000 per claim which covers all recreational flying. USHGA's insurance is valid ONLY while flying in the U.S., U.S. Properties, Canada, and overseas while on USHGA approved business.

*Foreign payments must be in U.S. FUNDS drawn on a U.S. BANK USHGA, PO BOX 8300, COLORADO SPRINGS, CO 80933 (719) 632-8300 FAX (719) 632-6417

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24 Meet The 1993 Women's World Team

by CJ Sturtev1mt Sarah Bowman, Kari Castle, Alice Engelhardc, Claire Pagen and Tammy Burcar will represent us in Japan this moncl1.

26 Twenty Years! article and photos by Paul Voight Wills Wing cdebrates 20 years in che hang glider manufacturing business and a move into an ultramodern facility.

35 The Training Hill by Larry Fleming Some entertaining hang gliding hisrory from Larry's book Downwind -A True Hang Gliding Story.

46 Site Reports

Columns

Departments

Competition Corner ..............................20

Airmail......................................................?

Accident Reports - by Doug Hildreth ..30

Viewpoint ............................................... 10

USHGA Reports ....................................25

Calendar of Events .................................. 12

Product Lines - by Dan Johnson .........63

Update .................................................... 15 Ratings ...................................................52 Classified Advertising ............................ .55 Index to Advertisers ................................62

COVER: Gliders swarm above Gunter launch in the Owens Valley, CA, venue for the World Championships this summer. Photo by John Heiney. CENTERSPRfAD: Greg fischer scaric line cowing near Manteno, Illinois. Photo by John Heiney. DISClAIMER OF WARRANTIES IN PUBLICATIONS: The material presented here is published as pm of an information dissemination service for USHGA members. The USHGA makes no warranties or representations and assumes no ·liability concerning the validity of any advice, opinion or recommendation expressed in the material. All individuals relying upon th<· material do so ac their own risk. Copyright© l 99j United States Hang Gliding Assn., Inc. All rights reserved w Hang Gliding and individual comriburors.

April 1993

YOUR TEAMS

WIN A G~L-IDER Our Best Chance Ever For The Gold! Win a glider of your choice from Pacific Airwave, UP, or Wills Wing The 1993 Women's World meet will be held in Japan April 19th to May 1st. The 1993 Men's World meet will be held in the Owens Valley June 26th to July 10th. Our U.S. Men's team won the gold medal in the 1992 Pre-Worlds! This is our chance to win the team gold for the USA! It will be very expensive to field these teams and we need your help. To encourage your participation, the USHGA is holding a SWEEPSTAKES.

FOR YOUR SWEEPSTAKES DONATIONS YOU RECEIVE

$10 OFFICIAL WORLD TEAM PIN OFFICIAL WORLD TEAM SHIRT $40 $50 or more WORLD TEAM SHIRT & PIN (Include $4.00 S!H for the team shirt)

•••••• • ••• •• • •• • • •••• • • •• • •• ••• •••• • •••• ••• •••• •• ••• •••• •• •• ••• • • • ••

1993 World Teams SWEEPSTAKES Entry Form

Entries must be postmarked by June 30th 1993 Yes, I would like to support the 1993 U.S. Teams. Please Enter me in the World Teams Sweepstakes. Also, enclosed is my donation of: For Men's Team

$ _ _ _ __

For Women's Team $_ _ _ __ Total Donation

$_ _ _ __

CITY_ _ _ _ _ _ STATE _ _ _ ZIP _ _ __ Please provide your telephone no.( ___ ) - - - - - - ~

Mail form to: USHGA, P.O. Box 8300, Colorado Springs, CO 80933

ONLY ONE ENTRY PER PERSON No donation required to enter Sweepstakes

The 1993 World team Sweepstakes is open to all USHGA Members excluding USHGA employees and their immediate families. Only one entry per person, with or without a donation. All entries must be postmarked By June 30th 1993 in order to be eligible. Drawing for the sweepstakes will be held at 1he USHGA office on July 15th 1993. The winners need not be present to win. The winners will be notified by mail no later than August 1st 1993. Winning entries are not redeemable for cash. Sweepstakes winners must be qualified to use the prize safely in order to be eligible to take delivery of the prize. Grand prize winner will have his/her choice of one hang glider from Pacific Airwave, UP International, or Wills Wing. The glider will be delivered by the manufacturers nearest dealer. The USHGA shall not in any way be held responsible for the airworthiness of the glider chosen by the grand prize winner. The grand prize winner will be responsible for the cost of transporting the glider from the factor/ to the dealer and any taxes incurred as a result of winning this prize. All other prizes will be given in the order drawn in descending order based on value. This offer void where prohibited by law.

Gil Dodgen, Editor/Art Directo1 John Heiney, Leroy Grannis Photographers Harry Martin, Illustrator Dennis Pagen, Rodger Hoyt, G.W. Meadows Staff Writers Tim Rinker, Design Consultant

TUDORANDWORLD MEET

Office Stafi

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 D. Dean Leyerle, Merchandise Services USHGA Officers and Executive Committee:

Gregg Lawless, President Paul Voight, Vice President Russ Locke, Secreta,y Dan Johnson, Treasure, REGION 1: Gene Matthews. REGION 2: Lynda Nelson, Russ Locke, Ray Leonard. REGION 3: Joe Greblo, Sandy King, Gregg Lawless. REGION 4: Rod Hauser, Glen Nicolet. REGION 5: Mike King. REGION 6: Ron Kenney. REGION 7: Bill Bryden. REGION 8: Randy Adams. REGION 9: Pete Lehmann, William Bennett. REGION 10: Matt Taber, Rick Jacob. REGION11: Jeff Hunt. REGION 12: Paul Voight, Paul Riker!. DIRECTORS AT LARGE: Dan Johnson, Jerry Forburger, Jan Johnson, Dennis Pagen. HONORARY DIRECTORS: Ken Brown, Jim Zeise!, Doug Hildreth, G.W. Meadows, Torn Kreyche, Mike Meier, Rob Kells, Fred Stockwell, Gregg McNarnee, Michael Robertson, Dave Broyles. EX-OFFICIO DIRECTORS: Art Greenfield (NAA), Ken Baier (Paragliding). The United States Hang Gliding Association Inc. is an air sports organization affiliated with the National Aeronautic Association (NM) which is the official representative of the Federation Aeronautique Internationale (FAil, oi the world governing body for sport aviation. The NAA, which represents the U.S. at FAI meetings, has delegated to the USHGA supervision of FAl-related hang gliding activities such as record attempts and competition sanctions. HANG GLIDING magazine is published for hang gliding sport enthusiasts to create further interest in the sport, and to provide an educational forum 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 (ISSN 0895-433x) is published monthly by the United States Hang Gliding Association, Inc., 559 E. Pikes Peak Ave., Suite 101, Colorado Springs, Colorado 80903 (719) 632-8300. FAX (719) 632-6417. Second-class postage is paid at Colorado Springs, CO and at additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: SEND CHANGE OF ADDRESS TO: HANG GLIDING, P.O. BOX 8300, Colorado Springs, co 80933-8300. The USHGA is a member-controlled spo1i and educational organization dedicated to exploring all facets of ,mpowered ultralight flight. Membership is open to anyone interested in this realm of flight. Dues for full membership arc $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.

APRIL 1993

Air Mail~

VOLUME 23, ISSUE No. 4

Dear Editor, In last month's letters co the editor, Eric Raymond expressed his concern about Larry Tudor's absence from this year's World Championships in the Owens Valley. While Eric's sentiments are more or less correct, his facts are nor. I doubt if any knowledgeable pilot would deny that Larry Tudor is one of the 1nost talented and skillful cross-counuy pilots to ever hook into a hang glider. However, Larry is currently ranked seventh in the 1993 pilot standings because six other pilots have earned places ahead of him. In last year's pre-world championships held in the Owens Valley, five of those six pilots finished ahead of Larry as did Dave Sharp who is currently ranked in eighth position. Larry's participation in foreign meets has not hurt his ranking. The current World Team Selection System gives internationally-ranked pilots a higher standing than U.S. pilots regardless of what country they are competing in. The good news is that Jim Zeiset examined his administrative capabilities when he rook over management of the meet in January, and has decided that he has the capacity co handle eight-pilot teams which opens the door for Lany and Dave as well as several other capable international pilots. Russell Locke USHGA Competition Committee Chairperson

PAGEN CLARIFICATIONS Dear Editor, Please let me respond co matters that have been addressed co me in the past few momhs. First, Casey Lennox, M.D. wrote an informative letter in the August, 1992 issue concerning oxygen and rebreather units. His letter was a response to my earlier article reviewing the Mountain High Equipment and Supply mcygen systems designed for hang glider pilots. Casey's point was that rebreathcr units are unsafe and I concur. The truth is, the Men. High apparati are not rebreather units but reservoirs allowing a concentrated "hit" of oxygen with each breath while minimizing waste. I mistakenly called them rebreather units because I heard the terms used for the past couple of years and my brain is addled from coo much high

flying before I used the Mm. High equipment. The second matter is Achim Hagemann's letter in the J anua1y, 1993 issue concerning my revie,v of the Flytec variometer. Achim feels I should have mentioned the joint project between Brauniger and Flytec for the development of the vario's internal organs. Furthermore, he feels that the rave article and the company's ad placed in close proximity seems to be a biased sales pitch. I did not mention the development project because I didn't feel it was germane co the article, just as I wouldn't mention it ifI were doing a review of the Brauniger varios. The reason for the glowing account of the Flytec vario is that it is a quality instrument. Perhaps you should be made a,vare of my product review policy, Achim: IfI don't like a piece of equipment I send it back. IfI like it I write it up with praise, for it is worthy and deserves reader attention. If the write-up sounds like an ad, so be it, but the perceptive reader will find that I always include a bit of criticism for I have yet to find perfection. The placement of the Flytec ad was purely the editor's choice. I have nothing to do with this, bur I do think it's reasonable to promote advertisers who support the magazine and provide readers with easy access co the company's publicity. In fairness we should note that Achim is the importer ofBrauniger instruments and thus has a vested interest. Why hasn't a review of his vario appeared? I do not !mow, and I have never been contacted about this matter and surely there are others who can figure out how the things work and write about it. Incidentally, I do not solicit any company to write about their products. If the interest is there I am here. The next letter I wish to address is the one from Bob Ormiston in the February, 1993 issue. While most pilots are probably not interested in the uses and abuses of turn polars (they can provide some real insights into thermal exploitation, of course), I feel I must respond to Bob. He states that the formulas I provided in the December issue for deriving turn polars from the straight-flight polar are incorrect. I disagree with Bob. I sent Davis Straub a 16-page discussion on the matter with four different derivations of the equations including what I consider co be the most elegant, that found in The Complete Soaring Pilots Handbook by Welch and Irving using conservation of energy principles. These formulas do not equate the

~ Air Mail weight with lift as Bob seems to imply. Furthermore, it is appropriate that the formulas give an infinite velocity at a 90° bank, since a 90° coordinated turn is an impossibility. With a 90° steady-state turn the G loading goes to infinity which would require an infinite airspeed to produce. I will write Bob directly so we don't have to continue boring readers. Finally, I wish to comment on yet another town declaring itself the "Hang Gliding Capital of the World." First, we haven't heard from the rest of the world on this and, second, besides Bairoil, Wyoming (reported in the Februa1y issue), there's Dunlap, Tennessee, Ellenville, New York and Lal<eview, Oregon which have claimed similar distinctions. I suggest we contact the UN Security Council to help arbitrate this matter of international import before all-out war develops. Furthermore, I intend to submit the town ofYutien in the Sinkiang Uigher Autonomous Region of China as a candidate. This town sits at the edge of the Takla Makan desert in the foothills of the Astin Tagh mountains that form the northern edge of the Tibetan Plateau. This chain has mountains over 20,000 feet and extends for 900 miles (!) before you have to change directions. The range faces the post-continental cold front northwesterly winds that blow across the superheated desert. Hold on to your basetube! The beauty of it is, there is a camel caravan route running the entire length of the mountain chain. Hitching back should be easy. Dennis Pagen Sand Ridge, PA

THANKS MR. ROGALLO The following letter was sent to Francis Rogallo. -Ed Dear Mr. Rogallo, I am writing this letter after talking with you at the Air & Space Museum in Washington, DC, where you were honored for a long and outstanding career as an inventor of aeronautical devices. I have never had the opportunity to say to you how positively your discoveries and development of flexible wings has affected my life. I began hang gliding in 1973 in Southern California during a time in my life when the purity of silent flight was an important con-

tribution to a personal reevaluation of my life goals. In fact, hang gliding so immediately and strongly influenced my life that I soon became an instructor at a training hill !mown as Playa de! Rey. I found it very rewarding to share the thrill of hang gliding with others, and eventually trained more that 800 people before adding an engine to one of my gliders, an EZ Riser. Because I was teaching hang gliding, some assumed that I naturally would be able to teach powered ultralight flight also. However, there is substantial difference between gliding and powered flight as I am sure you know. Still, I tried to help. A flight simulator I developed to help with initial training was the topic of several magazine articles and from that I gained modest notoriety. In 1980 I accepted a position as the founding president of the new EAA Ultralight Association. Within approximately two years I moved to Frederick, Maryland, to work in the ultralight training department of the AOPA Air Safety Foundation, and in 1985 was chosen as the founding president of the United States Ultralight Association (USUA), my present position. Throughout the past 20 years of flying hang gliders and ultralights, I have found personal fulfillment and purpose. I have been able to influence the development of sport flying and to help many people discover flight with craft evolved from your original invention of flexible wings. Without your discoveries, there would have been no hang glider in 1973 for me to fly, no subsequent powered ultralight, and who knows where I would be now? One thing is for sure, the Rogallo wing has made it possible for me to have many beautiful flying experiences and to regularly share with others my enthusiasm for flight. Thank you for inventing the device which has made this experience possible. My life has been greatly enhanced by your invention of the Rogallo flexible wing.

the lower atmosphere, over land and water. Some general findings based on statistical data acquired from hundreds of individual thermals should be of interest to soaring pilots. The part of the atmosphere that we fly in, from the surface up to where thermals "top out" in stable air, is called the convective bounda1y layer (CBL). On a typical sunny day with or without scattered cumulus clouds: 1) The air is so well mixed in the CBL that the lapse rate is almost exactly equal to the dry adiabatic lapse rate (DALR) except in the lowest (roughly) few hundred feet, where it is greater than the DALR, and in the upper (roughly) one-third or so of the CBL, where it is less than the DALR. 2) The temperature difference between the interior of a thermal and that of the surrounding air is usually a fraction of a degree (F). 3) In the upper (roughly) one-third of the CBL even though thermals are still rising they are usually a fraction of a degree cooler than the surrounding air. 4) The temperature of areas of sinking air (downdrafts) is generally opposite that of thermals, i.e., cooler than ambient air in the lower (roughly) two-thirds of the CBL but warmer above. These findings have a bearing on attempts to detect nearby thermals using a temperature sensor. For example, in Figure 3 of Alan Fisher's article in the Janua1y, 1993 issue of HG, the "2 PM" line does not represent the temperature profile of a typical thermally day. Items 3 and 4 suggest that when using a "thermal finder," maybe tactics should be reversed when more than (roughly) twothirds of the way to the "top." If you would like to read more about research on thermals and aren't intimidated by heavy-duty jargon and math, send me a SASE and I will send you a bibliography of books and journal articles that you should be able to find in the atmospheric science, physics or science libra1y at your nearby university.

John Ballantyne President, USUA

Vern Ostdiek Boulder, CO

THERMAL COMMENTS

JUST GO FLY

Dear Editor, Atmospheric scientists have done extensive observational studies of convection in

Dear Editor, Regarding the recent articles on turn polars by Bob Ormiston, Davis Straub and HANG GLIDING

Air Mail~ Dennis Pagen, I would like to submit this: shut up and fly! When I joined the USHGA it was my understanding that there would be no math! Ir is my belief that these three gentlemen, through their release of hot air, will make this corning year a booming one for crosscountry Hying. I came to this conclusion one night after serring my Thermal Snooper on top of one of these issues and ir starred chirping like crazy. Of course I'm only kidding, bur that stuff does get a little heavy. I'm sure ifl were something more than a feeble-minded Hang III I might be able to understand and digest all of their theories and be a better pilot for it. Score Jewell Binghamton, NY

AIR WEAR HARNESS PRAISE Dear Editor, I would like to extend a special thanks to the folks at Air Wear Sports for their EX harness design. It is comfortable, sleek and awesome looking, but the most important part is how fast you can get out of it. I've often noticed pilots shimmying into and out of many harnesses with great difficulty. I used to do it myself. Recently I was able to shed my pod harness within seconds with one hand after an "out" landing on sharp volcanic rock in Maui, Hawaii, which resulted in multiple fractures with bones exposed and heavy bleeding from my lower leg. This was literally a lifesaver, as I was able to keep myself our of shock, administer first aid and play "spin the dial" with my radio searching for help. It also acted well as a shock blanket. This well-made harness is one of the safest I've seen on the market. It was my first hang gliding accident in 21 years, and I'm sure glad I was wearing my EX. Zip, zip, click, click, you're out! Robert Lowe

HOW TO KILL YOUR CLUB AND LOSE YOUR SITES Dear Editor, A most disturbing development here in Texas has caused us to be unable to renew our lease of Packsaddle M tn., one of the best APRIL 1993

foot-launch sites available in Texas. Differences among club members led several to take their views up with the landowner directly instead of through the club or even the designated manager specified in our lease contract. The owner became upset with the activity (some person even had a lawyer call to discuss liability problems) and decided not to allow us to fly for a year or two. So, if you are thinking that your club has problems or people with different views, think about us. Your club or association's strength is in its organization and unity even in disagreement. If each person decides to follow his or her own guidelines and rules, anarchy results with incoherent babble to be interpreted by the rest of the world. Even if you don't like what's going on in your club, you must work within it and live with the majority. There are very few second chances when you have sensitive sites, and ·without sires, there is no Hying. We have a few protected row sites and this will be the dominant launch method now, but the same things which caused us to lose a prime flying sire could happen again. The lesson to be learned is to keep your organization alive and healthy and to keep conflict and disagreement (which are normal and can be healthy) contained within. Presenting a solid front will foster better relations with private and government agencies with which we have to deal. Think about the alternatives and plan on towing if you come to Texas. Jeff Hunt Region 11 Director Austin, TX

LAUNCH FEE INCREASE AT WALT'S POINT Dear Editor, As it stands now, there is a planned fee increase for the Walt's Point launch site in the Owens Valley. This increase will start chis season. The launch responsibilities for Walt's Point are granted to us through a permit by the Forest Service. The permit describes the specific responsibilities and requirements that are required to keep the site open. These include site insurance, sanitation, monitor duties and traffic conttol. Technically speaking, the $5 per day is what the Forest Service refers to as a day-use fee. If we were strictly held to rhe rules, that $5 would be collected

from anyone and everyone who stopped at Wale's Point regardless of whether they wanted to fly or not. In the past we have been given a great deal ofleeway as far as some of the permit rules go. There are three reasons for the increase of the day-use fee this season. First, the '92 season was a record year of a dubious son. More than 30 days (about 1/3 of the total season) were unflyable due to the weather. That brought us dangerously dose to not making the bills. If we can't pay the bill to the waste disposal company, they take the toilers and we can't fly. Second, there is going to be a new Ranger in charge chis season. The new Ranger won't (can't) be as cool as the last one. Last, the federal government is looking for ways to increase revenues. The National Parks and the Forest Service are preparing for general fee increases that include charges linked to recreation. There are also other reasons for considering an mcrease. Annual membership-dues and launch fees at Walt's Point are offered as a two-tiered system. Dues and fees collected before May 15 of each year are offered at a reduced rate as compared to those collected after May 15. Membership dues are $20 and $25 respectively. \'v'alt's Point launch fees are $5 and $6 for the day-use fee, and $60 and $75 respectively for the season pass. Non-members will be charged a $10 per day launch fee, and they will be charged full retail price on any equipment and services purchased from ACME. Payments received for membership dues and che Walt's Point season passes will not be refunded, nor can they be transferred ro another person. Day-use fees purchased in advance are transferable to someone other than the original purchaser provided that the pilot to whom the passes were transferred is a member of the co-op, and is qualified to Hy at Walt's Poim. Any questions, suggestions or comments will be appreciated. I can be contacted at the address below.

Joey Carmosino P.O. Box 4365 Chico, CA 95927

~ Viewpoint

Membership Development by Cindy Gall with Russ Locke ile we've had lots of discusions over the last decade about he need for growth in the sport, we've done very little about it. Few would argue that women are clearly the most underrepresented group in our sport. Over the last couple of years, I've discussed this situation with many women pilots and I've been continually amazed to hear their individual stories of the prejudice and chauvinism they have had to put up with. Similarly, when I've mentioned this to male pilots, I've been told almost every rime that these situations are things of the past and don't exist anymore. It's become clear to me that we have a significant information gap on this subject, and that gap represents a major problem for this sport. Of the many types of elitism that I've seen discussed in this magazine, I have yet to see this one given any real mention and have been looking for some time for a way to bring this issue our. Recently, I sent a questionnaire to the members of our Women's World Team asking for their ideas on how to attract more women into competition, specifically, this year's national championships in Lakeview. I received the following letter from Cindy Gall and it clearly summarizes the feelings and experiences that I have discovered when talking to women pilots. I challenge all of you to read her words and then ask the women (pilots, drivers, wives, friends, etc.) in your area how they feel. I think it's time for a wake-up call on this subject.

Thanks, Russ, for giving me the opportunity to share with you my ideas concerning why there are so few women involved in competitive hang gliding. However, it would seem to me that the issue is not "How do we get more women to fly competitively," but "How do we get more

women to fly?" The fact that I even received a letter from you seeking my opinions on this matter proves my point. I was "chosen" to be a member oflast year's United States World Team certainly not because of my flying skills (competition experience - none), but because I wanted to and USHGA couldn't find anyone else. I would suggest that actually there is proportionately a very large number of competition women pilots. Before you crumple this up and bust a gut laughing, think about all the sites you've flown, or even just your regular home site. How many women consistently fly every chance they get? How many have goals of longdistance flights? How many can say that flying is truly one of the most important things to them? If what you have seen is anything like what I've seen, the absence of women on the hill (except, of course, as drivers) is conspicuous. Sure, there are a bunch of recreational flyers, but as far as women who are committed to becoming the very best pilots they can be, well, I think I could count them on one hand. For the women who pursue hang gliding in more than just a casual manner, the ratio of competition to non-competition pilots is, I believe, much higher than it is for the men. So why should it be like this in one of the ve1y few sports that does not penalize the participant for having less than Schwartzenegger strength or height? Here are a few factors I have seen.

THE TRAINING PROCESS While there are many excellent instructors, some feel that women can never be as good as "the good old boys." Some are openly hostile to teaching women. I was told to my face by my instructor things

like: "I am a male chauvinist and I'll admit it," or, "I think I should charge women twice as much as guys; they're way more of a pain in the rear," and even, "Why don't you just get in your car, crank it to 100 mph and slam yourself into a brick wall, cause you're probably going to kill yourself hang gliding anyway, and if you're going to take yourself out, don't screw up my business in the process." That's certainly enough to discourage someone from even getting their Hang II, not to mention destroying all fantasies of competitive flying. I really don't know if what I dealt with is the norm for what women go through or not, I just know what I had to deal with. In all fairness, I'd be the first to admit that I was probably my instructor's worst nightmare, painfully lacking (and on more that a few occasions I do mean painfully) in both skill and judgment. But the point is, the absolute worst thing an instructor can do, no matter how seemingly hopeless the student, is to write him or her off. If the student refuses to give up, what choices are left for the student to learn in a safe and responsible manner? And if the student does give up, what a waste. I'm sure we all know of pilots who have been on the World Team who everybody at one time swore would amount to nothing except dead, because they didn't learn at the same rate as "the average pilot." I was fortunate - the pilots I flew with, though perhaps looked down on by the more conservative hang gliding establishment, were highly skilled, supportive and outrageous enough to remind me that this whole hang gliding biz is supposed to be fun. Is it harder for women to learn to hang glide? Do women tend to get hurt more often? Do they lack the aggressiveness needed for successful competition flying? All I know is that everybody is different, and throwing half the population into a little box is absurd. It could well be that successfully teaching the majority of women may require some technique adjustment from the instructor. But that's nothing new for good instructors. Rob McKenzie taught himself sign language to teach one deaf student to fly!

HANG GLIDING

Viewpoint THE SOCIALIZING Can you imagine what it feels like to be immediately categorized as either a real (male) pilot or written off as another wench? Attitudes at launch, in the LZ, at club meetings - although perhaps never verbalized - come through loud and clear. Granted, just che face chat there are so few serious women pilots makes chose who are somewhat of an oddity, and in time maybe it will become an accepted face chat having a male sex organ is not a prerequisite for being a pilot. But chis acceptance may not come quickly, and I'm sure a lot of women could find much cheaper, less time-consuming, and far more efficient ways of enduring chat much grief.

FAMILY RESPONSIBILITIES The reality is that leaving for the hill at 6:30 AM and arriving home after che killer X-C flight at 11 :00 PM does not mix well with being a mom. Look at the lifestyle of most any active competition pilot, and I'm willing to bee chat either they have no rug rats, or if they do and pawn chem off on some poor spouse, a divorce is imminent. There's no way chat a traditional mom can

April 1993

devote the time and energy chat competitive flying demands.

COMMITMENT This is, I chink, by far the biggest reason for the lack of women in the sport. If something is truly important to someone, nothing gees in their way. The reason there aren't more women active in the sport is simply because more women don't wane to be active in the sport. It is obviously, for whatever reason, not attractive to women in general. Suppose everything I've written so far is bull. Suppose chat instructors are encouraging, chat women pilots don't ever feel like a slab of meat surrounded by slobbering dogs, and playing mommy is not a factor for the women who are even remotely imeresced in flying competitively. One indisputable face still remains: the percemage of women who regularly fly with a purpose is dismally small. Russ, I know the purpose of your letter was to gee ideas on how to gee more women to enroll in the Lakeview meet, and not to fix the state of the world. For what it's worth, my feeling is chat there is no quick fix or sales gimmick chat's going to work. I chink that umil the root cause is

addressed and more women are attracted to and active in hang gliding, it's just not realistic to expect big turnouts at meets from "the weaker sex." On the ocher hand, I have seen surprisingly good attendance at "fly-ins" as opposed to meets. The fund-raiser for the 1991 Women's Team comes to mind, as does the girlie meet at Slide. Does chis mean chat most of the recreational women pilots perceive competitions as a guy thing, and are more imerested in the casual atmosphere a fly-in offers with its emphasis on fun? I chink so. Messing with turnpoim photos, coping with the "push" system on launch, and the all-business attitude chat comp pilots can have is probably not too appealing and very imimidacing for any pilot new to competition. Also, no one likes to feel like a loser. If there aren't separate divisions for the newcomers, with tasks they feel confident about and a chance for chem to win some kind of prize, why should they bother? I would recommend promoting the evem as something designed for the newer or recreational pilot, emphasizing the fun, low-key atmosphere, and stressing chat although they can fly with the Larry Tudors, they don't have to fly agaimt them. ~ I hope chis give you an idea or two. ~

Ill Calendar of Events Calendar of events items WILL NOT be listed if only tentative. Please include exact information (event, date, contact name and phone number). Items should be received no later than six weeks prior co the event. We request two months lead time for regional and national meets. Until September: Montana Cross CountJy Challenge. For enny info and forms contact: Roger Lockwood, P.O. Box 234, Fort Benton, MT 59442 (406) 6225677. Until Dec. 1: Mountain Wings3rdAnnual "up the vallq run" X-C challenge. $100 to the pilot with the longest flight north and $200 co the first to land at Rhinebeck Airport. First place gets name on perpetual trophy. $15 entry. April 22-25: ICP by Pat Denevan. Four-day program includes launching & landing seminar, instructors seminar and material from Michael Robertson's Charts of Reliability. Very intensive program. Sept. 25-26: 2nd Annual Vision Classic and pig roast. Low key fun fly-in, tuning and maintenance seminar with Ken Brown of Pac Air. Contact: Mountain Wings, 150 Canal St., Ellenville, NY 12428 (914) 6473377. Until Dec. 1: 1993 Region 9 Yearlong X-C Contest. Recognizes the longest flights flown in Region 9 between Feb. l and Dec. 1. $5 entry fee. Contact: Pete Lehmann (412) 661-3474 (before 9:00 PM), fax 3436. Until Dec. 1: Tennessee Tree Toppers Yearlong X-C contest. Flights must be flown from TIT sites. T-shirts, jackets, trophies. Submit entries co: TIT. P. 0. Box 1286, Dunlap, TN 37327. April 10-12: Lookout Mtn. Flight Park, Rising Fawn, GA (800) 688-LMFP. April 13-16: Sequatchie Valley Soaring, Dunlap, TN (615) 949-2301. May 1-2: Mountain Wings, Ellenville, NY (914) 647-3377. May 8-9: Airtime of San Francisco, CA (415) 759-1177. May 1516: True Flight Concepts, Sylmar, CA (818) 367-6050. June 19-20: Vulture Hang Gliders, Riverton, UT (801) 2546141. July 27-29: Lakeview, OR at the Nationals. Sept. 4-6: Morningside Flight Park, Claremont, NH (603) 542-4416. Enterp1ise Wings Demos. Contact: Nelson Howe, Enterprise Wings (603) 8238195.

April 3-4: Aero Towing Clinic for AT Special Skills checkoff. 3 tows to 3,000'. $79 ($49 for LMFP Aero Tow Club members). April 17: Parachute Clinic. $49 in advance (free for LMFP Eagle Package students). April 18: Fint Soa,ing Flight Clinic. $15. April 24: Assisted Windy, Cliff Launch Clinic for AWCL Special Skills checkoff $15. April 2 5: CliffLaunch Clinic for CL Special Skills checkoff. $15. Contact: Lookout Mountain Flight Park (in northwest Georgia), (706) 398-3541, or send $1 for color training brochure, directions, accommodations info to: LMFP, Rt 2 Box 215-H Dept. HG, Rising Fawn, GA 30738. April 3-4: 8th Oceanside Open, Oceanside, Oregon. Free flying, demos, competition and dinner Sat. night. Hotels and camping. Contact: Ray Berger (503) 644-1045 or Alan Swingle (503) 644-8919. April 10-11: Vision Classic. April 17-19:

play. USHGA will be represented and members will perform. Contact: USHGA headquarters for details (719) 6328300. April 19-May 4: Women,· World Championships, Nanyo, Japan. Contact: (719) 632-8300. April 23-25: Basic & Advanced ICP. Contact: Ron Wilkinson, Eagle's Nest School of Hang Gliding & Paragliding, 3509 Summer Breeze Dr., Colorado Spring, co 80918 (719) 594-0498. April 23-25: 1993 Mount Rope Challenge, Laurinburg, NC. Open distance X-C, spot landing and duration tasks at North Carolina's premier flying site. Enny fee $50. All registration money given away as seven prizes. Come fly NC's best site and win money too. Contact: David Kincheloe (919) 376-9601 or Steve Bland (919) 362-6971.

Paragliding Instructor Certification Clinic. April 24-30: Hang gliding ICP, basic and advanced. May 1-2: Tandem Clinic. May 22-23: Paul Hamilton (Mr. Video) cliniclseminm: May 29-31: Reno Rampage (hang gliding and paragliding fly-in). June 18-20: Wild West Regionals for Region II. Contact: Ray Leonard, Adventure Spans, 3650 Research Way #25, Carson City, NV 89706 (702) 8837070. April 10-16: The Great Race, Lookout Mountain Flight Park, northwest Georgia. 21-mile ridge race from LMFP to Point Park and back. Fly any combination of days or all week. $75 entty fee includes competition, one-week flight pass and Great Race dinner/party. $1,000 cash and other prizes. LMFP Demo Days all week. April 16: Great Race dinner and keg party. Contact: LMFP (706) 398-3541, Fax (706) 398-2906, or send $1 for our color training brochure, directions, accommodations info to: LMFP, Rt 2 Box 215-H Dept HG, Rising Fawn, GA 30738. April 17-24: 1993 East Coast Championship. First of this year's 450-point meets. Limited entries available on a first-come, first-served basis. Contact Sequatchie Valley Soaring (615) 949-2301. April 18-24: 19th Annual Sun 'n 'Fun, Lakeland, FL. Commercial show, more than just a place ro sec spectacular airshows each year. Older aircraft sport the latest changes, and the newest and most sophisticated instrumentation is on dis-

May 1-2: N011h Carolina State Championships, Stewart Smith Memorial HG Tournament, ivfoore Mtn., Perry Lowe Orchards 10 miles north ofTaylorsville, NC off Hwy. 16. Spor landing, bomb drop, duration, X-C, fun, prizes, cash, Apple Barn Festival, barbecue, live music, dart tournament Sat. night. Enny $40. Contact: Travis Bryant (704) 758-9331 or Ben Burri! (704) 392-3765. May 1-2: May 1st Hang Gliding Fly-In, to benefit the men's and women's World Teams, Point of the Mountain, Utah. Prizes & awards. Contact: Rose Carter (801) 576-9804. May7-9: 21st Annual Hang Gliding Spectacular. Oldest continuously-held hang gliding meet, Jockey's Ridge State Park, NC. Novice and experienced pilots. July 17: Wiight Kite Festival Aug. 15:

45th Annivmmy ofRogalll! wing invention. Honors F.M. Rogallo, inventor of the flexible wing and "father of hang gliding." Sept. 19: 4th Annual Flying Wheel Rollerblade Spectacula1: Oct. 16-17: 6th Annual Outer Banks Stunt Kite Competition. Oct. 23: 2nd Annual Vision Classic. Pac Air brings the latest gliders for fon competition on the sand dunes. Contact: Kitty Hawk Kites, 3933 S. Croatan Hwy., Nags Head, NC (919) 441-4124. May 15-19: Arizona Hang Gliding Masters, Mingus Mountain, AZ. A high quality contest patterned after the USHGA 450point style meets. A simple 35 mm camHANG GLIDING

Calendar of Events era will be required for curnpoint photography. Awesome flying from one of Arizona's best sites. Trophies and many assorted prizes daily! For pilot information package send SASE co: Nick Kennedy, P.O. Box 1026, Telluride, CO 81435 (303) 728-9602. May 22-30: Sandia Classic at Sandia Peak, Albuquerque, NM. 450 WTSS points guaranteed. 60 pilots ma,ximum. 45 slots rese1Yed for national and international pilots ranked by WTSS and PIRS, remaining slots allocated according to postmark. Price includes: entty fee, cash purse of at least $1,500, paid staff, pilot and glider transportation, oxygen refills and top quality X-C tasks. Early bird price $250 through April 30, $300 after May 1. Refundable through May 15. For a pilot information package, contact Mike Gregg (505) 275-5978 or Mark Mocho (505) 298-2922. Sandia Classic, 12117 Sc. Mary's Drive NE, Albuquerque, NM 87111 U.S.A. May 29-31: 12th Annual D1y Canyon F61-Jn, Alamogordo, NM. Competition for all skill levels. Duration, spot landing, pylons and more. Trophies and barbecue. Meer at 9:00 AM in rhe LZ on Florida Avenue in Alamogordo. Entry fee $20. Sponsored by the Rio Grande Soaring Assn. Fly the friendly skies! Contact: Dave Church (505) 527-0844, Tom & Cindy West (505) 437-5213, Robin Hastings (505) 382-7446. May 29-31: Starthist!e Jvleet, Rogue Valley HGA, Medford, OR. Fun fly-in, Hang III or Hang II with instructor release. $20 entty includes Sac. night barbecue. Participation in events not required ($5 helmet sticker requested but nor required). Portion of profits goes to local community. Camping. Contact: Newt Stevenson (503) 773-1187 (days) or Jan Bailly (503) 779-2516. Call for rain date. June 12-13: Hobbs Tow Jam, Hobbs, NM. X-C racing. $25 entty. Bring your tow rigs. Conract: Curt Gral1am (505) 3923638 or Hobbs Chamber of Commerce 1-800-658-6291. June 18-20: King Jvltn. X-CA1eet, near Arco. ID, site of the Idaho state record. Format is designated routes will goal bonuses, open distance. Entry $20 for IHGA membership. Contact: Albert Whitesell, 1065 Terry Dr., Idaho Falls, ID 83404 (208) 522-2423 for rules and site info.

June 19-21: Region One Regionali~ Chelan Butte, Washington. This has been a very successful and popular meet and all the pilots like our new format - triangle tasks with an aerial start gate. $40 ($35 pre-register by June 12). Oregon and Canadian pilots especially invited to attend. contact: Davis Straub, 747 16th Ave. East, Seattle, WA 98112 (206) 3221184. June 23-27: Whiskey Peak X-C Classic, 60 miles southwest of Casper, WY. Fly the world's greatest foot-launch X-C site. Low-key, geared for all skill levels with unintimidating X-C flying over unlimited, unobstructed landing zones. $50 entty includes membership in WPPA, Tshirt, daily prizes and cttstom trophies. Contact: Kevin Christopherson (307) 235-3367 days (307) 473-8655 nights. J1me 25-27, Sept. 24-26: Advanced & Basic JCPs, UP Soaring Center, Draper, UT. Contact: Joe Bill Henry (80 I) 576-6460. June 26-27: Eagle Summit Challenge, Central Alaska, northeast of Fairbanks. Vision Classic, ridge race, out-and-return triangle, distance race and more. $20 entty. Contact: Lyndon Thomas (907) 4795538. June 25-July 11: 1993 Work! Hang Gliding Championships, Owens Valley, CA. Contact: James Zeiser, 93 Worlds, Inc., 13154 CR 140, Salida, CO 81201 USA. Phone/fax (719) 539-3900. July 3-8: Chelan Cross Cowltly Classic, Chelan Butte, Washingron. Site of the 1985 and 1986 U.S. Nationals. Eve1yone really enjoys themselves at rhis competition. The format is pilot-called (or recalled on course) triangles, our-and-recurn, and open distance combined format. Last year's longest flight was over 150 miles. $70 ($65 pre-register by June 26). Contact: Davis Straub, 747 16th Ave. East, Seattle, WA 98112, (206) 3221184. July 18-24: Jvlan11foct11rers League Meet, Dinosaur, CO. Third of this year's 450point meets. All individuals and teams welcome. Great flying, trophies and prizes. Also includes US Women's Championships. For pilot information package send SASE to: Nick Kennedy, P.O. Box 1026, Telluride, CO 81435 (303) 728-9602. July 31-Aug. 6: Oshkosh aii1how, USHGA will be represented. John Heiney and other

April 1993

\11!

USHGA members will demo hang gliding cowing. Simulator and info booth available. Contact: USHGA headquarters (719) 632-8300. July 31-Aug. 7: US Nrttionali; Lakeview, OR. Contact: Russ Locke (408) 7378745. Aug. 16-20: Oregon Odyssq and X-C Clinic. Beginning in the north, we will fly crosscountty 200 miles south in five stages, launching a different site each day. If you're not already an expert X-C pilot, by the end of this tour you will be! $125 includes transportation, retrieval, site fees, camping fees, X-C instruction and guide. USHGA Intermediate with FM radios. Contact Rodger Hoyt (503) 664-3055. August 19-22: Region 4 Champiowhips, Paradox Valley, CO. The popular seminars on all aspects of hang gliding continue! 25-mile long ridge with a 2,000' vertical at launch provides for a spectacular and reliable site. Hang II rating required. Easy 2WD graded road co launch. Trophies and prizes for both individuals and teams. Camping right at launch. For pilot information package send SASE to: Colorado Cross Cowltly Pilots Assn., P.O. Box 1026, Telluride, CO 81435 (303) 728-9602. Sept. 4-6: ivlrtgazine iV!tn. Reunion F61-fn. Come celebrate 18 years of great flying, camping and camaraderie. There will be a potluck picnic on Sept. 5 in the Albright's landing field, Waveland, AR. Contact: Charrie or Mark Scump (501) 636-7944. Sept. 4-6: Sailplane Homebuildm Asm. 1Uestem

division workshop and vintage sailplane show, Tehachapi, CA at Mountain View Airport. Contact: Bruce Carmichael (714) 496-5191. Oct. 1-3: October's Best Fiy-!11, 1993, sponsored by the Sauratown Mountain Hang Gliding Club in North Carolina. Great Amumn flying with cash prizes and "June Bug's Famous Barbecue Chicken Dinner." The flying site foamres three different launches chat face SE, S\X! and NW and handles everything in between. Free camping in rhe LZ. Contact: Mike Nester (919) 983-0875 or Doug Rice (919) 994-4377. Oct. 8-10: USHGA foll board ofdirecton meeting, Manchester, NH. Contact: USHGA headquarters (719) 632-8300.

The new h.rgh perform once glider from Enterp . nse Wings

RLL lHRl YUU WRMl fRUM RHRMG GL\ll£R DESIRE DEMO DAYS

April 10-12 Lookout Mtn. flight Park Risin fa April 13-16 Sequatchie Valley S .' g wn, GA. 800 688 LMFp Hay 1-2 Moun · . oaring. Dunlap, TN. 615 949 2301 Ha 8.. tam Wings. Inc .. Ellenville, NY. 914 647 3377 y 9 A1rt1me of San Francisco CA 415 759 1177

J;::1~;: :ue Flight Concepts. sylma;, CA. 818 367 6050 ulture .Hang Gliders. Riverton. UT. 801 254 6141 July 27-29 US Nationals. Lake View. Oregon Sept 4-6 Morningside flight Park. Claremont. NH 603 542 4416

Update

UP INTERNATIONAL TRX AND XTR SAFETY NOTICE

Replace

Keep

It has come to the attention of UP International that there is a potential problem with some of the cable retainer crowns produced prior to late 1991. All TRX and XTR owners are advised to inspect the cable retainer crowns on their gliders. There are a total of three of these crowns in each glider, one in each of the downtube bottom fittings and one in the kingpost top fitting. Remove the plastic covers attached to the fittings by two Allen screws, then check the shape of the machined cable slots. If the corners are squared, call UP International at 1-800-266-3287 and new parts with rounded corners will be sent to you immediately. If the corners are rounded, the crowns are fine and no further action need be taken. Please see the drawing above.

JOHN P. MOODY HEALTH FUND DRIVE John Moody, founder of the Thermal Rangers and past President of the Houston club, fell to earth in his Moyes XS on Sept. 27, 1992. The accident saddled him with nearly $4,000 in medical expenses not covered by insurance. He has nvo more surgeries and months of physical therapy ahead. This health fund drive will contribute 100% of the proceeds to his medical expenses, and this will be accomplished through a special account audited by a third-party firm. Your contribution will be greatly appreciated. Make checks payable to the John P. Moody Health Fund Drive and send to: Charles Fontenot, 8664-B Spicewood Springs Rd., Suite 515, Austin, TX 78759-4399 (512) 335-4837, fax (512) 258-8041.

URGENT LAKE MCCLURE UPDATE The Mother Lode Sky Riders Hang Gliding Club (MLSR), is once again threatened with the loss of the only landing area at the Lake McClure, CA flying APRIL 1993

site. Flying at McClure is made possible through a written agreement between MLSR and the Merced Irrigation District (MID), the owner of the landing area. This agreement is renewable each year and can be cancelled without warning by MID. MLSR is responsible for regulation and enforcement of chis agreement. The purpose of this update is to alert visiting pilots to the rules of this flying site. 1) Pa)' park fees before entering the park or

the gate to the upper LZ! 2) Fly with a key holder. 3) You must be a current member of the USHGA with an Intermediate rating. 4) Sign a release form before you fly. 5) Don't fly over the campgrounds. 6) No paragliding. Visiting pilots meeting these requirements are welcome to fly twice a year as a guest, after that you will be required to become a member of MLSR. The launch is located on private property and MLSR pays a monthly fee for access plus site insurance. All members are required to buy the MID yearly park pass; this pass is good for day use only! McClure is an excellent flying site with a reputation for turbulence. In the past six years of drought the lake has become a stream and the dry lake bed has provided a huge, flat LZ. This year the lake is predict-

ed to fill completely and we will most likely be landing in the much smaller and sloping upper LZ. On a turbulent summer day this LZ demands the respect of the most experienced of pilots. You would be well advised to fly later in the day in the glass-off in these conditions. To all the friends who have flown with us before and all the friends we haven't met, you are welcome to fly with us and be part of our club, but you must help us protect the flying site. If you are coming to fly call one of the following people: Kevin Wright, President MLSR (209) 586-6012, Tim Morley (209) 523-6652, Wally Long (209) 532-1302, Ken Muscio (209) 5713245, or Dave Sahl (209) 527-0798.

PAC AIR SEMINARS Although California has been getting more than its share of rain this winter, there have been times when the clouds part and the sun shines through. On occasion as many as 10, book-weaiy instructors poke their heads out of the conference room door and gleefully shout, "Let's go to the training hill." An instructor clinic, which featured G.W Meadows as the presenter, ran for five days and allowed the instructors to test their teaching skills on 9-, 10- and I IMeter Vision Pulses. Guest speaker, Pat Denevan of Mission Soaring, presented a section on teaching theory which is widely acclaimed as the best in the field. A presentation of the new drogue-chute-assisted training was handled by John Ryan of The Hang Gliding Center who reports a full year of training and no broken downtubes on the training hill while using the drogue. Due to the popular response to the towing and tandem seminars, nvo additional seminars were scheduled to accommodate the overflow. All were a sellout, with a total of 48 slots filled. Some people opted to take three seminars in a row. The popular Double Vision was used by tandem pilots with rave reviews of its handling and flight characteristics. A total more than 230 tandem flights were logged during the course of the two, four-day tandem clinics. As a result of the success of this series of 15

seminars, P;1cific J\irwave is planning more of the same !cir the fall. Dates arc 1619 lcir the 'fow Clinic ;md Sepr. 20-2:1 for the 'Emdcm Clinic Ken Brown, President ofl\tc Air, goes on ro say, "The sellouts we

had with the first clinics arc an indication that there is a real need in the flying community for facrory-sponsored activities that go beyond the standard demo days we do so often."

PI.E!\SL VISIT Tl IE flULLLTIN llO/\llD LOCATED AT HrfrSllllc Vll.l.!\GE

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Hat Creek Rim is ;1 900foot, west facing located cast of' Redding and nestled between volcanic Mt. [ .assen and 1najcstic 14,000 foot Mt. Shasta in Northern Californi;1. Because this popular t her ma! and soaring sire is located entirely on United States Forest Service land, we ask cvcryo11c to engage in safe and co11sciewio11s conduct while the site.

The current X C record at I lat Creek Rim is slightly over 80 miles.' l 'he flight ended within sight ofthe hang gliding capiral of rhe west, J Oregon. While . flights have great potential here, Hat Creek is be11cr known for the consistent summer conditions that cm frequently provide gains 2,000 ii:cr or more. When you talk to a pilot

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af'tcr his first flight at the Rim, you'll see a broad smile :md hc;u rhc fond memories of generous glassy-smooth !iii., friendly pilots :md spectacular scenery. Conveniences ;md other rccrc:1tional activities ;ilso play a big part in the magic of the Rim. Conveniently located on the road ro the launch and I Z is Fireside There you'll find ;1 heautiiiil Cafo

with home-cooked meals at reason-able prices, a well-stocked store with groceries, camping and fishing s11pplic:s, ham r:1dio and CB sales, gas and more. J:iresidc Village is also the central location for hang gliding information. There you'll /ind ;1 pilot bulletin hoard, designed hy our club for pilots and drivers, site advisories (a mnsr), maps and other pcrrincnt pilot informarion. Please stop rhcrc before you go up the rim. Only a mile or so from Fireside Village is the bcautifril Hereford Ranch Campground. Hereford Ranch offers RV hookups, grass tent sites, flush toilets, laundry facilities and refreshing hor showers.On-site: recreational activities include: fishing (at their wcJl ..stocked trout pound), basketball, sun bathing, swing sets, a ping pong table, tether and volley ball. ]!ces arc very reasonable. Reservations are advised. Recreational activities elsewhere in this huge picturesque valley inclmlc mountain hiking, fishing, hiking, swimming, boating, spelunking, mo1mtain climbing and of course hang gliding. /\II of' this and few· er than 500 loc1l inhabitants! The atmosphere is definitely kick-back, country style, with some of the friendlics1 fdks you'll ever meet. J>lerlst note: Our club has r:1pp/ied fr1r a {lnited Strifes h;rtsl Service specird use permit rt/ llttt Creek Rim. !It the time the goes into effect, thefollowing mrlr/tlg('· men! policies 11Jil! he I) All pilots flying the site 1nusr be currcnr full members of the US! [CJ\. 2) US! J(;J\ lt1terrncdiatc rating or above will be required. ::l) Helmets and backup chutes will he required. It) l lclrnet sticker is required. 11:ir Creek Rim is rrnly a destination site. Its overall appeal and consistent sum .. mer conditions have brought pilots from all over die country to lly, camp and relax here. We only ask that rl1c hang gliding cm11mrn1ity please maimain safo and con scicmious conduct in its use oF this arc;1 so we will be and enjoying ]-lat Creek and the surrounding area for years to come. Sec you at the Rim. For complete information ;1'10111 the please write to: Shast;1 Sailors, 19502 Jacqueline St., Anderson CJ\ 9(100 I, or call (916) %56%1 I (916) 241 HAN(' Cltl)INC

Mili:e of Chtzrlestown, NJ I jcwe!in to a snowy /,/ in U,:1rerno·nt, the Ridr:rs of New rnntcst. Photo hy Mil:e \Ylil/i,,•mc

!tmd-

A dozen pilots hravcd the cold as the Sky Riders of New England held their first spot Lrnding comest in Pebruary at Morningside Plight Park Claremont, NH. Pilots were allowed to make as many flights as they wanted, with the closest to the spot winning first and tics decided hy average distance wid1in a 50-f<:}(Jt circle. Landings outside the target zone didn't count. Most pilots flew from the 450-foot !au nch ro the I which was lmried in a foot of snow '!'he winner was Mike Williams of Belmont, MA in a Vision Mark IV 17, puning his third flight of the day four fi:'.et From rhe target, an orange rectangle atop the snow. I .ynn LePcllcy of Hopkinton, MA and I )an Jester of Bristol, CT h:id the second best flights at five LePcllcy raking second wiLh an 11 ... ftiot average over five /lights to I '7 over f1ve. LcPcllcy flew a l (,2 ( ;· l 'R, Jester a Super For more info contact: Mike Williams ((i17) 4896167.

Cloudhurst Computer Works has upgraded the Windows version of its pop ular CCW i:ligln Log software based on customer inpm over the last six montl1s. '] 'his upgrade the computerized book" is being offrred "free" (only

to registered customers and for $] 'l.00 (plus S&f!) to unregistered users. The upgrade includes easier flight logging, (juicker access to the Rcpon fi.mction, a file hidmp function and additional user opt ions. Cloudburst Computer Works also oHcrs a I)( )S version o/' the ( :CW Flight Log software. The I )OS and Windows versions of the CC:W Flight l .og software store ,1 multirnde of flight data, calculate great circle distances and arc far more flcxi·hk 1ha11 standard log hooks since: rhey allow pilots ro sclce1 vario11s sons and selection criteria for subtoraling and reporting their logged flight data. Both versions arc also mcntHlriven, folly documcmcd and run on most IBM compatible PC :s. The sofrwarc is ideal for compiling club and competition logs. '] 'he prices arc $19.95 for the DOS vcr· for the Windows version, sion and plus 50 S&I I for each CCW Flight J ng program. A sarn pie program is available for $5.00. For more informarion or to place an order, contact: Cloudburst Computer Works, 20120 Broken Sabre I .anc:, Monument, CO 80132. !('you arc currently using the Windows version of the CCW Flighr l .og and would like the upgrade, please send your program serial number (found in the "About" box) and payment to Cloudburst· Computer Works by June 30, 1993.

One of the brne11ts of being a foll USIICA member is a car rental disco1mt with Abmo Rent-A-Car (included with your membership packet). Now Alamo has worked a deal with World' l<.:arn jnggcrnaut Jim Zeiset, discounting a fleet of vans for use at the 1993 World Meet in rhc Owens Valley, California. The US HCA organization salutes Alamo Rcnt--A-Car for their participation and support of the sport of hang gliding.

Ultralight Soaring Sofrware, in cooperation with Second Chant:r., is proud 10 offer the Equalizer harness wirh Second ( :hantz's new compressed air rocker folly integrated into the parachute chest pack Only the nose of the rocket is visible, protruding from the lower corner of the container. As an added bonus, rbc parachmc retains the normal hand deploy capability! We believe this is rhc cleanest, safost, and most versatile ballistic parachute deployment system :ivailablc. Retro/its ro existing harnesses arc also available. For more information contact" Eric Raymond, Ultralight Soaring Sof'tw;ire, 33274 Baldwin Blvd., Lake Elsinore, C:A 92530 phone/fox (909) 678-39:;, I or Second Chantz, 4910 Ai reenter Circle #102, Reno, NV 89502 (702) 829 207'7 fax ('702) 829-2079.

'I 'hrec years ago, New York pilot Paul Voight put together ;1 single copy ola collection "less than perlcct" Ian dings and called it "The Whack 'fopc." After three years of showing the nlm during his travels, it has become nearly legendary. hnally, by overwhelming demand, Paul has updated, lcngrhcncd and professional

ly a new and is making it available to 1he hang gliding world. The fllm conrains nearly two ho11rs of moments culled from a collection of over 70 spanning 1 years of/lying all over the U.S. World famous pilots, as well as your home sire weekend arc featured in rhe video. Yrm may be in this nlm! Also available is a salrnon--colorcd "Whack· T-shirt. Price: and/or$ l 4.00 for the shin. Comact: Paul Voight, 2')/i '!\ail, Pinc Brnh, NY 1256(1.

in conjunction Chamz, is proud to an11om1ce an internal /\.1.R. option. This system can he air-deployed or hand· deployed the same canopy. The hand deployment handle is located at the rop of the parachmc conrainer. The J\.1.R. dcployme111 handle is on the from side of dic parachute comaincr where it can be

reached with either hand. The A.LR. cm· istcr is embedded in your chest-mounted parachute container with only the nose of the can istcr out. The pilot can easily the amount of air pressure by down a srnall vclcro corner of rhc container. Because iris inexpensive 10 refill the /\.I.R. deployments cm now be a rourinc pan ofa pilot's sched11lc. This parachute arrangement can be adaprcd to all l ligh Energy · 1i·accr and cocoon harnesses, ;1s well as many other "'] of my majm objections 10 'rocksystcms have been with the Internal A.LR.," says Pfci/frr of High Sports. "The pilot has the option of hand deploying in case the /\.l.R. foils, rhc handle is easy ro reach with either hand, and rhc canister is nor located on the side of rhe harness where ir may get hooked on side wires." For more information on the internal /\.1.R. contact a local High Energy Sports dealer or call (71 Ii) 972-818(1.

so it's been a while since you've been in college (maybe even longer than you'd care to admir), bur that has nothing to do with the new line of USHCJ\ app;ir-cl that we call "C:ollcgiarc." Due to the phenomenal success of our ash-colored

Collegiate Sweatshirt we have expanded imo C:ollcgiarc Sweatpants that arc side pocketed with an draw string waistband ')'5). Please sec our color/id ;1d in this issue. Since summertime is hopcf'ully around the corner, we arc proud to also imroducc the Collegiate ·1 '.Shin fcir $ I'.J.95 and the Collegiate Shons, sidepocketcd for $lil.'J5. J\11 app;1rcl comes in sizes medium, large and (shorts also available in size small) and guarallteed to satis-

fy. Por questions and ordering information, Dean (US] IC/\'s headless model) ;1 call at UST IC/\ I lcadq11ancrs ')) 63?,8300. MC & VISA .. ~,,,.,,,,."

We need your help! The 19')/i USHC/\ Calendar Committee is anxiously awaiting your photography. You've shared your photos with your local club members, now how ahom lcning the entire world enjoy your photography (the USHC/\ Calendar is circulated worldwide). L:nmcl1ing, landing, soaring, etc. --- we want 10 sec it all! Your photography will be treated with the utmost of care and will he properly returned after the pl1oto selection committee has made its choices. I )uc to the fine·· an quality of our calendar, we prdc:r transparencies for the :1bsolutc best rcprod11ction possible, hm don't lcr that stop you from submitting quality color prints. DFJ\DI.INE JS MJ\Y 31st! So don't delay, submit your best to: USH( ;/\ Calendar, Attn: Jeff Elgart, l!O. Box 8300, Colorado CO 80'JB-B300. If 111\NC Ctll ltNC

you should have any questions, please give me a call at (71 ()) (132-8:300. Don't he shyus your best shot!

'The International Pilot Pro11cicncy Card is currently available through US! IC/\ Headquarters for a cost of $10.00 (includes shippi11g). As reported by l )ennis Pagen in rhe Feb. 1993 issue of Hang C'!idin,~; there are f1ve differe11t levels in the IPPI system. However, there r,ren't five different colored cards, as previously reported. The f PPI cm! is just one color and the appropriate skill level is filled in the blank space pro· vided. For ftmher infcirm:11ion on rhc I PPI card, please contact I foller (719) (i:\2-S.300.

Y<)lJ may have heard ofthe High Energy Sports 'Ihicer. Now the company :11mounccs the Racer. The T1·accr bas become l ligh Energy Sports most pop11l:ir harness. This enclosed harness fcarnres an casy-emry side zip, with the jacket-·stylc zipper located next to the parachute con .. tainer so the container can he builr into the harness. High Energy foels thar the only senI 1ii1 Fneix_y S11orts' new Rt1cer htirness. sible locai-ion frlr a parachlll c is on your chest. Parachute deployment reports collected over the past l 2. years strongly support this conclusion. Not only docs the cxrra padding on your chest provide protection on those cmllarrassing landings, hut it also allows the parachute to be easily hand .. deploycd with ci1 her hand. ·!'he mil-spec skydiving side buckle (rated at 2,500 lbs.) provides ;i link for the continuous webbing over rhc zipper. The 'fraccr comes with adjustable shoulders that allow you to keep a dean profile whether you arc flying in a heavy winter jacket or a ·r:shirt. These lightweight adj11Stcrs arc only rated at 500 lbs., 1111d may be adequate except in a headdown parachute deployment. For that reason, High Energy Sports has backed up each shoulder adjuster with continuous webbing which bypasses the adjuster. This offers a com· fonahlc lightweight shoulder adjuster and the security of continuous webbing. ( )tl1cr 'li·accr fr:atmes arc rraditional suspension points to assure comfort and e;1sc rotation, a large internal storage container with two imcrnal straps to cinch down your "luggage," and adjustable boor length. Each 'fraccr comes with two onc,inch sections stiff foam.· !'his foam can be added or removed for comfort :me! adjustability. J,',asy entry is accomplished wid1 one step, a11d you arc in your harness wid1 no snaps to fumble with or forget. The Thicer B:1g co1r1es with all 'fo1eer and Racer liar· nesscs. This oversized duffel bag has one zipper running frill The continuous-loop handb allow it to be carried over the shoulder or worn like a backpack. The Racer includes all die foatures of rhc 'fraccr but wirh a difkrcm suspc11sion system. By using various high·tcch mmcrials that form internal spreader bars and frames, they ;l!'e able to olfor a single suspension line support system. This harness docs require the pilot ro pull him/herself up for rotation therefore is not suitable for the 11ovicc pilor. Options unique to rhc Racer arc: lightweight fabric used inside the h:1mcss, continuous webbing with no adjusters, cone· shaped hoot with extra storage, and extra snug fit to eliminate "air scoop." More d1an 30 other options arc available for a very customized harness. "In ;111y h:1rncss system there arc tradcoffa," says Betty Pfcilfor of High "The 'li·accr is the best recreational harness we have ever built. It is convenient, com/cirrablc and adjustable. The Racer s;1erifkcs some of the adjustahility and con· venicncc for a singlc.. support and lower drag." For more information 011 the Th1ecr or Racer harnesses comact a local High Energy dealer or call (71 Ii) 972.. g 186.

The l(atharinc \)(fright Memorial Award was established in I <)S] by the Cates l Corpor:1tion. In 19()() Cates l .carjet transferred title to this award 10 NAA ro administer in pcrperuily. The award is made annually to a woman who has provided encouragement, support and inspiration ro lier husband and tb11s was instrumcmal in his success, or made a personal contrilmtion rn the advancement of the art, sport and science of :1viarion ancl sp:icc flight over :111 extended period of time. The formal presentation of this award will be made on Sarurcfoy, August 14, at the dinner of the annual meeting of The Inc. Nominations arc being sought for this award. The rntoff dare is 1\pril 26, 1993. Contact: NAA ar (703) 5270226, fox (703) 527-0229. A1'1,11 1993

I by U,FT A1mm Swepston landthe batch at C'hclan, V<lttshington.

BH!DW Tom/ohns fljier lmmchingfrom between the rorks at C'helrm Butte. photos by

Adler

hinking of heading out west for a little

real Cl'OSS·COlllltry fly. this summer? You couldn't do better than to show up at Chelan in Washington State between July 3-8 for the 1993 Chelan Cross Coumry Classic. ff you've got a few weeks, you should make it for rhc Region One Championships, June 19·2 l, also at ( :helan Butte. The Classic combines both high-level competition and one fim flying experience at a very low cost. Add I .ake Chelan and the hang glider pilot-friendly town of CheLm and you've got a good time hoth for you and your family and friends. No more having them sit out 011 some overheated dry desert

crossroads wondering where you arc afrer yom radio goes out. The Classic has been held for years every July with between 60 and I 00 pilots. In I 98'i and 1986 C:hclan was the site of the

U.S. Nationals, and we arc continually asked to run the Nationals again because so many t:op pilots want to come hack here to fly. Why? Because the rown, the lake, the beaches, the water slides, the rcmal jet skis and bicycles, and the mountain trails provide a good time for the whole family. Chelan Bum: is locmcd right above town within a 1'5--minurc, two.-whecl--drivc ro rhe top. There is space on top t:o set up over a hundred gliders with launches in all directions. Every late morning the thermals set up and allow pilots 10 climb as high as I 0,000' at the Butte before heading across the ( :olumbia River toward formlands to the cast, or north toward Canada. Want to know where the lifi is? Just look out across the flats and you will sec hundreds of dust devils that rise out of the fine powder soil of the E:1stcrn Washington wheat flclds. You always know where the next thermal filling station is. The Classic has an unusual format that allows the pilot to choose his or her course before the flight and then change it while on course to better march conditions. There is a multiplier for triangular and om-and-return flights, so pilots arc encouraged to make it back to the lake in time for a late afternoon dip. If you wallt to go long distance, there is always a day or two when the west winds set up so that is the best cl1oicc. l ,asr year a number of pilots wcm over 130 miles, making it almost ro Idaho. We provide low.-cost camping and showers at the high school football field. '] 'here arc plenty of motels and other camping areas, but you will need to make reservations. Prc.-rcgistcr by June 26 and save Onsite registration is $70. Pilots should bring a camera and a couple of rolls of 3'i mm color ltlm. Send name, address, phone number, USH(;A number and raring (Jiang Ill plus TUR, XC, RU: and FS L sign-offs required) as registration to: Davis IGrh Ave. East, Seattle, WA Srranb, 98112. (206) 32.2.-1181. Pilot's meeting 9:00 !\M at high school football field. Sec you there. H!\NC Ct IDINC

Competition Corner

1993 Manufacturers League Meet U.S. Women's Championships Dinosaur, Colorado July 18-24 by Nick Kennedy

he I 992 Manufacturers league Meet in Dinosaur, CO was so much fun we have to do it again! Dinosaur offers some of the finest soaring conditions available in the U.S. This rime of year typically offers a high cloud base and light west winds, perfect for crosscountry hang gliding. Unlimited landing fields abound and good roads line the task routes. This makes the area ideal for both the low-time and veteran X-C pilot. Dinosaur is well suited for inexperienced X-C pilots looking to get real experience, and there is no better way than attending a contest in Dinosaur and ragging along

with the big kids, going flying every day for a week. You will get well dialed into the site, conditions and your own equipment flying daily. A~k a lot of questions and you will learn more in one week than you will alone at your home site in years. Take advantage of this situation and you won't be sorry you came! This year's event ,vill be structured the same as last year's, with the exception that a simple 35 mm camera will be required for turnpoint verification. All tasks will be realistically called and planned to ensure a reasonably high percentage of finishers, with the emphasis on racing to goal. We want to make sure that everyone has a

1993 World Team Selection System Pilot Ranking by Russ Locke

allowing is a list of the 1993 ranking after calculating the points from the 1992 sanctioned meets. There were seven meets in which pilots scored points by virtue of their placing. They were the Owens Valley Pre-World Championships, the Jeff Scott Challenge, the Sandia Classic, the Manufacturers' League Meet

April 1993

in Dinosaur, the East Coast Championships, the Telluride National Championships and the Argentinean Cross Country. A pilot's score is made up of the total of his/her best four meets, two of which must be from the most recent calendar year. All of the major meets except the Pre-Worlds

rtJ

good time in Dinosaur, and it is the belief of the organizers that getting a fair percentage of the tribe to goal each day will keep everyone happy! Teams of all sorts will be formed to promote team flying, camaraderie and retrieval. With names like "The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly," "The Super Zeros," and "Animal," how can one expect not to have fun? Along with team flying, another exciting feature has been added: The U.S. Women's Championship will be run at the same time, right along with the rest of the meet. The women will be scored separately, if they desire, and will be awarded special trophies and prizes. This is to promote women's flying in general and to help chose the U.S. Women's Team. The women's team in '92 did very well at Dinosaur, and we ,vould like to see this tradition continue. Amenities at the contest will include a catered town dance parry I awards ceremony, great trophies and prizes in all categories, good task selection, free oqgen, and guided mountain bike tours. And, of course, a bunch of awesome airtime! For a pilot information package send a self-addressed, stamped envelope to: Nick Kennedy, P.O. Box 1026, Telluride, co 81435 (303) 728-9602. ~

suffered bad weather and as a result were devalued somewhat because of a lack of flying days. Because of this, the overall ranking was significantly influenced by 1992 meets. Nevertheless, there were four new faces in the top 25. Jim Zeiser, Ted Hasenfus, Al \'Vhitesell and Mark Bennett moved up into this group. Returning to competition, Mark Bennett moved all the way from 60th to 17th. With a couple of exceptions, the top l 0 saw only a little reshuffling. Butch Peachy moved from 16th to ninth. Kari Castle moved from 22nd to 10th malcing her the first lady to break into the top ten. Looks like she's not going to settle for being our Women's National Champion. And Jim Lee's position in the number one spot was well deserved. Jim has arguably been our most consistent pilot over the last few years.

[I Competition Corner 1993 WTSS Ranking January 1993

Final

1) 2) 3) 4) 5)

Lee,Jim Arai, Chris Barton, Tony Koji, Brad Howe, Nelson

41) 42) 43) 44) 45)

Wojnowski, Greg Arai, Tim Peralez, Tony Straub, Davis Baughman, Charles

6) 7) 8) 9) 10)

Gibson, Mark Tudor, Larry Sharp, David Peachy, Butch Castle, Kari

46) 47) 48) 48) 50)

Englehardt, Gaty Neuman, Mike Brobowski, David Av-Tai, Reuven Chiarani, Luigi

11) 12) 13) 14) 15)

Pagen, Dennis Case, Bruce Adams, David Lamb, Keith Szalai, Joe

51) 52) 52) 54) 55)

Uchytil, Gerry Furrer, Vince Mallett, Mark Karsten, Ralph Kaye, Erik

16) 17) 18) 19) 20)

Adams, Randy Bennett, Mark Whitesell, Al Reynolds, Terry Braswell, Jerry

56) 56) 58) 59)

Mackey, Bob Pagen, Claire Kurth, Scott Arndt, Steve

21) 22) 23) 24) 25)

Hempstead, Eric Lehmann, Pete Volk, Glen Hasenfus, Ted Zeiser, Jim

60) 60) 62) 63) 63) 65) 65)

Hill, Ted Kernohan, Kevin Johnson, Gus Seaburg, Dave LaPorte, Rich Dively, Ron Schreck, Ken

26) 27) 28) 29) 30)

Culbertson, Rick Sturt, Tom Brown, Ken Gibson, Dave Howe, Robert

67) 68) 69) 69) 69)

Haley, Mike Swanson, Peter Degroff, Mike Osterlund, Irina Greynald, John

31) 32) 33) 34) 34)

Space, Lionel Eberhardt, Mike Rogers, Frank Osterlund, Howard Bowen, Campbell

72) 72) 72) 75)

Banken, Paul Brown, Russell Stebbins, George Little, Dave

36) 37) 38) 38) 40)

Rossignol, Jersey Szarek, Jon Kennedy, Nick Smith, Scott Boyse, Ted

76) 77) 78) 79)

Brown, Tom Kayes, Robert Karaf)11lakis, Steve Foti, Frank

Prizes Donated To The World Team Sweepstakes QUANTITY -

ITEM -

DONOR -

VALUE

The ARC Helmet - Jim Lee - $300. Cloudbase Video 3, Hang Gliding Extreme - Adventure Video/Paul Hamilton - $35 ea. Aerodyne Helmet - Sail Wings Hang/Paragliding- $85. UP Gear/Harness/Backpack- Desert Hang Gliders - $75. 3,000' 3/ 16" roll Ultraline - Cajun Hang Gliding Club $105. 2 "Smoothie" Towing Releases - Reel Altitude/Brad Lindsay -$45 ea. Davis Turbometer - North America Paragliding - $155. 2-sided silk screened Sweat Shirt - North America Paragliding-$29.95. 5 2-sided silk screened T-Shirts - North America Paragliding -$15 ea. Full Face Integral Helmet - Sequatchie Valley Soaring $185. CG 2000 Pod Harness - Center of Gravity, Inc. - $525. Med. Trainer Harness w/bag - McNett Harness Co. $125. Motel accommodations for 2/Chattanooga - Ctystal Air Sport Motel - $66. 30% off Purchase of Blackhawk Harness thru 12/93 - Silver Wings Inc. - 30% off 12 Hang Gliding T-Shirts - Kitty Hawk Kites - $14-$19 ea. Two-Day Instructor Lesson for HG or PG - HG & PG School of Oregon - $180. Free Entty into 1993 National Championships@ Lalzeview, OR- Northern Calif. X-C Countty Pilots Assn. - $175. 2 Hall Airspeed Indicator & Long Bracket - Hall Brothers $30.50 ea. Wills Wing Harness Bag, one set Lg. Wheels 1-1/8" - Top Flite Hang Gliding - $88. 3 Video "HELICOPTER HANG GLIDING AT LAKE BERRYESSA" - Sacramento Hang Gliding- $29.95 ea. 1 Altimeter/Vario - Roberts Glider Instruments - $275. 2 Takeoff and Landing Clinic - Mission Soaring Center $95. Camelbak Drinking System - Wright Brothers Wings (Kevin Wright) - $40. The Whack Video - Fly High HG - $30. Hang Gliding T-Shirt - Raven Sky Sports HG & PG $19.95. Tow Release Bridle Set - LID Enterprises - $43. Map Sleeve - LID Enterprises - $11. Tow Launch Check List - LID Enterprises - $2. 1 5

HANG GLIDING

That was then ••• 1973 U.S. Nationals Sylmar, California First Place - Chris Wills (right) Second Place - Bob Wills Photo by Clara Gath 1973

This •

now. 1992 U.S. Nationals Telluride , Colorado First Place - Brad Koji (right) Second Place - Chris Arai

In 1973, the first U.S. National Hang Gliding Championships were held at Sylmar California. Chris Wills won the meet on a Wills Wing glider. Bob Wills , brother of Chris and co-founder of Wills Wing , finished second , completing a one-two sweep of the event for Wills Wing . The following year, it was Bob who took first while Chris finished second , and Wills Wing had a second consecutive one-two Nationals sweep. Nearly two decades later, at the twentieth U.S. Nationals in Telluride , Colorado , Wills Wing pilots once again swept the meet, taking first, second and third , and five of the top six places . In the last nineteen years , a total of 32 U.S. National Championship titles have been awarded for flex wing hang gliders in various classes and categories. Wills Wing pilots have won fifteen , nearly four times as many as any other manufacturer. To win in competition requires both ability and a single minded dedication to the task at hand . At Wills Wing , we have tried to take these attributes and apply them also to the larger and more important task of providing pilots everywhere with the best possible products and services. As we prepare to celebrate our twentieth anniversary in hang gliding , we would iike to thank all of our customers over the years who have continually inspired us to pursue the very best that is within us.

LU~

500 Blueridge Ave Orange, CA 92665

Phone (7 14) 998-6359

FAX (714) 998-0647

IFFT TO RIGH1i US. Women '.i World Jeam members Sarah Uoumum, Kari Castle and Alice Engelhardt.

hey hold site records and world records. They've earned titles for their speedy flying ("Fastest Woman at the Funston Air Races") and have been cited for their "slow and steady wins the day" patience and persistence. They love the camaraderie of' recreational flying, and find the skill-stretching atmosphere of compet:i-tions exhilarming. Their energy and emhusi;1sm about flying is infectious; a phone call to one of these women is guaranteed to banish the blown-out blues nnd lcnve you itching to sign up for the next competition. I'd like to introduce to you the five talented, go-for-it ladies who will he represenring the U.S. this April in the 1993 Women's World Championships in Nanyo City, Japan. Certainly rhc best known of all the women pilots in the United States is Kari Castle. Thirry-two ye;1rs old, flying for l J of rhose years, she is currently ranked l 0th in the U.S., and is the only woman hang glider pilot to have broken 200 miles and not just once, but twice. Kari flies a Wills Wing HP AT 1 and prefrrs getting her airtime in the flatlands, parricularly at her home site in the Owens, at l )inosaur in Colorado, and in New Mexico. She is a strong advocate of' women in competitions, and advises lady pilots who arc considering entering the com-

petition scene to "Do it!" Por Kari, competition be it spot landing on the beach or Jron woman" cross--country flying has always been great firn, and she says she learns more flying against others than she docs on her own. She has competed throughout the world, including several women's meets in Japan, in Norway, and in the '91 Wornen's World Meet in Austria. "It's been the best thing for me," she concludes, citing the opportunities for traveling and meeting new people as added incentives to compete. Por obvious reasons, Kari is expected to do well in the World Meet. Her confldent and competent flying sLylc, and her experience in intemarional competitions make her a fcmni·· dablc opponent for any world class pilot; her willingness to share rhat expertise with her teammates, coupled with her contagious enthusiasm, will certainly be a major contribmion to a winning U.S. ream in Japan. Alice Engelhardt is the "senior" member of' this team, both in years on this earth and seasons in the air. Wirh 13 years of experience in hang gliding, she has soared at uncountable sites throughout the country and around the world. She prefers to fly her Wills Wing HP AT 145 at what she describes as "pleasant areas" lush, green, mountainous sites like the Alps and New

Zealand, and near her home in the eastern U.S. Although she has several times proven she can go the distance with long flights iu the Owens, Alice names a (relatively) short flighr of 35 miles from Lookout Mountain to Pon Payne as her most memorable. Besides the beautiful scenery of the flight, and the pcacdt.dncss of flying until sunset, what set this flight apart was the "jelly donut thermal." As Alice describes it, she was get·· ting low near the end of the day when she caught a weak bur workable thermal right over a bakery. The tantalizing aroma of bak-ing jelly donuts had her drooling, but she took the lifr up and away, eking out perhaps another mile before impending sunset shut down the flying. A quick reconnaissance trip showed the bakery to be a commercial rather than a retail operation, so the anticipated end-of-flight indulgence wns denied lier. Even without the icing, though, this cake was more than adequate! When asked for some "words of' wisdom" for prospective lady competitors, Alice also stressed "Cet out and compete!" She finds flying with other ladies in competition uniquely rewarding, and a great way to reinforce flying skills. It's also a rremendous con· fidcncc builder, she says, because compar-· isons made among pilots of similar body and Hi\NC Gt1DINC

Ptrgen, world temn member ttnd wife o/ Hang Cliding stttff'writer Dennis.

glider size arc more meaningful for most ladies than comparing themselves to the guys. Alice is very optimistic about the U.S. Team's prospects in J,1pan, citing die '91 World 'foam experience of Kari, Sarah, and herself. She expects these three former team· mates and the two new members to really "gel" in their team flying abilities, and hopes that the added experience and maturity ol flying skills in this team will spell success for the U.S. ladies this time around. Claire Pagen is the youngest member of the ream, 27 years old with nine years flying experience. She cmrenrly /lies a PacAir lmt anticipates a brand new K5 for the com· petition. Claire's favorite flying site is proba· bly Dinosaur in Color;1do, partially because she had her best X C there, and partly because she loves the landsc1pc. Like Kari, Claire prefers the desert flying sites like Dinosam, the Owens and Sandia, citing the openness and the lonely fr:cling which contrast sharply wit Ii her "home" si tcs in the Alps. Although she has only been competing for two yc:irs, Claire is currently ranked "iltth in the country. Along with Kari and Alice, she feels thar competition is a way to improve flying skills, as well as lots of fon. She suggests that many ladies may avoid competition because they arc concerned about the atmosphere being tense, but she has not found that to be so. 1n fact, her com· petition experiences have been qllitc the opposite, with the guys being friendly and more than hcl pit1l. April 1993

CL1irc's favorite aspect ol competing is team flying, and she is looking forward to developing a strong te,mi strategy in Japan. For her, the people aspect of flying is para· mot111t, and she describes her favorite flight as a combinatio11 of the desolate terrain of Covcrnador Valadares in Brazil, and the wonderfully friendly children (and their dogs) who greeted her and offered assistance when the thermal-marking vultures deserted her and she finally landed. She finds cultural and language differences imcrcstingly chal· lcnging rather than intimidating, a11d is excited abour putting it ;ill together in .Japa11. Sarah Bowman's home is on the range of· Wyoming, and when the snow flies Sarah docsn'r. As a rcs11lt, she hits the road for warmer climes each winter, and hasn't been heard from in several weeks. Sarah is no stranger to the cornpctirion scene; she flies regularly in her local meets, and at one time set a site record fell' Sandturn, her home site. Sarah was not available for comment aliont her choices of' favorite flying sires or conditions, but it is safe to assume that deep snow launches in suh·zero weather would not he one oft hcm. She is expected to surface near home in time for the Japan meet, all warmed up and ready to take on the world. Sarah is a confident and aggressive pilot; her gutsy fly· i ng in the last Women's World Championships moved her steadily up through the rankings. Sarah always expects rhc best from herself; and with her cxpcri .. encc in borh local and world class compcti· tions, we should expect a top·norch pcrfr)r.. mancc from her in J;ipan. The flfrh member of the team, 'fammy Burcir, is a true "wind gypsy," always on the move in se;1rch of the ultimate airtime. As a child she had the classic dream of flying, and even built her own glider out of two·by··fours and plastic when she was ten, without ever a hang gliclc:r. Her need to fly drove her to obtain her private pilot's license when she was 18. ·fammy then discovered hang gliding. She was a founding member the Madison Hang ( ;]iding Club in Wisconsin in 1985, while finish·111g her forestry degree. Since graduating in 1991 she's spent the majority her time flying hang gliders throughout the U.S. She has competed in three meets: the Region II Regionals at Slide Mountain, Nevada in May of the Dinosaur L.cagnc Mec1 at Dinosaur, Colorado in July of '92; and the ·1cam Challenge at Henson's Gap, ·1cn11csscc 011 October of '92. lier lifr is currently dcdicmed to flying,

711mmy Burcttr she was 11 child.

dreaming about/lying since

and Tammy looks fcxward to spending this summer competing in both cross·country and acrobatic meets. So there you have it, folks: the 199:) United States Womcn's World Team. By the time you read this article, these five cxpcri·cnccd, talented, enthusiastic women will be in Japan, showing the world that even ladies who live thousands of miles apart, who've never previously met each oi-her, can become a strong and united team in a few shon weeks. That in itself is ;1 world class act, one that this team is committed to perfecting before the compcril"ion begins. We should he proud of' their determination and optimism, and WC need to offer i-J1crn the support they deserve so they in mm can be proud of the com1m1nity of pilots they arc rcprc· sen ting.

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ears. Wills Wing celebrates 20 years in the hang glider manufacturing business and a move into an ultramodern faci Iity. 26

BELOW: The Wills Wing gang andfriends congregate in front ofthe new factory.

article andphotos by Paul Voight

he sport of hang gliding in the United States turned a major page in history this February. Actually, we have finished a whole chapter, and have moved on to a totally new era. Wills Wing, the only survivor of the 70 to 80 domestic manufacturers operating in the 1970's just celebrated their 20th anniversary of being in the business. At the same time, coincidentally, they've moved production to an all-new, ultramodern facility from which they can embark on another 20 years of building hang gliders and related equipment, and thereby continuing the improvement of the sport itself They've come a long way from the days H ANG GLIDING

when mca111 pnoling the week's profits and awarding it proponionmcly to the employees with the most pressing financial h;irdships that week! Having just rernrned 10 arctic New York from rhis 20th pan y and associated mi11i-v;1cario11, I've got the time, weather and desire to rc!lcct on tl1c events that week. The notion of raking this relatively unjustifiable sojourn from my fomily and business was by the receipt oLm invitation ro Wills Wing's 20th anniversary party in one of my monthly dealer newslcirers. Since the par· ty was in h:bruary (a great time not ro he in the Northeast), and since my wife Barham graciously granted the "go for i1" nod of approval even though she would not be able to join me, ! indeed opted ro RSVP that I would attend. What I initially envisioned as a hit-aml·nm, quick week of' warm weather flying cul· minating in a hang gliding wing ding turned om to be much, much more. The cxpcricncl' was truly an cyc>opener. The crew at Wills Wing put together an incredible, in-depth series of clinics and seminars over the I period before and after the party, which, l<>l' many people, validated the trip to Southern California. The first event, which was held from Friday the 19th through Monday, the was a paragliding [Cl'. Wills Wing hired airman extraordinairc, Rob McKenzie, along with Norma Jean Saunders to administrate the clinic. !\II the people I talked to raved about the content, delivery and fun factor at this clinic (I skipped i1 since my rating is still cur renr). Although they had a bit of 1mcoopcr,1 .. tivc weather, cveu Ben Burri! from Charlotte, North Carolina got his first flights in a jelly fish. Ben donarcd his talents as a "problem s1uden1" to rlic clinic. 'liiesday, rhc Wills held a paragliding dealer covering all aspects of rnam1-· fae1ming, selling and representing the product line. Also covered were accounring scenarios, and fmurc pro-

Mike Meier some glider tuning tips during one sr·!Vt!rH1 serninar:s. Kells and Meh~r address the crowd at the banquet. have you Sf:.'en so rnany hang glider pilots in suits! new

tube-drilling machine.

111/Jn-,, .•, n

Wednesday was ,1 rest day for the so Wills Wing could take care regular business. A 1rnmbcr of us went flying a1 f>incs, ,md the condirions were ;is good as they ever get so everyone got all the airrimc they co1tld h;mdlc. I believe this was the /irst break in the wcad1cr in a long time, and flocks of pilots were our ro get some air. fr was grear 10 be there with so many jazzed, happy pilots in the whole

h,mg April 199]

Next, we got to see the new, computerized cloth cutter. This sucker looks like a 200foot-long air hockey table that sucks air (or holds cloth down) instead of blowing air. An additional device then zings across the length of the fabric cutting the fabric exactly into the desired wing component shapes. But wait ... that's not all! It also draws! Every seam, overlap line, batten pocket line, bottom surface interface, double patch location, and hole (to be cut) location are precisely drawn. The precision of that machine is going to turn out some awesome sails! We then got to see their other new toy. It's a robotic, computerized whiz bang, frame drilling machine, custom designed for Wills Wing's specific needs. Set it for any specific frame part, feed it tubing, and watch perfectly-drilled, errorless frame parts be manufactured (as many as you like)! The rest of the tour was a bit more routine, including the harness, paragliding, shipping, sewing, and glider assembly areas, as well as storage areas for gliders, stock tubing, Tshirts, shipping tubes, and zillions of trays of hardware. They even have bins of "antique" hardware and fittings for almost every design they've ever built. Complimenting this efficient layout, Wills has electricity and pneumatic air power conveniently routed throughout the facility. The whole place represents a simply amazing evolution, particularly considering the absolutely crude methods utilized back in the old days, say... 20 years ago! In any case, regardless of our excitement about the new factory, when someone yelled "meet you at Torrey," the crowd disappeared faster than a flock of Ethiopian chickens. Torrey Pines, the weather, and Bill Bennett treated us to another exceptional day of flying. The happy hour at the hotel that evening was truly inspired! Meanwhile, back home, it was five degrees below zero (Fahrenheit!). For the next two days, the dealer seminar proceeded in earnest. In all honesty, I wasn't very psyched going into it. I don't need to be entertained for two days! However, it became very obvious early on that this wasn't a show. This was an education. With a different speaker/topic every one or two hours, the 40 or so dealers present learned about tuning, assembling, pre-flighting, test flying, trouble shooting, and servicing all aspects of the Wills Wing glider line. We learned how to better manage our shops and our money, and discussed methods of generating more new students. We saw demonstrations of the new air rocket (Wills is working on a custom method 28

''Wills Wing has taken hang gliding to new heights of legitimacy with their futuristic new shop and tremendous depth of design talent. 11

of incorporating this type of rocket into their chute containers). Also, there was a drogue chute demo and discussion of the use of drogue chutes in Spectrum-type gliders on the training hill. There were two different full-face helmet demonstrations. Movie maker Paul Hamilton asked for input for a "what is hang gliding" movie for use in educating and generating interest from the general public. There was a talk by harness department head Mike Johnson on harness sizing and ordering. Jim Wood showed everyone his express method of loading an airframe into a sail. Mike Haley gave an excellent discussion on professional sales improvement (which had Matt Taber front row center - all ears). As an incentive to an early start Saturday morning, we were promised a talk on sail cloths and their properties by Steve Pearson and a question and answer period concerning any new projects Wills has in the works! Needless to say, the seminar started right on time, with all attending. Following his sailcloth talk, Steve deftly fielded a barrage of questions, and wasn't really too evasive on any of them. The bottom line, from what I learned from the talk, was that they are working on something (as they always are). It's not finished yet. He didn't even want people to think that it definitely would be ready by the World Meet. Apparently, it may have a string VG. It should be around a 152 squares (between 145 and 158). It won't be released until it's a finished product. (In addition, if they don't get it to be exactly what they want, they may start over on a completely different tack.) It isn't so imminent that people who are ready for a new glider should wait to order. They may be waiting a long time. And, of course, it will be more expensive (somewhere between $4,000 and $5,000). The most intriguing statement was that they're trying some things that no one else has. Revealing, yet secretive. Subtle, yet bold. Now you know as much as anyone, and this was the sto1y six months ago, and could be the story six months from now. It's so mysterious and frustrating. But if we do have to wait a while,

there is comfort in knowing that it will be a finished glider whenever it is finally completed and released. Those boys are thorough! The last item on the seminar agenda was an open discussion by the dealers in the tradition of the quasi-organization called the Hang Glider Dealers Association. Chaired by Pat Denevan, the object was to allow us to discuss things we wanted to, possibly things missed in the three days of the clinic. From here, we had a couple of hours to spruce up back at the hotel to get ready for the big party. (Jacket and tie were requested!) This time period fell conveniently on the hotel's daily two-hour free happy hour, for those of us not used to wearing suits and ties, allowing us to "loosen up." The party was great. Everyone was dressed to kill, and the food was excellent. It was kind of like a wedding scene, only a whole lot more united. There were no grumpy spouses; everyone had a common interest. This incredibly presentable crowd of 220 people were all here to celebrate Wills Wing's 20th and hang gliding in general. There were dealers from all over the U.S. including Hawaii - too many to list - and several from out of the countty Brazil, Canada, Japan, and various countries in Europe were all represented. There were national champions, old and new, male and female. USHGA's President, Executive Committee, and Executive Director were all present. I saw friends I hadn't seen in 10 years. I met people who were stars back in the days when our magazine was called Ground Skimmer. I've purposely chosen not to list names, as there are way too many, and I'd hate to miss anyone accidentally. Needless to say, this was a who's who in hang gliding affair. I'd take it over the inaugural ball any day! Off along a side wall and into a side room, Wills Wing had amassed a collection of "then and now" memorabilia. They had set up THE Wills Wing glider that won the first U.S. Nationals. Old order forms (blank sheets) versus new order forms. Scrapbooks of the Wills Wing ads over the ages. And a slide show ranging from battenless lawn dart standards to HP AT's. For me, the significance of 20 years began to sink in. That's over a fourth of an average person's life. After we had all we could eat, and near the end of another keg, Rob Kells called everyone to their seats and proceeded to do his thing - which is to talk. After a few true old stories, he graciously thanked his partners and all the guests, and introduced everyone to Mr. Wills, Mrs. Maralys Wills, Bob Wills' wife Suzette and son Brandon, along with Chris HANG GLIDING

Wills. Maralys took the opportunity to tell everyone some stories from the very old days, and Chris reduced the crowd to roaring laughter with a barrage of Wills history-oriented one-liners. Also taking the floor were Linda Meier, Mike Meier and Steve Pearson, each with interesting, sometimes emotional stories of how it all started, and how things got to where they are now. The genuine emotion and sincere gratitude that they expressed that night can't be done justice in an article, so I'm glad I was there. The last items on the formal agenda were the awarding of plaques to various dealers. Tsune Herota of Japan, Patrick Bredell of Brazil, and Markus Villinger of Wills Wing Europe were all recipients and speech givers. The top four oldest Wills Wing dealers/shops were also recognized, and in descending order were Chandelle Hang Gliding represented by Andy Whitehill, California Windsports/Joe Greblo, Frank Gillette of Idaho, and the oldest (but not in age he quickly pointed out) was Ken de RLtssy and his Hang Gliding Emporium of Sama Barbara, California. Ken had a particularly funny story about his introduction to Wills Wing, and then finished off with an awesome "thank you" to his wife, Bonnie. As the party broke up, there was a feeling in the room that is best described by an old catch phrase that's been in the Wills Wing ad philosophy since the beginning, namely: "Welcome to the Wills Wing family." Well... although the party was officially over, the parrying wasn't. Thar evening lasted until about 3:00 Ai\<!, at which time one last group attempt was made to reawaken Rob

Kells to no avail, who was wisely in bed resting for the golf tournament. While the balance of the attendees woke up late and then went flying, surprisingly, three foursomes were up and our by 9:00 Ai'vl to go play 18 holes of go!£ When the smoke cleared from rhar game there were two men with tied scores: Rob Kells and Jim Bowman from Wyoming. As I left to catch my plane home I got to watch Russ Locke drill a tremendous drive all of 10 feet into the ice plants at the end of the tee, blaming it on his wife's club he picked up accidentally. At the same time, a whole third group trekked up north to Santa Barbara to participate in rhe last of the week's scheduled events, an ICP administered by Pat Denevan and Mike Robertson. That clinic is ongoing as of this writing, and I'm sure will be worth a story or two from those who are attending. Ir was a "sell-out," I understand, and the facility up there is outstanding. And that about wraps it up. This first 20 years of Wills Wing are behind us, and hopefully a bright future lies ahead. Wills Wing has taken hang gliding to new heights of legitimacy and validity with their futuristic new shop with all its computers and machinery, and tremendous depth of design talent. As a pilot, I can't wait to see what these guys will come up with next. The new unprecedented precision manufacturing methods alone will set them apart from the "old style" of manufacturing. And more so now than ever, there really is a Wills Wing family, consisting of every pilot flying one of their rigs, regardless of vintage. It's a re_al nice family and I'm glad I'm part ofit. ~

rta

Lots of hot air rocketing around

l,~--

ROCKETS ARE:

+ More Powerful ... ask around; those who've seen all brands will agree that solid fuel is hard to beat

+ Less Maintenance Intensive

... a BRS rocket is certified for SIX long years. You'll rarely deal with reloading (or servicing) this rocket + Leak Proof ... the solid fuel is good for six years and can't leak out even if the temperature or altitude vaiies widely + Smaller ... physical size is less (because in aviation, where bulk is concerned, "less is more") + Highly Reliable ... these rocket motors have been in service for years with an excellent track record + Reasonably Priced ... BRS has not raised the price since 1988

~--

II YOUR AVERAGE GLIDER MOVES 37 FEET IN A SINGLE SECOND. YES? FEELS LIKE MOST THERMALS HrnE ARE JUST ABOUT 37 FEE.TIN DIAMETER IF YOU BUY ONE Of THOSE VAR/OS WITH A ONE SECOND RESPONSE TIME ,YOU PROBABI. Y WONT FIND THE THERMAL, UtlLESS YOIJ FOi.LOW 1HE PILOT WITH THE ROBERTS BREAD PAN. HIS HAS I\ RESPONSE TIME OF ONE TENTH OF A SECOND f ,-~ ----=- -

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rt Accident Reports by Doug Hildreth, USHGA Accident Review Chairman vent: Intermediate pilot flew on a light day. He really wanted to stay up. Flying down the ridge at treetop level, he got a little life, then a lot of sink, right into the trees. ''All of us have lost altitude in a hurry before, but I put myself in a place where I could not get away with it." Well said.

Event: Low airtime novice pilot sideslipped out oflast turn before final. Managed to level the wing, but stalled in the gradient. Dropped in from 15 feet, held on to control bar and broke arm.

THE SIDESLIPPING TURN Over the past two or three years there has been an increasing number of accidents related to the slipping turn. This "began" with the relatively well known fatality of Stu Smith who slipped a turn on landing and never leveled out. A slipping turn is a dive recovery maneuver. The glider is only partially flying and ends up descending sideways at a fairly fast rate, and losing considerable altitude in a short space of time and distance (ground track). The most common use of the slipping turn is in the restricted landing zone situation, where the pilot wants to get from a "high" altitude, above the trees, to a low

altitude while traversing a minimum amount of ground. In other words, slide into the LZ "straight down," level out and flare. The accidents are occurring at one of two points in the maneuver. First is a failure to come out of the sideslip, and continuing to slip into the ground. Second is the leveling out onto final with improper airspeed, usually too slow. Being in the gradient compounds the already low airspeed, and the result is a stall and a drop to the ground from 10 to 30 feet. The adjustment of airspeed is important, since slowing too much will result in a stall, and carrying too much of the sideslip speed into the leveling mode will result in a looong groundskim. Keep in mind that we have a "standard" way of handling a restricted field, with an aircrafr approach. We pass through the gradient going crosswind to minimizing the dangers of the gradient. But then we are forced to make a low-level 90° turn to bring us into the wind on final. When performed by experienced pilots, the slipping turn is a useful technique to have in your armory. But students and less experienced pilots are using it before they have perfected the nuances of exit altitude and speed. We are seeing too many accidents as a result. Obviously this needs to be practiced at altitude repeatedly before trying it close to the ground. We may need

better instruction on how to properly perform this fairly advanced technique, which might include an article in the magazine.

LAUNCHING AND SLOWING DOWN Another thing I'd like to reinforce is the important issue of early altitude pilots launching, slowing down and turning back into the hill. This has been a frequent problem since the beginning of the sport. There have probably been more injuries and fatalities related to this event than any other single cause. The launch itself is usually good, and then for a wide variety of reasons, the pilot slows down, stalls (a bit more with one wing than the other) and turns back into the hill. We kill a couple of pilots each year with this phenomenon. There are many contributing factors, and they are often blamed primarily, whereas the basic mistake is that we just can not slow down after launch - for any reason. Fly straight and level, get the speed up, get away from the hill and then do all the other stuff. We need to stress the prevention of this scenario to all pilots as they approach and experience their early altitude flights. Let me close by repeating my opinion regarding the importance of radios during the training process. Although first altitude flights are the most obvious place, many phases of flight become more safe when the instructor or another seasoned and caring pilot is in communication with the newcomer.

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1993 Chelan Cross Country Classic

C::r---..'-~

~ ~

Made in Germany

Chelan Butte, Washington July 3-8 Six days of great flying in smooth thermals over open farmlands Best time of the year to fly one of America's greatest cross country sites High level competition at a very low cost Triangles, out-and-returns or open distance-you choose while on course Wonderful clear warm mountain lake for swimming at the end of the day

Pre register by June 26th and save $5 . On-Site registration - $70 . Pilots should bring a camera and a couple of rolls of 35mm color film . Send name , address, phone number, USHGA number and rating( Hang Ill plus TUR , XC , ALF, and FSL sign offs required) as registration to Davis Straub, 747 16th Avenue East, Seattle, WA 98112 . Pilots' meeting 9am Saturday at high school football field . Camping and showers available at low cost.

!IBOVh': II photo from the Hang Gliding rnarazme archives. !In unidentif}cd pilot flying a "st1mdr1rd" Noga/lo in 1971, Note the pr1ddecl, hcnt doumtubcs. /J:'F/: !·lying prone in a strmc!tmi. Note the not-so-comfy hrtmess.

• •

I ThefiJ!!owing is reprintedfrorn Downwind A ·rrue !fang Clidi11g Story, 11 hool: hy /,arry which is a literary history of' the sport l 970's. n 19T, and 1974, hang gliding was the new popular sport that everyone wanred to try. Most people, including the instructors, were ignorant. Often a young college boy would walk up to a just-opened shop to flnd another long-haired young man wearing sandals and painting a sign in the window in earth tone hues. "Wrmt to !uirn to /\pril 1993

fly?" the instructor would say while keeping his eyes on his work, knowing that he had the excited youngster hooked for at least a couple of' lessons, a couple of' more rneal tickets. All types of' people wanted to learn to fly: there were freedom-loving, going out-ofstylc hippies, college students, blue collar workers, lawyers and school teachers. The sport cur across all groups and all ended up at the foot of a hot, dusty training hill 011 a Sarurday or Sunday in the hands of an instructor who had not even heard of the

•

I sport six months before. The first step of the lesson was learning how to put the hang glider together. The instructor had brought several long hrown bags on top of his bcat--up, dented, barelycoulcl-rnn van. It doubled as his transportation and a place to live and had a bed in the back. 'The insides were m11tnishcd and the owner's big drc:1m was to someday fix it up with wood paneling and lush blue carpeting. "Christ;" the students thought, "this is sure a IDW rent opcmtion; I hope the gliders 1,re in hetter sht1pe. "

They weren't. They looked as banged up as the vehicle. The students in 1974 were about to learn that much of the instruction was trial and error. ''Ah," the instructor would say after a failed attempt, "Well, let's try this instead. "As the machines were unrolled, one saw a triangular shaped kite, much like a larger version of a kid's kite. It was called a standard, in which the leading edge and the keel were the same length. There was a triangular bar under the sail, which was used to shift the pilot's weight around, to turn, to speed up and slow down. The sail drooped down in the back where two large billows hung. After a couple of runs on level ground with the kite, students found themselves partway up the hill looking out at open land that seemed to stretch forever. You could see the other students way down there, with a sort of awed expression on their upturned faces. "My god I must be as high up as a house!" The instructor had you slip into a webbed parachute-type harness being careful to show each man how not to get his you-know-whats caught between the webbing and the leg scrap. Occasionally, a pilot limped away and waited for the throbbing to stop before trying another flight. After snapping a mountain climbing carabiner into a rope on the glider, the pilot was ready to run down the sloping hill until the glider lifted his feet and left him dangling in the harness from the center point of the kite. Many people thought you were supposed to hang by your arms from the glider, like some trapeze act. The carabiner was the main link, the connection which tied the pilot into the glider and allowed him to hang in the harness. The carabiner was the last item on the checklist that the pilot hooked in just before flight, because he did not want to be attached to some large sail which a strong gust of wind might blow away. More than one pilot had been blown up and back over a hill in strong winds because he had hooked in too soon and was fooling around at launch. The eager volunteer lifted the glider and wondered if it would fly. He experienced what other pilots later called "the pucker factor." It afte1ward seemed that the carabiner had a direct connection to the pilot's rear end. Once it clipped shut, the pilot tended to pucker. The instructor's words kept running through the pilot's mind. "Run haid - push

out, go up - pull in, go down - lean right, turn right - lean left, turn left. "After two steps the kite had lifted its own weight off the frightened pilot's shoulders. By the

fourth step, the pilot felt the harness straps on his shoulders and waist pull him off the ground. It all happened so quickly. He kept running because he was used to using his feet to travel, but his arms were now the only controlling force. First-time pilots tended to lose all sense of reason; they came down in a wild-eyed panic with their tunneled vision focused at some far-off point in the landing zone and their hands grabbing the control bar in a whiteknuckled death grip. They always seemed to want to get down as fast as possible and not get hurt. The pilot could feel the wing's pressure as he sped up, slowed down, and made little corrections to keep the kite straight and level. Straight and level seemed the best way down without injury. The wind rushed past his face and ears, and he had the feeling he could skim over the ground forever, thwacking the long dry grass blades with his feet hanging below the billowing red, green and purple glider, looking just like a limp cat that had been picked up by the back of its neck, with its rear legs paddling the air. Thirty seconds of total freedom seemed to be much, much longer. He was feeling the adrenaline rush, the natural high that would be addicting to some and scare others away. 'Tve got to

fly at least once a week, twice a week, evoy day, or I experience withdrawal," many of the pilots would come to say. And then all too soon, he hit ... hard! The control bar grabbed the hard, dry ground so that the nose slammed with an ear-pounding KA-WHUMP! The instructor had hung the pilot high enough so he would miss the ground with his body, and instead swing through what was left of the control bar. He ended up hitting his helmeted head on the glider's keel. The wings flexed and shuddered as a mean dust cloud settled around the sagging mess. "Huh, what happened?" the volunteer asked the master walking down the dry grass-covered hill. ''Ah," came the usual reply, "let's try. .. maybe try. .. pushing out a little more. "What had happened was that the student had simply flown the glider right into the ground (into what came to be know as the impact zone) because he had not flared the glider, he had not pushed the nose up until the kite stopped and dropped him lightly on his tippy-toes. The beat-up glider had been bent a little more than before and one understood why the equipment was so ratty looking. The instructor was used to quick repairs at the hill; he expected them. He put his shoulders

and arms opposite the bends in the control bar and pushed and pushed it, to make a kind of straight line. The students saw the other bends and curves along with the small sail rips and looked blankly at the instructor when he cried out, "Next. " Sometimes the student hit hard enough to break an arm. The instructor arranged a ride to the hospital with one of the guy's friends and then looked around for replacements from the crowd of spectators. "Well, it looks like we have room

for one more in the class today. Sign this liability waiver and I'll get you set up. " Later on, instruction would become safe, because a national organization, the United States Hang Gliding Association, would teach instructors and certify them to give safe, competent lessons. Hang gliding schools would train hundreds of people every year without accidents, and the average person would be able to rake a few lessons and get his or her feet off the ground just to see what hang gliding was like. They would not need to wony about injury. The glider companies would end up designing special gliders for training - slow, forgiving, easy gliders. However, the impact zone of 197 4 was where gliders, arms and egos broke. The students then reached the decision point: go back up for a few more addicting seconds in the air and another visit to the impact zone, or chuck the whole idea and head for the bars and parties where one could brag about how one was a hang glider pilot. It was fascinating to learn how many people loved to talk about hang gliding and how many "experts" there were at these parties. There were the macho students, who refused to give in to their fears of the impact zone, and there were those who really wanted to fly. They went back up the hill, climbing with the control bar apex resting on their necks and shoulders as they sweated in the hoc summer sun. They always went just a little higher on the hill, a little steeper. An interesting informal contest began, which no one ever talked about, but of which everyone was aware: Who could fly higher, who could fly the top, who could turn 180° degrees, who could three-sixty (turn a complete circle), who could push past the ochers on the way to the top? The hill showed everyone's place in the sport. At the bottom were the students, looking like ants as they went through the fear of the impact zone experience. Partway up were those few struggling to go higher and on top of the tiny 300-foot training hill were the gods, preparing to fly with the eagles. Way HANG GLIDING

down at the bottom and off to the side were those who didn't eveu cmmt, because they had never even tried ro fly. 'f'hey only watched, and since they were next 10 the training area, those spectators got an eyeful of the antics in the impact ·1.one. Oh yes, there was always entertainment in the Linding area; there seemed ro be a continuous parry with the want·W··be pilors and many long bloml·h;1ired girlfriends, dressed for the hot wearher, wearing halter rops, wid1 a beer in one hand and a joint in the other. There was even a bold group that ran around in loincloths, tossing a frisbee to pass the time until their pilot friends joined them for the evening party. Pilots would also join in, hut usually waited until they were finished flying for the day. so ofren a glider dragged itself out of the air, fhpping and popping its baggy sail to much down or crash in fron1 of everyone. Cliders rolled, twisted, ser down empty because rhc pilot forgot to hook the carabincr into rhc glider, and sometimes, although infrequently, dove straight into the ground, killing the pilot. The early kites could reach a point at which they beGime unstable. Later, gliders were tested and made safer, bur the manufacturers in 1974 often released designs ar reduced cost to the flrst few buyers and they watched to sec how their products worked. It was a time of advcmure and risk, and everyone was caught up in it fly or die, have a good one. Some pilots liked to alter their gliders to get better performance, until the tiny bit o/' April 1993

inherem stability was almost gone. One such pilot broke up Lhc landing area party for a day when he splattered in front of a blue Chevy van. His helmet had slipped over his face at imp;1ct and had rubberized his features; both ;mns had been broken and bem h:ickw;ird. He had pushed out to the lasr second, trying to pull his altered glider out of the death dive, so his arms ended up taking much of the impact. Although most of the flights ended up with nice tirH·oe landings, it only took one or two bad ones to form public opinion about rbc new "death sport" of hang gliding.

Newspapers and television showed macabre images of rbe impact zone. Local hang gliding clubs tried to slam the media in their favor, bm somehow it just never seemed to work out. One club had a contest and invited the local television sta· rion to cover it. /1. contest in the early days consisted of' a group of pilots trying ro land their kites 011 several glider bags laid out in a circle in the landing area, and were rimed for how long they stayed in the air. The scores were one poinr per second and 20 poims for hitting the spot. Pilots would pound in try· ing ro get the glory. So here was die hJGli news gal and camera crew out: to cover the contest in a (crossyour-fingers) positive way. However, something always goes wrong in a hang gliding contest. Usually it's the weather, and that thy was no exception; the wind was blowing strong across the hill. Everyone had chosen a number and the two least experienced guys were number one and number two. The local loudmouth, who was number three, bellowed, "Let'., get the meet stdrted and get those turkeys o[f'this hill." Number one and two were both intimidated into the air and sacrificed to the wind. Number one disappeared over the precipice only to pop up, almost hitting everyone who had run over to the edge ro sec what went wrong. Number one bobbed up and down, stalling and diving like an out-ofconrrol baskerball ut1til touching down in the landing zone. Number two simply turned downwind until he touched down in a cloud of dust

Soaring a strmdmd 1lt the beach in Iorrance, Califrm1ir1

no shoes or helmet.

that drifted past him as he rolled like a tumble weed across the desert. It was like a scene out of a Roadrunner cartoon and the news camera took it all in for the evening newscast. The arrogant and experienced number three put his glider away and everyone went home. A guy would have to be a fool to fly in these conditions. People had always heard of some pilot who had hit a power line or broken an arm or died. A national magazine had even published a picture of some poor fool who had landed in a power line and gotten fried. He looked like some turkey with his legs burned and blistered waiting to be the centerpiece of the Thanksgiving Day meal. None of chis bothered the gods on top of their hill; they were too busy flying and pushing the limits of their skill. This kind of talk even added to their feelings of invincibility. Besides, the talk came only from the ignorant public which had no idea that hang gliding was not just a sport, but a way of life. The pilots planned their jobs, their vacations, their cars, families, and their finances around hang gliding. Pilots commonly drove $300 cars with $600 hang gliders on top.

Most pilots understood why the accidents happened and were assured it couldn't happen to chem: "Could you believe that idiot took the stability out of his hite?" ''Everyone knows you Clln lose tons of altitude in a 36(!' tum ifyou don't do it right. Why wouM he t1y one at tree top level?" "Franle was flying in a snowstorm and just dove it in." The gods added it all up to one thing: most accidents happened to guys who just didn't belong in the air. They felt that accidents happened because of pilot error and therefore they felt safe on top of their little hill, always gliding down, down, down to a delicate landing in front of the continuous party in the impact zone. It was one big brotherhood of the sky, with a few female pilots thrown in to add some spice. And then one day it changed. A few of the more determined pilots changed the rules, upped the ante, and made the training hill seem like an ant hill.

Our Trike Wings are not simply reinforced hang gliders. They've been specially designed to carry heavier two-seater trikes. Our Wings feature a very wide speed range forshott landings and long voyages. They are especially well vibration dampened.

GHOST 12 30 to 90 mph GHOST 14 28 to 78 mph GHOST 16 25 to 70 mph Load _tested to 4,600 lbs positive, 2,300 lbs negative i

La Mouette

1, rue de la Petite Fin 1121 Fontaine-Les-Dijon • France ) In maiiillti,T from the USA, dial: , ~ Tel: 011-33-80-56-66-47 "I\~ Fax: 011-33-80-55-42-01 I Designing & il4mmfacturing Trike Gliders Since 1982 f

Downwind is available for $10.95 plus $3. 00 S/H ($.85 sales tax in California) fimn: Chris Gregor Publishing, P.O. Box 26595, ~ Fresno, CA 93729-6595. - Ed ~

In the USA, contact.. Jefferson Acrosports 15120 Skelton Rd• Jefferson, OR 97352 Tel: 503/327-1730 • fax: 503/364-4116 Dealer Inquiries fln'ited DISCOVl-:R THE Pl.l(ASURE & EASE OF TRIKING

We Fly The Pros To Where The Pros Fly We flew the women to Switzerland and Japan (Womens World Team, Fisch 1991 and Nanyo 1993). We flew the men to Brazil (Mens World Team, Governador Valadares 1991).

Where Can We Fly You? "Redstone's free 800 number makes buying air tickets easy from anywhere in the USA."

C"Ang~lei)Was instrumental In gethng_plJ6ts and gliders to Brazil for the World Meet."

Rick Jacob Sequatchie Valley Soaring

Pete Lehman Team Leader, 1991 World Team

"When I can't fly myself, I call Redstone." Nelson Howe Enterprise Wings U.S. Rep.

AUSTRALIA • COSTA RICA • CALIFORNIA • EUROPE TENNESSEE (East Coast Championships) • COLORADO (Manufacturer's League Meet) NEW MEXICO (Sandia Classic) • OREGON (U.S. Nationals) "Official Travel Agency to the 1993 U.S. Nationals" Russ Locke, Meet Organizer U.S. Nationals

Airline Tickets • Adventure Travel • Hotel/Car Arrangements Hang Gliding/Leisure/Corporate Travel

REDSTONE TOURS INTERNATIONAL

800 - 547 - 3323 Support the USHGA - A percentage of your purchase is credited to the USHGA's official travel (Some restrictions apply) 38

HANG GLIDING

UP INTERNATIONAL

UP is proud to introduce its 1993 line of state-of-the-art hang gliding equipment. All of this year's models feature a revolutionary quick setup and breakdown system utilizing a rear crossbartensioning configuration. XTCss 170/150 - The single-surface trainer I advanced fun glider, from first flight to Master rating! The XTCss has an aluminum airframe and control frame. XTCds 170/150 - This double-surface cross-country trainer for the Beginning to Intermediate pilot is built with an aluminum airframe, an aluminum control frame and aluminum airfoil kingpost and downtubes. A folding speedbar is standard equipment. Options include Safedge airfoil downtubes, wingtip fairings or, new for 1993, wingtip fairings with vertical winglets for added yaw stability at high speeds. XTC 205 - The new "Double UP" single-surface glider offers traditional UP performance and handling while accommodating higher wing loadings. It features a carbon-fiber airframe and aluminum control frame. XTR 145 - This high-performance cross-country racer is well suited for Intermediate to Master pilots. It features an aluminum airframe, aluminum airfoi l downtubes, carbon-fiber kingpost and folding speedbar. The XTR is available with or without Variable Geometry and is available with optional Safedge or carbon-fiber airfoil downtubes and tip fairings with vertical winglets. TRX 160/140 Race - The ultimate in performance, light handling, light pitch pressure and easy landing characteristics, the TRX Race is perfect for Intermediate to Master pilots. It is comprised of a lightweight carbon-fiber airframe which provides superior strength and flexibility. Standard features are aluminum airfoil downtubes, wingtip fairings and folding speedbar. Other new improvements include all-aluminum , lowflex ribs and the elimination of the VG compensator. Optional equipment includes Safedge airfoil downtubes, carbon-fiber airfoil downtubes, tip fairings with vertical winglets. and a large control frame for the TRX 140. Flightmate GPS - UP International has become an authorized distributor of Trimble Navigation 's Flightmate , a compact navigation receiver and global positioning system. Ideal for the cross-country enthusiast, the Flightmate attaches easily to a glider control frame and utilizes a sophisticated onboard satellite-tracking computer to provide precise position and altitude data. It also reports ground speed, bearing, ET A and __rr1,'111.~Jli'J}.J distance from launch ~~~.,

,.-.._

0 0

00 '-'

1993 USHGA MERCHANDISE ORDER FORM PRICE

QD'..

1993 USHGA CALENDAR 12" x 12" full-color pictorial of the sport you love .............................................................................................. $6.00 OTHER USHGA CALENDARS SPECIFY YEAR: 1992 1991 1990 1989 1988 Excellent Photography-collect them alll ........... @ $1.50 USHGA "TAOS" T-SHIRTS 100% cotton, oversized, fine-lined weathered look. COLORS: Ash Wine Blue SIZES: Med. Large XL ...........................................................................................................................$17.95 USHGA "OATMEAL" LONG SLEEVE 100% cotton. Natural color with fine-lined navy stripes and 3" screened logo. Available in MOCK NECK or HOODED SIZES: Med. Large XL ............................................................................................................$19.95 COLLEGIATE SWEATSHIRT Super heavyweight 11 oz. fleece - 95% cotton, cross-weave w/ side gusset, 3 colors on ash. SPECIFY SIZE: MEDIUM LARGE XL reg. $39.95 ..........................................................................................$34.95 COLLEGIATE SWEATPANTS Side pockets, 50/50, elastic waistband w/ drawstring. Sizes: Med. Large XL ........................................$29.95 COLLEGIATE T-SHIRT ASH, 100% cotton, puffed lettering. Sizes: Med. Large XL ...............................................................................$13.95 COLLEGIATE SHORTS ASH, side pockets. Sizes: Small Med. Large XL ...........................................................................................$18.95 "FREESTYLE" SWEATSHIRT 9 oz. set-in fleece - 50/50 heavyweight, beautiful multi-color design on white SPECIFY SIZE: MEDIUM LARGE EXTRA-LARGE ..............................................................................................................................$24.95 ALSO FREESTYLE T-SHIRT 100% preshrunk cotton Med. Large XL ................................................................................................$14.95 "LOOP" SWEATSHIRT 9 oz. set-in fleece - 50/50 heavyweight, red and while on navy SPECIFY SIZE: MEDIUM LARGE EXTRA-LARGE ...............................................................................................................................$19.95 USHGA Golf Shirt 100% combed cotton. Colorfully embroidered. Colors: White Red Navy Yellow Jade Black SIZES: Medium Large X-Large XXL (in white, navy & jade only) ............................................................................................................$22.95 USHGA LONG SLEEVE TSHIRT 100% Cotton "Simplistic" Design SPl:CIFY COLOR: WHITE or GRAY & SIZE S M L XL ................ $18.95 USHGA MTN. GLIDER TSHIRT 100% cotton. Our most popular shirt. SPECIFY SIZE: M L XL COLOR white ash ............... $12.95 USHGA YOUTH MTN. GLIDER TSHIRT For those up and coming pilots. SPECIFY SIZE: S(6-8) M (10-12) L(14-16) ...................... $9.95 USHGA MTN. GLIDER CAP Embroidered SPECIFY COLOR: NAVY WHITE PURPLE RED ........................................................$9.95 "NEW" Hang Gliding magazine "SPECIAL NEW PILOT EDITION" launching, landing, buying a used glider, etc ..................................$4.50 "NEW'* Higher Than Eagles by Maralys & Chris Wills. The story of early hang gliding and Bob Wills. Hardcover. ....................................$19.95 **NEW** UNDERSTANDING THE SKY by Dennis Pagen Micrometeorology for pilots. Almost 300 pages, 260 photos & illustrations ....... $19.95 **NEW** THE ART OF SKYSAILING by Michael Robertson. Covers material used in ICPs, including Charts of Reliability ......................... $9.95 PARAGLIDING - A PILOTS TRAINING MANUAL Produced by Wills Wing. Everything you wanted to know about paragliding ................. $19.95 HANG GLIDING FOR BEGINNER PILOTS 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 FL YING SKILLS by Dennis Pagen Our most popular book. For the beginner to intermediate pilot. ..............................$9.95 RIGHT STUFF FOR NEW HANG GLIDER PILOTS by Erik Fair Overview, humor, techniques and personalilies ......................................$8.95 FEDERAL AVIATION REGULATIONS Federal Regulations covering ALL types ol aviation .......................................................................$8.95 USHGA DELUXE LOG BOOK 72 pages. Covering pilot ID, ratings, rules, maintenance, inspection, terminology ... and more ................... $4.95 USHGA XC 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 ............................. $4.95 USHGA LAPEL PIN Beautiful multicolored Mtn. Glider design. Custom shaped pin w/ military clutch and epoxy dome ............................ $4.95 USHGA MTN. GLIDER SEWON 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 KEY CHAIN "Soft Feel" Plastic. Custom Mtn. Glider shaped. Screened white on red ...................................................................$1.50 USHGA SEWON EMBLEM Our original logo, in its original colors on this 3" circular emblem .....................................................................$1.50 USHGA EMBLEM DECAL Our original logo, in its original colors on this 3" circular sticker. ........................................................................$ .50 USHGA LICENSE PLATE FRAME "I'd Rather Be Hang Gliding" PLASTICwhite with blue lettering ..............................................$5.50 METAL(zinc) with white on blue lettering ..................................$6.50 "NEW" DAREDEVIL FLYERS 111- THE PARAGLIDING VIDEO The Wills Wing gang paraglides at Telluride, CO (50 min.) ................... $24.95 "NEW" HAWAIIAN FLYIN' video. Hang gliding and paragliding in paradise! Awesome scenery! (46 min.) ................................................ $33.00 "NEW" HANG GLIDfNG EXTREME video. Let's you see some of the most spectacular sites and introduces you to some famous pilots! (50 min.) ......................................................................................................................................$34.95 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 MSL 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 OrdersSORRY!

TOTAL

$ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $

$ $ $

$ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $

$ $ $

$ $ $ $ $

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

CHARGE MY CREDIT CARD VISA or MASTERCARD (circle one) acct#________exp. _ _ __ Signature____________

SHIPPING .01 - 9.99 ADD $3.50 10.00 - 19.99 ADD $4.00 20. - 34.99 ADD $5.00 35. - 49.99 ADD $6.00 50. + ADD $7.50 Canada & Mexico add $1.50 extra lnt'I surface add $5.00 extra lnt'I air add $15.00 extra

SUBTOTAL

$._ _ _ __

COLORADO RESIDENTS add 3% TAX

$._ _ _ __

SHIPPING (see chart)

$._ _ _ __

TOTAL ENCLOSED

$. _ _ _ __

SHIP TO: (Street address if 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

Sporting Adventure Lakeview ...

Hang Gliding Capital of the West! Kitty Hawk Kites invites all hang glider pilots & friends to the 21st Annual Hang Gliding Spectacular

4th Annual 4th of July Fly-In July 1thru July 5 Longest Flight

$100 CASH PRIZE Each Month June - Sept.

• Registration $5

·--~;:_T::r~~;~~Jo -~ ~

Includes: Site Guide, Lakeview Sticker, Raffle Ticket

• More Information: Lake County Chamber of Commerce 513 Center St., Lakeview, OR 97630 (503) 947-6040

919-441-4124

World's Oldest Continuously-held Hang Gliding Competition

KENTUCKIANA SOARING "Specializing In Communication"

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Flight Report

hen the Comet burst on the scene in 1980 it swept the competitions, garnered cross-country records and put stars in the eyes of all the pilots lucky enough to afford one. This glider heralded in a leap in flex-wing performance and is recognized to this day as the design that began the modern era of hang gliding. But the funny this is, the designer, Roy Haggard, didn't really invent anything new with the Comet. He simply amalgamated and refined what was already out there. The elements of the design -

airfoil-

shaped battens, large double surface, shifting crossbar, cantilevered leading edges and radial tips -

had

all been employed before on gliders such as the Sirocco II, Sensor 210, Mariah, Atlas and Mega. Roy simply had the insight to use the best ideas available to build a totally new wing. 42

HANG GLIDING

C!DCT<Vv'!S!:' FROM UPPFR U:'FI: The rear crossbar restminl tmd the rertr

mtch

the

An even fimnier

is the comment on

Pete Brock, the manuthe Cornet made facturer of the glider. Pete said that rbc Comer was the end of the line. He was con· vi need that not much more could be done to

improve hang glider performance. Well, here we arc 13 years later and we can that Pete's prophesy was no more dependable d1an a fat lady on a diet in a chocolate facto-· ry. ( :omcts arc still occasionally seen churning up the ;rnd it is clear that we have glide ratio about performance a zillion percent. Pete can be for rhc emhusiasm of a proud parent, and we cannot help hut wonder about the extent of his n when the Airwavc on the scene a cou pie of

April I ()<fl

years later. The was for all practical purposes a Comet clone, but it outperformed rhe Comet as the result of numerous improvemcnrs. Ironically, the manager oft he Comet ma11ufocrnri11g f:iciliry later confided to us that, try as 1night, they couldn't get the Comet to perform as well as rhe With continued development the Magic bccnnc arguably the best all-·around performing glider from the mid 10 late 80's. It has since been superseded in the Airwavc lineup the Kiss, then the K2 and now the Kli (the K3 is a larger version of the

It is the Kli that interests us here, for it is 1he culmination of a decade of development.

It's new, it's hot, and in a word to sec details of this rcGnemenl

You're as we

introduce you ro the pride of l\icAir.

User friend! i ness has entered our argot to rcfrr to somcddng that we get along with well, that requires no undue h;1s-· sic and perhaps leaves us with a smile. The Kli on all counts. I ,ct's start with the

light man's burden: setup ;md ground handling.

On Th!? Our first brash bm nevcnhelcss carefully considered statement: the [(Ii is the c;1sies1 scnin' up glider of like kind in these here pans bar none. That's because the Paciltc Airwave /i.ilks wrote the book 011 case of set up and have continued ro add chapters. Herc's what I mean: When you open the wings die kingpost pops itself up. An over rhc--centcr catch at the nose keeps the foreand-afr rigging loose until you've connected the rear kingpost cable. 'I t:nsio11i11g the cross-bar is accomplished by pulling back a shackle at the rear of the glider and hooking it 011 a quick catch. That's it! There's no crawling inside, attaching compensator cables, fiddling with pins and f(irgetting to zip up yom zipper The final setup miracle addresses my pct peeve m1dcrsurface battens. The PacAir gliders h:1vc used an ingenious system for several years wherchy the front of the hancn is held by an elastic crimping the batten pocket. When you push the bancus in all the way they stay there. When yo11 wish to remove them, simply pull. It works so

that to this day the eighth wonder of my world is why all the other manufacturers haven't adopted this system. Once you've completed assembly and preflighted, it's time to move to launch. You'll find the glider pleasantly portable. It is as light as the lightest hi-per gliders, notably the HP AT and the TRX. In addition it has a nice balance and the lower side cables are tighter than average for shifty gliders. All these features make launch a breeze, once you've taken the usual conditions check, hook-in check, and wire crew check precautions. In a few steps the burly airfoil will have you ...

In The Air Up in the vault of the sky comes the true test of a glider's mettle. The K4 shines like a pretty teacher's apple. The way it does this is by providing comfort in handling. The basetube is padded for a good grip in those rip-snorting thermals they manufacture out West. I find the padding a little soft to my grasp on a hot day, but there's no accounting for taste. Handling is the K4's forte. Here's what I mean: The glider coordinates like - dare I say it - the legendary Comet. What this means is that very little high-siding is needed until you tighten the VG. Furthermore, the K4 is one of the few gliders I have found that can be pushed way out in a turn without finding a sticky wing or dropping inside the turn (we're talking high performance designs here). This feature has its advantages, for you can follow an elusive core or maneuver in a jammed up gaggle sin,ply by pitching the glider. There are limits, of course, imposed by the extent of the VG you have applied and the turmoil in the air, but the K4 seems to be handiest in this regard. Roll initiation and reversals are equally freely accepted by the eager-to-please glider. Fluid flying seems to be the K4's hallmark. How does this come about? Check out the dramatic anhedral (angling down) in the leading edges. Such ample anhedral allows a looser sail which adds a little dihedral so you get the best of both worlds: performance by maintaining an anhedral shape and good handling with a bit of sail flex. Such a configuration was shared by the Kiss as well as the Foil, another glider known for its handling. (Interestingly, the Australian designer Mark Mitzos did the initial development on both of these gliders.) Some pilots would experience oscillations at high speeds on the Kiss. Try as I might I could

not get the K4 to oscillate and became very fond of its ability to slip mightily during landing setup with a solid rollout directly on heading. Before we leave this friendly section I wish to interject my only complaints, so it is clear that this isn't a paid ad. First, I find that the VG cam cleat is not as quick to use as a jam cleat, since it requires a slight pull before it can be released. In a tight gaggle in competition this may be detrimental if you need a quick change of tension - literally and figuratively. Second, I find the practice of stowing battens in the pocket sewn into the front of the glider cover to be a hassle, whether they are put in after the cover is on the glider (difficult) or before the cover is placed on the glider rendering the cover difficult to manipulate. Furthermore, the great bulk of battens added to the greater weight at the front of the glider mal<es it inconvenient to share the weight when two people carry the glider. Finally, its swollen front end doesn't allow the glider to nestle with others on a car rack. Okay, so this doesn't have a whit to do with performance, so perhaps I should tell you about ...

PERFORMING ARTS We all want maximum performance for the bucks we plunk down. Part of performance depends on char unknown ingredient identified as the pilot. But each glider design has a package of potentials which we can use to do our best. Here's the line on the K4.

Sink And Climb How could the K4 not have a superior sink rate? Look at the fat airfoil that portends

lift like a Fredericks of Hollywood brassiere. In a carefully scaled airfoil comparison of eight current high performance gliders, the K4 had the second thickest airfoil at 12.7%. (The thickest is the Rumor at 13% but this is held for a short distance compared to the K4 curve.) A thick airfoil provides a good sink rate by creating a high mean camber. However, there's more to sink rate than that. Proper lift distribution along the span is also required. This distribution is determined by the glider's planform and washout. A glance at the K4's photos will indicate that it has more area distributed outboard along the span than its predecessors. This shape has proven to be ideal in other designs. The final word from experience: I think the K4 will put a good pilot at or near the top of the pack every time.

Glide And Speed The K4's glide performance can be attributed to the same thought for lift distribution along with a miserly drag donation. In comparisons with a number of pilots it excelled. Flying styles and experience can affect glide performance, but after numerous trials it is my conclusion that the glider cops a state-ofthe-art glide. The K4's VG system deserves mention here, for it is nearly ideal (yeah, I know I griped about the cleat). When it is full-loose the glider handles like a baby carriage. When it is full tight the glider resists change stubbornly. From a third to half on it thermals nicely. This is how God surely intended a VG system to work, for it should allow the utmost in handling, the utmost in high speed glide and most eve1ything in be~veen. Speaking of high speed, we can only say that the K4 is fast and should handle well its day at the races. We did not have the oppor-

K Series Specifications Sail Area % Double Surface Nose Angle Span Aspect Ratio Glider Weight Certified Weight Range Optimum Weight Range Price

155 81 132° 33.6 ft. 7.3 ~65 lbs. 140-230 lbs. 160-200 lbs. $4,200

148 81 132° 32.4 ft. 7.1 ~63 lbs. 100-190 lbs. 120-165 lbs. $4,200 HANG GLIDING

, , SJlCC< I com lnr· , l 'C ·lO·llOSC · j · ig· ""' i' y to ' o '".'; : Id r like i' w,sc ,1s<, i11s· , hut rhc: gli(I , ·1s 1t along wnh t ic mnkculr, to " 1'.. .

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Io c.nr I . ,·r,n """' · I1 about pcrformanl<<~\ l(ll< victory in both ·t11<(; 1 flew rway ,lll , Pen my · ·h iJJS ·111 N ' 0 ( a F ·opcan 'I, i,'llllfllOlls . ·I , Owens Va II c·y ast 1 ,UI Pre-Woi ·l <l meet he . m lCcs coukl n ,I [x : more t . ,. These twovcm1 . .to c·onditions. summu. · ·omcs ' , '], . when II C · l a !llCCt diss1m1 at . Id )Jrobahly WIJ .. . . , l John cou .· !er rhat as a I it h an umbrcl ,1, • Jolm helped rcl1m w. . , 111 . the comp,my. . ... prmc1plc : , raprnr Jt is. the Kli into the so:11 mb

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, , , t continues. The rdrncmcn I . to o to W l 0 rn 1avc 1· c1·s here < y< , of. these ('11l('· g \(I1 ' make one , Paci'f·'1c. Ai rwavc, your own. f Airwave l J S p;mncr o thel .I " . . j, ·1ircad net· g_

' 'l WlC cs. I l.L<.ias, rbcc, r k1lcrs at you workc1JI , I o <p'1 lOllC the. hcrory . 1 . <"lr )1ou anc , ·. , 1IC!Cl 11 ·•

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yesrcqvcm be named m1yd1ing other than "Gypsy Rose

names can sny a lo1, Uofim1ma1:ely, in this writer's opinion, the "" oc, of, o»Jcn, h,,og glidcra l,a ,c ,l'i(wc,, "'1 i"'" "' , Ipl,e" on >cri,

g,.,nbo dw dm•.,,, •, •c,lly .,pc,k ,., , h, Imm, o on th, ·'" ,,, . lo dw p,n we lw/ glide,., "'"'"! ,flcr l,i,d., /1.o,k, I<cs,,d. Mcdio, l'c.cg,ioc. IIA/rnif, Condo,, ))""· Ow/, Se,gcl!. s,.,I,,wk. p,.,,,i. S,;IiJ, Cio.,,h IC;,,,,,, c;.,,,,,,lo.,. Ni,,,1,,.,. Sua,u.,J, wi,,d, (Si,~m. Mis",I. Ma,fah), """""'"' (Ados. (Drngo"fly. M""Joico, i'iuRy, W"P1' '"d .,.won,d io, pi, cd th, m,.> (Ca Iyp "'• .fa,cl i" . !>/,,,, oi,

a model of

nose cone na1 JOW<'( a~ cnclosu1 c which stops

ct a bridle w1 I h the < 1,'.b the ends of ihc bn Iol . two. Thcc litrlc " as arc t Iic, boll, that . b,11, ouch dle [i nes arc a nice .' . . the cable rnds . I1rcvcn1 kmks'1·1 c ot·Iic·1· desipns. ·crvc to · · " l s. I< . . . · f1rccc these, rca II y w ork·I Lill·ntion the tern< ! ,. ·illy, we shou lel stme . tended to pu I an '111, . ops m . ockcts am · batten P . . bancn slots. end to blown

They , II dm "gc,I ,lw;, '""'" fu, JX>i/c/q,1 o,. po I,Iid •y ,,,,, n» "· fr '"'"'·' ""' .so m, "' •no, , dc.scdpdo o of d" th,y fahd. Wl,a, """" "" •ie,1,1,c 'Pmp;". Suec B»il,!i,,g" io >ig,,iiy. iog ,,d,itcs,m,I m,gniAceau,/ What "" , ''"" ,r"I''" 1,igl,, w,y eci,iog heu,, rl,a., 'ifodcy Ekctmglidc'? How ,I,,,.t d" d,,,ge, i,n pl /QI whh rl,e "Bfa,I M, mb, "? Id ,1,, "'°" fu,,o,,, .sr,ip1w,· of

for a demo 1,. • 11y <\:alcr or ask yorn · 1TJello . ' L . ,er one in qmcld). ,. tob, 1·1· ohasundu-

Anow). Now l,aw· ""'" ,o,ol,iu,r/uo of HPATRXSK46J O tha, j o"with doc,o ', mojovistas. ,c "p d,c w,, ode,· "'"I Rigb t i" " sky receding

dr:1g ,me! the ncopilc·nclt1gh the kingpost hollc. ai1 /1om csc,q,.,,b t 1, ](11ion to the J C\H J'Ill[,, C( f'C ., { 1m n yorn dtl( J • I rnd sm c w,1y o l · the f lc1c you 'II scc '·1 quic . ([ 'y looscnmg en< . . . l·] K, 1. i J l. . 1·ustinP was·I iou 1 or twist . . l )rurnmg .1c J o l I crews anc ll Int . o 11hillips !GK s . . ·j, I reflex brit cs t ' tw I "lSCK ec , I rk

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N,,,,1, Wclw,c, "'"' A,,,.,d oho,,, 20 ,0,.,0.,,.1,1, "'""'-' io .,1,,,,, oe,ic,»ndc,· 'W• ,lo"'· I I ow ,1,,,,,, d,c WI, i rlwi ,,,J, Wa ode•"'. Wi.,dj,.,,.,.,,, Wille, (,, 1,frd). Widgeon (oood,e, hi,,/), Williw°' (;, cold go.s, nf wi" d) o, ,lw Wy wrn (, my ch bl Hy i.,g '""·"). If d, mu Wmd., doo·, ,llicc.,,c '"'" ,,y dw wo,id'., highc,, Ry, ;og I, i,J. rl,c La," °'"l<'b. , h,,g, sos,; og in 1, ,,1, i""" of, he Him,d,y,,. bit,/', Wh,r ,boot Ilimafay,,/ O, Ah,!,, d,c li,,lc wioglc, "" , wing. 'f11c possibilities arc endless.

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If cooogh pilorn fC<I , h, .cvn, w,y. " '"" Id n,o , ""', "' ro ',wo, d,a, glidc,·. ' O, th,y mo Id ,c of rJ" glrni, of tl,c />W (, h, Ma,JS, wo, my fo,,,,·JecJ. If ,II dsc fu i !.,, I .,ggcs, pick op , p, mg/itiing m'""'"'· Tl,, cvidcm in that sport has resulted in no shonagc ofgl'e;n nu1ncs. l,,cJJ,m,1/y, ilyuu lu,c, gu,~ lci,.,,1 who >/wok, Fcc.,d, wd/, '1'k him o, be, how K1 foddcoi,1/y .,,,io, if~"' ' " wnioo., dw idcori,y of ch, oao,od»mgi,,g "'ld»Mc, in oo, npcniog ,~,, "'""· chcy "" i,, ordcc 1,ao,c., Rw,11. Mori/yo M"""'· Mobno X, Cruy Gm,.,, )ao, M,.,,fidd. Sli,o Pidcc.,., and l.coi whar•, in , name. .1 "·

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{ ' H OWCVCl, StJuarc :'cct. r I rhc same SlZC O c;m lltl( . Jig cncu mbcred by . n a smaller size ( l J I l · . · cc c: These x:rfotm.in.. .:.,. rhc K). . two I f gcumg S<Juarc :.cct ) . l I c ·same cxccp t fort 1e g. 1· 1 ... re csscm1al y ti .. , ·], K5 incorpo· l< c1 s cl J n her, l ic I ' . on t IK, Kli so t 1at ·m10unt. cif .sail area. . I ll!'Cs , .. ·ill rhc latest c ia o . . I 1wrforma nee. ra1cs , I', lhy cqua , . I K5 hoth gliders c.~sl, .development ol 1 . pc·t·iencc dmrnb. , -pccui c1 "11 be gamed hy <,x indicated that c '.X, bridles one bancn . . ·l , outer 1c ( .. incorpomovmg t ic . · I This change w.'1s . . ell. fonhcr outbo,11( .... Kli prod11cnon as w . rate(.·1 1·1110 the latest .

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April ·1993

' ded lott(.( test; drcci · e](j(f · The K4 untdie~~OtJ,, the •

f you look hack in your issues of Gliding from the late 70's ;md e;irly 80's, you'll nml ads for (and events at) a place called the l lang Gliding Preserve. The site was purchased in the ?O's by a hang glider pilot who also bought and installed a used trarn to haul gliders, pilots, ;rnd equipment up rhc hill. The Preserve is no more, bur the si tc is still flown and the I ram st ill works! The site is now leased and managed by Northern Clidcrs in Minnesota, and they just call it Hager Like most regulated sites, Hager (

rec1u1rcs current USI [CJ\ membership for paraglidcr pilots). A waiv · er o/' Ji;1hility is also required, hut neither NSC nor daily ft:cs arc required l<ir pilots! Th is is another si le that requires that with local pilot, as there is a on tram. I'll take this opporrunily ro jump 11p on the ol' soapbox and remind you tfon flying with ;1 local pilor is a good idea anyw;1y. al

and is grassy with a 1'5° to about 0) 0 • It's only /\Cl. and primar· ily a thermal site, so most pilots fly here during ridge·soarable conditions the ridge helps you stay up until a good thermal comes through. There arc power lines com·

···"··.,._.,. ....... to the top.

I-IANC CJ IDINC

Site Info -

Hager City, Wisconsin

SITE NAME

Hager City

CHAPTER

Northern Sky Gliders Association P.O. Box 580364 Minneapolis, MN 55440

LOCATION

Western edge of Wisconsin, across the Mississippi from Red Wing, Minnesota. Take Highway 63 north through Red Wing, cross the Mississippi, and turn lefr on highway 35. Head northwest two miles on 35, and the LZ is on your right.

ALTITUDE

1,100' MSL, 280' AGL.

RATING

Novice (Hang II). Paraglider pilots - Class I.

PROTOCOL

Every pilot must be a current USHGA (not APA) member with liability insurance, including paraglider pilots. A liability waiver must be signed, and visiting pilots must always fly with a local pilot.

RESTRICTIONS

There is a military airway in the area to be aware of, but no restrictions.

FEES

General membership~ $15/year. Includes a monthly newsletter. An additional $50 per year (total $65/year) is charged for flying privileges, and covers all NSG sires at which the pilot is rated to fly.

LAUNCH

Grassy 15° slope that rounds off to 60°. Easy in light, straight-in conditions, but relatively challenging in stronger crosswinds.

DIRECTION

Launch faces south, and can be launched in SSE to SW winds.

SETUP AREA

Sheltered grassy area big enough for about 25 gliders.

ROAD

The road to the LZ is paved. The trip to launch is via tram, and it takes about five minutes each way. Only 1:1.vo pilots and their gear may ride the tram at a time, which may mean a 10-20 minute wait for a (free) ride up.

CAMPING

Camping in the LZ is permitted.

X-C

Good. 3,000' AGL is needed to leave the site (over the back), but there are LZ's all over the place. The site record is about 65 miles.

EVENTS

There are no annual events at this site, but NSG sponsors fly-in's at other local sites in January and in August.

BEST TIME

Hager City is flyable all year, but only in SSE to SW winds. Springtime is best, and altitudes from 5,000'-7,000' MSL are common then.

FREQUENCY

151.625 and other USHGA frequencies.

CONTACT

Curt Knutson (612) 559-0816, Pat Caulfield (612) 688-8218.

MISC

No driver is needed due to tram ride to launch.

ing up the ridge just to the west oflaunch, so make sure you have plenty of clearance before crossing them. The LZ is a large, flat field right at the base of the hill. Most pilots seem to try to ridge soar almost all the way down, and then do a couple more S-turns before coming in on final. There's a house just west of the LZ, and landing too close to it should be avoided April 1993

since they have a couple of big dogs. Top landings are also possible when there are no crops growing behind launch (usually the end of September through April), but aren't required due to the tram to launch. I'm told that it's so easy to hitchhike back to the LZ that drivers are never required, even for X-C flights!

Hager City is the only Hang II site in the area (at least it is in winds under lO mph), so please be careful with it! The setup area is owned by a local farmer, and it must be kept free of debris at all times so his farm machinery isn't damaged. The tram makes it a truly unique and enjoyable site to visit, even when there are no thermals and one is confined to ridge soaring! 47

The lookout ricfte as seen from in front of/aunch. Note launch mrnp and/lightp!irh buildings.

ookout Mountain is probably the most popular and fiunous site in the Southeast. Pilots regularly come from hundreds of miles away due to a lack of sites and/or poor conditions in their local areas. A combination of ridge and thermal lift make it frequently soarablc along the entire 12-milc ridge surrounding launch, and turning downwind and (lying over the back from 3,000' above launch practically guarantees a 20-mile flight on a glide! This site offers many pilots their first mountain flights ;md/or cliff launches, and late afternoon "Wonder Winds" can mean lots of smooth airtime even for inexperienced Novice pilots. Conditions arc so soarablc that one pilot (Vince Ahles) even managed to stay alofr for 11 hours and 35 n1i11utes on a single flight! The site altitude gain record is I 0,400' (12,600' MSL), and the X-C record is 154.6 miles by Gary Fngclhardt. Lookout Mou11tai11 Flight Park is currcn tly privately owned and nm by Matt 'fobcr, who also runs the shop. There was once a club running the sire, bm Matt picked up the hall and ran with ir during negotiations ro purchase the site. In speaking to some of the local pilots, rhcre is some resentment that the club doesn't still control access ro the sire, hut I'll kt you talk to them directly if you want to get involved in a local political power struggle. One thing I will say is that Matt has managed to keep the site open over the

"Lookout Mountain is probably the most popular and famous site in the Pilots regularly come from hundreds of m1 away.''

years, and he runs a very professional site and shop. The LZ is huge (2,600' x: 900'), grassy, and park-like, and has both a swimming pool and volleyball court. Matt runs a fullservice shop, including lessons, sales, repairs and acrotows from the LZ when the wind direction makes the rno1mtain unflyable. The shop is closed on Wednesdays, so if you

IZ and ttd,eof[tts seen from behind launch.

show up on Wednesday don't expect to be able to fly. ff you're an cast coast pilot·, yon probably already know all about Lookout, but Westerners should plan on stopping by if travels take them nearby.

SPECTRA

Pennies a foot Various strengths and sizes. No UV damage/long lasting. Light, strong & durable. State-of-the-art tow ropes. Braided Products Division David F. Bradley Box 291 Telford, PA 18969 (215) 723·"1719 (215)

HANC G!IDINC

Site Info -

Lookout Mtn. Flight Park, Georgia

SITE NAME

Lookout Mountain Flight Park

CHAPTER

Lookout Mountain Flight Park (706) 398-3541 (shop at launch) Route 2, Box 215-H (706) 657-9960 (LZ pay phone) Rising Fawn, GA 30738

LOCATION

The top of Lookout Mountain, in northwest Georgia (near Trenton, GA and the borders of both Alabama and Tennessee). Take I-59 north from Alabama (or south from I-24 in Tennessee), and get off at the Trenton exit (Exit 2). Turn right (or left) onto highway 136 (White Oak Gap Road), and head east toward Trenton. Go to the stop light and turn right onto highway 11. Head southwest on 11 for 0.1 miles, and turn left at the blinking light onto 136. Head east on 136 for 1.1 miles, and turn left at Piney Road. Head northeast up the mountain 4.7 miles (the road changes to Burkhalter Gap Rd. on the way, but you probably won't notice until you tty to come back down!). At the top of the mountain, turn right at the stop sign onto 189. Head southwest on 189 for 0.6 miles, and the shop and Flight Park will be on your right.

ALTITUDE

2,020' MSL, 1,340' AGL.

RATING

Novice (Hang II) to Advanced (Hang IV), depending on conditions. Although this is a cliff launch site, CL experience is not required before coming here. Appropriate instruction will be given to those pilots lacking CL experience.

PROTOCOL

Evety pilot must be a current USHGA member or foreign equivalent with liability insurance. A liability waiver must be signed, and all pilots should check in at the shop before flying. The folks at the shop will determine whether conditions permit Novice (Hang II) and/or Intermediate (Hang III) pilots to fly.

RESTRICTIONS There is an ARSA 1,300' and above over the mountain, from the college (6.5 miles down the ridge) to the point at the end of the ridge. Permission to fly in the ARSA has been secured, but the shop must call the tower each day before anyone enters it. There is no other restricted airspace nearby.

FEES

Full membership: $SO/year -

LAUNCH

Main Launch: The main launch is a concrete ramp with a 5° slope leading to a cliff. Launch crews are required in as little as five mph winds, but there always seem to be plenty of pilots around to help. Cliff launch skills are required here, but instruction is available for pilots inexperienced with cliff launches. Additional: There is an additional launch available that has a short 35° slope leading to a shear rock face. This launch seems to be rarely used, bur I suspect it gets used during competitions.

DIRECTION

Both launches face northwest, and can supposedly be launched in northeast to southwest 'winds (presumably by waiting for a straighter cycle to come through!). Tailwinds are common in the morning, but they usually switch by noon.

SETUP AREA

Room for 50 + gliders within 100' of launch, but some of die setup area is across the road. Twenty gliders can easily set up right next to launch.

ROAD

Paved the whole way for easy 2WD access. Ten minutes.

CAMPING

Camping is permitted in the LZ, and costs $2/person/night (or $10/night with water and electrical hookups). There is also a beautiful state campground (Cloudland Canyon) a few miles from launch that costs $10/night with hookups

X-C

Good potential, but hardly anyone tries to go X-C here! A 3,000' gain will take you 20 miles straight over the back, and there are lots ofLZ's. The site record is 154.6 miles to Swords, GA by Caty Engelhardt.

EVENTS

Two-week pass: $20 -

One week: $15 -

Three days: $10.

The Great Race- This famous 21-mile ridge-running contest is held each year in April (the record time is 30:07). A catered party

is included with this event. Vision Classic - This single-glider competition sponsored by Pac Air is held in October here. This is the same sort of fi.tn event for pilots flying identiG1.l gliders that is also held at Ellenville during the fall (but of course you remembered that from two months ago). Halloween Fly-In - This fun fly-in includes another free G,tered parry, and is obviously held in late October.

BEST TIME

Lookout is flyable year-round, and usually soarab!e. Spring and fall are best for X-C and altitude gains.

FREQUENCY

All three USHGAchannels (151.625, 151.925, and 151.955 MHz).

CONTACT

Lookout Mountain Flight Park (706) 398-3541 (closed Wednesdays).

MISC

3,000' aerotows from the LZ are available for $15/each (with discounts for quantity purchases).

April 1993

LEARN TO FLY THE RIGHT WAY!

HANG GLIDING FLYING SKILLS by Dennis Pagen •.. HAS HELPED TENS OF THOUSANDS OF PILOTS REALIZE THEIR DREAM OF FLIGHT FOR OVER 15 YEARS. • USHGA officially approved training manual.

• The only training manual written by a certified instructor . • 12 large chapters detailing every phase of beginning to intermediate flight.

.used in most US hang gliding schools. • Translated in six languages. • The most complete book available emphasizing safety and effective training. DON'T LEA VE THE GROUND WITHOUT THE KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERT TECHNIQUES FOUND IN HANG GLIDING FL YING SKILLS BE SURE TO CHECK OUT THESE OTHER BOOKS BY DENNIS PAGEN: •UNDERSTANDING THE SKY-A complete guide to sport aviation weathar-$19.95 •HANG GLIDING FLYING TECHNIQUES-Detailed information for intermediate to advanced pi lots-$6.95 •PARAGLIDING FLIGHT-Learn to fly from ground zero to thermal flying-$19.95 • POWERED ULTRALIGHT FLYING-A complete guide to the sport-$11.95 .POWERED ULT. TRAINING COURSE-20 ground schools and lessons-$9.95

OFF SEASON UPGRADES It's minus 7 at 4000 feet, and you are happy looking at the new calender, remembering last summer and dreaming of next. And your ha mess is in the garage gathering spiders. Why not use the slack time to get that upgrade you've been thinking about? As an introduction and off season special, RC/ is offering tree installation of any recovery system purchased this winter. You will get the benefits of rocket deployment as well as having your entire ha mess and emergency system inspected, and upgraded if necessary. At RC/ we are committed to providing the best system on the market today. We offer two models: LIFELINE for retrofitting to your existing emergency parachute, and SIDEKICK, a complete parachute and deployment system in a compact package. Both models feature: ,:,ti' --proven design --remote mounted activation handle --built with the best materials and workmanship --enclosed cables and bridles for snag protection We offer a complete line of emergency parachutes designed and built ro the same exacting standards, and service to match the quality of our products.

"i V '.

Call or write for furlher information. Dealer inquiries are invited.

RC/ 2060 A East Main Street Woodland, CA 95776 USA

Phone (916) 661-7243 Fax (916) 661 0528

**DEALER INQUIRIES INVITED** SEND CHECK OR CASH TO: SPORT AVIATION PUBLICATIONS P.O. Box 101 MINGOVILLE, PA 16856

DEALER INQUIRIES INVITED Please rush me the books Jis1ed betow:

QUANTITY O Understanding Iha Sky .......... S19.95 G Hang Gliding Flying Skills.. . ..... S9.95 . .. S6.95 0 Powered Ultralight Flying.... . .$11.95 ~ Powered UL Training Course.. . .. S9.95 O Paragliding Flight. ...........•. S19.95

G Hang Gliding TechniQues . . . .

San 10°1. order two or more books! Save 20% ordu all sh, books! Tola! amount tor all books$ _ _ __ Postage and Handling $1.95 Q\larsaas airmail if desired tS6.001bookl _ _ TOTAL E N C L O S E D - - - - - SEND TO {Please Prinl)

NAME _ _ _ _ _ _ __

ADDRESS-------CITY,STATE - - - - - - COUNTRY/ZIP-------

ACTION VIDEOS

HANG GLID1NG ~ 8

FLY CROSS COUNTRY, DO BALLOON DROPS, COMPETE, PARAGLIDE, TRUCK TOW AND HEAR FROM THE PROFESSIONALS WHO BREAK WORLD RECORDS. GO TO YOSEMITE, OWENS VALLEY, AND TORREY PINES, CALIFORNIA; LAKEVIEW, OREGON; TELLURIDE/PARIDOX, COLORADO. CLOUOBASE 3 IS INFORMATIONAL AND ENTERTAINING FOR EVERYONE. VHS - 50 MINUTES.

PU!~~~T~~ ~~2~~!~!!E.JI

• TAHOE/RENO AREA SITE GUIDE • MONTEREY STEEPLE CHASE RACE &GUIDE • TELLURIDE: HIGH ALTITUDE SITE GUIDE, AEROBATIC FESTIVAL FOR BEGINNER THROUGH EXPERT PILOTS WITH HANG GLIDING ANO SOME PARAGLADING. VHS - 90 MINS.

THERm1H - THE ART oF FLYING

EUROPEAN VIDEO THAT EXPLAINS ALL ASPECTS OF HANG GLIDING ANO PARAGLIDING FLIGHT: FROM THE FIRST STEP TO PROFESSIONAL COMPETITION FLYING, AND FROM SAFETY ASPECTS TO METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS. FOR PILOTS AND NON-PILOTS. VHS - 40 MINSAd f V"d SEND CHECK OR MONEY ORDER

CLOUOBIISE 3 - EXTREME ... 34.95 SIERRA CLDUDBASE 11 . . . 29.95

THERMIK

.. 49.95

POSTAGE & HANDLING . . .. 4.00

ven. ure

Paul Hamilton 4750 Townsite Road Reno, NV 89511 USA Phone/FAX 702-849-9672

CALL OR WRITE FOR OTHER ACTION VIDEOS

Airspeed Indicato r .. . $23.50 Long Bracket ............. $7 .00 Short Bracket .... ........ $6.50

~ -.-ti l

i~·~.r ~ 1,

,·

5" Dia. ABS Plastic Wheels $20.00/pair

The Hall Airspeed Indicator

COTE

A precision instrument for the seriou s pilot. Rugged, dependabl e and easy to read.

P!CCOLO $420 - Altl111t111: 3adj. mod11 8-25,008 Ft. - Yarlomtler: Adi, slnt/1111 stlpolnt and audio font - ,,oeo tpm digital/LCD mdle Indicator - RF shltlded; Auto po1111aY1r - 1111•1 1oz. Incl. latt11y - Optional spttd probe (8-75 mph)

NEW! SMALL HALL Grea t for hand-he ld wind mea surement or parag lider Airspeed Indicator u s ing Bracket. Small Hall .... ... ......... $23 .50 Paraglider Bracket .... . $6.50 Ha ll Brothers P.O. Box 10 10-H, Morgan. UT 84050, USA Mastercard I VISA I C.O.D Phone (801) 829-3232 Fax (80 1) 829-6349

ALIBI

PLUS $575

ALL FEATURES OF PICCOLO ABOVE PLUS: - Fl ight counter /Total flight- time - Stop watch - Maximum Alt ., highest climb rate storage - Peak value memory - 200 hrs. battery life - Weighs 6.3 oz. incl. Battery

$1,075 AU. FEA1URES OF AUii AND PICCOLO ABOVE PLUS: - laromtttr -Spttd probe - Cloct (11altlm1, stopwatch) - T111p11atu11 - Auto battery switch oYer - larograph (connects dirtcl to printer) - Weighs 16.8 oz. incl. ball11i11 - Too many other teatur11 to list

February 23. 1993 High Energy Sports 2236 West 2nd Street Santa A na, CA 92703 (714) 972-8186 Dear Hi gh Energy Staff. I have been meaning to write thi s letter for quite some time. and work has finall y slowed to a point where I am ab le to get around to it. I have been fl ying for 14 years. having started out wi th a knee hanger. then many years with a cocoon. then eventuall y for the comfort and warmth I went to a pod . I hated the pod. Every adjustment I tried didn't work. every brand I tried was the same: they were just plain uncomfortab le and impractical. Therefore I cou ldn 't very we ll sell them either. Then Hi gh Energy came ou t with the Tracer. I tried it on and debated and debated. and fin all y I traded in my new pod (all of six months old ) o n a Tracer. It was a great deci sion. The Tracer is practi cal. comfortab le and very user friendly. Most of all it is a pleasure to sell a harness that se ll s it se lf' I have sold many of these to o ur students and pilots. and I highl y recommend them whenever anybody asks about harnesses. It is also very refresh ing to tell a customer that their harness will be here in 4-6 weeks and it is ' Plu s. nine times out of IO it fits and it is just what they ordered I If not. it is q11ickl.1· corrected. What a concept fo r the hang gliding industry! Keep up the good work ' I am impressed' Sincerely. Christian M. Carm ichae l-Thoreson Flight School Director Lookout Mountain Flight Park & Training Center

Swiss made. Swiss accurate. lite. simple. rugged and meeting NAS Distributing criteria. All AIICOTEC Instruments are backed by factory trained U.S. tee ·cians aocla l ea arronty. H.G. or P.G. mounting system, accessory bog , safety ro pe and batteriesare standard.

AIR COTEC For a free brochure or your nearest dealer contact: Aircotec USA Limited , tel. (303) 278-9566 or fax (303) 750-3226 Aircotec USA Limited is a division of NAS Distributing, Inc.

Ii Ratings SAFE PILOT AWARDS BRONZE MICHAEL CHAMPLIN THOMAS ELLIS KEN SELIGMAN

HAZEN, MARC: Atlanta, GA;]. Reynolds/Lookout Mtn FP INMAN, STEVE: Nashville, TN;]. Hooks/Lookout Mm FP JACKSON, SHANE: Hixson, TN;]. Hooks/Lookout Mm FP MILLER, DAVID: Chamblee, GA; C. Thoreson/Lookout Mtn FP WELDEN, MARTY: Sharpsburg, GA; J. Hooks/Lookout Mm FP WILLIAMS, KEN: Athens, GA; C. Thoreson/Lookout Mtn FP

LILIENTHAL AWARDS

Region 12 GOLDMAN, HOWARD: Parsippany, NJ; J. Hooks/Lookottt Mtn FP MCDOUGALL, CLIFFORD: North Rose, NY; E. McNett/Land, Sea &Air ROZAN, YO RAM: Syracuse, NY; E. McNett/Land, Sea & Air STONE, DAVID: Macedon, NY; R. McGovern/Rochester Area Flyers

BRONZE JAMES GROSSMAN

NOVICE RATINGS

GOLD GEORGE REEVES

SILVER JAMES GROSSMAN GOLD JAMES GROSSMAN DIAMOND BILL SODERQUIST

BEGINNER RATINGS PILOT: City, State; Instructor/School Region2 COGGIN, BARKLEY: Mariposa, CA; W. Brown/Ultraflight HG HETZEL, WILLIAM: Oakland, CA; S. Seebass/Berkeley HG Club RHODES, DAN: Walnut Creek, CA; L. Thor/Higher Powered Flight School SARSYCKI, MARK: Saratoga, CA; P. Denevan/Mission Soaring Center SWEENEY, DAVID: San Jose, CA; P. Denevan/Mission Soaring Center

PILOT: City, Stare; Instructor/School Region 1 COLE, CLINT: Medford, OR; W. Roberts/Southern OR HG SOBERG, GREGORY: Bremerton, WA; R. Brown/Airplay'n THORESON, DAVID: Seattle, WA; T. Johns/Cascade Soaring UPPERMAN, GLEN: Tacoma, WA; D. Chadwick/Airplay'n Region 2 BRADY, JACK: San Francisco, CA; D. Murphy DEAN, KEVIN: Sunnyvale, CA; P. Denevan/Mission Soaring Center GODDARD, JAMES: Santa Clara, CA; P. Denevan/Mission Soaring Center HARRIS, DAVID: San Jose, CA; R. Palmon MOLDANE, STEVEN: Daly City CA; D. Yount/Mission Soaring Center VANDERVOORT, PAUL: Carmichael, CA; G. Jepsen Region 3 BARTON, GLENN: San Diego, CA; R. Mitchell/Eagles Wings HG BLAKE, STEVE: San Clemente, CA; R. McKenzie/High Adventure THOMAS, ANNE-ODILE: Santa Barbara, CA; M. Spinelli/True Flight

Region 3 BLAKE, STEVE: San Clemente, CA; R. McKenzie/High Adventure THOMAS, ANNE-ODIL£: Santa Barbara, CA; M. Spinelli/True Flight

Region 6 DARBY, TONY: N. little Rock, AR; T. Middleton/Soaring Wings

Region 4 UNDEM, ALLYN: Denver, CO; K. Lamb/Windgypsy

Region 9 PHILLIPS, JOHN: Grottoes, VA; W. Bennett/Western HG YODER, GARY: Milford, DE; J. Hooks/lookout Mtn FP

Region 6 DARBY, TONY: N. Little Rock, AR; T. Middleton/Soaring Wings Region 7 MILLS, ALVAH: Portage, IN; B. Chalmers/Lookout Mm PP Region 9 ALBERTINI, JOHN: Virginia Bch, VA; W. Thornton/Kitty Hawk Kites YODER, GARY: Milford, DE;]. Hooks/Lookout Mm FP ZAt\10RA, MARCO: Bel Air, MD; R. Hays Region 10 BROWN, ROLAND: Macon, GA; C. Thoreson/Lookout Mm FP CROZIER, STEPHEN: Powells Pt, NC; W. Thornton/Kitty Hawk Kites DEAL, ALAN: Taylorsville, NC; R. Jacob/SYS FURMAN, JON: Birmingham, AL; J. Hooks/Lookout Mm FP GIDDENS, MARK: Rocky Face, GA; C. Thoreson/Lookout Mm FP

Region 10 BROWN, ROLAND: Macon, GA; C. Thoreson/Lookout Mm FP DEAL, ALAN: Taylorsville, NC; R. Jacob/SYS FURMAN, JON: Birmingham, AL;]. Hooks/ Lookout Mm FP GIDDENS, MARK: Rocky Face, GA; C. Thoreson/Lookout Mm FP HAZEN, MARC: Atlanta, GA;]. Reynolds/Lookout Mm FP JACKSON, SHANE: Hixson, TN; J. Hooks/Lookout Mm FP MILLER, DAVID: Chamblee, GA; C. Thoreson/Lookout Mtn FP RICH, DON: Nashville, TN; J. Hooks/Lookout Mm FP SEQUEIRA, TONY: Nashville, TN; J. Hooks/Lookout Mtn FP WELDEN, MARTY: Sharpsburg, GA;]. Hooks/Lookout Mm FP WILLIAMS, KEN: Athens, GA; C. Thoreson/Lookout Mm FP Region 12 FERENDAN, BRIAN: Highland Park, NJ; G. Pollock/Wasatch Wings GOLDMAN, HOWARD: Parsippany, NJ; J. Hooks/lookout Mtn FP HANG GLIDING

Ratings 1111 INTERMEDIATE RATINGS

Region 5 PRENTICE, RICH: Eagle, ID; M. King/Treasure Valley HG

PILOT: Ciry, Srate; lnsrructor/School Region 2 FROEHLING, HAROLD: San Jose, CA; D. Wills HARSHFIELD, GREG: Reno, NV; R. Leonard/Adventure Sporn PADDOCK, JIM: Sparks, NV; G. Jepsen/Adventure Spores

Region 7 SMITH, MICHAEL: Carol Stream, IL; B. Kushner/Raven Sports Region 9 SIMMERS, JOE: Mansfield, OH; M. Manzo WILLIAMS, MATTHEW: Plain City, OH; D. Pigott

Region 9 MORSE, RICHARD: Arlington, VA; S. Mendoza/HG School ofNorrh VA FOREIGN RATINGS Region 10 BASS, MARK: Ft. L,uderdale, FL; J. Tindle/Miami HG LAWREN CE, ANTHONY: Raleigh, NC; S. Wendt/Blue Sky Region 12 FELLIN, SCOTT: Kingston, NY; G. Black/Mountain Wings

BEGINNER DEL VECCIO, i'vfARCO: Toronto, Omario; K. Dinzl MIROSLAV, BUDZINSKI: Brantford, Ontario; C. Thoreson/LMFP NOVICE JENKS, MICHAEL: Dorset, England; R. Frey/Airtime of SF MIROSLAV, BUDZINSKI: Brantford, Ontario; C. Thoreson/LMFP

ADVANCED RATINGS PILOT: City, Scace; lnsrructor/School

INTERMEDIATE GRASSL, JOHN: Etobicoke, Ontario;]. Greenbaum

Region 1 WELLS, NAT: Mosier, OR; D. Gammon

ADVANCED LANDRY, MICHEL: Whistler, BC; R. Reiter

Region 2 ROBBINS, DARREL: San Francisco, CA; E. Beckman Region 3 BUCKNER, BOB: San Diego, CA; J. Ryan/HGC Region 4 DE PAGTER, YASMINE: Aspen, CO;]. Simmons/Ivory Eagle Soaring

TANDEM ONE RATINGS BEACH, RICHARD: Honolulu, HI; B. Swigart

TANDEM TWO RATINGS SHEA, TIM: Santa Cruz, CA; G. W. Meadows/Pacific Airwave ZAPF, ERIC: San Diego, CA; G.W. Meadows/PacificAirwave

April 1993

18118 T8W JIii CROSS COUNTRY RACING !'

,-.-,.:,.

FRI. & SAT. ~;;, ':~, JUNE 12 & 13

-.......,.f~~ tLjs·:j ····· · ·.

:~~~~~

r \

Close to a personal record, Dwayne makes a desperate attempt to recharge his varlo batteries.

·fl.l\\\\)

Classifieds ~~ HANG GLIDING ADVISORY Used hang gliders should always be disassembled before flying for the fosr rime and inspected carefully for fatigued, bent or denred dowmubcs, ruined bushings, bent bolts (especially the heart bolt), re-used Nyloc nuts, loose thimbles, frayed ur rustl'd cables, w11g~ with Il011-ciru1la1 holes, and on Rogallos, saiLs badly torn or torn loose from their anchor points front and back on rhe keel and leading edges. If in doubt, many hang gliding businesses will be happy to give an objective opinion on rhe condition of equipmenr you bring them to inspect. Buyers should select equipment that is appropriate for their skill level or rating. New pilots should seek professional instruction from a USH GAcertified school.

I DUCK 180 - Stored for last 5 years. Ball vario, two harnesses+ chute. $1,200 takes all. (80 l) 295-7883.

K2 145 ~/i1ours, excellent condition. Gathering dust in garage ~~- (501) 663-3166.

:Y,_ / "V

"'--,

FOIL COM BAT 139 - Grear shape, 60 hours $1,500. Joe Szalai (8 l 8) 362-9978 evenings. l'OIL COlvfBAT 152 - ·92 Urah Cup winner $2,700. C:ombar f $2,000.(801) 254-6141.

K2 145 - New sail $2,700. \V\V Z-3, 5'5" pilot $450. Ball M-22 alti/vario $400. (818) 353-1925 leave message. K2 145- 1991, great handling for light pilot $1,800 OBO. Call Claire Pagen (814) 383-2569.

FORMULA 154 - Excellent condition $2,000. Heavv 4.4 cloth throughout. Somhern California (909) 787-3500 weekdays.

K2 155 - Flies and handles grear Looks beautiful! $2,800. (805) 772-144 l.

FOR.MUI.A 154 - 4.4 T.E. Grear performance and handling, $2,000. (805) 772-14~,;,--_,,,...-,

1(2 155 - Excellent condirion $2,000. (505) 2752350 New /vfexico.

Custom sail, a steal at $700. Paul (909)

GLIDER BAGS ---=~~n:c;;mo. XC $70., standard $80., other colors. Sait'Ws_gs (501) 663-3166._e,,,J

KISS 154 - w/K2 upgrades-1989. Royal blue u/surface, cxccllenr condition S l ,200. (619) 697-4530.

AXIS 15 - Clean, low hours Sl,200 or trade for lvfK IV 17. (205) 254-3288.

HARNESS - \Y,lv;; w/Sccond Chanrz ballistic system. $1 J,ff&.,,~omplcte. Raven Sky Sports (414) 473-2003{ ")

LITE DREAM 165 - Less than 1 hour airtime $1,980. Pod harness $450. Parachrne $200. All mint condition' Cathie (714) 536-0497, (714) 673-4963.

HP I! - New parts and sail work, handles good $500. (714) 675- 5636.

MAGIC IV 177 - Grear condition, VG, very well maintained $1,500. (201) 839-1050.

HP AT 145 - April ·92, 50 flights and hours, still like new, no whacks $2,600. (714) 675-5636.

iv!OYES GTR l 75 VG - Rainbow bottom, blue LE, fairings S 1,800. Also Moyes pod w/churc, altimeter, vario. (303) 972-1245.

ROGALLOS AXIS 15 676-4425.

9(''l'l;;-,.

COMBAT II 139 - Low hours, very clean $3.000 OBO. Sensor C, good condition, $800 OBO. (510) 527-8728. COlv!ET C-1 135 - Spectrum cloth, great condition, low time S550. (602) 893-2523. DOUBLE VISION - Beamiful colors, low hours, top condition, good price. (209) 532-1302. DOVES \VANTEb -,,J-:f~-a Flyer, Doves A, B or C, wanted by inst~t:Q.r for school use. Any condition. Raven Sky (4'l~ 473-2003.

fP°-rrs

DREAM 222 AS! - New condition $2,400. New 185 Dream 52,200. (801) 254-6141.

T--cu:i::s,

DREA/vlS IN STQCK including 145's. i'vfany other used gllil,l'!'.s available, including Visions & Spccrrums. Ra, ,S~~orts (414) 473-2003.

---

HP AT 158 Perfect airframe, 160 hours. Pink/black/green sail. Exrra dt's, new spare lower wire scr S l ,800. (208) 529-2106.

MOYES XS 142 - Exccllenr condition, lighr h,rndling, extras $1,700. (310) 479-7771.

HP AT 158 449-0513.

MYSTIC l 77 VG - With spaghcrri harness, chute, vario. All for .£950. Ask for Ray (909) 652-1031.

Great sh;ipe, low hours $2,100. (303)

HP AT 158 - Excellent condition, clean, moderate hours, threads needles $2,000. Dana (505) 849-1044.

RAVEN 209 0349.

Good condition $450. (616) 772-

HP i\T 158 -Excellent condition, 26 hours $2,350. (703) 989-1737.

RAVEN 229 - New I /8" side wires. tandem read)' $550. Spore 167, flies well $1,000. (708) 679-5338.

HP AT 158 - 40 hours, unusual care received $2,500. (615) 949-230!.

SENSOR B/C KIT (805) 647-7759.

V.G.C: .. still crisp $500 OBO.

r.--------------------------------------, USHGA CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING ORDER FORM

I 50 cents per word, $5.00 minimum. I Boldface or caps $1.00 per word. (Does not include first few words I which are automatically caps.) Special layouts or tabs $25 per column inch. \ (phone numbers-2 words, P.O. Box-1 word) photos-$25.00 line art logos-$15.00 Deadline-20th of the month, six weeks before the cover date of the issue in which you want your ad to appear (i.e., June 20 for 1 the August issue). Prepayment required unless account established. No cancellations J 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. J Please enter my classified ad as follows:

I I

I I Number of words: I Number of words:

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

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

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

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

@ .50 = @ 1.00

I I I I I I I

I I I I

I I\

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

L--------------------------------------~ April 1993

E~ Classifieds SENSOR 5 lOE (501) 967-8813.

All whi,e, mylar LE, $2,800 firm.

VISION MK IV I 7 - Super colors, excellent condition, many extras, will deliver in Florida and Georgia $1.900. (407) 586-2087. VISION lv!ARK IV 17 $ I,400. (209) 532- l 302.

New tubing, spare parts

VISION Jv!K IV 19 - New condition, beautiful sail $1,700. (801) 254- 6141.

SPECTRUM 16 · - Wh' e, hardly used, speedbar, faired plus round tubes, wheels, mius, manual. Half price $1,907. (619) 377-5942. SPORT AT l 50 - Low hours, excellent condition, with extra downtubes & pod harness $2,000. (408) 247-2451. SPORT 167 AMERICAN - $ l,000., 80 hours, never crashed, new wires. Call Chris (307) 733-099 l. /'

SPORT 167 EURO - Exc~e z_ntermediatc glider $1,575. Charles (801) 254-6 . µ,--

SPORT 167 EURO - Great shape, all white, /lies perfect $1,650 OBO. (619) 934-4449. SPORT 167 EURO - Excellent condition, extra control bar $1,675. (801) 254-6141. SUNBURST HPAT 145 - Brand new, never flown. Paid $4000, asking $3,000. Call Brant Swigart (808) 941-8420. TRX 140 - New condition $2,900. UP harness $500. (805) 388-5913. TRX 160's - One new $3,200. One-25 hours $2,900. (503) 256-0996 or l-800-635-2247. TRX 160 - <10 hours, very colorful $3,100. (616) 983-1946, call after March 3rd. UP GZ - Like new, under 50 hours $875. Comet $350. (208) 522-7796. USED GLIDERS - Vision 18, great shape, inspected $900. WW Attack Duck 160, excellent condition $800. W\'// Harrier 177 $700. Comet 135 $600. (703) 533-1965. VISION MARK IV 17 - Excellent condition $1,200. GTR 162 World Beater $950. (619) 9354688. VISION MK IV 17 - Excellent condition, low hours, great colors, fared downtubes, padded comfort bar, extra downtubes, wheels, new wires $1,800. Jim (415) 573-1332 or (415) 358-9012. VISION MK IV I 7 - Excellent condition. Pac blue cri-lam LE, magenta/white, comfort bar $1,800. (806) 655-7694. VISION MK IV I 7 - 30 hours, excellent condition $1,600. (310) 837-8567.

VISION MK IV 19 - Excellent condition. Tri-lam 3dcg, specdbar, custom colors $1,750 OBO. Mike (602) 759-4217. W\'!/ DUCK 160 - low hours, w/cocoon harness, helmet, Litek vario, dmte. $700 OBO, (215) 8659141. W\Y/ 144 SPECTRUM - New, custom sail. $2,800 or best offer, (619) 448-7983.

WW SUPER.SPORT 153 - 8 flights, demo, flies great, reduced. Dealer (703) 533-1965. Z3 HARNESS - Fits 5'9", hardly used, w/20 gore PDA + Kevlar full face. Half price $761. (619) 3775942.

HANG GLIDERS AND PARAGL!

AXIS 15 ..................John Heincy's ......... $900 COMBAT 139 ..................................... $1,800 W\Y/ SPOR1 67 ..... LOW AIR.TI E ..... $1,500 HP II ..................................................... $1,200 IME ..... $800 UP C-1 185 ......... ... LO\'<! AI MAGIC IV 177 ...................................... $750 UP C-11 135 ......................................... $550 $500 PRO DAWN 155 .....

..........................

CORVETTE 25 .... I,ie Ne, ............ $1,200 STELLAR 22-25. /. ......................... $1,500-1,900 KATANA 22-25 7 .......................... $1,500-1,900 UP EZ 19-22 .................................. $1,000-1,200 Call the U SOARING CENTER, D 576-6460 for all of your new and use equipment needs, 83Q~6_00 daily. (NOTE we're cur nrly purchasing used equipment.) EMERGENCY PARACHUTES A BEST Btn.k bag (PDA's $30 . nspected and repacked, all sizes. Fully Guara/ cl! olorado Hang Gliding (303) 2789566. '-·

COLORADO HANG GLIDING "Celebrating Our 20th Year of Sales and Support!" REGION IV'S OLDEST, LARGEST fULL-TllviE STORE. RESEJ W-ES (All Brands), never deployed, inspects,:l, repacke w/new bridle and bag... $265 (EDA'sl>OO) VARIOS .. (Use,d, AU Brands) .................. $, _-$500 USED HA NESSES... .......................... $7)-$500 NEW, USEI PARAGLIDERS (All Brands) ........................................... $500-$3,300 NE\Y/ HELME S (All Brand , Styles) ......... $50-$260 7 ........................... $2,400 LT DREAM 220 .............. <2 HOURS ...... $2,100 LT DREAM 145 ............. <2 HOURS ...... $1,800 REG lv!YSTIC 1- VG ..... <40 HOURS .... $950 HARIUER 14 ................... 35 HOURS .... S850 VISION 17 ........................ < O HOURS .. $550 DUCK~ ........................ <35 OURS .... $575 PROD XIN, PROSTAR .. <25 I-I URS ..... $475 EA. PHOE X 60 185 ............ <45 HO RS .... $400 Equipment I 00% Gu.iranteed, ins pee d. All Major Credit Cards Accepted. (303) 278-9566, 24 hours. ~ GOLDEN \'!/INGS l 103'Washington Avenue, Golden, CO 80401 / TOLL F EE ORDER PHONE 1-800-677 4'49 or (303) 278-7181

Mystic 177 V Vision 19 (used) .. Exe. Several S~ort 167 ....................... $1800 - $2,200 HP AT.. .De ............................ $2,800 Many or r good used gi~450-$1000

SECOND CHANTZ POCKET ROCKET PARACHUTE - Wing mount Weclgepak, 24 gore PDA paraswivel. Ideal for tandem glider $800. (619) 9354963 eves. PARAGLJDERS FOR SALE-Paraglider - Edel Aero 24 with harness and backpack. Pilot weight 60-SOkg. Five hours airtime $800. Reserve, 32m 2 Edel PDA $350. Bell helmet $50. (505) 281-7837. ITV ELECTRA 23 - Excellent condition, pretty colors, includes soaring harness, $600 sacrifice. Also Brauniger vario $125. (312) 684-8823. hours $1,700. (805) 388-

''91" UP STELLAR- With harness and Aerolire 20 gore PDA reserve. Everything you need to fly. Near perfect condition $2,400. (505) 296-8332.

Our advertising has a two-month lead time -

plan ahead. HANG GLIDING

Classifieds

COLORADO PARAGLIDING- SINCE 1986 Region's Oldest, Large t Store

SCHOOLS & DEALERS ALABAMA

N~ 20 fr. PDA RESERVES .................. $365 VARibS,(Usd, Demo's All rands) ....... $95+ USEDHAJ'<-t)ESSES ..... $10 + NEW HELM)s S... (All Br nds, Styles) ..... $50+ NE\v DIABLO ........... 3 yr. Guarantee ... $2,950 NEW APOLLO ....... .............................. $2,150 Ea. 1 NEW MALIBU 23 .. (..... ,.4 glide ............. $1,600 NEW MITSURG{:25 .... 2 ..................... $1,500 FUN AIR'S .................... 5.5 ..................... $950 Ea. '92 CORVETT ' ......... DElv ~.6 ...... $1,600 APOLLO 27 ................. <30 h~: ~ ......... $1 ,600 BIR.DY 29 ..................... <20 hrs 6. ~ ....... :1,600 JAGUAR 27 .................. <2 lus 5.8 .......... $1,400 rv!USTAN 27 .............. <40 hrs 6.5 ....... $1,400 SPOUTNI 26 ............. <30 hrs 6.4 ......... ,300 CONDO 26 ................ <25 hrs 5.8 ......... $6 EquipmenFl 00% Guaranteed, inspected. All J\ or Credit Cards Accepted. (303) 278-9566.

ROCKET CITY AIR.SPORTS -

Instruction, sales

& service at Keel Mtn., Gurley, AL. For information

send SASE and $1 to 106 South Side Square. Huntsville AL 3580 I or call (205) 776-9995 or (205) 880- 8512. ARIZONA

)

e: DESERT HA G 'ubERS -

USHGA Certified Larkspur,

Glendale, A ARKANSAS

LAUNCH SITE - On west brow Lookout Mtn. GA. 4.5 wooded acres w/300 ft. brow. 400 acres top landing, 300 acres in valley w/3 mile turnaround. No restrictions. Glider pilots live on both sides. (615) 622-3759.

SAIL WING

CALIFORNIA

TRIKES TRIKES TRIKES - And accessories. $5.00 info pack, Jefferson Aero Sports, 15120 Skelton Rd, Jefferson OR 97352, (503) 327-1730.

sales and service. ]:, hasis on special skills, techniques, launchi.l)g"& Jan ing. Demo's. Ask about tow clinic. (209) 368-9665.

ULTRALIGHT AVIATION - American and European trikes and wings. 1117 Cold Harbor Dr., N. Las Vegas NV 89030, (702) 399-4044.

AIRTIME OF SAN FRANC! GLIDING PARAGLIDIN . Complete, safe & fun, USHGA APA cery 1ed training program. Mountain clinics & gro;fnd schools. ALL MAJOR BRANDS. Qualit) ai frame and sewing by factor)' trained repair tech9-' ~·ans. Parachute services. Large selection of 2nd l efi1d g ar (buy & sell). Renrals available. Next to F rt funsto1 \.The only full service shop in San Pra ;sco! 3620 \Xfa\l<,a, San Francisco CA 94116. (415) 759-1177.

CALENDAR PHOTOS - For the 1994 USHGA Calendar. Give us your best shot! Send to USHGA Calendar, PO Box 8300, Colorado Springs CO 80933.

CHAN DE ,E SAN .)"tG_NCISCO, INC. Complete ban glidi,µg and paragliding sales, service and instruction 'r{ce 1973. Northern California's

GLIDERS/HARNESSES/CHUTES WANTED In very good condition, all types. (602) 897-7121.

COMPACT WANTED-FLEDGE 3 (510) 372-0324.

April 1993

;:!GI-I ADVE'\TURE -~~liding, para:;~d~~: school. Equip1~\~:)i'.lef.'-service, rentals at Southern California's mil 1gh site, Crestline. USHGA/APA Instructor I Kenzie. By appointn1ent year round. (7 ) 883-84 \ ,

LAKE ELSINORE HANG GLIDING SCHOOL Wills Wing dealer, Flytec. (909) 678-2482. MISSION SOARING CENTER - Serving the flying community~·ince 1973. Comp~pilot training program with sp cial attentio1~<Yt'1ke-off and landing skills. Custom su erlite ;i:;,ifung gliders. Comfortable training harnesses.'.!)y!Gxe retail shop. Wills, PacAir, gli2fers in stock! Best trade-in prices. UP, demos, ne~v Try all the new 1am . ses in our simulator. Large selection of sµi;i:ialized e ~.'ment, beginner to XC. 1116 Wrigley Way, Jvlilp1'5's (near San Jose) CA 95035. (408) 262-1055. SIERRA SAILS - PacAir sales and service. Serving Sierra foothills and Lake McClure area since 1988. (209) 532-1302. TOP FLIT£ HA free! instruction. ljrt'i1g !(lcrs & supplies. Servicing Merced. Modest;(& Stockin areas. (209) 874- 1795.

HAVE CASH - \vant beginner-intermediate glider. Call Eric McNett (315) 492-1020.

WANTED- Used·~~~4~quipment. Gliders, instruments, harnesses "J) · parachutes. Airtime of San Francisco, 3620 Wa¥na, an Francisco, CA 94116. (415) SKY-1177. / t~

,:~til

GLIDING/PARAGLIDING

ULTRALIGHTS

WANTED

THE HANG r;uDJN CENTER - Located in beautiful San r:l,iego. U)? GA instmction, equipment rentals, local flyi g t 6rs. Spend your winter vacation roudly offer Wills \ving, Pacific flying wirh us. Airwave, High Ei rgy, Ball and we need your used equipment. PO ox I 049, Lakeside CA 92040. (619) 561-1009.

ADVENTURE SPf)RTS TgJ,fi(s - Certified instruction utilizing th wor!JV<first man-made training hill plus other site <l1ich all face every wind direction. Dealer for , cific irwavc, Wills \Xfing, Ball and High Energy _}27 E. Be~ De Mar Dr., Tempe. AZ 85283 (602) 897-7121. .

REAL ESTATE

WAC TRIKE - Low time, 277 Rotax, Vision Eclipse 19, $1,950. \viii separate (716) 937-7119.

HANG GLJDE!t~EMPOI.~JkfM - Best training hill in the west! Full rj<ehang gliding/paragliding shop, establi~l~:}"y .Z,4. 613 N Milpas St., Santa Barbara CA 9~3, (805'' 96 1733.

FLIGHT YSTEMS ~ew location. Dealer for the BIG THRE WILLS ING, PACIFIC AIR.WAVE and MOYES. II ki s of accessories. I understand

TORREY ~IGHT PARK, INS,-At the launch of the world t~~us Torrey Glider Port, one of San Diego's hig'h~lus! ~matched convenience for pilots and spcctatois ifreshments and souvenirs at the Cliflhanger Cai . rtified Training program featt1ring tandem SJ, ring !es ns. New, used, rental and demo equippfent by Dclt, Wing and UP. 2800 Torre~:7(Scenic Drive, La ~ ' CA 92037 (619)

Pje's

452-32/t.

E~ Classifieds - USHGA instruction PRO HANG since 1978. Adv, 1eed 1structor, Examiner, Observer. ecn towing for a decade. Come Safety is #1. \Y/e\ on SE Micl1igy, 1 's wake up! \Y/e've got a soaring site now. G,Ye me a all at (313) 399-9433, ask for Norm. 56~ Annabell Hazel Park MI 48030.

TRUE FLIGHT CONCEPTS - t i G A Certified Instruction, Sales :-. Service. Beem c a better pilot in

less time with our ~~personal eel classes & tandem instruction. Our head ·nstru tor has over 13 years teaching experience. On l( ninutes from our local Kagel Mountain flyings e. 13185 Gladstone Ave., 0. Sylmar, CA 91342. (81 367U FASTER AND SAFER, \'v1NDSPORTS

1974. Fifteen advanced training pr g am known to hang gliding today. USHGA cerci ed sc ool specializing in personalized flight rrainin . Full s ·vice shop handling all makes and models o gliders. F · more info call (305) 285-8978.

TRAVERSE CITY HANG GL!DERS/PARAGLIDERS - FULL-TIME shop. Certified instruction, foot launch and tow. Sales, service, accessories for ALL major brands. VISA/MASTERCARD. Come soar our 450' dunes! 1509 E 8th, Traverse City MI 49684. Call Bill at (619) 922-2844. MINNESOTA

GEORGIA

WRIGHT BR THERS WINGS - UP, Wills Wing, Ball, BRS, High Energy. USHGA Certified Instruction. (209) 586-6012 Sonora CA.

LO'~OUT MOUNTAIN FLIGHT RK AMER A'S #1 HANG GLIDING S OOL, flving site. 1d out why three times as any pilors earn their mount ·n wings at Lookout' 'omplete certified

NTER/MINNEAPOL!S SPORT SOAR! Instruction, equipm I dealers for Pacific Airwave, UP&\Y/illsWing. ,12) 57-0044. MISSOURI

training-"bunn hilr to n10111~ m soaring. \Y/e wroce

COLORADO COLORADO CLOUDBASE - Guided tours, drivers, videos, accessories. (719) 630-7042, FAX (719) 630-8126. PO Box 16934, Colorado Springs CO 80935. COLORADO H.._ANG GL!DIN /PARAGLIDING - Celebrating 20') ars ofle. ns and sales. 1st USHGA certified school i th .S.A. Region's largest and e since 1972. (303) 278oldest. Operating~ / 9566.

USHGA's OFFI

FU FIT TRAINING MAN-

SAIL \'(~~rkansas. NEVADA

comer service and s· isfa 'on. Lesson packages, ratings, glider rental , AERO WING. Largest invenuipment. Complete tory hang glid s (all brands), sail/airframe epairs. Camping, S MMING POOL. Send information packet. Rou ~ , Box 215-H, Rising 'awn GA 30738 (20 m· rnces from Chattar ooga, Tennessee) (800) 688-L ~, (706) 398-3541.

$12

TS - Sierra tours our specialA certified school and ratings. fie Airwave, \Y/ills \Y/ing, UP, Enterprise \Y/in Flr the Sierras with a full-service shop. 3650 Re ear \Y/ay, Carson City, NV 89706 (702) 883-70

SEQUATCHIE SIDAHO TREASURE Airwave, Moyes, (208) 376-7914.

Look under New York.

t6o - Instruction, sales, ser-

HANG GLIDING . Derno's, ratings, tours, service.

vice. Sandia' OL rain guides. \Y/ills, Seedwings, Pacific Airwav 7(" elca, Moyes, Albuquerque, NM (505) 821-8544:---~

ILLINOIS NEW YORK TS - (312) 360-0700 or (708) our ad under WISCONSIN.

ail and harness repair Equipment manufacru9 - T~wing supplies - 5000 Butte #183, Boulder~O 8 301 (303) 440- 3579. INDIANA CONNECTICUT

JJ MITCHELL MOUNTAIN WING

6741 Columbia Av ., 845-2856.

FLORIDA KENTUCKIA SKY HOOK TOWING - Tandem instruction. BOAT & AERO TOWING. Near all Florida major attractions. Come spend your vacation with us and

learn to fly on the beautiful space coast. Dealers for Pacific Airwave, UP, High Energy, BRS, Second Chanez. Tow bridles, floats, service. PO Box 540562, Merritt Island FL 32954. (407) 452-8143.

MICHIGAN

NC.- USHGA certified instructo . new & used equipment.

(616) 465-5859.

Sell your unused equipment here.

HANG GLIDING

Classifieds FLY 1--l!Gl-l HA{-!G GLIDING, INC. -)l'erving S. New York, Con) cticur, Jersey ar,?8'~Ellcnville Mrn.). Area's EXC SIVE Wills >X· 1ng dealer/specialist. Also all othe major b6nds, accessories. Certified school/insrrnc ·01 1/fcaching since 1979. Area's most INEXPENSI~ prices/repairs. Excellent secondary instrucri~:'.;{lt;,~'(C finished a program and wish to comim(r,~ly the nlll~rain 1 ATOL rowing! Tandem fligh;s. Conracr Paul ;~In, RD 2, Box 561, Pinc Bus7NY 12566, (914) 744-Q?7· GM! PARAGLIDING SCHOOL - In New York. Certified Instruction. Free color brochure. (516) 6767599. SUSQUEHANNA FLIGHT l'A~KC-/-~ Cooperstown, NY. /'\errified lnstnt;;Ji6, Sales and Service for all major 1~\\.11ufact1;Y,:efs. 40 acre park, 5 training hills, jeep rides,\~i;k house, camping, hot showers, GOO' N\X/ ridg;,A:'.:'.{avc the best facilities in N. New York stat;,ID teach )~l how to fly~ RD 2, Box 348A, Coophsfown, NY1,l)26, (31 )) 8666153.

PENNSYLVANIA MOUNTAIN Tor\ ECR~~;P!ON - Certified instruction, Pimburgh. ( ..J'2) 697-4477. C'MON OUT AND PLAY!

COROLLA FLIGHT -Ameri~ost experienced tandem flight inst~r, .t5,ai,lfes utilizing ATOI. and Double Vision. C;,~r:~· ·,vrite for information Greg De\X'oll; Corollaj.h.glu, Box 1021, Kitty Hawk NC 27949. (91!1261-616 KITTY HAWK KITES,)1'!C. - P.O. Box 1839, Nags Head,-~ 2795'Y,(919) 441-4124. Learn to hang glide on J oc~\J<'.idge, th~ largest sand dune on the cast coast, Jus;{south ot where the \Vnght Brothers' first fljgh~~k place. Beginner and advanced lesso;! packag ·s and camps offered. Advanced tande;n toll' instrn ~ , 1500 ft. plus up. De1ler for all rf1jor brand gliders, ·~-~:nplete inventorv ot new and usfd gliders, ,iccessones arid pans. SAURATO\X'N MOUNTAIN - Experienced residem pilot site guide. Tommy Thompson (919) 9839064. OHIO

SKYWARD ENTE~RI§;r MARIO MANZOBasic instructor. Fram~ sail repair. Seedwings, CG1000. Dayron/Chilli{;rhe\(513) 256-3888 weekday evenings.

NORTH COAST HANG GLIDING - Cmit,ed Instruction. New & used gliders. Specializing in Pacific Airwave gliders. 1vlike Del Signore, 1916 \XI. 75th Sr., Cleveland, OH. 44102 (216) 6_11-1144. OREGON AIRTIME OREGON - USHGA cenit,cd instructor. Emphasizing safctv~progress. Dealer for AS]. PacAir, UP, \'(ti!]s \Ying and most of the harness manufacrnrers. (503) 998-1220. SOUTHERN OR.f.GO_!)l-'~~-GLIDING Certified instruction,"A-TV retrieval. Pacific Airwavc, Wills Wing, UP. ( ~ 47'J\5823.

April 1993

WASATCH Wl~S -,..)JSHGA cerrified hang gliding school'. dealer: e'\Vills Win_g, lvloycs and Pacific A1rwave. Fl~1r-oper, pons at Pornt of the ]Vlounta1n. Call Gordon (801) 277\-1042. VIRGINIA

lv[OUNTAIN W I ~ Look under New York. WINDWALKER HANG GLIDING - Certified insrrnction. Pacific Airwave Dealer/Glider Accessories. V[SA/lv!C accepted. RR #2 Box 2223, Schickshinny PA 18655, (717) 864-3418. TENNESSEE HAWKAIRS~ORTSffee,-:::: P.O. Box 9056, Knoxville, Ttsl_ ~4<Y-U05G, (615) 933-9296. Hang Gliding and \)"fiids6'_

BLUE SKY - Tandem flight instrnction, row clinics, custom towing and flight gear, sail repair, PacAir dealer. \Xii[[ run ICP's (703) 432-6557 Harrisonburg.

KITTY HAW tITES -

See North Carolina.

SILVER WIN '~s, INC. - Certified instruction and equipment sales. Proudly representing Pacific Airwave, \'(fills Wing, Seedwings & UP. (703) 5331965 Arlington VA. WISCONSIN

LOOKOUT ~l~NTAIN FLIGHT PARK our ad under ~r~ (800) 688- LMFP.

See

SEQUAT~IE VALLEYS .ARING SUPPLY Certified, tw

NORTH CAROLINA

lace fligh · nstruction and first moun-

tain flighrs are o · i.;,;;8!' 1alries. Remals, storage and ratings available. De~~~r all major brands. Located in the "Hang G,1/hg Caph.J.! of the East". for personal, profcssionaycrvice you can rrusr, call SVS, RT 2 Box 80, Dunlap, -TN 37327. (615) 949-2301. FLIERS STAY - Crystal Air rooms, bunkhouse, jacuzzi, pool. h, tanooga, TN.

RAVEN SK1~'PORTS HANG GLIDING AND PARAGLIDIN ' - Largest arttr~;.',sr popular in rhe ll'lidwesr. Tradit ~n;1[,~iculurn, ridge soaring, mountain di1?i7ETi~'a onfly aerorowing & ca1?clen1s by Brad KJ),'hr1er. Sa service/accessories tor all major bra'nds. PO Box l O ', \Xfhitewater \\(/[ 53190 (414) 47-,-200.'l. PARTS & ACCESSORIES BALL 652 - Like new, all options. Flexmbes, dual gain, louder, etc. Perfect. Just calibrated, mus, sell $525 make offer. (510) 796-7021.

TEXAS A.AS. AU -.l"!N AIR SPORTS - Come Jll'"";fth us in the scc111 Texas hill country. Ou'.)'((" airpark is locared on Lak ·Travis, only minut~'.·om Austin and Packsaddle iV[tn. lil;\lu Park. US!i!GA certified footlaunched and tow-la'tiQ_ched rrfe1ing programs. \Ve offer hang gliding, parag1~·~1 {, sky diving and ultra-. light flying. Dealers for Inr'I, Pacific Airwave. Enterprise \Vings and B. .S. A,. t.!;,' Air Park has one of the finest repair fa · iries in thc~L11Hry. Services include airframe & s· ti repair, parachu'rt,,.mounting & repacking, cusroy harnesses) gear bag~and flying

accessories. Co;)_'i1lcte tow svstems available. \'(!rite to A.A.I'., Ro%"' 2 Box 49 l, Spicewood TX 78669 or call Steve Burns ar (512) 474- 1669, _,../"

RED RIVER AIRC!Y\~ Hang gliding specialr ~les, service. Towing supplies. isrs. lnsrn~cti MC/VISA. . ~TIN-4811 Red River, Austin TX 78751. (7 2) 46Y.-2529, fax (512) 467-8260. FT. WORTH'(817) 921 6957.

BIG \\(/ EELS aves gliders on hard landings! Very snu )', excellent f(,(r solo.!tandem flying, required for USH ~A training. $:l ,.95/set (plus shipping), discoums a,, ilable. (800) 68 .MFP, (706) 398- 3541.

KITE El'\~ERPR.p S - Instruction, sales, repairs. towing and fh~auncl.1. Dallas & North Texas area. 21 l Fllis, Alj;n 'X 75002. (214) 390-9090 anytime. Dealer, P:1Ji!ft1c Airn, ~Wills Wing. UTAH VULTURE GLIDERS - USHGA cerrified insrruction. Tandem instrucrion. New, used gliders. (80 l) 254-614 l.

Your ad is read by more than 10,000 hang gliding enthusiasts. Advertise with us today.

E~ Classifieds

COMPOS! E FIBER 02 SYSTEMS - Lightest and smallest available $499.95 +S/H. Major credit cards. Other models and information available. Mountain High E&S Co., 516 12th Avenue, Salt Lake City UT 84103 USA. 1-800-468-8185.

Proven Pilots Say That... 11 •••

WIND ADVISORY

AIR/WIND SPEED INDICATORS

HELP You LAUNCH & FLY SAFE!"

GRADE A

hand fairing. n the world. Sc $47 co \'v'yo. Aerolires, Box 880, Casper \V/Y 2602. (307) 235- 33 , add $15 for X-large. Custom orders accepted. HIGH ENERGY 20 GORE PDA CHUTE Excellent condition, swivel, bag, bridle, never deployed $300. Robens Bread Pan vario, new condition, works great $200. Jim (415) 573-1332 or (415) 358-9012.

(With Poplin Storage Bag)

MINI VARIO - World's smallest, simplest vario! Clips to helmet or chinstrap. 200 hours on batteries, 0-18,000 ft., fast response and 2 year warranty. Great for paragliding too. ONLY $169. Mallettcc, PO Box 15756, Santa Ana CA, 92705. (714) 541-2625.

Pacific Resources U CA 92169. FOR SALE - Deluxe cocoon harness with ballast containers. Excellent condition, for pilots 5'5" - 5'9". $120. Also used Free Flight Enterprises parachutes, 24 ft., repacked and inspected by rhe manufacturer. $230 each. Contact Eric Raymond, 33274 Baldwin Blvd., Lake Elsinore, CA 92530 (909) 678-3931 phone and fax.

HIGH PERSPECTIVE WHEELS-REAL LIFE SAVERS! - 1.2";.ligl{t; tough. Fits all gliders. Send $37 + $2.95 shipping_" p,r p,iir to Sport Aviation, PO Box l Ol, lv!ingoville PA ·16856. Ask about our dealer prices.

1:'~!~

FAX your classified ad, membership renewal or merchandise order:

(719) 632-6417. We gladly accept VISA and MasterCard.

THE FAMOUS~' .AMBIE LID - Aerodynamic hang glider heln t $85 .. Full- fac version, with kevlar-fiberglass guard $120. Jack Lambie, 8160 Woodsboro, An 1eim CA 92807, (714) 779-1877.

watt hand-held 2-way radio duce USHGA, three , ather and four programmable frequencies. Dural e, uggcd, easy to use. Rechargeable nicad battery ( •pica! 0 hour life). Pilots #I choice! Special price 349. Ad 'tional iv!axon options available. Looko t lv!ountai Flight Park, (800) 688-

HANG GLIDING

Classifieds "OL' EAGLE EYES" FLIGHT GLASSES - UV and blue blackout with wrap- around frames. Plain AU$105., your prescription single-vision AU$145., bi-focal AU$!65. Lenses only also available. ELECTRONIC TOW TENSION METERS - For fixed length line rowing, AU$185. Info sheets and dealers welcome. Denis Cummings, PO Box 741, Bryon Bav 2481, Aumalia. Fax/phone 6 I 66 856 28 .

WINDTALKER Ill *

·-~,~~+~-\ '

l \ Silva Compass with base. lllOUnt ................. $119 ]\,[axon 5 \Y/, 3 USHG chann -hi/lo .............. $359 Alinco DJ 1801' Tran ceiver ............................. $300 Compatible VOX/Il T-HDST, all n \'dels ........ $80 2nd Charnz Cool hrust Pocket Rock~s .......... $550 Aramid Full-l'ac Hellllet .......................... ....... $300 1-800-\VE-FLY-XC 800-933 5992 719-539-39 Q.. Pendulum S arts Inc., 13154 County Rd 140, S)ti4a co 81201

SYSTEK II VAR!OMETER - Ideal for new pilots. Single most illlporrant instrument for thermal flying. Quick response, adjustable set- point, mount firs faired and/or round rnbes. Econolllically priced $250. Systems Technology Inc., PO Box 7203, Knoxville TN 37921, (6151 531-8045.

FULL AND PART T!iv~- l}SHGA certified instructors. Innovative equ n~e1(. the latest training methods. Soaring Safaris. · nd resume Mission Soaring Center, I I I 6 \Xlri ey ay, lV[ilpiras CA 95035. (408) 262-1055.

...

TEK 6" \'VHEELS - $25 per pair, plus $3 S/H. Tek Flight Products, Colebrook Stage, Winsted CT 06098. (203) 379-1668. //

The Sky-Talker I[, 2 merer F1"1 antenna, will boost the transmitted and received signal by 3 times, and will nae interfere with your vario. Internally installs in

5 minutes and automatically sets up and breaks down with the glider. This antenna is pre-tuned and read)' to go. Send $30 + $3 shipping and handling rn SkvC:om Products, PO Box 530268, San Diego CA 92153.

April 1993

START ,~\RE R IN HA 1G LIDING - Full or part ti1nc, 1·~ :ou're an Instr ~ r with a professional attitude and can icture ourself enjoying good pay and benefits teaching ~ng gliding in a sunny climate that allows yea~·-rmn'd ll~ing,call or write us (attn. Andy Beem). I· you're o e of the right people, \'?indspons c;y help you get y \l!. hang gliding career off the groyn'd. 16145 Victory Bl\, ., Van Nu)'S, CA 91406 (8,J'E) 988-0111, Fax 988- I 8 f

___:'_ S49.95.

SKY-TALKER II

THE \VINDTALKE~ is remote controlled bv telephone, and can keyp'200 access codes, with preset numbers of c. ls th, f can auto decrement. Also will

USHGA CE\ IF!ED Ilj.,STRUC ORS Tandem, hg/pg w. nted. F_l;!)l/part rime. Send resume to Achim Hagema t~iina Barbara Hang Gliding Paragliding Cent , 9 Srate St., Santa Barbara CA ~s99· 93101. (805) DON'T GET CAUGHT LAND!NG 00\XIN\XIIND! 1.5 oz. ripsrnp nylon, UV treated, 5'4" long w/11" throat. Available colors: fluorescent pink/yellow or fluorescent pink/white. $39.95 (+S4.00 S/HJ. Send to USHGA \Xlindsok, P.O. Box 8300, Colorado Springs, CO 80933-8300, (719) 632-8300, FAX (719) 632-6417. \/[SA/MC accepted.

PUBLICATIONS & ORGANIZATIONS

Cr~~~ Country

·c·

Jntmwtwna[ :,"\tiigaz lit' bf<!l111g (._jllifrng & 'l'an'!)luiit~I}

Your ad is read by more than 10,000 hang gliding enthusiasts. Advertise with us today.

)'FAR Sails.

6 issues $ I. Checks payab~o: Schmte "'--..

E~ Classifieds DOWNWIND

TBT TOW SYSTEM - 8' X 5' modified trai·Jer, includes 6000' Spectraline, 3000' Kevlar, 2000' Polypropylene. Used less than l O times. Excellent condition, original cost $3200., asking $1900., or trade for Double Vision glider. Night (501) 967-7057 or day {50 I) 964-8356. TO\Y/ ROPES 10ve to quality. Spectraproven state-of-t 1 '- art w rope. Available with fiber bonding synthetic 1ish, longer lasting, easy to use hollow braid. T , de ·n your ultraline! Call David F. Bradley(215) 23-171 orfax(215)453-1515.

STOLEN W1NGS STOLEN - Dinger Super 90, from a barn in AUBURN, CA on Nov. 29th, 1992. Very light blue with a red/orange yellow center. Contact Bob Lynch (916) 823-5890. STOLEN - Truck and paraglider/equipment, by the volunteer driver at SLIDE MOUNTAIN, CA. in mid November. Karana 22 paraglider (yellow w/black wingtips), Pocket Rocket recovery parachute, Sitting Bull harness (purple/black), Ball vario. Contact Steve Bickford (707) 963-3455.

VIDEOS & FILMS

A True Hang Gliding Story

by LARRY FLEMING DOWNWJND - IF YOU LIKE TO FLY, YOU HAVE TO READ THIS BOOK! Readers start out on the training slopes of 1974 and slowly advance to 200+ mile flights downwind in the Owens Valley. A true story, well told. Available from Chris Gregor Publishing, Dept. G, PO Box 26595, Fresno CA 93729-6595. $10.95 plus $3 shipping and handling. (California residents add 85<t sales tax.) 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 92~7I or call (714) 657-2664 or FAX (714) 657.-4062 with your credit card information.

SOARING - Monrhly magazine of The Soaring Society of America, Inc. Covers all aspects of soaijng flight. 1'ull membership $45. Info. kit with sainple copy $3. SSA, P.O. Box E, Hobbs, NM 8824 l. (505) 392-1177.

bridles, releases, pla (512) 467-2529. KEVLAR TOW LI

LINE CHUTES SAVE MONEY - Patterns, pre-cut kits, or complete. Three sizes, low as $29.95. Call evenings (303) 371-8873. · Slv!ARTOW - Wi, ches · ,ailable from REEL ALTITUDE. "NOT E FIRST, JUST THE BEST." Call for quot,· a ~ availability. Call Brad Lindsay for free brochure (602)~3-9909 eves.

DON'T MISS THE ENDLESS THERMAL! Awesome Northern California, Oregon flying. 90 minutes VHS. $33 + $2.90 shipping. California add 7.25% tax. Blacet Research, 15210 Orchard, Guerneville CA 95446.

EYERYTHINO~YOU W ~ D TO KNOW About towing bu wery<I' crash. Truck, foot, aero and GLV lam rlng. Hang gliders and paragliders. $34.95 (602 63- 09 eves.

STOLEN - \Y/\Y/ Harrier II 177, from a barn in AUBURN, CA on Nov. 20th, 1992, Serial # 7056. Black with red/orange/yellow center and white TE. Contact Bob Lynch (916) 823-5890. STOLEN MK IV 19 from LAURINBURG/MAXTON AIRBASE, NC (glider taken approx. 1 mile away from base) on Nov. 15th, 1992. Red LE, Ir. blue/purple undersurface, 1/2 ribs. Contact Brent Harsh (919) 3877116.

SOARING YOSEMITE - From sign in and set up, to launch and landing, this video provides a pilots eye view of hang gliding in Yosemite Valley. Each tape is $22 plus $3 shipping/handling. CA residents add $1.87 tax. Aden Brothers Studio, 350 Turkshead Lane, Redwood City CA 94065.

STOLEN - UP XTR 145 from SANDIA PEAK, NM area on Oct. I !th, 1992. Pink LE, black nose panel, pink lower surface, black UP lettering. Serial #XTR 1459203123. Contact George Boyden (505) 299-0312.

ULTRALIGHT FLYING VIDEO - By United States Ultralight Association, hosted by industry expert John Ballantyne. Flying scenes, interviews with pilots, FAA, manufacturers. Satisfaction guaranteed. Visa, MasterCard, check. $19.95 plus $3 shipping. 1800-598-8344.

INDEX TO ADVERTISERS

MISCELLANEOUS GLIDER MARKING INTERNATIONAL CORP. - For any artwork on your hang glider. free color brochures. Phone (516) 676-7599, fax (516) 6760106. DON'T LEAVE YOUR GROUND-BOUND EQUIPMENT SITTING IN THE GARAGE. SELL IT IN THE HANG GLIDING CLASSIFIEDS. CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING RATES The rate for classified advertising is $.50 per word {or group of characters) 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 prim. Special layouts of tabs $25.00 per column inch. AD DEADLINES All ad copy, instructions, changes, additions and cancellations must be received in writing I 1/2 months preceding the cover dare, i.e. October 20 for the December issue. Please make checks payable to USHGA Classified Advertising Dept. HANG GLIDING MAGAZINE, P.O. Box 8300, Colorado Springs, CO 80933 (719) 632-8300 or l'AX (719) 632-6417.

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~ Product Lines

ST. PAUL, MINN. April means spring flying just about anywhere in the USA! In this year of the American-hosted World Meet, let's pray the weather gods see fit to send us abundant thermals. As we enter TH~ SEASON our attention turns from the new gliders and other major equipment to accessories and other goodies. This month we've an interesting selection ... but first, a couple of international stories that should catch your attention. The big Israeli company, APCO, announced a new world record flight. No, not in one of their hang gliders. Instead two pilots flew 281.50 and 278 kilometers in Apco Astra 30 paragliders. Even when you convert these flights to 176 and 174 miles, this accomplishment deserves attention. The paragliding 200-mile barrier may be broken before long. Alex Louw and Andrew Smith performed these flights at the end of '92 in South Africa. The flights were documented and FAI filing has been done. Bravo, fellow aviators! Perhaps more amazing is APCO' s reward. The company had offered a $10,000 cash prize. When' s the last time you heard of that kind of money for a single flight? Up in merry old England, the properly stuffy bureaucrats in the British equivalent of the FAA have finally chosen to evaluate aerotowing. While most o=her countries have been moving for years, the Brits don't want to be accused of a knee-jerk response, I guess. This should provide some, ah, stimulus (in ClintonSpeak) to aerotug designers. The CAA already certifies British trikes ... to some VERY demanding standards. Since they' 11 force this certification on the tugs that companies like Solar Wings are preparing, two things will follow: (1) the aircraft will be strong, airworthy vehicles that could break new ground technologically, however, ( 2) we ordinary humans may not be able to afford them except maybe as clubs. The expense of meeting such governmentmandated certification is quite high. Nonetheless, I applaud their entry to the development of this form of towing. Back in the USA, our FAA is stepping up enforcement against so-called illegal ultralights. (Actually, the FAA says, they aren't illegal ultralights; they' re really "illegal airplanes.") Failure to have the , proper credentials could cost you a bundle. Some powered ultralight pilots have already been fined. So much for our "kinder and gentler" FAA, huh? If you' re operating an aerot ug, get legal or fly it at some risk. 1

April 1993

Executive Director Bruning and Dennis Pagen drafted a good petition that may fix the problem, but these government things take time. Goodies time ... Southwind HG announces development of a new full race helmet. A Kevlar I carbon laminate with PVC foam liner, the helmet weighs just two pounds. Periphery vision is said to be superior among full-face helmets. A hang gliding-specific design, the original "Brain Bucket" has logged a couple years airtime with positive feedback from owners. "They like the cush fit, light weight, and quality," says proprietor Bob Schick, operator of the SLC-UT outfit. They report working with the Snell Foundation to establish a specific standard for hang/para gliding helmets. Info should be ready for presentation to HGMA/USHGA by June. Both the Brain Bucket and BB Full Race are available in S-M-L with colors and customizations. Call 801/359-6036. Sail Wing HG out of Little Rock, AR (you know where that's at now, huh?) offers custom camouflage-colored glider bags. I suppose they' 11 hide wel 1 in the woods rvhile you secure a ride back... hope you can find your glider later. Oh, they have "regular" colors as well. All bags feature a full-length zipper with reinforced ends. But true long-distance flyers will opt for their X-C bag, a water-repellent, fourounce Nylon bag for $70 (which includes the shipping) . You can get their standard bag for $80 (also post-paid). It's made from a water-repellent eight-ounce Nylon. Since these are custom bags, get your measurements and call 501/663-3166. When you've landed, a fresh T-shirt may help get a ride back. A couple creative Canadian guys in the desktop publishing biz have prepared some new HG/PG designs. They' re sharp, different, big designs on both front and back. And somehow, they claim to be "one size fits all." Hmmm? Clever stuff you haven't seen before. Good sense of humor, too. Call 416/770-8293 (test the U.S. /Canada free-trade pact) . Last, a bit more serious, a British instructor has written IBM-compatible software to provide an HG Ground School course. Using an ordinary PC, except with a mouse, the program looks complete and simple to use. It might offer a modern way to learn the bookwork end of hang gliding. If interested, dial the following: Oll-44202-483-847 (remember, they're about 6 hours ahead). Outta space. So, got news or opinions? Send 'em to 8 Dorset, St. Paul MN 55118. Msg/Fax to: 612/450-0930. THANKS!

FLYTEC'S NEW RANGE OF INSTRUMENTS IS FUNCTIONAL , ERGONOMIC AND ATTRACTIVELY STYLED FAl -opproved borogroph (FLYE C 3030)

Extremely ecsy to use

A wide range of flight data con be printed our plus on-screen data display

Integral. d1g1tol vorio combined with highly sensitive flight acoustics (ASI) for audible indication of the slightest thermals

Unique. analog vor1ometer display (FL YTEC potent')

New method of attachment with optimum viewing angle

DATE

MAX Nr. dd mm '/Y ALTII

MAX Al112

MAX VARIO

REC 11/.\E

4 15.0192 4894 PILOT DEVICE-NUMBER BARO STARTTIMf TIMEAT PRINTOUT

3693 7.7 5:31 :11 · Haari Urs 584 SW-VER 29141 12:30 160192 0945

BARO

WORLD RECORD 230km

500C 400'

Jr~, ,0n IOOG

For information and a dealer nearest you, call Flytec USA 1-800-662-2449 made i n Switzerland

FLYTEC AG

P.O. Box 56 1732, Miami, FL 33156