USHGA Hang Gliding February 1994 by US Hang Gliding & Paragliding Association

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12 Understanding And Avoiding Wmg Tip Vortices by Mark Stucky How not to get waked by your friends.

24 Product Reviews © J994 by Dennis Pagen A Jook at the Ball Ml 9A vario, the Avocet Vertech Sky Watch and the Airwave Ultimate Hat.

30 Flight Of A Lifetime by "Tandem" Tim Shea Tim takes 74-year-oJd Louise Edwards for a birthday Aight.

36 SoCal Gals

by Barbara Bar/,ey Southern California's hang gliding women.

43 Tales From The Towhead by Bany Steele

An essay on rhe glories of boat towing.

Columns

Departments

USHGA Organizational Directory ........20

Airmail .......................................................5

Cartoon, by Harry Martin .....................35

Calendar ofEvents .....................................9

Competition Comer .............................. .32

Update ..................................................... 10

Cartoon, by Russ Brown ........................38

Ratings ..................................................... 16

Product Lines, by Dan Johnson .............55

Classified Advertising ............................. .45

FEBRUARY 1994

THE PROS LIKE IT ... "This book has helped me to reduce the time spent making important determinations at competitions where each second can mean victory or defeat. " - Tony Barton, US World Team member

"'Understanding the Sky' is the most complete book on micrometeorology I have seen as it applies to hang gliding. " -Jim Lee, World record holder and US World Team Member

•.. SO WILL YOU!

UNDERSTANDING

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THE SKY

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pilots to ~y efficiently. All you ever wanted to know about hang gliding! ./ HANG GLIDING FLYING SKILLS-$9.95 -The most complete training manual

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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 P.O. Box 8300, Colorado Springs, CO 80933

Please rush me the books listed below: o Understanding the Sky . . .... $ 19.95 o Hang Gliding Flying Skills . $ 9.95 o Performance Flying ..... . .. $ 29.95 o Powered Ultralight Flying $ 12.95 o Powered UL Training Course $9.95 o Paragliding Flight .. $ 19.95 Save 10% order two or more books! save 20% order five or more booksl Total amount for all books $ .. Postage and handling . . . . . . ..... $ 1.95 Add $1 extra postage for Pert. Flying .. Overseas airmail if desired ($7.00/book - $12.00 for Performance Flying) TOT AL ENCLOSED ..

Gil Dodgen, Editor/Art Director John Heiney, Leroy Grannis Photographers Harry Martin, illustrator Dennis Pagen, Rob Richardson, Mark Stucky Staff Writers Tim Rinker, Design Consultant Office Staff Greg Huller, Ratings & ICP's PJ More, Special Projects & Competitions Jeff Elgart, Advertising D. Dean leyerle, Insurance & Merchandise Services Karen Simon, Member Services Marissa Hatton, Merchandise Services

USHCA Officers and Executive Committee: Gregg lawless, President Jim Zeise!, \lice President Russ Locke, Secretary Bill Bryden, Treasurer REGION 1: Gene Matthews, George Sturtevant. REGION 2: Lynda Nelson, Russ Locke, Ray Leonard, Paul Gazis. REGION 3: Joe Greblo, Sandy King, Gregg Lawless. REGION 4: Glen Nicolet., Jim Zeiset. REGION 6: Ron Kenney. REGION 7: Bill Bryden. REGION 8: Randy Adams. REGION 9: Pete Lehmann, William Bennett. REGION 10: Matt Taber. REGION 11: Jeff Hunt. REGION 12: Paul Voight, Paul Rikert. DIRECTORS AT LARGE: Dan Johnson, Jan Johnson, Dennis Pagen, Alan Chuculate. HONORARY DIRECTORS: Ken Brown, Doug Hildreth, Tom Kreyche, Mike Meier, Rob Kells, Fred Stockwell, Gregg McNamee, Michael Robertson, Dave Broyles, David Sondergeld, Ken Baier, Marcus Salvemini, Fred Moy, Barbara Flynn, Greg DeWolf. EXOFFICIO DIRECTORS: Art Greenfield (NM). The United States Hang Gliding Association Inc. is an air sports organization affiliated with the National Aeronautic Association (NAA) which is the official representative of the Federation Aeronautique Internationale (FAI), of the world governing body for sport aviation. The NAA, which represents the U.S. at FAI meetings, has delegated to the USHGA supervision of FAl-related hang gliding activities such as record attempts and competition sanctions. HANG GLIDING magazine is published for hang gliding sport enthusiasts to create further interest in the sport, 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, self-addressed 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 sport organization dedicated to the exploration and promotion of all facets of unpowered ultralight flight, and to the education, training and safety of its memberhip. Membership is open to anyone interested in this realm of flight. Dues for full membership are $54.00 per year (of which $15 goes to the publication of Hang Gliding), ($60 Canada & Mexico, $65 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.

FEBRUARY 1994

VOLUME 24, ISSUE No. 2

Air Mail~ HGMA STANDARDS

ORMISTON RESPONSE

Dear Editor, It is good to see that there are still people out there who share our concern about the aerodynamic challenges of our sport, and in particular, dynamic stability. I would take issue, however, with any assertion that we are doing nothing about it. As recently as this last spring the Hang Glider Manufacturers Association revised the pitch test standards, efl-ectively increasing the

Dear Editor, In the December table of contents, you referred to Bob Ormiston's article as offering both explanations and solutions for gliders tumbling as result of a turbulence. U nforrunately, Bob's article produced neither. It reduced the tumbling phenomenon to a trivial level, presented less information than was already available in print to the hang gliding community by 1978, and grossly underrepresented the level of investment and resources that manufacturers and industry organizations around the world have applied to the problem over the last 15 years. A comprehensive response to the errors presented in that article is beyond the scope of a letter. Bob is upset that there is no guarantee of safe-

required margin of stability for the majority of gliders. The change was not prompted by a statistical increase in stability problems, but by a concerted effort to stay ahead of the game and expand our understanding of low speed glider dynamics. As )vfr. Ormiston wrote in his article (12/93 Hang GlidiniJ, " ... experience shows that the HGMA standards provide acceptable pitch stability within and near the normal flight regime." I would add to this that our standards for the margin of stability required at the low speed end are the strictest in the world. It is in this region where tumbling is most apt to be initiated. As long as we fly hang gliders and paragliders at low airspeeds in highly turbulent air, we will continue to encounter radical changes in attitude and canopy collapses. That is an unfortunate fact. As important as it is to understand the micrometeorological circumstances that can cause an upset, it is equally important to be able to survive one. There is no record that demonstrates the assertion that gliders with a strong pitching moment at severe negative angles of attack are any less likely to have a lower field incidence of tumbles and/or tucks than those with less stable pitching moments in the same negative region. This has been looked at closely by the members of the HGMA as many designs evolved away from tip sticks over the last few years. What has been realized, though, is an increase in the ability of most of these gliders to survive an incident without major structural damage. While the jury is still out on which system is best, the process of investigation and evaluation is still going strong. I would like to add at this point that the advice Mr. Ormiston gave under "anti-tumble strategies" was excellent. We appreciate the input and participation in this process by people like Mr. Ormiston, and welcome any personal experience input from all members of the flying community. Stay tuned for some articles on this subject in upcoming issues of this magazine. Mark West President, HGMA Tehachapi, CA

ty in hang gliding. But accident statistics show that tumbling incidents are not the most frequent cause of pilot injury, and perhaps are the most easily preventable by not flying in extreme conditions and not performing aerobatics. Manufacturers and industry organizations should continue to allocate budgets and resources equitably among all safety issues. Pilots should adjust their flying style to an acceptable level of risk or stop flying. Consumers already express their concern with pitchovers and other safety-related factors by product purchase decisions. The geometry changes that are integral to performance gains higher AR, reduced sweep and twist, lower glider drag, higher glider weights - are all destabilizing factors. Advanced pilots (including Bob Ormiston) overwhelmingly choose higher performance products that meet current HGMA minimums instead of lower performance products with higher levels of static stability. Manufacturers who do not produce the highest performance products do not stay in business long. Even the most basic tenets of Bob's proposition are insupportable. Among HGMA-certified gliders, there is no statistical evidence from accident reports that a higher level of static stability at a large negative angle of attack makes any difference in recovery from a pitchover. The forces generated by speeds over 25 mph and attitudes below -20 degrees AOA rip most pilots from the control bar and slam them into the sail, where their location on the sail has far more effect on the subsequent recove1y than does the glider's static pitching moment. The best pilots, the most accomplished designers, and the results of analytical modeling all agree - glider stability in turbulent conditions depends more on pilot skill (the correct input at the right time) than small differences in static stability. Bob completely ignores other factors. Pilots today fly many more hours in more turbulent conditions than they did in the past. As glider

~ Air Mail designs are made more airworthy, pilors push them to greater limits, negating some of the safety that would have been gained. We all want a safer sport. Progress will continue more through work and innovation than talk Steven Pearson Orange, CA

AEROBATICS AND "TUMBLEPROOF" COMMENTS Dear Editor, I am writing in response to Bob Ormiscon's article calling for tumble-proof gliders in the December issue of Hang Gliding. The article starts out by saying, "We assume the pilot goofed .... " The reason that assumption is often made is that most tumbles are a direct result of pilot error, or at least pilot error is a substantial factor. High Energy Spans gives free deployment bags to pilots who submit accident reports after deploying their parachutes. (Often the deployment bag is lost during a deployment.) The vast majority of parachute deployments, according to these reports, are a result of pilot error. The two most common errors are flying too slowly in gusty conditions (pushing out too far in a thermal) and intentional aerobatics. The HGMA is composed of hang gliding manufacturers who compete against each other. They came together in the 1970' s to try to improve the safety of the gliders they produce. The certification standards have evolved with information being gathered over the years, and these standards and testing procedures are always evolving with advancements in technology. It's in the HGMA's best interest to produce the safest gliders possible. If you or anyone else can demonstrate a superior way to improve the stability of hang gliders, history shows that the HGMA will adopt the advancements. Remember that in aviation design, tradeoffs almost always accompany advancements. A more stable design could be had at the expense of speed or glide performance, but then pilots would not be able to safely handle the conditions they fly in today. The current market demonstrates that consumers want faster gliders with superior LID. This may be a result of the fact that ve1y few gliders tumble, and most that do, do so as a result of pilot error. At the end of rhe first paragraph Bob stares to talk about parachutes. I hope he isn't depending on his parachute to work ifhe tumbles his glider. Parachutes don't always open. If they did, skydivers wouldn't have to carry two of them, and parachutes used on hang gliders have a much higher potential for failure. They must be deployed past a broken, our-of-control glider. Parachutes do save many lives bur can't be

depended on to work every time. A parachute is an emergency backup system, it is not an excuse to

do aerobatics. Gliders on the market today are not certified to do aerobatics. This is because manufacturers know that aerobatics are dangerous, and exceed the capabilities of current glider technology and design. Coincidentally, Bob's article was opposite a manufacturer's ad which featured an upside down glider and aerobatic comperition results. The cover of the magazine featured a glider exceeding certified pitch limitations. I can understand how pilots have mistakenly come to believe they can safely perform aerobatics in hang gliders. The USHGA should make a greater effort to warn of the dangers associated with aerobatics. Pilots can't assume the risks of aerobatics without being made aware of what risks are present. Rich Pfeiffer, Master Parachute Rigger, past U.S. National Hang Gliding and Parachuting Champion

RIGID SUSPENSION SYSTEM Dear Editor, Bob Ormiston's recent article in this publication about the tumble problem was dead on. It's categorically absurd that any flight vehicle might spontaneously self destruct when it's properly maintained and flown within its envelope. Tumbling is a very serious engineering problem in stability that must be addressed as such, and pronto. It seems to me that at least part of the problem stems from the use of a flexible member between the glider and the pilot. Harness risers made of webbing work fine for positive loads. But, under transient negative load conditions the straps go limp and the pilot hangs onto the basetube for his life. Hanging from the basetube the pilot has no control over his CG in the pitch plane. Visualize yourself hanging from a chin-up bar. Can you influence your CG? Certainly not. Yet the standard recommendation calls for pulling in the bar under incipient tumble conditions, as if the pilot's actions might resolve the matter. Clearly, not even world-class pilots were able to effect a strategy to avoid tumbling. If you lose your grip under negative loading and get plastered into the sail, then your body mass momentarily exits the equation of pitch dynamics, then abruptly reenters. If you end up forward on the sail, there will be a tendency to right the glider in the positive pitch direction, bur if your body is plastered aft, the glider will surely tumble. The aerodynamic pitching moment, as Mr. Ormiston discusses, is really nothing more than a way of representing the pitch imbalance that results when the sail's center of pressure is

offset from the aggregate center of gravity of the vehicle and pilot. Tumbling results when the load factor is negative and the center of pressure remains forward of the CG to sustain a negative pitching moment. The situation is exacerbated by the fact that the rotational inertia on the pitch axis is sharply reduced as the pilot floats up toward the sail; low inertia results in fast pitch rotation. From this viewpoint, the action of the luff lines can be seen as simply shifting the center of pressure aft under negative loading. The luff lines are effective at low to moderate negative angles of attack, but when the air is coming down on the vehicle at a high angle, the luff lines will shifr the center of pressure only a small amount if at all. The longitudinal location of the CG, though, is always critical; the CG influence is invariant with angle of attack. But where is the CG? The pilot's mass may be suspended from the keel or from the basetube or it may be completely decoupled from the vehicle as the pilot becomes unweighted and the harness risers go limp. How can we get the CG under control when the load factor is negative? One possibility would be to replace the flexible risers and hang loop with a rigid member - a hang bar, shall we call it. The hang bar could have a ball joint at the keel attachment so that in normal flight all the same freedom of movement could be achieved. The big difference would occur under negative loading conditions. Now the pilot would be able ro immediately and effectively apply forward CG control. Most significantly, the wing will get the message as soon as the pilot sends it. A rigid hang bar would eliminate all the craziness about falling into the sail. A rigid hang bar offers another interesting possibility. If the mechanism were rigid in yaw, it would be possible to perfectly control a hang glider with one hand. The present strap suspension arrangement has three axes of freedom which necessitates the use of differential arm muscle control to position our bodies in yaw. A ball joint like on a car's rear-view mirror is the closest mechanical analog with the same three axes of freedom. There are alternative joints, however, having just two axes of freedom, like the universal joint used on a car's drive shaft; yaw would be fixed. Rigidity in yaw might result in a small loss in optimum turning finesse but it would greatly reduce the energy expenditure required to fly a glider, and it would free up one hand for other activities like radio, GPS, oxygen and eating. Incorporating a rigid hang bar is not a simple mod. Serious design analysis would be required, and harness design would probably be more impacted than glider design. An obvious complication is how to handle the launch run. One thought would be to add an elbow joint at the center of the hang bar. The elbow joint would be articulated aft during the launch run so that the pilot could feel the weight of the glider in his

HANG GLIDING

Air Mail~ hands, set the glider down, etc. Once the glider rises up, the elbow joint could lock into a rigid configuration; the locking mechanism could be triggered by tension force that exceeds a threshold set by a spring. Will the smartest designers please step forward. Steve Koerner Inyokern, California

crosswinds, "level your wings" has become equated with "balance them" in most of our minds since the Hang I days. When we graduate to the cliffs or the mountains, however, launching level in a strong crosswind can guarantee manzanita salad for lunch - if we're lucky. The other 99. 99% of Doug's article was, as usual, great! John Davis San Francisco, CA

WASH YOUR PARACHUTE AFTER EACH PYROTECHNIC BALLISTIC DEPLOYMENT Dear Editor, It has been brought to our attention that a byproduct of the ignition of pyrotechnic ballistic devices that use ammonium perchlorate is hydrogen chloride gas, which will naturally combine with water to form hydrochloric acid. A5 the apex of the ballistically deployed parachute is pulled through rhe vapor trail during a pyrotechnic rocket deployment, it is exposed to slight acid contamination. Effects of this contamination can be eliminated by washing the parachute before repacking. At first glance this slight contamination may seem insignificant, however, the effects of slightly acid-treated mesh used next to nylon parachute material have been a major topic of concern in the sky diving industry. There have been several incidents involving degraded fabric in skydiving emergency reserves. Ir is our hope that we can eliminate any possible canopy blowups by simply washing the parachute after every pyrotechnic ballistic deployment. Betty PFeiffer High Energy Sports Santa Ana, CA

WINGS LEVEL? Dear Editor, Doug Hildreth (Accident Reports, 1/94) innocently repeats mis-advice seen too many times in our magazine, that, upon launching, the pilot should keep the "wings level." We have come to recite this Commandment with unquestioned reverence; yet, with any significant crosswind ir' s probably rhe best way to guarantee dropping a rip! "Wings balanced!" should be our battle cry. This is the "sweet point" where the wing tells us it's ready to fly. Sometimes this point is reached with one wing rip cocked up a foot or more above (and behind) the other. Although our wing may look a little strange and certainly not level, it is nonetheless balanced and ready to leave the hill in a stable, straightforward manner. Since beginning lessons are seldom taught in

FEBRUARY 1994

PAGEN SPEAKS Dear Editor, Several letters have appeared in recent issues that warrant a response. The first is from Paul Sullivan in the November issue. Paul quotes from my book, Performance Flying, where I recommend launching within a second of picking up a glider. Let me clarify this by stating that my one-second rule was given in the section on self launching. A5 mentioned, I have been tipped over twice while self-launching (it seems I'm always last off) and without wiremen I've found it prudent to pick up and go or set it back down. With assistance this rule is not quire as important, but the whole subject was addressed to Beginner, Novice and Intermediate pilots who dally too long on launch. This is a much more common problem than not spending enough rime assessing conditions (Mike Bradley says it well in his December 1993 letter). My advice still remains: If conditions are rock and roll, lifr the glider (with a wire crew) to see if you get a good, stable three-second window. If so, set it down, prepare mentally and physically and wait for the next smooth cycle. When it comes, pick up the glider, balance ir and then launch all within one second or so and after you yell "dear!" If you do not get three seconds of reasonable air on your test lift, perhaps it is nor safe to launch. In variable air a three-second steady cycle (a bit more for a slot in trees, perhaps less for a cliff) is reasonable. If that's all you get, waiting for three to 10 seconds is dangerous. You can feel your glider's response ro the air before you pick ir up by being sensitive to the control bar's jukes and jerks. Also, a proper takeoff run in turbulence includes a sufficiently low angle of attack and roll control during the run. The second matter is a letter from Bruce Hawk praising Tom Peghiny in the same issue. I would like ro add to Bruce's info. I spoke to Tom recently and we agreed that there are many unsung design heroes from rhe early years of our sport. One of the most innovative was Terry Sweeny, the chief designer ar Sky Sports. It was he

who started the trend toward double surfaces with rhe Kestrel which Tom helped refine. Terry also designed the Osprey and the Sirocco I, the latter design being the first fully enclosed crossbar glider. This glider also incorporated a fully fo:ed airfoil which had a mean camber like char of the Liebeck airfoil with batten shapes that became standard in the indusny until recently. Early on, Tom designed the Peregrine and later the Merlin in consultation with Tom Price who was developing the ASG 21 at the time. I got to !mow Tom Peghiny and Terry since I wrote the owners manuals for their gliders and later designed the Eaglet and Sirocco Ill for Sky Spans. Tom lefr Sky Sports and continued to design for Seagull Aircraft, helping Bob Keeler with rhe 10 Meter and 11 Meter gliders and creating the Sierra. He also produced the Jaguar which was a non-swept wing with a rail chat has inspired my endeavors. Tom then went to work designing ulrralighrs with the successful Flighrstar for Pioneer (the largest parachute manufacturer) and now runs the company from his facility in Connecticut. Tom currently flies his TRX and may still hold the record for the most hang gliding contest wins: about 34. He rook second in rhe 1975 Nationals and won the 1977 Masters of Hang Gliding. The third letter is from Dave Leeming in the December issue. In ir Dave indicates that Nelson Lewis's 73-mile wave flight I described was neither a worldwide altitude or distance record. I stand thoroughly corrected and Nelson will have to settle for a "New World" record. When I researched rhe article I asked at a CIVL meeting for reports of other significant wave flights which is how I received rhe information on Daniel Thur (Swiss). Even though the Brits were around, the information was missed. I am very impressed with the British pilots' flights as I still am with Nelson's flight. A5 a point of interest, I did some research in the recently published Handbook ofMeteorowgical Forecasting for Soaring Flight and found a map of European wave climatology on page 80, as derived from satellite pictures. This map shows a remarkable degree of wave activity in the British Isles, as well as the Pyrenees and rhe French Alps. The Brits are fortunate indeed. This book is published jointly by the World Meteorological Organization and OSTN (Technical Soaring Organization) and should be available in the libraries of large universities if any reader is interested. Dennis Pagen Mingoville, PA

~ Air Mail HANG GLIDING INFO NEEDED IN POLAND Dear Editor, My name is James Czechowicz and I am hang glider pilot from Poland. Hang gliding and paragliding are ve1y popular in Poland, but we still have a lot of trouble getting information about what is going on in the rest of the world. The only reachable glider magazine is the German Drachenflieger. Unfortunately I don't speak German. I'd be happy if you would be so kind as to send me a sample copy of Hang Gliding. James Czechowicz Cracow, Poland

Anyone like to help these guys? James can be reached at:]ames Czechowicz, ul Bema 11/2, 31-517, Cracow, POLAND. - Ed.

TIME FOR HOOK-IN ALARMS Dear Editor, I am truly sorry to hear that a pilot of 19 years experience failed to hook in. Had Dennis Pagen bothered to read my article concerning hook-in alarms ("Hook-In Signs, Gadgets And Electronic Alarms," March 1992), he would have discovered chat they are in fact simple, lightweight, and possess a zero fiddle quotient. Perhaps ifhe had had a hook-in alarm he wouldn't have appeared in a Hang Gliding accident report. Again we read about reaffirming good launch habits, references to hypnotism, relaxing, taking your time, and wearing T-shirts that boldly remind us to hook in. Do they work? Ask Dennis. My fear of the MTBF (Mean Time Before Failure to hook in) motivated me to design a reliable warning device. I'm happy to say my annoying alarm system has effectively increased my own MTBF. I've considered marketing my alarm system but received only three positive responses since my article was published. With the right resources and know-how, a reliable alarm circuit can be manufactured and installed on a glider without being visible co anyone. I know, because I've been using one for the last two years. Perhaps I am the only pilot in the U.S. with such a device, and I guess it will remain that way until attitudes change. What's your MTBF? Harry Marrin, Alarmed Pilot Thousand Oaks, CA

BROKEN GLIDER PHOTO Dear Editor, In the spring of 1982 I photographed a parachute deployment sequence at the North Side of Point of rhe Mountain, Utah. One of these photos appeared on the title page of Bob Ormiston' s "Tumble Proof" article. The incident had nothing co do with turbulence; the cause was a broken side wire on a Comee. The photo caption should have read: of Claudia Stockwell, by Mick Jimmerson.

I found this photo in the Hang Gliding magazine archives. On the back was Claudia sname. I assumed that she was the photographer since no other information was available. - Ed.

HELP SAVE OUR FREEDOM Dear Editor, Washington State's Department ofWildlife (WDW) and Champion International (CI) have entered into a Bald Eagle Management Plan (BEMP) which severely restricts hang gliding at Dog Mm. The terms of the BEMP are the following: Champion agrees not to allow access to hang glider pilots at Dog Mm. from Feb. 2 to Aug. 15 of any year unless notified by WDW. If the bald eagle nest has been determined to be a failure by WDW, or is not used by June 1, then hang gliding activities may cake place at chat time until Feb. 1 of any year. Cloud Base Country Club (CBCC) has had a lease with Champion for eight years, and we have been flying at Dog for nearly two decades. There have been many eagles within the area over the years. This new nest is approximately 1,000' from our launch site and 118th mile from our primary LZ. The nest is located 30' from a well-traveled gravel road chat services the area's logging trucks, construction traffic, pickups and cars. Within a one-mile radius such activities as boating, fishing, swimming, windsurfing, camping and hiking take place. It is a medium-use, highly-diversified recreational area. At chis time only hang gliding is being restricted. The results of no studies or other information were given by WDW to substantiate the claim that hang gliding "disturbs or harasses" eagles, or that hang gliding is a threat to their nesting activities. CBCC is seeking information and all studies involving hang gliding and raptor interaction, especially eagles. I need documentation concerning sites where you have flown with raptors that have remained productive over the years, etc. Please send info to: Raymond Wolf, 805 NE 170th, Seattle, WA 98155.

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HANG GLIDING

Calendar of Events Calendar of evenrs items WILL NOT be listed if only tentative. Please include exact information (evenr, date, contact name and phone number). Items should be received no later than six weeks prior to rhe event. We request two months lead rime for regional and national meets.

Feb. 1-Dec. 1: 1994 Region 9 Yearlong X-C Contest. Recognizes the longest flights flown in the Region between Feb. 1 and Dec. l. $5 entry fee. Contact: Pete Lehmann (412) 661-3474 (before 9:00 PM), fax 3436. Feb. 10-13: Tandem Tow Clinic. Earn your tandem certification rowing over rhe beaurifol Biscayne Bay and Florida Keys. Learn to fly tandem over the safety of water with Miami Hang Gliding's experienced and certified tandem instructors (13 years experience). Log rime over the water. All Intermediate- through Advanced-rated pilots welcome. Tow ratings not necessaiy. Contact: James Tindle, Miami Hang Gliding, 2640 S. Bay Shore Dr., Coconut Grove, FL 33133 (305) 285-8978. Feb. 24-27: Towing Cli11ic. Learn more than you rhoughr you could know abour platform rowing. Feb. 28-March 3: Tandem Clinic. Those who qualify may achieve both the FL and PL tandem ratings. Pacific Airwave-sponsored clinics with G.\'(f. Meadows. Gliders fornished by Pacific Airwave for both clinics held in Salinas, CA. For prices and more info contact: Pacific Airwave (408) 422-2299. March 4-6: Basic !CP March 7-8: Advanced JCP. March 12-13: Tandem Clinic. June 17-19: Region JI Wild West Regio11a!s. April 8-10: Paragliding JCP. April 16-17: Pamg!idi11g tandem clinic. April 13-15: Paragliding Region II Regionals. Contact: Ray Leonard, Adventure Sports, 3650 Research Wa)', Carson Cit)', NV 89706 (702) 883-7070. March 4-6: Fly + Fun Induga, Augsburg, Germany. Hang gliding and paragliding fair. Eighty exhibitors, other outdoor activities. Attracted 13,000 participants in '93. Conracr: AFAGAusstel!ungsgesellschafc, Am Messezentrum 5, D 86159 Augsburg, tel 0821-25769-66, fax 082125769-65. March 4-7: JCP with G. W'. Meadows at Westem Hang Glidm, Marina, CA. $150. Contact: Phil Godwin, P.O. Box 828, Marina, CA 93933 (408) 3842622. March 5-13: Sault Ste. Marie Htt11g Gliding Club's 4th Annual Warm Up The Ice Fly-In, Lake Superior at Haviland Bay, Ontario, Canada. Towing event. Contact: Eugene Bumbacco (705) 942-4867, Mario Roussel (705) 946-3074, or Dwight Donaghue (705) 942-6247. March 11-13: Basic instructor Certification. March 1415: Advanced lnstmctor Certification. March 1920: Tandem Clinic. June 17-19: Regio11 ll Wild \\'fest Regionals. Contact: Ray Leonard, Adventure Sports, 3650 Research Way, Carson City, NV 89706 (702) 883-7070. March 12-13: Parachute repacking seminar, Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Hang glider and paraglider pilots welcome. Simulators for both. Films, barbecue and Wills Wing demos. Conducted by Rob Kells. Contact: Mueller Hang Gliding and Paragliding (403) 932-2759. March 12-15: Towing Clinic. March 17-20: Tandem Clinic. Kitty Hawk Kites-sponsored instructional

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clinics with G.W. Meadows held in Kitty Hawk, NC. Conract: Bruce 1-800- 334-4777. March 12-May 22: 1994 Region 9 Champiomhip. Weekend X-C from any site. Best three totalled. Limit of 60 miles per flight. $10 entry fee. Contact: Pere Lehmann (412) 661-3474 (before 9:00 P'.!), fax 3436. April 1-3: Bttsic !mtl'uctor Certification Clinic, Elkhart, Kansas. Contact: Ron Kenney (316) 697-2577. April 8: P,irachute repacking seminar, St. George School, 5117 13th Ave. South, Seattle, WA. Hang glider and paraglider pilots welcome. Simulators (for both) and presentations for first-timers and experienced pilots. Pre-registration $30, $40 at the door. Conducted by Rob Kells. Contact: C.J. or George Sturtevant (206) 888-3856. April 18-19: \Vi/Iiams Peak, CO Ridge Soaring Clinic. Camping, transportation to launch, accessories for sale, demo wings. Fee $12. Contact: (303) 2789566 or (303) 838-2655. April 22-24: 1994 Mt. Rope Challenge, Darlington, SC. Open distance X-C, spot landing and duration tasks. SC X-C record of 82 miles was set at last year's ~·It. Rope Challenge. Entry fee $50, seven pilots will receive prize money. Supper served on Saturday. Come and enjoy some of the best flying in rhe Carolinas. Paragliders welcome. Contact: David Kincheloe (919) 376-9601. April 28-May 30: Region 12 Regional Competition. Five long weekends ofX-C flying ending in Memorial Day Weekend Fly-In (pilot meering May 27, 6:00 r,l) with speed-ro-fly tasks and spar landing. Trophies and barbecue. Entry $30 before April 21. To stay in touch send $10 for Skywritings newsletter. for rules, maps and forms, send check or money order to: Stephen Makrinos, Competition Director, 38-11 Ditmars Blvd., Astoria, NY 11105 (212) 567-2150. May 28-30: Celebrate Otto lilimthal's birthdaJ, on Memorial Day weekend, Paradox Valley, CO. No entry fee. Hang llI site. Soaring, safety and X-C seminars. Cross-country heaven. Contact:

Telluride Air Force Corporate Office, Box 456, Telluride, CO 81435 (303) 728-5793.

Jnne 5-12: Sandia Classic, Albuquerque, New Mexico. Fourth annual 450 \'VfSS-point meet at Sandia Peak~ the premier meet of the season! Price includes: entry fee, top-quality X-C tasks, glider and pilot transportation to launch, turnpoint film and processing, compurerized scoring, foll-time paid staff, free oxygen refills, gift certificates from local businesses, convenient meet headquarters at Spectators Sports Grill, awards barbecue, T-shirt and more! Sixty-pilot maximum field, 45 spots reserved for USHGA-ranked pilots. First-time entrants must have: USHGA Advanced raring, all Special Skills, 100+ hours mountain thermal experience. Early registration $275 if postmarked before May 1, $325 after. Refondable until April 30. Contact: Mike Gregg, 12117 Sc. Mai)"s Dr., Albuquerque, NM 87111 (505) 275-5978 or Mark Macho (505) 298-2922. Sept. 15-18: 21st Coupe !care and lntemationa/ Hang Gliding Film Festival, St. Hilaire du Touvet, Franee. Contact: Martine Lange, !care Festival Organization, Office ofTourisrn, 38720 Sc. Hilaire du Touvet, France, tel. 76-08-33-99, fax 76-97-20-56.

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WE'LL SHIP TODAY

FEBRUARY 1994

II Update On CG- I 000 harness installations resembling the diagram, the sleeve should be modified as shown. Center of Gravity strongly encourages all owners ofa CG- I 000 harness with this style ofrocket sleeve installation to contact Center ofGravity as soon as possible for advice on making this modification. Please call (315) 6873724 or write 1629 Route 173, Chittenango, NY 13037-8703.

REMOVE LINES CUT HERE

CG-1000 ADVISORY All CG-1000 harnesses with rocket installations may or may not have been set up with a velcro sleeve that protects the lines (rocket lanyards) going from the rocket to the parachute apex. On some harnesses this sleeve is connected to the harness and to the cover of the exterior parachute container on the harness. When the rocket is fired, it would deploy under this sleeve. After firing the rocket, if the canopy did not fully exit the container, this sleeve would restrict further hand extraction by dividing the container (see diagram). Due to a deployment malfunction on the harness oflke Foster in 1993, the parachute was not fully extracted from the harness container. As this situation may exist on other harnesses as well, all rocket installations can be checked for excessive restriction. This check can be performed by manually pulling the canopy out in the same direction that the rocket is aimed. The effort of hand pulling should be even and quite easy. If much resistance is felt contact the manufacturer of the harness and the rocket system for further advice.

BRS Commenta1y As indicated by an advisory in the 7 /93 issue of Hang Gliding magazine (see graphic which accompanied that safety notice), BRS recommends all installations ofBRS rocket systems be checked against this stan-

Center of Gravity conducted testing ofthis installation and experienced a I 00% success rate with no partial deployments.

dard installation. If your installation does not resemble this diagram, please contact the company for advice. BRS also wishes to restate an important message issued in the Owner's Manual sent with every BRS unit. Owners - not installers - are required to send photos of their installation for an installation accuracy verification. Use of this quality control system has proven to reveal problems on installation which can then be corrected before an event requiring deployment of the BRS rocket. To date, BRS has recorded an extremely low response rate to this requirement on hang gliding systems. Without these photos, BRS cannot advise owners about potential problems. No installation photos are on record for Ike Foster's installation; it is possible BRS could have advised Mr. Foster to alter the installation before his need. All pilots flying with a BRS system should take and send photos as soon as possible, even if the installation was done by an approved shop. BRS repeats that the only factoryapproved installation system should closely resemble the diagram shown in the 7 /93 issue. Further, all pilots should take advantage of the free installation audit offered by BRS by sending in photos of their systems. (The Owner's Manual details which photo views will help BRS engineers make this quality audit.) For further information call BRS at (612) 457-7491 or write 1845-HG Henry Ave., South St. Paul, MN 55075.

CHANDELLE CELEBRATES NEW LOCATION AND MORE THAN 20 YEARS IN BUSINESS Chandelle San Francisco, Inc. announces the grand opening of their new shop centrally located in the Northern Bay Area. Chandelle invites all of their friends and customers to join them in celebrating more than 20 years in business serving the hang gliding community. Their new location will provide convenient access via Highway 580 and Highway 101 just one mile east of the Richmond/San Rafael bridge. This will effectively anchor the San Francisco, Marin, Sonoma and East Bay counties and allow pickup and delivery service in the farther corners of the region. Chandelle's history actually predates the organized San Francisco Bay Area hang gliding industry. Beginning with the earliest experiments in Rogallo flight in Colorado (by financially challenged ski instructors who were determined to have employment in the "off" summer season), it led to improvements in glider design, manufacturing, sky school programs and eventually franchises which resulted in the formation of Chandelle San Francisco. By 1973, the business had grown out of the garage and into a storefront above a ski shop. Sites such as Fort Funston, Fort Chronkite, Mount Tamalpias and Dillon Beach were opened as pilots made their way out of the school and into the sky. Manufacturers like Dinger Wings, Eipper Formance, Manta Products, Seagull Aircraft, Wills Wing (who?), and others provided new and better gliders which allowed Chandelle to focus on sales, service and instruction. Through the dedicated work of individuals who devoted their time and energy in these early years Chandelle now enjoys the benefits of our current industry, including site access, the pilot proficiency system (ratings), instructor certification progran1s, manufacturer and dealer associations, the USHGA, and the unique San Francisco Bay Area I west coast regional hang gliding community. Today, after many moves, managers, money matters and madness, they have arrived at the new location full of hope and inspiration as they enter a whole new era of ultralight foot-launched aviation. HANG GLIDING

Update Chandelle San Francisco has evolved into a custom shop with emphasis on hang gliding (and now paragliding), private and semi-private instruction, tours, demos, flight gear, accessories, demos and the same personal attention in technical service on which they built their reputation. Please join Chandelle during the entire month of February to celebrate their grand opening. Contact: Chandelle San Francisco, 1595 E. Francisco Blvd., Suite F, San Rafael, CA 94901 (415) GLIDING (454-3464).

FLIGHT LOG 5.0 Cloudburst Computer Works is pleased to announce Version 5 of its popular Flight Log for Windows Th! software. This enhanced version of the computerized "log book" is the most significant upgrade since the program's initial release. The expanded functions include: 1) an improved Report Viewer for viewing multiple reports at the same time, 2) a Flight Facts window that displays key Flight Log statistics, 3) the capability to export Flight Log data to spreadsheets for creating graphs, 4) codes that can be used to categorize and track different types oflaunches and the quality of your landings, 5) an expanded help function, and, 6) additional user options. Cloudburst Computer Works will upgrade current owners of Flight Log for Windows software for only $3.50 S&H. Cloudburst Computer Works also offers a DOS version of the Flight Log software. The DOS and Windows versions of the Flight Log software store a multitude of flight data, calculate great circle distances and are far more flexible than standard log books since they allow pilots to select various sorts and selection criteria for subtotaling, reporting and graphing their logged flight data. Both versions are menu-driven, fully documented and run on most IBM compatible PC's. The software is ideal for individual logs as well as for compiling club and competition logs. The prices are $24.95 for the Windows version and $19.95 for the DOS version, plus $3.50 S&H for each Flight Log program ordered. A sample program is available for $5.00. To request more information, place an order or request a free FEBRUARY 1994

upgrade, contact: Cloudburst Computer Works, 20120 Broken Sabre Lane, Monument, CO 80132.

1993 UTAH CUP RESULTS The Utah Cup is an annual contest which awards first, second and third place plaques and a perpetual trophy for the longest distance flight originating in Utah. The trophy has been passed on each year to the current winner since 1983. In 1993 the winners were: first, Charlie Baughman, 178.8 miles, June 27, Desire 151, Heber launch to 5 0 miles east of Rock Springs, Wyoming; second, Steve Rathbun, 173.4 miles, July 17, HP AT 158, Heber launch to 43 miles east of Rock Springs, Wyoming; third, Walter Breshahan, 100 miles, July 17, XS 155, Heber launch to I-80.

MIAMI HANG GLIDING TOW CHUTE After five years of research and development Miami Hang Gliding has developed a parachute for winch row line retrieval. It is a tow-through parachute and there is no need to pack it before launch or use a deployment bag. The manufacturer reports a 98% recovery rate without the tow line touching the ground. The chute is designed to work with spectra line and winches with at least 2,800 fpm rewind capability. It comes in two sizes and sells for $95. Contact: Miami Hang Gliding, 2640 S. Bayshore Dr., Coconut Grove, FL 33133 (305) 285-8978.

NEW AUSTRALIAN DISTANCE RECORD Drew Cooper has broken the Australian hang gliding distance record with a flight of 427 kilometers (265 miles) on a Moyes Xrralite 147. Drew released from a Dragonfly aerotug at 5,000 feet above Hillston in western New South Wales at 12:15 PM on December 10, 1993. Seven and a quarter hours and 427 km later he

landed at Natte Yallock in Victoria, setting the new record. Congratulations Drew!

WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS T-SHIRT Just Fly, the company that brought you the "Sky or Die" T-shirt, announces the general availability of the 1993 World Championships T-shirt. The shirt was sold out at the World Meet and has since been reprinted. It is multi-colored and has the flags of 10 of the participating countries on the undersurface of a glider "wanging it" around the planet. The shirt is available in sizes large and extra large and sells for $15 plus $2.90 for priority shipping. Contact: Just Fly Aviation Gear at l-8005GOFLYN (546-3596).

SEATTLE AND CALGARY PARACHUTE REPACKING SEMINARS All hang glider and paraglider pilots are welcome at a parachute repacking seminar which will talce place on April 8 at St. George School, 5117 13th Ave. South, Seattle, WA. Simulators will be available for both varieties of pilot to give you hands-on practice. The event is two seminars in one. Firsttime parachute seminar participants are encouraged to arrive at 3:30 PM for a special first-timer presentation from 4:00 to 5:00. This year's all-new seminar for experienced pilots will begin at 5:30, and will continue until all the chutes are back in the bag. The pre-registration price is $30, $40 at the door. Pilots are encouraged to pre-register so the organizers will know how many qualified packers to have on hand. Rob Kells of Wills Wing will conduct the seminar. For more information contact C.J. or George Sturtevant at (206) 888-3856. There will be a similar seminar in Calgary, Alberta, Canada on March 12 and 13 for both hang glider and paraglider pilots. This seminar will also include films, a barbecue and Wills Wing demos. Rob Kells will conduct this event as well. Contact Mueller Hang Gliding and Paragliding at (403) 932-2759 for more info. 11

Flying Technique

Understanding \ and Avoiding Wing Tip Vortices by Mark Stucky Figure I. Wing tip three-dimensional view.

oaring hang gliders routinely fly in close proximity to other gliders, conditions under which encountering turbulence caused by wing tip vortices is a real possibility. Although such flying is normally uneventful, an occasional incident or accident does occur. Most fledging hang glider pilots learn only a few rudimentary facts about wing tip vortices. These vortices are caused when the higher pressure air on the bottom of the glider tries to move toward the lower pressure air above the wing. Like running water, these molecules of air follow the path requiring the least energy. The easiest way for these molecules to get to the top of the wing is to curl up and around the wing tip (Fig. 1). This sets up a localized flow pattern moving from the keel toward the wing tips on the bottom surface and from the wing tips toward the keel on the top. This component of the airflow is spanwise across the airfoil, detracts from lifting efficiency, and is called induced drag. Thus, wing tip vortices are the cause of induced drag - the drag that results from the generation of lift. Minimizing this drag is of obvious importance to aircraft designers. The two main methods of reducing tip losses are through the use of tip devices and higher aspect ratios. Tip devices such as winglets and end plates serve to reduce the vortices by impeding the circular tip flow. A higher

aspect ratio reduces tip losses by decreasing the percentage of airflow at the tip. (An infinitely long wing would have no induced drag.) A typical paraglider has significantly stronger vortices than an average flex wing since its aspect ratio is a small fraction of the flex wing's. Other factors affecting the strength of wing tip vortices are angle of attack, weight, and G loading. As the angle of attack increases, the wing "works harder" and the induced drag and vortex strength rise sharply. The greater the weight, the greater the lifting force required to keep it airborne, and hence the greater the induced drag and vortices. In fact, the induced drag increases with the square of the change in lift, so a tandem glider (or a glider pulling two G's) has vortices four times their normal strength. Okay, so now that we have figured out we should avoid trying to follow closely behind Hulk Hogan and his tandem paraglider instructor as they scratch in marginal conditions, what else is there to understand? When viewed from behind, the wing tip vortices curl outward-in. The vortices spread slowly outward, descending slowly as they dissipate. Unlike the horizontal tornadoes that trail jumbo jets, the vortices shed by hang gliders are relatively low in energy and dissipate quickly. Although I haven't backed this up with any research, I consider

that the vortices shed by a single-place flex wing hang glider in one G conditions will no longer have sufficient energy to significantly disturb another hang glider after only 5-10 seconds. By this time they have not descended more than a few feet, so if you are not near co-altitude with other hang gliders then you need not be worried about their wake turbulence. The main danger from wing tip vortices occurs while ridge soaring when you are often following other gliders in close proximity to the terrain. Although wing tip vortices are invisible, their location can easily be visualized with a bit of forethought. We can simplify our visualization without significantly affecting the outcome if we make the following assumptions: 1) All the gliders are flying co-speed at minimum sink speed. 2) The gliders are standing still in space and the air mass is moving past them (just like being in a real big wind tunnel). Using this simplification, the major influence on vortex location is wind speed. A typical flex wing's minimum sink speed in level flight is about 20 miles per hour which equates in distance to approximately one wing span per second. Since the vortices that trail the glider drift with the wind, we must consider the crab angle of the glider. The danger imposed by wing tip vortices is greater in light winds since the gliders are HANG GLIDING

flying bunched together in a narrow lift band, and the vortices are not blown as far downwind, thus staying longer in the path of following gliders (Fig. 2). Please note that the 8 vortices depicted in the figures 0 I- z are representations only; I have UJ 0 UJ u not determined the real vortex u. t)l Lil size. st Lil In higher winds the glider's N ..!, increased crab angle, coupled with the greater effect of the wind on the vortices, pushes them more directly downwind and out of the way of gliders that are any more than a couple of seconds in trail (Fig. 3). Figures 2 and 3. Left: Effects ofa 10 mph wind. Right: Effects ofa 17 mph wind. In such conditions the only time wing tip vortices are a threat is when one glider overtakes another side of your glider. Looking at Figure 2 we you are up and away but also during the in the same direction, or if a glider follows launch - historically one of the most critican see that if the trail glider were less than a closely behind another during a turn revercal phases of flight. Be wary of doing a lightsecond behind the leader that the right wing wind running launch immediately behind sal. If two gliders meet head-on, the inside would be impacted by the vortex from the another glider. In these conditions the preglider is exposed to the outside glider's vorleft wing of the leader. Assuming a co-alticeding glider's vortices will hug the terrain tices. This is normally not a problem tude profile, the trailing glider would initialand be blown upward toward any waiting because the closing velocities minimize the ly feel the glider trying to turn away from gliders. Since hang gliders have relatively time spent in the danger zone. the leading glider (Fig. 5). The natural tenpoor roll control during and immediately The two previous examples depicted dency would be to fight this turn and the after launch, we should wait a good 10 sectrailing glider would continue right until its gliders flying the proper crab angle for a keel was aligned with the vortex center. Now onds prior to following. If there is a crosswind that is perpendicular to the ridge. Since we live in the real world we should the turn forces would rapidly reverse with wind the waiting time may be shortened consider what occurs when the wind is not twice the original force as the left wing is considerably. perpendicular. Figure 4 shows the effects of lifted and the right wing a 30° crosswind. Note the vortices from the is pushed down, trying glider with the tail wind component are to force the glider to turn down wind into the blown more downwind as compared to ridge! These forces can those of the glider that is going in the oppocontinue even after the site direction. glider passes through the Although it is easy to think of the airleft vortex center, speed and wind vectors in terms of wing span, those of us with a disdain for because now that it is in trigonometry can see from the examples that an angle of bank the left wing can be pushed up as long as we follow no more closely than by the left vortex while three seconds along the same path behind the right wing is pushed another ridge soaring glider, then we should be clear of its vortices. You can use any down by the right vormethod to guestimate this distance. I usually tex. These aerodynamic moments may be imposjust note a point on the ground the other glider is over and then start counting until I sible to overcome until pass that point. The matter is simplified if the glider has exited the vortices. Because of this, your shadows are easily visible on the avoid passing someone ground. Remember that the distance you are concerned with is the closest distance on the inside, but if you between the two glider's wing tips. must, then do so quickly The effect a vortex encountered in flight and in a wings-level attihas on your glider depends on how it tude. You should be conimpacts your glider. Unless you are directly behind the offending glider, chances are you cerned with wing tip will encounter a single vortex on only one vortices not just when Figure 4. Effects ofcrosswind on vortices. FEBRUARY 1994

RIGHT WING IS LIFTED BY LEFT VORTEX (PILOT COUNTERS THIS WITH RIGHT INPUT)

LEFT WING IS LIFTED AND RIGHT WING IS PUSHED DOWN BY LEFT VORTEX

LEFT WING IS LIFTED BY LEFT VORTEX & RIGHT WING IS PUSHED DOWN BY RIGHT VORTEX

Figure 5. Aerodynamic moments caused by a vortex encounte,: Hang glider vortex size, angular dispersion and strength have not yet been adequately defined. Doing so would not be too difficult and could make an interesting winter project. I invite anyone who has access to a ridge-soaring site to strap a couple of smoke bombs on his wing tips and have someone on the ground take pictures and video. Remember to note the wind direction and speed, and try to have at least a couple of varying conditions. Until a more in-depth study is completed I recommend the following rules to live by: Follow no more closely than three seconds behind other gliders while ridge soaring. Try to keep upwind of any vortices (keep them between you and the terrain). If you are overtaking another glider do so quickly, and cut back to the ridge as soon as it's safe to do so. Put extra room between you and a leading glider if you are going to follow in 14

its path through a turn reversal. Wait ten seconds prior to commencing a running launch behind another glider

in light upslope conditions. Be_ eve_n more cautious ifyou are ~ flymg 111 or around paragliders. ~

I JI 4!\\ I

I •

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II Ratings SAFE PILOT AWARDS BRONZE KEVIN GENDRON CHRISTIAN THORESON SILVER MARYCLOR KEVIN GENDRON

LILIENTHAL AWARDS BRONZE KEVIN FROST FERNANDO PONT GOLD KEVIN GENDRON

DIAMOND KEVIN GENDRON

BEGINNER RATINGS PILOT: City, State; Instructor/School Region 1 DEAN, DAVIE: Ester, AK; L. Thomas/T & L Sales Region2 CANANT, RICHARD: Boulder Creek, CA; P. Godwin/Western HG LAPRELLA, MARTIN: Napa, CA; S. Bickford/Bickford's Flying School MILLER, JEFF: Mountain View, CA; T. Armstrong/Mission Soaring MULLER, ROY: Burlingame, CA; T. Armstrong/Mission Soaring MULLER, DIANE: Burlingame, CA; T. Armstrong/Mission Soaring RADILLA, GUILLERMO: Modesto, CA; W. Brown/Top Flire HG SEGELKE, SCOTT: Mountain View, CA; T. Armstrong/Mission Soaring SEMAN, JILL: Mt View, CA; P. Godwin/Western HG Region 3 MARSHALL, GRAY: N Hollywood, CA; A. Beem/Windsports Intl STEELE, E.J.: Santa Barbara, CA; K. deRussy/HG Emporium Region4 DENTON, JACKSON: Littleton, CO; C. Earherton/Colo Windpark DENTON, TIM: Littleton, CO; C. Earherton/Colo Windpark FLORES, DAYID: Phoenix, AZ; B. Holmes/Sky Sails of AZ GOMEZ, BOB: Poncha Springs, CO; J. Tindle/Miami HG MARECHALE, RUSS: Phoenix, AZ; B. Holmes/Sky Sails of AZ MILLER, CRAIG: Millcreek, UT; G. Pollock/Wasatch Wings PARK JR, CHARLES: Tucson, AZ; R. Irwin/AZ Airfoils PLANTE, DENNIS: Peoria, AZ; B. Holmes/Sky Sails of AZ RIEDMANN, JOHN: Glendale, AZ; B. Holmes/Sky Sails of AZ Region 6 NUNLEY, JOHN: Tulsa, OK; S. White

Region 7 LOPEZ, ALRIC: Madison, WI; B. Kushner/Raven Sky Sports MOREHOUSE, STEPHEN: Pincknay, MI; W. Thornton/Kitty Hawk Kites Region 8 DENSMORE, BRIAN: Hartland, VT; D. Baxter/Morningside FP STRUB, WICKHAM: Concord, NH; D. Baxter/Morningside FP SYED, AAMER: Norwalk, CT; B. Davidson/Tek Flight Region 9 CASSLEY, DOUGLAS: Avonmore, PA; J. Hostler/Mountain Top Rec CAVANAUGH, MARK: Bethesda, MD; J. Middleton/Silver Wings LUTON, SCOTT: Burke, VA; J. Middleton/Silver Wings McCOY, MARK: Cleveland, OH; M. DelSignore/Norrh Coast HG WALKER, C.C.: Wilmington, DE; T. Webster/Kitty Hawk Kites Region 10 EGEBERG, MARK: Flagler Beach, FL; M. Jones/Florida HG FULTON, JONATHAN: Memphis, TN; F. Foti/Miami HG HEINS, ERWIN: James Island, SC; S. Comer/Kitty Hawk Kites OBREMSKI, JOHN: Orlando, FL; M. Jones/Florida HG WILSON, CHARLES: Odessa, FL; M. Jones/Florida HG Region 12 KOENIG, EDWARD: Cammack, NY; D. Baxter/Morningside FP SIADKUS, DAN: Yorktown, NY; D. Baxter/Morningside FP VIJAY, GEORGE: Round Rock, TX; S. Burns/Austin Air Sports

NOVICE RATINGS PILOT: City, State; Instructor/School Region 1 MURRAY, MICK: Missoula, MT; P. Swanson/Sports Exchange Region 2 CRAFTS, DAVE: Hayward, CA; D. Yount/Mission Soaring FITZGERALD, PAMELA: Berkeley, CA; G. Andronaco/Berkeley HG HULETTE, LOREN: Watsonville, CA; P. Godwin/Western HG HUTZ, TED: Srockron, CA; K. Wright/Wright Bros Wings WILLIAMS, MARK: San Jose, CA; D. Young/Mission Soaring Region 3 GRIGGS, JANETTE: Westwood, CA; D. Quackenbush/True Flight KEEFER, AUGUST: Anaheim, CA; A. Beem/Windsports Im'! STEELE, E.J.: Santa Barbara, CA; K. deRussy;HG Emporium Region4 BACHRACH, JOHN: Flagstaff, AZ; S. Mish/Bandito Action Sports DENTON, TIM: Littleton, CO; C. Eatherton/Colo Windpark DENTON, JACKSON: Littleton, CO; C. Eatherton/Colo Windpark FLORES, DAVID: Phoenix, AZ; B. Holmes/Sky Sails of AZ FORD, STEVE: Denver, CO; C. Eatherton/Colo Windpark FROLOV, SERGEY: Salt Lake City, UT; D. Sharp/UP Soaring MARECHALE, RUSS: Phoenix, AZ; B. Holms/Sky Sails of AZ PLANTE, DENNIS: Peoria, AZ; B. Holmes/Sky Sails of AZ RIED MANN, JOHN: Glendale, AZ; B. Holmes/Sky Sails of AZ ROBSON, DAVE: Littleton, CO;J. Zeiser ROTHBAUER, RODRICK: Salt Lake City, UT; R. Schick/Southwind HG HANG GLIDING

Ratings

Region 6 FRANCIS, ROBERT: St. Louis, MO; R. Lisle/Lookout Mm FP

Region 7 BELL, TODD: South Bend, IN; J. Mitchell/JJ Mitchell HG

Region 7 ALBERTSON, JIM: Madison, WI; B. Kushner/Raven Sky Sports JOHNSON, ERIC: Douglas, MI; M. Middleton/Lookout Mtn FP NIELSEN, JEFFREY: Warrenville, IL; B. Kushner/Raven Sky Sports RIST, MARK: Detriot, MI; N. Lesnow/Pro HG

Region 10 BLOODWORTH, ALAN: Rising Fawn, GA; C. Thoreson/Lookout Men FP MANZEL, SCOTT: Macon, GA; M. Taber/Lookout Mtn FP REINHART, DAVID: Delray Beach, FL; M. Jones/Florida HG

Region 8 FARRINGTON, STEPHEN: Winooski, VT; D. Baxter/Morningside FP MARTIN, DOUGLAS: Kiltery Pt, ME; D. Baxter/Morningside FP SHAISH, ELISHA: Wiltom, CT; D. Baxter/Morningside FP Region 9 CU-UNJIENG, ANDREW: Philadelphia, PA; B. Umstattd/Sky High MANOSALRA, EDGAR: Columbus, OH; M. De\Signore/North Coast HG Region 10 BOSWELL, DAVID: Kill Devil Hills, NC; T. Webster/Kitty Hawk Kites BURKE, ROBERT: Tampa, FL; M. Middleton/Lookout Mm FP TENNENT, SCOTT: Tullahoma, TN; M. Middleton/Lookout Mtn FP WALLINE, JOHN: Chattanooga, TN; M. Middleton/Lookout Mtn FP Region 11 GERMANY, CHUCK: Mandeville, LA; C. Graham/Crossroads Windsports RICHARD, BURT: Natchitoches, LA; F. Foti/Miami HG WIEGAND, ANDREAS: Allen, TX; D. Broyles/Kite Ent Region 12 LEAL, KAREN: Blairstown, NJ; B. Ulmstattd/Sky High SILVA, WILLIAM: Manhattan, NY; D. Myers/Mountain Wings TUBBS, SHARON: Pine Bush, NY; D. Myers/Mountain Wings

INTERMEDIATE RATINGS PILOT: City, State; Instructor/School Region 2 ERICKSON, BRIAN: Groveland, CA; W. Brown/Top Flite HG MOORE, ROBERT: Benicia, CA; D. Murphy PERRY, OGEN: San Francisco, CA; J. Greenbaum/Airtime SF VANDERVOORT, PAUL: Reno, NV; R. Leonard/Adventure Spans Region3 DALLAS, ROBERT: Bellflower, CA; A. Beem/Windsports Int'! DAY, KERRY: Lake Elsinore, CA; J. Pitt/Lake Elsinore HG KENNETT, SLADE: Sepulveda, CA; D. Quackenbush/True Flight RIST, PETER: Los Angeles, CA; G. Reeves/Windsports Im'l TABER, DON: Thousand Oaks, CA; F. Vachss/Vemura County HG ZMRZEL, INGRID: Waikoloa, HI; R. Leonard/Adventure Sports

ADVANCED RATINGS PILOT: City, State; Instructor/School Region 1 BLACKWELL, CRISS: Payallup, WA; R. Brown/Airplayin WELLBAUM, ROBBIE: Tacoma, WA; L. Strom/Spokane Air Craft Region 2 AEKHAMI, KHOSRO: Sacramento, CA; G. Hamilton/Sacramento HG KARNAK, BRIAN: Berkeley, CA; S. Seebass/Berkeley HG SHAW, KEN: Redding, CA; P. Sergent/HG Connection ZAVADA, LOWELL: Carmel, CA; T. Shea/Western HG Region 3 BENTI, CYNTHIA: Canoga Park, CA; G. Stebbins WICKHAM, JOHN: Los Angeles, CA; A. Beem/Windsports Ind Region 4 BURTIS, TONY: Golden, CO; T. Hackbart/Golden Wings DAVIDSON,JERRY: Draper, UT; D. Sharp/UP Soaring EVANS, TIM: Lakewood, CO;]. Yocom FREELE, JAMES: Albuquerque, NM; B. Lemon TAYLOR, DAVID: Provo, UT; G. Pollock/Wasatch Wings Region 7 DeLANNOY, CHRIS: Chicago, IL; D. Hartowicz/High Expectations Region 9 FIELD, MICHAEL: Simpsonville, MD; W. Kautter Region 10 DAVIS, GARY: Orlando, FL; M. Jones/Florida HG NETTLOW, DON: Wimer Haven, FL; M. Jones/Florida HG Region 12 WALTER, DANIEL: Elmira, NY; J. Kolynich/Free Spirit Flight HG

TANDEM ONE RATINGS RONALD C. YOUNG JEFFREY L. HOSTLER

Region 4 DUNN, ROD: Rio Rancho, NM; M. Glantz NELSON, BRIAN: Hobbs, NM; C. Graham/Cross Roads Windsports REICHERT, PAUL: Alpine, UT; G. Pollock/Wasatch Wings

FEBRUARY 1994

Hang Gliding Instruction

repari ng For A Tandem Clinic

phoro hy fimdem hum,cror Bod}); Kroll

chieving a l:tndern rating is an excel-

lent goal for anyone in the sport of

hang gliding. Tandem hang gliding is one of d1e besr v.·ays to sh.are che :.nvesome experience of bird-like flight with a 6-iend. T he pw·pose of candem Aring in the U.S. is insrrucrion, and ir is on that basis that \YC currendy have our nl.ndern exempcion \vith

che FM. I won'c go inco candcm legalities in chis anide, bowcvcr. I'm going co cell you ho\Y to get the most ouc of a tandem clinic. I run tandem clinics on a fuir-ly r<:gular basis; in face. J \Viii be rut\ning some rhis and next n1onch. [c seerns chat everyone con·.ling co a randern clinic comes ,vith a dif. fcrcnc objective or c:xpectacion. So here is what you should expect. Firsc, co even be eligible for a candcm racing a pilot muse be a currenc USHGA Advanced-raced pilot wich a curbulcncc sign-off and a minimum of 200 hours logged

airtime, or I 00 hours wich 500 fligh!S of ac lea.st 500 feet vertical descent. These arc the vc-ry minin1um l'equire,nenrs with ,vhich a person should arrcnd a canden, clinic. Those pilots with less than the n1inin1un1 wishing to artend a tandem cUnic for infonnacional purposes may do so, however, they will be limited in cheir physical participation atu! the clinic ,viii not count tOV\rard any candcn1 rating in the future. Providing chat you h:.ive mcc the above criteria, '"fandem [ is nor very difficult co achieve. provid ed thar nying o hang glider is H 1\NC GLIDING

not something you have to put a lot of thought into. Tandem I is a rating that only allows you to fly with other hang glider pilots, so the testing procedure is a bit less strict than it is for Tandem II and Tandem Instructor. Tandem I is a rating I recommend that pilots wishing to become tandem instructors achieve and practice with to get a better understanding of what's involved in flying tandem. After performing multiple tandems with other hang glider pilots, a Tandem I pilot will be much better suited for a higher tandem rating than if he had only planned on going straight to Tandem II or Tandem Instructor. What will be expected of prospective tandem pilots in most tandem clinics? Communication skills are among the most important ones a tandem pilot must develop. Communicating with your passenger in a non-cluttered, easily understandable, confidence-inspiring way will go a long way in helping you achieve your goals. Your passenger/student's only method of knowing what to do during launch, flight and landing is by listening to what you tell him. You must organize your thoughts, express yourself clearly and inspire confidence in your stlldent. Another highly important skill is the ability to launch, fly and land a hang glider without putting much thought into it. When flying tandem, you must be able to pay attention to what the passenger is doing at all times. If all of your attention must be focused on launching and landing then you're not ready to become a tandem pilot. Here's how you should practice. During the middle of a launch run, look over at and focus on one of your downtubes for just a moment, then go back to your normal launch mode. (WARNING: If you have any doubt about your qualifications or ability to do this exercise, then don't.) If you feel you can pull this off safely, begin doing this exercise on very forgiving launches. Once you have gotten fairly proficient at being able to look away from your launch path and refocus, then move to a more difficult launch and try the same thing. Keep in mind that there is no need to attempt this exercise on any launch or in any conditions in which you wouldn't (or shouldn't) fly tandem. Another exercise is to quote a few lines from a favorite poem or song as you're about to begin your launch run, and continue this through the entire launch and a few seconds into your flight. Once you're able to continue the quote while keeping up the rhythm and looking over at the downtube for a FEBRUARY 1994

''Achieving a tandem rating is an excellent goal for anyone in the sport of hang gliding. Tandem hang gliding is one of the best ways to share the awesome experience of bird-like flight. 11

moment then you're stylin'. The same thing goes for landing approaches. Once you're within 300' of the ground you should start your quote or song. This is especially important as you mrn on final and perform the flare. Also, you should practice refocusing on the downtube during the landing sequence as you did during the launch. Other exercises include removing one of your hands from the control bar during your approach and touching your chin with it, only to replace it on the control frame when you have to make a control input. If you're able to combine this exercise with the quotation and refocus exercises, then you'll be a bit more prepared to impress your tandem administrator. All of the exercises I've mentioned are meant to be done in the upright position. In tandem flying, the pilot (as well as the passenger) must get upright in his harness much sooner than when flying solo. Three hundred feet is the minimum at which an upright position should be attained. In fact, when instructing tandem, the tandem pilot will spend very little time in an absolute prone position. I find that if I'm rocked fairly upright while the student is in control, it is much easier for him to turn the glider. Visibility and CG location are just two of the reasons why this is true. The most desirable position when landing tandem is upright with your passenger fully behind (but against you) and looking over your shoulder. To be able to get the passenger in a position that's fully behind you, you must not have a harness with a tail sticking out in back with lines attached. Because of this problem, pod harnesses are not recommended for tandem flying. The harnesses that you'll see most professional tandem pilots wearing are knee hangers and cocoons. Both of these types of harnesses afford you the ability to get completely upright when landing, with no tail or line

clutter for the passenger to deal with. Of these two, the knee hanger is the best all around choice since there's no boot to deal with on launch. If you're platform launching, I think the cocoon is the preferred option, but as far as the passenger goes, I highly recommend knee hangers and stirrup harnesses. Knee hangers are the most trouble free for the student when foot launching and stirrups are more comfortable and adjustable for platform launching. Definitely, when you're attending a tandem clinic, try to bring a harness that allows you to get upright more than a pod; I promise you'll have a much better chance of passing the landing tests. Landing is one of the more important flight skills you'll have to demonstrate in all tandem clinics. I'm aware that some tandem pilots choose to land on their wheels instead of their feet, and that's fine in areas where you can plan on doing this (smooth, nondamaging landing areas). However, to pass a tandem clinic you must be able to perform no-step, no-forward-motion landings consistently in light winds. Even if you plan on doing wheel landings, there's no "wheel landing only" sign-off on your tandem rating, so you must prove that you've got what it takes in the landing department. To practice for this feat, ballast up and practice landing your high performance hang glider with as close to a 2.0 wing loading as you feel comfortable. Start with just a little extra weight and gradually work up to 2.0 lbs./sq. ft. of wing area. Make sure you use water or dry sand for ballast, and be sure it is secured to your harness in such a way so as not to interfere with normal control of the glider. Never place ballast against your back or in such a way that a bad landing would have the extra weight swinging into your back. What it all boils down to is that flying a hang glider should be second nature by the time you decide to attend a tandem clinic. If you still have to think about flying, maybe you should rack up some more hours before attempting to become a tandem pilot. You should also know why hang gliders fly, basic aerodynamics and how the extra weight affects your glider. Of course there's much more to a tandem clinic than what's been presented here, but with just a few of these exercises under your belt you'll be much better prepared for your clinic. r.i...:

See our Calendar of Events column in this issue for dates and locations of G. Ws clinics. -Ed

USHGA Organizational Directory Send additions, deletions and changes to: USHGA, P.O. Box 8300, Colorado Springs, CO 80933 (719) 632-8300, fax (719) 632-6417 Revised January 1994

*** BE SURE TO ASK INSTRUCTORS IF THEY ARE USHGA CERTIFIED!*** NAME

CONTACT

ADDRESS

CITY

Rocket City Airsports

Robert Patterson

301-A Franklin Street

Sail Wings Hang Gliding

Larry Haney

Bandito Action Sports Thermax Paragliding Desert Hang Gliders Zonie Hang Gliding Phoenix Aerosports Sky Sails of Arizona Reel Altitude/HG Adventures Adventure Sports Tours Arizona Airfoils Owens Valley Soaring Pilot Supply Moyes California ACME Air Sports CO-OP Air Sports Unlimited Skyline Soaring Accelerated Flight Systems Skydance PG Co. of So. Calif. Air Junkies Paragliding DODE CA Hang Gliding Hanger Seedwings Torrey Pines Glider Port Ultralight Soaring Software Lake Elsinore Sports Lake Elsinore Hang Gliding H.G. Center of San Diego Action Soaring Center Western Hang Gliders Mission Soaring Center Natural Flying Thermal-Quick Release Siner Flight Systems Wills Wing Inc Upward Bound Air America Paragliding Ultimate Hi Aviation Hang Gliding Connection Pacific Airwave High Adventure Air Tek Paragliding Airtime of San Francisco Pro Flight Paragliding Compact Wings Paragliding The Eagles Wings HG School Chandelle San Francisco Inc High Energy Sports Mallettec Varios

STATE

ZIP

PHONE

Huntsville

35801

(205) 776-9995

P.O. Box 5593

Little Rock

72215

(501) 663-3166

Stan Mish Dixon White Bob Thompson Rick DeStephens Jeff Reynolds Bill Holmes Brad Lindsay Doug Gordon Eric Smith

P.O. Box 22369 1500 E. Cedar Ave. #1 O 4319 W. Larkspur 4326 W. Mariposa Grande 1902 E. Sharon Dr 1130 E. Grovers #266 954 E. Paradise Lane 1327 E. Bell De Mar 5306 E. 18th Street

Flagstaff Flagstaff Glendale Glendale Phoenix Phoenix Phoenix Tempe Tucson

AZ AZ AZ AZ AZ AZ AZ AZ AZ

86002 86004 85304 85310 85022 85022 85022 85283 85711

(602) 77 4-6410 (602) 526-4579 (602) 938-9550 (602) 582-4471 (602) 482-9723 (602) 493-1216 (602) 863-9909 (602) 897-7121 (602) 790-3507

Kevin Klinefelter Bret Hilliker Bill Hartke Joey & Penni Carmosino Mark Fleming Paul Sussman Fred Lawley Scott Gressitt Ken Baier Karl Myrenne Dan or Tim Fleming Bob Trampenau Monte Bell Eric Raymond Paul Phillips John Pitt John Ryan Barnie Haneke Philip Godwin Pat Denevan Jim Woodward Robert Kalember Dan Skadal Meier-Kells-Pearson Scott Smith Joe Gluzinski Roger Chase Phil Sergent Ken Brown Rob McKenzie Marcus Salvemini Jeff Greenbaum Scott Amy Cary Mendes Rod Mitchell Andy Whitehill Betty Pfeiffer Mark Mallett

5201 Westridge Rd RR 2 3443 La Cienega Way 22021 Covello Street P.O. Box 4365 1021 Bay Blvd. Ste S 8 Palisades Drive P.O. Box 1226 20 East E. Street 564 San Dieguito Drive P.O. Box 1383 1446 North Van Ness 41 Aero Camino 2800 Torrey Pines Scenic Dr 33274 Baldwin Blvd 31401 Riverside Drive 32700 Riverside Dr #507 P.O. Box 1049 1689 Armstrong Road P.O. Box 828 1116 Wrigley Way 17506 Hoot Owl Way 19431-41 Bus Ctr Drive 1915 E. Katella Ste B 500 Blueridge Ave. P.O. Box 1175 P.O. Box 353 13009 Acton Ave. 1887 O'Conner Ave. 1083 Madison Lane 4231 Sepulveda 4206 C Sorrento Valley Blvd 3620 Wawona Street 490 Ebken 1271 Avd Floribunda 815 Grand Ave. Ste 101 1595 E. Francisco Blvd Ste F 2236 W. 2nd Street P.O. Box 15756

Bishop Cameron Park Canoga Park Chico Chula Vista Daly City Del Mar Encinitas Encinitas Fremont Fresno Goleta La Jolla Lake Elsinore Lake Elsinore Lake Elsinore Lakeside Lodi Marina Milpitas Morgan Hill North ridge Orange Orange Palm Desert Perris Poway Redding Salinas San Bernardino San Diego San Francisco San Francisco San Jacinto San Marcos San Rafael Santa Ana Santa Ana

CA CA CA CA CA CA CA CA CA CA CA CA CA CA CA CA CA CA CA CA CA CA CA CA CA CA CA CA CA CA CA CA CA CA CA CA CA CA

93514 95682 91303 95927 91911 94015 92014 92024 92024 94538 93728 93117 92037 92530 92530 92530 92040 95242 93933 95035 95037 91324 92667 92665 92261 92572 92064 96001 93907 92404 92121 94116 94044 92583 92069 94901 92703 92705

(619) 387-2673 (916) 677-4953 (818) 887-3361 (916) 899-2821 (619) 427-3375 (415) 994-8215 (619) 481-7400 (619) 632-0514 (619) 753-2664 (510) 490-4385 (209) 264-7627 (805) 968-7070 (619) 452-3203 (714) 678-3931 (909) 674-2453 (909) 245-SOAR (619) 561-1009 (209) 368-9665 (408) 384-2622 (408) 262-1055 (408) 779-7976 (818) 701-7983 (714) 639-7777 (714) 998-6359 (619) 363-1914 (909) 943-8664 (619) 748-1739 (916) 241-6974 (408) 422-2299 (909) 883-8488 (619) 450-0437 (415) 759-1177 (415) 359-7666 (909) 654-8559 (619) 744-2463 (415) 454-3464 (714) 972-8186 (714) 541-2625 HANG GLIDING

NAME

CONTACT

ADDRESS

CITY

STATE

ZIP

PHONE

Foot-Launched Flight Services Hang Glider Emporium Roberts Glider Instruments Santa Barbara HG&PG/Air Tech Bright Star Wright Brothers Wings Sierra Sails Windgypsy No. Calif. XC Pilots Assn Trueflight Concepts Airplay Paragliding Tahoe-Sierra Wave Flyers Windsports Soaring Center Topa Topa Paragliding Top Flite Hang Gliding Recreational UL & Gliders Sacramento Hang Gliding

Robert Brown Ken deRussy Gilbert Roberts Achim Hageman Eric Beckman Kevin Wright Wallace Long Keith Lamb Russ Locke Quackenbush/Spinelli Mike Haley Craig Beck Mark West Joe Greblo Randy Liggett Will Brown Ludwig van der Luhe George Hamilton

P.O. Box 22343 P.O. Box41339 3340 Cliff Drive 29 State Street 48 Barham Ave. 23875 Buckboard Court P.O. Box 982 25099 Bundy Canyon Rd 868 S. Mary Ave. 13525 Eldridge 13525 Eldridge P.O. Box 79 RT 3 Box 4400-111 16145 Victory Blvd 62 S. Jordan Ave. 13155 Snowflower Drive 2343 Cedarwood Street 308 Bridge Place

Santa Barbara Santa Barbara Santa Barbara Santa Barbara Santa Rosa Sonora Soulsbyville Sun City Sunnyvale Sylmar Sylmar Tahoe Vista Tehachapi Van Nuys Ventura Waterford West Covina West Sacramento

CA CA CA CA CA CA CA CA CA CA CA CA CA CA CA CA CA CA

93121 93140 93109 93101 95407 95370 95372 92381 94087 91342 91342 95732 93561 91406 93001 95386 91790 95691

(805) 966-2962 (805) 965-3733 (805) 682-1088 (805) 962-8999 (707) 576-7627 (209) 586-6012 (209) 532-1302 (909) 679-8994 (408) 737-7569 (818) 367-6050 (818) 367-2373 (916) 583-6136 (805) 821-4406 (818) 988-0111 (805) 648-5802 (209) 87 4-1795 (213) 337-6763 (916) 373-0551

High Plains Hang Gliding Aspen Paragliding Ball Variometers UD Enterprises Bolder Flight Parasoft Inc. Paragliding Eagle's Nest HG/Para School Colorado Cloudbase SKY Climbers Front Range Hang Gliders Colorado HG/PG Center Golden Wings Pendulum Sports Steamboat Ultraflight Telluride Airsports

John West Jan Stenstavold Mark Ferguson Cindy Drozda Scott Westfall Granger Banks Ron Wilkinson Bill Swearingin Gire Toepel Bob Faris George Greer Ludwig Goppenhammer Jim Zeise! Richard Denney Luigi Chiarani

8459 N. Fenton Street P.O. Box 2432 6595 Odell Place Ste C 5000 Butte #183 101 Meadowlook Way 4445 Hastings Drive P.O. Box 25985 P.O. Box 16934 29007 Richmond Hill Road 1621 Wagon Tongue Drive Heritage Sq. Bldg S-1 1103 Washington Ave. 13154 County Road 140 P.O. Box 771703 P.O. Box 2076

Arvada Aspen Boulder Boulder Boulder Boulder Colorado Springs Colorado Springs Conifer Ft. Collins Golden Golden Salida Steamboat Springs Telluride

co co co co co co co co co co co co co co co

80003 81611 80301 80301 80304 80303 80936 80935 80433 80521 80401 80401 81201 80477 81435

(303) 650-9783 (303) 925-7625 (303) 530-4940 (303) 440-3579 (303) 444-5455 (303) 494-2820 (719) 594-0498 (719) 630-7042 (303) 838-2655 (303) 482-5754 (303) 278-9566 (303) 278-7181 (719) 539-3900 (303) 879-6284 (303) 728-9525

Tek Flight Products

Ben & Alegra Davidson

Colebrook Stage

Winsted

06098

(203) 379-1668

Valley Forge Hang Gliding

Steve Schaeffer

17 6th Ave.

Wilmington

19805

(302) 652-6426

Microflight Products Inc MAP of Gainesville Sky Hook Towing Inc. Miami Hang Gliding Flytec USA Central Florida Flyers Graybird Airsports Inc.

Mike Pleskovich Todd Braden James Tindle Rob Kayes Steve Flynn Gregg McNamee

16141-6 Pine Ridge Road 1031 NE 20th Ave. P.O. Box 540562 2640 S. Bayshore Drive P.O. Box 561732 705 E. Marks Street 14141 SE 51st Ave.

Ft. Myers Gainesville Merritt Island Miami Miami Orlando Summerfield

FL FL FL FL FL FL FL

33908 32609 32954 33133 33156 32803 34491

(813) 454-6464 (904) 376-4367 (407) 452-8143 (305) 285-8978 800 662-2449 (407) 894-5715 (904) 245-8263

Tut's Mountain Lookout Mtn. Flight Park Cloudbase

Frances Tut Woodruff Matt Taber Chris Smith

P.O. Box 1470 RT 2 Box 215-H RT 1 Box 660 Neal Road

Clayton Rising Fawn Rising Fawn

GA GA GA

30525 30738 30738

(706) 782-6218 (706) 398-3541 (706) 398-3964

Paraglide Maui Maui Soaring Supplies

Steve Amy David Darling

328 Kokomo Road RR 2 Box 780

Haiku Kula

HI HI

96708 96790

(808) 575-9439 (808) 878-1271

Treasure Valley Hang Gliding. Sun Valley Paragliding Slick Rock Flyers Sun Valley Ketchum Paraglid.

Mike King Greg Smith Joe Brakefield Hans Hub

11716 Fairview P.O. Box 5715 16402 Latah Drive P.O. Box 1094

Boise Ketchum Nampa Sun Valley

ID ID ID ID

83704 83340 83651 83353

(208) 376-7914 (208) 726-3332 (208) 467-5963 (208) 726-4774

Raven Sky Sports Spectrum Hang Gliding

Brad Kushner Angelo Mantas

5116W. Pratt

Chicago Skokie

IL IL

60077

(312) 360-0700 (708) 329-8337

HG MANUFACTURERS ASSN.

FEBRUARY 1 994

NAME

CONTACT

ADDRESS

CITY

STATE

ZIP

PHONE

Kentuckiana Soaring JJ Mitchell Hang Gliding

Mike Kelley John Mitchell

425 Taggart Ave. 67 41 Columbia Ave.

Clarksville Hammond

IN IN

47129 46324

(812) 288-7111 (219) 845-2856

Prairie Hang Gliders TBT Towing Systems

Ron Kenney Larry Keegan

P.O. Box 785 1627 Kenwood

Elkhart Olathe

KS KS

67950 66062

(316) 697-2577 (913) 764-2991

Maryland School of HG

Richard Hays

2700 Paper Mill Road

Phoenix

21131

(410) 527-0975

Great Lakes Hang Gliding Pro Hang Gliders Michigan Soaring Supplies Traverse City HG/Paragliding

Jay Darling Norm Lesnow Doug Coster Bill Fifer

9746 Karen Court 569 W. Annabelle 6531 Platte Road 1509 E. 8th Street

Bridgman Hazel Park Honor Traverse City

Ml Ml Ml Ml

49106 48030 49640 49684

(616) 465-5859 (313) 399-9433 (616) 882-4744 (616) 922-2844

Skyline Sky Dogs Sport Soaring Center Ballistic Recovery Sys Inc

Dan O'Hara Pat Caulfield Dan Johnson

2719 Lindahl Road 2074 Vienna Lane 1845-HG Henry Ave.

Duluth Eagan South St. Paul

MN MN MN

55810 55122 55075

(218) 624-4500 (612) 688-8218 (612) 457-7491

River City Hang Gliders Glacier Sky-Sailing Paradise Gliders Big Sky Hang Gliding Big Sky Paragliding

Roger Lockwood Robert Hubbard Dan Gravage Kevin Wolfe Dale Covington

P.O. Box 234 3690 Mt 35 629 N. 2nd Street 2412 Skyline Drive P.O. Box 7843

Fort Benton Kalispell Livingston Missoula Missoula

MT MT MT MT MT

59442 59901 59047 59802 59807

(406) 622-5677 (406) 755-3932 (406) 222-7240 (406) 721-7546 (406) 728-2876

Mount Rope Flight School Corolla Flight The Buzzard Club Kitty Hawk Kites Inc

David Kincheloe Greg DeWolf T.Bryanl/D.Smith John Harris

6455 South NC 87 P.O. Box 1021 1246 Cedar Rock Road P.O. Box 1839

Graham Kitty Hawk Lenoir Nags Head

NC NC NC NC

27253 27949 28645 27959

(919) 376-9602 (919) 261-6166 (704) 758-9331 (919) 441-4124

Airhead Windsports Sidewinder Tow Systems

Hugh A. Martin Bob Hladky

939 S. Hastings Ave. 217 E. 23rd Street

Hastings Kearney

NE NE

68901 68847

(402) 463-6255 (308) 236-5892

Morningside Flight Park Enterprise Wings/UpOverDownUnder Sky Ambitions, Inc

Jeff Nicolay Nelson Howe Dave Karl

RFD 2 Box 109 P.O. Box 378 P.O. Box 475

Claremont Franconia Intervals

NH NH NH

03743 03580 03845

(603) 542-4416 (603) 823-8195 (603) 367-8791

Up Over New Mexico Inc Enchantment Paragliding

Chuck Woods Gary Brightbill

9770 Elena Drive NE P.O. Box 1082

Albuquerque Cedar Crest

NM NM

87122 87008

(505) 821-8544 (505) 281-2759

Adventure Sports British School of Paragliding Hang Gliding Inc Adventure Video Second Chantz Recovery Sys.

Ray Leonard Patrick Sugrue Karl Earnhart Paul Hamilton John Dunham

3650 Research Way P.O. Box 50382 1062 Lacebark Ct 4750 Townsite Road P.O. Box 12671

Carson City Henderson Las Vegas Reno Reno

NV NV NV NV NV

89706 89016 89123 89511 89510

(702) 883-7070 (702) 896-6000 (702) 361-1531 (702) 849-9672 (702) 829-2077

Schutte Sails/Swing USA lkaros Hang Gliding Center of Gravity Harness Ultralight Flight Systems Mountain Wings Inc GM! Paragliding Land, Sea & Air Hang Gliding Wing Sails By Gunnar Susquehanna Flight Park Aerial Adventures Fly High Hang Gliding Inc

Bob & Gayle Schutte Stephanos Makrinos Jay Giantorte Bob Murphy Greg Black Philippe Renuadin Eric McNett Gunnar Graubaum Dan Guido Peter Fournia Paul Voight

170 E. Main Street 3811 Ditmars Blvd #11 O RR.173 15 Dean Street 150 Canal Street P.O. Box 451 5957 E. Seneca Turnpike Finkle Road 7 Catherine Street 28 Woodlyn Way RR 2 Box 561

Arcade Astoria Chittenango Deposit Ellenville Glen Cove Jamesville Millerton Mohawk Penfield Pine Bush

NY NY NY NY NY NY NY NY NY NY NY

14009 11105 13037 13754 12428 11542 13078 12546 13407 14526 12566

(716) 492-4576 (212) 942-8155 (315) 687-3724 (607) 467-3110 (914) 647-3377 (516) 676-7599 (315) 492-1020 (518) 789-6550 (315) 866-6153 (716) 377-0535 (914) 744-3317

North Coast Hang Gliding. Skyward Enterprises

Mike Del Signore Mario Manzo

1916 W. 75th Street 2259 S. Smithville Road

Cleveland Dayton

OH OH

44102 45420

(216) 631-1144 (513) 256-3888

White Out

Sonny White

2717 NW 16th

Oklahoma City

73107

(405) 947-2342

HANG GLIDING

NAME

CONTACT

ADDRESS

CITY

STATE

ZIP

PHONE

HG & PG School of Oregon Sky Hook Sports Paragliding So. Oregon Hang Gliding Litek Varios Oregon Paragliding Airtime Oregon Airware Hang Gliders/Trikes

David Raybourn Phil Pohl Wesley Roberts Chuck Kanavle Kev Arends Tom Sapienza Doug Lange

14185 SW Yearling Court P.O. Box 812 1406 Schutzwohl Lane 4326 Fish Hatchery Road 13 Oak Ave. 91409 Place Lane 7205 SE Johnson Creek Blvd

Beaverton Bend Grants Pass Grants Pass Hood River Junction City Portland

OR OR OR OR OR OR OR

97005 97709 97527 97527 97031 97448 97206

(503) 223-7448 (503) 389-4086 (503) 479-5823 (503) 479-6633 (503) 386-5477 (503) 998-1220 (503) 256-0996

Windwalker Hang Gliding Valley Forge Hang Gliding Mountain Top Recreation Wind Drifter Sky High School of HG

Dari Gearhart Jeff Frelin Jeff Hostler Richard Cobb Bill Umstattd

RR 2 Box 232-B 612 Manchester Road 224 Rodlin 623 W. Foster Ave. 733 Stoke Road

Benton Norristown Pittsburgh State College Villanova

PA PA PA PA PA

17814 19403 15235 16801 19085

(717) 925-5733 (215) 539-9446 (412) 697-4477 (814) 867-8529 (215) 527-1687

Aero Sail Raccoon Mtn Alpine Lodge Sequatchie Valley Soaring Systems Technology Inc Hawk Air Sports Inc Memphis Air Sports

Dennis Van Dam Chuck & Shari Toth Cliff Whitney Chris Pyle Bruce Hawk Phil Vance

1617 W. 40th Street 4328 Cummings Highway RR 2 Box 80 P.O. Box 7203 P.O. Box 9056 382 Washington Ave.

Chattanooga Chattanooga Dunlap Knoxville Knoxville Memphis

TN TN TN TN TN TN

37409 37419 37327 37921 37940 38105

(615) 821-5945 (615) 821-2546 (615) 949-2301 (615) 531-8045 (615) 933-9296 (901) 526-0790

Kite Enterprises Austin Airsports Red River Aircraft Texas Paragliding Inc. Hill Country Paragliding Inc Red River Aircraft Total Air Sports

Dave Broyles Steve Burns Jeff Hunt Charles Fontenot Nancy Stanford Tim Doogs Mark DeMarino

211 Ellis Street 1712 Waterston 4811 Red River Street 13252 Kerville Folkway P.O. Box 200644 3108 Frazier 6354 Limestone

Allen Austin Austin Austin Austin Ft Worth Houston

TX TX TX TX TX TX TX

75002 78703 78751 78729 78720 76110 77092

(214) 727-3588 (512) 474-1669 (512) 467-2529 (512) 335-4837 (512) 794-1160 (817) 921-6957 (713) 956-6147

Cloud Nine Sports UP Soaring Center Papa Tuna School PG Cuisine Wasatch Wings Hall Brothers UP International Vulture Gliders John Heiney-Photographer Southwind Hang Gliding Windrider Wind Sports Min. High Equip. & Supply Above & Beyond Paragliding Rebel Wings Hang Gliding

Jonzy Dave Sharp David Frank Gordon Pollock Larry Hall

Bob & Margo Schick Kevin Stowe Patrick McLaughlin Claudia Stockwell Mark Knowlden

1695 South 50 West 12665 S. Minuteman Drive P.O. Box 185 2534 E. Murray Holladay Rd P.O. Box 1010-H 4054 West 2825 North 13077 South 3600 West P.O. Box 822 106 E. Capitol 227 4 Arbor Lane #4 516 12th Ave. 3314 West 11400 South 770 West Vine Street

Bountiful Draper Draper HolladayIS LC Morgan Mountain Green Riverton Riverton Salt Lake City Salt Lake City Salt Lake City South Jordan Tooele

UT UT UT UT UT UT UT UT UT UT UT UT UT

84010 84020 84020 84117 84050 84050 84065 84065 84103 84117 84103 84095 84074

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Silver Wings Inc Allegheny Gliders Inc Blue Sky

John Middleton Dave Deming Steve Wendt

6032 N. 20th Street 136 Parker Ave. P.O. Box 212

Arlington Newport News Penn Laird

VA VA VA

22205 23606 22846

(703) 533-1965 (804) 930-0356 (703) 432-6557

Air Zone North American Paragliding Cascade Soaring Cowlitz Hang Gliding Sentek Big Bird's Wings Parapente USA/Tiger Min PG Flight Gear lnt'I NW Moyes Spokane Air Craft West Inland Hang Gliding

Jeff Bowman Mike Eberle Tom & Lori Johns Mike Wonser Darrell Hambley L.W. Fitzpatrick Mark Chirico Jeff Williamson Tina & Larry Jorgensen Larry Strom Dale Sanderson

294 Sharpe Road P.O. Box 4 4420 191 Place SE 2134 Holcomb Loop Road 16212 Bothell Way SE #F252 1203 NE 82nd 2442 NW Market St Box 31 2346 Minor Ave. East 22808 65th Ave. East w. 3208 4th E. 4503 5th Ave.

Anacortes Ellensburg Issaquah Kelso Mill Creek Seattle Seattle Seattle Spanaway Spokane Spokane

WA WA WA WA WA WA WA WA WA WA WA

98221 98926 98027 98626 98012 98115 98107 98102 98387 99204 99212

(206) 293-3282 (509) 925-5565 (206) 747-1647 (206) 423-7627 (206) 338-9149 (206) 523-2436 (206) GOSKYHI (206) 329-4859 (206) 847-4595 (509) 458-4444 (509) 535-8119

Glide Path Air Magic Raven Sky Sports

Martin Bunner Neil Roland Brad Kushner

1107 88th Ave. 1 1915 Wood P.O. Box 101

Kenosha La Crosse Whitewater

WI WI WI

53144 54603 53190

(414) 859-2777 (608) 781-6113 (414) 473-2003

FEBRUARY 1994

Charlie Baughman

I The Rall Ml 911 variomete1;

his month we pique your interest with some very practical toys that will tickle your fancy. Each of these items fulfill a very speciflc need and arc m1·1r'.ln1·1'1Y1 to enhance your comfort, safety or performance.

We all know how important a variometer is to our effectiveness in the air, so much so that some of us spend up to $1,000 to get a good one. Well, here's a versatile vario that won't cosl an arm and a leg or barely even a digit. We rdc:r to the new Ball Ml 9A. 'fhe folks at Ball Variometers have con·· sistcntly provided us with top·drawer instruments, and now we have one for the recreational pilot. It is easy to nse, frmctional and loaded with options. Turn ir on and the LED display cycles through the power··Up sequence which checks the LCD displays, indicates the serial number and then settles into the standard setup with an analog and audio variomcrer and a digital altimeter displayed. The variometer has a threshold function which allows you to set the value at which 24

both the lifi: and sink audio begins to sound. The damping function allows you ro .1djust sensitivity to fast, medium or slow. I like it smce Ill this mode just an upward nudge will green air. The audio can be switched to up and down, up only or off for refreshing silence. fr can also register loudly or softly and is a nice chopped sound that varies in frequency with the amount of climb, thereby freeing your visual attention for important matters like centering in a thermal or avoiding other gliders. The vario has an averagcr option which when rurned on provides the average rate of climb in either 5- or I () .. second intervals. This function is useful for getting a more realistic idea of a thermal's output and for setting spced·to-fly rings. Incidentally, the vario doesn't have a speed ring, although one could easily be attached, and hey, what's a recreational pilot gonna do with a speed ring anyway? The Ball M19A has all the altimeter capabilities you could ask for. The two altimeter displays provide you MSL (altitude above mean sea level) and AGL (altitude above rhc ground) up to 20,000 foet. The displays announce rhc altitude in foct (or

meters i Fyou flick a switch) and the onefoot incrcmcrll's can almost serve as a vafr· omet:er in light conditions. Other user-·usefol Features rhat I particularly like are the temperature display and battery level display that pops up when you press a couple of buttons. The latter, in particular, is something f think every vario should have, for you don't have any insecuri· ty about battery lifo before au important Flight if you know how much juice is lefr. Next we must mention the memory. 'fhc M 19A would do an elephant proud, for it recalls your last seven flights and a running total. By toggling a switch you get memory mode, and your first flight shows up with rnarkers at your highest rate of climb and greatest rate of sink. Pushing one altimeter button then displays MSL. maximum altitude gained while the other altimeter button gives you AGl. gain. Pushing both buttons displays the duration of your flight. You can cycle through your last seven flights in this manner until you come to the l'otal readom. By pushing button combin;i. tions you can recall the total number of flights for which the instrument was used and rhc total airtime it recorded. lf you zero this feature at the beginning of a se,ison you HAN(; GUDINC

can use it to add up your yearly number of flights and airtime. This is a great aid to record keeping, and I have already frrnnd a flight I forgot to record in my logbook by reviewing the vario's memory. The best thing about the M 19A is its convenience. The vario body weighs 6-1 /4 ounces ( l 0-1 /2 ounces with the clamp) and measures x and thick enough to house a nine-volt battery. 'fhe famous Ball clamp makes it quick and easy to attach to your basetube with an adapter for an airfoil downtubc. In flight, the large display is easy to read as can be imagined from the photo. '] 'he fimction buttons are easy to operate in flight even with thick gloves, since they arc flexible areas to be depressed. My only criticism of the vario is the diffkulty in acruat-ing the on--off button with gloves (it is recessed so the unit doesn'L turn on while not in use), but then you wouldn't perform this operation in flight. I rncasu red the M 1 9 A against otb er known varios of proven accuracy and sensi-tivity. I found the Ml 9A to be as good as much more instruments in these dcpartrnems. ·fhe altimeters of rhe difforent instruments only varied by a maximum of 100 feet over several thousand fr:ct and the rate of climb functions read out similar rates, and more importantly, initiated and cut off at the same time. The Ball Ml 9A comes with a one-year warranty covering all parts and labor. It is one of the nicest variomcters I have used and its price tag puts it at the top of

The Avocet Vertech in ski mode.

FEBRlJ/\1,Y 1994

the valuc··-for--dollar lisr. ff you want to demo one, hurry to your local dealer; almost all big shops have Balls in stock ff you can't find a dealer, give the friendly folks at Ball a call. ·rhcir address is: Ball Variometers, Inc. 6595 O'Dell Place, Suite C Boulder, CO 8030 I (303) 530-4940

Our next wonderful toy is a multi-multifunctional watch that was originally intended for the sport of skiing. However, it has features that ;illow it ro operate as a variometer/al timeter for flying. 'fo begin, the Vertech is small (2.0 x 1.5 inches), light (0.9 ounces without the band and 1.3 ounces with) and water resistant. Lt can be conveniently worn outside your coat or next ro your skin, for the handsome band is elastic and adjusts readily. And this little package does so much. The function button switches the "watch" to four different modes: altitude/time, ski, weather and timing. In the altitude mode you get several option dis-plays: altitude, temperature and time; date, temperature and alarm, and maximum alti-tudc, temperature and countdown timer. For flying, the altimeter option would be the choice. T'hc altimeter reads in 10-foot incre-ments (all readouts can be changed over to metric). The unir has a memory which records your greatest altitude. This can be zeroed easily during a flight or kept in memory for as long as you wish: a day, month, year or lifotimc. In the ski mode you have a display of daily vertical feet (in descent or climb). This allows you to easily determine the height of a sled ride, but more intercsti ngly lets you know how much you climbed in one flight. No other instrument I know of has this fr:aturc. Another alti-tude accumulator holds all the totals for as many fl ighrs as you wish up to

299,990 vertical feet. Maybe we should start logging total climb rather than total hours, since the former is a better measure of pilot skill in most cases. Also in the ski mode is a rate·-of.climb (variometer) digital readout. This display is in 50 PPM increments. 'J'he memory will provide you with a reading of your maxi-mum rate of ascent at the push of a button. There is another feature which may be use-ful: You can push a timer and read yonr average rate of climb ftJr the time interval shown. Finally, the watch displays the num-bcr of ski runs completed. The count occurs after you have gained or lost 150 feet. No other instrument except a barograph provides you with this information. By switching modes you get weather and timing. fn weather mode the barometer and barometer trend arc displayed. ff you arc clever and know the wind direction you can use this info to predict the weather. In timing mode you have all the features that digital watches provide: split timing, lap timing, stop watch and various recalls. 'J'he best thing I like about the Avocet Vertech watch is its high-tech styling and utility. In flight it serves well as an instrument. Of course, it will not replace a high-priced vario, but you can't beat ir fr)r what ir costs. Also, if you add tbe highly sensitive Mallettec Mini Vario (audio only) to the Vertcch you have a very versatile system indeed. [ intend to use mine as a backnp vario in contests and on trips, and l have also found it handy to time mile splits on a cross-·country run. We should note that the Verrcch was Business Week magazine's Product of the Year. You can get your own watch--that-does-cveryrhing-but sing by sending $120 (shipping included) to: Owens Valley Soaring 520 I Westridgc Road, Rt. Bishop, CA 93514 (619)

l f you're not lost in the ozone you arc well aware of the increasing danger of ultraviolet radiation due to airborne pollutants. For pilots who seek sunny days to best encounter thermals, the hours in Lhc sun can leave our focc fried and dried. Who wants squinty-eye wrinkles? Who wants a Rudolph nose? Who wants skin cancer? Baseball caps arc fine if you're Lenny

Mark Bennett modelf the Airwave Ultimalr I ha. Dykstra, but we need more protection as we bend over 10 fiddle with battens or lean back to peer at the clouds. Just what the doctor ordered for pilots is the Airwavc Ultimate Hat. As you can see from the photos i1 has a number of features that render it ideal for our purposes. The ample brim in front offers more

t>yDenni

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shade than the average baseball cap. Tn addi-· tion, a protective flap in the rear shields your

HliAD S!l:R

HAJ' S!ZH 0/WRRS!ZH

21-1

7-1/8 SMALT.

tender neck. The rear flap has snaps rhat allow it to be held firmly ro your neck or snapped up. Another feature ideal for pilots is the Ian· yard that shows as a stylish trim in the photos but also serves as a neck tic to hold the hat in place while you set up in a gale (or should we say break down?). Also, note the brass ventilation holes to keep your brain at a functional 98.6°. Other features include a glare-reducing bill underside, a Hydrofil@ sweatband and a form-holding forehead. The entire hat is constructed from 10.10-ounce washable cotton duck that is pre·-shrunk and water repellent. lt comes in a beautiful ocean blue that really puts all those white sailplane hats to shame. 'fo get yom Ultimate sec your Airwavc dealer or call the factory. 1t sells Ii.Jr and is well worth every penny if you value your health and appearance. The chart below will help you choose your size.

22-1/4" 7·1/4 7-3/8 MEDIUM

24-1/4" LARGE

X-LARGE

gliding and paragliding. About how the ramp was 1992 East Coast Championships, Whitwell site. each+ $3.00 shipping(+ $10.00 foreign) SEND TO: USl·IGA Books PO Box 8300 Colorado co 80933·K'm0

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Ron Young Tony Barton John Heiney Royce Anderson

TRX 160 TRX 160 TRX 140 TRX 160

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Dave Sharp Tony Barton Butch Peachy Dave Seaberg

TRX 140 TRX 160 TRX 140 TRX 160

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Tim Shea and Louise Edwards soar the Big Sur coast on Louise's 14th birthday.

i etime by "Tandem" Tim Shea

he Big Sur flying site is on the central California coast, about 60 miles south of Monterey. The most used launch here is Plaskett Ridge, which is approximately 3,000 feet above the beach and pasture landing zone. This is one of the most beautiful flying sites anywhere in the world. Pictures of Big Sur have graced the pages of many issues of Hang Gliding magazme. Even before I learned to fly I had dreams of flying this site; I had watched other pilots soar with the golden eagles which live there. At other sites I have flown up to 17,999 feet and over 100 miles, but on October 18,

1993 I had the good fortune to take the most memorable flight of my life. Louise Edwards, who is known by all who have ever flown here, is the Plaskett Creek campground host and Big Sur site monitor. This site stays open largely because of her efforts in monitoring use and issue permits (thanks babe). On her 74th birthday I was honored and privileged to take Louise on a tandem flight. ·· My daughter Erin and I have gotten to know Louise pretty well on our many camping and flying trips to Big Sur. I am one of the lucky pilots who calls Big Sur his home site. I had asked her years ago if she had ever

flown here before. She told me that she had taken a Cessna ride around the San Francisco Bay area about 25 years ago, but had never tried hang gliding. Didn't want to either. "No way, not me," was her response. Over the course of the spring and summer doing tandems here, Louise started asking questions about it. I again asked her if she would like to fly - negative. I continued with my flying, teaching, camping, surfing, etc., and around the beginning of August Louise again asked about tandem. She queried, "Could more mature (older) individuals physically make tandem flights?" We talked about it for the next month or so, HANG GLIDING

and I showed her articles written by other tandem pilots about deaf: blind and para·· plc:gic tandem students. When she asked me directly if I thought she could handle it. I grabbed the reigns. I let her know that not only could she, but I would indeed fly with her. She said she would like to go on her birrhday. When she opened the door J stepped right: in and we started planning our flight. We spent the next month talking and hanging in the harness from a tree branch (we got some really fimny photos). At last the day arrived. Phil and Judy came down from Marina 10 do a ran .. dern in their Double Vision, along with Louise and me in my V2. Our buddy Loren drove to complete the crew. This Monday morning was a bsol utcly spectacular dear, warm, and blow·· ing slightly northwest. Perfect! A couple of visit· ing pilots launched earlier than we did and climbed up 500 to 1,000 feet above bunch. (Yes, Big Sur docs get soarablc 011 occasion.) Phil and Judy launched next and climbed out nicely. Now it was our turn. We were all trained, practiced, paperworked and otherwise ready to go. l hooked us both in, hang checked and moved up to the launch. "How you doing babe?" l asked. "Just fine," was her response. In about 15 seconds a good cycle starred. I asked, "Ready?" "Yes," was the answer so: "Ready, set, lc:an foreword and walk, jog, run, nm, run!" Tn three steps we were off and headed up! We flew away from the hill ,I little way and starred to do lazy circles in a light tl1er.mal. Round and round we flew talking, laughing and rnking ir all in. She conversed, lc:tting me know that she was all right and enjoying herself. \X/c took lots of photos from a boom--mounted camera as well as video from the wing. J can't begin to rd] you what a thrill it was to fly with the queen of the hill at my side! We were flying her site. After a decent flight over the monntains we flew our over the beach and carnpground to shoot more photos, trying to duplicate John I leiney's beautiful shot I'd seen on Louise's living FrnRUJ\RY 1994

ABOVE The duo prepares to lr,unch tit Big Sur. LEFT Tim Shea and his enthusiastic student Louise Edwards.

room wall many times. After a routine landing we all high .. flved, kissed and sang happy birthday ro Louise. Our friends Sheff and Barbara brought a really nice cake to the party (thanks). After a great meal at the Pacific Valley Ccmcr we dropped her off and headed home. Even if I never flew again (God /c)rhid), I would foci that I had gotten a really good share of the air. I would like to sincerely thank all the folks who helped me pull this flight off.

Tim Shea is a USHGA Tandem Instructor who lives and works in the J\1onterey Bay ttrea. In addition to hrmg gliders Tim .f!.ies power planes, stiilplanes and is 11 professional exhibition skydiver. "J lilee the ai1; "he says.

:r1

IJ Competition Corner Organizing A Hang GI iding Competition, or, How I Spent My Summer Vacation by Russ Locke utting together last year's National Championships at Lal(eview, Oregon was a good learning experience. We went into the meet with a couple of goals. First, we wanted to put on a high quality meet at minimum cost to the pilots, and second, we wanted everyone to have fun. Putting on a high quality meet is no big mystery; several people have done it in the last few years. In putting together the Lakeview meet, I leaned heavily on the efforts of Rick Jacob, and Chris and Terry Reynolds. While, in general, we achieved both of our goals, there was one failure that needs to be discussed. Overall, I don't think that the meet was very much fun for the meet officials. I really didn't give this a lot of thought before the meet, but I won't make that mistake again. The fact is that there isn't a lot of money to be made in putting on a competition, so the only other motivation is fun. Take the fun out of the equation and we're not likely to have experienced people putting on meets in the future. We'll get to the fun issues, but let's look at the money side of the meet first.

Expenses Income

Pilot Entry Fees $19,525 Meet Officials $3,900 $2,800 Meet Personnel Lodging-Meet Officials $2, 194 Misc. Officials Expenses $563 Meet Materials $615 Photo Developing $316 $75 Meet Administration $934 Turnpoint Photos $720 Trophies $1,694 $789 Travel Shirts & Hats $3,080 $800 Awards Dinner $2,200 $660 Permits, Insurance $655 TOTAL

$20,460 $21,060

Pilot entry fees were $175 for the early birds, and $200 for everyone else. Originally I structured the meet to financially "break even" at 85 pilots, but as you can see, it barely broke even with 107 paying pilots (there were 111 pilots in the meet). Some of the unknowns of doing a meet in Lakeview caught up with us and added considerable expense. Originally, I put together a spreadsheet using a checklist available through the USHGA Office. As expenses and income both grew, I was able to track the changes and have reasonable confidence that I wasn't going to come up short. I highly recommend this approach as it certainly helped keep my anxiety level down. I don't think it's a big secret that the key to any meet is finding good meet officials. Having experience in meet management and knowledge of the flying site is important, but the most important thing is good quality people who are willing to accept responsibility and give everything their best effort. In the case of Lakeview, only two of the meet officials, Goal Director Sandy King and Launch Director Robert Combs, had any real meet experience. The other officials, Meet Director Randy Adams, Scorekeeper/Safety Director Gregg Lawless and Medical Director Lisa Jensen were rookies. However, all of these people have a proven track record of being able to manage responsibilities and it showed. I received a lot of compliments on their performance and have yet to hear the first complaint. I added Jerry Sorenson to the meet with the title of Fun Director in an effort to actively pursue our second goal which was to make sure all pilots had fun. You can argue whether or not this is a necessity for a quality meet, but in this case it worked well and incurred only an incremental cost to the meet. I didn't pay Jeny,

although I did cover his motel room, which brings up an important issue. You'll notice a significant expense for motel rooms in the financial numbers. It's important for a meet organizer to recognize that the meet officials will be relatively busy for 15 to 20 hours a day. Minimizing their personal distractions is important, and arguably the responsibility of the Meet Organizer. You don't necessarily have to provide motel rooms, as long as you make sure all your officials are comfortable and are not likely to be diverted from meet responsibilities by other personal situations (like drying out their camping gear from an unexpected rain squall). Hiring meet personnel incurs expense that depends on a lot of site variables. Weather conditions and the number of launches will determine how many wire people and launch timers you need. Having more than one person at goal is important, since pilots tend to come in groups, etc. This particular consideration was the big problem at Lal(eview since the promises I had from two different groups of people all fell through at the last minute, and we had to scurry around looking for pilots who were hanging around Lakeview to see if we couldn't arm bend them into working the launches. My recommendation to any future Meet Organizer is to go one step farther than I did and make sure you have the actual names of people willing to work the meet well in advance of the first day of competition. Further, even though it adds expense to the meet, I would have extra people committed for backup purposes. I gave out more plaques than is traditionally done in big meets and the results were very positive. Awards were given to the top five placing pilots as well as the top five pilots in both the rookie and women's classes. This approach was received very well, and in future meets, if money is tight, I would cut down on the quality of the plaques before I would cut down on the number of awards. Significant expense was incurred for administration and turnpoint photos. Most of this involved the printing of rulebooks as well as color copying of the area maps given to the pilots. Since Lakeview was a new area for a competition I had to HANG GLIDING

Competition Corner hire an airplane to take pictures of potential turnpoints and goals from the air. Photos could be talcen from a hang glider, only I recommend that an effort be made to take them from roughly the same AGL altitude and make sure they are all oriented in the same direction (facing north?). Brad Ream saved rhe meet a considerable amount of money by having the photos scanned and digitized so that the pictures could be printed out on a color copier. The good news is that these processes are getting cheaper, so it will be easier for future Meet Organizers to create this same kind of information package for the pilots. The starting method deserves some discussion since it impacts both the operational and financial side of a meet. Over rhe last couple of years, the air start has gained popularity for a number of reasons and is likely to be with us for some time. There are two kinds of air starts, the start tarp and the start line. The start tarp is the most common of the two. A tarp is rolled out and the pilots fly around it just like they would a turn point and take a photo on the way by. While this is the most common air start method and is the easiest for the meet officials to score, it is the most dangerous. This is because all the pilots are going to the same point at the same time generally separated only by altitude. Once there, they are taking a pictures of the tarp on the ground, which for a few moments diverts their attention from the busy airspace they occupy. While, to my knowledge, there haven't been real problems over the start tarp, I suspect that this is only the result of a combination of pilot skill and a fair amount of luck. The start line, as was used in Lakeview, is the same concept except that pilots must stay behind some line, and at start time a tarp is rolled out on the line. The pilots take a picture of the tarp from behind the line and continue on course. While this start method gives the pilots much more room to spread out, we found it more difficult to score and harder for the pilots at high altitude to see since they were significantly farther away from the tarp. I bring it up because I think the solution is to find some sort of bright light to use. The light would not only be easier for the pilots to see, but would show up better on film. FEBRUARY 1994

/f you're thinking about organizing a meet contact the local business community and ask what they are willing to throw into the pot. Use Lakevie~ Telluride1 and Ounlap1 Tennessee as examples of how holding a hang gliding event can be good for everyone involved. 11 11

Spealcing of film, one of the smaller problems in Lalceview revolved around processing the film. I didn't have a Photo Judge as most meets do and this would have been all right if all the film had been processed as promised. However, since the processing place dropped the ball, the meet officials had to waste valuable time chasing around after picture problems. I think it's important to have one person solely responsible for the collection, processing and evaluation of all film. Even if you ask this person to do other things, the film process should be his/her prime responsibility. If any of a meet's activities are talcing place on public lands it's likely that a special use permit will be required. Even though hang gliding may be a regular activity in the area, public agencies usually have an entirely different set of rules for organized activities such as competitions. It's usually not a big expense, but if care isn't taken with the appropriate public officials, the negative effects can be long term. I had to jump through some pretty silly hoops with the BLM to secure a use permit for one of the launches at Lakeview. The use permit only cost $30 and it would have been very easy for me to blow off their requests and hold the meet without the permit, but that likely would have made it harder for pilots to negotiate future site improvements. Giving out some sort of shirt to the

pilots in the meet has become a tradition. The types of shirts given out have ranged from basic T-shirts to the long-sleeved hooded sweat shirts given out by the Reynolds at the first Dinosaur Nationals. For future planning, a colored silkscreened T-shirt costs about $6-$8 and the embroidered polo shirts I had made for the Nationals cost about $15-$16. Of course, having an awards ceremony is important. Many meets have combined that ceremony with a party which sometimes includes dinner. It's not a necessity, but it sure does put a nice cap on the end of the meet. In the case of Lakeview the local Elks lodge put together a good dinner for $11 per person. I considered this an acceptable use of the pilot's entry fee and all the pilots I talked to agreed. Pilots have been complaining for some time about the cost of competitions. However, in questioning them individually I've found that, in general, they are more concerned with getting their money's worth than whether entry fees are $225 or $275. I hope that by publishing the financial information of the Lakeview meet, they will have more information with which to decide whether or not they are getting their money's worth. When I organize another meet in Lakeview the entry fees will likely be $40-$50 higher. While I didn't have to pay anything for the honor of putting on this competition, I figured the time I put into the meet was worth somewhere around $1.25 per hour. Normally that would be okay, except I convinced my wife that I would make enough money to pay for the new glider that showed up the day before the meet started. Actually, it was no big deal since, when it comes to hang gliding, I have no credibility with her anyway. I'd like to publicly thank Randy Adams, Sandy King, Gregg Lawless, Robert Combs, Lisa Jensen and Jerry Sorenson. They weren't paid nearly enough for all they did. Actually, that goes for most of the people on launch and at goal too. I'd like to thank Jules Gilpatrick for all the leg work prior to the meet, Brad Ream for doing a bang-up job on the rulebooks and maps, Rick Jacob and Cliff Whitney for donating the film and Barbara Kramer for keeping Randy in line.

11 Competition Corner No thank-you list would be complete without mentioning Barbara Gover, the Executive Director of the Lake County Chamber of Commerce. She put as much time into this meet as I did (maybe more?) and was a major reason for most of the logistical successes of the meet. While I suspect that Lake County pays her more than $1.25 per hour, the important thing is that she has done more to promote hang gliding in Lakeview than all of the rest of us combined. Every area in this country has some structure to promote business in the area and, approached right, that structure can be of enormous help to a meet organizer. While I don't want to discount the fact the Barbara and the citizens of Lakeview are very nice people who roll out the red carpet to other groups in

addition to hang glider pilots, the fact is that they also benefit from this connection. We calculated that the pilots, friends and other folks who came to Lakeview during the Nationals dropped about $100,000 into the local business structure. If you're thinking about organizing a meet, contact the local business community and ask what they are willing to throw into the pot. Use Lakeview, Telluride, and Dunlap, Tennessee as examples of how holding a hang gliding event can be good for everyone involved. If you have technical questions, ask the people who have meet organizing and management experience. I did, and found them very helpful. Done in the right fashion a big meet can be fun and prof- ~ itable for everyone involved. ~

The 1993 Year-Long Region IX Cross-Country Contest by Pete Lehmann

or the second year in a row the yearlong Region 9 X-C contest has been won with a flight that set a new Pennsylvania state record. The winner of this year's contest is Mike Neuman with a flight of 13 5 miles, only the fifth hundred-miler ever flown in the Region. The most impressive thing about his winning flight was the fact that he did it on a pretty ordinary day. He was turning 80% of the time in lift that averaged only about 200 fpm, and he was only occasionally above four grand AGL. He also crossed the unpleasantly wooded Allegheny Mountain stretch at a ballsy low altitude. A helluva flight. My second-place 95-mile flight, also from Templeton, Pennsylvania, had similarly mediocre conditions for the fast 50 miles until I got into the Allegheny Mountains around Altoona. The lift and altitudes became predictably better once I reached the big ridges, despite the late hour I got there. The third place flights of 34

The winner of this year's contest is Mike Neuman with a flight of 135 miles, only the fifth hundred-miler ever flown in the Region." 75 miles, by Paul Tidwell and Randy Newberry, were flown together from Peters Mountain. They flew for six hours, working the long mountain ridge until hopping over the back shortly before landing after seven o'clock. In fifth place was Ron Dively who got his longest flight in the East after getting 5,800 feet over the Pleasant Gap, PA launch and rudely wake-trashing a little hawk that was flying behind him. Mike Schlegel made it three

Aussie gliders in the top six with his longest flight ever (50 miles) flying from the Pulpit. Ohio tow pilots Dave Pigott and Larry Wright came next with the best flights of the year in that state. While the Open Class winners had some fine flights, perhaps more noteworthy were the surprising flights entered by many of the Rookie contestants. The winner of the Rookie Class was yet another Daedalus HGC pilot flying from Templeton, PA. David Lytle boosted himself into this year's Open Class with a 40mile flight on a day of beautiful fat lift. David's excellent flight, good for 10th overall, was one of five Rookie Class flights which promoted their pilots into this year's Open Class. Henry Turner, Daniel Haubeil, Mike Balk and Mike Field all exceeded the 25-mile mark to now join the big boys. Congratulations to all of them. I don't believe we have ever seen such a sudden improvement in the performance of the Rookie pilots. Indeed, of the 14 Rookies who entered the contest, more than half of them submitted flights. That is a creditable percentage, and they are all to be commended ~ for their performance. ~

1993 Year-Long Region 9 X-C Contest Results 1) Mike Neuman 135 HPAT 2) Pete Lehmann Combat 95 Sport 3) Paul Tidwell 75 4) Randy Newberry HPAT 75 5) Ron Dively 75 XS 6) Mike Schlegel 50 Combat 7) Dave Pigott 48 HPAT 8) Larry Wright 47 HPAT 9) Tad Eareckson 46 HPAT 10) David Lytle (R) 40 HPAT 11) Henry Turner (R) 38 S. Sport 12) Daniel Haubeil (R) 37 Formula 13) John Scott 33 HPAT 14) Jim Rowan 32 HPAT 15) Mike Balk (R) 32 MKIV 28 K2 16) John Pesch 17) Mike Field (R) 27 Sport 18) Steve Conner 26 Formula 19) Lany Huffman 23.5 XS 20) Mark Dunn 21 HP 21) Jody Pesch (R) 16.5 MK IV 22) Joe Simmers (R) 15 TRX 23) Kevin Madden (R) 14 Spectrum HANG GLIDING

AWoRLl> CLA~~ Pl LOT TA\<.E.S T~E Rlt>E. Of A 1...1Fe. TIME.

.. .

dered if emulation of Rob's support other male pilots would convince more women to take up rhc sport with their mates or friends. Now on her way ro a Gold Safe Pilot Award and her Hang lJl rating, Betsy is lit-erally a walking advertisement for the sport. A photo of her flight on the "bunny hill" dccor:1tcs the Wind Sports shop brochure.

Unlike Betsy, Kristen Greblo met her

husband Joe after starting her flying career

Ii Ii uring the

yc;irs my husband has been hang gliding, the teasing around the landing zone has been merciless about my desire to stay in from of my computer, and not behind an insnuctor on a tandem glider. But as an observer, I've had an opportunity to concentrate on the attitudes of the participants in this sport. As die occasional driver, waiting frir the Wind God or Goddess to bless my husband's flight, ['ve discussed the "why do you hang glide?" question with many pilots. An almost unanimous reason has been: Thcre'.r tl

freedom to rise above the mrth with nothin,~ but silence tis a tomprmion. I've had the feeling that there's more of an emotional attadunent to this reason in female pilots. Meet some of these ladies with whom I've rnlked and draw your own conclusions about their special dedication and promotion of the sport.

For months yo11've enjoyed Rob Richardson's sire reports. 'The special lady in Rob's lifo, his wifo flew in 2/i states, drove for Rob, and shared their 27-foot motor home with two dogs, one cit and three gliders. The agenda for their year-long cross-country tour t-ook them Ul some places where they knew they would be alone and

in 1976. In support of their Wind Sports hang gliding shop, Kris's explanations over the tclepholle could convince anyone to trust Joe on a tandem lesson. Delve into Kris's hours away from the shop 1hough, and you're on a magical journey of flying enthusiasm. At 5' 1" and 105 pounds it's hard to imagine Kris as a stunt woman, but she's a team member of Stunt Wings which supports the entertainment indus1ry. The group was formed by her husband, and he chorc:o""

where tow were necessary. With the help of Rob McKenzie at High Adventures Hang Gliding (Cresrline, California), Betsy spent a lot of weekends at Fl Mirage Dry Lake perfecting a technique to solve these problems. lt was only four years ago, and sevcrnl years after marrying Rob, that Betsy took up flying. Roh had decided to obtain his '] '.mdcm I rating. The catch Betsy needed her Hang I ratmg. can recall every moment and feeling when Rob presented her with a glass of champagne after she landed from her first high-altit11de flight. Taking pictures of her takeoff and her landing meant he also had to do some fast flying between launch and landing zone. For Betsy, "being together in the air has Kris (T'reblo as hang gliding ninja. Photo by 1am Sr:mders. Inset photo hecn special." I won by Marh Neisser.

I IANC CIIDINC

graphs all their stunts. Best oF all, Kris is paid to do what she likes best, Plus, she looks sninning in the super costmnes that accent commercials and movie appearances. Kris's size recently made her the perfect car1d1(1a11:e to pL1y a Ninja. Flying on a tan dem hang glider, she was dropped from a hot air balloon and flew roward a castle in Japan. more footage, they later flew from a seven-story building in I .os Angeles, performed a dean rakco/T, and made ,1 pictm·e·tiJe1·tc1::1: landing. 'fhat's less than five seconds from takeoff to landing, wirh no prior allowed. Whew! Hang gliding is number one on Kris's list of conveyances, but lime on her glider has recently been preempted by obtaining a private pilot's license. She intends to teach ultralight flying in Ghana in support of Friends of Animals, an animal rights gro11p. As a volunteer, Kris will teach ultralight fly. ing to the park rangers and the military in order that they might solve the severe poaching problem.

I met J. Shelly at her wedding to Stebbins, whom she had met a year earlier in the Kagel Mountain landing zone. She made a lovely bride. lt took a !or of convinc-ing, however, to get her Midwestern grand mother to wear tennis shoes to her very untypical wedding. In a wcll--coordinated ceremony at Kagel launch, using sci /:-pre-pared meditations, related their belief that a marriage has parties: you, me and us. Exch;rnging her lace skirt for pants, J. la1mchcd with for an hour-long tan·· dem flight before at a reception in the landing '.!.one. It was quite feat to plan the proper amount of' /-c)()d and cake since invitations had gone out to all Sylmar club members in the monthly newsletter. J. and had so much fun with their special they hated to leave.

hm that's the ultimate word for Sally Tbckcr. She's into jctskiing, white water rafring, and hiking. The facr that hang gliding paragliding arc very important is evidenced by her anro's license plate: I LU VHG. But the silence that so many pilots relish is not near so important. Sally has a impairment! FEBRUARY 1994

Competition, like hornework, is another way of improving skills. Each year Katherine Yardley serves as meet director for the Dahlstcn Cup Challenge at Kagel Mounrain. 'T'he tasks arc prepared to cxcr· cise all experience levels, and yet it's a day of social activities designed to promote club spirit. With a desire to "maximize her own skills," Katherine realized she did not enjoy competing against mher pilots. Following some discussions with Judy Leden, British national team member, Katherine decided to go fi.)r the ladies' distance record in 1988. Nine and onc--half hours and 163.8 miles later she achieved that goal. She lost it to the ,,v,1v•1·1·1e"' and determination of Kari Castle in 1989.

J. Shelbi tit her hang gliding wedding. Photo by Brirbam As a child Sally dreamt of flying an air· plane or a helicopter. Deciding that hang gliding was the only option open to her, the next step was finding an instructor. In 1990 this magazine published a story written by Rob Md(enzie. Its title was, "It's Rener to Teach Someone Who Can't Hear Than Someone Who Won't Listen." I [is account did not do justice to his dedication and support or Sally's desire to learn. Sally is now dedicated to bringing her idea of heaven to her friends as she assists Rob in other people with similar handicaps. They even have a special advcrbrochurc, and Rob has learned sign language. Up on the training hill Sally uses sign language to issue instructions to stu-· dents, and Hags arc used on the ground to signal approach direction. Thank goodness !cw knee pads, as landing instrnction 111rncd out ro be the toughest part. Sally's experiences have proven to be invaluable to her students, and there have been some exciting ones. It's not possible fr)r Sally to use awareness of airspeed from the sound of the wind to control her glider. Instead, she has learned ro judge it by fcel-ing the wind on her face and from the pres-surcs of the control har. Early in her flying career she found a I ,000 fi)ln thermal that sucked her into the clouds. Having done her homework, she realized that she would have to put her feet in the control bar and hands on the nose wires to create a dive steep enough to escape. How many pilots might have given up flying af'ter an encounter like that?

This record and so many other honors and challenges met by Kari have been appreciated and applauded in print. When l final·· ly did meet her I was struck by her quiet enthusiasm and femininity. No1 so with my husband and his two friends they were quite awed listening to her thorough descriptions of recent experiences, flying tcdmiqucs and sites. With 11 years of flying, Kari has thrived on competition since 1984. She has also had the encouragement of many male pilots. She's very quick w say, however, that "win .. ning doesn't necessarily me;m taking First place. I win as long as l learn, have fim and fly safely." Kari's an advocate of a well-rounded exercise program and a good diet to promote safety in the air and provide stamina.

Fellow pilots have pressed 'foby Fazio to heed Kari's advice. But at 50 years old and afrer 10 years of flying, it's tough to fault success. !r is not amusing, however, to watch 'foby carry her glider on the hip of her 105 .. pound frame. Thirty-minute flights once a week, however, could beat the aggregate records of some male pilots. 'There's so much animation in 'foby as she describes her flying dreams as a child, and such defeat when she tells of waking up to find herselflying in her own bed. I've met many women whose decision to fly was a

7oby Fazio 11t the Sylmar Dcrys hy Barbara Barley. direct rcsuh of these kinds of dreams. Do men have similar dreams, or arc they just unwilling to discuss them? One wonders if' Toby's dreams also included the color purple. She can be spot·· ted instantly on t:he or in the air because she owns a purple Honda glider, bag, harness, jeans, bat AND sunglasses. Promoting the Sylrnar club's civic dut:y every year, 'foby hangs from a glider in the Sylmar Parade while being pulled down rhc street by other club members. She's a better sport than I'd be when the glider becorncs more airborne than the intended one yard off the ground.

I know every dub has the support of special women just like these. Kari Castle made me understand what I'm missing as she summed up the special feeling of all the women who panicipate in this sport: "Hang gliding is a chance LO fulfill one's dream of flying with rhc birds and he one--ononc with nature."

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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

Barry Steele lmmches at Lake Keower:'., 'iXlt1terfest. Photo by

ears ago, l approached my local hang gliding communit-y about learning to fly. l described how I wanted to tow up over our beantiful lakes in upstate South Carolina. lt only made sense to me since I grew up near Cypress Gardens and now live on a lake. They quickly blew me off as another "wuffo." T hounded them about learning to fly unt:il finally, Steve Tedstone consented to teach me. J spent the lrnttest summer [ can remember carrying my glider up South Carolina Hang Gliding Association's Glassy Mountain training bill. That fall, I graduat· eel to the mountain. l still wanted to boat tow. Whenever T brought up the subject, the local pilots all had the same response: '"fhe only people who tow arc flatlanders. Trading a perfectly good mountain for a dangerous tow line is crazy." For this, I picked up the nickname "Towhead." While mountain flying, visiting pilors brought word of Beu Burrill, near Charlom:, NC:. He had been towing srn· dents and pilots on Lake FlBfWARY 1994

Powell

Norrn;111 for years. My girlfriend, Janice, and I made the trip. As a matter of fact, we made it most every weekend. Between us, we learned the basics or towing she from the driver's seat and me from up top. l constructed an ATOL-typc winch, attached it to her Master C:rafr ski boat and had Ben us a check ride. Everything was right. We took our technology home to Lake Keowce. Janice spent the next summer dragging me, then Mont:y Monza and Tom Kam across the sky. I'd set up a glider in the backyard on Friday afrernoon, we'd fly all weekend, then pack it up Sunday evening. Life was perfect. Still, the mountain purists insis1cd that a bor summer sled ride was st ill better than risking life and limb towing. We otherwise. Lake Keowec is the perfect towing site. Keowee is a ]-shaped lake with our homes and a nuclear power plant in the middle. From the plant there is a straight, unobstructed seven-mile section which runs north. 'fo rbc sourh there is about another 15 miles of lake. And with floars on our gliders we have an 18,000-acre LZ.

We usually tow on the north end or the lake because there arc no obstructions and the boat traffic is light. We tow both north and south when winds arc light mph). Winds between 5· 12 mph aren't a problem either. We launch into the wind and then gradually turn up the lake as the glider climbs out. Our winch has 4,000' of spectra finclinc. ·rhis takes us to 2,800-3,400 feet AGL when we release for a typically 20minute flight. But all flights aren't sled rides. Most people equate "sink" with boat towing. Don't believe it. [n the foll, the water holds the summer's heat causing lake thermals to form in the cooler air. In surnmcr, the surrounding land heats up faster than the lake. This creates some nicely defined flatland thermals within a half-mile of tow. In Florida they "ridge soar" multistory condominiums. On [ ,ake Keowec, the house thermal is behind the nuclear power plant. Duke Power's Oconee Nuclear Station is a site made for thcnnaling. Its 10 acres of concrete, buildings and asphalt start crank

ing out thermals in the early morning. A light southwest breeze is all it takes to coax them away from the restricted areas. (Did they install those windsocks for me?) It's a simple trick to release from tow a1 3,000 feet, fly over the pl am's visitor's center and grab ;:i thermal. Without a vario you can usually expect an hour-plus flight. The flight is limited only hy the patience of the tow/chase crew down below. About the time they finish 1heir second swim it's time to head for home. The first time I thennaled the plant, the (armed) security tearn was w::itching and waving at me from ashore. (They waved for 45 minutes.) I landed nearby to t,1lk to them. 'They promised to arrest me if I landed within the plant's security area. l knew that only a catastrophic failure and wind change would put me in that maze of power lines. So, l answered, "ff f had to land in that mess, I'd be happy if arrest were Lhc worst consequence. One of guards, a pilot, said they had no other concerns about us using the siic. He admired our maneuver·· ability, asked about lessons and invited us to land on the grassy visitor's center peninsula. We arc now a regular attraction for the employees and visitors as they wave to us from below. (Which makes me wonder: Who's minding the plant?) This summer was particularly hot with poor local mountain flying. The heat and the hang gliding hornies overwhelmed Steve. l Ie consented to come to the lake, swim and watch some towing. I demons tratcd three or four tows, some with hands···free releases. He decided that I seemed to be enjoying myself, and thought he might also survive the ordeal. After all, Steve needed some airtime. We strapped Steve into my f-IP II (he's normally a Scnsnr·l1cad). T went over the procedures again, and reassured him that he'd enjoy it. On the first Low flight he climbed to release at about 3,000 foct, floated around a bit, and caught a thermal. Janice and I sat in the boat, swam and discussed lunch, which was waiting back at the house. All the while, Steve kepi circling high over the trees. He lauded with an hour of airtime, we appointed him a "Fellow 'fowhcad," and celebrated with a late lunch. He couldn't wait to get back in the air several more times that afrcrnoon. We had a collvcrt. Steve demonstrated his towing skills a couple of weeks later as he and l were featured attractions at Seneca, Somh Carolina's annual Waterfest Event. With this success, the next event was rhc

The JIT()f,-style hotlt tow

Annual LcavcYourClidcr-at-Homc Camp-our on Lake Ilartwell. Janice and f arrived with boat and gliders ill tow, and we heard the familiar "You'll never get me in that," or "'!c)wing is too dangerous." But this time we also heard, "It's easy, you'll love it." Steve and I performed some "death defying" towing demonstrations, and after that every pilot wanted to try it. Everyone got to fly. All enjoyed it and decided that towing probably wasn'r all that death dcfyafrer all. Even stubborn Jeff Stewart changed his mind. Hmmm, maybe we shou Id start a business .... Seriously, A'TOL-style boat towing has got to be the easiest hang gliding 1hcrc is. ·rhe launches arc smooth, you climb out without bar pressure, fo1d a thermal, quit before you tire, and land anywhere. ·rhcn, you do ii again. Boat rowing is hassle free: no sharing a runway, no permission to obtain, no wrong wind direction, and fr:w obstructions. Best of all, you can find lakes or oceans throughout the com1try. Boar towing works exceptionally well for training new students. Both Ben Burrill in Charlonc: and James Tindle at Miami Hang Gliding tow new students. First flights with James arc l 0-minutc tandems. Students get the feel of flying the glider immediately, and solo after a couple of' weekends. Fewer students drop out since they immediately feel the thrill of h;ing gliding, and don't spend so much time on the (Y<J&!!(r,) training hill. They learn more quickly than students using the typical run-crash-review method. Weaker studcnrs (typically women) especially benefit from towing. Boat lowing's tolerance for a wider range of wind condi-tions presents fewer "clown days" and foster progress. The larger and softer LZ results in fewer broken gliders or students.

Get training from an cnccd tow crew, then pm your own boat tow rig together. You'll need an inboard or I/0 boat that can do at least: 40 mph in the waves you'll typically encounter. (Outboards arc hard to work around.) Winter is the time for boat: bargains in cooler areas of the country. Build or buy a winch, constrnct a glider rack, some floats and you're in business. Yo11 don't need to spend a lot of money. Figure about $2,500 to $8,000 for the boat. The winch can be built for under $300 with another $500 for line. The floats, rack and recovery parachute system can be assembled for another $50. ft's cheaper than buying your own mountain launch and LZ. ff you need help getting it together, give me a call. ! can recommend sources.

The author may he rnntacted at (803) Ed. 885-0949.

Experience the Endless Thermal, a season long hang gliding odyssey, superbly photographed ahovc the Northern California Coast, mountain lakes, Paradox, Colorado and

Lakeview, Oregon, by award winning photographer, John Blacct. You'll love it! Shol in lli-8, original music, 90 minu1c VllS.

$33.00 plus 2.90 Shipping U.S. (only NTSC available). California, add

1 Foreign Air tax.

lllacct Research, 15210 Orchanl Road, Guerncvillc, CA 954'16

HANC Cur )INC

Classifieds HANG GLIDING ADVISORY Used hang gliders should always be disassembled before flying for the first time and inspected carefully for fatigued, bent or dented downcubcs, ruined bushings, bent bolts (especially the heart bolt), re-used Nyloc nuts, loose thimbles, frayed or rusted cables, tangs with non-circular holes, and on Rogallos, sails badly torn or torn loose from their anchor points front and back on the keel and leading edges. If in doubt, many hang gliding businesses will be happy to give an objective opinion on the condition of equipment )'OU bring chem to inspect. Buyers should select equipment that is appropriate for their skill level or rating. New pilots should seek professional instruction from a USHGAcertified school.

BEAUTY & HIGH PERFORMANCE ...

UP TRX 140 - '92. Custom Sail: Hot pink UP arrows on curquoise blue. Small control bar with graphite downcubes. Prime condition with less than fifty hams $3,000. Visa/Mastercard accepted. (916) 373-0551/(800)-GLIDER-l.

ROGALLOS AAA ALL MOYES -

Gliders, harnesses, varios, etc. Best prices. (212) 567-2150.

AMAZING PRICES - Helmets, parachutes, rockets, variometers. SASE for sale flyer. Promotions Unlimited, 8181 Mission Gorge, Suite I, San Diego CA 92120-1600. AXIS 13 - Less than 10 hours, like new $1,400. (510) 232-3662.

!iacramento Hang Gliding BRAND NEW K5 - Custom sail. Lost job-must sell! Toni (408) 684- 2571. CANADIANS! - K2 145, <25 hours, looks brand new $3,200 Canada or $2,500 USO. (604) 7325416.

FIFTY-TWO LOOP WORLD RECORD GLIDER -

Mystic ((Special" with unique custon1 sail 1 excellent

condition, flies great. Featured in: USHGA "Aerobatik" poster, October 1988 & November 1989 HANG GLIDING covers, Tom Sanders film "Over The Edge" and Spectacular World Of Guinness Records TV show. Priced negotiable, call JOHN HEINEY, (801) 254-5285, Box 822, Riverton UT 84065. FORMULA I 54 - $1,500. (208) 342- 1350. GEMINI 131 - Excellent condition $800 OBO. Call Debra (813) 595- 2854. GLIDER BAGS -

Custom camo. XC $70., standard

$80., other colors. Sail Wings (50 I) 663-3166.

DOUBLE VISION - 1991, well use but perfect condition. Just inspected. Red, white & blue. Call Greg (919) 453-4800.

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

DREAM 160 - Excellent condition, rainbow colors $1,200 OBO. Janet (916) 283-0659. DREAMS IN STOCK - All sizes, Raven Sky Spans (414) 473-2003.

HARNESS - Raymond Equalizer streamlined harness. New double chute container, rocket mounting attachments, firs 5'9" to 6'2", great shape $295. (619) 286-5604. HP II - Full race, white LE, rainbow undersurface, many extras $1,200. Marcelo Zanetti (914) 9394018. HPAT 145 - '90, -175 hours, well maintained, custom sail featured in calendar, magazines $1,500. (619) 286-6045.

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. I (phone numbers-2 words, P.O. Box-1 word) I photos-$25.00 line art logos-$15.00 Deadline-20th of the month, six weeks before the cover date of I the issue in which you want your ad to appear (i.e., June 20 for 1 the August issue).

I Prepayment required unless account established. No cancellations and no refunds will be allowed on any advertising after deadline. Ad I insertions FAXed or made by telephone must be charged to a credit I card. I Please enter my classified ad as follows:

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 0, money order 0, is enclosed in the amount of $

I I I I

NAME: ·----------------ADDRESS:

I II

PHONE: @ .50 @ 1.00 -

L ______________________________________

FEBRUARY 1994

I I I I

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

E~ Classifieds HPAT 145 - Excellenc condition & colors. Best performing AT around $2,200. (303) 499-8236. HPAT 145 -

RAMAIR 154 - New, zero airtime, slightly blemished. Fantastic opportunity, immediate delivery. Below dealer cost $3,300. (717) 386-5104.

Flies great $1,400. (208) 233-7408.

HPAT 145 - Fluorescenc orange/green, looks like new, <80 hours. Never been crashed. I'm motivated, let's make a deal $1,995. Bob (714) 495-8051. HPAT 158 934-5403.

Custom sail, great shape $2,000. (619)

HPAT 158 449-0513.

Great shape, low hours $1,800. (303)

RAMAIR 154 - I new, I slightly blemished. Borh reduced because of overstock. (703) 533-1965. RAMAIR - <15 hours $3,100. '92 Foil Combat II 152, great condition $2,000. Raymond Equalizer, large, recent factory overhaul, plus Second Chanez ballistic rocket, w/24 gore chute $600. (208) 5222423 Idaho. RAVEN 209 - Good condition, rainbow sail, knee hanger harness, extras $600. (608) 269-2232.

HPAT 158 - April 92, all race cloth, all white w/bottom front 1/4 red panel $2,500. Ball inst. model 652, double arm base mount, flex neck's on air & stat $500. Raymond harness, 6' (adj.+/-3"), all white wired chandel at bottom, Second Chantz rocket & chute, custom $1,200. Reggie (619) 445-3633. HPAT 158 - Excellent, bright red, dark blue, asymmetric sail, sharp $1,895. (717) 386-5104. HPAT 158 - Great condition, priced to sell $1,300. (208) 785-0196. HPAT 158 - New 6/93, <10 hours. Immaculate!! Must sell $2,900. (505) 856-7843. K2 145 - Sweet with extras $2,300 OBO. Z3 for 5'5" pilot $300. AT 121 paraglider $2,800 0130. Call (818) 353-1923 leave message. K2 155 - Excellent condition, custom sail, 75 hours. Proven 100 mile performer. Must sell $2,000. (505) 856-7843. KISS 154 - All mylar world team glider in superb condition $1,400. Ball 652 deck, wirh all options $300. Ball 220H vario $75. (619) 575-4939. MAGIC IV 177 - Full race, low time, clean $1,000 OBO. Also Ball 652, Flight Designs harness w/chute, make offer. (303) 241-7606. MARK IV 17 - Great condition. Hot pink, yellow, blue. Magic Kiss sail design $1,800 OBO. (719) 5987185. MOYES GTR 162VG - Excellent condition, low hours, must sell $700 OBO. (805) 682-4835.

SENSOR 510B- 160, good condition $600. (617) 860-3032 ask for Ron. SENSOR 5IOC - Yellow LE, pink double surface, blue upper surface, white TE. Very good condition $900 OBO. (704) 298-4368. SENSOR 510E SS- E66 concrol bar, <10 hours airtime, is in new condition $2,200 OBO. (303) 5301985. SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA USED GLIDER REFERRAL - BUY-SELL-CONSIGN, ALL MAKES, MODELS. CALL TODAY (619) 4501894 OR (619) 450-9008. SPECTRUMS & VISIONS - Bought-Sold-Traded. Raven Sky Sports (414) 473-2003. SPORT 167AT - Speed bar, extra flared down tubes, tear stop TE $1,900. (708) 894-5858. SPORT 167 EURO - Full race, good condition, speedbar, flies great $1,050 includes shipping. (617) 471-6538. SUPER SPORT 163 - <40 hours, folding controlbar, yellow/blue undersurface, excellent condition. Must sell, getting married $2,800. (305) 285-8978, ask for James. TRX 140 - 1992, green/black bottom surface, all white main sail. Flies great, well cared for, only $2,150 OBO. Call Glen at w(619) 458-3370, h(619) 223-6946. TRX 140 - Flown one season, good shape $2,200 OBO. (407) 588-4521.

MOYES XS 155 - Beautifol, heaviest cloth, removable fins, orange LE, yellow/orange undersurface, new wires, new bag $1,800. (801) 561-0954.

TRX 160 - Slightly used, flies great, overstock $3,000. (703) 533- 1965.

MOYES'XS2 142 - June '92, good condition $1,950 OBO. (415) 964- 8326.

TRX 160 - 1.5 years old, excellent condition, never whacked $2,200 OBO. (619) 697-4530 Dave.

MOYES WORLD BEATER 162 - With kingpost hang system and XS tips. Surfcoat LE with hot pink and neon green wedge DS $975. (909) 391- 2812.

TRX 160 - Flown one season, good shape $1,850. (718) 638-2054 NY area.

RAMAIR 154 361-1531.

New $3,600. Need cash. (702)

UP XTR 145 VG - Flown half season, good shape $1,700 OBO. (407) 588-4521.

VISION MARK IV 17 - 1988, good condition, white sail with silver leading edge $1,200. Also available, new ABSAC harness with Second Chantz compressed air rocket with chute, Lambie Lid foll face helmet. Call for price. 1-800-938-8162, ask for Dan. VISION MKIV 17 (510) 843-5914.

Z2 pod, helmet, inst. $2,000.

VISION MK IV 17 - <10 hours, rrilam LE, mylar TE, crisp sail. Call Finbar at (818) 798-1661. VISION PULSE 11 M (303) 278-9566.

<2hrs flight time $2,800

VISIONS & SPECTRUMS - Bought-Sold-Traded. Raven Sky Sports (414) 473-2003. WILLS WING SPORTS - Several models to choose from, all in great condition, priced to sell. (602) 7746410. WW COCOON - 5'7"-5'9" with chute, will ship $300. (812) 847-1856. COLORADO HANG GLIDING "Celebrating Over 20 Years of Sales and Support!" REGION IV'S OLDEST, LARGEST FULL-TIME STORE. RESERVE CHUTES, (All Sizes) never used, inspected, repacked w/new bridle and bag.................. $265 ................................................. (20 ft. PDA's $300) VARI OS/ ALT. ............... (Used, All Brands) .... $150+ USED HARNESSES ...................................... $75+ NEW, USED PARAGLIDERS .. (All Brands) .. $500+ NEW HELMETS ......... (All Brands, Styles) ... $49+ NEW PARASAILS ......... (Large) ..................... $1,175 VISION PULSE (l lM). I FLIGHT ............... $2,800 VISION MK IV 19 ........ <3 HOURS ............. $1,700 SPORT EURO 150 F.R .. <15 HOURS .......... $1,500 MAGIC III .................... <40 HOURS ........... $800 EXCEL 160 .................... <50 HOURS ........... $800 HP II 185 ....................... <35 HOURS ........... $700 LT DREAM 185 ............ <60 HOURS ........... $600 COMET 165 ................. <60 HOURS ........... $550 DUCK 160 .................... <50 HOURS ........... $500 LANCER 180 ................ <40 HOURS ........... $425 PRODAWN, PROSTARII 160 .. ..................................... <25 HOURS ........... $425ea SEAGULL SEAHAWKS .. 4 TOTAL .............. $100 ea "Safety is our profession, quality our promise - Since 1972" Equipmenc I 00% Guaranteed, inspected. (303) 278-9566 M-F 9-5. GOLDEN WINGS 1103 Washington Avenue, Golden, CO 80401 TOLL FREE ORDER PHONE 1-800-677-4449 or (303) 278-7181 Magic Formula 154 ............ Exc. Cond .......... $1,900 Magic Formula 154 w/spare down tubes ........ $1,700 Mystic 177 VG ............ Great for towing ........ $800 Euro Sport 150's & 167's .................. $1,700-$1,900 Several Vision MK IV 17's & 19's ..... $1,300-$1,700 Vision MK IV 19 ................. Brand New ....... $2,900 Several other good gliders, $400-$1,000. Call for a complete listing. HANG GLIDING

Classifieds ~~ EMERGENCY PARACHUTES A BEST BUY! - $265, never deployed, new bridle, bag (PDA's $300). Inspected and repacked, all sizes. Fully Guaranteed! Colorado Hang Gliding (303) 2789566. ALL BRANDS - Bought, sold, and repacked. Inspection and repack $25.00 - Parachutes, bridles, inspected and replaced. AIRTIME OF SAN FRANCISCO, 3620 Wawona, San Francisco, CA 94116. (415) SKY- 1177. HIGH ENERGY - 22 gore chute, 4 years old, fresh repack $225. (619) 286-6045. HIGH ENERGY 22' - New, never installed, with manual, scored in closet, vent cap $300. (503) 6895122. PARAGLIDERS EDEL AERO 27M - Beginner/intermediate $750. With harness $800. (619) 575-4939. NEW AND USED - Paragliders, most brands $500-$3,000. Colorado Paragliding (303) 278-9566. NOVA PHANTOM 27M - World class performance, w/race lines, excellent condition $1,500. (619) 575-4939. UP, \X11LLS, EDEL - $795+. Instruction, tandems. Southern California (909) 654-8559. RIGID WINGS

WANTED - Used hang gliding equipment. Gliders, instruments, harnesses and parachutes. Airtime of San Francisco, 3620 Wawona, San Francisco, CA 94116. (415) SKY-1177. SCHOOLS & DEALERS ALABAMA LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN FLIGHT PARK ad under Georgia. (800) 688- LMFP.

See

ROCKET CITY AIRSPORTS - Instruction, sales & service at Keel Mm., Gurley, AL. For information send SASE and $1 to 301-A Franklin Street, Huntsville AL 35801 or call (205) 776-9995 or (205) 880- 8512.

ADVENTURE SPORTS TOURS - Certified instruction utilizing the world's first man-made training hill plus other sites which all face every wind direction. Dealer for Pacific Airwave, Wills Wing, Ball and High Energy, 1327 E. Bell De Mar Dr., Tempe, AZ 85283 (602) 897-7121. DESERT HANG GLIDERS - USHGA certified instruction. Supine specialists. 4319 W. Larkspur, Glendale, AZ 85304. (602) 938- 9550. ZONIE HANG GLIDING - Tandem & Certified FAA instruction: CF!I/MEI ATP. Always looking for used equipment especially for female students. 4326 \YI. Mariposa Grande, Glendale AZ 85310. (602) 582- 4471. ARKANSAS

WANTED! - Fledge III or ET, must be new or absolutely perfect. (503) 668-8206.

SAIL WINGS PARAGLIDING/HANG GLIDING - "We'll bring our training program co you!" PO Box 5593, Little Rock AR 72215. (501) 663-3166 phone/fax.

FORl'vlULA 154 - & Minimum power unit, rigged, complete. 20 hours on pretty Formula, 1 hour on power unit $3,895 negotiable. (512) 467-2529 anytirne.

TRIKES - Offer great additional air time for hang glider pilots. Original design american trikes, new from Ultralight Aviation, 1117 Cold Harbor Dr., N. Las Vegas NV 89030. (702) 399-4044. TRIKES TRIKES TRIKES - And accessories. $12.00 info' pack, Jefferson Aero Sports, 15120 Skelton Rd, Jefferson OR 97352, (503) 327-1730. WANTED CHILE OR COSTA RICA - I'm seeking information on sites and contacts for hang gliding in Chile or Costa Rica. Please call Thomas (312) 431-7639.

CHANDELLE SAN FRANCISCO, INC. Complete hang gliding and paragliding sales, service and instruction since 1973. Northern California's most complete repair faciliry. New and used equipment and demo's, lesson packages, clinics and tandem lessons. 1595 E Francisco Blvd Ste F, San Rafael CA 94901, (415)-GLIDING.

ARIZONA

SWIFT -All options, low hours. (415) 383-9604.

ULTRALIGHTS

AIRTIME OF SAN FRANCISCO - HANG GLIDING & PARAGLIDING. Complete, safe & fun, USHGA certified training program. Mountain clinics & ground schools. ALL MAJOR BRANDS. Quality airframe and sewing by factory trained repair technicians. Parachute services. Large selection of 2nd hand gear (buy & sell). Rentals available. Next co Fort Funston. The only full service shop in San Francisco! 3620 Wawona, San Francisco CA 94116. (415) 7591177.

COMPACT WINGS PARAGLIDING - Tandem, Class III certified instructor. All major brands. Yearround flying. Best Southern California site. (909) 654-8559. FLIGHT SYSTEMS - New location. Dealer for the BIG THREE, \X11LLS WING, PACIFIC AlRWAVE and MOYES. All kinds of accessories. I understand the existing pilots need to get a sweet deal! I need trade-ins. Call me last. "I'll eat a bug." DAN SKADAL@ FLIGHT SYSTEMS, 1915B E. Karella, Orange CA 92667. 714-(new)639-7777. HANG GLIDER EMPORIUM - Best training hill in rhe west! Full service hang gliding/paragliding shop, established 1974. PO Box 41339, Santa Barbara CA 93140-1339, (805) 965-3733. THE HANG GLIDING CENTER - Located in beautiful San Diego. USHGA instruction, equipment rentals, local flying tours. Spend your winter vacation flying with us. \Y/e proudly offer Wills Wing, Pacific Airwave, High Energy, Ball and we need your used equipment. PO Box 1049, Lakeside CA 92040, (619) 561-1009.

CALIFORNIA A BEAUTIFUL SOARING EXPERIENCE Awaits you at Torrey Pines Glider Pore, a full service USHGA certified hang gliding & paragliding school located on the most soarable coastal cliffs in the nation. On-site training hill and tandem instruction using the new dual purpose, lightweight carbon fiber XTC 205 for both (fly tandem on the same glider you use on the training hill). New/used gliders, equipment in stock. Buy/trade used gliders/gear, rentals, glider repair. Get UP. 2800 Toney Pines Scenic Drive, La Jolla CA 92037. (619) 452-3202. ACTION SOARING CENTER - In Lodi near Stockton. Personalized USHGA certified instruction, sales and service. Emphasis on special skills, techniques, launching & landing. Demo's. Ask about cow clinic. (209) 368-9665.

HIGH ADVENTURE - Hang gliding, paragliding school. Equipment sales, service, rentals at Southern California's mile high site, Crestline. USHGA Instructor Rob McKenzie. By appointment year round. (909) 883-8488.

FOR IMMEDIATE PURCHASE- Yarnell or other stationary type winch. Bill Finn (417) 883-3091.

FEBRUARY 1994

E~ Classifieds GEORGIA

LAKE ELSINORE SPORTS - Certified flight school. Tandem instruction. The area's only HIGH ENERGY SPORTS SHOP. Located at the base of the mountain on Highway 74 in Lake Elsinore. RENTALS: Mountain bikes, jet skies, etc. Area maps available. Open 7 days a week 9-6. Contact Paul or Fawn at (909) 674-2453.

GOLDEN WINGS - Lessons, sales & service. USHGA certified instruction. 1103 Washington Avenue, Golden CO 80401. (303) 278- 7181.

LAKE ELSINORE WINDGYPSY - Airwave, Moyes, AS!. Call for site information. (909) 6798994.

TELLURIDE AIRSPORTS - Moyes, Pacific Airwave, Wills Wing, Flycec & Ball. PO Box 2076, Telluride CO 81435. (303) 728-9525.

MISSION SOARING CENTER - Serving the flying community since 1973. Complete pilot training program with special attention ro take-off and landing skills. Custom superlite training gliders. Comfortable training harnesses! Deluxe retail shop. Wills, PacAir, UP, demos, new gliders in stock! Best trade-in prices. Try all the new harnesses in our simularor. Large selection of specialized equipment, beginner to XC. 1116 Wrigley Way, Milpitas (near San Jose) CA 95035. (408) 262-1055.

CONNECTICUT

CENTRAL FLORIDA FLYERS - Certified tandem tow instruction. Sales, parts and full-service for all major glider and equipment manufacturers. Call (407) 894-5715.

IDAHO

TOP FLITE HANG GLIDING - USHGA certified instruction. Hang gliders & supplies. Servicing Merced, Modesto & Stockton areas. (209) 874- 1795.

LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN FLIGHT PARK Nearest hang gliding mountain training center to Florida. See ad under Georgia.

TREASURE VALLEY HANG GLIDING Airwave, Moyes, UP. Demo's, ratings, tours, service. (208) 376-7914.

TRUE FLIGHT HG SOARING SCHOOL- USHGA Certified Instruction, Sales & Service. Become a better pilot in less time with our small personalized classes & tandem instruction. Our head instructor has over 13 years teaching experience. Only minutes from our local Kagel Mountain flying site. 13525 Eldridge, Sylmar, CA 91342. (818) 367-6050.

NO MORE BUNNY...

ILLINOIS

W!NDSPORTS - LA's largest since 1974. Fifteen minutes from LAX. Central ro Sylmar, Crestline, Elsinore and training sites. Vacation training, flying and glider sales packages including lodging and rentals. The most popular gliders and equipment, new and used in stock. Trade in your old equipment. 325 sunny days each year. Come fly with us! 16145 Victory Blvd., Van Nuys CA 91406. (818) 9880111, Fax (818) 988-1862. WRIGHT BROTHERS WINGS - Friendly USHGA certified instruction, using training sites in the Modesto area. Gliders and equipment from UP lnt'l, AS!, Ball, BRS, High Energy, Raymond, Second Chanez and more. (209) 586-6012 Sonora CA. COLORADO COLORADO CLOUDBASE - Guided tours, drivers, videos, accessories. (719) 630-7042, FAX (719) 630-8126. PO Box 16934, Colorado Springs CO 80935. COLORADO HANG GLIDING/PARAGLIDING - Celebrating over 20 years of lessons and sales. 1st USHGA certified school in the U.S.A. Region's largest and oldest. Operating full time since 1972. (303) 278-9566.

LID ENTERPRISES - Sail and harness repair Equipment manufacturing - Towing supplies - 5000 Butte #183, Boulder, CO 80301 (303) 440- 3579.

MOUNTAIN \xrINGS- Look under New York. FLORIDA

THE HILL WITH IT!

(::_ -

We have the most advanced training program known to hang gliding, reaching you in half the time it takes on the training-BUNNY HILL, and with more inflight air rime. YES, WE CAN TEACH YOU FASTER AND SAFER. Check and Compare: • USHGA Cerrifiecl Instruction. • Certified Tandem Instructor's. • First Flight at over 1,000 feer. • From Zero to Solo in less than 3 days. • The Country's Largest Landing Area; No Trees, No Rocks, No Dirr! • Full Service Shop. New and Used Gliders (all brands). Harnesses. Tow Lines and Tow Releases. Floats. Accessories. For year-round training fun in the sun, call or write Miami Hang Gliding: (305) 285-8978. 2640 S Bayshore Drive, Coconut Grove, Florida 33133.

LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN FLIGHT PARK America's #1 hang gliding center, flying site. Find out why three times as many pilots earn their mountain wings at Lookout! Complete certified training-"bunny hill" ro mountain soaring. We wrote USHGA's Official Flight Training Manual! Our specialties: footlaunch, tandem and aerotowing instruction, first mountain flights, customer service and satisfaction. Lesson packages, ratings, glider rentals. Largest inventory new/used hang gliders, equipment. Complete sail/airframe repairs. Camping ($2/person), swimming pool. Send $2 for information packer. Route 2, Box 215-H, Rising Fawn GA 30738 (20 minutes from Chattanooga, Tennessee) (800) 688-LMFP, (706) 398- 3541. SEQUATCHIE VALLEY SOARING SUPPLY See our ad under Tennessee.

RAVEN SKY SPORTS - (312) 360-0700 or (708) 360-0700. Please see our ad under WISCONSIN. INDIANA

JJ MITCHELL- TANDEM. UP, PacAir, ASI dealer. 6741 Columbia Ave., Hammond, IN 46324 (219) 845-2856. KENTUCKIANA SOARING - See ad under parts. RAVEN SKY SPORTS - (414) 473-2003. Please see our ad under WISCONSIN. MICHIGAN NEW TO SE MICHIGAN - Moyes Draggin' Fly, aerotowing, certified instruction. Call Bill Cuddy (313) 798-2450. PRO HANG GLIDERS - MICHIGAN'S most experienced instruction. Teaching since 1976-Safety is #1. Beginner thru advanced lessons. Wills Wing specialists. Towing for 10 years. Contact Norm Lesnow, 569 W. Annabelle, Hazel Park MI 48030. (313) 3999433. TRAVERSE CITY HANG GLIDERS/PARAGLIDERS - FULL-TIME shop. Certified instrnction, 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 (616) 922-2844. MINNESOTA

EAGLE'S NEST SCHOOL OF HANG GLIDING/PARAGLIDING - USHGA certified instruction. Sales and service. P.O. Box 25985, Colorado Springs, CO 80936 (719) 594-0498.

SPORT SOARING CENTER/MINNEAPOLIS Instruction, equipment dealers for \Xlills Wing, Pacific Airwave & Edel. (612) 557-0044.

HANG GLIDING

Classifieds NEVADA

NEW JERSEY

KJTTY HAWK KlTES, INC. - P.O. Box 1839, Nags Head, NC 27959 (919) 441-4124. Learn to hang glide on Jockey's Ridge, the largest sand dune on the east coast, just south of where the Wright Brothers' first flight rook place. Beginner and advanced lesson packages and camps offered. Advanced tandem tow instruction, 1500 ft. plus up. Dealer for all major brand gliders, complete inventory of new and used gliders, accessories and parts.

MOUNTAIN WINGS- Look under New York.

OHIO

NEW MEXICO

SKY\'7ARD ENTERPRISES - MARIO MANZOBasic instructor. Frame & sail repair. Seedwings, CG1000. Dayton/Chillicothe. (513) 256-3888 weekday evenings.

ADVENTURE SPORTS - Sierra tours our specialty - USHGA certified school and ratings. Dealers for Pacific Airwave, Wills Wing, UP, Enterprise Wings. Fly the Sierras with a full-service shop. 3650 Research Way, Carson City, NV 89706 (702) 883-7070.

UP OVER NEW MEXICO - Instruction, sales, service. Sandia Mountain guides. Wills, Pacific Airwave. Albuquerque, NM (505) 821-8544. NEW YORK AAA MOUNTAIN WINGS HANG GLIDING CENTER AND FLIGHT PARK - Now offering PARAGLIDING instruction and sales. Base of ELLENVILLE MTN. Four exclusive training hills. Area's only dealer for Pacific Airwave, UP, Seedwings and Delta Wing with demos in stock. We are the largest, most complete H.G. accessory and repair shop of its kind in the country. Many new and used gliders in stock. RIC supplies and kits, Ultra Pod camera S)'Stems. VISA and MASTERCARD accepted. Stop in and get your flight pass and gate combo. 150 Canal St., Ellenville, NY 12428 (914) 647-3377. In N.E. 1800-525-7850. FLY HIGH HANG GLIDING, INC. - Serving S. New York, Connecticut, Jersey areas (Ellenville Mtn.). Area's EXCLUSIVE Wills Wing dealer/specialist. Also all other major brands, accessories. Certified school/instruction. Teaching since 1979. Area's most INEXPENSIVE prices/repairs. Excellent secondary instruction ... if you've finished a program and wish to continue. Fly the mountain! ATOL towing! Tandem flights! Contact Paul Voight, RD 2, Box 561, Pine Bush, NY 12566, (914) 744-3317. IKAROS HANG GLIDING - NYC's only certified school. Exclusive MOYES dealer. (212) 567-2150. SUSQUEHANNA FLIGHT PARK Cooperstown, NY. Certified Instruction, Sales and Service for all major manufacturers. 40 acre park, 5 training hills, jeep rides, bunk house, camping, hot showers, 600' NW ridge. We have the best facilities in N. New York state to teach you how to fly. RD 2, Box 348A, Cooperstown, NY 13326, (315) 8666153. NORTH CAROLINA COROLLA FLIGHT -America's most experienced tandem flight instructor, reaches utilizing ATOL and Double Vision. Call or write for information Greg DcWolf, Corolla Flight, PO Box 1021, Kitty Hawk NC 27949. (919) 261-6166

FEBRUARY 1 994

NORTH COAST HANG GLIDING - Certified Instruction. New & used gliders. Specializing in Pacific Airwave gliders. Mike Del Signore, 1916 W. 75th St., Cleveland, OH. 44102 (216) 631-1144.

TEXAS A.A.S. AUSTIN AIR SPORTS -

Certified insrruc-

tionJ sales and service for most 1najor n1anufacturers.

Tandem instruction available. Tow- launched training programs for Hang I-Hang IV pilots. Mountain flying in Mexico year round. Write to Steve Burns at 1712 Waterson, Austin TX 78703 or call Austin (512) 4741669, Houston (713) 471- 1488, or San Antonio (210) 824-1803. KITE ENTERPRISES - Instruction, sales, repairs, towing and foot launch. Dallas & North Texas area. 211 Ellis, Allen TX 75002. (214) 390-9090 anytime. Dealer, Pacific Airwave, Wills Wing. RED RIVER AIRCRAFT - AUSTIN (512) 4672529. FT. WORTH (817) 921- 6957. Quality instruction, tours/guides/towing/glider service. Texas' leading PacAir and Wills dealer. 4811 Red River, Austin, TX 78751 **' 3108 Frazier, Ft. Worth, TX 76110.

OREGON UTAH AIRTIME OREGON - Certified instruction, service, repair and sales of new and used equipment. Dealer for PacAir, WW, Moyes, UP and AS! hang gliders; AirTek, Diablo, Espace and Corvette paragliders. Call Tom at (503) 998-1220. SOUTHERN OREGON HANG GLIDING Certified instruction, ATV retrieval. Pacific Airwave, Wills Wing, UP. (503) 479-5823. PENNSYLVANIA MOUNTAIN TOP RECREATION - Certified instruction, Pittsburgh. (412) 697-4477. C'MON OUT AND PLAY! MOU NTAlN WIN GS -

Look under New Yark.

REBEL WINGS HANG GLIDING - USHGA certified instruction. Operations conducted at Bauer Ridge and Jedi Jump. Dealer for UP, PacAir, High Energy, Ball. Mountain tours, service & repairs. (801) 882-7042. UP SOARING CENTER - Full service hang gliding & paragliding school. USHGA certified instruction (year-round) at the nation's most consistently soarable site (minutes away). New/used gliders, equipment in stock. Buy/trade used gear. Airframe/sail repairs performed at factory. Mountain clinics, tandem, ratings, ICP's, rentals, seminars, pilots lounge/videos, near-by camping/motels. 12665 S. Minuteman Dr., Draper UT 84042 (20 minutes from Salt Lake City). (801) 576-6460, fax (801) 576-6482. MC/Visa accepted.

TENNESSEE ALPINE LODGE - At Raccoon Mountain, formerly Crystal Air Sport Morel. Private rooms, bunkhouse, jacuzzi, pool. Work program. (615) 821-2546 Chattanooga, Chuck or Shari.

WASATCH WINGS- USHGA certified hang gliding school, dealers for Wills Wing, Moyes and Pacific Airwave. Flight operations at Point of the Mountain. Call Gordon (801) 277- l 042. VIRGINIA

HAWK AIRSPORTS INC - P.O. Box 9056, Knoxville, TN 37940-0056, (615) 933-9296. Hang Gliding and Windsoks.

KITTY HA WK KITES -

LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN FLIGHT PARK ad under Georgia.

SILVER WINGS, INC. - Certified instruction and equipment sales. Proudly representing Pacific Ainvave, Wills Wing, Seedwings & UP. (703) 5331965 Arlington VA.

See

SEQUATCHIE VALLEY SOARING SUPPLY Certified, two place flight instruction and first mountain flights are our specialties. Rentals, storage and ratings available. Dealers for all major brands. Located in the "Hang Gliding Capital of the East". For personal, professional service you can rrust, call SVS, RT 2 Box 80, Dunlap, TN 37327. (615) 949-2301.

See North Carolina.

WISCONSIN RAVEN SKY SPORTS HANG GLIDING AND PARAGLIDING - Largest and most popular in the Midwest. Traditional curriculum, ridge soaring, mountain clinics, Dragonfly aerotowing & tandems by Brad Kushner. Sales/service/accessories for all major brands. PO Box 101, Whitewater WI 53190 (414) 473-2003.

~~ Classifieds PARTS & ACCESSORIES AIR KEVLAR HELMETS - Full face, purple or gray $325. Raven Sky Sports (414) 473-2003.

BALL M50 - \Xfith all options including airspeed, TE, barograph, ere., only I year old $600. (619) 2866045.

USHGA instructor Tom Sapienza, owner of Airtime Oregon says, ''I've tested & recommend Wind Advisory to all New & Intermediate pilots!"

WIND ADVISORY

BIG WHEELS -- Smrdy, rough, lightweight, excellent for training, solo/tandem flying, any basecube. $42.95/set, quantity discounts. Immediate delivery. Lookout Mountain Flight Park, (800) 688-LMFP, (706) 398- 3541.

HELP You LAUNCH & FLY SAFE!

BLACKHAWK POD HARNESS - 5'10" to 6'1", excellent condition $300 OBO. Sentek vario/alcimeter, new condition $300 OBO. (703) 941- 2804.

(With Poplin Storage Bag)

(Box With Speed Conversion Chart)

ALL NEW ULTRA-LIGHT LAMBIE LID -The lightest, most comfortable hang glider helmet. Aerodynamic, low turbulence, low drag shape. Hightech look. Finish is clear resin over the gold/black weave of the super-strong carbon/kevlar outer shell. Open face, only 12 oz., price $175. Integral full face version, only 17 oz. $235 includes headset installation. Measure around head and from bottom of earlobe over top to bottom of earlobe for custom fit. From the designer, Jack Lambie, 8160 \'{/oodboro, Anaheim CA 92807. Phone and fax (714) 779-1877.

"Product of the Year"

Temperature compensated altimeter to 60,000 feet with aircraft altimeter precision in IO foot increments. Records your highest altitude and best climb throughout the day, week, or year. Displays temperamre, barometric pressure and trends. Fully adjustable wristband can be worn over your flight suit for quick access and easy viewing of performance data. Simple-pictures guide you through the functions. All functions i11 English or metric display. Business Week's PRODUCT OF THE YEAR. Made in the USA. Only $120 includes 24 hour U.S. shipping. Visa/MC accepted. SATISFACTION GUARANTEED! 30 DAY MONEY BACK, 2 YEAR REPLACEMENT WARRANTY. Call Owens Valley Soaring (619) 387-2673.

DEPENDABLE Wind tunnel tested & calibrated. BUILT TO LAST Impact & corrosion resistant. WIND ADVISORY With Mounting Bracket .$24.50 (includes S/H-You Save $2.50) Sold separately: WIND ADVISORY Indicacor. ........... $15 + $2 s/h MOUNTING BRACKET.. ................ $8 + $2 s/h (Specify long or short bracket w/ your order.) Foreign orders add $2 per item purchased. Send check or MO to: Pacific Resources USA, PO Box 9064, San Diego CA 92169. (619) 270- 9462. Satisfaction Guaranteed! BOLT-ON \'{!HEELS - Best removable intermediate/advanced wheels. Sturdy, rough, 6" diameter. Won't pop off basetube like snap-on's. Separate hub has hole for VG sering though it, remains on basembe. Removable wheel halves screw together using thumb screws. $99/set, quantity discounts. Immediate delivery. Lookout Mountain Flight Park, (800) 688LMFP, (706) 398-3541.

CLOUD BASE HARNESSES - Tired of that aching back? Let 22 years of experience custom tailor you a harness. Pods, spaghetti's, cocoons, knee-hangers, training harnesses, repairs, custom designs and now the FLEX. Also, a front entry, water cowing harness, with an approved ski vest enclosed. Cloudbase/Chris Smith, RR 1 Box 660, Rising Fawn GA 30738. (706) 398-3964.

Our advertising has a two-month lead time plan ahead.

GRADE A SHEEPSKIN hand fairings. REDESIGNED FOR SUPERIOR COMFORT, with NEW MAP POCKETS standard. Warmest hand fairings in the world. Send $47 co Wyo. Aerolites, PO Box 880, Casper WY 82602. (307) 235- 3367, add $15 for X-large. Custom orders accepted. HANG GLIDER AND TRIKE PILOTS - Lexan "Wind blockers". Keep your hands warm. Block the wind, not your view. Attractive and functional. Easy on/off. Free shipping. $39.95, kits $24.95, information $2. Serene Scenes, 407 S. Stadium Rd, Oregon OH 43616. (419) 836-7973.

Sell your unused equipment here.

HANG GLIDING

Classifieds FAX your classified ad, membership renewal or merchandise order: HIGHEST QUALITY HELMETS DOT approved. At super affordable prices. $49 and $89 respectfully. Both have brushed nylon liner with high strength polycarbonate shell. Colors available. New dealers welcome. (303) 278-9566.

HIGH PERSPECTIVE WHEELS-REAL LIFE SAVERS! - 12", light, tough. Fits all gliders. Send $37 + $3.95 shipping per pair to Sport Aviation, PO Box IOI, lv!ingoville PA 16856. Ask abour our dealer prices. L!TEK VARIO/ALTIMETER - $235. Yaesu FM mobile 25 wans $125 OBO. (209) 252-1138.

OXYGEN SYSTEMS

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

ELECTRONIC ON-DEMAND o 2 SYSTE1v[ Only $799.95 with 180 liter cylinder (not shown) +S/H, and XCR-180 is now only $349.95, with remote on/off valve and NELSON tvpe flow control regulator & oximizer. Major credit cards. Mountain High E&S CO. 516 12th Avenue, Salt Lake City UT 84103 USA. 1-800-468-8185, fax (801) 364- 6207. MINI VARIO - \Xlorld'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. Mallettec, PO Box 15756, Santa Ana CA, 92705. (714) 541-2625.

QUICK RELEASE CARABJNER - $49.95. Extra ball lock pin, $29.00. 10,000 lbs., dealers welcome, patent pending. Thermal 19431-41 Business Center Drive, Norrhridge, CA 91324. (818) 701-7983.

maxon·

sP-2CXXJ Series

IO-CHANNEL PROGRAMMABLE MAXON SP 2550 - 5 watt two-way radio with charger. Three USHGA, three weather, four programmable frequencies. Durable, rugged, easy to use. Nicad battery (typical 10 hour). Pilots #1 choice! Special $349. Additional options available. Lookout Mo,111tain Flight Park, (800) 688-LMFP, (706) 398-3541.

NAS HANG GLIDING RESERVES - IOO'S sold. Tested, deployed and proven. Complete with 25ft. bridle and metered deployment bag. Brand new $385. New dealers welcome. (303) 278-9566. NORTH AMERICAN PARAGLIDING Importer and distributor for Brauniger flight instruments, Uvex helmets, Mcindl paragliding boors and Flight Design paragliding equipment. Please call or write for more information on these or other quality

products. Dealer inquires welcome. PO Box 4, Ellensburg \'(IA 98926. (509) 925-5565, fax (509) 962-4827.

FEBRUARY 1994

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

E~ Classifieds NEW PRO MODEL ~

$799

~rr°:;1r~

®I@ @)

,;;,

SPECIALIZING IN COMMUNICATION AND NAVIGATION - Allow a fellow pilot and licensed ham help you decide on a system that fits your needs. Yaesu FT411E $305., Yaesu FT416 $339.95, !com P2 $329., Alinco models DJ180T $225.95. Kenwood T28A $324.95. Mobiles 45w from $339. Maxon SP2550 $329.00 All models available, call for current quote. MARS/CAP MODS AVAILABLE, warranty intact. !com aircraft radio's from $429. Antennas: 5/8wv magmt $38.85, HT 1/4 gain $14.95, HT 5/8 telescopic $20.95. Special mounts available for all applications. Tow rope 1/4" poly $35/1000', 3/16" poly $30/1000'. Hook knives $14.95, V-Mitts $28. NEW FLIGHTMATE PRO, in stock $799.95, includes accessory package.

THE NEW "SKY ROHR PARA-SWIVEL" Smaller, lighter and best of all, stronger. Don't leave the ground without one! $84 +$4 s/h. Dealer inquiries welcome. GOLDEN WINGS, 1103 Washington Ave., Golden CO 80401. (303) 278-7181. High quality Maxon helmets, only $55 + $4 s/h. Great for schools!

DON'T GET CAUGHT LANDING DOWNWIND! 1.5 oz. ripstop nylon, UV treated, 5'4" long w/11" throat. Available colors: fluorescent pink/yellow or fluorescent pink/white. $39.95 (+$4.00 S/H). Send to USHGA Windsok, P.O. Box 8300, Colorado Springs, CO 80933-8300, (71':l) 632-8300, FAX (719) 632-6417. VISA/MC accepted.

WINDTALKER Ill *

TEK 6" WHEELS - $25 per pair, plus $3 S/H. Tek Flight Products, Colebrook Stage, Winsted CT 06098. (203) 379-1668. USHGA '93 CALENDAR COVER ~ Z3 harness with pocket rocket $600. Brauniger PVl 1 + AV competition varios with barographs, Ball 652 AS TE. (619) 872-2087.

Vario's from Ball and Aircotec, in stock. Some demo models at reduced prices $call. Dealer for all NAS p roducts-Varios- Helmers- Parachutes-Parag\iders. Dealer for all major brands. We've either got the BEST PRICES or we'll try to match them!" Kentuckiana Soaring, 425 Taggart Ave., Clarksville IN 47129. Fax (812) 284-1604 or phone (812) 2887111 evenings and weekends, send SASE for sale flyer. Mastercard/Visa.

THE WINDTALKER - is remote controlled by telephone, and can keep 200 access codes, with preset numbers of calls that can amo decrement. Also will call you if conditions exceed threshold. Price is only $895 complete. Free information. Litek (503) 4796633. 1993 WORLD HANG GLIDING CHAMPIONSHIP T-Shi rts still available $15. 2 UP Axis 15 Gliders $700 ea. OXYGEN SYSTEMS Used for 2 weeks at '93 World Meet $150. Options: Hi-pressure extensions, Kevlar tank, 2Llmin. Alum. regulator & on/off switch $50 ea. Maxon (3 USHGA freq) 5 watt, Hi-Lo Power, Heavy Duty $300 Tekk T-20 (I channel) 2 watt $150 Pendulum Sports, Inc. 1-800-WE FLY XC BUSINESS AND EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES

Our advertising has a t:vvo-month lead time plan ahead.

UVEX HELMETS - Ultra lightweight (one pound), most popular hang gliding helmet, full-face protection, using world's strongest fiber. $299. quantity discounts. (800) 688-LMFP, (706) 398-3541.

FULL AND PART TIME - USHGA certified instructors. Innovative equipment, the latest training methods. Soaring Safaris. Send resume Mission Soaring Center, 1116 Wrigley Way, Milpitas CA 95035. (408) 262-1055.

HANG GLIDING

Classifieds ~~ SOARING - Monthly magazine of The Soaring Society of America, Inc. Covers all aspects of soaring flight. Full membership $45. Info. kit with sample copy $3. SSA, P.O. Box E, Hobbs, NM 88241. (505) 392-1177.

FAX your classified ad, membership renewal or merchandise order:

TOWING

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

PARAGLIDING INSTRUCTOR - Ulster County NY. Instruct groups & individuals & tandem from beginner to advanced. Instruction includes theory & actual flight lessons. Must be accredited/licensed instructor with 2 years experience teaching individuals, groups & tandem. Must provide safe and informative instruction. $20,000/yr, 40hrs/wk. Instruction varies on student availability. Generally instruction on weekend and holidays. Remaining hours for theory,

LINE CHUTES SAVE MONEY - Patterns and materials. Two sizes, low as $30. Call evenings (303) 371-8873. HANG GLIDING FOR BEGINNER PILOTS by Pete Cheney. The Official USHGA Training Manual, NOW IN ITS SECOND EDITION Over 260 pages, with more than 160 easy-to-understand illustrations and photos. Your library starts with this book! $29.95 (plus $4.00 s/h) Colorado residents add 3% tax. SEND/FAX/PHONE TO: USHGA BOOKS, P.O. Box 8300, Colorado Springs, CO 80933-8300, FA,'( (719) 632-6417, PHONE (719) 632-8300. VISA/MC accepted.

preparation, nrnintenance, clean-up of equipn1enr,

This is the one I I ~ By Golden Wings

Tow line recovery System

marketing, scheduling & record keeping. Special interest courses lasr for one ro two week periods. Certain packages would include travel to international paragliding sites. Send resume or letter in duplicate to SP391, Rm 501, One Main Street, Brooklyn NY 11201.

Nothing attached to pilot or bridle. UNLIKE OTHER SYSTEMS - No deployment mechanism is required. Fully self actuating when tow line is released. Reduces wear on line & rewind motor. Reduces turn around time. Two sizes. $85/$125 +$4 S/H. Check or money order. Golden Wings, 1103 Washington Ave., Golden CO. 1-800677-4449

PUBLICATIONS & ORGANIZATIONS

DOINIIND

ULTRALINE IN STOCK- Winter Discount! 10% off 3000' and 4000' continuous lengths. The original Ultraline Source-Cajun Hang Gliding Club, 110 Kent Circle, Lafayette LA 70508. (318) 981-8372.

TOWLINES HIGHER THAN EAGLES - by Maralys & Chris Wills. The life & times of BOBBY WILLS, hang gliding legend. Experience the rriumphs and tragedies of the Wills family and the evolution of Wills Wing. $19.95 hardcover (+$4.00 S/H), see preceding classified for USHGA BOOKS ordering info.

SPECTRA-Hollow Braided 2000' or 3000' I Reel Part# .............................. Price .................. Weight SPCB-730 ....................... 14¢/ft ................ <2#/M SPCB-950 ....................... 16¢/ft ................ 2#/M SPCB-1500 ..................... 1N/ft ................ <4#/M SPCB-2200 ..................... 17¢/ft ................ 5#/M

lFERFORMANCE lFLYING by DENNIS f,\(OEN

A True Hong Gilding Story

DACRON-Hollow Braided 1500' I Reel DCCB-650 ..................... M/fr ................. <5#/M DCCB-900 ..................... 9¢/ft ................. <8#/M DCCB-1500 ................... 10¢/ft ................ 12#/M DCCB-2000 ................... ll<t/ft ................ 17#/M All in stock, fax orders to: David F. Bradley, Braided Products Division, PO Box 95, Hilltown PA 18927 (215) 822-1968, fax (215) 822-5852.

bl,I LARRY FLEMING

VIDEOS & FILMS GOING, GOING ... - Chris Gregor publishing would like to thank the hang gliding community for its overwhelming response. A limited number of first editions are still available. Chris Gregor Publishing, PO Box 26595, Fresno CA 93729-6595. $10.95 plus $3 s/h. (California residents add 85¢ sales tax.)

FEBRUARY 1994

BAG IT! - If you don't have your copy of Dennis Pagen's PERFORMANCE FLYING yet, available through USHGA Headquarters $29.95 (+$4 s&h).

FLAMENCO DUNE - Awesome paragliding & radical dune soaring in Namibia, Original, unique soundtrack. \'{feird yes-bur you'll enjoy it. 20 min. $19.95 +$4 S/H. Available through USHGA Headquarters.

E~ Classifieds ASSET PROTECTION - With a NEW USHGA Stadium Cushion, $5.99 +$3 s/h. A great gift for your driver! Available from USHGA, PO Box 8300, Colorado Springs CO 80933. FREE INFORMATION -Allow the Government to finance your small business. Loans/grant to $687,000. Call 24 hour, free recorded message: (313) 825-6700, dept. 1264. GLIDER MARKING INTERNATIONAL CORP. - For any artwork on your hang glider. Free color brochures. Phone (516) 676-7599, fax (516) 6760106. VIDEOS BOOKS POSTERS APPAREL - Call USHGA for your Merchandise order form (719) 6328300.

rt-=~--c°_C--OVER THE EDGE - Step "Over The Edge" into the ultimate skydiving, hang gliding, base jumping and scuba diving spores adventure video! Over 1 hour of action packed adventure, captured on beautiful quality 16mm film. Original music score. Locations include Micronesia, Venezuela, Yosemite, Korea and many more! Tom Sanders/Aerial Focus, 8 Camino Verde, Santa Barbara CA 93103, (805) 962-9911. Visa/MC or checks welcome. $59.95 plus $4 shipping, CA residents 7.75% tax.

PARAGLIDE: The Movie World class paragliding at the famous Owens Valley. Probably more paragliding action than you can handle in this 40 minute video. Send $39.95 (+$4 s&h) to USHGA Videos, PO Box 8300, Colorado Springs co 80933. (719) 632-8300. MISCELLANEOUS

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 print. Special layouts of tabs $25.00 per column inch. AD DEADLINES All ad copy, instructions, changes, additions and cancellations must be received in writing l 1/2 months preceding the cover date, i.e. October 20 for the December issue. Please make checks payable to USHGA Classified Advertising Dept. HANG GLIDING MAGAZINE, P.O. Box 8300, Colorado Springs, CO 80933 (719) 632-8300 or FAX (719) 632-6417. STOLEN WINGS TRX 160 - Stolen from Nags Head, NC during Sept. 1993. Purple LE, purple/black/purple colors. Day-glow "UP" on right wing. Contact Bruce Weaver (919) 441-4124 Kitty Hawk Kites. HANG GLIDING EQUIPMENT - Stolen along with car, WILLOW SPRING IL, on October 5th, 1993. Custom Airwear harness, black wired outside, flour. pink inside. Flight design parachute, Litek Hummingbird vario (blue/gold), orange Bell helmet, 40 channel radio, tow rope, bridle ... CallJohn Ruhulessin (708) 839-0441. LOST GRAY HARNESS BAG - Lost in DAYDREAMS, NORTH TAHOE LAKE CA area on Sept. 12, 1993. Bag contents: Airwave Race 2 harness, helmet & parachute. Call Reta Schaerli (916) 4524247.

"AEROBATICS" - JUST IN! Full color 23"x 31" poster featuring John Heiney doing what he does best-LOOPING! Available through USHGA HQ for just $6.95 (+$3.50 s/h). Fill that void on your wall! Send to: USHGA Aerobatics Poster, PO Box 8300, Colorado Springs CO 80933. (USA & Canada only. Sorry, posters are NOT AVAJLABLE on international orders.)

VISION MK IV 17 - Serial #VM6620. Taken from parking lot of Red Lion Hotel in MODESTO CA on Sept. 12/13, 1993. Glider was stolen without a nose cone. Blue LE, rainbow undersurface. One of the leading edges has a flat anodized finish. Three small glue patches on LE. Brand new blue bag wired ends. Please contact Jens Evling, PO Box 1187, Monterey CA 93942-1187. Phone (408) 649-3755, fax (408) 6551538.

Z-3 BLUE HARNESS - Taken from SAN FRANCISCO CA area in late August 1993. Also 18 gore PDA parachure, Olympus camera, Norrhface jacket (grey/black), Alinco 2 meter handheld radio. Call Tom Seeliger (415) 324-8233. WILLS \'{!ING SPECTRUM 165 - Serial# 20213. Taken below Hwy 8 bridge over THING VALLEY, east of San Diego CA, on July 10th, 1993. Blue LE, florescent yellow undersurface. High Energy XC bag, blue/red. Call Paul Hurless (619) 588-4687. FIREBIRD APACHE 26 PARAGLIDER - Taken from SANTA BARBARA CA area on July 27, 1993. Pink in color, brand new. Contact Air Technology, Achim Hageman 1-800-424-1963, (805) 962-8999. KNEEHANGER HARNESS & HALF-SHELL HELMET- Loaned at Capitol HGA October 1992 meeting, borrower's name lost. Harness is olive-drab w/logo and parachute container, lots of black webbing straps (not rope). Helmet is yellowed white half-shell, w/ orange "High Rock 1992" sticker on side and a vertical arrow sticker on back which says "Other Brothers-The Pulpit 1982". If spotted, please get pilot's data and call Mark Wallner (301) 932-2188 MD. STOLEN WINGS are listed as a service to USHGA members. Newest entries are in bold. There is no charge for this service and lost and found wings or equipment may be called in to (719) 632-8300 for inclusion in Hang Gliding magazine. Please call to cancel the listing when gliders are recovered. Periodically, this listing will be purged.

INDEX TO ADVERTISERS Adventure Video ................... 4,39 Aircotec ................................... 39 Blacet Research ........................ 44 BRS ........................................... 8 East Coast Video ..................... 26 Flytec ......................................... 2 Hall Bros ................................... 4 High Energy Sports ................. 14 Just Fly ...................................... 9 Lookout Mt. Flight Park .......... 38 NAS Distributing .................... 31 Pacific Airwave ........... Back Cover Sport Aviation Publications ........ 4 Trekking USA .......................... 39 UP International. ..................... 27 USHGA ................... 26,40,41,42 Wills Wing .............................. 15

HANG GLIDING

ST. PAUL, MINN. -- As we look to a new season of hang gliding, I have one last gift item that deserves mention. • • , Even up here in snow country, one video might actually get your heart pumping! Most HG videos tend to be mellow productions, featuring delicate and colorful gliders moving gracefully and silently against sweeping panoramas. In sharp contrast, Tom Sanders' "Over the :Edge" is a splash of cold water in your face. Imagine a wake up call that involves sky diving off a city building, with only, as screen text clear 1 y states, 5 Seconds to I:rrpact. Opposite of my common reaction to flying videos, I found "0-T-E" fun and easy to watch to the end. Slickly produced, it boasts a wide variety of beautiful settings for fast-paced action scenes. The tape has only a short section on hang gliding, being mostly a sky diving effort. Any actionsport lover will enjoy the tape from Aerial Focus. FMI: 805/962-9911, or write 8 Camino Verde, Santa Barbara CA 93103. This time, "PL" offers SPECIAL COVERAGE with a product-focused highlight of USHGA survey statistics recently divined from 1,725 forms. ••• The important brand market share shows remarkable stability. Wills continues to lead with 42.0%. This has been consistent for three years (1992 was 40.9%; 1991 was 43 .1%) . Pac.Air edged up ever so slightly while holding onto Second with 27.6% of the market. PA had 26.9% and 25.3% in '92 and '91. UP has also had an even performance with 10. 7% this year versus 10.5% and 10.6% in past years. Finally, M:Jyes appears solid in Fourth for the second year at 6. 3%, the same as last year and 25% higher than in 1991. Below Fourth, the positions are less certain due to lower responses. Seedwings had 3.7% in '93, Delta Wing held 3. 5% and ''Other" climbed to 6. 2% from 5.4% last year. Nationally, 600 pilots fly "Other" brands, indicating a need to collect more detailed information to see what new brands may be up and coming. Neither does the mix of gliders bring any big surprises. Flex wings :i:ule, though not as convincingly as some might think, with 77% of the survey. Paragliders (Class III) have 27% in a show of strength among USHGA' s membership. Rigid wings continue to skim low at less than 5% of the survey. Nonetheless, this still reverse calculates to over 400 rigid wing pilots nationally, FEBRUARY 1994

a figure large enough to motivate several small manufacturers. The survey also documented paraglider market share. Edel leads with 21%, followed by Pro Design at 19%, "Other" at 17%, and in Fourth, Wills with 11%. The only other U.S. entrant, UP, came in Eighth with 5% of the market. UP says they' re stronger overseas, and of course, most pilots are aware Wills sells lots of hang gliders in Europe. Both companies give Team America a significant export presence. ,,, I calculate that, based on this survey, American pilots will buy about 2,000 new hang gliders in 1994 worth nearly $10 million in retail dollars! This should add slightly to the 1. 7 gliders every USHGA member already owns because only half as many used glider sales are forecast (though student purchases are a variable we cannot count accurately). ••• Ballistic parachute ownership has stabilized at about a quarter of the population. Hand deployment has just over 70%, but what's surprising these days is the survey info showing nearly 600 American pilots who fly without a 'chute of any kind. •,, Fortunately, the stats also show that at least 60% of you repacked your chute in '93 (it should be 100%) and that a sixth of you serviced your rocket (about right since the newest units only require service every six years). Finally, towing. Aero-based towing continues to proliferate though not as fast as some predicted. The method accounts for 18% of all launches. Auto-based platform style still dominates, but at 60% it could be overtaken as other technologies advance. Boat towing still launches about 15% and equipment like stationary winches get some 5% of tow pilots aloft. Overwhelmingly, the auto winches are the pay-out type with over 80% of the systems. ,,, To close the survey review, three non-product points of interest: Average age is 38.6. Yipes! Almost fortysomething. Average income is mid-to-high $40,000s. And -- whaddyaknow? -- of the survey respondents, 9. 9% are female. That suggests nearly a thousand American hang diving women, up strongly from only half that a few years back. ••• Next time... news on UP Int' l and on a new gizmo from Chris Arai (who is presently competing in Japan for WW). So, got news or opinions? Send 'em to 8 Dorset, St. Paul MN 55118. Fax or V-mail: 612/450-0930. THANKS!

KS - the difference is A/RWA VE

AIRWAVE K Series KS 148 - The latest in the K series. the KS 148 is a gbder for lhc Lighter pilot. It's noc: only an out~:md-out racer \\ ith oompetirion grade performance, bu1 is also an excellei\1 alJ round machine fOf 1he recreational and weekend pilot. It combu,es easy handling, launch and landing characte.ristics v•ilh perfonn:mce so fierce lhat you'IJ Y.."'Oll.der hO\\' you managed wilbout it. Designed 10 exacting SUln(lard; •nd prO(luc:;e(i with the normal AIRWAVE ~ quality fittings. 1

the KS 148 is a gJjder tha1 is seooncl to none and one yoo'U be proud to O\VD.

Sail Design - Composite construction produces the performance of a full cnylar sail while retaining the e.asy handling ai:id longeviry of a dacroo sail. A highly u•arp-oriented. strucrural Ja.miruue is used for high load areas on the trliling edge band. This produces high pcrfonnancc but greatly helpS the Life span of the glider as well as the handling. The fron1section of lhe main body is made from a lighrweight fabric wi1h enom1ous Stability which. faci.Li1ru~ good

luff curve conttol for performance. Airf.rwnt- Design - Eve-I)' c-0mpone.nt on the KS 148 has been designed and manufactured using aerospace criteria 10 reduce \\'eig2n and drag wilhout any compromise regarding reliability and longe\'ity. The leading edge blend.t; a 52

1nm inner section ,o lhe .supplt:ne~ of a 50 mrn ou1er .section gi\'ing tht: optimum c.-ombination of luff and leading edge cur\'e. lbis combination gi\'es smooth handling and exceUent ghde at speed. Feawres and Benents - Every KS 148 ,.xnnes s1anctan:1 with: airfoil kingpost and/or s.afcdgc uprights for k>w drag: Comfon Bar for superb ergonomics: a Magic Trimmer providjng a full range of saiJ tensions in fl ight; and internal luff tine compensator to maintain the ncccss.'U)' settings for snfcty in all c(rtumstances while still allov.·ing sufficient sail movement for easy handling: high moduJus carbon fiber tip hauens g:i"e les., tip inertia and greater du.rabill• ty; precise and eff'ecth-·e tuning \\'ilh Trim Tips. The K series, as well as Ibo rest of lite Pacific Airwave hang gbdcr product line. are made in ~,e US of A. To receive otore iufonnalioo cont.aet )out Joe-al dealer or Pacific Ai.rwave toda).

Pacific Airwave, P.O. Box 4348, Salinas, California 93912 (408) 422-2299 Fax (408) 758-3270